WorldWideScience

Sample records for include conventional surface

  1. Magnetic resonance dacryocystography: comparison between conventional surface coils and microscopic coils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abreu Junior, Luiz de; Wolosker, Angela Maria Borri; Borri, Maria Lucia; Galvao Filho, Mario de Melo; Hartmann, Luiz Guilherme de Carvalho; D'Ippolito, Giuseppe; Castro, Claudio Campi de

    2008-01-01

    Objective: Magnetic resonance imaging has been utilized in the evaluation of the lacrimal apparatus with some advantages over conventional dacryocystography. The present study was aimed at acquiring high resolution images utilizing microscopic coils for evaluating typical structures of the lacrimal apparatus as compared with the findings observed with conventional surface coils. Materials and methods: Five asymptomatic volunteers with no history of epiphora were submitted to high-field magnetic resonance imaging with microscopic and conventional surface coils, and STIR sequence after instillation of saline solution. The definition of normal anatomic structures of lacrimal apparatuses was compared utilizing conventional and microscopic surface coils. Based on a consensual scoring system, the mean values for each structure were calculated by two observers. Results: In 90% of cases, higher scores were attributed to images acquired with the microscopic coil. On average, a 1.17 point increase was observed in the scoring of anatomic structures imaged with the microscopic coil. Additionally, a subjective improvement was observed in the signal-to-noise ratio with the microscopic coil. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance dacryocystography with microscopic coils is the appropriate method for evaluating the lacrimal apparatus, providing images with better quality as compared with those acquired with conventional surface coils. (author)

  2. Principles of cobalt-60 teletherapy including an introduction to the compendium. Definitions and conventions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, M.; Mitchell, J.S.

    1984-01-01

    The convention used in the display of the transverse sections of the human body in the plans for radiotherapy follows the editorial policy of the Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography. For the purpose of this Compendium the convention is defined as: The ''seen from above'' convention is used for the head and upper neck, in which is included the oropharynx. This is the 'anatomical convention' now used with the computed tomography (CT) head scanner and is accepted generally by neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons and neurologists. This convention is also employed in the display of isotope scans of the head. The ''seen from below'' convention is used for the rest of the body, i.e. below the level of the lower border of the third cervical vertebral body; this includes the hypopharynx, larynx and thyroid. This is the usual 'radiological convention', i.e. the patient's right is on the observer's left. This is the convention generally used in total body CT scanning of the thorax and abdomen; the same convention is used in isotope and ultrasonic imaging

  3. Comparative Evaluation of Conventional and Accelerated Castings on Marginal Fit and Surface Roughness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jadhav, Vivek Dattatray; Motwani, Bhagwan K.; Shinde, Jitendra; Adhapure, Prasad

    2017-01-01

    Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the marginal fit and surface roughness of complete cast crowns made by a conventional and an accelerated casting technique. Settings and Design: This study was divided into three parts. In Part I, the marginal fit of full metal crowns made by both casting techniques in the vertical direction was checked, in Part II, the fit of sectional metal crowns in the horizontal direction made by both casting techniques was checked, and in Part III, the surface roughness of disc-shaped metal plate specimens made by both casting techniques was checked. Materials and Methods: A conventional technique was compared with an accelerated technique. In Part I of the study, the marginal fit of the full metal crowns as well as in Part II, the horizontal fit of sectional metal crowns made by both casting techniques was determined, and in Part III, the surface roughness of castings made with the same techniques was compared. Statistical Analysis Used: The results of the t-test and independent sample test do not indicate statistically significant differences in the marginal discrepancy detected between the two casting techniques. Results: For the marginal discrepancy and surface roughness, crowns fabricated with the accelerated technique were significantly different from those fabricated with the conventional technique. Conclusions: Accelerated casting technique showed quite satisfactory results, but the conventional technique was superior in terms of marginal fit and surface roughness. PMID:29042726

  4. High-resolution MR imaging of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC): comparison of microscopy coils and a conventional small surface coil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshioka, Hiroshi [Department of Radiology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba (Japan); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, 75 Francis Street, 02115, Boston, MA (United States); Ueno, Teruko; Itai, Yuji [Department of Radiology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba (Japan); Tanaka, Toshikazu [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tsukuba Kinen Hospital, Tsukuba (Japan); Shindo, Masashi [Tsukuba University Hospital, Tsukuba (Japan)

    2003-10-01

    To compare MR images of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) using microscopy coils with those using a conventional surface coil qualitatively and quantitatively. Proton density-weighted images and T2*-weighted images of the TFCC from ten normal volunteers were obtained with a conventional surface coil (C4 coil; 80 mm in diameter), a 47-mm microscopy surface coil and a 23-mm microscopy surface coil at 1.5 T. Qualitative image analysis of MR images with three coils was performed by two radiologists who assigned one of five numerical scores (0, nonvisualization; 1, poor; 2, average; 3, good; 4, excellent) for five TFCC components, which were disc proper, triangular ligament, meniscus homologue, ulnotriquetral and ulnolunate ligament. Quantitative analysis included the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the disc proper of TFCC, the lunate cartilage, the lunate bone and the contrast-noise-ratio (C/N) between articular cartilage and disc proper or bone marrow were measured. All structures show higher scores qualitatively on MR with microscopy coils than those with a C4 coil, and the difference was significant with the exception of the ulnolunate ligament. MR with microscopy coils showed significantly higher S/N values than those with a conventional surface coil (P<0.05 to P<0.001). T2*-weighted images using microscopy coils showed significantly higher cartilage-disc proper C/N and cartilage-bone marrow C/N (P<0.01 to P<0.001). On proton density-weighted images, the C/N between cartilage and disc proper with two microscopy coils was significantly higher (P<0.01) than that with a conventional coil. High-resolution MR images of the normal wrist using microscopy coils were superior to those using a conventional surface coil qualitatively and quantitatively. High-resolution MR imaging with a microscopy coil would be a promising method to diagnose TFCC lesions. (orig.)

  5. Bacterial adhesion on conventional and self-ligating metallic brackets after surface treatment with plasma-polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tupinambá, Rogerio Amaral; Claro, Cristiane Aparecida de Assis; Pereira, Cristiane Aparecida; Nobrega, Celestino José Prudente; Claro, Ana Paula Rosifini Alves

    2017-01-01

    Plasma-polymerized film deposition was created to modify metallic orthodontic brackets surface properties in order to inhibit bacterial adhesion. Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) polymer films were deposited on conventional (n = 10) and self-ligating (n = 10) stainless steel orthodontic brackets using the Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) radio frequency technique. The samples were divided into two groups according to the kind of bracket and two subgroups after surface treatment. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to assess the presence of bacterial adhesion over samples surfaces (slot and wings region) and film layer integrity. Surface roughness was assessed by Confocal Interferometry (CI) and surface wettability, by goniometry. For bacterial adhesion analysis, samples were exposed for 72 hours to a Streptococcus mutans solution for biofilm formation. The values obtained for surface roughness were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test while biofilm adhesion were assessed by Kruskal-Wallis and SNK test. Significant statistical differences (pbrackets after surface treatment and between conventional and self-ligating brackets; no significant statistical differences were observed between self-ligating groups (p> 0.05). Plasma-polymerized film deposition was only effective on reducing surface roughness and bacterial adhesion in conventional brackets. It was also noted that conventional brackets showed lower biofilm adhesion than self-ligating brackets despite the absence of film.

  6. Imaging slit-coupled surface plasmon polaritons using conventional optical microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehfuz, R; Chowdhury, F A; Chau, K J

    2012-05-07

    We develop a technique that now enables surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) coupled by nano-patterned slits in a metal film to be detected using conventional optical microscopy with standard objective lenses. The crux of this method is an ultra-thin polymer layer on the metal surface, whose thickness can be varied over a nanoscale range to enable controllable tuning of the SPP momentum. At an optimal layer thickness for which the SPP momentum matches the momentum of light emerging from the slit, the SPP coupling efficiency is enhanced about six times relative to that without the layer. The enhanced efficiency results in distinctive and bright plasmonic signatures near the slit visible by naked eye under an optical microscope. We demonstrate how this capability can be used for parallel measurement through a simple experiment in which the SPP propagation distance is extracted from a single microscope image of an illuminated array of nano-patterned slits on a metal surface. We also use optical microscopy to image the focal region of a plasmonic lens and obtain results consistent with a previously-reported results using near-field optical microscopy. Measurement of SPPs near a nano-slit using conventional and widely-available optical microscopy is an important step towards making nano-plasmonic device technology highly accessible and easy-to-use.

  7. Bacterial adhesion on conventional and self-ligating metallic brackets after surface treatment with plasma-polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tupinambá, Rogerio Amaral; Claro, Cristiane Aparecida de Assis; Pereira, Cristiane Aparecida; Nobrega, Celestino José Prudente; Claro, Ana Paula Rosifini Alves

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Introduction: Plasma-polymerized film deposition was created to modify metallic orthodontic brackets surface properties in order to inhibit bacterial adhesion. Methods: Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) polymer films were deposited on conventional (n = 10) and self-ligating (n = 10) stainless steel orthodontic brackets using the Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) radio frequency technique. The samples were divided into two groups according to the kind of bracket and two subgroups after surface treatment. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to assess the presence of bacterial adhesion over samples surfaces (slot and wings region) and film layer integrity. Surface roughness was assessed by Confocal Interferometry (CI) and surface wettability, by goniometry. For bacterial adhesion analysis, samples were exposed for 72 hours to a Streptococcus mutans solution for biofilm formation. The values obtained for surface roughness were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test while biofilm adhesion were assessed by Kruskal-Wallis and SNK test. Results: Significant statistical differences (p 0.05). Conclusion: Plasma-polymerized film deposition was only effective on reducing surface roughness and bacterial adhesion in conventional brackets. It was also noted that conventional brackets showed lower biofilm adhesion than self-ligating brackets despite the absence of film. PMID:28902253

  8. Bacterial adhesion on conventional and self-ligating metallic brackets after surface treatment with plasma-polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rogerio Amaral Tupinambá

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction: Plasma-polymerized film deposition was created to modify metallic orthodontic brackets surface properties in order to inhibit bacterial adhesion. Methods: Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO polymer films were deposited on conventional (n = 10 and self-ligating (n = 10 stainless steel orthodontic brackets using the Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD radio frequency technique. The samples were divided into two groups according to the kind of bracket and two subgroups after surface treatment. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM analysis was performed to assess the presence of bacterial adhesion over samples surfaces (slot and wings region and film layer integrity. Surface roughness was assessed by Confocal Interferometry (CI and surface wettability, by goniometry. For bacterial adhesion analysis, samples were exposed for 72 hours to a Streptococcus mutans solution for biofilm formation. The values obtained for surface roughness were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test while biofilm adhesion were assessed by Kruskal-Wallis and SNK test. Results: Significant statistical differences (p 0.05. Conclusion: Plasma-polymerized film deposition was only effective on reducing surface roughness and bacterial adhesion in conventional brackets. It was also noted that conventional brackets showed lower biofilm adhesion than self-ligating brackets despite the absence of film.

  9. Nuclear or conventional power for surface combatant ships: Department of the Navy. Report to the Congress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    GAO reviewed the controversy over whether the Navy's major surface combatant ships should be all nuclear powered, all conventionally powered, or a mix of both. Nuclear ships are more capable but cost more and their relative cost-effectiveness cannot be measured because Navy analysts cannot quantify many benefits of nuclear power. The Congress, in reviewing Navy shipbuilding plans for surface combatant ships, should be cognizant that buying only conventional ships will maximize naval firepower; buying only nuclear ships will provide mobility and greater freedom from logistics support; and buying a mix is a third option providing, to varying degrees, the advantages and disadvantages of the all-nuclear and all-conventional options

  10. Self-disinfecting Alginate vs Conventional Alginate: Effect on Surface Hardness of Gypsum Cast-An in vitro Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhavan, Ranjith; George, Navia; Thummala, Niharika R; Ravi, S V; Nagpal, Ajay

    2017-11-01

    For the construction of any dental prosthesis, accurate impressions are necessary. Hence, we undertook the present study to evaluate and compare the surface hardness of gypsum casts poured from impressions made using conventional alginate and self-disinfecting alginate. A total of 30 impressions of stainless steel die were made, out of which 15 impressions were made with conventional alginate and 15 were made with self-disinfecting alginate and poured using Type III dental stone. Thirty stone specimens were subjected for hardness testing. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-test to compare the mean surface hardness. Difference in surface hardness was statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Surface hardness of gypsum casts poured using impressions made from self-disinfecting alginate and conventional alginates were comparable. Self-disinfecting alginates may be employed in clinical practice as safe and effective materials to overcome the infection control issues without compromising on the properties of the material.

  11. Magnetic surfaces, particle orbits and neutral injection in conventional and ultimate torsatrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, D.T.; Derr, J.A.; Kruckewitt, T.; Shohet, J.L.; Rehker, S.; Tataronis, J.A.

    1979-01-01

    Capabilities in fully non-axisymmetric numerical methods have resulted in a parametric study of various conventional and ultimate torsatron configurations. No superbananas are found in torsatrons without local magnetic wells. Neutral injection calculations show that, if the vacuum magnetic surfaces are well defined, tangential injection is very efficient

  12. Imaging method of brain surface anatomy structures using conventional T2-weighted MR images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatanaka, Masahiko; Machida, Yoshio; Yoshida, Tadatoki; Katada, Kazuhiro.

    1992-01-01

    As a non-invasive technique for visualizing the brain surface structure by MRI, surface anatomy scanning (SAS) and the multislice SAS methods have been developed. Both techniques require additional MRI scanning to obtain images for the brain surface. In this paper, we report an alternative method to obtain the brain surface image using conventional T2-weighted multislice images without any additional scanning. The power calculation of the image pixel values, which is incorporated in the routine processing, has been applied in order to enhance the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contrast. We think that this method is one of practical approaches for imaging the surface anatomy of the brain. (author)

  13. Base adsorption calorimetry for characterising surface acidity: a comparison between pulse flow and conventional ''static'' techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Felix, S.P.; Savill-Jowitt, C.; Brown, D.R.

    2005-01-01

    A pulsed flow adsorption microcalorimeter (pulse-FMC) has been developed by modifying a Setaram 111. It is tested in comparison with a conventional pulsed static adsorption microcalorimeter (pulse-SMC) for characterising surface acidity of solid acid catalysts. Small pulses of 1% ammonia in helium are delivered to an activated catalyst sample and its surface acidity is differentially profiled in terms of the molar enthalpy of ammonia adsorption (ΔH ads o ) using a combination of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a downstream thermal conductivity detector (TCD). The pulsing action and its sequences are controlled by in-house developed software and the TCD output also is logged into a PC. Thus, the pulse-FMC is fully automated. Two sulfonated polystyrene resin-type catalysts, Amberlyst 15 and Amberlyst 35, a zeolite of the type H + -ZSM-5 (CT 410) and an acid activated clay (Fulcat 220) are characterised at appropriate temperatures using both the new technique and the conventional static base adsorption method. ΔH ads o versus surface coverage profiles of all the four catalysts obtained from both pulse-FMC and the conventional method are found to be comparable. Results are interpreted in terms of the extent to which NH 3 adsorption on the catalysts surface is under thermodynamic control in the two methods

  14. Effects of blending of desalinated and conventionally treated surface water on iron corrosion and its release from corroding surfaces and pre-existing scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Haizhou; Schonberger, Kenneth D; Peng, Ching-Yu; Ferguson, John F; Desormeaux, Erik; Meyerhofer, Paul; Luckenbach, Heidi; Korshin, Gregory V

    2013-07-01

    This study examined effects of blending desalinated water with conventionally treated surface water on iron corrosion and release from corroding metal surfaces and pre-existing scales exposed to waters having varying fractions of desalinated water, alkalinities, pH values and orthophosphate levels. The presence of desalinated water resulted in markedly decreased 0.45 μm-filtered soluble iron concentrations. However, higher fractions of desalinated water in the blends were also associated with more fragile corroding surfaces, lower retention of iron oxidation products and release of larger iron particles in the bulk water. SEM, XRD and XANES data showed that in surface water, a dense layer of amorphous ferrihydrite phase predominated in the corrosion products. More crystalline surface phases developed in the presence of desalinated water. These solid phases transformed from goethite to lepidocrocite with increased fraction of desalinated water. These effects are likely to result from a combination of chemical parameters, notably variations of the concentrations of natural organic matter, calcium, chloride and sulfate when desalinated and conventionally treated waters are blended. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Adherence of Candida to complete denture surfaces in vitro: A comparison of conventional and CAD/CAM complete dentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Fouzan, Afnan F; Al-Mejrad, Lamya A; Albarrag, Ahmed M

    2017-10-01

    The goal of this study was to compare the adhesion of Candida albicans to the surfaces of CAD/CAM and conventionally fabricated complete denture bases. Twenty discs of acrylic resin poly (methyl methacrylate) were fabricated with CAD/CAM and conventional procedures (heat-polymerized acrylic resin). The specimens were divided into two groups: 10 discs were fabricated using the CAD/CAM procedure (Wieland Digital Denture Ivoclar Vivadent), and 10 discs were fabricated using a conventional flasking and pressure-pack technique. Candida colonization was performed on all the specimens using four Candida albicans isolates. The difference in Candida albicans adhesion on the discs was evaluated. The number of adherent yeast cells was calculated by the colony-forming units (CFU) and by Fluorescence microscopy. There was a significant difference in the adhesion of Candida albicans to the complete denture bases created with CAD/CAM and the adhesion to those created with the conventional procedure. The CAD/CAM denture bases exhibited less adhesion of Candida albicans than did the denture bases created with the conventional procedure ( P CAD/CAM procedure for fabricating complete dentures showed promising potential for reducing the adherence of Candida to the denture base surface. Clinical Implications. Complete dentures made with the CAD/CAM procedure might decrease the incidence of denture stomatitis compared with conventional dentures.

  16. Ceramic substrate including thin film multilayer surface conductor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Joseph Ambrose; Peterson, Kenneth A.

    2017-05-09

    A ceramic substrate comprises a plurality of ceramic sheets, a plurality of inner conductive layers, a plurality of vias, and an upper conductive layer. The ceramic sheets are stacked one on top of another and include a top ceramic sheet. The inner conductive layers include electrically conductive material that forms electrically conductive features on an upper surface of each ceramic sheet excluding the top ceramic sheet. The vias are formed in each of the ceramic sheets with each via being filled with electrically conductive material. The upper conductive layer includes electrically conductive material that forms electrically conductive features on an upper surface of the top ceramic sheet. The upper conductive layer is constructed from a stack of four sublayers. A first sublayer is formed from titanium. A second sublayer is formed from copper. A third sublayer is formed from platinum. A fourth sublayer is formed from gold.

  17. Nonlocal continuum-based modeling of breathing mode of nanowires including surface stress and surface inertia effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghavanloo, Esmaeal; Fazelzadeh, S. Ahmad; Rafii-Tabar, Hashem

    2014-05-01

    Nonlocal and surface effects significantly influence the mechanical response of nanomaterials and nanostructures. In this work, the breathing mode of a circular nanowire is studied on the basis of the nonlocal continuum model. Both the surface elastic properties and surface inertia effect are included. Nanowires can be modeled as long cylindrical solid objects. The classical model is reformulated using the nonlocal differential constitutive relations of Eringen and Gurtin-Murdoch surface continuum elasticity formalism. A new frequency equation for the breathing mode of nanowires, including small scale effect, surface stress and surface inertia is presented by employing the Bessel functions. Numerical results are computed, and are compared to confirm the validity and accuracy of the proposed method. Furthermore, the model is used to elucidate the effect of nonlocal parameter, the surface stress, the surface inertia and the nanowire orientation on the breathing mode of several types of nanowires with size ranging from 0.5 to 4 nm. Our results reveal that the combined surface and small scale effects are significant for nanowires with diameter smaller than 4 nm.

  18. Nonlocal continuum-based modeling of breathing mode of nanowires including surface stress and surface inertia effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghavanloo, Esmaeal; Fazelzadeh, S. Ahmad; Rafii-Tabar, Hashem

    2014-01-01

    Nonlocal and surface effects significantly influence the mechanical response of nanomaterials and nanostructures. In this work, the breathing mode of a circular nanowire is studied on the basis of the nonlocal continuum model. Both the surface elastic properties and surface inertia effect are included. Nanowires can be modeled as long cylindrical solid objects. The classical model is reformulated using the nonlocal differential constitutive relations of Eringen and Gurtin–Murdoch surface continuum elasticity formalism. A new frequency equation for the breathing mode of nanowires, including small scale effect, surface stress and surface inertia is presented by employing the Bessel functions. Numerical results are computed, and are compared to confirm the validity and accuracy of the proposed method. Furthermore, the model is used to elucidate the effect of nonlocal parameter, the surface stress, the surface inertia and the nanowire orientation on the breathing mode of several types of nanowires with size ranging from 0.5 to 4 nm. Our results reveal that the combined surface and small scale effects are significant for nanowires with diameter smaller than 4 nm.

  19. Nonlocal continuum-based modeling of breathing mode of nanowires including surface stress and surface inertia effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghavanloo, Esmaeal, E-mail: ghavanloo@shirazu.ac.ir [School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71963-16548 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Fazelzadeh, S. Ahmad [School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71963-16548 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rafii-Tabar, Hashem [Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Research Center for Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Evin, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Computational Physical Sciences Research Laboratory, School of Nano-Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-05-01

    Nonlocal and surface effects significantly influence the mechanical response of nanomaterials and nanostructures. In this work, the breathing mode of a circular nanowire is studied on the basis of the nonlocal continuum model. Both the surface elastic properties and surface inertia effect are included. Nanowires can be modeled as long cylindrical solid objects. The classical model is reformulated using the nonlocal differential constitutive relations of Eringen and Gurtin–Murdoch surface continuum elasticity formalism. A new frequency equation for the breathing mode of nanowires, including small scale effect, surface stress and surface inertia is presented by employing the Bessel functions. Numerical results are computed, and are compared to confirm the validity and accuracy of the proposed method. Furthermore, the model is used to elucidate the effect of nonlocal parameter, the surface stress, the surface inertia and the nanowire orientation on the breathing mode of several types of nanowires with size ranging from 0.5 to 4 nm. Our results reveal that the combined surface and small scale effects are significant for nanowires with diameter smaller than 4 nm.

  20. Microwave effective surface impedance of structures including a high-Tc superconducting film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hartemann, P.

    1992-01-01

    The microwave effective surface impedances of different stacks made of high-temperature superconducting films, dielectric materials and bulk normal metals were computed. The calculations were based on the two-fluid model of superconductors and the conventional transmission line theory. These effective impedances are compared to the calculated intrinsic surface impedances of the stacked superconducting films. The considered superconducting material has been the oxide YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 epitaxially grown on crystalline substrates (MgO, LaAlO 3 , SrTiO 3 ), the film thickness ranging from a few nm to 1μm. Discrepancies between the effective surface resistances or reactances and the corresponding intrinsic values were determined at 10 GHz for non resonant or resonant structures. At resonance the surface resistance discrepancy exhibits a sharp peak which reaches 10 4 or more in relative value according to the geometry and the used materials. Obviously the effective surface reactance shows also huge variations about the resonance and may be negative. Moreover geometries allowing to obtain an effective resistance smaller than the film intrinsic value have been found. The effects of the resonance phenomenon on the electromagnetic wave reflectivity and reflection phase shift are investigated. Therefore the reported theoretical results demonstrate that the effective surface impedance of YBCO films with a thickness smaller than 500 nm can be very different from the intrinsic film impedance according to the structures. (Author). 3 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs

  1. Monitoring of tritium-contaminated surfaces, including skin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surette, R.A.; Wood, M.J.

    1994-05-01

    We have examined various commercially available tritium surface contamination monitors along with different swipe media and techniques for direct and indirect (swipe) monitoring of contaminated surfaces, including skin. None of the methods or instruments evaluated were more sensitive than the swipe and liquid scintillation counting (LSC) method. Swipe measurements with open-window proportional counters were, in general, less than half as sensitive as LSC, but have the advantages of having the results available almost immediately, and no sample preparation is required. The Nuclear Measurement Corporation's PC-55 is the most suitable instrument we tested for the analysis of routine swipe measurement. The PC-55 was about one third as sensitive as LSC when used with Ontario Hydro filter paper swipe media. Surface contamination measurement results can be obtained within minutes using the PC-55, compared to hours using LSC. The selection of swipe media for use with proportional counter-based instruments is critical. A medium that is electrically insulating can develop an electrostatic charge on its surface; this may alter the field gradient in the detector and may adversely influence the results. Although the PC-55 is sufficiently sensitive and very convenient, operational experience with the instrument is needed before recommending that it replace current LSC methods. The PC-55's susceptibility to internal tritium contamination may limit its practical usefulness. Because of the complexity of using live animals to evaluate direct and indirect methods for assessing skin contamination, pig skin was investigated as a possible substitute. We concluded that, for the first few hours post-exposure, pig skin mimics the kinetics of animal skin that has contacted a tritium-contaminated surface. (author). 30 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs

  2. Effect of autoclaving on the surfaces of TiN -coated and conventional nickel-titanium rotary instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spagnuolo, G; Ametrano, G; D'Antò, V; Rengo, C; Simeone, M; Riccitiello, F; Amato, M

    2012-12-01

    To evaluate the effects of repeated autoclave sterilization cycles on surface topography of conventional nickel-titanium ( NiTi ) and titanium nitride ( TiN )-coated rotary instruments. A total of 60 NiTi rotary instruments, 30 ProTaper (Dentsply Maillefer) and 30 TiN -coated AlphaKite (Komet/Gebr. Brasseler), were analysed. Instruments were evaluated in the as-received condition and after 1, 5 and 10 sterilization cycles. After sterilization, the samples were observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and surface chemical analysis was performed on each instrument with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Moreover, the samples were analysed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and roughness average (Ra) and the root mean square value (RMS) of the scanned surface profiles were recorded. Data were analysed by means of anova followed by Tukey's test. Scanning electron microscope observations revealed the presence of pitting and deep milling marks in all instruments. EDS analysis confirmed that both types of instruments were composed mainly of nickel and titanium, whilst AlphaKite had additional nitride. After multiple autoclave sterilization cycles, SEM examinations revealed an increase in surface alterations, and EDS values indicated changes in chemical surface composition in all instruments. Ra and RMS values of ProTaper significantly increased after 5 (P = 0.006) and 10 cycles (P = 0.002) with respect to the as-received instruments, whilst AlphaKite showed significant differences compared with the controls after 10 cycles (P = 0.03). Multiple autoclave sterilization cycles modified the surface topography and chemical composition of conventional and TiN -coated NiTi rotary instruments. © 2012 International Endodontic Journal.

  3. Friction Surface Treatment Selection: Aggregate Properties, Surface Characteristics, Alternative Treatments, and Safety Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-07-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the long term performance of the selected surface friction treatments, including high friction surface treatment (HFST) using calcined bauxite and steel slag, and conventional friction surfacing, in particular pavement pr...

  4. Monitoring of tritium-contaminated surfaces, including skin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Surette, R A; Wood, M J

    1994-05-01

    We have examined various commercially available tritium surface contamination monitors along with different swipe media and techniques for direct and indirect (swipe) monitoring of contaminated surfaces, including skin. None of the methods or instruments evaluated were more sensitive than the swipe and liquid scintillation counting (LSC) method. Swipe measurements with open-window proportional counters were, in general, less than half as sensitive as LSC, but have the advantages of having the results available almost immediately, and no sample preparation is required. The Nuclear Measurement Corporation`s PC-55 is the most suitable instrument we tested for the analysis of routine swipe measurement. The PC-55 was about one third as sensitive as LSC when used with Ontario Hydro filter paper swipe media. Surface contamination measurement results can be obtained within minutes using the PC-55, compared to hours using LSC. The selection of swipe media for use with proportional counter-based instruments is critical. A medium that is electrically insulating can develop an electrostatic charge on its surface; this may alter the field gradient in the detector and may adversely influence the results. Although the PC-55 is sufficiently sensitive and very convenient, operational experience with the instrument is needed before recommending that it replace current LSC methods. The PC-55`s susceptibility to internal tritium contamination may limit its practical usefulness. Because of the complexity of using live animals to evaluate direct and indirect methods for assessing skin contamination, pig skin was investigated as a possible substitute. We concluded that, for the first few hours post-exposure, pig skin mimics the kinetics of animal skin that has contacted a tritium-contaminated surface. (author). 30 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

  5. Defect Detectability Improvement for Conventional Friction Stir Welds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Chris

    2013-01-01

    This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of defect detectability via phased array ultrasound technology in conventional friction stir welds by comparing conventionally prepped post weld surfaces to a machined surface finish. A machined surface is hypothesized to improve defect detectability and increase material strength.

  6. "Effect of nano-filled surface coating agent on fluoride release from conventional glass ionomer cement: An in vitro trial"

    OpenAIRE

    S Tiwari; B Nandlal

    2013-01-01

    Context: To overcome the drawbacks of glass ionomer cement of sensitivity to initial desiccation and moisture contamination the use of surface coating agent is recommended. The search in this area led to invent of use of nanofillers in surface coating agent, but its effect on fluoride release is not clear. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the fluoride release from conventional glass ionomer cement with and without surface coating agent. Settings and Design: This in vitro ...

