Analysis and radiological assessment of residues containing NORM materials resulting from earlier activities including modelling of typical industrial residues. Pt. 1. Historical investigation of the radiological relevance of NORM residues and concepts for site identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichelt, Andreas; Niedermayer, Matthias; Sitte, Beate; Hamel, Peter Michael

2007-01-01

Natural radionuclides are part of the human environment and of the raw materials used. Technical processes may cause their accumulation in residues, and the result will be so-called NORM materials (Naturally occurring radioactive material). The amended Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV 2001) specifies how the public should be protected, but there are also residues dating back before the issuing of the StrlSchV 2001, the so-called NORM residues. The project intended to assess the risks resulting from these residues. It comprises four parts. Part 1 was for clarification of the radiological relevance of NORM residues and for the development of concepts to detect them. The criterion for their radiological relevance was their activity per mass unit and the material volume accumulated through the centuries. The former was calculated from a wide bibliographic search in the relevant literature on radiation protection, while the mass volume was obtained by a detailed historical search of the consumption of materials that may leave NORM residues. These are, in particular, residues from coal and ore mining and processing. To identify concrete sites, relevant data sources were identified, and a concept for identification of concrete NORM residues was developed on this basis. (orig.) [de

Non-destructive inspection approach using ultrasound to identify the material state for amorphous and semi-crystalline materials

Science.gov (United States)

Jost, Elliott; Jack, David; Moore, David

2018-04-01

At present, there are many methods to identify the temperature and phase of a material using invasive techniques. However, most current methods require physical contact or implicit methods utilizing light reflectance of the specimen. This work presents a nondestructive inspection method using ultrasonic wave technology that circumvents these disadvantages to identify phase change regions and infer the temperature state of a material. In the present study an experiment is performed to monitor the time of flight within a wax as it undergoes melting and the subsequent cooling. Results presented in this work show a clear relationship between a material's speed of sound and its temperature. The phase change transition of the material is clear from the time of flight results, and in the case of the investigated material, this change in the material state occurs over a range of temperatures. The range of temperatures over which the wax material melts is readily identified by speed of sound represented as a function of material temperature. The melt temperature, obtained acoustically, is validated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), which uses shifts in heat flow rates to identify phase transition temperature ranges. The investigated ultrasonic NDE method has direct applications in many industries, including oil and gas, food and beverage, and polymer composites, in addition to many implications for future capabilities of nondestructive inspection of multi-phase materials.

Application of artificial neural network to identify nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Peng; Wang Zhe; Li Tiantuo

2005-01-01

Applying the neutral network, the article studied the technology of identifying the gamma spectra of the nuclear material in the nuclear components. In the article, theory of the network identifying the spectra is described, and the results of identification of gamma spectra are given.(authors)

Strength behaviour of sintered steel from the view of design-relevant material data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonsino, C.M.; Esper, F.J.; Leuze, G.

1982-01-01

A reliable design of sintered components and an aimed material's selection requires the knowledge of designrelevant material data as Cyclic stress-strain-curves, crack propagation and fracture toughness properties as well as statistically evaluated S-N-curves, because conventional material data as tensile strength, monotonic yield strength, elongation, area reduction and impact strength can lead to a false estimation of the material's fatigue behaviour. For this reason the powder metallurgical industry began to determine design-relevant material data on the example of the porous Fe-Cu-C- and Fe-Cu-Ni-alloys. The fatigue tests with notched specimen and different modes of loading show that porous sintered parts having mechanical notches are less sensitive to external notches than wrought steel, because crack-propagation is delayed by pores. The possibility to manufacture cyclic hardening alloys, their relative notch-insensitivity and with wrought steel comparable scatter of fatigue properties show the importance of sintered alloys as alternative materials. (orig.) [de

Identifying the relevant features of the National Digital Cadastral Database (NDCDB) for spatial analysis by using the Delphi Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Halim, N. Z. A.; Sulaiman, S. A.; Talib, K.; Ng, E. G.

2018-02-01

This paper explains the process carried out in identifying the relevant features of the National Digital Cadastral Database (NDCDB) for spatial analysis. The research was initially a part of a larger research exercise to identify the significance of NDCDB from the legal, technical, role and land-based analysis perspectives. The research methodology of applying the Delphi technique is substantially discussed in this paper. A heterogeneous panel of 14 experts was created to determine the importance of NDCDB from the technical relevance standpoint. Three statements describing the relevant features of NDCDB for spatial analysis were established after three rounds of consensus building. It highlighted the NDCDB’s characteristics such as its spatial accuracy, functions, and criteria as a facilitating tool for spatial analysis. By recognising the relevant features of NDCDB for spatial analysis in this study, practical application of NDCDB for various analysis and purpose can be widely implemented.

Identifying noncoding risk variants using disease-relevant gene regulatory networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Long; Uzun, Yasin; Gao, Peng; He, Bing; Ma, Xiaoke; Wang, Jiahui; Han, Shizhong; Tan, Kai

2018-02-16

Identifying noncoding risk variants remains a challenging task. Because noncoding variants exert their effects in the context of a gene regulatory network (GRN), we hypothesize that explicit use of disease-relevant GRNs can significantly improve the inference accuracy of noncoding risk variants. We describe Annotation of Regulatory Variants using Integrated Networks (ARVIN), a general computational framework for predicting causal noncoding variants. It employs a set of novel regulatory network-based features, combined with sequence-based features to infer noncoding risk variants. Using known causal variants in gene promoters and enhancers in a number of diseases, we show ARVIN outperforms state-of-the-art methods that use sequence-based features alone. Additional experimental validation using reporter assay further demonstrates the accuracy of ARVIN. Application of ARVIN to seven autoimmune diseases provides a holistic view of the gene subnetwork perturbed by the combinatorial action of the entire set of risk noncoding mutations.

Use of Okadaic Acid to Identify Relevant Phosphoepitopes in Pathology: A Focus on Neurodegeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús Avila

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Protein phosphorylation is involved in the regulation of a wide variety of physiological processes and is the result of a balance between protein kinase and phosphatase activities. Biologically active marine derived compounds have been shown to represent an interesting source of novel compounds that could modify that balance. Among them, the marine toxin and tumor promoter, okadaic acid (OA, has been shown as an inhibitor of two of the main cytosolic, broad-specificity protein phosphatases, PP1 and PP2A, thus providing an excellent cell-permeable probe for examining the role of protein phosphorylation, and PP1 and PP2A in particular, in any physiological or pathological process. In the present work, we review the use of okadaic acid to identify specific phosphoepitopes mainly in proteins relevant for neurodegeneration. We will specifically highlight those cases of highly dynamic phosphorylation-dephosphorylation events and the ability of OA to block the high turnover phosphorylation, thus allowing the detection of modified residues that could be otherwise difficult to identify. Finally, its effect on tau hyperhosphorylation and its relevance in neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia will be discussed.

Use of Neutron Beams for Materials Research Relevant to the Nuclear Energy Sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-10-01

Nuclear technologies such as fission and fusion reactors, including associated waste storage and disposal, rely on the availability of not only nuclear fuels but also advanced structural materials. In 2010–2013, the IAEA organized and implemented the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Development, Characterization and Testing of Materials of Relevance to Nuclear Energy Sector Using Neutron Beams. A total of 19 institutions from 18 Member States (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation (two institutions), South Africa, Switzerland and United States of America) cooperated with the main objective to address the use of various neutron beam techniques for characterization, testing and qualification of materials and components produced or under development for applications in the nuclear energy sector. This CRP aimed to bring stakeholders and end users of research reactors and accelerator based neutron sources together for the enhanced use of available facilities and development of new infrastructures for applied materials research. Work envisioned under this CRP was related to the optimization and validation of neutron beam techniques, including facility and instrument modifications/optimizations as well as improved data acquisition, processing and analysis systems. Particular emphasis was placed on variable environments during material characterization and testing as required by some applications such as intensive irradiation load, high temperature and high pressure conditions, and the presence of strong magnetic fields. Targeted neutron beam techniques were neutron diffraction, small angle neutron scattering and digital neutron radiography/tomography. This publication is a compilation of the main results and findings of the CRP, and the CD-ROM accompanying this publication contains 19 reports with additional relevant technical details

Messina: a novel analysis tool to identify biologically relevant molecules in disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Pinese

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Morphologically similar cancers display heterogeneous patterns of molecular aberrations and follow substantially different clinical courses. This diversity has become the basis for the definition of molecular phenotypes, with significant implications for therapy. Microarray or proteomic expression profiling is conventionally employed to identify disease-associated genes, however, traditional approaches for the analysis of profiling experiments may miss molecular aberrations which define biologically relevant subtypes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we present Messina, a method that can identify those genes that only sometimes show aberrant expression in cancer. We demonstrate with simulated data that Messina is highly sensitive and specific when used to identify genes which are aberrantly expressed in only a proportion of cancers, and compare Messina to contemporary analysis techniques. We illustrate Messina by using it to detect the aberrant expression of a gene that may play an important role in pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Messina allows the detection of genes with profiles typical of markers of molecular subtype, and complements existing methods to assist the identification of such markers. Messina is applicable to any global expression profiling data, and to allow its easy application has been packaged into a freely-available stand-alone software package.

Relevant optical properties for direct restorative materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Pecho, Oscar E; Ghinea, Razvan; do Amaral, Erika A Navarro; Cardona, Juan C; Della Bona, Alvaro; Pérez, María M

2016-05-01

To evaluate relevant optical properties of esthetic direct restorative materials focusing on whitened and translucent shades. Enamel (E), body (B), dentin (D), translucent (T) and whitened (Wh) shades for E (WhE) and B (WhB) from a restorative system (Filtek Supreme XTE, 3M ESPE) were evaluated. Samples (1 mm thick) were prepared. Spectral reflectance (R%) and color coordinates (L*, a*, b*, C* and h°) were measured against black and white backgrounds, using a spectroradiometer, in a viewing booth, with CIE D65 illuminant and d/0° geometry. Scattering (S) and absorption (K) coefficients and transmittance (T%) were calculated using Kubelka-Munk's equations. Translucency (TP) and opalescence (OP) parameters and whiteness index (W*) were obtained from differences of CIELAB color coordinates. R%, S, K and T% curves from all shades were compared using VAF (Variance Accounting For) coefficient with Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. Color coordinates and optical parameters were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Tukey's test with Bonferroni correction (α=0.0007). Spectral behavior of R% and S were different for T shades. In addition, T shades showed the lowest R%, S and K values, as well as the highest T%, TP an OP values. In most cases, WhB shades showed different color and optical properties (including TP and W*) than their corresponding B shades. WhE shades showed similar mean W* values and higher mean T% and TP values than E shades. When using whitened or translucent composites, the final color is influenced not only by the intraoral background but also by the color and optical properties of multilayers used in the esthetic restoration. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research Opportunities in Corrosion Science for Long-Term Prediction of Materials Performance: A Report of the DOE Workshop on “Corrosion Issues of Relevance to the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository”.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Payer, Joe H. [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States); Scully, John R. [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)

2003-07-29

The report summarizes the findings of a U.S. Department of Energy workshop on “Corrosion Issues of Relevance to the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository”. The workshop was held on July 29-30, 2003 in Bethesda, MD, and was co-sponsored by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences and Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The workshop focus was corrosion science relevant to long-term prediction of materials performance in hostile environments, with special focus on relevance to the permanent disposal of nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain Repository. The culmination of the workshop is this report that identifies both generic and Yucca Mountain Project-specific research opportunities in basic and applied topic areas. The research opportunities would be realized well after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s initial construction-authorization licensing process. At the workshop, twenty-three invited scientists deliberated on basic and applied science opportunities in corrosion science relevant to long-term prediction of damage accumulation by corrosive processes that affect materials performance.

Simple and efficient machine learning frameworks for identifying protein-protein interaction relevant articles and experimental methods used to study the interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Shashank; Liu, Feifan; Yu, Hong

2011-10-03

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) is an important biomedical phenomenon. Automatically detecting PPI-relevant articles and identifying methods that are used to study PPI are important text mining tasks. In this study, we have explored domain independent features to develop two open source machine learning frameworks. One performs binary classification to determine whether the given article is PPI relevant or not, named "Simple Classifier", and the other one maps the PPI relevant articles with corresponding interaction method nodes in a standardized PSI-MI (Proteomics Standards Initiative-Molecular Interactions) ontology, named "OntoNorm". We evaluated our system in the context of BioCreative challenge competition using the standardized data set. Our systems are amongst the top systems reported by the organizers, attaining 60.8% F1-score for identifying relevant documents, and 52.3% F1-score for mapping articles to interaction method ontology. Our results show that domain-independent machine learning frameworks can perform competitively well at the tasks of detecting PPI relevant articles and identifying the methods that were used to study the interaction in such articles. Simple Classifier is available at http://sourceforge.net/p/simpleclassify/home/ and OntoNorm at http://sourceforge.net/p/ontonorm/home/.

Nuclear weapon relevant materials and preventive arms control. Uranium-free fuels for plutonium elimination and spallation neutron sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liebert, Wolfgang; Englert, Matthias; Pistner, Christoph

2009-01-01

Today, the most significant barrier against the access to nuclear weapons is to take hold on sufficient amounts of nuclear weapon-relevant nuclear materials. It is mainly a matter of fissionable materials (like highly enriched uranium and plutonium) but also of fusionable tritium. These can be used as reactor fuel in civil nuclear programmes but also in nuclear weapon programmes. To stop or to hinder nuclear proliferation, in consequence, there is not only a need to analyse open or covered political objectives and intentions. In the long term, it might be more decisive to analyse the intrinsic civil-military ambivalence of nuclear materials and technologies, which are suitable for sensitive material production. A farsighted strategy to avoid proliferation dangers should take much more account to technical capabilities as it is done in the political debate on nuclear non-proliferation so far. If a technical option is at a state's disposal, it is extremely difficult and lengthy to revert that again. The dangers, which one has to react to, are stemming from already existing stocks of nuclear weapon-relevant materials - in the military as well as in the civil realm - and from existing or future technologies, which are suitable for the production of such materials (cf. info 1 and 2). Therefore, the overall approach of this research project is to strive for a drastic reduction of the access to nuclear weapon-relevant material and its production capabilities. Thus, on one hand the nuclear proliferation by state actors could be answered more effectively, on the other hand by that approach a decisive barrier against the access on nuclear weapons by sub-national groups and terrorists could also be erected. For this purpose, safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other measures of physical accountancy will remain indispensable elements of arms control. However, one has to consider that the goal of nuclear non-proliferation could not be achieved and

IFMIF, a fusion relevant neutron source for material irradiation current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knaster, J.; Chel, S.; Fischer, U.; Groeschel, F.; Heidinger, R.; Ibarra, A.; Micciche, G.; Möslang, A.; Sugimoto, M.; Wakai, E.

2014-01-01

The d-Li based International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) will provide a high neutron intensity neutron source with a suitable neutron spectrum to fulfil the requirements for testing and qualifying fusion materials under fusion reactor relevant irradiation conditions. The IFMIF project, presently in its Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDA) phase under the Broader Approach (BA) Agreement between Japan Government and EURATOM, aims at the construction and testing of the most challenging facility sub-systems, such as the first accelerator stage, the Li target and loop, and irradiation test modules, as well as the design of the entire facility, thus to be ready for the IFMIF construction with a clear understanding of schedule and cost at the termination of the BA mid-2017. The paper reviews the IFMIF facility and its principles, and reports on the status of the EVEDA activities and achievements

Plasma facing materials performance under ITER-relevant mitigated disruption photonic heat loads

Science.gov (United States)

Klimov, N. S.; Putrik, A. B.; Linke, J.; Pitts, R. A.; Zhitlukhin, A. M.; Kuprianov, I. B.; Spitsyn, A. V.; Ogorodnikova, O. V.; Podkovyrov, V. L.; Muzichenko, A. D.; Ivanov, B. V.; Sergeecheva, Ya. V.; Lesina, I. G.; Kovalenko, D. V.; Barsuk, V. A.; Danilina, N. A.; Bazylev, B. N.; Giniyatulin, R. N.

2015-08-01

PFMs (Plasma-facing materials: ITER grade stainless steel, beryllium, and ferritic-martensitic steels) as well as deposited erosion products of PFCs (Be-like, tungsten, and carbon based) were tested in QSPA under photonic heat loads relevant to those expected from photon radiation during disruptions mitigated by massive gas injection in ITER. Repeated pulses slightly above the melting threshold on the bulk materials eventually lead to a regular, "corrugated" surface, with hills and valleys spaced by 0.2-2 mm. The results indicate that hill growth (growth rate of ∼1 μm per pulse) and sample thinning in the valleys is a result of melt-layer redistribution. The measurements on the 316L(N)-IG indicate that the amount of tritium absorbed by the sample from the gas phase significantly increases with pulse number as well as the modified layer thickness. Repeated pulses significantly below the melting threshold on the deposited erosion products lead to a decrease of hydrogen isotopes trapped during the deposition of the eroded material.

Plasma facing materials performance under ITER-relevant mitigated disruption photonic heat loads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klimov, N.S., E-mail: klimov@triniti.ru [SRC RF TRINITI, ul. Pushkovykh, vladenie 12, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Kashirskoye shosse 31, Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation); Putrik, A.B. [SRC RF TRINITI, ul. Pushkovykh, vladenie 12, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Linke, J. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, EURATOM Association, Jülich D-52425 (Germany); Pitts, R.A. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 3640, Karlsruhe 76021 (Germany); Zhitlukhin, A.M. [SRC RF TRINITI, ul. Pushkovykh, vladenie 12, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Kuprianov, I.B. [Bochvar Institute, ul. Rogova, 5a, Moscow 123098 (Russian Federation); Spitsyn, A.V. [NRC «Kurchatov Institute», Akademika Kurchatova pl., 1, Moscow 123182 (Russian Federation); Ogorodnikova, O.V. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Garching (Germany); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Kashirskoye shosse 31, Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation); Podkovyrov, V.L.; Muzichenko, A.D. [SRC RF TRINITI, ul. Pushkovykh, vladenie 12, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Ivanov, B.V.; Sergeecheva, Ya.V.; Lesina, I.G. [Bochvar Institute, ul. Rogova, 5a, Moscow 123098 (Russian Federation); Kovalenko, D.V.; Barsuk, V.A.; Danilina, N.A. [SRC RF TRINITI, ul. Pushkovykh, vladenie 12, Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Bazylev, B.N. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 3640, Karlsruhe 76021 (Germany); Giniyatulin, R.N. [Efremov Institute, Doroga na Metallostroy, 3 bld., Metallostroy, Saint-Petersburg 196641 (Russian Federation)

2015-08-15

PFMs (Plasma-facing materials: ITER grade stainless steel, beryllium, and ferritic–martensitic steels) as well as deposited erosion products of PFCs (Be-like, tungsten, and carbon based) were tested in QSPA under photonic heat loads relevant to those expected from photon radiation during disruptions mitigated by massive gas injection in ITER. Repeated pulses slightly above the melting threshold on the bulk materials eventually lead to a regular, “corrugated” surface, with hills and valleys spaced by 0.2–2 mm. The results indicate that hill growth (growth rate of ∼1 μm per pulse) and sample thinning in the valleys is a result of melt-layer redistribution. The measurements on the 316L(N)-IG indicate that the amount of tritium absorbed by the sample from the gas phase significantly increases with pulse number as well as the modified layer thickness. Repeated pulses significantly below the melting threshold on the deposited erosion products lead to a decrease of hydrogen isotopes trapped during the deposition of the eroded material.

Analysis of carbon based materials under fusion relevant thermal loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Compan, Jeremie Saint-Helene

2008-01-01

Carbon based materials (CBMs) are used in fusion devices as plasma facing materials for decades. They have been selected due to the inherent advantages of carbon for fusion applications. The main ones are its low atomic number and the fact that it does not melt but sublimate (above 3000 C) under the planned working conditions. In addition, graphitic materials retain their mechanical properties at elevated temperatures and their thermal shock resistance is one of the highest, making them suitable for thermal management purpose during long or extremely short heat pulses. Nuclear grade fine grain graphite was the prime form of CBM which was set as a standard but when it comes to large fusion devices created nowadays, thermo-mechanical constraints created during transient heat loads (few GW.m-2 can be deposited in few ms) are so high that carbon/carbon composites (so-called Carbon Fiber Composites (CFCs)) have to be utilized. CFCs can achieve superior thermal conductivity as well as mechanical properties than fine grain graphite. However, all the thermo-mechanical properties of CFCs are highly dependent on the loading direction as a consequence of the graphite structure. In this work, the background on the anisotropy of the graphitic structures but also on the production of fine grain graphite and CFCs is highlighted, showing the major principles which are relevant for the further understanding of the study. Nine advanced CBMs were then compared in terms of microstructure and thermo-mechanical properties. Among them, two fine grain graphites were considered as useful reference materials to allow comparing advantages reached by the developed CFCs. The presented microstructural investigation methods permitted to make statements which can be applied for CFCs presenting similarities in terms of fiber architecture. Determination of the volumetric percentage of the major sub-units of CFCs, i.e. laminates, felt layers or needled fiber groups, lead to a better understanding on

Why relevance theory is relevant for lexicography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bothma, Theo; Tarp, Sven

2014-01-01

This article starts by providing a brief summary of relevance theory in information science in relation to the function theory of lexicography, explaining the different types of relevance, viz. objective system relevance and the subjective types of relevance, i.e. topical, cognitive, situational...... that is very important for lexicography as well as for information science, viz. functional relevance. Since all lexicographic work is ultimately aimed at satisfying users’ information needs, the article then discusses why the lexicographer should take note of all these types of relevance when planning a new...... dictionary project, identifying new tasks and responsibilities of the modern lexicographer. The article furthermore discusses how relevance theory impacts on teaching dictionary culture and reference skills. By integrating insights from lexicography and information science, the article contributes to new...

Defect Characterization of Pyroelectric Materials

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Keeble, David

2002-01-01

Two methods for identify point defects applicable to the study of technologically relevant pyroelectric oxide materials have been investigated, namely Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS...

Identifying clinically relevant drug resistance genes in drug-induced resistant cancer cell lines and post-chemotherapy tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Mengsha; Zheng, Weicheng; Lu, Xingrong; Ao, Lu; Li, Xiangyu; Guan, Qingzhou; Cai, Hao; Li, Mengyao; Yan, Haidan; Guo, You; Chi, Pan; Guo, Zheng

2015-12-01

Until recently, few molecular signatures of drug resistance identified in drug-induced resistant cancer cell models can be translated into clinical practice. Here, we defined differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between pre-chemotherapy colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue samples of non-responders and responders for 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin-based therapy as clinically relevant drug resistance genes (CRG5-FU/L-OHP). Taking CRG5-FU/L-OHP as reference, we evaluated the clinical relevance of several types of genes derived from HCT116 CRC cells with resistance to 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, respectively. The results revealed that DEGs between parental and resistant cells, when both were treated with the corresponding drug for a certain time, were significantly consistent with the CRG5-FU/L-OHP as well as the DEGs between the post-chemotherapy CRC specimens of responders and non-responders. This study suggests a novel strategy to extract clinically relevant drug resistance genes from both drug-induced resistant cell models and post-chemotherapy cancer tissue specimens.

Optical contrast for identifying the thickness of two-dimensional materials

Science.gov (United States)

Bing, Dan; Wang, Yingying; Bai, Jing; Du, Ruxia; Wu, Guoqing; Liu, Liyan

2018-01-01

One of the most intriguing properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials is their thickness dependent properties. A quick and precise technique to identify the layer number of 2D materials is therefore highly desirable. In this review, we will introduce the basic principle of using optical contrast to determine the thickness of 2D material and also its advantage as compared to other modern techniques. Different 2D materials, including graphene, graphene oxide, transitional metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorus, boron nitride, have been used as examples to demonstrate the capability of optical contrast methods. A simple and more efficient optical contrast image technique is also emphasized, which is suitable for quick and large-scale thickness identification. We have also discussed the factors that could affect the experimental results of optical contrast, including incident light angle, anisotropic nature of materials, and also the twisted angle between 2D layers. Finally, we give perspectives on future development of optical contrast methods for the study and application of 2D materials.

Research Opportunities in Corrosion Science for Long-Term Prediction of Materials Performance: A Report of the DOE Workshop on ''Corrosion Issues of Relevance to the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payer, Joe H.; Scully, John R.

2003-01-01

The report summarizes the findings of a U.S. Department of Energy workshop on ''Corrosion Issues of Relevance to the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository''. The workshop was held on July 29-30, 2003 in Bethesda, MD, and was co-sponsored by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences and Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The workshop focus was corrosion science relevant to long-term prediction of materials performance in hostile environments, with special focus on relevance to the permanent disposal of nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain Repository. The culmination of the workshop is this report that identifies both generic and Yucca Mountain Project-specific research opportunities in basic and applied topic areas. The research opportunities would be realized well after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's initial construction-authorization licensing process. At the workshop, twenty-three invited scientists deliberated on basic and applied science opportunities in corrosion science relevant to long-term prediction of damage accumulation by corrosive processes that affect materials performance.

Scientific Issues Relevant to Setting Regulatory Criteria to Identify Endocrine-Disrupting Substances in the European Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Slama, Rémy; Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre; Demeneix, Barbara; Ivell, Richard; Panzica, Giancarlo; Kortenkamp, Andreas; Zoeller, R Thomas

2016-10-01

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as exogenous compounds or mixtures that alter function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently cause adverse effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, or (sub)populations. European regulations on pesticides, biocides, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals require the European Commission to establish scientific criteria to define EDs. We address the scientific relevance of four options for the identification of EDs proposed by the European Commission. Option 1, which does not define EDs and leads to using interim criteria unrelated to the WHO definition of EDs, is not relevant. Options 2 and 3 rely on the WHO definition of EDs, which is widely accepted by the scientific community, with option 3 introducing additional categories based on the strength of evidence (suspected EDs and endocrine-active substances). Option 4 adds potency to the WHO definition, as a decision criterion. We argue that potency is dependent on the adverse effect considered and is scientifically ambiguous, and note that potency is not used as a criterion to define other particularly hazardous substances such as carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. The use of potency requires a context that goes beyond hazard identification and corresponds to risk characterization, in which potency (or, more relevantly, the dose-response function) is combined with exposure levels. There is scientific agreement regarding the adequacy of the WHO definition of EDs. The potency concept is not relevant to the identification of particularly serious hazards such as EDs. As is common practice for carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxicants, a multi-level classification of ED based on the WHO definition, and not considering potency, would be relevant (corresponding to option 3 proposed by the European Commission). Slama R, Bourguignon JP, Demeneix B, Ivell R, Panzica G, Kortenkamp A, Zoeller RT. 2016. Scientific issues relevant

Using language models to identify relevant new information in inpatient clinical notes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V; Lee, Janet T; Melton, Genevieve B

2014-01-01

Redundant information in clinical notes within electronic health record (EHR) systems is ubiquitous and may negatively impact the use of these notes by clinicians, and, potentially, the efficiency of patient care delivery. Automated methods to identify redundant versus relevant new information may provide a valuable tool for clinicians to better synthesize patient information and navigate to clinically important details. In this study, we investigated the use of language models for identification of new information in inpatient notes, and evaluated our methods using expert-derived reference standards. The best method achieved precision of 0.743, recall of 0.832 and F1-measure of 0.784. The average proportion of redundant information was similar between inpatient and outpatient progress notes (76.6% (SD=17.3%) and 76.7% (SD=14.0%), respectively). Advanced practice providers tended to have higher rates of redundancy in their notes compared to physicians. Future investigation includes the addition of semantic components and visualization of new information.

42 CFR 137.22 - May the Secretary consider uncorrected significant and material audit exceptions identified...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... and material audit exceptions identified regarding centralized financial and administrative functions... Tribes for Participation in Self-Governance Planning Phase § 137.22 May the Secretary consider uncorrected significant and material audit exceptions identified regarding centralized financial and...

On the development of standardization methods for measuring the degree of graphitization of industrial materials, correlation of scientific characterization with the industrially relevant secondary properties of graphitic material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fitzer, E.; Koechling, K.H.

1984-01-01

The completed research roject comprised the development of standardization methods for measuring the degree of graphitization of industrial materials, the testing of characterization methods with regard to significance, the correlation of scientific characterization with industrially relevant material properties and the resultant modification of industrial processes for the manufacture of coke raw materials and graphitic materials. Also targeted within the scope of this project were the grouping of comparable characterization methods and the drawing up of unequivocal terminology for scientific and industrial-commercial usage, with both aims based on intensified national and international teamwork. (orig./WL) [de

Causes of shortage and delay in material supply: a preliminary study

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, M. M.; Yap, Y. H.; Ramli, N. R.; Dullah, M. A.; Shamsuddin, M. S. W.

2017-11-01

Shortage and delay in materials supply is argued to be one of the most important factors that lead to delay in construction project delivery globally. However, the relevant underlying reasons vary from country to country. As such, this paper summarises the outcomes of a study that targeted identifying causes of shortage and delay in materials supply in Brunei Darussalam. The study was conducted through fifteen semi-structured interviews of contractors and materials suppliers in Brunei. The study identified six causes of shortageof materials and nine causes of delay in materials supply in Brunei. The most importantcausefor shortage of materials relates to the origin or availability of construction materials. On the other hand, the most influential cause of delay in material supply was found to be poor materials procurement and inventory management system, which has other underlying reasons such as late identification of the type of materials needed. The observations are expected to help in formulating or reviewing relevant policies, in order to ensure on-time project delivery.

Review: To be or not to be an identifiable model. Is this a relevant question in animal science modelling?

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz-Tamayo, R; Puillet, L; Daniel, J B; Sauvant, D; Martin, O; Taghipoor, M; Blavy, P

2018-04-01

What is a good (useful) mathematical model in animal science? For models constructed for prediction purposes, the question of model adequacy (usefulness) has been traditionally tackled by statistical analysis applied to observed experimental data relative to model-predicted variables. However, little attention has been paid to analytic tools that exploit the mathematical properties of the model equations. For example, in the context of model calibration, before attempting a numerical estimation of the model parameters, we might want to know if we have any chance of success in estimating a unique best value of the model parameters from available measurements. This question of uniqueness is referred to as structural identifiability; a mathematical property that is defined on the sole basis of the model structure within a hypothetical ideal experiment determined by a setting of model inputs (stimuli) and observable variables (measurements). Structural identifiability analysis applied to dynamic models described by ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is a common practice in control engineering and system identification. This analysis demands mathematical technicalities that are beyond the academic background of animal science, which might explain the lack of pervasiveness of identifiability analysis in animal science modelling. To fill this gap, in this paper we address the analysis of structural identifiability from a practitioner perspective by capitalizing on the use of dedicated software tools. Our objectives are (i) to provide a comprehensive explanation of the structural identifiability notion for the community of animal science modelling, (ii) to assess the relevance of identifiability analysis in animal science modelling and (iii) to motivate the community to use identifiability analysis in the modelling practice (when the identifiability question is relevant). We focus our study on ODE models. By using illustrative examples that include published

Identifying relevant feature-action associations for grasping unmodelled objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Mikkel Tang; Kraft, Dirk; Krüger, Norbert

2015-01-01

content. The method is provided with a large and structured set of visual features, motivated by the visual hierarchy in primates and finds relevant feature action associations automatically. We apply our method in a simulated environment on three different object sets for the case of grasp affordance...... learning. For box objects, we achieve a 0.90 success probability, 0.80 for round objects and up to 0.75 for open objects, when presented with novel objects. In this work, we in particular demonstrate the effect of choosing appropriate feature representations. We demonstrate a significant performance...

Materials degradation in fission reactors: Lessons learned of relevance to fusion reactor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Was, Gary S.

2007-01-01

The management of materials in power reactor systems has become a critically important activity in assuring the safe, reliable and economical operation of these facilities. Over the years, the commercial nuclear power reactor industry has faced numerous 'surprises' and unexpected occurrences in materials. Mitigation strategies have sometimes solved one problem at the expense of creating another. Other problems have been solved successfully and have motivated the development of techniques to foresee problems before they occur. This paper focuses on three aspects of fission reactor experience that may benefit future fusion systems. The first is identification of parameters and processes that have had a large impact on the behavior of materials in fission systems such as temperature, dose rate, surface condition, gradients, metallurgical variability and effects of the environment. The second is the development of materials performance and failure models to provide a basis for assuring component integrity. Last is the development of proactive materials management programs that identify and pre-empt degradation processes before they can become problems. These aspects of LWR experience along with the growing experience with materials in the more demanding advanced fission reactor systems form the basis for a set of 'lessons learned' to aid in the successful management of materials in fusion reactor systems

The SADI Personal Health Lens: A Web Browser-Based System for Identifying Personally Relevant Drug Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandervalk, Ben; McCarthy, E Luke; Cruz-Toledo, José; Klein, Artjom; Baker, Christopher J O; Dumontier, Michel; Wilkinson, Mark D

2013-04-05

The Web provides widespread access to vast quantities of health-related information that can improve quality-of-life through better understanding of personal symptoms, medical conditions, and available treatments. Unfortunately, identifying a credible and personally relevant subset of information can be a time-consuming and challenging task for users without a medical background. The objective of the Personal Health Lens system is to aid users when reading health-related webpages by providing warnings about personally relevant drug interactions. More broadly, we wish to present a prototype for a novel, generalizable approach to facilitating interactions between a patient, their practitioner(s), and the Web. We utilized a distributed, Semantic Web-based architecture for recognizing personally dangerous drugs consisting of: (1) a private, local triple store of personal health information, (2) Semantic Web services, following the Semantic Automated Discovery and Integration (SADI) design pattern, for text mining and identifying substance interactions, (3) a bookmarklet to trigger analysis of a webpage and annotate it with personalized warnings, and (4) a semantic query that acts as an abstract template of the analytical workflow to be enacted by the system. A prototype implementation of the system is provided in the form of a Java standalone executable JAR file. The JAR file bundles all components of the system: the personal health database, locally-running versions of the SADI services, and a javascript bookmarklet that triggers analysis of a webpage. In addition, the demonstration includes a hypothetical personal health profile, allowing the system to be used immediately without configuration. Usage instructions are provided. The main strength of the Personal Health Lens system is its ability to organize medical information and to present it to the user in a personalized and contextually relevant manner. While this prototype was limited to a single knowledge domain

The SADI Personal Health Lens: A Web Browser-Based System for Identifying Personally Relevant Drug Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Vandervalk, Ben; McCarthy, E Luke; Cruz-Toledo, José; Klein, Artjom; Baker, Christopher J O; Dumontier, Michel

2013-01-01

Background The Web provides widespread access to vast quantities of health-related information that can improve quality-of-life through better understanding of personal symptoms, medical conditions, and available treatments. Unfortunately, identifying a credible and personally relevant subset of information can be a time-consuming and challenging task for users without a medical background. Objective The objective of the Personal Health Lens system is to aid users when reading health-related webpages by providing warnings about personally relevant drug interactions. More broadly, we wish to present a prototype for a novel, generalizable approach to facilitating interactions between a patient, their practitioner(s), and the Web. Methods We utilized a distributed, Semantic Web-based architecture for recognizing personally dangerous drugs consisting of: (1) a private, local triple store of personal health information, (2) Semantic Web services, following the Semantic Automated Discovery and Integration (SADI) design pattern, for text mining and identifying substance interactions, (3) a bookmarklet to trigger analysis of a webpage and annotate it with personalized warnings, and (4) a semantic query that acts as an abstract template of the analytical workflow to be enacted by the system. Results A prototype implementation of the system is provided in the form of a Java standalone executable JAR file. The JAR file bundles all components of the system: the personal health database, locally-running versions of the SADI services, and a javascript bookmarklet that triggers analysis of a webpage. In addition, the demonstration includes a hypothetical personal health profile, allowing the system to be used immediately without configuration. Usage instructions are provided. Conclusions The main strength of the Personal Health Lens system is its ability to organize medical information and to present it to the user in a personalized and contextually relevant manner. While this

Identifying relevant group of miRNAs in cancer using fuzzy mutual information.

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, Jayanta Kumar; Ray, Shubhra Sankar; Pal, Sankar K

2016-04-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as a major biomarker of cancer. All miRNAs in human body are not equally important for cancer identification. We propose a methodology, called FMIMS, which automatically selects the most relevant miRNAs for a particular type of cancer. In FMIMS, miRNAs are initially grouped by using a SVM-based algorithm; then the group with highest relevance is determined and the miRNAs in that group are finally ranked for selection according to their redundancy. Fuzzy mutual information is used in computing the relevance of a group and the redundancy of miRNAs within it. Superiority of the most relevant group to all others, in deciding normal or cancer, is demonstrated on breast, renal, colorectal, lung, melanoma and prostate data. The merit of FMIMS as compared to several existing methods is established. While 12 out of 15 selected miRNAs by FMIMS corroborate with those of biological investigations, three of them viz., "hsa-miR-519," "hsa-miR-431" and "hsa-miR-320c" are possible novel predictions for renal cancer, lung cancer and melanoma, respectively. The selected miRNAs are found to be involved in disease-specific pathways by targeting various genes. The method is also able to detect the responsible miRNAs even at the primary stage of cancer. The related code is available at http://www.jayanta.droppages.com/FMIMS.html .

Effect of Mental State on the Rate of Identifying the Relevancy of Documents Retrieved in a Search

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faezeh Farhoudi

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The present study investigates the link between various users’ mental state while searching information systems with the outcome of the resulting documents retrieved. Various factors such as user knowledge, search skills, motivation and aims influence the decisions and evaluation of users regarding documents retrieved. MMPI instrument was used to identify users’ mental states. The sample was drawn from female senior students of librarianship, using systematic random sampling. The findings indicated that anxiety and depression have significant inverse relationship to the rate of relevancy identification of the documents retrieved by the users.

Critical and strategic materials proceedings of the laboratory study group meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-06-01

These Proceedings serve to identify the appropriate role for the DOE-BES-DMS Laboratory program concerning critical and strategic materials, identify and articulate high priority DOE-BES-DMS target areas so as to maximize programmatic responsiveness to national needs concerning critical and strategic materials, and identify research, expertise, and resources (including Collaborative Research Centers) that are relevant to critical and strategic materials that is either underway or in place under the DOE-BES-DMS Laboratory program. Laboratory statements of collaborative research are given

Progress report on the results of testing advanced conceptual design metal barrier materials under relevant environmental conditions for a tuff repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCright, R.D.; Halsey, W.G.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.

1987-12-01

This report discusses the performance of candidate metallic materials envisioned for fabricating waste package containers for long-term disposal at a possible geological repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Candidate materials include austenitic iron-base to nickel-base alloy (AISI 304L, AISI 316L, and Alloy 825), high-purity copper (CDA 102), and copper-base alloys (CDA 613 and CDA 715). Possible degradation modes affecting these container materials are identified in the context of anticipated environmental conditions at the repository site. Low-temperature oxidation is the dominant degradation mode over most of the time period of concern (minimum of 300 yr to a maximum of 1000 yr after repository closure), but various forms of aqueous corrosion will occur when water infiltrates into the near-package environment. The results of three years of experimental work in different repository-relevant environments are presented. Much of the work was performed in water taken from Well J-13, located near the repository, and some of the experiments included gamma irradiation of the water or vapor environment. The influence of metallurgical effects on the corrosion and oxidation resistance of the material is reviewed; these effects result from container fabrication, welding, and long-term aging at moderately elevated temperatures in the repository. The report indicates the need for mechanisms to understand the physical/chemical reactions that determine the nature and rate of the different degradation modes, and the subsequent need for models based on these mechanisms for projecting the long-term performance of the container from comparatively short-term laboratory data. 91 refs., 17 figs., 16 tabs

Characterization of load dependent creep behavior in medically relevant absorbable polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreher, Maureen L; Nagaraja, Srinidhi; Bui, Hieu; Hong, Danny

2014-01-01

While synthetic absorbable polymers have a substantial history of use in medical devices, their use is expanding and becoming more prevalent for devices where long term loading and structural support is required. In addition, there is evidence that current absorbable medical devices may experience permanent deformations, warping (out of plane twisting), and geometric changes in vivo. For clinical indications with long term loading or structural support requirements, understanding the material's viscoelastic properties becomes increasingly important whereas these properties have not been used historically as preclinical indications of performance or design considerations. In this study we measured the static creep, creep recovery and cyclic creep responses of common medically relevant absorbable materials (i.e., poly(l-lactide, PLLA) and poly(l-co-glycolide, PLGA) over a range of physiologically relevant loading magnitudes. The results indicate that both PLLA and PLGA exhibit creep behavior and failure at loads significantly less than the yield or ultimate properties of the material and that significant material specific responses to loading exist. In addition, we identified a strong correlation between the extent of creep in the material and its crystallinity. Results of the study provide new information on the creep behavior of PLLA and PLGA and support the use of viscoelastic properties of absorbable polymers as part of the material selection process. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Surgeon Reported Outcome Measure for Spine Trauma an International Expert Survey Identifying Parameters Relevant for The Outcome of Subaxial Cervical Spine Injuries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sadiqi, Said; Verlaan, Jorrit Jan; Lehr, A. M.; Dvorak, Marcel F.; Kandziora, Frank; Rajasekaran, S.; Schnake, Klaus J.; Vaccaro, Alexander R.; Oner, F. C.

2016-01-01

STUDY DESIGN.: International web-based survey OBJECTIVE.: To identify clinical and radiological parameters that spine surgeons consider most relevant when evaluating clinical and functional outcomes of subaxial cervical spine trauma patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA.: While an outcome instrument

Research projects on life management: materials ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez Briceno, D.

1997-01-01

Materials ageing is a time-dependent process, that involves the loss of availability of nuclear plants. Radiation embrittlement, stress corrosion cracking, irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking, and thermal ageing are the most relevant time-dependent material degradation mechanisms that can be identified in the materials ageing process. The Materials Programme of Nuclear Energy Institute at CIEMAT carries out research projects and metallurgical examinations of failed components to gain some insight into the mechanisms of materials degradation with a direct impact on the life management of nuclear plants. (Author)

SWeRF--A method for estimating the relevant fine particle fraction in bulk materials for classification and labelling purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pensis, Ingeborg; Luetzenkirchen, Frank; Friede, Bernd

2014-05-01

In accordance with the European regulation for classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) as well as the criteria as set out in the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), fine fraction of crystalline silica (CS) has been classified as a specific target organ toxicity, the specific organ in this case being the lung. Generic cut-off values for products containing a fine fraction of CS trigger the need for a method for the quantification of the fine fraction of CS in bulk materials. This article describes the so-called SWeRF method, the size-weighted relevant fine fraction. The SWeRF method combines the particle size distribution of a powder with probability factors from the EN 481 standard and allows the relevant fine fraction of a material to be calculated. The SWeRF method has been validated with a number of industrial minerals. This will enable manufacturers and blenders to apply the CLP and GHS criteria for the classification of mineral products containing RCS a fine fraction of CS.

Impacted material placement plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hickey, M.J.

1997-01-01

Impacted material placement plans (IMPP) are documents identifying the essential elements in placing remediation wastes into disposal facilities. Remediation wastes or impacted material(s) are those components used in the construction of the disposal facility exclusive of the liners and caps. The components might include soils, concrete, rubble, debris, and other regulatory approved materials. The IMPP provides the details necessary for interested parties to understand the management and construction practices at the disposal facility. The IMPP should identify the regulatory requirements from applicable DOE Orders, the ROD(s) (where a part of a CERCLA remedy), closure plans, or any other relevant agreements or regulations. Also, how the impacted material will be tracked should be described. Finally, detailed descriptions of what will be placed and how it will be placed should be included. The placement of impacted material into approved on-site disposal facilities (OSDF) is an integral part of gaining regulatory approval. To obtain this approval, a detailed plan (Impacted Material Placement Plan [IMPP]) was developed for the Fernald OSDF. The IMPP provides detailed information for the DOE, site generators, the stakeholders, regulatory community, and the construction subcontractor placing various types of impacted material within the disposal facility

User perspectives on relevance criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maglaughlin, Kelly L.; Sonnenwald, Diane H.

2002-01-01

, partially relevant, or not relevant to their information need; and explained their decisions in an interview. Analysis revealed 29 criteria, discussed positively and negatively, that were used by the participants when selecting passages that contributed or detracted from a document's relevance......This study investigates the use of criteria to assess relevant, partially relevant, and not-relevant documents. Study participants identified passages within 20 document representations that they used to make relevance judgments; judged each document representation as a whole to be relevant...... matter, thought catalyst), full text (e.g., audience, novelty, type, possible content, utility), journal/publisher (e.g., novelty, main focus, perceived quality), and personal (e.g., competition, time requirements). Results further indicate that multiple criteria are used when making relevant, partially...

Eysenbach, Tuische and Diepgen’s Evaluation of Web Searching for Identifying Unpublished Studies for Systematic Reviews: An Innovative Study Which is Still Relevant Today.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Briscoe

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Eysenbach, G., Tuische, J. & Diepgen, T.L. (2001. Evaluation of the usefulness of Internet searches to identify unpublished clinical trials for systematic reviews. Medical Informatics and the Internet in Medicine, 26(3, 203-218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14639230110075459 Objective – To consider whether web searching is a useful method for identifying unpublished studies for inclusion in systematic reviews. Design – Retrospective web searches using the AltaVista search engine were conducted to identify unpublished studies – specifically, clinical trials – for systematic reviews which did not use a web search engine. Setting – The Department of Clinical Social Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Subjects – n/a Methods – Pilot testing of 11 web search engines was carried out to determine which could handle complex search queries. Pre-specified search requirements included the ability to handle Boolean and proximity operators, and truncation searching. A total of seven Cochrane systematic reviews were randomly selected from the Cochrane Library Issue 2, 1998, and their bibliographic database search strategies were adapted for the web search engine, AltaVista. Each adaptation combined search terms for the intervention, problem, and study type in the systematic review. Hints to planned, ongoing, or unpublished studies retrieved by the search engine, which were not cited in the systematic reviews, were followed up by visiting websites and contacting authors for further details when required. The authors of the systematic reviews were then contacted and asked to comment on the potential relevance of the identified studies. Main Results – Hints to 14 unpublished and potentially relevant studies, corresponding to 4 of the 7 randomly selected Cochrane systematic reviews, were identified. Out of the 14 studies, 2 were considered irrelevant to the corresponding systematic review by the systematic review authors. The

Material Barriers to Diffusive Mixing

Science.gov (United States)

Haller, George; Karrasch, Daniel

2017-11-01

Transport barriers, as zero-flux surfaces, are ill-defined in purely advective mixing in which the flux of any passive scalar is zero through all material surfaces. For this reason, Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) have been argued to play the role of mixing barriers as most repelling, attracting or shearing material lines. These three kinematic concepts, however, can also be defined in different ways, both within rigorous mathematical treatments and within the realm of heuristic diagnostics. This has lead to a an ever-growing number of different LCS methods, each generally identifying different objects as transport barriers. In this talk, we examine which of these methods have actual relevance for diffusive transport barriers. The latter barriers are arguably the practically relevant inhibitors in the mixing of physically relevant tracers, such as temperature, salinity, vorticity or potential vorticity. We demonstrate the role of the most effective diffusion barriers in analytical examples and observational data. Supported in part by the DFG Priority Program on Turbulent Superstructures.

Regulatory focussing of the relevant aspects related to the transport of radioactive materials in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Vietri, J.R.; Novo, R.G.; Bianchi, A.J.

1998-01-01

Full text: This paper points out a summary of the relevant aspects related to the transport of radioactive material in Argentina treated only from a regulatory focussing, it is to say from the point of view of its competent authority of application the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (in Spanish, the Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, ARN). Firstly, it is introduced the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the transport of radioactive material and the corresponding authorities involved (ARN, Secretary of Transport, and the Argentine Air Force, Naval Prefecture and Navy). Then, it is presented a schedule of the main characteristics of the shipments of radioactive material used in both the nuclear cycle and in medicine, industry and research, and an average of the shipments annually transported in Argentina. Further on the paper briefly analyses the ARN sources and the way in which it performs the compliance assurance with the in-force transport regulations in the country. Particularly, it is explained certain main tools used by the compliance system, as for example, transport notice, data base, licensing of certain design packages, shipments and materials, inspection and audits, and fees and sanctions regimes. On the other hand, it is mentioned the Argentine experience in the development, licensing, manufacture and use of domestic designs of Type B(U) packages and special form radioactive material (cobalt 60 and iridium 192 sealed sources). Moreover, it is concisely described test facilities available in the country necessary to perform the mentioned designs. Finally, the paper shortly describes the ARN main transport activities exclusively concerning the relationship with other national organisations (Federal Police, Gendarmerie, Naval Prefecture and Argentine Institute of Material Rationalisation, in Spanish Instituto Argentino de Racionalizacion de Materiales - IRAM) and with regional and inter regional organisations (South American Common Market, in Spanish

Molecular dynamics simulations of interactions between hydrogen and fusion-relevant materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rooij, Dagmar de

2010-01-01

In a thermonuclear reactor fusion between hydrogen isotopes takes place, producing helium and energy. The so-called divertor is the part of the fusion reactor vessel where the plasma is neutralized in order to exhaust the helium. The surface plates of the divertor are subjected to high heat loads and high fluxes of energetic hydrogen and helium. In the next generation fusion device - the tokamak ITER - the expected conditions at the plates are particle fluxes exceeding 10 24 per second and square metre, particle energies ranging from 1 to 100 eV and an average heat load of 10 MW per square metre. Two materials have been identified as candidates for the ITER divertor plates: carbon and tungsten. Since there are currently no fusion devices that can create these harsh conditions, it is unknown how the materials will behave in terms of erosion and hydrogen retention. To gain more insight in the physical processes under these conditions molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted. Since diamond has been proposed as possible plasma facing material, we have studied erosion and hydrogen retention in diamond and amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H). As in experiments, diamond shows a lower erosion yield than a-C:H, however the hydrogen retention in diamond is much larger than in a-C:H and also hardly depending on the substrate temperature. This implies that simple heating of the surface is not sufficient to retrieve the hydrogen from diamond material, whereas a-C:H readily releases the retained hydrogen. So, in spite of the higher erosion yield carbon material other than diamond seems more suitable. Experiments suggest that the erosion yield of carbon material decreases with increasing flux. This was studied in our simulations. The results show no flux dependency, suggesting that the observed reduction is not a material property but is caused by external factors as, for example, redeposition of the erosion products. Our study of the redeposition showed that the

Application of Computer Simulation to Identify Erosion Resistance of Materials of Wet-steam Turbine Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Korostelyov, D. A.; Dergachyov, K. V.

2017-10-01

A problem of identifying the efficiency of using materials, coatings, linings and solderings of wet-steam turbine rotor blades by means of computer simulation is considered. Numerical experiments to define erosion resistance of materials of wet-steam turbine blades are described. Kinetic curves for erosion area and weight of the worn rotor blade material of turbines K-300-240 LMP and atomic icebreaker “Lenin” have been defined. The conclusion about the effectiveness of using different erosion-resistant materials and protection configuration of rotor blades is also made.

Stock Price Synchronicity and Material Sustainability Information

OpenAIRE

Grewal, Jody; Hauptmann, Clarissa; Serafeim, Georgios

2017-01-01

We examine if, and under what conditions, disclosure of sustainability information identified as investor relevant by market-driven innovations in accounting standard-setting, is associated with stock prices reflecting more firm-specific information and thereby lower synchronicity with market and industry returns. We find that firms voluntarily disclosing more sustainability information, identified as material by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), have lower stock price syn...

THE RELEVANCE OF TEACHING MATERIALS OF VOCATIONAL SCHOOL AND THEIR UTILIZATION IN KRETEK INDUSTRY IN KUDUS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuraeningsih Nuraeningsih

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, technology development demands candidates of employees to be highly qualified workers as companies or manufacturers make use of machinary. Therefore, they are supposed to to master English as the language of operation manual. With good English proficiency, workers are able to operate the machine in their workplace correctly and human errors could be eliminated. In other words, the companies will not get loss if all workers understand English in practical way. To answer this challange, vocational schools play an important role in providing ready-work graduates. Through curriculum design and appropriate teaching materials, students are taught to achieve the competence stated there. This research was conducted to describe the utility of English teaching materials of vocational schools to the application in work places, in this case, kretek industry in Kudus. A descriptive need analysis was used to analyze the data that was collected through a deep interview. The result of the research shows that emplyees perceived that vocabulary is the most important language component to learn. In addition, they considered skill mostly needed is reading comprehension. In other words, the materials are not very relevant to the need of kretek industry in Kudus. Hopefully, this research can assists English teachers of vocational schools to consider the students‘ need and develop the suitable materials for them.

Application of FEPs analysis to identify research priorities relevant to the safety case for an Australian radioactive waste facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payne, T.E.; McGlinn, P.J.

