ADVANCED HIGH PERFORMANCE SOLID WALL BLANKET CONCEPTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WONG, CPC; MALANG, S; NISHIO, S; RAFFRAY, R; SAGARA, S

2002-01-01

OAK A271 ADVANCED HIGH PERFORMANCE SOLID WALL BLANKET CONCEPTS. First wall and blanket (FW/blanket) design is a crucial element in the performance and acceptance of a fusion power plant. High temperature structural and breeding materials are needed for high thermal performance. A suitable combination of structural design with the selected materials is necessary for D-T fuel sufficiency. Whenever possible, low afterheat, low chemical reactivity and low activation materials are desired to achieve passive safety and minimize the amount of high-level waste. Of course the selected fusion FW/blanket design will have to match the operational scenarios of high performance plasma. The key characteristics of eight advanced high performance FW/blanket concepts are presented in this paper. Design configurations, performance characteristics, unique advantages and issues are summarized. All reviewed designs can satisfy most of the necessary design goals. For further development, in concert with the advancement in plasma control and scrape off layer physics, additional emphasis will be needed in the areas of first wall coating material selection, design of plasma stabilization coils, consideration of reactor startup and transient events. To validate the projected performance of the advanced FW/blanket concepts the critical element is the need for 14 MeV neutron irradiation facilities for the generation of necessary engineering design data and the prediction of FW/blanket components lifetime and availability

Advanced high performance solid wall blanket concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, C.P.C.; Malang, S.; Nishio, S.; Raffray, R.; Sagara, A.

2002-01-01

First wall and blanket (FW/blanket) design is a crucial element in the performance and acceptance of a fusion power plant. High temperature structural and breeding materials are needed for high thermal performance. A suitable combination of structural design with the selected materials is necessary for D-T fuel sufficiency. Whenever possible, low afterheat, low chemical reactivity and low activation materials are desired to achieve passive safety and minimize the amount of high-level waste. Of course the selected fusion FW/blanket design will have to match the operational scenarios of high performance plasma. The key characteristics of eight advanced high performance FW/blanket concepts are presented in this paper. Design configurations, performance characteristics, unique advantages and issues are summarized. All reviewed designs can satisfy most of the necessary design goals. For further development, in concert with the advancement in plasma control and scrape off layer physics, additional emphasis will be needed in the areas of first wall coating material selection, design of plasma stabilization coils, consideration of reactor startup and transient events. To validate the projected performance of the advanced FW/blanket concepts the critical element is the need for 14 MeV neutron irradiation facilities for the generation of necessary engineering design data and the prediction of FW/blanket components lifetime and availability

Ground Glass Pozzolan in Conventional, High, and Ultra-High Performance Concrete

OpenAIRE

Tagnit-Hamou Arezki; Zidol Ablam; Soliman Nancy; Deschamps Joris; Omran Ahmed

2018-01-01

Ground-glass pozzolan (G) obtained by grinding the mixed-waste glass to same fineness of cement can act as a supplementary-cementitious material (SCM), given that it is an amorphous and a pozzolanic material. The G showed promising performances in different concrete types such as conventional concrete (CC), high-performance concrete (HPC), and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). The current paper reports on the characteristics and performance of G in these concrete types. The use of G pro...

Experimentally and numerically investigating cell performance and localized characteristics for a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Ay; Ferng, Yuh Ming; Shih, Jah Ching

2009-01-01

This paper is to experimentally and numerically investigate the cell performance and the localized characteristics associated with a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Three experiments are carried out in order to study the performance of the PEMFC with different operating conditions and to validate the numerical simulation model. The model proposed herein is a three-dimensional (3-D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) non-isothermal model that essentially consists of thermal-hydraulic equations and electrochemical model. The performance curves of the PEMFC predicted by the present model agree with the experimental measured data. In addition, both the experiments and the predictions precisely demonstrate the enhanced effects of inlet gas temperature and system pressure on the PEMFC performance. Based on the simulation results, the localized characteristics within a PEMFC can be reasonably captured. These parameters include the fuel gas distribution, liquid water saturation distribution, membrane conductivity distribution, temperature variation, and current density distribution etc. As the PEMFC is operated at the higher current density, the fuel gas would be insufficiently supplied to the catalyst layer, consequently causing the decline in the generation of power density. This phenomenon is so called mass transfer limitation, which can be precisely simulated by the present CFD model.

MODEL OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT NURSE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT BASED ON ASSOCIATION OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTIC, ORGANIZATION CHARACTERISTIC AND JOB CHARACTERISTIC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Margaretha Bogar

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Nursing care is integral part of health care and having important role in management of patient with emergency condition. The purpose of this research was to develop nurse performance improvement model based on individual, organization and job characteristics association in Emergency Department of RSUD dr TC Hillers Maumere. Method: This was an explanative survey by cross sectional approach held on July -August 2012. Respondents in this study were 22 nurses and 44 patients were obtained by purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed by partial least square test and signi fi cant t value > 1.64 (alpha 10%. Result: Results showed that individual characteristic had effect on nurse performance (t = 7.59, organization characteristic had effect on nurse performance (t = 2.03 and job characteristic didn’t have effect on nurse performance (t = 0.88. Nurse performance had effect on patient satisfaction (t = 6.54 but nurse satisfaction didn’t have effect on nurse performance (t = 1.31, and nurse satisfaction didn’t have effect either on patient satisfaction (t = 0.94. Discussion: This research concluded that individual characteristics which in fl uence nurse performance in nursing care were ability and skill, experience, age, sex, attitude and motivation. Organization characteristic that influence nurse performance was reward while job characteristic that include job design and feedback didn’t influence nurse performance in nursing care. Nurse performance influenced patient satisfaction but nurse satisfaction didn’t influence patient satisfaction and nurse performance.

High performance and transparent multilayer MoS{sub 2} transistors: Tuning Schottky barrier characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Young Ki; Kwon, Junyeon; Hong, Seongin; Song, Won Geun; Liu, Na; Omkaram, Inturu; Kim, Sunkook, E-mail: kimskcnt@gmail.com, E-mail: ohms@keti.re.kr [Multi-Functional Bio/Nano Lab., Kyung Hee University, Gyeonggi 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Geonwook; Yoo, Byungwook; Oh, Min Suk, E-mail: kimskcnt@gmail.com, E-mail: ohms@keti.re.kr [Display Convergence Research Center, Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Gyeonggi 463-816 (Korea, Republic of); Ju, Sanghyun [Department of Physics, Kyonggi University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-Do 443-760 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Various strategies and mechanisms have been suggested for investigating a Schottky contact behavior in molybdenum disulfide (MoS{sub 2}) thin-film transistor (TFT), which are still in much debate and controversy. As one of promising breakthrough for transparent electronics with a high device performance, we have realized MoS{sub 2} TFTs with source/drain electrodes consisting of transparent bi-layers of a conducting oxide over a thin film of low work function metal. Intercalation of a low work function metal layer, such as aluminum, between MoS{sub 2} and transparent source/drain electrodes makes it possible to optimize the Schottky contact characteristics, resulting in about 24-fold and 3 orders of magnitude enhancement of the field-effect mobility and on-off current ratio, respectively, as well as transmittance of 87.4 % in the visible wavelength range.

Relationships between Isometric Force-Time Characteristics and Dynamic Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Dos’Santos

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP force-time characteristics (peak force and time-specific force vales (100–250 ms and dynamic performance and compare dynamic performance between stronger and weaker athletes. Forty-three athletes from different sports (rowing, soccer, bicycle motocross, and hockey performed three trials of the squat jump (SJ, countermovement jump (CMJ, and IMTP, and performed a one repetition maximum power clean (PC. Reactive strength index modified (RSImod was also calculated from the CMJ. Statistically significant large correlations between IMTP force-time characteristics and PC (ρ = 0.569–0.674, p < 0.001, and moderate correlations between IMTP force-time characteristics (excluding force at 100 ms and RSImod (ρ = 0.389–0.449, p = 0.013–0.050 were observed. Only force at 250 ms demonstrated a statistically significant moderate correlation with CMJ height (ρ = 0.346, p = 0.016 and no statistically significant associations were observed between IMTP force-time characteristics and SJ height. Stronger athletes (top 10 demonstrated statistically significantly greater CMJ heights, RSImods, and PCs (p ≤ 0.004, g = 1.32–1.89 compared to weaker (bottom 10 athletes, but no differences in SJ height were observed (p = 0.871, g = 0.06. These findings highlight that the ability to apply rapidly high levels of force in short time intervals is integral for PC, CMJ height, and reactive strength.

A task-based parallelism and vectorized approach to 3D Method of Characteristics (MOC) reactor simulation for high performance computing architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Tramm, John R.; Gunow, Geoffrey; He, Tim; Smith, Kord S.; Forget, Benoit; Siegel, Andrew R.

2016-05-01

In this study we present and analyze a formulation of the 3D Method of Characteristics (MOC) technique applied to the simulation of full core nuclear reactors. Key features of the algorithm include a task-based parallelism model that allows independent MOC tracks to be assigned to threads dynamically, ensuring load balancing, and a wide vectorizable inner loop that takes advantage of modern SIMD computer architectures. The algorithm is implemented in a set of highly optimized proxy applications in order to investigate its performance characteristics on CPU, GPU, and Intel Xeon Phi architectures. Speed, power, and hardware cost efficiencies are compared. Additionally, performance bottlenecks are identified for each architecture in order to determine the prospects for continued scalability of the algorithm on next generation HPC architectures.

Dimensional characteristics of welds performed on AISI 1045 steel by means of the application of high power diode laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez-Castillo, A.; Pou, J.; Lusquinos, F.; Quintero, F.; Soto, R.; Boutinguiza, M.; Saavedra, M.; Perez-Amor, M.

2004-01-01

The named High Power diode Laser (HPDL), emits a beam of optical energy generated by diode stimulation and offers the capability of supplying levels of power up to 6 kW. The objective of this research work was to study the main welding variables and their effects on dimensional characteristics of the beads performed by means of application of this novel laser. The results obtained, show that HPDL, is an energy source able to perform welds on AISI 1045 steel plates under conduction mode, without any kind of mechanized preparation, preheating or post-weld treatment and, without filler metal application. (Author) 16 refs

Relations between mental health team characteristics and work role performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Farand, Lambert

2017-01-01

Effective mental health care requires a high performing, interprofessional team. Among 79 mental health teams in Quebec (Canada), this exploratory study aims to 1) determine the association between work role performance and a wide range of variables related to team effectiveness according to the literature, and to 2) using structural equation modelling, assess the covariance between each of these variables as well as the correlation with other exogenous variables. Work role performance was measured with an adapted version of a work role questionnaire. Various independent variables including team manager characteristics, user characteristics, team profiles, clinical activities, organizational culture, network integration strategies and frequency/satisfaction of interactions with other teams or services were analyzed under the structural equation model. The later provided a good fit with the data. Frequent use of standardized procedures and evaluation tools (e.g. screening and assessment tools for mental health disorders) and team manager seniority exerted the most direct effect on work role performance. While network integration strategies had little effect on work role performance, there was a high covariance between this variable and those directly affecting work role performance among mental health teams. The results suggest that the mental healthcare system should apply standardized procedures and evaluation tools and, to a lesser extent, clinical approaches to improve work role performance in mental health teams. Overall, a more systematic implementation of network integration strategies may contribute to improved work role performance in mental health care.

Performance characteristics of CdTe drift ring detector

Science.gov (United States)

Alruhaili, A.; Sellin, P. J.; Lohstroh, A.; Veeramani, P.; Kazemi, S.; Veale, M. C.; Sawhney, K. J. S.; Kachkanov, V.

2014-03-01

CdTe and CdZnTe material is an excellent candidate for the fabrication of high energy X-ray spectroscopic detectors due to their good quantum efficiency and room temperature operation. The main material limitation is associated with the poor charge transport properties of holes. The motivation of this work is to investigate the performance characteristics of a detector fabricated with a drift ring geometry that is insensitive to the transport of holes. The performance of a prototype Ohmic CdTe drift ring detector fabricated by Acrorad with 3 drift rings is reported; measurements include room temperature current voltage characteristics (IV) and spectroscopic performance. The data shows that the energy resolution of the detector is limited by leakage current which is a combination of bulk and surface leakage currents. The energy resolution was studied as a function of incident X-ray position with an X-ray microbeam at the Diamond Light Source. Different ring biasing schemes were investigated and the results show that by increasing the lateral field (i.e. the bias gradient across the rings) the active area, evaluated by the detected count rate, increased significantly.

Reliability modeling of degradation of products with multiple performance characteristics based on gamma processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Zhengqiang; Balakrishnan, Narayanaswamy

2011-01-01

Many highly reliable products usually have complex structure, with their reliability being evaluated by two or more performance characteristics. In certain physical situations, the degradation of these performance characteristics would be always positive and strictly increasing. In such a case, the gamma process is usually considered as a degradation process due to its independent and non-negative increments properties. In this paper, we suppose that a product has two dependent performance characteristics and that their degradation can be modeled by gamma processes. For such a bivariate degradation involving two performance characteristics, we propose to use a bivariate Birnbaum-Saunders distribution and its marginal distributions to approximate the reliability function. Inferential method for the corresponding model parameters is then developed. Finally, for an illustration of the proposed model and method, a numerical example about fatigue cracks is discussed and some computational results are presented.

Flexible nanoscale high-performance FinFETs

KAUST Repository

Sevilla, Galo T.

2014-10-28

With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), flexible high-performance nanoscale electronics are more desired. At the moment, FinFET is the most advanced transistor architecture used in the state-of-the-art microprocessors. Therefore, we show a soft-etch based substrate thinning process to transform silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based nanoscale FinFET into flexible FinFET and then conduct comprehensive electrical characterization under various bending conditions to understand its electrical performance. Our study shows that back-etch based substrate thinning process is gentler than traditional abrasive back-grinding process; it can attain ultraflexibility and the electrical characteristics of the flexible nanoscale FinFET show no performance degradation compared to its rigid bulk counterpart indicating its readiness to be used for flexible high-performance electronics.

HIIT enhances endurance performance and aerobic characteristics more than high-volume training in trained rowers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ní Chéilleachair, Niamh J; Harrison, Andrew J; Warrington, Giles D

2017-06-01

This study compared the effects of long slow distance training (LSD) with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in rowers. Nineteen well-trained rowers performed three tests before and after an 8-week training intervention: (1) 2000 m time trial; (2) seven-stage incremental step test to determine maximum oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O 2max ), power output at [Formula: see text]O 2max (W[Formula: see text]O 2max ), peak power output (PPO), rowing economy and blood lactate indices and (3) seven-stroke power-output test to determine maximal power output (W max ) and force (F max ). After baseline testing, participants were randomly assigned either to a HIIT or LSD group. The LSD comprised 10 weekly aerobic sessions. The HIIT also comprised 10 weekly sessions: 8 aerobic and 2 HIIT. The HIIT sessions comprised 6-8 × 2.5 min intervals at 100% PPO with recovery time based on heart rate (HR) returning to 70% HR max . Results demonstrated that the HIIT produced greater improvement in 2000 m time trial performance than the LSD (effect size (ES) = 0.25). Moreover, the HIIT produced greater improvements in [Formula: see text]O 2max (ES = 0.95, P = 0.035) and power output at lactate threshold (W LT ) (ES = 1.15, P = 0.008). Eight weeks of HIIT performed at 100% PPO is more effective than LSD in improving performance and aerobic characteristics in well-trained rowers.

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC MEMS-BASED IMUs FOR UAVs NAVIGATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. A. Mohamed

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Accurate 3D reconstruction has become essential for non-traditional mapping applications such as urban planning, mining industry, environmental monitoring, navigation, surveillance, pipeline inspection, infrastructure monitoring, landslide hazard analysis, indoor localization, and military simulation. The needs of these applications cannot be satisfied by traditional mapping, which is based on dedicated data acquisition systems designed for mapping purposes. Recent advances in hardware and software development have made it possible to conduct accurate 3D mapping without using costly and high-end data acquisition systems. Low-cost digital cameras, laser scanners, and navigation systems can provide accurate mapping if they are properly integrated at the hardware and software levels. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs are emerging as a mobile mapping platform that can provide additional economical and practical advantages. However, such economical and practical requirements need navigation systems that can provide uninterrupted navigation solution. Hence, testing the performance characteristics of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS or low cost navigation sensors for various UAV applications is important research. This work focuses on studying the performance characteristics under different manoeuvres using inertial measurements integrated with single point positioning, Real-Time-Kinematic (RTK, and additional navigational aiding sensors. Furthermore, the performance of the inertial sensors is tested during Global Positioning System (GPS signal outage.

Performance Characteristic Mems-Based IMUs for UAVs Navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, H. A.; Hansen, J. M.; Elhabiby, M. M.; El-Sheimy, N.; Sesay, A. B.

2015-08-01

Accurate 3D reconstruction has become essential for non-traditional mapping applications such as urban planning, mining industry, environmental monitoring, navigation, surveillance, pipeline inspection, infrastructure monitoring, landslide hazard analysis, indoor localization, and military simulation. The needs of these applications cannot be satisfied by traditional mapping, which is based on dedicated data acquisition systems designed for mapping purposes. Recent advances in hardware and software development have made it possible to conduct accurate 3D mapping without using costly and high-end data acquisition systems. Low-cost digital cameras, laser scanners, and navigation systems can provide accurate mapping if they are properly integrated at the hardware and software levels. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are emerging as a mobile mapping platform that can provide additional economical and practical advantages. However, such economical and practical requirements need navigation systems that can provide uninterrupted navigation solution. Hence, testing the performance characteristics of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) or low cost navigation sensors for various UAV applications is important research. This work focuses on studying the performance characteristics under different manoeuvres using inertial measurements integrated with single point positioning, Real-Time-Kinematic (RTK), and additional navigational aiding sensors. Furthermore, the performance of the inertial sensors is tested during Global Positioning System (GPS) signal outage.

Relationship of nurses' intrapersonal characteristics with work performance and caring behaviors: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Geyer, Nelouise-Marié; Coetzee, Siedine K; Ellis, Suria M; Uys, Leana R

2018-02-28

This study aimed to describe intrapersonal characteristics (professional values, personality, empathy, and job involvement), work performance as perceived by nurses, and caring behaviors as perceived by patients, and to examine the relationships among these variables. A cross-sectional design was employed. A sample was recruited of 218 nurses and 116 patients in four private hospitals and four public hospitals. Data were collected using self-report measures. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, hierarchical linear modelling, correlations, and structural equation modeling. Nurses perceived their work performance to be of high quality. Among the intrapersonal characteristics, nurses had high scores for professional values, and moderately high scores for personality, empathy and job involvement. Patients perceived nurses' caring behaviors as moderately high. Professional values of nurses were the only selected intrapersonal characteristic with a statistically significant positive relationship, of practical importance, with work performance as perceived by nurses and with caring behaviors as perceived by patients at ward level. Managers can enhance nurses' work performance and caring behaviors through provision of in-service training that focuses on development of professional values. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Performance and emission characteristics of a turbocharged CNG engine fueled by hydrogen-enriched compressed natural gas with high hydrogen ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Fanhua; Wang, Mingyue; Jiang, Long; Chen, Renzhe; Deng, Jiao; Naeve, Nashay; Zhao, Shuli [State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2010-06-15

This paper investigates the effect of high hydrogen volumetric ratio of 55% on performance and emission characteristics in a turbocharged lean burn natural gas engine. The experimental data was conducted under various operating conditions including different spark timing, excess air ratio (lambda), and manifold pressure. It is found that the addition of hydrogen at a high volumetric ratio could significantly extend the lean burn limit, improve the engine lean burn ability, decrease burn duration, and yield higher thermal efficiency. The CO, CH{sub 4} emissions were reduced and NO{sub x} emission could be kept an acceptable low level with high hydrogen content under lean burn conditions when ignition timing were optimized. (author)

Research about reactor operator's personality characteristics and performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Li; He Xuhong; Zhao Bingquan

2003-01-01

To predict and evaluate the reactor operator's performance by personality characteristics is an important part of reactor operator safety assessment. Using related psychological theory combined with the Chinese operator's fact and considering the effect of environmental factors to personality analysis, paper does the research about the about the relationships between reactor operator's performance and personality characteristics, and offers the reference for operator's selection, using and performance in the future. (author)

Comparative Analysis of Performance and Microbial Characteristics Between High-Solid and Low-Solid Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge Under Mesophilic Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Qin; Yi, Jing; Yang, Dianhai

2016-01-01

High-solid anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge achieves highly efficient volatile solid reduction, and production of volatile fatty acid (VFA) and methane compared with conventional low-solid anaerobic digestion. In this study, the potential mechanisms of the better performance in high-solid anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge were investigated by using 454 high-throughput pyrosequencing and real-time PCR to analyze the microbial characteristics in sewage sludge fermentation reactors. The results obtained by 454 high-throughput pyrosequencing revealed that the phyla Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were the dominant functional microorganisms in high-solid and low-solid anaerobic systems. Meanwhile, the real-time PCR assays showed that high-solid anaerobic digestion significantly increased the number of total bacteria, which enhanced the hydrolysis and acidification of sewage sludge. Further study indicated that the number of total archaea (dominated by Methanosarcina) in a high-solid anaerobic fermentation reactor was also higher than that in a low-solid reactor, resulting in higher VFA consumption and methane production. Hence, the increased key bacteria and methanogenic archaea involved in sewage sludge hydrolysis, acidification, and methanogenesis resulted in the better performance of high-solid anaerobic sewage sludge fermentation.

Architecting Web Sites for High Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arun Iyengar

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Web site applications are some of the most challenging high-performance applications currently being developed and deployed. The challenges emerge from the specific combination of high variability in workload characteristics and of high performance demands regarding the service level, scalability, availability, and costs. In recent years, a large body of research has addressed the Web site application domain, and a host of innovative software and hardware solutions have been proposed and deployed. This paper is an overview of recent solutions concerning the architectures and the software infrastructures used in building Web site applications. The presentation emphasizes three of the main functions in a complex Web site: the processing of client requests, the control of service levels, and the interaction with remote network caches.

Two Profiles of the Dutch High Performing Employee

Science.gov (United States)

de Waal, A. A.; Oudshoorn, Michella

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the profile of an ideal employee, to be more precise the behavioral characteristics of the Dutch high-performing employee (HPE). Organizational performance depends for a large part on the commitment of employees. Employees provide their knowledge, skills, experiences and creativity to the…

Characteristics and performance of the Sunna high dose dosemeter using green photoluminescence and UV absorption readout methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, S.D.; Murphy, M.K.; Tinker, M.R.; Kovacs, A.; McLaughlin, W

2002-07-01

Growth in the use of ionising radiation for medical sterilisation and the potential for wide-scale international food irradiation have created the need for robust, mass-producible, inexpensive, and highly accurate radiation dosemeters. The Sunna dosemeter, lithium fluoride injection-moulded in a polyethylene matrix, can be read out using either green photoluminescence or ultraviolet (UV) absorption. The Sunna dosemeter can be mass-produced inexpensively with high precision. Both the photoluminescent and the UV absorption reader are simple and inexpensive. Both methods of analysis display negligible humidity effects, minimal dose rate dependence, acceptable post-irradiation effects, and permit measurements with a precision of nearly 1% 1s. The UV method shows negligible irradiation temperature effects from -30 deg. C to +60 deg. C. The photoluminescence method shows negligible irradiation temperature effects above room temperature for sterilisation dose levels and above. The dosimetry characteristics of these two readout methods are presented along with performance data in commercial sterilisation facilities. (author)

Ground Glass Pozzolan in Conventional, High, and Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tagnit-Hamou Arezki

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Ground-glass pozzolan (G obtained by grinding the mixed-waste glass to same fineness of cement can act as a supplementary-cementitious material (SCM, given that it is an amorphous and a pozzolanic material. The G showed promising performances in different concrete types such as conventional concrete (CC, high-performance concrete (HPC, and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC. The current paper reports on the characteristics and performance of G in these concrete types. The use of G provides several advantages (technological, economical, and environmental. It reduces the production cost of concrete and decrease the carbon footprint of a traditional concrete structures. The rheology of fresh concrete can be improved due to the replacement of cement by non-absorptive glass particles. Strength and rigidity improvements in the concrete containing G are due to the fact that glass particles act as inclusions having a very high strength and elastic modulus that have a strengthening effect on the overall hardened matrix.

Resolution of RNA using high-performance liquid chromatography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mclaughlin, L.W.; Bischoff, Rainer

1987-01-01

High-performance liquid chromatographic techniques can be very effective for the resolution and isolation of nucleic acids. The characteristic ionic (phosphodiesters) and hydrophobic (nucleobases) properties of RNAs can be exploited for their separation. In this respect anion-exchange and

High-performance characteristics of the bonded magnets produced from the Sm2 Fe17 Nx powder stabilized by photo-induced zinc metal coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machida, K.; Izumi, H.; Shiomi, A.; Iguchi, M.; Adachi, G.

1996-01-01

Finely and uniformly ground powders of Sm 2 Fe 17 N x were stabilized by surface-coating with the zinc metal produced from Zn (C 2 H 5 ) 2 . The epoxy resin-bonded magnets produced from the Zn/Sm 2 Fe 17 N x composite powder provided high-performance permanent magnetic characteristics: (BH)max=∼ 176 kJm -3 . (author)

Performance characteristics of the DIII-D advanced divertor cryopump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menon, M.M.; Maingi, R.; Wade, M.R.; Baxi, C.B.; Campbell, G.L.; Holtrop, K.L.; Hyatt, A.W.; Laughon, G.J.; Makariou, C.C.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Reis, E.E.; Schaffer, M.J.; Schaubel, K.M.; Scoville, J.T.; Smith, J.P.; Stambaugh, R.D.

1993-10-01

A cryocondensation pump, cooled by forced flow of two-phase helium, has been installed for particle exhaust from the divertor region of the DIII-D tokamak. The Inconel pumping surface is of coaxial geometry, 25.4 mm in outer diameter and 11.65 m in length. Because of the tokamak environment, the pump is designed to perform under relatively high pulsed heat loads (300 Wm -2 ). Results of measurements made on the pumping characteristics for D 2 , H 2 , and Ar are discussed

Characteristics and Performance of Existing Load Disaggregation Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayhorn, Ebony T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sullivan, Greg P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Butner, Ryan S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hao, He [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Baechler, Michael C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-04-10

Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) or non-intrusive appliance load monitoring (NIALM) is an analytic approach to disaggregate building loads based on a single metering point. This advanced load monitoring and disaggregation technique has the potential to provide an alternative solution to high-priced traditional sub-metering and enable innovative approaches for energy conservation, energy efficiency, and demand response. However, since the inception of the concept in the 1980’s, evaluations of these technologies have focused on reporting performance accuracy without investigating sources of inaccuracies or fully understanding and articulating the meaning of the metrics used to quantify performance. As a result, the market for, as well as, advances in these technologies have been slowly maturing.To improve the market for these NILM technologies, there has to be confidence that the deployment will lead to benefits. In reality, every end-user and application that this technology may enable does not require the highest levels of performance accuracy to produce benefits. Also, there are other important characteristics that need to be considered, which may affect the appeal of NILM products to certain market targets (i.e. residential and commercial building consumers) and the suitability for particular applications. These characteristics include the following: 1) ease of use, the level of expertise/bandwidth required to properly use the product; 2) ease of installation, the level of expertise required to install along with hardware needs that impact product cost; and 3) ability to inform decisions and actions, whether the energy outputs received by end-users (e.g. third party applications, residential users, building operators, etc.) empower decisions and actions to be taken at time frames required for certain applications. Therefore, stakeholders, researchers, and other interested parties should be kept abreast of the evolving capabilities, uses, and characteristics

Growth performance, carcass and hematological characteristics of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growth performance, carcass and hematological characteristics of rabbits fed graded levels of tiger nuts ( Cyperus esculentus ) ... (p>0.05) difference between treatments. Results demonstrated that (Cyperus esculentus) could be used up to 5% in rabbit's diets without adverse effect on the animals' performance and health.

Integrated plasma control for high performance tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphreys, D.A.; Deranian, R.D.; Ferron, J.R.; Johnson, R.D.; LaHaye, R.J.; Leuer, J.A.; Penaflor, B.G.; Walker, M.L.; Welander, A.S.; Jayakumar, R.J.; Makowski, M.A.; Khayrutdinov, R.R.

2005-01-01

Sustaining high performance in a tokamak requires controlling many equilibrium shape and profile characteristics simultaneously with high accuracy and reliability, while suppressing a variety of MHD instabilities. Integrated plasma control, the process of designing high-performance tokamak controllers based on validated system response models and confirming their performance in detailed simulations, provides a systematic method for achieving and ensuring good control performance. For present-day devices, this approach can greatly reduce the need for machine time traditionally dedicated to control optimization, and can allow determination of high-reliability controllers prior to ever producing the target equilibrium experimentally. A full set of tools needed for this approach has recently been completed and applied to present-day devices including DIII-D, NSTX and MAST. This approach has proven essential in the design of several next-generation devices including KSTAR, EAST, JT-60SC, and ITER. We describe the method, results of design and simulation tool development, and recent research producing novel approaches to equilibrium and MHD control in DIII-D. (author)

Performance characteristics of the Mayo/IBM PACS

Science.gov (United States)

Persons, Kenneth R.; Gehring, Dale G.; Pavicic, Mark J.; Ding, Yingjai

1991-07-01

The Mayo Clinic and IBM (at Rochester, Minnesota) have jointly developed a picture archiving system for use with Mayo's MRI and Neuro CT imaging modalities. The communications backbone of the PACS is a portion of the Mayo institutional network: a series of 4-Mbps token rings interconnected by bridges and fiber optic extensions. The performance characteristics of this system are important to understand because they affect the response time a PACS user can expect, and the response time for non-PACS users competing for resources on the institutional network. The performance characteristics of each component and the average load levels of the network were measured for various load distributions. These data were used to quantify the response characteristics of the existing system and to tune a model developed by North Dakota State University Department of Computer Science for predicting response times of more complex topologies.

14 CFR 23.253 - High speed characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false High speed characteristics. 23.253 Section... Requirements § 23.253 High speed characteristics. If a maximum operating speed VMO/MMO is established under § 23.1505(c), the following speed increase and recovery characteristics must be met: (a) Operating...

The importance of team level tacit knowledge and related characteristics of high-performing health care teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Leonard H; Bernell, Stephanie L

2006-01-01

Team level tacit knowledge is related to the collective knowledge of the team members. It is the shared experience that results in the ability to successfully anticipate the reactions of teammates in typical and nontypical situations. This study evaluates how tacit knowledge and related team characteristics influence the performance of cardiothoracic surgery teams.

Comparative Studies of Some Polypores Using High Performance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... these polypores in a previous work. The ability of the polypores to produce triterpenoids is affected by their age, period of collection, geographical location and method of drying, which also affected the High Performance Liquid Chromatography characteristics of their secondary metabolites. African Research Review Vol.

Determination of performance criteria for high-level solidified nuclear waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heckman, R.A.; Holdsworth, T.

1979-05-07

To minimize radiological risk from the operation of a waste management system, performance limits on volatilization, particulate dispersion, and dissolution characteristics of solidified high level waste must be specified. The results show clearly that the pre-emplacement environs are more limiting in establishing the waste form performance criteria than the post-emplacement environs. Absolute values of expected risk are very sensitive to modeling assumptions. The transportation and interim storage operations appear to be most limiting in determining the performance characteristics required. The expected values of risk do not rely upon the repositories remaining intact over the potentially hazardous lifetime of the waste.

Determination of performance criteria for high-level solidified nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heckman, R.A.; Holdsworth, T.

1979-01-01

To minimize radiological risk from the operation of a waste management system, performance limits on volatilization, particulate dispersion, and dissolution characteristics of solidified high level waste must be specified. The results show clearly that the pre-emplacement environs are more limiting in establishing the waste form performance criteria than the post-emplacement environs. Absolute values of expected risk are very sensitive to modeling assumptions. The transportation and interim storage operations appear to be most limiting in determining the performance characteristics required. The expected values of risk do not rely upon the repositories remaining intact over the potentially hazardous lifetime of the waste

14 CFR 25.253 - High-speed characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false High-speed characteristics. 25.253 Section...-speed characteristics. (a) Speed increase and recovery characteristics. The following speed increase and recovery characteristics must be met: (1) Operating conditions and characteristics likely to cause...

PISA and High-Performing Education Systems: Explaining Singapore's Education Success

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Zongyi; Gopinathan, S.

2016-01-01

Singapore's remarkable performance in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has placed it among the world's high-performing education systems (HPES). In the literature on HPES, its "secret formula" for education success is explained in terms of teacher quality, school leadership, system characteristics and educational…

Reports on research achievements in developing high-performance industrial furnaces in fiscal 1998 (Research and development of high-performance industrial furnaces). Volume 1; 1998 nendo koseino kogyoro nado ni kansuru kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

From the reports on research achievements in developing high-performance industrial furnaces in fiscal 1998, the report volume 1 was prepared as a research achievement report of each working group, detailing fundamental researches, heating furnaces, and heat treatment furnaces. The fundamental researches have researched combustion evaluating technology, characteristics of the area in the vicinity of a combustor, characteristics of combustion of high-temperature air, heating characteristics of a furnace to investigate effect of local heat absorption, and combustion evaluation. For the heating furnaces, the following subjects were studied: development of an in-furnace combustion model, summary of an experiment for evaluating high-temperature air combustion, furnace height relative to combustion heat transfer characteristics, heat loss minimizing technology, combustion heat transfer characteristics of liquid fuels, optimal operation of the high-temperature air combustion, basic control in heating control, and steel piece heating control. Studies were performed for the heat treatment furnaces on the case of a direct firing furnace in evaluating the heat transfer characteristics, the case of a radiant tube furnace, application of thermal fluid simulation technology, furnace averaging technology, soot reducing technology, control technology, and trial design on a high-performance heat treatment furnace. (NEDO)

WOMBAT: A Scalable and High-performance Astrophysical Magnetohydrodynamics Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendygral, P. J.; Radcliffe, N.; Kandalla, K. [Cray Inc., St. Paul, MN 55101 (United States); Porter, D. [Minnesota Supercomputing Institute for Advanced Computational Research, Minneapolis, MN USA (United States); O’Neill, B. J.; Nolting, C.; Donnert, J. M. F.; Jones, T. W. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Edmon, P., E-mail: pjm@cray.com, E-mail: nradclif@cray.com, E-mail: kkandalla@cray.com, E-mail: oneill@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: nolt0040@umn.edu, E-mail: donnert@ira.inaf.it, E-mail: twj@umn.edu, E-mail: dhp@umn.edu, E-mail: pedmon@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Theory and Computation, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-02-01

We present a new code for astrophysical magnetohydrodynamics specifically designed and optimized for high performance and scaling on modern and future supercomputers. We describe a novel hybrid OpenMP/MPI programming model that emerged from a collaboration between Cray, Inc. and the University of Minnesota. This design utilizes MPI-RMA optimized for thread scaling, which allows the code to run extremely efficiently at very high thread counts ideal for the latest generation of multi-core and many-core architectures. Such performance characteristics are needed in the era of “exascale” computing. We describe and demonstrate our high-performance design in detail with the intent that it may be used as a model for other, future astrophysical codes intended for applications demanding exceptional performance.

WOMBAT: A Scalable and High-performance Astrophysical Magnetohydrodynamics Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendygral, P. J.; Radcliffe, N.; Kandalla, K.; Porter, D.; O’Neill, B. J.; Nolting, C.; Donnert, J. M. F.; Jones, T. W.; Edmon, P.

2017-01-01

We present a new code for astrophysical magnetohydrodynamics specifically designed and optimized for high performance and scaling on modern and future supercomputers. We describe a novel hybrid OpenMP/MPI programming model that emerged from a collaboration between Cray, Inc. and the University of Minnesota. This design utilizes MPI-RMA optimized for thread scaling, which allows the code to run extremely efficiently at very high thread counts ideal for the latest generation of multi-core and many-core architectures. Such performance characteristics are needed in the era of “exascale” computing. We describe and demonstrate our high-performance design in detail with the intent that it may be used as a model for other, future astrophysical codes intended for applications demanding exceptional performance.

Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Performance: Do Organizational and Market Characteristics Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Spaulding, Aaron; Edwardson, Nick; Zhao, Mei

The hospital value-based purchasing (HVBP) program of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services challenges hospitals to deliver high-quality care or face a reduction in Medicare payments. How do different organizational structures and market characteristics enable or inhibit successful transition to this new model of value-based care? To address that question, this study employs an institutional theory lens to test whether certain organizational structures and market characteristics mediate hospitals' ability to perform across HVBP domains.Data from the 2014 American Hospital Association Annual Survey Database, Area Health Resource File, the Medicare Hospital Compare Database, and the association between external environment and hospital performance are assessed through multiple regression analysis. Results indicate that hospitals that belong to a system are more likely than independent hospitals to score highly on the domains associated with the HVBP incentive arrangement. However, varying and sometimes counterintuitive market influences bring different dimensions to the HVBP program. A hospital's ability to score well in this new value arrangement may be heavily based on the organization's ability to learn from others, implement change, and apply the appropriate amount of control in various markets.

Covariance of engineering management characteristics with engineering employee performance

Science.gov (United States)

Hesketh, Andrew Arthur

1998-12-01

As business in the 1990's grapples with the impact of continuous improvement and quality to meet market demands, there is an increased need to improve the leadership capabilities of our managers. Engineers have indicated desire for certain managerial characteristics in their leadership but there have been no studies completed that approached the problem of determining what managerial characteristics were best at improving employee performance. This study addressed the idea of identifying certain managerial characteristics that enhance employee performance. In the early 1990's, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in St. Louis used a forced distribution system and allocated 35% of its employees into a "exceeds expectations" category and 60% into a "meets expectations" category. A twenty-question 5 point Likert scale survey on managerial capabilities was administered to a sample engineering population that also obtained their "expectations" category. A single factor ANOVA on the survey results determined a statistical difference between the "exceeds" and "meets" employees with four of the managerial capability questions. The "exceeds expectations" employee indicated that supervision did a better job of supporting subordinate development, clearly communicating performance expectations, and providing timely performance feedback when compared to the "meets expectations" employee. The "meets expectations" employee felt that their opinions, when different from their supervisor's, were more often ignored when compared to the "exceeds expectations" employee. These four questions relate to two specific managerial characteristics, "gaining (informal) authority and support" or "control" characteristic and "providing assistance and guidance" or "command" characteristic, that can be emphasized in managerial training programs.

Investigation of the Effects of Facility Background Pressure on the Performance and Voltage-Current Characteristics of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Kamhawi, Hani; Huang, Wensheng; Haag, Thomas; Spektor, Rostislav

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate In-Space Propulsion Technology office is sponsoring NASA Glenn Research Center to develop a 4 kW-class Hall thruster propulsion system for implementation in NASA science missions. A study was conducted to assess the impact of varying the facility background pressure on the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc) thruster performance and voltage-current characteristics. This present study evaluated the HiVHAc thruster performance in the lowest attainable background pressure condition at NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 5 to best simulate space-like conditions. Additional tests were performed at selected thruster operating conditions to investigate and elucidate the underlying physics that change during thruster operation at elevated facility background pressure. Tests were performed at background pressure conditions that are three and ten times higher than the lowest realized background pressure. Results indicated that the thruster discharge specific impulse and efficiency increased with elevated facility background pressure. The voltage-current profiles indicated a narrower stable operating region with increased background pressure. Experimental observations of the thruster operation indicated that increasing the facility background pressure shifted the ionization and acceleration zones upstream towards the thruster's anode. Future tests of the HiVHAc thruster are planned at background pressure conditions that are expected to be two to three times lower than what was achieved during this test campaign. These tests will not only assess the impact of reduced facility background pressure on thruster performance, voltage-current characteristics, and plume properties; but will also attempt to quantify the magnitude of the ionization and acceleration zones upstream shifting as a function of increased background pressure.

Influence of course characteristics, student characteristics, and behavior in learning management systems on student performance

OpenAIRE

Conijn, Rianne; Kleingeld, Ad; Matzat, Uwe; Snijders, Chris; van Zaanen, Menno

2016-01-01

The use of learning management systems (LMS) in education make it possible to track students’ online behavior. This data can be used for educational data mining and learning analytics, for example, by predicting student performance. Although LMS data might contain useful predictors, course characteristics and student characteristics have shown to influence student performance as well. However, these different sets of features are rarely combined or compared. Therefore, in the current study we...

Laser additive manufacturing of high-performance materials

CERN Document Server

Gu, Dongdong

2015-01-01

This book entitled “Laser Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Materials” covers the specific aspects of laser additive manufacturing of high-performance new materials components based on an unconventional materials incremental manufacturing philosophy, in terms of materials design and preparation, process control and optimization, and theories of physical and chemical metallurgy. This book describes the capabilities and characteristics of the development of new metallic materials components by laser additive manufacturing process, including nanostructured materials, in situ composite materials, particle reinforced metal matrix composites, etc. The topics presented in this book, similar as laser additive manufacturing technology itself, show a significant interdisciplinary feature, integrating laser technology, materials science, metallurgical engineering, and mechanical engineering. This is a book for researchers, students, practicing engineers, and manufacturing industry professionals interested i...

Investigation of high-alpha lateral-directional control power requirements for high-performance aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, John V.; Ross, Holly M.; Ashley, Patrick A.

1993-01-01

Designers of the next-generation fighter and attack airplanes are faced with the requirements of good high angle-of-attack maneuverability as well as efficient high speed cruise capability with low radar cross section (RCS) characteristics. As a result, they are challenged with the task of making critical design trades to achieve the desired levels of maneuverability and performance. This task has highlighted the need for comprehensive, flight-validated lateral-directional control power design guidelines for high angles of attack. A joint NASA/U.S. Navy study has been initiated to address this need and to investigate the complex flight dynamics characteristics and controls requirements for high angle-of-attack lateral-directional maneuvering. A multi-year research program is underway which includes groundbased piloted simulation and flight validation. This paper will give a status update of this program that will include a program overview, description of test methodology and preliminary results.

Tensile strength and durability characteristics of high-performance fiber reinforced concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadoss, P.; Nagamani, K.

2008-01-01

This paper presents investigations towards developing a better understanding of the contribution of steel fibers to the tensile strength of high-performance fiber reinforced concrete (HPFRC). For 32 series of mixes, flexural and splitting tensile strengths were determined at 28 days. The variables investigated were fiber volume fraction (0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% with an aspect of 80), silica fume replacement level (SF/CM=0.05 and 0.10) and matrix composition (w/cm ratios ranging from 0.25 t 0.40). The influence of fiber content in terms of fiber reinforcing index on the flexural and splitting tensile strengths of HPFRC is presented. Comparative studies were performed on the tensile behavior of SFRC measured by two different loading tests: flexural test and splitting test. Based on the test results, using the least square method, empirical expressions were developed to predict 28-day tensile strength of HPFRC in terms of fiber reinforcing index. Durability tests were carried out to examine the performance of the SFRC. Relationship between flexural and splitting tensile strengths has been developed using regression analysis. The experimental values of previous researchers were compared with the values predicted by the empirical equations and the absolute variation obtained was within 6% and 5% for flexural and splitting tensile strengths respectively. (author)

The high performance cluster computing system for BES offline data analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Yongzhao; Xu Dong; Zhang Shaoqiang; Yang Ting

2004-01-01

A high performance cluster computing system (EPCfarm) is introduced, which used for BES offline data analysis. The setup and the characteristics of the hardware and software of EPCfarm are described. The PBS, a queue management package, and the performance of EPCfarm is presented also. (authors)

HPV vaccination: Pilot study assessing characteristics of high and low performing primary care offices.

Science.gov (United States)

Lollier, Allison; Rodriguez, Elisa M; Saad-Harfouche, Frances G; Widman, Christy A; Mahoney, Martin C

2018-06-01

This pilot study was undertaken to identify characteristics and approaches (e.g., social, behavioral, and/or systems factors) which differentiate primary care medical offices achieving higher rates of HPV vaccination. Eligible primary care practice sites providing care to adolescent patients were recruited within an eight county region of western New York State between June 2016 and July 2016. Practice sites were categorized as higher (n = 3) or lower performing (n = 2) based on three dose series completion rates for HPV vaccinations among females aged 13-17 years. Interviewer administered surveys were completed with office staff (n = 37) and focused on understanding approaches to adolescent vaccination. Results were summarized using basic descriptive statistics. Higher performing offices reported more full-time clinical staff (median = 25 vs. 9.5 in lower performing clinics), larger panels of patients ages 11-17 years (median = 3541 vs. 925) and completion of NYSIIS data entry within two weeks of vaccination. (less than a month vs. two). Staff in higher performing offices reviewed medical charts prior to scheduled visits (100% vs. 50) and identified their office vaccine champion as a physician and/or a nurse manager (75% vs. 22%). Also, staffs from higher performing offices were more likely to report the combination of having an office vaccine champion, previewing charts and using standing orders. These preliminary findings support future research examining implementation of organizational processes including identifying a vaccine champion, using standing orders and previewing medical charts prior to office visits as strategies to increase rates of HPV vaccination in primary care offices.

Coated Porous Si for High Performance On-Chip Supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Grigoras, K.; Keskinen, J.; Grönberg, L.; Ahopelto, J.; Prunnila, M.

2014-11-01

High performance porous Si based supercapacitor electrodes are demonstrated. High power density and stability is provided by ultra-thin TiN coating of the porous Si matrix. The TiN layer is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), which provides sufficient conformality to reach the bottom of the high aspect ratio pores. Our porous Si supercapacitor devices exhibit almost ideal double layer capacitor characteristic with electrode volumetric capacitance of 7.3 F/cm3. Several orders of magnitude increase in power and energy density is obtained comparing to uncoated porous silicon electrodes. Good stability of devices is confirmed performing several thousands of charge/discharge cycles.

The Influence of Top Management Team Characteristics on BPD Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joy Elly Tulung

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Based on ”upper echelons theory”, this paper investigates the relation between top management team composition and BPD performance. For top management team characteristics, we employ age, level of education, background of education, gender, and functional background, while for measured the BPD performance we employ return on asset (ROA, return on equity (ROE, capital adequacy ratio (CAR, net interest margin (NIM, loan to deposit ratio (LDR, non-performing loan (NPL and operation expenses to operation income (BOPO. The results show that all characteristics have positive significant influences on BPD performance.