  7. Improving weather predictability by including land-surface model parameter uncertainty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orth, Rene; Dutra, Emanuel; Pappenberger, Florian

    2016-04-01

    The land surface forms an important component of Earth system models and interacts nonlinearly with other parts such as ocean and atmosphere. To capture the complex and heterogenous hydrology of the land surface, land surface models include a large number of parameters impacting the coupling to other components of the Earth system model. Focusing on ECMWF's land-surface model HTESSEL we present in this study a comprehensive parameter sensitivity evaluation using multiple observational datasets in Europe. We select 6 poorly constrained effective parameters (surface runoff effective depth, skin conductivity, minimum stomatal resistance, maximum interception, soil moisture stress function shape, total soil depth) and explore their sensitivity to model outputs such as soil moisture, evapotranspiration and runoff using uncoupled simulations and coupled seasonal forecasts. Additionally we investigate the possibility to construct ensembles from the multiple land surface parameters. In the uncoupled runs we find that minimum stomatal resistance and total soil depth have the most influence on model performance. Forecast skill scores are moreover sensitive to the same parameters as HTESSEL performance in the uncoupled analysis. We demonstrate the robustness of our findings by comparing multiple best performing parameter sets and multiple randomly chosen parameter sets. We find better temperature and precipitation forecast skill with the best-performing parameter perturbations demonstrating representativeness of model performance across uncoupled (and hence less computationally demanding) and coupled settings. Finally, we construct ensemble forecasts from ensemble members derived with different best-performing parameterizations of HTESSEL. This incorporation of parameter uncertainty in the ensemble generation yields an increase in forecast skill, even beyond the skill of the default system. Orth, R., E. Dutra, and F. Pappenberger, 2016: Improving weather predictability by

  8. Nanocoating of titanium implant surfaces with organic molecules. Polysaccharides including glycosaminoglycans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gurzawska, Katarzyna Aleksandra; Svava, Rikke; Jørgensen, Niklas Rye

    2012-01-01

    Long-term stability of titanium implants are dependent on a variety of factors. Nanocoating with organic molecules is one of the method used to improve osseointegration. Nanoscale modification of titanium implants affects surface properties, such as hydrophilicity, biochemical bonding capacity...... and roughness. This influences cell behaviour on the surface such as adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of cells as well as the mineralization of the extracellular matrix at the implant surfaces. The aim of the present systematic review was to describe organic molecules used for surface nanocoating...... nanocoatings. The included in vivo studies, showed improvement of bone interface reactions measured as increased Bone-to-Implant Contact length and Bone Mineral Density adjacent to the polysaccharide coated surfaces. Based on existing literature, surface modification with polysaccharide and glycosaminoglycans...

  9. The use of design of experiments for the evaluation of the production of surface rich activated carbon from sewage sludge via microwave and conventional pyrolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simões dos Reis, Glaydson; Wilhelm, Michaela; Silva, Thamires Canuto de Almeida; Rezwan, Kurosch; Sampaio, Carlos Hoffmann; Lima, Eder Claudio; Guelli Ulson de Souza, Selene M.A.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Using of DOE for preparation of AC by conventional and microwave pyrolysis. • The significant parameters in producing activated carbon were investigated. • Conventional pyrolysis AC had better textural development than microwave AC. • Temperature and holding time had significant influence on the S_B_E_T. • Reduction of production cost of activated carbon. - Abstract: Experimental design and response surface methodology were used for the preparation and comparison of activated carbon produced from sewage sludge by two types of pyrolysis: conventional furnace and microwave. The preparation method was performed following a full fractional factorial design (2"3), including pyrolysis temperature or power radiation, holding time and chemical activation agent, and specific surface area (S_B_E_T) of prepared activated carbon. The influence of these factors on the S_B_E_T of obtained carbon was investigated using an analysis of variance. Samples made by conventional pyrolysis showed overall higher S_B_E_T values than samples synthesised by the microwave method. The optimum parameters for the preparation of activated carbon using the conventional pyrolysis have been identified as: pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C, holding time of 15 min, and a ratio of ZnCl_2:sludge of 0.5. Microwave pyrolysis is found to be optimal when operating at 980 W for 12 min. Under these conditions, S_B_E_T values of 679 and 501 m"2g"−"1, respectively, have been obtained. The analysis of nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms revealed the presence of micro and mesopores in the activated carbon. The most important significant factor, according statistical analysis, in the variance in S_B_E_T for the conventional pyrolysis samples were the pyrolysis temperature and interaction between pyrolysis temperature, holding time and ratio of ZnCl_2:sludge were the most important factors. The highest impact parameters for the microwave method were found for the interaction

  10. Comparison of surface roughness and bacterial adhesion between cosmetic contact lenses and conventional contact lenses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Yong Woo; Cho, Young Joo; Lee, Chul Hee; Hong, Soon Ho; Chung, Dong Yong; Kim, Eung Kweon; Lee, Hyung Keun

    2015-01-01

    To compare physical characteristics of cosmetic contact lenses (Cos-CLs) and conventional contact lenses (Con-CLs) that might affect susceptibility to bacterial adhesion on the contact lens (CL) surface. Surface characteristics of Cos-CLs and Con-CLs made from the same material by the same manufacturer were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy. To determine the extent and rate of bacterial adhesion, Cos-CL and Con-CL were immersed in serum-free Roswell Park Memorial Institute media containing Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Additionally, the rate of removal of adherent bacteria was evaluated using hand rubbing or immersion in multipurpose disinfecting solutions (MPDS). The mean surface roughness (root mean square and peak-to-valley value) measured by AFM was significantly higher for Cos-CL than for Con-CL. At each time point, significantly more S. aureus and P. aeruginosa adhered to Cos-CL than to Con-CL, which correlated with the surface roughness of CL. In Cos-CL, bacteria were mainly found on the tinted surface rather than on the noncolored or convex areas. Pseudomonas aeruginosa attached earlier than S. aureus to all types of CL. However, P. aeruginosa was more easily removed from the surface of CL than S. aureus by hand rubbing or MPDS soaking. Increased surface roughness is an important physical factor for bacterial adhesion in Cos-CL, which may explain why rates of bacterial keratitis rates are higher in Cos-CL users in CL physical characteristics.

  11. Sample mounting and transfer for coupling an ultrahigh vacuum variable temperature beetle scanning tunneling microscope with conventional surface probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nafisi, Kourosh; Ranau, Werner; Hemminger, John C.

    2001-01-01

    We present a new ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber for surface analysis and microscopy at controlled, variable temperatures. The new instrument allows surface analysis with Auger electron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, quadrupole mass spectrometer, argon ion sputtering gun, and a variable temperature scanning tunneling microscope (VT-STM). In this system, we introduce a novel procedure for transferring a sample off a conventional UHV manipulator and onto a scanning tunneling microscope in the conventional ''beetle'' geometry, without disconnecting the heating or thermocouple wires. The microscope, a modified version of the Besocke beetle microscope, is mounted on a 2.75 in. outer diameter UHV flange and is directly attached to the base of the chamber. The sample is attached to a tripod sample holder that is held by the main manipulator. Under UHV conditions the tripod sample holder can be removed from the main manipulator and placed onto the STM. The VT-STM has the capability of acquiring images between the temperature range of 180--500 K. The performance of the chamber is demonstrated here by producing an ordered array of island vacancy defects on a Pt(111) surface and obtaining STM images of these defects

  12. Effects of conventional ozonation and electro-peroxone pretreatment of surface water on disinfection by-product formation during subsequent chlorination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Yuqin; Guo, Di; Yao, Weikun; Wang, Xiaomao; Yang, Hongwei; Xie, Yuefeng F; Komarneni, Sridhar; Yu, Gang; Wang, Yujue

    2018-03-01

    The electro-peroxone (E-peroxone) process is an emerging ozone-based electrochemical advanced oxidation process that combines conventional ozonation with in-situ cathodic hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production for oxidative water treatment. In this study, the effects of the E-peroxone pretreatment on disinfection by-product (DBP) formation from chlorination of a synthetic surface water were investigated and compared to conventional ozonation. Results show that due to the enhanced transformation of ozone (O 3 ) to hydroxyl radicals (OH) by electro-generated H 2 O 2 , the E-peroxone process considerably enhanced dissolved organic carbon (DOC) abatement and significantly reduced bromate (BrO 3 - ) formation compared to conventional ozonation. However, natural organic matter (NOM) with high UV 254 absorbance, which is the major precursors of chlorination DBPs, was less efficiently abated during the E-peroxone process than conventional ozonation. Consequently, while both conventional ozonation and the E-peroxone process substantially reduced the formation of DBPs (trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids) during post-chlorination, higher DBP concentrations were generally observed during chlorination of the E-peroxone pretreated waters than conventional ozonation treated. In addition, because of conventional ozonation or the E-peroxone treatment, DBPs formed during post-chlorination shifted to more brominated species. The overall yields of brominated DBPs exhibited strong correlations with the bromide concentrations in water. Therefore, while the E-peroxone process can effectively suppress bromide transformation to bromate, it may lead to higher formation of brominated DBPs during post-chlorination compared to conventional ozonation. These results suggest that the E-peroxone process can lead to different DBP formation and speciation during water treatment trains compared to conventional ozonation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Mpl traffics to the cell surface through conventional and unconventional routes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cleyrat, Cédric; Darehshouri, Anza; Steinkamp, Mara P; Vilaine, Mathias; Boassa, Daniela; Ellisman, Mark H; Hermouet, Sylvie; Wilson, Bridget S

    2014-09-01

    Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are often characterized by JAK2 or calreticulin (CALR) mutations, indicating aberrant trafficking in pathogenesis. This study focuses on Mpl trafficking and Jak2 association using two model systems: human erythroleukemia cells (HEL; JAK2V617F) and K562 myeloid leukemia cells (JAK2WT). Consistent with a putative chaperone role for Jak2, Mpl and Jak2 associate on both intracellular and plasma membranes (shown by proximity ligation assay) and siRNA-mediated knockdown of Jak2 led to Mpl trapping in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Even in Jak2 sufficient cells, Mpl accumulates in punctate structures that partially colocalize with ER-tracker, the ER exit site marker (ERES) Sec31a, the autophagy marker LC3 and LAMP1. Mpl was fused to miniSOG, a genetically encoded tag for correlated light and electron microscopy. Results suggest that a fraction of Mpl is taken up into autophagic structures from the ER and routed to autolyososomes. Surface biotinylation shows that both immature and mature Mpl reach the cell surface; in K562 cells Mpl is also released in exosomes. Both forms rapidly internalize upon ligand addition, while recovery is primarily attributed to immature Mpl. Mpl appears to reach the plasma membrane via both conventional ER-Golgi and autolysosome secretory pathways, as well as recycling. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. The Ultimate Pile Bearing Capacity from Conventional and Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faizah Bawadi, Nor; Anuar, Shamilah; Rahim, Mustaqqim A.; Mansor, A. Faizal

    2018-03-01

    A conventional and seismic method for determining the ultimate pile bearing capacity was proposed and compared. The Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) method is one of the non-destructive seismic techniques that do not require drilling and sampling of soils, was used in the determination of shear wave velocity (Vs) and damping (D) profile of soil. The soil strength was found to be directly proportional to the Vs and its value has been successfully applied to obtain shallow bearing capacity empirically. A method is proposed in this study to determine the pile bearing capacity using Vs and D measurements for the design of pile and also as an alternative method to verify the bearing capacity from the other conventional methods of evaluation. The objectives of this study are to determine Vs and D profile through frequency response data from SASW measurements and to compare pile bearing capacities obtained from the method carried out and conventional methods. All SASW test arrays were conducted near the borehole and location of conventional pile load tests. In obtaining skin and end bearing pile resistance, the Hardin and Drnevich equation has been used with reference strains obtained from the method proposed by Abbiss. Back analysis results of pile bearing capacities from SASW were found to be 18981 kN and 4947 kN compared to 18014 kN and 4633 kN of IPLT with differences of 5% and 6% for Damansara and Kuala Lumpur test sites, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the seismic method proposed in this study has the potential to be used in estimating the pile bearing capacity.

  15. Effects of conventional welding and laser welding on the tensile strength, ultimate tensile strength and surface characteristics of two cobalt-chromium alloys: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhan Kumar, Seenivasan; Sethumadhava, Jayesh Raghavendra; Anand Kumar, Vaidyanathan; Manita, Grover

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of laser welding and conventional welding on the tensile strength and ultimate tensile strength of the cobalt-chromium alloy. Samples were prepared with two commercially available cobalt-chromium alloys (Wironium plus and Diadur alloy). The samples were sectioned and the broken fragments were joined using Conventional and Laser welding techniques. The welded joints were subjected to tensile and ultimate tensile strength testing; and scanning electron microscope to evaluate the surface characteristics at the welded site. Both on laser welding as well as on conventional welding technique, Diadur alloy samples showed lesser values when tested for tensile and ultimate tensile strength when compared to Wironium alloy samples. Under the scanning electron microscope, the laser welded joints show uniform welding and continuous molt pool all over the surface with less porosity than the conventionally welded joints. Laser welding is an advantageous method of connecting or repairing cast metal prosthetic frameworks.

  16. Paris Convention on third party liability in the field of nuclear energy and Brussels Convention Supplementary to the Paris Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    This new bilingual (English and French) edition of the 1960 Paris Convention and 1963 Brussels Supplementary Convention incorporates the provisions of the Protocols which amended each of them on two occasions, in 1964 and 1982. The Expose des motifs to the Paris Convention, as revised in 1982 is also included in this pubication. (NEA) [fr

  17. Climate change convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, D.

    1992-01-01

    Principles that guide Canada's Green Plan with respect to global warming are outlined. These include respect for nature, meeting environmental goals in an economically beneficial manner, efficient use of resources, shared responsibilities, federal leadership, and informed decision making. The policy side of the international Framework Convention on Climate Change is then discussed and related to the Green Plan. The Convention has been signed by 154 nations and has the long-term objective of stabilizing anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at levels that prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. Some of the Convention's commitments toward achieving that objective are only applicable to the developed countries. Five general areas of commitment are emissions reductions, assistance to developing countries, reporting requirements, scientific and socioeconomic research, and education. The most controversial area is that of limiting emissions. The Convention has strong measures for public accountability and is open to future revisions. Canada's Green Plan represents one country's response to the Convention commitments, including a national goal to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at the 1990 level by the year 2000

  18. Surface severe plastic deformation of AISI 304 via conventional shot peening, severe shot peening and repeening

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unal, Okan, E-mail: unalokan78@gmail.com [Mechanical Engineering Department, Bartın University, Bartın 74100 (Turkey); Varol, Remzi [Mechanical Engineering Department, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32200 (Turkey)

    2015-10-01

    Highlights: • CSP and SSP treatments transform austenite to metastable martensite structure. • Nanograin layer thickness after CSP and SSP is 8 μm and 22 μm, respectively. • Shot peening leads to carbon segregation from coarse to nano grain layer. • Repeening is an effective way to reduce surface roughness. - Abstract: Air blast conventional shot peening (CSP), severe shot peening (SSP) and repeening (RP) as a severe plastic deformation applications on AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel is addressed. Shot peened specimens are investigated based on optical, FESEM and digital microscope. The investigations present the austenite transformation to metastable martensite via mechanical twinning due to plastic deformation with high strain rates. It is found that SSP induces thicker nanograin layer with compared to CSP. In XRD studies, the austenite peaks broaden by means of severe shot peening and FWHM increase reveals the grain size reduction below 25 nm regimes on the surface. In EDAX line analysis of CSP specimen, carbon content increase has been detected from deformed layer through the nanocrystalline layer then the content reduces. The carbon segregation takes place due to the energy level distinction between dislocations and Fe−C bonds. 3d contour digital microscope studies and roughness investigations reveal that SSP has deleterious side effect on the surface roughness and surface flatness. However, RP is an effective way to reduce the surface roughness to reasonable values.

  19. Portable instrumentation for quantitatively measuring radioactive surface contaminations, including 90Sr

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brodzinski, R.L.

    1983-10-01

    In order to measure the effectiveness of decontamination efforts, a quantitative analysis of the radiocontamination is necessary, both before and after decontamination. Since it is desirable to release the decontaminated material for unrestricted use or disposal, the assay equipment must provide adequate sensitivity to measure the radioactivity at or below the release limit. In addition, the instrumentation must be capable of measuring all kinds of radiocontaminants including fission products, activation products, and transuranic materials. Finally, the survey instrumentation must be extremely versatile in order to assay the wide variety of contaminated surfaces in many environments, some of which may be extremely hostile or remote. This communication describes the development and application of portable instrumentation capable of quantitatively measuring most transuranics, activation products, and fission products, including 90 Sr, on almost any contaminated surface in nearly any location

  20. Osseointegration of implants with dendrimers surface characteristics installed conventionally or with Piezosurgery®. A comparative study in the dog.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bengazi, Franco; Lang, Niklaus P; Canciani, Elena; Viganò, Paolo; Velez, Joaquin Urbizo; Botticelli, Daniele

    2014-01-01

    The first aim of the present experiment was to compare bone healing at implants installed in recipient sites prepared with conventional drills or a piezoelectric device. The second aim was to compare implant osseointegration onto surfaces with and without dendrimers coatings. Six Beagles dogs were used in this study. Five implants with two different surfaces, three with a ZirTi(®) surface (zirconia sand blasted, acid etched), and two with a ZirTi(®)-modified surface with dendrimers of phosphoserine and polylysine were installed in the right side of the mandible. In the most anterior region (P2, P3), two recipient sites were prepared with drills, and one implant ZirTi(®) surface and one coated with dendrimers implants were installed at random. In the posterior region (P4 and M1), three recipient sites were randomly prepared: two sites with a Piezosurgery(®) instrument and one site with drill and two ZirTi(®) surface and one coated with dendrimers implants installed. Three months after the surgery, the animals were sacrificed for histological analysis. No complications occurred during the healing period. Three implants were found not integrated and were excluded from analysis. However, n = 6 was obtained. The distance IS-B at the buccal aspect was 2.2 ± 0.8 and 1.8 ± 0.5 mm, while IS-C was 1.5 ± 0.9 and 1.4 ± 0.6 mm at the Piezosurgery(®) and drill groups, respectively. Similar values were obtained between the dendrimers-coated and ZirTi(®) surface implants. The BIC% values were higher at the drill (72%) compared to the Piezosurgery(®) (67%) sites. The BIC% were also found to be higher at the ZirTi(®) (74%) compared to the dendrimers-coated (65%) implants, the difference being statistically significant. This study has revealed that oral implants may osseointegrate equally well irrespective of whether their bed was prepared utilizing conventional drills with abundant cooling or Piezosurgery(®). Moreover, the surface coating of implants with dendrimers

  1. Impact of including surface currents on simulation of Indian Ocean variability with the POAMA coupled model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Mei; Wang, Guomin; Hendon, Harry H.; Alves, Oscar [Bureau of Meteorology, Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, Melbourne (Australia)

    2011-04-15

    Impacts on the coupled variability of the Indo-Pacific by including the effects of surface currents on surface stress are explored in four extended integrations of an experimental version of the Bureau of Meteorology's coupled seasonal forecast model POAMA. The first pair of simulations differs only in their treatment of momentum coupling: one version includes the effects of surface currents on the surface stress computation and the other does not. The version that includes the effect of surface currents has less mean-state bias in the equatorial Pacific cold tongue but produces relatively weak coupled variability in the Tropics, especially that related to the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The version without the effects of surface currents has greater bias in the Pacific cold tongue but stronger IOD and ENSO variability. In order to diagnose the role of changes in local coupling from changes in remote forcing by ENSO for causing changes in IOD variability, a second set of simulations is conducted where effects of surface currents are included only in the Indian Ocean and only in the Pacific Ocean. IOD variability is found to be equally reduced by inclusion of the local effects of surface currents in the Indian Ocean and by the reduction of ENSO variability as a result of including effects of surface currents in the Pacific. Some implications of these results for predictability of the IOD and its dependence on ENSO, and for ocean subsurface data assimilation are discussed. (orig.)

  2. Wear Resistance Performance of Conventional and Non-Conventional Wind Turbine Blades with TiN Nano-Coating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Hasibul Hasan

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Efficiency and durability are critical issues that affect widely-adopted aerofoil-power generator as a sustainable source of electrical power. Even though high wind power density can be achieved; installing wind turbines in desert condition has difficulties including thermal variation, high turbulence and sand storms. Sand blasting on turbine blade surface at high velocities causes erosion resulting turbine efficiency drop. Damage-induced erosion phenomena and aeroelastic performance of the blades needed to be investigated. Suitable coating may prevent erosion to a great extent. A numerical investigation of erosion on NACA 4412 wind turbine blade has been performed using commercial computational fluid dynamics software ANSYS FLUENT 14.5 release. Discrete phase model (DPM has been used for modelling multi-phase flow of air and sand particles over the turbine blade. Governing equations have been solved by finite volume method (FVM. Conventional 30-70% glass fibre resin and non-conventional jute fibre composite have been used as turbine blade material. Sand particles of  diameter have been injected from 20, 30, 45, 60 and 90 degree angles at 500C temperature. Erosion rate, wall shear stress and strain rate have been calculated for different wind velocities and impingement angles. Simulation results for higher velocities deviate from the results observed at lower wind velocities. In simulation, erosion rate is highest for impingement angle at low wind velocities, which has been validated by experiment with a mean absolute error (MAE of 5.56%. Erosion rate and wall shear stress are higher on jute composite fibre than glass fibre resin. Developed shear stress on wind turbine blade surface is highest for  impingement angle at all velocities. On the other hand, exerted pressure on turbine blade surface is found highest for 9  angle of attack. Experimental results, with or without Titanium nitride(TiN nano-coating, also revealed that surface roughness

  3. Vibration of Piezoelectric Nanowires Including Surface Effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Ansari

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, surface and piezoelectric effects on the vibration behavior of nanowires (NWs are investigated by using a Timoshenko beam model. The electric field equations and the governing equations of motion for the piezoelectric NWs are derived with the consideration of surface effects. By the exact solution of the governing equations, an expression for the natural frequencies of NWs with simply-supported boundary conditions is obtained. The effects of piezoelectricity and surface effects on the vibrational behavior of Timoshenko NWs are graphically illustrated. A comparison is also made between the predictions of Timoshenko beam model and those of its Euler-Bernoulli counterpart. Additionally, the present results are validated through comparison with the available data in the literature.

  4. The use of a phased-array surface coil and breath-holding in MRI of the liver. Comparison of conventional SE, fat-suppressed GRE, and TSE sequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helmberger, T.; Holzknecht, N.; Lackerbauer, C.A.; Mueller-Lisse, U.; Schnarkowski, P.; Gauger, J.; Reiser, M.

    1995-01-01

    To determine the efficacy of fast MRI techniques using a taylored imaging design (breathhold and array-surface coil), conventional T1-, T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) sequences and breathhold gradient-echo (GRE) T1- and breathhold fast SE T2-weighted images were compared. 20 patients with proven focal liver lesions were studied on a 1.5 Tesla system. Conventional SE T1- und T2-weighted imaging, as well as GRE T1- and fast SE T2-weighted imaging was performed. Fast imaging was done during breathhold using an array-surface coil. For all sequences signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) and liver-to-lesion-contrast ratios (L/L) were measured and statistically compared. Regarding image quality parameters, S/N and L/L, there was no significant difference between the conventional and fast imaging techniques. However, GRE imaging was superior (84.8%) to conventional imaging for breathing and pulsation artifacts, while fast SE T2 imaging was equal regarding breathing artifacts, but superior (51.5%) regarding pulsation artifacts. The number of detected hepatic lesions was identical in all sequences. The fast MRI techniques demonstrated a superiority to conventional imaging regarding image quality and presence of artifacts. (orig.) [de

  5. Identification of astrocytoma associated genes including cell surface markers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boon, Kathy; Edwards, Jennifer B; Eberhart, Charles G; Riggins, Gregory J

    2004-01-01

    Despite intense effort the treatment options for the invasive astrocytic tumors are still limited to surgery and radiation therapy, with chemotherapy showing little or no increase in survival. The generation of Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) profiles is expected to aid in the identification of astrocytoma-associated genes and highly expressed cell surface genes as molecular therapeutic targets. SAGE tag counts can be easily added to public expression databases and quickly disseminated to research efforts worldwide. We generated and analyzed the SAGE transcription profiles of 25 primary grade II, III and IV astrocytomas [1]. These profiles were produced as part of the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project's SAGE Genie [2], and were used in an in silico search for candidate therapeutic targets by comparing astrocytoma to normal brain transcription. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used for the validation of selected candidate target genes in 2 independent sets of primary tumors. A restricted set of tumor-associated genes was identified for each grade that included genes not previously associated with astrocytomas (e.g. VCAM1, SMOC1, and thymidylate synthetase), with a high percentage of cell surface genes. Two genes with available antibodies, Aquaporin 1 and Topoisomerase 2A, showed protein expression consistent with transcript level predictions. This survey of transcription in malignant and normal brain tissues reveals a small subset of human genes that are activated in malignant astrocytomas. In addition to providing insights into pathway biology, we have revealed and quantified expression for a significant portion of cell surface and extra-cellular astrocytoma genes

  6. Expansion Hamiltonian model for a diatomic molecule adsorbed on a surface: Vibrational states of the CO/Cu(100) system including surface vibrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meng, Qingyong, E-mail: mengqingyong@dicp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan Road 457, 116023 Dalian (China); Meyer, Hans-Dieter, E-mail: hans-dieter.meyer@pci.uni-heidelberg.de [Theoretische Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

    2015-10-28

    Molecular-surface studies are often done by assuming a corrugated, static (i.e., rigid) surface. To be able to investigate the effects that vibrations of surface atoms may have on spectra and cross sections, an expansion Hamiltonian model is proposed on the basis of the recently reported [R. Marquardt et al., J. Chem. Phys. 132, 074108 (2010)] SAP potential energy surface (PES), which was built for the CO/Cu(100) system with a rigid surface. In contrast to other molecule-surface coupling models, such as the modified surface oscillator model, the coupling between the adsorbed molecule and the surface atoms is already included in the present expansion SAP-PES model, in which a Taylor expansion around the equilibrium positions of the surface atoms is performed. To test the quality of the Taylor expansion, a direct model, that is avoiding the expansion, is also studied. The latter, however, requests that there is only one movable surface atom included. On the basis of the present expansion and direct models, the effects of a moving top copper atom (the one to which CO is bound) on the energy levels of a bound CO/Cu(100) system are studied. For this purpose, the multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree calculations are carried out to obtain the vibrational fundamentals and overtones of the CO/Cu(100) system including a movable top copper atom. In order to interpret the results, a simple model consisting of two coupled harmonic oscillators is introduced. From these calculations, the vibrational levels of the CO/Cu(100) system as function of the frequency of the top copper atom are discussed.

  7. A simple cryo-holder facilitates specimen observation under a conventional scanning electron microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Chih-Yuan; Huang, Rong-Nan; Kuo-Huang, Ling-Long; Kuo, Tai-Chih; Yang, Ya-Yun; Lin, Ching-Yeh; Jane, Wann-Neng; Chen, Shiang-Jiuun

    2012-02-01

    A pre-cryogenic holder (cryo-holder) facilitating cryo-specimen observation under a conventional scanning electron microscope (SEM) is described. This cryo-holder includes a specimen-holding unit (the stub) and a cryogenic energy-storing unit (a composite of three cylinders assembled with a screw). After cooling, the cryo-holder can continue supplying cryogenic energy to extend the observation time for the specimen in a conventional SEM. Moreover, the cryogenic energy-storing unit could retain appropriate liquid nitrogen that can evaporate to prevent frost deposition on the surface of the specimen. This device is proved feasible for various tissues and cells, and can be applied to the fields of both biology and material science. We have employed this novel cryo-holder for observation of yeast cells, trichome, and epidermal cells in the leaf of Arabidopsis thaliana, compound eyes of insects, red blood cells, filiform papillae on the surface of rat tongue, agar medium, water molecules, penicillium, etc. All results suggested that the newly designed cryo-holder is applicable for cryo-specimen observation under a conventional SEM without cooling system. Most importantly, the design of this cryo-holder is simple and easy to operate and could adapt a conventional SEM to a plain type cryo-SEM affordable for most laboratories. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Quasisymmetry equations for conventional stellarators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pustovitov, V.D.

    1994-11-01

    General quasisymmetry condition, which demands the independence of B 2 on one of the angular Boozer coordinates, is reduced to two equations containing only geometrical characteristics and helical field of a stellarator. The analysis is performed for conventional stellarators with a planar circular axis using standard stellarator expansion. As a basis, the invariant quasisymmetry condition is used. The quasisymmetry equations for stellarators are obtained from this condition also in an invariant form. Simplified analogs of these equations are given for the case when averaged magnetic surfaces are circular shifted torii. It is shown that quasisymmetry condition can be satisfied, in principle, in a conventional stellarator by a proper choice of two satellite harmonics of the helical field in addition to the main harmonic. Besides, there appears a restriction on the shift of magnetic surfaces. Thus, in general, the problem is closely related with that of self-consistent description of a configuration. (author)

  9. Metal ion implantation: Conventional versus immersion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, I.G.; Anders, A.; Anders, S.; Dickinson, M.R.; MacGill, R.A.