2007-01-01

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has established a project to undertake research relevant to the safety case for the proposed Australian radioactive waste facility. This facility will comprise a store for intermediate level radioactive waste, and either a store or a near-surface repository for low-level waste. In order to identify the research priorities for this project, a structured analysis of the features, events and processes (FEPs) relevant to the performance of the facility was undertaken. This analysis was based on the list of 137 FEPs developed by the IAEA project on 'Safety Assessment Methodologies for Near Surface Disposal Facilities' (ISAM). A number of key research issues were identified, and some factors which differ in significance for the store, compared to the repository concept, were highlighted. For example, FEPs related to long-term groundwater transport of radionuclides are considered to be of less significance for a store than a repository. On the other hand, structural damage from severe weather, accident or human interference is more likely for a store. The FEPs analysis has enabled the scientific research skills required for the inter-disciplinary project team to be specified. The outcomes of the research will eventually be utilised in developing the design, and assessing the performance, of the future facility. It is anticipated that a more detailed application of the FEPs methodology will be undertaken to develop the safety case for the proposed radioactive waste management facility. (authors)

Measuring Teacher Dispositions: Identifying Workplace Personality Traits Most Relevant to Teaching Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Yuankun; Pagnani, Alexander; Thomas, Matt; Abellan-Pagnani, Luisa; Brown, Terrell; Buchanan, Dawna Lisa

2017-01-01

What personality traits represent dispositions most relevant to teaching professionals? Could an instrument reflecting work personality traits for a wide variety of professions provide a valid assessment of dispositions for teacher candidates? This study analyzed the internal structure of a state mandated dispositions assessment that was adapted…

Effects of testing on subsequent re-encoding and long-term forgetting of action-relevant materials: On the influence of recall type.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubik, Veit; Nilsson, Lars-Göran; Olofsson, Jonas K; Jönsson, Fredrik U

2015-10-01

Testing one's memory of previously studied information reduces the rate of forgetting, compared to restudy. However, little is known about how this direct testing effect applies to action phrases (e.g., "wash the car") - a learning material relevant to everyday memory. As action phrases consist of two different components, a verb (e.g., "wash") and a noun (e.g., "car"), testing can either be implemented as noun-cued recall of verbs or verb-cued recall of nouns, which may differently affect later memory performance. In the present study, we investigated the effect of testing for these two recall types, using verbally encoded action phrases as learning materials. Results showed that repeated study-test practice, compared to repeated study-restudy practice, decreased the forgetting rate across 1 week to a similar degree for both noun-cued and verb-cued recall types. However, noun-cued recall of verbs initiated more new subsequent learning during the first restudy, compared to verb-cued recall of nouns. The study provides evidence that testing has benefits on both subsequent restudy and long-term retention of action-relevant materials, but that these benefits are differently expressed with testing via noun-cued versus verb-cued recall. © 2015 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hierarchthis: An Interactive Interface for Identifying Mission-Relevant Components of the Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System

Science.gov (United States)

Litomisky, Krystof

2012-01-01

Even though NASA's space missions are many and varied, there are some tasks that are common to all of them. For example, all spacecraft need to communicate with other entities, and all spacecraft need to know where they are. These tasks use tools and services that can be inherited and reused between missions, reducing systems engineering effort and therefore reducing cost.The Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System, or AMMOS, is a collection of multimission tools and services, whose development and maintenance are funded by NASA. I created HierarchThis, a plugin designed to provide an interactive interface to help customers identify mission-relevant tools and services. HierarchThis automatically creates diagrams of the AMMOS database, and then allows users to show/hide specific details through a graphical interface. Once customers identify tools and services they want for a specific mission, HierarchThis can automatically generate a contract between the Multimission Ground Systems and Services Office, which manages AMMOS, and the customer. The document contains the selected AMMOS components, along with their capabilities and satisfied requirements. HierarchThis reduces the time needed for the process from service selections to having a mission-specific contract from the order of days to the order of minutes.

Investigation of erosion mechanisms and erosion products in divertor armour materials under conditions relevant to elms and mitigated disruptions in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safronov, V.M.; Arkhipov, N.I.; Klimov, N.S.; Kovalenko, D.V.; Moskaleva, A.A.; Podkovyrov, V.L.; Toporkov, D.A.; Zhitlukhin, A.M.; Landman, I.S.; Poznyak, I.M.

2008-01-01

Carbon fibre composite (CFC) and tungsten were irradiated by intense plasma streams at plasma gun facilities MK-200UG and QSPA-T. The targets were tested by plasma loads relevant to Edge Localised Modes (ELM) and mitigated disruptions in ITER. Onset condition of material erosion and properties of erosion products have been studied

Back to the basics: Identifying and addressing underlying challenges in achieving high quality and relevant health statistics for indigenous populations in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Smylie, Janet; Firestone, Michelle

Canada is known internationally for excellence in both the quality and public policy relevance of its health and social statistics. There is a double standard however with respect to the relevance and quality of statistics for Indigenous populations in Canada. Indigenous specific health and social statistics gathering is informed by unique ethical, rights-based, policy and practice imperatives regarding the need for Indigenous participation and leadership in Indigenous data processes throughout the spectrum of indicator development, data collection, management, analysis and use. We demonstrate how current Indigenous data quality challenges including misclassification errors and non-response bias systematically contribute to a significant underestimate of inequities in health determinants, health status, and health care access between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. The major quality challenge underlying these errors and biases is the lack of Indigenous specific identifiers that are consistent and relevant in major health and social data sources. The recent removal of an Indigenous identity question from the Canadian census has resulted in further deterioration of an already suboptimal system. A revision of core health data sources to include relevant, consistent, and inclusive Indigenous self-identification is urgently required. These changes need to be carried out in partnership with Indigenous peoples and their representative and governing organizations.

Bioinspired catalytic materials for energy-relevant conversions

Science.gov (United States)

Artero, Vincent

2017-09-01

The structure of active sites of enzymes involved in bioenergetic processes can inspire design of active, stable and cost-effective catalysts for renewable-energy technologies. For these materials to reach maturity, the benefits of bioinspired systems must be combined with practical technological requirements.

Reference materials and representative test materials: the nanotechnology case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roebben, G.; Rasmussen, K.; Kestens, V.; Linsinger, T. P. J.; Rauscher, H.; Emons, H.; Stamm, H.

2013-01-01

An increasing number of chemical, physical and biological tests are performed on manufactured nanomaterials for scientific and regulatory purposes. Existing test guidelines and measurement methods are not always directly applicable to or relevant for nanomaterials. Therefore, it is necessary to verify the use of the existing methods with nanomaterials, thereby identifying where modifications are needed, and where new methods need to be developed and validated. Efforts for verification, development and validation of methods as well as quality assurance of (routine) test results significantly benefit from the availability of suitable test and reference materials. This paper provides an overview of the existing types of reference materials and introduces a new class of test materials for which the term ‘representative test material’ is proposed. The three generic concepts of certified reference material, reference material(non-certified) and representative test material constitute a comprehensive system of benchmarks that can be used by all measurement and testing communities, regardless of their specific discipline. This paper illustrates this system with examples from the field of nanomaterials, including reference materials and representative test materials developed at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, in particular at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), and at the Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP).

Prospects for a fissile material cut-off: Achieving a successful NPT review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalinowski, M.

1999-01-01

Finding new and creative ways to overcome the current deadlock in progress in nuclear arms control became the most important question in the past year. For a long time it had been expected that after the conclusion of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the next step would be to ban production of fissile materials for weapon purposes. Three strategies are proposed for reaching relevant cut-off agreements. First suggests possible fore for achievement of relevant agreements, second is the proposal to begin with international register of inventories and production capabilities for all relevant nuclear materials, and the third one is ti identify equivalent steps obligatory for all the parties involved

Identifying and Addressing Student Difficulties and Misconceptions: Examples from Physics and from Materials Science and Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblatt, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Here I present my work identifying and addressing student difficulties with several materials science and physics topics. In the first part of this thesis, I present my work identifying student difficulties and misconceptions about the directional relationships between net force, velocity, and acceleration in one dimension. This is accomplished…

The materials irradiation experiment for testing plasma facing materials at fusion relevant conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garrison, L. M., E-mail: garrisonlm@ornl.gov; Egle, B. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Fusion Technology Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Zenobia, S. J.; Kulcinski, G. L.; Santarius, J. F. [Fusion Technology Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

2016-08-15

The Materials Irradiation Experiment (MITE-E) was constructed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Laboratory to test materials for potential use as plasma-facing materials (PFMs) in fusion reactors. PFMs in fusion reactors will be bombarded with x-rays, neutrons, and ions of hydrogen and helium. More needs to be understood about the interactions between the plasma and the materials to validate their use for fusion reactors. The MITE-E simulates some of the fusion reactor conditions by holding samples at temperatures up to 1000 °C while irradiating them with helium or deuterium ions with energies from 10 to 150 keV. The ion gun can irradiate the samples with ion currents of 20 μA–500 μA; the typical current used is 72 μA, which is an average flux of 9 × 10{sup 14} ions/(cm{sup 2} s). The ion gun uses electrostatic lenses to extract and shape the ion beam. A variable power (1-20 W), steady-state, Nd:YAG laser provides additional heating to maintain a constant sample temperature during irradiations. The ion beam current reaching the sample is directly measured and monitored in real-time during irradiations. The ion beam profile has been investigated using a copper sample sputtering experiment. The MITE-E has successfully been used to irradiate polycrystalline and single crystal tungsten samples with helium ions and will continue to be a source of important data for plasma interactions with materials.

A metagenome for lacustrine Cladophora (Cladophorales) reveals remarkable diversity of eukaryotic epibionts and genes relevant to materials cycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Linda E; Knack, Jennifer J; Graham, Melissa E; Graham, James M; Zulkifly, Shahrizim

2015-06-01

Periphyton dominated by the cellulose-rich filamentous green alga Cladophora forms conspicuous growths along rocky marine and freshwater shorelines worldwide, providing habitat for diverse epibionts. Bacterial epibionts have been inferred to display diverse functions of biogeochemical significance: N-fixation and other redox reactions, phosphorus accumulation, and organic degradation. Here, we report taxonomic diversity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic epibionts and diversity of genes associated with materials cycling in a Cladophora metagenome sampled from Lake Mendota, Dane Co., WI, USA, during the growing season of 2012. A total of 1,060 distinct 16S, 173 18S, and 351 28S rRNA operational taxonomic units, from which >220 genera or species of bacteria (~60), protists (~80), fungi (6), and microscopic metazoa (~80), were distinguished with the use of reference databases. We inferred the presence of several algal taxa generally associated with marine systems and detected Jaoa, a freshwater periphytic ulvophyte previously thought endemic to China. We identified six distinct nifH gene sequences marking nitrogen fixation, >25 bacterial and eukaryotic cellulases relevant to sedimentary C-cycling and technological applications, and genes encoding enzymes in aerobic and anaerobic pathways for vitamin B12 biosynthesis. These results emphasize the importance of Cladophora in providing habitat for microscopic metazoa, fungi, protists, and bacteria that are often inconspicuous, yet play important roles in ecosystem biogeochemistry. © 2015 Phycological Society of America.

Impact of Culturally Relevant Contextualized Activities on Elementary and Middle School Students' Perceptions of Science: An Exploratory Study

Science.gov (United States)

González-Espada, Wilson; Llerandi-Román, Pablo; Fortis-Santiago, Yaihara; Guerrero-Medina, Giovanna; Ortiz-Vega, Nicole; Feliú-Mójer, Mónica; Colón-Ramos, Daniel

2015-01-01

Although researchers have argued that textbooks should be customized to local cultures and experiences, they rarely are. Ciencia Puerto Rico, a non-profit group interested in promoting science literacy and education among Latino(a)s/Hispanics, identified a need to provide schools with culturally relevant materials. The result was the publication…

Some relevant parameters for assessing fire hazards of combustible mine materials using laboratory scale experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Litton, Charles D; Perera, Inoka E; Harteis, Samuel P; Teacoach, Kara A; DeRosa, Maria I; Thomas, Richard A; Smith, Alex C

2018-04-15

When combustible materials ignite and burn, the potential for fire growth and flame spread represents an obvious hazard, but during these processes of ignition and flaming, other life hazards present themselves and should be included to ensure an effective overall analysis of the relevant fire hazards. In particular, the gases and smoke produced both during the smoldering stages of fires leading to ignition and during the advanced flaming stages of a developing fire serve to contaminate the surrounding atmosphere, potentially producing elevated levels of toxicity and high levels of smoke obscuration that render the environment untenable. In underground mines, these hazards may be exacerbated by the existing forced ventilation that can carry the gases and smoke to locations far-removed from the fire location. Clearly, materials that require high temperatures (above 1400 K) and that exhibit low mass loss during thermal decomposition, or that require high heat fluxes or heat transfer rates to ignite represent less of a hazard than materials that decompose at low temperatures or ignite at low levels of heat flux. In order to define and quantify some possible parameters that can be used to assess these hazards, small-scale laboratory experiments were conducted in a number of configurations to measure: 1) the toxic gases and smoke produced both during non-flaming and flaming combustion; 2) mass loss rates as a function of temperature to determine ease of thermal decomposition; and 3) mass loss rates and times to ignition as a function of incident heat flux. This paper describes the experiments that were conducted, their results, and the development of a set of parameters that could possibly be used to assess the overall fire hazard of combustible materials using small scale laboratory experiments.

Communication received from the permanent mission of Austria regarding the provision of certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfers of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The Director General received a note verbale of 13 June 1996 from Permanent Mission of Austria regarding the provision of certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfers of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material. In the light of the request expressed at the end of the note verbale, the text of the note verbale is being circulated

Communication received from the permanent mission of Finland regarding the provision of certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfers of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The Director General received a note verbale of 8 February 1996 from Permanent Mission of Finland regarding the provision of certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfers of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material. In the light of the request expressed at the and of the note verbale, the text of the note verbale is being circulated

[Influence of reverse osmosis concentrate on physicochemical parameters of Sini decoction material system and their relevance].

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Tang-Hui; Zhang, Liu-Hong; Zhu, Hua-Xu; Guo, Li-Wei; Li, Bo; Lu, Ming-Ming

2014-04-01

By studying the process of reverse osmosis system for traditional Chinese medicine materials physicochemical parameters affecting the osmotic pressure of its relevance, new compound system reverse osmosis process design methods were explored. Three concentrations materials for high, middle and low were dubbed with Sini decoction as a model drug, and pretreated by 50 thousand relative molecular weight cut-off ultrafiltration membrane. The viscosity, turbidity, conductivity, salinity, TDS, pH value and osmotic pressure of each sample were determined after the reverse osmosis to study the physical and chemical parameters between their respective correlations with the osmotic pressure, and characterized by HPLC chromatograms showing changes before and after the main chemical composition of samples of reverse osmosis. Conductivity-osmotic pressure, salinity-osmotic pressure of the linear correlation coefficient, TDS-osmotic pressure between the three sets of parameters were 0.963 8, 0.932 7, 0.973 7, respectively. Reverse osmosis concentrate and its characteristic spectrum ultrafiltrate HPLC similarity were up to 0. 968 or more, except the low concentrations. There is a significant correlation between the three physicochemical parameters (conductivity, salinity, TDS) and osmotic pressure of each sample system, and there is also significant linear correlation between salinity, conductivity, TDS. The original chemical composition of Sini decoction material concentrate was completely remained after the process of reverse osmosis.

Advanced materials for future Phase II LHC collimators

CERN Document Server

Dallocchio, A; Arnau Izquierdo, G; Artoos, K

2009-01-01

Phase I collimators, equipped with Carbon-Carbon jaws, effectively met specifications for the early phase of LHC operation. However, the choice of carbon-based materials is expected to limit the nominal beam intensity mainly because of the high RF impedance and limited efficiency of the collimators. Moreover, C/C may be degraded by high radiation doses. To overcome these limitations, new Phase II secondary collimators will complement the existing system. Their extremely challenging requirements impose a thorough material investigation effort aiming at identifying novel materials combining very diverse properties. Relevant figures of merit have been identified to classify materials: Metal-diamonds composites look a promising choice as they combine good thermal, structural and stability properties. Molybdenum is interesting for its good thermal stability. Ceramics with non-conventional RF performances are also being evaluated. The challenges posed by the development and industrialization of these materials are ...

Combining infobuttons and semantic web rules for identifying patterns and delivering highly-personalized education materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulse, Nathan C; Long, Jie; Tao, Cui

2013-01-01

Infobuttons have been established to be an effective resource for addressing information needs at the point of care, as evidenced by recent research and their inclusion in government-based electronic health record incentive programs in the United States. Yet their utility has been limited to wide success for only a specific set of domains (lab data, medication orders, and problem lists) and only for discrete, singular concepts that are already documented in the electronic medical record. In this manuscript, we present an effort to broaden their utility by connecting a semantic web-based phenotyping engine with an infobutton framework in order to identify and address broader issues in patient data, derived from multiple data sources. We have tested these patterns by defining and testing semantic definitions of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome. We intend to carry forward relevant information to the infobutton framework to present timely, relevant education resources to patients and providers.

Identifying the Relevant Local Population for Environmental Impact Assessments of Mobile Marine Fauna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delphine B. H. Chabanne

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental impact assessments must be addressed at a scale that reflects the biological organization for the species affected. It can be challenging to identify the relevant local wildlife population for impact assessment for those species that are continuously distributed and highly mobile. Here, we document the existence of local communities of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus inhabiting coastal and estuarine waters of Perth, Western Australia, where major coastal developments have been undertaken or are proposed. Using sighting histories from a 4-year photo-identification study, we investigated fine-scale, social community structure of dolphins based on measures of social affinity, and network (Half-Weight Index—HWI, preferred dyadic association tests, and Lagged Association Rates—LAR, home ranges, residency patterns (Lagged Identification Rates—LIR, and genetic relatedness. Analyses revealed four socially and spatially distinct, mixed-sex communities. The four communities had distinctive social patterns varying in strength, site fidelity, and residency patterns. Overlap in home ranges and relatedness explained little to none of the association patterns between individuals, suggesting complex local social structures. The study demonstrated that environmental impact assessments for mobile, continuously distributed species must evaluate impacts in light of local population structure, especially where proposed developments may affect core habitats of resident communities or sub-populations. Here, the risk of local extinction is particularly significant for an estuarine community because of its small size, limited connectivity with adjacent communities, and use of areas subject to intensive human use. In the absence of information about fine-scale population structure, impact assessments may fail to consider the appropriate biological context.

Magnetism and Structure in Functional Materials

CERN Document Server

Planes, Antoni; Saxena, Avadh

2005-01-01

Magnetism and Structure in Functional Materials addresses three distinct but related topics: (i) magnetoelastic materials such as magnetic martensites and magnetic shape memory alloys, (ii) the magnetocaloric effect related to magnetostructural transitions, and (iii) colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and related magnanites. The goal is to identify common underlying principles in these classes of materials that are relevant for optimizing various functionalities. The emergence of apparently different magnetic/structural phenomena in disparate classes of materials clearly points to a need for common concepts in order to achieve a broader understanding of the interplay between magnetism and structure in this general class of new functional materials exhibiting ever more complex microstructure and function. The topic is interdisciplinary in nature and the contributors correspondingly include physicists, materials scientists and engineers. Likewise the book will appeal to scientists from all these areas.

Communication received from the Permanent Mission of Sweden regarding the provision of certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfers of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The document reproduces the text of a note verbale dated 28 June 1996 received by the Director General of IAEA from the Permanent Mission of Sweden through which the Government of Sweden provides, on a voluntary basis, certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfers of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material, in order to assist the Agency in the discharge of its safeguards responsibilities

Regulations relevant to the transport of radioactive materials in Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, L.

1996-01-01

As is the case in many countries, the transport of radioactive materials in Switzerland is primarily regulated by the national regulations for the transport of dangerous goods. Currently these regulations, in the case of radioactive material, incorporate the 1985 IAEA Safety Series 6 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (As amended 1990). However, as is also the case in some other countries, consignors, shippers and carriers of radioactive materials must also comply with additional laws when shipping radioactive materials. The most important of these other laws and their accompanying regulations are those concerned with radiation protection (import, export and carriers licences) and nuclear power (import, export, inland transport and transit licences). This paper sets out to describe the collective requirements resulting from all three of these sets of regulations. (Author)

Safety relevant failure mechanisms in the post-operational phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, Gerhard; Stiller, Jan Christopher; Roemer, Sarah

2017-03-01

When the 13"t"h amendment of the Atomic Energy Act came into force, eight Germ an nuclear power plant units had their power operating licences revoked and are now in the so-called post operation phase. Of the remaining nuclear power plants, one have by now also entered the post operation phase, with those left in operation bound for entering this phase sometime between now and the end of 2022. Therefore, failure mechanisms that are particularly relevant for post operation were to be identified and described in the frame of the present project. To do so, three major steps were taken: Firstly, recent national and international pertinent literature was evaluated to obtain indications of failure mechanisms in the post operation phase. It turned out that most of the national and international literature deals with the general procedure of the transition from power operation to decommissioning and dismantling. However, there were also some documents providing detailed indications of possible failure mechanisms in post operation. This includes e.g. the release of radioactive materials caused by the drop of containers, chemical impacts on systems important to safety in connection with decontamination work, and corrosion in connection with the storage of the core in the spent fuel pool, with the latter leading to the jamming of the fuel assemblies in the storage racks and a possible reduction of coolant circulation. In a second step, three safety analyses of pressurised water reactors prepared by the respective plant operators were evaluated to identify failure mechanisms based on systems engineering. The failure mechanisms that were found here include e.g. faults in the boric acid concentration of the reactor coolant, damage to the equipment airlock upon the unloading of Castor casks, leakages in connection with primary system decontamination, and the drop of packages holding radioactive residual materials or waste with subsequent mobilisation of radioactive aerosols

Identifying Mechanical Properties of Viscoelastic Materials in Time Domain Using the Fractional Zener Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula Delowski Ciniello

Full Text Available Abstract The present paper aims at presenting a methodology for characterizing viscoelastic materials in time domain, taking into account the fractional Zener constitutive model and the influence of temperature through Williams, Landel, and Ferry’s model. To that effect, a set of points obtained experimentally through uniaxial tensile tests with different constant strain rates is considered. The approach is based on the minimization of the quadratic relative distance between the experimental stress-strain curves and the corresponding ones given by the theoretical model. In order to avoid the local minima in the process of optimization, a hybrid technique based on genetic algorithms and non-linear programming techniques is used. The methodology is applied in the characterization of two different commercial viscoelastic materials. The results indicate that the proposed methodology is effective in identifying thermorheologically simple viscoelastic materials.

A step-by-step guide to systematically identify all relevant animal studies

Science.gov (United States)

Leenaars, Marlies; Hooijmans, Carlijn R; van Veggel, Nieky; ter Riet, Gerben; Leeflang, Mariska; Hooft, Lotty; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Tillema, Alice; Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel

2012-01-01

Before starting a new animal experiment, thorough analysis of previously performed experiments is essential from a scientific as well as from an ethical point of view. The method that is most suitable to carry out such a thorough analysis of the literature is a systematic review (SR). An essential first step in an SR is to search and find all potentially relevant studies. It is important to include all available evidence in an SR to minimize bias and reduce hampered interpretation of experimental outcomes. Despite the recent development of search filters to find animal studies in PubMed and EMBASE, searching for all available animal studies remains a challenge. Available guidelines from the clinical field cannot be copied directly to the situation within animal research, and although there are plenty of books and courses on searching the literature, there is no compact guide available to search and find relevant animal studies. Therefore, in order to facilitate a structured, thorough and transparent search for animal studies (in both preclinical and fundamental science), an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide was prepared and optimized using feedback from scientists in the field of animal experimentation. The step-by-step guide will assist scientists in performing a comprehensive literature search and, consequently, improve the scientific quality of the resulting review and prevent unnecessary animal use in the future. PMID:22037056

Imaging-Based Screen Identifies Laminin 411 as a Physiologically Relevant Niche Factor with Importance for i-Hep Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Ong

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Summary: Use of hepatocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (i-Heps is limited by their functional differences in comparison with primary cells. Extracellular niche factors likely play a critical role in bridging this gap. Using image-based characterization (high content analysis; HCA of freshly isolated hepatocytes from 17 human donors, we devised and validated an algorithm (Hepatocyte Likeness Index; HLI for comparing the hepatic properties of cells against a physiological gold standard. The HLI was then applied in a targeted screen of extracellular niche factors to identify substrates driving i-Heps closer to the standard. Laminin 411, the top hit, was validated in two additional induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC lines, primary tissue, and an in vitro model of α1-antitrypsin deficiency. Cumulatively, these data provide a reference method to control and screen for i-Hep differentiation, identify Laminin 411 as a key niche protein, and underscore the importance of combining substrates, soluble factors, and HCA when developing iPSC applications. : Rashid and colleagues demonstrate the utility of a high-throughput imaging platform for identification of physiologically relevant extracellular niche factors to advance i-Heps closer to their primary tissue counterparts. The extracellular matrix (ECM protein screen identified Laminin 411 as an important niche factor facilitating i-Hep-based disease modeling in vitro. Keywords: iPS hepatocytes, extracellular niche, image-based screening, disease modeling, laminin

Astrophysical relevance of γ transition energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rauscher, Thomas

2008-01-01

The relevant γ energy range is explicitly identified where additional γ strength must be located to have an impact on astrophysically relevant reactions. It is shown that folding the energy dependences of the transmission coefficients and the level density leads to maximal contributions for γ energies of 2≤E γ ≤4 unless quantum selection rules allow isolated states to contribute. Under this condition, electric dipole transitions dominate. These findings allow us to more accurately judge the relevance of modifications of the γ strength for astrophysics

Information Needs/Relevance

OpenAIRE

Wildemuth, Barbara M.

2009-01-01

A user's interaction with a DL is often initiated as the result of the user experiencing an information need of some kind. Aspects of that experience and how it might affect the user's interactions with the DL are discussed in this module. In addition, users continuously make decisions about and evaluations of the materials retrieved from a DL, relative to their information needs. Relevance judgments, and their relationship to the user's information needs, are discussed in this module. Draft

Using small XML elements to support relevance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G. Ramirez Camps (Georgina); T.H.W. Westerveld (Thijs); A.P. de Vries (Arjen)

2006-01-01

htmlabstractSmall XML elements are often estimated relevant by the retrieval model but they are not desirable retrieval units. This paper presents a generic model that exploits the information obtained from small elements. We identify relationships between small and relevant elements and use this

Survey of strain-rate effects for some common structural materials used in radioactive material packaging and transportation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, R.A.; Zielenbach, W.J.; Lawrence, A.A.

1976-08-01

In safety evaluation of radioactive material packaging and transport systems during accidents mechanical property data for the structural materials under impact conditions are needed in order to assess the damage and consequences of the accident. This document reviews the status of dynamic material property data for the following common structural materials: lead, uranium, stainless steels, steels, aluminum, copper, and brass. The strain rate data reviewed were limited to the range from static to dynamic impact velocities of 50 ft/s or strain rates of 10 2 /second; temperature conditions were limited to the range -40 to 1000 0 F. Purpose of this document is to explain the test methods, present some of the relevant data, and identify some of the needs for additional data. 7 tables, 14 figures, 77 references

A new approach to hazardous materials transportation risk analysis: decision modeling to identify critical variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Renee M; Besterfield-Sacre, Mary E

2009-03-01

We take a novel approach to analyzing hazardous materials transportation risk in this research. Previous studies analyzed this risk from an operations research (OR) or quantitative risk assessment (QRA) perspective by minimizing or calculating risk along a transport route. Further, even though the majority of incidents occur when containers are unloaded, the research has not focused on transportation-related activities, including container loading and unloading. In this work, we developed a decision model of a hazardous materials release during unloading using actual data and an exploratory data modeling approach. Previous studies have had a theoretical perspective in terms of identifying and advancing the key variables related to this risk, and there has not been a focus on probability and statistics-based approaches for doing this. Our decision model empirically identifies the critical variables using an exploratory methodology for a large, highly categorical database involving latent class analysis (LCA), loglinear modeling, and Bayesian networking. Our model identified the most influential variables and countermeasures for two consequences of a hazmat incident, dollar loss and release quantity, and is one of the first models to do this. The most influential variables were found to be related to the failure of the container. In addition to analyzing hazmat risk, our methodology can be used to develop data-driven models for strategic decision making in other domains involving risk.

Contextual Hub Analysis Tool (CHAT): A Cytoscape app for identifying contextually relevant hubs in biological networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Muetze, Tanja; Goenawan, Ivan H; Wiencko, Heather L; Bernal-Llinares, Manuel; Bryan, Kenneth; Lynn, David J

2016-01-01

Highly connected nodes (hubs) in biological networks are topologically important to the structure of the network and have also been shown to be preferentially associated with a range of phenotypes of interest. The relative importance of a hub node, however, can change depending on the biological context. Here, we report a Cytoscape app, the Contextual Hub Analysis Tool (CHAT), which enables users to easily construct and visualize a network of interactions from a gene or protein list of interest, integrate contextual information, such as gene expression or mass spectrometry data, and identify hub nodes that are more highly connected to contextual nodes (e.g. genes or proteins that are differentially expressed) than expected by chance. In a case study, we use CHAT to construct a network of genes that are differentially expressed in Dengue fever, a viral infection. CHAT was used to identify and compare contextual and degree-based hubs in this network. The top 20 degree-based hubs were enriched in pathways related to the cell cycle and cancer, which is likely due to the fact that proteins involved in these processes tend to be highly connected in general. In comparison, the top 20 contextual hubs were enriched in pathways commonly observed in a viral infection including pathways related to the immune response to viral infection. This analysis shows that such contextual hubs are considerably more biologically relevant than degree-based hubs and that analyses which rely on the identification of hubs solely based on their connectivity may be biased towards nodes that are highly connected in general rather than in the specific context of interest. CHAT is available for Cytoscape 3.0+ and can be installed via the Cytoscape App Store ( http://apps.cytoscape.org/apps/chat).

50 CFR 424.13 - Sources of information and relevant data.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sources of information and relevant data... Sources of information and relevant data. When considering any revision of the lists, the Secretary shall..., administrative reports, maps or other graphic materials, information received from experts on the subject, and...

The relevance of 7-day patch test reading.

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, Eleanor; Collins, Paul

2013-01-01

Patch test readings are usually performed on day 2 (48 hours) and day 4 (96 hours). However, reports in the literature identify delayed allergy to metals, corticosteroids, antibiotics, some preservatives, acrylic and methacrylic monomers and p-phenylenediamine. The aim of our study was to identify the benefit of performing a day 7 (168 hours) reading to identify relevant late positive reactions. Two hundred three consecutive patients were patch tested to the British Society for Cutaneous Allergy standard series with additional test series selected according to clinical history and applied at the same time. Twenty-six patients (12.8%) had new positive reactions on day 7 (168 hours), with 28 relevant positive reactions to 21 allergens. These included mercury 0.5% (2/26); cobalt chloride 1% (2/26); colophony 20% (2/26); disperse blue mix 106/124 1% (2/26); preservatives (4/26) that included Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, sodium metabisulfite, and diazolidinyl urea; fragrances (7/26); and gentamycin sulfate 20% (1/26). These results confirm findings in the literature and support the argument for performing a day 7 reading (168 hours) to identify relevant late positive reactions.

Using News Media Databases (LexisNexis) To Identify Relevant Topics For Introductory Earth Science Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Cervato, C.; Jach, J. Y.; Ridky, R.

2003-12-01

Introductory Earth science courses are undergoing pedagogical changes in universities across the country and are focusing more than ever on the non-science majors. Increasing enrollment of non-science majors in these introductory Earth science courses demands a new look at what is being taught and how the content can be objectively chosen. Assessing the content and effectiveness of these courses requires a quantitative investigation of introductory Earth science topics and their relevance to current issues and concerns. Relevance of Earth science topics can be linked to improved students' attitude toward science and a deeper understanding of concepts. We have used the Internet based national news search-engine LexisNexis Academic Universe (http://www.lexisnexis.org/) to select the occurrence of Earth science terms over the last 12 months, five and ten years both regionally and nationally. This database of term occurrences is being used to examine how Earth sciences have evolved in the news through the last 10 years and is also compared with textbook contents and course syllabi from randomly selected introductory earth science courses across the nation. These data constitute the quantitative foundation for this study and are being used to evaluate the relevance of introductory earth science course content. The relevance of introductory course content and current real-world issues to student attitudes is a crucial factor when considering changes in course curricula and pedagogy. We have examined students' conception of the nature of science and attitudes towards science and learning science using a Likert-scale assessment instrument in the fall 2002 Geology 100 classes at Iowa State University. A pre-test and post-test were administered to see if the students' attitudes changed during the semester using as reference a control group comprised of geoscience undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty. The results of the attitude survey have been analyzed in terms

Spintronics from materials to devices

CERN Document Server

Felser, Claudia

2013-01-01

Spintronics is an emerging technology exploiting the spin degree of freedom and has proved to be very promising for new types of fast electronic devices. Amongst the anticipated advantages of spintronics technologies, researchers have identified the non-volatile storage of data with high density and low energy consumption as particularly relevant. This monograph examines the concept of half-metallic compounds perspectives to obtain novel solutions and discusses several oxides such as perovskites, double perovskites and CrO2 as well as Heusler compounds. Such materials can be designed and made

Material control and accounting requirements for uranium enrichment facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ting, P.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has defined material control and accounting (MC and A) requirement for low-enriched uranium enrichment plants licensed under 10 CFR parts 40 and 70. Following detailed assessment of potential safeguards issues relevant to these facilities, a new MC and A rule was developed. The primary safeguards considerations are detection of the loss of special nuclear material, detection of clandestine production of special nuclear material of low strategic significance for unauthorized use or distribution, and detection of unauthorized production of uranium enriched to ≥10 wt % U-235. The primary safeguards concerns identified were the large absolute limit of error associated with the material balance closing, the inability to shutdown some uranium enrichment technologies to perform a cleanout inventory of the process system, and the flexibility of some of these technologies to produce higher enrichments. Unauthorized production scenarios were identified for some technologies that could circumvent the detection of the production and removal of 5 kilograms of U-235 as high-enriched uranium through conventional material control and accounting programs. Safeguards techniques, including the use of production and process control information, measurements, and technical surveillance, were identified to compensate for these concerns

Identifying factors relevant in the assessment of return-to-work efforts in employees on long-term sickness absence due to chronic low back pain : a focus group study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muijzer, Anna; Geertzen, Jan H.; de Boer, Wout E.; Groothoff, Johan W.; Brouwer, Sandra

2012-01-01

Background: Efforts undertaken during the return to work (RTW) process need to be sufficient to prevent unnecessary applications for disability benefits. The purpose of this study was to identify factors relevant to RTW Effort Sufficiency (RTW-ES) in cases of sick-listed employees with chronic low

Electro-Analytical Study of Material Interfaces Relevant for Chemical Mechanical Planarization and Lithium Ion Batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Turk, Michael C.

galvanic corrosions in chemically controlled low-pressure CMP. The CMP specific functions of the slurry components are characterized in the tribo-electro-analytical approach by using voltammetry, open circuit potential (OCP) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in the presence as well as in the absence of surface abrasion, both with and without the inclusion of colloidal silica (SiO2) abrasives. The results are used to understand the reaction mechanisms responsible for supporting material removal and corrosion suppression. The project carried out in the area of Li ion batteries (LIBs) uses electro-analytical techniques to probe electrolyte characteristics as well as electrode material performance. The investigation concentrates on optimizing a tactically chosen set of electrolyte compositions for low-to-moderate temperature applications of lithium titanium oxide (LTO), a relatively new anode material for such batteries. For this application, mixtures of non-aqueous carbonate based solvents are studied in combination with lithium perchlorate. The temperature dependent conductivities of the electrolytes are rigorously measured and analyzed using EIS. The experimental considerations and the working principle of this EIS based approach are carefully examined and standardized in the course of this study. These experiments also investigate the effects of temperature variations (below room temperature) on the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation characteristics of LTO in the given electrolytes. This dissertation is organized as follows: Each experimental system and its relevance for practical applications are briefly introduced in each chapter. The experimental approach and the motivation for carrying out the investigation are also noted in that context. The experimental details specific to the particular study are described. This is followed by the results and their discussion, and subsequently, by the specific conclusions drawn from the given

Which domains of thyroid-related quality of life are most relevant?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Watt, Torquil; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Rasmussen, Ase Krogh

2007-01-01

To identify how thyroid diseases impact the patients' lives and to select the most relevant quality of life (QoL) issues for a thyroid-specific questionnaire.......To identify how thyroid diseases impact the patients' lives and to select the most relevant quality of life (QoL) issues for a thyroid-specific questionnaire....

Mood-congruent memory in depression - the influence of personal relevance and emotional context.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittekind, Charlotte E; Terfehr, Kirsten; Otte, Christian; Jelinek, Lena; Hinkelmann, Kim; Moritz, Steffen

2014-03-30

The investigation of veridical mood-congruent memory (MCM) in major depressive disorder (MDD) has been subject of many studies, whereas mood-congruent false memory has received comparatively little attention. The present study examined the influence of valence, personal relevance and the valence of the context of the learning material on true and false MCM in 20 inpatients with MDD and 20 healthy controls. Sixty positive, negative, neutral or personally relevant nouns were either combined with a positive, negative or neutral adjective. Word pairs were presented to participants in a learning trial. In a recognition task, participants had to identify the previously studied word pairs. A MCM effect could not be found for hits. However, in exploratory analyses, word pairs containing personally relevant nouns were more rated towards old by the patient relative to the control group. Furthermore, depressed patients tended to rate items more towards old than controls when the words were presented in a negative new context. Results are in line with previous findings in depression research emphasizing the role of mood-congruent false memories for mood disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulation for evaluation of the multi-ion-irradiation Laboratory of TechnoFusion facility and its relevance for fusion applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez-Rey, D.; Mota, F.; Vila, R.; Ibarra, A.; Ortiz, Christophe J.; Martinez-Albertos, J.L.; Roman, R.; Gonzalez, M.; Garcia-Cortes, I.; Perlado, J.M.

2011-01-01

Thermonuclear fusion requires the development of several research facilities, in addition to ITER, needed to advance the technologies for future fusion reactors. TechnoFusion will focus in some of the priority areas identified by international fusion programmes. Specifically, the TechnoFusion Area of Irradiation of Materials aims at surrogating experimentally the effects of neutron irradiation on materials using a combination of ion beams. This paper justifies this approach using computer simulations to validate the multi-ion-irradiation Laboratory. The planned irradiation facility will investigate the effects of high energetic radiations on reactor-relevant materials. In a second stage, it will also be used to analyze the performance of such materials and evaluate newly designed materials. The multi-ion-irradiation Laboratory, both triple irradiation and high-energy proton irradiation, can provide valid experimental techniques to reproduce the effect of neutron damage in fusion environment.

Measuring individual work performance: identifying and selecting indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Koopmans, Linda; Bernaards, Claire M; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; de Vet, Henrica C W; van der Beek, Allard J

2014-01-01

Theoretically, individual work performance (IWP) can be divided into four dimensions: task performance, contextual performance, adaptive performance, and counterproductive work behavior. However, there is no consensus on the indicators used to measure these dimensions. This study was designed to (1) identify indicators for each dimension, (2) select the most relevant indicators, and (3) determine the relative weight of each dimension in ratings of work performance. IWP indicators were identified from multiple research disciplines, via literature, existing questionnaires, and expert interviews. Subsequently, experts selected the most relevant indicators per dimension and scored the relative weight of each dimension in ratings of IWP. In total, 128 unique indicators were identified. Twenty-three of these indicators were selected by experts as most relevant for measuring IWP. Task performance determined 36% of the work performance rating, while the other three dimensions respectively determined 22%, 20% and 21% of the rating. Notable consensus was found on relevant indicators of IWP, reducing the number from 128 to 23 relevant indicators. This provides an important step towards the development of a standardized, generic and short measurement instrument for assessing IWP.

Seeing the Chemistry around Me--Helping Students Identify the Relevance of Chemistry to Everyday Life

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Tracy Lynn

2012-01-01

The study attempted to determine whether the use of a series of reading and response assignments decreased students' perceptions of chemistry difficulty and enhanced students' perceptions of the relevance of chemistry in their everyday lives. Informed consent volunteer students enrolled in General Chemistry II at a community college in the…

The policy relevance of global environmental change research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarnal, Brent

1996-01-01

Many scientists are striving to identify and promote the policy implications of their global change research. Much basic research on global environmental change cannot advance policy directly, but new projects can determine the relevance of their research to decision makers and build policy-relevant products into the work. Similarly, many ongoing projects can alter or add to the present science design to make the research policy relevant. Thus, this paper shows scientists working on global change how to make their research policy relevant. It demonstrates how research on physical global change relates to human dimensions studies and integrated assessments. It also presents an example of how policy relevance can be fit retroactively into a global change project (in this case, SRBEX-the Susquehanna River Basin Experiment) and how that addition can enhance the project's status and science. The paper concludes that policy relevance is desirable from social and scientific perspectives

Identifying novel genes and biological processes relevant to the development of cancer therapy-induced mucositis: An informative gene network analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cielito C Reyes-Gibby

Full Text Available Mucositis is a complex, dose-limiting toxicity of chemotherapy or radiotherapy that leads to painful mouth ulcers, difficulty eating or swallowing, gastrointestinal distress, and reduced quality of life for patients with cancer. Mucositis is most common for those undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and for those being treated for malignancies of the head and neck. Treatment and management of mucositis remain challenging. It is expected that multiple genes are involved in the formation, severity, and persistence of mucositis. We used Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA, a novel network-based approach that integrates complex intracellular and intercellular interactions involved in diseases, to systematically explore the molecular complexity of mucositis. As a first step, we searched the literature to identify genes that harbor or are close to the genetic variants significantly associated with mucositis. Our literature review identified 27 candidate genes, of which ERCC1, XRCC1, and MTHFR were the most frequently studied for mucositis. On the basis of this 27-gene list, we used IPA to generate gene networks for mucositis. The most biologically significant novel molecules identified through IPA analyses included TP53, CTNNB1, MYC, RB1, P38 MAPK, and EP300. Additionally, uracil degradation II (reductive and thymine degradation pathways (p = 1.06-08 were most significant. Finally, utilizing 66 SNPs within the 8 most connected IPA-derived candidate molecules, we conducted a genetic association study for oral mucositis in the head and neck cancer patients who were treated using chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy (186 head and neck cancer patients with oral mucositis vs. 699 head and neck cancer patients without oral mucositis. The top ranked gene identified through this association analysis was RB1 (rs2227311, p-value = 0.034, odds ratio = 0.67. In conclusion, gene network analysis identified novel molecules and

Identifying novel genes and biological processes relevant to the development of cancer therapy-induced mucositis: An informative gene network analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes-Gibby, Cielito C; Melkonian, Stephanie C; Wang, Jian; Yu, Robert K; Shelburne, Samuel A; Lu, Charles; Gunn, Gary Brandon; Chambers, Mark S; Hanna, Ehab Y; Yeung, Sai-Ching J; Shete, Sanjay

2017-01-01

Mucositis is a complex, dose-limiting toxicity of chemotherapy or radiotherapy that leads to painful mouth ulcers, difficulty eating or swallowing, gastrointestinal distress, and reduced quality of life for patients with cancer. Mucositis is most common for those undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and for those being treated for malignancies of the head and neck. Treatment and management of mucositis remain challenging. It is expected that multiple genes are involved in the formation, severity, and persistence of mucositis. We used Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), a novel network-based approach that integrates complex intracellular and intercellular interactions involved in diseases, to systematically explore the molecular complexity of mucositis. As a first step, we searched the literature to identify genes that harbor or are close to the genetic variants significantly associated with mucositis. Our literature review identified 27 candidate genes, of which ERCC1, XRCC1, and MTHFR were the most frequently studied for mucositis. On the basis of this 27-gene list, we used IPA to generate gene networks for mucositis. The most biologically significant novel molecules identified through IPA analyses included TP53, CTNNB1, MYC, RB1, P38 MAPK, and EP300. Additionally, uracil degradation II (reductive) and thymine degradation pathways (p = 1.06-08) were most significant. Finally, utilizing 66 SNPs within the 8 most connected IPA-derived candidate molecules, we conducted a genetic association study for oral mucositis in the head and neck cancer patients who were treated using chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy (186 head and neck cancer patients with oral mucositis vs. 699 head and neck cancer patients without oral mucositis). The top ranked gene identified through this association analysis was RB1 (rs2227311, p-value = 0.034, odds ratio = 0.67). In conclusion, gene network analysis identified novel molecules and biological

A spectroscopic tool for identifying sources of origin for materials of military interest

Science.gov (United States)

Miziolek, Andrzej W.; De Lucia, Frank C.

2014-05-01

There is a need to identify the source of origin for many items of military interest, including ammunition and weapons that may be circulated and traded in illicit markets. Both fieldable systems (man-portable or handheld) as well as benchtop systems in field and home base laboratories are desired for screening and attribution purposes. Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) continues to show significant capability as a promising new tool for materials identification, matching, and provenance. With the use of the broadband, high resolution spectrometer systems, the LIBS devices can not only determine the elemental inventory of the sample, but they are also capable of elemental fingerprinting to signify sources of origin of various materials. We present the results of an initial study to differentiate and match spent cartridges from different manufacturers and countries. We have found that using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) we are able to achieve on average 93.3% True Positives and 5.3% False Positives. These results add to the large body of publications that have demonstrated that LIBS is a particularly suitable tool for source of origin determinations.

Japanese Quality Assurance System Regarding the Provision of Material Accounting Reports and the Safeguards Relevant Information to the IAEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Y.; Namekawa, M.; Kumekawa, H.; Usui, A.; Sano, K.

2015-01-01

The provision of the safeguards relevant reports and information in accordance with the comprehensive safeguards agreement (CSA) and the additional protocol (AP) is the basis for the IAEA safeguards. The government of Japan (Japan Safeguards Office, JSGO) has believed that the correct reports contribute to effective and efficient safeguards therefore the domestic quality assurance system for the reporting to the IAEA was already established at the time of the accession of the CSA in 1977. It consists of Code 10 interpretation (including the seminars for operators in Japan), SSAC's checks for syntax error, code and internal consistency (computer based consistency check between facilities) and the discussion with the IAEA on the facilities' measurement system for bulk-handling facilities, which contributes to the more accurate reports from operators. This spirit has been maintained for the entry into force of the AP. For example, questions and amplification from the IAEA will be taken into account the review of the AP declaration before sending to the IAEA and the open source information such as news article and scientific literature in Japanese is collected and translated into English, and the translated information is provided to the IAEA as the supplementary information, which may contribute to broadening the IAEA information source and to their comprehensive evaluation. The other safeguards relevant information, such as the mail-box information for SNRI at LEU fuel fabrication plants, is also checked by the JSGO's QC software before posting. The software was developed by JSGO and it checks data format, batch IDs, birth/death date, shipper/receiver information and material description code. This paper explains the history of the development of the Japanese quality assurance system regarding the reports and the safeguards relevant information to the IAEA. (author)

Relevant problems in collaborative processes of non-hierarchical manufacturing networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Andrés

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify some of existing problems associated with collaboration among SMEs of the same network. Concretely, the problems are focused. The research objective is to identify the most relevant problems existing when SMEs have to deal with decentralized decisions (DDM. Design/methodology/approach: Through the literature review there have been collected collaborative problems caused by inter-organizational barriers. The approach taken is a qualitative study and analysis that classifies collaborative problems from less important to very important. In light of this, we are able to identify what are the most relevant problems to study in the NHN collaborative context. Findings and Originality/value: The developed methodology allows researchers to indentify amongst the collaborative problems those that are most relevant to solve in the NHN context, with the main aim of providing solutions in the future. The research aim is to provide the expert in the collaborative field a starting point to address the collaborative problems SMEs can find when belonging to collaborative networks. Research limitations/implications: Not all the problems that appear when an SME establish collaborative relationships, in a NHN, are considered. The identified problems have been arisen because there are discussed in the literature for addressing collaborative problems among networked partners. Identified problems are also considered because there are relevant to achieve collaboration among SMEs. Originality/value: The degree of coverage and the degree of significance is the taxonomy criteria used to identify the importance of solution degree of the encountered collaborative problems, in NHN context, in order to provide a future research of solutions to overcome them.

Using computer technology to identify the appropriate radioactive materials packaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Driscoll, K.L.; Conan, M.R.

1989-01-01

The Radioactive Materials Packaging (RAMPAC) database is designed to store and retrieve information on all non-classified packages certified for the transport of radioactive materials within the boundaries of the US. The information in RAMPAC is publicly available, and the database has been designed so that individuals without programming experience can search for and retrieve information using a menu-driven system. RAMPAC currently contains information on over 650 radioactive material shipping packages. Information is gathered from the US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Department of transportation (DOT), and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). RAMPAC is the only tool available to radioactive material shippers that contains and reports packaging information from all three Federal Agencies. The DOT information includes package listings from Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan, which have DOT revalidations for their certificates of competent authority and are authorized for use within the US for import and export shipments only. RAMPAC was originally developed in 1981 by DOE as a research and development tool. In recent years, however, RAMPAC has proven to be highly useful to operational personnel. As packages become obsolete or materials to be transported change, shippers of radioactive materials must be able to determine if alternative packages exist before designing new packages. RAMPAC is designed to minimize the time required to make this determination, thus assisting the operational community in meeting their goals

The Effect of Text Materials with Relevant Language, Illustrations and Content Upon the Reading Achievement and Reading Preference (Attitude) of Black Primary and Intermediate Inner-City Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Gloria W.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of text materials with relevant language, illustrations, and content upon the reading achievement and reading preference (attitude) of black primary and intermediate grade inner-city students. The subjects for the study were 330 black students enrolled in three schools in a large urban area. A…

Identifying Opportunities for Vertical Integration of Biochemistry and Clinical Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Wendelberger, Karen J.; Burke, Rebecca; Haas, Arthur L.; Harenwattananon, Marisa; Simpson, Deborah

1998-01-01

Objectives: Retention of basic science knowledge, as judged by National Board of Medical Examiners' (NBME) data, suffers due to lack of apparent relevance and isolation of instruction from clinical application, especially in biochemistry. However, the literature reveals no systematic process for identifying key biochemical concepts and associated clinical conditions. This study systematically identified difficult biochemical concepts and their common clinical conditions as a critical step towards enhancing relevance and retention of biochemistry.Methods: A multi-step/ multiple stakeholder process was used to: (1) identify important biochemistry concepts; (2) determine students' perceptions of concept difficulty; (3) assess biochemistry faculty, student, and clinical teaching scholars' perceived relevance of identified concepts; and (4) identify associated common clinical conditions for relevant and difficult concepts. Surveys and a modified Delphi process were used to gather data, subsequently analyzed using SPSS for Windows.Results: Sixteen key biochemical concepts were identified. Second year medical students rated 14/16 concepts as extremely difficult while fourth year students rated nine concepts as moderately to extremely difficult. On average, each teaching scholar generated common clinical conditions for 6.2 of the 16 concepts, yielding a set of seven critical concepts and associated clinical conditions.Conclusions: Key stakeholders in the instructional process struggle to identify biochemistry concepts that are critical, difficult to learn and associated with common clinical conditions. However, through a systematic process beginning with identification of concepts and associated clinical conditions, relevance of basic science instruction can be enhanced.