Research about reactor operator's personability characteristics and performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei Li; He Xuhong; Zhao Bingquan [Tsinghua Univ., Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Beijing (China)

2003-03-01

To predict and evaluate the reactor operator's performance by personality characteristics is an important part of reactor operator safety assessment. Using related psychological theory combined with the Chinese operator's fact and considering the effect of environmental factors to personality analysis, paper does the research about the about the relationships between reactor operator's performance and personality characteristics, and offers the reference for operator's selection, using and performance in the future. (author)

Some performance characteristics of a fluidized bed heat recovery unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Militzer, J.; Basu, P.; Adaikkappan, N.

1985-01-01

The advantages of using fluidized bed heat recovery units with diesel engines are well documented. Two of those are: significantly less tube fouling and heat transfer coefficient four to five time higher than that of conventional shell and tube heat exchangers. The high concentration of soot in the exhaust gases of diesel engines make fouling a major concern in design of any kind of heat recovery unit. In the experiment a conventional fluidized bed heat exchanger was connected to the exhaust of a diesel engine mounted on a dynamometer. With this arrangement it was possible to test the heat recovery unit under a wide range of operating conditions. The main objective of this experiment was the determination of the performance characteristics of the heat recovery unit, especially with reference to its heat transfer and fouling characteristics. (author)

Relationship Between Job Characteristics And Job Performance Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The agricultural extension agent is a key stakeholder in extension systems. The nature of their work is so important that it has overriding effect on their job performance. This study investigates the relationship between job characteristics and job performance of agricultural extension agents in Imo and Rivers States, Nigeria.

Comparing the characteristics of highly cited titles and highly alted titles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Didegah, F.; Bowman, T.D.; Bowman, S.; Hartley, J.

2016-07-01

This study examines differences in the types of titles for articles that show high altmetric activity (highly alted articles) versus highly cited articles. This work expands on previous research on document titles in combination with a grounded theory approach to develop a codebook in which articles were manually coded based on 11 characteristics. The results show that there are differences and similarities in titles across many of the examined characteristics; highly cited titles and highly mentioned titles on Wikipedia have some similar characteristics such as they have the the highest percentage of substantive words; in addition, there are no or very few titles referencing outside or with humor/lightness on both platforms. Twitter and Facebook also showed some similarities having the highest percentage of humorous/light titles and lowest percentage of substantive words in their titles. (Author)

HPV vaccination: Pilot study assessing characteristics of high and low performing primary care offices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allison Lollier

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This pilot study was undertaken to identify characteristics and approaches (e.g., social, behavioral, and/or systems factors which differentiate primary care medical offices achieving higher rates of HPV vaccination.Eligible primary care practice sites providing care to adolescent patients were recruited within an eight county region of western New York State between June 2016 and July 2016. Practice sites were categorized as higher (n = 3 or lower performing (n = 2 based on three dose series completion rates for HPV vaccinations among females aged 13–17 years. Interviewer administered surveys were completed with office staff (n = 37 and focused on understanding approaches to adolescent vaccination. Results were summarized using basic descriptive statistics.Higher performing offices reported more full-time clinical staff (median = 25 vs. 9.5 in lower performing clinics, larger panels of patients ages 11–17 years (median = 3541 vs. 925 and completion of NYSIIS data entry within two weeks of vaccination. (less than a month vs. two. Staff in higher performing offices reviewed medical charts prior to scheduled visits (100% vs. 50 and identified their office vaccine champion as a physician and/or a nurse manager (75% vs. 22%. Also, staffs from higher performing offices were more likely to report the combination of having an office vaccine champion, previewing charts and using standing orders. These preliminary findings support future research examining implementation of organizational processes including identifying a vaccine champion, using standing orders and previewing medical charts prior to office visits as strategies to increase rates of HPV vaccination in primary care offices. Keywords: HPV vaccination, Adolescents, Primary care, Standing orders, Implementation, Vaccine champion

Effect of operating parameters and membrane characteristics on air gap membrane distillation performance for the treatment of highly saline water

KAUST Repository

Xu, Jingli

2016-04-07

In this study, ten different commercially available PTFE, PP and PVDF membranes were tested in desalination of highly saline water by air gap membrane distillation (AGMD). Process performance was investigated under different operating parameters, such as feed temperatures, feed flow velocities and salt concentrations reaching 120 g/L, and different membrane characteristics, such as membrane material, thickness, pore size and support layer, using a locally designed and fabricatd AGMD module and spacer. Results showed that increasing feed temperature increases permeate flux regardless of the feed concentration. However, feed flow velocity does not significantly affect the flux, especially at low feed temperatures. The PP membrane showed a better performance than the PVDF and PTFE membranes. Permeate flux decreases with the increase of salt concentration of feed solution, especially at higher concentrations above 90 g/L. The existence of membrane support layer led to a slight decrease of permeate flux. Membranes with pore sizes of 0.2 and 0.45 μm gave the best performance. Smaller pore size led to lower flux and larger pore size led to pore wetting due to lower LEP values. The effect of concentration polarization and temperature polarization has also been studied and compared.

The influence of the scale effect and high temperatures on the strength and strains of high performance concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korsun Vladimyr Ivanovych

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The most effective way to reduce the structure mass, labor input and expenses for its construction is to use modern high-performance concrete of the classes С50/60… С90/105, which possess high physical and mathematic characteristics. One of the constraints for their implementation in mass construction in Ukraine is that in design standards there are no experimental data on the physical and mathematic properties of concrete of the classes more than С50/60. Also there are no exact statements on calculating reinforced concrete structures made of high-performance concretes.The authors present the results of experimental research of the scale effect and short-term and long-term heating up to +200 ° C influence on temperature and shrinkage strain, on strength and strain characteristics under compression and tensioning of high-strength modified concrete of class C70/85. The application of high performance concretes is challenging in the process of constructing buildings aimed at operating in high technological temperatures: smoke pipes, coolers, basins, nuclear power plants' protective shells, etc. Reducing cross-sections can lead to reducing temperature drops and thermal stresses in the structures.

South African exporter performance: new research into firm-specific and market characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher May

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The export marketing performance of any firm is influenced by a multitude of different factors. Given the multi-faceted nature of the export market, this research study investigated specific factors such as how firm-specific characteristics, product characteristics, market characteristics and export marketing strategies impact on the export marketing performance of South African manufacturing firms. Some of the findings of this research study indicated that firm size, investment commitment and careful planning, as firm-specific characteristics, had a significant influence on export marketing performance. The relationship between export experience and export marketing performance was insignificant. The degree of pricing adaptation and product adaptation had a significant effect on export marketing performance, while this was not the case with respect to the degree of promotion adaptation and distributor support.

Performance and cavitation characteristics of bi-directional hydrofoils

Science.gov (United States)

Nedyalkov, Ivaylo; Wosnik, Martin

2013-11-01

Tidal turbines extract energy from flows which reverse direction. One way to address this bi-directionality in horizontal axis turbines that avoid the use of complex and maintenance-intensive yaw or blade pitch mechanisms, is to design bi-directional blades which perform (equally) well in either flow direction. A large number of proposed hydrofoil designs were investigated using numerical simulations. Selected candidate foils were also tested (at various speeds and angles of attack) in the High-Speed Cavitation Tunnel (HICaT) at the University of New Hampshire. Lift and drag were measured using a force balance, and cavitation inception and desinence were recorded. Experimental and numerical results were compared, and the foils were compared to each other and to reference foils. Bi-directional hydrofoils may provide a feasible solution to the problem of reversing flow direction, when their performance and cavitation characteristics are comparable to those for unidirectional foils, and the penalty in decreased energy production is outweighed by the cost reduction due to lower complexity and respectively lower installation and maintenance costs.

Research on infrared radiation characteristics of Pyromark1200 high-temperature coating

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xuyao; Huan, Kewei; Dong, Wei; Wang, Jinghui; Zang, Yanzhe; Shi, Xiaoguang

2014-11-01

Pyromark 1200 (Tempil Co, USA), which is a type of high-temperature high-emissivity coating, is silicon-based with good thermal radiation performance. Its stably working condition is at the temperature range 589~922 K thus a wide range of applications in industrial, scientific research, aviation, aerospace and other fields. Infrared emissivity is one of the most important factors in infrared radiation characteristics. Data on infrared spectral emissivity of Pyromark 1200 is in shortage, as well as the reports on its infrared radiation characteristics affected by its spray painting process, microstructure and thermal process. The results of this research show that: (1) The coating film critical thickness on the metal base is 10μm according to comparison among different types of spray painting process, coating film thickness, microstructure, which would influence the infrared radiation characteristics of Pyromark 1200 coating. The infrared spectral emissivity will attenuate when the coating film thickness is lower or much higher than that. (2) Through measurements, the normal infrared radiation characteristics is analyzed within the range at the temperature range 573~873 K under normal atmospheric conditions, and the total infrared spectral emissivity of Pyromark 1200 coating is higher than 0.93 in the 3~14 μm wavelength range. (3) The result of 72-hour aging test at the temperature 673 K which studied the effect of thermal processes on the infrared radiation characteristics of the coating shows that the infrared spectral emissivity variation range is approximately 0.01 indicating that Pyromark 1200 coating is with good stability. Compared with Nextel Velvet Coating (N-V-C) which is widely used in optics field, Pyromark 1200 high-temperature coating has a higher applicable temperature and is more suitable for spraying on the material surface which is in long-term operation under high temperature work conditions and requires high infrared spectral emissivity.

Evaluation of the productive performance characteristics of red ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of the productive performance characteristics of red tilapia ( Oreochromis sp.) injected with shark DNA into skeletal muscles and maintained diets containing different levels of probiotic and amino yeast.

Performance and carcass characteristics of Yankasa ram fed with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Remember me ... and 50% maize and wheat offal mixture, were better when compared to the control (B0) and other test diet in terms of performance and carcass characteristics. ... Key words: Performance, carcass, biscuit waste, Yankasa ram.

Planar junctionless phototransistor: A potential high-performance and low-cost device for optical-communications

Science.gov (United States)

Ferhati, H.; Djeffal, F.

2017-12-01

In this paper, a new junctionless optical controlled field effect transistor (JL-OCFET) and its comprehensive theoretical model is proposed to achieve high optical performance and low cost fabrication process. Exhaustive study of the device characteristics and comparison between the proposed junctionless design and the conventional inversion mode structure (IM-OCFET) for similar dimensions are performed. Our investigation reveals that the proposed design exhibits an outstanding capability to be an alternative to the IM-OCFET due to the high performance and the weak signal detection benefit offered by this design. Moreover, the developed analytical expressions are exploited to formulate the objective functions to optimize the device performance using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) approach. The optimized JL-OCFET not only demonstrates good performance in terms of derived drain current and responsivity, but also exhibits superior signal to noise ratio, low power consumption, high-sensitivity, high ION/IOFF ratio and high-detectivity as compared to the conventional IM-OCFET counterpart. These characteristics make the optimized JL-OCFET potentially suitable for developing low cost and ultrasensitive photodetectors for high-performance and low cost inter-chips data communication applications.

Characteristics of primary care practices associated with high quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, Marie-Dominique; Haggerty, Jeannie; Tousignant, Pierre; Barnsley, Janet; Hogg, William; Geneau, Robert; Hudon, Éveline; Duplain, Réjean; Denis, Jean-Louis; Bonin, Lucie; Del Grande, Claudio; Dragieva, Natalyia

2013-09-03

No primary practice care model has been shown to be superior in achieving high-quality primary care. We aimed to identify the organizational characteristics of primary care practices that provide high-quality primary care. We performed a cross-sectional observational study involving a stratified random sample of 37 primary care practices from 3 regions of Quebec. We recruited 1457 patients who had 1 of 2 chronic care conditions or 1 of 6 episodic care conditions. The main outcome was the overall technical quality score. We measured organizational characteristics by use of a validated questionnaire and the Team Climate Inventory. Statistical analyses were based on multilevel regression modelling. The following characteristics were strongly associated with overall technical quality of care score: physician remuneration method (27.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 19.0-35.0), extent of sharing of administrative resources (7.6; 95% CI 0.8-14.4), presence of allied health professionals (15.3; 95% CI 5.4-25.2) and/or specialist physicians (19.6; 95% CI 8.3-30.9), the presence of mechanisms for maintaining or evaluating competence (7.7; 95% CI 3.0-12.4) and average organizational access to the practice (4.9; 95% CI 2.6-7.2). The number of physicians (1.2; 95% CI 0.6-1.8) and the average Team Climate Inventory score (1.3; 95% CI 0.1-2.5) were modestly associated with high-quality care. We identified a common set of organizational characteristics associated with high-quality primary care. Many of these characteristics are amenable to change through practice-level organizational changes.

Are All Oscillators Created Equal? In vitro Performance Characteristics of Eight High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilators.

Science.gov (United States)

Tingay, David G; John, Jubal; Harcourt, Edward R; Black, Don; Dargaville, Peter A; Mills, John F; Davis, Peter G

2015-01-01

The mode of waveform generation and circuit characteristics differ between high-frequency oscillators. It is unknown if this influences performance. To describe the relationships between set and delivered pressure amplitude (x0394;P), and the interaction with frequency and endotracheal tube (ETT) diameter, in eight high-frequency oscillators. Oscillators were evaluated using a 70-ml test lung at 1.0 and 2.0 ml/cm H2O compliance, with mean airway pressures (PAW) of 10 and 20 cm H2O, frequencies of 5, 10 and 15 Hz, and an ETT diameter of 2.5 and 3.5 mm. At each permutation of PAW, frequency and ETT, the set x0394;P was sequentially increased from 15 to 50 cm H2O, or from 20 to 100% maximum amplitude (10% increments) depending on the oscillator design. The x0394;P at the ventilator (x0394;PVENT), airway opening (x0394;PAO) and within the test lung (x0394;PTRACH), and tidal volume (V(T)) at the airway opening were determined at each set x0394;P. In two oscillators the relationships between set and delivered x0394;P were non-linear, with a plateau in x0394;P thresholds noted at all frequencies (Dräger Babylog 8000) or ≥10 Hz (Dräger VN500). In all other devices there was a linear relationship between x0394;PVENT, x0394;PAO and x0394;PTRACH (all r2 >0.93), with differing attenuation of the pressure wave. Delivered V(T) at the different settings tested varied between devices, with some unable to deliver V(T) >3 ml at 15 Hz, and others generating V(T)>20 ml at 5 Hz and a 1:1 inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratio. Clinicians should be aware that modern high-frequency oscillators exhibit important differences in the delivered x0394;P and V(T). © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PATENTED HIGH-CARBON WIRE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ju. Borisenko

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of bainite structure on mechanical characteristics of wire of steel 80 after patenting is studied. The quantity and structure state of bainite, providing high complex of mechanical characteristics of high-carbon wire, is determined.

High temperature performance limit of containment system of transport cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Osamu; Saegusa, Toshiari

1998-01-01

The containment performance of a containment system using elastomer gaskets for transport casks under a high temperature and high pressure was clarified. Major results are as follows; (1) The deformation characteristics of the gaskets were represented by the compressive permanent strain rate (Dp). The temperature and time dependence was shown by Larson-Miller Parameter (LMP). (2) Generally, the high temperature performance limit is obtained by a value of LMP when the Dp value reaches 80%. However, the gaskets (FKM, VMQ, EPDM) used for real transport casks were not damaged and the containment performance was not deteriorated as a conservative condition. (3) Assuming that the service period of the gaskets for transport casks is 3 months or 1 year, the high temperature performance limit of the gasket made of fluorine rubber (FKM) is 202degC or 182degC, respectively, which includes safety margin. (author)

Growth performance, blood parameters and carcass characteristics ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out with one hundred and twenty (120) day-old marshal chicks to investigate the effect of Maxigrain® enzyme supplementation of corn bran based diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, haematology and serum biochemistry of broilers in an eight weeks experiment. Four experimental ...

Using a Malcolm Baldrige framework to understand high-performing clinical microsystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Tina C; Johnson, Julie K; Nelson, Eugene C; Batalden, Paul B

2007-10-01

BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVES AND METHOD: The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) provides a set of criteria for organisational quality assessment and improvement that has been used by thousands of business, healthcare and educational organisations for more than a decade. The criteria can be used as a tool for self-evaluation, and are widely recognised as a robust framework for design and evaluation of healthcare systems. The clinical microsystem, as an organisational construct, is a systems approach for providing clinical care based on theories from organisational development, leadership and improvement. This study compared the MBNQA criteria for healthcare and the success factors of high-performing clinical microsystems to (1) determine whether microsystem success characteristics cover the same range of issues addressed by the Baldrige criteria and (2) examine whether this comparison might better inform our understanding of either framework. Both Baldrige criteria and microsystem success characteristics cover a wide range of areas crucial to high performance. Those particularly called out by this analysis are organisational leadership, work systems and service processes from a Baldrige standpoint, and leadership, performance results, process improvement, and information and information technology from the microsystem success characteristics view. Although in many cases the relationship between Baldrige criteria and microsystem success characteristics are obvious, in others the analysis points to ways in which the Baldrige criteria might be better understood and worked with by a microsystem through the design of work systems and a deep understanding of processes. Several tools are available for those who wish to engage in self-assessment based on MBNQA criteria and microsystem characteristics.

The effect of management team characteristics on performance and style extremity of mutual fund portfolios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Qiong

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Along with mutual funds’ scale and quantity expanding for our country, it is common for fund management companies hiring new managers or the original fund managers mobilizing from one to another. The high liquidity of fund managers makes different managers regroup to manage the funds that belong to the same fund management company in each fund year. The characteristics of these different management team will influence the fund performance, and also affect the earnings of the fund management company and portfolio investors. The purpose of this paper is as follows. First, evaluating the effect of management team characteristics on portfolio characteristics: risk, performance, and extremity. Second, testing the hypothesis that the ranking of mid-year performance have effect on investment style extremity and research what relationship exists between this phenomenon and management team characteristics in depth.Design/methodology/approach: On the analysis of the relationships between the management team characteristics and portfolio characteristics, a series of OLS regressions is run where the time series regression model (the factor model and cross-sectional regression are included based on using the STATA, EVIEWS and MATLAB. The validity and practicability of the model will be verified in the paper. All of the above are aimed at achieving portfolio optimization and realizing the maximization of the interests of fund management companies and investors.Findings: The main findings are as follows. Teams with more doctors or MBA (CPA and CFA hold more risky portfolios, while teams with long team tenure hold less. More members and large gender diversity have negative effect on performance, and the opposite is age diversity. Teams with more members and long tenure tend to hold less extreme style decisions, but age diversity is related to more. Besides, tournament hypothesis does exist in China investment funds industry especially when the

An investigation of the engine performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of coconut biodiesel in a high-pressure common-rail diesel engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

How, H.G.; Masjuki, H.H.; Kalam, M.A.; Teoh, Y.H.

2014-01-01

An experimental investigation on engine performance, emissions, combustion and vibration characteristics with coconut biodiesel fuels was conducted in a high-pressure common-rail diesel engine under five different load operations (0.17, 0.34, 0.52, 0.69 and 0.86 MPa). The test fuels included a conventional diesel fuel and four different fuel blends of coconut biodiesel (B10, B20, B30 and B50). The results showed that biodiesel blended fuels have significant influences on the BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) and BSEC (brake specific energy consumption) at all engine loads. In general, the use of coconut biodiesel blends resulted in a reduction of BSCO (brake specific carbon monoxide) and smoke emissions regardless of the load conditions. A large reduction of 52.4% in smoke opacity was found at engine load of 0.86 MPa engine load with B50. For combustion characteristics, a slightly shorter ignition delay and longer combustion duration were found with the use of biodiesel blends under all loading operations. It was found that generally the biodiesel blends produced lower peak heat release rate than baseline diesel. The vibration results showed that the largest reduction of 13.7% in RMS (root mean square) of acceleration was obtained with B50 at engine load of 0.86 MPa with respect to the baseline diesel. - Highlights: • The performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of biodiesel were studied. • A tangible increase in BSFC was observed at all engine loads with coconut biodiesel. • A slightly shorter ignition delay was found with the use of biodiesel blends. • The vibrations for coconut biodiesel blends in diesel engine were investigated. • B50 achieved the largest reduction in RMS of acceleration at 0.86 MPa engine load

Performance characteristics of bioassay, radioenzymatic assay, homogeneous enzyme immunoassay, and high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of serum gentamicin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delaney, C.J.; Opheim, K.E.; Smith, A.L.; Plorde, J.J.

1982-01-01

We compared the accuracy, precision, and between-method error of the microbiological assay, the radioenzymatic assay, the homogeneous enzyme immunoassay, and the high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the quantitation of gentamicin in serum. Precision and accuracy were evaluated by reference samples prepared to contain 0.0 to 32.7 micrograms of gentamicin per ml. Correlations between the methods utilized patient sera with gentamicin concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 13.3 micrograms/ml. All methods were reliable within acceptable limits for routine clinical use; intermethod correlation coefficients exceeded 0.96. Relative to the microbiological assay, the alternative methods offer the advantage of rapid analysis. The elapsed times for acquiring data on a set of 10 specimens under routine operating conditions were 0.5 h by the enzyme immunoassay, 4 h by the radioenzymatic assay, 5 h by the high-performance liquid chromatographic assay, and 10 h by the microbiological assay

Psychosocial Characteristics of Optimum Performance in Isolated and Confined Environments (ICE)

Science.gov (United States)

Palinkas, Lawrence A.; Keeton, Kathryn E.; Shea, Camille; Leveton, Lauren B.

2010-01-01

The Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Element addresses human health risks in the NASA Human Research Program (HRP), including the Risk of Adverse Behavioral Conditions and the Risk of Psychiatric Disorders. BHP supports and conducts research to help characteristics and mitigate the Behavioral Medicine risk for exploration missions, and in some instances, current Flight Medical Operations. The Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) Element identified research gaps within the Behavioral Medicine Risk, including Gap BMed6: What psychosocial characteristics predict success in an isolated, confined environment (ICE)? To address this gap, we conducted an extensive and exhaustive literature review to identify the following: 1) psychosocial characteristics that predict success in ICE environments; 2) characteristics that are most malleable; and 3) specific countermeasures that could enhance malleable characteristics.

Research of psychological characteristics and performance relativity of operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Xiang; He Xuhong; Zhao Bingquan

2008-01-01

Based on the working tasks of an operator being taken into full consideration in this paper, on the one hand the table of measuring psychological characteristics is designed through the selection of special dimensions; on the other hand the table of performance appraisal is drafted through the choice of suitable standards of an operator. The paper analyzes the results of two aspects, sets relevant nuclear power plant operators as the research objective, and obtains the psychological characteristics and performance relativity of operators. The research can be as important and applied reference for the selection, evaluation and use of operators

Short-Term Effects of Combined High-Intensity Strength and Sprint Interval Training on Anthropometric Characteristics and Physical Performance of Elite Team Handball Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermassi, Souhail; Chelly, Mohamed Souhail; Fieseler, Georg; Bartels, Thomas; Schulze, Stephan; Delank, Karl-Stefan; Shepard, Roy J; Schwesig, René

2017-12-01

Muscular strength and speed are critical physical factors in determining the technical and tactical skills of elite team handball players. This study thus investigated the effect of high-intensity muscular strength and sprint interval training (SIT) on lower limb explosive performance and anthropometric characteristics in 22 male handball athletes aged 20.2 ± 0.1 years. A training group (TG, n = 12) and a control group (CG, n = 10) were followed over 8 weeks parallel to regular handball training. The TG received combined additional high-intensity muscular strength and interval training twice per week during this period. The muscular training was comprised of 3 - 4 sets of 70 - 85 % of 1-RM (repetition maximum) of dynamic back half squat exercise; followed immediately by a short sprint program with 4, 5, and 6 maximal intensity repetitions of 30 m runs. Strength (1-RM of the half back-squat and bench press), first step (V1S), first 5 m (V5 m), squat jumps (SJ), counter movement jumps (CMJ) and the Modified Agility Test (MAT) were tested at the beginning and end of the study. Significant interaction effects (group × time) were observed for all parameters (η² range: 0.531 (MAT) to 0.829 (First 5 m)). All 10 parameters showed relevant intervention effects (d> 0.5) in the TG (highest intervention effect: CMJ: d = 4.05), the mean effect size being d = 1.85. In contrast, scores for the CG either remained unchanged or decreased (d = -0.24). We conclude that combined high-intensity strength and sprint interval training during the competitive season should be recommended to elite male handball players as a means of improving handball-related performance characteristics without compromising other critical aspects of the individual's performance. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Performance characteristics of long-track speed skaters: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Konings, Marco J; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T; Stoter, Inge K; van der Meer, Dirk; Otten, Egbert; Hettinga, Florentina J

2015-04-01

Speed skating is an intriguing sport to study from different perspectives due to the peculiar way of motion and the multiple determinants for performance. This review aimed to identify what is known on (long-track) speed skating, and which individual characteristics determine speed skating performance. A total of 49 studies were included. Based on a multidimensional performance model, person-related performance characteristics were categorized in anthropometrical, technical, physiological, tactical, and psychological characteristics. Literature was found on anthropometry, technique, physiology, and tactics. However, psychological studies were clearly under-represented. In particular, the role of self-regulation might deserve more attention to further understand mechanisms relevant for optimal performance and for instance pacing. Another remarkable finding was that the technically/biomechanically favourable crouched skating technique (i.e. small knee and trunk angle) leads to a physiological disadvantage: a smaller knee angle may increase the deoxygenation of the working muscles. This is an important underlying aspect for the pacing tactics in speed skating. Elite speed skaters need to find the optimal balance between obtaining a fast start and preventing negative technical adaptations later on in the race by distributing their available energy over the race in an optimal way. More research is required to gain more insight into how this impacts on the processes of fatigue and coordination during speed skating races. This can lead to a better understanding on how elite speed skaters can maintain the optimal technical characteristics throughout the entire race, and how they can adapt their pacing to optimize all identified aspects that determine performance.

Characteristics of Multiplexed Grooved Nozzles for High Flow Rate Electrospray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyoung Tae; Kim, Woo Jin; Kim, Sang Soo

2007-01-01

The electrospray operated in the cone-jet mode can generate highly charged micro droplets in an almost uniform size at flow rates. Therefore, the multiplexing system which can retain the characteristics of the cone-jet mode is inevitable for the electrospray application. This experiment reports the multiplexed grooved nozzle system with the extractor. The effects of the grooves and the extractor on the performance of the electrospray were evaluated through experiments. Using the grooved nozzle, the stable cone-jet mode can be achieved at the each groove in the grooved mode. Furthermore, the number of nozzles per unit area is increased by the extractor. The multiplexing density is 12 jets per cm 2 at 30 mm distance from the nozzle tip to the ground plate. The multiplexing system for the high flow rate electrospray is realized with the extractor which can diminish the space charge effect without sacrificing characteristics of the cone-jet mode

The influence of tyre characteristics on measures of rolling performance during cross-country mountain biking.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdermid, Paul William; Fink, Philip W; Stannard, Stephen R

2015-01-01

This investigation sets out to assess the effect of five different models of mountain bike tyre on rolling performance over hard-pack mud. Independent characteristics included total weight, volume, tread surface area and tread depth. One male cyclist performed multiple (30) trials of a deceleration field test to assess reliability. Further tests performed on a separate occasion included multiple (15) trials of the deceleration test and six fixed power output hill climb tests for each tyre. The deceleration test proved to be reliable as a means of assessing rolling performance via differences in initial and final speed (coefficient of variation (CV) = 4.52%). Overall differences between tyre performance for both deceleration test (P = 0.014) and hill climb (P = 0.032) were found, enabling significant (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.049) models to be generated, allowing tyre performance prediction based on tyre characteristics. The ideal tyre for rolling and climbing performance on hard-pack surfaces would be to decrease tyre weight by way of reductions in tread surface area and tread depth while keeping volume high.

Hospital ownership, decisions on supervisory board characteristics, and financial performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuntz, Ludwig; Pulm, Jannis; Wittland, Michael

2016-01-01

Dynamic and complex transformations in the hospital market increase the relevance of good corporate governance. However, hospital performance and the characteristics of supervisory boards differ depending on ownership. The question therefore arises whether hospital owners can influence performance by addressing supervisory board characteristics. The objective of this study is to explain differences in the financial performance of hospitals with regard to ownership by studying the size and composition of supervisory boards. The AMADEUS database was used to collect information on hospital financial performance in 2009 and 2010. Business and quality reports, hospital websites, and data from health insurer were used to obtain information on hospital and board characteristics. The resulting sample consisted of 175 German hospital corporations. We utilized ANOVA and regression analysis to test a mediation hypothesis that investigated whether decisions regarding board size and composition were associated with financial performance and could explain performance differences. Financial performance and board size and composition depend on ownership. An increase in board size and greater politician participation were negatively associated with all five tested measures of financial performance. Furthermore, an increase in physician participation was positively associated with one dimension of financial performance, whereas one negative relationship was identified for nurse and economist participation. For clerics, no associations were found. Decisions concerning board size and composition are important as they relate to hospital financial performance. We contribute to existing research by showing that, in addition to board size and physician participation, the participation of other professionals can also influence financial performance.

Characteristics and applications of high-performance fiber reinforced asphalt concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Philip

Steel fiber reinforced asphalt concrete (SFRAC) is suggested in this research as a multifunctional high performance material that can potentially lead to a breakthrough in developing a sustainable transportation system. The innovative use of steel fibers in asphalt concrete is expected to improve mechanical performance and electrical conductivity of asphalt concrete that is used for paving 94% of U. S. roadways. In an effort to understand the fiber reinforcing mechanisms in SFRAC, the interaction between a single straight steel fiber and the surrounding asphalt matrix is investigated through single fiber pull-out tests and detailed numerical simulations. It is shown that pull-out failure modes can be classified into three types: matrix, interface, and mixed failure modes and that there is a critical shear stress, independent of temperature and loading rate, beyond which interfacial debonding will occur. The reinforcing effects of SFRAC with various fiber sizes and shapes are investigated through indirect tension tests at low temperature. Compared to unreinforced specimens, fiber reinforced specimens exhibit up to 62.5% increase in indirect tensile strength and 895% improvements in toughness. The documented improvements are the highest attributed to fiber reinforcement in asphalt concrete to date. The use of steel fibers and other conductive additives provides an opportunity to make asphalt pavement electrically conductive, which opens up the possibility for multifunctional applications. Various asphalt mixtures and mastics are tested and the results indicate that the electrical resistivity of asphaltic materials can be manipulated over a wide range by replacing a part of traditional fillers with a specific type of graphite powder. Another important achievement of this study is development and validation of a three dimensional nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model that is capable of simulating both linear and nonlinear viscoelasticity of asphaltic materials. The

Thermoelectrical-electrothermal feedback (te-et f) enhanced performance characteristics of a high temperature superconductor far-infrared bolometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaila, M.M.; Russell, G.J.

2000-01-01

Full text: It is more than a decade since the discovery of new a High Temperature Superconducting (HTSC) materials. Their adaptation to large scale applications e.g. high magnetic fields, friction-less motors, levitation trains etc., is still long way to go. Small scale applications e.g., far-infrared sensors, has certainly been established as a highly suitable area for immediate economically viable commercial exploitation. The semiconductor counterparts, NT(Neutron Transmutation doped)Ge, CD(Compensation Doped)Si sensors are not only expensive and difficult to manufacture but also require liquid helium refrigeration at mK temperatures to operate. Although the work around the world has centered on photo-electrical bolometers, in our approach we have adopted a much simpler, temperature stable and a better performing photo-thermoelectrical mode of operation. It is well known that the semi-metal BiSb has the highest electronic thermoelectric figure of merit at liquid nitrogen temperatures. One can obtain a value around 1x10 -2 / K by application of a magnetic field to the BiSb leg of a composite. BiSb-HTSC bolometer. We can use this high figure of merit to our advantage in two different modes of operation of the detector. One is the static mode where the thermoelectric power generated across the semi-metal leg (connected in parallel with the HTSC leg) of the bolometer drives the external electronic circuitry. This circuitry can be remotely (no direct electrical contact) coupled to the bolometer e.g. through the primary coil of a SQUID current amplifier, which can be connected in series with the bolometer inside the cryostat, for better noise performance, or outside, for convenience. Second is the heterodyne operation. The external bias is applied in a constant voltage bias mode. The direction of the bias is so chosen that the transient Peltier power generated, from the incident radiation, in the circuit extracts additional heat at the sensitive area of the bolometer

Achieving Mixtures of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mircea POPA

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC is a relatively new concrete. According to [11] UHPC is that concrete which features compressive strength over C100/115 class. Up to this point standards for this type of concrete were not adopted, although its characteristic strength exceeds those specified in [33]. Its main property is high compressive strength. This provides the possibility of reducing the section of elements (beams or columns made of this type of concrete, while the load capacity remains high. The study consists in blending mixtures of UHPC made of varying proportions of materials. The authors have obtained strengths of up to 160 MPa. The materials used are: Portland cement, silica fume, quartz powder, steel fibers, superplasticiser, sand and crushed aggregate for concrete - andesite.

Thermal characteristics of highly compressed bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sueoka, Tooru; Kobayashi, Atsushi; Imamura, S.; Ogawa, Terushige; Murata, Shigemi.

1990-01-01

In the disposal of high level radioactive wastes in strata, it is planned to protect the canisters enclosing wastes with buffer materials such as overpacks and clay, therefore, the examination of artificial barrier materials is an important problem. The concept of the disposal in strata and the soil mechanics characteristics of highly compressed bentonite as an artificial barrier material were already reported. In this study, the basic experiment on the thermal characteristics of highly compressed bentonite was carried out, therefore, it is reported. The thermal conductivity of buffer materials is important because the possibility that it determines the temperature of solidified bodies and canisters is high, and the buffer materials may cause the thermal degeneration due to high temperature. Thermophysical properties are roughly divided into thermodynamic property, transport property and optical property. The basic principle of measured thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, the kinds of the measuring method and so on are explained. As for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of highly compressed bentonite, the experimental setup, the procedure, samples and the results are reported. (K.I.)

Effects of sweeteners on individual feed intake characteristics and performance in group-housed weanling pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sterk, A.R.; Schlegel, P.; Mul, A.J.; Ubbink-Blanksma, M.; Bruininx, E.M.A.M.

2008-01-01

To assess the effects of 2 high intensity sodium saccharine based sweeteners on individual feed intake characteristics and performance of group-housed weaned pigs, 198 26-d-old weanling pigs were given ad libitum access to 3 dietary treatments: containing no additional sweetener (Control), 150 mg

Haematological characteristics and performance of West African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of feeding crude petroleum contaminated forage on haematological characteristics and performance of 36 young West African Dwarf (WAD) goats was investigated in order to simulate the impact of real crude oil spillage on livestock and game. Graded levels (0.0, 1.5 and 3.0 g per kg forage) of stabilized “Bonny ...

Anthropometric, physiological and performance characteristics of elite team-handball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaouachi, Anis; Brughelli, Matt; Levin, Gregory; Boudhina, Nahla Ben Brahim; Cronin, John; Chamari, Karim

2009-01-15

The objective of this study was to provide anthropometric, physiological, and performance characteristics of an elite international handball team. Twenty-one elite handball players were tested and categorized according to their playing positions (goalkeepers, backs, pivots, and wings). Testing consisted of anthropometric and physiological measures of height, body mass, percentage body fat and endurance (VO(2max)), performance measures of speed (5, 10, and 30 m), strength (bench press and squat), unilateral and bilateral horizontal jumping ability, and a 5-jump horizontal test. Significant differences were found between player positions for some anthropometric characteristics (height and percentage body fat) but not for the physiological or performance characteristics. Strong correlations were noted between single leg horizontal jumping distances with 5-, 10-, and 30-m sprint times (r = 0.51-0.80; P team-handball players appear to be very similar. Single leg horizontal jumping distance could be a specific standardized test for predicting sprinting ability in elite handball players.

Frequency selective surfaces based high performance microstrip antenna

CERN Document Server

Narayan, Shiv; Jha, Rakesh Mohan

2016-01-01

This book focuses on performance enhancement of printed antennas using frequency selective surfaces (FSS) technology. The growing demand of stealth technology in strategic areas requires high-performance low-RCS (radar cross section) antennas. Such requirements may be accomplished by incorporating FSS into the antenna structure either in its ground plane or as the superstrate, due to the filter characteristics of FSS structure. In view of this, a novel approach based on FSS technology is presented in this book to enhance the performance of printed antennas including out-of-band structural RCS reduction. In this endeavor, the EM design of microstrip patch antennas (MPA) loaded with FSS-based (i) high impedance surface (HIS) ground plane, and (ii) the superstrates are discussed in detail. The EM analysis of proposed FSS-based antenna structures have been carried out using transmission line analogy, in combination with the reciprocity theorem. Further, various types of novel FSS structures are considered in desi...

Doped polymer electrodes for high performance ferroelectric capacitors on plastic substrates

KAUST Repository

Khan, M. A.

2012-10-03

Flexible ferroelectric capacitors with doped polymer electrodes have been fabricated on plastic substrates with performance as good as metal electrodes. The effect of doping on the morphology of polymer electrodes and its impact on device performance have been studied. Improved fatigue characteristics using doped and undoped poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) electrodes versus metal electrodes are observed. It is shown that the polymer electrodes follow classical ferroelectric and dielectric responses, including series resistance effects. The improved device characteristics obtained using highly conducting doped PEDOT:PSS suggest that it may be used both as an electrode and as global interconnect for all-polymer transparent circuits on flexible substrates.

Synthesis and loading-dependent characteristics of nitrogen-doped graphene foam/carbon nanotube/manganese oxide ternary composite electrodes for high performance supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Tao; Yu, Baozhi; Cao, Linli; Tan, Huiyun; Li, Xinghua; Zheng, Xinliang; Li, Weilong; Ren, Zhaoyu; Bai, Jinbo

2017-09-01

The ternary composite electrodes, nitrogen-doped graphene foam/carbon nanotube/manganese dioxide (NGF/CNT/MnO 2 ), have been successfully fabricated via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and facile hydrothermal method. The morphologies of the MnO 2 nanoflakes presented the loading-dependent characteristics and the nanoflake thickness could also be tuned by MnO 2 mass loading in the fabrication process. The correlation between their morphology and electrochemical performance was systematically investigated by controlling MnO 2 mass loading in the ternary composite electrodes. The electrochemical properties of the flexible ternary electrode (MnO 2 mass loading of 70%) exhibited a high areal capacitance of 3.03F/cm 2 and a high specific capacitance of 284F/g at the scan rate of 2mV/s. Moreover, it was interesting to find that the capacitance of the NGF/CNT/MnO 2 composite electrodes showed a 51.6% increase after 15,000 cycles. The gradual increase in specific capacitance was due to the formation of defective regions in the MnO 2 nanostructures during the electrochemical cycles of the electrodes, which further resulted in increased porosity, surface area, and consequently increased electrochemical capacity. This work demonstrates a rarely reported conclusion about loading-dependent characteristics for the NGF/CNT/MnO 2 ternary composite electrodes. It will bring new perspectives on designing novel ternary or multi-structure for various energy storage applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance characteristics of NuVal and the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI).

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, David L; Njike, Valentine Y; Rhee, Lauren Q; Reingold, Arthur; Ayoob, Keith T

2010-04-01

Improving diets has considerable potential to improve health, but progress in this area has been limited, and advice to increase fruit and vegetable intake has largely gone unheeded. Our objective was to test the performance characteristics of the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI), a tool designed to help improve dietary patterns one well-informed choice at a time. The ONQI was developed by a multidisciplinary group of nutrition and public health scientists independent of food industry interests and is the basis for the NuVal Nutritional Guidance System. Dietary guidelines, existing nutritional scoring systems, and other pertinent scientific literature were reviewed. An algorithm incorporating >30 entries that represent both micro- and macronutrient properties of foods, as well as weighting coefficients representing epidemiologic associations between nutrients and health outcomes, was developed and subjected to consumer research and testing of performance characteristics. ONQI and expert panel rankings correlated highly (R = 0.92, P consumer testing, approximately 80% of >800 study participants indicated that the ONQI would influence their purchase intent. ONQI scoring distinguished the more-healthful DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet (mean score: 46) from the typical American diet according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006 (mean score: 26.5; P purchase patterns and significant correlation with health outcomes in large cohorts of men and women followed for decades. NuVal offers universally applicable nutrition guidance that is independent of food industry interests and is supported by consumer research and scientific evaluation of its performance characteristics.

Multidimensional performance characteristics and standard of performance in talented youth field hockey players : A longitudinal study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elferink-Gemser, Marije T.; Visscher, Chris; Lemmink, Koen A. P. M.; Mulder, Theo

2007-01-01

To identify performance characteristics that could help predict future elite field hockey players, we measured the anthropometric, physiological, technical, tactical, and psychological characteristics of 30 elite and 35 sub-elite youth players at the end of three consecutive seasons. The mean age of

Job Characteristics, Work Involvement, and Job Performance of Public Servants

Science.gov (United States)

Johari, Johanim; Yahya, Khulida Kirana

2016-01-01

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to assess the predicting role of job characteristics on job performance. Dimensions in the job characteristics construct are skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. Further, work involvement is tested as a mediator in the hypothesized link. Design/methodology/approach: A…

High Pressure Water Jet System Performance Assessment Project A-2A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

FARWICK, C.C.

1999-01-01

Performance assessment for canister cleaning system in the KE Basin. Information obtained from this assessment will be used to design any additional equipment used to clean canisters. After thorough review of the design, maintenance history and operational characteristics of the 105 K East (KE) canister cleaning system, Bartlett recommends that the high pressure water jet system (HPWJS) be modified as outlined in section 5.0, and retained for future use. Further, it is recommended that Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project consider use of a graded approach for canister cleaning, based on individual canister type and characteristics. This approach would allow a simple method to be used on canisters not needing the more rigorous, high-pressure method. Justification is provided in section 5.0. Although Bartlett has provided some preliminary cost estimates, it is recommended that SNF Project perform a detailed cost-benefit analysis to weigh the alternatives presented

General performance characteristics of an irreversible ferromagnetic Stirling refrigeration cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, G.; Tegus, O.; Zhang, L.; Brueck, E.

2004-01-01

A new magnetic-refrigeration-cycle model using ferromagnetic materials as a cyclic working substance is set up, in which finite-rate heat transfer, heat leak and regeneration time are taken into account. On the basis of the thermodynamic properties of a ferromagnetic material, the general performance characteristics of the ferromagnetic Stirling refrigeration cycle are investigated and the effects of some key irreversibilities on the performance of the cycle are revealed. By using the optimal-control theory, the optimal relation between the coefficient of performance and the cooling rate is derived and some important performance bounds, e.g., the maximum cooling rate, the maximum coefficient of performance, are determined. Moreover, the optimal operating regions for cooling rate, coefficient of performance and the optimal operating temperatures of a cyclic working substance in the two heat-transfer processes are obtained. Furthermore, the influences of magnetization and magnetic field on the performance characteristics of the cycle are discussed. The results obtained here have general significance and can be deduced to the related ones of the Stirling refrigeration cycle using paramagnetic salt as a cyclic working substance

Research on high performance mirrors for free electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitatani, Fumito

1996-01-01

For the stable functioning of free electron laser, high performance optical elements are required because of its characteristics. In particular in short wavelength free electron laser, since its gain is low, the optical elements having very high reflectivity are required. Also in free electron laser, since high energy noise light exists, the optical elements must have high optical breaking strength. At present in Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation, the research for heightening the performance of dielectric multi-layer film elements for short wavelength is carried out. For manufacturing such high performance elements, it is necessary to develop the new materials for vapor deposition, new vapor deposition process, and the techniques of accurate substrate polishing and inspection. As the material that satisfies the requirements, there is diamond-like carbon (DLC) film, of which the properties are explained. As for the manufacture of the DLC films for short wavelength optics, the test equipment for forming the DLC films, the test of forming the DLC films, the change of the film quality due to gas conditions, discharge conditions and substrate materials, and the measurement of the optical breaking strength are reported. (K.I.)

High performance homes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beim, Anne; Vibæk, Kasper Sánchez

2014-01-01

Can prefabrication contribute to the development of high performance homes? To answer this question, this chapter defines high performance in more broadly inclusive terms, acknowledging the technical, architectural, social and economic conditions under which energy consumption and production occur....... Consideration of all these factors is a precondition for a truly integrated practice and as this chapter demonstrates, innovative project delivery methods founded on the manufacturing of prefabricated buildings contribute to the production of high performance homes that are cost effective to construct, energy...

Characteristics and Challenges of Open-Water Swimming Performance: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldassarre, Roberto; Bonifazi, Marco; Zamparo, Paola; Piacentini, Maria Francesca

2017-11-01

Although the popularity of open-water swimming (OWS) events has significantly increased in the last decades, specific studies regarding performance of elite or age-group athletes in these events are scarce. To analyze the existing literature on OWS. Relevant literature was located via computer-generated citations. During August 2016, online computer searches on PubMed and Scopus databases were conducted to locate published research. The number of participants in ultraendurance swimming events has substantially increased in the last 10 y. In elite athletes there is a higher overall competitive level of women than of men. The body composition of female athletes (different percentage and distribution of fat tissue) shows several advantages (more buoyancy and less drag) in aquatic conditions that determine the small difference between males and females. The main physiological characteristics of open-water swimmers (OW swimmers) are the ability to swim at high percentage of [Formula: see text] (80-90%) for many hours. Furthermore, to sustain high velocity for many hours, endurance swimmers need a high propelling efficiency and a low energy cost. Open-water races may be characterized by extreme environmental conditions (water temperature, tides, currents, and waves) that have an overall impact on performance, influencing tactics and pacing. Future studies are needed to study OWS in both training and competition.

Job characteristics, flow, and performance: the moderating role of conscientiousness.