    1994-01-01

    Vacuum-arc-produced metal plasma can be used as the ion feedstock material in an ion source for doing conventional metal ion implantation, or as the immersing plasma for doing plasma immersion ion implantation. The basic plasma production method is the same in both cases; it is simple and efficient and can be used with a wide range of metals. Vacuum arc ion sources of different kinds have been developed by the authors and others and their suitability as a metal ion implantation tool has been well established. Metal plasma immersion surface processing is an emerging tool whose characteristics and applications are the subject of present research. There are a number of differences between the two techniques, both in the procedures used and in the modified surfaces created. For example, the condensibility of metal plasma results in thin film formation and subsequent energetic implantation is thus done through the deposited layer; in the usual scenario, this recoil implantation and the intermixing it produces is a feature of metal plasma immersion but not of conventional energetic ion implantation. Metal plasma immersion is more suited (but not limited) to higher doses (>10 17 cm -2 ) and lower energies (E i < tens of keV) than the usual ranges of conventional metal ion implantation. These and other differences provide these vacuum-arc-based surface modification tools with a versatility that enhances the overall technological attractiveness of both

  10. Role of non-conventional T lymphocytes in respiratory infections: the case of the pneumococcus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stoyan Ivanov

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Non-conventional T lymphocytes constitute a special arm of the immune system and act as sentinels against pathogens at mucosal surfaces. These non-conventional T cells (including mucosal-associated invariant T [MAIT] cells, gamma delta [γδ] T cells, and natural killer T [NKT] cells display several innate cell-like features and are rapidly activated by the recognition of conserved, stress-induced, self, and microbial ligands. Here, we review the role of non-conventional T cells during respiratory infections, with a particular focus on the encapsulated extracellular pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia worldwide. We consider whether MAIT cells, γδ T cells, and NKT cells might offer opportunities for preventing and/or treating human pneumococcus infections.

  11. A novel technique for including surface tension in PLIC-VOF methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meier, M.; Yadigaroglu, G. [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Nuclear Engineering Lab. ETH-Zentrum, CLT, Zurich (Switzerland); Smith, B. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland). Lab. for Thermal-Hydraulics

    2002-02-01

    Various versions of Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) methods have been used successfully for the numerical simulation of gas-liquid flows with an explicit tracking of the phase interface. Of these, Piecewise-Linear Interface Construction (PLIC-VOF) appears as a fairly accurate, although somewhat more involved variant. Including effects due to surface tension remains a problem, however. The most prominent methods, Continuum Surface Force (CSF) of Brackbill et al. and the method of Zaleski and co-workers (both referenced later), both induce spurious or 'parasitic' currents, and only moderate accuracy in regards to determining the curvature. We present here a new method to determine curvature accurately using an estimator function, which is tuned with a least-squares-fit against reference data. Furthermore, we show how spurious currents may be drastically reduced using the reconstructed interfaces from the PLIC-VOF method. (authors)

  12. Ayurvedic versus conventional dietary and lifestyle counseling for mothers with burnout-syndrome: A randomized controlled pilot study including a qualitative evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kessler, Christian S; Eisenmann, Clemens; Oberzaucher, Frank; Forster, Martin; Steckhan, Nico; Meier, Larissa; Stapelfeldt, Elmar; Michalsen, Andreas; Jeitler, Michael

    2017-10-01

    Ayurveda claims to be effective in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders by means of lifestyle and nutritional counseling. In a randomized controlled study mothers with burnout were randomized into two groups: Ayurvedic nutritional counseling (according to tradition), and conventional nutritional counseling (following the recommendations of a family doctor). Patients received five counseling sessions over twelve weeks. Outcomes included levels of burnout, quality of life, sleep, stress, depression/anxiety, and spirituality at three and six months. It also included a qualitative evaluation of the communication processes. We randomized thirty four patients; twenty three participants were included in the per protocol analysis. No significant differences were observed between the groups. However, significant and clinically relevant intra-group mean changes for the primary outcome burnout, and secondary outcomes sleep, stress, depression and mental health were only found in the Ayurveda group. The qualitative part of the study identified different conversational styles and counseling techniques between the two study groups. In conventional consultations questions tended to be category bound, while counseling-advice was predominantly admonitory. The Ayurvedic practitioner used open-ended interrogative forms, devices for displaying understanding, and positive re-evaluation more frequently, leading to an overall less asymmetrical interaction. We found positive effects for both groups, which however were more pronounced in the Ayurvedic group. The conversational and counseling techniques in the Ayurvedic group offered more opportunities for problem description by patients as well as patient-centered practice and resource-oriented recommendations by the physician. NCT01797887. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Guiding, bending, and splitting of coupled defect surface modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Zhen; Gao, Fei [Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore 637371 (Singapore); Zhang, Baile, E-mail: blzhang@ntu.edu.sg [Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore 637371 (Singapore); Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore 637371 (Singapore)

    2016-01-25

    We experimentally demonstrate a type of waveguiding mechanism for coupled surface-wave defect modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal. Unlike conventional spoof surface plasmon waveguides, waveguiding of coupled surface-wave defect modes is achieved through weak coupling between tightly localized defect cavities in an otherwise gapped surface-wave photonic crystal, as a classical wave analogue of tight-binding electronic wavefunctions in solid state lattices. Wave patterns associated with the high transmission of coupled defect surface modes are directly mapped with a near-field microwave scanning probe for various structures including a straight waveguide, a sharp corner, and a T-shaped splitter. These results may find use in the design of integrated surface-wave devices with suppressed crosstalk.

  14. Guiding, bending, and splitting of coupled defect surface modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Zhen; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Baile

    2016-01-01

    We experimentally demonstrate a type of waveguiding mechanism for coupled surface-wave defect modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal. Unlike conventional spoof surface plasmon waveguides, waveguiding of coupled surface-wave defect modes is achieved through weak coupling between tightly localized defect cavities in an otherwise gapped surface-wave photonic crystal, as a classical wave analogue of tight-binding electronic wavefunctions in solid state lattices. Wave patterns associated with the high transmission of coupled defect surface modes are directly mapped with a near-field microwave scanning probe for various structures including a straight waveguide, a sharp corner, and a T-shaped splitter. These results may find use in the design of integrated surface-wave devices with suppressed crosstalk

  15. Mapping three-dimensional surface deformation by combining multiple-aperture interferometry and conventional interferometry: Application to the June 2007 eruption of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, H.-S.; Lu, Z.; Won, J.-S.; Poland, Michael P.; Miklius, Asta

    2011-01-01

    Surface deformation caused by an intrusion and small eruption during June 17-19, 2007, along the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, was three-dimensionally reconstructed from radar interferograms acquired by the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) phased-array type L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) (PALSAR) instrument. To retrieve the 3-D surface deformation, a method that combines multiple-aperture interferometry (MAI) and conventional interferometric SAR (InSAR) techniques was applied to one ascending and one descending ALOS PALSAR interferometric pair. The maximum displacements as a result of the intrusion and eruption are about 0.8, 2, and 0.7 m in the east, north, and up components, respectively. The radar-measured 3-D surface deformation agrees with GPS data from 24 sites on the volcano, and the root-mean-square errors in the east, north, and up components of the displacement are 1.6, 3.6, and 2.1 cm, respectively. Since a horizontal deformation of more than 1 m was dominantly in the north-northwest-south-southeast direction, a significant improvement of the north-south component measurement was achieved by the inclusion of MAI measurements that can reach a standard deviation of 3.6 cm. A 3-D deformation reconstruction through the combination of conventional InSAR and MAI will allow for better modeling, and hence, a more comprehensive understanding, of the source geometry associated with volcanic, seismic, and other processes that are manifested by surface deformation.

  16. Antibacterial activity, surface roughness, flexural strength, and solubility of conventional luting cements containing chlorhexidine diacetate/cetrimide mixtures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korkmaz, Fatih Mehmet; Tüzüner, Tamer; Baygin, Ozgul; Buruk, Celal Kurtulus; Durkan, Rukiye; Bagis, Bora

    2013-08-01

    The failure of fixed dental restorations is commonly associated with caries. The use of conventional luting cements containing antibacterial agents may overcome this problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity (ABA), surface roughness (Ra), flexural strength (FS), and solubility (SL) patterns of the conventional dental luting cements zinc phosphate (ZP), zinc polycarboxylate (PC), and glass ionomer (GIC) after the addition of 5% chlorhexidine diacetate/cetrimide (CHX+CT). Antibacterial agents with a total concentration of 5% (2.5% CHX+2.5% CT) were added to antibacterial agent-free conventional luting cement powders (ZPC, PCC, and GICC) and designated as experimental groups (ZPE, PCE, and GICE). ABA against Streptococcus mutans (SM) and Lactobacillus casei (LB) was examined by using the agar diffusion test method. Ra, FS, and SL values were obtained after storage in distilled water at 37°C for 24 hours. The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney U with Bonferroni correction tests were used to test for agar diffusion (α=.05) and 2-way ANOVA and Fisher Least Significant Difference (LSD) test were used to measure Ra, FS, and SL (α=.05). The control groups exhibited limited ABA. With the exception of PCE>PCC on day 1 for SM, all experimental groups showed significantly greater and longer-lasting protection against SM and LB bacteria for up to 180 days than their controls (PZPE; P>.05, PCC>PCE; PGICC (P>.05) when compared with their individual controls. Control groups exhibited higher FS values than did the experimental groups (ZPC>ZPE; PPCE; PGICE; P>.05). The experimental groups exhibited higher solubilities than did their controls in the ZPC (P>.05) and GICC groups (P<.05) but were lower in PCC group (P<.05). Incorporating a 5% CHX+CT mixture into conventional dental luting cements and altering their Ra, FS, and SL values may provide greater antibacterial protection against SM and LB. Copyright © 2013 The Editorial Council of the

  17. Convention on nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The Convention on Nuclear Safety was adopted on 17 June 1994 by Diplomatic Conference convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency at its Headquarters from 14 to 17 June 1994. The Convention will enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit with the Depository (the Agency's Director General) of the twenty-second instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, including the instruments of seventeen States, having each at leas one nuclear installation which has achieved criticality in a reactor core. The text of the Convention as adopted is reproduced in the Annex hereto for the information of all Member States

  18. In-Patient Treatment of Fibromyalgia: A Controlled Nonrandomized Comparison of Conventional Medicine versus Integrative Medicine including Fasting Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Michalsen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Fibromyalgia poses a challenge for therapy. Recent guidelines suggest that fibromyalgia should be treated within a multidisciplinary therapy approach. No data are available that evaluated multimodal treatment strategies of Integrative Medicine (IM. We conducted a controlled, nonrandomized pilot study that compared two inpatient treatment strategies, an IM approach that included fasting therapy and a conventional rheumatology (CM approach. IM used fasting cure and Mind-Body-Medicine as specific methods. Of 48 included consecutive patients, 28 were treated with IM, 20 with CM. Primary outcome was change in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ score after the 2-week hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included scores of pain, depression, anxiety, and well being. Assessments were repeated after 12 weeks. At 2 weeks, there were significant improvements in the FIQ (P<0.014 and for most of secondary outcomes for the IM group compared to the CM group. The beneficial effects for the IM approach were reduced after 12 weeks and no longer statistically significant with the exception of anxiety. Findings indicate that a multimodal IM treatment with fasting therapy might be superior to CM in the short term and not inferior in the mid term. Longer-term studies are warranted to assess the clinical impact of integrative multimodal treatment in fibromyalgia.

  19. "Effect of nano-filled surface coating agent on fluoride release from conventional glass ionomer cement: an in vitro trial".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, S; Nandlal, B

    2013-01-01

    To overcome the drawbacks of glass ionomer cement of sensitivity to initial desiccation and moisture contamination the use of surface coating agent is recommended. The search in this area led to invent of use of nanofillers in surface coating agent, but its effect on fluoride release is not clear. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the fluoride release from conventional glass ionomer cement with and without surface coating agent. This in vitro study comprised of total 80 samples (40 samples of each with and without surface coating). Specimens were prepared, G coat plus was applied and light cured. Fluoride release of the sample was measured every 24 h for 7 days and weekly from 7th to 21 st day using Sension4 pH/ISE/MV Meter. Descriptive Statistics, Repeated Measure ANOVA, Paired Sample t-test, Independent Sample t-test, Scheffe post hoc test. Mean values clearly reveal a significant decrease in the fluoride release from day 1 to day 21 for both groups. Non-coated group released significantly more fluoride than surface coated group (Pagent will reduce the amount of fluoride released into oral environment as compared to non-coated group and at the same time releasing fluoride into surrounding cavity walls to create zones of inhibition into the cavity floor to help internal remineralization.

  20. Novel versus conventional antipsychotic drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, R C

    1996-01-01

    Novel antipsychotic agents differ from conventional ones in several key characteristics, including effectiveness, adverse reactions, and receptor-binding profile. Most of the newer agents have an affinity for the serotonin 5HT2 receptor that is at least 10 times greater than that for the dopamine D2 receptor. This increased affinity for the serotonin receptor may be responsible for another distinguishing characteristic of novel antipsychotic agents--decreased frequency of extrapyramidal side effects. These side effects, which include pseudoparkinsonism, acute dystonias, and akathisia, frequently are the reason for noncompliance with conventional drug therapy. The newer drugs are often effective in patients resistant to treatment with conventional agents. They also appear to reduce the negative symptoms of schizophrenia in many patients.

  1. Light reflection from a rough liquid surface including wind-wave effects in a scattering atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salinas, Santo V.; Liew, S.C.

    2007-01-01

    Visible and near-IR images of the ocean surface, taken from remote satellites, often contain important information of near-surface or sub-surface processes, which occur on, or over the ocean. Remote measurements of near surface winds, sea surface temperature and salinity, ocean color and underwater bathymetry, all, one way or another, depend on how well we understand sea surface roughness. However, in order to extract useful information from our remote measurements, we need to construct accurate models of the transfer of solar radiation inside the atmosphere as well as, its reflection from the sea surface. To approach this problem, we numerically solve the radiative transfer equation (RTE) by implementing a model for the atmosphere-ocean system. A one-dimensional atmospheric radiation model is solved via the widely known doubling and adding method and the ocean body is treated as a boundary condition to the problem. The ocean surface is modeled as a rough liquid surface which includes wind interaction and wave states, such as wave age. The model can have possible applications to the retrieval of wind and wave states, such as wave age, near a Sun glint region

  2. Switching between pitch surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rago, Vincenzo; Silva, João R; Brito, João

    2018-01-01

    Soccer training and completion is conventionally practiced on natural grass (NG) or artificial turf (AT). Recently, AT pitches for training / competition, and of unstable surfaces for injury prevention training has increased. Therefore, soccer players are frequently exposed to variations in pitch...... surface during either training or competition. These ground changes may impact physical and physiological responses, adaptations as well as the injury. The aim of this review was to summarize the acute physical and physiological responses, chronic adaptations, and injury risk associated with exercising...... on different pitch surfaces in soccer. Eligible studies were published in English, had pitch surface as an independent variable, and had physical, physiological or epidemiological information as outcome variables. Specific data extracted from the articles included the training response, training adaptations...

  3. Surface effects on the electroelastic responses of a thin piezoelectric plate with nanoscale thickness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Zhi; Jiang Liying

    2012-01-01

    This work aims to investigate the electroelastic responses of a thin piezoelectric plate under mechanical and electrical loads with the consideration of surface effects. Surface effects, including surface elasticity, residual surface stress and surface piezoelectricity, are incorporated into the conventional Kirchhoff plate theory for a piezoelectric plate via the surface piezoelectricity model and the generalized Young-Laplace equations. Different from the results predicted by the conventional plate theory ignoring the surface effects, the proposed model predicts size-dependent behaviours of the piezoelectric thin plate with nanoscale thickness. It is found that surface effects have significant influence on the electroelastic responses of the piezoelectric nanoplate. This work is expected to provide more accurate predictions on characterizing nanofilm or nanoribbon based piezoelectric devices in nanoelectromechanical systems. (paper)

  4. Residential surface soil guidance values applied worldwide to the original 2001 Stockholm Convention POP pesticides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jennings, Aaron A; Li, Zijian

    2015-09-01

    Surface soil contamination is a worldwide problem. Many regulatory jurisdictions attempt to control human exposures with regulatory guidance values (RGVs) that specify a soil's maximum allowable concentration. Pesticides are important soil contaminants because of their intentional toxicity and widespread surface soil application. Worldwide, at least 174 regulatory jurisdictions from 54 United Nations member states have published more than 19,400 pesticide RGVs for at least 739 chemically unique pesticides. This manuscript examines the variability of the guidance values that are applied worldwide to the original 2001 Stockholm Convention persistent organic pollutants (POP) pesticides (Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Mirex, and Toxaphene) for which at least 1667 RGVs have been promulgated. Results indicate that the spans of the RGVs applied to each of these pesticides vary from 6.1 orders of magnitude for Toxaphene to 10.0 orders of magnitude for Mirex. The distribution of values across these value spans resembles the distribution of lognormal random variables, but also contain non-random value clusters. Approximately 40% of all the POP RGVs fall within uncertainty bounds computed from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) RGV cancer risk model. Another 22% of the values fall within uncertainty bounds computed from the USEPA's non-cancer risk model, but the cancer risk calculations yield the binding (lowest) value for all POP pesticides except Endrin. The results presented emphasize the continued need to rationalize the RGVs applied worldwide to important soil contaminants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Machining of Complex Sculptured Surfaces

    CERN Document Server

    2012-01-01

    The machining of complex sculptured surfaces is a global technological topic in modern manufacturing with relevance in both industrialized and emerging in countries particularly within the moulds and dies sector whose applications include highly technological industries such as the automotive and aircraft industry. Machining of Complex Sculptured Surfaces considers new approaches to the manufacture of moulds and dies within these industries. The traditional technology employed in the manufacture of moulds and dies combined conventional milling and electro-discharge machining (EDM) but this has been replaced with  high-speed milling (HSM) which has been applied in roughing, semi-finishing and finishing of moulds and dies with great success. Machining of Complex Sculptured Surfaces provides recent information on machining of complex sculptured surfaces including modern CAM systems and process planning for three and five axis machining as well as explanations of the advantages of HSM over traditional methods ra...

  6. Technology of surface wastewater purification, including high-rise construction areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsyba, Anna; Skolubovich, Yury

    2018-03-01

    Despite on the improvements in the quality of high-rise construction areas and industrial wastewater treatment, the pollution of water bodies continues to increase. This is due to the organized and unorganized surface untreated sewage entry into the reservoirs. The qualitative analysis of some cities' surface sewage composition is carried out in the work. Based on the published literature review, the characteristic contamination present in surface wastewater was identified. The paper proposes a new technology for the treatment of surface sewage and presents the results of preliminary studies.

  7. Angle resolved characterization of nanostructured and conventionally textured silicon solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Davidsen, Rasmus Schmidt; Ormstrup, Jeppe; Ommen, Martin Lind

    2015-01-01

    current, open circuit voltage, fill factor (FF) and power conversion efficiency are each measured as function of the relative incident angle between the solar cell and the light source. The relative incident angle is varied from 0° to 90° in steps of 10° in orthogonal axes, such that each solar cell......We report angle resolved characterization of nanostructured and conventionally textured silicon solar cells. The nanostructured solar cells are realized through a single step, mask-less, scalable reactive ion etching (RIE) texturing of the surface. Photovoltaic properties including short circuit...

  8. Analysis of reverse heat transfer for conventional and optimized lubri-cooling methods during tangential surface grinding of ABNT 1020 steel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henrique Cotait Razuk

    Full Text Available Abstract A numerical thermal model was developed to evaluate the heat flux which is conducted to a rectangular workpiece of steel plate ABNT 1020, thus making it possible to compute the maximum temperature in the grinding surface, taking into account the rectangular distribution of heat flux, the thermal properties of the grinding wheel conventional Al2O3, the piece to be machined and the lubri-refrigerating fluid. The finite volume method was employed for the discretization of the direct thermal problem from the heat diffusion equation associated with the two-dimensional problem of heat conduction in transient regime. The inverse thermal problem was solved by the Golden Section technique. The thermal flux, when compared to the conventional technique of method of application fluid, was reduced by 84.0% in the practices performed with cutting depth of 30µm, at 74.0% in practices with cutting depth of 45µm and 61.2% in the aggressive practices of 60µm, thus demonstrating the applicability of the optimized method for fluid application.

  9. Advanced surface technology a holistic view on the extensive and intertwined world of applied surface engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Moller, Per

    2013-01-01

    These two volumes serve as an inclusive and practical reference in manufacturing as well as a comprehensive text for university-level course work. Before delving into the variety of conventional and emerging surface finishing processes available to the 21st century practitioner, the authors cover the principles behind the processes, including wear and other mechanical properties, corrosion and electrochemistry. Throughout, the material also covers testing, property measurement and a generic introduction to basically all surface relevant characterization techniques, keyed to the specific process and application under discussion.

  10. Minamata Convention on Mercury. Reporting obligations of the Parties to the Convention and the sources of data existing in Poland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Strzelecka-Jastrząb Ewa

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available After that, when more than 60 years ago in the Japanese city of Minamata there was caused a mass poisoning of residents by seafood contaminated with mercury, Minamata Convention on Mercury came into force on August 16, 2017. To date, the Convention has been signed by 128 States, the signatories of the Convention and ratified by 83 States - Parties to the Convention. The Convention imposes a number of obligations on the Parties to the Convention, including the reporting obligation. The paper analyses the reporting obligations of the Parties to the Convention, which are in force after the entry into force of the Convention, pursuant to the provisions contained therein. In addition, the existing sources of quantitative data on mercury in Poland are characterized.

  11. SU-F-J-86: Method to Include Tissue Dose Response Effect in Deformable Image Registration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, J; Liang, J; Chen, S; Qin, A; Yan, D [Beaumont Health Systeml, Royal Oak, MI (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Organ changes shape and size during radiation treatment due to both mechanical stress and radiation dose response. However, the dose response induced deformation has not been considered in conventional deformable image registration (DIR). A novel DIR approach is proposed to include both tissue elasticity and radiation dose induced organ deformation. Methods: Assuming that organ sub-volume shrinkage was proportional to the radiation dose induced cell killing/absorption, the dose induced organ volume change was simulated applying virtual temperature on each sub-volume. Hence, both stress and heterogeneity temperature induced organ deformation. Thermal stress finite element method with organ surface boundary condition was used to solve deformation. Initial boundary correspondence on organ surface was created from conventional DIR. Boundary condition was updated by an iterative optimization scheme to minimize elastic deformation energy. The registration was validated on a numerical phantom. Treatment dose was constructed applying both the conventional DIR and the proposed method using daily CBCT image obtained from HN treatment. Results: Phantom study showed 2.7% maximal discrepancy with respect to the actual displacement. Compared with conventional DIR, subvolume displacement difference in a right parotid had the mean±SD (Min, Max) to be 1.1±0.9(−0.4∼4.8), −0.1±0.9(−2.9∼2.4) and −0.1±0.9(−3.4∼1.9)mm in RL/PA/SI directions respectively. Mean parotid dose and V30 constructed including the dose response induced shrinkage were 6.3% and 12.0% higher than those from the conventional DIR. Conclusion: Heterogeneous dose distribution in normal organ causes non-uniform sub-volume shrinkage. Sub-volume in high dose region has a larger shrinkage than the one in low dose region, therefore causing more sub-volumes to move into the high dose area during the treatment course. This leads to an unfavorable dose-volume relationship for the normal organ

  12. Surface-specific additive manufacturing test artefacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townsend, Andrew; Racasan, Radu; Blunt, Liam

    2018-06-01

    Many test artefact designs have been proposed for use with additive manufacturing (AM) systems. These test artefacts have primarily been designed for the evaluation of AM form and dimensional performance. A series of surface-specific measurement test artefacts designed for use in the verification of AM manufacturing processes are proposed here. Surface-specific test artefacts can be made more compact because they do not require the large dimensions needed for accurate dimensional and form measurements. The series of three test artefacts are designed to provide comprehensive information pertaining to the manufactured surface. Measurement possibilities include deviation analysis, surface texture parameter data generation, sub-surface analysis, layer step analysis and build resolution comparison. The test artefacts are designed to provide easy access for measurement using conventional surface measurement techniques, for example, focus variation microscopy, stylus profilometry, confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the test artefacts may be simply visually inspected as a comparative tool, giving a fast indication of process variation between builds. The three test artefacts are small enough to be included in every build and include built-in manufacturing traceability information, making them a convenient physical record of the build.

  13. Response surface methodology: A non-conventional statistical tool to maximize the throughput of Streptomyces species biomass and their bioactive metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latha, Selvanathan; Sivaranjani, Govindhan; Dhanasekaran, Dharumadurai

    2017-09-01

    Among diverse actinobacteria, Streptomyces is a renowned ongoing source for the production of a large number of secondary metabolites, furnishing immeasurable pharmacological and biological activities. Hence, to meet the demand of new lead compounds for human and animal use, research is constantly targeting the bioprospecting of Streptomyces. Optimization of media components and physicochemical parameters is a plausible approach for the exploration of intensified production of novel as well as existing bioactive metabolites from various microbes, which is usually achieved by a range of classical techniques including one factor at a time (OFAT). However, the major drawbacks of conventional optimization methods have directed the use of statistical optimization approaches in fermentation process development. Response surface methodology (RSM) is one of the empirical techniques extensively used for modeling, optimization and analysis of fermentation processes. To date, several researchers have implemented RSM in different bioprocess optimization accountable for the production of assorted natural substances from Streptomyces in which the results are very promising. This review summarizes some of the recent RSM adopted studies for the enhanced production of antibiotics, enzymes and probiotics using Streptomyces with the intention to highlight the significance of Streptomyces as well as RSM to the research community and industries.

  14. The climate change convention and human health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowbotham, E J

    1995-01-01

    The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed at Rio in June 1992, is intended to minimize climate change and its impact. Much of its text is ambiguous and it is not specifically directed to health considerations. It is, however, recognized that adverse effects of climate change on health are a concern of humankind, and health is an integral part of the Convention. The Convention includes commitments by the developed countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and to increase public awareness of these commitments. The significance of the Convention in these respects is discussed critically and future developments considered.

  15. Susceptibility of green and conventional building materials to microbial growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mensah-Attipoe, J; Reponen, T; Salmela, A; Veijalainen, A-M; Pasanen, P

    2015-06-01

    Green building materials are becoming more popular. However, little is known about their ability to support or limit microbial growth. The growth of fungi was evaluated on five building materials. Two green, two conventional building materials and wood as a positive control were selected. The materials were inoculated with Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Penicillium brevicompactum, in the absence and presence of house dust. Microbial growth was assessed at four different time points by cultivation and determining fungal biomass using the N-acetylhexosaminidase (NAHA) enzyme assay. No clear differences were seen between green and conventional building materials in their susceptibility to support microbial growth. The presence of dust, an external source of nutrients, promoted growth of all the fungal species similarly on green and conventional materials. The results also showed a correlation coefficient ranging from 0.81 to 0.88 between NAHA activity and culturable counts. The results suggest that the growth of microbes on a material surface depends on the availability of organic matter rather than the classification of the material as green or conventional. NAHA activity and culturability correlated well indicating that the two methods used in the experiments gave similar trends for the growth of fungi on material surfaces. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Evaluation of surface and shallow depth dose reductions using a Superflab bolus during conventional and advanced external beam radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Jihyung; Xie, Yibo; Zhang, Rui

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate a methodology to reduce scatter and leakage radiations to patients' surface and shallow depths during conventional and advanced external beam radiotherapy. Superflab boluses of different thicknesses were placed on top of a stack of solid water phantoms, and the bolus effect on surface and shallow depth doses for both open and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) beams was evaluated using thermoluminescent dosimeters and ion chamber measurements. Contralateral breast dose reduction caused by the bolus was evaluated by delivering clinical postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) plans to an anthropomorphic phantom. For the solid water phantom measurements, surface dose reduction caused by the Superflab bolus was achieved only in out-of-field area and on the incident side of the beam, and the dose reduction increased with bolus thickness. The dose reduction caused by the bolus was more significant at closer distances from the beam. Most of the dose reductions occurred in the first 2-cm depth and stopped at 4-cm depth. For clinical PMRT treatment plans, surface dose reductions using a 1-cm Superflab bolus were up to 31% and 62% for volumetric-modulated arc therapy and 4-field IMRT, respectively, but there was no dose reduction for Tomotherapy. A Superflab bolus can be used to reduce surface and shallow depth doses during external beam radiotherapy when it is placed out of the beam and on the incident side of the beam. Although we only validated this dose reduction strategy for PMRT treatments, it is applicable to any external beam radiotherapy and can potentially reduce patients' risk of developing radiation-induced side effects. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  17. Overview of the IAEA Joint Convention and Implementation Status of the Obligation as the Contracting Party of the 5th Joint Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jeong Ken; Lee, Youn Keun; Ahn, Sang Myeon

    2016-01-01

    The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention) was adopted on 5 September 1997 by a Diplomatic Conference convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Joint Convention was opened for signature at Vienna in September 1997 and will remain open for signature until its entry into force. Korean government signed the Joint Convention in 1997 and this Convention was effective in 2002 as the Convention No. 1612. This paper will show overview of the Joint Convention and implementation status of the obligation as a Contracting Party of the 5th Joint Convention. The Joint Convention is the inter-national convention organized by the IAEA. All contracting parties shall comply with rules of the Joint Convention and conduct the obligation of this convention. Korean government successfully conducted all obligation (attending Organization Meeting and Review Meeting, submitting paper including National Report, question paper and answer paper) of the 5th Joint Convention from May 2014 to May 2015, and will prepare the obligation of the 6th Joint Convention

  18. Evaluation of the surface roughness of three heat-cured acrylic denture base resins with different conventional lathe polishing techniques: A comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Duggineni Chalapathi; Kalavathy, N; Mohammad, H S; Hariprasad, A; Kumar, C Ravi

    2015-01-01

    Surface roughness promotes adhesion and colonization of denture plaque. Therefore, it is important to know the effects of polishing and finishing on the surface roughness of various acrylic resin materials. To evaluate and compare the effects of different conventional lathe polishing techniques on heat cured acrylic resins in producing surface roughness. Three different commercially available heat-cured acrylic resin materials namely DPI, Meliodent and Trevalon Hi were selected. 30 Specimens of each acrylic material (30 x 3 = 90, 10 x 60 x 2mm) were prepared and divided into 5 groups, each group consisted of 6 Nos. of specimens per material(6x3=18) and were grouped as Group A(unfinished), Group B (finished), Group C (Polishing Paste), Group D (Polishing Cake) and Group E (Pumice and Gold rouge). The resulted surface roughness (μm) was measured using Perthometer and observed under Scanning Electron Microscope. The values obtained were subjected statistical analyses. Among the materials tested, better results were obtained with Trevalon Hi followed by Meliodent and DPI. Among the polishing methods used, superior results were obtained with universal polishing paste followed by polishing cake; Pumice and Gold rouge. Although Pumice and Gold rouge values produced greater roughness value, they were well within the threshold value of 0.2 mm.