Processing and physical utilisation of waste materials relevant to iron and steel manufacture; Aufarbeitung und stoffliche Nutzung eisen- und stahlrelevanter Abfallstoffe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harp, G.; Schmidt, B.; Sucker, D. [Betriebsforschungsinstitut VDEh-Institut fuer Angewandte Forschung GmbH, Duesseldorf (Germany)

1998-09-01

A part of the waste materials arising in iron and steel manufacture is utilised physically, either internally for the recovery of iron or externally for the production of cement and nonferrous metals. Most of these materials can be used without prior processing. Iron and steel-relevant waste materials which at present are still landfilled or disposed of as hazardous wastes are not immediately suitable for physical recycling as secondary raw material. These waste materials have to be processed without exception before they can be used again in the existing steel and iron manufacturing plants. The results of the authors` own studies have clearly shown that the cupola furnace is suited for the use of a wide variety of waste materials. [Deutsch] Ein Teil der bei der Eisen- und Stahlerzeugung anfallenden Abfallstoffe werden entweder intern zur Rueckgewinnung des Eisens oder extern in der Zement- bzw. Nichteisenmetallgewinnung stofflich verwertet. Dabei handelt es sich ueberwiegend um Materialien, die ohne weitere Aufbereitung verwertbar sind. Die bislang noch deponierten oder als Sonderabfall entsorgten eisen- und stahlrelevanten Abfallstoffe sind ohne weiteres als Sekundaerrohstoff nicht stofflich verwertbar. Die Aufarbeitung dieser Abfallstoffe ist fuer den Wiedereinsatz in den vorhandenen Anlagen zur Gewinnung von Eisen und Stahl zwingend erforderlich. Die Ergebnisse der eigenen Untersuchungen haben klar gezeigt, dass der Kupolofen fuer die Nutzung einer grossen Vielfalt an Abfallstoffen geeignet ist. Zur Erhoehung der spezifischen Einsatzmenge an eisen- und stahlrelevanten Abfallstoffen untersuchen wir derzeit den Einsatz von oxidischen Materialien als sogenannte selbstgaengige Briketts zusammen mit den ueblichen Eisentraegern fuer die Erzeugung von fluessigem Giessereieisen. Selbstgaengig heisst hierbei, dass der Reduktionskohlenstoff und auch die notwendigen Legierungselemente insbesondere Silizium als SiC in den Briketts eingebunden werden. Fuer die Aufbereitung

Communication received from the Member States of the European Community regarding the provision of certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfers of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

The document reproduces the text of the note verbale received by the Director General on 30 November 1992 from the Permanent Missions to the Agency of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, relating to the provision of certain additional information on production, inventories and international transfer of nuclear material and on exports of certain relevant equipment and non-nuclear material. The note verbale dated 23 November 1992, received by the Director General from the Commission of the European Communities and relating to the same subject, is reproduced as well

Anthropogenic materials and products containing natural radionuclides. Pt. 1a. Radiation properties of raw materials and waste materials. A literature study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichelt, A.; Roehrer, J.; Lehmann, K.H.

1995-12-01

Cased on the literature study, the publication presents relevant data on raw materials and wastes containing natural radionuclides. The study is part 1a of the project on ''Anthropogenic materials and waste materials containing natural radionuclides''. Part 1 of the project gives data and information on about 100 different materials and wastes or products for household or industrial applications which contain significant amounts of natural radioactivity. In addition, part 1 presents for some of these materials information on their applications, consumption, radioactivity and resulting radiation doses. The raw materials and waste materials on the list in part 1 are characterised in this 1a report. Wherever appropriate, two or more materials are dealt with in one chapter, as e.g. felspar and felspar sands (pegmatite), talcum, and soapstone. The wastes are dealt with in the chapters discussing the relevant raw materials. The information given is as derived from the literature and does not include comments or evaluation by the authors of this report. Whenever the literature study did not yield information on radiological aspects of a material on the list, an appropriate notice is given. (Orig./DG) [de

Materials interaction tests to identify base and coating materials for an enhanced in-vessel core catcher design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rempe, J.L.; Knudson, D.L.; Condie, K.G.; Swank, W.D. [Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls ID (United States); Cheung, F.B. [Pennsylvania State University, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, University Park PA (United States); Suh, K.Y. [Seoul National University, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, S.B. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Severe Accident Research Project, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2004-07-01

An enhanced in-vessel core catcher is being designed and evaluated, it must ensure In-Vessel Retention of core materials that may relocate under severe accident conditions in advanced reactors. To reduce cost and simplify manufacture and installation, this new core catcher design consists of several interlocking sections that are machined to fit together when inserted into the lower head. If needed, the core catcher can be manufactured with holes to accommodate lower head penetrations. Each section of the core catcher consists of two material layers with an option to add a third layer (if deemed necessary): a base material, which has the capability to support and contain the mass of core materials that may relocate during a severe accident; an insulating oxide coating material on top of the base material, which resists interactions with high-temperature core materials; and an optional coating on the bottom side of the base material to prevent any potential oxidation of the base material during the lifetime of the reactor. Initial evaluations suggest that a thermally-sprayed oxide material is the most promising candidate insulator coating for a core catcher. Tests suggest that 2 coatings can provide adequate protection to a stainless steel core catcher: -) a 500 {mu}m thick zirconium dioxide coating over a 100-200 {mu}m Inconel 718 bond coating, and -) a 500 {mu}m thick magnesium zirconate coating.

A qualitative study examining methods of accessing and identifying research relevant to clinical practice among rehabilitation clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Drasti; Koehmstedt, Christine; Jones, Rebecca; Coffey, Nathan T; Cai, Xinsheng; Garfinkel, Steven; Shaewitz, Dahlia M; Weinstein, Ali A

2017-01-01

Research examining the utilization of evidence-based practice (EBP) specifically among rehabilitation clinicians is limited. The objective of this study was to examine how various rehabilitative clinicians including physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation counselors, and physiatrists are gaining access to literature and whether they are able to implement the available research into practice. A total of 21 total clinicians were interviewed via telephone. Using NVivo, a qualitative analysis of the responses was performed. There were similarities found with respect to the information-seeking behaviors and translation of research across the different clinician types. Lack of time was reported to be a barrier for both access to literature and implementation of research across all clinician types. The majority of clinicians who reported having difficulty with utilizing the published literature indicated that the literature was not applicable to their practice, the research was not specific enough to be put into practice, or the research found was too outdated to be relevant. In addition, having a supportive work environment aided in the search and utilization of research through providing resources central to assisting clinicians in gaining access to health information. Our study identified several barriers that affect EBP for rehabilitation clinicians. The findings suggest the need for researchers to ensure that their work is applicable and specific to clinical practice for implementation to occur.

Identifying Patient-Specific Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 Genetic Variation and Potential Autoreactive Targets Relevant to Multiple Sclerosis Pathogenesis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Tschochner

Full Text Available Epstein-Barr virus (EBV infection represents a major environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS, with evidence of selective expansion of Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 (EBNA1-specific CD4+ T cells that cross-recognize MS-associated myelin antigens in MS patients. HLA-DRB1*15-restricted antigen presentation also appears to determine susceptibility given its role as a dominant risk allele. In this study, we have utilised standard and next-generation sequencing techniques to investigate EBNA-1 sequence variation and its relationship to HLA-DR15 binding affinity, as well as examining potential cross-reactive immune targets within the central nervous system proteome.Sanger sequencing was performed on DNA isolated from peripheral blood samples from 73 Western Australian MS cases, without requirement for primary culture, with additional FLX 454 Roche sequencing in 23 samples to identify low-frequency variants. Patient-derived viral sequences were used to predict HLA-DRB1*1501 epitopes (NetMHCII, NetMHCIIpan and candidates were evaluated for cross recognition with human brain proteins.EBNA-1 sequence variation was limited, with no evidence of multiple viral strains and only low levels of variation identified by FLX technology (8.3% nucleotide positions at a 1% cut-off. In silico epitope mapping revealed two known HLA-DRB1*1501-restricted epitopes ('AEG': aa 481-496 and 'MVF': aa 562-577, and two putative epitopes between positions 502-543. We identified potential cross-reactive targets involving a number of major myelin antigens including experimentally confirmed HLA-DRB1*15-restricted epitopes as well as novel candidate antigens within myelin and paranodal assembly proteins that may be relevant to MS pathogenesis.This study demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining autologous EBNA-1 sequences directly from buffy coat samples, and confirms divergence of these sequences from standard laboratory strains. This approach has identified a number of

Micro-Encapsulated Phase Change Materials: A Review of Encapsulation, Safety and Thermal Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Hassan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Phase change materials (PCMs have been identified as potential candidates for building energy optimization by increasing the thermal mass of buildings. The increased thermal mass results in a drop in the cooling/heating loads, thus decreasing the energy demand in buildings. However, direct incorporation of PCMs into building elements undermines their structural performance, thereby posing a challenge for building integrity. In order to retain/improve building structural performance, as well as improving energy performance, micro-encapsulated PCMs are integrated into building materials. The integration of microencapsulation PCMs into building materials solves the PCM leakage problem and assures a good bond with building materials to achieve better structural performance. The aim of this article is to identify the optimum micro-encapsulation methods and materials for improving the energy, structural and safety performance of buildings. The article reviews the characteristics of micro-encapsulated PCMs relevant to building integration, focusing on safety rating, structural implications, and energy performance. The article uncovers the optimum combinations of the shell (encapsulant and core (PCM materials along with encapsulation methods by evaluating their merits and demerits.

Nuclear proliferomics: A new field of study to identify signatures of nuclear materials as demonstrated on alpha-UO3.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwerdt, Ian J; Brenkmann, Alexandria; Martinson, Sean; Albrecht, Brent D; Heffernan, Sean; Klosterman, Michael R; Kirkham, Trenton; Tasdizen, Tolga; McDonald Iv, Luther W

2018-08-15

The use of a limited set of signatures in nuclear forensics and nuclear safeguards may reduce the discriminating power for identifying unknown nuclear materials, or for verifying processing at existing facilities. Nuclear proliferomics is a proposed new field of study that advocates for the acquisition of large databases of nuclear material properties from a variety of analytical techniques. As demonstrated on a common uranium trioxide polymorph, α-UO 3 , in this paper, nuclear proliferomics increases the ability to improve confidence in identifying the processing history of nuclear materials. Specifically, α-UO 3 was investigated from the calcination of unwashed uranyl peroxide at 350, 400, 450, 500, and 550 °C in air. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were acquired of the surface morphology, and distinct qualitative differences are presented between unwashed and washed uranyl peroxide, as well as the calcination products from the unwashed uranyl peroxide at the investigated temperatures. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), UV-Vis spectrophotometry, powder X-ray diffraction (p-XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TGA-MS) were used to understand the source of these morphological differences as a function of calcination temperature. Additionally, the SEM images were manually segmented using Morphological Analysis for MAterials (MAMA) software to identify quantifiable differences in morphology for three different surface features present on the unwashed uranyl peroxide calcination products. No single quantifiable signature was sufficient to discern all calcination temperatures with a high degree of confidence; therefore, advanced statistical analysis was performed to allow the combination of a number of quantitative signatures, with their associated uncertainties, to allow for complete discernment by calcination history. Furthermore, machine learning was applied to the acquired SEM images to demonstrate automated discernment with

Ontario hydro radioactive material transportation field guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, W.

1987-01-01

The recent introduction of both the AECB Transport Packaging of Radioactive Material Regulations and Transport Canada's Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations have significantly altered the requirements for transporting radioactive material in Canada. Extensive additional training as well as certification of several hundred Ontario Hydro employees has been necessary to ensure compliance with the additional and revised regulatory requirements. To assist in the training of personnel, an 'active' corporate Ontario Hydro Field Guide for Radioactive Material Transport document has been developed and published. The contents of this Field Guide identify current Ontario Hydro equipment and procedures as well as the updated relevant regulatory requirements within Canada. In addition, to satisfying Ontario Hydro requirements for this type of information over two thousand of these Field Guides have been provided to key emergency response personnel throughout the province of Ontario to assist in their transportation accident response training

Performance of tungsten-based materials and components under ITER and DEMO relevant steady-state thermal loads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritz, Guillaume Henri

2011-07-01

In nuclear fusion devices the surfaces directly facing the plasma are irradiated with high energy fluxes. The most intense loads are deposited on the divertor located at the bottom of the plasma chamber, which has to withstand continuous heat loads with a power density of several MW . m{sup -2} as well as transient events. These are much shorter (in the millisecond and sub-millisecond regime) but deposit a higher power densities of a few GW . m{sup -2}. The search for materials that can survive to those severe loading conditions led to the choice of tungsten which possesses advantageous attributes such as a high melting point, high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion and an acceptable activation rate. These properties made it an attractive and promising candidate as armor material for divertors of future fusion devices such as ITER and DEMO. For the DEMO divertor, conceptual studies on helium-cooled tungsten plasma-facing components were performed. The concept was realized and tested under DEMO specific cyclic thermal loads. The examination of the plasma-facing components by microstructural analyses before and after thermal loading enabled to determine the mechanisms for components failure. Among others, it clearly showed the impact of the tungsten grade and the thermal stress induced crack formation on the performance of the armor material and in general of the plasma-facing component under high heat loads. A tungsten qualification program was launched to study the behaviour of various tungsten grades, in particular the crack formation, under fusion relevant steady-state thermal loads. In total, seven commercially available materials from two industrial suppliers were investigated. As the material's thermal response is strongly related to its microstructure, this program comprised different material geometries and manufacturing technologies. It also included the utilization of an actively cooled specimen holder which has been designed to perform

Performance of tungsten-based materials and components under ITER and DEMO relevant steady-state thermal loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritz, Guillaume Henri

2011-01-01

In nuclear fusion devices the surfaces directly facing the plasma are irradiated with high energy fluxes. The most intense loads are deposited on the divertor located at the bottom of the plasma chamber, which has to withstand continuous heat loads with a power density of several MW . m -2 as well as transient events. These are much shorter (in the millisecond and sub-millisecond regime) but deposit a higher power densities of a few GW . m -2 . The search for materials that can survive to those severe loading conditions led to the choice of tungsten which possesses advantageous attributes such as a high melting point, high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion and an acceptable activation rate. These properties made it an attractive and promising candidate as armor material for divertors of future fusion devices such as ITER and DEMO. For the DEMO divertor, conceptual studies on helium-cooled tungsten plasma-facing components were performed. The concept was realized and tested under DEMO specific cyclic thermal loads. The examination of the plasma-facing components by microstructural analyses before and after thermal loading enabled to determine the mechanisms for components failure. Among others, it clearly showed the impact of the tungsten grade and the thermal stress induced crack formation on the performance of the armor material and in general of the plasma-facing component under high heat loads. A tungsten qualification program was launched to study the behaviour of various tungsten grades, in particular the crack formation, under fusion relevant steady-state thermal loads. In total, seven commercially available materials from two industrial suppliers were investigated. As the material's thermal response is strongly related to its microstructure, this program comprised different material geometries and manufacturing technologies. It also included the utilization of an actively cooled specimen holder which has been designed to perform sophisticated

Evaluation of the e-Learning material developed by EMERALD and EMIT for diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Aitken, Victoria; Tabakov, Slavik

2005-09-01

Two Leonardo projects, EMERALD and EMIT, have developed in a partnershipof university and hospital departments (the consortia) e-Learning materials in X-ray diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging for medical physics graduates and other healthcare professionals. These e-Learning materials are described in a separate paper in this issue. To assess the effectiveness and relevance of the e-Learning material, a series of evaluations by student users groups plus experts in medical physics education and training were undertaken. The students, with backgrounds in physics and clinical ultrasound, reviewed the e-Learning material using an evaluation form developed by the consortia. The student feedback was favourable with students commenting that their level of knowledge had increased having completed the tasks. Areas identified for development were a reduction in text volume and an increase in the time allowed for completion of some tasks. The feedback from the experts was positive with an overall appreciation of the value of the learning material as a resource for students in medical physics field across Europe and identified other disciplines in which the access to the learning material could be useful contribution to their learning. Suggestions made for improvements ranged from grading the tasks into basic and advanced topics to increasing the interactive nature of the material. These early evaluation of the e-Learning material look promising and provide a framework for further developments in the field. Insight into users and providers views is important if developers are to provide relevant and worthwhile educational learning opportunities.

The Impact of Materiality: Accounting's Best Kept Secret

OpenAIRE

Niamh Brennan; Sidney J. Gray

2005-01-01

This paper comprises a review of the literature on materiality in accounting. The paper starts by examining the context in which materiality is relevant, and the problems arising from applying the concept in practice. Definitions of materiality from legal, accounting and stock exchange sources are compared. The relevance of materiality to various accounting situations is discussed. Methods of calculating quantitative thresholds are described and illustrated. Prior research is reviewed, focuss...

Silk-polypyrrole biocompatible actuator performance under biologically relevant conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Hagler, Jo'elen; Peterson, Ben; Murphy, Amanda; Leger, Janelle

Biocompatible actuators that are capable of controlled movement and can function under biologically relevant conditions are of significant interest in biomedical fields. Previously, we have demonstrated that a composite material of silk biopolymer and the conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) can be formed into a bilayer device that can bend under applied voltage. Further, these silk-PPy composites can generate forces comparable to human muscle (>0.1 MPa) making them ideal candidates for interfacing with biological tissues. Here silk-PPy composite films are tested for performance under biologically relevant conditions including exposure to a complex protein serum and biologically relevant temperatures. Free-end bending actuation performance, current response, force generation and, mass degradation were investigated . Preliminary results show that when exposed to proteins and biologically relevant temperatures, these silk-PPy composites show minimal degradation and are able to generate forces and conduct currents comparable to devices tested under standard conditions. NSF.

Relevant Scatterers Characterization in SAR Images

Science.gov (United States)

Chaabouni, Houda; Datcu, Mihai

2006-11-01

Recognizing scenes in a single look meter resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images, requires the capability to identify relevant signal signatures in condition of variable image acquisition geometry, arbitrary objects poses and configurations. Among the methods to detect relevant scatterers in SAR images, we can mention the internal coherence. The SAR spectrum splitted in azimuth generates a series of images which preserve high coherence only for particular object scattering. The detection of relevant scatterers can be done by correlation study or Independent Component Analysis (ICA) methods. The present article deals with the state of the art for SAR internal correlation analysis and proposes further extensions using elements of inference based on information theory applied to complex valued signals. The set of azimuth looks images is analyzed using mutual information measures and an equivalent channel capacity is derived. The localization of the "target" requires analysis in a small image window, thus resulting in imprecise estimation of the second order statistics of the signal. For a better precision, a Hausdorff measure is introduced. The method is applied to detect and characterize relevant objects in urban areas.

Clinical relevance of studies on the accuracy of visual inspection for detecting caries lesions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gimenez, Thais; Piovesan, Chaiana; Braga, Mariana M

2015-01-01

Although visual inspection is the most commonly used method for caries detection, and consequently the most investigated, studies have not been concerned about the clinical relevance of this procedure. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review in order to perform a critical evaluation considering...... the clinical relevance and methodological quality of studies on the accuracy of visual inspection for assessing caries lesions. Two independent reviewers searched several databases through July 2013 to identify papers/articles published in English. Other sources were checked to identify unpublished literature...... to clinical relevance and the methodological quality of the studies were evaluated. 96 of the 5,578 articles initially identified met the inclusion criteria. In general, most studies failed in considering some clinically relevant aspects: only 1 included study validated activity status of lesions, no study...

The relevance of "non-relevant metabolites" from plant protection products (PPPs) for drinking water: the German view.

Science.gov (United States)

Dieter, Hermann H

2010-03-01

"Non-relevant metabolites" are those degradation products of plant protection products (PPPs), which are devoid of the targeted toxicities of the PPP and devoid of genotoxicity. Most often, "non-relevant metabolites" have a high affinity to the aquatic environment, are very mobile within this environment, and, usually, are also persistent. Therefore, from the point of drinking water hygiene, they must be characterized as "relevant for drinking water" like many other hydrophilic/polar environmental contaminants of different origins. "Non-relevant metabolites" may therefore penetrate to water sources used for abstraction of drinking water and may thus ultimately be present in drinking water. The presence of "non-relevant metabolites" and similar trace compounds in the water cycle may endanger drinking water quality on a long-term scale. During oxidative drinking water treatment, "non-relevant metabolites" may also serve as the starting material for toxicologically relevant transformation products similar to processes observed by drinking water disinfection with chlorine. This hypothesis was recently confirmed by the detection of the formation of N-nitroso-dimethylamine from ozone and dimethylsulfamide, a "non-relevant metabolite" of the fungicide tolylfluanide. In order to keep drinking water preferably free of "non-relevant metabolites", the German drinking water advisory board of the Federal Ministry of Health supports limiting their penetration into raw and drinking water to the functionally (agriculturally) unavoidable extent. On this background, the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) recently has recommended two health related indication values (HRIV) to assess "non-relevant metabolites" from the view of drinking water hygiene. Considering the sometimes incomplete toxicological data base for some "non-relevant metabolites", HRIV also have the role of health related precautionary values. Depending on the completeness and quality of the toxicological

Report on current research into organic materials in radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, G.H.

1987-11-01

A preliminary review of relevant recent papers on organic materials in radioactive waste is presented. In particular, the effects of chelating or complexing agents, the influence of bacteria and the role of colloids are assessed. The requirement for further radioactive waste inventory detail is indicated. Potential problem areas associated with the presence of organic materials in radioactive waste are identified and appropriate experimental work to assess their significance is proposed. Recommendations for specific further work are made. A list and diagrams of some of the more important polymer structures likely to be present in radioactive waste and their possible degradation products are appended. (author)

Technical committee meeting on material-coolant interactions and material movement and relocation in liquid metal fast reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The Technical Committee Meeting on Material-Coolant Interactions and Material Movement and Relocation in Liquid Metal Fast Reactors was sponsored by the International Working Group on Fast Reactors (IWGFR), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and hosted by PNC, on behalf of the Japanese government. A broad range of technical subjects was discussed in the TCM, covering entire aspects of material motion and interactions relevant to the safety of LMFRs. Recent achievement and current status in research and development in this area were presented including European out-of-pile test of molten material movement and relocation; molten material-sodium interaction; molten fuel-coolant interaction; core disruptive accidents; sodium boiling; post accident material relocation, heat removal and relevant experiments already performed or planned

Technical committee meeting on material-coolant interactions and material movement and relocation in liquid metal fast reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-07-01

The Technical Committee Meeting on Material-Coolant Interactions and Material Movement and Relocation in Liquid Metal Fast Reactors was sponsored by the International Working Group on Fast Reactors (IWGFR), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and hosted by PNC, on behalf of the Japanese government. A broad range of technical subjects was discussed in the TCM, covering entire aspects of material motion and interactions relevant to the safety of LMFRs. Recent achievement and current status in research and development in this area were presented including European out-of-pile test of molten material movement and relocation; molten material-sodium interaction; molten fuel-coolant interaction; core disruptive accidents; sodium boiling; post accident material relocation, heat removal and relevant experiments already performed or planned.

Readability of Online Materials for Rhinoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Pauline Joy F; Daar, David A; Paydar, Keyianoosh Z; Wirth, Garrett A

2018-01-01

Rhinoplasty is a popular aesthetic and reconstructive surgical procedure. However, little is known about the content and readability of online materials for patient education. The recommended grade level for educational materials is 7th to 8th grade according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This study aims to assess the readability of online patient resources for rhinoplasty. The largest public search engine, Google, was queried using the term "rhinoplasty" on February 26, 2016. Location filters were disabled and sponsored results excluded to avoid any inadvertent search bias. The 10 most popular websites were identified and all relevant, patient-directed information within one click from the original site was downloaded and saved as plain text. Readability was analyzed using five established analyses (Readability-score.com, Added Bytes, Ltd., Sussex, UK). Analysis of ten websites demonstrates an average grade level of at least 12 th grade. No material was at the recommended 7 th to 8 th grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid, 11.1; Gunning-Fog, 14.1; Coleman-Liau, 14.5; SMOG 10.4; Automated Readability, 10.7; Average Grade Level, 12.2). Overall Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease Index was 43.5, which is rated as "difficult." Online materials available for rhinoplasty exceed NIH-recommended reading levels, which may prevent appropriate decision-making in patients considering these types of surgery. Outcomes of this study identify that Plastic Surgeons should be cognizant of available online patient materials and make efforts to develop and provide more appropriate materials. Readability results can also contribute to marketing strategy and attracting a more widespread interest in the procedure.

Psychosocial Clusters and their Associations with Well-Being and Health: An Empirical Strategy for Identifying Psychosocial Predictors Most Relevant to Racially/Ethnically Diverse Women’s Health

Science.gov (United States)

Jabson, Jennifer M.; Bowen, Deborah; Weinberg, Janice; Kroenke, Candyce; Luo, Juhua; Messina, Catherine; Shumaker, Sally; Tindle, Hilary A.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Strategies for identifying the most relevant psychosocial predictors in studies of racial/ethnic minority women’s health are limited because they largely exclude cultural influences and they assume that psychosocial predictors are independent. This paper proposes and tests an empirical solution. METHODS Hierarchical cluster analysis, conducted with data from 140,652 Women’s Health Initiative participants, identified clusters among individual psychosocial predictors. Multivariable analyses tested associations between clusters and health outcomes. RESULTS A Social Cluster and a Stress Cluster were identified. The Social Cluster was positively associated with well-being and inversely associated with chronic disease index, and the Stress Cluster was inversely associated with well-being and positively associated with chronic disease index. As hypothesized, the magnitude of association between clusters and outcomes differed by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS By identifying psychosocial clusters and their associations with health, we have taken an important step toward understanding how individual psychosocial predictors interrelate and how empirically formed Stress and Social clusters relate to health outcomes. This study has also demonstrated important insight about differences in associations between these psychosocial clusters and health among racial/ethnic minorities. These differences could signal the best pathways for intervention modification and tailoring. PMID:27279761

Real-time software use in nuclear materials handling criticality safety control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, S.; Lappa, D.; Chiao, T.; Parrish, C.; Carlson, R.; Lewis, J.; Shikany, D.; Woo, H.

1997-01-01

This paper addresses the use of real-time software to assist handlers of fissionable nuclear material. We focus specifically on the issue of workstation mass limits, and the need for handlers to be aware of, and check against, those mass limits during material transfers. Here ''mass limits'' generally refer to criticality safety mass limits; however, in some instances, workstation mass limits for some materials may be governed by considerations other than criticality, e.g., fire or release consequence limitation. As a case study, we provide a simplified reliability comparison of the use of a manual two handler system with a software-assisted two handler system. We identify the interface points between software and handlers that are relevant to criticality safety

Optimizing a reconfigurable material via evolutionary computation

Science.gov (United States)

Wilken, Sam; Miskin, Marc Z.; Jaeger, Heinrich M.

2015-08-01

Rapid prototyping by combining evolutionary computation with simulations is becoming a powerful tool for solving complex design problems in materials science. This method of optimization operates in a virtual design space that simulates potential material behaviors and after completion needs to be validated by experiment. However, in principle an evolutionary optimizer can also operate on an actual physical structure or laboratory experiment directly, provided the relevant material parameters can be accessed by the optimizer and information about the material's performance can be updated by direct measurements. Here we provide a proof of concept of such direct, physical optimization by showing how a reconfigurable, highly nonlinear material can be tuned to respond to impact. We report on an entirely computer controlled laboratory experiment in which a 6 ×6 grid of electromagnets creates a magnetic field pattern that tunes the local rigidity of a concentrated suspension of ferrofluid and iron filings. A genetic algorithm is implemented and tasked to find field patterns that minimize the force transmitted through the suspension. Searching within a space of roughly 1010 possible configurations, after testing only 1500 independent trials the algorithm identifies an optimized configuration of layered rigid and compliant regions.

Mechanical characterization of materials for dental applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pajares, A.; Miranda, P.; Guiberteau, F.; Cumbrera, F. I.

2001-01-01

An study of the damage induced in dental materials and model multilayer systems by masticatory contact stresses, simulated by hertz ian indentation test, have been performed. In particular, the nature of induced damage has been identified, and quantified from stress-strain curves and critical loads for yielding or crack initiation. For multilayer systems, test have been numerically simulated using finite element techniques (FEM). FEM simulations complement indentation test, allowing to justify the observed fracture modes from calculated stress fields. Practical implications can be derived from our results, relevant to the design of multilayer structures tolerant to contact damage. (Author) 34 refs

Investigation of energy-relevant materials with synchrotron X-rays and neutrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manke, Ingo; Markoetter, Henning; Kardjilov, Nikolay; Grothausmann, Roman; Haas, Sylvio; Thomas, Diana; Hoell, Armin; Genzel, Christoph [Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy, Berlin (Germany); Toetzke, Christian; Banhart, John [Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy, Berlin (Germany); Technische Universitaet Berlin (Germany). Materials Science and Technology; Dawson, Martin [Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy, Berlin (Germany); School of Computing, Science and Engineering, University of Salford (United Kingdom); Hartnig, Christoph [Chemetall GmbH, Frankfurt (Germany)

2011-08-15

Many materials used for energy conversion have a complex structure and chemical composition, knowledge of which is important for both understanding the function of materials and energy conversion systems and for their further development. Synchrotron radiation and neutrons can make an important contribution to understanding the function of such systems. Taking examples from the fields of fuel cells, gas separation membranes, batteries, solar cells, and catalysts, the use of radiography, tomography, diffraction, scattering, and absorption edge spectroscopy is demonstrated. The strength of such methods is the in situ characterization of processes and compositions, and so the focus is on these aspects. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Assessing the relevance of ecotoxicological studies for regulatory decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudén, Christina; Adams, Julie; Ågerstrand, Marlene; Brock, Theo Cm; Poulsen, Veronique; Schlekat, Christian E; Wheeler, James R; Henry, Tala R

2017-07-01

Regulatory policies in many parts of the world recognize either the utility of or the mandate that all available studies be considered in environmental or ecological hazard and risk assessment (ERA) of chemicals, including studies from the peer-reviewed literature. Consequently, a vast array of different studies and data types need to be considered. The first steps in the evaluation process involve determining whether the study is relevant to the ERA and sufficiently reliable. Relevance evaluation is typically performed using existing guidance but involves application of "expert judgment" by risk assessors. In the present paper, we review published guidance for relevance evaluation and, on the basis of the practical experience within the group of authors, we identify additional aspects and further develop already proposed aspects that should be considered when conducting a relevance assessment for ecotoxicological studies. From a regulatory point of view, the overarching key aspect of relevance concerns the ability to directly or indirectly use the study in ERA with the purpose of addressing specific protection goals and ultimately regulatory decision making. Because ERA schemes are based on the appropriate linking of exposure and effect estimates, important features of ecotoxicological studies relate to exposure relevance and biological relevance. Exposure relevance addresses the representativeness of the test substance, environmental exposure media, and exposure regime. Biological relevance deals with the environmental significance of the test organism and the endpoints selected, the ecological realism of the test conditions simulated in the study, as well as a mechanistic link of treatment-related effects for endpoints to the protection goal identified in the ERA. In addition, uncertainties associated with relevance should be considered in the assessment. A systematic and transparent assessment of relevance is needed for regulatory decision making. The relevance

Synthesis and Surface-Specific Analysis of Molecular Constituents Relevant to Biogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol Material

Science.gov (United States)

Be, A. G.; Upshur, M. A.; Chase, H. M.; Geiger, F.; Thomson, R. J.

2017-12-01

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles formed from the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) remain a principal, yet elusive, class of airborne particulate matter that impacts the Earth's radiation budget. Given the characteristic molecular complexity comprising biogenic SOA particles, chemical information selective to the gas-aerosol interface may be valuable in the investigation of such systems, as surface considerations likely dictate the phenomena driving particle evolution mechanisms and climate effects. In particular, cloud activation processes may be parameterized using the surface tension depression that coincides with partitioning of surface-active organic species to the gas-droplet interface. However, the extent to which surface chemical processes, such as cloud droplet condensation, are influenced by the chemical structure and reactivity of individual surface-active molecules in SOA particles is largely unknown. We seek to study terpene-derived organic species relevant to the surfaces of biogenic SOA particles via synthesis of putative oxidation products followed by analysis using surface-selective physicochemical measurements. Using dynamic surface tension measurements, considerable differences are observed in the surface tension depression of aqueous pendant droplets that contain synthetically prepared ozonolysis products derived from abundant terpene precursors. Furthermore, sum frequency generation spectroscopy is utilized for comparison of the surface vibrational spectral responses of synthesized reference compounds with those observed for laboratory aerosol toward probing the surface composition of SOA material. Such ongoing findings highlight the underlying importance of molecular structure and reactivity when considering the surface chemistry of biogenic terpene-derived atmospheric aerosols.

VERAM - Vision and Roadmap for European Raw Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgarten, Wibke; Vashev, Boris

2017-04-01

The overall objective of VERAM project is to produce a Vision and Roadmap for European Raw Materials in 2050 based on raw materials research and innovation (R&I) coordination. Two leading European Technology Platforms (ETPs): ETP SMR (Sustainable Minerals Resources) and FTP (Forest Technology Platform) are joining forces to develop a common vison and roadmap with the support of ECTP (European Construction Technology Platform), represented by UNIVPM, SusChem (ETP for Sustainable Chemistry), represented by Cefic, EuMaT (Advanced Materials ETP), represented by VITO, ERAMIN 2, represented by Research Centre JUELICH and WoodWisdom Network Plus represented by the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR). This partnership provides VERAM with expertise from downstream applications and additional knowledge on non-biotic and biotic raw materials. The project encourages capacity building as well as transfer of knowledge. It expects to provide an innovation reference point for the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Raw Materials (formerly the KIC Raw MatTERS), to coordinate the network involved in the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials Commitments and relevant proposals funded under Horizon 2020. It provides a platform for identifying gaps and complementarities and enables their bridging. VERAM will be able to advise the European Commission and Member States on future research needs and policies to stimulate innovation and assist in overcoming fragmentation in the implementing the EIP Raw Materials Strategic Implementation Plan. VERAM looks for mutually beneficial information exchange, encourages cross-fertilization between actions undertaken by different raw material industries, and expects to accelerate exploitation of breakthrough innovations. One of the main outcomes of the project is the presentation of a common long term 2050 Vision and Roadmap for relevant raw materials including metals, industrial minerals and aggregates and wood. The

Safety relevant failure mechanisms in the post-operational phase; Sicherheitstechnisch relevante Fehlermechanismen in der Nachbetriebsphase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayer, Gerhard; Stiller, Jan Christopher; Roemer, Sarah

2017-03-15

When the 13{sup th} amendment of the Atomic Energy Act came into force, eight Germ an nuclear power plant units had their power operating licences revoked and are now in the so-called post operation phase. Of the remaining nuclear power plants, one have by now also entered the post operation phase, with those left in operation bound for entering this phase sometime between now and the end of 2022. Therefore, failure mechanisms that are particularly relevant for post operation were to be identified and described in the frame of the present project. To do so, three major steps were taken: Firstly, recent national and international pertinent literature was evaluated to obtain indications of failure mechanisms in the post operation phase. It turned out that most of the national and international literature deals with the general procedure of the transition from power operation to decommissioning and dismantling. However, there were also some documents providing detailed indications of possible failure mechanisms in post operation. This includes e.g. the release of radioactive materials caused by the drop of containers, chemical impacts on systems important to safety in connection with decontamination work, and corrosion in connection with the storage of the core in the spent fuel pool, with the latter leading to the jamming of the fuel assemblies in the storage racks and a possible reduction of coolant circulation. In a second step, three safety analyses of pressurised water reactors prepared by the respective plant operators were evaluated to identify failure mechanisms based on systems engineering. The failure mechanisms that were found here include e.g. faults in the boric acid concentration of the reactor coolant, damage to the equipment airlock upon the unloading of Castor casks, leakages in connection with primary system decontamination, and the drop of packages holding radioactive residual materials or waste with subsequent mobilisation of radioactive aerosols

Associations between Fungal Species and Water-Damaged Building Materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Birgitte; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Søndergaard, Ib

2011-01-01

melleus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Chaetomium spp., Mucor racemosus, Mucor spinosus, and concrete and other floor-related materials. These results can be used to develop new and resistant building materials and relevant allergen extracts and to help focus research on relevant mycotoxins...

Deep learning relevance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lioma, Christina; Larsen, Birger; Petersen, Casper

2016-01-01

train a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) on existing relevant information to that query. We then use the RNN to "deep learn" a single, synthetic, and we assume, relevant document for that query. We design a crowdsourcing experiment to assess how relevant the "deep learned" document is, compared...... to existing relevant documents. Users are shown a query and four wordclouds (of three existing relevant documents and our deep learned synthetic document). The synthetic document is ranked on average most relevant of all....

Building locally relevant ethics curricula for nursing education in Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Barchi, F; Kasimatis Singleton, M; Magama, M; Shaibu, S

2014-12-01

The goal of this multi-institutional collaboration was to develop an innovative, locally relevant ethics curriculum for nurses in Botswana. Nurses in Botswana face ethical challenges that are compounded by lack of resources, pressures to handle tasks beyond training or professional levels, workplace stress and professional isolation. Capacity to teach nursing ethics in the classroom and in professional practice settings has been limited. A pilot curriculum, including cases set in local contexts, was tested with nursing faculty in Botswana in 2012. Thirty-three per cent of the faculty members indicated they would be more comfortable teaching ethics. A substantial number of faculty members were more likely to introduce the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics in teaching, practice and mentoring as a result of the training. Based on evaluation data, curricular materials were developed using the Code and the regulatory requirements for nursing practice in Botswana. A web-based repository of sample lectures, discussion cases and evaluation rubrics was created to support the use of the materials. A new master degree course, Nursing Ethics in Practice, has been proposed for fall 2015 at the University of Botswana. The modular nature of the materials and the availability of cases set within the context of clinical nurse practice in Botswana make them readily adaptable to various student academic levels and continuing professional development programmes. The ICN Code of Ethics for Nursing is a valuable teaching tool in developing countries when taught using locally relevant case materials and problem-based teaching methods. The approach used in the development of a locally relevant nursing ethics curriculum in Botswana can serve as a model for nursing education and continuing professional development programmes in other sub-Saharan African countries to enhance use of the ICN Code of Ethics in nursing practice. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Making diabetes self-management education culturally relevant for Filipino Americans in Hawaii.

Science.gov (United States)

Finucane, Melissa L; McMullen, Carmit K

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the cultural values, traditions, and perceptions of diabetes risk and self-care among Filipino Americans in Hawaii with type 2 diabetes that facilitate or impede engagement in diabetes self-management behaviors and education classes. This qualitative study used 2 rounds of semistructured focus groups and interviews. Participants included 15 patients with type 2 diabetes recruited from a large health-maintenance organization in Hawaii and 7 health care and cultural experts recruited from the community. The taped and transcribed focus groups and interviews were coded thematically. Participants evaluated example materials for diabetes self-management education (DSME) with Filipino Americans. Several aspects of Filipino American culture were identified as central to understanding the challenges of engaging in self-management behaviors and DSME: (1) undertaking self-management while prioritizing the family and maintaining social relationships, (2) modifying diet while upholding valued symbolic and social meanings of food, (3) participating in storytelling in the face of stigma associated with diabetes, and (4) reconciling spiritual and biomedical interpretations of disease causality and its management. Respondents also emphasized the role of several qualitative aspects of perceived risk (eg, dread, control) in moderating their behaviors. Participants suggested ways to make DSME culturally relevant. Awareness of cultural values and qualitative aspects of perceived risk that influence Filipino Americans' engagement in diabetes self-care behaviors and classes may help to improve teaching methods, materials, and recruitment strategies.

A report on the collection of data relevant to the Canadian National Uranium Tailings Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, A.

1984-10-01

In December of 1983, Systemhouse Ltd. was awarded a contract to collect data relevant to the Canadian National Uranium Tailings Program and to convert it into a machine readable format. The work was carried out in four phases, namely, data identification, data collection, data transcription/conversion and data verification. The main priority was to identify as much relevant data as possible. The identified data was priorized against a predefined criteria established in conjunction with the project scientific authority. A total of 428 studies were identified as being relevant. Data from 19 of these were converted to machine-readable format, giving information on 2398 samples from 78 boreholes

Identifying factors relevant in the assessment of return-to-work efforts in employees on long-term sickness absence due to chronic low back pain: a focus group study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muijzer Anna

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Efforts undertaken during the return to work (RTW process need to be sufficient to prevent unnecessary applications for disability benefits. The purpose of this study was to identify factors relevant to RTW Effort Sufficiency (RTW-ES in cases of sick-listed employees with chronic low back pain (CLBP. Methods Using focus groups consisting of Labor Experts (LE's working at the Dutch Social Insurance Institute, arguments and underlying grounds relevant to the assessment of RTW-ES were investigated. Factors were collected and categorized using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF model. Results Two focus groups yielded 19 factors, of which 12 are categorized in the ICF model under activities (e.g. functional capacity and in the personal (e.g. age, tenure and environmental domain (e.g. employer-employee relationship. The remaining 7 factors are categorized under intervention, job accommodation and measures. Conclusions This focus group study shows that 19 factors may be relevant to RTW-ES in sick-listed employees with CLBP. Providing these results to professionals assessing RTW-ES might contribute to a more transparent and systematic approach. Considering the importance of the quality of the RTW process, optimizing the RTW-ES assessment is essential.

Massive open online courses are relevant for postgraduate medical training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Subhi, Yousif; Andresen, Kristoffer; Rolskov Bojsen, Signe

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The CanMEDS framework describes seven roles in postgraduate training, but training and courses relevant to these roles can be limited. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) - free online courses in which anyone can participate, anywhere - may improve course participation. This study...... investigates the relevance of MOOCs for postgraduate medical training within the CanMEDS framework. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We extracted a list of all courses posted by the two largest MOOC providers, Coursera and EdX, and reviewed all course descriptions and categorised each course into one of three categories...

Analytical nondestructive evaluation for materials characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj, Baldev

1993-01-01

Science and technology of nondestructive testing and evaluation has contributed immensely to the safety and productivity of industrial plants. In recent years, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) has emerged as a frontline research area of equal if not greater technological relevance, for materials characterization as well. A comprehensive range of techniques from qualitative nondestructive testing for quality control of engineering products and materials to quantitative NDE for materials characterization is being used by the engineering industry and materials researchers, for better understanding of the manufacturing practices and materials behaviour. Quantitative NDE is considered essential for ensuring fitness for purpose at the start of the life in case the component has been designed using fracture mechanics parameters. Quantitative NDE is also vital for assessing degradation of material during service. Moreover, quantitative NDE enables characterization of dynamics of certain phenomenon (not achievable by destructive test methodologies) leading to better understanding of the performance of materials in relation to unavoidable defects in the materials. As the next logical step, the need for an analytical approach to NDE is felt. The need and motivation for such an approach is addressed and the means to achieve this objective are identified. It is argued that analytical NDE is essential to meet the challenges of characterization, intelligent processing of materials and life prediction of components and plants. These requirements are of significant importance in the context of recent developments in materials engineering, and for enhancing the competitive advantage of Indian engineering industry in the international market. (author). 9 refs., 3 figs

Socio-material perspectives on interprofessional team and collaborative learning.

Science.gov (United States)

McMurtry, Angus; Rohse, Shanta; Kilgour, Kelly N

2016-02-01

Interprofessional teamwork and collaboration have become important parts of health care practice and education. Most of the literature on interprofessional learning, however, assumes that learning is something acquired by individuals and readily transferred to other contexts. This assumption severely limits the ways in which interprofessional educators and researchers can conceptualise and support learning related to collaborative interprofessional health care. Socio-material theories provide an alternative to individualistic, acquisition-oriented notions by reconceiving learning in terms of collective dynamics, participation in social communities and active engagement with material contexts. Socio-material literature and theories were reviewed to identify concepts relevant to interprofessional learning. After briefly summarising the origins and key principles of socio-material approaches, the authors draw upon specific socio-material theories--including complexity theory, cultural-historical activity theory and actor-network theory--in order to reconceive how learning happens in interprofessional contexts. This reframing of interprofessional learning focuses less on individuals and more on collective dynamics and the actual social and material relations involved in practice. The paper proposes five ways in which learning may be enacted in interprofessional teamwork and collaboration from a socio-material perspective: (i) diverse contributions; (ii) social interactions and relationships; (iii) synthesis of professional ideas; (iv) integration of material elements, and (v) connections to large-scale organisations. For each of these categories, the paper provides practical illustrations to assist educators and researchers who wish to identify and assess this learning. Although more exploratory than comprehensive, this paper articulates many key aspects of socio-material learning theories and offers practical guidance for those who wish to employ and assess them in

Influence of geometric and material properties on artifacts generated by interventional MRI devices: Relevance to PRF-shift thermometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatebe, Ken, E-mail: Ken.Tatebe@gmail.com [Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Ramsay, Elizabeth; Kazem, Mohammad; Peikari, Hamed [Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N3M5 (Canada); Mougenot, Charles [Philips Healthcare, 281 Hillmount Road, Markham, Ontario L6C 2S3 (Canada); Bronskill, Michael [Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N3M5, Canada and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G2M9 (Canada); Chopra, Rajiv [Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N3M5 (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G2M9 (Canada)

2016-01-15

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of providing valuable real-time feedback during medical procedures, partly due to the excellent soft-tissue contrast available. Several technical hurdles still exist to seamless integration of medical devices with MRI due to incompatibility of most conventional devices with this imaging modality. In this study, the effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field caused by the magnetization of medical devices was examined using finite element analysis modeling. As an example, the influence of the geometric and material characteristics of a transurethral high-intensity ultrasound applicator on temperature measurements using proton resonance frequency (PRF)-shift thermometry was investigated. Methods: The effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field, caused by the magnetization of medical device components, was examined using finite element analysis modeling. The thermometry artifact generated by a transurethral ultrasound applicator was simulated, and these results were validated against analytic models and scans of an applicator in a phantom. Several parameters were then varied to identify which most strongly impacted the level of simulated thermometry artifact, which varies as the applicator moves over the course of an ablative high-intensity ultrasound treatment. Results: Key design parameters identified as having a strong influence on the magnitude of thermometry artifact included the susceptibility of materials and their volume. The location of components was also important, particularly when positioned to maximize symmetry of the device. Finally, the location of component edges and the inclination of the device relative to the magnetic field were also found to be important factors. Conclusions: Previous design strategies to minimize thermometry artifact were validated, and novel design strategies were identified that substantially reduce PRF-shift thermometry artifacts for a variety of device

Influence of geometric and material properties on artifacts generated by interventional MRI devices: Relevance to PRF-shift thermometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatebe, Ken; Ramsay, Elizabeth; Kazem, Mohammad; Peikari, Hamed; Mougenot, Charles; Bronskill, Michael; Chopra, Rajiv

2016-01-01

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of providing valuable real-time feedback during medical procedures, partly due to the excellent soft-tissue contrast available. Several technical hurdles still exist to seamless integration of medical devices with MRI due to incompatibility of most conventional devices with this imaging modality. In this study, the effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field caused by the magnetization of medical devices was examined using finite element analysis modeling. As an example, the influence of the geometric and material characteristics of a transurethral high-intensity ultrasound applicator on temperature measurements using proton resonance frequency (PRF)-shift thermometry was investigated. Methods: The effect of local perturbations in the magnetic field, caused by the magnetization of medical device components, was examined using finite element analysis modeling. The thermometry artifact generated by a transurethral ultrasound applicator was simulated, and these results were validated against analytic models and scans of an applicator in a phantom. Several parameters were then varied to identify which most strongly impacted the level of simulated thermometry artifact, which varies as the applicator moves over the course of an ablative high-intensity ultrasound treatment. Results: Key design parameters identified as having a strong influence on the magnitude of thermometry artifact included the susceptibility of materials and their volume. The location of components was also important, particularly when positioned to maximize symmetry of the device. Finally, the location of component edges and the inclination of the device relative to the magnetic field were also found to be important factors. Conclusions: Previous design strategies to minimize thermometry artifact were validated, and novel design strategies were identified that substantially reduce PRF-shift thermometry artifacts for a variety of device

Semiconductor materials and their properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinders, Angelina H.M.E.; Verlinden, Pierre; van Sark, Wilfried; Freundlich, Alexandre; Reinders, Angele; Verlinden, Pierre; van Sark, Wilfried; Freundlich, Alexandre

2017-01-01

Semiconductor materials are the basic materials which are used in photovoltaic (PV) devices. This chapter introduces solid-state physics and semiconductor properties that are relevant to photovoltaics without spending too much time on unnecessary information. Usually atoms in the group of

Relevance of counselling to human resource management in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However, literature has shown that counselling is universal and useful in all fields of human endeavours. This paper therefore brings into focus the relevance of counselling to human resource management in organizations. It defines counselling, resource management and identifies various services that counsellors perform ...

Performance-oriented packaging: A guide to identifying and designing. Identifying and designing hazardous materials packaging for compliance with post HM-181 DOT Regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-08-01

With the initial publication of Docket HM-181 (hereafter referred to as HM-181), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Headquarters, Transportation Management Division decided to produce guidance to help the DOE community transition to performance-oriented packagings (POP). As only a few individuals were familiar with the new requirements, elementary guidance was desirable. The decision was to prepare the guidance at a level easily understood by a novice to regulatory requirements. This document identifies design development strategies for use in obtaining performance-oriented packagings that are not readily available commercially. These design development strategies will be part of the methodologies for compliance with post HM-181 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) packaging regulations. This information was prepared for use by the DOE and its contractors. The document provides guidance for making decisions associated with designing performance-oriented packaging, and not for identifying specific material or fabrication design details. It does provide some specific design considerations. Having a copy of the regulations handy when reading this document is recommended to permit a fuller understanding of the requirements impacting the design effort. While this document is not written for the packaging specialist, it does contain guidance important to those not familiar with the new POP requirements

Computation of Casimir interactions between arbitrary three-dimensional objects with arbitrary material properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, M. T. Homer; White, Jacob; Johnson, Steven G.

2011-01-01

We extend a recently introduced method for computing Casimir forces between arbitrarily shaped metallic objects [M. T. H. Reid et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 040401 (2009)] to allow treatment of objects with arbitrary material properties, including imperfect conductors, dielectrics, and magnetic materials. Our original method considered electric currents on the surfaces of the interacting objects; the extended method considers both electric and magnetic surface current distributions, and obtains the Casimir energy of a configuration of objects in terms of the interactions of these effective surface currents. Using this new technique, we present the first predictions of Casimir interactions in several experimentally relevant geometries that would be difficult to treat with any existing method. In particular, we investigate Casimir interactions between dielectric nanodisks embedded in a dielectric fluid; we identify the threshold surface-surface separation at which finite-size effects become relevant, and we map the rotational energy landscape of bound nanoparticle diclusters.

Microwave Plasma Synthesis of Materials—From Physics and Chemistry to Nanoparticles: A Materials Scientist’s Viewpoint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorothée Vinga Szabó

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this review, microwave plasma gas-phase synthesis of inorganic materials and material groups is discussed from the application-oriented perspective of a materials scientist: why and how microwave plasmas are applied for the synthesis of materials? First, key players in this research field will be identified, and a brief overview on publication history on this topic is given. The fundamental basics, necessary to understand the processes ongoing in particle synthesis—one of the main applications of microwave plasma processes—and the influence of the relevant experimental parameters on the resulting particles and their properties will be addressed. The benefit of using microwave plasma instead of conventional gas phase processes with respect to chemical reactivity and crystallite nucleation will be reviewed. The criteria, how to choose an appropriate precursor to synthesize a specific material with an intended application is discussed. A tabular overview on all type of materials synthesized in microwave plasmas and other plasma methods will be given, including relevant citations. Finally, property examples of three groups of nanomaterials synthesized with microwave plasma methods, bare Fe2O3 nanoparticles, different core/shell ceramic/organic shell nanoparticles, and Sn-based nanocomposites, will be described exemplarily, comprising perspectives of applications.

Systematic Transcreation of Self-Help Smoking Cessation Materials for Hispanic/Latino Smokers: Improving Cultural Relevance and Acceptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Piñeiro, Bárbara; Díaz, Diana R; Monsalve, Luis M; Martínez, Úrsula; Meade, Cathy D; Meltzer, Lauren R; Brandon, Karen O; Unrod, Marina; Brandon, Thomas H; Simmons, Vani N

2018-01-01

Smoking-related illnesses are the leading causes of death among Hispanics/Latinos. Yet, there are few smoking cessation interventions targeted for this population. The goal of this study was to "transcreate" an existing, previously validated, English language self-help smoking cessation intervention, titled Forever Free ® : Stop Smoking for Good, for Spanish-speaking smokers. Rather than simply translating the materials, our transcreation process involved culturally adapting the intervention to enhance acceptability and receptivity of the information. We utilized a multiphase qualitative approach (focus groups and learner verification interviews) to develop a linguistically and culturally relevant intervention for the diverse sub-ethnic groups of Hispanic/Latino smokers. Focus group findings indicated a need to underscore several additional cultural characteristics and themes such as the need to address familism and unique stressors faced by immigrants and to provide information regarding nicotine replacement therapy. Learner verification findings indicated a need to further emphasize financial and social benefits of quitting smoking and to discuss how family and friends can support the quit attempt. These steps led to the development of a Spanish-language smoking cessation intervention titled, Libre del cigarillo, por mi familia y por mí: Guía para dejar de fumar, that is currently being tested in a national randomized controlled trial.