Science.gov (United States)

Demerouti, Evangelia

2006-07-01

The present article aims to show the importance of positive work-related experiences within occupational health psychology by examining the relationship between flow at work (i.e., absorption, work enjoyment, and intrinsic work motivation) and job performance. On the basis of the literature, it was hypothesized that (a) motivating job characteristics are positively related to flow at work and (b) conscientiousness moderates the relationship between flow and other ratings of (in-role and out-of-role) performance. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 113 employees from several occupations. Results of moderated structural equation modeling analyses generally supported the hypotheses. Motivating job characteristics were predictive of flow, and flow predicted in-role and extra-role performance, for only conscientious employees.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MUSCLE FATIGUE CHARACTERISTICS AND MARKERS OF ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martyn G. Morris

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of a range of in-vivo whole muscle characteristics to determinants of endurance performance. Eleven healthy males completed a cycle ergometer step test to exhaustion for the determination of the lactate threshold, gross mechanical efficiency, peak power and VO2max. On two separate occasions, contractile and fatigue characteristics of the quadriceps femoris were collected using a specially designed isometric strength-testing chair. Muscle fatigue was then assessed by stimulating the muscle for 3 minutes. Force, rate of force development and rates of relaxation were calculated at the beginning and end of the 3 minute protocol and examined for reliability and in relation to lactate threshold, VO2max, gross mechanical efficiency and peak power. Muscle characteristics, rate of force development and relaxation rate were demonstrated to be reliable measures. Force drop off over the 3 minutes (fatigue index was related to lactate threshold (r = -0.72 p < 0.01 but not to VO2max. The rate of force development related to the peak power at the end of the cycle ergometer test (r = -0.75 p < 0.01. Rates of relaxation did not relate to any of the performance markers. We found in-vivo whole muscle characteristics, such as the fatigue index and rate of force development, relate to specific markers of peripheral, but not to central, fitness components. Our investigation suggests that muscle characteristics assessed in this way is reliable and could be feasibly utilised to further our understanding of the peripheral factors underpinning performance

Implementation of palm biodiesel based on economic aspects, performance, emission, and wear characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosarof, M.H.; Kalam, M.A.; Masjuki, H.H.; Ashraful, A.M.; Rashed, M.M.; Imdadul, H.K.; Monirul, I.M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Global environmental protection of using alternative fuel. • Economic aspects of palm oil biodiesel in Malaysia. • Tribological characteristics of palm oil biodiesel in engine components. • Engine performance and emission of palm oil biodiesel. • Effect of temperature on density and kinematic viscosity for various biodiesel. - Abstract: The high cost of energy supplies and the growing concern over the dependency on fossil fuels have impelled many countries to search for renewable and alternative energy sources. The extensive use of fossil fuels for transportation and power generation all over the world have caused the supply of fossil fuels to continuously decrease and have aggravated environmental pollution. Searching for alternative fuels has become imperative to reduce pollution and address the problems on fossil fuels. Vegetable oil fuels, such as palm oil biodiesel, serve as alternative forms of energy and are currently being studied, particularly as a diesel fuel substitute. The purpose of this study is to review the potential of palm oil as an energy source and alternative diesel fuel in terms of its performance, environmental impact, wear characteristics, and economic considerations. Compared with other vegetable oils, palm oil is a relatively sustainable, environment-friendly, less expensive, and economically beneficial potential source of energy. Palm oil plantation and production is a major industry in Malaysia, contributing to the economic growth and development of the country. The properties of palm oil biodiesel, namely, high oxidation stability, good cold properties, cetane number, and higher viscosity, makes it a suitable diesel substitute. Compared with other vegetable oils and petroleum diesel fuels, palm oil is associated with better engine performance, higher specific fuel consumption, and shorter ignition delay. Use of palm oil also reduces exhaust emission of hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and smoke, but

Application of characteristic ion filtering with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry for rapid detection and identification of chemical profiling in Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Mingzhen; Jia, Jia; Li, Junmao; Wu, Bei; Huang, Wenping; Liu, Mi; Li, Yan; Yang, Shilin; Ouyang, Hui; Feng, Yulin

2018-06-15

Efficient targeted identification of chemical constituents from traditional Chinese medicine is still a major challenge. In this study, we used a characteristic ion filtering strategy to characterize compounds of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS). By using the ion filtering approach, target constituents of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. were easily tentatively identified from the enormous LC/MS data set. The strategy consisted of the following three steps: 1) To establishing a characteristic ion database by diagnostic product ions or neutral loss fragments; 2) To evaluate the structural information of the compounds by high-resolution diagnostic characteristic ion filtering; 3) To confirm the different classes by chemical profiling according to their MS/MS spectra. In this study, characteristic ions are summarized as five major groups of compounds in Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. In total, 113 compounds were tentatively identified, including 23 potentially novel compounds. The results form a foundation for the quality control and chemical basis of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CSR organisational taxonomy and job characteristics on performance: SME case studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanalechumy Seeramulu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study examines the relationship between the CSR of organizational structure and job characteristics that influence employee job performance in the Malaysian context. Hence, it is important to study and analyze these two factors within the CSR taxonomy describing how these factors significantly influence employee job performance and to make recommendations how performance can be promoted among employees. This paper is based on a quantitative research approach where responses were gathered from the working population within Malaysia SMEs. The results from this study will help to point out the influence of these factors on the employee job performance and provide guidance to an organization for which these aspects should be emphasized in order to increase employees’ job performance to align performance with organizational goals. The analysis includes two dimensions of CSR taxonomy of organizational structure namely, centralization and formalization, as well as a set of five dimensions of job characteristics, such as task identity, task significance, skill variety, autonomy and feedback. The results of these findings show that job characteristics such as task significance, autonomy, feedback, and skill variety, positively influence job performance with autonomy having highest predictive power on job performance. The results of these findings reveal that the organizational structure does not contribute to the prediction of job performance even though a significant positive correlation exists between the structure and job performance in the Pearson correlation coefficient test. Therefore, this study will enrich the existing knowledge in the area of human resource management by focusing on job performance management.

Growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics of growing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An experiment was conducted at the Department of Animal Science teaching and research farm, Bayero University Kano, to evaluate the effect of feeding graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) in diets on growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics of weaned rabbits. Twenty eight grower rabbits of ...

Performance of a 2-megawatt high voltage test load

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horan, D.; Kustom, R.; Ferguson, M.

1995-01-01

A high-power, water-cooled resistive load which simulates the electrical load characteristics of a high-power klystron, capable of 2 megawatts dissipation at 95 kV DC, was built and installed at the Advanced Photon Source for use in load-testing high voltage power supplies. During this testing, the test load has logged approximately 35 hours of operation at power levels in excess of one mezawatt. Slight variations in the resistance of the load during operation indicate that leakage currents in the cooling water may be a significant factor affecting the performance of the load. Sufficient performance data have been collected to indicate that leakage current through the deionized (DI) water coolant shunts roughly 15 percent of the full-load current around the load resistor elements. The leakage current could cause deterioration of internal components of the load. The load pressure vessel was disassembled and inspected internally for any signs of significant wear and distress. Results of this inspection and possible modifications for improved performance will be discussed

Aggregate packing characteristics of good and poor performing asphalt mixes

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Denneman, E

2007-07-01

Full Text Available The aggregate structure of the compacted mix is a determining factor for the performance of Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA). In this paper, the grading characteristics of good and poor performing HMA mixes are explored using the concepts of the Bailey method...

Class modality, student characteristics, and performance in a community college introductory STEM course

Science.gov (United States)

Fogle, Thomas Ty

Research on introductory STEM course performance has indicated that student characteristics (age, ethnicity and gender) and Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) can be predictive of student performance, and by implication, a correlation among these factors can help determine course design interventions to help certain types of students perform well in introductory STEM courses. The basis of this study was a community college Visual Basic programming course taught in both online and hybrid format. Beginning students in this course represented a diverse population residing in a large, mid-western, city and surrounding communities. Many of these students were defined as "at-Risk" or "non-traditional, which generally means any combination of socio-economic, cultural, family and employment factors that indicate a student is non-traditional. Research has shown these students struggle academically in technologically dense STEM courses, and may require student services and support to achieve their individual performance goals. The overall number in the study range was 392 distance students and 287 blended course students. The main question of this research was to determine to what extent student characteristics in a community college context, and previous success, as measured in overall G.P.A., were related to course performance in an introductory Visual Basic programming (STEM) course; and, whether or not a combination of these factors and course modality was predictive of success. The study employed a quantitative, quasi-experimental design to assess whether students' course performance was linked to course modality, student characteristics and overall G.P.A. The results indicated that the only predictor of student performance was overall G.P.A. Despite the research analyzed in Chapter 2, there was no statistically significant relationship to modality, age, ethnicity, or gender to performance in the course. Cognitive load is significant in a computer programming course and it

COMPETENCY, ENTREPRENEUR CHARACTERISTIC AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE: STUDY OF THE PEMPEK BUSINESS IN PALEMBANG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fransiska Soejono

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine empirically the effects of entrepreneurial compe-tencies and characteristics on business performance. Previous studies found that competencies and entrepreneurial characteristics significantly influenced business performance. A quantita-tive method was used and 122 respondents were involved as the sample in this study, who were pempek business owners in Palembang, South Sumatra. The results indicated an effect from entrepreneurial competencies on business performance. It was also found that the entrepre-neurs’ characteristics (owners’ ages significantly affected the businesses’ performance. This implication requires some sort of course or program for the entrepreneurs to improve their competence to direct the owners to gain better business performance. The growing age of the business owners requires equal insights to ensure age does not stop the owners from improving their business’ performance.

Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Finisher Birds ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sixty (60) 4 weeks old Anak broiler strain were subjected to 28 days feeding trial at the Poultry Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, Evan Enwerem, Owerri, Nigeria, to determine the dietary effect of pineapple wine sediment (PWSM) on their performance and carcass characteristics. The birds were divided into four ...

Performance characteristics of proximity focused ultraviolet image converters

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, J. T.; Feibelman, W. A.

1973-01-01

Performance characteristics of Bendix type BX 8025-4522 proximity focused image tubes for UV to visible light conversion are presented. Quantum efficiency, resolution, background, geometric distortion, and environmental test results are discussed. The converters use magnesium fluoride input windows with Cs-Te photocathodes and P-11 phosphors on fiber optic output windows.

[Characteristics of Nutrition in Competitive Sports, Ranging from Leisure Activities to High-Performance Athletics].

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, H

2016-08-01

Nutrition has a crucial influence on physical and mental performance ability and is an important measure along sidetraining in high-performance athletes. However, this form of nutritionis not applicable for every athlete and in every situation. The question of optimal nutrition requires involvement with the particular type of sports, an athlete's current training stage, and athletes' individual requirements and objectives. Implementation takes time and individual motivation on the part of athletes and the specialist staff who engage intensively with the nutritional needs of athletes. In addition to adequate energy provision, it is important to divide the energy sensibly among the energy sources carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Performance athletes' higher need for protein can usually be covered in their regular diet; supplements are needed only in exceptional cases. Studies have shown that small amounts of 15 - 25 g protein are sensible after weight training, in order to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. The need for carbohydrates increases dynamically with the intensity and duration of physical exertion. A sufficient supply is crucial for achieving maximum performance. Low carb diets are unsuitable for performance athletes. So called low-glycogen training, however, can lead to better adjustment/adaptation processes in selected training stages and can increase performance ability. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

High performance Schottky diodes based on indium-gallium-zinc-oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Jiawei; Song, Aimin, E-mail: A.Song@manchester.ac.uk [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Xin, Qian [School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

2016-07-15

Indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) Schottky diodes exhibit excellent performance in comparison with conventional devices used in future flexible high frequency electronics. In this work, a high performance Pt IGZO Schottky diode was presented by using a new fabrication process. An argon/oxygen mixture gas was introduced during the deposition of the Pt layer to reduce the oxygen deficiency at the Schottky interface. The diode showed a high barrier height of 0.92 eV and a low ideality factor of 1.36 from the current–voltage characteristics. Even the radius of the active area was 0.1 mm, and the diode showed a cut-off frequency of 6 MHz in the rectifier circuit. Using the diode as a demodulator, a potential application was also demonstrated in this work.

High-performance indium gallium phosphide/gallium arsenide heterojunction bipolar transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmari, David Abbas

Heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) have demonstrated the high-frequency characteristics as well as the high linearity, gain, and power efficiency necessary to make them attractive for a variety of applications. Specific applications for which HBTs are well suited include amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, current sources, and optoelectronic integrated circuits. Currently, most commercially available HBT-based integrated circuits employ the AlGaAs/GaAs material system in applications such as a 4-GHz gain block used in wireless phones. As modern systems require higher-performance and lower-cost devices, HBTs utilizing the newer, InGaP/GaAs and InP/InGaAs material systems will begin to dominate the HBT market. To enable the widespread use of InGaP/GaAs HBTs, much research on the fabrication, performance, and characterization of these devices is required. This dissertation will discuss the design and implementation of high-performance InGaP/GaAs HBTs as well as study HBT device physics and characterization.

Best Practices Guide for High-Performance Indian Office Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Reshma [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sartor, Dale [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ghatikar, Girish [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-04-01

This document provides best practice guidance and energy- efficiency recommendations for the design, construction, and operation of high-­performance office buildings in India. Through a discussion of learnings from exemplary projects and inputs from experts, it provides recommendations that can potentially help achieve (1) enhanced working environments, (2) economic construction/faster payback, (3) reduced operating costs, and (4) reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It also provides ambitious (but achievable) energy performance benchmarks, both as adopted targets during building modeling (design phase) and during measurement and verification (operations phase). These benchmarks have been derived from a set of representative best-in-class office buildings in India. The best practices strategies presented in this guide would ideally help in delivering high-­performance in terms of a triad—of energy efficiency, cost efficiency, and occupant comfort and well-­being. These best practices strategies and metrics should be normalized—that is, corrected to account for building characteristics, diversity of operations, weather, and materials and construction methods.

Performance characteristics of a Kodak computed radiography system.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradford, C D; Peppler, W W; Dobbins, J T

1999-01-01

The performance characteristics of a photostimulable phosphor based computed radiographic (CR) system were studied. The modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectra (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of the Kodak Digital Science computed radiography (CR) system (Eastman Kodak Co.-model 400) were measured and compared to previously published results of a Fuji based CR system (Philips Medical Systems-PCR model 7000). To maximize comparability, the same measurement techniques and analysis methods were used. The DQE at four exposure levels (30, 3, 0.3, 0.03 mR) and two plate types (standard and high resolution) were calculated from the NPS and MTF measurements. The NPS was determined from two-dimensional Fourier analysis of uniformly exposed plates. The presampling MTF was determined from the Fourier transform (FT) of the system's finely sampled line spread function (LSF) as produced by a narrow slit. A comparison of the slit type ("beveled edge" versus "straight edge") and its effect on the resulting MTF measurements was also performed. The results show that both systems are comparable in resolution performance. The noise power studies indicated a higher level of noise for the Kodak images (approximately 20% at the low exposure levels and 40%-70% at higher exposure levels). Within the clinically relevant exposure range (0.3-3 mR), the resulting DQE for the Kodak plates ranged between 20%-50% lower than for the corresponding Fuji plates. Measurements of the presampling MTF with the two slit types have shown that a correction factor can be applied to compensate for transmission through the relief edges.

The gender gap reloaded: are school characteristics linked to labor market performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Konstantopoulos, Spyros; Constant, Amelie

2008-06-01

This study examines the wage gender gap of young adults in the 1970s, 1980s, and 2000 in the US. Using quantile regression we estimate the gender gap across the entire wage distribution. We also study the importance of high school characteristics in predicting future labor market performance. We conduct analyses for three major racial/ethnic groups in the US: Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics, employing data from two rich longitudinal studies: NLS and NELS. Our results indicate that while some school characteristics are positive and significant predictors of future wages for Whites, they are less so for the two minority groups. We find significant wage gender disparities favoring men across all three surveys in the 1970s, 1980s, and 2000. The wage gender gap is more pronounced in higher paid jobs (90th quantile) for all groups, indicating the presence of a persistent and alarming "glass ceiling."

Influence of prey body characteristics and performance on predator selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Thomas H; McCormick, Mark I

2009-03-01

At the time of settlement to the reef environment, coral reef fishes differ in a number of characteristics that may influence their survival during a predatory encounter. This study investigated the selective nature of predation by both a multi-species predator pool, and a single common predator (Pseudochromis fuscus), on the reef fish, Pomacentrus amboinensis. The study focused on the early post-settlement period of P. amboinensis, when mortality, and hence selection, is known to be highest. Correlations between nine different measures of body condition/performance were examined at the time of settlement, in order to elucidate the relationships between different traits. Single-predator (P. fuscus) choice trials were conducted in 57.4-l aquaria with respect to three different prey characteristics [standard length (SL), body weight and burst swimming speed], whilst multi-species trials were conducted on open patch reefs, manipulating prey body weight only. Relationships between the nine measures of condition/performance were generally poor, with the strongest correlations occurring between the morphological measures and within the performance measures. During aquaria trials, P. fuscus was found to be selective with respect to prey SL only, with larger individuals being selected significantly more often. Multi-species predator communities, however, were selective with respect to prey body weight, with heavier individuals being selected significantly more often than their lighter counterparts. Our results suggest that under controlled conditions, body length may be the most important prey characteristic influencing prey survival during predatory encounters with P. fuscus. In such cases, larger prey size may actually be a distinct disadvantage to survival. However, these relationships appear to be more complex under natural conditions, where the expression of prey characteristics, the selectivity fields of a number of different predators, their relative abundance, and

Analysis of mechanical characteristics of superconducting field coil for 17 MW class high temperature superconducting synchronous motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. H.; Park, S. I.; Im, S. H.; Kim, H. M.

2013-01-01

Superconducting field coils using a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires with high current density generate high magnetic field of 2 to 5 [T] and electromagnetic force (Lorentz force) acting on the superconducting field coils also become a very strong from the point of view of a mechanical characteristics. Because mechanical stress caused by these powerful electromagnetic force is one of the factors which worsens the critical current performance and structural characteristics of HTS wire, the mechanical stress analysis should be performed when designing the superconducting field coils. In this paper, as part of structural design of superconducting field coils for 17 MW class superconducting ship propulsion motor, mechanical stress acting on the superconducting field coils was analyzed and structural safety was also determined by the coupling analysis system that is consists of commercial electromagnetic field analysis program and structural analysis program.

Design and performance characteristic analysis of servo valve-type water hydraulic poppet valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Hwan

2009-01-01

For water hydraulic system control, the flow or pressure control using high-speed solenoid valve controlled by PWM control method could be a good solution for prevention of internal leakage. However, since the PWM control of on-off valves cause extensive flow and pressure fluctuation, it is difficult to control the water hydraulic actuators precisely. In this study, the servo valve-type water hydraulic valve using proportional poppet as the main valve is designed and the performance characteristics of the servo valve-type water hydraulic valve are analyzed. Furthermore, it is demonstrated through experiments that a decline in control chamber pressure that follows the change of pilot flow is caused by the occurrence of cavitation around the proportional poppet, and that fundamental characteristics of the developed valve remain unaffected by the occurrence of cavitation

Frictional characteristics of stainless steel 440C lubricated with water at pressurized high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, E. H.; Lee, J. S.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. I.

2001-01-01

The fatigue life of stainless steel bearings is one of the most critical factors to determine the performance of the driving system. Because the bearings which are installed on the driving mechanism in the nuclear reactor are operated at high temperature and high pressure and especially lubricated with water with low viscosity, the friction and wear characteristics of the bearing material should be investigated thoroughly. In many control element drive mechanisms in the nuclear reactor the support bearings are made of the stainless steel and the sliding bearing ceramic material mainly. This study is focused on the characteristics of support bearing which may be used in the SMART. The ball bearings are made of standardized 440C stainless steel, and it supports thrust load including the weight of the driving system and external force. The friction and wear characteristics of this material operating under severe lubrication condition are not well known yet, however it will be changed with respect to temperature and boundary pressure. In this paper the friction characteristics are investigated experimentally using the reciprocating tribometer which can simulate the SMART operating conditions. Highly purified water is used as lubricant, and the water is warmed up and pressurized. Friction forces on the reciprocating specimens are measured insitu strain gages

Parametric study of geohydrologic performance characteristics for geologic waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, C.E.; Marine, I.W.

1980-11-01

One of the major objectives of the National Waste Terminal Storage Program is to identify potential geologic sites for storage and isolation of radioactive waste (and possibly irradiated fuel). Potential sites for the storage and isolation of radioactive waste or spent fuel in a geologic rock unit are being carefully evaluated to ensure that radionuclides from the stored waste or fuel will never appear in the biosphere in amounts that would constitute a hazard to the health and safety of the public. The objective of this report is to quantify and present in graphical form the effects of significant geohydrologic and other performance characteristics that would influence the movement of radionuclides from a storage site in a rock unit to the biosphere. The effort in this study was focused on transport by groundwater because that is the most likely method of radionuclide escape. Graphs of the major performance characteristics that influence the transport of radionuclides from a repository to the biosphere by groundwater are presented. The major characteristics addressed are radioactive decay, leach rate, hydraulic conductivity, porosity, groundwater gradient, hydrodynamic dispersion, ion exchange, and distance to the biosphere. These major performance characteristics are combind with each other and with the results of certain other combinations and presented in graphical form to provide the interrelationships of values measured during field studies. The graphical form of presentation should be useful in the screening process of site selection. An appendix illustrates the use of these graphs to assess the suitability of a site

Performance and carcass characteristics of dairy steers fed diets containing crude glycerin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raylon Pereira Maciel

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to assess the effects of including 0, 79.8, 159.8, and 240.0 g kg-1 crude glycerin in the total diet dry matter on the 84 days feedlot performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and carcass characteristics of crossbred dairy steers. Experimental diets were composed of 98.5 g kg-1 of sorghum silage and 901.5 g kg-1 of concentrate. Twenty-four crossbred dairy steers (337.3±39.8 kg body weight and 15 months of age were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replicates. The intake and digestibility of the dry matter and nutrients were not altered by including crude glycerin in the diet. Crude glycerol levels did not affect the final weight (430.2 kg, daily weight gain (1.38 kg day-1, total weight gain (97.2 kg, hot carcass weight (218.9 kg, cold carcass weight (215.2 kg, hot carcass yield (0.50 kg 100 kg-1 BW, longissimus dorsi area (62.86 cm², subcutaneous fat thickness (4.05 mm, and carcass physical composition. Concentrations of serum glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and creatinine were not altered by including crude glycerin in the diet. Crude glycerin can be added to high concentrate diet up to 240 g kg-1 without changing the animal performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients, the main carcass characteristics, and blood parameters of finishing crossbred dairy steers.

How Partner Characteristics Can Affect Performance of Alliances with Different Time Frames?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Hossein JALALI

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Firms increasingly adopt cooperative strategies and form strategic alliances with foreign partners to be prosperous in entering to international market. Most of scholars have typically focused on generic, conceptual models for alliances partner selection, addressing only limited dimensions of the partner characteristics. This paper presents a new empirical framework that considering the effect of partner characteristics on export performance of alliances, in the case of short/mediumterm alliances and long-term ones. The study explores the effective partner characteristics for each type of alliances based on a sample of 540 alliances which rooted in East European region and also, have at least one Iranian partner. The findings stress the differences between varied partner characteristics in short/medium-term and long-term alliances. More specifically, results introduce a framework that addresses certain and specific partner characteristics to improve the export performance of alliances, due to the time frame of strategic alliances.

The Influence of Top Management Team Characteristics on BPD Performance (P.155-166

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joy Elly Tulung

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Based on ”upper echelons theory”, this paper investigates the relation between top management team composition and BPD performance. For top management team characteristics, we employ age, level of education, background of education, gender, and functional background, while for measured the BPD performance we employ return on asset (ROA, return on equity (ROE, capital adequacy ratio (CAR, net interest margin (NIM, loan to deposit ratio (LDR, non-performing loan (NPL and operation expenses to operation income (BOPO. The results show that all characteristics have positive significant influences on BPD performance.Keywords: Top Management Team,BPD Performance, Upper Echelons Theory 

Effects of Non-Driving Related Task Modalities on Takeover Performance in Highly Automated Driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Wandtner, Bernhard; Schömig, Nadja; Schmidt, Gerald

2018-04-01

Aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of different non-driving related tasks (NDR tasks) on takeover performance in highly automated driving. During highly automated driving, it is allowed to engage in NDR tasks temporarily. However, drivers must be able to take over control when reaching a system limit. There is evidence that the type of NDR task has an impact on takeover performance, but little is known about the specific task characteristics that account for performance decrements. Thirty participants drove in a simulator using a highly automated driving system. Each participant faced five critical takeover situations. Based on assumptions of Wickens's multiple resource theory, stimulus and response modalities of a prototypical NDR task were systematically manipulated. Additionally, in one experimental group, the task was locked out simultaneously with the takeover request. Task modalities had significant effects on several measures of takeover performance. A visual-manual texting task degraded performance the most, particularly when performed handheld. In contrast, takeover performance with an auditory-vocal task was comparable to a baseline without any task. Task lockout was associated with faster hands-on-wheel times but not altered brake response times. Results showed that NDR task modalities are relevant factors for takeover performance. An NDR task lockout was highly accepted by the drivers and showed moderate benefits for the first takeover reaction. Knowledge about the impact of NDR task characteristics is an enabler for adaptive takeover concepts. In addition, it might help regulators to make decisions on allowed NDR tasks during automated driving.

High Performance Marine Vessels

CERN Document Server

Yun, Liang

2012-01-01

High Performance Marine Vessels (HPMVs) range from the Fast Ferries to the latest high speed Navy Craft, including competition power boats and hydroplanes, hydrofoils, hovercraft, catamarans and other multi-hull craft. High Performance Marine Vessels covers the main concepts of HPMVs and discusses historical background, design features, services that have been successful and not so successful, and some sample data of the range of HPMVs to date. Included is a comparison of all HPMVs craft and the differences between them and descriptions of performance (hydrodynamics and aerodynamics). Readers will find a comprehensive overview of the design, development and building of HPMVs. In summary, this book: Focuses on technology at the aero-marine interface Covers the full range of high performance marine vessel concepts Explains the historical development of various HPMVs Discusses ferries, racing and pleasure craft, as well as utility and military missions High Performance Marine Vessels is an ideal book for student...

Performance and ileal characteristics of finishing broilers fed diets ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of prebiotics supplemented diets on performance characteristics and gut morphology of broiler chickens. The study involved 320 day-old Anak broiler chicks, used to assess the utilization of prebiotics [Mannose oligosaccharides (MOS) and Lactose oligosaccharides ...

Parametric study of geohydrologic performance characteristics for nuclear-waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, C.E.; Marine, I.W.

1981-01-01

Purpose of this study was to present geohydrologic information in graphical form covering a wide range of parameters to aid in determining site specifications based on functional criteria. Graphs of the major performance characteristics that influence the transport of radionuclides from a repository to the biosphere by groundwater were developed. The major characteristics addressed are radioactive decay, leach rate, hydraulic conductivity, porosity, groundwater gradient, hydrodynamic dispersion, ion exchange, and distance to the biosphere

Characteristics of MHD stability of high beta plasmas in LHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, M.; Nakajima, N.; Watanabe, K.Y.; Todo, Y.; Suzuki, Y.

2012-11-01

In order to understand characteristics of the MHD stability of high beta plasmas obtained in the LHD experiments, full MHD simulations have been performed for the first time. Since there is a magnetic hill in a plasma peripheral region, the ballooning modes extending into the plasma peripheral region with a chaotic magnetic field are destabilized. However, in the nonlinear phase, the core region comes under the in influence of the instabilities and the central pressure decreases. There is a tendency that modes are suppressed as the beta value and/or magnetic Reynolds number increase, which is consistent with a result that high beta plasmas enter the second stable region of the ideal ballooning modes as beta increases and remaining destabilized ballooning modes are considered to be resistive type. (author)

Microstructure Characteristics of High Lift Factor MOCVD REBCO Coated Conductors With High Zr Content

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galstyan, E; Gharahcheshmeh, MH; Delgado, L; Xu, AX; Majkic, G; Selvamanickam, V

2015-06-01

We report the microstructural characteristics of high levels of Zr-added REBa2Cu3O7-x (RE = Gd, Y rare earth) coated conductors fabricated by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). The enhancements of the lift factor defined as a ratio of the in-field (3 T, B parallel to c-axis) critical current density (J(c)) at 30 K and self-field J(c) at 77 K have been achieved for Zr addition levels of 20 and 25 mol% via optimization of deposition parameters. The presence of strong flux pinning is attributed to the aligned nanocolumns of BaZrO3 and nanoprecipitates embedded in REBa2Cu3O7-x matrix with good crystal quality. A high density of BZO nanorods with a typical size 6-8 nm and spacing of 20 nm has been observed. Moreover, the high Zr content was found to induce a high density of intrinsic defects, including stacking faults and dislocations. The correlation between in-field performance along the c-axis and microstructure of (Gd, Y) BCO film with a high level of Zr addition is discussed.

Wake flow characteristics at high wind speed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Larsen, Torben J.; Larsen, Gunner Chr.

2016-01-01

Wake flow characteristic at high wind speeds is the main subject of this paper. Although the wake losses decrease at high wind speeds it has been found in a recent study that for multiple wake inflow the increase in loading due to wake effects are substantial even at wind speeds well above rated ...

Performance and emissions characteristics of biodiesel from soybean oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canakci, M. [Kocaeli University, Izmit (Turkey). Faculty of Technical Education

2005-07-15

Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel that can be produced from renewable feedstocks such as vegetable oils, waste frying oils, and animal fats. It is an oxygenated, non-toxic, sulphur-free, biodegradable, and renewable fuel. Many engine manufacturers have included this fuel in their warranties since it can be used in diesel engines without significant modification. However, the fuel properties such as cetane number, heat of combustion, specific gravity, and kinematic viscosity affect the combustion, engine performance and emission characteristics. In this study, the engine performance and emissions characteristics of two different petroleum diesel fuels (No. 1 and No. 2 diesel fuels) and biodiesel from soybean oil and its 20 per cent blends with No. 2 diesel fuel were compared. The results showed that the engine performance of the neat biodiesel and its blend was similar to that of No. 2 diesel fuel with nearly the same brake fuel conversion efficiency, and slightly higher fuel consumption. CO{sub 2} emission for the biodiesel was slightly higher than for the No. 2 diesel fuel. Compared with diesel fuels, biodiesel produced lower exhaust emissions, except NO{sub x}. (author)

Resident Advisor General Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Personality Dimensions, and Internal Belief Characteristics as Predictors of Rated Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Max B.; Stemler, Steven

2008-01-01

Resident Advisors (RAs) have a significant hand in helping students adjust and thrive in college life. Given the importance of selecting high-performing RAs, this study sought to examine how well various measures of intelligence (e.g., general, emotional) in addition to personality and additional "internal belief" characteristics predict…

Characteristics Analysis and Comparison of High-Speed 4/2 and Hybrid 4/4 Poles Switched Reluctance Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grace Firsta Lukman

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a characteristics analysis and performance comparison of high-speed two-phase 4/2 and hybrid single-phase 4/4 switched reluctance motors (SRMs. Although the motors are advantageous as high-speed drives, both conventional structures have high torque ripple as a result of the presence of the torque dead zone. In this paper, solutions to the torque dead zone problem for each motor are discussed. For the 4/2 SRM, a wide-rotor stepper-type is adopted, while for the 4/4 SRM, the structure is changed to a hybrid by adding permanent magnets (PMs. Both motors have a non-uniform air gap to modify their inductance profile, which leads to the elimination of the torque dead zone. A finite-element method was used to analyze the characteristics of each motor. Then, the manufactured motors were tested through experiments, and lastly, their performance was compared.

Investigation of Material Performance Degradation for High-Strength Aluminum Alloy Using Acoustic Emission Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yibo Ai

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Structural materials damages are always in the form of micro-defects or cracks. Traditional or conventional methods such as micro and macro examination, tensile, bend, impact and hardness tests can be used to detect the micro damage or defects. However, these tests are destructive in nature and not in real-time, thus a non-destructive and real-time monitoring and characterization of the material damage is needed. This study is focused on the application of a non-destructive and real-time acoustic emission (AE method to study material performance degradation of a high-strength aluminum alloy of high-speed train gearbox shell. By applying data relative analysis and interpretation of AE signals, the characteristic parameters of materials performance were achieved and the failure criteria of the characteristic parameters for the material tensile damage process were established. The results show that the AE method and signal analysis can be used to accomplish the non-destructive and real-time detection of the material performance degradation process of the high-strength aluminum alloy. This technique can be extended to other engineering materials.

High-temperature performance of MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors: Direct current and pulse current-voltage characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, C.; Samnakay, R.; Balandin, A. A., E-mail: balandin@ee.ucr.edu [Nano-Device Laboratory (NDL), Department of Electrical Engineering, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 (United States); Phonon Optimized Engineered Materials (POEM) Center, Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 (United States); Rumyantsev, S. L. [Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Center for Integrated Electronics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States); Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg 194021 (Russian Federation); Shur, M. S. [Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Center for Integrated Electronics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States)

2015-02-14

We report on fabrication of MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors (TFTs) and experimental investigations of their high-temperature current-voltage characteristics. The measurements show that MoS{sub 2} devices remain functional to temperatures of at least as high as 500 K. The temperature increase results in decreased threshold voltage and mobility. The comparison of the direct current (DC) and pulse measurements shows that the direct current sub-linear and super-linear output characteristics of MoS{sub 2} thin-films devices result from the Joule heating and the interplay of the threshold voltage and mobility temperature dependences. At temperatures above 450 K, a kink in the drain current occurs at zero gate voltage irrespective of the threshold voltage value. This intriguing phenomenon, referred to as a “memory step,” was attributed to the slow relaxation processes in thin films similar to those in graphene and electron glasses. The fabricated MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors demonstrated stable operation after two months of aging. The obtained results suggest new applications for MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors in extreme-temperature electronics and sensors.

High-performance, polymer-based direct cellular interfaces for electrical stimulation and recording

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seong-Min; Kim, Nara; Kim, Youngseok; Baik, Min-Seo; Yoo, Minsu; Kim, Dongyoon; Lee, Won-June; Kang, Dong-Hee; Kim, Sohee; Lee, Kwanghee; Yoon, Myung-Han

2018-04-01

Due to the trade-off between their electrical/electrochemical performance and underwater stability, realizing polymer-based, high-performance direct cellular interfaces for electrical stimulation and recording has been very challenging. Herein, we developed transparent and conductive direct cellular interfaces based on a water-stable, high-performance poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) film via solvent-assisted crystallization. The crystallized PEDOT:PSS on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate exhibited excellent electrical/electrochemical/optical characteristics, long-term underwater stability without film dissolution/delamination, and good viability for primarily cultured cardiomyocytes and neurons over several weeks. Furthermore, the highly crystallized, nanofibrillar PEDOT:PSS networks enabled dramatically enlarged surface areas and electrochemical activities, which were successfully employed to modulate cardiomyocyte beating via direct electrical stimulation. Finally, the high-performance PEDOT:PSS layer was seamlessly incorporated into transparent microelectrode arrays for efficient, real-time recording of cardiomyocyte action potentials with a high signal fidelity. All these results demonstrate the strong potential of crystallized PEDOT:PSS as a crucial component for a variety of versatile bioelectronic interfaces.

Performance characteristics of broiler chicks fed kidney bean as ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal and groundnut cake meal with cooked and decorticated kidney bean seed meals on the performance characteristics of broilers. One hundred and eighty day old broiler chicks of Anak strain were raised on six experimental diets.

Performance capabilities of EDM of high carbon high chromium steel with copper and brass electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Surekha, B.; Swain, Sudiptha; Suleman, Abu Jafar; Choudhury, Suvan Dev

2017-07-01

The paper address the statistical modeling of input-output relationships of electric discharge machining. In the present work, peak current (I) pulse on time (T) and gap voltage of electric discharge machining (EDM) process are chosen as control parameters to analyze the performance of the process. The output characteristics, namely radial overcut, electrode wear rate (EWR) and metal removal rate (MRR) are treated as the responses. A full factorial design (FFD) of experiments has been used to conduct the experiments and linear regression models are developed for different process characteristics. While conducting the experiments, high carbon and high chromium steel is considered as work piece material and brass and copper are used as electrode material. It is important to note that the experimental conditions are kept similar while machining with the help of different electrode materials. The data obtained from the experiments has been used to develop the regression models for three process parameters for two electrode materials.

Analysis of characteristic performance curves in radiodiagnosis by an observer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kossovoj, A.L.

1988-01-01

Methods and ways of construction of performance characteristic curves (PX-curves) in roentgenology, their qualitative and quantitative estimation are described. Estimation of PX curves application for analysis of scintigraphic and sonographic images is presented

A high-performance trench capacitor integrated in a passive integration technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geiselbrechtinger, Angelika; Büyüktas, Kevni; Allers, Karl-Heinz; Hartung, Wolfgang

2009-01-01

The requirements for the electrical characteristics of passive on-chip devices become more and more important. The electrical performance of RF circuits is predominantly restricted by the passives. New technologies and new device concepts are necessary to meet the demands. In this work, a trench capacitor developed for RF applications is presented for the first time. This so-called SilCap (silicon capacitor) device features very high capacitance density, extreme low-voltage dependence, excellent temperature stability, good RF performance and a high breakthrough voltage. First, the device function and the technological concept are introduced. The concept is realized without implementing cost-intensive high-k materials. This trench capacitor is integrated in the front end of line of a passive integration technology. The achieved specific capacitance density is compared to a standard planar capacitor. Performance of the SilCap in terms of quality factor and breakthrough voltage is shown. Finally, reliability data of this trench capacitor are presented with special focus on extrinsic and dielectric lifetime

Effect of Engine Modifications on Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engines with Alternative Fuels

OpenAIRE

Venkateswarlu, K.; Murthy, B.S.R

2010-01-01

Performance and emission characteristics unmodified diesel engines operating on different alternative fuels with smaller blend proportions are comparable with pure diesel operation. But with increased blend proportions due to the associated problems of vegetable oils like high viscosity and low volatility pollution levels increase which however is accompanied by operating and durability problems with the long term usage of engine. This paper discusses the necessary modifications required to o...

Determination of performance characteristics of robotic manipulator's permanent magnet synchronous motor by learning its FEM model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bharadvaj, Bimmi; Saini, Surendra Singh; Swaroop, Teja Tumapala; Sarkar, Ushnish; Ray, Debashish Datta

2016-01-01

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) are widely used as actuators because of high torque density, high efficiency and reliability. Robotic Manipulator designed for specific task generally requires actuators with very high intermittent torque and speed for their operation in limited space. Hence accurate performance characteristics of PMSM must be known beforehand under these conditions as it may damage the motor. Therefore an advanced mathematical model of PMSM is required for its control synthesis and performance analysis over wide operating range. The existing mathematical models are developed considering ideal motor without including the geometrical deviations that occur during manufacturing process of the motor or its components. These manufacturing tolerance affect torque ripple, operating current range etc. thereby affecting motor performance. In this work, the magnetically non-linear dynamic model is further exploited to refine the FE model using a proposed algorithm to iteratively compensate for the experimentally observed deviations due to manufacturing. (author)

Channel Characteristics and Transmission Performance for Various Channel Configurations at 60 GHz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Haibing

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Extensive measurements are conducted in room environments at 60 GHz to analyze the channel characteristics for various channel configurations. Channel parameters retrieved from measurements are presented and analyzed based on generic channel models. Particularly, a simple single-cluster model is applied for the parameter retrieval and performance evaluation. By this model, power delay profiles are simply described by a -factor, a root-mean-squared delay spread, and a shape parameter. The considered channels are configured with the combination of omnidirectional, fan-beam, and pencil-beam antennas at transmitter and receiver sides. Both line-of-sight (LOS and non-LOS (NLOS channels are considered. Further, to evaluate the transmission performance, we analyze the link budget in the considered environments, then design and simulate an OFDM system with a data rate of 2 Gbps to compare the bit-error-rate (BER performance by using the measured and modeled channels. Both coded and uncoded OFDM systems are simulated. It is observed that the BER performance agrees well for the measured and modeled channels. In addition, directive configurations can provide sufficient link margins and BER performance for high data rate communications. To increase the coverage and performance in the NLOS area, it is preferable to apply directive antennas.

Channel Characteristics and Transmission Performance for Various Channel Configurations at 60 GHz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haibing Yang

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Extensive measurements are conducted in room environments at 60 GHz to analyze the channel characteristics for various channel configurations. Channel parameters retrieved from measurements are presented and analyzed based on generic channel models. Particularly, a simple single-cluster model is applied for the parameter retrieval and performance evaluation. By this model, power delay profiles are simply described by a K-factor, a root-mean-squared delay spread, and a shape parameter. The considered channels are configured with the combination of omnidirectional, fan-beam, and pencil-beam antennas at transmitter and receiver sides. Both line-of-sight (LOS and non-LOS (NLOS channels are considered. Further, to evaluate the transmission performance, we analyze the link budget in the considered environments, then design and simulate an OFDM system with a data rate of 2 Gbps to compare the bit-error-rate (BER performance by using the measured and modeled channels. Both coded and uncoded OFDM systems are simulated. It is observed that the BER performance agrees well for the measured and modeled channels. In addition, directive configurations can provide sufficient link margins and BER performance for high data rate communications. To increase the coverage and performance in the NLOS area, it is preferable to apply directive antennas.

Performance characteristics of plane-wall venturi-like reverse flow diverters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.V.; Counce, R.M.

1982-01-01

The results of an analytical and experimental study of plane-wall venturi-like reverse flow diverters (RFD) are presented. In general, the flow characteristics of the RFD are reasonably well predicted by the mathematical model of the RFD, although a divergence between theory and data is observed for the output characteristics in the reverse flow mode as the output impedance is reduced. Overall, the performance of these devices indicates their usefulness in fluid control and fluid power systems, such as displacement pumping systems

Managerial Characteristics and its Impact on Organizational Performance: Evidence from Syria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elias Milana

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to explore impact of managerial human capital in performance of a Syrian public organization, Directorate of Finance of province of Damascus, through use some of managerial characteristics are age, level of education, tenure and functional track. This study applied on a sample of 12 managers and 138 employees. The study reveals that there are no significant effect of age, level of education and functional track in performance of Directorate of Finance of province of Damascus, while there is a positive, strong and significant effect of tenure manager in organizational performance, which indicates that managerial characteristics almost irrelevant with performance of Directorate of Finance of the province of Damascus, and the public sector in general. Such results appear a need for efforts are invested in the formulation and implementation of human resource procedures and policies which can bring about effective change in behaviours and roles of the public managers and employees.

Board Characteristics and Firm Performance: Evidence from Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Athalia Ariati Hidayat

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This research examines the effect of board characteristics (comprising in different sized proportions: family commissioners, family directors, independent commissioners, ex-government officer commissioners, and board of commissioners size to firm performance. Using fixed-effects data panel regression, this research investigates 293 firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange during 2008-2012. Firm performance is proxied by market measure (Tobin’s Q and accounting measure (ROA. The findings of this research suggest that the proportion of family commissioners and family directors have positive impact only to Tobin’s Q value, while the proportion of independent directors can increase both Tobin’s Q and ROA. On the other hand, this research finds that the proportion of ex-government officers in the board gives no impact to firm performance. This research also finds that the board size has U-shaped non-linear relationship with firm performance as proxied by Tobin’s Q and ROA.

High performance systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vigil, M.B. [comp.

1995-03-01

This document provides a written compilation of the presentations and viewgraphs from the 1994 Conference on High Speed Computing given at the High Speed Computing Conference, {open_quotes}High Performance Systems,{close_quotes} held at Gleneden Beach, Oregon, on April 18 through 21, 1994.

Characteristic performance evaluation of a photon counting Si strip detector for low dose spectral breast CT imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Hyo-Min; Barber, William C.; Ding, Huanjun; Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Molloi, Sabee

2014-01-01

Purpose: The possible clinical applications which can be performed using a newly developed detector depend on the detector's characteristic performance in a number of metrics including the dynamic range, resolution, uniformity, and stability. The authors have evaluated a prototype energy resolved fast photon counting x-ray detector based on a silicon (Si) strip sensor used in an edge-on geometry with an application specific integrated circuit to record the number of x-rays and their energies at high flux and fast frame rates. The investigated detector was integrated with a dedicated breast spectral computed tomography (CT) system to make use of the detector's high spatial and energy resolution and low noise performance under conditions suitable for clinical breast imaging. The aim of this article is to investigate the intrinsic characteristics of the detector, in terms of maximum output count rate, spatial and energy resolution, and noise performance of the imaging system. Methods: The maximum output count rate was obtained with a 50 W x-ray tube with a maximum continuous output of 50 kVp at 1.0 mA. A109Cd source, with a characteristic x-ray peak at 22 keV from Ag, was used to measure the energy resolution of the detector. The axial plane modulation transfer function (MTF) was measured using a 67 μm diameter tungsten wire. The two-dimensional (2D) noise power spectrum (NPS) was measured using flat field images and noise equivalent quanta (NEQ) were calculated using the MTF and NPS results. The image quality parameters were studied as a function of various radiation doses and reconstruction filters. The one-dimensional (1D) NPS was used to investigate the effect of electronic noise elimination by varying the minimum energy threshold. Results: A maximum output count rate of 100 million counts per second per square millimeter (cps/mm2) has been obtained (1 million cps per 100 × 100 μm pixel). The electrical noise floor was less than 4 keV. The energy resolution

Performance Characteristics of an Armature Voltage Controlled D.C. ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this paper, the performance study of a separately excited d. c. motor whose speed is controlled by armature voltage variation is presented. Both the open loop and the closed loop steady state and transient characteristics are reported. The speed controllers considered in the closed loop mode are the proportional and the ...

Do the Managerial Characteristics of Schools Influence Their Performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Agasisti, Tommaso; Bonomi, Francesca; Sibiano, Piergiacomo

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of governance and managerial characteristics of schools. More specifically, the aim is to individuate the factors that are associated to higher schools' performances, as measured through student achievement. Design/methodology/approach: The research is conducted by means of a survey in…

Performance characteristics of an excimer laser (XeCl) with single ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-01-10

Jan 10, 2017 ... Performance characteristics of an excimer laser (XeCl) with single-stage magnetic ... the stress can increase the lifetime of the switches and ..... work. References. [1] Ying-Tung Chen, Kris Naessens, Roel Bates, Yunn-Shiuan.