  19. Dielectric platforms for surface-enhanced spectroscopies (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maier, Stefan A.

    2016-03-01

    Plasmonic nanostructures serve as the main backbone of surface enhanced sensing methodologies, yet the associated optical losses lead to localized heating as well as quenching of molecules, complicating their use for enhancement of fluorescent emission. Additionally, conventional plasmonic materials are limited to operation in the visible part of the spectrum. We will elucidate how nanostructures consisting of conventional and polar dielectrics can be employed as a highly promising alternative platform. Dielectric nanostructures can sustain scattering resonances due to both electric and magnetic Mie modes. We have recently predicted high enhanced local electromagnetic field hot spots in dielectric nanoantenna dimers, with the hallmark of spot sizes comparable to those achievable with plasmonic antennas, but with lower optical losses. Here, we will present first experimental evidence for both fluorescence and Raman enhancement in dielectric nanoantennas, including a direct determination of localized heating, and compare to conventional Au dimer antennas. The second part of the talk will focus on the mid-infrared regime of the electromagnetic spectrum, outlining possibilities for surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy based on polar and hyperbolic dielectrics.

  20. Exploration Technology Development including Surface Acoustic Wave RFID chips

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This project is focused on maturing future surface exploration technologies and instrumentation and working towards flight instrumentation and systems to support...

  1. Dry ice blasting as a substitution for the conventional electroplating pre-treatments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uhlmann Eckart

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available For high quality electroplated products, surfaces must be thoroughly pre-treated. For this purpose electroplating currently needs a variety of chemical baths. The used chemicals are injurious to health and harmful to the environment. In addition, the conventional pre-treatment has a long process time which results in high costs. Dry ice blasting alone or in combination with other processes has the potential to completely substitute these conventional pre-treatment processes. Three process sequences as pre-treatment methods prior to electroplating were investigated on the aluminium alloys AlSi12 and AlMg3. The used processes are dry ice blasting, tempering during dry ice blasting and glass bead blasting followed by dry ice blasting. The influence of the parameters on the surface roughness, surface topography and surface tension of the workpieces was examined. A model to describe the correlation between the dry ice blasting parameters and surface parameters was developed. Finally, an adhesion test of electroplated specimen was conducted in order to determine the suitability of these alternative pre-treatment processes.

  2. Fiber-Optic Surface Temperature Sensor Based on Modal Interference

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frédéric Musin

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Spatially-integrated surface temperature sensing is highly useful when it comes to controlling processes, detecting hazardous conditions or monitoring the health and safety of equipment and people. Fiber-optic sensing based on modal interference has shown great sensitivity to temperature variation, by means of cost-effective image-processing of few-mode interference patterns. New developments in the field of sensor configuration, as described in this paper, include an innovative cooling and heating phase discrimination functionality and more precise measurements, based entirely on the image processing of interference patterns. The proposed technique was applied to the measurement of the integrated surface temperature of a hollow cylinder and compared with a conventional measurement system, consisting of an infrared camera and precision temperature probe. As a result, the optical technique is in line with the reference system. Compared with conventional surface temperature probes, the optical technique has the following advantages: low heat capacity temperature measurement errors, easier spatial deployment, and replacement of multiple angle infrared camera shooting and the continuous monitoring of surfaces that are not visually accessible.

  3. Cytomorphology of cervicovaginal melanoma: ThinPrep versus conventional Papanicolaou tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setia, Namrata; Goulart, Robert A; Leiman, Gladywn; Otis, Christopher N; Modem, Rukmini; Pantanowtiz, Liron

    2010-12-31

    Primary cervicovaginal melanoma is a rare malignancy associated with a high risk of recurrence. Prior studies discussing the cytomorphology of cervicovaginal melanoma have been based primarily on review of conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. The aim of this study was to evaluate cervicovaginal melanomas identified in liquid-based Pap tests, in comparison with features seen on conventional Pap smear preparation. Cases of cervicovaginal melanoma identified on Pap tests with concurrent or subsequent histopathologic confirmation were collected from the Baystate Medical Center cytopathology files and personal archives of the authors over a total period of 34 years. All cytopathology (n = 6) and the available histology slides (n = 5) were reviewed. Cases were analyzed regarding clinical, histopathologic and cytomorphological findings. A total of six cases with invasive cervicovaginal melanoma diagnosed on Pap tests were identified. Most patients were postmenopausal with contact bleeding, correlating with surface ulceration (identified in biopsy/excision material in 5/5 cases). Most cases had deeply invasive tumors (5/5: modified Breslow's thickness > 5 mm and Chung's level of invasion IV/V). Pap tests included four ThinPrep and two conventional smears. Overall, ThinPrep Pap tests exhibited a higher ratio of tumor cells to background squamous cells. While all Pap tests were bloodstained, tumor diathesis was prominent only within conventional smears. Melanoma cells were present both as clusters and scattered single cells in each Pap test type. Both the preparations contained epithelioid tumor cells, whereas spindled tumor cells were seen in only two ThinPrep cases. Prominent nucleoli and binucleation of tumor cells were seen in both the preparations. Melanin pigment was identified in only ThinPrep (3/4) cases and nuclear pseudo-inclusions in one conventional Pap smear. Cell blocks were made in three ThinPrep cases and immunocytochemistry (S-100, HMB45, Melan

  4. 15 CFR 742.18 - Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC or Convention).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC or... REGULATIONS CONTROL POLICY-CCL BASED CONTROLS § 742.18 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC or Convention). States... Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, also known as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC...

  5. Do CAD/CAM dentures really release less monomer than conventional dentures?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinmassl, Patricia-Anca; Wiedemair, Verena; Huck, Christian; Klaunzer, Florian; Steinmassl, Otto; Grunert, Ingrid; Dumfahrt, Herbert

    2017-06-01

    Computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) dentures are assumed to have more favourable material properties than conventionally fabricated dentures, among them a lower methacrylate monomer release. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis. CAD/CAM dentures were generated from ten different master casts by using four different CAD/CAM systems. Conventional, heat-polymerised dentures served as control group. Denture weight and volume were measured; the density was calculated, and the denture surface area was assessed digitally. The monomer release after 7 days of water storage was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Whole You Nexteeth and Wieland Digital Dentures had significantly lower mean volume and weight than conventional dentures. Baltic Denture System and Whole You Nexteeth had a significantly increased density. Baltic Denture System had a significantly smaller surface area. None of the CAD/CAM dentures released significantly less monomer than the control group. All tested dentures released very low amounts of methacrylate monomer, but not significantly less than conventional dentures. A statistically significant difference might nevertheless exist in comparison to other, less recommendable denture base materials, such as the frequently used autopolymerising resins. CAD/CAM denture fabrication has numerous advantages. It enables the fabrication of dentures with lower resin volume and lower denture weight. Both could increase the patient comfort. Dentures with higher density might exhibit more favourable mechanical properties. The hypothesis that CAD/CAM dentures release less monomer than conventional dentures could, however, not be verified.

  6. Comparison of Conventional and Semi-Conventional Management ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Comparison of Conventional and Semi-Conventional Management Systems on the Performance and Carcass Yield of Broiler Chickens. ... TO AFRICAN RESEARCH. AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING AJOL · RESOURCES ... Journal Home > Vol 20, No 1 (2018) >. Log in or ...

  7. Conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riccabona, M.; Lindbichler, F.; Sinzig, M.

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To briefly describe basic conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology. Method: The state of the art performance of standard imaging techniques (intravenous urography (IVU), voiding cystourethrography (VCU), and ultrasound (US)) is described, with emphasis on technical aspects, indications, and patient preparation such as adequate hydration. Only basic applications as used in routine clinical work are included. Result and conclusion: Conventional imaging methods are irreplaceable. They cover the majority of daily clinical routine queries, with consecutive indication of more sophisticated modalities in those patients who need additional imaging for establishing the final diagnosis or outlining therapeutic options

  8. Conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riccabona, M. E-mail: michael.riccabona@kfunigraz.ac.at; Lindbichler, F.; Sinzig, M

    2002-08-01

    Objective: To briefly describe basic conventional imaging in paediatric uroradiology. Method: The state of the art performance of standard imaging techniques (intravenous urography (IVU), voiding cystourethrography (VCU), and ultrasound (US)) is described, with emphasis on technical aspects, indications, and patient preparation such as adequate hydration. Only basic applications as used in routine clinical work are included. Result and conclusion: Conventional imaging methods are irreplaceable. They cover the majority of daily clinical routine queries, with consecutive indication of more sophisticated modalities in those patients who need additional imaging for establishing the final diagnosis or outlining therapeutic options.

  9. Estimated water requirements for the conventional flotation of copper ores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bleiwas, Donald I.

    2012-01-01

    This report provides a perspective on the amount of water used by a conventional copper flotation plant. Water is required for many activities at a mine-mill site, including ore production and beneficiation, dust and fire suppression, drinking and sanitation, and minesite reclamation. The water required to operate a flotation plant may outweigh all of the other uses of water at a mine site, [however,] and the need to maintain a water balance is critical for the plant to operate efficiently. Process water may be irretrievably lost or not immediately available for reuse in the beneficiation plant because it has been used in the production of backfill slurry from tailings to provide underground mine support; because it has been entrapped in the tailings stored in the TSF, evaporated from the TSF, or leaked from pipes and (or) the TSF; and because it has been retained as moisture in the concentrate. Water retained in the interstices of the tailings and the evaporation of water from the surface of the TSF are the two most significant contributors to water loss at a conventional flotation circuit facility.

  10. The Burning Plasma Experiment conventional facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Commander, J.C.

    1991-01-01

    The Burning Program Plasma Experiment (BPX) is phased to start construction of conventional facilities in July 1994, in conjunction with the conclusion of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) project. This paper deals with the conceptual design of the BPX Conventional Facilities, for which Functional and Operational Requirements (F ampersand ORs) were developed. Existing TFTR buildings and utilities will be adapted and used to satisfy the BPX Project F ampersand ORs to the maximum extent possible. However, new conventional facilities will be required to support the BPX project. These facilities include: The BPX building; Site improvements and utilities; the Field Coil Power Conversion (FCPC) building; the TFTR modifications; the Motor Generation (MG) building; Liquid Nitrogen (LN 2 ) building; and the associated Instrumentation and Control (I ampersand C) systems. The BPX building will provide for safe and efficient shielding, housing, operation, handling, maintenance and decontamination of the BPX and its support systems. Site improvements and utilities will feature a utility tunnel which will provide a space for utility services--including pulse power duct banks and liquid nitrogen coolant lines. The FCPC building will house eight additional power supplied for the Toroidal Field (TF) coils. The MG building will house the two MG sets larger than the existing TFTR MG sets. This paper also addresses the conventional facility cost estimating methodology and the rationale for the construction schedule developed. 6 figs., 1 tab

  11. Electrochemical Biosensor Based on Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes with Modified Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan Yu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Boron-doped diamond (BDD thin films, as one kind of electrode materials, are superior to conventional carbon-based materials including carbon paste, porous carbon, glassy carbon (GC, carbon nanotubes in terms of high stability, wide potential window, low background current, and good biocompatibility. Electrochemical biosensor based on BDD electrodes have attracted extensive interests due to the superior properties of BDD electrodes and the merits of biosensors, such as specificity, sensitivity, and fast response. Electrochemical reactions perform at the interface between electrolyte solutions and the electrodes surfaces, so the surface structures and properties of the BDD electrodes are important for electrochemical detection. In this paper, the recent advances of BDD electrodes with different surfaces including nanostructured surface and chemically modified surface, for the construction of various electrochemical biosensors, were described.

  12. National nuclear safety report 2004. Convention on nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    The second National Nuclear Safety Report was presented at the second review meeting of the Nuclear Safety Convention. At that time it was concluded that Argentina met the obligations of the Convention. This third National Nuclear Safety Report is an updated report which includes all safety aspects of the Argentinian nuclear power plants and the measures taken to enhance the safety of the plants. The present report also takes into account the observations and discussions maintained during the second review meeting. The conclusion made in the first review meeting about the compliance by Argentina of the obligations of the Convention are included as Annex I and those belonging to the second review meeting are included as Annex II. In general, the information contained in this Report has been updated since March 31, 2001 to April 30, 2004. Those aspects that remain unchanged were not addressed in this third report. As a result of the detailed analysis of all the Articles, it can be stated that the country fulfils all the obligations imposed by the Nuclear Safety Convention. The questions and answers originated at the Second Review Meeting are included as Annex III

  13. Guidelines regarding National Reports under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    These Guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (hereinafter called the Convention), are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties regarding material that may be useful to include in the National Reports required under Article 5 of the Convention and thereby to facilitate the most efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention.

  14. Biologic and Conventional Systemic Therapies Show Similar Safety and Efficacy in Elderly and Adult Patients With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garber, Caren; Plotnikova, Natalia; Au, Shiu-chung; Sorensen, Eric P; Gottlieb, Alice

    2015-08-01

    Despite the aging population, few studies have documented the treatment of geriatric psoriasis. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy, safety, and prescribing patterns of biologics and conventional systemic medications in elderly versus adult psoriasis. All patient visits coded for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (ICD-9 696.1 or 696.0) at the Tufts Medical Center General Dermatology Clinic from January 1, 2008, to March 1, 2015 were included in this retrospective cohort study. The outcome measure used was the validated simple-measure for assessing psoriasis activity (S-MAPA), the product of the physician's global assessment and the body surface area. 194 patients who underwent 278 treatment courses were included in the study. 48 patients were included in the elderly cohort (≥ 65 years old) and 146 in the adult cohort (18-64 years old). There was no significant difference in S-MAPA improvement at 12 weeks between the two cohorts when treated with biologics (42.92% improvement in adults, 48.77% in elderly; P=0.498) or conventional systemics (43.96% and 51.82%, respectively; P=0.448). Within the elderly cohort, there was no significant difference in efficacy of biologics versus conventional systemics at any time point. Topical prescription rates were significantly higher in the elderly cohort ( P=0.004) while biologic prescription rates were significantly lower ( P=0.014) despite the same baseline S-MAPA in both age groups. For both biologics and conventional systemics, there was no statistically significant intergroup difference in the rate of adverse events ( P=0.322 for biologics; P=0.581 for conventional systemics) or infection ( P=0.753 for biologics; P=0.828 for conventional systemics). Within the elderly cohort, there was a higher rate of adverse events with conventional systemic treatment than with biologic treatment ( P=0.033). This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that biologic and conventional systemic therapies are similarly

  15. Reframing less conventional speech to disrupt conventions of "compulsory fluency": A conversation analysis approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camille Duque

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Our purpose is to illuminate compliances with, and resistances to, what we are calling "compulsory fluency" which we define as conventions for what constitutes competent speech. We achieve our purpose through a study of day-to-day communication between a woman with less conventional speech and her support providing family members and friends. Drawing from McRuer's (2006 compulsory ablebodiedness and Kafer's (2013 compulsory able-mindedness, we use "compulsory fluency" to refer to a form of articulation that is standardized and idealized and imposed on all speakers including those whose speech is less conventional. We see compulsory fluency as central to North American conceptions of personhood which are tied to individual ability to speak for one's self (Brueggemann, 2005. In this paper, we trace some North American principles for linguistic competence to outline widely held ideals of receptive and expressive language use, namely, conventions for how language should be understood and expressed. Using Critical Disability Studies (Goodley, 2013; McRuer, 2006 together with a feminist framework of relational autonomy (Nedelsky, 1989, our goal is to focus on experiences of people with less conventional speech and draw attention to power in communication as it flows in idiosyncratic and intersubjective fashion (Mackenzie & Stoljar, 2000; Westlund, 2009. In other words, we use a critical disability and feminist framing to call attention to less conventional forms of communication competence and, in this process, we challenge assumptions about what constitutes competent speech. As part of a larger qualitative study, we conduct a conversation analysis informed by Rapley and Antaki (1996 to examine day-to-day verbal, vocal and non-verbal communications of a young woman who self identifies as "having autism" - pseudonym Addison - in interaction with her support-providing family members and friends. We illustrate a multitude of Addison's compliances with

  16. Surface Plasmon Nanophotonics

    CERN Document Server

    Brongersma, Mark L

    2007-01-01

    The development of advanced dielectric photonic structures has enabled tremendous control over the propagation and manipulation of light. Structures such as waveguides, splitters, mixers, and resonators now play a central role in the telecommunications industry. This book will discuss an exciting new class of photonic devices, known as surface plasmon nanophotonic structures. Surface plasmons are easily accessible excitations in metals and semiconductors and involve a collective motion of the conduction electrons. These excitations can be exploited to manipulate electromagnetic waves at optical frequencies ("light") in new ways that are unthinkable in conventional dielectric structures. The field of plasmon nanophotonics is rapidly developing and impacting a wide range of areas including: electronics, photonics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. The book will highlight several exciting new discoveries that have been made, while providing a clear discussion of the underlying physics, the nanofabrication issues...

  17. Beyond Vienna and Montreal: A global framework convention on greenhouse gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wirth, D.A.; Lashof, D.A.

    1993-01-01

    This chapter discusses the need for a framework treaty analogous to the Vienna Convention and to the Montreal Protocol for greenhouse gases. Discussed are the following topics: (1) the immediate need for multilateral greenhouse gas controls, including policy implications of scientific uncertainties; (2) recent steps toward a greenhouse gas convention; (3) an environmentally meaningful plan for a greenhouse gase conventions, including the ozone precident, CO 2 targets, resource transfers, trading emissions allocations, institutional issues

  18. 30 CFR 785.19 - Surface coal mining and reclamation operations on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... alluvial valley floor exists if it finds that— (i) Unconsolidated streamlaid deposits holding streams are... on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial valley floors in the arid and semiarid areas west of....19 Surface coal mining and reclamation operations on areas or adjacent to areas including alluvial...

  19. Strains of Sarcocystis neurona exhibit differences in their surface antigens, including the absence of the major surface antigen SnSAG1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howe, Daniel K; Gaji, Rajshekhar Y; Marsh, Antoinette E; Patil, Bhagyashree A; Saville, William J; Lindsay, David S; Dubey, J P; Granstrom, David E

    2008-05-01

    A gene family of surface antigens is expressed by merozoites of Sarcocystis neurona, the primary cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). These surface proteins, designated SnSAGs, are immunodominant and therefore excellent candidates for development of EPM diagnostics or vaccines. Prior work had identified an EPM isolate lacking the major surface antigen SnSAG1, thus suggesting there may be some diversity in the SnSAGs expressed by different S. neurona isolates. Therefore, a bioinformatic, molecular and immunological study was conducted to assess conservation of the SnSAGs. Examination of an expressed sequence tag (EST) database revealed several notable SnSAG polymorphisms. In particular, the EST information implied that the EPM strain SN4 lacked the major surface antigen SnSAG1. The absence of this surface antigen from the SN4 strain was confirmed by both Western blot and Southern blot. To evaluate SnSAG polymorphisms in the S. neurona population, 14 strains were examined by Western blots using monospecific polyclonal antibodies against the four described SnSAGs. The results of these analyses demonstrated that SnSAG2, SnSAG3, and SnSAG4 are present in all 14 S. neurona strains tested, although some variance in SnSAG4 was observed. Importantly, SnSAG1 was not detected in seven of the strains, which included isolates from four cases of EPM and a case of fatal meningoencephalitis in a sea otter. Genetic analyses by PCR using gene-specific primers confirmed the absence of the SnSAG1 locus in six of these seven strains. Collectively, the data indicated that there is heterogeneity in the surface antigen composition of different S. neurona isolates, which is an important consideration for development of serological tests and prospective vaccines for EPM. Furthermore, the diversity reported herein likely extends to other phenotypes, such as strain virulence, and may have implications for the phylogeny of the various Sarcocystis spp. that undergo sexual stages

  20. National report of Brazil. Nuclear Safety Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-09-01

    This document represents the national report prepared as a fulfillment of the brazilian obligations related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In chapter 2 some details are given about the existing nuclear installations. Chapter 3 provides details about the legislation and regulations, including the regulatory framework and the regulatory body. Chapter 4 covers general safety considerations as described in articles 10 to 16 of the Convention. Chapter 5 addresses to the safety of the installations during siting, design, construction and operation. Chapter 6 describes planned activities to further enhance nuclear safety. Chapter 7 presents the final remarks related to the degree of compliance with the Convention obligations

  1. Evaluation of marginal and internal gaps of metal ceramic crowns obtained from conventional impressions and casting techniques with those obtained from digital techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rai, Rathika; Kumar, S Arun; Prabhu, R; Govindan, Ranjani Thillai; Tanveer, Faiz Mohamed

    2017-01-01

    Accuracy in fit of cast metal restoration has always remained as one of the primary factors in determining the success of the restoration. A well-fitting restoration needs to be accurate both along its margin and with regard to its internal surface. The aim of the study is to evaluate the marginal fit of metal ceramic crowns obtained by conventional inlay casting wax pattern using conventional impression with the metal ceramic crowns obtained by computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technique using direct and indirect optical scanning. This in vitro study on preformed custom-made stainless steel models with former assembly that resembles prepared tooth surfaces of standardized dimensions comprised three groups: the first group included ten samples of metal ceramic crowns fabricated with conventional technique, the second group included CAD/CAM-milled direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) crowns using indirect scanning, and the third group included DMLS crowns fabricated by direct scanning of the stainless steel model. The vertical marginal gap and the internal gap were evaluated with the stereomicroscope (Zoomstar 4); post hoc Turkey's test was used for statistical analysis. One-way analysis of variance method was used to compare the mean values. Metal ceramic crowns obtained from direct optical scanning showed the least marginal and internal gap when compared to the castings obtained from inlay casting wax and indirect optical scanning. Indirect and direct optical scanning had yielded results within clinically acceptable range.

  2. Rainfall simulation experiments in ecological and conventional vineyards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adrian, Alexander; Brings, Christine; Rodrigo Comino, Jesús; Iserloh, Thomas; Ries, Johannes B.

    2015-04-01

    In October 2014, the Trier University started a measurement series, which defines, compares and evaluates the behavior of runoff and soil erosion with different farming productions in vineyards. The research area is located in Kanzem, a traditional wine village in the Saar Valley (Rheinland-Palatinate, Germany). The test fields show different cultivation methods: ecological (with natural vegetation cover under and around the vines) and conventional cultivated rows of wine. By using the small portable rainfall simulator of Trier University it shall be proved if the assumption that there is more runoff and soil erosion in the conventional part than in the ecological part of the tillage system. Rainfall simulations assess the generation of overland flow, soil erosion and infiltration. So, a trend of soil erosion and runoff of the different cultivation techniques are noted. The objective of this work is to compare the geomorphological dynamics of two different tillage systems. Therefore, 30 rainfall simulations plots were evenly distributed on a west exposition hillside with different slope angels (8-25°), vegetation- and stone-covers. In concrete, the plot surface reaches from strongly covered soil across lithoidal surfaces to bare soil often with compacted lanes of typical using machines. In addition, by using the collected substrate, an estimation and distribution of the grain size of the eroded material shall be given. The eroded substrate is compared to soil samples of the test plots. The first results have shown that there is slightly more runoff and soil erosion in the ecological area than on the conventional part of the vineyard.

  3. Convention on nuclear safety. Final act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The Diplomatic Conference, which was convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency at its Headquarters from 14 to 17 June 1994, adopted the Convention on Nuclear Safety reproduced in document INFCIRC/449 and the Final Act of the Conference. The text of the Final Act of the Conference, including an annexed document entitled ''Some clarification with respect to procedural and financial arrangements, national reports, and the conduct of review meetings, envisaged in the Convention on Nuclear Safety'', is reproduced in the Attachment hereto for the information of all Member States

  4. Validation of a new device to quantify groundwater-surface water exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremeans, Mackenzie M.; Devlin, J. F.

    2017-11-01

    Distributions of flow across the groundwater-surface water interface should be expected to be as complex as the geologic deposits associated with stream or lake beds and their underlying aquifers. In these environments, the conventional Darcy-based method of characterizing flow systems (near streams) has significant limitations, including reliance on parameters with high uncertainties (e.g., hydraulic conductivity), the common use of drilled wells in the case of streambank investigations, and potentially lengthy measurement times for aquifer characterization and water level measurements. Less logistically demanding tools for quantifying exchanges across streambeds have been developed and include drive-point mini-piezometers, seepage meters, and temperature profiling tools. This project adds to that toolbox by introducing the Streambed Point Velocity Probe (SBPVP), a reusable tool designed to quantify groundwater-surface water interactions (GWSWI) at the interface with high density sampling, which can effectively, rapidly, and accurately complement conventional methods. The SBPVP is a direct push device that measures in situ water velocities at the GWSWI with a small-scale tracer test on the probe surface. Tracer tests do not rely on hydraulic conductivity or gradient information, nor do they require long equilibration times. Laboratory testing indicated that the SBPVP has an average accuracy of ± 3% and an average precision of ± 2%. Preliminary field testing, conducted in the Grindsted Å in Jutland, Denmark, yielded promising agreement between groundwater fluxes determined by conventional methods and those estimated from the SBPVP tests executed at similar scales. These results suggest the SBPVP is a viable tool to quantify groundwater-surface water interactions in high definition in sandy streambeds.

  5. Usability and Interoperability Improvements for an EASE-Grid 2.0 Passive Microwave Data Product Using CF Conventions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardman, M.; Brodzik, M. J.; Long, D. G.

    2017-12-01

    Beginning in 1978, the satellite passive microwave data record has been a mainstay of remote sensing of the cryosphere, providing twice-daily, near-global spatial coverage for monitoring changes in hydrologic and cryospheric parameters that include precipitation, soil moisture, surface water, vegetation, snow water equivalent, sea ice concentration and sea ice motion. Historical versions of the gridded passive microwave data sets were produced as flat binary files described in human-readable documentation. This format is error-prone and makes it difficult to reliably include all processing and provenance. Funded by NASA MEaSUREs, we have completely reprocessed the gridded data record that includes SMMR, SSM/I-SSMIS and AMSR-E. The new Calibrated Enhanced-Resolution Brightness Temperature (CETB) Earth System Data Record (ESDR) files are self-describing. Our approach to the new data set was to create netCDF4 files that use standard metadata conventions and best practices to incorporate file-level, machine- and human-readable contents, geolocation, processing and provenance metadata. We followed the flexible and adaptable Climate and Forecast (CF-1.6) Conventions with respect to their coordinate conventions and map projection parameters. Additionally, we made use of Attribute Conventions for Dataset Discovery (ACDD-1.3) that provided file-level conventions with spatio-temporal bounds that enable indexing software to search for coverage. Our CETB files also include temporal coverage and spatial resolution in the file-level metadata for human-readability. We made use of the JPL CF/ACDD Compliance Checker to guide this work. We tested our file format with real software, for example, netCDF Command-line Operators (NCO) power tools for unlimited control on spatio-temporal subsetting and concatenation of files. The GDAL tools understand the CF metadata and produce fully-compliant geotiff files from our data. ArcMap can then reproject the geotiff files on-the-fly and work

  6. Distinguishing and diagnosing contemporary and conventional features of dental erosion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassiouny, Mohamed A

    2014-01-01

    The vast number and variety of erosion lesions encountered today require reconsideration of the traditional definition. Dental erosion associated with modern dietary habits can exhibit unique features that symbolize a departure from the decades-old conventional image known as tooth surface loss. The extent and diversity of contemporary erosion lesions often cause conflicting diagnoses. Specific examples of these features are presented in this article. The etiologies, genesis, course of development, and characteristics of these erosion lesions are discussed. Contemporary and conventional erosion lesions are distinguished from similar defects, such as mechanically induced wear, carious lesions, and dental fluorosis, which affect the human dentition.

  7. Tailings dams from the perspective of conventional dam engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szymanski, M.B.