Identifying the material of original and restored parts of a 14^{th} century alabaster annunciation group through stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Kloppmann, Wolfram; Leroux, Lise; Le Pogam, Pierre-Yves; Bromblet, Philippe

2017-04-01

The origin of raw materials for sculpture is often obscure before the 17th century due to the scarcity of written sources. Identifying this origin provides hints to economic exchanges but also, potentially, allows for attributing sculptures to a specific context of creation (regional workshops, artists). Another challenge for art historians is the identification of restorations and their potential chronology. We present an example of a 14th century group of two statues, made of gypsum alabaster, representing an annunciation group, with the Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel. Their original position was a near Troyes in the eastern Paris Basin, they are now separated being conserved at the Louvre Museum (Virgin Mary) and the Cleveland Museum of Art (Gabriel). Our multi-isotope study revealed the common origin of the material used for both sculptures, their isotope fingerprints being identical within the analytical error. These fingerprints are highly specific and point to an origin in a historical gypsum and alabaster quarry in the northern part of Provence, France, first mentioned at the end of the 13th century. We were also able to identify an unknown restoration of lower part of the Virgin Mary statue with an optically undistinguishable material, using Tuscan alabaster, most likely in the 19th century. This underlines the potential and usefulness of independent geochemical evidence to underpin stylistic hypotheses on grouping of individual artworks, historical economic relationships between regions and on past restoration activities.

Reactor pressure vessel embrittlement management through EPRI-Developed material property databases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosinski, S.T.; Server, W.L.; Griesbach, T.J.

1997-01-01

Uncertainties and variability in U.S. reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material properties have caused the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to request information from all nuclear utilities in order to assess the impact of these data scatter and uncertainties on compliance with existing regulatory criteria. Resolving the vessel material uncertainty issues requires compiling all available data into a single integrated database to develop a better understanding of irradiated material property behavior. EPRI has developed two comprehensive databases for utility implementation to compile and evaluate available material property and surveillance data. RPVDATA is a comprehensive reactor vessel materials database and data management program that combines data from many different sources into one common database. Searches of the data can be easily performed to identify plants with similar materials, sort through measured test results, compare the ''best-estimates'' for reported chemistries with licensing basis values, quantify variability in measured weld qualification and test data, identify relevant surveillance results for characterizing embrittlement trends, and resolve uncertainties in vessel material properties. PREP4 has been developed to assist utilities in evaluating existing unirradiated and irradiated data for plant surveillance materials; PREP4 evaluations can be used to assess the accuracy of new trend curve predictions. In addition, searches of the data can be easily performed to identify available Charpy shift and upper shelf data, review surveillance material chemistry and fabrication information, review general capsule irradiation information, and identify applicable source reference information. In support of utility evaluations to consider thermal annealing as a viable embrittlement management option, EPRI is also developing a database to evaluate material response to thermal annealing. Efforts are underway to develop an irradiation

Global Microbial Identifier

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wielinga, Peter; Hendriksen, Rene S.; Aarestrup, Frank Møller

2017-01-01

) will likely also enable a much better understanding of the pathogenesis of the infection and the molecular basis of the host response to infection. But the full potential of these advances will only transpire if the data in this area become transferable and thereby comparable, preferably in open-source...... of microorganisms, for the identification of relevant genes and for the comparison of genomes to detect outbreaks and emerging pathogens. To harness the full potential of WGS, a shared global database of genomes linked to relevant metadata and the necessary software tools needs to be generated, hence the global...... microbial identifier (GMI) initiative. This tool will ideally be used in amongst others in the diagnosis of infectious diseases in humans and animals, in the identification of microorganisms in food and environment, and to track and trace microbial agents in all arenas globally. This will require...

Molecular forensic science of nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkerson, Marianne Perry

2010-01-01

We are interested in applying our understanding of actinide chemical structure and bonding to broaden the suite of analytical tools available for nuclear forensic analyses. Uranium- and plutonium-oxide systems form under a variety of conditions, and these chemical species exhibit some of the most complex behavior of metal oxide systems known. No less intriguing is the ability of AnO 2 (An: U, Pu) to form non-stoichiometric species described as AnO 2+x . Environmental studies have shown the value of utilizing the chemical signatures of these actinide oxides materials to understand transport following release into the environment. Chemical speciation of actinide-oxide samples may also provide clues as to the age, source, process history, or transport of the material. The scientific challenge is to identify, measure and understand those aspects of speciation of actinide analytes that carry information about material origin and history most relevant to forensics. Here, we will describe our efforts in material synthesis and analytical methods development that we will use to provide the fundamental science required to characterize actinide oxide molecular structures for forensics science. Structural properties and initial results to measure structural variability of uranium oxide samples using synchrotron-based X-ray Absorption Fine Structure will be discussed.

Social validation of vocabulary selection: ensuring stakeholder relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bornman, Juan; Bryen, Diane Nelson

2013-06-01

The vocabulary needs of individuals who are unable to spell their messages continue to be of concern in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Social validation of vocabulary selection has been suggested as one way to improve the effectiveness and relevance of service delivery in AAC. Despite increased emphasis on stakeholder accountability, social validation is not frequently used in AAC research. This paper describes an investigation of the social validity of a vocabulary set identified in earlier research. A previous study used stakeholder focus groups to identify vocabulary that could be used by South African adults who use AAC to disclose their experiences as victims of crime or abuse. Another study used this vocabulary to create communication boards for use by adults with complex communication needs. In this current project, 12 South African adults with complex communication needs who use AAC systems used a 5-point Likert scale to score the importance of each of the previously identified 57 vocabulary items. This two-step process of first using stakeholder focus groups to identify vocabulary, and then having literate persons who use AAC provide information on social validity of the vocabulary on behalf of their peers who are illiterate, appears to hold promise as a culturally relevant vocabulary selection approach for sensitive topics such as crime and abuse.

Down-selection of candidate alloys for further testing of advanced replacement materials for LWR core internals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Was, Gary [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Applied Physics Program; Leonard, Keith J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Tan, Lizhen [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-09-01

Life extension of the existing nuclear reactors imposes irradiation of high fluences to structural materials, resulting in significant challenges to the traditional reactor materials such as type 304 and 316 stainless steels. Advanced alloys with superior radiation resistance will increase safety margins, design flexibility, and economics for not only the life extension of the existing fleet but also new builds with advanced reactor designs. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) teamed up with Department of Energy (DOE) Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program to initiate the Advanced Radiation Resistant Materials (ARRM) program, aiming to identify and develop advanced alloys with superior degradation resistance in light water reactor (LWR)-relevant environments by 2024.

Frontiers in Magnetic Materials

CERN Document Server

Narlikar, Anant V

2005-01-01

Frontiers in Magnetic Materials focuses on the current achievements and state-of-the-art advancements in magnetic materials. Several lines of development- High-Tc Superconductivity, Nanotechnology and refined experimental techniques among them – raised knowledge and interest in magnetic materials remarkably. The book comprises 24 chapters on the most relevant topics written by renowned international experts in the field. It is of central interest to researchers and specialists in Physics and Materials Science, both in academic and industrial research, as well as advanced students.

Attention bias towards personally relevant stimuli: the individual emotional Stroop task.

Science.gov (United States)

Wingenfeld, Katja; Bullig, Renate; Mensebach, Christoph; Hartje, Wolfgang; Driessen, Martin; Beblo, Thomas

2006-12-01

The emotional Stroop task is a widely used method for investigating attentional bias towards stimuli due to mood or affect. In general, standardized stimuli are used, which might not be appropriate when investigating individual contextual frameworks. It was investigated whether words chosen to be related to individuals' personal life events would produce more pronounced Stroop interference (as an indicator of attentional bias) than stimuli without any personal relevance. Twenty-six nonclinical subjects, 20 female and 6 male, participated in the study. Mean age was 36.1 yr. (SD = 18.1). All were recruited by means of local advertising. Stimulus material consisted of four word types: personal words related to negative life events with and without current personal relevance, and negative and neutral words without any personal relevance. Words were presented in three blocks. Analysis of variance showed main effects for word type and blocks, with slower reactions in the personally relevant conditions than in the negative, or neutral conditions, and in response to the first blocks as opposed to the last. These findings indicate that regardless of the word valence, personally relevant stimuli evoke more pronounced Stroop interference than do stimuli without personal relevance.

Advanced Industrial Materials (AIM) Program. Annual progress report, FY 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sorrell, C.A.

1995-05-01

The Advanced Industrial Materials Program is a part of the Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the Department of Energy. The mission of the AIM Program is to conduct applied research, development, and applications engineering work, in partnership with industry, to commercialize new or improved materials and materials processing methods that will improve energy efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. AIM is responsible for identifying, supporting, and coordinating multidisciplinary projects to solve identified industrial needs and transferring the technology to the industrial sector. Program investigators in the DOE National Laboratories are working closely with approximately 100 companies, including 15 partners in Cooperative Research and Development Agreements. Work is being done in a wide variety of materials technologies, including intermetallic alloys, ceramic composites, metal composites, polymers, engineered porous materials, and surface modification. The Program supports other efforts in the Office of Industrial Technologies to assist the energy consuming process industries, including forest products, glass, steel, aluminum, foundries, chemicals, and refineries. To support OITs {open_quotes}Industries of the Future{close_quotes} initiatives and to improve the relevance of materials research, assessments of materials needs and opportunities in the process industries are being made. These assessments are being used for program planning and priority setting; support of work to satisfy those needs is being provided. Many new materials that have come into the marketplace in recent years, or that will be available for commercial use within a few more years, offer substantial benefits to society. This document contains 28 reports on advanced materials research. Individual reports have been processed separately for entry onto the Department of Energy databases.

Yeast screens identify the RNA polymerase II CTD and SPT5 as relevant targets of BRCA1 interaction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig B Bennett

2008-01-01

Full Text Available BRCA1 has been implicated in numerous DNA repair pathways that maintain genome integrity, however the function responsible for its tumor suppressor activity in breast cancer remains obscure. To identify the most highly conserved of the many BRCA1 functions, we screened the evolutionarily distant eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae for mutants that suppressed the G1 checkpoint arrest and lethality induced following heterologous BRCA1 expression. A genome-wide screen in the diploid deletion collection combined with a screen of ionizing radiation sensitive gene deletions identified mutants that permit growth in the presence of BRCA1. These genes delineate a metabolic mRNA pathway that temporally links transcription elongation (SPT4, SPT5, CTK1, DEF1 to nucleopore-mediated mRNA export (ASM4, MLP1, MLP2, NUP2, NUP53, NUP120, NUP133, NUP170, NUP188, POM34 and cytoplasmic mRNA decay at P-bodies (CCR4, DHH1. Strikingly, BRCA1 interacted with the phosphorylated RNA polymerase II (RNAPII carboxy terminal domain (P-CTD, phosphorylated in the pattern specified by the CTDK-I kinase, to induce DEF1-dependent cleavage and accumulation of a RNAPII fragment containing the P-CTD. Significantly, breast cancer associated BRCT domain defects in BRCA1 that suppressed P-CTD cleavage and lethality in yeast also suppressed the physical interaction of BRCA1 with human SPT5 in breast epithelial cells, thus confirming SPT5 as a relevant target of BRCA1 interaction. Furthermore, enhanced P-CTD cleavage was observed in both yeast and human breast cells following UV-irradiation indicating a conserved eukaryotic damage response. Moreover, P-CTD cleavage in breast epithelial cells was BRCA1-dependent since damage-induced P-CTD cleavage was only observed in the mutant BRCA1 cell line HCC1937 following ectopic expression of wild type BRCA1. Finally, BRCA1, SPT5 and hyperphosphorylated RPB1 form a complex that was rapidly degraded following MMS treatment in wild type but not BRCA1

Identifiers for the 21st century: How to design, provision, and reuse persistent identifiers to maximize utility and impact of life science data.

Science.gov (United States)

McMurry, Julie A; Juty, Nick; Blomberg, Niklas; Burdett, Tony; Conlin, Tom; Conte, Nathalie; Courtot, Mélanie; Deck, John; Dumontier, Michel; Fellows, Donal K; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Gormanns, Philipp; Grethe, Jeffrey; Hastings, Janna; Hériché, Jean-Karim; Hermjakob, Henning; Ison, Jon C; Jimenez, Rafael C; Jupp, Simon; Kunze, John; Laibe, Camille; Le Novère, Nicolas; Malone, James; Martin, Maria Jesus; McEntyre, Johanna R; Morris, Chris; Muilu, Juha; Müller, Wolfgang; Rocca-Serra, Philippe; Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Sariyar, Murat; Snoep, Jacky L; Soiland-Reyes, Stian; Stanford, Natalie J; Swainston, Neil; Washington, Nicole; Williams, Alan R; Wimalaratne, Sarala M; Winfree, Lilly M; Wolstencroft, Katherine; Goble, Carole; Mungall, Christopher J; Haendel, Melissa A; Parkinson, Helen

2017-06-01

In many disciplines, data are highly decentralized across thousands of online databases (repositories, registries, and knowledgebases). Wringing value from such databases depends on the discipline of data science and on the humble bricks and mortar that make integration possible; identifiers are a core component of this integration infrastructure. Drawing on our experience and on work by other groups, we outline 10 lessons we have learned about the identifier qualities and best practices that facilitate large-scale data integration. Specifically, we propose actions that identifier practitioners (database providers) should take in the design, provision and reuse of identifiers. We also outline the important considerations for those referencing identifiers in various circumstances, including by authors and data generators. While the importance and relevance of each lesson will vary by context, there is a need for increased awareness about how to avoid and manage common identifier problems, especially those related to persistence and web-accessibility/resolvability. We focus strongly on web-based identifiers in the life sciences; however, the principles are broadly relevant to other disciplines.

Identifiers for the 21st century: How to design, provision, and reuse persistent identifiers to maximize utility and impact of life science data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie A McMurry

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In many disciplines, data are highly decentralized across thousands of online databases (repositories, registries, and knowledgebases. Wringing value from such databases depends on the discipline of data science and on the humble bricks and mortar that make integration possible; identifiers are a core component of this integration infrastructure. Drawing on our experience and on work by other groups, we outline 10 lessons we have learned about the identifier qualities and best practices that facilitate large-scale data integration. Specifically, we propose actions that identifier practitioners (database providers should take in the design, provision and reuse of identifiers. We also outline the important considerations for those referencing identifiers in various circumstances, including by authors and data generators. While the importance and relevance of each lesson will vary by context, there is a need for increased awareness about how to avoid and manage common identifier problems, especially those related to persistence and web-accessibility/resolvability. We focus strongly on web-based identifiers in the life sciences; however, the principles are broadly relevant to other disciplines.

Summarizing Simulation Results using Causally-relevant States

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Nidhi; Marathe, Madhav; Swarup, Samarth

2016-01-01

As increasingly large-scale multiagent simulations are being implemented, new methods are becoming necessary to make sense of the results of these simulations. Even concisely summarizing the results of a given simulation run is a challenge. Here we pose this as the problem of simulation summarization: how to extract the causally-relevant descriptions of the trajectories of the agents in the simulation. We present a simple algorithm to compress agent trajectories through state space by identifying the state transitions which are relevant to determining the distribution of outcomes at the end of the simulation. We present a toy-example to illustrate the working of the algorithm, and then apply it to a complex simulation of a major disaster in an urban area. PMID:28042620

Performance Testing of Cutting Fluids. A review of relevant literature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belluco, Walter

the extended abstracts in the data-base, each displayed on one page which is also bearing all relevant information for the retrieval of the published material. A full copy of the publications can be obtained in most cases by DTV-Technical Knowledge Center & Library of Denmark, Ankels Engelunds Vej 1, 2800...

An overview of safety assessment, regulation, and control of hazardous material use at NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, B. P.; Crandall, R. S.; Moskowitz, P. D.; Fthenakis, V. M.

1992-12-01

This paper summarizes the methodology we use to ensure the safe use of hazardous materials at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). First, we analyze the processes and the materials used in those processes to identify the hazards presented. Then we study federal, state, and local regulations and apply the relevant requirements to our operations. When necessary, we generate internal safety documents to consolidate this information. We design research operations and support systems to conform to these requirements. Before we construct the systems, we perform a semiquantitative risk analysis on likely accident scenarios. All scenarios presenting an unacceptable risk require system or procedural modifications to reduce the risk. Following these modifications, we repeat the risk analysis to ensure that the respective accident scenarios present an acceptable risk. Once all risks are acceptable, we conduct an operational readiness review (ORR). A management-appointed panel performs the ORR ensuring compliance with all relevant requirements. After successful completion of the ORR, operations can begin.

An overview of safety assessment, regulation, and control of hazardous material use at NREL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, B.P.; Crandall, R.S.; Moskowitz, P.D.; Fthenakis, V.M.

1992-01-01

This paper summarizes the methodology we use to ensure the safe use of hazardous materials at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). First, we analyze the processes and the materials used in those processes to identify the hazards presented. Then we study federal, state, and local regulations and apply the relevant requirements to our operations. When necessary, we generate internal safety documents to consolidate this information. We design research operations and support systems to conform to these requirements. Before we construct the systems, we perform a semiquantitative risk analysis on likely accident scenarios. All scenarios presenting in unacceptable risk require system or procedural modifications to reduce the risk. Following these modifications, we repeat the risk analysis to ensure that the respective accident scenarios present acceptable risk. Once all risks are acceptable, we conduct an operational readiness review (ORR). A management appointed panel performs the ORR ensuring compliance with all relevant requirements. After successful completion of the ORR, operations can begin

An overview of safety assessment, regulation, and control of hazardous material use at NREL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, B.P.; Crandall, R.S.; Moskowitz, P.D.; Fthenakis, V.M.

1992-01-01

This paper summarizes the methodology we use to ensure the safe use of hazardous materials at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). First, we analyze the processes and the materials used in those processes to identify the hazards presented. Then we study federal, state, and local regulations and apply the relevant requirements to our operations. When necessary, we generate internal safety documents to consolidate this information. We design research operations and support systems to conform to these requirements. Before we construct the systems, we perform a semiquantitative risk analysis on likely accident scenarios. All scenarios presenting an unacceptable risk require system or procedural modifications to reduce the risk. Following these modifications, we repeat the risk analysis to ensure that the respective accident scenarios present an acceptable risk. Once all risks are acceptable, we conduct an operational readiness review (ORR). A management-appointed panel performs the ORR ensuring compliance with all relevant requirements. After successful completion of the ORR, operations can begin

Relevance in the science classroom: A multidimensional analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwell, Matthew F.

While perceived relevance is considered a fundamental component of adaptive learning, the experience of relevance and its conceptual definition have not been well described. The mixed-methods research presented in this dissertation aimed to clarify the conceptual meaning of relevance by focusing on its phenomenological experience from the students' perspective. Following a critical literature review, I propose an identity-based model of perceived relevance that includes three components: a contextual target, an identity target, and a connection type, or lens. An empirical investigation of this model that consisted of two general phases was implemented in four 9th grade-biology classrooms. Participants in Phase 1 (N = 118) completed a series of four open-ended writing activities focused on eliciting perceived personal connections to academic content. Exploratory qualitative content analysis of a 25% random sample of the student responses was used to identify the main meaning-units of the proposed model as well as different dimensions of student relevance perceptions. These meaning-units and dimensions provided the basis for the construction of a conceptual mapping sentence capturing students' perceived relevance, which was then applied in a confirmatory analysis to all other student responses. Participants in Phase 2 (N = 139) completed a closed survey designed based on the mapping sentence to assess their perceived relevance of a biology unit. The survey also included scales assessing other domain-level motivational processes. Exploratory factor analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling indicated a coherent conceptual structure, which included a primary interpretive relevance dimension. Comparison of the conceptual structure across various groups (randomly-split sample, gender, academic level, domain-general motivational profiles) provided support for its ubiquity and insight into variation in the experience of perceived relevance among students of different

Proceedings of DAE-BRNS national workshop on materials chemistry: functional materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-12-01

Design and development of materials with tailored properties assumes great significance in our everyday life and are crucial to modern technologies. Chemistry has had a tremendous Convener role in developing several need based materials by integrating multiple functionalities. The year 2011, being recognised as the International Year of Chemistry by the UNESCO, assumes further significance for material chemists. In view of the renowned interest in advanced functional materials, the Society for Materials Chemistry, India together with Chemistry Division, BARC has taken an initiative to organise this National Workshop on Materials Chemistry (NWMC-2011) under the theme 'Functional Materials (FUN-MAT)'. NWMC- 2011 aims to provide a forum for young researchers to interact with experts involved in synthesis, processing and applications of various advanced functional materials. In particular, recent developments and future prospects of magnetic, electronic and optical materials, glasses, ceramics, soft materials, materials for sensors, materials for hydrogen production and storage etc. will be addressed in this workshop. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Coupling of Nuclear Waste Form Corrosion and Radionuclide Transports in Presence of Relevant Repository Sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wall, Nathalie A.; Neeway, James J.; Qafoku, Nikolla P.; Ryan, Joseph V.

2015-01-01

Assessments of waste form and disposal options start with the degradation of the waste forms and consequent mobilization of radionuclides. Long-term static tests, single-pass flow-through tests, and the pressurized unsaturated flow test are often employed to study the durability of potential waste forms and to help create models that predict their durability throughout the lifespan of the disposal site. These tests involve the corrosion of the material in the presence of various leachants, with different experimental designs yielding desired information about the behavior of the material. Though these tests have proved instrumental in elucidating various mechanisms responsible for material corrosion, the chemical environment to which the material is subject is often not representative of a potential radioactive waste repository where factors such as pH and leachant composition will be controlled by the near-field environment. Near-field materials include, but are not limited to, the original engineered barriers, their resulting corrosion products, backfill materials, and the natural host rock. For an accurate performance assessment of a nuclear waste repository, realistic waste corrosion experimental data ought to be modeled to allow for a better understanding of waste form corrosion mechanisms and the effect of immediate geochemical environment on these mechanisms. Additionally, the migration of radionuclides in the resulting chemical environment during and after waste form corrosion must be quantified and mechanisms responsible for migrations understood. The goal of this research was to understand the mechanisms responsible for waste form corrosion in the presence of relevant repository sediments to allow for accurate radionuclide migration quantifications. The rationale for this work is that a better understanding of waste form corrosion in relevant systems will enable increased reliance on waste form performance in repository environments and potentially

Coupling of Nuclear Waste Form Corrosion and Radionuclide Transports in Presence of Relevant Repository Sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wall, Nathalie A. [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Neeway, James J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Qafoku, Nikolla P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Ryan, Joseph V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-09-30

Assessments of waste form and disposal options start with the degradation of the waste forms and consequent mobilization of radionuclides. Long-term static tests, single-pass flow-through tests, and the pressurized unsaturated flow test are often employed to study the durability of potential waste forms and to help create models that predict their durability throughout the lifespan of the disposal site. These tests involve the corrosion of the material in the presence of various leachants, with different experimental designs yielding desired information about the behavior of the material. Though these tests have proved instrumental in elucidating various mechanisms responsible for material corrosion, the chemical environment to which the material is subject is often not representative of a potential radioactive waste repository where factors such as pH and leachant composition will be controlled by the near-field environment. Near-field materials include, but are not limited to, the original engineered barriers, their resulting corrosion products, backfill materials, and the natural host rock. For an accurate performance assessment of a nuclear waste repository, realistic waste corrosion experimental data ought to be modeled to allow for a better understanding of waste form corrosion mechanisms and the effect of immediate geochemical environment on these mechanisms. Additionally, the migration of radionuclides in the resulting chemical environment during and after waste form corrosion must be quantified and mechanisms responsible for migrations understood. The goal of this research was to understand the mechanisms responsible for waste form corrosion in the presence of relevant repository sediments to allow for accurate radionuclide migration quantifications. The rationale for this work is that a better understanding of waste form corrosion in relevant systems will enable increased reliance on waste form performance in repository environments and potentially

A qualitative study examining methods of accessing and identifying research relevant to clinical practice among rehabilitation clinicians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patel D

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Drasti Patel,1 Christine Koehmstedt,1 Rebecca Jones,1 Nathan T Coffey,1 Xinsheng Cai,2 Steven Garfinkel,2 Dahlia M Shaewitz,2 Ali A Weinstein1 1Center for Study of Chronic Illness and Disability, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 2American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC, USA Purpose: Research examining the utilization of evidence-based practice (EBP specifically among rehabilitation clinicians is limited. The objective of this study was to examine how various rehabilitative clinicians including physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation counselors, and physiatrists are gaining access to literature and whether they are able to implement the available research into practice.Methods: A total of 21 total clinicians were interviewed via telephone. Using NVivo, a qualitative analysis of the responses was performed.Results: There were similarities found with respect to the information-seeking behaviors and translation of research across the different clinician types. Lack of time was reported to be a barrier for both access to literature and implementation of research across all clinician types. The majority of clinicians who reported having difficulty with utilizing the published literature indicated that the literature was not applicable to their practice, the research was not specific enough to be put into practice, or the research found was too outdated to be relevant. In addition, having a supportive work environment aided in the search and utilization of research through providing resources central to assisting clinicians in gaining access to health information.Conclusion: Our study identified several barriers that affect EBP for rehabilitation clinicians. The findings suggest the need for researchers to ensure that their work is applicable and specific to clinical practice for implementation to occur. Keywords: health information, information behavior, knowledge utilization

Forensic botany: usability of bryophyte material in forensic studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Virtanen, Viivi; Korpelainen, Helena; Kostamo, Kirsi

2007-10-25

Two experiments were performed to test the relevance of bryophyte (Plantae, Bryophyta) material for forensic studies. The first experiment was conducted to reveal if, and how well, plant fragments attach to footwear in general. In the test, 16 persons walked outdoors wearing rubber boots or hiking boots. After 24h of use outdoors the boots were carefully cleaned, and all plant fragments were collected. Afterwards, all plant material was examined to identify the species. In the second experiment, fresh material of nine bryophyte species was kept in a shed in adverse conditions for 18 months, after which DNA was extracted and subjected to genotyping to test the quality of the material. Both experiments give support for the usability of bryophyte material in forensic studies. The bryophyte fragments become attached to shoes, where they remain even after the wearer walks on a dry road for several hours. Bryophyte DNA stays intact, allowing DNA profiling after lengthy periods following detachment from the original plant source. Based on these experiments, and considering the fact that many bryophytes are clonal plants, we propose that bryophytes are among the most usable plants to provide botanical evidence for forensic investigations.

A review of potential factors relevant to coping in patients with advanced cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Thora G.; Rydahl-Hansen, Susan; Wagner, Lis

2010-01-01

The aim was to identify characteristics that are considered to describe coping in patients with advanced cancer, as seen from a patient perspective. Based on the identified characteristics, the second aim was to identify potential factors that are relevant to coping in patients with advanced cancer....

Investigation of contact allergy to dental materials by patch testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reena Rai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Dental products are widely used by patients and dental personnel alike and may cause problems for both. Dental materials could cause contact allergy with varying manifestations such as burning, pain, stomatitis, cheilitis, ulcers, lichenoid reactions localized to the oral mucosa in patients, and hand dermatitis in dental personnel. Patch testing with the dental series comprising commonly used materials can be used to detect contact allergies to dental materials. Aim: This study aimed to identify contact allergy among patients who have oral mucosal lesions after dental treatment and among dental personnel who came in contact with these materials. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients who had undergone dental procedures with symptoms of oral lichen planus, oral stomatitis, burning mouth, and recurrent aphthosis, were included in the study. Dental personnel with history of hand dermatitis were also included in the study. Patch testing was performed using Chemotechnique Dental Series and results interpreted as recommended by the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG. Results: Out of 13 patients who had undergone dental treatment/with oral symptoms, six patients with stomatitis, lichenoid lesions, and oral ulcers showed positive patch tests to a variety of dental materials, seven patients with ulcers had negative patch tests, seven dental personnel with hand dermatitis showed multiple allergies to various dental materials, and most had multiple positivities. Conclusion: The patch test is a useful, simple, noninvasive method to detect contact allergies among patients and among dental personnel dealing with these products. Long term studies are necessary to establish the relevance of these positive patch tests by eliminating the allergic substances, identifying clinical improvement, and substituting with nonallergenic materials.

A Review on Recent Patents and Applications of Inorganic Material Binding Peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Thota, Veeranjaneyulu; Perry, Carole C

2017-01-01

Although the popularity of using combinatorial display techniques for recognising unique peptides having high affinity for inorganic (nano) particles has grown rapidly, there are no systematic reviews showcasing current developments or patents on binding peptides specific to these materials. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent progress in patents on material binding peptides specifically exploring inorganic nano surfaces such as metals, metal oxides, minerals, carbonbased materials, polymer based materials, magnetic materials and semiconductors. We consider both the peptide display strategies used and the exploitation of the identified peptides in the generation of advanced nanomaterials. In order to get a clear picture on the number of patents and literature present to date relevant to inorganic material binding biomolecules and their applications, a thorough online search was conducted using national and worldwide databases. The literature search include standard bibliographic databases while patents included EPO Espacenet, WIPO patent scope, USPTO, Google patent search, Patent lens, etc. along with commercial databases such as Derwent and Patbase. Both English and American spellings were included in the searches. The initial number of patents found related to material binders were 981. After reading and excluding irrelevant patents such as organic binding peptides, works published before 2001, repeated patents, documents not in English etc., 51 highly relevant patents published from 2001 onwards were selected and analysed. These patents were further separated into six categories based on their target inorganic material and combinatorial library used. They include relevant patents on metal, metal oxide or combination binding peptides (19), magnetic and semiconductor binding peptides (8), carbon based (3), mineral (5), polymer (8) and other binders (9). Further, how these material specific binders have been used to synthesize simple to complex bio- or

Constructing disease-specific gene networks using pair-wise relevance metric: Application to colon cancer identifies interleukin 8, desmin and enolase 1 as the central elements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Wei

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background With the advance of large-scale omics technologies, it is now feasible to reversely engineer the underlying genetic networks that describe the complex interplays of molecular elements that lead to complex diseases. Current networking approaches are mainly focusing on building genetic networks at large without probing the interaction mechanisms specific to a physiological or disease condition. The aim of this study was thus to develop such a novel networking approach based on the relevance concept, which is ideal to reveal integrative effects of multiple genes in the underlying genetic circuit for complex diseases. Results The approach started with identification of multiple disease pathways, called a gene forest, in which the genes extracted from the decision forest constructed by supervised learning of the genome-wide transcriptional profiles for patients and normal samples. Based on the newly identified disease mechanisms, a novel pair-wise relevance metric, adjusted frequency value, was used to define the degree of genetic relationship between two molecular determinants. We applied the proposed method to analyze a publicly available microarray dataset for colon cancer. The results demonstrated that the colon cancer-specific gene network captured the most important genetic interactions in several cellular processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, mitogenesis and immunity, which are known to be pivotal for tumourigenesis. Further analysis of the topological architecture of the network identified three known hub cancer genes [interleukin 8 (IL8 (p ≈ 0, desmin (DES (p = 2.71 × 10-6 and enolase 1 (ENO1 (p = 4.19 × 10-5], while two novel hub genes [RNA binding motif protein 9 (RBM9 (p = 1.50 × 10-4 and ribosomal protein L30 (RPL30 (p = 1.50 × 10-4] may define new central elements in the gene network specific to colon cancer. Gene Ontology (GO based analysis of the colon cancer-specific gene network and

Constructing disease-specific gene networks using pair-wise relevance metric: application to colon cancer identifies interleukin 8, desmin and enolase 1 as the central elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wei; Li, Xia; Rao, Shaoqi; Wang, Lihong; Du, Lei; Li, Chuanxing; Wu, Chao; Wang, Hongzhi; Wang, Yadong; Yang, Baofeng

2008-08-10

With the advance of large-scale omics technologies, it is now feasible to reversely engineer the underlying genetic networks that describe the complex interplays of molecular elements that lead to complex diseases. Current networking approaches are mainly focusing on building genetic networks at large without probing the interaction mechanisms specific to a physiological or disease condition. The aim of this study was thus to develop such a novel networking approach based on the relevance concept, which is ideal to reveal integrative effects of multiple genes in the underlying genetic circuit for complex diseases. The approach started with identification of multiple disease pathways, called a gene forest, in which the genes extracted from the decision forest constructed by supervised learning of the genome-wide transcriptional profiles for patients and normal samples. Based on the newly identified disease mechanisms, a novel pair-wise relevance metric, adjusted frequency value, was used to define the degree of genetic relationship between two molecular determinants. We applied the proposed method to analyze a publicly available microarray dataset for colon cancer. The results demonstrated that the colon cancer-specific gene network captured the most important genetic interactions in several cellular processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, mitogenesis and immunity, which are known to be pivotal for tumourigenesis. Further analysis of the topological architecture of the network identified three known hub cancer genes [interleukin 8 (IL8) (p approximately 0), desmin (DES) (p = 2.71 x 10(-6)) and enolase 1 (ENO1) (p = 4.19 x 10(-5))], while two novel hub genes [RNA binding motif protein 9 (RBM9) (p = 1.50 x 10(-4)) and ribosomal protein L30 (RPL30) (p = 1.50 x 10(-4))] may define new central elements in the gene network specific to colon cancer. Gene Ontology (GO) based analysis of the colon cancer-specific gene network and the sub-network that

Identifying diagnostically-relevant resting state brain functional connectivity in the ventral posterior complex via genetic data mining in autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Philip R; Curtis, Kaylah N; Patriquin, Michelle A; Wolf, Varina; Viswanath, Humsini; Shaw, Chad; Sakai, Yasunari; Salas, Ramiro

2016-05-01

Exome sequencing and copy number variation analyses continue to provide novel insight to the biological bases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The growing speed at which massive genetic data are produced causes serious lags in analysis and interpretation of the data. Thus, there is a need to develop systematic genetic data mining processes that facilitate efficient analysis of large datasets. We report a new genetic data mining system, ProcessGeneLists and integrated a list of ASD-related genes with currently available resources in gene expression and functional connectivity of the human brain. Our data-mining program successfully identified three primary regions of interest (ROIs) in the mouse brain: inferior colliculus, ventral posterior complex of the thalamus (VPC), and parafascicular nucleus (PFn). To understand its pathogenic relevance in ASD, we examined the resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the homologous ROIs in human brain with other brain regions that were previously implicated in the neuro-psychiatric features of ASD. Among them, the RSFC of the VPC with the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) was significantly more anticorrelated, whereas the RSFC of the PN with the globus pallidus was significantly increased in children with ASD compared with healthy children. Moreover, greater values of RSFC between VPC and MFG were correlated with severity index and repetitive behaviors in children with ASD. No significant RSFC differences were detected in adults with ASD. Together, these data demonstrate the utility of our data-mining program through identifying the aberrant connectivity of thalamo-cortical circuits in children with ASD. Autism Res 2016, 9: 553-562. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Material Ecocriticism: Materiality, Agency, and Models of Narrativity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serenella Iovino

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The proliferation of studies bearing on the intellectual movement known as the "new materialisms" evinces that a material turn is becoming an important paradigm in environmental humanities. Ranging from social and science studies, feminism, to anthropology, geography, environmental philosophies and animal studies, this approach is bringing innovative ways of considering matter and material relations that, coupled with reflections on agency, text, and narrativity, are going to impact ecocriticism in an unprecedented way.In consideration of the relevance of this debate, we would like to draw for Ecozon@'s readers an introductory map of the new paradigm and introduce what can be called "material ecocriticism." We will illustrate what we consider to be its main features, situating them in the conceptual horizons of the new materialisms. From this genealogical sketch, we will examine the re-definitions of concepts like matter, agency, discursivity, and intentionality, with regard to their effects on ecocriticism and in terms of their ethical perspectives.

Identification of relevant ICF categories in patients with chronic health conditions: a Delphi exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigl, Martin; Cieza, Alarcos; Andersen, Christina; Kollerits, Barbara; Amann, Edda; Stucki, Gerold

2004-07-01

To identify the most typical and relevant categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for patients with low back pain, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, chronic generalized pain, stroke, depression, obesity, chronic ischaemic heart disease, obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, and breast cancer. An international expert survey using the Delphi technique was conducted. Data were collected in 3 rounds. Answers were linked to the ICF and analysed for the degree of consensus. Between 21 (osteoporosis, chronic ischaemic heart disease, and obstructive pulmonary disease) and 43 (stroke) experts responded in each of the conditions. In all conditions, with the exception of depression, there were categories in all ICF components that were considered typical and/or relevant by at least 80% of the responders. While all conditions had a distinct typical spectrum of relevant ICF categories, there were also some common relevant categories throughout the majority of conditions. Lists of ICF categories that are considered relevant and typical for specific conditions by international experts could be created. This is an important step towards identifying ICF Core Sets for chronic conditions.

The pricing relevance of insider information; Die Preiserheblichkeit von Insiderinformationen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kruse, Dominik

2011-07-01

The publication attempts to describe the so far discussion concerning the feature of pricing relevance and to develop it further with the aid of new research approaches. First, a theoretical outline is presented of the elementary regulation problem of insider trading, its historical development, and the regulation goals of the WpHG. This is followed by an analysis of the concrete specifications of the law. In view of the exemplarity of US law, a country with long experience in regulation of the capital market, the materiality doctrine of US insider law is gone into in some detail. The goals and development of the doctrine are reviewed in the light of court rulings. The third part outlines the requirements of German law in order to forecast the pricing relevance of insider information, while the final part presents a critical review of the current regulations on pricing relevance. (orig./RHM)

Environmental Impacts and Embodied Energy of Construction Methods and Materials in Low-Income Tropical Housing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arman Hashemi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper evaluates the current conditions of Ugandan low-income tropical housing with a focus on construction methods and materials in order to identify the key areas for improvement. Literature review, site visits and photographic surveys are carried out to collect relevant information on prevailing construction methods/materials and on their environmental impacts in rural areas. Low quality, high waste, and energy intensive production methods, as well as excessive soil extraction and deforestation, are identified as the main environmental damage of the current construction methods and materials. The embodied energy is highlighted as the key area which should be addressed to reduce the CO2 emissions of low-income tropical housing. The results indicate that the embodied energy of fired bricks in Uganda is up to 5.7 times more than general clay bricks. Concrete walling is identified as a much more environmentally friendly construction method compared to brick walling in East African countries. Improving fuel efficiency and moulding systems, increasing access to renewable energy sources, raising public awareness, educating local manufacturers and artisans, and gradual long-term introduction of innovative construction methods and materials which are adapted to local needs and conditions are some of the recommended actions to improve the current conditions.

A Statistics-Based Material Property Analysis to Support TPS Characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Copeland, Sean R.; Cozmuta, Ioana; Alonso, Juan J.

2012-01-01

Accurate characterization of entry capsule heat shield material properties is a critical component in modeling and simulating Thermal Protection System (TPS) response in a prescribed aerothermal environment. The thermal decomposition of the TPS material during the pyrolysis and charring processes is poorly characterized and typically results in large uncertainties in material properties as inputs for ablation models. These material property uncertainties contribute to large design margins on flight systems and cloud re- construction efforts for data collected during flight and ground testing, making revision to existing models for entry systems more challenging. The analysis presented in this work quantifies how material property uncertainties propagate through an ablation model and guides an experimental test regimen aimed at reducing these uncertainties and characterizing the dependencies between properties in the virgin and charred states for a Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) based TPS. A sensitivity analysis identifies how the high-fidelity model behaves in the expected flight environment, while a Monte Carlo based uncertainty propagation strategy is used to quantify the expected spread in the in-depth temperature response of the TPS. An examination of how perturbations to the input probability density functions affect output temperature statistics is accomplished using a Kriging response surface of the high-fidelity model. Simulations are based on capsule configuration and aerothermal environments expected during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) entry sequence. We identify and rank primary sources of uncertainty from material properties in a flight-relevant environment, show the dependence on spatial orientation and in-depth location on those uncertainty contributors, and quantify how sensitive the expected results are.

Complementary standoff chemical imaging to map and identify artist materials in an early Italian Renaissance panel painting.

Science.gov (United States)

Dooley, Kathryn A; Conover, Damon M; Glinsman, Lisha Deming; Delaney, John K

2014-12-08

Two imaging modalities based on molecular and elemental spectroscopy were used to characterize a painting by Cosimo Tura. Visible-to-near-infrared (400-1680 nm) reflectance imaging spectroscopy (RIS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging spectroscopy were employed to identify pigments and determine their spatial distribution with higher confidence than from either technique alone. For example, Mary's red robe was modeled through the distribution of an insect-derived red lake (RIS map) and lead white (XRF lead map), rather than a layer of red lake on vermilion. The RIS image cube was also used to isolate the preparatory design by mapping the reflectance spectra associated with it. In conjunction with results from an earlier RIS study (1650-2500 nm) to map and identify the binding media, a more thorough understanding was gained of the materials and techniques used in the painting. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Safe structural food bolus in elderly: the relevant parameters

OpenAIRE

Vandenberghe-Descamps, Mathilde; Septier, Chantal; Prot, Aurélie; Tournier, Carole; Hennequin, Martine; Vigneau, Evelyne; Feron, Gilles; Labouré, Hélène

2017-01-01

Mastication is essential to prepare food into a bolus ready to be swallowed safely, with no choking risk. Based on food bolus properties, a masticatory normative indicator was developed by Woda et al. (2010) to identify impaired masticatory function within good oral health population. The aim of the present study was to identify relevant parameters of bolus' structure to differentiate safe to unsafe bolus among elderly contrasting by their dental status.93 elderly, 58% with at least 7 posteri...

Evidence for the triadic model of adolescent brain development: Cognitive load and task-relevance of emotion differentially affect adolescents and adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sven C. Mueller

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In adults, cognitive control is supported by several brain regions including the limbic system and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC when processing emotional information. However, in adolescents, some theories hypothesize a neurobiological imbalance proposing heightened sensitivity to affective material in the amygdala and striatum within a cognitive control context. Yet, direct neurobiological evidence is scarce. Twenty-four adolescents (12–16 and 28 adults (25–35 completed an emotional n-back working memory task in response to happy, angry, and neutral faces during fMRI. Importantly, participants either paid attention to the emotion (task-relevant condition or judged the gender (task-irrelevant condition. Behaviorally, for both groups, when happy faces were task-relevant, performance improved relative to when they were task-irrelevant, while performance decrements were seen for angry faces. In the dlPFC, angry faces elicited more activation in adults during low relative to high cognitive load (2-back vs. 0-back. By contrast, happy faces elicited more activation in the amygdala in adolescents when they were task-relevant. Happy faces also generally increased nucleus accumbens activity (regardless of relevance in adolescents relative to adults. Together, the findings are consistent with neurobiological models of adolescent brain development and identify neurodevelopmental differences in cognitive control emotion interactions.

A review of materials for spectral design coatings in signature management applications

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Kent E.; Škerlind, Christina

2014-10-01

The current focus in Swedish policy towards national security and high-end technical systems, together with a rapid development in multispectral sensor technology, adds to the utility of developing advanced materials for spectral design in signature management applications. A literature study was performed probing research databases for advancements. Qualitative text analysis was performed using a six-indicator instrument: spectrally selective reflectance; low gloss; low degree of polarization; low infrared emissivity; non-destructive properties in radar and in general controllability of optical properties. Trends are identified and the most interesting materials and coating designs are presented with relevant performance metrics. They are sorted into categories in the order of increasing complexity: pigments and paints, one-dimensional structures, multidimensional structures (including photonic crystals), and lastly biomimic and metamaterials. The military utility of the coatings is assessed qualitatively. The need for developing a framework for assessing the military utility of incrementally increasing the performance of spectrally selective coatings is identified.

The Necessity of Qualitative Materiality in Auditing

OpenAIRE

Erdoğan, Nurten

2006-01-01

Auditors have to make materiality judgments on every audit. Assessing materiality requires careful consideration of all relevant circumstances, both quantitative and qualitative considerations, as well as interaction of these considerations. This process is difficult because both quantitative and qualitative factors must evaluate.Audit standards on materiality do not provide sufficient formal guidance to quantify materiality. As a result, the auditors have been left to assess materiality base...

41 CFR 102-2.125 - What source of information can my agency use to identify materials that describe how to do...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What source of information can my agency use to identify materials that describe how to do business with GSA? 102-2.125 Section 102-2.125 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System...

Overview of Green Building Material (GBM Policies and Guidelines with Relevance to Indoor Air Quality Management in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Tien Tsai

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper was to offer a preliminary overview of Taiwan’s success in green building material (GBM efforts through legal systems and promotion measures, which are relevant to the contribution to indoor air quality (IAQ due to sustainability and health issues. In the first part of the paper, the IAQ regulations are summarized to highlight the second nation (i.e., Taiwan around the world in IAQ management by the law. In addition, the permissible exposure limits (PEL in Taiwan for airborne hazardous substances were first promulgated in 1974 to deal with occupational health issues in the workplace environment. In the second part of the paper, the developing status of the GBM in Taiwan is analyzed to unravel its connection with the Indoor Air Quality Management Act (IAQMA, promulgated on 23 November 2011. By the end of September 2017, a total of 645 GBM labels have been conferred, covering over 5000 green products. Due to the effectiveness of source control, the healthy GBM occupies most of the market, accounting for about 75%. The IAQMA, which took force in November 2012, is expected to significantly increase the use of healthy GBM in new building construction and remodeling, especially in low formaldehyde (HCHO/volatile organic compound (VOC-emitting products.

Corrosion on Mars: An Investigation of Corrosion Mechanisms Under Relevant Simulated Martian Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Calle, Luz M.; Li, Wenyan; Johansen, Michael R.; Buhrow, Jerry W.; Calle, Carlos I.

2017-01-01

This one-year project was selected by NASA's Science Innovation Fund in FY17 to address Corrosion on Mars which is a problem that has not been addressed before. Corrosion resistance is one of the most important properties in selecting materials for landed spacecraft and structures that will support surface operations for the human exploration of Mars. Currently, the selection of materials is done by assuming that the corrosion behavior of a material on Mars will be the same as that on Earth. This is understandable given that there is no data regarding the corrosion resistance of materials in the Mars environment. However, given that corrosion is defined as the degradation of a metal that results from its chemical interaction with the environment, it cannot be assumed that corrosion is going to be the same in both environments since they are significantly different. The goal of this research is to develop a systematic approach to understand corrosion of spacecraft materials on Mars by conducting a literature search of available data, relevant to corrosion in the Mars environment, and by performing preliminary laboratory experiments under relevant simulated Martian conditions. This project was motivated by the newly found evidence for the presence of transient liquid brines on Mars that coincided with the suggestion, by a team of researchers, that some of the structural degradation observed on Curiosity's wheels may be caused by corrosive interactions with the brines, while the most significant damage was attributed to rock scratching. An extensive literature search on data relevant to Mars corrosion confirmed the need for further investigation of the interaction between materials used for spacecraft and structures designed to support long-term surface operations on Mars. Simple preliminary experiments, designed to look at the interaction between an aerospace aluminum alloy (AA7075-T73) and the gases present in the Mars atmosphere, at 20degC and a pressure of 700 Pa

Government to Government Communication Concerning the Transportation of Radioactive Material: Routine and Crisis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ludbrook, Julian

2016-01-01

Good communication between Governments about international shipments of nuclear material, including full information sharing, is key to the effective management of the radiological, economic, environmental and political risks associated with such shipments and particularly any accident or incident involving them. In many, if not most, countries public sensitivity about the potential consequences of any accident involving radioactive material generally is high. Recognising this sensitivity, which has been further heightened by the Fukushima accident, rules are already in place regarding advance communication about the shipment of particular nuclear material from one state to or through the land territory of another state. No particular rules exist in relation to shipments of such material passing through or near the waters under the jurisdiction of another state but not being landed in that state. But the same sensitivity exists and there is the same need for the political leadership in the relevant Coastal State to have full information in advance about such shipments in order to ensure effective practical and political management of any accident involving the shipment. In part taking account of such sensitivity, some Shipping States have in practice been willing to communicate information in advance to Coastal States in this situation. There would be value in recognising more systematically the mutual benefit served by Shipping States routinely communicating information relating to these types of shipments in advance to affected Coastal States, while taking into account the shared concern about ensuring that all sensitive information is protected appropriately. This paper identifies the information needed in advance for effective risk management, recognising that this could be supplemented by bilateral arrangements between the relevant Shipping and Coastal State. It also identifies information that should be communicated and exchanged in an emergency situation

Hysteretic recurrent neural networks: a tool for modeling hysteretic materials and systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veeramani, Arun S; Crews, John H; Buckner, Gregory D

2009-01-01

This paper introduces a novel recurrent neural network, the hysteretic recurrent neural network (HRNN), that is ideally suited to modeling hysteretic materials and systems. This network incorporates a hysteretic neuron consisting of conjoined sigmoid activation functions. Although similar hysteretic neurons have been explored previously, the HRNN is unique in its utilization of simple recurrence to 'self-select' relevant activation functions. Furthermore, training is facilitated by placing the network weights on the output side, allowing standard backpropagation of error training algorithms to be used. We present two- and three-phase versions of the HRNN for modeling hysteretic materials with distinct phases. These models are experimentally validated using data collected from shape memory alloys and ferromagnetic materials. The results demonstrate the HRNN's ability to accurately generalize hysteretic behavior with a relatively small number of neurons. Additional benefits lie in the network's ability to identify statistical information concerning the macroscopic material by analyzing the weights of the individual neurons

Sorption of plutonium and americium on repository, backfill and geological materials relevant to the JNFL low-level radioactive waste repository at Rokkasho-Mura

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baston, G.M.N.; Berry, J.A.; Brownsword, M.; Heath, T.G.; Tweed, C.J.; Williams, S.J.

1995-01-01

An integrated program of batch sorption experiments and mathematical modeling has been carried out to study the sorption of plutonium and americium on a series of repository, backfill and geological materials relevant to the JNFL low-level radioactive waste repository at Rokkasho-Mura. The sorption of plutonium and americium on samples of concrete, mortar, sand/bentonite, tuff, sandstone and cover soil has been investigated. In addition, specimens of bitumen, cation and anion exchange resins, and polyester were chemically degraded. The resulting degradation product solutions, alongside solutions of humic and isosaccharinic acids were used to study the effects on plutonium sorption onto concrete, sand/bentonite and sandstone. The sorption behavior of plutonium and americium has been modeled using the geochemical speciation program HARPHRQ in conjunction with the HATCHES database

Task relevance modulates successful retrieval effects during explicit and implicit memory tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Elman, Jeremy A; Shimamura, Arthur P

2011-05-01

The successful retrieval effect refers to greater activation for items identified as old compared to those identified as new. This effect is particularly apparent in the ventral posterior parietal cortex (vPPC), though its functional properties remain unclear. In two experiments, we assessed the activation for old and new items during explicit and implicit tests of memory. In Experiment 1, significant effects were observed during explicit recognition performance and during an implicit lexical decision task. In both tasks, determining mnemonic status provides relevant information to task goals. Experiment 2 included a second implicit task in which determining mnemonic status was not relevant (color discrimination task). In this case, vPPC activation did not distinguish between old and new items. These findings suggest that automatic or implicit processes can drive retrieval-related activation in the vPPC, though such processes are gated by stimulus relevancy and task goals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

INF Code related matters. Joint IAEA/IMO literature survey on potential consequences of severe maritime accidents involving the transport of radioactive material. 2 volumes. Vol. I - Report and publication titles. Vol. II - Relevant abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-10

This literature survey was undertaken jointly by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a step in addressing the subject of environmental impact of accidents involving materials subject to the IMO's Code for the Safe Carriage of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Flasks on Board Ships, also known as the INF Code. The results of the survey are provided in two volumes: the first one containing the description of the search and search results with the list of generated publication titles, and the second volume containing the abstracts of those publications deemed relevant for the purposes of the literature survey. Literature published between 1980 and mid-1999 was reviewed by two independent consultants who generated publication titles by performing searches of appropriate databases, and selected the abstracts of relevant publications for inclusion in this survey. The IAEA operates INIS, the world's leading computerised bibliographical information system on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The acronym INIS stands for International Nuclear Information System. INIS Members are responsible for determining the relevant nuclear literature produced within their borders or organizational confines, and then preparing the associated input in accordance with INIS rules. INIS records are included in other major databases such as the Energy, Science and Technology database of the DIALOG service. Because it is the INIS Members, rather than the IAEA Secretariat, who are responsible for its contents, it was considered appropriate that INIS be the primary source of information for this literature review. Selected unpublished reports were also reviewed, e.g. Draft Proceedings of the Special Consultative Meeting of Entities involved in the maritime transport of materials covered by the INF Code (SCM 5), March 1996. Many of the formal papers at SCM 5 were included in the literature

INF Code related matters. Joint IAEA/IMO literature survey on potential consequences of severe maritime accidents involving the transport of radioactive material. 2 volumes. Vol. I - Report and publication titles. Vol. II - Relevant abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

This literature survey was undertaken jointly by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a step in addressing the subject of environmental impact of accidents involving materials subject to the IMO's Code for the Safe Carriage of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Flasks on Board Ships, also known as the INF Code. The results of the survey are provided in two volumes: the first one containing the description of the search and search results with the list of generated publication titles, and the second volume containing the abstracts of those publications deemed relevant for the purposes of the literature survey. Literature published between 1980 and mid-1999 was reviewed by two independent consultants who generated publication titles by performing searches of appropriate databases, and selected the abstracts of relevant publications for inclusion in this survey. The IAEA operates INIS, the world's leading computerised bibliographical information system on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The acronym INIS stands for International Nuclear Information System. INIS Members are responsible for determining the relevant nuclear literature produced within their borders or organizational confines, and then preparing the associated input in accordance with INIS rules. INIS records are included in other major databases such as the Energy, Science and Technology database of the DIALOG service. Because it is the INIS Members, rather than the IAEA Secretariat, who are responsible for its contents, it was considered appropriate that INIS be the primary source of information for this literature review. Selected unpublished reports were also reviewed, e.g. Draft Proceedings of the Special Consultative Meeting of Entities involved in the maritime transport of materials covered by the INF Code (SCM 5), March 1996. Many of the formal papers at SCM 5 were included in the literature

Composites as structural materials in fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Megusar, J.