High-performance integrated field-effect transistor-based sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adzhri, R., E-mail: adzhri@gmail.com [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Md Arshad, M.K., E-mail: mohd.khairuddin@unimap.edu.my [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); School of Microelectronic Engineering (SoME), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Gopinath, Subash C.B., E-mail: subash@unimap.edu.my [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); School of Bioprocess Engineering (SBE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Arau, Perlis (Malaysia); Ruslinda, A.R., E-mail: ruslinda@unimap.edu.my [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Fathil, M.F.M., E-mail: faris.fathil@gmail.com [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Ayub, R.M., E-mail: ramzan@unimap.edu.my [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Nor, M. Nuzaihan Mohd, E-mail: m.nuzaihan@unimap.edu.my [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); Voon, C.H., E-mail: chvoon@unimap.edu.my [Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia)

2016-04-21

Field-effect transistors (FETs) have succeeded in modern electronics in an era of computers and hand-held applications. Currently, considerable attention has been paid to direct electrical measurements, which work by monitoring changes in intrinsic electrical properties. Further, FET-based sensing systems drastically reduce cost, are compatible with CMOS technology, and ease down-stream applications. Current technologies for sensing applications rely on time-consuming strategies and processes and can only be performed under recommended conditions. To overcome these obstacles, an overview is presented here in which we specifically focus on high-performance FET-based sensor integration with nano-sized materials, which requires understanding the interaction of surface materials with the surrounding environment. Therefore, we present strategies, material depositions, device structures and other characteristics involved in FET-based devices. Special attention was given to silicon and polyaniline nanowires and graphene, which have attracted much interest due to their remarkable properties in sensing applications. - Highlights: • Performance of FET-based biosensors for the detection of biomolecules is presented. • Silicon nanowire, polyaniline and graphene are the highlighted nanoscaled materials as sensing transducers. • The importance of surface material interaction with the surrounding environment is discussed. • Different device structure architectures for ease in fabrication and high sensitivity of sensing are presented.

High-performance integrated field-effect transistor-based sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adzhri, R.; Md Arshad, M.K.; Gopinath, Subash C.B.; Ruslinda, A.R.; Fathil, M.F.M.; Ayub, R.M.; Nor, M. Nuzaihan Mohd; Voon, C.H.

2016-01-01

Field-effect transistors (FETs) have succeeded in modern electronics in an era of computers and hand-held applications. Currently, considerable attention has been paid to direct electrical measurements, which work by monitoring changes in intrinsic electrical properties. Further, FET-based sensing systems drastically reduce cost, are compatible with CMOS technology, and ease down-stream applications. Current technologies for sensing applications rely on time-consuming strategies and processes and can only be performed under recommended conditions. To overcome these obstacles, an overview is presented here in which we specifically focus on high-performance FET-based sensor integration with nano-sized materials, which requires understanding the interaction of surface materials with the surrounding environment. Therefore, we present strategies, material depositions, device structures and other characteristics involved in FET-based devices. Special attention was given to silicon and polyaniline nanowires and graphene, which have attracted much interest due to their remarkable properties in sensing applications. - Highlights: • Performance of FET-based biosensors for the detection of biomolecules is presented. • Silicon nanowire, polyaniline and graphene are the highlighted nanoscaled materials as sensing transducers. • The importance of surface material interaction with the surrounding environment is discussed. • Different device structure architectures for ease in fabrication and high sensitivity of sensing are presented.

Performance characteristics of mobile MOSFET dosimeter for kilovoltage X-rays used in image guided radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, A Sathish; Singh, I Rabi Raja; Sharma, S D; Ravindran, B Paul

2015-01-01

The main objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeter for kilovoltage (kV) X-ray beams in order to perform the in vivo dosimetry during image guidance in radiotherapy. The performance characteristics of high sensitivity MOSFET dosimeters were investigated for 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, and 125 kV X-ray beams used for imaging in radiotherapy. This study was performed using Clinac 2100 C/D medical electron linear accelerator with on-board imaging and kV cone beam computed tomography system. The characteristics studied in this work include energy dependence, angular dependence, and linearity. The X-ray beam outputs were measured as per American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) TG 61 recommendations using PTW parallel plate (PP) ionization chamber, which was calibrated in terms of air kerma (Nk) by the National Standard Laboratory. The MOSFET dosimeters were calibrated against the PP ionization chamber for all the kV X-ray beams and the calibration coefficient was found to be 0.11 cGy/mV with a standard deviation of about ±1%. The response of MOSFET was found to be energy independent for the kV X-ray energies used in this study. The response of the MOSFET dosimeter was also found independent of angle of incidence for the gantry angles in the range of 0° to 360° in-air as well as at 3 cm depth in tissue equivalent phantom.

Characteristics explaining performance in downhill mountain biking.

Science.gov (United States)

Chidley, Joel B; MacGregor, Alexandra L; Martin, Caoimhe; Arthur, Calum A; Macdonald, Jamie H

2015-03-01

To identify physiological, psychological, and skill characteristics that explain performance in downhill (DH) mountain-bike racing. Four studies were used to (1) identify factors potentially contributing to DH performance (using an expert focus group), (2) develop and validate a measure of rider skill (using video analysis and expert judge evaluation), (3) evaluate whether physiological, psychological, and skill variables contribute to performance at a DH competition, and (4) test the specific contribution of aerobic capacity to DH performance. STUDY 1 identified aerobic capacity, handgrip endurance, anaerobic power, rider skill, and self-confidence as potentially important for DH. In study 2 the rider-skill measure displayed good interrater reliability. Study 3 found that rider skill and handgrip endurance were significantly related to DH ride time (β=-0.76 and -0.14, respectively; R2=.73), with exploratory analyses suggesting that DH ride time may also be influenced by self-confidence and aerobic capacity. Study 4 confirmed aerobic capacity as an important variable influencing DH performance (for a DH ride, mean oxygen uptake was 49±5 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1), and 90% of the ride was completed above the 1st ventilatory threshold). In order of importance, rider skill, handgrip endurance, self-confidence, and aerobic capacity were identified as variables influencing DH performance. Practically, this study provides a novel assessment of rider skill that could be used by coaches to monitor training and identify talent. Novel intervention targets to enhance DH performance were also identified, including self-confidence and aerobic capacity.

Nanotechnological inventions considerably improve performance characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VLASOV Vladimir Alexeevich

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The invention «The method of production of carbon nanomaterial (RU 2509053» can be used as an additive for concretes and polymers which significantly improves their performance characteristics. The method of production of carbon nanomaterial consists of the following stages: preliminary preparation of sphagnous moss when it is refined from foreign admixtures, dried up to 10% humidity and ground, then ground material is exposed to pyrolysis under the temperature 850–950оC for 1–2 hours and cooled up to the environment temperature. After that amorphous carbon obtained in pyrolysis is treated with mechanical activation in the variable planetary mill for 7–10 hours. The invention makes it possible to provide increased outcome of nanotubes with high cleanliness. The invention «The method of production of nanodispersed metal powders and alloys of them (RU 2509626» relates to the powder metallurgy. Powder metal chloride or powder mixture at least of two metal chlorides is treated in the environment of the water steam which is supplied in reaction space at the rate of 50–100 ml/min at the temperature 400–800оC at the presence of absorbent carbon or introducing carbon oxide (II obtained during dissolution of formic acid HCOOH. The invention provides reliable production of nanodispersed metal powders and alloys of them from 3-d metal range: Ni, Co, Cu, Fe, Zn which can be used in powder metallurgy to improve baking process, in chemical industry as the fillers of polymers and reaction catalysts; as additives to anticorrosive covers, etc.

A preliminary investigation on the effects of characteristics and contractual behaviour on civil engineering project performance

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, W. N. W.; Adnan, H.; Yusuwan, N.; Maisham, M.; Hassan, A. A.

2018-02-01

The significant role of civil engineering project is not only to make the lives of people easier and secure but also to trigger the economic growth by providing infrastructure facilities as well as job opportunities. As it is dominantly initiated by government sectors, performance of the civil engineering projects is always observed. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of civil engineering project and the contractual behavior of the key participants and how do these two factors affect civil engineering projects performance. Literature reviews, content analysis and questionnaires survey were conducted to undertake the research. A total of 50 questionnaires were distributed and 10 questionnaires were returned, resulting in a 20% response rate. The research unveiled that performance of civil engineering projects are influenced greatly by the ability to handle the unpredictable character of the civil engineering projects and adequate behavioral management. Apart from that, balancing the factors with high quality of workmanship, avoidance or well managed conflicts and high satisfaction level will ensure performance in projects.

Operational characteristics, strategies and performance of foreign and demestic banks in India

OpenAIRE

Keshari, Pradeep Kumar

2013-01-01

This paper has tried to examine the relative characteristics and performance of foreign and domestic banks operating in India. A comparison of their characteristics undoubtedly suggest that foreign banks as a group differ significantly from domestic banks. It was also found that foreign banks enjoyed higher profitability than the domestic banks. The higher profitability of the former was a reflection of their particular operational characteristics, strategies and the favourable attitude of t...

Low-Temperature Solution-Processed Gate Dielectrics for High-Performance Organic Thin Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaekyun Kim

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A low-temperature solution-processed high-k gate dielectric layer for use in a high-performance solution-processed semiconducting polymer organic thin-film transistor (OTFT was demonstrated. Photochemical activation of sol-gel-derived AlOx films under 150 °C permitted the formation of a dense film with low leakage and relatively high dielectric-permittivity characteristics, which are almost comparable to the results yielded by the conventionally used vacuum deposition and high temperature annealing method. Octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA self-assembled monolayer (SAM treatment of the AlOx was employed in order to realize high-performance (>0.4 cm2/Vs saturation mobility and low-operation-voltage (<5 V diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-based OTFTs on an ultra-thin polyimide film (3-μm thick. Thus, low-temperature photochemically-annealed solution-processed AlOx film with SAM layer is an attractive candidate as a dielectric-layer for use in high-performance organic TFTs operated at low voltages.

Types and Characteristics of Performing Concretes Used in the Constructions Processes Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Corobceanu

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The light concrete industry has a great development at present, due to some technical characteristics that make them highly appreciated. These characteristics are: the reduced apparent density, the capacity of high thermal insulation and high resistance at fire, compared to heavy concretes. These features have a result a type concrete elements (simple, reinforced of prestressed with reduced weight, which are good thermo-insulators and easy to manufacture, etc.

Model Of Emergency Department Nurse Performance Improvement Based on Association of Individual Characteristic, Organization Characteristic and Job Characteristic

OpenAIRE

Bogar, Maria Margaretha; Nursalam, Nursalam; Dewi, Yulis Setiya

2017-01-01

Introduction: Nursing care is integral part of health care and having important role in management of patient with emergency condition. The purpose of this research was to develop nurse performance improvement model based on individual, organization and job characteristics association in Emergency Department of RSUD dr TC Hillers Maumere. Method: This was an explanative survey by cross sectional approach held on July -August 2012. Respondents in this study were 22 nurses and 44 patients were ...

Experimental study on performance characteristics of servo-piston hydraulic control rod driving mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Mingrui; Han Weishi; Zhou Jie; Liu Chunyu; Yang Zhida; Wang Ge

2014-01-01

An experimental study on the performance characteristics of the servo-piston hydraulic control rod driving mechanism is carried out, the dynamic processes of the driving mechanism are obtained through the experiments in different working conditions. Combined with the structure characteristics of the driving mechanism, the change rule between the characteristics parameters and the working condition is analyzed. The results indicate that the traction of the servo-tube decreases quickly at first, then slowly and finally trends to be a constant with the working pressure increasing, the tractions are the largest in the startup and deboost phases. The under pressure of the drive cylinder rises slowly and the upper pressure decreases rapidly at the beginning of the rise, the variation trend is opposite in the falling stage. There exists quick and clear flow change processes in the startup and deboost phases, the flow mutation value reduces and the mutation time changes a little with the working pressure increasing. The driving mechanism runs stable and has high sensitivity precision, the load does not vibrate at all when working conditions has small disturbance, a steady transform can be realized among every condition. (authors)

The performance characteristics of the Philips Gemini PET/CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Keefe, G.J.; Papenfuss, A.T.; Scott, A.M.; Rowe, C.C.

2002-01-01

Full text: The Department of Nuclear Medicine, Centre for PET at the ARMC is commissioning a next generation PET/CT scanner based on gadolinium silicic dioxide (GSO) crystal technology to replace the BGO crystal PET scanner that has been in operation since 1992. The Gemini PET/CT scanner is a fully 3D PET system which offers significantly increased resolution and sensitivity allowing wholebody scans in under 30 minutes. Until the late 90's, PET scanners were largely used with septa for neurological imaging and the performance characteristics of PET scanners were presented according to the NEMA-NU2-94 standard which specifically addresses the performance of PET scanners for neurological applications. PET is now largely used without septa for oncological imaging and as such, the NEMA-NU2-94 standard does not adequately reflect performance. The NEMA-NU2-2001 standard was designed to incorporate the effects of out-of-FOV activity and its contribution to performance by virtue of the increased scatter and randoms that result when performing wholebody scans without the use of septa. As part of the acceptance program of the Allegro/Gemini systems, the NEMA-NU2-2001 standard will be used to characterise the spatial resolution, sensitivity, randoms and scatter contributions and the Noise Equivalent Count rate (NECr). These results will be presented and compared with the ECAT 951/31R performance characteristics. Copyright (2002) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

Investigation of capacitance characteristics in metal/high-k

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Keywords. C − V characteristic; high-k dielectric; interface state density; MIS structure; nanotechnology; TCAD simulation. Abstract. Capacitance vs. voltage ( C − V ) curves at AC high frequency of a metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) capacitorare investigated in this paper. Bi-dimensional simulations with Silvaco TCAD ...

Characteristics and performances of electronic personal dosemeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aubert, B.

2002-01-01

The regulations have made obligation for 2 years to measure and analyse the amounts of radiations actually received during an operation. The whole of these measurements taken uninterrupted for an immediate reading is indicated like the operational dosimetry, which is carried out with the means of personal electronic dosemeters. This study analyses the legislation relating to this type of dosimetry as well as the requirements in medical environment, and presents an assessment of the characteristics and performances of the devices available on the French market at the beginning of 2002 starting from the information provided by the various manufacturers. (author)

Optimization and performance characteristics of servo-piston hydraulic control rod drive mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Mingrui; Han Weishi; Wang Ge

2014-01-01

This paper introduces the structure and working principles of the servo-piston hydraulic control rod drive mechanism (SHCM), which can be moved continuously and has self-lock capacity. The steady state characteristics of SHCM are simulated using FLUENT codes. Based on comparison with the experimental results, the simulation is proven to be credible as a tool to describe the steady state characteristics. Finally, the influence of structural parameters is analyzed to obtain an optimal design. The experimental results indicate that the traction of the servo-tube is larger in the starting and braking stages. The resistance coefficient of SHCM increases gradually in the starting and lifting stage, and then tends to be stable. This coefficient has a maximum value while the inlet pressure is low. Performance norms of SHCM, such as the anti-disturbance ability and positioning accuracy, are tested, the anti-disturbance ability of the actuator is strong while the inlet pressure is fluctuating. The positioning accuracy is high regardless of the action process (lifting or not). (author)

High performance visual display for HENP detectors

CERN Document Server

McGuigan, M; Spiletic, J; Fine, V; Nevski, P

2001-01-01

A high end visual display for High Energy Nuclear Physics (HENP) detectors is necessary because of the sheer size and complexity of the detector. For BNL this display will be of special interest because of STAR and ATLAS. To load, rotate, query, and debug simulation code with a modern detector simply takes too long even on a powerful work station. To visualize the HENP detectors with maximal performance we have developed software with the following characteristics. We develop a visual display of HENP detectors on BNL multiprocessor visualization server at multiple level of detail. We work with general and generic detector framework consistent with ROOT, GAUDI etc, to avoid conflicting with the many graphic development groups associated with specific detectors like STAR and ATLAS. We develop advanced OpenGL features such as transparency and polarized stereoscopy. We enable collaborative viewing of detector and events by directly running the analysis in BNL stereoscopic theatre. We construct enhanced interactiv...

Performance characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging without contrast agents or sedation in pediatric appendicitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Didier, Ryne A; Hopkins, Katharine L; Coakley, Fergus V; Krishnaswami, Sanjay; Spiro, David M; Foster, Bryan R

2017-09-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a promising modality for evaluating pediatric appendicitis. However optimal imaging protocols, including roles of contrast agents and sedation, have not been established and diagnostic criteria have not been fully evaluated. To investigate performance characteristics of rapid MRI without contrast agents or sedation in the diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis. We included patients ages 4-18 years with suspicion of appendicitis who underwent rapid MRI between October 2013 and March 2015 without contrast agent or sedation. After two-radiologist review, we determined performance characteristics of individual diagnostic criteria and aggregate diagnostic criteria by comparing MRI results to clinical outcomes. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine cut-points for appendiceal diameter and wall thickness for optimization of predictive power, and we calculated area under the curve (AUC) as a measure of test accuracy. Ninety-eight MRI examinations were performed in 97 subjects. Overall, MRI had a 94% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 91% positive predictive value and 97% negative predictive value. Optimal cut-points for appendiceal diameter and wall thickness were ≥7 mm and ≥2 mm, respectively. Independently, those cut-points produced sensitivities of 91% and 84% and specificities of 84% and 43%. Presence of intraluminal fluid (30/33) or localized periappendiceal fluid (32/33) showed a significant association with acute appendicitis (Pappendicitis when multiple diagnostic criteria are considered in aggregate. Individual diagnostic criteria including optimized cut-points of ≥7 mm for diameter and ≥2 mm for wall thickness demonstrate high sensitivities but relatively low specificities. Nonvisualization of the appendix favors a negative diagnosis.

Uncertainty characteristics of EPA's ground-water transport model for low-level waste performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yim, Man-Sung

1995-01-01

Performance assessment is an essential step either in design or in licensing processes to ensure the safety of any proposed radioactive waste disposal facilities. Since performance assessment requires the use of computer codes, understanding the characteristics of computer models used and the uncertainties of the estimated results is important. The PRESTO-EPA code, which was the basis of the Environmental Protection Agency's analysis for low-level-waste rulemaking, is widely used for various performance assessment activities in the country with no adequate information available for the uncertainty characteristics of the results. In this study, the groundwater transport model PRESTO-EPA was examined based on the analysis of 14 C transport along with the investigation of uncertainty characteristics

Organizing NPD networks for high innovation performance: the case of Dutch medical devices SMEs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pullen, A.J.J.; Groen, Arend J.; de Weerd-Nederhof, Petronella C.; Fisscher, O.A.M.

2010-01-01

This research examines which combination of network characteristics (the network configuration) leads to high innovation performance for small and medium sized companies (SMEs). Even though research has paid significant attention to the relation between the external network and the innovation

Facebook use, personality characteristics and academic performance: A correlational study

OpenAIRE

Sapsani, Georgia; Tselios, Nikolaos

2017-01-01

The present paper examines the relationship between the students personality, use of social media and their academic performance and engagement. In specific, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship of students facebook (fb) use and personality characteristics using the Big Five Personality Test with (a) student engagement, (b) time spent preparing for class, (c) time spent in co-curricular activities and (d) academic performance. Results illustrate that fb time was significantly ...

Development of high-performance printed organic field-effect transistors and integrated circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yong; Liu, Chuan; Khim, Dongyoon; Noh, Yong-Young

2015-10-28

Organic electronics is regarded as an important branch of future microelectronics especially suited for large-area, flexible, transparent, and green devices, with their low cost being a key benefit. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), the primary building blocks of numerous expected applications, have been intensively studied, and considerable progress has recently been made. However, there are still a number of challenges to the realization of high-performance OFETs and integrated circuits (ICs) using printing technologies. Therefore, in this perspective article, we investigate the main issues concerning developing high-performance printed OFETs and ICs and seek strategies for further improvement. Unlike many other studies in the literature that deal with organic semiconductors (OSCs), printing technology, and device physics, our study commences with a detailed examination of OFET performance parameters (e.g., carrier mobility, threshold voltage, and contact resistance) by which the related challenges and potential solutions to performance development are inspected. While keeping this complete understanding of device performance in mind, we check the printed OFETs' components one by one and explore the possibility of performance improvement regarding device physics, material engineering, processing procedure, and printing technology. Finally, we analyze the performance of various organic ICs and discuss ways to optimize OFET characteristics and thus develop high-performance printed ICs for broad practical applications.

Determination of performance criteria for high-level solidified nuclear waste from the commercial nuclear fuel cycle: a probabilistic safety analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heckman, R.A.

1978-01-01

To minimize the radiological risk from the operation of a waste management system for the safe disposal of high-level waste, performance characteristics of the solidified waste form must be specified. The minimum waste form characteristics that must be specified are the radionuclide volatilization fraction, airborne particulate dispersion fraction, and the aqueous dissolution characteristics. The results indicate that the pre-emplacement environs are more limiting in establishing the waste form performance criteria than the post-emplacement environs. The actual values of expected risk are sensitive to modeling assumptions and data base uncertainties. The transportation step appears to be the most limiting in determining the required performance characteristics

Evaluation of the performance characteristic for mammography by using edge device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ki Won [Dept. of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gang-dong, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jwan Woo [Dept. of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Hoi Woun [Dept. of Radiological Technology, The Baekseok Culture University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Seo Goo [Dept. of Medical Science, The Soonchunhyang University, Asan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Eul Kyu [Dept. of Radiology, Inje Paik University Hospital Jeo-dong, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Son, Soon Yong [Dept. of Radiological Technology, The Wonkwang Health Science University, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Son, Jin Hyun; Min, Jung Whan [Dept. of Radiological Technology, The Shingu University, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

The purpose of this study was to evaluation of the performance characteristic for mammography by using edge device that mammography equipment improves essential in the correct diagnosis for the maintenance. We measured the modulation transfer function (MTF), the noise power spectrum (NPS), and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) using the 61267 RQA-M2 based on commission standard international electro-technical commission (IEC). As a results, spatial resolution of dimensions tomo and lorad selenia mammography were maintained at 10 mm-1 and NPS and DQE including the low nyquist frequency indicated to 6.0 mm-1. Therefore, regularly QA of mammography system should be necessary. This study can be contribute to evaluate QA for performance characteristic of mammography of DDR system.

Performance Characteristics of Long-Track Speed Skaters : A Literature Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Konings, Marco J.; Elferink-Gemser, Marije T.; Stoter, Inge K.; van der Meer, Dirk; Otten, Egbert; Hettinga, Florentina J.

Speed skating is an intriguing sport to study from different perspectives due to the peculiar way of motion and the multiple determinants for performance. This review aimed to identify what is known on (long-track) speed skating, and which individual characteristics determine speed skating

Performance Characteristic of Cold Recycled Mixture with Asphalt Emulsion and Chemical Additives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaowen Du

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Three types of chemical additives were used to modify asphalt emulsion recycled mixture. These chemical additives include composite Portland cement (CPC, hydrated lime (HL, and a combination of hydrated lime and ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBF. The influence of different additives on the recycled mixture performance was investigated by volumetric and strength tests, moisture susceptibility test, rutting resistance test, and low temperature bending test. To better understand its performance characteristic, the microstructure images of the recycled mixture were observed by environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM. Test results demonstrate that the performance improvement of the emulsion recycled mixture depends on the types and content of chemical additives. Several recommendations are presented for the selection of chemical materials. Based on ESEM image analysis, the interface bonding mechanism is proposed to explain the performance characteristic of the recycled mixture with asphalt emulsion and cementitious materials.

Board Characteristics and Accounting Performance in Banking Industry: The Indonesian Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Agung Prabowo

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the effect of board characteristics on accounting return in Indonesian banking industry. The conceptual framework borrows from agency theory claiming that board is held liable for monitoring responsibilities and that monitoring effectiveness will lead to higher corporate achievement. Yet the theory predicts that board characteristics matter in constituting firm performance. It is hypothesized that leadership structure, representation of independent directors, board size, and the rank of college board chairperson attended are necessary attributes enable the board to deliver better performance. The investigation is based on a dataset consisting of 83 banks during 2009-2015. Panel data analysis reveal that the proportion of independent directors, board leadership structure, and board size shows insignificant influence. The rank of universities the board chairperson graduated is found to have an impact on accounting earnings. The impact is robust after the type of controlling owners is taken into account. Yet the association between university rank and performance is more pronounced in the listed-banks.

Performance characteristics of a quantum Diesel refrigeration cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jizhou; Wang Hao; Liu Sanqiu

2009-01-01

The Diesel refrigeration cycle using an ideal quantum gas as the working substance is called quantum Diesel refrigeration cycle, which is different from Carnot, Ericsson, Brayton, Otto and Stirling refrigeration cycles. For ideal quantum gases, a corrected equation of state, which considers the quantum behavior of gas particles, is used instead of the classical one. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of quantum gas as the working substance on the performance of a quantum Diesel refrigeration cycle. It is found that coefficients of performance of the cycle are not affected by the quantum degeneracy of the working substance, which is the same as that of the classical Diesel refrigeration cycle. However, the refrigeration load is different from those of the classical Diesel refrigeration cycle. Lastly, the influence of the quantum degeneracy on the performance characteristics of the quantum Diesel refrigeration cycle operated in different temperature regions is discussed

Characteristics of Orthopedic Publications in High-Impact General Medical Journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Nwachukwu, Benedict U; Kahlenberg, Cynthia A; Lehman, Jason D; Lyman, Stephen; Marx, Robert G

2017-05-01

Orthopedic studies are occasionally published in high-impact general medical journals; these studies are often given high visibility and have significant potential to impact health care policy and inform clinical decision-making. The purpose of this review was to investigate the characteristics of operative orthopedic studies published in high-impact medical journals. The number of orthopedic studies published in high-impact medical journals is relatively low; however, these studies demonstrate methodological characteristics that may bias toward nonoperative treatment. Careful analysis and interpretation of orthopedic studies published in these journals is warranted. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(3):e405-e412.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Development of a new glove for glove boxes with high level performances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jerome Blancher; Jean-Marc Poirier

2006-01-01

This paper describes the results of a joint technological program of COGEMA and MAPA to develop a new generation of glove for glove boxes. The mechanical strength of this glove is twice as high as the best characteristics of gloves available on the market. This new generation of product has both a higher level of performance and better ergonomics. (authors)

Development of a new glove for glove boxes with high level performances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jerome Blancher [AREVA/COGEMA Recycling Business Unit, BP 94176 - 30204 Bagnols-sur-Ceze Cedex (France); Jean-Marc Poirier [MAPA SPONTEX, BP 190 - 92205 Neuilly sur Seine Cedex (France)

2006-07-01

This paper describes the results of a joint technological program of COGEMA and MAPA to develop a new generation of glove for glove boxes. The mechanical strength of this glove is twice as high as the best characteristics of gloves available on the market. This new generation of product has both a higher level of performance and better ergonomics. (authors)

NEDO project reports. High performance industrial furnace development project - High temperature air combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-21

For the purpose of reducing energy consumption, a NEDO project 'Developmental research on high efficiency industrial furnaces' was carried out from FY 1993 to FY 1999 by The Japan Industrial Furnaces Manufacturers Association, and the paper outlined the details of the project. Industrial furnaces handled in this R and D can bring 30% reduction of the energy consumption and approximately 50% NOx reduction, and were given the 9th Nikkei global environmental technology prize. In the study of combustion phenomena of high temperature air combustion, the paper arranged characteristics of flame, the base of gaseous fuel flame, the base of liquid fuel flame, the base of solid fuel flame, etc. Concerning high temperature air combustion models for simulation, fluid dynamics and heat transfer models, and reaction and NOx models, etc. As to impacts of high temperature air combustion on performance of industrial furnaces, energy conservation, lowering of pollution, etc. In relation to a guide for the design of high efficiency industrial furnaces, flow charts, conceptual design, evaluation method for heat balance and efficiency using charts, combustion control system, applicability of high efficiency industrial furnaces, etc. (NEDO)

NEDO project reports. High performance industrial furnace development project - High temperature air combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-21

For the purpose of reducing energy consumption, a NEDO project 'Developmental research on high efficiency industrial furnaces' was carried out from FY 1993 to FY 1999 by The Japan Industrial Furnaces Manufacturers Association, and the paper outlined the details of the project. Industrial furnaces handled in this R and D can bring 30% reduction of the energy consumption and approximately 50% NOx reduction, and were given the 9th Nikkei global environmental technology prize. In the study of combustion phenomena of high temperature air combustion, the paper arranged characteristics of flame, the base of gaseous fuel flame, the base of liquid fuel flame, the base of solid fuel flame, etc. Concerning high temperature air combustion models for simulation, fluid dynamics and heat transfer models, and reaction and NOx models, etc. As to impacts of high temperature air combustion on performance of industrial furnaces, energy conservation, lowering of pollution, etc. In relation to a guide for the design of high efficiency industrial furnaces, flow charts, conceptual design, evaluation method for heat balance and efficiency using charts, combustion control system, applicability of high efficiency industrial furnaces, etc. (NEDO)

Psychological characteristics in high-risk MSM in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Guanzhi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Men who have sex with men (MSM have become a high-risk group of HIV infection in China. To date, little is known regarding the behavioral, social and psychological characteristics in Chinese MSM, which makes the implementation of preventive and therapeutic strategies for this high-risk subpopulation of people extremely difficult. Methods A total of 714 questionnaires were retrieved from the database of a Chinese government-sponsored National Key Research Project titled "Risk Analysis and Strategic Prevention of HIV Transmission from MSM to the General Population in China". The respondents were categorized into a high-risk group and a control group. Their behavioral, social and psychological characteristics were comparatively analyzed. Results Of the 714 MSM analyzed, 59 (8.26% had high-risk homosexual behaviors. This sub-group of MSM had a higher in-marriage rate, a higher monthly income, heavier alcohol consumption and more serious problems with sexual abuse in childhood, intentional suicide attempts and mistaken assumption on condom's role in protecting HIV infection, as compared with the control group (P P > 0.05. A vast majority of the individuals in both behavior categories expressed support of legally protected gay clubs as well as gay marriage legislation in China. There was a strong correlation between high-risk behaviors and sexual abuse in childhood, alcohol drinking, income level and a mistaken belief in perfect HIV protection through the use of condoms. Conclusions MSM with and without high-risk homosexual behaviors have different social and psychological characteristics, which should be taken into account when implementing behavioral and therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS transmission among MSM as well as from MSM to the general population in China.

PERFORMANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MUTUAL FUNDS: EVIDENCE FROM THE PORTUGUESE MARKET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Júlio Lobão

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we aim to study the relation between fund performance and fund attributes in the Portuguese market. The sample includes 124 equity funds, bond funds and money market funds that traded in the 2004-2011 period. A comprehensive set of fund-specific characteristics, never used before in conjunction in the literature, was considered. The methodology which was adopted had two distinct phases. Firstly, we compared the returns of each category of funds with the appropriate reference markets. Secondly, the fund performance, measured by the Jensen’s alpha, was used in a multi-factor model with panel data in which the independent variables were the fund attributes. The results show that Portuguese funds were, in general, not able to beat the benchmarks which is consistent with the existence of efficient financial markets. Only the fixed income mutual funds performed well. Moreover, it is possible to conclude that, for each category of mutual funds, their characteristics are useful to the investor in the moment of choosing the best funds. For example, in the case of funds that invest in Portuguese stocks, the best performance occurs among older and larger funds, funds with higher costs, funds with good past performance and funds whose trading activity is low.

Hybrid nanostructured materials for high-performance electrochemical capacitors

KAUST Repository

Yu, Guihua

2013-03-01

The exciting development of advanced nanostructured materials has driven the rapid growth of research in the field of electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems which are critical to a variety of applications ranging from portable consumer electronics, hybrid electric vehicles, to large industrial scale power and energy management. Owing to their capability to deliver high power performance and extremely long cycle life, electrochemical capacitors (ECs), one of the key EES systems, have attracted increasing attention in the recent years since they can complement or even replace batteries in the energy storage field, especially when high power delivery or uptake is needed. This review article describes the most recent progress in the development of nanostructured electrode materials for EC technology, with a particular focus on hybrid nanostructured materials that combine carbon based materials with pseudocapacitive metal oxides or conducting polymers for achieving high-performance ECs. This review starts with an overview of EES technologies and the comparison between various EES systems, followed by a brief description of energy storage mechanisms for different types of EC materials. This review emphasizes the exciting development of both hybrid nanomaterials and novel support structures for effective electrochemical utilization and high mass loading of active electrode materials, both of which have brought the energy density of ECs closer to that of batteries while still maintaining their characteristic high power density. Last, future research directions and the remaining challenges toward the rational design and synthesis of hybrid nanostructured electrode materials for next-generation ECs are discussed. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Pathways to high and low performance: factors differentiating primary care facilities under performance-based financing in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Mabuchi, Shunsuke; Sesan, Temilade; Bennett, Sara C

2018-01-01

Abstract The determinants of primary health facility performance in developing countries have not been well studied. One of the most under-researched areas is health facility management. This study investigated health facilities under the pilot performance-based financing (PBF) scheme in Nigeria, and aimed to understand which factors differentiated primary health care centres (PHCCs) which had performed well, vs those which had not, with a focus on health facility management practices. We used a multiple case study where we compared two high-performing PHCCs and two low-performing PHCCs for each of the two PBF target states. Two teams of two trained local researchers spent 1 week at each PHCC and collected semi-structured interview, observation and documentary data. Data from interviews were transcribed, translated and coded using a framework approach. The data for each PHCC were synthesized to understand dynamic interactions of different elements in each case. We then compared the characteristics of high and low performers. The areas in which critical differences between high and low-performers emerged were: community engagement and support; and performance and staff management. We also found that (i) contextual and health system factors particularly staffing, access and competition with other providers; (ii) health centre management including community engagement, performance management and staff management; and (iii) community leader support interacted and drove performance improvement among the PHCCs. Among them, we found that good health centre management can overcome some contextual and health system barriers and enhance community leader support. This study findings suggest a strong need to select capable and motivated health centre managers, provide long-term coaching in managerial skills, and motivate them to improve their practices. The study also highlights the need to position engagement with community leaders as a key management practice and a central

Design and performance of a 2-megawatt high voltage dc test load

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horan, D.; Kustom, R.; Ferguson, M.

1994-01-01

A high-power water-cooled resistive load which simulates the electrical load characteristics of a high-power klystron, capable of a 2 MW dissipation at 95 kV DC, is designed and installed. The load utilizes wirewound resistor elements suspended inside G-11 insulated tubing contained within a single-wall 316 stainless steel pressure vessel with flanged elliptical heads. The vessel supplies a continuous flow of deionized water. Baffles fabricated from G-10 sheets support the tubing and promote water turbulence to maximize heat removal. A companion oil tank houses resistive filament and mod-anode power supply test loads, plus an electrical interlock system which provides protection from inadequate water flow, excessive oil temperature, and arcing in either the pressure vessel or oil tank. A secondary safety system consists of both hydrostatic and steam pressure relief valves on the pressure vessel. Power supply tests indicate the load simulates the electrical load characteristics of a high-power klystron to a degree sufficient to accurately performance-test the rf high voltage power supplies used at the Advanced Photon Source

Research on mechanical and sensoric set-up for high strain rate testing of high performance fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Unger, R.; Schegner, P.; Nocke, A.; Cherif, C.

2017-10-01

Within this research project, the tensile behavior of high performance fibers, such as carbon fibers, is investigated under high velocity loads. This contribution (paper) focuses on the clamp set-up of two testing machines. Based on a kinematic model, weight optimized clamps are designed and evaluated. By analyzing the complex dynamic behavior of conventional high velocity testing machines, it has been shown that the impact typically exhibits an elastic characteristic. This leads to barely predictable breaking speeds and will not work at higher speeds when acceleration force exceeds material specifications. Therefore, a plastic impact behavior has to be achieved, even at lower testing speeds. This type of impact behavior at lower speeds can be realized by means of some minor test set-up adaptions.

Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of a high-temperature printed circuit heat exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Minghui; Sun, Xiaodong; Christensen, Richard N.; Skavdahl, Isaac; Utgikar, Vivek; Sabharwall, Piyush

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of a high-temperature printed circuit heat exchanger have been obtained. • Comparisons of experimental data and available correlations have been performed. • New Fanning friction factor and heat transfer correlations for the test PCHE are developed. - Abstract: Printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is one of the leading intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) candidates to be employed in the very-high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (VHTRs) due to its capability for high-temperature, high-pressure applications. In the current study, a reduced-scale zigzag-channel PCHE was fabricated using Alloy 617 plates for the heat exchanger core and Alloy 800H pipes for the headers. The pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of the PCHE were investigated experimentally in a high-temperature helium test facility (HTHF) at The Ohio State University. The PCHE helium inlet temperatures and pressures were varied up to 464 °C/2.7 MPa for the cold side and 802 °C/2.7 MPa for the hot side, respectively, while the maximum helium mass flow rates on both sides of the PCHE reached 39 kg/h. The corresponding maximum channel Reynolds number was approximately 3558, covering the laminar flow and laminar-to-turbulent flow transition regimes. New pressure drop and heat transfer correlations for the current zigzag channels with rounded bends were developed based on the experimental data. Comparisons between the experimental data and the results obtained from the available PCHE and straight circular pipe correlations were conducted. Compared to the heat transfer performance in straight circular pipes, the zigzag channels provided little advantage in the laminar flow regime but significant advantage near the transition flow regime.

Performance characteristics and parametric optimization of an irreversible magnetic Ericsson heat-pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Fang; Lin Guoxing; Chen Jincan; Brueck, Ekkes

2011-01-01

Taking into account the finite-rate heat transfer in the heat-transfer processes, heat leak between the two external heat reservoirs, regenerative loss, regeneration time, and internal irreversibility due to dissipation of the cycle working substance, an irreversible magnetic Ericsson heat-pump cycle is presented. On the basis of the thermodynamic properties of magnetic materials, the performance characteristics of the irreversible magnetic Ericsson heat-pump are investigated and the relationship between the optimal heating load and the coefficient of performance (COP) is derived. Moreover, the maximum heating load and the corresponding COP as well as the maximum COP and the corresponding heating load are obtained. Furthermore, the other optimal performance characteristics are discussed in detail. The results obtained here may provide some new information for the optimal parameter design and the development of real magnetic Ericsson heat-pumps. -- Research Highlights: →The effects of multi-irreversibilities on the performance of a magnetic heat-pump are revealed. →Mathematical expressions of the heating load and the COP are derived and the optimal performance and operating parameters are analyzed and discussed. →Several important performance bounds are determined.

A novel conductive-polymer-based integration process for high-performance flip-chip packages

Science.gov (United States)

Lohokare, Saurabh

Conductive polymers have recently attracted considerable attention for low-temperature fabrication of lead-free, reworkable, and flexible flip-chip interconnects. Using these materials, I demonstrate in this thesis a process that enables low-cost and high-resolution flip-chip interconnects using conventional micro-fabrication techniques. This fabrication process offers improved performance as compared to conventional flip-chip techniques, such as screen-printing, and allows for definition of interconnects with excellent surface uniformity and control over the bump profile. In order to demonstrate the utility and wide applicability of this process, several test implementations that serve as case studies were investigated. Specifically, novel InGaAsSb avalanche photodiodes (APDs), operating around lambda = 2m and targeted for free-space communication and biomedical spectroscopy applications, were fabricated and flip-chip-integrated to test the static electrical characteristics of the polymer bumps. Additionally, the dynamic electrical performance characteristics of the polymer bumps were studied by using AlGaAsSb/AlGaSb p-i-n photodetectors as a case study. The fabrication of these photodetectors, operating around lambda = 1.55mum and targeted for optical communication applications, was accomplished using a customized inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch process that resulted in a low dark current and excellent speed (3dB bandwidth of 10GHz) and, responsivity (60% external quantum efficiency) characteristics. Furthermore, flip-chip integration was used to demonstrate a three-dimensional, point-to-point micro-optical interconnect, which was 2.33mm-long in a system 15.27mm3 in volume. Lastly, high-speed parallel optical interconnects were demonstrated using polymer-flip-chip-integrated 10GHz vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and DOEs. Such interconnects offer the ability to alleviate the communication bottleneck that is projected to occur in future, high-performance

On barrier performance of high compaction bentonite in facilities of disposing high level radioactive wastes in formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Hidefumi; Komada, Hiroya

1989-01-01

As for the method of disposing high level radioactive wastes generated in the reprocessing of spent fuel, at present formation disposal is regarded as most promising. The most important point in this formation disposal is to prevent the leak of radioactive nuclides within the disposal facilities into bedrocks and their move to the zone of human life. As the method of formation disposal, the canisters containing high level radioactive wastes are placed in the horizontal or vertical holes for disposal dug from horizontal tunnels which are several hundreds m underground, and the tunnels and disposal holes are filled again. For this filling material, the barrier performance to prevent and retard the leak of radioactive nuclides out of the disposal facilities is expected, and the characteristics of low water permeability, the adsorption of nuclides and long term stability are required. However, due to the decay heat of wastes just after the disposal, high temperature and drying condition arises, and this must be taken in consideration. The characteristics required for filling materials and the selection of the materials, the features and classification of bentonite, the properties of high compaction bentonite, and the move of water, heat and nuclides in high compaction bentonite are reported.(Kako, I.)

High performance work practices, innovation and performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Frances; Newton, Cameron; Johnston, Kim

2013-01-01

Research spanning nearly 20 years has provided considerable empirical evidence for relationships between High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) and various measures of performance including increased productivity, improved customer service, and reduced turnover. What stands out from......, and Africa to examine these various questions relating to the HPWP-innovation-performance relationship. Each paper discusses a practice that has been identified in HPWP literature and potential variables that can facilitate or hinder the effects of these practices of innovation- and performance...

Performance Characteristics of a Modularized and Integrated PTC Heating System for an Electric Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoon Hyuk Shin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A modularized positive temperature coefficient heating system has controller-integrated heater modules. Such a heating system that uses a high-voltage power of 330 V was developed in the present study for use in electric vehicles. Four heater modules and one controller with an input power of 5.6 kW were integrated in the modularized system, which was designed for improved heating power density and light weight compared to the conventional heating system, in which the controller is separated. We experimentally investigated the performance characteristics, namely, the heating capacity, energy efficiency, and pressure drop, of a prototype of the developed heating system and found it to have satisfactory performance. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of heating systems for electric vehicles.

Simultaneous determination of five characteristic stilbene glycosides in root bark of Morus albus L. (Cortex Mori) using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Piao, Shu-juan; Chen, Li-xia; Kang, Ning; Qiu, Feng

2011-01-01

Cortex Mori, one of the well-known traditional Chinese herbal medicines, is derived from the root bark of Morus alba L. according to the China Pharmacopeia. Stilbene glycosides are the main components isolated from aqueous extracts of Morus alba and their content varies depending on where Cortex Mori was collected. We have established a qualitative and quantitative method based on the bioactive stilbene glycosides for control of the quality of Cortex Mori from different sources. To develop a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet absorption detection for simultaneous quantitative determination of five major characteristic stilbene glycosides in 34 samples of the root bark of Morus alba L. (Cortex Mori) from different sources. The analysis was performed on an ODS column using methanol-water-acetic acid (18: 82: 0.1, v/v/v) as the mobile phase and the peaks were monitored at 320 nm. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.9991) within test ranges. This method showed good repeatability for the quantification of these five components in Cortex Mori with intra- and inter-day standard deviations less than 2.19% and 1.45%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to quantify the five investigated components, including a pair of cis-trans-isomers 1 and 2 and a pair of isomers 4 and 5 in 34 samples of Cortex Mori from different sources. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Retrofit Weight-Loss Outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 Months and Characteristics of 12-Month High Performers: A Retrospective Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Painter, Stefanie; Ditsch, Gary; Ahmed, Rezwan; Hanson, Nicholas Buck; Kachin, Kevin; Berger, Jan

2016-08-22

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable death costing the health care system billions of dollars. Combining self-monitoring technology with personalized behavior change strategies results in clinically significant weight loss. However, there is a lack of real-world outcomes in commercial weight-loss program research. Retrofit is a personalized weight management and disease-prevention solution. This study aimed to report Retrofit's weight-loss outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months and characterize behaviors, age, and sex of high-performing participants who achieved weight loss of 10% or greater at 12 months. A retrospective analysis was performed from 2011 to 2014 using 2720 participants enrolled in a Retrofit weight-loss program. Participants had a starting body mass index (BMI) of >25 kg/m² and were at least 18 years of age. Weight measurements were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months in the program to evaluate change in body weight, BMI, and percentage of participants who achieved 5% or greater weight loss. A secondary analysis characterized high-performing participants who lost ≥10% of their starting weight (n=238). Characterized behaviors were evaluated, including self-monitoring through weigh-ins, number of days wearing an activity tracker, daily step count average, and engagement through coaching conversations via Web-based messages, and number of coaching sessions attended. Average weight loss at 6 months was -5.55% for male and -4.86% for female participants. Male and female participants had an average weight loss of -6.28% and -5.37% at 12 months, respectively. Average weight loss at 24 months was -5.03% and -3.15% for males and females, respectively. Behaviors of high-performing participants were assessed at 12 months. Number of weigh-ins were greater in high-performing male (197.3 times vs 165.4 times, P=.001) and female participants (222 times vs 167 times, Pactivity tracker days and average steps per day were greater in high-performing females (304.7 vs

Standard guide for evaluating performance characteristics of phased-Array ultrasonic testing instruments and systems

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2008-01-01

1.1 This guide describes procedures for evaluating some performance characteristics of phased-array ultrasonic examination instruments and systems. 1.2 Evaluation of these characteristics is intended to be used for comparing instruments and systems or, by periodic repetition, for detecting long-term changes in the characteristics of a given instrument or system that may be indicative of impending failure, and which, if beyond certain limits, will require corrective maintenance. Instrument characteristics measured in accordance with this guide are expressed in terms that relate to their potential usefulness for ultrasonic examinations. Other electronic instrument characteristics in phased-array units are similar to non-phased-array units and may be measured as described in E 1065 or E 1324. 1.3 Ultrasonic examination systems using pulsed-wave trains and A-scan presentation (rf or video) may be evaluated. 1.4 This guide establishes no performance limits for examination systems; if such acceptance criteria ar...

Breeder design for enhanced performance and safety characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, G.J.; Atefi, B.; Yang, J.W.; Galperin, A.; Segev, M.

1980-01-01

A fast breeder reactor design has been created which offers a considerably extended fuel cycle and excellent performance characteristics. An example of a core designed to operate on a ten-year fuel cycle is described in some detail. Use of metal fuel along with a moderator such as beryllium oxide dispersed throughout the core provides both design flexibility and safety advantages such as a strong Doppler feedback and limited sodium void reactivity gain. Local power variations are small for the entire cycle; control requirements are also modest, and fuel cycle costs are low

A new approach to cost effective projects: High performance project teams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, N.C.