    1999-01-01

    A guideline intended for conventional dams such as hydroelectric, water supply, flood control, or irrigation is used sometimes for evaluating the safety of a tailings dam. Differences between tailings dams and conventional dams are often substantial and, as such, should not be overlooked when applying the techniques or safety requirements of conventional dam engineering to tailings dams. Having a dam safety evaluation program developed specifically for tailings dams is essential, if only to reduce the chance of potential errors or omissions that might occur when relying on conventional dam engineering practice. This is not to deny the merits of using the Canadian Dam Safety Association Guidelines (CDSA) and similar conventional dam guidelines for evaluating the safety of tailings dams. Rather it is intended as a warning, and as a rationale underlying basic requirement of tailings dam emgineering: specific experience in tailings dams is essential when applying conventional dam engineering practice. A discussion is included that focuses on the more remarkable tailings dam safety practics. It is not addressed to a technical publications intended for such dams, or significantly different so that the use of conventional dam engineering practice would not be appropriate. The CDSA Guidelines were recently revised to include tailings dams. But incorporating tailings dams into the 1999 revision of the CDSA Guidelines is a first step only - further revision is necessary with respect to tailings dams. 11 refs., 2 tabs

  8. Guidelines regarding National Reports under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (hereinafter called the Convention), are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties regarding material that it may be useful to include in the National Reports required under Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the most efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention [es

  9. Guidelines regarding National Reports under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (hereinafter called the Convention), are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties regarding material that it may be useful to include in the National Reports required under Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the most efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention

  10. Baby sleeping bag and conventional bedding conditions--comparative investigations by infrared thermography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauseng, W; Kerbl, R; Thaller, S; Hanzer, M; Zotter, H

    2011-09-01

    Thermal stress is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Recently, baby sleeping bags have been recommended as a preventive measure against SIDS. The aim of this study was to describe in which way the use of baby sleeping bags might influence thermoregulation of sleeping infants and maybe the incidence of SIDS. Body surface temperature was recorded by use of infrared thermography in 15 infants (median age 49 days). Recordings were done twice: after sleeping for 60 min under a blanket and after sleeping for 60 min in a baby sleeping bag. Temperature was recorded and compared for defined sites of body surface. Infants' mean body surface temperature as well as core temperature after sleeping in a baby sleeping bag did not show significant differences when compared to infants sleeping under a conventional blanket. Under controlled conditions, core temperature and mean body surface temperature are comparable, equally if using a baby sleeping bag or conventional bedding. However, under the more uncontrolled conditions of baby care at home, sleeping bags might provide a more constant temperature profile, while other bedding conditions may lead to significant variations of temperature pattern. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  11. An investigation of the properties of conventional and severe shot peened low alloy steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quang Trung, Pham; Butler, David Lee; Win Khun, Nay

    2017-07-01

    The effects of the conventional shot peening and severe shot peening process on the mechanical and tribological properties of shot peened AISI 4340 high strength steel were systematically investigated. Compared with the conventional shot peened sample, the ultrafine grain surface layer with a depth of about 20 µm generated by the severe shot peening process can enhance the hardness and wear resistance of the treated material. However, deeper dimples generated by the high media velocity in the severe shot peening process resulted in a higher surface roughness, which is considered as a side effect of this method reducing the fatigue life of the material. Applying a smaller shot size with an appropriate intensity can be used to peen the severe shot peened samples to not only reduce the surface roughness and friction coefficient but also improve the wear resistance for these samples. This work was presented in the shot peening section during ‘The 30th International Conference on Surface Modification Technologies, 2016, Milan, Italy’ (SMT30, ID 61, entitled ‘Comparison of the effects of conventional shot peening and severe shot peening processes on the mechanical and tribological properties of shot peened AISI 4340’) and the authors were encouraged to submit a manuscript to the Materials Research Express journal after adding some nessesary information.

  12. Exposure and roentgen-area-product in xeromammography and conventional mammography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baxt, J H; Bushong, S C; Glaze, S; Kothari, S [Baylor Univ., Houston, Tex. (USA). Coll. of Medicine

    1976-01-01

    X-ray mammography is assuming increasing importance in the early detection of breast cancer. The principal disadvantage to conventional mammography is high patient dose. Xeromammography offers three advantages over conventional mammography: (a) lower patient dose, (b) better image quality and (c) no special mammography tube required. A transmission ionization chamber and thermoluminescent dosimeters were used to measure the roentgen-area-product and the exposure for three view examination. Average roentgen-area-product values of 6500 and 4200 R-cm/sup 2/ were observed for conventional mammography and xeromammography respectively. The medial surface of the breast received the highest radiation exposure for both types of examinations and this was shown to be 11.5 and 5.1 R respectively. Omission of the axillary view from the examination reduces the patient dose in both types by approximately 60 %.

  13. A new international convention against terrorism: the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Full text in French, English and Spanish. Introduction to the main elements of the convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laborde, Jean-Paul; )

    2005-01-01

    The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism is a 2005 United Nations treaty designed to criminalize acts of nuclear terrorism and to promote police and judicial cooperation to prevent, investigate and punish those acts. As of September 2016, the convention has 115 signatories and 106 state parties, including the nuclear powers China, France, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Convention covers a broad range of acts and possible targets, including nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors; covers threats and attempts to commit such crimes or to participate in them, as an accomplice; stipulates that offenders shall be either extradited or prosecuted; encourages States to cooperate in preventing terrorist attacks by sharing information and assisting each other in connection with criminal investigations and extradition proceedings; and, deals with both crisis situations, assisting States to solve the situations and post-crisis situations by rendering nuclear material safe through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

  14. Imaging in hematology. Part 1: Ultrasonography and conventional radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhechev, Y.

    2003-01-01

    Applications of conventional ultrasonography techniques (B-mode or real time) in oncohematology are presented. The newer adaptations (in particular colour Doppler) provide incremental advantages that support their inclusion in the imaging techniques available to modern hematology. Conventional radiologic studies include chest and bone X-ray, gastrointestinal contrast examination and bipedal lymphangiography

  15. Compact Ignition Tokamak conventional facilities optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Commander, J.C.; Spang, N.W.

    1987-01-01

    A high-field ignition machine with liquid-nitrogen-cooled copper coils, designated the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT), is proposed for the next phase of the United States magnetically confined fusion program. A team of national laboratory, university, and industrial participants completed the conceptual design for the CIT machine, support systems and conventional facilities. Following conceptual design, optimization studies were conducted with the goal of improving machine performance, support systems design, and conventional facilities configuration. This paper deals primarily with the conceptual design configuration of the CIT conventional facilities, the changes that evolved during optimization studies, and the revised changes resulting from functional and operational requirements (F and ORs). The CIT conventional facilities conceptual design is based on two premises: (1) satisfaction of the F and ORs developed in the CIT building and utilities requirements document, and (2) the assumption that the CIT project will be sited at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in order that maximum utilization can be made of existing Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) buildings and utilities. The optimization studies required reevaluation of the F and ORs and a second look at TFTR buildings and utilities. Some of the high-cost-impact optimization studies are discussed, including the evaluation criteria for a change from the conceptual design baseline configuration. The revised conventional facilities configuration are described and the estimated cost impact is summarized

  16. Development and Clinical Application of a Precise Temperature-Control Device as an Alternate for Conventional Moxibustion Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shin Takayama

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Moxibustion therapy has been used in East Asian medicine for more than a thousand years. However, there are some problems associated with this therapy in clinical practice. These problems include lack of control over the treatment temperature, emission of smoke, and uneven temperature distribution over the treatment region. In order to resolve these problems, we developed a precise temperature-control device for use as an alternate for conventional moxibustion therapy. In this paper, we describe the treatment of a single patient with paralytic ileus that was treated with moxibustion. We also describe an evaluation of temperature distribution on the skin surface after moxibustion therapy, the development of a heat-transfer control device (HTCD, an evaluation of the HTCD, and the clinical effects of treatment using the HTCD. The HTCD we developed can heat the skin of the treatment region uniformly, and its effect may be equivalent to conventional moxibustion, without the emission of smoke and smell. This device can be used to treat ileus, abdominal pain, and coldness of abdomen in place of conventional moxibustion in modern hospitals.

  17. HMB-45 reactivity in conventional uterine leiomyosarcomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, Karen W; Albores-Saavedra, Jorge

    2007-01-01

    We studied the human melanoma black-45 (HMB-45) reactivity in 25 uterine leiomyosarcomas including 23 conventional and 2 myxoid variants. Eleven tumors were poorly differentiated, and 14 were well to moderately differentiated. Nine uterine leiomyosarcomas labeled with HMB-45 in 10% or less of the tumor cells. Six were poorly differentiated and 3 were well differentiated. Our study indicates that 36% of conventional leiomyosarcomas focally express HMB-45. HMB-45 reactivity was more common in the poorly differentiated than in the well-differentiated group of leiomyosarcomas. In light of our findings and of those recently reported in the literature, we believe that the term PEComa should not be used for uterine leiomyosarcomas with clear cells or for conventional leiomyosarcomas that stain positively with HMB-45.

  18. Clearance of building structures for conventional non-nuclear reuse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buss, K.; Boehringer, S.

    1998-01-01

    At the example of a fuel assembly plant the strategy of control measurements on building surfaces, which shall be conventionally reused after their clearance, is regarded. Based on the given clearance levels the used measuring methods, especially with regard of possibly covered or intruded uranium contamination, are shown. The possibility of using the in-situ-γ-spectroscopy is discussed. (orig.) [de

  19. Random surfaces and strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambjoern, J.

    1987-08-01

    The theory of strings is the theory of random surfaces. I review the present attempts to regularize the world sheet of the string by triangulation. The corresponding statistical theory of triangulated random surfaces has a surprising rich structure, but the connection to conventional string theory seems non-trivial. (orig.)

  20. Evaluation of marginal and internal gaps of metal ceramic crowns obtained from conventional impressions and casting techniques with those obtained from digital techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rathika Rai

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Accuracy in fit of cast metal restoration has always remained as one of the primary factors in determining the success of the restoration. A well-fitting restoration needs to be accurate both along its margin and with regard to its internal surface. Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate the marginal fit of metal ceramic crowns obtained by conventional inlay casting wax pattern using conventional impression with the metal ceramic crowns obtained by computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM technique using direct and indirect optical scanning. Materials and Methods: This in vitro study on preformed custom-made stainless steel models with former assembly that resembles prepared tooth surfaces of standardized dimensions comprised three groups: the first group included ten samples of metal ceramic crowns fabricated with conventional technique, the second group included CAD/CAM-milled direct metal laser sintering (DMLS crowns using indirect scanning, and the third group included DMLS crowns fabricated by direct scanning of the stainless steel model. The vertical marginal gap and the internal gap were evaluated with the stereomicroscope (Zoomstar 4; post hoc Turkey's test was used for statistical analysis. One-way analysis of variance method was used to compare the mean values. Results and Conclusion: Metal ceramic crowns obtained from direct optical scanning showed the least marginal and internal gap when compared to the castings obtained from inlay casting wax and indirect optical scanning. Indirect and direct optical scanning had yielded results within clinically acceptable range.

  1. Electron curing of surface coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nablo, S.V.

    1974-01-01

    The technical development of electron curing of surface coatings has received great impetus since 1970 from dramatic changes in the economics of the conventional thermal process. The most important of these changes are reviewed, including: the Clear Air Act, increasing cost and restrictive allocation of energy, decreased availability and increased costs of solvents, competitive pressure for higher line productivity. The principles of free-radical initiated curing as they pertain to industrial coatings are reviewed. Although such electron initiated processes have been under active development for at least two decades, high volume production applications on an industrial scale have only recently appeared. These installations are surveyed with emphasis on the developments in machinery and coatings which have made this possible. The most significant economic advantages of electron curing are presented. In particular, the ability of electron curing to eliminate substrate damage and to eliminate the curing station (oven) as the pacing element for most industrial surface coating curing applications is discussed. Examples of several new processes of particular interest in the textile industry are reviewed, including the curing of transfer cast urethane films, flock adhesives, and graftable surface finishes

  2. The Conventional and Unconventional about Disability Conventions: A Reflective Analysis of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umeasiegbu, Veronica I.; Bishop, Malachy; Mpofu, Elias

    2013-01-01

    This article presents an analysis of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in relation to prior United Nations conventions on disability and U.S. disability policy law with a view to identifying the conventional and also the incremental advances of the CRPD. Previous United Nations conventions related to…

  3. Revision of the Paris Convention and the Brussels Supplementary Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Busekist, Otto von.

    1977-01-01

    The Paris Convention and the Brussels Supplementary Convention have in substance remained unchanged since their adoption in 1960 and 1963, respectively. During that period, nuclear industry and technology have developed considerably while the financial and monetary bases of the Conventions have been shattered. The amounts of liability and compensation have been eroded by inflation, and the gold-based unit of account in which these amounts are expressed has lost its original meaning after the abolition of the official gold price. The question of revising the Conventions, in particular of raising those amounts and of replacing the unit of account, is therefore being studied by the Group of Governmental Experts on Third party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. (auth.) [fr

  4. Nanotopography effects on astrocyte attachment to nanoporous gold surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurtulus, Ozge; Seker, Erkin

    2012-01-01

    Nanoporous gold, synthesized by a self-assembly process, is a new biomaterial with desirable attributes, including tunable nanotopography, drug delivery potential, electrical conductivity, and compatibility with conventional microfabrication techniques. This study reports on the effect of nanotopography in guiding cellular attachment on nanoporous gold surfaces. While the changes in topography do not affect adherent cell density, average cell area displays a non-monotonic dependence on nanotopography.

  5. Comparison of Self-Etch Primers with Conventional Acid Etching System on Orthodontic Brackets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zope, Amit; Zope-Khalekar, Yogita; Chitko, Shrikant S.; Kerudi, Veerendra V.; Patil, Harshal Ashok; Jaltare, Pratik; Dolas, Siddhesh G

    2016-01-01

    Introduction The self-etching primer system consists of etchant and primer dispersed in a single unit. The etching and priming are merged as a single step leading to fewer stages in bonding procedure and reduction in the number of steps that also reduces the chance of introduction of error, resulting in saving time for the clinician. It also results in smaller extent of enamel decalcification. Aim To compare the Shear Bond Strength (SBS) of orthodontic bracket bonded with Self-Etch Primers (SEP) and conventional acid etching system and to study the surface appearance of teeth after debonding; etching with conventional acid etch and self-etch priming, using stereomicroscope. Materials and Methods Five Groups (n=20) were created randomly from a total of 100 extracted premolars. In a control Group A, etching of enamel was done with 37% phosphoric acid and bonding of stainless steel brackets with Transbond XT (3M Unitek, Monrovia, California). Enamel conditioning in left over four Groups was done with self-etching primers and adhesives as follows: Group B-Transbond Plus (3M Unitek), Group C Xeno V+ (Dentsply), Group D-G-Bond (GC), Group E-One-Coat (Coltene). The Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) score was also evaluated. Additionally, the surface roughness using profilometer were observed. Results Mean SBS of Group A was 18.26±7.5MPa, Group B was 10.93±4.02MPa, Group C was 6.88±2.91MPa while of Group D was 7.78±4.13MPa and Group E was 10.39±5.22MPa respectively. In conventional group ARI scores shows that over half of the adhesive was remaining on the surface of tooth (score 1 to 3). In self-etching primer groups ARI scores show that there was no or minor amount of adhesive remaining on the surface of tooth (score 4 and 5). SEP produces a lesser surface roughness on the enamel than conventional etching. However, statistical analysis shows significant correlation (pbracket bonding after enamel conditioning with any of the SEPs tested. The SEPs used in Groups C (Xeno V

  6. Sound field separation with cross measurement surfaces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Mao

    Full Text Available With conventional near-field acoustical holography, it is impossible to identify sound pressure when the coherent sound sources are located on the same side of the array. This paper proposes a solution, using cross measurement surfaces to separate the sources based on the equivalent source method. Each equivalent source surface is built in the center of the corresponding original source with a spherical surface. According to the different transfer matrices between equivalent sources and points on holographic surfaces, the weighting of each equivalent source from coherent sources can be obtained. Numerical and experimental studies have been performed to test the method. For the sound pressure including noise after separation in the experiment, the calculation accuracy can be improved by reconstructing the pressure with Tikhonov regularization and the L-curve method. On the whole, a single source can be effectively separated from coherent sources using cross measurement.

  7. Guidelines regarding National Reports under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties regarding material which it may be useful to include in the national reports required by Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the most efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention

  8. Guidelines regarding national reports under the convention on nuclear safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties regarding material which it may be useful to include in the national reports required by Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the most efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention

  9. Guidelines regarding National Reports under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-10-15

    These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties regarding material which it may be useful to include in the national reports required by Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the most efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention.

  10. Treatment of post-stroke dysphagia by vitalstim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Wenguang; Zheng, Chanjuan; Lei, Qingtao; Tang, Zhouping; Hua, Qiang; Zhang, Yangpu; Zhu, Suiqiang

    2011-02-01

    To investigate the effects of VitalStim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training on recovery of post-stroke dysphagia, a total of 120 patients with post-stroke dysphagia were randomly and evenly divided into three groups: conventional swallowing therapy group, VitalStim therapy group, and VitalStim therapy plus conventional swallowing therapy group. Prior to and after the treatment, signals of surface electromyography (sEMG) of swallowing muscles were detected, swallowing function was evaluated by using the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA) and Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) tests, and swallowing-related quality of life (SWAL-QOL) was evaluated using the SWAL-QOL questionnaire. There were significant differences in sEMG value, SSA, VFSS, and SWAL-QOL scores in each group between prior to and after treatment. After 4-week treatment, sEMG value, SSA, VFSS and SWAL-QOL scores were significantly greater in the VitalStim therapy plus conventional swallowing training group than in the conventional swallowing training group and VitalStim therapy group, but no significant difference existed between conventional swallowing therapy group and VitalStim therapy group. It was concluded that VitalStim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training was conducive to recovery of post-stroke dysphagia.

  11. The efficacy of selective calculus ablation at 400 nm: comparison to conventional calculus removal methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoenly, Joshua E.; Seka, Wolf; Romanos, Georgios; Rechmann, Peter

    A desired outcome of scaling and root planing is the complete removal of calculus and infected root tissue and preservation of healthy cementum for rapid healing of periodontal tissues. Conventional periodontal treatments for calculus removal, such as hand instrument scaling and ultrasonic scaling, often deeply scrape the surface of the underlying hard tissue and may leave behind a smear layer. Pulsed lasers emitting at violet wavelengths (specifically, 380 to 400 nm) are a potential alternative treatment since they can selectively ablate dental calculus without ablating pristine hard tissue (i.e., enamel, cementum, and dentin). In this study, light and scanning electron microscopy are used to compare and contrast the efficacy of in vitro calculus removal for several conventional periodontal treatments (hand instruments, ultrasonic scaler, and Er:YAG laser) to calculus removal with a frequency-doubled Ti:sapphire (λ = 400 nm). After calculus removal, enamel and cementum surfaces are investigated for calculus debris and damage to the underlying hard tissue surface. Compared to the smear layer, grooves, and unintentional hard tissue removal typically found using these conventional treatments, calculus removal using the 400-nm laser is complete and selective without any removal of pristine dental hard tissue. Based on these results, selective ablation from the 400-nm laser appears to produce a root surface that would be more suitable for successful healing of periodontal tissues.

  12. Investigation into the Friction and Roughness Properties of Prints Using Conventional and UV Inks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giedrė Giraitytė

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The article experimentally investigates the properties of offset print friction and determines static and kinetic coeffi­cients of friction. Conventional and UV inks have been found to increase the static friction coefficient and re­duce the kinetic friction coefficient between paper and print. The roughness pro­perties of two different types of paper and prints using conventional and UV inks have been examined and compared thus determining that conventional inks strongly increase the roughness of print surface and that the influence of UV inks depend on the type of paper.

  13. Linear-time general decoding algorithm for the surface code

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darmawan, Andrew S.; Poulin, David

    2018-05-01

    A quantum error correcting protocol can be substantially improved by taking into account features of the physical noise process. We present an efficient decoder for the surface code which can account for general noise features, including coherences and correlations. We demonstrate that the decoder significantly outperforms the conventional matching algorithm on a variety of noise models, including non-Pauli noise and spatially correlated noise. The algorithm is based on an approximate calculation of the logical channel using a tensor-network description of the noisy state.

  14. Surface roughness reduction using spray-coated hydrogen silsesquioxane reflow

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cech, Jiri; Pranov, Henrik; Kofod, Guggi

    2013-01-01

    Surface roughness or texture is the most visible property of any object, including injection molded plastic parts. Roughness of the injection molding (IM) tool cavity directly affects not only appearance and perception of quality, but often also the function of all manufactured plastic parts. So...... called “optically smooth” plastic surfaces is one example, where low roughness of a tool cavity is desirable. Such tool surfaces can be very expensive to fabricate using conventional means, such as abrasive diamond polishing or diamond turning. We present a novel process to coat machined metal parts...... are reduced 10 and 3 times respectively. We completed more than 10,000 injection molding cycles without detectable degradation of the HSQ coating. This result opens new possibilities for molding of affordable plastic parts with perfect surface finish....

  15. [Colonic polyps diagnosis by conventional video colonoscopes and chromoscopy with indigo carmine dye solution].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakao, Frank Shigueo; Araújo, Isabella Saraiva; Ornellas, Laura Cotta; Cury, Marcelo de Sousa; Ferrari, Angelo Paulo

    2002-01-01

    Magnification colonoscopy and contrast chromoscopy with indigo carmine dye solution have been used to differentiate neoplastic polyps (adenomas and adenocarcinomas) from non-neoplastic (hyperplastic, inflammatory, juvenile) in an attempt to obviate endoscopic polypectomy. On the other hand, little published information exists concerning conventional video colonoscopes and chromoscopy for polyp histology prediction. Aim - To assess usefullness of conventional video colonoscopes and contrast chromoscopy with indigo carmine solution for differential diagnosis of colon polyps. In a routine colonoscopy series, we performed chromoscopy with conventional video colonoscopes before endoscopic excision of detected polyps. If a sulcus pattern was observed on the surface of the lesion, it was classified as neoplastic. Polyps were classified as non-neoplastic if no sulcus was detected on its surface. These observations were then compared with histology. In the study period (18 months), we detected 133 polyps in 53 patients. We were able to compare results of histology and chromoscopy in 126 lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value were 56,4%, 79,2%, 65,1%, 52,8%, and 81,5%, respectively. On the base of the presented data, we concluded that conventional video colonoscopes and contrast chromoscopy with indigo carmine solution is not a good technique for differential diagnosis of colon polyps.

  16. Application of positron annihilation induced auger electron spectroscopy to the study of surface chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, A.H.; Yang, G.; Nangia, A.; Kim, J.H.; Fazleev, N.G.

    1996-01-01

    Positron annihilation induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES), makes use a beam of low energy positrons to excite Auger transitions by annihilating core electrons. This novel mechanism provides PAES with a number of unique features which distinguishes it from other methods of surface analysis. In PAES the very large collisionally induced secondary electron background which is present under the low energy Auger peaks using conventional techniques can be eliminated by using a positron beam whose energy is below the range of Auger electron energies. In addition, PAES is more surface selective than conventional Auger Spectroscopy because the PAES signal originates almost exclusively from the topmost atomic layer due to the fact that the positrons annihilating with the core electrons are trapped in an image correlation well just outside the surface. In this paper, recent applications of Positron Annihilation Induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES) to the study of surface structure and surface chemistry will be discussed including studies of the growth, alloying and inter-diffusion of ultrathin layers of metals, metals on semiconductors, and semiconductors on semiconductors. In addition, the possibilities for future application of PAES to the study of catalysis and surface chemistry will be outlined. (author)

  17. Fifth national report of Brazil for the nuclear safety convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    This Fifth National Report is a new update to include relevant information for the period of 2007/2009. This document represents the national report prepared as a fulfillment of the Brazilian obligations related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In chapter 2 some details are given about the existing nuclear installations. Chapter 3 provides details about the legislation and regulations, including the regulatory framework and the regulatory body. Chapter 4 covers general safety considerations as described in articles 10 to 16 of the Convention. Chapter 5 addresses to the safety of the installations during siting, design, construction and operation. Chapter 6 describes planned activities to further enhance nuclear safety. Chapter 7 presents the final remarks related to the degree of compliance with the Convention obligations

  18. Fast algorithm for the rendering of three-dimensional surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pritt, Mark D.

    1994-02-01

    It is often desirable to draw a detailed and realistic representation of surface data on a computer graphics display. One such representation is a 3D shaded surface. Conventional techniques for rendering shaded surfaces are slow, however, and require substantial computational power. Furthermore, many techniques suffer from aliasing effects, which appear as jagged lines and edges. This paper describes an algorithm for the fast rendering of shaded surfaces without aliasing effects. It is much faster than conventional ray tracing and polygon-based rendering techniques and is suitable for interactive use. On an IBM RISC System/6000TM workstation it renders a 1000 X 1000 surface in about 7 seconds.

  19. Optimized Hypernetted-Chain Solutions for Helium -4 Surfaces and Metal Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Guo-Xin

    This thesis is a study of inhomogeneous Bose systems such as liquid ('4)He slabs and inhomogeneous Fermi systems such as the electron gas in metal films, at zero temperature. Using a Jastrow-type many-body wavefunction, the ground state energy is expressed by means of Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood -Yvon and Hypernetted-Chain techniques. For Bose systems, Euler-Lagrange equations are derived for the one- and two -body functions and systematic approximation methods are physically motivated. It is shown that the optimized variational method includes a self-consistent summation of ladder- and ring-diagrams of conventional many-body theory. For Fermi systems, a linear potential model is adopted to generate the optimized Hartree-Fock basis. Euler-Lagrange equations are derived for the two-body correlations which serve to screen the strong bare Coulomb interaction. The optimization of the pair correlation leads to an expression of correlation energy in which the state averaged RPA part is separated. Numerical applications are presented for the density profile and pair distribution function for both ('4)He surfaces and metal surfaces. Both the bulk and surface energies are calculated in good agreement with experiments.

  20. Chemical Weapons Convention

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    1997-01-01

    On April 29, 1997, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, known as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC...

  1. National Nuclear Safety Report 2001. Convention on Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    The First National Nuclear Safety Report was presented at the first review meeting of the Nuclear Safety Convention. At that time it was concluded that Argentina met the obligations of the Convention. This second National Nuclear Safety Report is an updated report which includes all safety aspects of the Argentinian nuclear power plants and the measures taken to enhance the safety of the plants. The present report also takes into account the observations and discussions maintained during the first review meeting. The conclusion made in the first review meeting about the compliance by Argentina of the obligations of the Convention are included as Annex 1. In general, the information contained in this Report has been updated since March 31, 1998 to March 31, 2001. Those aspects that remain unchanged were not addressed in this second report with the objective of avoiding repetitions and in order to carry out a detailed analysis considering article by article. As a result of the above mentioned detailed analysis of all the Articles, it can be stated that the country fulfils all the obligations imposed by the Nuclear Safety Convention

  2. Electron density in reasonably real metallic surfaces, including interchange and correlation effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraga, L.A.; Martinez, G.

    1981-01-01

    By means of a new method, the electron density in a jellium surface is calculated taking in account interchange and correlation effects; reproducing, in this way, the Lang and Kohn results. The new method is self-consistent but not iterative and hence is possible extend it to the solution of the same problem in more reasonably real metallic surfaces. (L.C.) [pt

  3. Gaseous surface hardening of martensitic stainless steels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tibollo, Chiara; Villa, Matteo; Christiansen, Thomas L.

    The present work addresses heat and surface treatments of martensitic stainless steel EN 1.4028. Different combinations of heat treatments and surface treatments were performed: conventional austenitisation, cryogenic treatment and in particular high temperature solution nitriding (HTSN) and low...... that cubic lath martensite in conventionally austenitised EN 1.4028 dissolves nitrogen and develops expanded martensite (ferrite) during LTSH. HTSN leads to a microstructure of tetragonal plate martensite and retained austenite. The content of retained austenite can be reduced by a cryo...

  4. Simultaneous measurements of top surface and its underlying film surfaces in multilayer film structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghim, Young-Sik; Rhee, Hyug-Gyo; Davies, Angela

    2017-09-19

    With the growth of 3D packaging technology and the development of flexible, transparent electrodes, the use of multilayer thin-films is steadily increasing throughout high-tech industries including semiconductor, flat panel display, and solar photovoltaic industries. Also, this in turn leads to an increase in industrial demands for inspection of internal analysis. However, there still remain many technical limitations to overcome for measurement of the internal structure of the specimen without damage. In this paper, we propose an innovative optical inspection technique for simultaneous measurements of the surface and film thickness corresponding to each layer of multilayer film structures by computing the phase and reflectance over a wide range of wavelengths. For verification of our proposed method, the sample specimen of multilayer films was fabricated via photolithography process, and the surface profile and film thickness of each layer were measured by two different techniques of a stylus profilometer and an ellipsometer, respectively. Comparison results shows that our proposed technique enables simultaneous measurements of the top surface and its underlying film surfaces with high precision, which could not be measured by conventional non-destructive methods.

  5. The Hague Judgments Convention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter Arnt

    2011-01-01

    The Hague Judgments Convention of 2005 is the first global convention on international jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. The author explains the political and legal background of the Convention, its content and certain crucial issues during...

  6. The Aarhus Convention: A new regional convention on citizens' environmental rights

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wates, J.

    2000-01-01

    The UN ECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters had been adopted at Arhus, Denmark, at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in the 'Environment for Europe' process, and signed by thirty-five countries and the European Community. This paper summarises the main features of the Convention and briefly discusses its relevance to radioactive waste management issues. It then describes some of the activities currently being undertaken under the auspices of the Convention. (author)

  7. Build green and conventional materials off-gassing tests: A final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piersol, P.