1989-01-01

In fusion reactors, materials are used under extreme conditions of temperature, stress, irradiation, and chemical environment. The absence of adequate materials will seriously impede the development of fusion reactors and might ultimately be one of the major difficulties. Some of the current materials problems can be solved by proper design features. For others, the solution will have to rely on materials development. A parallel and balanced effort between the research in plasma physics and fusion-related technology and in materials research is, therefore, the best strategy to ultimately achieve economic, safe, and environmentally acceptable fusion. The essential steps in developing composites for structural components of fusion reactors include optimization of mechanical properties followed by testing under fusion-reactor-relevant conditions. In optimizing the mechanical behavior of composite materials, a wealth of experience can be drawn from the research on ceramic matrix and metal matrix composite materials sponsored by the Department of Defense. The particular aspects of this research relevant to fusion materials development are methodology of the composite materials design and studies of new processing routes to develop composite materials with specific properties. Most notable examples are the synthesis of fibers, coatings, and ceramic materials in their final shapes form polymeric precursors and the infiltration of fibrous preforms by molten metals

Valerian: No Evidence for Clinically Relevant Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olaf Kelber

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In recent popular publications as well as in widely used information websites directed to cancer patients, valerian is claimed to have a potential of adverse interactions with anticancer drugs. This questions its use as a safe replacement for, for example, benzodiazepines. A review on the interaction potential of preparations from valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L. root was therefore conducted. A data base search and search in a clinical drug interaction data base were conducted. Thereafter, a systematic assessment of publications was performed. Seven in vitro studies on six CYP 450 isoenzymes, on p-glycoprotein, and on two UGT isoenzymes were identified. However, the methodological assessment of these studies did not support their suitability for the prediction of clinically relevant interactions. In addition, clinical studies on various valerian preparations did not reveal any relevant interaction potential concerning CYP 1A2, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4. Available animal and human pharmacodynamic studies did not verify any interaction potential. The interaction potential of valerian preparations therefore seems to be low and thereby without clinical relevance. We conclude that there is no specific evidence questioning their safety, also in cancer patients.

Categories, diversity, and relevance of memory strategies reported by community-dwelling seniors.

Science.gov (United States)

Haché, Marie-Michèle; Lussier, Maxime; Parisien, Manon; Langlois, Francis; Bier, Nathalie

2018-01-01

Memory strategies help seniors remember information that is essential for the performance of their daily activities and contribute to their independence in the context of declining memory skills. This study aimed to analyze the categories, the diversity, and relevance of memory strategies known by seniors, and to identify individual characteristics that correlated with these variables. The sample consisted of 294 participants aged 60 and over who decided to take part in a cognitive vitality promotion program. An adapted version of the memory situation questionnaire (Troyer, 2001) was administered to identify the memory strategies that seniors would use in five daily life situations. A scoring grid, also adapted from the questionnaire's original version (Troyer, 2001), was used to quantify the relevance of the strategies that were reported by participants. All participants mentioned at least once that they would use a strategy from the physical category of memory strategies. Out of a possible range of 26 strategies, participants answered an average of 6.14 (SD = 1.7) different answers across the five situations. Based on expert consensus, 67.7% of the mentioned memory strategies were relevant. Diversity and relevance were significantly higher when trying to remember appointments, things to bring or phone numbers (p ≤ 0.05). The level of education, cognitive skills, and participation in leisure activities were related to diversity and relevance of reported strategies. Seniors know various and relevant memory strategies to perform daily activities. The advantages of integrating strategies that they already know in cognitive health promotion programs should be considered in further studies.

Materials Genome in Action: Identifying the Performance Limits of Physical Hydrogen Storage

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

The Materials Genome is in action: the molecular codes for millions of materials have been sequenced, predictive models have been developed, and now the challenge of hydrogen storage is targeted. Renewably generated hydrogen is an attractive transportation fuel with zero carbon emissions, but its storage remains a significant challenge. Nanoporous adsorbents have shown promising physical adsorption of hydrogen approaching targeted capacities, but the scope of studies has remained limited. Here the Nanoporous Materials Genome, containing over 850 000 materials, is analyzed with a variety of computational tools to explore the limits of hydrogen storage. Optimal features that maximize net capacity at room temperature include pore sizes of around 6 Å and void fractions of 0.1, while at cryogenic temperatures pore sizes of 10 Å and void fractions of 0.5 are optimal. Our top candidates are found to be commercially attractive as “cryo-adsorbents”, with promising storage capacities at 77 K and 100 bar with 30% enhancement to 40 g/L, a promising alternative to liquefaction at 20 K and compression at 700 bar. PMID:28413259

Contextual Hub Analysis Tool (CHAT: A Cytoscape app for identifying contextually relevant hubs in biological networks [version 2; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanja Muetze

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Highly connected nodes (hubs in biological networks are topologically important to the structure of the network and have also been shown to be preferentially associated with a range of phenotypes of interest. The relative importance of a hub node, however, can change depending on the biological context. Here, we report a Cytoscape app, the Contextual Hub Analysis Tool (CHAT, which enables users to easily construct and visualize a network of interactions from a gene or protein list of interest, integrate contextual information, such as gene expression or mass spectrometry data, and identify hub nodes that are more highly connected to contextual nodes (e.g. genes or proteins that are differentially expressed than expected by chance. In a case study, we use CHAT to construct a network of genes that are differentially expressed in Dengue fever, a viral infection. CHAT was used to identify and compare contextual and degree-based hubs in this network. The top 20 degree-based hubs were enriched in pathways related to the cell cycle and cancer, which is likely due to the fact that proteins involved in these processes tend to be highly connected in general. In comparison, the top 20 contextual hubs were enriched in pathways commonly observed in a viral infection including pathways related to the immune response to viral infection. This analysis shows that such contextual hubs are considerably more biologically relevant than degree-based hubs and that analyses which rely on the identification of hubs solely based on their connectivity may be biased towards nodes that are highly connected in general rather than in the specific context of interest.   Availability: CHAT is available for Cytoscape 3.0+ and can be installed via the Cytoscape App Store (http://apps.cytoscape.org/apps/chat.

From properties to materials: An efficient and simple approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Huwig, Kai; Fan, Chencheng; Springborg, Michael

2017-12-21

We present an inverse-design method, the poor man's materials optimization, that is designed to identify materials within a very large class with optimized values for a pre-chosen property. The method combines an efficient genetic-algorithm-based optimization, an automatic approach for generating modified molecules, a simple approach for calculating the property of interest, and a mathematical formulation of the quantity whose value shall be optimized. In order to illustrate the performance of our approach, we study the properties of organic molecules related to those used in dye-sensitized solar cells, whereby we, for the sake of proof of principle, consider benzene as a simple test system. Using a genetic algorithm, the substituents attached to the organic backbone are varied and the best performing molecules are identified. We consider several properties to describe the performance of organic molecules, including the HOMO-LUMO gap, the sunlight absorption, the spatial distance of the orbitals, and the reorganisation energy. The results show that our method is able to identify a large number of good candidate structures within a short time. In some cases, chemical/physical intuition can be used to rationalize the substitution pattern of the best structures, although this is not always possible. The present investigations provide a solid foundation for dealing with more complex and technically relevant systems such as porphyrins. Furthermore, our "properties first, materials second" approach is not limited to solar-energy harvesting but can be applied to many other fields, as briefly is discussed in the paper.

From properties to materials: An efficient and simple approach

Science.gov (United States)

Huwig, Kai; Fan, Chencheng; Springborg, Michael

2017-12-01

We present an inverse-design method, the poor man's materials optimization, that is designed to identify materials within a very large class with optimized values for a pre-chosen property. The method combines an efficient genetic-algorithm-based optimization, an automatic approach for generating modified molecules, a simple approach for calculating the property of interest, and a mathematical formulation of the quantity whose value shall be optimized. In order to illustrate the performance of our approach, we study the properties of organic molecules related to those used in dye-sensitized solar cells, whereby we, for the sake of proof of principle, consider benzene as a simple test system. Using a genetic algorithm, the substituents attached to the organic backbone are varied and the best performing molecules are identified. We consider several properties to describe the performance of organic molecules, including the HOMO-LUMO gap, the sunlight absorption, the spatial distance of the orbitals, and the reorganisation energy. The results show that our method is able to identify a large number of good candidate structures within a short time. In some cases, chemical/physical intuition can be used to rationalize the substitution pattern of the best structures, although this is not always possible. The present investigations provide a solid foundation for dealing with more complex and technically relevant systems such as porphyrins. Furthermore, our "properties first, materials second" approach is not limited to solar-energy harvesting but can be applied to many other fields, as briefly is discussed in the paper.

Hazardous Material Packaging and Transportation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hypes, Philip A. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-02-04

This is a student training course. Some course objectives are to: recognize and use standard international and US customary units to describe activities and exposure rates associated with radioactive material; determine whether a quantity of a single radionuclide meets the definition of a class 7 (radioactive) material; determine, for a given single radionuclide, the shipping quantity activity limits per 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 173.435; determine the appropriate radioactive material hazard class proper shipping name for a given material; determine when a single radionuclide meets the DOT definition of a hazardous substance; determine the appropriate packaging required for a given radioactive material; identify the markings to be placed on a package of radioactive material; determine the label(s) to apply to a given radioactive material package; identify the entry requirements for radioactive material labels; determine the proper placement for radioactive material label(s); identify the shipping paper entry requirements for radioactive material; select the appropriate placards for a given radioactive material shipment or vehicle load; and identify allowable transport limits and unacceptable transport conditions for radioactive material.

Glycopolymeric Materials for Advanced Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Muñoz-Bonilla

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In recent years, glycopolymers have particularly revolutionized the world of macromolecular chemistry and materials in general. Nevertheless, it has been in this century when scientists realize that these materials present great versatility in biosensing, biorecognition, and biomedicine among other areas. This article highlights most relevant glycopolymeric materials, considering that they are only a small example of the research done in this emerging field. The examples described here are selected on the base of novelty, innovation and implementation of glycopolymeric materials. In addition, the future perspectives of this topic will be commented on.

Materials interactions test methods to measure radionuclide release from waste forms under repository-relevant conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strickert, R.G.; Erikson, R.L.; Shade, J.W.

1984-10-01

At the request of the Basalt Waste Isolation Project, the Materials Characterization Center has collected and developed a set of procedures into a waste form compliance test method (MCC-14.4). The purpose of the test is to measure the steady-state concentrations of specified radionuclides in solutions contacting a waste form material. The test method uses a crushed waste form and basalt material suspended in a synthetic basalt groundwater and agitated for up to three months at 150 0 C under anoxic conditions. Elemental and radioisotopic analyses are made on filtered and unfiltered aliquots of the solution. Replicate experiments are performed and simultaneous tests are conducted with an approved test material (ATM) to help ensure precise and reliable data for the actual waste form material. Various features of the test method, equipment, and test conditions are reviewed. Experimental testing using actinide-doped borosilicate glasses are also discussed. 9 references, 2 tables

Proceedings of the IEA-technical workshop on the test cell system for an international fusion materials irradiation facility, Karlsruhe, Germany, July 3-6, 1995. IEA-implementing agreement for a programme of research and development on fusion materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeslang, A.; Lindau, R.

1995-09-01

After a Conceptual Design Activity (CDA) study on an International Fusion Material Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) has been launched under the auspices of the IEA, working groups and relevant tasks have been defined and agreed in an IEA-workshop that was held September 26-29 1994 at Karlsruhe. For the Test Cell System 11 tasks were identified which can be grouped into the three major fields neutronics, test matrix/users and test cell engineering. In order to discuss recently achieved results and to coordinate necessary activities for an effective design integration, a technical workshop on the Test Cell System was initiated. This workshop was organized on July 3-6 1995 by the Institute for Materials Research I at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and attended by 20 specialists working in the fields neutronics, fusion materials R and D and test cell engineering in the European Union, Japan, and the United States of America. The presentations and discussions during this workshop have shown together with the elaborated lists of action items, that has been achieved in all three fields, and that from the future IFMIF experimental program for a number of materials a database covering widerspread loading conditions up to DEMO-reactor relevant end-of-life damage levels can be expected. (orig.)

Equation of state experiments and theory relevant to planetary modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, M.; Graboske, H.C. Jr.; Nellis, W.J.

1981-01-01

In recent years there have been a number of static and shockwave experiments on the properties of planetary materials. The highest pressure measurements, and the ones most relevant to planetary modelling, have been obtained by shock compression. Of particular interest to the Jovian group are results for H 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 and NH 3 . Although the properties of metallic hydrogen have not been measured, they have been the subject of extensive calculations. In addition recent shock wave experiments on iron report to have detected melting under Earth core conditions. From this data theoretical models have been developed for computing the equations of state of materials used in planetary studies. A compelling feature that has followed from the use of improved material properties is a simplification in the planetary models. (author)

Identifying the Social Structure and the Inequality in Monetary Income of Russian Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vyacheslav Nikolaevich Bobkov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article aims at identifying the social structure and the inequality in monetary income of the population in Russia. identification of the social groups with different levels of material well-being in a society with a high inequality in the distribution of living standard is a relevant topic. The integration of normative and statistical methods allows to consider the limitations of the existing model of the distribution of cash income and adjust the boundaries of social groups with different levels of material well-being. At the same time, we stay within the criteria for the social standards of the differentiation of living standards. The authors have corrected the specific weight of the Russian social groups with different levels of material well-being. To define these social groups, we have applied the system of normative consumer budgets for different level of material well-being. This paper discovers the intervals for the levels of income and consumption, which are not in contradiction with the normative approach and existing conditions of the Russian economic development. These intervals are advisable for the identification of the social groups with different levels of life. The proposed tools allow to integrate the measurements into the international system and define the place of Russia in terms of economic inequalities among other countries. The authors have assessed the weights of the different social groups, their share in the total volume of monetary income and their polarization in terms of living standards. The main conclusions of the article can be used as a theoretical, methodological and practical basis for identifying social structures in terms of living standards, determining their numbers and economic inequality. The research results can be introduced into the statistical monitoring of the living standards of the population.

Reactor core materials research and integrated material database establishment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Woo Seog; Jang, J. S.; Kim, D. W.

2002-03-01

Mainly two research areas were covered in this project. One is to establish the integrated database of nuclear materials, and the other is to study the behavior of reactor core materials, which are usually under the most severe condition in the operating plants. During the stage I of the project (for three years since 1999) in- and out of reactor properties of stainless steel, the major structural material for the core structures of PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor), were evaluated and specification of nuclear grade material was established. And the damaged core components from domestic power plants, e.g. orifice of CVCS, support pin of CRGT, etc. were investigated and the causes were revealed. To acquire more resistant materials to the nuclear environments, development of the alternative alloys was also conducted. For the integrated DB establishment, a task force team was set up including director of nuclear materials technology team, and projector leaders and relevant members from each project. The DB is now opened in public through the Internet

Seeking kinetic pathways relevant to the structural evolution of metal nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haldar, Paramita; Chatterjee, Abhijit

2015-01-01

Understanding the kinetic pathways that cause metal nanoparticles to structurally evolve over time is essential for predicting their shape and size distributions and catalytic properties. Consequently, we need detailed kinetic models that can provide such information. Most kinetic Monte Carlo models used for metal systems contain a fixed catalogue of atomic moves; the catalogue is largely constructed based on our physical understanding of the material. In some situations, it is possible that an incorrect picture of the overall dynamics is obtained when kinetic pathways that are relevant to the dynamics are missing from the catalogue. Hence, a computational framework that can systematically determine the relevant pathways is required. This work intends to fulfil this requirement. Examples involving an Ag nanoparticle are studied to illustrate how molecular dynamics (MD) calculations can be employed to find the relevant pathways in a system. Since pathways that are unlikely to be selected at short timescales can become relevant at longer times, the accuracy of the catalogue is maintained by continually seeking these pathways using MD. We discuss various aspects of our approach, namely, defining the relevance of atomic moves to the dynamics and determining when additional MD is required to ensure the desired accuracy, as well as physical insights into the Ag nanoparticle. (paper)

Materials issues in cask development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, R.L.; Sorensen, K.B.

1987-01-01

This paper identifies potential new materials as a function of their use in the cask. To the extent that identified materials are not yet qualified for their intended application, this paper identifies probable technical issues and development efforts that may be required to qualify the materials for use in transportation casks. 1 tab

Measurement method of the distribution coefficient on the sorption process. Basic procedure of the method relevant to the barrier materials used for the deep geological disposal: 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-08-01

This standard was approved by Atomic Energy Society of Japan after deliberation of the Subcommittee on the Radioactive Waste Management, the Nuclear Cycle Technical Committee and the Standard Committee, and after obtaining about 600 comments from specialists of about 30 persons. This document defines the basic measurement procedure of the distribution coefficient (hereafter referred as Kd) to judge the reliability, reproducibility and applications and to provide the requirements for inter-comparison of Kd for a variety of barrier materials used for deep geological disposal of radioactive wastes. The basic measurement procedure of Kd is standardized, following the preceded standard, 'Measurement Method of the Distribution Coefficient on the Sorption Process - Basic Procedure of Batch Method Relevant to the Barrier Materials Used for the Shallow Land Disposal: 2002 (hereafter referred as Standard for the Shallow Land Disposal)', and considering recent progress after its publication and specific issues to the deep geological disposal. (J.P.N.)

Market-Smart Deconstruction and Material Recovery at Brownfield Sites: How to Identify and Reuse Existing Materials Found at Brownfield Sites

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-01

aggregate for fill or road base, construction entrance roads, drainage bed material, landfill cover material • Stone – road base, fill material, aggregate...Seminar 23, Research Project, 20 October 2006, University of Illinois at Urbana -Champaign. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2006. Producer Price...Recyclable Drainage piping may have a modest scrap value. Catch Basins and Manholes, Concrete Recyclable Concrete drainage structures can be broken and

Evidence for the triadic model of adolescent brain development: Cognitive load and task-relevance of emotion differentially affect adolescents and adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Sven C; Cromheeke, Sofie; Siugzdaite, Roma; Nicolas Boehler, C

2017-08-01

In adults, cognitive control is supported by several brain regions including the limbic system and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) when processing emotional information. However, in adolescents, some theories hypothesize a neurobiological imbalance proposing heightened sensitivity to affective material in the amygdala and striatum within a cognitive control context. Yet, direct neurobiological evidence is scarce. Twenty-four adolescents (12-16) and 28 adults (25-35) completed an emotional n-back working memory task in response to happy, angry, and neutral faces during fMRI. Importantly, participants either paid attention to the emotion (task-relevant condition) or judged the gender (task-irrelevant condition). Behaviorally, for both groups, when happy faces were task-relevant, performance improved relative to when they were task-irrelevant, while performance decrements were seen for angry faces. In the dlPFC, angry faces elicited more activation in adults during low relative to high cognitive load (2-back vs. 0-back). By contrast, happy faces elicited more activation in the amygdala in adolescents when they were task-relevant. Happy faces also generally increased nucleus accumbens activity (regardless of relevance) in adolescents relative to adults. Together, the findings are consistent with neurobiological models of adolescent brain development and identify neurodevelopmental differences in cognitive control emotion interactions. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Graduate Employability and Communication Competence: Are Undergraduates Taught Relevant Skills?

Science.gov (United States)

Clokie, Trish L.; Fourie, Elna

2016-01-01

This research establishes the role of communication education in employability by determining how employers of graduates view communication, identifying communication skills that employers view as relevant, and establishing whether these skills are included in communication courses. To achieve these aims, local businesses were surveyed, and the…

Overview of European Community (Activity 3) work on materials properties of fast reactor structural materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, D.S.

The Fast Reactor Coordinating Committee set up in 1974 the Working Group Codes and Standards, and organized its work into four main activities: Manufacturing standards, Structural analysis, Materials and Classification of components. The main purpose of materials activity is to compare and contrast existing national specifications and associated properties relevant to structural materials in fast reactors. Funds are available on a yearly basis for tasks to be carried out through Study Contracts. At present about four Study Contract Reports are prepared each year

Highly efficient computer algorithm for identifying layer thickness of atomically thin 2D materials

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jekwan; Cho, Seungwan; Park, Soohyun; Bae, Hyemin; Noh, Minji; Kim, Beom; In, Chihun; Yang, Seunghoon; Lee, Sooun; Seo, Seung Young; Kim, Jehyun; Lee, Chul-Ho; Shim, Woo-Young; Jo, Moon-Ho; Kim, Dohun; Choi, Hyunyong

2018-03-01

The fields of layered material research, such as transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), have demonstrated that the optical, electrical and mechanical properties strongly depend on the layer number N. Thus, efficient and accurate determination of N is the most crucial step before the associated device fabrication. An existing experimental technique using an optical microscope is the most widely used one to identify N. However, a critical drawback of this approach is that it relies on extensive laboratory experiences to estimate N; it requires a very time-consuming image-searching task assisted by human eyes and secondary measurements such as atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, which are necessary to ensure N. In this work, we introduce a computer algorithm based on the image analysis of a quantized optical contrast. We show that our algorithm can apply to a wide variety of layered materials, including graphene, MoS2, and WS2 regardless of substrates. The algorithm largely consists of two parts. First, it sets up an appropriate boundary between target flakes and substrate. Second, to compute N, it automatically calculates the optical contrast using an adaptive RGB estimation process between each target, which results in a matrix with different integer Ns and returns a matrix map of Ns onto the target flake position. Using a conventional desktop computational power, the time taken to display the final N matrix was 1.8 s on average for the image size of 1280 pixels by 960 pixels and obtained a high accuracy of 90% (six estimation errors among 62 samples) when compared to the other methods. To show the effectiveness of our algorithm, we also apply it to TMD flakes transferred on optically transparent c-axis sapphire substrates and obtain a similar result of the accuracy of 94% (two estimation errors among 34 samples).

Social relevance enhances memory for impressions in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Brittany S; Gutchess, Angela H

2012-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated that older adults have difficulty retrieving contextual material over items alone. Recent research suggests this deficit can be reduced by adding emotional context, allowing for the possibility that memory for social impressions may show less age-related decline than memory for other types of contextual information. Two studies investigated how orienting to social or self-relevant aspects of information contributed to the learning and retrieval of impressions in young and older adults. Participants encoded impressions of others in conditions varying in the use of self-reference (Experiment 1) and interpersonal meaningfulness (Experiment 2), and completed memory tasks requiring the retrieval of specific traits. For both experiments, age groups remembered similar numbers of impressions. In Experiment 1 using more self-relevant encoding contexts increased memory for impressions over orienting to stimuli in a non-social way, regardless of age. In Experiment 2 older adults had enhanced memory for impressions presented in an interpersonally meaningful relative to a personally irrelevant way, whereas young adults were unaffected by this manipulation. The results provide evidence that increasing social relevance ameliorates age differences in memory for impressions, and enhances older adults' ability to successfully retrieve contextual information.

Fusion-relevant basic radiation effects: theory and experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansur, L.K.; Coghlan, W.A.; Farrell, K.; Horton, L.L.; Lee, E.H.; Lewis, M.B.; Packan, N.H.

1983-01-01

A summary is given of results of the basic radiation effects program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which are relevant to fusion reactor materials applications. The basic radiation effects program at ORNL is a large effort with the dual objectives of understanding the atomic and microstructural defect mechanisms underlying radiation effects and of determining principles for the design of radiation resistant materials. A strength of this effort is the parallel and integrated experimental and theoretical approaches in each major research area. The experimental effort is active in electron microscopy, ion irradiations and ion-beam techniques, neutron irradiations, surface analysis and in other areas. The theoretical effort is active in developing the theory of radiation effects for a broad range of phenomena and in applying it to the design and interpretation of experiments and to alloy design

Clinical relevance of findings in trials of CBT for depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Lepping, P; Whittington, R; Sambhi, R S; Lane, S; Poole, R; Leucht, S; Cuijpers, P; McCabe, R; Waheed, W

2017-09-01

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is beneficial in depression. Symptom scores can be translated into Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale scores to indicate clinical relevance. We aimed to assess the clinical relevance of findings of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of CBT in depression. We identified RCTs of CBT that used the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD). HAMD scores were translated into Clinical Global Impression - Change scale (CGI-I) scores to measure clinical relevance. One hundred and seventy datasets from 82 studies were included. The mean percentage HAMD change for treatment arms was 53.66%, and 29.81% for control arms, a statistically significant difference. Combined active therapies showed the biggest improvement on CGI-I score, followed by CBT alone. All active treatments had better than expected HAMD percentage reduction and CGI-I scores. CBT has a clinically relevant effect in depression, with a notional CGI-I score of 2.2, indicating a significant clinical response. The non-specific or placebo effect of being in a psychotherapy trial was a 29% reduction of HAMD. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Properties of amorphous rare earth-transition metal thin films relevant to thermomagnetic recording

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biesterbos, J.W.M.

1979-01-01

Properties of amorphous RE-(Fe, Co) thin films relevant to thermomagnetic recording are reviewed. Attention is paid to the writing-, reading- and erasure process. The advantages and disadvantages of the amorphous materials are considered. Experimental data on the writing process are given

Identifying & Inventorying Legacy Materials for Digitization at the National Transportation Library

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

As an all-digital repository of transportation knowledge, the National Transportation Library (NTL) has undertaken several digitization projects over the years to preserve legacy print materials and make them accessible to stakeholders, researchers, ...

Risk assessment derived from migrants identified in several adhesives commonly used in food contact materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Canellas, E; Vera, P; Nerín, C

2015-01-01

Adhesives are used to manufacture multilayer materials, where their components pass through the layers and migrate to the food. Nine different adhesives (acrylic, vinyl and hotmelt) and their migration in 21 laminates for future use as market samples have been evaluated and risk assessment has been carried out. A total of 75 volatiles and non volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Most of the compounds migrated below their specific migration limit (SML), lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL), no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) and values recommended by Cramer. Six compounds classified as high toxicity class III according to Cramer classification, migrated over their SML and exposure values recommended by Cramer, when they were applied in the full area of the packaging. Nevertheless, these adhesives fulfill the threshold in the real application as they are applied in a small area of the packaging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resin bond to indirect composite and new ceramic/polymer materials: a review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Spitznagel, Frank A; Horvath, Sebastian D; Guess, Petra C; Blatz, Markus B

2014-01-01

Resin bonding is essential for clinical longevity of indirect restorations. Especially in light of the increasing popularity of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing-fabricated indirect restorations, there is a need to assess optimal bonding protocols for new ceramic/polymer materials and indirect composites. The aim of this article was to review and assess the current scientific evidence on the resin bond to indirect composite and new ceramic/polymer materials. An electronic PubMed database search was conducted from 1966 to September 2013 for in vitro studies pertaining the resin bond to indirect composite and new ceramic/polymer materials. The search revealed 198 titles. Full-text screening was carried out for 43 studies, yielding 18 relevant articles that complied with inclusion criteria. No relevant studies could be identified regarding new ceramic/polymer materials. Most common surface treatments are aluminum-oxide air-abrasion, silane treatment, and hydrofluoric acid-etching for indirect composite restoration. Self-adhesive cements achieve lower bond strengths in comparison with etch-and-rinse systems. Thermocycling has a greater impact on bonding behavior than water storage. Air-particle abrasion and additional silane treatment should be applied to enhance the resin bond to laboratory-processed composites. However, there is an urgent need for in vitro studies that evaluate the bond strength to new ceramic/polymer materials. This article reviews the available dental literature on resin bond of laboratory composites and gives scientifically based guidance for their successful placement. Furthermore, this review demonstrated that future research for new ceramic/polymer materials is required. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identifying Teaching Methods that Engage Entrepreneurship Students

Science.gov (United States)

Balan, Peter; Metcalfe, Mike

2012-01-01

Purpose: Entrepreneurship education particularly requires student engagement because of the complexity of the entrepreneurship process. The purpose of this paper is to describe how an established measure of engagement can be used to identify relevant teaching methods that could be used to engage any group of entrepreneurship students.…

A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature

OpenAIRE

Mitreanu, Cristian

2007-01-01

The article, "A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature," provides a new theory of human nature, and aims to bring it to the center of our understanding of business, or commerce, creating a strong foundation for new business and economic principles and practices. The article has three parts. In the first section, the author identifies and discusses the fundamental drives that characterize all forms of life. Building upon these findings, he then develops the unique view of human nature in the s...

Security of material: Preventing criminal activities involving nuclear and other radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, A.

2001-01-01

The report emphasizes the need for national regulatory authorities to include in the regulatory systems, measures to control and protect nuclear materials from being used in illegal activities, as well as aspects of relevance for detecting and responding to illegal activities involving nuclear and other radioactive materials. The report will give an overview of the international treaties and agreements that underpin the establishment of a regulatory structure necessary for States to meet their non-proliferation policy and undertakings. Ongoing work to strengthen the protection of nuclear material and to detect and respond to illegal activities involving nuclear and other radioactive material will be included. The focus of the paper is on the need for standards and national regulation in the nuclear security area. (author)

[Macroscopical estimation of the post mortem interval (PMI) and exclusion of the forensically relevant resting period--a comparison of data presented in the literature with recent osteological findings].

Science.gov (United States)

Holley, Stephanie; Fiedler, Sabine; Graw, Matthias

2008-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine to what extent macroscopical parameters mentioned in the literature are suitable for the estimation of the post mortem interval (PMI) and particularly for the exclusion of the forensically relevant resting period for recent bone material. The macroscopical examination of recent bone material with a known PMI showed that only one published parameter (relics of adipocere in the cross section of the compacta) was consistent with our findings for this particular resting period (27-28 years). Other macroscopical parameters presented in the literature were contradictory to the results observed in this study. Among those are the rigidity of bones, the adhesion of soft tissue, the filling of the marrow cavity, and the permeation of the epiphyses with adipocere. Concerning the exclusion of the forensically relevant resting period, a similar result was observed. This study identified some diagnostic findings in bones with a resting period of less than 50 years which according to the literature should only be present after a resting period of more than 50 years. These features included the lack of macroscopical traces of adipocere, degradation of the compacta surface, detachment of the cortical substance, the ability of bone to be broken with bare hands, and superficial usures. Moreover, in one-third of our cases we identified some intra-individual differences not previously described in the literature. In addition to the other results, those intra-individual differences make an estimation of the PMI more difficult. However it should be noted that those published parameters were collected from bone material which was stored in a "relatively arid sand-grit-clay soil of the broken stone layer of Munich". The bones in the present study were stored in acidic and clayey-loamy soil, partly with lateral water flow. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that one should use caution estimating the post mortem interval and excluding

Influence of heat treatment and indenter tip material on depth sensing hardness tests at high temperatures of fusion relevant materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bredl, Julian; Dany, Manuel; Albinski, Bartlomiej; Schneider, Hans-Christian; Kraft, Oliver

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Operation of a custom-made indentation device designed for test temperatures up to 650 °C and a remote handled operation in a Hot Cell. • Instrumented indentation and conventional hardness testing of unirradiated MANET II and EUROFER. • Comparison of diamond and sapphire as indenter tip materials. - Abstract: The instrumented indentation is a suitable method for testing of even small neutron-irradiated specimens. From the continuously recorded indentation depth and the indentation force, it is possible to deduce mechanical parameters of the tested material. In this paper, a brief description of the high temperature device is given and representative results are presented. In the study, unirradiated steels are investigated by instrumented indentation at temperatures up to 500 °C. It is shown that the hardness is highly depending on the testing-temperature and can be correlated to the results of conventional tensile testing experiments. A not negligible influence of the indenter tip material is observed. The results show the functionality of the high-temperature indentation device.

Influence of heat treatment and indenter tip material on depth sensing hardness tests at high temperatures of fusion relevant materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bredl, Julian, E-mail: julian.bredl@kit.edu; Dany, Manuel; Albinski, Bartlomiej; Schneider, Hans-Christian; Kraft, Oliver

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Operation of a custom-made indentation device designed for test temperatures up to 650 °C and a remote handled operation in a Hot Cell. • Instrumented indentation and conventional hardness testing of unirradiated MANET II and EUROFER. • Comparison of diamond and sapphire as indenter tip materials. - Abstract: The instrumented indentation is a suitable method for testing of even small neutron-irradiated specimens. From the continuously recorded indentation depth and the indentation force, it is possible to deduce mechanical parameters of the tested material. In this paper, a brief description of the high temperature device is given and representative results are presented. In the study, unirradiated steels are investigated by instrumented indentation at temperatures up to 500 °C. It is shown that the hardness is highly depending on the testing-temperature and can be correlated to the results of conventional tensile testing experiments. A not negligible influence of the indenter tip material is observed. The results show the functionality of the high-temperature indentation device.

Health-related quality of life of cranial WHO grade I meningioma patients: are current questionnaires relevant?

Science.gov (United States)

Zamanipoor Najafabadi, Amir H; Peeters, Marthe C M; Lobatto, Daniel J; Broekman, Marieke L D; Smith, Timothy R; Biermasz, Nienke R; Peerdeman, Saskia M; Peul, Wilco C; Taphoorn, Martin J B; van Furth, Wouter R; Dirven, Linda

2017-11-01

The clinical relevance of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in meningioma patients has been increasingly acknowledged in recent years. Various questionnaires have been used. However, almost none of these questionnaires has been particularly developed for and/or validated in this patient group. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the relevance and comprehensiveness of existing HRQoL questionnaires used in meningioma research and to assess the agreement between patients and health care professionals (HCPs) on the most relevant and important HRQoL issues. A systematic literature search, following the PRISMA statement, was conducted to identify all HRQoL questionnaires used in meningioma research. Semi-structured interviews were organized with patients and HCPs to (1) assess the relevance of all issues covered by the questionnaires (score 0-3: not relevant-highly relevant), (2) assess the ten most important issues, and (3) identify new relevant HRQoL issues. Fourteen different questionnaires were found in the literature, comprising 140 unique issues. Interviews were conducted with 20 patients (median age 57, 71% female) and 10 HCPs (4 neurosurgeons, 2 neurologists, 2 radiotherapists, 1 rehabilitation specialist, 1 neuropsychologist; median experience 13 years). Meningioma patients rated 17-80% of the issues in each of the questionnaires as relevant, HCPs 90-100%. Patients and HCPs agreed on the relevance of only 49 issues (35%, Cohen's kappa: 0.027). Both patients and HCPs considered lack of energy the most important issue. Patients and HCPs suggested five additional relevant issues not covered by current HRQoL questionnaires. Existing HRQoL questionnaires currently used in meningioma patients do not fully cover all relevant issues to these patients. Agreement between patients and HCPs on the relevance of issues was poor. Both findings support the need to develop and validate a meningioma-specific HRQoL questionnaire.

Education in the clinical context: establishing a strategic framework to ensure relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Amanda; Fox, Robyn; Armit, Lyn

2008-01-01

Quality contemporary practice relies on nurses to provide health care within an embedded nexus of clinical, professional and organisational learning that leads them through a career trajectory that encourages lifelong development. Within complex health service environments this is fraught with difficulties. Enhancing practice is multifaceted requiring not just education for the acquisition of skills and abilities but time and space for reflection on experience within the clinical context. This ultimately leads to professional knowledge development. Queensland Health has developed a Nursing and Midwifery Staff Development Framework to assist nurses in structuring their experiences in the practice setting to enable their professional goals. Learning is guided within this framework through its collective modus operandi, that is, the development of teams that overlap to identify and progress the educational agenda; resources to develop consistent relevant learning material that incorporates evidence obtained through practices and the literature; and educator and clinician networks across health services throughout the state, and furthermore, links with the tertiary sector to assist in marketing, applicability and synergy with further education.

Control levels for residual contamination in materials considered for recycle and reuse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, R.L.; Aaberg, R.L.; Baker, D.A.; Kennedy, W.E. Jr.

1993-09-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is collecting data and conducting technical analyses to support joint efforts by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Guidance, Air, Water and Radiation Division (DOE/EH-232); by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop radiological control criteria for the recycle and reuse of scrap materials and equipment that contain residual radioactive contamination. The initial radiological control levels are the concentrations in or on materials considered for recycle or reuse that meet the individual (human) or industrial (electronics/film) dose criteria. The analysis identifies relevant radionuclides, potential mechanisms of exposure, and methods to determine possible non-health-related impacts from residual radioactive contamination in materials considered for recycle or reuse. The generic methodology and scenarios described here provide a basic framework for numerically deriving radiological control criteria for recycle or reuse. These will be adequately conservative for most situations

Study of the mechanisms of heavy-ion induced desorption on accelerator-relevant materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, Markus

2008-01-01

The ion beam loss induced desorption is a performance limitation for low charge state heavy ion accelerators. If charge exchanged projectile ions get lost onto the beam pipe, desorption of gas is stimulated resulting in a pressure increase inside of the synchrotron and thus, a dramatically reduction of the beam life time. To minimize the amount of desorbed gas an experimental program has been started to measure the desorption yields (released gas molecules per incident ion) of various materials and different projectile ions. The present work is a contribution to the understanding of the physical processes behind the ion beam loss induced desorption. The yield measurements by the pressure rise method have been combined for the rst time with in situ ion beam analysis technologies such as ERDA and RBS. With this unique method the desorption behavior of a sample can be correlated to its surface and bulk properties. The performed experiments with 1,4 MeV/u Xenon-Ions show that the ion induced desorption is mainly a surface effect. Sputtered oxide layers or impurities do not contribute to the desorbed gas significantly. Nevertheless bulk properties play an important role in the desorption strength. Pure metallic samples desorb less gas than isolating materials under swift heavy ion irradiation. From the experimental results it was possible to estimate the desorption yields of various materials under ion bombardment by means of an extended inelastic thermal-spike-model. The extension is the combination of the thermal-spike's temperature map with thermal desorption. Within this model the ion induced desorption can be regarded as the release of adsorbates from a transient overheated spot on the samples surface around the ion impact. Finally a copper substrate with a gold coated surface was developed and proposed as a suitable material for a beam loss collimator with minimum desorption to ensure the performance of GSI's SIS18 in high current beam operation. (orig.)

Parsimonious relevance models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meij, E.; Weerkamp, W.; Balog, K.; de Rijke, M.; Myang, S.-H.; Oard, D.W.; Sebastiani, F.; Chua, T.-S.; Leong, M.-K.

2008-01-01

We describe a method for applying parsimonious language models to re-estimate the term probabilities assigned by relevance models. We apply our method to six topic sets from test collections in five different genres. Our parsimonious relevance models (i) improve retrieval effectiveness in terms of

Cell attachment properties of Portland cement-based endodontic materials: biological and methodological considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Hany Mohamed Aly; Luddin, Norhayati; Kannan, Thirumulu Ponnuraj; Mokhtar, Khairani Idah; Ahmad, Azlina

2014-10-01

The attachment and spreading of mammalian cells on endodontic biomaterials are an area of active research. The purpose of this review is to discuss the cell attachment properties of Portland cement (PC)-based materials by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, methodological aspects and technical challenges are discussed. A PubMed electronic search was conducted by using appropriate key words to identify the available investigations on the cell attachment properties of PC-based endodontic materials. After retrieving the full text of related articles, the cross citations were also identified. A total of 23 articles published between January 1993 and October 2013 were identified. This review summarizes the cell attachment properties of commercial and experimental PC-based materials on different cell cultures by using SEM. Methodological procedures, technical challenges, and relevance of SEM in determining the biological profile of PC-based materials are discussed. SEM observations demonstrate that commercial MTA formulations show favorable cell attachment properties, which is consistent with their successful clinical outcomes. The favorable cell attachment properties of PC and its modified formulations support its potential use as a substitute for mineral trioxide aggregate. However, researchers should carefully select cell types for their SEM investigations that would be in contact with the proposed PC-based combinations in the clinical situation. Despite being a technical challenge, SEM provides useful information on the cell attachment properties of PC-based materials; however, other assays for cell proliferation and viability are essential to come up with an accurate in vitro biological profile of any given PC-based formulation. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The New Toxicology of Sophisticated Materials: Nanotoxicology and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Maynard, Andrew D.; Warheit, David B.; Philbert, Martin A.

2011-01-01

It has long been recognized that the physical form of materials can mediate their toxicity—the health impacts of asbestiform materials, industrial aerosols, and ambient particulate matter are prime examples. Yet over the past 20 years, toxicology research has suggested complex and previously unrecognized associations between material physicochemistry at the nanoscale and biological interactions. With the rapid rise of the field of nanotechnology and the design and production of increasingly complex nanoscale materials, it has become ever more important to understand how the physical form and chemical composition of these materials interact synergistically to determine toxicity. As a result, a new field of research has emerged—nanotoxicology. Research within this field is highlighting the importance of material physicochemical properties in how dose is understood, how materials are characterized in a manner that enables quantitative data interpretation and comparison, and how materials move within, interact with, and are transformed by biological systems. Yet many of the substances that are the focus of current nanotoxicology studies are relatively simple materials that are at the vanguard of a new era of complex materials. Over the next 50 years, there will be a need to understand the toxicology of increasingly sophisticated materials that exhibit novel, dynamic and multifaceted functionality. If the toxicology community is to meet the challenge of ensuring the safe use of this new generation of substances, it will need to move beyond “nano” toxicology and toward a new toxicology of sophisticated materials. Here, we present a brief overview of the current state of the science on the toxicology of nanoscale materials and focus on three emerging toxicology-based challenges presented by sophisticated materials that will become increasingly important over the next 50 years: identifying relevant materials for study, physicochemical characterization, and

Chemistry of high-energy materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klapoetke, Thomas M. [Ludwig-Maximilians-Univ., Muenchen (Germany). Dept. of Chemistry; Maryland Univ., College Park, MD (US). Center of Energetic Concepts Development (CECD)

2011-07-01

The graduate-level textbook Chemistry of High-Energy Materials provides an introduction to and an overview of primary and secondary (high) explosives as well as propellant charges, rocket propellants and pyrotechnics. After a brief historical overview, the main classes of energetic materials are discussed systematically. Thermodynamic aspects, as far as relevant to energetic materials, are discussed, as well as modern computational approaches to predict performance and sensitivity parameters. The most important performance criteria such as detonation velocity, detonation pressure and heat of explosion, as well as the relevant sensitivity parameters suc as impact and friction sensitivity and electrostatic discharge sensitivity are explored in detail. Modern aspects of chemical synthesis including lead-free primary explosives and high-nitrogen compounds are also included in this book together with a discussion of high-energy materials for future defense needs. The most important goal of this book, based on a lecture course which has now been held at LMU Munich for over 12 years, is to increase knowledge and know-how in the synthesis and safe handling of high-energy materials. Society needs now as much as ever advanced explosives, propellant charges, rocket propellants and pyrotechnics to meet the demands in defense and engineering. This book is first and foremost aimed at advanced students in chemistry, engineering and materials sciences. However, it is also intended to provide a good introduction to the chemistry of energetic materials and chemical defense technology for scientists in the defense industry and government-run defense organizations. (orig.)

Legal Aspects of Radioactive Waste Management: Relevant International Legal Instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetherall, Anthony; Robin, Isabelle

2014-01-01

The responsible use of nuclear technology requires the safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive waste, for which countries need to have stringent technical, administrative and legal measures in place. The legal aspects of radioactive waste management can be found in a wide variety of legally binding and non-binding international instruments. This overview focuses on the most relevant ones, in particular those on nuclear safety, security, safeguards and civil liability for nuclear damage. It also identifies relevant regional instruments concerning environmental matters, in particular, with regard to strategic environmental assessments (SEAs), environmental impact assessments (EIAs), public access to information and participation in decision-making, as well as access to justice

Regression Trees Identify Relevant Interactions: Can This Improve the Predictive Performance of Risk Adjustment?

Science.gov (United States)

Buchner, Florian; Wasem, Jürgen; Schillo, Sonja

2017-01-01

Risk equalization formulas have been refined since their introduction about two decades ago. Because of the complexity and the abundance of possible interactions between the variables used, hardly any interactions are considered. A regression tree is used to systematically search for interactions, a methodologically new approach in risk equalization. Analyses are based on a data set of nearly 2.9 million individuals from a major German social health insurer. A two-step approach is applied: In the first step a regression tree is built on the basis of the learning data set. Terminal nodes characterized by more than one morbidity-group-split represent interaction effects of different morbidity groups. In the second step the 'traditional' weighted least squares regression equation is expanded by adding interaction terms for all interactions detected by the tree, and regression coefficients are recalculated. The resulting risk adjustment formula shows an improvement in the adjusted R 2 from 25.43% to 25.81% on the evaluation data set. Predictive ratios are calculated for subgroups affected by the interactions. The R 2 improvement detected is only marginal. According to the sample level performance measures used, not involving a considerable number of morbidity interactions forms no relevant loss in accuracy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A guide to the suitability of elastomeric seal materials for use in radioactive material transport packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vince, D.J.

2004-01-01

Elastomeric seals are a frequently favoured method of sealing Radioactive Material Transport (RMT) packages. The sealing technology has been proven for many years in a wide range of industrial applications. The requirements of the RMT package applications, however, are significantly different from those commonly found in other industries. This guide outlines the Regulatory performance requirements placed on an RMT package sealing system by TS-R-1, and then summarises the material, environment and geometry characteristics of elastomeric seals relevant to RMT applications. Tables in the guide list typical material properties for a range of elastomeric materials commonly used in RMT packages

Enhanced surface functionality via plasma modification and plasma deposition techniques to create more biologically relevant materials

Science.gov (United States)

Shearer, Jeffrey C.

Functionalizing nanoparticles and other unusually shaped substrates to create more biologically relevant materials has become central to a wide range of research programs. One of the primary challenges in this field is creating highly functionalized surfaces without modifying the underlying bulk material. Traditional wet chemistry techniques utilize thin film depositions to functionalize nanomaterials with oxygen and nitrogen containing functional groups, such as --OH and --NHx. These functional groups can serve to create surfaces that are amenable to cell adhesion or can act as reactive groups for further attachment of larger structures, such as macromolecules or antiviral agents. Additional layers, such as SiO2, are often added between the nanomaterial and the functionalized coating to act as a barrier films, adhesion layers, and to increase overall hydrophilicity. However, some wet chemistry techniques can damage the bulk material during processing. This dissertation examines the use of plasma processing as an alternative method for producing these highly functionalized surfaces on nanoparticles and polymeric scaffolds through the use of plasma modification and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition techniques. Specifically, this dissertation will focus on (1) plasma deposition of SiO2 barrier films on nanoparticle substrates; (2) surface functionalization of amine and alcohol groups through (a) plasma co-polymerization and (b) plasma modification; and (3) the design and construction of plasma hardware to facilitate plasma processing of nanoparticles and polymeric scaffolds. The body of work presented herein first examines the fabrication of composite nanoparticles by plasma processing. SiOxC y and hexylamine films were coated onto TiO2 nanoparticles to demonstrate enhanced water dispersion properties. Continuous wave and pulsed allyl alcohol plasmas were used to produce highly functionalized Fe2 O3 supported nanoparticles. Specifically, film composition was

Gene expression profiling to identify potentially relevant disease outcomes and support human health risk assessment for carbon black nanoparticle exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourdon, Julie A; Williams, Andrew; Kuo, Byron; Moffat, Ivy; White, Paul A; Halappanavar, Sabina; Vogel, Ulla; Wallin, Håkan; Yauk, Carole L

2013-01-07

New approaches are urgently needed to evaluate potential hazards posed by exposure to nanomaterials. Gene expression profiling provides information on potential modes of action and human relevance, and tools have recently become available for pathway-based quantitative risk assessment. The objective of this study was to use toxicogenomics in the context of human health risk assessment. We explore the utility of toxicogenomics in risk assessment, using published gene expression data from C57BL/6 mice exposed to 18, 54 and 162 μg Printex 90 carbon black nanoparticles (CBNP). Analysis of CBNP-perturbed pathways, networks and transcription factors revealed concomitant changes in predicted phenotypes (e.g., pulmonary inflammation and genotoxicity), that correlated with dose and time. Benchmark doses (BMDs) for apical endpoints were comparable to minimum BMDs for relevant pathway-specific expression changes. Comparison to inflammatory lung disease models (i.e., allergic airway inflammation, bacterial infection and tissue injury and fibrosis) and human disease profiles revealed that induced gene expression changes in Printex 90 exposed mice were similar to those typical for pulmonary injury and fibrosis. Very similar fibrotic pathways were perturbed in CBNP-exposed mice and human fibrosis disease models. Our synthesis demonstrates how toxicogenomic profiles may be used in human health risk assessment of nanoparticles and constitutes an important step forward in the ultimate recognition of toxicogenomic endpoints in human health risk. As our knowledge of molecular pathways, dose-response characteristics and relevance to human disease continues to grow, we anticipate that toxicogenomics will become increasingly useful in assessing chemical toxicities and in human health risk assessment. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review of phase change materials for vehicle component thermal buffering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jankowski, Nicholas R.; McCluskey, F. Patrick

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A review of latent heat thermal energy storage for vehicle thermal load leveling. • Examined vehicle applications with transient thermal profiles from 0 to 800 °C. • >700 materials from over a dozen material classes examined for the applications. • Recommendations made for future application of high power density materials. - Abstract: The use of latent heat thermal energy storage for thermally buffering vehicle systems is reviewed. Vehicle systems with transient thermal profiles are classified according to operating temperatures in the range of 0–800 °C. Thermal conditions of those applications are examined relative to their impact on thermal buffer requirements, and prior phase change thermal enhancement studies for these applications are discussed. In addition a comprehensive overview of phase change materials covering the relevant operating range is given, including selection criteria and a detailed list of over 700 candidate materials from a number of material classes. Promising material candidates are identified for each vehicle system based on system temperature, specific and volumetric latent heat, and thermal conductivity. Based on the results of previous thermal load leveling efforts, there is the potential for making significant improvements in both emissions reduction and overall energy efficiency by further exploration of PCM thermal buffering on vehicles. Recommendations are made for further material characterization, with focus on the need for improved data for metallic and solid-state phase change materials for high energy density applications

Identifying factors affecting destination choice of medical tourists: a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

medical tourism”, has emerged as a new source of competitive advantage all over the world. The present study seeks to identify the factors that affect destination choice of medical tourists. Methods: We systematically searched relevant databases ...

Nanoscale phase change memory materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, Marissa A; Jeyasingh, Rakesh Gnana David; Wong, H-S Philip; Milliron, Delia J

2012-08-07

Phase change memory materials store information through their reversible transitions between crystalline and amorphous states. For typical metal chalcogenide compounds, their phase transition properties directly impact critical memory characteristics and the manipulation of these is a major focus in the field. Here, we discuss recent work that explores the tuning of such properties by scaling the materials to nanoscale dimensions, including fabrication and synthetic strategies used to produce nanoscale phase change memory materials. The trends that emerge are relevant to understanding how such memory technologies will function as they scale to ever smaller dimensions and also suggest new approaches to designing materials for phase change applications. Finally, the challenges and opportunities raised by integrating nanoscale phase change materials into switching devices are discussed.

THE RELEVANCY OF ENGLISH IN CONTEXT FOR SMA/MA STUDENT YEAR ONE TEXTBOOK TO THE CURRICULUM USED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qudwatin Nisak

2013-11-01

Full Text Available To improve the quality of English education in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD, the Department of Education of NAD as policymaker has made some efforts, among others, sending some teachers for overseas training and also conducting in-service training in designing English teaching material. One of the results of the projects done by the Department of Education of NAD is an English textbook entitled “English in Context for SMA/MA student year 1”, was distributed to some senior high schools in Banda Aceh in 2005. Lately, the textbook hasn’t been used effectively. Based on that fact, it is considered necessary to evaluate the textbook in order to know its relevant to curriculum used. The data of this study are the contents of English in Context for SMA/MA students year 1, consist of objectives of the textbook, themes chosen, skills presented, task designed, types of the text, language focus provided, vocabulary, and just for fun sections as well as the physical condition of textbook. After the data were put based on their classifications, they were analyzed qualitatively by finding its relevancy to CBC. The relevant elements of textbook to CBC and the deficient element of the textbook were explained descriptively. The result shows that only small portions of suggested material in CBC are provided in the textbook. The types of listening texts which are relevant to CBC are only recount and report. The genre of the reading texts which are relevant to CBC are recount, report, and news items. Meanwhile, the speaking task types provided in the textbook are dialogue, talks/speeches, plays/role play, discussion, and report. The deficient elements found in the textbook are lack of clarity of the authors’ objective, repetition of the tasks designed, lack of variation in some skill’s presentation and some irrelevant materials to CBC.