1994-01-01

In low oil price environment in which environmental conditions are more challenging, reservoir characteristics less favourable and political risk increasing, successful projects are required in such cases. The present paper deals with the visionary process of establishing high performance project teams. According to the author, such project teams embody dynamic recognition of holism. Holism is achieved as an output from the process of establishing the drivers and enablers for success on a project. They are given birth during the unfolding of the operators development plans and contracting strategy. The paper discusses the main drivers of project teams comprising purpose and performance goals, selection, common approach, commitment and accountability, and financial alignment

A new approach to cost effective projects: High performance project teams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chambers, N.C. [Brown and Root Energy Services (United Kingdom)

1994-12-31

In low oil price environment in which environmental conditions are more challenging, reservoir characteristics less favourable and political risk increasing, successful projects are required in such cases. The present paper deals with the visionary process of establishing high performance project teams. According to the author, such project teams embody dynamic recognition of holism. Holism is achieved as an output from the process of establishing the drivers and enablers for success on a project. They are given birth during the unfolding of the operators development plans and contracting strategy. The paper discusses the main drivers of project teams comprising purpose and performance goals, selection, common approach, commitment and accountability, and financial alignment

Performance criteria for solidified high-level radioactive wastes. Environmental impact statement. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-09-01

This draft Environmental Impact Statement on performance criteria for solidified high-level radioactive wastes (PCSHLW) covers: considerations for PCSHLW development, the proposed rulemaking, characteristics of the PCSHLW, environmental impacts of the proposed PCSHLW, alternatives to the PCSHLW criteria, and cost/benefit/risk evaluation. Five appendices are included to support the technical data required in the Environmental Impact Statement

Optimization of Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine with Biodiesel Using Grey-Taguchi Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goutam Pohit

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Engine performances and emission characteristics of Karanja oil methyl ester blended with diesel were carried out on a variable compression diesel engine. In order to search for the optimal process response through a limited number of experiment runs, application of Taguchi method in combination with grey relational analysis had been applied for solving a multiple response optimization problem. Using grey relational grade and signal-to-noise ratio as a performance index, a particular combination of input parameters was predicted so as to achieve optimum response characteristics. It was observed that a blend of fifty percent was most suitable for use in a diesel engine without significantly affecting the engine performance and emissions characteristics.

An experimental study on performance and emission characteristics of a hydrogen fuelled spark ignition engine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahraman, Erol [Program of Energy Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430 (Turkey); Cihangir Ozcanli, S.; Ozerdem, Baris [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430 (Turkey)

2007-08-15

In the present paper, the performance and emission characteristics of a conventional four cylinder spark ignition (SI) engine operated on hydrogen and gasoline are investigated experimentally. The compressed hydrogen at 20 MPa has been introduced to the engine adopted to operate on gaseous hydrogen by external mixing. Two regulators have been used to drop the pressure first to 300 kPa, then to atmospheric pressure. The variations of torque, power, brake thermal efficiency, brake mean effective pressure, exhaust gas temperature, and emissions of NO{sub x}, CO, CO{sub 2}, HC, and O{sub 2} versus engine speed are compared for a carbureted SI engine operating on gasoline and hydrogen. Energy analysis also has studied for comparison purpose. The test results have been demonstrated that power loss occurs at low speed hydrogen operation whereas high speed characteristics compete well with gasoline operation. Fast burning characteristics of hydrogen have permitted high speed engine operation. Less heat loss has occurred for hydrogen than gasoline. NO{sub x} emission of hydrogen fuelled engine is about 10 times lower than gasoline fuelled engine. Finally, both first and second law efficiencies have improved with hydrogen fuelled engine compared to gasoline engine. It has been proved that hydrogen is a very good candidate as an engine fuel. The obtained data are also very useful for operational changes needed to optimize the hydrogen fueled SI engine design. (author)

Design characteristics of metallic fuel rod on its in-LMR performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Woan; Kang Hee Young; Nam, Cheol; Kim, Jong Oh

1997-01-01

Fuel design is a key feature to assure LMR safety goals. To date, a large effort had been devoted to develop metallic fuels at ANL's experimental breeder reactor (EBR-II). The major design and performance parameters investigated include; thermal conductivity and temperature profile; smear density; axial plenum; FCMI and cladding deformation including creep, and fission gas release. In order to evaluate the sensitivity of each parameter, in-LMR performances of metallic fuels are not only reviewed by the experiment results in literatures, but also key design characteristics according to the variation of metallic fuel rod design parameters are analyzed by using the MACSIS code which simulates in-reactor behaviors of metal fuel rod. In this study, key design characteristics and the criteria which must be considered to design fuel rod in LMR, are proposed and discussed. (author). 14 refs., 4 figs

Acoustic field characteristics and performance analysis of a looped travelling-wave thermoacoustic refrigerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, T.; Yang, R.; Wang, Y.; Feng, Y.; Tang, K.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Key issues for a highly efficient thermoacoustic conversion are analyzed. • A looped thermoacoustic refrigerator with one engine stage and one refrigerator stage is proposed. • Effective refrigeration powered by heat sources below 250 °C is demonstrated in the simulation. • Impact of cooling/heating temperatures on system performance is analyzed in view of acoustic field. - Abstract: This paper focuses on a looped travelling-wave thermoacoustic refrigerator powered by thermal energy. Based on a simplified model for the regenerator, key issues for a highly efficient thermoacoustic conversion, including both thermal-to-acoustic and heat-pumping processes, are summarized. A looped travelling-wave thermoacoustic refrigerator with one engine stage and one refrigerator stage is proposed, with emphasis on high normalized acoustic impedance, sufficient volumetric velocity and appropriate phase relation close to travelling wave in the regenerators of both engine and refrigerator. Simulation results indicate that for the ambient temperature of 30 °C, the looped travelling-wave thermoacoustic refrigerator can be powered by the heat at 210–250 °C to achieve the refrigeration at −3 °C with the overall coefficient of performance above 0.4 and the relative Carnot coefficient of performance over 13%. The characteristics of the acoustic field inside the loop configuration are analyzed in detail to reveal the operation mechanism of the looped travelling-wave thermoacoustic refrigerator. Additional analyses are conducted on the impact of the cooling and the heating temperatures, which are of great concern to the refrigeration applications and the utilization of low-grade thermal energy.

Use of alternative waste materials in producing ultra-high performance concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Shamsad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In a corrosive environment similar to that of the Arabian Gulf, use of high-performance concrete is one of the options to ensure a target service life of concrete structures. However, in absence of good quality coarse aggregates, it is a challenging task to produce high-performance concrete. Recently, the possibility of producing ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC has been widely reported in the literature. UHPC is produced without coarse aggregates at very low water to cementitious materials ratio, high amounts of cement, mineral admixtures, and superplasticizer along with fine quartz sand as aggregate, quartz powder as micro-filler, a nd steel fibres for fracture toughness. In the present work, an effort was made to utilize local waste materials as alternative mineral admixtures and local dune sand as aggregate in producing different UHPC mixtures without addition of quartz powder. The mechanical properties, shrinkage, and durability characteristics of the UHPC mixtures were studied. Test results indicate that it is possible to produce UHPC mixtures using alternative waste materials, which would have targeted flow, strength, toughness, and resistance against reinforcement corrosion. The information presented in the paper would help in optimum selection of a mixture of UHPC considering the availability of local materials, exposure conditions and structural requirements.

Bay-annulated indigo (BAI) as an excellent electron accepting building block for high performance organic semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yi; He, Bo; Pun, Andrew

2015-11-24

A novel electron acceptor based on bay-annulated indigo (BAI) was synthesized and used for the preparation of a series of high performance donor-acceptor small molecules and polymers. The resulting materials possess low-lying LUMO energy level and small HOMO-LUMO gaps, while their films exhibited high crystallinity upon thermal treatment, commensurate with high field effect mobilities and ambipolar transfer characteristics.

Kinanthropometric and performance characteristics of elite and non-elite female softball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, S; Singh, M; Rathi, B

2013-12-01

The purpose of the present study was to compare the kinanthropometric and performance characteristics of elite and non-elite female softball players. A total forty elite and non-elite level female softball players were selected from the different colleges affiliated to the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, for the present study. The height of subjects was measured by using the standard anthropometric rod. Weight was measured with portable weighing machine. Widths and diameters of body parts were measured by using digital caliper. Girths and lengths were taken with steel tape. Skinfold thickness measurements were taken using the Slimguide skinfold caliper. All subjects were also assessed for performance tests i.e. vertical jump, 50m sprint, medicine ball throw, 10×4m shuttle run and reaction time. Independent samples t-test reveals that elite female softball players were significantly taller (Psoftball players also had significantly greater biacromial (Psoftball players. The non-elite female softball players were found to have significantly greater thigh circumference (Psoftball players. The non-elite players were also found to have significantly higher percentage body fat (Psoftball players. The elite female softball players had significantly greater kinanthropometric characteristics, body composition and performance characteristics than the non-elite female softball players.

Thermodynamic analysis on optimum performance of scramjet engine at high Mach numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Duo; Yang, Shengbo; Zhang, Silong; Qin, Jiang; Bao, Wen

2015-01-01

In order to predict the maximum performance of scramjet engine at flight conditions with high freestream Mach numbers, a thermodynamic model of Brayton cycle was utilized to analyze the effects of inlet pressure ratio, fuel equivalence ratio and the upper limit of gas temperature to the specific thrust and the fuel impulse of the scramjet considering the characteristics of non-isentropic compression in the inlet. The results show that both the inlet efficiency and the temperature limit in the combustor have remarkable effects on the overall engine performances. Different with the ideal Brayton cycles assuming isentropic compression without upper limit of gas temperature, both the maximum specific thrust and the maximum fuel impulse of a scramjet present non-monotonic trends against the fuel equivalence ratio in this study. Considering the empirical design efficiencies of inlet, there is a wide range of fuel equivalence ratios in which the fuel impulses remain at high values. Moreover, the maximum specific thrust can also be achieved with a fuel equivalence ratio near this range. Therefore, it is possible to achieve an overall high performance in a scramjet at high Mach numbers. - Highlights: • Thermodynamic analysis with Brayton cycle on overall performances of scramjet. • The compression loss in the inlet was considered in predicting scram-mode operation. • Non-monotonic trends of engine performances against fuel equivalence ratio.

Performance and combustion characteristics of direct-injection stratified-charge rotary engines

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hung Lee

1987-01-01

Computer simulations of the direct-injection stratified-charge (DISC) Wankel engine have been used to calculate heat release rates and performance and efficiency characteristics of the 1007R engine. Engine pressure data have been used in a heat release analysis to study the effects of heat transfer, leakage, and crevice flows. Predicted engine performance data are compared with experimental test data over a range of engine speeds and loads. An examination of methods to improve the performance of the Wankel engine with faster combustion, reduced leakage, higher compression ratio, and turbocharging is presented.

Study of two-stage turbine characteristic and its influence on turbo-compound engine performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Rongchao; Zhuge, Weilin; Zhang, Yangjun; Yang, Mingyang; Martinez-Botas, Ricardo; Yin, Yong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An analytical model was built to study the interactions between two turbines in series. • The impacts of HP VGT and LP VGT on turbo-compound engine performance were investigated. • The fuel reductions obtained by HP VGT at 1900 rpm and 1000 rpm are 3.08% and 7.83% respectively. • The optimum value of AR ranged from 2.0 to 2.5 as the turbo-compound engine speed decreases. - Abstract: Turbo-compounding is an effective way to recover waste heat from engine exhaust and reduce fuel consumption for internal combustion engine (ICE). The characteristics of two-stage turbine, including turbocharger turbine and power turbine, have significant effects on the overall performance of turbo-compound engine. This paper investigates the interaction between two turbines in a turbo-compound engine and its impact on the engine performance. Firstly an analytical model is built to investigate the effects of turbine equivalent flow area on the two-stage turbine characteristics, including swallowing capacity and load split. Next both simulation and experimental method are carried out to study the effects of high pressure variable geometry turbine (HP VGT), low pressure variable geometry turbine (LP VGT) and combined VGT on the engine overall performance. The results show that the engine performance is more sensitive to HP VGT compared with LP VGT at all the operation conditions, which is caused by the larger influences of HP VGT on the total expansion ratio and engine air–fuel ratio. Using the HP VGT method, the fuel reductions of the turbo-compound engine at 1900 rpm and 1000 rpm are 3.08% and 7.83% respectively, in comparison with the baseline engine. The corresponding optimum values of AR are 2.0 and 2.5

RavenDB high performance

CERN Document Server

Ritchie, Brian

2013-01-01

RavenDB High Performance is comprehensive yet concise tutorial that developers can use to.This book is for developers & software architects who are designing systems in order to achieve high performance right from the start. A basic understanding of RavenDB is recommended, but not required. While the book focuses on advanced topics, it does not assume that the reader has a great deal of prior knowledge of working with RavenDB.

High-inertia drive motors and their starting characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1980-01-01

The motor for a large reactor coolant pump failed while starting. The motor-application and the motor-failure are discussed in detail. A review of applications of motors for high-inertia drives shows that a motor designed and built to today's industry-standards might be overstressed while experiencing abnormal starting conditions, even though its protection is in accord with accepted practice. The inter-relationship between motor characteristics and characteristics of various types of protection are discussed, briefly. The review concludes that motor specifications and motor standards should be augmented. 1 ref

Unified approach to the study of solid fuel combustion characteristics at high airflow speeds

Science.gov (United States)

Vnuchkov, D. A.; Lukashevich, S. V.; Nalivaychenko, D. G.; Zvegintsev, V. I.

2017-10-01

The main objective of the research is the development of guidelines for a unified approach to testing the combustion of different solid fuels in gaseous oxidant high-speed flow, so that research outcomes could be presented in a standardized and cohesive form. All the experiments were performed on a special experimental installation designed for quantification of the burning characteristics of different fuels in a wide range of the airflow parameters at the same geometry of the combustion chamber.

Comparison of turbulence measurements from DIII-D low-mode and high-performance plasmas to turbulence simulations and models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhodes, T.L.; Leboeuf, J.-N.; Sydora, R.D.; Groebner, R.J.; Doyle, E.J.; McKee, G.R.; Peebles, W.A.; Rettig, C.L.; Zeng, L.; Wang, G.

2002-01-01

Measured turbulence characteristics (correlation lengths, spectra, etc.) in low-confinement (L-mode) and high-performance plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak [Luxon et al., Proceedings Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1986 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), Vol. I, p. 159] show many similarities with the characteristics determined from turbulence simulations. Radial correlation lengths Δr of density fluctuations from L-mode discharges are found to be numerically similar to the ion poloidal gyroradius ρ θ,s , or 5-10 times the ion gyroradius ρ s over the radial region 0.2 θ,s or 5-10 times ρ s , an experiment was performed which modified ρ θs while keeping other plasma parameters approximately fixed. It was found that the experimental Δr did not scale as ρ θ,s , which was similar to low-resolution UCAN simulations. Finally, both experimental measurements and gyrokinetic simulations indicate a significant reduction in the radial correlation length from high-performance quiescent double barrier discharges, as compared to normal L-mode, consistent with reduced transport in these high-performance plasmas

The Effect of Morphological Characteristic of Coarse Aggregates Measured with Fractal Dimension on Asphalt Mixture’s High-Temperature Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hainian Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The morphological properties of coarse aggregates, such as shape, angularity, and surface texture, have a great influence on the mechanical performance of asphalt mixtures. This study aims to investigate the effect of coarse aggregate morphological properties on the high-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. A modified Los Angeles (LA abrasion test was employed to produce aggregates with various morphological properties by applying abrasion cycles of 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 on crushed angular aggregates. Based on a laboratory-developed Morphology Analysis System for Coarse Aggregates (MASCA, the morphological properties of the coarse aggregate particles were quantified using the index of fractal dimension. The high-temperature performances of the dense-graded asphalt mixture (AC-16, gap-graded stone asphalt mixture (SAC-16, and stone mastic asphalt (SMA-16 mixtures containing aggregates with different fractal dimensions were evaluated through the dynamic stability (DS test and the penetration shear test in laboratory. Good linear correlations between the fractal dimension and high-temperature indexes were obtained for all three types of mixtures. Moreover, the results also indicated that higher coarse aggregate angularity leads to stronger high-temperature shear resistance of asphalt mixtures.

High-performance cement-based grouts for use in a nuclear waste disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onofrei, M.; Gray, M.N.

1992-12-01

National and international agencies have identified cement-based materials as prime candidates for sealing vaults that would isolate nuclear fuel wastes from the biosphere. Insufficient information is currently available to allow a reasonable analysis of the long-term performance of these sealing materials in a vault. A combined laboratory and modelling research program was undertaken to provide the necessary information for a specially developed high-performance cement grout. The results indicate that acceptable performance is likely for at least thousands of years and probably for much longer periods. The materials, which have been proven to be effective in field applications, are shown to be virtually impermeable and highly leach resistant under vault conditions. Special plasticizing additives used in the material formulation enhance the physical characteristics of the grout without detriment to its chemical durability. Neither modelling nor laboratory testing have yet provided a definitive assessment of the grout's longevity. However, none of the results of these studies has contraindicated the use of high-performance cement-based grouts in vault sealing applications. (Author) (24 figs., 6 tabs., 21 refs.)

Effects of dietary on antioxidant status, lipid profile, immune response and performance characteristics of broiler chickens reared under high ambient temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Mirzaie

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Objective Spirulina has been recognized formerly as a filamentous spiral-shaped blue-green algae but more recently as a genus of photosynthetic bacteria (Arthrospira. This microorganism is considered as a rich source of essential nutrients for human and animals. The present study was conducted to determine potential application of Spirulina for heat-exposed broilers. Methods Two hundred and fifty Cobb 500 chicks with male to female in equal ratio with average initial weight of 615.6 g at 17 days of age were divided into 5 treatments with 5 replicates of 10 chicks. Treatment groups were as follows: positive and negative controls with 0% Spirulina supplement and three Spirulina receiving groups with 5 g/kg (0.5%, 10 g/kg (1%, and 20 g/kg (2% supplementation. Spirulina receiving groups as well as positive control were exposed to high ambient temperature at 36°C for 6 h/d from 38 to 44 days of age. Biochemical variables were measured in serum samples at 35, 38, 42, and 45 days of broiler chickens age. Results The results showed that supplementation of the diet with Spirulina decreased concentration of stress hormone and some serum lipid parameters while enhanced humoral immunity response and elevated antioxidant status whereas it didn’t meaningfully affect performance characteristics. Nevertheless, feed conversion ratio was improved numerically but not statistically in broilers fed with 1% Spirulina under high ambient temperature. Conclusion Overall, the present study suggests that alleviation of adverse impacts due to high ambient temperature at biochemical level including impaired enzymatic antioxidant system, elevated stress hormone and lipid profile can be approached in broiler chickens through supplementation of the diet with Spirulina platensis.

Physical Characteristics and Performance of Japanese Top-Level American Football Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Daichi; Asakura, Masaki; Ito, Yoshihiko; Yamada, Shinzo; Yamada, Yosuke

2017-09-01

Yamashita, D, Asakura, M, Ito, Y, Yamada, S, and Yamada, Y. Physical characteristics and performance of Japanese top-level American football players. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2455-2461, 2017-This study aimed to compare the physical characteristics and performance between top-level nonprofessional football players in Japan and National Football League (NFL) Combine invited players and between top-level and middle-level players in Japan to determine the factors that enhance performance in international and national competitions. A total of 168 American football players (>20 years) in Japan participated in an anthropometric (height and weight) and physical (vertical jump, long jump, 40-yard dash, pro-agility shuttle, 3-cone drill, and bench press repetition test) measurement program based on the NFL Combine program to compete in the selection of candidates for the Senior World Championship. All players were categorized into 1 of the 3 position groups based on playing position: skill players, big skill players, and linemen. Japanese players were additionally categorized into selected and nonselected players for the second tryout. The NFL Combine candidates had significantly better performance than selected Japanese players on all variables except on performance related to quickness among the 3 position groups. Compared with nonselected players, selected Japanese skill players had better performance in the 40-yard dash and bench press test and big skill players had better performance in the vertical jump, broad jump, and 40-yard dash. Selected and nonselected Japanese linemen were not different in any measurements. These results showed the challenges in American football in Japan, which include not only improving physical performance of top-level players, but also increasing the number of football players with good physical performance.

High-performance computing using FPGAs

CERN Document Server

Benkrid, Khaled

2013-01-01

This book is concerned with the emerging field of High Performance Reconfigurable Computing (HPRC), which aims to harness the high performance and relative low power of reconfigurable hardware–in the form Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)–in High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. It presents the latest developments in this field from applications, architecture, and tools and methodologies points of view. We hope that this work will form a reference for existing researchers in the field, and entice new researchers and developers to join the HPRC community.  The book includes:  Thirteen application chapters which present the most important application areas tackled by high performance reconfigurable computers, namely: financial computing, bioinformatics and computational biology, data search and processing, stencil computation e.g. computational fluid dynamics and seismic modeling, cryptanalysis, astronomical N-body simulation, and circuit simulation.     Seven architecture chapters which...

HiGIS: An Open Framework for High Performance Geographic Information System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

XIONG, W.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Big data era expose many challenges to geospatial data management, geocomputation and cartography. There is no exception in geographic information systems (GIS community. Technologies and facilities of high performance computing (HPC become more and more feasible to researchers, while mobile computing, ubiquitous computing, and cloud computing are emerging. But traditional GIS need to be improved to take advantages of all these evolutions. We proposed and implemented a GIS married with high performance computing, which is called HiGIS. The goal of HiGIS is to promote the performance of geocomputation by leveraging the power of HPC, and to build an open framework for geospatial data storing, processing, displaying and sharing. In this paper the architecture, data model and modules of the HiGIS system are introduced. A geocomputation scheduling engine based on communicating sequential process was designed to exploit spatial analysis and processing. Parallel I/O strategy using file view was proposed to improve the performance of geospatial raster data access. In order to support web-based online mapping, an interactive cartographic script was provided to represent a map. A demostration of locating house was used to manifest the characteristics of HiGIS. Parallel and concurrency performance experiments show the feasibility of this system.

Hydrodynamic characteristics of high speed settling clarifiers by radiotracer method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffith Martinez, Jose; Damera Martinez, A.; Ramos Espinosa, K.

2003-01-01

Results achieved in the evaluation of two high-speed settling cane juice Clarifiers, one denominated ICINAZ The Express and the other one a modified SRI, both located at the sugar factory Orlando Gonzalez employing the well established radiotracer method (Tc-99m) are presented Several trials performed simultaneously at the two Clarifiers demonstrated that the modified SRI was capable to assimilate the whole flow capacity of the factory with adequate characteristic of the pattern flux and residence time in the environment of 1 hour. In the other side, ICINAZ The Express Clarifier could only work at relative low flow capacity of the factory with residence time closely to the two hours and achieving occasionally a pattern flux seriously affected by fluctuations in the milling process. The non-availability of a flow meter did not allow to extract more information related to some pattern flux anomalies, nevertheless, the radiotracer method was able to detect certain differences between the two clear juice outlet of the modified SRI Clarifier, probably due some problems in the construction of this equipment. This fact so as other goals achieved in this work, show once more the potentiality of the radiotracer method for this type of study related to the hydrodynamic characteristics of industrial facilities. (Author)

High-Performance Networking

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2003-01-01

The series will start with an historical introduction about what people saw as high performance message communication in their time and how that developed to the now to day known "standard computer network communication". It will be followed by a far more technical part that uses the High Performance Computer Network standards of the 90's, with 1 Gbit/sec systems as introduction for an in depth explanation of the three new 10 Gbit/s network and interconnect technology standards that exist already or emerge. If necessary for a good understanding some sidesteps will be included to explain important protocols as well as some necessary details of concerned Wide Area Network (WAN) standards details including some basics of wavelength multiplexing (DWDM). Some remarks will be made concerning the rapid expanding applications of networked storage.

Grid Cell Relaxation Effects on the High Frequency Vibration Characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Joo-Young; Eom, Kyong-Bo; Jeon, Sang-Youn; Kim, Jae-Ik

2015-01-01

The plate structure of the grid of fuel assembly is always exposed to serious vortex induced vibration. Also, High Frequency flow induced Vibration (HFV) is primarily generated by vortex-shedding effect. When it comes to grid design as a fuel assembly component, HFV should be considered in advance since it is one of the critical factors. Excessive HFV has a possibility of making degradation of the fuel reliability that is directly related to the fuel robustness and operating performance. KEPCO NF (KNF) has performed HFV tests with various grid designs. While studying the HFV characteristics through the HFV tests, it has been observed that HFV amplitudes show different levels according to grid cell relaxation. It means that the testing could give different interpretations due to the condition of grid cell. Since the amount of relaxation is different under operating conditions and environments in a reactor, test specimens should be modified as much as possible to the real state of the fuel. Therefore, in order to consider the grid cell relaxation effects on the HFV tests, it is important to use cell sized or non-cell sized grids. The main focus of this study is to find out how the HFV characteristics such as amplitude and frequency are affected by grid cell relaxation. Three cases of the grid cell sized specimen which is nickel alloy were prepared and tested. Through the comparison of the test results, it could be concluded that HFV amplitudes show decreasing trend according to the grid cell relaxation in the case of nickel alloy grid. It is also possible to expect the tendency of grid cell relaxation of a zirconium alloy grid based on test results

High Performance Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Traian Oneţ

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the last studies and researches accomplished in Cluj-Napoca related to high performance concrete, high strength concrete and self compacting concrete. The purpose of this paper is to raid upon the advantages and inconveniences when a particular concrete type is used. Two concrete recipes are presented, namely for the concrete used in rigid pavement for roads and another one for self-compacting concrete.

HPTA: High-Performance Text Analytics

OpenAIRE

Vandierendonck, Hans; Murphy, Karen; Arif, Mahwish; Nikolopoulos, Dimitrios S.

2017-01-01

One of the main targets of data analytics is unstructured data, which primarily involves textual data. High-performance processing of textual data is non-trivial. We present the HPTA library for high-performance text analytics. The library helps programmers to map textual data to a dense numeric representation, which can be handled more efficiently. HPTA encapsulates three performance optimizations: (i) efficient memory management for textual data, (ii) parallel computation on associative dat...

Frictional characteristics of silicon graphite lubricated with water at high pressure and high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Seon; Kim, Eun Hyun; Park, Jin Seok; Kim, Jong In

2001-01-01

Experimental frictional and wear characteristics of silicon graphite materials is studied in this paper. Those specimens are lubricated with high temperature and highly pressurized water to simulate the same operating condition for the journal bearing and the thrust bearing on the main coolant pump bearing in the newly developing nuclear reactor named SMART(System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor). Operating condition of the bearings is realized by the tribometer and the autoclave. Friction coefficient and wear loss are analyzed to choose the best silicon graphite material. Pin on plate test specimens are used and coned disk springs are used to control the applied force on the specimens. Wear loss and wear width are measured by a precision balance and a micrometer. The friction force is measured by the strain gauge which can be used under high temperature and high pressure. Three kinds of silicon graphite materials are examined and compared with each other, and each material shows similar but different results on frictional and wear characteristics

Analysis of the performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a turbocharged diesel engine fuelled with Jatropha curcas biodiesel-diesel blends using kernel-based extreme learning machine.

Science.gov (United States)

Silitonga, Arridina Susan; Hassan, Masjuki Haji; Ong, Hwai Chyuan; Kusumo, Fitranto

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a four-cylinder common-rail turbocharged diesel engine fuelled with Jatropha curcas biodiesel-diesel blends. A kernel-based extreme learning machine (KELM) model is developed in this study using MATLAB software in order to predict the performance, combustion and emission characteristics of the engine. To acquire the data for training and testing the KELM model, the engine speed was selected as the input parameter, whereas the performance, exhaust emissions and combustion characteristics were chosen as the output parameters of the KELM model. The performance, emissions and combustion characteristics predicted by the KELM model were validated by comparing the predicted data with the experimental data. The results show that the coefficient of determination of the parameters is within a range of 0.9805-0.9991 for both the KELM model and the experimental data. The mean absolute percentage error is within a range of 0.1259-2.3838. This study shows that KELM modelling is a useful technique in biodiesel production since it facilitates scientists and researchers to predict the performance, exhaust emissions and combustion characteristics of internal combustion engines with high accuracy.

Characteristics of GaAs MESFET inverters exposed to high energy neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloss, W.L.; Yamada, W.E.; Young, A.M.; Janousek, B.K.

1988-01-01

GaAs MESFET circuits have been exposed to high energy neutrons with fluences ranging from 1x10/sup 14/ n/cm/sup 2/ to 2x10/sup 15/ m/cm/sup 2/. Discrete transistors, inverters, and ring oscillators were characterized at each fluence. While the MESFETs exhibit significant threshold voltage shifts and transconductance and saturation current degradation over this range of neutron fluences, the authors have observed improvement in the DC characteristics of Schottky Diode FET Logic (SDFL) inverters. This unusual result has been successfully simulated using device parameters extracted from FETs damaged by exposure to high energy neutrons. Although the decrease in device transconductance results in an increase in inverter gate delay, as reflected in ring oscillator frequency measurements, the authors conclude that GaAs ICs fabricated from this logic family will remain functional after exposure to extreme neutron fluences. This is a consequence of the observed improvement in inverter noise margin evident in both measured and simulated circuit performance

Performance characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging without contrast agents or sedation in pediatric appendicitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Didier, Ryne A.; Hopkins, Katharine L.; Coakley, Fergus V.; Foster, Bryan R. [Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Portland, OR (United States); Krishnaswami, Sanjay [Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Surgery, Portland, OR (United States); Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Pediatrics, Portland, OR (United States); Spiro, David M. [Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Pediatrics, Portland, OR (United States)

2017-09-15

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a promising modality for evaluating pediatric appendicitis. However optimal imaging protocols, including roles of contrast agents and sedation, have not been established and diagnostic criteria have not been fully evaluated. To investigate performance characteristics of rapid MRI without contrast agents or sedation in the diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis. We included patients ages 4-18 years with suspicion of appendicitis who underwent rapid MRI between October 2013 and March 2015 without contrast agent or sedation. After two-radiologist review, we determined performance characteristics of individual diagnostic criteria and aggregate diagnostic criteria by comparing MRI results to clinical outcomes. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine cut-points for appendiceal diameter and wall thickness for optimization of predictive power, and we calculated area under the curve (AUC) as a measure of test accuracy. Ninety-eight MRI examinations were performed in 97 subjects. Overall, MRI had a 94% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 91% positive predictive value and 97% negative predictive value. Optimal cut-points for appendiceal diameter and wall thickness were ≥7 mm and ≥2 mm, respectively. Independently, those cut-points produced sensitivities of 91% and 84% and specificities of 84% and 43%. Presence of intraluminal fluid (30/33) or localized periappendiceal fluid (32/33) showed a significant association with acute appendicitis (P<0.01), with sensitivities of 91% and 97% and specificities of 60% and 50%. For examinations in which the appendix was not identified by one or both reviewers (23/98), the clinical outcome was negative. Rapid MRI without contrast agents or sedation is accurate for diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis when multiple diagnostic criteria are considered in aggregate. Individual diagnostic criteria including optimized cut-points of ≥7 mm for diameter and ≥2 mm for wall

Performance characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging without contrast agents or sedation in pediatric appendicitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Didier, Ryne A.; Hopkins, Katharine L.; Coakley, Fergus V.; Foster, Bryan R.; Krishnaswami, Sanjay; Spiro, David M.

2017-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a promising modality for evaluating pediatric appendicitis. However optimal imaging protocols, including roles of contrast agents and sedation, have not been established and diagnostic criteria have not been fully evaluated. To investigate performance characteristics of rapid MRI without contrast agents or sedation in the diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis. We included patients ages 4-18 years with suspicion of appendicitis who underwent rapid MRI between October 2013 and March 2015 without contrast agent or sedation. After two-radiologist review, we determined performance characteristics of individual diagnostic criteria and aggregate diagnostic criteria by comparing MRI results to clinical outcomes. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine cut-points for appendiceal diameter and wall thickness for optimization of predictive power, and we calculated area under the curve (AUC) as a measure of test accuracy. Ninety-eight MRI examinations were performed in 97 subjects. Overall, MRI had a 94% sensitivity, 95% specificity, 91% positive predictive value and 97% negative predictive value. Optimal cut-points for appendiceal diameter and wall thickness were ≥7 mm and ≥2 mm, respectively. Independently, those cut-points produced sensitivities of 91% and 84% and specificities of 84% and 43%. Presence of intraluminal fluid (30/33) or localized periappendiceal fluid (32/33) showed a significant association with acute appendicitis (P<0.01), with sensitivities of 91% and 97% and specificities of 60% and 50%. For examinations in which the appendix was not identified by one or both reviewers (23/98), the clinical outcome was negative. Rapid MRI without contrast agents or sedation is accurate for diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis when multiple diagnostic criteria are considered in aggregate. Individual diagnostic criteria including optimized cut-points of ≥7 mm for diameter and ≥2 mm for wall

Pressurized planar electrochromatography, high-performance thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography--comparison of performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Płocharz, Paweł; Klimek-Turek, Anna; Dzido, Tadeusz H

2010-07-16

Kinetic performance, measured by plate height, of High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Pressurized Planar Electrochromatography (PPEC) was compared for the systems with adsorbent of the HPTLC RP18W plate from Merck as the stationary phase and the mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and buffer solution. The HPLC column was packed with the adsorbent, which was scrapped from the chromatographic plate mentioned. An additional HPLC column was also packed with adsorbent of 5 microm particle diameter, C18 type silica based (LiChrosorb RP-18 from Merck). The dependence of plate height of both HPLC and PPEC separating systems on flow velocity of the mobile phase and on migration distance of the mobile phase in TLC system was presented applying test solute (prednisolone succinate). The highest performance, amongst systems investigated, was obtained for the PPEC system. The separation efficiency of the systems investigated in the paper was additionally confirmed by the separation of test component mixture composed of six hormones. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Properties and characteristics of high-level waste glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, W.A.

1977-01-01

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

High performance hybrid silicon micropillar solar cell based on light trapping characteristics of Cu nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yulong Zhang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available High performance silicon combined structure (micropillar with Cu nanoparticles solar cell has been synthesized from N-type silicon substrates based on the micropillar array. The combined structure solar cell exhibited higher short circuit current rather than the silicon miropillar solar cell, which the parameters of micropillar array are the same. Due to the Cu nanoparticles were decorated on the surface of silicon micropillar array, the photovoltaic properties of cells have been improved. In addition, the optimal efficiency of 11.5% was measured for the combined structure solar cell, which is better than the silicon micropillar cell.

High performance hybrid silicon micropillar solar cell based on light trapping characteristics of Cu nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yulong; Fan, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Weijia; Ma, Qiang; Jiang, Zhaoyi; Ma, Denghao

2018-05-01

High performance silicon combined structure (micropillar with Cu nanoparticles) solar cell has been synthesized from N-type silicon substrates based on the micropillar array. The combined structure solar cell exhibited higher short circuit current rather than the silicon miropillar solar cell, which the parameters of micropillar array are the same. Due to the Cu nanoparticles were decorated on the surface of silicon micropillar array, the photovoltaic properties of cells have been improved. In addition, the optimal efficiency of 11.5% was measured for the combined structure solar cell, which is better than the silicon micropillar cell.

High-Performance Visible-Blind UV Phototransistors Based on n-Type Naphthalene Diimide Nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Inho; Lee, Seung-Chul; Shang, Xiaobo; Ahn, Jaeyong; Jung, Hoon-Joo; Jeong, Chan-Uk; Kim, Sang-Wook; Yoon, Woojin; Yun, Hoseop; Kwon, O-Pil; Oh, Joon Hak

2018-04-11

This study investigates the performance of single-crystalline nanomaterials of wide-band gap naphthalene diimide (NDI) derivatives with methylene-bridged aromatic side chains. Such materials are found to be easily used as high-performance, visible-blind near-UV light detectors. NDI single-crystalline nanoribbons are assembled using a simple solution-based process (without solvent-inclusion problems), which is then applied to organic phototransistors (OPTs). Such OPTs exhibit excellent n-channel transistor characteristics, including an average electron mobility of 1.7 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , sensitive UV detection properties with a detection limit of ∼1 μW cm -2 , millisecond-level responses, and detectivity as high as 10 15 Jones, demonstrating the highly sensitive organic visible-blind UV detectors. The high performance of our OPTs originates from the large face-to-face π-π stacking area between the NDI semiconducting cores, which is facilitated by methylene-bridged aromatic side chains. Interestingly, NDI-based nanoribbon OPTs exhibit a distinct visible-blind near-UV detection with an identical detection limit, even under intense visible light illumination (for example, 10 4 times higher intensity than UV light intensity). Our findings demonstrate that wide-band gap NDI-based nanomaterials are highly promising for developing high-performance visible-blind UV photodetectors. Such photodetectors could potentially be used for various applications including environmental and health-monitoring systems.

Preventive Care Quality of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Associations of Organizational Characteristics With Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Albright, Benjamin B; Lewis, Valerie A; Ross, Joseph S; Colla, Carrie H

2016-03-01

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a delivery and payment model aiming to coordinate care, control costs, and improve quality. Medicare ACOs are responsible for 8 measures of preventive care quality. To create composite measures of preventive care quality and examine associations of ACO characteristics with performance. This is a cross-sectional study of Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer participants. We linked quality performance to descriptive data from the National Survey of ACOs. We created composite measures using exploratory factor analysis, and used regression to assess associations with organizational characteristics. Of 252 eligible ACOs, 246 reported on preventive care quality, 177 of which completed the survey (response rate=72%). In their first year, ACOs lagged behind PPO performance on the majority of comparable measures. We identified 2 underlying factors among 8 measures and created composites for each: disease prevention, driven by vaccines and cancer screenings, and wellness screening, driven by annual health screenings. Participation in the Advanced Payment Model, having fewer specialists, and having more Medicare ACO beneficiaries per primary care provider were associated with significantly better performance on both composites. Better performance on disease prevention was also associated with inclusion of a hospital, greater electronic health record capabilities, a larger primary care workforce, and fewer minority beneficiaries. ACO preventive care quality performance is related to provider composition and benefitted by upfront investment. Vaccine and cancer screening quality performance is more dependent on organizational structure and characteristics than performance on annual wellness screenings, likely due to greater complexity in eligibility determination and service administration.

Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O; Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S

2008-01-01

The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process

Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O [Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S [Materials Design and Integration Laboratory, Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2L1 (Canada)], E-mail: lichnsa@163.com

2008-06-21

The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process.

Static Analysis of High-Performance Fixed Fluid Power Drive with a Single Positive-Displacement Hydraulic Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. F. Nikitin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the static calculations in designing a high-performance fixed fluid power drive with a single positive-displacement hydraulic motor. Designing is aimed at using a drive that is under development and yet unavailable to find and record the minimum of calculations and maximum of existing hydraulic units that enable clear and unambiguous performance, taking into consideration an available assortment of hydraulic units of hydraulic drives, to have the best efficiency.The specified power (power, moment and kinematics (linear velocity or angular velocity of rotation parameters of the output element of hydraulic motor determine the main output parameters of the hydraulic drive and the useful power of the hydraulic drive under development. The value of the overall efficiency of the hydraulic drive enables us to judge the efficiency of high-performance fixed fluid power drive.The energy analysis of a diagram of the high-performance fixed fluid power drive shows that its high efficiency is achieved when the flow rate of fluid flowing into each cylinder and the magnitude of the feed pump unit (pump are as nearly as possible.The paper considers the ways of determining the geometric parameters of working hydromotors (effective working area or working volume, which allow a selection of the pumping unit parameters. It discusses the ways to improve hydraulic drive efficiency. Using the principle of holding constant conductivity allows us to specify the values of the pressure losses in the hydraulic units used in noncatalog modes. In case of no exact matching between the parameters of existing hydraulic power modes and a proposed characteristics of the pump unit, the nearest to the expected characteristics is taken as a working version.All of the steps allow us to create the high-performance fixed fluid power drive capable of operating at the required power and kinematic parameters with high efficiency.

Are NCLB's Measures, Incentives, and Improvement Strategies the Right Ones for the Nation's Low-Performing High Schools?

Science.gov (United States)

Balfanz, Robert; Legters, Nettie; West, Thomas C.; Weber, Lisa M.

2007-01-01

This article examines the extent to which adequate yearly progress (AYP) is a valid and reliable indicator of improvement in low-performing high schools. For a random subsample of 202 high schools, the authors investigate the school characteristics and the federal and state policy contexts that influence their AYP status. Logistic regression…

High Performance Computing in Science and Engineering '15 : Transactions of the High Performance Computing Center

CERN Document Server

Kröner, Dietmar; Resch, Michael

2016-01-01

This book presents the state-of-the-art in supercomputer simulation. It includes the latest findings from leading researchers using systems from the High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) in 2015. The reports cover all fields of computational science and engineering ranging from CFD to computational physics and from chemistry to computer science with a special emphasis on industrially relevant applications. Presenting findings of one of Europe’s leading systems, this volume covers a wide variety of applications that deliver a high level of sustained performance. The book covers the main methods in high-performance computing. Its outstanding results in achieving the best performance for production codes are of particular interest for both scientists and engineers. The book comes with a wealth of color illustrations and tables of results.

High Performance Computing in Science and Engineering '17 : Transactions of the High Performance Computing Center

CERN Document Server

Kröner, Dietmar; Resch, Michael; HLRS 2017

2018-01-01

This book presents the state-of-the-art in supercomputer simulation. It includes the latest findings from leading researchers using systems from the High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) in 2017. The reports cover all fields of computational science and engineering ranging from CFD to computational physics and from chemistry to computer science with a special emphasis on industrially relevant applications. Presenting findings of one of Europe’s leading systems, this volume covers a wide variety of applications that deliver a high level of sustained performance.The book covers the main methods in high-performance computing. Its outstanding results in achieving the best performance for production codes are of particular interest for both scientists and engineers. The book comes with a wealth of color illustrations and tables of results.

Study on Fatigue Characteristics of High-Strength Steel Welds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Hong Suk; Yoo, Seung Won; Park, Jong Chan [Hyundai Motor Group, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-03-15

High-strength steel has replaced mild steel as the material of choice for truck decks or frames, owing to the growing demand for lightweight vehicles. Although studies on the weld fatigue characteristics of mild steel are available, studies on high-strength steels have been seldom conducted. In this study, firstly, we surveyed a chosen number of approaches and selected the Radaj method, which uses the notch factor approach, as the one suitable for evaluating the fatigue life of commercial vehicles. Secondly, we obtained the S-N curves of HARDOX and ATOS60 steel welds, and the F-N curves of the T-weld and overlapped-weld structures. Thirdly, we acquired a general S-N curve of welded structures made of high-strength steel from the F-N curve, using the notch factor approach. Fourthly, we extracted the weld fatigue characteristics of high-strength steel and incorporated the results in the database of a commercial fatigue program. Finally, we compared the results of the fatigue test and the CAE prediction of the example case, which demonstrated sufficiently good agreement.

Comparison of Response Characteristics of High-Purity Germanium Detectors using Analog Versus Digital Processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luke, S J; Raschke, K

2004-01-01

In this article we will discuss some of the results of the response characteristics of High Purity germanium detectors using analog versus digital processing of the signals that are outputted from the detector. The discussion will focus on whether or not there is a significant difference in the response of the detector with digital electronics that it limits the ability of the detection system to get reasonable gamma ray spectrometric results. Particularly, whether or not the performance of the analysis code Pu600 is compromised

Staircase falls: High-risk groups and injury characteristics in 464 patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boele van Hensbroek, P.; Mulder, S.; Luitse, J. S. K.; van Ooijen, M. R.; Goslings, J. C.

2009-01-01

Introduction: Few data are available about the epidemiology and injury characteristics in staircase falls. The available literature mainly concerns children and autopsy studies. Objective: To describe the epidemiology and injury characteristics of staircase falls, and to identify high-risk groups

Desirable characteristics for teachers of High Ability/Gifted students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra da Costa Souza Martins

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the desirable educational background for a teacher to work with high ability/gifted students, desirable characteristics these teachers should present and conceptions on high ability/giftedness. The participants were 20 public school teachers from a city surrounding Brasilia. Of this group, ten were elementary school teachers working with initial grades and ten were undergraduate Pedagogy teachers. A qualitative approach was used and data were collected by means of a semi-structured interview. A content analysis was then conducted. In relation to the desirable educational background for a teach of high ability/gifted students, participants indicated the need of continuous training, under graduation curriculum adapted to the theme and graduation courses in the area. The desirable features for teachers of high ability/gifted students were related to personological attributes (personality traits and intellectual ability, as well as professional characteristics. The conceptions on high ability/giftedness presented by the participants were, in general, close to those found in the literature and used as reference for this study. However, there was lack of information on how to apply the theory into real practice, as well as several wrong ideas on the topic.

Fault diagnosis and performance evaluation for high current LIA based on radial basis function neural network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Xinglin; Wang Huacen; Chen Nan; Dai Wenhua; Li Jin

2006-01-01

High current linear induction accelerator (LIA) is a complicated experimental physics device. It is difficult to evaluate and predict its performance. this paper presents a method which combines wavelet packet transform and radial basis function (RBF) neural network to build fault diagnosis and performance evaluation in order to improve reliability of high current LIA. The signal characteristics vectors which are extracted based on energy parameters of wavelet packet transform can well present the temporal and steady features of pulsed power signal, and reduce data dimensions effectively. The fault diagnosis system for accelerating cell and the trend classification system for the beam current based on RBF networks can perform fault diagnosis and evaluation, and provide predictive information for precise maintenance of high current LIA. (authors)

In search of novel, high performance and intelligent materials for applications in severe and unconditioned environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyeabour Ayensu, A. I.; Normeshie, C. M. K.

2007-01-01

For extreme operating conditions in aerospace, nuclear power plants and medical applications, novel materials have become more competitive over traditional materials because of the unique characteristics. Extensive research programmes are being undertaken to develop high performance and knowledge-intensive new materials, since existing materials cannot meet the stringent technological requirements of advanced materials for emerging industries. The technologies of intermetallic compounds, nanostructural materials, advanced composites, and photonics materials are presented. In addition, medical biomaterial implants of high functional performance based on biocompatibility, resistance against corrosion and degradation, and for applications in hostile environment of human body are discussed. The opportunities for African researchers to collaborate in international research programmes to develop local raw materials into high performance materials are also highlighted. (au)

High-Performance Operating Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharp, Robin

1999-01-01

Notes prepared for the DTU course 49421 "High Performance Operating Systems". The notes deal with quantitative and qualitative techniques for use in the design and evaluation of operating systems in computer systems for which performance is an important parameter, such as real-time applications......, communication systems and multimedia systems....

A high-performance liquid chromatography method for the serotonin release assay is equivalent to the radioactive method.