    1995-12-31

    Build Green is a certification program that will identify and label building products with a known recycled content. The introduction of these recycled materials has raised the concern that they may emit more indoor pollutants than conventional materials. This study addresses that concern by analyzing Build Green and conventional materials to assess their potential for off-gassing. The study involved emission tests of 37 materials including carpets, carpet undercushions, structural lumber, foundation material, insulation, drywall, fiberboard, counter tops, and cabinetry. The results presented in this report include comparisons of Build Green and conventional materials in terms of emissions of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde, the material loading ratio, and discussion of the specific sources of the emissions.

  8. The role of (sub)-surface oxygen on the surface electronic structure of hydrogen terminated (100) CVD diamond

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deferme, W.; Tanasa, G.; Amir, J.; Haenen, K.; Nesladek, M.; Flipse, C.F.J.

    2006-01-01

    In this work, scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) were applied to investigate the surface morphol. and the surface electronic structure of plasma-treated (100)-oriented CVD diamond films. These films were hydrogenated using a conventional MWPE-CVD

  9. Convention on nuclear safety. Rules of procedure and financial rules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The document presents the Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules that apply mutatis mutandis to any meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety (INFCIRC/449) convened in accordance with Chapter 3 of the Convention. It includes four parts: General provisions, Preparatory process for review meetings, Review meetings, and Amendment and interpretation of rules

  10. Conventional diagnostic imaging of the temporal bone. A historical review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canigiani, G.

    1997-01-01

    The Viennese Medical School played an important role in the development of radiological examinations and signs of the temporal bone with conventional X-rays. Famous pioneers include E.G. Mayer (1893-1969) and L. Psenner (1910-1986). Nowadays conventional X-rays and tomography have lost their important role in diagnostic radiology of the temporal bone, but the basic principles established in those early years of radiology are still used now. This statement is correct not only for conventional X-rays, but particularly for 'poly'-tomography in comparison with CT. (orig.) [de

  11. International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. United Nations 2005: International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2005-01-01

    The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism is a 2005 United Nations treaty designed to criminalize acts of nuclear terrorism and to promote police and judicial cooperation to prevent, investigate and punish those acts. As of September 2016, the convention has 115 signatories and 106 state parties, including the nuclear powers China, France, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Convention covers a broad range of acts and possible targets, including nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors; covers threats and attempts to commit such crimes or to participate in them, as an accomplice; stipulates that offenders shall be either extradited or prosecuted; encourages States to cooperate in preventing terrorist attacks by sharing information and assisting each other in connection with criminal investigations and extradition proceedings; and, deals with both crisis situations, assisting States to solve the situations and post-crisis situations by rendering nuclear material safe through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

  12. Measures to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanzman, E.; Kellman, B.

    1999-01-01

    This seminar is another excellent opportunity for those involved in preventing chemical weapons production and use to learn from each other about how the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) can become a foundation of arms control in Africa and around the world. The author is grateful to the staff of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for inviting him to address this distinguished seminar. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors alone, and do not represent the position of the government of the US nor or of any other institution. In 1993, as the process of CWC ratification was beginning, concerns arose that the complexity of integrating the treaty with national law would cause each nation to implement the Convention without regard to what other nations were doing, thereby causing inconsistencies among States Parties in how the Convention would be carried out. As a result the Manual for National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention was prepared and presented it to each national delegation at the December 1993 meeting of the Preparatory Commission in The Hague. During its preparation, the Manual was reviewed by the Committee of Legal Experts on National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, a group of distinguished international jurists, law professors, legally-trained diplomats, government officials, and Parliamentarians from every region of the world, including Mica. In February 1998, the second edition of the Manual was published in order to update it in light of developments since the CWC entered into force on 29 April 1997. The second edition 1998 clarified the national implementation options to reflect post-entry-into-force thinking, added extensive references to national implementing measures that had been enacted by various States Parties, and included a prototype national implementing statute developed by the authors to provide a starting point for those whose national implementing

  13. Measures to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanzman, E.; Kellman, B.

    1999-11-05

    This seminar is another excellent opportunity for those involved in preventing chemical weapons production and use to learn from each other about how the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) can become a foundation of arms control in Africa and around the world. The author is grateful to the staff of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for inviting him to address this distinguished seminar. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors alone, and do not represent the position of the government of the US nor or of any other institution. In 1993, as the process of CWC ratification was beginning, concerns arose that the complexity of integrating the treaty with national law would cause each nation to implement the Convention without regard to what other nations were doing, thereby causing inconsistencies among States Parties in how the Convention would be carried out. As a result the Manual for National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention was prepared and presented it to each national delegation at the December 1993 meeting of the Preparatory Commission in The Hague. During its preparation, the Manual was reviewed by the Committee of Legal Experts on National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, a group of distinguished international jurists, law professors, legally-trained diplomats, government officials, and Parliamentarians from every region of the world, including Mica. In February 1998, the second edition of the Manual was published in order to update it in light of developments since the CWC entered into force on 29 April 1997. The second edition 1998 clarified the national implementation options to reflect post-entry-into-force thinking, added extensive references to national implementing measures that had been enacted by various States Parties, and included a prototype national implementing statute developed by the authors to provide a starting point for those whose national implementing

  14. Non-conventional solvents in liquid phase microextraction and aqueous biphasic systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Jiwoo; Trujillo-Rodríguez, María J; Pino, Verónica; Anderson, Jared L

    2017-06-02

    The development of rapid, convenient, and high throughput sample preparation approaches such as liquid phase microextraction techniques have been continuously developed over the last decade. More recently, significant attention has been given to the replacement of conventional organic solvents used in liquid phase microextraction techniques in order to reduce toxic waste and to improve selectivity and/or extraction efficiency. With these objectives, non-conventional solvents have been explored in liquid phase microextraction and aqueous biphasic systems. The utilized non-conventional solvents include ionic liquids, magnetic ionic liquids, and deep eutectic solvents. They have been widely used as extraction solvents or additives in various liquid phase microextraction modes including dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, single-drop microextraction, hollow fiber-liquid phase microextraction, as well as in aqueous biphasic systems. This review provides an overview into the use of non-conventional solvents in these microextraction techniques in the past 5 years (2012-2016). Analytical applications of the techniques are also discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Young children's inclusion decisions in moral and social-conventional group norm contexts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzo, Michael T; Cooley, Shelby; Elenbaas, Laura; Killen, Melanie

    2018-01-01

    Being a member of a peer group involves making decisions about whom to include in or exclude from the group. Sometimes these decisions are related to whether members of the group support or challenge the norms of the group. To examine how young children weigh concerns for group norms and group membership in both moral and social-conventional norm contexts, children (3- to 6-year-olds; N=73) were asked to decide between including an ingroup member who challenged the group's norm or an outgroup member who supported the norm. Groups held either moral (equal or unequal resource allocation) or social-conventional (traditional or nontraditional) norms. In the moral contexts, children were more likely to include the peer who advocated for the moral concern for equality regardless of the peer's group membership or their group's specific norm. In the social-conventional contexts, however, children were more likely to include the peer who advocated for the conventional concern for maintaining traditions but only at the group-specific level. Furthermore, with age children increasingly based their inclusion decisions on normative concerns, rather than on group membership concerns, and differed in their inclusion decisions for ingroups and outgroups. Finally, children reasoned about their decisions by referencing concerns for fairness, group norms, and group membership, suggesting that preschool children weigh multiple concerns when deciding whom to include in their groups. Overall, the current study revealed differences in how preschool children weigh moral and social-conventional concerns in intergroup contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. [Study on friction and wear properties of dental zirconia ceramics processed by microwave and conventional sintering methods].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guoxin, Hu; Ying, Yang; Yuemei, Jiang; Wenjing, Xia

    2017-04-01

    This study evaluated the wear of an antagonist and friction and wear properties of dental zirconia ceramic that was subjected to microwave and conventional sintering methods. Ten specimens were fabricated from Lava brand zirconia and randomly assigned to microwave and conventional sintering groups. A profile tester for surface roughness was used to measure roughness of the specimens. Wear test was performed, and steatite ceramic was used as antagonist. Friction coefficient curves were recorded, and wear volume were calculated. Finally, optical microscope was used to observe the surface morphology of zirconia and steatite ceramics. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the microstructure of zirconia. Wear volumes of microwave and conventionally sintered zirconia were (6.940±1.382)×10⁻², (7.952±1.815) ×10⁻² mm³, respectively. Moreover, wear volumes of antagonist after sintering by the considered methods were (14.189±4.745)×10⁻², (15.813±3.481)×10⁻² mm³, correspondingly. Statistically significant difference was not observed in the wear resistance of zirconia and wear volume of steatite ceramic upon exposure to two kinds of sintering methods. Optical microscopy showed that ploughed surfaces were apparent in zirconia. The wear surface of steatite ceramic against had craze, accompanied by plough. Scanning electron microscopy showed that zirconia was sintered compactly when subjected to both conventional sintering and microwave methods, whereas grains of zirconia sintered by microwave alone were smaller and more uniform. Two kinds of sintering methods are successfully used to produce dental zirconia ceramics with similar friction and wear properties.
.

  17. Impact of replacement of conventional Recloser with PulseCloser

    OpenAIRE

    Olgert Metko; Rajmonda Bualoti; Engjell Zeqo

    2011-01-01

    Conventional recloser stresses the circuit with current fault every time they reclose into a fault. After clearing a fault, a conventional recloser simply recloses the interrupters to continuously test the presence of the fault. If the fault is still there, the interrupters are tripped again. Then, after a time delay, the interrupters are reclosed. During reclosing operation of Automatic Recloser, including the faster recloser one, powerful transient processes occurs and significant amount of...

  18. SURFACE LAYER ACCRETION IN CONVENTIONAL AND TRANSITIONAL DISKS DRIVEN BY FAR-ULTRAVIOLET IONIZATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez-Becker, Daniel; Chiang, Eugene

    2011-01-01

    Whether protoplanetary disks accrete at observationally significant rates by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) depends on how well ionized they are. Disk surface layers ionized by stellar X-rays are susceptible to charge neutralization by small condensates, ranging from ∼0.01 μm sized grains to angstrom-sized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Ion densities in X-ray-irradiated surfaces are so low that ambipolar diffusion weakens the MRI. Here we show that ionization by stellar far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation enables full-blown MRI turbulence in disk surface layers. Far-UV ionization of atomic carbon and sulfur produces a plasma so dense that it is immune to ion recombination on grains and PAHs. The FUV-ionized layer, of thickness 0.01-0.1 g cm -2 , behaves in the ideal magnetohydrodynamic limit and can accrete at observationally significant rates at radii ∼> 1-10 AU. Surface layer accretion driven by FUV ionization can reproduce the trend of increasing accretion rate with increasing hole size seen in transitional disks. At radii ∼<1-10 AU, FUV-ionized surface layers cannot sustain the accretion rates generated at larger distance, and unless turbulent mixing of plasma can thicken the MRI-active layer, an additional means of transport is needed. In the case of transitional disks, it could be provided by planets.

  19. Ressonância magnética das vias lacrimais: estudo comparativo entre bobinas de superfície convencionais e microscópicas Magnetic resonance dacryocystography: comparison between conventional surface coils and microscopic coils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz de Abreu Junior

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: A ressonância magnética tem sido utilizada para avaliar as vias lacrimais, com vantagens em relação à dacriocistografia por raios-X. O objetivo deste trabalho é obter imagens de alta resolução utilizando bobinas de superfície microscópicas para avaliação de estruturas normais das vias lacrimais, comparando com o aspecto observado utilizando-se bobinas de superfície convencionais. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Cinco voluntários assintomáticos, sem histórico de lacrimejamento, submeteram-se a ressonância magnética de alto campo, com bobinas de superfície (convencional e microscópica, com seqüência STIR após instilação de soro fisiológico. A identificação das estruturas anatômicas normais das vias lacrimais foi comparada utilizando-se as duas bobinas. Mediante uso de um sistema de escore, um valor médio de cada estrutura foi calculado por dois examinadores, consensualmente. RESULTADOS: Em 90% das vezes houve aumento do escore, atribuído à estrutura anatômica no estudo com a bobina microscópica. Em média, houve aumento de 1,17 ponto no escore, por estrutura anatômica visualizada, quando se utilizou a bobina microscópica. Observou-se, ainda, melhora subjetiva da relação sinal-ruído ao se utilizar a bobina microscópica. CONCLUSÃO: A dacriocistografia por ressonância magnética com bobinas microscópicas é um método adequado para o estudo das vias lacrimais, resultando em imagens de melhor qualidade quando comparada ao uso de bobinas de superfície convencionais.OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging has been utilized in the evaluation of the lacrimal apparatus with some advantages over conventional dacryocystography. The present study was aimed at acquiring high-resolution images utilizing microscopic coils for evaluating typical structures of the lacrimal apparatus as compared with the findings observed with conventional surface coils. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five asymptomatic volunteers with no history of

  20. Rapid comparison of properties on protein surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sael, Lee; La, David; Li, Bin; Rustamov, Raif; Kihara, Daisuke

    2008-10-01

    The mapping of physicochemical characteristics onto the surface of a protein provides crucial insights into its function and evolution. This information can be further used in the characterization and identification of similarities within protein surface regions. We propose a novel method which quantitatively compares global and local properties on the protein surface. We have tested the method on comparison of electrostatic potentials and hydrophobicity. The method is based on 3D Zernike descriptors, which provides a compact representation of a given property defined on a protein surface. Compactness and rotational invariance of this descriptor enable fast comparison suitable for database searches. The usefulness of this method is exemplified by studying several protein families including globins, thermophilic and mesophilic proteins, and active sites of TIM beta/alpha barrel proteins. In all the cases studied, the descriptor is able to cluster proteins into functionally relevant groups. The proposed approach can also be easily extended to other surface properties. This protein surface-based approach will add a new way of viewing and comparing proteins to conventional methods, which compare proteins in terms of their primary sequence or tertiary structure.

  1. Super Riemann surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogers, Alice

    1990-01-01

    A super Riemann surface is a particular kind of (1,1)-dimensional complex analytic supermanifold. From the point of view of super-manifold theory, super Riemann surfaces are interesting because they furnish the simplest examples of what have become known as non-split supermanifolds, that is, supermanifolds where the odd and even parts are genuinely intertwined, as opposed to split supermanifolds which are essentially the exterior bundles of a vector bundle over a conventional manifold. However undoubtedly the main motivation for the study of super Riemann surfaces has been their relevance to the Polyakov quantisation of the spinning string. Some of the papers on super Riemann surfaces are reviewed. Although recent work has shown all super Riemann surfaces are algebraic, some areas of difficulty remain. (author)

  2. Conventional RF system design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puglisi, M.

    1994-01-01

    The design of a conventional RF system is always complex and must fit the needs of the particular machine for which it is planned. It follows that many different design criteria should be considered and analyzed, thus exceeding the narrow limits of a lecture. For this reason only the fundamental components of an RF system, including the generators, are considered in this short seminar. The most common formulas are simply presented in the text, while their derivations are shown in the appendices to facilitate, if desired, a more advanced level of understanding. (orig.)

  3. Long-term stability of beam quality and output of conventional X-ray units

    OpenAIRE

    Fukuda, Atsushi; Matsubara, Kosuke; Miyati, Toshiaki

    2015-01-01

    Conventional diagnostic X-ray units are used for radiographic imaging in many countries. For obtaining entrance surface doses, a numerical dose determination method has been applied in Japan. Although this technique is effective, it has to account for errors, particularly fluctuations, due to the beam quality and output of X-ray tubes. As a part of our quality control procedures, we recorded the entrance surface air kerma, tube voltage, and half-value layer measurements made for four diagnost...

  4. Choledochal cyst: Comparison of MR and conventional cholangiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S.H.; Lim, J.H.; Yoon, H.-K.; Han, B.K.; Lee, S.K.; Kim, Y.I.

    2000-01-01

    AIMS: To assess the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiography versus conventional cholangiography in patients with choledochal cyst and to determine whether MR cholangiography can be considered an alternative to conventional cholangiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients with choledochal cyst were examined by MR cholangiography and conventional cholangiograms. Magnetic resonance cholangiography employed T2-weighted axial and coronal fast spin-echo, single and multislab single-shot fast spin-echo sequences, including source images with maximum intensity projections. The diagnostic value of MR cholangiography and conventional cholangiograms was assessed and compared using the criteria of depiction of morphology, anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct union and demonstration of complications such as stones. A four-point diagnostic scale was applied to the delineation of the ductal anatomy with the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test and McNemar's test used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The depiction of the choledochal cyst was significantly better with MR cholangiography than with conventional cholangiography (P 0.03). The detection rate of an anomalous pancreaticobiliary duct union was not significantly different with either method (P = 0.641), nor was the detection rate of bile duct stones (P = 0.375). CONCLUSION: Magnetic resonance cholangiography provides data equivalent to or superior to those from conventional cholangiography in evaluating choledochal cyst. Magnetic resonance cholangiography is recommended as a non-invasive examination of choice for the evaluation of choledochal cyst. Kim, S.H. (2000). Clinical Radiology 55, 378-383

  5. Optimization of Gluten-Free Tulumba Dessert Formulation Including Corn Flour: Response Surface Methodology Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yildiz Önder

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Tulumba dessert is widely preferred in Turkey; however, it cannot be consumed by celiac patients because it includes gluten. The diversity of gluten-free products should be expanded so that celiac patients may meet their daily needs regularly. In this study, corn flour (CF / potato starch (PS blend to be used in the gluten-free tulumba dessert formulation was optimized using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM. Increasing ratio of PS in the CF-PS led to a decrease in hardness of the dessert and to an increase in expansion, viscosity, adhesiveness, yield of dessert both with and without syrup (P0.05, additionally these desserts had a much higher sensory score compared to the control sample in terms of the overall quality and pore structure (P<0.05.

  6. Imaging of human vertebral surface using ultrasound RF data received at each element of probe for thoracic anesthesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Kazuki; Taki, Hirofumi; Onishi, Eiko; Yamauchi, Masanori; Kanai, Hiroshi

    2017-07-01

    Epidural anesthesia is a common technique for perioperative analgesia and chronic pain treatment. Since ultrasonography is insufficient for depicting the human vertebral surface, most examiners apply epidural puncture by body surface landmarks on the back such as the spinous process and scapulae without any imaging, including ultrasonography. The puncture route to the epidural space at thoracic vertebrae is much narrower than that at lumber vertebrae, and therefore, epidural anesthesia at thoracic vertebrae is difficult, especially for a beginner. Herein, a novel imaging method is proposed based on a bi-static imaging technique by making use of the transmit beam width and direction. In an in vivo experimental study on human thoracic vertebrae, the proposed method succeeded in depicting the vertebral surface clearly as compared with conventional B-mode imaging and the conventional envelope method. This indicates the potential of the proposed method in visualizing the vertebral surface for the proper and safe execution of epidural anesthesia.

  7. Surface characterization of nickel titanium orthodontic arch wires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishnan, Manu; Seema, Saraswathy; Tiwari, Brijesh; Sharma, Himanshu S.; Londhe, Sanjay; Arora, Vimal

    2015-01-01

    Background Surface roughness of nickel titanium orthodontic arch wires poses several clinical challenges. Surface modification with aesthetic/metallic/non metallic materials is therefore a recent innovation, with clinical efficacy yet to be comprehensively evaluated. Methods One conventional and five types of surface modified nickel titanium arch wires were surface characterized with scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis, Raman spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy and 3D profilometry. Root mean square roughness values were analyzed by one way analysis of variance and post hoc Duncan's multiple range tests. Results Study groups demonstrated considerable reduction in roughness values from conventional in a material specific pattern: Group I; conventional (578.56 nm) > Group V; Teflon (365.33 nm) > Group III; nitride (301.51 nm) > Group VI (i); rhodium (290.64 nm) > Group VI (ii); silver (252.22 nm) > Group IV; titanium (229.51 nm) > Group II; resin (158.60 nm). It also showed the defects with aesthetic (resin/Teflon) and nitride surfaces and smooth topography achieved with metals; titanium/silver/rhodium. Conclusions Resin, Teflon, titanium, silver, rhodium and nitrides were effective in decreasing surface roughness of nickel titanium arch wires albeit; certain flaws. Findings have clinical implications, considering their potential in lessening biofilm adhesion, reducing friction, improving corrosion resistance and preventing nickel leach and allergic reactions. PMID:26843749

  8. Limits of radiobiology in conventional postirradiation of breast cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    van der Wall, H [Bezirkskrankenhaus Schwerin (German Democratic Republic)

    1982-08-01

    The conventional postirradiation of breast cancer including radiation pneumonitis in relation to age and irradiation method, are discussed. The risk of radiation pneumonitis is with a single surface dose of 65 mC/kg higher than with 52 mC/kg. The dose at the chest wall is for the development of a radiation pneumonitis of lower importance than the dose at the supra- and intraclavicular field. At both these fields intersections of the cones of radiation in the lungs, which could cause dose peaks not possible to evaluate, must be taken into consideration. At the reported and wanted tumor dose of 1032 mC/kg at the deferent axillary lymph tracts a more indulgent method with a single dose of 65 mC/kg and with a prolongation by 3 series a pneumonitis could not be avoided in 30% of the irradiated women. Because of the harmless process one could answer for the risk of a radiation pneumonitis, if other therapeutic possibilities are not available. The age of the patients is not a special risk as to radiation pneumonitis.

  9. Limits of radiobiology in conventional postirradiation of breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wall, H. van der

    1982-01-01

    The conventional postirradiation of breast cancer including radiation pneumonitis in relation to age and irradiation method, are discussed. The risk of radiation pneumonitis is with a single surface dose of 65 mC/kg higher than with 52 mC/kg. The dose at the chest wall is for the development of a radiation pneumonitis of lower importance than the dose at the supra- and intraclavicular field. At both these fields intersections of the cones of radiation in the lungs, which could cause dose peaks not possible to evaluate, must be taken into consideration. At the reported and wanted tumor dose of 1032 mC/kg at the deferent axillary lymph tracts a more indulgent method with a single dose of 65 mC/kg and with a prolongation by 3 series a pneumonitis could not be avoided in 30% of the irradiated women. Because of the harmless process one could answer for the risk of a radiation pneumonitis, if other therapeutic possibilities are not available. The age of the patients is not a special risk as to radiation pneumonitis. (author)

  10. The 1968 Brussels convention and liability for nuclear damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sands, Ph.; Galizzi, P.

    2000-01-01

    The legal regime governing civil liability for transboundary nuclear damage is expressly addressed by two instruments adopted in the 1960's: the 1960 Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage These establish particular rules governing the jurisdiction of national courts and other matters, including channelling of liability to nuclear operators, definitions of nuclear damage, the applicable standard of care, and limitations on liability. Another instrument - the 1968 Brussels Convention on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgements in Civil and Commercial Matters (hereinafter referred to as 'the Brussels Convention') - which is not often mentioned in the nuclear context will nevertheless also be applicable in certain cases. It is premised upon different rules as to forum and applicable law, and presents an alternate vision of the appropriate arrangements governing civil liability for nuclear damage. In this paper we consider the relative merits and demerits of the Brussels Convention from the perspective of non-nuclear states which might suffer damage as a result of a nuclear accident in another state. We conclude that in the context of the applicability of the Brussels Convention the dedicated nuclear liability conventions present few attractions to non-nuclear states in Europe. We focus in particular on issues relating to jurisdiction and applicable law, and do so by reference to a hypothetical accident in the United Kingdom which has transboundary effects in Ireland. (author)

  11. Corrosion behavior of self-ligating and conventional metal brackets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lúcio Henrique Esmeraldo Gurgel Maia

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To test the null hypothesis that the aging process in self-ligating brackets is not higher than in conventional brackets. Methods: Twenty-five conventional (GN-3M/Unitek; GE-GAC; VE-Aditek and 25 self-ligating (SCs-3M/Unitek; INs-GAC; ECs-Aditek metal brackets from three manufacturers (n = 150 were submitted to aging process in 0.9% NaCl solution at a constant temperature of 37 ± 1ºC for 21 days. The content of nickel, chromium and iron ions in the solution collected at intervals of 7, 14 and 21 days was quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. After the aging process, the brackets were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM under 22X and 1,000X magnifications. Results: Comparison of metal release in self-ligating and conventional brackets from the same manufacturer proved that the SCs group released more nickel (p < 0.05 than the GN group after 7 and 14 days, but less chromium (p < 0.05 after 14 days and less iron (p < 0.05 at the three experimental time intervals. The INs group released less iron (p < 0.05 than the GE group after 7 days and less nickel, chromium and iron (p < 0.05 after 14 and 21 days. The ECs group released more nickel, chromium and iron (p < 0.05 than the VE group after 14 days, but released less nickel and chromium (p < 0.05 after 7 days and less chromium and iron (p < 0.05 after 21 days. The SEM analysis revealed alterations on surface topography of conventional and self-ligating brackets. Conclusions: The aging process in self-ligating brackets was not greater than in conventional brackets from the same manufacturer. The null hypothesis was accepted.

  12. Non-conventional energy and propulsion methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valone, T.

    1991-01-01

    From the disaster of the Space Shuttle, Challenger, to the Kuwaiti oil well fires, we are reminded constantly of our dependence on dangerous, combustible fuels for energy and propulsion. Over the past ten years, there has been a considerable production of new and exciting inventions which defy conventional analysis. The term non-conventional was coined in 1980 by a Canadian engineer to designate a separate technical discipline for this type of endeavor. Since then, several conferences have been devoted solely to these inventions. Integrity Research Corp., an affiliate of the Institute, has made an effort to investigate each viable product, develop business plans for several to facilitate development and marketing, and in some cases, assign an engineering student intern to building a working prototype. Each inventor discussed in this presentation has produced a unique device for free energy generation or highly efficient force production. Included in this paper is also a short summary for non-specialists explaining the physics of free energy generation along with a working definition. The main topics of discussion include: space power, inertial propulsion, kinetobaric force, magnetic motors, thermal fluctuations, over-unity hat pumps, ambient temperature superconductivity and nuclear battery

  13. Single-incision laparoscopic surgery and conventional laparoscopic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Indications for surgery included grades II-III varicocele or ipsilateral testicular hypotrophy. The SIL-V procedure was performed in 44 patients with roticulating and conventional 5 mm instruments. Testicular vessels were isolated “en bloc,” clipped and cut. Operating time, visual analogue scale and post-operative results were ...

  14. Conventional and whitening toothpastes: cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and effect on the enamel surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camargo, Samira Esteves Afonso; Jóias, Renata Pilli; Santana-Melo, Gabriela Fátima; Ferreira, Lara Tolentino; El Achkar, Vivian Narana Ribeiro; Rode, Sigmar de Mello

    2014-12-01

    To evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of whitening and common toothpastes, and the surface roughness of tooth enamel submitted to brushing with both toothpastes. Samples of whitening toothpastes [Colgate Whitening (CW) and Oral-B Whitening (OBW)] and regular (non-whitening) toothpastes (Colgate and Oral-B) were extracted in culture medium. Gingival human fibroblasts (FMM-1) were placed in contact with different dilutions of culture media that had been previously exposed to such materials, and the cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay. The genotoxicity was assessed by the micronucleus formation assay in Chinese hamster fibroblasts (V79). The cell survival rate and micronuclei number were assessed before and after exposure to the toothpaste extracts. For the surface roughness evaluation, 20 bovine tooth specimens, divided into four groups according to toothpastes, were submitted to 10,000 brushing cycles. The results were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U and two-way ANOVA tests (P whitening toothpastes showed the highest numbers of micronuclei compared to the untreated control (UC) (P enamel surface (P whitening toothpastes and Oral-B were cytotoxic to the cells. The whitening toothpastes were more genotoxic to cells in vitro than the common toothpastes, and genotoxicity was more pronounced in the OBW toothpaste.

  15. Use of non-conventional tests for the diagnosis of brucellosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biancifiori, F.