Fatigue degradation and failure of rotating composite structures - Materials characterisation and underlying mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gamstedt, E K; Andersen, S I

2001-03-01

The present review concerns rotating composite structures, in which fatigue degradation is of key concern for in-service failure. Such applications are for instance rotor blades in wind turbines, helicopter rotor blades, flywheels for energy storage, marine and aeronautical propellers, and rolls for paper machines. The purpose is to identify areas where impending efforts should be made to make better use of composite materials in these applications. In order to obtain better design methodologies, which would allow more reliable and slender structures, improved test methods are necessary. Furthermore, the relation between structural, component and specimen test results should be better understood than what is presently the case. Improved predictive methods rely on a better understanding of the underlying damage mechanisms. With mechanism-based models, the component substructure or even the material microstructure could be optimised for best possible fatigue resistance. These issues are addressed in the present report, with special emphasis on test methods, and scaling from damage mechanisms to relevant material properties. (au)

Creativity-Relevant Personal Characteristics among Indonesia Creative Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nugroho J. Setiadi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The study aims to identify Creativity-relevant Personal Characteristics among creative workers in Indonesia’s creative industry. Identification of the constituent elements of the nature of the changes needs to be measured. Researchers have advocated replacing creativity-relevant personal characteristics based on the five-factor model to investigate how individual differences stimulate creativity. This study presents data supporting reliability (internal consistency and validity (criterion and construct of the instrument. Validity of the instrument is based on the content validity involving art and design experts. The 220 creative workers from several creative industry firms in Indonesia participated as samples in this research. Results of a factor analysis indicated a five factor solution of creative characteristics and behavior. Discussion of findings and the most important ways in which individuals differ in their enduring emotional, interpersonal, experiential, attitudinal, and motivational styles for stimulating creativity are presented.

Proceedings of Prof. Brahm Prakash birth centenary workshop on high temperature materials and hot structures: souvenir and book of abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Traditionally, monolithic ceramics and refractory metals were identified for use at high temperatures. Considerations such as higher operating temperatures, increased thermostructural loads, lower density, etc. brought exotic materials such as ceramic matrix composites, carbon based composites, ODS alloy, intermetallics and thermal barrier coatings to the horizon. Advent of ultra high temperature ceramics and functionally graded materials further pushed the threshold of applicability of high temperature materials and hot structures. Impressive progress in this area has been possible because of the fact that characterization tools along with design and simulation techniques have constantly kept pace with advancement occurring in the processing methods of these materials. The workshop scope includes: Thermal Protection Systems and Materials, Hot Structures, Ceramic and Carbon Matrix Composites, Ultra High Temperature Ceramics, Coating Technology, Simulation and Characterization. Articles relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Materials for Consideration in Standardized Canister Design Activities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bryan, Charles R.; Ilgen, Anastasia Gennadyevna; Enos, David George; Teich-McGoldrick, Stephanie; Hardin, Ernest

2014-10-01

This document identifies materials and material mitigation processes that might be used in new designs for standardized canisters for storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel. It also addresses potential corrosion issues with existing dual-purpose canisters (DPCs) that could be addressed in new canister designs. The major potential corrosion risk during storage is stress corrosion cracking of the weld regions on the 304 SS/316 SS canister shell due to deliquescence of chloride salts on the surface. Two approaches are proposed to alleviate this potential risk. First, the existing canister materials (304 and 316 SS) could be used, but the welds mitigated to relieve residual stresses and/or sensitization. Alternatively, more corrosion-resistant steels such as super-austenitic or duplex stainless steels, could be used. Experimental testing is needed to verify that these alternatives would successfully reduce the risk of stress corrosion cracking during fuel storage. For disposal in a geologic repository, the canister will be enclosed in a corrosion-resistant or corrosion-allowance overpack that will provide barrier capability and mechanical strength. The canister shell will no longer have a barrier function and its containment integrity can be ignored. The basket and neutron absorbers within the canister have the important role of limiting the possibility of post-closure criticality. The time period for corrosion is much longer in the post-closure period, and one major unanswered question is whether the basket materials will corrode slowly enough to maintain structural integrity for at least 10,000 years. Whereas there is extensive literature on stainless steels, this evaluation recommends testing of 304 and 316 SS, and more corrosion-resistant steels such as super-austenitic, duplex, and super-duplex stainless steels, at repository-relevant physical and chemical conditions. Both general and localized corrosion testing methods would be used to

Material and process selection using product examples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, Torben Anker

2001-01-01

The objective of the paper is to suggest a different procedure for selecting materials and processes within the product development work. The procedure includes using product examples in order to increase the number of alternative materials and processes that is considered. Product examples can c...... a search engine, and through hyperlinks can relevant materials and processes be explored. Realising that designers are very sensitive to user interfaces do all descriptions of materials, processes and products include graphical descriptions, i.e. pictures or computer graphics....

Material and process selection using product examples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, Torben Anker

2002-01-01

The objective of the paper is to suggest a different procedure for selecting materials and processes within the product development work. The procedure includes using product examples in order to increase the number of alternative materials and processes that is considered. Product examples can c...... a search engine, and through hyperlinks can relevant materials and processes be explored. Realising that designers are very sensitive to user interfaces do all descriptions of materials, processes and products include graphical descriptions, i.e. pictures or computer graphics....

A 160 kJ dual plasma focus (DuPF) for fusion-relevant materials testing and nano-materials fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saw, S.H.; Damideh, V.; Chong, P.L.; Lee, Paul; Rawat, R.S.; Lee, Sing

2014-01-01

This paper summarizes PF-160 Dual Plasma Focus (DuPF) numerical experiments using the Lee Model code and preliminary 3D design drawings using SolidWorks software. This DuPF consists of two interchangeable electrodes enabling it to be optimized for both Slow Pinch Mode (SFM) and Fast Pinch Mode (FFM); the latter using a speed factor (SF) of 90 kA cm-1 Torr-0.5 for FFM in deuterium [S Lee et al, IEEE Trans Plasma Science 24, 1101-1105 (1996)]; and the former with SF of less than half that value for SFM. Starting with available 6 × 450 µF capacitors rated at 11kV (10% reversal), numerical experiments indicate safe operation at 9 kV, 6 Torr deuterium with FFM anode of 5 cm radius; producing intense ion beam and streaming plasma pulses which would be useful for studies of potential fusion reactor wall materials. On the other hand operating at 5 kV, 10 Torr deuterium with SFM anode of 10 cm radius leads to long-duration, uniform large-area flow which could be more suitable for synthesis of nano-materials. The dual plasma focus design is illustrated here with two figures showing FFM and SFM electrodes. (author)

Identifiers for the 21st century: How to design, provision, and reuse persistent identifiers to maximize utility and impact of life science data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McMurry, Julie A; Juty, Nick; Blomberg, Niklas

2017-01-01

, there is a need for increased awareness about how to avoid and manage common identifier problems, especially those related to persistence and web-accessibility/resolvability. We focus strongly on web-based identifiers in the life sciences; however, the principles are broadly relevant to other disciplines.......In many disciplines, data are highly decentralized across thousands of online databases (repositories, registries, and knowledgebases). Wringing value from such databases depends on the discipline of data science and on the humble bricks and mortar that make integration possible; identifiers...

Proceedings of the DAE-BRNS fifth interdisciplinary symposium on materials chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jafar, Mohsin; Tyagi, Adish; Tyagi, Deepak

2014-12-01

The focus of the present symposium on materials chemistry was on research areas in materials chemistry like: nuclear materials; high purity materials; nanomaterials and clusters; carbon based materials; fuel cell materials and other electro-ceramics; biomaterials; polymers and soft condensed matter; materials for energy conversion; thin films and surface chemistry; magnetic materials; catalysis; chemical sensors; organic and organometallic compounds; computational material chemistry etc. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

What Is Postmodernism and How Is It Relevant to Engaged Pedagogy?

Science.gov (United States)

Cosgrove, Lisa

2004-01-01

This article identifies some of the advantages of using a postmodern approach in the psychology classroom. A postmodern pedagogical stance has special relevance for faculty who teach abnormal psychology insofar as postmodernism encourages reflexivity and increases students' awareness of social justice issues. The author provides specific ideas for…

Selection of materials for ETF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nygren, R.E.

1980-01-01

Repeated operation of a long burning, ignited plasma in ETF implies high exposure to an intense source of energetic particles and high energy (14.1 MeV) neutrons and presents a unique environment for materials in ETF compared with earlier tokamaks. Designing ETF (and FED) will provide many insights into reactor relevant design issues related to materials performance, particularly in components outside the first wall. This paper focuses primarily on how exposure to the plasma and radiation damage to materials infuence the design lifetime of particular components, including the first wall, armor, and TF coils. Also discussed are radiaton exposure limits for repair welding of the torus and for electrical materials used in RF and diagnostics

Geoscience of the Built Environment: Pollutants and Materials Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Sanjurjo-Sánchez

2011-12-01

Full Text Available An overview of issues with environmental relevance that arise from the interaction between pollutants and surfaces of the built environment is presented in this paper. Two broad perspectives are considered: decay of materials and recording of pollution characteristics. In relation to the former, we consider the possible implications on human activities restrictions, materials and morphological options, consumption of resources and release of pollutants resulting from the alteration of materials, conservation and restoration procedures. In terms of pollution recording, the interest of the stony materials as passive monitors of pollution, the question of heterogeneous conditions on buildings and the interest of qualitative and quantitative studies are highlighted. The importance of longitudinal studies on new and cleaned surfaces is considered, both for the understanding of materials decay and for the assessment of pollution conditions. The use of tracers to record the characteristics of pollution sources, interaction with materials and pathways of pollutants is also discussed. Finally, some recommendations are presented, based on the issues discussed on this paper that might be relevant for environmental management programs, including environmental education.

Materials Analysis and Modeling of Underfill Materials.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wyatt, Nicholas B [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Chambers, Robert S. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-08-01

The thermal-mechanical properties of three potential underfill candidate materials for PBGA applications are characterized and reported. Two of the materials are a formulations developed at Sandia for underfill applications while the third is a commercial product that utilizes a snap-cure chemistry to drastically reduce cure time. Viscoelastic models were calibrated and fit using the property data collected for one of the Sandia formulated materials. Along with the thermal-mechanical analyses performed, a series of simple bi-material strip tests were conducted to comparatively analyze the relative effects of cure and thermal shrinkage amongst the materials under consideration. Finally, current knowledge gaps as well as questions arising from the present study are identified and a path forward presented.

Uses of Computer and its Relevance to Teaching and Learning in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examined the uses of computer and its relevance to teaching and learning in Nigerian secondary schools. The need for computer education and its objectives in Nigerian educational system were identified and discussed. The roles the classroom teachers would play and the challenges they would have to face in ...

the effect of current and relevant information sources on the use

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Admin

reported similar findings at Yaba College of. Technology, Lagos. However, in a ... values. In other words, current information sources resulted in the use of the library. Jam (1992) identified lack of relevant information sources to be one of the problems facing library users and has ... Bachelor's degree holders. That those with.

GCR and SPE Radiation Effects in Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, Jess; Rojdev, Kristina; Nichols, Charles

2016-01-01

This Year 3 project provides risk reduction data to assess galactic cosmic ray (GCR) and solar particle event (SPE) space radiation damage in materials used in manned low-earth orbit, lunar, interplanetary, and Martian surface missions. Long duration (up to 50 years) space radiation damage is being quantified for materials used in inflatable structures (1st priority), and space suit and habitable composite materials (2nd priority). The data collected has relevance for nonmetallic materials (polymers and composites) used in NASA missions where long duration reliability is needed in continuous or intermittent space radiation fluxes.

A goal-oriented field measurement filtering technique for the identification of material model parameters

KAUST Repository

Lubineau, Gilles

2009-05-16

The post-processing of experiments with nonuniform fields is still a challenge: the information is often much richer, but its interpretation for identification purposes is not straightforward. However, this is a very promising field of development because it would pave the way for the robust identification of multiple material parameters using only a small number of experiments. This paper presents a goal-oriented filtering technique in which data are combined into new output fields which are strongly correlated with specific quantities of interest (the material parameters to be identified). Thus, this combination, which is nonuniform in space, constitutes a filter of the experimental outputs, whose relevance is quantified by a quality function based on global variance analysis. Then, this filter is optimized using genetic algorithms. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.

Investigating accidents involving aircraft manufactured from polymer composite materials

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Leigh

This study looks into the examination of polymer composite wreckage from the perspective of the aircraft accident investigator. It develops an understanding of the process of wreckage examination as well as identifying the potential for visual and macroscopic interpretation of polymer composite aircraft wreckage. The in-field examination of aircraft wreckage, and subsequent interpretations of material failures, can be a significant part of an aircraft accident investigation. As the use of composite materials in aircraft construction increases, the understanding of how macroscopic failure characteristics of composite materials may aid the field investigator is becoming of increasing importance.. The first phase of this research project was to explore how investigation practitioners conduct wreckage examinations. Four accident investigation case studies were examined. The analysis of the case studies provided a framework of the wreckage examination process. Subsequently, a literature survey was conducted to establish the current level of knowledge on the visual and macroscopic interpretation of polymer composite failures. Relevant literature was identified and a compendium of visual and macroscopic characteristics was created. Two full-scale polymer composite wing structures were loaded statically, in an upward bending direction, until each wing structure fractured and separated. The wing structures were subsequently examined for the existence of failure characteristics. The examination revealed that whilst characteristics were present, the fragmentation of the structure destroyed valuable evidence. A hypothetical accident scenario utilising the fractured wing structures was developed, which UK government accident investigators subsequently investigated. This provided refinement to the investigative framework and suggested further guidance on the interpretation of polymer composite failures by accident investigators..

Disclosure of Subsidiaries with Non-controlling Interest in Accordance with IFRS 12: Case of Materiality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tereza Gluzová

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Consolidated financial statements present aggregated information for parent company and its subsidiaries. For non-wholly owned subsidiaries, International Financial Reporting Standards require non-controlling interest to be presented within consolidated equity to distinguish it from the amount of equity attributable to the shareholders of the parent. Since 2014, new standards on consolidation introduced broadened disclosure requirements for subsidiaries with material non-controlling interest. Definition of material non-controlling interest however is not included in the standards. The article provides the analysis of the financial statements published by companies listed on Prague Stock Exchange. Main focus is given to assessment criteria applied to identify material non-controlling interest. Consequently, study of compliance with the disclosure requirements for selected companies has been undertaken. The results of the analysis indicate whether value relevance of financial statements has been improved as a result of the new disclosures.

THE CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE VALUE RELEVANCE RESEARCH FIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen- Alexandra BALTARIU

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to assess the scientific literature referring to the value relevance of reported accounting information over a twelve year period starting from 2002. The approach of the paper is a theoretical (conceptual one. In order to complete the purpose of the paper we selected as research method the longitudinal qualitative analysis. The qualitative analysis carried out presents a deductive character. Our conclusions regarding the general characteristics of the research field pertaining to the value relevance of reported accounting information are drawn based on the main results and scientific contributions identified in the research field of interest.

Crystal growth and computational materials science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayakumar, S.; Ravindran, P.; Arun Kumar, R.; Sudarshan, C.

2012-01-01

The proceedings of the international conference on advanced materials discusses the advances being made in the area of single crystals, their preparation and device development from these crystals and details of the progress that is taking place in the computational field relating to materials science. Computational materials science makes use of advanced simulation tools and computer interfaces to develop a virtual platform which can provide a model for real-time experiments. This book includes selected papers in topics of crystal growth and computational materials science. We are confident that the new concepts and results presented will stimulate and enhance progress of research on crystal growth and computational materials science. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Materials Knowledge Systems in Python - A Data Science Framework for Accelerated Development of Hierarchical Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Brough, David B; Wheeler, Daniel; Kalidindi, Surya R

2017-03-01

There is a critical need for customized analytics that take into account the stochastic nature of the internal structure of materials at multiple length scales in order to extract relevant and transferable knowledge. Data driven Process-Structure-Property (PSP) linkages provide systemic, modular and hierarchical framework for community driven curation of materials knowledge, and its transference to design and manufacturing experts. The Materials Knowledge Systems in Python project (PyMKS) is the first open source materials data science framework that can be used to create high value PSP linkages for hierarchical materials that can be leveraged by experts in materials science and engineering, manufacturing, machine learning and data science communities. This paper describes the main functions available from this repository, along with illustrations of how these can be accessed, utilized, and potentially further refined by the broader community of researchers.

Materiality from financial towards non-financial reporting

OpenAIRE

Chiara Mio

2013-01-01

The article aims at discussing the evolution of the concept of materiality in financial and, more specifically, non-financial reporting. Materiality will play a central role in the next years in order for reports to reach conciseness, which is at present one of the main goals both financial and non-financial reporting (in particular Integrated Reporting) aims to achieve. The article reviews the most relevant materiality frameworks and definitions and provides further insights for the advancem...

Existing reporting guidelines for clinical trials are not completely relevant for implantable medical devices: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Motte, Anne-France; Diallo, Stéphanie; van den Brink, Hélène; Châteauvieux, Constance; Serrano, Carole; Naud, Carole; Steelandt, Julie; Alsac, Jean-Marc; Aubry, Pierre; Cour, Florence; Pellerin, Olivier; Pineau, Judith; Prognon, Patrice; Borget, Isabelle; Bonan, Brigitte; Martelli, Nicolas

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine relevant items for reporting clinical trials on implantable medical devices (IMDs) and to identify reporting guidelines which include these items. A panel of experts identified the most relevant items for evaluating IMDs from an initial list based on reference papers. We then conducted a systematic review of articles indexed in MEDLINE. We retrieved reporting guidelines from the EQUATOR network's library for health research reporting. Finally, we screened these reporting guidelines to find those using our set of reporting items. Seven relevant reporting items were selected that related to four topics: randomization, learning curve, surgical setting, and device information. A total of 348 reporting guidelines were identified, among which 26 met our inclusion criteria. However, none of the 26 reporting guidelines presented all seven items together. The most frequently reported item was timing of randomization (65%). On the contrary, device information and learning curve effects were poorly specified. To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify specific items related to IMDs in reporting guidelines for clinical trials. We have shown that no existing reporting guideline is totally suitable for these devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Issue-Relevant Values and Opinions About Gay Rights: Beyond Equality and Morality.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodebeck, Laurie

2018-01-01

Although many studies have examined the role of values in shaping public opinion, the number of values that inform this research is limited. This article employs the concept of issue-relevant values as a means to explore the broader range of values associated with policy issues. After discussing the concept in general terms, the article explores issue-relevant values pertinent to public opinion about gay rights. Using the policy examples of employment nondiscrimination and same-sex couple adoption, the present study identifies, measures, and assesses several values that add to the very short list previously used to explain public opinion about gay rights issues. Content from interest-group Web sites and news media coverage of the two issues aided in identifying the values. Data from an original Internet survey yield valid measures of the values. Multivariate analyses indicate that the values behave in predictable ways: they are strongly influenced by partisanship, and they strongly affect opinions about the two issues. The performance of the values is consistent with findings from previous research on the partisan basis of values and the value-based nature of opinions. The article concludes with suggestions for further empirical and theoretical work that could apply and extend the concept of issue-relevant values.

Electrical in situ and post-irradiation properties of ceramics relevant to fusion irradiation conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shikama, Tatsuo; Zinkle, S.J.

2002-01-01

Electrical properties of ceramic candidate materials for the next-generation nuclear fusion devices under relevant irradiation conditions are reviewed. A main focal point is placed on the degradation behavior of the electrical insulating ability during and after irradiation. Several important radiation induced effects play important roles: radiation induced conductivity, thermally stimulated electrical conductivity, radiation induced electrical charge separation, and radiation induced electromotive force. These phenomena will interact with each other under fusion relevant irradiation conditions. The design of electrical components for the next-generation fusion devices should take into account these complicated interactions among the radiation induced phenomena

The Widespread Prevalence and Functional Significance of Silk-Like Structural Proteins in Metazoan Biological Materials.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmel McDougall

Full Text Available In nature, numerous mechanisms have evolved by which organisms fabricate biological structures with an impressive array of physical characteristics. Some examples of metazoan biological materials include the highly elastic byssal threads by which bivalves attach themselves to rocks, biomineralized structures that form the skeletons of various animals, and spider silks that are renowned for their exceptional strength and elasticity. The remarkable properties of silks, which are perhaps the best studied biological materials, are the result of the highly repetitive, modular, and biased amino acid composition of the proteins that compose them. Interestingly, similar levels of modularity/repetitiveness and similar bias in amino acid compositions have been reported in proteins that are components of structural materials in other organisms, however the exact nature and extent of this similarity, and its functional and evolutionary relevance, is unknown. Here, we investigate this similarity and use sequence features common to silks and other known structural proteins to develop a bioinformatics-based method to identify similar proteins from large-scale transcriptome and whole-genome datasets. We show that a large number of proteins identified using this method have roles in biological material formation throughout the animal kingdom. Despite the similarity in sequence characteristics, most of the silk-like structural proteins (SLSPs identified in this study appear to have evolved independently and are restricted to a particular animal lineage. Although the exact function of many of these SLSPs is unknown, the apparent independent evolution of proteins with similar sequence characteristics in divergent lineages suggests that these features are important for the assembly of biological materials. The identification of these characteristics enable the generation of testable hypotheses regarding the mechanisms by which these proteins assemble and direct the

Identifying and applying psychological theory to setting and achieving rehabilitation goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Scobbie, Lesley; Wyke, Sally; Dixon, Diane

2009-04-01

Goal setting is considered to be a fundamental part of rehabilitation; however, theories of behaviour change relevant to goal-setting practice have not been comprehensively reviewed. (i) To identify and discuss specific theories of behaviour change relevant to goal-setting practice in the rehabilitation setting. (ii) To identify 'candidate' theories that that offer most potential to inform clinical practice. The rehabilitation and self-management literature was systematically searched to identify review papers or empirical studies that proposed a specific theory of behaviour change relevant to setting and/or achieving goals in a clinical context. Data from included papers were extracted under the headings of: key constructs, clinical application and empirical support. Twenty-four papers were included in the review which proposed a total of five theories: (i) social cognitive theory, (ii) goal setting theory, (iii) health action process approach, (iv) proactive coping theory, and (v) the self-regulatory model of illness behaviour. The first three of these theories demonstrated most potential to inform clinical practice, on the basis of their capacity to inform interventions that resulted in improved patient outcomes. Social cognitive theory, goal setting theory and the health action process approach are theories of behaviour change that can inform clinicians in the process of setting and achieving goals in the rehabilitation setting. Overlapping constructs within these theories have been identified, and can be applied in clinical practice through the development and evaluation of a goal-setting practice framework.

The use of foresight methods in strategic raw materials intelligence - an international review

Science.gov (United States)

Konrat Martins, Marco Antonio; Bodo, Balazs; Falck, Eberhard

2017-04-01

Foresight methods are systematic attempts to look into the longer term future of science, society, economy and technology. There is a range of tools and techniques that can be used individually or combined, most commonly classified into qualitative, quantitative or semi-quantitative methods, that follow an exploratory or normative approach. These tools can help to identify the longer term visions, orienting policy formulation and decisions, triggering actions, among other objectives. There is an identified lack of European strategic foresight knowledge in the raw materials domain. Since the European Raw Materials Initiative was launched in 2008, the EU has been attempting to overcome challenges related to the future access of non-energy and non-agricultural raw materials. In this context, the ongoing H2020 project, MICA (Mineral Intelligence Capacity Analysis, Grant Agreement No. 689648), has been launched to answer to stakeholders needs by consolidating relevant data, determining relevant methods and tools, and investigating Raw Materials Intelligence options for European mineral policy development, all tailored to fit under the umbrella of a European Raw Materials Intelligence Capacity Platform (EU-RMICP). As part of the MICA activities, an assessment of best practices and benchmarks of international raw materials foresight case studies has been carried out in order to review how EU and non-EU countries have employed foresight. A pool of 30 case studies has been collected and reviewed internationally, one third of which were selected for detailed assessment. These were classified according to their background and goals, in function of methods employed, and to the purpose of each method in the study: a total of 12 different methods were identified in these studies. For longer time frames, qualitative predictive methods such as Scenario Development have been repeatedly observed for mineral raw materials foresight studies. Substantial variations were observed in

Cluster Analysis of Clinical Data Identifies Fibromyalgia Subgroups

Science.gov (United States)

Docampo, Elisa; Collado, Antonio; Escaramís, Geòrgia; Carbonell, Jordi; Rivera, Javier; Vidal, Javier; Alegre, José

2013-01-01

Introduction Fibromyalgia (FM) is mainly characterized by widespread pain and multiple accompanying symptoms, which hinder FM assessment and management. In order to reduce FM heterogeneity we classified clinical data into simplified dimensions that were used to define FM subgroups. Material and Methods 48 variables were evaluated in 1,446 Spanish FM cases fulfilling 1990 ACR FM criteria. A partitioning analysis was performed to find groups of variables similar to each other. Similarities between variables were identified and the variables were grouped into dimensions. This was performed in a subset of 559 patients, and cross-validated in the remaining 887 patients. For each sample and dimension, a composite index was obtained based on the weights of the variables included in the dimension. Finally, a clustering procedure was applied to the indexes, resulting in FM subgroups. Results Variables clustered into three independent dimensions: “symptomatology”, “comorbidities” and “clinical scales”. Only the two first dimensions were considered for the construction of FM subgroups. Resulting scores classified FM samples into three subgroups: low symptomatology and comorbidities (Cluster 1), high symptomatology and comorbidities (Cluster 2), and high symptomatology but low comorbidities (Cluster 3), showing differences in measures of disease severity. Conclusions We have identified three subgroups of FM samples in a large cohort of FM by clustering clinical data. Our analysis stresses the importance of family and personal history of FM comorbidities. Also, the resulting patient clusters could indicate different forms of the disease, relevant to future research, and might have an impact on clinical assessment. PMID:24098674

Cluster analysis of clinical data identifies fibromyalgia subgroups.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Docampo

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Fibromyalgia (FM is mainly characterized by widespread pain and multiple accompanying symptoms, which hinder FM assessment and management. In order to reduce FM heterogeneity we classified clinical data into simplified dimensions that were used to define FM subgroups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 48 variables were evaluated in 1,446 Spanish FM cases fulfilling 1990 ACR FM criteria. A partitioning analysis was performed to find groups of variables similar to each other. Similarities between variables were identified and the variables were grouped into dimensions. This was performed in a subset of 559 patients, and cross-validated in the remaining 887 patients. For each sample and dimension, a composite index was obtained based on the weights of the variables included in the dimension. Finally, a clustering procedure was applied to the indexes, resulting in FM subgroups. RESULTS: VARIABLES CLUSTERED INTO THREE INDEPENDENT DIMENSIONS: "symptomatology", "comorbidities" and "clinical scales". Only the two first dimensions were considered for the construction of FM subgroups. Resulting scores classified FM samples into three subgroups: low symptomatology and comorbidities (Cluster 1, high symptomatology and comorbidities (Cluster 2, and high symptomatology but low comorbidities (Cluster 3, showing differences in measures of disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified three subgroups of FM samples in a large cohort of FM by clustering clinical data. Our analysis stresses the importance of family and personal history of FM comorbidities. Also, the resulting patient clusters could indicate different forms of the disease, relevant to future research, and might have an impact on clinical assessment.

The neural correlates of implicit self-relevant processing in low self-esteem: an ERP study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Juan; Guan, Lili; Dedovic, Katarina; Qi, Mingming; Zhang, Qinglin

2012-08-30

Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that implicit and explicit processing of self-relevant (schematic) material elicit activity in many of the same brain regions. Electrophysiological studies on the neural processing of explicit self-relevant cues have generally supported the view that P300 is an index of attention to self-relevant stimuli; however, there has been no study to date investigating the temporal course of implicit self-relevant processing. The current study seeks to investigate the time course involved in implicit self-processing by comparing processing of self-relevant with non-self-relevant words while subjects are making a judgment about color of the words in an implicit attention task. Sixteen low self-esteem participants were examined using event-related potentials technology (ERP). We hypothesized that this implicit attention task would involve P2 component rather than the P300 component. Indeed, P2 component has been associated with perceptual analysis and attentional allocation and may be more likely to occur in unconscious conditions such as this task. Results showed that latency of P2 component, which indexes the time required for perceptual analysis, was more prolonged in processing self-relevant words compared to processing non-self-relevant words. Our results suggested that the judgment of the color of the word interfered with automatic processing of self-relevant information and resulted in less efficient processing of self-relevant word. Together with previous ERP studies examining processing of explicit self-relevant cues, these findings suggest that the explicit and the implicit processing of self-relevant information would not elicit the same ERP components. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enabling Technologies for High-Throughput Screening of Nano-Porous Materials: Collaboration with the Nanoporous Materials Genome Center

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, Jordan [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

2016-01-21

The overarching goal of this research was to develop new methodologies to enable the accurate and efficient modeling of complex materials using computer simulations. Using inter-molecular interaction energies calculated via an accurate but computationally expensive approach (symmetry-adapted perturbation theory), we parameterized efficient next-generation “force fields” to utilize in subsequent simulations. Since the resulting force fields incorporate much of the relevant physics of inter-molecular interactions, they consequently exhibit high transferability from one material to another. This transferability enables the modeling of a wide range of novel materials without additional computational cost. While this approach is quite general, a particular emphasis of this research involved applications to so-called “metal-organic framework”(MOF) materials relevant to energy-intensive gas separations. We focused specifically on CO₂/N₂ selectivity, which is a key metric for post combustion CO₂ capture efforts at coal-fired power plants. The gas adsorption capacities and selectivity of the MOFs can be tailored via careful functionalization. We have demonstrated that our force fields exhibit predictive accuracy for a wide variety of functionalized MOFs, thus opening the door for the computational design of “tailored” materials for particular separations. Finally, we have also demonstrated the importance of accounting for the presence of reactive contaminant species when evaluating the performance of MOFs in practical applications.

Radiological Characterisation from a Waste and Materials End-State Perspective: Practices and Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mommaert, Chantal; Andrieu, Caroline; Desnoyers, Yvon; Denis Pombet; Salsac, Marie-Delphine; Knaack, Michael; Altavilla, Massimo; Manes, Daniela; Takahashi, Hiroaki; Ul Syed, Naeem; Palomo, Nieves Martin; Larsson, Arne; Dunlop, Alister; Susan Brown; Emptage, Matthew; Black, Greg; Abu-Eid, Rateb; Szilagyi, Andrew; Weber, Inge; )

2017-01-01

Radiological characterisation is a key enabling activity for the planning and implementation of nuclear facility decommissioning. Effective characterisation allows the extent, location and nature of contamination to be determined and provides crucial information for facility dismantling, the management of material and waste arisings, the protection of workers, the public and the environment, and associated cost estimations. This report will be useful for characterisation practitioners who carry out tactical planning, preparation, optimisation and implementation of characterisation to support the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the management of associated materials and waste. It compiles recent experience from NEA member countries in radiological characterisation, including from international experts, international case studies, an international conference, and international standards and guidance. Using this comprehensive evidence base, the report identifies relevant good practice and provides practical advice covering all stages of the characterisation process

The role of material/energy resources and dematerialisation in economic growth theories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ayres, R.U. [Center for the Management of Environmental Resources INSEAD, Fountainebleau (France); Van den Bergh, J.C.J.M. [Department of Spatial Economics, Free University, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2000-06-01

The nature of energy and material resources in an endogenous growth theory framework is clarified. This involves three modifications of the conventional theory. Firstly, multiple feedback mechanisms or 'growth engines' are identified. Secondly, a production function distinguishes between resource use, technical efficiency and value creation. Thirdly, the impact of the cost of production through demand on growth is accounted for. A formal model is analytically solved under a condition of a constant growth rate. Given model complexity, numerical experiments are performed as well, providing relevant insights to the academic and political debates on 'environmental Kuznets curves' and 'dematerialization'. 49 refs.

Nuclear material operations manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyler, R.P.

1981-02-01

This manual provides a concise and comprehensive documentation of the operating procedures currently practiced at Sandia National Laboratories with regard to the management, control, and accountability of nuclear materials. The manual is divided into chapters which are devoted to the separate functions performed in nuclear material operations-management, control, accountability, and safeguards, and the final two chapters comprise a document which is also issued separately to provide a summary of the information and operating procedures relevant to custodians and users of radioactive and nuclear materials. The manual also contains samples of the forms utilized in carrying out nuclear material activities. To enhance the clarity of presentation, operating procedures are presented in the form of playscripts in which the responsible organizations and necessary actions are clearly delineated in a chronological fashion from the initiation of a transaction to its completion

Nuclear material operations manuals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyler, R.P.

1979-06-01

This manual is intended to provide a concise and comprehensive documentation of the operating procedures currently practiced at Sandia Laboratories with regard to the management, control, and accountability of radioactive and nuclear materials. The manual is divided into chapters which are devoted to the separate functions performed in nuclear material operations-management, control, accountability, and safeguards, and the final two chapters comprise a document which is also issued separately to provide a summary of the information and operating procedures relevant to custodians and users of radioactive and nuclear materials. The manual also contains samples of the forms utilized in carrying out nuclear material activities. To enhance the clarity of presentation, operating procedures are presented in the form of playscripts in which the responsible organizations and necessary actions are clearly delineated in a chronological fashion from the initiation of a transaction to its completion

Clinical relevance and scope of accidental extracoronary findings in coronary computed tomography angiography: A cardiac versus thoracic FOV study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aglan, Iman; Jodocy, Daniel; Hiehs, Stefan; Soegner, Peter; Frank, Renate; Haberfellner, Berhard; Klauser, Andrea; Jaschke, Werner; Feuchtner, Gudrun M.

2010-01-01

Objective: To assess the spectrum and clinical relevance of extracoronary findings in coronary CT angiography (CCTA), and to compare a small (cardiac) field of view (FOV) to a large (thoracic) FOV setting. Material and methods: 1084 consecutive patients (mean 57 years) with low-to-intermediate risk of coronary artery disease were enrolled. 542 CCTA scans were interpreted with small FOV (160-190 mm 2 ) encompassing the cardiac region. In another 542 CCTA (patients matched for age and gender), read-out of an additional full FOV (>320 mm 2 ) covering the thorax was performed. Clinical relevance of extracoronary findings was considered as either 'significant' or 'non-significant'. 'Significant' findings were subclassified as either score 1: findings necessitating immediate therapeutic actions, or score 2: findings with undoubted clinical or prognostic relevance, requiring clinical awareness, follow-up or further investigations (non-urgent). 'Non-significant' findings were assigned to either score 3: findings not requiring follow-up or further tests, or as score 4: irrelevant incidental findings. Results: Significantly more patients with extracoronary findings were identified by using a full FOV with 43.2% (234/542) compared to a small FOV with 33.6% (182/542) (p = 0.001). Similarly, a higher total number of extracoronary findings (n = 394) was found on full FOV compared to small FOV (n = 250) (p 2 aortic valve orifice area. Conclusions: The interpretation of extracoronary findings on CCTA scans is mandatory given high prevalence of clinically significant findings by using a full 'thoracic' FOV.

Tailoring phase change materials: Stoichiometrical trends in the Ge-Sb-Te system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, Michael; Wamwangi, Daniel; Wuttig, Matthias [I. Physikalisches Institut 1A, RWTH Aachen, 52056 Aachen (Germany)

2007-07-01

Phase change materials are widely used as the active layer in rewritable optical media. This layer can be reversibly switched with a laser beam between an amorphous and crystalline state. As there is a pronounced optical contrast between these two phases, this provides the possibility to write, read and erase data. The speed of this method is limited by the speed of crystallization, as crystallization is the slower process. One possibility to make this process faster is to change the composition of this active layer. Thus it is very interesting to investigate how the process of crystallization is affected by a variation of stoichiometry. Although phase change materials technology is already used, there is little knowledge of the phase change process itself. Today the usability of phase change materials is still identified by try and error methods. We will show stoichiometrical trends of different properties relevant for data storage, e.g. the crystallisation temperature, which governs the room temperature stability of the amorphous phase and thus is a measure for the data retention time.

Legacy material work-off project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sloan, T.J.; Baker, D.H. IV

1999-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and its subcontractors recently completed a nine-month legacy material clean-up effort. Legacy materials were defined as chemicals, hazardous, non-hazardous, and both hazardous and radioactive (mixed), that no longer served a programmatic use and had no identified individual owner within the Laboratory. Once personnel identified the legacy materials, the items were transferred to Solid Waste Operation's (EM-SWO) control. Upon completing this process, the responsible division-level manager was required to certify that all non-radioactive hazardous and non-hazardous materials and acceptable mixed legacy materials had been identified and transferred to EM-SWO for proper handling or disposal. The major expense in this project was the cost of actual chemical and radiological analysis. This expense was the result of items not having an identified individual owner. The major benefit of this project is that LANL is now in an excellent position to implement its Integrated Safety Management (ISM) Plan, which requires the implementation of safe work practices, including requirements for removing unused items when vacating workspaces. Effective implementation of ISM will go a long way toward ensuring that legacy materials are no longer an issue at the Laboratory

“Zebrafishing” for Novel Genes Relevant to the Glomerular Filtration Barrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils Hanke

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Data for genes relevant to glomerular filtration barrier function or proteinuria is continually increasing in an era of microarrays, genome-wide association studies, and quantitative trait locus analysis. Researchers are limited by published literature searches to select the most relevant genes to investigate. High-throughput cell cultures and other in vitro systems ultimately need to demonstrate proof in an in vivo model. Generating mammalian models for the genes of interest is costly and time intensive, and yields only a small number of test subjects. These models also have many pitfalls such as possible embryonic mortality and failure to generate phenotypes or generate nonkidney specific phenotypes. Here we describe an in vivo zebrafish model as a simple vertebrate screening system to identify genes relevant to glomerular filtration barrier function. Using our technology, we are able to screen entirely novel genes in 4–6 weeks in hundreds of live test subjects at a fraction of the cost of a mammalian model. Our system produces consistent and reliable evidence for gene relevance in glomerular kidney disease; the results then provide merit for further analysis in mammalian models.

Laser Beam Melting of Multi-Material Components

Science.gov (United States)

Laumer, Tobias; Karg, Michael; Schmidt, Michael

First results regarding the realisation of multi-material components manufactured by Laser Beam Melting of polymers and metals are published. For realising composite structures from polymer powders by additive manufacturing, at first relevant material properties regarding compatibility have to be analysed. The paper shows the main requirements for compatibility between different materials and offers first results in form of a compatibility matrix of possible combinations for composite structures. For achieving gradient properties of additively manufactured metal parts by using composite materials the composition of alloying components in the powder and adapted process strategies are varied. As an alternative to atomizing pre-alloyed materials, mixtures of different powders are investigated.

The Common Body of Knowledge: A Framework to Promote Relevant Information Security Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth J. Knapp

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This study proposes using an established common body of knowledge (CBK as one means of organizing information security literature.  Consistent with calls for more relevant information systems (IS research, this industry-developed framework can motivate future research towards topics that are important to the security practitioner.  In this review, forty-eight articles from ten IS journals from 1995 to 2004 are selected and cross-referenced to the ten domains of the information security CBK.  Further, we distinguish articles as empirical research, frameworks, or tutorials.  Generally, this study identified a need for additional empirical research in every CBK domain including topics related to legal aspects of information security.  Specifically, this study identified a need for additional IS security research relating to applications development, physical security, operations security, and business continuity.  The CBK framework is inherently practitioner oriented and using it will promote relevancy by steering IS research towards topics important to practitioners.  This is important considering the frequent calls by prominent information systems scholars for more relevant research.  Few research frameworks have emerged from the literature that specifically classify the diversity of security threats and range of problems that businesses today face.  With the recent surge of interest in security, the need for a comprehensive framework that also promotes relevant research can be of great value.

The Relevance of Emotional Intelligence for Leadership in a Higher Education Context

Science.gov (United States)

Parrish, Dominique Rene

2015-01-01

This paper reports on a case-study research investigation that sought to identify the relevance of emotional intelligence for effective higher education academic leadership. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, pre and post a leadership capacity development intervention, to gather broad data on participants' experiences, insights, and…

Relevant feature set estimation with a knock-out strategy and random forests

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ganz, Melanie; Greve, Douglas N; Fischl, Bruce

2015-01-01

unintuitive and difficult to determine. In this article, we propose a novel MVPA method for group analysis of high-dimensional data that overcomes the drawbacks of the current techniques. Our approach explicitly aims to identify all relevant variations using a "knock-out" strategy and the Random Forest...

Visualizing Culturally Relevant Science Pedagogy Through Photonarratives of Black Middle School Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Goldston, M. Jenice; Nichols, Sharon

2009-04-01

This study situated in a Southern resegregated Black middle school involved four Black teachers and two White science educators’ use of photonarratives to envision culturally relevant science pedagogy. Two questions guided the study: (1) What community referents are important for conceptualizing culturally relevant practices in Black science classrooms? and (2) How do teachers’ photonarratives serve to open conversations and notions of culturally relevant science practices? The research methodologically drew upon memory-work, Black feminism, critical theory, visual methodology, and narrative inquiry as “portraiture.” Issues of positionality and identity proved to be central to this work, as three luminaries portray Black teachers’ insights about supports and barriers to teaching and learning science. The community referents identified were associated with church and its oral traditions, inequities of the market place in meeting their basic human needs, and community spaces.

Relevance and feasibility of Social Life Cycle Assessment from a Company Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Andreas; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky; Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard

2009-01-01

Methodology development should reflect demands from the intended users: what are the needs of the user group and what is feasible in terms of requirements involving data and work? Mapping these questions of relevance and feasibility is thus a way to facilitate a higher degree of relevance...... of the developed methodology. For the emerging area of social life cycle assessment (SLCA), several different potential user groups may be identified. This article addresses the issues of relevance and feasibility of SLCA from a company perspective through a series of interviews among potential company users....... The empirical basis for the survey is a series of eight semi-structured interviews with larger Danish companies, all of which potentially have the capacity and will to use comprehensive social assessment methodologies. SLCA is not yet a well-defined methodology, but still it is possible to outline several...

Capturing the Material Invisible: OGS Crawford, Ghosts, and the Stonehenge Avenue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martyn Barber

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Why do archaeologists excavate? What should we expect from archaeological archives? OGS Crawford’s discovery and excavation of the course of the Stonehenge Avenue in the summer of 1923 – perhaps the first time that a cropmark was identified on an aerial photograph and the first such site to be excavated, and moreover a discovery that had considerable impact on the understanding of Stonehenge’s construction and its relationship with the wider landscape – has left virtually no material trace within the relevant archives. This paper aims to offer an explanation for that absence, and to shed some light on Crawford’s belief that his excavations were unlikely to yield ‘tangible results’.

Making Deferred Taxes Relevant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, Arjan; Naarding, Ewout

2018-01-01

We analyse the conceptual problems in current accounting for deferred taxes and provide solutions derived from the literature in order to make International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) deferred tax numbers value-relevant. In our view, the empirical results concerning the value relevance of

Isolation, speciation, and antibiogram of clinically relevant non-diphtherial Corynebacteria (Diphtheroids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B S Reddy

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Coryneform or the non-diphtherial Corynebacterium species largely remains a neglected group with the traditional consideration of these organisms as contaminants. This concept, however, is slowly changing in the light of recent observations. This study has been done to find out the species distribution and antibiogram of various members of the clinically relevant Coryneform group, isolated from various clinical materials. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fourteen non-duplicate isolates of diphtheroids from various clinical isolates were selected for the study. The isolates were identified to the species level by using a battery of tests; and antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by using a combination of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC guidelines, in the absence of definitive CLSI guidelines. Results: Corynebacterium amycolatum was the predominant species (35.9% in our series followed by the CDC Group G organisms (15.7%. Each of the remaining 19 species comprised of less than 10% of the isolates. More than half the total isolates were resistant to the penicillins, erythromycin, and clindamycin; while excellent activity (all the strains being susceptible was shown by vancomycin, linezolid, and tigecycline. Chloramphenicol and tetracycline also had good activity in inhibiting more than 80% of the isolates. Multiply drug resistance was exhibited by all the species. Conclusion: This study was an attempt to establish the clinical significance of coryneform organisms. The high level of resistance shown by this group to some of the common antibacterial agents highlights the importance of processing these isolates in select conditions to guide the clinicians towards an appropriate therapy.

Multifunctional materials for tribological applications

CERN Document Server

Wood, Robert J K

2015-01-01

""Professor Wood's excellent book is a must-read for all those with an interest in surface engineering and tribology. He has brought together leading experts in their field to produce a comprehensive compilation of topics highly relevant to today's needs. The book will also appeal to non-tribologists, especially engineers and scientists, developing new systems and looking for up-to-date information on advanced materials and coatings.""-Mr. Keith Harrison, The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, UK""A group of well-written, informative ar

Characterisation of ferroelectric bulk materials and thin films

CERN Document Server

Cain, Markys G

2014-01-01

This book presents a comprehensive review of the most important methods used in the characterisation of piezoelectric, ferroelectric and pyroelectric materials. It covers techniques for the analysis of bulk materials and thick and thin film materials and devices. There is a growing demand by industry to adapt and integrate piezoelectric materials into ever smaller devices and structures. Such applications development requires the joint development of reliable, robust, accurate and - most importantly - relevant and applicable measurement and characterisation methods and models. In the past f

Hydrogen isotopes transport parameters in fusion reactor materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serra, E.; Ogorodnikova, O.V.

1998-01-01

This work presents a review of hydrogen isotopes-materials interactions in various materials of interest for fusion reactors. The relevant parameters cover mainly diffusivity, solubility, trap concentration and energy difference between trap and solution sites. The list of materials includes the martensitic steels (MANET, Batman and F82H-mod.), beryllium, aluminium, beryllium oxide, aluminium oxide, copper, tungsten and molybdenum. Some experimental work on the parameters that describe the surface effects is also mentioned. (orig.)

[Relevance of Personality Factors for Successful Vocational Rehabilitation].

Science.gov (United States)

Arling, V; Slavchova, V; Knispel, J; Spijkers, W

2016-02-01

The Main purpose of vocational rehabilitation is occupational reintegration of clients into the job market who have lost their job or whose job is threatened because of a handicap or chronicl illness. With regard to existing evidence for the relevance of personality factors for work performance and job achievement, the present study investigated the influence of participants' personality factors on a successful reintegration after a retraining program in a vocational training center over 2 years. A central research objective was to identify prognostic personality factors for successful vocational integration. In this longitudinal study 15 vocational training centers participated at 3 time points of measurement (T1, T2 and T3). Data gathering was based on rehabilitants' self-reports (standardized questionnaires: SVF, BSW, SPR, CSES) about personality aspects. First data collection started at the beginning (T1) and a second survey was conducted at the end of the training 2 years later (T2). Based on the data at measurement points T1 and T2, 4 prognostic models were computed (binary logistic regression analysis) and evaluated, examining the differenzial influence of several scales and items on direct reintegration after completing the vocational retraining and reintegration status 6 months later (T3). As expected, different variables turned out to be relevant for occupational integration at the end of the training program and 6 months later. Correspondingly other variables appeared to be relevant for occupational reintegration at T1 and at T2. At the end of the vocational training program, approximately 24% of the participants had a job. With respect to direct reintegration, regression analysis revealed that vocational self-efficacy (R(2)=0,175) and self-evaluation were relevant (R(2)=0,383). Approximately 70% of the participants had gotten a job 6 months later. Several stress coping strategies (R(2)=0,170), estimation of the own reintegration prognosis and aspects

Evaluating safeguards effectiveness against protracted theft of special nuclear material by insiders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Ayat, R.; Sicherman, A.

1991-01-01

The new draft DOE Material Control and Accountability Order 5633.3 requires that facilities handling special nuclear material (SNM) evaluate their effectiveness against provided theft of SNMProtracted theft means repeated thefts of small quantities of material to accumulate a goal quanfity. To evaluate the safeguards effectiveness against pro thefts, one must addresses several issues: (1) defining relevant time frames for various threat scenarios and delayed detection safeguards: (2) identifying which safeguards come into play more than once because of repeated adversary actions or because of periodic occurrence during the theft time frame (e.g., daily administrative check on presence of material): (3) considering whether the second and subsequent applications of safeguards are different in effectiveness from the first; (4)synthesizing how physical security, material control, and material accountability safeguards combine to provide protection against protracted theft scenarios. In this paper we discuss these issues and describe how we are augmenting the Analytic System and Software for Evaluating Safeguards and Security (ASSESS) to provide the user with a tool for evaluating effectiveness against protracted theft. Currently, the Insider module of ASSESS focuses on evaluating the ''timely'' detection of abrupt theft attempts by various types of single nonviolent insiders. In this paper we describe the approach we're implementing to augment ASSESS to handle various cases of protracted theft attempts

Academic training of nursing professionals and its relevance to the workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Maria del Carmen Barbera; Cecagno, Diana; Llor, Ana Myriam Seva; de Siqueira, Hedi Crecencia Heckler; Montesinos, Maria José López; Soler, Loreto Maciá

2015-01-01

to identify the training nursing professionals receive and its relevance to the workplace, as well as professional demand for continuous education. this was a descriptive observational study using a questionnaire entitled "Training and Adaptation of the Nursing Professional to the Workplace" available at: http://enfermeriadocente.es for nursing professionals. 53.8% of nurses do not consider the training received to be relevant to the needs of the workplace and 94.2% reported that linking academic education to the workplace impacts on the quality of care provided. Nursing professionals think that continuous education needs to be adjusted to their jobs and careers. Education should be viewed as a continuum, which begins with training.

Structural integrity of ceramic multilayer capacitor materials and ceramic multilayer capacitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

With, de G.

1993-01-01

An review with 61 refs. is given of the fracture of and stress situation in ceramic capacitor materials and ceramic multilayer capacitors. A brief introduction to the relevant concepts is given first. Next the data for capacitor materials and the data for capacitors are discussed. The materials data

Crystal River 3 Cable Materials for Thermal and Gamma Radiation Aging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fifield, Leonard S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Correa, Miguel [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zwoster, Andy [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-09-07

opportunity to assess actual in-plant material aging and compare it to the expectations for service aging implied in original equipment qualification. The received samples are from cables manufactured as early as 1971 and as late as 1998. Of the original manufacturers, BIW, Anaconda and Kerite no longer supply low-voltage cables to the nuclear industry. Okonite, Rockbestos, and Brand-Rex do still supply nuclear-grade low-voltage cables, but most cable insulation formulations have changed over the years. Thus the availability of the CR3 samples representative of cables installed in existing U.S. NPPs also presents the opportunity for additional aging studies on the most relevant insulation and jacketing materials. This report describes the cables received from CR3 through EPRI assistance, some of the specific knowledge gaps that study of these cable materials can be used to address, and experimental plans for addressing those gaps using these materials. Harvested cables from CR3 and other NPPs that have experienced long term service, new old stock cables (manufactured before 2000, but never put in service), and relevant modern nuclear cables and materials from cable manufacturers are enabling research to address identified knowledge gaps and better understand long term aging behavior for cable materials currently installed in NPPs. This research, combined with refined understanding of actual service environments and conditions, will both support subsequent licensing activities and more efficient plant cable aging management.

Nanoscale reference materials for environmental, health and safety measurements: needs, gaps and opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Stefaniak, Aleksandr B; Hackley, Vincent A; Roebben, Gert; Ehara, Kensei; Hankin, Steve; Postek, Michael T; Lynch, Iseult; Fu, Wei-En; Linsinger, Thomas P J; Thünemann, Andreas F

2013-12-01

The authors critically reviewed published lists of nano-objects and their physico-chemical properties deemed important for risk assessment and discussed metrological challenges associated with the development of nanoscale reference materials (RMs). Five lists were identified that contained 25 (classes of) nano-objects; only four (gold, silicon dioxide, silver, titanium dioxide) appeared on all lists. Twenty-three properties were identified for characterisation; only (specific) surface area appeared on all lists. The key themes that emerged from this review were: 1) various groups have prioritised nano-objects for development as "candidate RMs" with limited consensus; 2) a lack of harmonised terminology hinders accurate description of many nano-object properties; 3) many properties identified for characterisation are ill-defined or qualitative and hence are not metrologically traceable; 4) standardised protocols are critically needed for characterisation of nano-objects as delivered in relevant media and as administered to toxicological models; 5) the measurement processes being used to characterise a nano-object must be understood because instruments may measure a given sample in a different way; 6) appropriate RMs should be used for both accurate instrument calibration and for more general testing purposes (e.g., protocol validation); 7) there is a need to clarify that where RMs are not available, if "(representative) test materials" that lack reference or certified values may be useful for toxicology testing and 8) there is a need for consensus building within the nanotechnology and environmental, health and safety communities to prioritise RM needs and better define the required properties and (physical or chemical) forms of the candidate materials.