Science.gov (United States)

Sono-Koree, N K; Crist, R A; Frank, E L; Rodgers, G M; Smock, K J

2016-02-01

The serotonin release assay (SRA) is considered the gold standard laboratory test for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). The historic SRA method uses platelets loaded with radiolabeled serotonin to evaluate platelet activation by HIT immune complexes. However, a nonradioactive method is desirable. We report the performance characteristics of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) SRA method. We validated the performance characteristics of an HPLC-SRA method, including correlation with a reference laboratory using the radioactive method. Serotonin released from reagent platelets was quantified by HPLC using fluorescent detection. Results were expressed as % release and classified as positive, negative, or indeterminate based on previously published cutoffs. Serum samples from 250 subjects with suspected HIT were tested in the HPLC-SRA and with the radioactive method. Concordant classifications were observed in 230 samples (92%). Sera from 41 healthy individuals tested negative. Between-run imprecision studies showed standard deviation of performance characteristics, equivalent to the historic radioactive method, but avoids the complexities of working with radioactivity. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Talent in Female Gymnastics: a Survival Analysis Based upon Performance Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Pion, J; Lenoir, M; Vandorpe, B; Segers, V

2015-11-01

This study investigated the link between the anthropometric, physical and motor characteristics assessed during talent identification and dropout in young female gymnasts. 3 cohorts of female gymnasts (n=243; 6-9 years) completed a test battery for talent identification. Performance-levels were monitored over 5 years of competition. Kaplan-Meier and Cox Proportional Hazards analyses were conducted to determine the survival rate and the characteristics that influence dropout respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that only 18% of the female gymnasts that passed the baseline talent identification test survived at the highest competition level 5 years later. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model indicated that gymnasts with a score in the best quartile for a specific characteristic significantly increased chances of survival by 45-129%. These characteristics being: basic motor skills (129%), shoulder strength (96%), leg strength (53%) and 3 gross motor coordination items (45-73%). These results suggest that tests batteries commonly used for talent identification in young female gymnasts may also provide valuable insights into future dropout. Therefore, multidimensional test batteries deserve a prominent place in the selection process. The individual test results should encourage trainers to invest in an early development of basic physical and motor characteristics to prevent attrition. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

High-Performance Monitoring Architecture for Large-Scale Distributed Systems Using Event Filtering

Science.gov (United States)

Maly, K.

1998-01-01

with the monitoring architecture to reduce the volume of event traffic flow in the system, and thereby reduce the intrusiveness of the monitoring process. We are developing an event filtering architecture to efficiently process the large volume of event traffic generated by LSD systems (such as distributed interactive applications). This filtering architecture is used to monitor collaborative distance learning application for obtaining debugging and feedback information. Our architecture supports the dynamic (re)configuration and optimization of event filters in large-scale distributed systems. Our work represents a major contribution by (1) survey and evaluating existing event filtering mechanisms In supporting monitoring LSD systems and (2) devising an integrated scalable high- performance architecture of event filtering that spans several kev application domains, presenting techniques to improve the functionality, performance and scalability. This paper describes the primary characteristics and challenges of developing high-performance event filtering for monitoring LSD systems. We survey existing event filtering mechanisms and explain key characteristics for each technique. In addition, we discuss limitations with existing event filtering mechanisms and outline how our architecture will improve key aspects of event filtering.

A comparison of high-level waste form characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmon, R.; Notz, K.J.

1991-01-01

The US DOE is responsible for the eventual disposal in a repository of spent fuels, high-level waste (HLW) and other radioactive wastes that may require long-term isolation. This includes light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and immobilized HLW as the two major sources, plus other forms including non-LWR spent fuels and miscellaneous sources (such as activated metals in the Greater-Than-Class-C category). The Characteristics Data Base, sponsored by DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), was created to systematically tabulate the technical characteristics of these materials. Data are presented here on the immobilized HLW forms that are expected to be produced between now and 2020

Personality Characteristics and Level of Performance of Male County Extension Agents in Wisconsin.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandya, Dasharathrai Navnitrai

The major purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between selected personality characteristics and attitudes of male extension agents in Wisconsin, and their level of job performance. The relationships between selected background factors and the level of agent's job performance were also studied. Subjects were 79 male county agents…

Work-group characteristics and performance in collectivistic and individualistic cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sosik, John J; Jung, Dong I

2002-02-01

The authors conducted a cross-cultural longitudinal investigation of the effects of culture (individualism-collectivism dichotomy) on group characteristics (functional heterogeneity, preference for teamwork, group potency, outcome expectation) and on performance of 83 work groups performing 2 decision-making tasks over a 15-week period. The individualists (U.S. students) reported higher levels of functional heterogeneity and group potency and attained higher levels of group performance than did the collectivists (Korean students). In addition, culture and time interacted to influence ratings of group potency and outcome expectation. The difference in ratings of group potency between individualists and collectivists increased over time. Outcome expectation was greater among the collectivists in Time 1 and among the individualists in Time 2. The authors discuss implications for future cross-cultural group research and international management.

APPLICATION OF ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE TO PEDESTRIAN CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHI-DONG LEE

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC, which enables reducing the cross sectional dimension of the structures due to its high strength, is expected in the construction of the super-long span bridges. Unlike conventional concrete, UHPC experiences less variation of material properties such as creep and drying shrinkage and can reduce uncertainties in predicting time-dependent behavior over the long term. This study describes UHPC’s material characteristics and benefits when applied to super-long span bridges. A UHPC girder pedestrian cable-stayed bridge was designed and successfully constructed. The UHPC reduced the deflections in both the short and long term. The cost analysis demonstrates a highly competitive price for UHPC. This study indicates that UHPC has a strong potential for application in the super-long span bridges.

Performance characteristics of digital vs film screen mammography in community practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Dabbous, Firas; Dolecek, Therese A; Friedewald, Sarah M; Tossas-Milligan, Katherine Y; Macarol, Tere; Summerfelt, Wm Thomas; Rauscher, Garth H

2018-05-01

We compared the performance characteristics of 297 629 full field digital (FFDM) and 416 791 screen film mammograms (SFM). Sensitivity increased with age, decreased with breast density, and was lower for more aggressive and lobular tumors. While sensitivity did not differ significantly by modality, specificity was generally 1%-2% points higher for FFDM than for SFM across age and breast density categories. The lower recall rate for FFDM vs SFM in our study may partially explain performance differences by modality. In this large health care organization, modest gains in performance were achieved with the introduction of FFDM as a replacement for SFM. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How do task characteristics affect learning and performance? The roles of variably mapped and dynamic tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Macnamara, Brooke N; Frank, David J

2018-05-01

For well over a century, scientists have investigated individual differences in performance. The majority of studies have focused on either differences in practice, or differences in cognitive resources. However, the predictive ability of either practice or cognitive resources varies considerably across tasks. We are the first to examine task characteristics' impact on learning and performance in a complex task while controlling for other task characteristics. In 2 experiments we test key theoretical task characteristic thought to moderate the relationship between practice, cognitive resources, and performance. We devised a task where each of several key task characteristics can be manipulated independently. Participants played 5 rounds of a game similar to the popular tower defense videogame Plants vs. Zombies where both cognitive load and game characteristics were manipulated. In Experiment 1, participants either played a consistently mapped version-the stimuli and the associated meaning of their properties were constant across the 5 rounds-or played a variably mapped version-the stimuli and the associated meaning of their properties changed every few minutes. In Experiment 2, participants either played a static version-that is, turn taking with no time pressure-or played a dynamic version-that is, the stimuli moved regardless of participants' response rates. In Experiment 1, participants' accuracy and efficiency were substantially hindered in the variably mapped conditions. In Experiment 2, learning and performance accuracy were hindered in the dynamic conditions, especially when under cognitive load. Our results suggest that task characteristics impact the relative importance of cognitive resources and practice on predicting learning and performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Diffusion layer characteristics for increasing the performance of activated carbon air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiaoyuan; He, Weihua; Yang, Wulin; Liu, Jia; Wang, Qiuying; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia; Logan, Bruce E.

2016-01-01

The characteristics of several different types of diffusion layers were systematically examined to improve the performance of activated carbon air cathodes used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). A diffusion layer of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene (CB + PTFE) that was pressed onto a stainless steel mesh current collector achieved the highest cathode performance. This cathode also had a high oxygen mass transfer coefficient and high water pressure tolerance (>2 m), and it had the highest current densities in abiotic chronoamperometry tests compared to cathodes with other diffusion layers. In MFC tests, this cathode also produced maximum power densities (1610 ± 90 mW m−2) that were greater than those of cathodes with other diffusion layers, by 19% compared to Gore-Tex (1350 ± 20 mW m−2), 22% for a cloth wipe with PDMS (1320 ± 70 mW m−2), 45% with plain PTFE (1110 ± 20 mW m−2), and 19% higher than those of cathodes made with a Pt catalyst and a PTFE diffusion layer (1350 ± 50 mW m−2). The highly porous diffusion layer structure of the CB + PTFE had a relatively high oxygen mass transfer coefficient (1.07 × 10−3 cm s−1) which enhanced oxygen transport to the catalyst. The addition of CB enhanced cathode performance by increasing the conductivity of the diffusion layer. Oxygen mass transfer coefficient, water pressure tolerance, and the addition of conductive particles were therefore critical features for achieving higher performance AC air cathodes.

High performance fuel technology development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koon, Yang Hyun; Kim, Keon Sik; Park, Jeong Yong; Yang, Yong Sik; In, Wang Kee; Kim, Hyung Kyu [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-01-15

{omicron} Development of High Plasticity and Annular Pellet - Development of strong candidates of ultra high burn-up fuel pellets for a PCI remedy - Development of fabrication technology of annular fuel pellet {omicron} Development of High Performance Cladding Materials - Irradiation test of HANA claddings in Halden research reactor and the evaluation of the in-pile performance - Development of the final candidates for the next generation cladding materials. - Development of the manufacturing technology for the dual-cooled fuel cladding tubes. {omicron} Irradiated Fuel Performance Evaluation Technology Development - Development of performance analysis code system for the dual-cooled fuel - Development of fuel performance-proving technology {omicron} Feasibility Studies on Dual-Cooled Annular Fuel Core - Analysis on the property of a reactor core with dual-cooled fuel - Feasibility evaluation on the dual-cooled fuel core {omicron} Development of Design Technology for Dual-Cooled Fuel Structure - Definition of technical issues and invention of concept for dual-cooled fuel structure - Basic design and development of main structure components for dual- cooled fuel - Basic design of a dual-cooled fuel rod.

Levitation characteristics of a high-temperature superconducting Maglev system for launching space vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Wenjiang; Liu Yu; Chen Xiaodong; Wen Zheng; Duan Yi; Qiu Ming

2007-01-01

Maglev launch assist is viewed as an effective method to reduce the cost of space launch. The primary aerodynamic characteristics of the Maglev launch vehicle and the space vehicle are discussed by analyzing their aerodynamic shapes and testing a scale mode in a standard wind tunnel. After analyzing several popular Maglev systems, we present a no-controlling Maglev system with bulk YBaCuO high-temperature superconductors (HTSs). We tested a HTS Maglev system unit, and obtained the levitation force density of 3.3 N/cm 2 and the lateral force density of 2.0 N/cm 2 . We also fabricated a freely levitated test platform to investigate the levitation characteristics of the HTS Maglev system in load changing processes. We found that the HTS system could provide the strong self-stable levitation performance due to the magnetic flux trapped in superconductors. The HTS Maglev system provided feasibility for application in the launch vehicle

Wire-number effects on high-power annular z-pinches and some characteristics at high wire number

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SANFORD,THOMAS W. L.

2000-05-23

Characteristics of annular wire-array z-pinches as a function of wire number and at high wire number are reviewed. The data, taken primarily using aluminum wires on Saturn are comprehensive. The experiments have provided important insights into the features of wire-array dynamics critical for high x-ray power generation, and have initiated a renaissance in z-pinches when high numbers of wires are used. In this regime, for example, radiation environments characteristic of those encountered during the early pulses required for indirect-drive ICF ignition on the NIF have been produced in hohlraums driven by x-rays from a z-pinch, and are commented on here.

Wire-number effects on high-power annular z-pinches and some characteristics at high wire number

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SANFORD, THOMAS W. L.

2000-01-01

Characteristics of annular wire-array z-pinches as a function of wire number and at high wire number are reviewed. The data, taken primarily using aluminum wires on Saturn are comprehensive. The experiments have provided important insights into the features of wire-array dynamics critical for high x-ray power generation, and have initiated a renaissance in z-pinches when high numbers of wires are used. In this regime, for example, radiation environments characteristic of those encountered during the early pulses required for indirect-drive ICF ignition on the NIF have been produced in hohlraums driven by x-rays from a z-pinch, and are commented on here

High performance homes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beim, Anne; Vibæk, Kasper Sánchez

2014-01-01

. Consideration of all these factors is a precondition for a truly integrated practice and as this chapter demonstrates, innovative project delivery methods founded on the manufacturing of prefabricated buildings contribute to the production of high performance homes that are cost effective to construct, energy...

Fusion Performance of High Magnetic Field Expe-riments

Science.gov (United States)

Airoldi, A.; Cenacchi, G.; Coppi, B.

1997-11-01

High magnetic field machines have the characteristic of operating well within the usual limitations known as density and beta limits. This feature is highlighted in the Ignitor concept thanks to its reference field of up to 13 T on the magnetic axis and its high current densities. The two reference scenarios with plasma currents of 12 MA and 11 MA respectively, are discussed. The ramp time is 4 sec for both scenarios, whereas the following programmed time dependence of the current is different. The results of an extensive series of numerical simulations using an appropriate version of the 1+1/2D JETTO transport code show that in any case optimal fusion performances are reacheable without needing enhancement over the values of the energy replacement time predicted by the most pessimistic scalings (for the so-called L-mode regime). The density is the crucial parameter involved on the path to ignition that can be achieved provided the density rise is carefully programmed. The density profiles can be controlled by the proper use of the pellet injector that is included in the machine design.

Impacts of teachers’ competency on job performance in research universities with industry characteristics: Taking academic atmosphere as moderator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anguo Xu

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Research universities with industry characteristics play an irreplaceable role in national economic development and social development. With the rapid development of research universities with industry characteristics in China, these universities face new challenges in managing teachers and promoting their quality. This paper aims to examine the impact of teachers’ competency on job performance in research university with industry characteristics Design/methodology/approach: Based on the behavioral event interview and questionnaire methods, a four-dimension (i.e. basic quality, teaching ability, industry awareness and research capacity competency model was proposed, the influence mechanism of competency on job performance was examined using empirical research. Findings: We found that there is a significant positive correlation between the teachers’ competency level, four dimensions and job performance in research universities with industry characteristics, especially between research capacity, teaching ability, industry awareness and job performance. And academic atmosphere plays a regulatory role in the interaction between the competency and job performance. Practical implications: Our findings can help to improve the management level of teachers in research universities with industry characteristics.Originality/value: The paper introduces the competency theory to the teacher management in research universities with industry characteristics, and gives some interesting findings.

Beyond Magnet® Designation: Perspectives From Nurse Managers on Factors of Sustainability and High-Performance Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayden, Margaret A; Wolf, Gail A; Zedreck-Gonzalez, Judith F

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to identify patterns of high-performing behaviors and nurse manager perceptions of the factors of Magnet® sustainability at a multidesignated Magnet organization. The Magnet program recognizes exemplary professional nursing practice and is challenging to achieve and sustain. Only 10% (n = 42) of Magnet hospitals sustained designation for 12 years or longer. This study explored the perspectives of Magnet nurse managers regarding high-performing teams and the sustainability of Magnet designation. A qualitative study of nurse managers was conducted at 1 multidesignated Magnet organization (n = 13). Interview responses were analyzed using pattern recognition of Magnet model domains and characteristics of high-performing teams and then related to factors of Magnet sustainability. Transformational leadership is both an essential factor for sustainability and a potential barrier to sustainability of Magnet designation. Transformational nursing leaders lead high-performing teams and should be in place at all levels as an essential factor in sustaining Magnet redesignation.

Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holton, J.

2012-02-01

The Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting has been developed to provide a tool for the understanding and application of high performance lighting in the home. The high performance lighting strategies featured in this guide are drawn from recent advances in commercial lighting for application to typical spaces found in residential buildings. This guide offers strategies to greatly reduce lighting energy use through the application of high quality fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) technologies. It is important to note that these strategies not only save energy in the home but also serve to satisfy the homeowner's expectations for high quality lighting.

Performance characteristics of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) under transient conditions

OpenAIRE

Colley, Gareth; Mishra, Rakesh

2011-01-01

The present work investigates the performance characteristics of a novel Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) for use in the urban environment. Here the performance of the wind turbine has been analyzed experimentally using a full scale prototype measuring 2.0m diameter and 1.0m in height. The turbine was located at the exit of a 0.6m x 0.6m wind tunnel section and was subjected to a jet flow. The performance output from the turbine has been obtained using a torque transducer unit which provides...

Performance and characteristics of carcass and non-carcass components of lambs fed peach-palm by-product.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos Cabral, Ícaro; Azevêdo, José Augusto Gomes; de Almeida, Flávio Moreira; Pereira, Luiz Gustavo Ribeiro; de Araújo, Gherman Garcia Leal; dos Santos Cruz, Cristiane Leal; Nogueira, Abdon Santos; Souza, Lígia Lins; de Oliveira, Gisele Andrade

2013-11-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplying the by-product of peach-palm (Bactris gasipaes) on performance and characteristics of carcass and non-carcass components of feedlot lambs. Twenty Santa Ines lambs of 150 days average age and 22.4 ± 3.4 kg body weight were confined in individual pens. A completely randomized design was utilized with four experimental diets composed of: fresh peach-palm by-product enriched with urea, fresh peach-palm by-product + concentrate, silage of peach-palm by-product + concentrate, and silage of peach-palm by-product enriched with 15 % corn meal + concentrate. Intake was evaluated daily, and at the end of 42 days of experiments, lambs were slaughtered and the characteristics of carcass and non-carcass parts were evaluated. Performance and carcass characteristics showed differences between the animals' intake of total mixed rations (TMR) and only the diet with roughage. For the lambs that intaked TMR, the form of utilization of roughage (fresh or as silage) affected animal performance but did not change the carcass characteristics. Dry matter intake and feed conversion were influenced by the form of utilization of the silage (with and without additive). Providing fresh by-product plus concentrate improves lamb performance but does not interfere in the carcass characteristics, compared with the use of by-product in the form of silage.

High performance conductometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, B.

2000-01-01

Inexpensive but high performance systems have emerged progressively for basic and applied measurements in physical and analytical chemistry on one hand, and for on-line monitoring and leak detection in plants and facilities on the other. Salient features of the developments will be presented with specific examples

Investigation on heat transfer characteristics and flow performance of Methane at supercritical pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Xian, Hong Wei; Oumer, A. N.; Basrawi, F.; Mamat, Rizalman; Abdullah, A. A.

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the heat transfer and flow characteristic of cryogenic methane in regenerative cooling system at supercritical pressures. The thermo-physical properties of supercritical methane were obtained from the National institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) webbook. The numerical model was developed based on the assumptions of steady, turbulent and Newtonian flow. For mesh independence test and model validation, the simulation results were compared with published experimental results. The effect of four different performance parameter ranges namely inlet pressure (5 to 8 MPa), inlet temperature (120 to 150 K), heat flux (2 to 5 MW/m2) and mass flux (7000 to 15000 kg/m2s) on heat transfer and flow performances were investigated. It was found that the simulation results showed good agreement with experimental data with maximum deviation of 10 % which indicates the validity of the developed model. At low inlet temperature, the change of specific heat capacity at near-wall region along the tube length was not significant while the pressure drop registered was high. However, significant variation was observed for the case of higher inlet temperature. It was also observed that the heat transfer performance and pressure drop penalty increased when the mass flux was increased. Regarding the effect of inlet pressure, the heat transfer performance and pressure drop results decreased when the inlet pressure is increased.

Effect of combined xylanase and phytase on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, and carcass characteristics in growing pigs fed corn-based diets containing high-fiber coproducts.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Y D; Wilcock, P; Boyd, R D; Lindemann, M D

2017-09-01

Phytate has been shown to be an antinutrient, and the feeding of high levels of phytase can break down phytate to improve nutrient utilization and pig performance. Dietary xylanase targets arabinoxylan breakdown, thereby improving energy utilization in pigs. However, the effects of simultaneous supplementation have not been clearly determined. Crossbred pigs ( = 45; mean initial weight, 26.4 ± 0.2 kg) were allotted to 1 of 9 treatments to evaluate the effects of both xylanase (endo-1,4-β xylanase [EC 3.2.1.8]) and phytase (6-phytase [EC 3.1.3.26]) supplementation as follows: 1) positive control (PC), a corn-soybean meal-based diet with 15% corn distillers dried grains with solubles, 15% wheat middlings, and 13% corn germ meal; 2) negative control (NC), ME was reduced by 103 kcal/kg from the PC diet by replacement of fat with corn starch; 3) NC + phytase (500 phytase units (FTU)/kg diet); 4) NC + phytase (1,000 FTU/kg diet); 5) NC + phytase (2,000 FTU/kg diet); 6) NC + xylanase (24,000 xylanase units [BXU]/kg diet); 7) NC + phytase (500 FTU/kg diet) + xylanase (24,000 BXU/kg diet); 8) NC + phytase (1,000 FTU/kg diet) + xylanase (24,000 BXU/kg diet); and 9) NC + phytase (2,000 FTU/kg diet) + xylanase (24,000 BXU/kg diet). All diets were formulated to meet nutrient requirements before phytase and xylanase addition to the diets. There were no significant interactions between xylanase and phytase supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD). The ADG ( phytase level increased. The ATTD of P increased as phytase supplementation level increased ( phytase level increased. Estimated carcass lean percentage and lean gain increased ( phytase level increased. Xylanase supplementation had no effect on growth performance, ATTD, and carcass characteristics. The results demonstrated an improved nutrient digestibility, performance, and carcass response to phytase supplementation beyond P provision because all diets

Effects of Selected Corporate Governance Characteristics on Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Okoth Ongore

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the interrelations among ownership, board and manager characteristics and firm performance in a sample of 54 firms listed at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE. These governance characteristics, designed to minimize agency problems between principals and agents are operationalized in terms of ownership concentration, ownership identity, board effectiveness and managerial discretion. The typical ownership identities at the NSE are government, foreign, institutional, manager and diverse ownership forms. Firm performance is measured using Return on Assets (ROA, Return on Equity (ROE and Dividend Yield (DY. Using PPMC, Logistic Regression and Stepwise Regression, the paper presents evidence of significant positive relationship between foreign, insider, institutional and diverse ownership forms, and firm performance. However, the relationship between ownership concentration and government, and firm performance was significantly negative. The role of boards was found to be of very little value, mainly due to lack of adherence to board member selection criteria. The results also show significant positive relationship between managerial discretion and performance. Collectively, these results are consistent with pertinent literature with regard to the implications of government, foreign, manager (insider and institutional ownership forms, but significantly differ concerning the effects of ownership concentration and diverse ownership on firm performance.

Dynamic Performance Characteristic Tests of Real Scale Lead Rubber Bearing for the Evaluation of Performance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Min Kyu; Kim, Jung-Han; Choi, In-Kil

2014-01-01

Dynamic characteristic tests of full scale lead rubber bearing were performed for the evaluation of performance criteria of isolation system for nuclear power plants. For the dynamic test for a full scale rubber bearing, two 1500mm diameter lead rubber bearings were manufactured. The viewpoints of this dynamic test are determination of an ultimate shear strain level of lead rubber bearing, behavior of rubber bearing according to static and dynamic input motion, sinusoidal and random (earthquake) motion, and 1-dimentional and 2-dimensional input motion. In this study, seismic isolation device tests were performed for the evaluation of performance criteria of isolation system. Through this test, it can be recognized that in the case of considering a mechanical property test, dynamic and multi degree of loading conditions should be determined. But these differences should be examined how much affect to the global structural behavior

Investigating the effect of communication characteristics on crew performance under the simulated emergency condition of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jinkyun; Jung, Wondea; Yang, Joon-Eon

2012-01-01

It is well known that the safety of large process control systems could be significantly affected by the communication characteristics of crews that have a responsibility for their operations. Accordingly, many researchers have spent huge amount of effort to grasp the relationship between the characteristics of crew communications and the associated crew performance. Unfortunately, in the case of nuclear power plants (NPPs), it seems that most of existing studies have tried to identify the relationship between the characteristics of crew communications and the associated crew performance using empirical observations without a firm technical underpinning. For these reasons, Park suggested a novel framework that is able to represent the characteristics of crew communications based on social network analysis (SNA) metrics. In order to confirm the appropriateness of the suggested framework, in this study, the characteristics of crew communications that are gathered from the simulated emergency condition of NPPs are additionally compared with the associated crew performance data. As a consequence, it is observed that there are significant relationships between communication characteristics and the associated crew performance. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the characteristics of crew communications can be properly grasped using the suggested framework. - Highlights: ► Communication data of MCR operating crews are collected from a simulated emergency condition. ► Communication characteristics are represented by the associated SNA metrics. ► Identified communication characteristics are compared with the results of existing studies. ► SNA metrics are meaningful for explaining the characteristics of crew communications.

Application of CFRP with High Hydrogen Gas Barrier Characteristics to Fuel Tanks of Space Transportation System

Science.gov (United States)

Yonemoto, Koichi; Yamamoto, Yuta; Okuyama, Keiichi; Ebina, Takeo

In the future, carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) with high hydrogen gas barrier performance will find wide applications in all industrial hydrogen tanks that aim at weight reduction; the use of such materials will be preferred to the use of conventional metallic materials such as stainless steel or aluminum. The hydrogen gas barrier performance of CFRP will become an important issue with the introduction of hydrogen-fuel aircraft. It will also play an important role in realizing fully reusable space transportation system that will have high specific tensile CFRP structures. Such materials are also required for the manufacture of high-pressure hydrogen gas vessels for use in the fuel cell systems of automobiles. This paper introduces a new composite concept that can be used to realize CFRPs with high hydrogen gas barrier performance for applications in the cryogenic tanks of fully reusable space transportation system by the incorporation of a nonmetallic crystal layer, which is actually a dense and highly oriented clay crystal laminate. The preliminary test results show that the hydrogen gas barrier characteristics of this material after cryogenic heat shocks and cyclic loads are still better than those of other polymer materials by approximately two orders of magnitude.

An experimental investigation of performance-emission trade off characteristics of a CI engine using hydrogen as dual fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deb, Madhujit; Paul, Abhishek; Debroy, Durbadal; Sastry, G.R.K.; Panua, Raj Sekhar; Bose, P.K.

2015-01-01

The investigation carried out in this research work concerns the effect of the addition of H 2 on performance and emission characteristics of a single cylinder, 4-stroke diesel engine. The tests were performed using diesel as a pilot fuel, with hydrogen addition at varying load condition using a Timed Manifold Injection (TMI) system has been developed using ECU (electronic control unit) with varying injection strategy to deliver hydrogen on to the intake manifold. The results showed a significant increase in BTE with appreciable decrease in BSEC of the engine when compared to conventional diesel-fueled operation. The emission of CO 2 and NOx was found to increase with enhancement of H 2 addition. The emission of UHC was found to be very high at low load conditions, but it enhanced as the load increased for all hydrogen injection while Soot emissions decreased. Thus, this paper provided a potential to investigate the effect of the addition of H 2 on the performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine and how to get a best ratio of H 2 addition. The tradeoff study also consolidated the verity that Diesel–H 2 dual fuel operation was instrumental in resolving the high performance – low emission paradox. - Highlights: • Pure diesel and diesel–H 2 blends are tested. • Diesel–H 2 blends produced higher brake thermal efficiency than pure diesel in all part loads. • Diesel–H 2 blends reduced the energy consumption of the engine. • Diesel–H 2 blends simultaneously reduced Soot to some extent but increases N Ox and hydrocarbon emissions. • The performance-emission trade-off paradox has been studied using pure diesel and diesel–H 2 blends

The effects of high custom made shoes on gait characteristics and patient satisfaction in hemiplegic gait.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckhardt, Martine M; Mulder, Mascha C Borgerhoff; Horemans, Herwin L; van der Woude, Luc H; Ribbers, Gerard M

2011-10-01

To determine the effects of a temporary high custom made orthopaedic shoe on functional mobility, walking speed, and gait characteristics in hemiplegic stroke patients. In addition, interference of attentional demands and patient satisfaction were studied. Clinical experimental study. University Medical Centre. Nineteen stroke patients (12 males; mean age 55 years (standard deviation (SD) 10 years); mean time post onset 3.6 months (SD 1.4 months)) with a spastic paresis of the lower extremity. Functional mobility was assessed with the timed up and go test, walking speed and gait characteristics were measured with clinical gait analysis and performed with and without a verbal dual task. Patient satisfaction was determined with a questionnaire. Walking with the high orthopaedic shoe resulted in improved functional mobility (22%; pshoes. The dual task interfered with functional mobility during walking. The interference was equally big for normal shoes as for the orthopaedic shoe. Patients evaluated walking with the high orthopaedic shoe as an improvement (psafety, walking distance and walking speed. In the early recovery phase after stroke, when regaining walking ability, a temporary high orthopaedic shoe can improve hemiplegic gait, even with dual task interference. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

78 FR 15112 - Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Transport Airplane Performance and Handling Characteristics-New Task

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-08

... Committee; Transport Airplane Performance and Handling Characteristics--New Task AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of new task assignment for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee... findings. The Task The FAA tasked ARAC to consider several areas within the airplane performance and...

Associations between Otolaryngology Applicant Characteristics and Future Performance in Residency or Practice: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowe, Sarah N; Laury, Adrienne M; Gray, Stacey T

2017-06-01

Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate which applicant characteristics available to an otolaryngology selection committee are associated with future performance in residency or practice. Data Sources PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, Health Business, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and SocINDEX. Review Methods Study eligibility was performed by 2 independent investigators in accordance with the PRISMA protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses). Data obtained from each article included research questions, study design, predictors, outcomes, statistical analysis, and results/findings. Study bias was assessed with the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool. Results The initial search identified 439 abstracts. Six articles fulfilled all inclusion and exclusion criteria. All studies were retrospective cohort studies (level 4). Overall, the studies yielded relatively few criteria that correlated with residency success, with generally conflicting results. Most studies were found to have a high risk of bias. Conclusion Previous resident selection research has lacked a theoretical background, thus predisposing this work to inconsistent results and high risk of bias. The included studies provide historical insight into the predictors and criteria (eg, outcomes) previously deemed pertinent by the otolaryngology field. Additional research is needed, possibly integrating aspects of personnel selection, to engage in an evidence-based approach to identify highly qualified candidates who will succeed as future otolaryngologists.

INL High Performance Building Strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jennifer D. Morton

2010-02-01

High performance buildings, also known as sustainable buildings and green buildings, are resource efficient structures that minimize the impact on the environment by using less energy and water, reduce solid waste and pollutants, and limit the depletion of natural resources while also providing a thermally and visually comfortable working environment that increases productivity for building occupants. As Idaho National Laboratory (INL) becomes the nation’s premier nuclear energy research laboratory, the physical infrastructure will be established to help accomplish this mission. This infrastructure, particularly the buildings, should incorporate high performance sustainable design features in order to be environmentally responsible and reflect an image of progressiveness and innovation to the public and prospective employees. Additionally, INL is a large consumer of energy that contributes to both carbon emissions and resource inefficiency. In the current climate of rising energy prices and political pressure for carbon reduction, this guide will help new construction project teams to design facilities that are sustainable and reduce energy costs, thereby reducing carbon emissions. With these concerns in mind, the recommendations described in the INL High Performance Building Strategy (previously called the INL Green Building Strategy) are intended to form the INL foundation for high performance building standards. This revised strategy incorporates the latest federal and DOE orders (Executive Order [EO] 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance” [2009], EO 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management” [2007], and DOE Order 430.2B, “Departmental Energy, Renewable Energy, and Transportation Management” [2008]), the latest guidelines, trends, and observations in high performance building construction, and the latest changes to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Performance characteristics of counter flow wet cooling towers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Jameel-Ur-Rehman; Yaqub, M.; Zubair, Syed M.

2003-01-01

Cooling towers are one of the biggest heat and mass transfer devices that are in widespread use. In this paper, we use a detailed model of counter flow wet cooling towers in investigating the performance characteristics. The validity of the model is checked by experimental data reported in the literature. The thermal performance of the cooling towers is clearly explained in terms of varying air and water temperatures, as well as the driving potential for convection and evaporation heat transfer, along the height of the tower. The relative contribution of each mode of heat transfer rate to the total heat transfer rate in the cooling tower is established. It is demonstrated with an example problem that the predominant mode of heat transfer is evaporation. For example, evaporation contributes about 62.5% of the total rate of heat transfer at the bottom of the tower and almost 90% at the top of the tower. The variation of air and water temperatures along the height of the tower (process line) is explained on psychometric charts

Transonic Performance Characteristics of Several Jet Noise Suppressors

Science.gov (United States)

Schmeer, James W.; Salters, Leland B., Jr.; Cassetti, Marlowe D.

1960-01-01

An investigation of the transonic performance characteristics of several noise-suppressor configurations has been conducted in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel. The models were tested statically and over a Mach number range from 0.70 to 1.05 at an angle of attack of 0 deg. The primary jet total-pressure ratio was varied from 1.0 (jet off) to about 4.5. The effect of secondary air flow on the performance of two of the configurations was investigated. A hydrogen peroxide turbojet-engine simulator was used to supply the hot-jet exhaust. An 8-lobe afterbody with centerbody, short shroud, and secondary air had the highest thrust-minus-drag coefficients of the six noise-suppressor configurations tested. The 12-tube and 12-lobe afterbodies had the lowest internal losses. The presence of an ejector shroud partially shields the external pressure distribution of the 8-lobe after-body from the influence of the primary jet. A ring-airfoil shroud increased the static thrust of the annular nozzle but generally decreased the thrust minus drag at transonic Mach numbers.

The relationship model of technical and tactical and morpho-functional characteristics of highly skilled swimmers specializing in 50 m butterfly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Оlena Politko

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: development of model of the technical and tactical actions, morpho-functional characteristics of highly qualified athletes-swimmers specializing in the 50m butterfly way. Material & Methods: the analytical synthesis of scientific literature data, filming of competitive activity, getting of timing, anthropometry, methods of mathematical statistics. Results: developed model of technical and tactical actions, morphofunctional characteristics of highly qualified swimmers and determined the most important factors affecting athletic performance. Conclusions: the identification and assessment of the most important for the success of sports perfection indicators will allow to draw conclusions about the correctness of the training process according to chosen swimming specialization.

Suppression of subthreshold characteristics variation for junctionless multigate transistors using high-k spacers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lou, Haijun; Zhang, Baili; Li, Dan; Lin, Xinnan; He, Jin; Chan, Mansun

2015-01-01

In this work, the high-k spacer is proposed to suppress the subthreshold characteristics variation of junctionless multigate transistor (JMT) with non-ideal sidewall angle for the first time. It is demonstrated that the variation of subthreshold characteristics induced by the changing sidewall angle is efficiently suppressed by high-k spacers due to the enhanced corner effect through the fringe capacitance, and the electrostatic integrity of JMTs is also improved at sub-22 nm gate length. Two key parameters of high-k spacer, the thickness and length, have been optimized in terms of the suppression of subthreshold characteristics variation. Then their optimal values are proposed. The benefit of high-k spacer makes JMTs more scalable. (paper)

High performance ring oscillators from 10-nm wide silicon nanowire field-effect transistors

KAUST Repository

Huang, Ruo-Gu; Tham, Douglas; Wang, Dunwei; Heath, James R.

2011-01-01

We explore 10-nm wide Si nanowire (SiNW) field-effect transistors (FETs) for logic applications, via the fabrication and testing of SiNW-based ring oscillators. We report on SiNW surface treatments and dielectric annealing, for producing SiNW FETs that exhibit high performance in terms of large on/off-state current ratio (~108), low drain-induced barrier lowering (~30 mV) and low subthreshold swing (~80 mV/decade). The performance of inverter and ring-oscillator circuits fabricated from these nanowire FETs are also explored. The inverter demonstrates the highest voltage gain (~148) reported for a SiNW-based NOT gate, and the ring oscillator exhibits near rail-to-rail oscillation centered at 13.4 MHz. The static and dynamic characteristics of these NW devices indicate that these SiNW-based FET circuits are excellent candidates for various high-performance nanoelectronic applications. © 2011 Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

High performance ring oscillators from 10-nm wide silicon nanowire field-effect transistors

KAUST Repository

Huang, Ruo-Gu

2011-06-24

We explore 10-nm wide Si nanowire (SiNW) field-effect transistors (FETs) for logic applications, via the fabrication and testing of SiNW-based ring oscillators. We report on SiNW surface treatments and dielectric annealing, for producing SiNW FETs that exhibit high performance in terms of large on/off-state current ratio (~108), low drain-induced barrier lowering (~30 mV) and low subthreshold swing (~80 mV/decade). The performance of inverter and ring-oscillator circuits fabricated from these nanowire FETs are also explored. The inverter demonstrates the highest voltage gain (~148) reported for a SiNW-based NOT gate, and the ring oscillator exhibits near rail-to-rail oscillation centered at 13.4 MHz. The static and dynamic characteristics of these NW devices indicate that these SiNW-based FET circuits are excellent candidates for various high-performance nanoelectronic applications. © 2011 Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Satellite Remote Sensing of Cropland Characteristics in 30m Resolution: The First North American Continental-Scale Classification on High Performance Computing Platforms

Science.gov (United States)

Massey, Richard

Cropland characteristics and accurate maps of their spatial distribution are required to develop strategies for global food security by continental-scale assessments and agricultural land use policies. North America is the major producer and exporter of coarse grains, wheat, and other crops. While cropland characteristics such as crop types are available at country-scales in North America, however, at continental-scale cropland products are lacking at fine sufficient resolution such as 30m. Additionally, applications of automated, open, and rapid methods to map cropland characteristics over large areas without the need of ground samples are needed on efficient high performance computing platforms for timely and long-term cropland monitoring. In this study, I developed novel, automated, and open methods to map cropland extent, crop intensity, and crop types in the North American continent using large remote sensing datasets on high-performance computing platforms. First, a novel method was developed in this study to fuse pixel-based classification of continental-scale Landsat data using Random Forest algorithm available on Google Earth Engine cloud computing platform with an object-based classification approach, recursive hierarchical segmentation (RHSeg) to map cropland extent at continental scale. Using the fusion method, a continental-scale cropland extent map for North America at 30m spatial resolution for the nominal year 2010 was produced. In this map, the total cropland area for North America was estimated at 275.2 million hectares (Mha). This map was assessed for accuracy using randomly distributed samples derived from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cropland data layer (CDL), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) annual crop inventory (ACI), Servicio de Informacion Agroalimentaria y Pesquera (SIAP), Mexico's agricultural boundaries, and photo-interpretation of high-resolution imagery. The overall accuracies of the map are 93.4% with a

High Performance Networks for High Impact Science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, Mary A.; Bair, Raymond A.

2003-02-13

This workshop was the first major activity in developing a strategic plan for high-performance networking in the Office of Science. Held August 13 through 15, 2002, it brought together a selection of end users, especially representing the emerging, high-visibility initiatives, and network visionaries to identify opportunities and begin defining the path forward.

Biochar composite membrane for high performance pollutant management: Fabrication, structural characteristics and synergistic mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaffar, Abdul; Zhu, Xiaoying; Chen, Baoliang

2018-02-01

Biochar, a natural sourced carbon-rich material, has been used commonly in particle shape for carbon sequestration, soil fertility and environmental remediation. Here, we report a facile approach to fabricate freestanding biochar composite membranes for the first time. Wood biochars pyrolyzed at 300 °C and 700 °C were blended with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) in three percentages (10%, 30% and 50%) to construct membranes through thermal phase inversion process. The resultant biochar composite membranes possess high mechanical strength and porous structure with uniform distribution of biochar particles throughout the membrane surface and cross-section. The membrane pure water flux was increased with B300 content (4825-5411 ± 21 L m -2 h -1 ) and B700 content (5823-6895 ± 72 L m -2 h -1 ). The membranes with B300 were more hydrophilic with higher surface free energy (58.84-60.31 mJ m -2 ) in comparison to B700 (56.32-51.91 mJ m -2 ). The biochar composite membranes indicated promising adsorption capacities (47-187 mg g -1 ) to Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The biochar membranes also exhibited high retention (74-93%) for E. coli bacterial suspensions through filtration. After simple physical cleaning, both the adsorption and sieving capabilities of the biochar composite membranes could be effectively recovered. Synergistic mechanisms of biochar/PVdF in the composite membrane are proposed to elucidate the high performance of the membrane in pollutant management. The multifunctional biochar composite membrane not only effectively prevent the problems caused by directly using biochar particle as sorbent but also can be produced in large scale, indicating great potential for practical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High performance fuel technology development : Development of high performance cladding materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jeongyong; Jeong, Y. H.; Park, S. Y.

2012-04-01

The superior in-pile performance of the HANA claddings have been verified by the successful irradiation test and in the Halden research reactor up to the high burn-up of 67GWD/MTU. The in-pile corrosion and creep resistances of HANA claddings were improved by 40% and 50%, respectively, over Zircaloy-4. HANA claddings have been also irradiated in the commercial reactor up to 2 reactor cycles, showing the corrosion resistance 40% better than that of ZIRLO in the same fuel assembly. Long-term out-of-pile performance tests for the candidates of the next generation cladding materials have produced the highly reliable test results. The final candidate alloys were selected and they showed the corrosion resistance 50% better than the foreign advanced claddings, which is beyond the original target. The LOCA-related properties were also improved by 20% over the foreign advanced claddings. In order to establish the optimal manufacturing process for the inner and outer claddings of the dual-cooled fuel, 18 different kinds of specimens were fabricated with various cold working and annealing conditions. Based on the performance tests and various out-of-pile test results obtained from the specimens, the optimal manufacturing process was established for the inner and outer cladding tubes of the dual-cooled fuel

Fattening Performances and Carcass Characteristics of Boujaâd and Sardi Lambs in Morocco

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Chikhi

2005-04-01

Full Text Available The study was carried out to analyze fattening performance and carcass characteristics of 183 and 182 Boujaâd and Sardi single-born ram lambs, respectively. Data were collected during six consecutive years from 1996 to 2001 at INRA Deroua Experimental Station in Morocco. The average fattening period was 64 days and age at slaughter of the lambs 166 days. Data analysis showed that the lamb breed had a significant effect on all traits studied, except on the average daily gain at the end of the fattening period, the feed conversion index [kg dry matter (DM of feed/kg of weight gain], kidney fat, mesenteric fat, fattening grade and carcass conformation. The differences between Sardi and Boujaâd lambs were 0.04 kg DM/animal/day for feed intake, 1.1 kg for weight at slaughter, 1.2 kg for hot carcass weight, 1.3 p. 100 for dressing yield, – 0.20 kg for lungs and heart, 0.03 kg for liver, 0.10 kg for empty stomach, 0.10 kg for head, – 0.48 kg for skin et – 0.07 kg for the four legs. It was concluded that fattening performances and carcass characteristics of Sardi and Boujaâd lambs were highly satisfactory and almost similar. Therefore, they could be used in pure breeding or as sire breeds in crossbreeding with other local breeds in order to improve sheep meat production in Morocco.

Construction Professionals Job Performance and Characteristics: A Comparison of Indigenous and Expatriate Construction Companies in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Ndubuisi Onukwube

2011-06-01

Job performance is considered one of the most important constructs in human resources management because it helps to explain the value and utility that each employee adds to the organisation. The professionals in the Nigerian construction companies are not exception to the perceived low job performance rate within the industry. Extant literature points to the fact that job characteristics of employees can account for variance in their job performance rate.This study compares the job performance rate and job characteristics of construction professionals in indigenous and expatriate construction companies with a view to establish a relationship between job performance and job characteristics of construction professionals. A total of 762 questionnaires were collected and used for the study.  Eighty one (81 construction companies, 50 (62% indigenous and 31 (38% expatriate were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data collected were analysed using mean item score, spearman rank correlation, linear regression analysis where appropriate. Findings of the study revealed that the relationship between job characteristics and job performance of construction professionals in construction companies in Nigeria is positive but low and the correlation coefficient is higher in expatriate construction companies. Based on the above finding, the study recommends that construction companies in Nigeria should endeavour and improve on their current core job dimensions (task significance, skill variety, task identity, autonomy and feedback inherent in various jobs designed within their respective organizations as this will constitute as one of the variants that will improve the job performance rate of construction professionals.

Key Performance Characteristics of Organic Shrimp Aquaculture in Southwest Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Reinhard Vogl

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In Bangladesh, black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon; Fabricius, 1798 aquaculture has come to be one of the most important sectors in both the rural and national economies. Likewise, organic shrimp aquaculture has emerged as an alternative farming enterprise for farmers especially in the southwestern districts of Bangladesh. The present study aims to show key performance characteristics of organic shrimp farmers and farming in a prototypical shrimp farming area in Bangladesh. Data was collected in 2009 from organic shrimp farmers in the Kaligonj and Shyamnagar sub-districts through questionnaire interviews, transect walks and focus group discussions. The mean productivity of organic shrimp farming in the area is 320 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (ranging from 120 to 711 kg ha⁻¹year⁻¹. Organic farmers are more likely to have a higher monthly income and less aquaculture experience. Moreover, suitable landholdings and classified labor distribution have been found to play an important role in the development of organic shrimp aquaculture. The most common assets of organic shrimp aquaculture are high yield, low production cost, available post larvae and high market prices. Small business farmers are likely to earn more income benefits from organic shrimp aquaculture than their larger-scale counterparts. Finally, the paper suggests that more research is needed to stimulate the success of organic shrimp aquaculture.

Carbon nanomaterials for high-performance supercapacitors

OpenAIRE

Tao Chen; Liming Dai

2013-01-01

Owing to their high energy density and power density, supercapacitors exhibit great potential as high-performance energy sources for advanced technologies. Recently, carbon nanomaterials (especially, carbon nanotubes and graphene) have been widely investigated as effective electrodes in supercapacitors due to their high specific surface area, excellent electrical and mechanical properties. This article summarizes the recent progresses on the development of high-performance supercapacitors bas...

The effect of individual characteristics of decision making and judgment on stock-flow performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raaijmakers, S.; Korzilius, H.P.L.M.; Rouwette, E.A.J.A.; Vennix, J.A.M.