    1998-01-01

    A number of non-conventional tests to complement traditional diagnostic methods for Brucellosis were established and assessed in order to verify whether the adoption of a panel of methods combined to alternative sampling strategies would increase the possibility of detecting low levels of Brucella spp. antibodies or microorganisms. The diagnostic performance of each test was established by means of reference standards and compared with conventional screening and confirmatory tests under field conditions. Non-conventional tests assessed for detecting Brucella organisms included: an agglutination method using a monoclonal antibody for an early and specific detection of Brucella spp. from colonies, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Brucella spp in raw milk. Methods for detecting Brucella spp. antibodies included an ELISA test applied to cow milk, evaluation of milk-ELISA test through repeated sampling and ELISA in milk for the diagnosis of ovine brucellosis. The adopted strategy of repeated milk testing in dairy cows using ELISA increased the chance of identification of positive animals. (author)

  16. Specific surface area evaluation method by using scanning electron microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrescu, Camelia; Petrescu, Cristian; Axinte, Adrian

    2000-01-01

    Ceramics are among the most interesting materials for a large category of applications, including both industry and health. Among the characteristic of the ceramic materials, the specific surface area is often difficult to evaluate.The paper presents a method of evaluation for the specific surface area of two ceramic powders by means of scanning electron microscopy measurements and an original method of computing the specific surface area.Cumulative curves are used to calculate the specific surface area under assumption that the values of particles diameters follow a normal logarithmic distribution. For two powder types, X7R and NPO the results are the following: - for the density ρ (g/cm 2 ), 5.5 and 6.0, respectively; - for the average diameter D bar (μm), 0.51 and 0.53, respectively; - for σ, 1.465 and 1.385, respectively; - for specific surface area (m 2 /g), 1.248 and 1.330, respectively. The obtained results are in good agreement with the values measured by conventional methods. (authors)

  17. Particle doses in the pulmonary lobes of electronic and conventional cigarette users

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manigrasso, Maurizio; Buonanno, Giorgio; Stabile, Luca; Morawska, Lidia; Avino, Pasquale

    2015-01-01

    The main aim of the present study was to estimate size segregated doses from e-cigarette aerosols as a function of the airway generation number in lung lobes. After a 2-second puff, 7.7 × 10 10 particles (D Tot ) with a surface area of 3.6 × 10 3  mm 2 (S Tot ), and 3.3 × 10 10 particles with a surface area of 4.2 × 10 3  mm 2 were deposited in the respiratory system for the electronic and conventional cigarettes, respectively. Alveolar and tracheobronchial deposited doses were compared to the ones received by non-smoking individuals in Western countries, showing a similar order of magnitude. Total regional doses (D R ), in head and lobar tracheobronchial and alveolar regions, ranged from 2.7 × 10 9 to 1.3 × 10 10 particles and 1.1 × 10 9 to 5.3 × 10 10 particles, for the electronic and conventional cigarettes, respectively. D R in the right-upper lung lobe was about twice that found in left-upper lobe and 20% greater in right-lower lobe than the left-lower lobe. - Highlights: • Lobar doses were compared for mainstreams of electronic and conventional cigarettes. • Aerosol doses from e-cigarettes were more than double that from conventional ones. • Doses from a 2-s puff exceed the daily doses of a no smoking Australian subject. • Highest deposition densities occurred at the lobar bronchi. • Aerosol deposition was greater in the right than in the left lung lobes. - Lobar bronchi and right lung lobes represent sites where effects of the aerosol from e-cigarette smoke may be more likely to occur

  18. Comparison of Accuracy Between a Conventional and Two Digital Intraoral Impression Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, Junaid; Rodriguez, Jose; Weisbloom, Michael; Petridis, Haralampos

    To compare the accuracy (ie, precision and trueness) of full-arch impressions fabricated using either a conventional polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) material or one of two intraoral optical scanners. Full-arch impressions of a reference model were obtained using addition silicone impression material (Aquasil Ultra; Dentsply Caulk) and two optical scanners (Trios, 3Shape, and CEREC Omnicam, Sirona). Surface matching software (Geomagic Control, 3D Systems) was used to superimpose the scans within groups to determine the mean deviations in precision and trueness (μm) between the scans, which were calculated for each group and compared statistically using one-way analysis of variance with post hoc Bonferroni (trueness) and Games-Howell (precision) tests (IBM SPSS ver 24, IBM UK). Qualitative analysis was also carried out from three-dimensional maps of differences between scans. Means and standard deviations (SD) of deviations in precision for conventional, Trios, and Omnicam groups were 21.7 (± 5.4), 49.9 (± 18.3), and 36.5 (± 11.12) μm, respectively. Means and SDs for deviations in trueness were 24.3 (± 5.7), 87.1 (± 7.9), and 80.3 (± 12.1) μm, respectively. The conventional impression showed statistically significantly improved mean precision (P < .006) and mean trueness (P < .001) compared to both digital impression procedures. There were no statistically significant differences in precision (P = .153) or trueness (P = .757) between the digital impressions. The qualitative analysis revealed local deviations along the palatal surfaces of the molars and incisal edges of the anterior teeth of < 100 μm. Conventional full-arch PVS impressions exhibited improved mean accuracy compared to two direct optical scanners. No significant differences were found between the two digital impression methods.

  19. Laser-Based Surface Modification of Microstructure for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Wenfeng; Sun, Ting; Cao, Yu; Li, Shaolong; Liu, Chang; Tang, Qingru

    2018-05-01

    Bonding repair is a powerful feature of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). Based on the theory of interface bonding, the interface adhesion strength and reliability of the CFRP structure will be directly affected by the microscopic features of the CFRP surface, including the microstructure, physical, and chemical characteristics. In this paper, laser-based surface modification was compared to Peel-ply, grinding, and polishing to comparatively evaluate the surface microstructure of CFRP. The surface microstructure, morphology, fiber damage, height and space parameters were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser confocal microscopy (LCM). Relative to the conventional grinding process, laser modification of the CFRP surface can result in more uniform resin removal and better processing control and repeatability. This decreases the adverse impact of surface fiber fractures and secondary damage. The surface properties were significantly optimized, which has been reflected such things as the obvious improvement of surface roughness, microstructure uniformity, and actual area. The improved surface microstructure based on laser modification is more conducive to interface bonding of CFRP structure repair. This can enhance the interfacial adhesion strength and reliability of repair.

  20. Surface defects in PMD-EDM of titanium alloy, Ti-6246

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharif, S.; Rival; Noordin, M.Y.

    2007-01-01

    Titanium alloys which are categorized as lightweight materials, poses greater strength and toughness are usually known to create major challenges during machining. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) which is very prominent amongst the non-conventional machining methods is expected to be used quite extensively in machining titanium alloys. EDM process is known to cause surface damaged layers which consists of three types of surfaces; spattered, recast and heat affected zone. This project was undertaken to study the machining performance of EDM and powder mixed dielectric-electrical discharge machining (PMD E DM) in machining Ti-6246 with respect to the surface integrity of machined surface by using copper tungsten (CuW) electrode. The machining parameters considered are voltage (V), current (I), pulse on time(T on ), interval time (T off ) and concentration of the SiC powder (C) in dielectric fluid. The respected responses investigated include surface alteration and overcut. It was found that PMD-EDM process produced less damaging effect on the surface layer of the machined surface and widened the overcut. (author)

  1. Application of the Aarhus Convention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tubić Bojan

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (Aarhus Convention has been adopted in 1998 and entered into force three years later. It envisages three elements for strengthening democratic procedures in decision-making: access to information, public participation and access to justice. At the first meeting of the Member States the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee was founded. The European Union is a party of the Convention and it has implemented the provisions in its legal order. After entering into force of the Convention, several Directives that regulate these issues in the EU have been enacted. Republic of Serbia has ratified the Convention in 2009 and it is currently in the process of its implementation by involving private subjects in decision-making on environmental issues.

  2. Surface modification of austenitic steel by various glow-discharge nitriding methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Borowski

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Recent years have seen intensive research on modifying glow-discharge nitriding processes. One of the most commonly used glow-discharge methods includes cathodic potential nitriding (conventional method, and active screen plasma nitriding. Each of these methods has a number of advantages. One very important, common feature of these techniques is full control of the microstructure, chemical and phase composition, thickness and the surface topography of the layers formed. Another advantage includes the possibility of nitriding such materials as: austenitic steels or nickel alloys, i.e. metallic materials which do not diffuse nitrogen as effectively as ferritic or martensitic steels. However, these methods have some disadvantages as well. In the case of conventional plasma nitriding, engineers have to deal with the edge effect, which makes it difficult to use this method for complexly shaped components. In turn, in the case of active screen plasma nitriding, the problem disappears. A uniform, smooth layer forms, but is thinner, softer and is not as resistant to friction compared to layers formed using the conventional method. Research is also underway to combine these methods, i.e. use an active screen in conventional plasma nitriding at cathodic potential. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data presenting a comparison between these three nitriding processes and the impact of pulsating current on the formation of the microstructure and functional properties of austenitic steel surfaces. The article presents a characterisation of nitrided layers produced on austenitic X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (AISI 316L stainless steel in the course of glow-discharge nitriding at cathodic potential, at plasma potential and at cathodic potential incorporating an active screen. All processes were carried out at 440 °C under DC glow-discharge conditions and in 100 kHz frequency pulsating current. The layers were examined in terms of their microstructure, phase and

  3. Surface Enrichment by Conventional and Polymerizable Sulfated Nonylphenol Ethoxylate Emulsifiers in Water-Based Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jilin Zhang; Yuxi Zhao; Matthew R. Dubay; Steven J. Severtson; Larry E. Gwin; Carl J. Houtman

    2013-01-01

    Comparisons of properties are made for pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) generated via emulsion polymerization using both conventional and reactive emulsifiers. The emulsifiers are ammonium salts of sulfated nonylphenol ethoxylates with similar chemical structures and hydrophilic−lipophilic balances. The polymerizable surfactant possesses a reactive double...

  4. Abundance of Soil-Borne Entomopathogenic Fungi in Organic and Conventional Fields in the Midwestern USA with an Emphasis on the Effect of Herbicides and Fungicides on Fungal Persistence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clifton, Eric H; Jaronski, Stefan T; Hodgson, Erin W; Gassmann, Aaron J

    2015-01-01

    Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are widespread in agricultural fields and help suppress crop pests. These natural enemies may be hindered by certain agronomic practices associated with conventional agriculture including the use of pesticides. We tested whether the abundance of EPF differed between organic and conventional fields, and whether specific cropping practices and soil properties were correlated with their abundance. In one year of the survey, soil from organic fields and accompanying margins had significantly more EPF than conventional fields and accompanying margins. Regression analysis revealed that the percentage of silt and the application of organic fertilizer were positively correlated with EPF abundance; but nitrogen concentration, tillage, conventional fields, and margins of conventional fields were negatively correlated with EPF abundance. A greenhouse experiment in which fungicides and herbicides were applied to the soil surface showed no significant effect on EPF. Though organic fields were perceived to be more suitable environments for EPF, abiotic factors and cropping practices such as tillage may have greater impacts on the abundance of EPF. Also, fungicides and herbicides may not be as toxic to soil-borne EPF as originally thought.

  5. Planning, design and technological criteria of conventional and nuclear shelters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadoon, A.S.

    1989-01-01

    The thesis aims to establish a special criteria for building the shelters in two types. The conventional and nuclear, in respect to planning design and technological aspects, and finally establishing a special reference of planning, design and technology for Iraq which can be used when planning or designing a conventional or nuclear shelter. The thesis included four chapters, the first chapter included definition of shelters, and explanation of the effects of all types of weapons on buildings, and the second chapter included definition of planning and design concepts of shelters in its two types and analytical studies for international examples. The third chapter covered definition for technologies of structural, mechanical, electrical and sanitary systems. The fourth chapter included details of a case study in order to approach the results of research which included the conclusions, recommendations, criteria and prospects of planning design and technological aspects. 51 tabs.; 180 figs.; 32 refs.; 15 apps

  6. Nuclear liability: Joint protocol relating to the application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention, 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-10-01

    The Joint Protocol Relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention was adopted by the Conference on the Relationship between the Paris Convention and the Vienna Convention, which met in Vienna, at the Headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency on 21 September 1988. The Joint Protocol establishes a link between the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy of 1960 and the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage of 1963. The Joint Protocol will extend to the States adhering to it the coverage of the two Conventions. It will also resolve potential conflicts of law, which could result from the simultaneous application of the two Conventions to the same nuclear accident. The Conference on the Relationship between the Paris Convention and the Vienna Convention was jointly organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. This publication contains the text of the Final Act of the Conference in the six authentic languages, the Joint Protocol Relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention, also in the six authentic languages and an explanatory note, prepared by the IAEA and NEA Secretariats, providing background information on the content of the Joint Protocol

  7. Sixth national report of Brazil for the nuclear safety convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    Brazil has presented periodically its National Report prepared by a group composed of representatives of the various Brazilian organizations with responsibilities related to nuclear safety. Due to the implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, an Extraordinary National Report was presented in 2012. This Sixth National Report is an update of the Fifth National Report in relation to the Convention on Nuclear Safety articles and also an update of the Extraordinary Report with respect to the action taken related to lesson learned from the Fukushima accident. It includes relevant information for the period of 2010/2012. This document represents the national report prepared as a fulfillment of the brazilian obligations related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In chapter 2 some details are given about the existing nuclear installations. Chapter 3 provides details about the legislation and regulations, including the regulatory framework and the regulatory body. Chapter 4 covers general safety considerations as described in articles 10 to 16 of the Convention. Chapter 5 addresses to the safety of the installations during siting, design, construction and operation. Chapter 6 describes planned activities to further enhance nuclear safety. Chapter 7 presents the final remarks related to the degree of compliance with the Convention obligations

  8. Sixth national report of Brazil for the nuclear safety convention

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-07-01

    Brazil has presented periodically its National Report prepared by a group composed of representatives of the various Brazilian organizations with responsibilities related to nuclear safety. Due to the implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, an Extraordinary National Report was presented in 2012. This Sixth National Report is an update of the Fifth National Report in relation to the Convention on Nuclear Safety articles and also an update of the Extraordinary Report with respect to the action taken related to lesson learned from the Fukushima accident. It includes relevant information for the period of 2010/2012. This document represents the national report prepared as a fulfillment of the brazilian obligations related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In chapter 2 some details are given about the existing nuclear installations. Chapter 3 provides details about the legislation and regulations, including the regulatory framework and the regulatory body. Chapter 4 covers general safety considerations as described in articles 10 to 16 of the Convention. Chapter 5 addresses to the safety of the installations during siting, design, construction and operation. Chapter 6 describes planned activities to further enhance nuclear safety. Chapter 7 presents the final remarks related to the degree of compliance with the Convention obligations.

  9. Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction to obtain mycosterols from Agaricus bisporus L. by response surface methodology and comparison with conventional Soxhlet extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heleno, Sandrina A; Diz, Patrícia; Prieto, M A; Barros, Lillian; Rodrigues, Alírio; Barreiro, Maria Filomena; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

    2016-04-15

    Ergosterol, a molecule with high commercial value, is the most abundant mycosterol in Agaricus bisporus L. To replace common conventional extraction techniques (e.g. Soxhlet), the present study reports the optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions for ergosterol. After preliminary tests, the results showed that solvents, time and ultrasound power altered the extraction efficiency. Using response surface methodology, models were developed to investigate the favourable experimental conditions that maximize the extraction efficiency. All statistical criteria demonstrated the validity of the proposed models. Overall, ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethanol at 375 W during 15 min proved to be as efficient as the Soxhlet extraction, yielding 671.5 ± 0.5mg ergosterol/100 g dw. However, with n-hexane extracts with higher purity (mg ergosterol/g extract) were obtained. Finally, it was proposed for the removal of the saponification step, which simplifies the extraction process and makes it more feasible for its industrial transference. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Global climate convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simonis, U.E.

    1991-01-01

    The effort of negotiate a global convention on climate change is one of mankind's great endeavours - and a challenge to economists and development planners. The inherent linkages between climate and the habitability of the earth are increasingly well recognized, and a convention could help to ensure that conserving the environment and developing the economy in the future must go hand in hand. Due to growing environmental concern the United Nations General Assembly has set into motion an international negotiating process for a framework convention on climate change. One the major tasks in these negotiations is how to share the duties in reducing climate relevant gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), between the industrial and the developing countries. The results and proposals could be among the most far-reaching ever for socio-economic development, indeed for global security and survival itself. While the negotiations will be about climate and protection of the atmosphere, they will be on fundamental global changes in energy policies, forestry, transport, technology, and on development pathways with low greenhouse gas emissions. Some of these aspects of a climate convention, particularly the distributional options and consequences for the North-South relations, are addressed in this chapter. (orig.)

  11. Fourth national report of Brazil for the nuclear safety convention. Sep. 2007

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-09-01

    This Fourth National Report of Brazil is a new update to include relevant information of the period of 2004-2007. This document represents the national report prepared as a fulfillment of the brazilian obligations related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In chapter 2 some details are given about the existing nuclear installations. Chapter 3 provides details about the legislation and regulations, including the regulatory framework and the regulatory body. Chapter 4 covers general safety considerations as described in articles 10 to 16 of the Convention. Chapter 5 addresses to the safety of the installations during siting, design, construction and operation. Chapter 6 describes planned activities to further enhance nuclear safety. Chapter 7 presents the final remarks related to the degree of compliance with the Convention obligations

  12. Fourth national report of Brazil for the nuclear safety convention. Sep. 2007

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-09-15

    This Fourth National Report of Brazil is a new update to include relevant information of the period of 2004-2007. This document represents the national report prepared as a fulfillment of the brazilian obligations related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. In chapter 2 some details are given about the existing nuclear installations. Chapter 3 provides details about the legislation and regulations, including the regulatory framework and the regulatory body. Chapter 4 covers general safety considerations as described in articles 10 to 16 of the Convention. Chapter 5 addresses to the safety of the installations during siting, design, construction and operation. Chapter 6 describes planned activities to further enhance nuclear safety. Chapter 7 presents the final remarks related to the degree of compliance with the Convention obligations

  13. All-(111) surface silicon nanowire field effect transistor devices: Effects of surface preparations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Masood, M.N.; Carlen, Edwin; van den Berg, Albert

    2014-01-01

    Etching/hydrogen termination of All-(111) surface silicon nanowire field effect (SiNW-FET) devices developed by conventional photolithography and plane dependent wet etchings is studied with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and

  14. A comparison between conventional radiography and digitized image accuracy in proximal caries detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pangnoosh M

    2003-08-01

    Full Text Available Statement of Problem: Computer Sciences, in radiology, like other fields, is of high importance. It should"nalso be noted that the accuracy of the technique and work conditions affects the radiographs information"nconsiderably. There for, in order to get more accurate diagnostic information, it seems necessary to investigate"ndifferent digitized radiographic techniques and to compare them with the conventional technique."nPurpose: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of conventional and digitized radiographic"nimages by three digitization techniques in proximal caries detection."nMaterial and Methods: In this research study, sixty extracted human canines, premolars and molars were"nmounted in blocks and imaged on E-Kodak film, similar to bitewing radiographs. Ten bitewing radiographs"nwere then scanned at 600 d.p.i with flat bed scanner and a digital camera, then digitized at 300 d.p.i with"nanother digital camera. The digitized images were displayed randomly on a high-resolution monitor. Six"nobservers assessed the caries status of 120 proximal surfaces by conventional and digitized images. The"nobserver's scores were compared with the results of the macroscopic examination. Reliability of each"ntechnique was calculated. Data were analyzed using chi-square and ANOVA tests."nResults: No significant differences were detected between different techniques in intact proximal surfaces and"nenamel caries diagnosis. However, digital techniques were more sensitive in dentin caries detection (P<0.05."nConclusions: When conventional film images are digitized, medium resolution (300 d.p.i seems to be"nsufficient. At this resolution the file size is decreased and there is no significant loss of the information"nnecessary for caries diagnosis.

  15. Biocompatibility of Er:YSGG laser radiated root surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benthin, Hartmut; Ertl, Thomas P.; Schmidt, Dirk; Purucker, Peter; Bernimoulin, J.-P.; Mueller, Gerhard J.

    1996-01-01

    Pulsed Er:YAG and Er:YSGG lasers are well known to be effective instruments for the ablation of dental hard tissues. Developments in the last years made it possible to transmit the laser radiation at these wavelengths with flexible fibers. Therefore the application in the periodontal pocket may be possible. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in-vitro conditions to generate a bioacceptable root surface. Twenty extracted human teeth, stored in an antibiotic solution, were conventionally scaled, root planed and axially separated into two halves. Two main groups were determined. With the first group laser radiation was carried out without and in the second group with spray cooling. The laser beam was scanned about root surface areas. Laser parameters were varied in a selected range. The biocompatibility was measured with the attachment of human gingival fibroblasts and directly compared to conventionally treated areas of the root surfaces. The fibroblasts were qualified and counted in SEM investigations. On conventionally treated areas gingival fibroblasts show the typical uniform cover. In dependance on the root roughness after laser treatment the fibroblasts loose the typical parallel alignment to the root surface. With spray cooling a better in-vitro attachment could be obtained. Without spray cooling the higher increase in temperature conducted to less bioacceptance by the human gingival fibroblasts to the root surface. These results show the possibility of producing bioacceptable root surfaces with pulsed laser radiation in the range of very high water absorption near 3 micrometer.

  16. Biocompatible Metal-Oxide Nanoparticles: Nanotechnology Improvement of Conventional Prosthetic Acrylic Resins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura S. Acosta-Torres

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, most products for dental restoration are produced from acrylic resins based on heat-cured Poly(Methyl MethAcrylate (PMMA. The addition of metal nanoparticles to organic materials is known to increase the surface hydrophobicity and to reduce adherence to biomolecules. This paper describes the use of nanostructured materials, TiO2 and Fe2O3, for simultaneously coloring and/or improving the antimicrobial properties of PMMA resins. Nanoparticles of metal oxides were included during suspension polymerization to produce hybrid metal oxides-alginate-containing PMMA. Metal oxide nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, and X-ray diffraction. Physicochemical characterization of synthesized resins was assessed by a combination of spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, viscometry, porosity, and mechanical tests. Adherence of Candida albicans cells and cellular compatibility assays were performed to explore biocompatibility and microbial adhesion of standard and novel materials. Our results show that introduction of biocompatible metal nanoparticles is a suitable means for the improvement of conventional acrylic dental resins.

  17. Biocompatible Metal-Oxide Nanoparticles: Nanotechnology Improvement of Conventional Prosthetic Acrylic Resins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acosta-Torres, L.S.; Lopez-Marin, L.M.; Padron, G.H.; Castano, V.M.; Nunez-Anita, R.E.

    2011-01-01

    Nowadays, most products for dental restoration are produced from acrylic resins based on heat-cured Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA). The addition of metal nanoparticles to organic materials is known to increase the surface hydrophobicity and to reduce adherence to biomolecules. This paper describes the use of nano structured materials, TiO 2 and Fe 2 O 3 , for simultaneously coloring and/or improving the antimicrobial properties of PMMA resins. Nanoparticles of metal oxides were included during suspension polymerization to produce hybrid metal oxides-alginate-containing PMMA. Metal oxide nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, and X-ray diffraction. Physicochemical characterization of synthesized resins was assessed by a combination of spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, viscometry, porosity, and mechanical tests. Adherence of Candida albicans cells and cellular compatibility assays were performed to explore biocompatibility and microbial adhesion of standard and novel materials. Our results show that introduction of biocompatible metal nanoparticles is a suitable means for the improvement of conventional acrylic dental resins.

  18. Using spatial metrics to assess the efficacy of biodiversity conservation within the Romanian Carpathian Convention area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrişor Alexandru-Ionuţ

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The alpine region is of crucial importance for the European Union; as a result, the Carpathian Convention aims at its sustainable development. Since sustainability implies also conservation through natural protected areas, aimed at including regions representative for the national biogeographical space, this article aims at assessing the efficiency of conservation. The methodology consisted of using spatial metrics applied to Romanian and European data on the natural protected areas, land cover and use and their transitional dynamics. The findings show a very good coverage of the Alpine biogeographical region (98% included in the Convention area, and 43% of it protected within the Convention area and of the ecological region of Carpathian montane coniferous forests (88% included in the Convention area, and 42% of it protected within the Convention area. The dominant land cover is represented by forests (63% within the Convention area, and 70% of the total protected area. The main transitional dynamics are deforestation (covering 50% of all changes area within the Convention area and 46% from the changed area within its protected area and forestations – including afforestation, reforestation and colonization of abandoned agricultural areas by forest vegetation (covering 44% of all changes area within the Convention area and 51% from the changed area within its protected area during 1990-2000 and deforestation (covering 97% of all changes area within the Convention area and 99% from the changed area within its protected area during 1990-2000. The results suggest that the coverage of biogeographical and ecological zones is good, especially for the most relevant ones, but deforestations are a serious issue, regardless of occurring before or after achieving the protection status.

  19. U.S. Perspectives on the Joint Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strosnider, J.; Federline, M.; Camper, L.; Abu-Eid, R.; Gnugnoli, G.; Gorn, J.; Bubar, P.; Tonkay, D.

    2006-01-01

    The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention) is an international convention, under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is a companion to a suite of international conventions on nuclear safety and physical security, which serve to promote a global culture for the safe use of radioactive materials. Although the U.S. was the first nation to sign the Joint Convention on September 29, 1997, the ratification process was a challenging experience for the U.S., in the face of legislative priorities dominated by concerns for national security and threats from terrorism after September 11, 2001. Notwithstanding these prevailing circumstances, the U.S. ratified the Joint Convention in 2003, just prior to the First Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties, and participated fully therein. For the United States, participation as a Contracting Party provides many benefits. These range from working with other Parties to harmonize international approaches to achieve strong and effective nuclear safety programs on a global scale, to stimulating initiatives to improve safety systems within our own domestic programs, to learning about technical innovations by other Parties that can be useful to U.S. licensees, utilities, and industry in managing safety and its associated costs in our waste management activities. The Joint Convention process also provides opportunities to identify future areas of bilateral and multilateral technical and regulatory cooperation with other Parties, as well as an opportunity for U.S. vendors and suppliers to broaden their market to include foreign clients for safety improvement equipment and services. The Joint Convention is consistent with U.S. foreign policy considerations to support, as a priority, the strengthening of the worldwide safety culture in the use of nuclear energy. Because of its many benefits, we believe it is important to take

  20. Comparison between conventional tomography and computer tomography in diseases of the sacroiliac joints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moritz, J.D.; Ganter, H.; Winter, C.; Evangelisches Krankenhaus, Giessen

    1990-01-01

    16 patients with diseases of the sacroiliac joints were examined both with computer tomography and with conventional tomography. Both techniques were characterized by a high sensitivity. Computer tomography was superior in exactly delineating the extent of the pathologic changes. In conventional tomography the joint surface was more blurred, erosions were larger, and signs of ankylosis were more expanded, so that the joints seemed to be more altered in 8 cases than demonstrated by computer tomography. Very accurate changes like subchondral cysts were recognized only in the computer tomograms. In all cases in which anteroposterior radiographs revealed no clear result, the authors recommend to additionally employ computer tomography. (orig.) [de

  1. Standardizing Naming Conventions in Radiation Oncology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santanam, Lakshmi [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Hurkmans, Coen [Department of Radiation Oncology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Mutic, Sasa [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Vliet-Vroegindeweij, Corine van [Department of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Brame, Scott; Straube, William [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Galvin, James [Department of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Tripuraneni, Prabhakar [Department of Radiation Oncology, Scripps Clinic, LaJolla, CA (United States); Michalski, Jeff [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Bosch, Walter, E-mail: wbosch@radonc.wustl.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States); Advanced Technology Consortium, Image-guided Therapy QA Center, St. Louis, MO (United States)

    2012-07-15

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to report on the development of a standardized target and organ-at-risk naming convention for use in radiation therapy and to present the nomenclature for structure naming for interinstitutional data sharing, clinical trial repositories, integrated multi-institutional collaborative databases, and quality control centers. This taxonomy should also enable improved plan benchmarking between clinical institutions and vendors and facilitation of automated treatment plan quality control. Materials and Methods: The Advanced Technology Consortium, Washington University in St. Louis, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Dutch Radiation Oncology Society, and the Clinical Trials RT QA Harmonization Group collaborated in creating this new naming convention. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements guidelines have been used to create standardized nomenclature for target volumes (clinical target volume, internal target volume, planning target volume, etc.), organs at risk, and planning organ-at-risk volumes in radiation therapy. The nomenclature also includes rules for specifying laterality and margins for various structures. The naming rules distinguish tumor and nodal planning target volumes, with correspondence to their respective tumor/nodal clinical target volumes. It also provides rules for basic structure naming, as well as an option for more detailed names. Names of nonstandard structures used mainly for plan optimization or evaluation (rings, islands of dose avoidance, islands where additional dose is needed [dose painting]) are identified separately. Results: In addition to its use in 16 ongoing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group advanced technology clinical trial protocols and several new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer protocols, a pilot version of this naming convention has been evaluated using patient data sets with varying treatment sites. All structures in these data sets were

  2. Standardizing naming conventions in radiation oncology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santanam, Lakshmi; Hurkmans, Coen; Mutic, Sasa; van Vliet-Vroegindeweij, Corine; Brame, Scott; Straube, William; Galvin, James; Tripuraneni, Prabhakar; Michalski, Jeff; Bosch, Walter

    2012-07-15

    The aim of this study was to report on the development of a standardized target and organ-at-risk naming convention for use in radiation therapy and to present the nomenclature for structure naming for interinstitutional data sharing, clinical trial repositories, integrated multi-institutional collaborative databases, and quality control centers. This taxonomy should also enable improved plan benchmarking between clinical institutions and vendors and facilitation of automated treatment plan quality control. The Advanced Technology Consortium, Washington University in St. Louis, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Dutch Radiation Oncology Society, and the Clinical Trials RT QA Harmonization Group collaborated in creating this new naming convention. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements guidelines have been used to create standardized nomenclature for target volumes (clinical target volume, internal target volume, planning target volume, etc.), organs at risk, and planning organ-at-risk volumes in radiation therapy. The nomenclature also includes rules for specifying laterality and margins for various structures. The naming rules distinguish tumor and nodal planning target volumes, with correspondence to their respective tumor/nodal clinical target volumes. It also provides rules for basic structure naming, as well as an option for more detailed names. Names of nonstandard structures used mainly for plan optimization or evaluation (rings, islands of dose avoidance, islands where additional dose is needed [dose painting]) are identified separately. In addition to its use in 16 ongoing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group advanced technology clinical trial protocols and several new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer protocols, a pilot version of this naming convention has been evaluated using patient data sets with varying treatment sites. All structures in these data sets were satisfactorily identified using this

  3. Standardizing Naming Conventions in Radiation Oncology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santanam, Lakshmi; Hurkmans, Coen; Mutic, Sasa; Vliet-Vroegindeweij, Corine van; Brame, Scott; Straube, William; Galvin, James; Tripuraneni, Prabhakar; Michalski, Jeff; Bosch, Walter

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to report on the development of a standardized target and organ-at-risk naming convention for use in radiation therapy and to present the nomenclature for structure naming for interinstitutional data sharing, clinical trial repositories, integrated multi-institutional collaborative databases, and quality control centers. This taxonomy should also enable improved plan benchmarking between clinical institutions and vendors and facilitation of automated treatment plan quality control. Materials and Methods: The Advanced Technology Consortium, Washington University in St. Louis, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Dutch Radiation Oncology Society, and the Clinical Trials RT QA Harmonization Group collaborated in creating this new naming convention. The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements guidelines have been used to create standardized nomenclature for target volumes (clinical target volume, internal target volume, planning target volume, etc.), organs at risk, and planning organ-at-risk volumes in radiation therapy. The nomenclature also includes rules for specifying laterality and margins for various structures. The naming rules distinguish tumor and nodal planning target volumes, with correspondence to their respective tumor/nodal clinical target volumes. It also provides rules for basic structure naming, as well as an option for more detailed names. Names of nonstandard structures used mainly for plan optimization or evaluation (rings, islands of dose avoidance, islands where additional dose is needed [dose painting]) are identified separately. Results: In addition to its use in 16 ongoing Radiation Therapy Oncology Group advanced technology clinical trial protocols and several new European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer protocols, a pilot version of this naming convention has been evaluated using patient data sets with varying treatment sites. All structures in these data sets were

  4. Surface characterization of modern resin composites: a multitechnique approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silikas, Nick; Kavvadia, Katerina; Eliades, George; Watts, David

    2005-04-01

    To characterize the surface properties of some modern resin composites employing a series of physicochemical methods. Specimens from three microhybrid (Palfique Estellite-PE, Z250 Filtek-ZF, Tetric Ceram-TC) and one nanofilled (Supreme Filtek-SF) conventionally photo-cured resin composites polished with Soflex disks were studied for the following properties: Surface chemical composition and degree of C=C conversion (FTIR), surface energetics (contact angles), surface texture (AFM), surface roughness (AFM, stylus profilometry) and gloss (60 degrees-, 20 degrees-angle specular gloss). Polar and non polar molecular groups were identified in all products including NH and CONH (SF, ZF, TC). SF and ZF demonstrated higher conversion than PE and TC (P 0.05) were found in critical surface tension, total work of adhesion and its polar and dispersion components, the latter being the highest in all products. AFM showed the smoothest surface texture in PE. The ranking of Sa, Sq, Ra and Rz roughness parameters was PEgloss measurements (PE, SF>ZF>TC, PTC, Pgloss differences. A positive correlation was found between Sa and Ra and a negative one between Sa and 20 degree-angle gloss.