Nuclear material operations manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyler, R.P.; Gassman, L.D.

1978-04-01

This manual is intended to provide a concise and comprehensive documentation of the operating procedures currently practiced at Sandia Laboratories with regard to the management, control, and accountability of radioactive and nuclear materials. The manual is divided into chapters which are devoted to the separate functions performed in nuclear material operations--management, control, accountability, and safeguards, and the final two chapters comprise a document which is also issued separately to provide a summary of the information and operating procedures relevant to custodians and users of radioactive and nuclear materials. The manual also contains samples of the forms utilized in carrying out nuclear material activities. To enhance the clarity of presentation, operating procedures are presented in the form of ''play-scripts'' in which the responsible organizations and necessary actions are clearly delineated in a chronological fashion from the initiation of a transaction to its completion

Disseminating relevant health information to underserved audiences: implications of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreps, Gary L

2005-10-01

This paper examines the influence of the digital divide on disparities in health outcomes for vulnerable populations, identifying implications for medical and public libraries. The paper describes the results of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects demonstration research programs funded by the National Cancer Institute to test new strategies for disseminating relevant health information to underserved and at-risk audiences. The Digital Divide Pilot Projects field-tested innovative systemic strategies for helping underserved populations access and utilize relevant health information to make informed health-related decisions about seeking appropriate health care and support, resisting avoidable and significant health risks, and promoting their own health. The paper builds on the Digital Divide Pilot Projects by identifying implications for developing health communication strategies that libraries can adopt to provide digital health information to vulnerable populations.

Morphological and molecular methods to identify butternut (Juglans cinerea) and butternut hybrids: relevance to butternut conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross-Davis, Amy; Huang, Zhonglian; McKenna, James; Ostry, Michael; Woeste, Keith

2008-07-01

Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) is a native, cold-tolerant, hard-mast species formerly valued for its nuts and wood, which is now endangered. The most immediate threat to butternut restoration is the spread of butternut canker disease, caused by the exotic fungus Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum Nair, Kostichka & Kuntz. Other threats include the hybridization of butternut with the exotic Japanese walnut (Juglans ailantifolia Carr.) and poor regeneration. The hybrids, known as buartnuts, are vegetatively vigorous, highly fecund, more resistant than butternut to butternut canker disease and difficult to identify. We review the vegetative and reproductive morphological traits that distinguish butternut from hybrids and identify those that can be used by field biologists to separate the taxa. No single trait was sufficient to separate butternut from hybrids, but pith color, lenticel size, shape and abundance, and the presence or absence of a notch in the upper margin of leaf scars, can be used in combination with other traits to identify butternuts and exclude most hybrids. In at least one butternut population, reduced symptoms of butternut canker disease were significantly associated with a dark barked phenotype. We also describe two randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers that differentiate butternuts from hybrids based on DNA polymorphism. Together, these results should assist in the identification and testing of non-hybrid butternut for breeding and reintroduction of the species to its former habitats.

Proceedings of the two day national workshop on advanced materials for engineering applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John Alexis, S.; Jayakumar, S.

2012-01-01

The subjects like material preparation, material forming, material properties, materials testing, material mechanics, material structure, metal materials, non-metallic materials, composite materials, medical materials, chemical materials, food materials, electrician/electrical materials, building materials, biological materials, electronic/magnetic/optical materials, advanced materials applications in engineering are included in the workshop. Processing of advanced materials, studies on novel ceramic coatings, high strength, light weight and nanostructured materials are discussed in this proceedings. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Positive patch test reactions to oxidized limonene: exposure and relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bråred Christensson, Johanna; Andersen, Klaus E; Bruze, Magnus; Johansen, Jeanne D; Garcia-Bravo, Begoña; Gimenez Arnau, Ana; Goh, Chee-Leok; Nixon, Rosemary; White, Ian R

2014-11-01

R-Limonene is a common fragrance terpene found in domestic and industrial products. R-Limonene autoxidizes on air exposure, and the oxidation products can cause contact allergy. In a recent multicentre study, 5.2% (range 2.3-12.1%) of 2900 patients showed a positive patch test reaction to oxidized R-limonene. To study the exposure to limonene among consecutive dermatitis patients reacting to oxidized R-limonene in an international setting, and to assess the relevance of the exposure for the patients' dermatitis. Oxidized R-limonene 3.0% (containing limonene hydroperoxides at 0.33%) in petrolatum was tested in 2900 consecutive dermatitis patients in Australia, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Spain, and Sweden. A questionnaire assessing exposure to limonene-containing products was completed. Overall, exposure to products containing limonene was found and assessed as being probably relevant for the patients' dermatitis in 36% of the limonene-allergic patients. In Barcelona and Copenhagen, > 70% of the patients were judged to have had an exposure to limonene assessed as relevant. Oxidized R-limonene is a common fragrance allergen, and limonene was frequently found in the labelling on the patients' products, and assessed as relevant for the patients' dermatitis. A large number of domestic and occupational sources for contact with R-limonene were identified. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental risk assessment of biocidal products: identification of relevant components and reliability of a component-based mixture assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Coors, Anja; Vollmar, Pia; Heim, Jennifer; Sacher, Frank; Kehrer, Anja

2018-01-01

Biocidal products are mixtures of one or more active substances (a.s.) and a broad range of formulation additives. There is regulatory guidance currently under development that will specify how the combined effects of the a.s. and any relevant formulation additives shall be considered in the environmental risk assessment of biocidal products. The default option is a component-based approach (CBA) by which the toxicity of the product is predicted from the toxicity of 'relevant' components using concentration addition. Hence, unequivocal and practicable criteria are required for identifying the 'relevant' components to ensure protectiveness of the CBA, while avoiding unnecessary workload resulting from including by default components that do not significantly contribute to the product toxicity. The present study evaluated a set of different criteria for identifying 'relevant' components using confidential information on the composition of 21 wood preservative products. Theoretical approaches were complemented by experimentally testing the aquatic toxicity of seven selected products. For three of the seven tested products, the toxicity was underestimated for the most sensitive endpoint (green algae) by more than factor 2 if only the a.s. were considered in the CBA. This illustrated the necessity of including at least some additives along with the a.s. Considering additives that were deemed 'relevant' by the tentatively established criteria reduced the underestimation of toxicity for two of the three products. A lack of data for one specific additive was identified as the most likely reason for the remaining toxicity underestimation of the third product. In three other products, toxicity was overestimated by more than factor 2, while prediction and observation fitted well for the seventh product. Considering all additives in the prediction increased only the degree of overestimation. Supported by theoretical calculations and experimental verifications, the present

Detecting clinically relevant new information in clinical notes across specialties and settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V S; Arsoniadis, Elliot G; Lee, Janet T; Wang, Yan; Melton, Genevieve B

2017-07-05

Automated methods for identifying clinically relevant new versus redundant information in electronic health record (EHR) clinical notes is useful for clinicians and researchers involved in patient care and clinical research, respectively. We evaluated methods to automatically identify clinically relevant new information in clinical notes, and compared the quantity of redundant information across specialties and clinical settings. Statistical language models augmented with semantic similarity measures were evaluated as a means to detect and quantify clinically relevant new and redundant information over longitudinal clinical notes for a given patient. A corpus of 591 progress notes over 40 inpatient admissions was annotated for new information longitudinally by physicians to generate a reference standard. Note redundancy between various specialties was evaluated on 71,021 outpatient notes and 64,695 inpatient notes from 500 solid organ transplant patients (April 2015 through August 2015). Our best method achieved at best performance of 0.87 recall, 0.62 precision, and 0.72 F-measure. Addition of semantic similarity metrics compared to baseline improved recall but otherwise resulted in similar performance. While outpatient and inpatient notes had relatively similar levels of high redundancy (61% and 68%, respectively), redundancy differed by author specialty with mean redundancy of 75%, 66%, 57%, and 55% observed in pediatric, internal medicine, psychiatry and surgical notes, respectively. Automated techniques with statistical language models for detecting redundant versus clinically relevant new information in clinical notes do not improve with the addition of semantic similarity measures. While levels of redundancy seem relatively similar in the inpatient and ambulatory settings in the Fairview Health Services, clinical note redundancy appears to vary significantly with different medical specialties.

The effects of radiations on materials for core internals of PWRs: EDF-CEA-Framatome joint research programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathan, N. de; Buisine, D.; Goltrant, O.; Dubuisson, P.; Scott, P.; Deydier, D.; Trenty, A.

1998-01-01

The effects of neutron irradiation on materials for the core internals of PWRs (austenitic stainless steels) are potentially a significant economic and regulatory concern for EDF. The maintenance strategy for EDF relies primarily on in-service inspection, safety analysis and characterization of materials irradiated in-service. In addition, to anticipate likely future behaviour of highly irradiated materials, EDF has initiated, in collaboration with CEA and Framatome, a large R and D programme designed to (i) evaluate the effects of neutron irradiation on mechanical properties and stress corrosion cracking sensitivity (IASCC), and (ii) identify possible replacement materials. The programme, currently in progress, involves mechanical tests (tensile, fracture toughness, irradiation creep), stress corrosion cracking tests (in flux and out of flux) and metallurgical examinations. The test materials are being irradiated in several experimental reactors in France and Russia up to PWR-related end of life doses (∼ 80 dpa) at several PWR-relevant irradiation temperatures (300-400 deg. C). The presentation will describe the objectives and early results of this ongoing R and D programme. (author)

Concise encyclopedia of semiconducting materials and related technologies

CERN Document Server

Mahajan, S M

1992-01-01

The development of electronic materials and particularly advances in semiconductor technology have played a central role in the electronics revolution by allowing the production of increasingly cheap and powerful computing equipment and advanced telecommunications devices. This Concise Encyclopedia, which incorporates relevant articles from the acclaimed Encyclopedia of Materials Science and Engineering as well as newly commissioned articles, emphasizes the materials aspects of semiconductors and the technologies important in solid-state electronics. Growth of bulk crystals and epitaxial layer

Quantifying the risks of solid aerosol geoengineering: the role of fundamental material properties

Science.gov (United States)

Dykema, J. A.; Keutsch, F. N.; Keith, D.

2017-12-01

Solid aerosols have been considered as an alternative to sulfate aerosols for solar geoengineering due to their optical and chemical properties, which lead to different and possibly more attractive risk profiles. Solid aerosols can achieve higher solar scattering efficiency due to their higher refractive index, and in some cases may also be less effective absorbers of thermal infrared radiation. The optical properties of solid aerosols are however sensitive functions of the detailed physical properties of solid materials in question. The relevant details include the exact crystalline structure of the aerosols, the physical size of the particles, and interactions with background stratospheric molecular and particulate constituents. In this work, we examine the impact of these detailed physical properties on the radiative properties of calcite (CaCO3) solid aerosols. We examine how crystal morphology, size, chemical reactions, and interaction with background stratospheric aerosol may alter the scattering and absorption properties of calcite aerosols for solar and thermal infrared radiation. For example, in small particles, crystal lattice vibrations associated with the particle surface may lead to substantially different infrared absorption properties than bulk materials. We examine the wavelength dependence of absorption by the particles, which may lead to altered patterns of stratospheric radiative heating and equilibrium temperatures. Such temperature changes can lead to dynamical changes, with consequences for both stratospheric composition and tropospheric climate. We identify important uncertainties in the current state of understanding, investigate risks associated with these uncertainties, and survey potential approaches to quantitatively improving our knowledge of the relevant material properties.

Overview of materials research for fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muroga, T.; Gasparotto, M.; Zinkle, S.J.

2002-01-01

Materials research for fusion reactors is overviewed from Japanese, EU and US perspectives. Emphasis is placed on programs and strategies for developing blanket structural materials, and recent highlights in research and development for reduced activation ferritic martensitic steels, vanadium alloys and SiC/SiC composites, and in mechanistic experimental and modeling studies. The common critical issue for the candidate materials is the effect of irradiation with helium production. For the qualification of materials up to the full lifetime of a DEMO and Power Plant reactors, an intense neutron source with relevant fusion neutron spectra is crucial. Elaborate use of the presently available irradiation devices will facilitate efficient and sound materials development within the required time scale

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DATA USED FOR IDENTIFYING ...

Science.gov (United States)

Due to unique social and demographic characteristics, various segments of the population may experience exposures different from those of the general population, which, in many cases, may be greater. When risk assessments do not characterize subsets of the general population, the populations that may experience the greatest risk remain unidentified. When such populations are not identified, the social and demographic data relevant to these populations is not considered when preparing exposure estimates, which can underestimate exposure and risk estimates for at-risk populations. Thus, it is necessary for risk or exposure assessors characterizing a diverse population, to first identify and then enumerate certain groups within the general population who are at risk for greater contaminant exposures. The document entitled Sociodemographic Data Used for Identifying Potentially Highly Exposed Populations (also referred to as the Highly Exposed Populations document), assists assessors in identifying and enumerating potentially highly exposed populations. This document presents data relating to factors which potentially impact an individual or group's exposure to environmental contaminants based on activity patterns (how time is spent), microenvironments (locations where time is spent), and other socio-demographic data such as age, gender, race and economic status. Populations potentially more exposed to various chemicals of concern, relative to the general population

Energetic materials standards – Chemical compatibility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tuukkanen, I.M.; Bouma, R.H.B.

2014-01-01

Subgroup A Energetic Materials Team, SG/A (EMT), develops and maintains standards that are relevant to all life-cycle phases of ammunition/weapon systems. STANAG 4147 is the standard regarding chemical compatibility of explosives with munition components, and is a document of prime importance.

Stress corrosion cracking of equipment materials in domestic pressurized water reactors and the relevant safety management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Haitao

2015-01-01

International and domestic research and project state about stress corrosion cracking of nuclear equipments and materials (including austenitic stainless steel and nickel based alloys) in pressurized water reactor are discussed, and suggestions on how to prevent, mitigate ana deal with the stress corrosion cracking issues in domestic reactors are given in this paper based on real case analysis and study ondomestic nuclear equipment and material stress corrosion cracking failure. (author)

The materiality of materials and artefacts used in science classrooms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cowie, Bronwen; Otrel-Cass, Kathrin; Moreland, Judy

Material objects and artefacts receive limited attention in science education (Roehl, 2012) though they shape emerging interactions. This is surprising given science has material and a social dimensions (Pickering, 1995) whereby new knowledge develops as a consensus explanation of natural phenomena...... that is mediated significantly through materials and instruments used. Here we outline the ways teachers deployed material objects and artefacts by identifying their materiality to provide scenarios and resources (Roth, 2005) for interactions. Theoretical framework We use Ingold's (2011) distinction between...... materials as natural objects in this world and artefacts as manmade objects. We are aware that in a classroom material objects and artefacts shape, and are shaped by classroom practice through the way they selectively present scientific explanations. However, materials and artefacts have no intrinsic...

Proceedings of DAE-BRNS third international symposium on materials chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, Deepak; Banerjee, Atindra Mohan; Nigam, Sandeep; Varma, Salil; Tripathi, Arvind Kumar; Bharadwaj, Shyamala Rajkumar; Das, Dasarathi

2010-12-01

The present volume consists of the proceedings of the DAE-BRNS Third International Symposium on Materials Chemistry. In order to keep pace with the advancements made in the area of materials chemistry, new topics like materials for energy conversion, biomaterials, carbon based materials, soft condensed materials, thin films, surface chemistry, polymer based materials, organic and organometallics, magnetic materials and high purity materials have been included in this symposium while topics like nuclear materials, nanomaterials and clusters, catalysis, chemical sensors, fuel cell materials and computational research in materials chemistry have been continued as important features of the symposium. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

The Limits to Relevance

Science.gov (United States)

Averill, M.; Briggle, A.

2006-12-01

Science policy and knowledge production lately have taken a pragmatic turn. Funding agencies increasingly are requiring scientists to explain the relevance of their work to society. This stems in part from mounting critiques of the "linear model" of knowledge production in which scientists operating according to their own interests or disciplinary standards are presumed to automatically produce knowledge that is of relevance outside of their narrow communities. Many contend that funded scientific research should be linked more directly to societal goals, which implies a shift in the kind of research that will be funded. While both authors support the concept of useful science, we question the exact meaning of "relevance" and the wisdom of allowing it to control research agendas. We hope to contribute to the conversation by thinking more critically about the meaning and limits of the term "relevance" and the trade-offs implicit in a narrow utilitarian approach. The paper will consider which interests tend to be privileged by an emphasis on relevance and address issues such as whose goals ought to be pursued and why, and who gets to decide. We will consider how relevance, narrowly construed, may actually limit the ultimate utility of scientific research. The paper also will reflect on the worthiness of research goals themselves and their relationship to a broader view of what it means to be human and to live in society. Just as there is more to being human than the pragmatic demands of daily life, there is more at issue with knowledge production than finding the most efficient ways to satisfy consumer preferences or fix near-term policy problems. We will conclude by calling for a balanced approach to funding research that addresses society's most pressing needs but also supports innovative research with less immediately apparent application.

Prognostic relevance of molecular subtypes and master regulators in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janky, Rekin’s; Binda, Maria Mercedes; Allemeersch, Joke; Van den broeck, Anke; Govaere, Olivier; Swinnen, Johannes V.; Roskams, Tania; Aerts, Stein; Topal, Baki

2016-01-01

Pancreatic cancer is poorly characterized at genetic and non-genetic levels. The current study evaluates in a large cohort of patients the prognostic relevance of molecular subtypes and key transcription factors in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We performed gene expression analysis of whole-tumor tissue obtained from 118 surgically resected PDAC and 13 histologically normal pancreatic tissue samples. Cox regression models were used to study the effect on survival of molecular subtypes and 16 clinicopathological prognostic factors. In order to better understand the biology of PDAC we used iRegulon to identify transcription factors (TFs) as master regulators of PDAC and its subtypes. We confirmed the PDAssign gene signature as classifier of PDAC in molecular subtypes with prognostic relevance. We found molecular subtypes, but not clinicopathological factors, as independent predictors of survival. Regulatory network analysis predicted that HNF1A/B are among thousand TFs the top enriched master regulators of the genes expressed in the normal pancreatic tissue compared to the PDAC regulatory network. On immunohistochemistry staining of PDAC samples, we observed low expression of HNF1B in well differentiated towards no expression in poorly differentiated PDAC samples. We predicted IRF/STAT, AP-1, and ETS-family members as key transcription factors in gene signatures downstream of mutated KRAS. PDAC can be classified in molecular subtypes that independently predict survival. HNF1A/B seem to be good candidates as master regulators of pancreatic differentiation, which at the protein level loses its expression in malignant ductal cells of the pancreas, suggesting its putative role as tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under the number NCT01116791 (May 3, 2010). The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2540-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

International safeguards relevant to geologic disposal of high-level wastes and spent fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pillay, K.K.S.; Picard, R.R.

1989-01-01

Spent fuels from once-through fuel cycles placed in underground repositories have the potential to become attractive targets for diversion and/or theft because of their valuable material content and decreasing radioactivity. The first geologic repository in the US, as currently designed, will contain approximately 500 Mt of plutonium, 60,000 Mt of uranium and a host of other fissile and strategically important elements. This paper identifies some of the international safeguards issues relevant to the various proposed scenarios for disposing of the spent fuel. In the context of the US program for geologic disposal of spent fuels, this paper highlights several issues that should be addressed in the near term by US industries, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission before the geologic repositories for spent fuels become a reality. Based on US spent fuel discharges, an example is presented to illustrate the enormity of the problem of verifying spent fuel inventories. The geologic disposal scenario for high-level wastes originating from defense facilities produced a ''practicably irrecoverable'' waste form. Therefore, safeguards issues for geologic disposal of high-level waste now in the US are less pressing. 56 refs. , 2 figs

[Titanium or steel as osteosynthesis material : Systematic literature search for clinical evidence].

Science.gov (United States)

Joeris, Alexander; Goldhahn, Sabine; Rometsch, Elke; Höntzsch, Dankward

2017-02-01

The selection of the appropriate implant material, stainless steel or titanium, is still the decision of the surgeon and/or the affiliated institution. Additionally, remarkable international differences can be found between the different markets, which cannot really be explained. A systematic literature search was performed to verify whether there is clinical evidence for the preference of one material over the other. The systematic literature search was performed utilizing the internet databases PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science. Comparative studies were included that reported on adult patients with osteosynthesis of extremities after trauma using either stainless steel or titanium implants. Information was extracted about infection rates, incidence of clinically relevant allergies, problems with implant removal and other complications. A total of 18 publications were identified to be eligible and 2 referenced articles were added. In summary, there is insufficient clinical evidence that the use of titanium or steel implants has a positive or negative effect on fracture healing, shows different rates of allergies, different rates of infections or mechanical failure. No supporting evidence could be identified for the difficulties with removal of titanium implants reported by surgeons. This systematic literature search did not provide any clinical evidence for material-related differences between titanium or stainless steel implants for fracture fixation. Based on the current clinical evidence both titanium and steel implants can be considered to be of equal value. The reported difficulties with implant removal are not reflected in the published literature.

Identifying content for simulation-based curricula in urology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nayahangan, Leizl Joy; Hansen, Rikke Bolling; Lindorff-Larsen, Karen Gilboe

2017-01-01

to identify technical procedures in urology that should be included in a simulation-based curriculum for residency training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A national needs assessment was performed using the Delphi method involving 56 experts with significant roles in the education of urologists. Round 1 identified...

Nostalgia's place among self-relevant emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

van Tilburg, Wijnand A P; Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine

2017-07-24

How is nostalgia positioned among self-relevant emotions? We tested, in six studies, which self-relevant emotions are perceived as most similar versus least similar to nostalgia, and what underlies these similarities/differences. We used multidimensional scaling to chart the perceived similarities/differences among self-relevant emotions, resulting in two-dimensional models. The results were revealing. Nostalgia is positioned among self-relevant emotions characterised by positive valence, an approach orientation, and low arousal. Nostalgia most resembles pride and self-compassion, and least resembles embarrassment and shame. Our research pioneered the integration of nostalgia among self-relevant emotions.

Modelling the influence of carbon content on material behavior during forging

Science.gov (United States)

Korpała, G.; Ullmann, M.; Graf, M.; Wester, H.; Bouguecha, A.; Awiszus, B.; Behrens, B.-A.; Kawalla, R.

2017-10-01

Nowadays the design of single process steps and even of whole process chains is realized by the use of numerical simulation, in particular finite element (FE) based methods. A detailed numerical simulation of hot forging processes requires realistic models, which consider the relevant material-specific parameters to characterize the material behavior, the surface phenomena, the dies as well as models for the machine kinematic. This data exists partial for several materials, but general information on steel groups depending on alloying elements are not available. In order to generate the scientific input data regarding to material modelling, it is necessary to take into account the mathematical functions for deformation behavior as well as recrystallization kinetic, which depends alloying elements, initial microstructure and reheating mode. Besides the material flow characterization, a detailed description of surface changes caused by oxide scale is gaining in importance, as these phenomena affect the material flow and the component quality. Experiments to investigate the influence of only one chemical element on the oxide scale kinetic and the inner structure at high temperatures are still not available. Most data concerning these characteristics is provided for the steel grade C45, so this steel will be used as basis for the tests. In order to identify the effect of the carbon content on the material and oxidation behavior, the steel grades C15 and C60 will be investigated. This paper gives first approaches with regard to the influence of the carbon content on the oxide scale kinetic and the flow stresses combined with the initial microstructure.

THE RELEVANCE OF GOODWILL REPORTING IN AN ISLAMIC CONTEXT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radu-Daniel LOGHIN

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In recent years global finance has seen the emergence of Islamic finance as an alternative to the western secular system. While the two systems posses largely similar concepts of social equity and well-being the major divide between them rests in the distinction between divine and natural law as a source of protection for the downtrodden. As communication barriers between the Arabic and Anglo-European accounting systems start to blur, the question posed for the practitioners as to what constitutes a source of equity becomes more and more relevant. Considering the case of Islamic countries, besides internally-generated and acquired goodwill Islamic sources of social equity such as zakat also provide a source of social equity. For the purpose of this paper, two models pertaining to value relevance are tested for a sample of 56 companies in 6 accounting jurisdictions with the purpose of identifying the underlying sources of social equity revealing that zakat disclosures marginally improve the accuracy of the model.

Disseminating relevant health information to underserved audiences: implications of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects*

Science.gov (United States)

Kreps, Gary L.

2005-01-01

Objective: This paper examines the influence of the digital divide on disparities in health outcomes for vulnerable populations, identifying implications for medical and public libraries. Method: The paper describes the results of the Digital Divide Pilot Projects demonstration research programs funded by the National Cancer Institute to test new strategies for disseminating relevant health information to underserved and at-risk audiences. Results: The Digital Divide Pilot Projects field-tested innovative systemic strategies for helping underserved populations access and utilize relevant health information to make informed health-related decisions about seeking appropriate health care and support, resisting avoidable and significant health risks, and promoting their own health. Implications: The paper builds on the Digital Divide Pilot Projects by identifying implications for developing health communication strategies that libraries can adopt to provide digital health information to vulnerable populations. PMID:16239960

Raw material variability of an active pharmaceutical ingredient and its relevance for processability in secondary continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Stauffer, F; Vanhoorne, V; Pilcer, G; Chavez, P-F; Rome, S; Schubert, M A; Aerts, L; De Beer, T

2018-06-01

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) raw material variability is not always thoroughly considered during pharmaceutical process development, mainly due to low quantities of drug substance available. However, synthesis, crystallization routes and production sites evolve during product development and product life cycle leading to changes in physical material attributes which can potentially affect their processability. Recent literature highlights the need for a global approach to understand the link between material synthesis, material variability, process and product quality. The study described in this article aims at explaining the raw material variability of an API using extensive material characterization on a restricted number of representative batches using multivariate data analysis. It is part of a larger investigation trying to link the API drug substance manufacturing process, the resulting physical API raw material attributes and the drug product continuous manufacturing process. Eight API batches produced using different synthetic routes, crystallization, drying, delumping processes and processing equipment were characterized, extensively. Seventeen properties from seven characterization techniques were retained for further analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Three principal components (PCs) were sufficient to explain 92.9% of the API raw material variability. The first PC was related to crystal length, agglomerate size and fraction, flowability and electrostatic charging. The second PC was driven by the span of the particle size distribution and the agglomerates strength. The third PC was related to surface energy. Additionally, the PCA allowed to summarize the API batch-to-batch variability in only three PCs which can be used in future drug product development studies to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the API raw material variability upon the drug product process. The approach described in this article could be applied to any

NSUF Irradiated Materials Library

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, James Irvin [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-09-01

The Nuclear Science User Facilities has been in the process of establishing an innovative Irradiated Materials Library concept for maximizing the value of previous and on-going materials and nuclear fuels irradiation test campaigns, including utilization of real-world components retrieved from current and decommissioned reactors. When the ATR national scientific user facility was established in 2007 one of the goals of the program was to establish a library of irradiated samples for users to access and conduct research through competitively reviewed proposal process. As part of the initial effort, staff at the user facility identified legacy materials from previous programs that are still being stored in laboratories and hot-cell facilities at the INL. In addition other materials of interest were identified that are being stored outside the INL that the current owners have volunteered to enter into the library. Finally, over the course of the last several years, the ATR NSUF has irradiated more than 3500 specimens as part of NSUF competitively awarded research projects. The Logistics of managing this large inventory of highly radioactive poses unique challenges. This document will describe materials in the library, outline the policy for accessing these materials and put forth a strategy for making new additions to the library as well as establishing guidelines for minimum pedigree needed to be included in the library to limit the amount of material stored indefinitely without identified value.

Proceedings of the DAE-BRNS fourth interdisciplinary symposium on materials chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, D.; Banerjee, A.M.; Bhattacharyya, K.; Nigam, S.; Varma, S.; Tripathi, A.K.; Das, D.

2012-12-01

This symposium covers almost all the contemporary research areas of materials chemistry like materials for energy conversion, biomaterials, carbon based materials, chemical sensors, fuel cell materials and other electro-ceramics, polymers and soft condensed matters, thin films and surface chemistry, organic and organometallics, high purity materials, nanomaterials and clusters to acquaint ourselves with the advancement made in these emerging areas. Topics like nuclear materials, magnetic materials, catalysis and computational materials chemistry continue to be important facet of ISMC series of symposia. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Whole Language-Based English Reading Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dian Erlina

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This Research and Development (R&D aims at developing English reading materials for undergraduate EFL students of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN Raden Fatah Palembang, Indonesia. Research data were obtained through questionnaires, tests, and documents. The results of the research show that the existing materials are not relevant to the students’ need, so there is a need for developing new materials based on whole language principles. In general, the new developed materials are considered reliable by the experts, students, and lecturers. The materials are also effective in improving students’ reading achievement. The final product of the materials consists of a course book entitled Whole Language Reading (WLR and a teacher’s manual. WLR provides rich input of reading strategies, variety of topics, concepts, texts, activities, tasks, and evaluations. Using this book makes reading more holistic and meaningful as it provides integration across language skills and subject areas.

Proceedings of the international symposium for research scholars on metallurgy, materials science and engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Topics covered in this symposium are: steels, functional materials posters, computational materials science, casting and solidification, polymer matrix composites, posters electronic materials, environmental degradation processing of non-metallic materials posters, energy materials, materials forming technology, biomaterials, magnetic materials, mechanical behaviour of materials posters, phase transformations and physical metallurgy, surface engineering, nanostructured materials, ceramics, processing of metals, materials joining technology and optical materials. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

A review of the characteristics of dietary fibers relevant to appetite and energy intake outcomes in human intervention trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Poutanen, Kaisa S; Dussort, Pierre; Erkner, Alfrun; Fiszman, Susana; Karnik, Kavita; Kristensen, Mette; Marsaux, Cyril Fm; Miquel-Kergoat, Sophie; Pentikäinen, Saara P; Putz, Peter; Slavin, Joanne L; Steinert, Robert E; Mela, David J

2017-09-01

Background: Many intervention studies have tested the effect of dietary fibers (DFs) on appetite-related outcomes, with inconsistent results. However, DFs comprise a wide range of compounds with diverse properties, and the specific contribution of these to appetite control is not well characterized. Objective: The influence of specific DF characteristics [i.e., viscosity, gel-forming capacity, fermentability, or molecular weight (MW)] on appetite-related outcomes was assessed in healthy humans. Design: Controlled human intervention trials that tested the effects of well-characterized DFs on appetite ratings or energy intake were identified from a systematic search of literature. Studies were included only if they reported 1 ) DF name and origin and 2 ) data on viscosity, gelling properties, fermentability, or MW of the DF materials or DF-containing matrixes. Results: A high proportion of the potentially relevant literature was excluded because of lack of adequate DF characterization. In total, 49 articles that met these criteria were identified, which reported 90 comparisons of various DFs in foods, beverages, or supplements in acute or sustained-exposure trials. In 51 of the 90 comparisons, the DF-containing material of interest was efficacious for ≥1 appetite-related outcome. Reported differences in material viscosity, MW, or fermentability did not clearly correspond to differences in efficacy, whereas gel-forming DF sources were consistently efficacious (but with very few comparisons). Conclusions: The overall inconsistent relations of DF properties with respect to efficacy may reflect variation in measurement methodology, nature of the DF preparation and matrix, and study designs. Methods of DF characterization, incorporation, and study design are too inconsistent to allow generalized conclusions about the effects of DF properties on appetite and preclude the development of reliable, predictive, structure-function relations. Improved standards for

Spatially Compact Neural Clusters in the Dorsal Striatum Encode Locomotion Relevant Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbera, Giovanni; Liang, Bo; Zhang, Lifeng; Gerfen, Charles R; Culurciello, Eugenio; Chen, Rong; Li, Yun; Lin, Da-Ting

2016-10-05

An influential striatal model postulates that neural activities in the striatal direct and indirect pathways promote and inhibit movement, respectively. Normal behavior requires coordinated activity in the direct pathway to facilitate intended locomotion and indirect pathway to inhibit unwanted locomotion. In this striatal model, neuronal population activity is assumed to encode locomotion relevant information. Here, we propose a novel encoding mechanism for the dorsal striatum. We identified spatially compact neural clusters in both the direct and indirect pathways. Detailed characterization revealed similar cluster organization between the direct and indirect pathways, and cluster activities from both pathways were correlated with mouse locomotion velocities. Using machine-learning algorithms, cluster activities could be used to decode locomotion relevant behavioral states and locomotion velocity. We propose that neural clusters in the dorsal striatum encode locomotion relevant information and that coordinated activities of direct and indirect pathway neural clusters are required for normal striatal controlled behavior. VIDEO ABSTRACT. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Relevance theory: pragmatics and cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wearing, Catherine J

2015-01-01

Relevance Theory is a cognitively oriented theory of pragmatics, i.e., a theory of language use. It builds on the seminal work of H.P. Grice(1) to develop a pragmatic theory which is at once philosophically sensitive and empirically plausible (in both psychological and evolutionary terms). This entry reviews the central commitments and chief contributions of Relevance Theory, including its Gricean commitment to the centrality of intention-reading and inference in communication; the cognitively grounded notion of relevance which provides the mechanism for explaining pragmatic interpretation as an intention-driven, inferential process; and several key applications of the theory (lexical pragmatics, metaphor and irony, procedural meaning). Relevance Theory is an important contribution to our understanding of the pragmatics of communication. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thermally and Chemically responsive nanoporous materials for efficient capture of fission product gases.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stroeve, Pieter; Faller, Roland

2018-04-24

The objective of this project was to develop robust, high-efficiency materials for capture of fission product gases such as He, Xe and Kr in scenarios relevant for both reactor fuels and reprocessing operations. The relevant environments are extremely harsh, encompassing temperatures up to 1500 °C, high levels of radiation, as well as potential exposures to highly-reactive chemicals such as nitric acid and organic solvents such as kerosene. The requirement for nanostructured capture materials is driven in part by the very short (few micron) diffusion distances for product gases in nuclear fuel.1-2 We achieved synthesis, characterization and detailed modeling of the materials. Although not all materials reviewed in this report will be feasible for the ultimate goal of integration in nuclear fuel, nevertheless each material studied has particular properties which will enable an optimized material to be efficiently developed and characterized.

Relevant Subspace Clustering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller, Emmanuel; Assent, Ira; Günnemann, Stephan

2009-01-01

Subspace clustering aims at detecting clusters in any subspace projection of a high dimensional space. As the number of possible subspace projections is exponential in the number of dimensions, the result is often tremendously large. Recent approaches fail to reduce results to relevant subspace...... clusters. Their results are typically highly redundant, i.e. many clusters are detected multiple times in several projections. In this work, we propose a novel model for relevant subspace clustering (RESCU). We present a global optimization which detects the most interesting non-redundant subspace clusters...... achieves top clustering quality while competing approaches show greatly varying performance....

Interatomic potentials for materials of nuclear interest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, Julian R.; Monti, Ana M.; Pasianot, Roberto C.; Simonelli, G.

2007-01-01

Procedures to develop embedded atom method (EAM) interatomic potentials are described, with foreseeable applications in nuclear materials. Their reliability is shown by evaluating relevant properties. The studied materials are Nb, Zr and U. The first two were then used to develop an inter species potential for the Zr-Nb binary system. In this sense, the Fe-Cu system was also studied starting from Fe and Cu potentials extracted from the literature. (author) [es

Spatial frequency mixing by nonlinear charge transport in photorefractive materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Limeres, J.; Carrascosa, M.; Arizmendi, L.

2002-01-01

in the material. The physical origin of the new gratings is extensively discussed. The formalism is applied to investigate multiple recording in LiNbO3 as a material relevant for applications. The influence of the multiple-recording method (either sequential or simultaneous) on the generation of second...

Trends in building materials

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mapiravana, Joseph

2012-07-01

Full Text Available , steel and composites research. Analysis of the building materials market situation in South Africa identified the major building material cost drivers as cement and concrete and steel. For South Africa, research and development focus has been... in South Africa be cement and concrete, light-weight steel construction, smart tiles and composite materials. Nanotechnology materials should be used for property enhancement. The building materials developed should be modularised and/or panelised...

Characterization of sialon-type materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spencer, Paul Newman [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1977-06-01

Four sialon-type materials using volcanic ash as a raw material were characterized and some of their properties were determined. The M3 and M4 materials were identified as β¹--Si₃N₄ sialons; their principal constituent is silicon. The M2 material was identified as a 15R-A1N polytype sialon whose principal constituent is aluminum. The M1 material is a mixture of the two types. An overview of results showing the general structural formulae and the relative order of the materials with respect to various properties as determined by the investigation is presented. It is concluded that of the materials tested, the M2 material shows the most promise as a candidate for meeting some of the current needs for high-temperature materials. It is also concluded that more research is needed in order to explain the low resistance of these materials to thermal shock since their coefficients of thermal expansion are relatively low.

Identifying known unknowns using the US EPA's CompTox Chemistry Dashboard

Science.gov (United States)

Chemical features observed using high-resolution mass spectrometry can be tentatively identified using online chemical reference databases by searching molecular formulae and monoisotopic masses and then rank-ordering of the hits using appropriate relevance criteria. The most li...

Inverse analyses of effective diffusion parameters relevant for a two-phase moisture model of cementitious materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Addassi, Mouadh; Johannesson, Björn; Wadsö, Lars

2018-01-01

Here we present an inverse analyses approach to determining the two-phase moisture transport properties relevant to concrete durability modeling. The purposed moisture transport model was based on a continuum approach with two truly separate equations for the liquid and gas phase being connected...... test, and, (iv) capillary suction test. Mass change over time, as obtained from the drying test, the two different cup test intervals and the capillary suction test, was used to obtain the effective diffusion parameters using the proposed inverse analyses approach. The moisture properties obtained...

Insulating materials for optoelectronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agullo-Lopez, F.

1990-01-01

Optoelectronics is an interdisciplinary field. Basic functions of an optoelectronic system include the generator of the optical signal, its transmission and handling and, finally, its detection, storage and display. A large variety of semiconductor and insulating materials are used or are being considered to perform those functions. The authors focus on insulating materials, mostly oxides. For signal generation, tunable solid state lasers, either vibronic or those based oon colour centres are briefly described, and their main operating parameters summarized. Reference is made to some developments on fiber and waveguide lasers. Relevant physical features of the silica fibres used for low-loss, long-band, optical transmission are reviewed, as well as present efforts to further reduce attenuation in the mid-infrared range. Particular attention is paid to photorefractive materials (LiNbO 3 , BGO, BSO, etc.), which are being investigated

Identifying New Strategies to Assess and Promote Online Health Communication and Social Media Outreach: An Application in Bullying Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Edgerton, Elizabeth; Reiney, Erin; Mueller, Siobhan; Reicherter, Barry; Curtis, Katherine; Waties, Stephanie; Limber, Susan P

2016-05-01

Every day in classrooms, playgrounds and school hallways, through text messages and mobile technology apps, children are bullied by other children. Conversations about this bullying-what it is, who is involved, and how to stop it-are taking place online. To fill a need for relevant, research-based materials on bullying, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration worked with Widmeyer Communications to investigate the scope of media conversations about bullying and discover new strategies for promoting appropriate public health messages about bullying to intended audiences. Key components of the methodology included: analyzing common search terms and aligning social media content with terms used in searches rather than technical language; identifying influencers in social media spheres, cultivating relationships with them, and sharing their positive, relevant content; examining which digital formats are most popular for sharing and creating content across platforms; tracking and reporting on a wide variety of metrics (such as click-through and engagement rates and reach, resonance, relevance, and Klout scores) to understand conversations around bullying; and looking at online conversations and engaging participants using applicable resources and calls to action. A key finding included a significant gap between search terms and online content and has led to recommendations and comprehensive ideas for improving the reach and resonance of StopBullying.gov content and communications. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

Academic training of nursing professionals and its relevance to the workplace 1

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Maria del Carmen Barbera; Cecagno, Diana; Llor, Ana Myriam Seva; de Siqueira, Hedi Crecencia Heckler; Montesinos, Maria José López; Soler, Loreto Maciá

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to identify the training nursing professionals receive and its relevance to the workplace, as well as professional demand for continuous education. METHODOLOGY: this was a descriptive observational study using a questionnaire entitled "Training and Adaptation of the Nursing Professional to the Workplace" available at: http://enfermeriadocente.es for nursing professionals. RESULTS: 53.8% of nurses do not consider the training received to be relevant to the needs of the workplace and 94.2% reported that linking academic education to the workplace impacts on the quality of care provided. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing professionals think that continuous education needs to be adjusted to their jobs and careers. Education should be viewed as a continuum, which begins with training. PMID:26312632

Profiles of Dialogue for Relevance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas Walton

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper uses argument diagrams, argumentation schemes, and some tools from formal argumentation systems developed in artificial intelligence to build a graph-theoretic model of relevance shown to be applicable (with some extensions as a practical method for helping a third party judge issues of relevance or irrelevance of an argument in real examples. Examples used to illustrate how the method works are drawn from disputes about relevance in natural language discourse, including a criminal trial and a parliamentary debate.

Natural radioactivity in construction materials; Natuerliche Radioaktivitaet in Bauprodukten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffmann, Bernd [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Berlin (Germany)

2017-04-01

Rocks and soils contain traces of uranium and thorium and their daughter products, also the primordial nuclide K-40. Most construction materials are produced from mineral raw materials and residuals from industrial processes, thus natural radionuclides can be detected. The radionuclide concentrations are relevant with respect to radiation protection. Radionuclides in construction materials can cause indoor radiation exposure due to their gamma radiation and due to inhalation of radon a gaseous nuclide that can diffuse out of the materials. Based on new legal developments in the European Union the Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz is now again concerned with radiation protection issues of building materials.

Re-enacting the relevance of the moral codes of the un-shrined ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Also they maintain social justice, give cultural identity and encourage patriotism. The work will, identify the moral codes and analyze the methods of enforcing them. It will also delve into how the gods are appeased. The socio-cultural significance would be treated for a clearer view of the relevance of the moral codes of the ...

Science and the struggle for relevance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hessels, L.K.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304832863

2010-01-01

This thesis deals with struggles for relevance of university researchers, their efforts to make their work correspond with ruling standards of relevance and to influence these standards. Its general research question is: How to understand changes in the struggle for relevance of Dutch academic

Plutonium-bearing materials feed report for the DOE Fissile Materials Disposition Program alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brough, W.G.; Boerigter, S.T.

1995-01-01

This report has identified all plutonium currently excess to DOE Defense Programs under current planning assumptions. A number of material categories win clearly fan within the scope of the MD (Materials Disposition) program, but the fate of the other categories are unknown at the present time. MD planning requires that estimates be made of those materials likely to be considered for disposition actions so that bounding cases for the PEIS (Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement) can be determined and so that processing which may be required can be identified in considering the various alternatives. A systematic analysis of the various alternatives in reachmg the preferred alternative requires an understanding of the possible range of values which may be taken by the various categories of feed materials. One table identifies the current total inventories excess to Defense Program planning needs and represents the bounding total of Pu which may become part of the MD disposition effort for all materials, except site return weapons. The other categories, principally irradiated fuel, rich scrap, and lean scrap, are discussed. Another table summarizes the ranges and expected quantities of Pu which could become the responsibility of the MD program. These values are to be used for assessing the impact of the various alternatives and for scaling operations to assess PEIS impact. Determination of the actual materials to be included in the disposition program will be done later

Initial Assessment of X-Ray Computer Tomography image analysis for material defect microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kane, Joshua James [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Windes, William Enoch [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-06-01

The original development work leading to this report was focused on the non destructive three-dimensional (3-D) characterization of nuclear graphite as a means to better understand the nature of the inherent pore structure. The pore structure of graphite and its evolution under various environmental factors such as irradiation, mechanical stress, and oxidation plays an important role in their observed properties and characteristics. If we are to transition from an empirical understanding of graphite behavior to a truly predictive mechanistic understanding the pore structure must be well characterized and understood. As the pore structure within nuclear graphite is highly interconnected and truly 3-D in nature, 3-D characterization techniques are critical. While 3-D characterization has been an excellent tool for graphite pore characterization, it is applicable to a broad number of materials systems over many length scales. Given the wide range of applications and the highly quantitative nature of the tool, it is quite surprising to discover how few materials researchers understand and how valuable of a tool 3-D image processing and analysis can be. Ultimately, this report is intended to encourage broader use of 3 D image processing and analysis in materials science and engineering applications, more specifically nuclear-related materials applications, by providing interested readers with enough familiarity to explore its vast potential in identifying microstructure changes. To encourage this broader use, the report is divided into two main sections. Section 2 provides an overview of some of the key principals and concepts needed to extract a wide variety of quantitative metrics from a 3-D representation of a material microstructure. The discussion includes a brief overview of segmentation methods, connective components, morphological operations, distance transforms, and skeletonization. Section 3 focuses on the application of concepts from Section 2 to relevant

Design-relevant mechanical properties of 316-type stainless steels for superconducting magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tobler, R.L.; Nishimura, A.; Yamamoto, J.

1996-08-01

Worldwide interest in austenitic alloys for structural applications in superconducting magnets has led to an expanded database for the 316-type stainless steels. We review the cryogenic mechanical properties of wrought, cast, and welded steels at liquid helium temperature (4 K), focussing on aspects of material behavior relevant to magnet design. Fracture mechanics parameters essential to structural reliability assessments are presented, including strength, toughness, and fatigue parameters that are critical for some component designs. (author). 105 refs.

Design-relevant mechanical properties of 316-type stainless steels for superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobler, R.L.; Nishimura, A.; Yamamoto, J.

1996-08-01

Worldwide interest in austenitic alloys for structural applications in superconducting magnets has led to an expanded database for the 316-type stainless steels. We review the cryogenic mechanical properties of wrought, cast, and welded steels at liquid helium temperature (4 K), focussing on aspects of material behavior relevant to magnet design. Fracture mechanics parameters essential to structural reliability assessments are presented, including strength, toughness, and fatigue parameters that are critical for some component designs. (author). 105 refs

Materials issues in cask development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, R.L.; Sorenson, K.B.

1987-01-01

The Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (DOE-OCRWM) is chartered by Congress under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to build a permanent repository for commercial spent nuclear fuel and to provide a supporting transportation system. The OCRWM-sponsored From-Reactor Cask Systems Acquisition Program is developing a family of casks suitable for transporting commercial spent fuel. Phase I of the program is in the process of procuring cask designs for further development and eventual licensing. New materials will probably be proposed for various components of the cask system. This paper identifies potential new materials as a function of their use in the cask (containment, shielding, etc). To the extent that the identified materials are new (not yet qualified for their intended application), this paper identifies probable technical issues and development efforts which may be required to qualify the materials for uses in transportation casks

Next Generation Nuclear Plant Phenomena Identification and Ranking Tables (PIRTs) Volume 4: High-Temperature Materials PIRTs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corwin, William R [ORNL; Ballinger, R. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Majumdar, S. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Weaver, K. D. [Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

2008-03-01

The Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) technique was used to identify safety-relevant/safety-significant phenomena and assess the importance and related knowledge base of high-temperature structural materials issues for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), a very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR). The major aspects of materials degradation phenomena that may give rise to regulatory safety concern for the NGNP were evaluated for major structural components and the materials comprising them, including metallic and nonmetallic materials for control rods, other reactor internals, and primary circuit components; metallic alloys for very high-temperature service for heat exchangers and turbomachinery, metallic alloys for high-temperature service for the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), other pressure vessels and components in the primary and secondary circuits; and metallic alloys for secondary heat transfer circuits and the balance of plant. These materials phenomena were primarily evaluated with regard to their potential for contributing to fission product release at the site boundary under a variety of event scenarios covering normal operation, anticipated transients, and accidents. Of all the high-temperature metallic components, the one most likely to be heavily challenged in the NGNP will be the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX). Its thin, internal sections must be able to withstand the stresses associated with thermal loading and pressure drops between the primary and secondary loops under the environments and temperatures of interest. Several important materials-related phenomena related to the IHX were identified, including crack initiation and propagation; the lack of experience of primary boundary design methodology limitations for new IHX structures; and manufacturing phenomena for new designs. Specific issues were also identified for RPVs that will likely be too large for shop fabrication and transportation. Validated procedures

[Applications of synthetic biology in materials science].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Tianxin; Zhong, Chao

2017-03-25

Materials are the basis for human being survival and social development. To keep abreast with the increasing needs from all aspects of human society, there are huge needs in the development of advanced materials as well as high-efficiency but low-cost manufacturing strategies that are both sustainable and tunable. Synthetic biology, a new engineering principle taking gene regulation and engineering design as the core, greatly promotes the development of life sciences. This discipline has also contributed to the development of material sciences and will continuously bring new ideas to future new material design. In this paper, we review recent advances in applications of synthetic biology in material sciences, with the focus on how synthetic biology could enable synthesis of new polymeric biomaterials and inorganic materials, phage display and directed evolution of proteins relevant to materials development, living functional materials, engineered bacteria-regulated artificial photosynthesis system as well as applications of gene circuits for material sciences.

THE COMPLEX OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES, RELEVANT MANIFESTATIONS OF INSPIRATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel A. Starikov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study is to investigate structure of emotional experiences, relevant manifestations of inspiration creative activities of students.Methods. The proposed methods of mathematical statistics (correlation analysis, factor analysis, multidimensional scaling are applied.Results and scientific novelty. The use of factor analysis, multidimensional scaling allowed to reveal a consistent set of positive experiences of the students, the relevant experience of inspiration in creative activities. «Operational» rueful feelings dedicated by M. Chiksentmihaji («feeling of full involvement, and dilution in what you do», «feeling of concentration, perfect clarity of purpose, complete control and a feeling of total immersion in a job that does not require special efforts» and experiences of the «spiritual» nature, more appropriate to peaks experiences of A. Maslow («feeling of love for all existing, all life»; «a deep sense of self importance, the inner feeling of approval of self»; «feeling of unity with the whole world»; «acute perception of the beauty of the world of nature, “beautiful instant”»; «feeling of lightness, flowing» are included in this complex in accordance with the study results. The interrelation of degree of expressiveness of the given complex of experiences with inspiration experience is considered.Practical significance. The results of the study show structure of emotional experiences, relevant manifestations of inspiration. Research materials can be useful both to psychologists, and experts in the field of pedagogy of creative activity.

Historical microbiology, is it relevant in the 21st century?

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Lesley A

2015-05-01

Facsimile microscopes have been used to examine the possibilities of van Leeuwenhoek microscopes with a range of magnifications, particularly to confirm that bacteria can be seen if the microscope is strong enough. The relevance of historical microbiology in education is also illustrated by adapting versions of van Leeuwenhoek's pepper water experiment and Beijerinck's use of bioluminescent bacteria as oxygen probes. These experiments can demonstrate fundamentals such as enrichment and isolation cultures, physiology and experimental planning as well as critical reading of published material. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Relevance of separation science and technology to nuclear fuel complex operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, S.M.; Ojha, P.B.; Rajashri, M.; Mirji, K.V.; Kalidas, R.

2004-01-01

During the last three decades at Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad, the Science and Technology of separation to produce various reactor grade materials in tonnage quantity is being practiced in the fields of Zr/Hf, U and Nb/Ta. Apart from this, the separation science is also being used in the production of various high purity materials and in the analytical field. The separation science and technology that is used in the production and characterisation of reactor grade materials has many striking differences from that of the common metals. The relevance and significance of separation science in the field of nuclear materials arises mainly due to the harmful effects w.r.t corrosion property and absorption of neutron caused by the presence of impurities, that are to be brought down to ppm or sub ppm level. In many cases low separation factors, that too from a multi component system call for effective process control at every stage of the bulk production so as to get quality product consistently. This article brings out the importance of separation science and technology and various process standardisations/developments that have been carried out at NFC, starting from laboratory scale to pilot scale and up to industrial scale production in the case of (i) Uranium refining (ii) Zr-Hf separation (iii) Ta-Nb separation and (iv) High purity materials production. (author)

Materials for breeding blankets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattas, R.F.; Billone, M.C.

1995-09-01

There are several candidate concepts for tritium breeding blankets that make use of a number of special materials. These materials can be classified as Primary Blanket Materials, which have the greatest influence in determining the overall design and performance, and Secondary Blanket Materials, which have key functions in the operation of the blanket but are less important in establishing the overall design and performance. The issues associated with the blanket materials are specified and several examples of materials performance are given. Critical data needs are identified

Materials for breeding blankets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattas, R.F.; Billone, M.C.