2012-01-01

Extending the line of research on stock-flow performance we examined the impact of personality characteristics on task performance. It was assumed that the need for cognition, the need for closure and the preference for intuition and deliberation would relate to individual variations in

Clojure high performance programming

CERN Document Server

Kumar, Shantanu

2013-01-01

This is a short, practical guide that will teach you everything you need to know to start writing high performance Clojure code.This book is ideal for intermediate Clojure developers who are looking to get a good grip on how to achieve optimum performance. You should already have some experience with Clojure and it would help if you already know a little bit of Java. Knowledge of performance analysis and engineering is not required. For hands-on practice, you should have access to Clojure REPL with Leiningen.

In-system Performance of MQW Lasers Exposed to High Magnetic Field

CERN Document Server

Jensen, Fredrik Bjorn Henning; Azevedo, C S; Cervelli, Giovanni; Gill, Karl; Grabit, Robert; Vasey, François

2000-01-01

The effect of magnetic field has been investigated on 1310nm edge-emitting multi-quantum-well lasers. These lasers are candidate transmitters for the CMS tracker optical link, which will be operated in a 4T solenoidal magnetic field. In-situ measurements up to 2.4T of in-system laser analogue performance and laser spectral characteristics were carried out. No degradation of performance and spectral characteristics was observed

High performance waveguide-coupled Ge-on-Si linear mode avalanche photodiodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Nicholas J D; Derose, Christopher T; Brock, Reinhard W; Starbuck, Andrew L; Pomerene, Andrew T; Lentine, Anthony L; Trotter, Douglas C; Davids, Paul S

2016-08-22

We present experimental results for a selective epitaxially grown Ge-on-Si separate absorption and charge multiplication (SACM) integrated waveguide coupled avalanche photodiode (APD) compatible with our silicon photonics platform. Epitaxially grown Ge-on-Si waveguide-coupled linear mode avalanche photodiodes with varying lateral multiplication regions and different charge implant dimensions are fabricated and their illuminated device characteristics and high-speed performance is measured. We report a record gain-bandwidth product of 432 GHz for our highest performing waveguide-coupled avalanche photodiode operating at 1510nm. Bit error rate measurements show operation with BER-12, in the range from -18.3 dBm to -12 dBm received optical power into a 50 Ω load and open eye diagrams with 13 Gbps pseudo-random data at 1550 nm.

Do firm characteristics influence mutual fund performance? An empirical study for European mutual funds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, F.C.J.M.; Wingens, L.

2013-01-01

This study investigates the influence of fund management firm characteristics on mutual fund performance. Using a sample of European domiciled open-end equity funds for the period 1998-2008, this study finds that the funds of private companies have performed better than the funds of public

Delivering high performance BWR fuel reliably

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schardt, J.F.

1998-01-01

Utilities are under intense pressure to reduce their production costs in order to compete in the increasingly deregulated marketplace. They need fuel, which can deliver high performance to meet demanding operating strategies. GE's latest BWR fuel design, GE14, provides that high performance capability. GE's product introduction process assures that this performance will be delivered reliably, with little risk to the utility. (author)

Performance characteristics of broilers fed graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal

OpenAIRE

Ayo-Ajasa, O.Y.; Abiona, J.A.; Fafiolu, A.O.; Egbeyale, L.T.; Njoku1, C.P.; Omotayo1, I.G.; Odeyemi1, A.Y.; Abel, F.A.S.

2016-01-01

Cost of conventional protein sources is on the increase recently; hence, there is the need for cheaper alternative sources that will not compromise the performance characteristics of broiler birds taking into consideration the cost of production. Moringa leaf meal has been reported to increase the performance of broiler birds due to its rich protein content. Two hundred day-old broiler chicks were used to assess the effects of partial replacement of soya bean meal with Moringa (Moringa oleife...

Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Banai, Benjamin; Perin, Višnja

2016-01-01

Psychological correlates of academic performance have always been of high relevance to psychological research. The relation between psychometric intelligence and academic performance is one of the most consistent and well-established findings in psychology. It is hypothesized that intelligence puts a limit on what an individual can learn or achieve. Moreover, a growing body of literature indicates a relationship between personality traits and academic performance. This relationship helps us to better understand how an individual will learn or achieve their goals. The aim of this study is to further investigate the relationship between psychological correlates of academic performance by exploring the potentially moderating role of prior education. The participants in this study differed in the type of high school they attended. They went either to gymnasium, a general education type of high school that prepares students specifically for university studies, or to vocational school, which prepares students both for the labour market and for further studies. In this study, we used archival data of psychological testing during career guidance in the final year of high school, and information about the university graduation of those who received guidance. The psychological measures included intelligence, personality and general knowledge. The results show that gymnasium students had greater chances of performing well at university, and that this relationship exceeds the contribution of intelligence and personality traits to university graduation. Moreover, psychological measures did not interact with type of high school, which indicates that students from different school types do not profit from certain individual characteristics.

High performance bio-integrated devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Lee, Jongha; Park, Minjoon

2014-06-01

In recent years, personalized electronics for medical applications, particularly, have attracted much attention with the rise of smartphones because the coupling of such devices and smartphones enables the continuous health-monitoring in patients' daily life. Especially, it is expected that the high performance biomedical electronics integrated with the human body can open new opportunities in the ubiquitous healthcare. However, the mechanical and geometrical constraints inherent in all standard forms of high performance rigid wafer-based electronics raise unique integration challenges with biotic entities. Here, we describe materials and design constructs for high performance skin-mountable bio-integrated electronic devices, which incorporate arrays of single crystalline inorganic nanomembranes. The resulting electronic devices include flexible and stretchable electrophysiology electrodes and sensors coupled with active electronic components. These advances in bio-integrated systems create new directions in the personalized health monitoring and/or human-machine interfaces.

Levitation performance of the magnetized bulk high-T{sub c} superconducting magnet with different trapped fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, W. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, J.S., E-mail: tonny@mars.swjtu.edu.c [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Liao, X.L.; Zheng, S.J.; Ma, G.T.; Zheng, J. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Wang, S.Y. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University (ASCLab), Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); National Laboratory of Rail Transit, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)

2011-03-15

Research highlights: {yields} The different trapped fields bring entirely different levitation performance. {yields} The force relaxation characters is directly bound up with the trapped field. {yields} The higher trapped field not means better levitation performance. {yields} An profitable internal induced current configuration will benefit to suppress flux motion. - Abstract: To a high-T{sub c} superconducting (HTS) maglev system which needs large levitation force density, the magnetized bulk high-T{sub c} superconductor (HTSC) magnet is a good candidate because it can supply additional repulsive or attractive force above a permanent magnet guideway (PMG). Because the induced supercurrent within a magnetized bulk HTSC is the key parameter for the levitation performance, and it is sensitive to the magnetizing process and field, so the magnetized bulk HTSC magnets with different magnetizing processes had various levitation performances, not only the force magnitude, but also its force relaxation characteristics. Furthermore, the distribution and configuration of the induced supercurrent are also important factor to decide the levitation performance, especially the force relaxation characteristics. This article experimentally investigates the influences of different magnetizing processes and trapped fields on the levitation performance of a magnetized bulk HTSC magnet with smaller size than the magnetic inter-pole distance of PMG, and the obtained results are qualitatively analyzed by the Critical State Model. The test results and analyses of this article are useful for the suitable choice and optimal design of magnetized bulk HTSC magnets.

Effect of seawater and high-temperature history on swelling characteristics of bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Yukihisa; Nakamura, Kunihiko

2005-01-01

In the case of construction of repository for nuclear waste near the coastal area, the effect of seawater on swelling characteristics of bentonite as an engineering as an engineering barrier should be considered. Effects of high-temperature history on swelling characteristics of bentonite should also be considered because nuclear waste generates heat. Thus, in this study, swelling characteristics of bentonite on the conditions of high temperature history and seawater are investigated. The results of this study imply that : (1) Swelling strain of sodium bentonite or transformed sodium bentonite decrease as the salinity of water increases, whereas those of calcium bentonite are not affected by salinity of the water. (2) Quantitative evaluation method for swelling strain and swelling pressure of several kinds of bentonites under brine is proposed. (3) Using distilled water, swelling strain and swelling pressure of sodium bentonite with high-temperature history is less than those without high-temperature history. (author)

Solution-Processed Graphene/MnO 2 Nanostructured Textiles for High-Performance Electrochemical Capacitors

KAUST Repository

Yu, Guihua

2011-07-13

Large scale energy storage system with low cost, high power, and long cycle life is crucial for addressing the energy problem when connected with renewable energy production. To realize grid-scale applications of the energy storage devices, there remain several key issues including the development of low-cost, high-performance materials that are environmentally friendly and compatible with low-temperature and large-scale processing. In this report, we demonstrate that solution-exfoliated graphene nanosheets (∼5 nm thickness) can be conformably coated from solution on three-dimensional, porous textiles support structures for high loading of active electrode materials and to facilitate the access of electrolytes to those materials. With further controlled electrodeposition of pseudocapacitive MnO2 nanomaterials, the hybrid graphene/MnO2-based textile yields high-capacitance performance with specific capacitance up to 315 F/g achieved. Moreover, we have successfully fabricated asymmetric electrochemical capacitors with graphene/MnO 2-textile as the positive electrode and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)-textile as the negative electrode in an aqueous Na 2SO4 electrolyte solution. These devices exhibit promising characteristics with a maximum power density of 110 kW/kg, an energy density of 12.5 Wh/kg, and excellent cycling performance of ∼95% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles. Such low-cost, high-performance energy textiles based on solution-processed graphene/MnO2 hierarchical nanostructures offer great promise in large-scale energy storage device applications. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Gender differences in introductory university physics performance: The influence of high school physics preparation and affect

Science.gov (United States)

Hazari, Zahra Sana

The attrition of females studying physics after high school is a concern to the science education community. Most undergraduate science programs require introductory physics coursework. Thus, success in introductory physics is necessary for students to progress to higher levels of science study. Success also influences attitudes; if females are well-prepared, feel confident, and do well in introductory physics, they may be inclined to study physics further. This quantitative study using multilevel modeling focused on determining factors from high school physics preparation (content, pedagogy, and assessment) and the affective domain that influenced female and male performance in introductory university physics. The study controlled for some university/course level characteristics as well as student demographic and academic background characteristics. The data consisted of 1973 surveys from 54 introductory physics courses within 35 universities across the US. The results highlight high school physics and affective experiences that differentially influenced female and male performance. These experiences include: learning requirements, computer graphing/analysis, long written problems, everyday world examples, community projects, cumulative tests/quizzes, father's encouragement, family's belief that science leads to a better career, and the length of time students believed that high school physics would help in university physics. There were also experiences that had a similar influence on female and male performance. Positively related to performance were: covering fewer topics for longer periods of time, the history of physics as a recurring topic, physics-related videos, and test/quiz questions that involved calculations and/or were drawn from standardized tests. Negatively related to performance were: student-designed projects, reading/discussing labs the day before performing them, microcomputer based laboratories, discussion after demonstrations, and family

Emulation study on system characteristic of high pressure common-rail fuel injection system for marine medium-speed diesel engine

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qinpeng; Yang, Jianguo; Xin, Dong; He, Yuhai; Yu, Yonghua

2018-05-01

In this paper, based on the characteristic analyzing of the mechanical fuel injection system for the marine medium-speed diesel engine, a sectional high-pressure common rail fuel injection system is designed, rated condition rail pressure of which is 160MPa. The system simulation model is built and the performance of the high pressure common rail fuel injection system is analyzed, research results provide the technical foundation for the system engineering development.

High Performance Macromolecular Material

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Forest, M

2002-01-01

.... In essence, most commercial high-performance polymers are processed through fiber spinning, following Nature and spider silk, which is still pound-for-pound the toughest liquid crystalline polymer...

Hydrodynamic characteristics of high speed settling clarifiers by radiotracer method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffith Martinez, J.; Flores Juan, P.; Cuesta Borges, J.; Damera Martinez, A.; Ramos Espinosa, K. A

2005-01-01

Results achieved in the evaluation of two high-speed settling cane juice Clarifiers, one denominated ICINAZ The Express and the other one with Low Residence Time (BTR), both located at the sugar factory Orlando Gonzalez employing the well established radiotracer method (Tc-99m) are presented. Several trials performed at the two Clarifiers demonstrated that the one identified as BTR was capable to assimilate the whole flow capacity of the factory with adequate characteristic of the pattern flux and residence time in the environment of 1 hour. In the other side, ICINAZ The Express Clarifier could only work at relative low flow capacity of the factory with residence time closely to the two hours and achieving occasionally a pattern flux seriously affected by fluctuations in the milling process. The radiotracer method was able to detect certain differences between the two clear juice outlet of the BTR Clarifier, probably due some problems in the construction of this equipment

Distributed utility technology cost, performance, and environmental characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wan, Y; Adelman, S

1995-06-01

Distributed Utility (DU) is an emerging concept in which modular generation and storage technologies sited near customer loads in distribution systems and specifically targeted demand-side management programs are used to supplement conventional central station generation plants to meet customer energy service needs. Research has shown that implementation of the DU concept could provide substantial benefits to utilities. This report summarizes the cost, performance, and environmental and siting characteristics of existing and emerging modular generation and storage technologies that are applicable under the DU concept. It is intended to be a practical reference guide for utility planners and engineers seeking information on DU technology options. This work was funded by the Office of Utility Technologies of the US Department of Energy.

Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tseng, C.-J., E-mail: cjtseng@ncu.edu.t [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan (China); Lo, S.-K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan (China)

2010-04-15

Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm{sup 2} is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability.

Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung-Jen Tseng; Shih-Kun Lo [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320 (China)

2010-04-15

Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm{sup 2} is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability. (author)

Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tseng, C.-J.; Lo, S.-K.

2010-01-01

Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm 2 is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability.

Delivering high performance BWR fuel reliably

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schardt, J.F. [GE Nuclear Energy, Wilmington, NC (United States)

1998-07-01

Utilities are under intense pressure to reduce their production costs in order to compete in the increasingly deregulated marketplace. They need fuel, which can deliver high performance to meet demanding operating strategies. GE's latest BWR fuel design, GE14, provides that high performance capability. GE's product introduction process assures that this performance will be delivered reliably, with little risk to the utility. (author)

Standard test methods for performance characteristics of metallic bonded resistance strain gages

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1992-01-01

1.1 The purpose of this standard is to provide uniform test methods for the determination of strain gauge performance characteristics. Suggested testing equipment designs are included. 1.2 Test Methods E 251 describes methods and procedures for determining five strain gauge parameters: Section Part I—General Requirements 7 Part II—Resistance at a Reference Temperature 8 Part III—Gauge Factor at a Reference Temperature 9 Part IV—Temperature Coefficient of Gauge Factor\t10 Part V—Transverse Sensitivity\t11 Part VI—Thermal Output\t12 1.3 Strain gauges are very sensitive devices with essentially infinite resolution. Their response to strain, however, is low and great care must be exercised in their use. The performance characteristics identified by these test methods must be known to an acceptable accuracy to obtain meaningful results in field applications. 1.3.1 Strain gauge resistance is used to balance instrumentation circuits and to provide a reference value for measurements since all data are...

Carpet Aids Learning in High Performance Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Hurd, Frank

2009-01-01

The Healthy and High Performance Schools Act of 2002 has set specific federal guidelines for school design, and developed a federal/state partnership program to assist local districts in their school planning. According to the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), high-performance schools are, among other things, healthy, comfortable,…

Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV): high-performance genomics data visualization and exploration.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorvaldsdóttir, Helga; Robinson, James T; Mesirov, Jill P

2013-03-01

Data visualization is an essential component of genomic data analysis. However, the size and diversity of the data sets produced by today's sequencing and array-based profiling methods present major challenges to visualization tools. The Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) is a high-performance viewer that efficiently handles large heterogeneous data sets, while providing a smooth and intuitive user experience at all levels of genome resolution. A key characteristic of IGV is its focus on the integrative nature of genomic studies, with support for both array-based and next-generation sequencing data, and the integration of clinical and phenotypic data. Although IGV is often used to view genomic data from public sources, its primary emphasis is to support researchers who wish to visualize and explore their own data sets or those from colleagues. To that end, IGV supports flexible loading of local and remote data sets, and is optimized to provide high-performance data visualization and exploration on standard desktop systems. IGV is freely available for download from http://www.broadinstitute.org/igv, under a GNU LGPL open-source license.

High performance visual display for HENP detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGuigan, Michael; Smith, Gordon; Spiletic, John; Fine, Valeri; Nevski, Pavel

2001-01-01

A high end visual display for High Energy Nuclear Physics (HENP) detectors is necessary because of the sheer size and complexity of the detector. For BNL this display will be of special interest because of STAR and ATLAS. To load, rotate, query, and debug simulation code with a modern detector simply takes too long even on a powerful work station. To visualize the HENP detectors with maximal performance we have developed software with the following characteristics. We develop a visual display of HENP detectors on BNL multiprocessor visualization server at multiple level of detail. We work with general and generic detector framework consistent with ROOT, GAUDI etc, to avoid conflicting with the many graphic development groups associated with specific detectors like STAR and ATLAS. We develop advanced OpenGL features such as transparency and polarized stereoscopy. We enable collaborative viewing of detector and events by directly running the analysis in BNL stereoscopic theatre. We construct enhanced interactive control, including the ability to slice, search and mark areas of the detector. We incorporate the ability to make a high quality still image of a view of the detector and the ability to generate animations and a fly through of the detector and output these to MPEG or VRML models. We develop data compression hardware and software so that remote interactive visualization will be possible among dispersed collaborators. We obtain real time visual display for events accumulated during simulations

Relationship between musical characteristics and temporal breathing pattern in piano performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yutaka Sakaguchi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Although there is growing evidence that breathing is modulated by various motor and cognitive activities, the nature of breathing in musical performance has been little explored. The present study examined the temporal breath pattern in piano performance, aiming to elucidate how breath timing is related to musical organization/events and performance. In the experiments, the respiration of 15 professional and amateur pianists, playing 10 music excerpts in total (from four-octave C major scale, Hanon’s exercise, J. S. Bach’s Invention, Mozart’s Sonatas, and Debussy’s Clair de lune, was monitored by capnography. The relationship between breathing and musical characteristics was analyzed. Five major results were obtained. 1 Mean breath interval was shortened for excerpts in faster tempi. 2 Fluctuation of breath intervals was reduced for the pieces for finger exercise and those in faster tempi. Pianists showing large within-trial fluctuation also exhibited large inter-excerpt difference. 3 Inter-trial consistency of the breath patterns depended on the excerpts. Consistency was generally reduced for the excerpts that could be performed mechanically (i.e., pieces for finger exercise, but interestingly, one third of the participant showed consistent patterns for the simple scale, correlated with the ascending/descending sequences. 4 Pianists tended to exhale just after the music onsets, inhale at the rests, and inhibit inhale during the slur parts. There was correlation between breathing pattern and two-voice polyphonic structure for several participants. 5 Respiratory patterns were notably different among the pianists. Every pianist showed his or her own characteristic features commonly for various musical works. These findings suggest that breathing in piano performance depends not only on musical parameters and organization written in the score but also some pianist-dependent factors which might be ingrained to individual pianists.

Relationship between Musical Characteristics and Temporal Breathing Pattern in Piano Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakaguchi, Yutaka; Aiba, Eriko

2016-01-01

Although there is growing evidence that breathing is modulated by various motor and cognitive activities, the nature of breathing in musical performance has been little explored. The present study examined the temporal breath pattern in piano performance, aiming to elucidate how breath timing is related to musical organization/events and performance. In the experiments, the respiration of 15 professional and amateur pianists, playing 10 music excerpts in total (from four-octave C major scale, Hanon's exercise, J. S. Bach's Invention, Mozart's Sonatas, and Debussy's Clair de lune), was monitored by capnography. The relationship between breathing and musical characteristics was analyzed. Five major results were obtained. (1) Mean breath interval was shortened for excerpts in faster tempi. (2) Fluctuation of breath intervals was reduced for the pieces for finger exercise and those in faster tempi. Pianists showing large within-trial fluctuation also exhibited large inter-excerpt difference. (3) Inter-trial consistency of the breath patterns depended on the excerpts. Consistency was generally reduced for the excerpts that could be performed mechanically (i.e., pieces for finger exercise), but interestingly, one third of the participant showed consistent patterns for the simple scale, correlated with the ascending/descending sequences. (4) Pianists tended to exhale just after the music onsets, inhale at the rests, and inhibit inhale during the slur parts. There was correlation between breathing pattern and two-voice polyphonic structure for several participants. (5) Respiratory patterns were notably different among the pianists. Every pianist showed his or her own characteristic features commonly for various musical works. These findings suggest that breathing in piano performance depends not only on musical parameters and organization written in the score but also some pianist-dependent factors which might be ingrained to individual pianists.

High-performance-vehicle technology. [fighter aircraft propulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Povinelli, L. A.

1979-01-01

Propulsion needs of high performance military aircraft are discussed. Inlet performance, nozzle performance and cooling, and afterburner performance are covered. It is concluded that nonaxisymmetric nozzles provide cleaner external lines and enhanced maneuverability, but the internal flows are more complex. Swirl afterburners show promise for enhanced performance in the high altitude, low Mach number region.

Structural Model for the Effects of Environmental Elements on the Psychological Characteristics and Performance of the Employees of Manufacturing Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Realyvásquez, Arturo; Maldonado-Macías, Aidé Aracely; García-Alcaraz, Jorge; Cortés-Robles, Guillermo; Blanco-Fernández, Julio

2016-01-05

This paper analyzes the effects of environmental elements on the psychological characteristics and performance of employees in manufacturing systems using structural equation modeling. Increasing the comprehension of these effects may help optimize manufacturing systems regarding their employees' psychological characteristics and performance from a macroergonomic perspective. As the method, a new macroergonomic compatibility questionnaire (MCQ) was developed and statistically validated, and 158 respondents at four manufacture companies were considered. Noise, lighting and temperature, humidity and air quality (THAQ) were used as independent variables and psychological characteristics and employees' performance as dependent variables. To propose and test the hypothetical causal model of significant relationships among the variables, a data analysis was deployed. Results found that the macroergonomic compatibility of environmental elements presents significant direct effects on employees' psychological characteristics and either direct or indirect effects on the employees' performance. THAQ had the highest direct and total effects on psychological characteristics. Regarding the direct and total effects on employees' performance, the psychological characteristics presented the highest effects, followed by THAQ conditions. These results may help measure and optimize manufacturing systems' performance by enhancing their macroergonomic compatibility and quality of life at work of the employees.

Academic performance in high school as factor associated to academic performance in college

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mileidy Salcedo Barragán

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This study intends to find the relationship between academic performance in High School and College, focusing on Natural Sciences and Mathematics. It is a descriptive correlational study, and the variables were academic performance in High School, performance indicators and educational history. The correlations between variables were established with Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Results suggest that there is a positive relationship between academic performance in High School and Educational History, and a very weak relationship between performance in Science and Mathematics in High School and performance in College.

High-Performance WSe2 Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Technology and Integrated Circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Lili; Zubair, Ahmad; Santos, Elton J G; Zhang, Xu; Lin, Yuxuan; Zhang, Yuhao; Palacios, Tomás

2015-08-12

Because of their extraordinary structural and electrical properties, two-dimensional materials are currently being pursued for applications such as thin-film transistors and integrated circuit. One of the main challenges that still needs to be overcome for these applications is the fabrication of air-stable transistors with industry-compatible complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a novel high performance air-stable WSe2 CMOS technology with almost ideal voltage transfer characteristic, full logic swing and high noise margin with different supply voltages. More importantly, the inverter shows large voltage gain (∼38) and small static power (picowatts), paving the way for low power electronic system in 2D materials.

High Performance Grinding and Advanced Cutting Tools

CERN Document Server

Jackson, Mark J

2013-01-01

High Performance Grinding and Advanced Cutting Tools discusses the fundamentals and advances in high performance grinding processes, and provides a complete overview of newly-developing areas in the field. Topics covered are grinding tool formulation and structure, grinding wheel design and conditioning and applications using high performance grinding wheels. Also included are heat treatment strategies for grinding tools, using grinding tools for high speed applications, laser-based and diamond dressing techniques, high-efficiency deep grinding, VIPER grinding, and new grinding wheels.

Defect states and charge trapping characteristics of HfO2 films for high performance nonvolatile memory applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y.; Shao, Y. Y.; Lu, X. B.; Zeng, M.; Zhang, Z.; Gao, X. S.; Zhang, X. J.; Liu, J.-M.; Dai, J. Y.

2014-01-01

In this work, we present significant charge trapping memory effects of the metal-hafnium oxide-SiO 2 -Si (MHOS) structure. The devices based on 800 °C annealed HfO 2 film exhibit a large memory window of ∼5.1 V under ±10 V sweeping voltages and excellent charge retention properties with only small charge loss of ∼2.6% after more than 10 4  s retention. The outstanding memory characteristics are attributed to the high density of deep defect states in HfO 2 films. We investigated the defect states in the HfO 2 films by photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation measurements and found that the defect states distributed in deep energy levels ranging from 1.1 eV to 2.9 eV below the conduction band. Our work provides further insights for the charge trapping mechanisms of the HfO 2 based MHOS devices.

Performance characteristics of solar air heater with surface mounted obstacles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekele, Adisu; Mishra, Manish; Dutta, Sushanta

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Solar air heater with delta shaped obstacles have been studied. • Obstacle angle of incidence strongly affects the thermo-hydraulic performance. • Thermal performance of obstacle mounted collectors is superior to smooth collectors. • Thermo-hydraulic performance of the present SAH is higher than those in previous studies. - Abstract: The performance of conventional solar air heaters (SAHs) can be improved by providing obstacles on the heated wall (i.e. on the absorber plate). Experiments have been performed to collect heat transfer and flow-friction data from an air heater duct with delta-shaped obstacles mounted on the absorber surface and having an aspect ratio 6:1 resembling the conditions close to the solar air heaters. This study encompassed for the range of Reynolds number (Re) from 2100 to 30,000, relative obstacle height (e/H) from 0.25 to 0.75, relative obstacle longitudinal pitch (P l /e) from 3/2 to 11/2, relative obstacle transverse pitch (P t /b) from 1 to 7/3 and the angle of incidence (α) varied from 30° to 90°. The thermo-hydraulic performance characteristics of SAH have been compared with the previous published works and the optimum range of the geometries have been explored for the better performance of such air-heaters compared to the other designs of solar air heaters

Characteristics of borosilicate waste glass form for high-level radioactive waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Seung Soo; Chun, Kwan Sik; Choi, Jong Won; Kang, Chul Hyung

2001-03-01

Basic data, required for the design and the performance assessment of a repository of HLW, suchas the chemical composition and the characteristics of the borosilicate waste glass have been identified according to the burn-ups of spent PWR fuels. The diemnsion of waste canister is 430mm in diameter and 1135mm in length, and the canister should hold less than 2kwatts of heat from their decay of radionuclides contained in the HLW. Based on the reprocessing of 5 years-cooled spent fuel, one canister could hold about 11.5wt.% and 10.8wt.% of oxidized HLW corresponding to their burn-ups of 45,000MWD/MTU and 55,000MWD/MTU, respectively. These waste forms have been recommanded as the reference waste forms of HLW. The characteristics of these wastes as a function of decay time been evaluated. However, after a specific waste form and a specific site for the disposal would be selected, the characteristics of the waste should be reevaluated under the consideration of solidification period, loaded waste, storage condition and duration, site circumstances for the repository system and its performance assessment.

Elucidating the Performance Limitations of Lithium-ion Batteries due to Species and Charge Transport through Five Characteristic Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Fangming; Peng, Peng

2016-01-01

Underutilization due to performance limitations imposed by species and charge transports is one of the key issues that persist with various lithium-ion batteries. To elucidate the relevant mechanisms, two groups of characteristic parameters were proposed. The first group contains three characteristic time parameters, namely: (1) te, which characterizes the Li-ion transport rate in the electrolyte phase, (2) ts, characterizing the lithium diffusion rate in the solid active materials, and (3) tc, describing the local Li-ion depletion rate in electrolyte phase at the electrolyte/electrode interface due to electrochemical reactions. The second group contains two electric resistance parameters: Re and Rs, which represent respectively, the equivalent ionic transport resistance and the effective electronic transport resistance in the electrode. Electrochemical modeling and simulations to the discharge process of LiCoO2 cells reveal that: (1) if te, ts and tc are on the same order of magnitude, the species transports may not cause any performance limitations to the battery; (2) the underlying mechanisms of performance limitations due to thick electrode, high-rate operation, and large-sized active material particles as well as effects of charge transports are revealed. The findings may be used as quantitative guidelines in the development and design of more advanced Li-ion batteries. PMID:27599870

Quantification of sulphur amino acids by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography in aquatic invertebrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Thera, Jennifer C; Kidd, Karen A; Dodge-Lynch, M Elaine; Bertolo, Robert F

2017-12-15

We examined the performance of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method to quantify protein-bound sulphur amino acids in zooplankton. Both cysteic acid and methionine sulfone were linear from 5 to 250 pmol (r 2  = 0.99), with a method detection limit of 13 pmol and 9 pmol, respectively. Although there was no matrix effect on linearity, adjacent peaks and co-eluting noise from the invertebrate proteins increased the detection limits when compared to common standards. Overall, performance characteristics were reproducible and accurate, and provide a means for quantifying sulphur amino acids in aquatic invertebrates, an understudied group. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERISTIC PERFORMANCE OF STANDALONE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

OpenAIRE

Birendra Kishore; Anirban Nandy*; O.P. Pandey

2016-01-01

This paper demonstrates an insight solar PV Stand Alone system which is a practical model with a halogen light source. At different situations the performance of solar PV cells are analyzed. The system produces power with depending on the change in halogen light intensity & temperature. A theoretical & experimental analysis of the PV cell can be achieved. In this paper the I-V & P-V characteristic of the solar photovoltaic cells with changes in temperature and isolation have been showed. With...

Highlighting High Performance: Whitman Hanson Regional High School; Whitman, Massachusetts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2006-06-01

This brochure describes the key high-performance building features of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. The brochure was paid for by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative as part of their Green Schools Initiative. High-performance features described are daylighting and energy-efficient lighting, indoor air quality, solar and wind energy, building envelope, heating and cooling systems, water conservation, and acoustics. Energy cost savings are also discussed.

High performance MIIM diode based on cobalt oxide/titanium oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Herner, S. B.; Weerakkody, A. D.; Belkadi, A.; Moddel, G.

2017-05-01

Optical rectennas for infrared energy harvesting commonly incorporate metal/double-insulator/metal diodes. Required diode characteristics include high responsivity and low resistance near zero bias with a sub-micron area, which have not been obtainable simultaneously. Diodes based on a new material set, Co/Co3O4/TiO2/Ti and an area of 0.071 μm2, provide a median maximum responsivity of 4.1 A/W, a median zero-bias responsivity of 1.2 A/W, and a median resistance of 14 kΩ. The highest performing diode has a maximum responsivity of 4.4 A/W, a zero-bias responsivity of 2.2 A/W, and a resistance of 18 kΩ.

Parallel Backprojection: A Case Study in High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cordes Ben

2009-01-01

Full Text Available High-performance reconfigurable computing (HPRC is a novel approach to provide large-scale computing power to modern scientific applications. Using both general-purpose processors and FPGAs allows application designers to exploit fine-grained and coarse-grained parallelism, achieving high degrees of speedup. One scientific application that benefits from this technique is backprojection, an image formation algorithm that can be used as part of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR processing system. We present an implementation of backprojection for SAR on an HPRC system. Using simulated data taken at a variety of ranges, our implementation runs over 200 times faster than a similar software program, with an overall application speedup better than 50x. The backprojection application is easily parallelizable, achieving near-linear speedup when run on multiple nodes of a clustered HPRC system. The results presented can be applied to other systems and other algorithms with similar characteristics.

Parallel Backprojection: A Case Study in High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2009-03-01

Full Text Available High-performance reconfigurable computing (HPRC is a novel approach to provide large-scale computing power to modern scientific applications. Using both general-purpose processors and FPGAs allows application designers to exploit fine-grained and coarse-grained parallelism, achieving high degrees of speedup. One scientific application that benefits from this technique is backprojection, an image formation algorithm that can be used as part of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR processing system. We present an implementation of backprojection for SAR on an HPRC system. Using simulated data taken at a variety of ranges, our implementation runs over 200 times faster than a similar software program, with an overall application speedup better than 50x. The backprojection application is easily parallelizable, achieving near-linear speedup when run on multiple nodes of a clustered HPRC system. The results presented can be applied to other systems and other algorithms with similar characteristics.

Wavelet-OFDM Signal Transmission Characteristics with High-Speed PLC Modem

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagawa, Kenichi; Tokuda, Masamitsu; Igata, Yuji

In this paper, we measured the interference immunity characteristics of high-speed PLC system using Wavelet-OFDM when the narrowband conducted interference wave signal was injected. As the results, it was clear that (1) measured PHY rate at the all frequency band hardly decreased in C/I (Carrier to Interference ratio) of above 20dB, but began to decrease rapidly in C/I of below 0dB when the interference signal was injected in the frequency band of high-speed PLC signal, (2) when C/I became from 0dB to -20dB, the measured PHY rate at the frequency existing the notch band were improved around 10Mbps than that at the frequency not existing the notch band, (3) when the narrowband interference wave was injected outside of frequency band of high-speed PLC signal, the measured PHY rate did not decrease than that in each notch band. Therefore, it was revealed that high-speed PLC system using Wavelet-OFDM had good interference immunity characteristics.

Effects of the number of inducer blades on the anti-cavitation characteristics and external performance of a centrifugal pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, XiaoMei; Shi, GaoPing; Zhu, ZuChao; Cui, BaoLing

2016-01-01

Installing an inducer upstream of the main impeller is an effective approach for improving the anti-cavitation performance of a high speed centrifugal pump. For a high-speed centrifugal pump with an inducer, the number of inducer blades can affect its internal flow and external performance. We studied the manner in which the number of inducer blades can affect the anti-cavitation characteristics and external performance of a centrifugal pump. We first use the Rayleigh-Plesset equation and the mixture model to simulate the vapor liquid flow in a centrifugal pump with an inducer, and then predict its external performance. Finally, we tested the external performance of a centrifugal pump with 2-, 3- and 4-bladed inducers, respectively. The results show that the simulations of external performance in a centrifugal pump are in accordance with our experiments. Based on this, we obtained vapor volume fraction distributions for the inducer, the impeller, and in the corresponding whole flow parts. We discovered that the vapor volume fraction of a centrifugal pump with a 3- bladed inducer is less than that of a centrifugal pump with 2- or 4-bladed inducers, which means that a centrifugal pump with a 3-bladed inducer has a better external and anti-cavitation performance.

High performance polymeric foams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gargiulo, M.; Sorrentino, L.; Iannace, S.

2008-01-01

The aim of this work was to investigate the foamability of high-performance polymers (polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, polyetherimide and polyethylenenaphtalate). Two different methods have been used to prepare the foam samples: high temperature expansion and two-stage batch process. The effects of processing parameters (saturation time and pressure, foaming temperature) on the densities and microcellular structures of these foams were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy

Drag Reduction and Performance Improvement of Hydraulic Torque Converters with Multiple Biological Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Chunbao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Fish-like, dolphin-like, and bionic nonsmooth surfaces were employed in a hydraulic torque converter to achieve drag reduction and performance improvement, which were aimed at reducing profile loss, impacting loss and friction loss, respectively. YJSW335, a twin turbine torque converter, was bionically designed delicately. The biological characteristics consisted of fish-like blades in all four wheels, dolphin-like structure in the first turbine and the stator, and nonsmooth surfaces in the pump. The prediction performance of bionic YJSW335, obtained by computational fluid dynamics simulation, was improved compared with that of the original model, and then it could be proved that drag reduction had been achieved. The mechanism accounting for drag reduction of three factors was also investigated. After bionic design, the torque ratio and the highest efficiencies of YJSW335 were both advanced, which were very difficult to achieve through traditional design method. Moreover, the highest efficiency of the low speed area and high speed area is 85.65% and 86.32%, respectively. By economic matching analysis of the original and bionic powertrains, the latter can significantly reduce the fuel consumption and improve the operating economy of the loader.

Responsive design high performance

CERN Document Server

Els, Dewald

2015-01-01

This book is ideal for developers who have experience in developing websites or possess minor knowledge of how responsive websites work. No experience of high-level website development or performance tweaking is required.

Performance and emission characteristics of double biodiesel blends with diesel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuthalingam Arun Balasubramanian

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Recent research on biodiesel focused on performance of single biodiesel and its blends with diesel. The present work aims to investigate the possibilities of the application of mixtures of two biodiesel and its blends with diesel as a fuel for diesel engines. The combinations of Pongamia pinnata biodiesel, Mustard oil biodiesel along with diesel (PMD and combinations of Cotton seed biodiesel, Pongamia pinnata biodiesel along with diesel (CPD are taken for the experimental analysis. Experiments are conducted using a single cylinder direct-injection diesel engine with different loads at rated 3000 rpm. The engine characteristics of the two sets of double biodiesel blends are compared. For the maximum load, the value of Specific Fuel consumption and thermal efficiency of CPD-1 blend (10:10:80 is close to the diesel values. CPD blends give better engine characteristics than PMD blends. The blends of CPD are suitable alternative fuel for diesel in stationary/agricultural diesel engines.

Striving for Excellence Sometimes Hinders High Achievers: Performance-Approach Goals Deplete Arithmetical Performance in Students with High Working Memory Capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Crouzevialle, Marie; Smeding, Annique; Butera, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

We tested whether the goal to attain normative superiority over other students, referred to as performance-approach goals, is particularly distractive for high-Working Memory Capacity (WMC) students—that is, those who are used to being high achievers. Indeed, WMC is positively related to high-order cognitive performance and academic success, a record of success that confers benefits on high-WMC as compared to low-WMC students. We tested whether such benefits may turn out to be a burden under performance-approach goal pursuit. Indeed, for high achievers, aiming to rise above others may represent an opportunity to reaffirm their positive status—a stake susceptible to trigger disruptive outcome concerns that interfere with task processing. Results revealed that with performance-approach goals—as compared to goals with no emphasis on social comparison—the higher the students’ WMC, the lower their performance at a complex arithmetic task (Experiment 1). Crucially, this pattern appeared to be driven by uncertainty regarding the chances to outclass others (Experiment 2). Moreover, an accessibility measure suggested the mediational role played by status-related concerns in the observed disruption of performance. We discuss why high-stake situations can paradoxically lead high-achievers to sub-optimally perform when high-order cognitive performance is at play. PMID:26407097

Analysis of the Constituents in “Zhu She Yong Xue Shuan Tong” by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Combined with Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin-Lin Wang

2015-11-01

Full Text Available “Zhu She Yong Xue Shuan Tong” lyophilized powder (ZSYXST, consists of a series of saponins extracted from Panax notoginseng, which has been widely used in China for the treatment of strokes. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS combined with preparative high performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC method was developed to rapidly identify both major and minor saponins in ZSYXST. Some high content components were removed through PHPLC in order to increase the sensitivity of the trace saponins. Then, specific characteristic fragment ions in both positive and negative mode were utilized to determine the types of aglycone, saccharide, as well as the saccharide chain linkages. As a result, 94 saponins, including 20 pairs of isomers and ten new compounds, which could represent higher than 98% components in ZSYXST, were identified or tentatively identified in commercial ZSYXST samples.

High-performance ceramics. Fabrication, structure, properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petzow, G.; Tobolski, J.; Telle, R.

1996-01-01

The program ''Ceramic High-performance Materials'' pursued the objective to understand the chaining of cause and effect in the development of high-performance ceramics. This chain of problems begins with the chemical reactions for the production of powders, comprises the characterization, processing, shaping and compacting of powders, structural optimization, heat treatment, production and finishing, and leads to issues of materials testing and of a design appropriate to the material. The program ''Ceramic High-performance Materials'' has resulted in contributions to the understanding of fundamental interrelationships in terms of materials science, which are summarized in the present volume - broken down into eight special aspects. (orig./RHM)

Performance characteristics of a continuous-flow fluidic pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, S.M.; Counce, R.M.; Smith, G.V.

1987-01-01

The fluidic pump is a type of positive-displacement pump in which basic fluid mechanics phenomena are utilized to eliminate valves and other moving parts that are exposed to the fluid being transferred. The version described in this article is powered by gas pressure serving as gas pistons and is virtually maintenance-free. It utilizes two displacement vessels and is designed to produce a steady and continuous liquid flow. This type of pump may be very useful for the transfer of radioactive or hazardous liquids where mechanical maintenance may be difficult or exposure of personnel to the fluid is undesirable. This paper presents experimental and model-predicted characteristics of such systems. The effects of several geometric parameters and operating conditions on the performance of the pump are briefly discussed

Effects of dimethyl ether on the performance characteristics of a direct methanol fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Sang Hern; Lee, Chang Sik

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Activation loss is significantly reduced in fuel cell with DME-methanol. • DME crossover through the membrane reduces. • The open circuit voltage of DME-methanol the fuel cell increases. • The overall efficiency of the mixed fuel cell is higher than that of DMFC. - Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dimethyl ether (DME) on the performance characteristics of a direct methanol fuel cell. Impedance and crossover experiments were performed in order to investigate the performance losses such as ohmic loss, activation loss and crossover loss accurately. The DME was pressurized to 5 bar to supply with liquid phase was and blended with an aqueous methanol solution. In this experiment, the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was composed of Nafion 115, anode catalyst loaded Pt–Ru and cathode catalyst loaded Pt-Black. Experimental results showed that fuel cells with DME-methanol enhanced performance when compared to fuel cells with methanol only. Such performance enhancement was due to a decrease in activation losses by DME oxidation reactions. As the DME crossover through the membrane was reduced, the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the fuel cell increased. Other output characteristics are also discussed

Simulation of Assembly Tolerance and Characteristics of High Pressure Common Rail Injector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiping Lu

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Fuel injector is the key part of a high-pressure common rail fuel injection system. Its manufacturing precision and assembly quality affect system's property and performance. According to the characteristics and demands of assembly of the fuel injector, an intelligent optimization algorithm is proposed to resolve the problem of assembly sequence planning. Based on geometric modeling, assembly dimension chain of the injector control chamber is established, and the relationship between assembly tolerance and volume change of control chamber is analyzed. The optimization model of the assembly is established. The impact of assembly tolerance on injector's performance is simulated according to the optimization algorithm. The simulation result shows that quantity of injection fuel changes correspondingly with the change of assembly tolerance, while injection rate and pressure do not change significantly, and the response rate of needle considerably slow. Similarly, the leakage rate of fuel in control chamber is calculated, indicating that the assembly tolerance has obvious impact on fuel leakage and its rate. The study illuminates that injector's assembly tolerance has prominent effect on injection.

High Performance Regenerated Cellulose Membranes from Trimethylsilyl Cellulose

KAUST Repository

Ali, Ola

2013-05-01

Regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes are extensively used in medical and pharmaceutical separation processes due to their biocompatibility, low fouling tendency and solvent resistant properties. They typically possess ultrafiltration and microfiltration separation characteristics, but recently, there have been attempts to widen their pool of applications in nanofiltration processes. In this work, a novel method for preparing high performance composite RC membranes was developed. These membranes reveal molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO) of less than 250 daltons, which possibly put them ahead of all commercial RC membranes and in competition with high performance nanofiltration membranes. The membranes were prepared by acidic hydrolysis of dip-coated trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC) films. TMSC, with a degree of silylation (DS) of 2.8, was prepared from microcrystalline cellulose by reaction with hexamethyldisilazane under the homogeneous conditions of LiCl/DMAC solvent system. Effects of parameters, such as coating solution concentration and drying rates, were investigated. It was concluded that higher TMSC concentrations as well as higher solvent evaporation rates favor better MWCOs, mainly due to increase in the selective layer thickness. Successful cross-linking of prepared membranes with glyoxal solutions, in the presence of boric acid as a catalyst, resulted in MWCOs less than 250 daltons. The suitability of this crosslinking reaction for large scale productions was already proven in the manufacturing of durable-press fabrics. For us, the inexpensive raw materials as well as the low reaction times and temperatures were of interest. Moreover, the non-toxic nature of glyoxal is a key advantage in medical and pharmaceutical applications. The membranes prepared in this work are strong candidates for separation of small organic solutes from organic solvents streams in pharmaceutical industries. Their hydrophilicity, compared to typical nanofiltration membranes, offer

Design and performance of high-pressure PLANET beamline at pulsed neutron source at J-PARC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hattori, T.; Sano-Furukawa, A. [J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Quantum Beam Science Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Arima, H. [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Komatsu, K. [Geochemical Research Center, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Yamada, A. [University of Shiga Prefecture, Shiga 522-8533 (Japan); Inamura, Y.; Nakatani, T. [J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Seto, Y. [Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501 (Japan); Nagai, T. [Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810 (Japan); Utsumi, W. [Quantum Beam Science Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Iitaka, T. [Computational Astrophysics Laboratory, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Kagi, H. [Geochemical Research Center, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Katayama, Y. [Quantum Beam Science Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Inoue, T. [Geodynamic Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Otomo, T. [J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 205-001 (Japan); Suzuya, K. [J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Kamiyama, T. [J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 205-001 (Japan); Arai, M. [J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Yagi, T. [Geochemical Research Center, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

2015-04-21

PLANET is a time-of-flight (ToF) neutron beamline dedicated to high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. The large six-axis multi-anvil high-pressure press designed for ToF neutron diffraction experiments enables routine data collection at high pressures and high temperatures up to 10 GPa and 2000 K, respectively. To obtain clean data, the beamline is equipped with the incident slits and receiving collimators to eliminate parasitic scattering from the high-pressure cell assembly. The high performance of the diffractometer for the resolution (Δd/d~0.6%) and the accessible d-spacing range (0.2–8.4 Å) together with low-parasitic scattering characteristics enables precise structure determination of crystals and liquids under high pressure and temperature conditions.

Design and performance of high-pressure PLANET beamline at pulsed neutron source at J-PARC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattori, T.; Sano-Furukawa, A.; Arima, H.; Komatsu, K.; Yamada, A.; Inamura, Y.; Nakatani, T.; Seto, Y.; Nagai, T.; Utsumi, W.; Iitaka, T.; Kagi, H.; Katayama, Y.; Inoue, T.; Otomo, T.; Suzuya, K.; Kamiyama, T.; Arai, M.; Yagi, T.

2015-01-01

PLANET is a time-of-flight (ToF) neutron beamline dedicated to high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. The large six-axis multi-anvil high-pressure press designed for ToF neutron diffraction experiments enables routine data collection at high pressures and high temperatures up to 10 GPa and 2000 K, respectively. To obtain clean data, the beamline is equipped with the incident slits and receiving collimators to eliminate parasitic scattering from the high-pressure cell assembly. The high performance of the diffractometer for the resolution (Δd/d~0.6%) and the accessible d-spacing range (0.2–8.4 Å) together with low-parasitic scattering characteristics enables precise structure determination of crystals and liquids under high pressure and temperature conditions

Double Helical Gear Performance Results in High Speed Gear Trains

Science.gov (United States)

Handschuh, Robert F.; Ehinger, Ryan; Sinusas, Eric; Kilmain, Charles

2010-01-01

The operation of high speed gearing systems in the transmissions of tiltrotor aircraft has an effect on overall propulsion system efficiency. Recent work has focused on many aspects of high-speed helical gear trains as would be used in tiltrotor aircraft such as operational characteristics, comparison of analytical predictions to experimental data and the affect of superfinishing on transmission performance. Baseline tests of an aerospace quality system have been conducted in the NASA Glenn High-Speed Helical Gear Train Test Facility and have been described in earlier studies. These earlier tests had utilized single helical gears. The results that will be described in this study are those attained using double helical gears. This type of gear mesh can be configured in this facility to either pump the air-oil environment from the center gap between the meshing gears to the outside of tooth ends or in the reverse direction. Tests were conducted with both inward and outward air-oil pumping directions. Results are compared to the earlier baseline results of single helical gears.

High performance data transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Cottrell, R.; Fang, C.; Hanushevsky, A.; Kreuger, W.; Yang, W.

2017-10-01

The exponentially increasing need for high speed data transfer is driven by big data, and cloud computing together with the needs of data intensive science, High Performance Computing (HPC), defense, the oil and gas industry etc. We report on the Zettar ZX software. This has been developed since 2013 to meet these growing needs by providing high performance data transfer and encryption in a scalable, balanced, easy to deploy and use way while minimizing power and space utilization. In collaboration with several commercial vendors, Proofs of Concept (PoC) consisting of clusters have been put together using off-the- shelf components to test the ZX scalability and ability to balance services using multiple cores, and links. The PoCs are based on SSD flash storage that is managed by a parallel file system. Each cluster occupies 4 rack units. Using the PoCs, between clusters we have achieved almost 200Gbps memory to memory over two 100Gbps links, and 70Gbps parallel file to parallel file with encryption over a 5000 mile 100Gbps link.

Electrical degradation on DC and RF characteristics of short channel AlGaN/GaN-on-Si hemt with highly doped carbon buffer

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong-Hwan; Jeong, Jun-Seok; Eom, Su-Keun; Lee, Jae-Gil; Seo, Kwang-Seok; Cha, Ho-Young

2017-11-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of highly doped carbon (C) buffer on the microwave performance of AlGaN/GaN-on-Si high electron mobility transistor (HEMT).We fabricated AlGaN/GaN-on-Si HEMTs with two different buffer structures. One structure had an un-doped buffer layer and the other structure had C-doped buffer layer with the doping concentration of 1 × 1019 cm -3 with GaN channel thickness of 350 nm. Despite higher leakage current, the device fabricated on the un-doped buffer structure exhibited better transfer and current collapse characteristics which, in turn, resulted in superior small-signal characteristics and radio frequency (RF) output power. Photoluminescence and secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements were carried out to investigate the effects of the highly-doped C buffer on microwave characteristics.

Strategy Guideline. Partnering for High Performance Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prahl, Duncan [IBACOS, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

2013-01-01

High performance houses require a high degree of coordination and have significant interdependencies between various systems in order to perform properly, meet customer expectations, and minimize risks for the builder. Responsibility for the key performance attributes is shared across the project team and can be well coordinated through advanced partnering strategies. For high performance homes, traditional partnerships need to be matured to the next level and be expanded to all members of the project team including trades, suppliers, manufacturers, HERS raters, designers, architects, and building officials as appropriate. This guide is intended for use by all parties associated in the design and construction of high performance homes. It serves as a starting point and features initial tools and resources for teams to collaborate to continually improve the energy efficiency and durability of new houses.

High performance parallel I/O

CERN Document Server

Prabhat

2014-01-01

Gain Critical Insight into the Parallel I/O EcosystemParallel I/O is an integral component of modern high performance computing (HPC), especially in storing and processing very large datasets to facilitate scientific discovery. Revealing the state of the art in this field, High Performance Parallel I/O draws on insights from leading practitioners, researchers, software architects, developers, and scientists who shed light on the parallel I/O ecosystem.The first part of the book explains how large-scale HPC facilities scope, configure, and operate systems, with an emphasis on choices of I/O har

The Effects of Partnership Management on Supply Chain Cooperative Performance: A Case Study of High-Tech Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mei-Ying; Chang, Yun-Ju; Weng, Yung-Chien

2009-08-01

With the structural change of global supply chains, the relationship between manufacturers and suppliers has transformed into a long-term partnership. Thus, this study aims to explore the partnership between manufacturers and suppliers in Taiwan's high-tech industry. Four constructs, including partner characteristic, partnership quality, partnership closeness, and cooperative performance, induced from previous literatures are used to construct the research framework and hypotheses. A questionnaire survey is then performed on executives and staffs involved in the high-tech industry. The proposed framework and hypotheses are empirically validated through confirmatory factory analysis and structural equation modeling. It is expected that the research findings can serve as a reference for Taiwan's high-tech industry on building partnerships.

Experimental study for flow characteristics and performance evaluation of butterfly valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, C K; Shin, M S; Yoon, J Y

2010-01-01

The industrial butterfly valves have been applied to transport a large of fluid with various fields of industry. Also, these are mainly used a control of fluid flux to the water and waste-water pipeline. Present, butterfly valves are manufacturing for multiplicity shape of bodies and discs with many producers. However, appropriate performance evaluation was not yet accomplished to compare about these valves through experiments. This study is performed the experiment of flow characteristics and performance of manufactured 400A butterfly valves for the water and waste pipeline, and compared experimental results. We performed experiments that were controlled fixed a differential pressure condition (1 psi) and the range of the flow rate conditions (500 m 3 /hr ∼ 2500 m 3 /hr), and also opened the disc of valves to a range of angle from 9 degree to 90 degree. We investigated and compared the valve flow coefficient and the valve loss coefficient of results through experiments with each butterfly valve.

Characteristics of shift work and their impact on employee performance and wellbeing: A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dall'Ora, Chiara; Ball, Jane; Recio-Saucedo, Alejandra; Griffiths, Peter

2016-05-01

To identify the characteristics of shift work that have an effect on employee's performance (including job performance, productivity, safety, quality of care delivered, errors, adverse events and client satisfaction) and wellbeing (including burnout, job satisfaction, absenteeism, intention to leave the job) in all sectors including healthcare. A scoping review of the literature was undertaken. We searched electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, SCOPUS) to identify primary quantitative studies. The search was conducted between January and March 2015. Studies were drawn from all occupational sectors (i.e. health and non health), meeting the inclusion criteria: involved participants aged ≥18 who have been working shifts or serve as control group for others working shifts, exploring the association of characteristics of shift work with at least one of the selected outcomes. Reference lists from retrieved studies were checked to identify any further studies. 35 studies were included in the review; 25 studies were performed in the health sector. A variety of shift work characteristics are associated with compromised employee's performance and wellbeing. Findings from large multicentre studies highlight that shifts of 12h or longer are associated with jeopardised outcomes. Working more than 40h per week is associated with adverse events, while no conclusive evidence was found regarding working a 'Compressed Working Week'; working overtime was associated with decreased job performance. Working rotating shifts was associated with worse job performance outcomes, whilst fixed night shifts appeared to enable resynchronisation. However, job satisfaction of employees working fixed nights was reduced. Timely breaks had a positive impact on employee fatigue and alertness, whilst quick returns between shifts appeared to increase pathologic fatigue. The effect of shift work characteristics on outcomes in the studies reviewed is consistent across occupational sectors

Reader characteristics linked to detection of pulmonary nodules on radiographs: ROC vs. JAFROC analyses of performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kohli, Akshay; Robinson, John W.; Ryan, John; McEntee, Mark F.; Brennan, Patrick C.

2011-03-01

The purpose of this study is to explore whether reader characteristics are linked to heightened levels of diagnostic performance in chest radiology using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and jackknife free response ROC (JAFROC) methodologies. A set of 40 postero-anterior chest radiographs was developed, of which 20 were abnormal containing one or more simulated nodules, of varying subtlety. Images were independently reviewed by 12 boardcertified radiologists including six chest specialists. The observer performance was measured in terms of ROC and JAFROC scores. For the ROC analysis, readers were asked to rate their degree of suspicion for the presence of nodules by using a confidence rating scale (1-6). JAFROC analysis required the readers to locate and rate as many suspicious areas as they wished using the same scale and resultant data were used to generate Az and FOM scores for ROC and JAFROC analyses respectively. Using Pearson methods, scores of performance were correlated with 7 reader characteristics recorded using a questionnaire. JAFROC analysis showed that improved reader performance was significantly (pchest specialty (pchest radiographs (pchest readings per year (pchest radiographs (pchest specialty, hours reading per week and number of radiographs read per year. Also, JAFROC is a more powerful predictor of performance as compared to ROC.

Organizational characteristics, financial performance measures, and funding sources of faith based organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lampkin, Lynne; Raghavan, Kamala

2008-01-01

This study examined the impact of organizational characteristics and financial performance measures of faith based organizations (FBOS) in Pennsylvania and Ohio on the decisions of the funding sources. Organizational characteristics of size, age, and type of service, and financial performance measures such as expense, liquidity, and solvency ratios were gathered from the data on IRS form 990 for 97 FBOS for the period of 1995 to 2004. The study found that the 1996 Charitable Choice provisions and the 2001 Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives have led to increased government funding for FBOS. The results showed that government funding of FBOS is affected positively by age of the FBO, and negatively by its size. For smaller FBOS, savings ratio had a negative relationship to government funding and a positive relationship to direct public support. For social service FBOS government funding was positively affected by age and negatively affected by size and debt ratio, while days-cash-on-hand had a negative impact on direct public support. All of the above relationships were statistically significant.

Characteristics Buton Natural Asphalt-Rubber (BNA-R) on the Performance Improvement of Warm Mix Asphalt Using Natural Zeolite

Science.gov (United States)

Wahjuningsih, Nurul; Pranowo Hadiwardoyo, Sigit; Jachrizal Sumabrata, R.

2018-03-01

The decrease in the ability of service of pavement can be caused by the durability factor in the pavement layer in receiving heavy traffic load and the temperature of the pavement. Permanent deformation is one of the criteria of failure of asphalt mixture. Performance assessment of the asphalt mixture can be observed from the rheological properties of asphalt binder. The use of BNA-R in this study is intended to modify the characteristics of bitumen penetration grade 60 / 70 used in warm mix asphalt. Warm mix asphalt with lower temperatures of mixing and compaction than conventional asphalt mixtures was chosen because it is more environmentally friendly. To reduce the temperature in this warm asphalt technology is achieved by using natural zeolite. Both of these materials are local materials that are widely available in Indonesia. The rheology of asphalt 60/70 modified with BNA-R indicates that the addition of BNA-R in the base asphalt increase the complex modulus value and decrease the phase angle value. These values were related to the performance of mixture in the permanent deformation criteria. Reducing the temperature of mixing and compaction should be balanced with modifying the asphalt binder used. Rutting due to permanent deformation can resulted in inconvenience to the passengers and can lead to high costs of road maintenance. To determine the permanent deformation of asphalt mix with material combinations was performed through the wheel tracking test machine with 3,780 cycles for 3 hours. The results shows that after test track over 7 thousand passes have seen permanent deformation characteristics of asphalt concrete mixture with a variation of the characteristics of bitumen.

Characteristics Buton Natural Asphalt-Rubber (BNA-R on the Performance Improvement of Warm Mix Asphalt Using Natural Zeolite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahjuningsih Nurul

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The decrease in the ability of service of pavement can be caused by the durability factor in the pavement layer in receiving heavy traffic load and the temperature of the pavement. Permanent deformation is one of the criteria of failure of asphalt mixture. Performance assessment of the asphalt mixture can be observed from the rheological properties of asphalt binder. The use of BNA-R in this study is intended to modify the characteristics of bitumen penetration grade 60 / 70 used in warm mix asphalt. Warm mix asphalt with lower temperatures of mixing and compaction than conventional asphalt mixtures was chosen because it is more environmentally friendly. To reduce the temperature in this warm asphalt technology is achieved by using natural zeolite. Both of these materials are local materials that are widely available in Indonesia. The rheology of asphalt 60/70 modified with BNA-R indicates that the addition of BNA-R in the base asphalt increase the complex modulus value and decrease the phase angle value. These values were related to the performance of mixture in the permanent deformation criteria. Reducing the temperature of mixing and compaction should be balanced with modifying the asphalt binder used. Rutting due to permanent deformation can resulted in inconvenience to the passengers and can lead to high costs of road maintenance. To determine the permanent deformation of asphalt mix with material combinations was performed through the wheel tracking test machine with 3,780 cycles for 3 hours. The results shows that after test track over 7 thousand passes have seen permanent deformation characteristics of asphalt concrete mixture with a variation of the characteristics of bitumen.

Fracture modelling of a high performance armour steel

Science.gov (United States)

Skoglund, P.; Nilsson, M.; Tjernberg, A.

2006-08-01

The fracture characteristics of the high performance armour steel Armox 500T is investigated. Tensile mechanical experiments using samples with different notch geometries are used to investigate the effect of multi-axial stress states on the strain to fracture. The experiments are numerically simulated and from the simulation the stress at the point of fracture initiation is determined as a function of strain and these data are then used to extract parameters for fracture models. A fracture model based on quasi-static experiments is suggested and the model is tested against independent experiments done at both static and dynamic loading. The result show that the fracture model give reasonable good agreement between simulations and experiments at both static and dynamic loading condition. This indicates that multi-axial loading is more important to the strain to fracture than the deformation rate in the investigated loading range. However on-going work will further characterise the fracture behaviour of Armox 500T.

DOE research in utilization of high-performance computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buzbee, B.L.; Worlton, W.J.; Michael, G.; Rodrigue, G.

1980-12-01

Department of Energy (DOE) and other Government research laboratories depend on high-performance computer systems to accomplish their programatic goals. As the most powerful computer systems become available, they are acquired by these laboratories so that advances can be made in their disciplines. These advances are often the result of added sophistication to numerical models whose execution is made possible by high-performance computer systems. However, high-performance computer systems have become increasingly complex; consequently, it has become increasingly difficult to realize their potential performance. The result is a need for research on issues related to the utilization of these systems. This report gives a brief description of high-performance computers, and then addresses the use of and future needs for high-performance computers within DOE, the growing complexity of applications within DOE, and areas of high-performance computer systems warranting research. 1 figure

Development of high performance and low radio activation concrete material for concrete cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirai, Koji; Sonobe, Ryoji

2005-01-01

For the realization of the long-term storage of the nuclear spent fuel with the concrete cask technology, a low radio activation high performance concrete was developed, which contains extremely small quantity of Eu and Co and assures enough heat-resistance and durability for degradation. Firstly, the activation analysis was performed to estimate the allowable content limit of their quantities according to the rules issued by Japanese government for determining the classification of the radioactive waste. Secondly, various candidate materials were sampled and irradiated to find out the activation level. As a result, as the optimum concrete mix, the combination of limestone and white fused alumina aggregates with fry-ash was chosen. Moreover, the basic characteristics of the candidate concrete (workability, strength under high temperature, heat conductivity and so on) were evaluated, and the thermal cracking test was executed with hollow cylinders. Finally, the developed concrete material seems to be suitable for the long-term use of concrete cask considering the low activation, high heat resistance and durability during storage. (author)

SnTe-TiC-C composites as high-performance anodes for Li-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Seung Yeon; Hur, Jaehyun; Kim, Kwang Ho; Son, Hyung Bin; Lee, Seung Geol; Kim, Il Tae

2017-10-01

Intermetallic SnTe composites dispersed in a conductive TiC/C hybrid matrix are synthesized by high-energy ball milling (HEBM). The electrochemical performances of the composites as potential anodes for Li-ion batteries are evaluated. The structural and morphological characteristics of the SnTe-TiC-C composites with various TiC contents are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which reveal that SnTe and TiC are uniformly dispersed in a carbon matrix. The electrochemical performance is significantly improved by introducing TiC to the SnTe-C composite; higher TiC contents result in better performances. Among the prepared composites, the SnTe-TiC (30%)-C and SnTe-TiC (40%)-C electrodes exhibit the best electrochemical performance, showing the reversible capacities of, respectively, 652 mAh cm-3 and 588 mAh cm-3 after 400 cycles and high rate capabilities with the capacity retentions of 75.4% for SnTe-TiC (30%)-C and 82.2% for SnTe-TiC (40%)-C at 10 A g-1. Furthermore, the Li storage reaction mechanisms of Te or Sn in the SnTe-TiC-C electrodes are confirmed by ex situ XRD.

Performance characteristics of high resolution semiconductor gamma ray spectrometry system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko Ko Naing

1994-05-01

A high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector has been used in Nuclear Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Yangon University for over fourteen years. Now it is still being used and it is coupled to new peripheral devices, such as spectroscopy amplifier, analog to digital converter and computer fit-in S-100 multichannel analyser. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the important parameters: energy resolution, detecting efficiency and relative efficiency of the system. In the present work, these parameters were obtained by using mixed calibrated source. The results were compared to the data given by the manufacturer. Moreover, the parameters of another γ-ray detecting system NaI(T1) were also determined. In conclusion the results obtained from the above two measurements were compared and discussed

Performance characteristics of high resolution semiconductor gamma ray spectrometry system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naing, Ko Ko

1994-05-01

A high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector has been used in Nuclear Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Yangon University for over fourteen years. Now it is still being used and it is coupled to new peripheral devices, such as spectroscopy amplifier, analog to digital converter and computer fit-in S-100 multichannel analyser. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the important parameters: energy resolution, detecting efficiency and relative efficiency of the system. In the present work, these parameters were obtained by using mixed calibrated source. The results were compared to the data given by the manufacturer. Moreover, the parameters of another {gamma}-ray detecting system NaI(T1) were also determined. In conclusion the results obtained from the above two measurements were compared and discussed

Robust and thermal-enhanced melamine formaldehyde–modified glassfiber composite separator for high-performance lithium batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qingfu

2015-01-01

The composite separator of melamine formaldehyde resin coated glass microfiber membrane was prepared for high performance lithium ion battery. It was demonstrated that this composite membranes possessed a significantly enhanced tensile strength and a modified porous structure, compared with that of pristine glass microfiber membrane. Impressive improvements in thermo-stability, with no shrinkage at an elevated temperature of 150 °C. Meanwhile, such composite membrane presented a favorable wettability and remarkable electrochemical stability in commercial liquid electrolyte. In addition, the battery test results of LiCoO 2 /graphite cells proved the composite membrane was a promising separator with an improved cycling performance and rate capability. The cycle performance of LiFePO 4 /Li cells at the elevated temperature of 120 °C demonstrated their excellent safety characteristic as separator in LIB, indicating the composite membrane was a potential separator candidate for high power battery.

Physical attributes, physiological characteristics, on-court performances and nutritional strategies of female and male basketball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziv, Gal; Lidor, Ronnie

2009-01-01

This article reviews a series of studies (n = 51) examining physical attributes, physiological characteristics, on-court performances and nutritional strategies of female and male elite basketball players. These studies included relevant information on physical and physiological variables, such as height, weight, somatotype, relative size, aerobic profile, strength, anaerobic power, agility and speed. Six main findings emerged from our review: (i) differences in physical attributes exist among playing positions and skill levels (e.g. guards tend to be lighter, shorter and more mesomorphic than centres); (ii) maximum aerobic capacity (VO(2max)) values of female and male players are 44.0-54.0 and 50-60 mLO(2)/kg/min, respectively; (iii) male and female players of higher skill levels tend to have higher vertical jump values; (iv) the more skilled female and male players are faster and more agile than the less skilled players; (v) guards tend to perform more high-intensity movements during game play compared with forwards and centres; and (vi) a water deficit of 2% of bodyweight can lead to reduced physical and mental performance during an actual game. Five limitations associated with the testing protocols used in the studies are outlined, among them the lack of a longitudinal approach, lack of tests performed under physical exertion conditions, and lack of studies using a time-motion analysis. In addition, three practical recommendations for the basketball coach and the strength and conditioning coach are presented. It is concluded that the data emerging from these studies, combined with the knowledge already obtained from the studies on physical and physiological characteristics of elite basketball players, should be applied by basketball and strength and conditioning coaches when planning training programmes for elite basketball players.

High-performance mass storage system for workstations

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, T.; Tang, Y.; Gupta, L.; Cooperman, S.

1993-01-01

Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) workstations and Personnel Computers (PC) are very popular tools for office automation, command and control, scientific analysis, database management, and many other applications. However, when using Input/Output (I/O) intensive applications, the RISC workstations and PC's are often overburdened with the tasks of collecting, staging, storing, and distributing data. Also, by using standard high-performance peripherals and storage devices, the I/O function can still be a common bottleneck process. Therefore, the high-performance mass storage system, developed by Loral AeroSys' Independent Research and Development (IR&D) engineers, can offload a RISC workstation of I/O related functions and provide high-performance I/O functions and external interfaces. The high-performance mass storage system has the capabilities to ingest high-speed real-time data, perform signal or image processing, and stage, archive, and distribute the data. This mass storage system uses a hierarchical storage structure, thus reducing the total data storage cost, while maintaining high-I/O performance. The high-performance mass storage system is a network of low-cost parallel processors and storage devices. The nodes in the network have special I/O functions such as: SCSI controller, Ethernet controller, gateway controller, RS232 controller, IEEE488 controller, and digital/analog converter. The nodes are interconnected through high-speed direct memory access links to form a network. The topology of the network is easily reconfigurable to maximize system throughput for various applications. This high-performance mass storage system takes advantage of a 'busless' architecture for maximum expandability. The mass storage system consists of magnetic disks, a WORM optical disk jukebox, and an 8mm helical scan tape to form a hierarchical storage structure. Commonly used files are kept in the magnetic disk for fast retrieval. The optical disks are used as archive

Fabrication, characteristics, and in-pile performance of UO2 pellets prepared from dry route powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chotard, A.; Ledac, A.; Bernardin, M.

1991-01-01

The dry route conversion process of UF 6 to sinterable UO 2 powder has been used in France on a large scale for more than 10 years for the fabrication of PWR fuels. Thus, our fabrication and irradiation experience relates to more than 10,000 tons of fuel. As everyone knows, the dry route conversion process only involves gas-gas and gas-solid reactions which present the advantage of producing very little contaminated wastes and no liquid effluents. Powders obtained by this process are characterized by: - a very high purity, - a low specific surface area (around 2 m 2 /g), therefore a high resistance to spontaneous oxidation, - a good compressibility, - a very high sinterability (.98% T.D.), - a very high reproducibility. This powder also shows a high fineness which leads to very homogeneous blends with additives like pore former, U 3 O 8 or Gd 2 O 3 . On the other hand this fineness requires a granulation step which is actually not a disadvantage since it allows to adjust the granulate size to optimize the filling of press dies and so as to guarantee a good stability of the pellet dimensions and density. This pelletizing process leads to pellets characterized by: - a good thermal stability (0.5% T.D. after 34 hours at 1700degC), - no open porosity, - low H 2 content (0,3 ppm), - an homogeneous microstructure (grain size and porosity). Such characteristics mean that the UO 2 pellets from dry route conversion present an excellent in pile behaviour for high burnup up to 58,000 MWd/MtU in commercial plant, with: - low fission gas release, - good dimensional stability (densification, swelling), of which examples and results of PIE are described in the paper. The qualities of the dry route conversion powder and its flexibility of use make it possible to consider adjustment of the pellet characteristics, mainly: density, grain size and pore size distribution for specific uses or performance upgrade. (orig.)

A study on the performance and internal flow characteristics of a very low specific speed centrifugal pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Young Do; Kurokawa, Junichi; Lee, Young Ho

2005-01-01

In the very low specific speed range (n s < 0.25, non-dimensional), the efficiency of centrifugal pump designed by a conventional method is very low in common. Therefore, positive-displacement pumps have long been used widely. Recently, since the centrifugal pumps are becoming higher in rotational speed and smaller in size, there experts to develop a new centrifugal pump with a high performance to replace the positive-displacement pumps. The purpose of this study is to investigate the internal flow characteristics of a very low specific speed centrifugal pump and to examine the effect of internal flow pattern on pump performance. The results show that the theoretical head definition of semi-open impeller should be revised by the consideration of high slip factor in the semi-open impeller, and the leakage flow through the tip clearance results in a large effect on the impeller internal flow. Strong reverse flow at the outlet of semi-open impeller reduces the absolute tangential velocity considerably, and the decreased absolute tangential velocity increases the slip factor with the reduction of theoretical head

The Characteristics of the Effective Teacher in Cyprus Public High School: The Students' Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Koutsoulis, Michalis

This study examined the teacher characteristics that students considered important in defining teacher effectiveness, focusing on human characteristics, communication skills, and teaching and production characteristics. Students from 25 high schools in Cyprus completed the Classroom Culture Description Questionnaire. Overall, students listed 94…

Teacher characteristics and student performance: An analysis using hierarchical linear modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Armstrong

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This research makes use of hierarchical linear modelling to investigate which teacher characteristics are significantly associated with student performance. Using data from the SACMEQ III study of 2007, an interesting and potentially important finding is that younger teachers are better able to improve the mean mathematics performance of their students. Furthermore, younger teachers themselves perform better on subject tests than do their older counterparts. Identical models are run for Sub Saharan countries bordering on South Africa, as well for Kenya and the strong relationship between teacher age and student performance is not observed. Similarly, the model is run for South Africa using data from SACMEQ II (conducted in 2002 and the relationship between teacher age and student performance is also not observed. It must be noted that South African teachers were not tested in SACMEQ II so it was not possible to observe differences in subject knowledge amongst teachers in different cohorts and it was not possible to control for teachers’ level of subject knowledge when observing the relationship between teacher age and student performance. Changes in teacher education in the late 1990s and early 2000s may explain the differences in the performance of younger teachers relative to their older counterparts observed in the later dataset.

Generic anthropometric and performance characteristics among elite adolescent boys in nine different sports.

Science.gov (United States)

Pion, Johan; Segers, Veerle; Fransen, Job; Debuyck, Gijs; Deprez, Dieter; Haerens, Leen; Vaeyens, Roel; Philippaerts, Renaat; Lenoir, Matthieu

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the Flemish Sports Compass (FSC), a non-sport-specific generic testing battery. It was hypothesised that a set of 22 tests would have sufficient discriminant power to allocate athletes to their own sport based on a unique combination of test scores. First, discriminant analyses were applied to the 22 tests of anthropometry, physical fitness and motor coordination in 141 boys under age 18 (16.1 ± 0.8 years) and post age at peak height velocity (maturity offset = 2.674 ± 0.926) from Flemish Top Sport Academies for badminton, basketball, gymnastics, handball, judo, soccer, table tennis, triathlon and volleyball. Second, nine sequential discriminant analyses were used to assess the ability of a set of relevant performance characteristics classifying participants and non-participants for the respective sports. Discriminant analyses resulted in a 96.4% correct classification of all participants for the nine different sports. When focusing on relevant performance characteristics, 80.1% to 97.2% of the total test sample was classified correctly within their respective disciplines. The discriminating characteristics were briefly the following: flexibility in gymnastics, explosive lower-limb strength in badminton and volleyball, speed and agility in badminton, judo, soccer and volleyball, upper-body strength in badminton, basketball and gymnastics, cardiorespiratory endurance in triathletes, dribbling skills in handball, basketball and soccer and overhead-throwing skills in badminton and volleyball. The generic talent characteristics of the FSC enable the distinction of adolescent boys according to their particular sport. Implications for talent programmes are discussed.

Performance and flow characteristics of MHD seawater thruster

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doss, E.D.

1990-01-01

The main goal of the research is to investigate the effects of strong magnetic fields on the electrical and flow fields inside MHD thrusters. The results of this study is important in the assessment of the feasibility of MHD seawater propulsion for the Navy. To accomplish this goal a three-dimensional fluid flow computer model has been developed and applied to study the concept of MHD seawater propulsion. The effects of strong magnetic fields on the current and electric fields inside the MHD thruster and their interaction with the flow fields, particularly those in the boundary layers, have been investigated. The results of the three-dimensional computations indicate that the velocity profiles are flatter over the sidewalls of the thruster walls in comparison to the velocity profiles over the electrode walls. These nonuniformities in the flow fields give rise to nonuniform distribution of the skin friction along the walls of the thrusters, where higher values are predicted over the sidewalls relative to those over the electrode walls. Also, a parametric study has been performed using the three-dimensional MHD flow model to analyze the performance of continuous electrode seawater thrusters under different operating parameters. The effects of these parameters on the fluid flow characteristics, and on the thruster efficiency have been investigated. Those parameters include the magnetic field (10--20 T), thruster diameter, surface roughness, flow velocity, and the electric load factor. The results show also that the thruster performance improves with the strength of the magnetic field and thruster diameter, and the efficiency decreases with the flow velocity and surface roughness.

Experimental studies on the combustion characteristics and performance of a direct injection engine fueled with biodiesel/diesel blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, D.H.; Chen, H.; Geng, L.M.; Bian, Y. ZH.

2010-01-01

Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel that can be produced from different kinds of vegetable oils. It is an oxygenated, non-toxic, sulphur-free, biodegradable, and renewable fuel and can be used in diesel engines without significant modification. However, the performance, emissions and combustion characteristics will be different for the same biodiesel used in different types of engine. In this study, the biodiesel produced from soybean crude oil was prepared by a method of alkaline-catalyzed transesterification. The effects of biodiesel addition to diesel fuel on the performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of a naturally aspirated DI compression ignition engine were examined. Biodiesel has different properties from diesel fuel. A minor increase in brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and decrease in brake thermal efficiency (BTE) for biodiesel and its blends were observed compared with diesel fuel. The significant improvement in reduction of carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke were found for biodiesel and its blends at high engine loads. Hydrocarbon (HC) had no evident variation for all tested fuels. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) were slightly higher for biodiesel and its blends. Biodiesel and its blends exhibited similar combustion stages to diesel fuel. The use of transesterified soybean crude oil can be partially substituted for the diesel fuel at most operating conditions in terms of the performance parameters and emissions without any engine modification.

SELECTION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY SUBSPECIALTY TRAINEES: WHICH APPLICANT CHARACTERISTICS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PERFORMANCE DURING FELLOWSHIP TRAINING?

Science.gov (United States)

Natt, Neena; Chang, Alice Y; Berbari, Elie F; Kennel, Kurt A; Kearns, Ann E

2016-01-01

To determine which residency characteristics are associated with performance during endocrinology fellowship training as measured by competency-based faculty evaluation scores and faculty global ratings of trainee performance. We performed a retrospective review of interview applications from endocrinology fellows who graduated from a single academic institution between 2006 and 2013. Performance measures included competency-based faculty evaluation scores and faculty global ratings. The association between applicant characteristics and measures of performance during fellowship was examined by linear regression. The presence of a laudatory comparative statement in the residency program director's letter of recommendation (LoR) or experience as a chief resident was significantly associated with competency-based faculty evaluation scores (β = 0.22, P = .001; and β = 0.24, P = .009, respectively) and faculty global ratings (β = 0.85, P = .006; and β = 0.96, P = .015, respectively). The presence of a laudatory comparative statement in the residency program director's LoR or experience as a chief resident were significantly associated with overall performance during subspecialty fellowship training. Future studies are needed in other cohorts to determine the broader implications of these findings in the application and selection process.

GaAs Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) development for high performance communications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, C.T.

1998-03-01

Sandia has established a foundational technology in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on the (Al,Ga,In)As material system for optical communication, radar control and testing, and network switching applications at the important 1.3{mu}m/1.55{mu}m wavelengths. We investigated the optical, electrooptical, and microwave performance characteristics of the fundamental building-block PIC elements designed to be as simple and process-tolerant as possible, with particular emphasis placed on reducing optical insertion loss. Relatively conventional device array and circuit designs were built using these PIC elements: (1) to establish a baseline performance standard; (2) to assess the impact of epitaxial growth accuracy and uniformity, and of fabrication uniformity and yield; (3) to validate our theoretical and numerical models; and (4) to resolve the optical and microwave packaging issues associated with building fully packaged prototypes. Novel and more complex PIC designs and fabrication processes, viewed as higher payoff but higher risk, were explored in a parallel effort with the intention of meshing those advances into our baseline higher-yield capability as they mature. The application focus targeted the design and fabrication of packaged solitary modulators meeting the requirements of future wideband and high-speed analog and digital data links. Successfully prototyped devices are expected to feed into more complex PICs solving specific problems in high-performance communications, such as optical beamforming networks for phased array antennas.

Densely-packed graphene/conducting polymer nanoparticle papers for high-volumetric-performance flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chao; Zhang, Liling; Hu, Nantao; Yang, Zhi; Wei, Hao; Xu, Zhichuan J.; Wang, Yanyan; Zhang, Yafei

2016-08-01

Graphene-based all-solid-state supercapacitors (ASSSCs) are one of the most ideal candidates for high-performance flexible power sources. The achievement of high volumetric energy density is highly desired for practical application of this type of ASSSCs. Here, we present a facile method to boost volumetric performances of graphene-based flexible ASSSCs through incorporation of ultrafine polyaniline-poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PANI-PSS) nanoparticles in reduced graphene oxide (rGO) papers. A compact structure is obtained via intimate contact and π-π interaction between PANI-PSS nanoparticles and rGO sheets. The hybrid paper electrode with the film thickness of 13.5 μm, shows an extremely high volumetric specific capacitance of 272 F/cm3 (0.37 A/cm3 in a three-electrode cell). The assembled ASSSCs show a large volumetric specific capacitance of 217 F/cm3 (0.37 A/cm3 in a two-electrode cell), high volumetric energy and power density, excellent capacitance stability, small leakage current as well as low self-discharge characteristics, revealing the usefulness of this robust hybrid paper for high-performance flexible energy storage devices.

Dye-Incorporated Polynaphthalenediimide Acceptor for Additive-Free High-Performance All-Polymer Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dong; Yao, Jia; Chen, Lie; Yin, Jingping; Lv, Ruizhi; Huang, Bin; Liu, Siqi; Zhang, Zhi-Guo; Yang, Chunhe; Chen, Yiwang; Li, Yongfang

2018-04-16

All-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) can offer unique advantages for applications in flexible devices, and naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based polymer acceptors are the widely used polymer acceptors. However, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) still lags behind that of state-of-the-art polymer solar cells, due to low light absorption, suboptimal energy levels and the strong aggregation of the NDI-based polymer acceptor. Herein, a rhodanine-based dye molecule was introduced into the NDI-based polymer acceptor by simple random copolymerization and showed an improved light absorption coefficient, an up-shifted lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level and reduced crystallization. Consequently, additive-free all-PSCs demonstrated a high PCE of 8.13 %, which is one of the highest performance characteristics reported for all-PSCs to date. These results indicate that incorporating a dye into the n-type polymer gives insight into the precise design of high-performance polymer acceptors for all-PSCs. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of Steel Fiber Size and Shape on the Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

2015-08-01

characteristics of steel fiber reinforcement to the mechanical properties of high-strength concretes , this study investigated four commercially available...Standard test method for flexural performance of fiber - reinforced concrete (using beam with third-point loading). Designation: C1609/1609M. West...STEEL FIBERS are low-carbon, drawn w ire for reinforced concrete . NYCON-SF fibers distribute stresses within the concrete and provide improvement

Indoor Air Quality in High Performance Schools

Science.gov (United States)

High performance schools are facilities that improve the learning environment while saving energy, resources, and money. The key is understanding the lifetime value of high performance schools and effectively managing priorities, time, and budget.

Investigations on self-starting and performance characteristics of simple H and hybrid H-Savonius vertical axis wind rotors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhuyan, S.; Biswas, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Hybrid H-Savonius vertical axis wind rotor for built-in environmental wind speeds. • Self-starting characteristics of unsymmetrical H-rotor and Hybrid H-Savonius rotor. • Comparisons between unsymmetrical H-rotor and Hybrid rotor at same experimental conditions. • Insight of the performances of optimum hybrid H-Savonius rotor. • Higher power performance of the optimum rotor compared with some existing VAWT rotors. - Abstract: With recent surge in fossil fuel prices and demands for renewable energy sources, vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) technologies have emerged out as one of the prime growing sector for small-scale power generation in the built environment. In such an environment, self-starting and high performances are of utmost importance. Amongst all VAWT designs, H-rotor, being a lift-driven device, exhibits a high power coefficient. However, it suffers from poor starting behavior due to its conventional symmetrical NACA airfoil blades. The objective of the present study is to design a VAWT rotor that possesses both self-starting and high power coefficient simultaneously. For this, a three bladed H-rotor with unsymmetrical cambered S818 airfoil blades is investigated, which shows self-starting characteristics at many of the azimuthal angles. However to make the rotor completely self-starting, the same H-rotor is incorporated in a hybrid system with Savonius rotor as its starter. It is found that the hybrid design fully exhibits self-starting capability at all azimuthal positions, signified by the positive static torque coefficient values. For improving power performance of the hybrid rotor, the same is subjected to rigorous experimentations on the wind tunnel at different Reynolds numbers (Re) between 1.44 × 10 5 and 2.31 × 10 5 for five different overlap conditions in the Savonius rotor part. The performance coefficients of the hybrid rotor are compared with the simple H-rotor. Out of all the designs investigated, the maximum Cp

An investigation on the performance characteristics of solar flat plate collector with different selective surface coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madhukeshwara, N. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, B.I.E.T, Davanagere, Karnataka (India); Prakash, E.S. [Department of Studies in Mechanical Engineering, U.B.D.T.C.E, Davanagere, Karnataka (India)

2012-07-01

In the present work, investigations are made to study performance characteristics of solar flat plate collector with different selective surface coatings. Flat plate collector is one of the important solar energy trapping device which uses air or water as working fluid. Of the many solar collector concepts presently being developed, the relative simple flat plate solar collector has found the widest application so far. Its characteristics are known, and compared with other collector types, it is the easiest and least expensive to fabricate, install, and maintain. Moreover, it is capable of using both the diffuse and the direct beam solar radiation. For residential and commercial use, flat plate collectors can produce heat at sufficiently high temperatures to heat swimming pools, domestic hot water, and buildings; they also can operate a cooling unit, particularly if the incident sunlight is increased by the use of reflector. Temperatures up to 70 C are easily attained by flat plate collectors. With very careful engineering using special surfaces, reflectors to increase the incident radiation and heat resistant materials, higher operating temperatures are feasible.

High-performance OPCPA laser system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuegel, J.D.; Bagnoud, V.; Bromage, J.; Begishev, I.A.; Puth, J.

2006-01-01

Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) is ideally suited for amplifying ultra-fast laser pulses since it provides broadband gain across a wide range of wavelengths without many of the disadvantages of regenerative amplification. A high-performance OPCPA system has been demonstrated as a prototype for the front end of the OMEGA Extended Performance (EP) Laser System. (authors)

High-performance OPCPA laser system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zuegel, J.D.; Bagnoud, V.; Bromage, J.; Begishev, I.A.; Puth, J. [Rochester Univ., Lab. for Laser Energetics, NY (United States)

2006-06-15

Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) is ideally suited for amplifying ultra-fast laser pulses since it provides broadband gain across a wide range of wavelengths without many of the disadvantages of regenerative amplification. A high-performance OPCPA system has been demonstrated as a prototype for the front end of the OMEGA Extended Performance (EP) Laser System. (authors)

Firm performance: The role of CEOs' emotional and cognitive characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kleanthis K. Katsaros

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the relationships between CEOs’ personal traits, emotions, attitudes and tolerance of ambiguity; and subsequently, the influence of CEOs’ ambiguity tolerance in firms' performance. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 256 ICT firms established in Greece. Their CEOs completed questionnaires examining TOA, personal traits, emotions and attitudes in the workplace. Principal components analysis and ordinary least-squares regressions were used to explore the hypotheses of the paper. Findings – Three factors characterize CEOs' emotions, namely pleasure, dominance and arousal; two factors their involvement, namely importance and interest; and, respectively, one their emotional intelligence namely, empathy/handling relationships. Further, locus of control; importance; arousal; empathy/handling relationships and interest affect decisively CEOs' tolerance of ambiguity, which in turn, seems to influence positively firms' performance. Research limitations/implications – Further research is required in Greek ICT industry regarding the influence of CEOs' emotional and cognitive attributes in organizations' financial performance. Likewise, this research should be expanded to other industries. Originality/value – The originality of this study lies in the finding that emotional and cognitive characteristics affect CEOs' TOA, which, in turn, influences significantly firms' performance. Another significant contributing factor is that the study is carried out in Greece, where few studies have been conducted in this area.

Optimization of performance and emission characteristics of PPCCI engine fuelled with ethanol and diesel blends using grey-Taguchi method

Science.gov (United States)

Natarajan, S.; Pitchandi, K.; Mahalakshmi, N. V.

2018-02-01

The performance and emission characteristics of a PPCCI engine fuelled with ethanol and diesel blends were carried out on a single cylinder air cooled CI engine. In order to achieve the optimal process response with a limited number of experimental cycles, multi objective grey relational analysis had been applied for solving a multiple response optimization problem. Using grey relational grade and signal-to-noise ratio as a performance index, a combination of input parameters was prefigured so as to achieve optimum response characteristics. It was observed that 20% premixed ratio of blend was most suitable for use in a PPCCI engine without significantly affecting the engine performance and emissions characteristics.

Prevalence, sleep characteristics, and comorbidities in a population at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea: A nationwide questionnaire study in South Korea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-Sang Sunwoo

Full Text Available To determine the prevalence, sleep characteristics, and comorbidities associated with a high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA in the Korean adult population.We analyzed data from 2,740 subjects who responded to a nationwide questionnaire survey of sleep characteristics. Those who qualified under two or more symptom categories of the Berlin questionnaire were defined as "at high risk for OSA". We investigated their socio-demographic information, sleep habits, and medical and psychiatric comorbidities. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors and consequences significantly associated with a high risk for OSA.The prevalence of a high risk for OSA was 15.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.5-17.2%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that old age (≥ 70 years, odds ratio [OR] 2.68 and body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR 10.75 were significantly related with a high risk for OSA, whereas regular physical activity (OR 0.70 had a protective effect. Subjective sleep characteristics associated with a high risk for OSA were perceived insufficient sleep (OR 1.49, excessive daytime sleepiness (OR 1.88, and insomnia (OR 3.70. In addition, hypertension (OR 5.83, diabetes mellitus (OR 2.54, hyperlipidemia (OR 2.85, and anxiety (OR 1.63 were comorbid conditions independently associated with a high risk for OSA.This is the first study to demonstrate the prevalence of a high risk for OSA in a nationwide representative sample of the Korean adult population. These findings elucidate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of those at high risk for OSA.

Experimental research on the structural characteristics of high organic soft soil in different deposition ages

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fei; Lin, Guo-he

2018-03-01

High organic soft soil, which is distributed at Ji Lin province in China, has been studied by a lot of scholars. In the paper, structural characteristics with different deposition ages have been researched by experimental tests. Firstly, the characteristics of deposition age, degree of decompositon, high-pressure consolidation and microstructure have been measured by a series of tests. Secondly, structural strengths which were deposited in different ages, have been carried out to test the significant differences of stress-strain relations between remoulded and undisturbed high organic soft soil samples. Results showed that high organic soft soil which is deposited at different ages will influence its structural characteristics.

PREDICTION OF MAXIMUM CREEP STRAIN OF HIGH PERFORMANCE STEEL FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mishina Alexandra Vasil'evna

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The strongest research potential is demonstrated by the areas of application of high performance steel fiber reinforced concrete (HPSFRC. The research of its rheological characteristics is very important for the purposes of understanding its behaviour. This article is an overview of an experimental study of UHSSFRC. The study was carried out in the form of lasting creep tests of HPSFRC prism specimen, loaded by stresses of varied intensity. The loading was performed at different ages: 7, 14, 28 and 90 days after concreting. The stress intensity was 0.3 and 0.6 Rb; it was identified on the basis of short-term crush tests of similar prism-shaped specimen, performed on the same day. As a result, values of ultimate creep strains and ultimate specific creep of HPSFRC were identified. The data was used to construct an experimental diagramme of the ultimate specific creep on the basis of the HPSFRC loading age if exposed to various stresses. The research has resulted in the identification of a theoretical relationship that may serve as the basis for the high-precision projection of the pattern of changes in the ultimate specific creep of HPSFRC, depending on the age of loading and the stress intensity.

Rambutan-like CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds for high-performance cathode catalyst layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, KwangHyun; Cho, Seonghun; Lim, Eun Ja; Park, Seok-Hee; Yim, Sung-Dae

2018-03-01

Rambutan-like CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds are introduced as a potential candidate for CNT-based catalyst supports to overcome the CNT issues, such as the easy bundling in catalyst ink and the poor pore structure of the CNT-based catalyst layers, and to achieve high MEA performance in PEFCs. Non-porous α-phase Al2O3 balls are introduced to enable the growth of multiwalled CNTs, and Pt nanoparticles are loaded onto the CNT surfaces. In a half-cell, the Pt/CNT-Al2O3 catalyst shows much higher durability than those of a commercial Pt/C catalyst even though it shows lower oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity than Pt/C. After using the decal process for MEA formation, the Pt/CNT-Al2O3 shows comparable initial performance characteristics to Pt/C, overcoming the lower ORR activity, mainly due to the facile oxygen transport in the cathode catalyst layers fabricated with the CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds. The Pt/CNT-Al2O3 also exhibits much higher durability against carbon corrosion than Pt/C owing to the durable characteristics of CNTs. Systematic analysis of single cell performance for both initial and after degradation is provided to understand the origin of the high initial performance and durable behavior of Pt/CNT-Al2O3-based catalyst layers. This will provide insights into the design of electrocatalysts for high-performance MEAs in PEFCs.