1996-01-01

There are several candidate concepts for tritium breeding blankets that make use of a number of special materials. These materials can be classified as primary blanket materials, which have the greatest influence in determining the overall design and performance, and secondary blanket materials, which have key functions in the operation of the blanket but are less important in establishing the overall design and performance. The issues associated with the blanket materials are specified and several examples of materials performance are given. Critical data needs are identified. (orig.)

Proceedings of the twenty fourth annual general meeting of Materials Research Society of India and theme symposium on advanced materials for energy applications: abstract and souvenir book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Materials science and engineering plays a crucial role in the development of advanced technologies that include development of materials that can withstand high temperatures and intense neutron dose, development of advanced sensors and radiochemical processing methodologies. The contributed papers in the symposium were focussed on energy materials: thermoelectrics, photovoltaics; nuclear materials: alloys and glasses; oxides and ceramics; alloys and intermetallics; fictionalised nanomaterials and applications; thin films; soft matter and bio materials etc. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

New Materials for NGNP/Gen IV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swindeman, Robert W.; Marriott, Douglas L.

2009-01-01

The bounding conditions were briefly summarized for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) that is the leading candidate in the Department of Energy Generation IV reactor program. Metallic materials essential to the successful development and proof of concept for the NGNP were identified. The literature bearing on the materials technology for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors was reviewed with emphasis on the needs identified for the NGNP. Several materials were identified for a more thorough study of their databases and behavioral features relative to the requirements ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1, Subsection NH.

A Novel Semiconductor CIGS Photovoltaic Material and Thin-Film ED Technology

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

In order to achieve low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, a novel Semiconductor Photovoltaic (PV) active material CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) and thin-film Electro-Deposition (ED) technology is explored. Firstly,the PV materials and technologies is investigated, then the detailed experimental processes of CIGS/Mo/glass structure by using the novel ED technology and the results are reported. These results shows that high quality CIGS polycrystalline thin-films can be obtained by the ED method, in which the polycrystalline CIGS is definitely identified by the (112), (204, 220) characteristic peaks of the tetragonal structure, the continuous CIGS thin-film layers with particle average size of about 2μm of length and around 1.6μm of thickness. The thickness and solargrade quality of CIGS thin-films can be produced with good repeatability. Discussion and analysis on the ED technique, CIGS energy band and sodium (Na) impurity properties, were also performed. The alloy CIGS exhibits not only increasing band-gap with increasing x, but also a change in material properties that is relevant to the device operation. The beneficial impurity Na originating from the low-cost soda-lime glass substrate becomes one prerequisite for high quality CIGS films. These novel material and technology are very useful for low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells and other devices.

Materials management in an internationally safeguarded fuels reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakkila, E.A.; Baker, A.L.; Cobb, D.D.

1980-04-01

The following appendices are included: aqueous reprocessing and conversion technology, reference facilities, process design and operating features relevant to materials accounting, operator's safeguards system structure, design principles of dynamic materials accounting systems, modeling and simulation approach, optimization of measurement control, aspects of international verification problem, security and reliability of materials measurement and accounting system, estimation of in-process inventory in solvent-extraction contactors, conventional measurement techniques, near-real-time measurement techniques, isotopic correlation techniques, instrumentation available to IAEA inspectors, and integration of materials accounting and containment and surveillance

Materials management in an internationally safeguarded fuels reprocessing plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hakkila, E.A.; Baker, A.L.; Cobb, D.D.

1980-04-01

The following appendices are included: aqueous reprocessing and conversion technology, reference facilities, process design and operating features relevant to materials accounting, operator's safeguards system structure, design principles of dynamic materials accounting systems, modeling and simulation approach, optimization of measurement control, aspects of international verification problem, security and reliability of materials measurement and accounting system, estimation of in-process inventory in solvent-extraction contactors, conventional measurement techniques, near-real-time measurement techniques, isotopic correlation techniques, instrumentation available to IAEA inspectors, and integration of materials accounting and containment and surveillance. (DLC)

Reliability evaluation of the power supply of an electrical power net for safety-relevant applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez-Garcia, Alejandro D.; Kassakian, John G.; Schindall, Joel E.

2006-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a methodology for the dependability analysis of new automotive safety-relevant systems. With the introduction of safety-relevant electronic systems in cars, it is necessary to carry out a thorough dependability analysis of those systems to fully understand and quantify the failure mechanisms in order to improve the design. Several system level FMEAs are used to identify the different failure modes of the system and, a Markov model is constructed to quantify their probability of occurrence. A new power net architecture with application to new safety-relevant automotive systems, such as Steer-by-Wire or Brake-by-Wire, is used as a case study. For these safety-relevant loads, loss of electric power supply means loss of control of the vehicle. It is, therefore, necessary and critical to develop a highly dependable power net to ensure power to these loads under all circumstances

Environmental materials and interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-11-01

A workshop that explored materials and interfaces research needs relevant to national environmental concerns was conducted at Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The purposes of the workshop were to refine the scientific research directions being planned for the Materials and Interface Program in the Molecular Science Research Center (MSRC) and further define the research and user equipment to the included as part of the proposed Environmental and Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL). Three plenary information sessions served to outline the background, objectives, and status of the MSRC and EMSL initiatives; selected specific areas with environmentally related materials; and the status of capabilities and facilities planned for the EMSL. Attention was directed to four areas where materials and interface science can have a significant impact on prevention and remediation of environmental problems: in situ detection and characterization of hazardous wastes (sensors), minimization of hazardous waste (separation membranes, ion exchange materials, catalysts), waste containment (encapsulation and barrier materials), and fundamental understanding of contaminant transport mechanisms. During all other sessions, the participants were divided into three working groups for detailed discussion and the preparation of a written report. The working groups focused on the areas of interface structure and chemistry, materials and interface stability, and materials synthesis. These recommendations and suggestions for needed research will be useful for other researchers in proposing projects and for suggesting collaborative work with MSRC researchers. 1 fig

The determinants of materiality disclosure in integrated corporate reporting

OpenAIRE

Chiara Mio; Marco Fasan

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to test what drives the way in which companies disclose materiality in their Integrated Reports (IRs). Materiality is one of the main themes (and challenges) in the IR discourse, and it will probably play a central role in the actual success of the International Integrated Reporting Council framework. Companies managing to actually implement the materiality principle, will produce IRs which are concise and able to provide relevant information on the future performance...

Identifying Key Factors Relevant for Base Camp Siting

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

centers. 3.2.6.3 Religious and historical sites Respecting sacred sites helps build rapport with the host nation. 3.2.6.4 Local infrastructure...churches, mosques, national libraries, hospitals, cemeteries, historical ruins, religious sites, cultural areas, and other protected sites...controlled and protected wells. • Electricity: town engineer • Academic: government and religious leaders • Trash: private business (local

Identifying the Relevant Factors in Newspaper Advertising Effectiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristóbal Benavides

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Este estudio explora varios factores con el fin de establecer cuáles son losmás importantes en motivar a los lectores de periódicos locales a comprar,visitar tiendas y buscar información adicional acerca de los productos oservicios promovidos en los anuncios. El comportamiento durante el pro-ceso de compra es consecuencia de una compleja interacción de dimen-siones culturales, sociales, personales y psicológicas. Este proceso –el cualse produce antes de la acción– tiene implicaciones relevantes y los depar-tamentos de mercadeo deben prestar atención a ello. Una serie de hipóte-sis basadas en la forma como la publicidad atrae a los consumidores y encómo afecta la toma de decisiones al momento de la compra fueron puestasa prueba usando una encuesta que fue administrada a una muestra de 1.333personas encuestadas en Chile. También se realizó un análisis discriminan-te para averiguar por qué algunos lectores de periódicos se ven motivadosa comprar bienes o servicios, visitar una tienda o buscar más información.Los resultados muestran que el atractivo de la oferta anunciada es el factormás importante para explicar el comportamiento posterior del consumidor.

Culturally Relevant Cyberbullying Prevention

OpenAIRE

Phillips, Gregory John

2017-01-01

In this action research study, I, along with a student intervention committee of 14 members, developed a cyberbullying intervention for a large urban high school on the west coast. This high school contained a predominantly African American student population. I aimed to discover culturally relevant cyberbullying prevention strategies for African American students. The intervention committee selected video safety messages featuring African American actors as the most culturally relevant cyber...

Environmental aspects of the use of materials for solar water heaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van der Leun, C.J.; De Jager, D.

1994-10-01

The study on the title subject has been carried out in order to apply the results in new designs and to improve the production of solar water heating systems. Attention is paid to solar water heaters that are under development and solar water heaters that are commercially available in the Netherlands. Use has been made of a IVAM-developed product analysis method. For seven solar water heater concepts, that were on the market or under development in the Netherlands in 1992, the applied amounts of materials have been inventorized. Data on the environmental effects of the production of these materials are outlined and aggregated on the level of the components and the systems. Based on those data, environmental profiles are drafted, comprising 'effect scores' on 9 environmental criteria. However, the environmental 'effect scores' are not reliable enough to determine the most important factors in order to identify options to reduce the negative environmental effects. Data on the energy consumption of the production of relevant materials are available and reliable. The solar water heaters, considered in this report, do not show large differences for that matter. It appears that the amounts of air pollution, water pollution and waste flow from the production of materials for solar water heaters are no reasons to further reduce environmental effects of the production. It is recommended to focus on the reduction of material quantities and to increase the quantity of recycled material. Also it is recommended that manufacturers of solar boilers set up a take-back system. 43 tabs., 1 appendix, 56 refs

Thermochemical data for environmentally-relevant elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markich, S.J.; Brown, P.L.

1999-01-01

This study provides an extensive stability constant (log K) database suitable for calculating the speciation of selected environmentally-relevant elements (H, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, U, Al Pb, Zn, Cu and cd) in an aqueous system, where a model fulvic acid (comprising aspartic, citric, malonic, salicylic and tricarballylic acids) is used to simulate metal binding by dissolved organic material Stability constants for inorganic metal complexes and minerals were selected primarily from critical literature complications and/or reviews. In contrast, few critically evaluated data were available for metal complexes with aspartic, citric, malonic, salicylic and tricarballylic acids. Consequently, data from original research articles were carefully evaluated and compiled as part of the study, following defined selection criteria. to meet the objective of compiling a comprehensive and reliable database of stability constants, all relevant equilibria and species, ranging from simple binary metal complexes to more complex ternary and even quaternary, metal complexes were included where possible in addition to the selection of stability constants from empirical sources, estimates of stability constants were performed when this could be done reliably, based on the unified theory of metal ion complexation and/or linear tree energy relationships The stability constants are given as common logarithms (logo) in the form required by the HARPHRQ geochemical code and refer to the standard state, i.e 298.15 K (25 deg C), 10 5 Pa (1 atm) and, for all species, infinite dilution (ionic strength = 0 mol L -1 ). In addition to the compilation of stability constant data, an overview is given of geochemical speciation modelling in aqueous systems and available conceptual models of metal binding by humic substances. (authors)

Free software to analyse the clinical relevance of drug interactions with antiretroviral agents (SIMARV®) in patients with HIV/AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Giraldo, N A; Amariles, P; Monsalve, M; Faus, M J

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has extended the expected lifespan of patients with HIV/AIDS. However, the therapeutic benefits of some drugs used simultaneously with highly active antiretroviral therapy may be adversely affected by drug interactions. The goal was to design and develop a free software to facilitate analysis, assessment, and clinical decision making according to the clinical relevance of drug interactions in patients with HIV/AIDS. A comprehensive Medline/PubMed database search of drug interactions was performed. Articles that recognized any drug interactions in HIV disease were selected. The publications accessed were limited to human studies in English or Spanish, with full texts retrieved. Drug interactions were analyzed, assessed, and grouped into four levels of clinical relevance according to gravity and probability. Software to systematize the information regarding drug interactions and their clinical relevance was designed and developed. Overall, 952 different references were retrieved and 446 selected; in addition, 67 articles were selected from the citation lists of identified articles. A total of 2119 pairs of drug interactions were identified; of this group, 2006 (94.7%) were drug-drug interactions, 1982 (93.5%) had an identified pharmacokinetic mechanism, and 1409 (66.5%) were mediated by enzyme inhibition. In terms of clinical relevance, 1285 (60.6%) drug interactions were clinically significant in patients with HIV (levels 1 and 2). With this information, a software program that facilitates identification and assessment of the clinical relevance of antiretroviral drug interactions (SIMARV ® ) was developed. A free software package with information on 2119 pairs of antiretroviral drug interactions was designed and developed that could facilitate analysis, assessment, and clinical decision making according to the clinical relevance of drug interactions in patients with HIV/AIDS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of chemical structure and bonding of actinide oxide materials for forensic science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkerson, Marianne Perry

2010-01-01

We are interested in applying our understanding of actinide chemical structure and bonding to broaden the suite of analytical tools available for nuclear forensic analyses. Uranium- and plutonium-oxide systems form under a variety of conditions, and these chemical species exhibit some of the most complex behavior of metal oxide systems known. No less intriguing is the ability of AnO 2 (An: U, Pu) to form non-stoichiometric species described as AnO 2+x . Environmental studies have shown the value of utilizing the chemical signatures of these actinide oxide materials to understand transport following release into the environment. Chemical speciation of actinide-oxide samples may also provide clues as to the age, source, or process history of the material. The scientific challenge is to identify, measure and understand those aspects of speciation of actinide analytes that carry information about material origin and history most relevant to forensics. Here, we will describe our efforts in material synthesis and analytical methods development that we will use to provide the fundamental science to characterize actinide oxide molecular structures for forensic science. Structural properties and initial results to measure structural variability of uranium oxide samples using synchrotron-based X-ray Absorption Fine Structure will be discussed.

Application of chemical structure and bonding of actinide oxide materials for forensic science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilkerson, Marianne Perry [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

We are interested in applying our understanding of actinide chemical structure and bonding to broaden the suite of analytical tools available for nuclear forensic analyses. Uranium- and plutonium-oxide systems form under a variety of conditions, and these chemical species exhibit some of the most complex behavior of metal oxide systems known. No less intriguing is the ability of AnO{sub 2} (An: U, Pu) to form non-stoichiometric species described as AnO{sub 2+x}. Environmental studies have shown the value of utilizing the chemical signatures of these actinide oxide materials to understand transport following release into the environment. Chemical speciation of actinide-oxide samples may also provide clues as to the age, source, or process history of the material. The scientific challenge is to identify, measure and understand those aspects of speciation of actinide analytes that carry information about material origin and history most relevant to forensics. Here, we will describe our efforts in material synthesis and analytical methods development that we will use to provide the fundamental science to characterize actinide oxide molecular structures for forensic science. Structural properties and initial results to measure structural variability of uranium oxide samples using synchrotron-based X-ray Absorption Fine Structure will be discussed.

Pathways to Advancing Aging Policy-Relevant Research in Academic Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kietzman, Kathryn G; Troy, Lisa M; Green, Carmen R; Wallace, Steven P

2016-01-01

Policy-level changes have a significant influence on the health and well-being of aging populations. Yet there is often a gap between scientific knowledge and policy action. Although previous research has identified barriers and facilitators to effective knowledge translation, little attention has been given to the role of academic institutions in knowledge generation. This exploratory focus group study examines barriers and pathways to developing and maintaining an aging policy-relevant research agenda in academic settings, and additional challenges associated with minority group membership in this pursuit. Participants were personally committed to conducting policy-relevant research despite institutional barriers such as fewer funding opportunities and less value attributed to their research, particularly in the context of tenure and promotion. Although many viewed their research as an opportunity to make a difference, especially for underserved older adult populations, a number of minority group participants expressed that their policy research interests were marginalized. Participants offer individual and institutional-level strategies for addressing barriers, including collaborating with community members and colleagues and engaging mentors within and outside of their academic institutions. Reframing the valuation of policy research through the diversification of funding and publishing opportunities can better support scholars engaged in aging policy-relevant research.

The Importance of Accuracy, Stimulating writing, and Relevance in Middle School Science Textbook Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Hubisz, John

2004-05-01

While accuracy in Middle School science texts is most important, the texts should also read well, stimulating the student to want to go on, and the material must be relevant to the subject at hand as the typical student is not yet prepared to ignore that which is irrelevant. We know that children will read if the material is of interest (witness The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter book sales) and so we must write in a way that stimulates the student to want to examine the subject further and eliminate that which adds nothing to the discipline. Examples of the good and the bad will be presented.

Evaluation of Terminated Nuclear Material Licenses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spencer, K.M.; Zeighami, E.A.

1999-01-01

This report presents the results of a six-year project that reviewed material licenses that had been terminated during the period from inception of licensing until approximately late-1994. The material licenses covered in the review project were Part 30, byproduct material licenses; Part 40, source material licenses; and Part 70, special nuclear material licenses. This report describes the methodology developed for the project, summarizes the findings of the license file inventory process, and describes the findings of the reviews or evaluations of the license files. The evaluation identified nuclear material use sites that need review of the licensing material or more direct follow-up of some type. The review process also identified licenses authorized to possess sealed sources for which there was incomplete or missing documentation of the fate of the sources

Evolutionary relevance facilitates visual information processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Russell E; Calvillo, Dusti P

2013-11-03

Visual search of the environment is a fundamental human behavior that perceptual load affects powerfully. Previously investigated means for overcoming the inhibitions of high perceptual load, however, generalize poorly to real-world human behavior. We hypothesized that humans would process evolutionarily relevant stimuli more efficiently than evolutionarily novel stimuli, and evolutionary relevance would mitigate the repercussions of high perceptual load during visual search. Animacy is a significant component to evolutionary relevance of visual stimuli because perceiving animate entities is time-sensitive in ways that pose significant evolutionary consequences. Participants completing a visual search task located evolutionarily relevant and animate objects fastest and with the least impact of high perceptual load. Evolutionarily novel and inanimate objects were located slowest and with the highest impact of perceptual load. Evolutionary relevance may importantly affect everyday visual information processing.

The clinical relevance and newsworthiness of NIHR HTA-funded research: a cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, D; Young, A; Iserman, E; Maeso, R; Turner, S; Haynes, R B; Milne, R

2014-05-07

To assess the clinical relevance and newsworthiness of the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme funded reports. Retrospective cohort study. The cohort included 311 NIHR HTA Programme funded reports publishing in HTA in the period 1 January 2007-31 December 2012. The McMaster Online Rating of Evidence (MORE) system independently identified the clinical relevance and newsworthiness of NIHR HTA publications and non-NIHR HTA publications. The MORE system involves over 4000 physicians rating publications on a scale of relevance (the extent to which articles are relevant to practice) and a scale of newsworthiness (the extent to which articles contain news or something clinicians are unlikely to know). The proportion of reports published in HTA meeting MORE inclusion criteria and mean average relevance and newsworthiness ratings were calculated and compared with publications from the same studies publishing outside HTA and non-NIHR HTA funded publications. 286/311 (92.0%) of NIHR HTA reports were assessed by MORE, of which 192 (67.1%) passed MORE criteria. The average clinical relevance rating for NIHR HTA reports was 5.48, statistically higher than the 5.32 rating for non-NIHR HTA publications (mean difference=0.16, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.29, p=0.01). Average newsworthiness ratings were similar between NIHR HTA reports and non-NIHR HTA publications (4.75 and 4.70, respectively; mean difference=0.05, 95% CI -0.18 to 0.07, p=0.402). NIHR HTA-funded original research reports were statistically higher for newsworthiness than reviews (5.05 compared with 4.64) (mean difference=0.41, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.64, p=0.001). Funding research of clinical relevance is important in maximising the value of research investment. The NIHR HTA Programme is successful in funding projects that generate outputs of clinical relevance.

Three perspectives on the mismatch between measures of material poverty.

Science.gov (United States)

Hick, Rod

2015-03-01

The two most prominent measures of material poverty within contemporary European poverty analysis are low income and material deprivation. However, it is by now well-known that these measures identify substantially different people as being poor. In this research note, I seek to demonstrate that there are at least three ways to understand the mismatch between low income and material deprivation, relating to three different forms of identification: identifying poor households, identifying groups at risk of poverty and identifying trends in material poverty over time. Drawing on data from the British Household Panel Survey, I show that while low income and material deprivation identify very different households as being poor, and display distinct trends over time, in many cases they identify the same groups at being at risk of material poverty. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2014.

A framework for identifying carbon hotspots and forest management drivers

Science.gov (United States)

Nilesh Timilsina; Francisco J. Escobedo; Wendell P. Cropper; Amr Abd-Elrahman; Thomas Brandeis; Sonia Delphin; Samuel Lambert

2013-01-01

Spatial analyses of ecosystem system services that are directly relevant to both forest management decision making and conservation in the subtropics are rare. Also, frameworks that identify and map carbon stocks and corresponding forest management drivers using available regional, national, and international-level forest inventory datasets could provide insights into...

On physics of the hydrogen plasticization and embrittlement of metallic materials, relevance to the safety and standards' problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yury S Nechaev; Georgy A Filippov; T Nejat Veziroglu

2006-01-01

In the present contribution, some related fundamental problems of revealing micro mechanisms of hydrogen plasticization, superplasticity, embrittlement, cracking, blistering and delayed fracture of some technologically important industrial metallic materials are formulated. The ways are considered of these problems' solution and optimizing the technological processes and materials, particularly in the hydrogen and gas-petroleum industries, some aircraft, aerospace and automobile systems. The results are related to the safety and standardization problems of metallic materials, and to the problem of their compatibility with hydrogen. (authors)

Teaching History with Material Culture Evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlereth, Thomas J.

1986-01-01

Reviews several definitions of material culture and material culture research. Identifies the special characteristics and pitfalls of material culture research appraising how such research can be useful in historical explanation. Forecasts expectations for materials culture research over the next decade. (JDH)

Exposure-Relevant Ozone Chemistry in Occupied Spaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coleman, Beverly Kaye [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2009-04-01

Ozone, an ambient pollutant, is transformed into other airborne pollutants in the indoor environment. In this dissertation, the type and amount of byproducts that result from ozone reactions with common indoor surfaces, surface residues, and vapors were determined, pollutant concentrations were related to occupant exposure, and frameworks were developed to predict byproduct concentrations under various indoor conditions. In Chapter 2, an analysis is presented of secondary organic aerosol formation from the reaction of ozone with gas-phase, terpene-containing consumer products in small chamber experiments under conditions relevant for residential and commercial buildings. The full particle size distribution was continuously monitored, and ultrafine and fine particle concentrations were in the range of 10 to>300 mu g m^-3. Particle nucleation and growth dynamics were characterized.Chapter 3 presents an investigation of ozone reactions with aircraft cabin surfaces including carpet, seat fabric, plastics, and laundered and worn clothing fabric. Small chamber experiments were used to determine ozone deposition velocities, ozone reaction probabilities, byproduct emission rates, and byproduct yields for each surface category. The most commonly detected byproducts included C1?C10 saturated aldehydes and skin oil oxidation products. For all materials, emission rates were higher with ozone than without. Experimental results were used to predict byproduct exposure in the cabin and compare to other environments. Byproduct levels are predicted to be similar to ozone levels in the cabin, which have been found to be tens to low hundreds of ppb in the absence of an ozone converter. In Chapter 4, a model is presented that predicts ozone uptake by and byproduct emission from residual chemicals on surfaces. The effects of input parameters (residue surface concentration, ozone concentration, reactivity of the residue and the surface, near-surface airflow conditions, and

Displacement cascades in diatomic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkin, D.M.; Coulter, C.A.

1981-01-01

A new function, the specified-projectile displacement function p/sub ijk/ (E), is introduced to describe displacement cascades in polyatomic materials. This function describes the specific collision events that produce displacements and hence adds new information not previously available. Calculations of p/sub ijk/ (E) for MgO, Al 2 O 3 and TaO are presented and discussed. Results show that the parameters that have the largest effect on displacement collision events are the PKA energy and the mass ratio of the atom types in the material. It is further shown that the microscopic nature of the displacement events changes over the entire recoil energy range relevant to fusion neutron spectra and that these changes are different in materials whose mass ratio is near one than in those where it is far from one

State statutes and regulations on radioactive materials transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, B.

1981-11-01

The transport of radioactive material is controlled by numerous legislative and regulatory actions at the federal, state, and local levels. This document is a compilation of the state level laws and regulations. The collected material is abstracted and indexed by states. Each state section contains three divisions: (1) abstracts of major statutes, (2) legislative rules, and (3) photocopies of relevant paragraphs from the law or regulation. This document was prepared for use by individuals who are involved in the radioactive material transportation process. This document will not be updated. The legislative rules section contains the name of the state agency primarily responsible for monitoring the transport of radioactive materials

Proceedings of the second international conference on advanced functional materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

This conference deals with the functional materials which have been an essential enabling ingredient in the aerospace industry. Advanced functional materials coupled with he enormous possibilities of nanotechnology have the potential to revolutionize applications across several domains like infrastructure, aerospace, energy storage, advanced electronics and biomedical technology. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Phase change materials handbook

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, D. V.; Hoover, M. J.; Oneill, M. J.

1971-01-01

This handbook is intended to provide theory and data needed by the thermal design engineer to bridge the gap between research achievements and actual flight systems, within the limits of the current state of the art of phase change materials (PCM) technology. The relationship between PCM and more conventional thermal control techniques is described and numerous space and terrestrial applications of PCM are discussed. Material properties of the most promising PCMs are provided; the purposes and use of metallic filler materials in PCM composites are presented; and material compatibility considerations relevant to PCM design are included. The engineering considerations of PCM design are described, especially those pertaining to the thermodynamic and heat transfer phenomena peculiar to PCM design. Methods of obtaining data not currently available are presented. The special problems encountered in the space environment are described. Computational tools useful to the designer are discussed. In summary, each aspect of the PCM problem important to the design engineer is covered to the extent allowed by the scope of this effort and the state of the art.

The Patent Literature As A Shortcut To Identify Knowledge Suppliers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søberg, Peder Veng

patents which decreases the time span between a patent is filed and its value can be evaluated when searching the patent literature. A potential benefit thereof could be that the patent literature could become relevant in order to identify potential knowledge suppliers.......The present paper explores characteristics of valuable patents that have been subject to litigation which resulted in some of the largest fines to patent infringers reported in history. The valuable patents are compared with less valuable patents in order to identify new methods of evaluating...

Mid-IR Spectra of Refractory Minerals Relevant to Comets

Science.gov (United States)

Jauhari, Shekeab

2008-09-01

On 4 July 2005 the Spitzer Space Telescope obtained mid-IR ( 5-40 µm) spectra of the ejecta from the hypervelocity impact of the Deep Impact projectile with comet 9P/Tempel 1. Spectral modeling demonstrates that there are abundant minerals present in the ejecta including Ca/Fe/Mg-rich silicates, carbonates, phyllosilicates, water ice, amorphous carbon, and sulfides [1]. However, precise mineralogical identifications are hampered by the lack of comprehensive 5 - 40 µm spectral measurements of the emissivity for a broad compositional range of these materials. Here, we present our initial results for 2 - 50 µm transmission spectra and absorption constants for materials relevant to comets, including pyrrhotite, pyrite, and several phyllosilicate (clay) minerals. Measuring the transmission of materials over the full spectral range sensitive by Spitzer requires grinding the minerals into submicron powders and then mixing them with KBr (for the 1-25 um region) and polyethylene (16-50 um region) to form pellets. Transmission measurements of sub-micron sulfides are particularly difficult to obtain because the minerals oxidize rapidly upon grinding and subsequent handling unless special care is taken. A detailed description of our sample preparation and measurement technique will be provided to assist other researchers in their attempts to acquire similar spectra. References: [1] Lisse, C.M. et al., Science 313, 635 - 640 (2006)

Evolutionary Relevance Facilitates Visual Information Processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Russell E. Jackson

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Visual search of the environment is a fundamental human behavior that perceptual load affects powerfully. Previously investigated means for overcoming the inhibitions of high perceptual load, however, generalize poorly to real-world human behavior. We hypothesized that humans would process evolutionarily relevant stimuli more efficiently than evolutionarily novel stimuli, and evolutionary relevance would mitigate the repercussions of high perceptual load during visual search. Animacy is a significant component to evolutionary relevance of visual stimuli because perceiving animate entities is time-sensitive in ways that pose significant evolutionary consequences. Participants completing a visual search task located evolutionarily relevant and animate objects fastest and with the least impact of high perceptual load. Evolutionarily novel and inanimate objects were located slowest and with the highest impact of perceptual load. Evolutionary relevance may importantly affect everyday visual information processing.

Erodibility of cemented materials

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Gass, BG

1993-03-01

Full Text Available The use of stabilised layers is cost effective in road construction in South Africa. Some stabilised materials have however been found to be susceptible to erosion. To identify erodible materials the Erosion Test was developed in 1989...

Clinical relevance of pharmacist intervention in an emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Moreno, Maria Antonia; Rodríguez-Camacho, Juan Manuel; Calderón-Hernanz, Beatriz; Comas-Díaz, Bernardino; Tarradas-Torras, Jordi

2017-08-01

To evaluate the clinical relevance of pharmacist intervention on patient care in emergencies, to determine the severity of detected errors. Second, to analyse the most frequent types of interventions and type of drugs involved and to evaluate the clinical pharmacist's activity. A 6-month observational prospective study of pharmacist intervention in the Emergency Department (ED) at a 400-bed hospital in Spain was performed to record interventions carried out by the clinical pharmacists. We determined whether the intervention occurred in the process of medication reconciliation or another activity, and whether the drug involved belonged to the High-Alert Medications Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) list. To evaluate the severity of the errors detected and clinical relevance of the pharmacist intervention, a modified assessment scale of Overhage and Lukes was used. Relationship between clinical relevance of pharmacist intervention and the severity of medication errors was assessed using ORs and Spearman's correlation coefficient. During the observation period, pharmacists reviewed the pharmacotherapy history and medication orders of 2984 patients. A total of 991 interventions were recorded in 557 patients; 67.2% of the errors were detected during medication reconciliation. Medication errors were considered severe in 57.2% of cases and 64.9% of pharmacist intervention were considered relevant. About 10.9% of the drugs involved are in the High-Alert Medications ISMP list. The severity of the medication error and the clinical significance of the pharmacist intervention were correlated (Spearman's ρ=0.728/pclinical pharmacists identified and intervened on a high number of severe medication errors. This suggests that emergency services will benefit from pharmacist-provided drug therapy services. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Report of the consultants meeting on proper use of reference and control materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Quality control in analytical laboratories as a basis of a complete quality system needs still to be developed in many Member States. To support the dissemination of information in this field a consultants meeting on 'Proper Use of Reference and Quality Control Materials' was held at the IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, from 13 to 17 August 2001. The experts convened with the objective to prepare a TECDOC to advise analytical laboratories in Member States on the correct use of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for Quality Control purposes and give practical recommendations to expand this concept to in-house Quality Control Materials (QCMs). In view of the existing literature in this field an urgent need for a practical guidebook for the preparation and application of cost effective and matrix matching QCMs was identified and the experts tried to fill this gap from their relevant experience. One and a half days of lecturing was followed by intensive discussion and brain storming to create a list of key words, which were structured in a logical order to provide a frame for the projected document. Responsibilities were assigned and deadlines fixed for the submission of the full text. (author)

Report of the consultants meeting on proper use of reference and control materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

Quality control in analytical laboratories as a basis of a complete quality system needs still to be developed in many Member States. To support the dissemination of information in this field a consultants meeting on 'Proper Use of Reference and Quality Control Materials' was held at the IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, from 13 to 17 August 2001. The experts convened with the objective to prepare a TECDOC to advise analytical laboratories in Member States on the correct use of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for Quality Control purposes and give practical recommendations to expand this concept to in-house Quality Control Materials (QCMs). In view of the existing literature in this field an urgent need for a practical guidebook for the preparation and application of cost effective and matrix matching QCMs was identified and the experts tried to fill this gap from their relevant experience. One and a half days of lecturing was followed by intensive discussion and brain storming to create a list of key words, which were structured in a logical order to provide a frame for the projected document. Responsibilities were assigned and deadlines fixed for the submission of the full text. (author)

An evidence perspective on topical relevance types and its implications for exploratory and task-based retrieval

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoli Huang

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The concept of relevance lies at the heart of intellectual access and information retrieval, indeed of reasoning and communication in general; in turn, topical relevance lies at the heart of relevance. The common view of topical relevance is limited to topic matching, resulting in information retrieval systems' failure to detect more complex topical connections which are needed to respond to diversified user situations and tasks. Method. Based on the role a piece of information plays in the overall structure of an argument, we have identified four topical relevance types: Direct, Indirect (circumstantial, Context, and Comparison. In the process of creating a speech retrieval test collection, graduate history students made 27,000 topical relevance assessments between Holocaust survivor interview segments and real user topics, using the four relevance types, each on a scale of 0 to 4. They recorded justifications for their assessments and kept detailed Topic Notes. Analysis. We analysed these relevance assessments using a grounded theory approach to arrive at a finer classification of topical relevance types. Results. For example, indirect relevance(a piece of information is connected to the topic indirectly through inference, circumstantial evidence was refined to Generic Indirect Relevance, Backward Inference (abduction, Forward Inference (deduction, and Inference from Cases (induction, with each subtype being further illustrated and explicated by examples. Conclusion. Each of these refined types of topical relevance plays a special role in reasoning, making a conclusive argument, or performing a task. Incorporating them into information retrieval systems allows users more flexibility and a better focus on their tasks. They can also be used in teaching reasoning skills.

The potential relevance of cognitive neuroscience for the development and use of technology-enhanced learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Howard-Jones, Paul; Ott, Michela; van Leeuwen, Theo; De Smedt, Bert

2015-01-01

There is increasing interest in the application of cognitive neuroscience in educational thinking and practice, and here we review findings from neuroscience that demonstrate its potential relevance to technology-enhanced learning (TEL). First, we identify some of the issues in integrating

Proceedings of the third Asian symposium on materials and processing: souvenir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

Materials characterization and measurement techniques, materials processing, forming, casting and machining, mechanical properties, fracture and reliability, metals, ceramics, polymers and composites, modeling, analysis and simulation in materials and processing, nano fabrication and nano/micro/meso manufacturing processes and advanced manufacturing, non-destructive testing and evaluations, monitoring and sensing technology, powder metallurgy, adhesion and interface, welding and bonding, smart materials and structures, functional materials, surface engineering and thin films and coatings are the topics covered in this symposium. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Structural characterization of amorphous materials applied to low-k organosilicate materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raymunt, Alexandra Cooper, E-mail: amc442@cornell.edu; Clancy, Paulette

2014-07-01

We present a methodology to create computational atomistic-level models of porous amorphous materials, in particular, an organosilicate structure for ultra-low dielectric constant (ULK) materials known as “SiCOH.” The method combines the ability to satisfy geometric and chemical constraints with subsequent molecular dynamics (MD) techniques as a way to capture the complexities of the porous and amorphous nature of these materials. The motivation for studying ULK materials arises from a desire to understand the origin of the material's weak mechanical properties. The first step towards understanding how these materials might behave under processing conditions that are intended to improve their mechanical properties is to develop a suitable computational model of the material and hence is the focus of this paper. We define the atomic-scale topology of ULK materials that have been produced by chemical vapor deposition-like experimental techniques. Specifically, we have developed a method of defining the initial atom configurations and interactions, as well as a method to rearrange these starting configurations into relaxed structures. The main advantage of our described approach is the ability of our structure generation method to maintain a random distribution of relevant structural motifs throughout the structure, without relying on large unit cells and periodic boundaries to approximate the behavior of this complex material. The minimization of the different models was accomplished using replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD). Following the generation of the ‘equilibrium’ configurations that result from REMD for a ULK material of a pre-specified composition, we demonstrate that its structural properties, including bonding topology, porosity and pore size distribution are similar to experimentally used ULK materials. - Highlights: • Method for creating a model of a low dielectric constant organosilicate material • Method of defining porosity in

Mineralogy and sealing properties of various bentonites and smectite-rich clay materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karnland, Ola; Olsson, Siv; Nilsson, Ulf (Clay Technology AB (SE))

2006-12-15

The present work includes a coherent study of Wyoming bentonite with respect to the most relevant properties for use in a repository, and a parallel study of other potential buffer and tunnel backfilling materials. The reason for this is twofold; to quantify the effect of mineralogical variations on the various important sealing properties of bentonite, and to verify that there are alternative potential sources of bentonite. The latter is motivated by the fact that Sweden alone plans to deposit at least 6,000 copper canisters which include approximately 130,000 metric tones bentonite buffer material and several times more as tunnel backfill material. Different types of sealing clay materials may also be relevant to use, since the demands on the clay will be different at the various locations in a repository. Alternative sources of bentonite would consequently be valuable in order to secure quality, supply, and price. Important aspects on buffer and tunnel backfilling materials may be summarized as: Original sealing properties. Hazardous substances in any respect. Short-term effects of ground-water chemistry. Long-term stability, i.e. effects of temperature and ground-water chemistry. Availability. Costs. The focus in this study is on the first three items. The long-term stability is indirectly considered in that mineralogical composition is determined. The availability is only considered in such a way that most of the analyzed materials represent huge clay formations, which contain much more material than needed for a repository. The cost aspects have not been included, mainly because the present day price is not relevant due to the time frame of the construction of a repository

Relationship between bacterial diversity and environmental parameters during composting of different raw materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xueqin; Cui, Hongyang; Shi, Jianhong; Zhao, Xinyu; Zhao, Yue; Wei, Zimin

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare the bacterial structure of seven different composts. The primary environmental factors affecting bacterial species were identified, and a strategy to enhance the abundance of uncultured bacteria through controlling relevant environmental parameters was proposed. The results showed that the physical-chemical parameters of each different pile changed in its own manner during composting, which affected the structure and succession of bacteria in different ways. DGGE profiles showed that there were 10 prominent species during composting. Among them, four species existed in all compost types, two species existed in several piles and four species were detected in a single material. Redundancy analysis results showed that bacterial species compositions were significantly influenced by C/N and moisture (p<0.05). The optimal range of C/N was 14-27. Based on these results, the primary environmental factors affecting a certain species were further identified as a potential control of bacterial diversity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relevance of motion-related assessment metrics in laparoscopic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Oropesa, Ignacio; Chmarra, Magdalena K; Sánchez-González, Patricia; Lamata, Pablo; Rodrigues, Sharon P; Enciso, Silvia; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M; Jansen, Frank-Willem; Dankelman, Jenny; Gómez, Enrique J

2013-06-01

Motion metrics have become an important source of information when addressing the assessment of surgical expertise. However, their direct relationship with the different surgical skills has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relevance of motion-related metrics in the evaluation processes of basic psychomotor laparoscopic skills and their correlation with the different abilities sought to measure. A framework for task definition and metric analysis is proposed. An explorative survey was first conducted with a board of experts to identify metrics to assess basic psychomotor skills. Based on the output of that survey, 3 novel tasks for surgical assessment were designed. Face and construct validation was performed, with focus on motion-related metrics. Tasks were performed by 42 participants (16 novices, 22 residents, and 4 experts). Movements of the laparoscopic instruments were registered with the TrEndo tracking system and analyzed. Time, path length, and depth showed construct validity for all 3 tasks. Motion smoothness and idle time also showed validity for tasks involving bimanual coordination and tasks requiring a more tactical approach, respectively. Additionally, motion smoothness and average speed showed a high internal consistency, proving them to be the most task-independent of all the metrics analyzed. Motion metrics are complementary and valid for assessing basic psychomotor skills, and their relevance depends on the skill being evaluated. A larger clinical implementation, combined with quality performance information, will give more insight on the relevance of the results shown in this study.

Bulletin of Materials Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Harnessing renewable solar energy through different technologies is greatly dependent on the advancement of solar grade materials' science and engineering. In this article, the prominent solar energy technologies, namely solarphotovoltaic and concentrated solar power and other relevant technologies, and aspects ...

Linking didactics and research in instructional material: A new structural model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graf, Stefan Ting

2009-01-01

How can research in instructional materials become more relevant for didactics and instruction planning? And how can general didactics reflect questions developed from a media perspective. These are the guiding questions of the article, which assumes a gap between general didactics and research...... and theory of instructional material. General didactics does not sufficiently incorporate a theory of media, and research and theory in instructional material do not recognise general didactics and apply very different conceptions of instruction in their studies – if at all. Through two approaches we argue...... for a new basic structure in didactics in order to bridge the gap when relevant conclusions for pragmatic didactics are in question. The first approach accounts for the place and status of media in the most known structural theories in general didactics. The second approach argues from another angle...

Non-targeted screening for contaminants in paper and board food-contact materials using effect-directed analysis and accurate mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Bengtström, Linda; Rosenmai, Anna Kjerstine; Trier, Xenia; Jensen, Lisbeth Krüger; Granby, Kit; Vinggaard, Anne Marie; Driffield, Malcolm; Højslev Petersen, Jens

2016-06-01

Due to large knowledge gaps in chemical composition and toxicological data for substances involved, paper and board food-contact materials (P&B FCM) have been emerging as a FCM type of particular concern for consumer safety. This study describes the development of a step-by-step strategy, including extraction, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractionation, tentative identification of relevant substances and in vitro testing of selected tentatively identified substances. As a case study, we used two fractions from a recycled pizza box sample which exhibited aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity. These fractions were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and ultra-HPLC (UHPLC) coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometers (QTOF MS) in order tentatively to identify substances. The elemental composition was determined for peaks above a threshold, and compared with entries in a commercial mass spectral library for GC-MS (GC-EI-QTOF MS) analysis and an in-house built library of accurate masses for substances known to be used in P&B packaging for UHPLC-QTOF analysis. Of 75 tentatively identified substances, 15 were initially selected for further testing in vitro; however, only seven were commercially available and subsequently tested in vitro and quantified. Of these seven, the identities of three pigments found in printing inks were confirmed by UHPLC tandem mass spectrometry (QqQ MS/MS). Two pigments had entries in the database, meaning that a material relevant accurate mass database can provide a fast tentative identification. Pure standards of the seven tentatively identified substances were tested in vitro but could not explain a significant proportion of the AhR-response in the extract. Targeted analyses of dioxins and PCBs, both well-known AhR agonists, was performed. However, the dioxins could explain approximately 3% of the activity observed in the pizza box extract indicating that some very AhR active substance(s) still remain to be

Fingerprinting of nuclear material to strengthen physical protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueck, K.; Lindauer, H.; Falta, G.

2002-01-01

Full text: Physical protection of nuclear material against diversion and stealing presents a major step to prevent abuse of nuclear material for military or terrorist purposes. If such material had been diverted, however, and discovered by border traffic control, police control or other methods of investigation, identifying the site and time of diversion is of utmost importance to ensure that the point of possible diversion is closed and the possible delivery and end-use point becomes known. The quicker and more comprehensive these investigations are performed, the greater are the chances to find the criminal persons and the point of diversion. The paper, therefore, deals with fingerprinting methods used to obtain enough and comprehensive background information for investigators to find out the source of diversion and the channels through which it might have reached the point of discovery and the possible point of ultimate destination (end-use of the material). On the example of the round-robin test for the identification of illicit nuclear material performed by EURATOM in 1999, and the conclusions obtained by our laboratory it is demonstrated that a high amount of information can be drawn from a single sample and that this information can be used by investigators world-wide to find the point of origin of the material and its possible point of diversion. The set of information is segmented into 3 different levels: information gained in the first 24 hours after arrival of the unknown material, information gained up to one week after uptake and information gained up to one month after. The first information is to inform the investigators about the hazard and the relevance of the material, about preliminary investigation results and support the investigating judge on the justification to further detain the person(s). The second information should contain more detail on the material and the possible point of diversion and assist the investigators to decide on proper

Container material for the disposal of highly radioactive wastes: corrosion chemistry aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grauer, R.

1984-08-01

Prior to disposal in crystalline formations it is planned to enclose vitrified highly radioactive waste from nuclear power plants in metallic containers ensuring their isolation from the groundwater for at least 1,000 years. Appropriate metals can be either thermodynamically stable in the repository environment (such as copper), passive materials with very low corrosion rates (titanium, nickel alloys), or metals such as cast iron or unalloyed cast steels which, although they corrode, can be used in sections thick enough to allow for this corrosion. The first part of the report presents the essentials of corrosion science in order to enable even a non-specialist to follow the considerations and arguments necessary to choose the material and design the container against corrosion. Following this, the principles of the long-term extrapolation of corrosion behaviour are discussed. The second part summarizes and comments upon the literature search carried out to identify published results relevant to corrosion in a repository environment. Results of archeaological studies are included wherever possible. Not only the general corrosion behaviour but also localized corrosion and stress corrosion cracking are considered, and the influence of hydrogen on the material behaviour is discussed. Taking the corrosion behaviour as criterion, the author suggests the use either of copper or of cast iron or steel as an appropriate container material. The report concludes with proposals for further studies. (Auth.)

Pain-relevant anxiety affects desire for pain relief, but not pain perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Banozic

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Pain context plays a significant role in the perception of pain. Despite recent interest in vicarious learning and anxiety in pain modulation, there have been no attempts to explore pain modulation by specific environmental cues. Aims: Therefore, the present study evaluated pain responses in the condition that was attributed as either anxiety relevant (AR or anxiety irrelevant. Materials and Methods: Participants were exposed to both conditions through social observational learning. Pain perception was assessed by means of a visual analog scale ranging from 0 = no pain to 10 = maximum imaginable pain. State anxiety, empathy, expectancy, and desire for pain relief were also measured at both neutral and emotionally inducing conditions. Results: No effect of relevancy of anxiety for the pain context on any of the pain-related constructs was found. However, participants in the AR condition reported an increased desire for pain relief. Maximizing similarities between observed and experienced pain context did not enhance observational learning effects in the emotionally inducing condition regardless of its relevance, but significant changes were found in comparison to the affectively neutral group. Conclusions: These results could have potentially significant clinical implications suggesting that even though observing painful procedures does not increase pain it could affect medication usage.

Towards the establishment of a relevant national tender price index ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Economic Research [BER] of the Stellenbosch University) which uses. 22 representative indicator items (Marx, 2005: 8), the author identified the need to conduct a study ... of cost increases in labour and material. An example of such indices.

There’s an App for That? Highlighting the Difficulty in Finding Clinically Relevant Smartphone Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Warren Wiechmann, MD, MBA

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The use of personal mobile devices in the medical field has grown quickly, and a large proportion of physicians use their mobile devices as an immediate resource for clinical decisionmaking, prescription information and other medical information. The iTunes App Store (Apple, Inc. contains approximately 20,000 apps in its “Medical” category, providing a robust repository of resources for clinicians; however, this represents only 2% of the entire App Store. The App Store does not have strict criteria for identifying content specific to practicing physicians, making the identification of clinically relevant content difficult. The objective of this study is to quantify the characteristics of existing medical applications in the iTunes App Store that could be used by emergency physicians, residents, or medical students. Methods: We found applications related to emergency medicine (EM by searching the iTunes App Store for 21 terms representing core content areas of EM, such as “emergency medicine,” “critical care,” “orthopedics,” and “procedures.” Two physicians independently reviewed descriptions of these applications in the App Store and categorized each as the following: Clinically Relevant, Book/ Published Source, Non-English, Study Tools, or Not Relevant. A third physician reviewer resolved disagreements about categorization. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: We found a total of 7,699 apps from the 21 search terms, of which 17.8% were clinical, 9.6% were based on a book or published source, 1.6% were non-English, 0.7% were clinically relevant patient education resources, and 4.8% were study tools. Most significantly, 64.9% were considered not relevant to medical professionals. Clinically relevant apps make up approximately 6.9% of the App Store’s “Medical” Category and 0.1% of the overall App Store. Conclusion: Clinically relevant apps represent only a small percentage (6.9% of the total App

Studies Relevent to Catalytic Activation Co & other small Molecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ford, Peter C

2005-02-22

Detailed annual and triannual reports describing the progress accomplished during the tenure of this grant were filed with the Program Manager for Catalysis at the Office of Basic Energy Sciences. To avoid unnecessary duplication, the present report will provide a brief overview of the research areas that were sponsored by this grant and list the resulting publications and theses based on this DOE supported research. The scientific personnel participating in (and trained by) this grant's research are also listed. Research carried out under this DOE grant was largely concerned with the mechanisms of the homogeneous catalytic and photocatalytic activation of small molecules such as carbon monoxide, dihydrogen and various hydrocarbons. Much of the more recent effort has focused on the dynamics and mechanisms of reactions relevant to substrate carbonylations by homogeneous organometallic catalysts. A wide range of modern investigative techniques were employed, including quantitative fast reaction methodologies such as time-resolved optical (TRO) and time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy and stopped flow kinetics. Although somewhat diverse, this research falls within the scope of the long-term objective of applying quantitative techniques to elucidate the dynamics and understand the principles of mechanisms relevant to the selective and efficient catalytic conversions of fundamental feedstocks to higher value materials.

76 FR 22900 - Request for Information (RFI) To Identify and Obtain Relevant Information From Public or Private...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-25

... outcomes in blood transfusions, and tissue and organ transplantations; Reporting and analyzing adverse events, including medical ``near misses'' and patient adverse reactions; Identifying emerging infectious... improve blood and blood component, tissue, cell, and organ safety for donors and recipients. Standards and...

The efficacy of chiropractic manipulation for back pain : Blinded review of relevant randomized clinical trials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Assendelft, W. J J; Koes, B. W.; Van der Heijden, G. J M G; Bouter, L. M.

1992-01-01

Objective: To assess the efficacy of chiropractic for patients with back pain. Data Sources: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on spinal manipulation were identified with a Medline search (1966-1990), by citation tracking, and by manual examination of the relevant chiropractic reference systems

Phase diagram, thermodynamic investigations, and modelling of systems relevant to lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuertauer, Siegfried; Beutl, Alexander; Flanorfer, Hans; Henriques, David; Giel, Hans; Markus, Thorsten

2017-01-01

This article reports on two consecutive joint projects titled ''Experimental Thermodynamics and Phase Relations of New Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries'', which were performed in the framework of the WenDeLIB 1473 priority program ''Materials with new Design for Lithium Ion Batteries''. Hundreds of samples were synthesized using experimental techniques specifically developed to deal with highly reactive lithium and lithium-containing compounds to generate electrochemical, phase diagram and crystal structure data in the Cu-Li, Li-Sn, Li-Sb, Cu-Li-Sn, Cu-Li-Sb and selected oxide systems. The thermochemical and phase diagram data were subsequently used to develop self-consistent thermodynamic descriptions of several binary systems. In the present contribution, the experimental techniques, working procedures, results and their relevance to the development of new electrode materials for lithium ion batteries are discussed and summarized. The collaboration between the three groups has resulted in more than fifteen (15) published articles during the six-year funding period.

Phase diagram, thermodynamic investigations, and modelling of systems relevant to lithium-ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuertauer, Siegfried; Beutl, Alexander; Flanorfer, Hans [Vienna Univ. (Austria). Dept. of Inorganic Chemistry - Functional Materials; Li, Dajian; Cupid, Damian [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany). Inst. for Applied Materials - Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP); Henriques, David; Giel, Hans; Markus, Thorsten [Mannheim Univ. of Applied Sciences (Germany). Inst. for Thermo- and Fluiddynamics

2017-11-15

This article reports on two consecutive joint projects titled ''Experimental Thermodynamics and Phase Relations of New Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries'', which were performed in the framework of the WenDeLIB 1473 priority program ''Materials with new Design for Lithium Ion Batteries''. Hundreds of samples were synthesized using experimental techniques specifically developed to deal with highly reactive lithium and lithium-containing compounds to generate electrochemical, phase diagram and crystal structure data in the Cu-Li, Li-Sn, Li-Sb, Cu-Li-Sn, Cu-Li-Sb and selected oxide systems. The thermochemical and phase diagram data were subsequently used to develop self-consistent thermodynamic descriptions of several binary systems. In the present contribution, the experimental techniques, working procedures, results and their relevance to the development of new electrode materials for lithium ion batteries are discussed and summarized. The collaboration between the three groups has resulted in more than fifteen (15) published articles during the six-year funding period.

Characterization of Jatropha curcas L. Protein Cast Films with respect to Packaging Relevant Properties

OpenAIRE

Gofferje, Gabriele; Schmid, Markus; Stäbler, Andreas

2015-01-01

There is increasing research ongoing towards the substitution of petrochemical based plastics by more sustainable raw materials, especially in the field of bioplastics. Proteins of different types such as whey, casein, gelatine, or zein show potential beyond the food and feed industry as, for instance, the application in packaging. Protein based coatings provide different packaging relevant properties such as barrier against permanent gases, certain water vapour barrier, and mechanical resist...

Recommended Best Practices for the Characterization of Storage Properties of Hydrogen Storage Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2010-03-01

This is a reference guide to common methodologies and protocols for measuring critical performance properties of advanced hydrogen storage materials. It helps users to communicate clearly the relevant performance properties of new materials as they are discovered and tested.