  5. US assessment of free surface liquid metal divertors -- Design analysis and R and D needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mattas, R.F.

    1997-01-01

    One of the objectives of the restructured US Fusion Energy Sciences Program is to identify and evaluate new high performance concepts for advanced technology with high neutron wall load capability and attractive safety and environmental features. One promising technology specified by the Advanced Technologies and Materials Working Group is liquid plasma-facing surfaces for divertors. Some of the possible advantages of using liquid surfaces in divertors, relative to conventional solid surface approaches, include higher surface heat flux capability, continuously renewable surfaces, and higher temperature operation. A planning activity has been undertaken to identify the work to be performed over approximately three years to evaluate liquid surface concepts on the basis of such factors as their compatibility with fusion plasmas, high power density handling capabilities, engineering feasibility, lifetime, safety, and R and D requirements. A group, known as the Advanced Liquid Plasma-facing Surface (ALPS) planning group, was organized to prepare a plan for the activities needed to conduct such an evaluation. This paper will summarize the work of the ALPS group including recommendations on specific activities and a tentative schedule

  6. Simulation study of a capillary film solar still coupled with a conventional solar still in south Algeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zerrouki, Moussa; Settou, Noureddine; Marif, Yacine; Belhadj, Mohmed Mustapha

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Coupling in series a capillary film solar still and a conventional solar still. • Combined heat and mass transfer analyses in solar distillation systems. • Design parameters of the system are optimized by simulation program. - Abstract: This work presents a numerical simulation of capillary film solar still (distiller) coupled in series with another conventional solar still. Different transfer phenomena of heat and mass are considered to evaluate the daily distillate production. The study takes into account the quality of brackish water with moderate salinity in Adrar city (south of Algeria). The performance of the system is evaluated and compared with that of conventional solar still under the same meteorological conditions. A numerical simulation is carried out to appreciate the developed model and to optimize the relationship between both distillers collecting surfaces. The obtained results show that the system daily production is at 54–83% higher than that of the conventional one. In addition, some parameters influences are studied to define the optimal operating conditions for the present system. For the first solar still, the inclination angle and surfaces ratio have a significant effect on distillate production. Brine flow rate and wind speed have slight effect on still production

  7. Comparison of the Debonding Characteristics of Conventional and New Debonding Instrument used for Ceramic, Composite and Metallic Brackets - An Invitro Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhary, Garima; Gill, Vikas; Reddy, Y N N; Sanadhya, Sudhanshu; Aapaliya, Pankaj; Sharma, Nidhi

    2014-07-01

    Debonding procedure is time consuming and damaging to the enamel if performed with improper technique. Various debonding methods include: the conventional methods that use pliers or wrenches, an ultrasonic method, electrothermal devices, air pressure impulse devices, diamond burs to grind the brackets off the tooth surface and lasers. Among all these methods, using debonding pliers is most convenient and effective method but has been reported to cause damage to the teeth. Recently, a New Debonding Instrument designed specifically for ceramic and composite brackets has been introduced. As this is a new instrument, little information is available on efficacy of this instrument. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the debonding characteristics of both "the conventional debonding Pliers" and "the New debonding instrument" when removing ceramic, composite and metallic brackets. One Hundred Thirty eight extracted maxillary premolar teeth were collected and divided into two Groups: Group A and Group B (n = 69) respectively. They were further divided into 3 subGroups (n = 23) each according to the types of brackets to be bonded. In subGroups A1 and B1{stainless steel};A2 and B2{ceramic};A3 and B3{composite}adhesive precoated maxillary premolar brackets were used. Among them {ceramic and composite} adhesive pre-coated maxillary premolar brackets were bonded. All the teeth were etched using 37% phosphoric acid for 15 seconds and the brackets were bonded using Transbond XT primer. Brackets were debonded using Conventional Debonding Plier and New Debonding Instrument (Group B). After debonding, the enamel surface of each tooth was examined under stereo microscope (10X magnifications). Amodifiedadhesive remnant index (ARI) was used to quantify the amount of remaining adhesive on each tooth. The observations demonstrate that the results of New Debonding Instrument for debonding of metal, ceramic and composite brackets were statistically significantly different (p = 0

  8. Aarhus and Espoo Conventions: The role in promoting effective public participation in nuclear decision-making. The role of the Aarhus and Espoo Conventions in promoting effective public participation in nuclear decision-making

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanush, Maryna; Jendroska, Jerzy

    2017-01-01

    Ms Yanush and Mr Jendroska highlighted the role and importance of the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention) and that of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the Espoo Convention). These two conventions are open for global accession and, at present, have been ratified mainly by European and Central Asian countries within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region. Those two conventions, which apply to a wide range of activities including nuclear, are the only two binding international instruments setting minimum standards for public access to environmental information and public participation in decision making. The Maastricht Recommendations on Promoting Effective Public Participation in Decision-Making in Environmental Matters under the Aarhus Convention and the Good Practice Recommendations on the Application of the Convention to Nuclear Energy-related Activities under the Espoo Convention are instrumental in advancing the implementation in this area. Public participation under the Aarhus Convention goes beyond information or consultation: the decision maker must take into account the views of the 'public concerned' (i.e. the members of the public affected or likely to be affected by the decision making or having an interest in it). As the 'public concerned' is assessed through the potential impact of the proposed activity, including in the case of an accident, the obligation to notify and provide opportunity for public participation is not limited to the territory of the country hosting the proposed activity. Mr Jendroska indicated a particular finding of the Espoo Convention Implementation Committee that decisions regarding modifications, upgrades or extensions to the lifetime/operation of a nuclear installation would be subject to these obligations even though the activity remains exactly

  9. Conventional Complete Denture in Patients with Ectodermal Dysplasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larissa Soares Reis Vilanova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Ectodermal dysplasia is described as heritable conditions that involve anomalies of structures derived from the ectoderm, including hypodontia. In the cases of edentulous young patients, who did not finish their craniofacial growth, treatment with conventional complete denture is a suitable alternative. The aim of this study was to report a case of mandibular edentulism treated with conventional complete denture in a thirteen-year-old patient diagnosed with hidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Typical features, such as frontal bossing, depressed nasal bridge, protuberant lips, scarce hair, and brittle nails, were visualized during the extraoral examination. The intraoral inspection and radiographic analysis revealed oligodontia, dental malformation, and prolonged retention of deciduous teeth at maxilla and total edentulism at mandible. A conventional complete denture was planned and constructed following the same steps of technique as recommended in adults. Although this option is not a definitive treatment, the patient and his parents were satisfied with his improvement in chewing and speech, as well as with the aesthetic benefits.

  10. ESD and the Rio Conventions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarabhai, Kartikeya V.; Ravindranath, Shailaja; Schwarz, Rixa; Vyas, Purvi

    2012-01-01

    Chapter 36 of Agenda 21, a key document of the 1992 Earth Summit, emphasised reorienting education towards sustainable development. While two of the Rio conventions, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), developed communication, education and public awareness (CEPA)…

  11. Comparison between a digital scanning system and a conventional screen film system in the full spine radiological procedure in pediatrics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Espana, M. L.; Gomez, G.; Romero, A.; Minambres, A.; Albi, G.; Floriano, A.; Rodirguez, A.; Lopez Franco, P.

    2004-01-01

    To compare from both dosimetry and image quality standpoints, a digital scanning system with a conventional screen film system, in the full spine radiological procedure. The standard patient is considered to be 12 years old, and a sample of forty patients referred for full spine radiological procedure has been studied. Gonad shielding has been used in all the patients, and its efficiency has been evaluated. Dosimetric study includes Kerma-area product, and thorax and gonad entrance surface dose. Kerma area product has been measured using a transmission camera, and for entrance surface dose estimation both thermoluminescent dosemeter LiF: Mg, Cu, P and LiF: Mg, Ti have been utilized. Three radiologists have evaluated the image quality according to the degree of fulfilment of the image quality criteria. (Author) 22 refs

  12. Conventional and Non-Conventional Yeasts in Beer Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela Capece

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The quality of beer relies on the activity of fermenting yeasts, not only for their good fermentation yield-efficiency, but also for their influence on beer aroma, since most of the aromatic compounds are intermediate metabolites and by-products of yeast metabolism. Beer production is a traditional process, in which Saccharomyces is the sole microbial component, and any deviation is considered a flaw. However, nowadays the brewing sector is faced with an increasing demand for innovative products, and it is diffusing the use of uncharacterized autochthonous starter cultures, spontaneous fermentation, or non-Saccharomyces starters, which leads to the production of distinctive and unusual products. Attempts to obtain products with more complex sensory characteristics have led one to prospect for non-conventional yeasts, i.e., non-Saccharomyces yeasts. These generally are characterized by low fermentation yields and are more sensitive to ethanol stress, but they provide a distinctive aroma and flavor. Furthermore, non-conventional yeasts can be used for the production of low-alcohol/non-alcoholic and light beers. This review aims to present the main findings about the role of traditional and non-conventional yeasts in brewing, demonstrating the wide choice of available yeasts, which represents a new biotechnological approach with which to target the characteristics of beer and to produce different or even totally new beer styles.

  13. Comparison between the implementation of quality criteria of radiographic image in conventional and digital mammography equipments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alcantara, M.C.; Sordi, G.M.A.A.; Caldas, L.V.E.; Furquim, T.A.C.

    2008-01-01

    The mammographic examination needs a strict quality control. A publication of the European Commission provides guidelines on quality criteria for the images of the breast, quantifying the quality obtained in the image. Following the recommendations of the European Commission, two kinds of mammographic equipments, at a same institution, were evaluated to compare the quality of the conventional and digital images. Besides of that, the Average Glandular Dose (AGD) and the Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) were measured by using an ionization chamber (Radcal, 6M) in the radiation beams of each equipment. The digital equipment fulfills more quality criteria than the conventional equipment, provided ESD values, AGD values and a rejection index lower than the conventional equipment. Therefore, the digital mammography can be considered more adequate than the conventional one, both for criteria analyses and for dose optimization. (author)

  14. DINEOF reconstruction of clouded images including error maps – application to the Sea-Surface Temperature around Corsican Island

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.-M. Beckers

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available We present an extension to the Data INterpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions (DINEOF technique which allows not only to fill in clouded images but also to provide an estimation of the error covariance of the reconstruction. This additional information is obtained by an analogy with optimal interpolation. It is shown that the error fields can be obtained with a clever rearrangement of calculations at a cost comparable to that of the interpolation itself. The method is presented on the reconstruction of sea-surface temperature in the Ligurian Sea and around the Corsican Island (Mediterranean Sea, including the calculation of inter-annual variability of average surface values and their expected errors. The application shows that the error fields are not only able to reflect the data-coverage structure but also the covariances of the physical fields.

  15. Digitization of conventional radiographs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wenz, W.; Buitrago-Tellez, C.; Blum, U.; Hauenstein, K.H.; Gufler, H.; Meyer, E.; Ruediger, K.

    1992-01-01

    The diagnostic value of a digitization system for analogue films based on a charge-coupled-device (CCD) scanner with adjustable resolution of 2.5 or 5 lp/mm was assessed. Some 110 skeletal radiographs, 50 contrast studies, including 25 of patients with Crohn's disease, and 70 abdominal plain films before and after successful lithotripsy for renal stones were digitized. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) studies showed improved detection of cortical and trabecular defects with contrast-optimized digitized films. Edge enhancement algorithms yielded no additional information. Inflammatory lesions of Crohn's disease were detected equally well by conventional films and digitized images. A statistically significant improvement (p [de

  16. Conventional magnets. Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marks, N.

    1994-01-01

    The design and construction of conventional, steel-cored, direct-current magnets are discussed. Laplace's equation and the associated cylindrical harmonic solutions in two dimensions are established. The equations are used to define the ideal pole shapes and required excitation for dipole, quadrupole and sextupole magnets. Standard magnet geometries are then considered and criteria determining the coil design are presented. The use of codes for predicting flux density distributions and the iterative techniques used for pole face design are then discussed. This includes a description of the use of two-dimensional codes to generate suitable magnet end geometries. Finally, standard constructional techniques for cores and coils are described. (orig.)

  17. III-V nanoelectronics and related surface/interface issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, Hideki

    2003-01-01

    The conventional logic gate architecture is not suitable for high-density integration of quantum devices which are non-robust and extremely structure- and charge-sensitive. In this paper, our novel hexagonal binary-decision-diagram (BDD) quantum circuit approach for III-V nanoelectronics is reviewed and related critical surface/interface issues for high-density integration are discussed. First, the basic concept and actual implementation method of our approach are explained, giving examples of novel BDD quantum integrated circuits where nanowire networks are controlled by nanoscale Schottky wrap gates. For high-density integration, growth of embedded sub-10 nm III-V quantum wire networks by selective molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on patterned substrates is described, including effects of atomic hydrogen irradiation and kinetic control of wire width. The key processing issue lies in understanding and control of nanostructure surfaces/interfaces. Behavior of nanoscale Schottky gates, recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)/scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) studies of surface states, and successful removal of surface states by MBE-grown silicon interface control layer are discussed

  18. Dosimetry comparison of pelvimetry methods using conventional radiographs and CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Resten, A.; Suissa, M.; Musset, D.; Mausoleo, F.; Valero, M.; Taylor, S.

    2001-01-01

    To determine the fetal and maternal exposure to radiation by use of thermoluminescent dosimeters in order to compare conventional and CT-scan X-ray. Dosimetry was performed with an anthropomorph phantom. Thermoluminescent dosimeters were positioned on the surface and in the depth of the phantom. Digital radiography of the pelvis was performed according to a standard technique. CT-scan of the pelvis was performed according to the Buthiau's technique. With CT, the dose reached 0.31 to 4.95 mGy, with a dose of 2.32 mGy for the fetal gonads. With standard technique, the doses reached 0.03 to 0.39 mGy, with a dose of 0.39 mGy for the fetal gonads. With CT the fetus and the mother were exposed to 1/10. of the total dose delivered using conventional X-rays and the dose distribution was more homogeneous. (author)

  19. Technology and economics of near-surface geothermal resources exploitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Э. И. Богуславский

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents economic justification for applicability of near-surface geothermal installations in Luga region, based on results of techno-economic calculations as well as integrated technical and economic comparison of different prediction scenarios of heat supply, both conventional and using geothermal heat pumps (GHP. Construction costs of a near-surface geothermal system can exceed the costs of central heating by 50-100 %. However, operation and maintenance (O&M costs of heat production for geothermal systems are 50-70 % lower than for conventional sources of heating. Currently this technology is very important, it is applied in various countries (USA, Germany, Japan, China etc., and depending on the region both near-surface and deep boreholes are being used. World practice of near-surface geothermal systems application is reviewed in the paper.

  20. Simultaneous measurements of work function and H‒ density including caesiation of a converter surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cristofaro, S.; Friedl, R.; Fantz, U.

    2017-08-01

    Negative hydrogen ion sources rely on the surface conversion of neutral atomic hydrogen and positive hydrogen ions to H-. The efficiency of this process depends on the actual work function of the converter surface. By introducing caesium into the source the work function decreases, enhancing the negative ion yield. In order to study the impact of the work function on the H- surface production at similar conditions to the ones in ion sources for fusion devices like ITER and DEMO, fundamental investigations are performed in a flexible laboratory experiment. The work function of the converter surface can be absolutely measured by photoelectric effect, while a newly installed cavity ring-down spectroscopy system (CRDS) measures the H- density. The CRDS is firstly tested and characterized by investigations on H- volume production. Caesiation of a stainless steel sample is then performed in vacuum and the plasma effect on the Cs layer is investigated also for long plasma-on times. A minimum work function of (1.9±0.1) eV is reached after some minutes of plasma treatment, resulting in a reduction by a value of 0.8 eV compared to vacuum measurements. The H- density above the surface is (2.1±0.5)×1015 m-3. With further plasma exposure of the caesiated surface, the work function increases up to 3.75 eV, due to the impinging plasma particles which gradually remove the Cs layer. As a result, the H- density decreases by a factor of at least 2.

  1. RHEED oscillations in spinel ferrite epitaxial films grown by conventional planar magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojima, T.; Tainosho, T.; Sharmin, S.; Yanagihara, H.

    2018-04-01

    Real-time in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) observations of Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3, and (Co,Fe)3O4 films on MgO(001) substrates grown by a conventional planar magnetron sputtering was studied. The change in periodical intensity of the specular reflection spot in the RHEED images of three different spinel ferrite compounds grown by two different sputtering systems was examined. The oscillation period was found to correspond to the 1/4 unit cell of each spinel ferrite, similar to that observed in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) experiments. This suggests that the layer-by-layer growth of spinel ferrite (001) films is general in most physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes. The surfaces of the films were as flat as the surface of the substrate, consistent with the observed layer-by-layer growth process. The observed RHEED oscillation indicates that even a conventional sputtering method can be used to control film thickness during atomic layer depositions.

  2. RHEED oscillations in spinel ferrite epitaxial films grown by conventional planar magnetron sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Ojima

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Real-time in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED observations of Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3, and (Co,Fe3O4 films on MgO(001 substrates grown by a conventional planar magnetron sputtering was studied. The change in periodical intensity of the specular reflection spot in the RHEED images of three different spinel ferrite compounds grown by two different sputtering systems was examined. The oscillation period was found to correspond to the 1/4 unit cell of each spinel ferrite, similar to that observed in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE and pulsed laser deposition (PLD experiments. This suggests that the layer-by-layer growth of spinel ferrite (001 films is general in most physical vapor deposition (PVD processes. The surfaces of the films were as flat as the surface of the substrate, consistent with the observed layer-by-layer growth process. The observed RHEED oscillation indicates that even a conventional sputtering method can be used to control film thickness during atomic layer depositions.

  3. Effect of surface hydroxyl groups on heat capacity of mesoporous silica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marszewski, Michal; Butts, Danielle; Lan, Esther; Yan, Yan; King, Sophia C.; McNeil, Patricia E.; Galy, Tiphaine; Dunn, Bruce; Tolbert, Sarah H.; Hu, Yongjie; Pilon, Laurent

    2018-05-01

    This paper quantifies the effect of surface hydroxyl groups on the effective specific and volumetric heat capacities of mesoporous silica. To achieve a wide range of structural diversity, mesoporous silica samples were synthesized by various methods, including (i) polymer-templated nanoparticle-based powders, (ii) polymer-templated sol-gel powders, and (iii) ambigel silica samples dried by solvent exchange at room temperature. Their effective specific heat capacity, specific surface area, and porosity were measured using differential scanning calorimetry and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements. The experimentally measured specific heat capacity was larger than the conventional weight-fraction-weighted specific heat capacity of the air and silica constituents. The difference was attributed to the presence of OH groups in the large internal surface area. A thermodynamic model was developed based on surface energy considerations to account for the effect of surface OH groups on the specific and volumetric heat capacity. The model predictions fell within the experimental uncertainty.

  4. Wind speed and direction shears with associated vertical motion during strong surface winds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, M. B.; Camp, D. W.

    1984-01-01

    Strong surface winds recorded at the NASA 150-Meter Ground Winds Tower facility at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, are analyzed to present occurrences representative of wind shear and vertical motion known to be hazardous to the ascent and descent of conventional aircraft and the Space Shuttle. Graphical (percentage frequency distributions) and mathematical (maximum, mean, standard deviation) descriptions of wind speed and direction shears and associated updrafts and downdrafts are included as functions of six vertical layers and one horizontal distance for twenty 5-second intervals of parameters sampled simultaneously at the rate of ten per second during a period of high surface winds.

  5. The EU Arbitration Convention : An evaluating assessment of the governance and functioning of the EU Arbitration Convention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pit, Harm Mark

    2017-01-01

    The EU Arbitration Convention An evaluating assessment of the governance and functioning of the EU Arbitration Convention Summary for non-experts The EU Arbitration Convention is a convention between EU Member States to eliminate double taxation arising from – for tax purposes – transfer pricing

  6. Comparison between conventional and three-dimensional conformal treatment planning for radiotherapy of cerebral tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caudrelier, J.M.; Auliard, A.; Sarrazin, T.; Gibon, D.; Coche-Dequeant, B.; Castelain, B.

    2001-01-01

    Comparison between conventional and three-dimensional conformal treatment planning for radiotherapy of cerebral tumors. Purpose. - We prospectively compared a conventional treatment planning (PT2D) and 3-dimensional conformal treatment planning (PT3D) for radiotherapy of cerebral tumours. Patients and methods.- Patients treated between 1/10/98 and 1/4/99 by irradiation for cerebral tumours were analysed. For each case, we planned PT2D using conventional orthogonal x-ray films, and afterward, PT3D using CT scan. Gross tumor volume, planning target volume and normal tissue volumes were defined. Dose was prescribed according to report 50 of the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU). We compared surfaces of sagittal view targets defined on PT2D and PT3D and called them S2D and S3D, respectively. Irradiated volumes by 90% isodoses (VE-90%) and normal tissue volumes irradiated by 20, 50, 90% isodoses were calculated and compared using Student's paired t-test. Results. -There was a concordance of 84% of target surfaces defined on PT2D and PT3D. Percentages of target surface under- or-over defined by PT2D were 16 and 13% respectively. VE-90% was decreased by 15% (p = 0.07) with PT3D. Normal brain volume irradiated by 90% isodose was decreased by 27% with PT3D (p = 0.04). Conclusion.- For radiotherapy of cerebral tumors using only coplanar beams, PT3D leads to a reduction of normal brain tissue irradiated. We recommend PT3D for radiotherapy of cerebral tumors, particularly for low-grade or benign tumors (meningiomas, neuromas, etc.). (authors)

  7. Efficacy of a rubber outsole with a hybrid surface pattern for preventing slips on icy surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, Takeshi; Hsu, Jennifer; Li, Yue; Maki, Brian E

    2015-11-01

    Conventional winter-safety footwear devices, such as crampons, can be effective in preventing slips on icy surfaces but the protruding studs can lead to other problems such as trips. A new hybrid (rough and smooth) rubber outsole was designed to provide high slip resistance without use of protruding studs or asperities. In the present study, we examined the slip resistance of the hybrid rubber outsole on both dry (-10 °C) and wet (0 °C) icy surfaces, in comparison to three conventional strap-on winter anti-slip devices: 1) metal coils ("Yaktrax Walker"), 2) gritted (sandpaper-like) straps ("Rough Grip"), and 3) crampons ("Altagrips-Lite"). Drag tests were performed to measure static (SCOF) and dynamic (DCOF) coefficients of friction, and gait trials were conducted on both level and sloped ice surfaces (16 participants). The drag-test results showed relatively high SCOF (≧0.37) and DCOF (≧0.31) values for the hybrid rubber sole, at both temperatures. The other three footwear types exhibited lower DCOF values (0.06-0.20) when compared with the hybrid rubber sole at 0 °C (p footwear types, when descending a slope at -10 °C (6% of trials vs 0%; p footwear-related differences in slip frequency, distance or velocity. These results indicate that the slip-resistance of the hybrid rubber sole on icy surfaces was comparable to conventional anti-slip footwear devices. Given the likely advantages of the hybrid rubber sole (less susceptibility to tripping, better slip resistance on non-icy surfaces), this type of sole should contribute to a decrease in fall accidents; however, further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness under a wider range of test conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  8. Evaluation of water quality functions of conventional and advanced soil-based onsite wastewater treatment systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Jennifer A; Loomis, George W; Kalen, David V; Amador, Jose A

    2015-05-01

    Shallow narrow drainfields are assumed to provide better wastewater renovation than conventional drainfields and are used for protection of surface and ground water. To test this assumption, we evaluated the water quality functions of two advanced onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) drainfields-shallow narrow (SND) and Geomat (GEO)-and a conventional pipe and stone (P&S) drainfield over 12 mo using replicated ( = 3) intact soil mesocosms. The SND and GEO mesocosms received effluent from a single-pass sand filter, whereas the P&S received septic tank effluent. Between 97.1 and 100% of 5-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), fecal coliform bacteria, and total phosphorus (P) were removed in all drainfield types. Total nitrogen (N) removal averaged 12.0% for P&S, 4.8% for SND, and 5.4% for GEO. A mass balance analysis accounted for 95.1% (SND), 94.1% (GEO), and 87.6% (P&S) of N inputs. When the whole treatment train (excluding the septic tank) is considered, advanced systems, including sand filter pretreatment and SND or GEO soil-based treatment, removed 99.8 to 99.9% of BOD, 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P, and 26.0 to 27.0% of N. In contrast, the conventional system removed 99.4% of BOD and 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P but only 12.0% of N. All drainfield types performed similarly for most water quality functions despite differences in placement within the soil profile. However, inclusion of the pretreatment step in advanced system treatment trains results in better N removal than in conventional treatment systems despite higher drainfield N removal rates in the latter. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  9. Articles which include chevron film cooling holes, and related processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunker, Ronald Scott; Lacy, Benjamin Paul

    2014-12-09

    An article is described, including an inner surface which can be exposed to a first fluid; an inlet; and an outer surface spaced from the inner surface, which can be exposed to a hotter second fluid. The article further includes at least one row or other pattern of passage holes. Each passage hole includes an inlet bore extending through the substrate from the inlet at the inner surface to a passage hole-exit proximate to the outer surface, with the inlet bore terminating in a chevron outlet adjacent the hole-exit. The chevron outlet includes a pair of wing troughs having a common surface region between them. The common surface region includes a valley which is adjacent the hole-exit; and a plateau adjacent the valley. The article can be an airfoil. Related methods for preparing the passage holes are also described.

  10. IAEA Director General welcomes landmark convention to combat nuclear terrorism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    Full text: IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomed the adoption of an International convention against nuclear terrorism. 'This is a landmark achievement which will bolster global efforts to combat nuclear terrorism,' Dr. ElBaradei said. 'It will be a key part of international efforts to prevent terrorists from gaining access to nuclear weapons'. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the convention, The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, on 13 April 2005. The Convention strengthens the global legal framework to counter terrorist threats. Based on a proposal by the Russian Federation in 1998, the Convention focuses on criminal offences related to nuclear terrorism and covers a broad range of possible targets, including nuclear reactors as well as nuclear material and radioactive substances. Under its provisions, alleged offenders - for example any individual or group that unlawfully and intentionally possesses or uses radioactive material with the intent to cause harm - must be either extradited or prosecuted. States are also encouraged to cooperate with each other in connection with criminal investigations and extradition proceedings. The Convention further requires that any seized nuclear or radiological material be held in accordance with IAEA safeguards, and handled in keeping with the IAEA's health, safety and physical protection standards. Dr. ElBaradei also recalled that the Agency is in the process of amending the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, in order to broaden its scope, and in so doing, strengthen the current legal framework for securing nuclear material against illicit uses. A conference will be held from 4 to 8 July in Vienna to consider and adopt the amendments. The Convention opens for signature in September this year. Dr ElBaradei urged all States to 'sign and ratify the Convention without delay so nuclear terrorism will have no chance'. (IAEA)

  11. The economics of developing non-conventional reserves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuuskraa, V.A.

    1997-01-01

    A fact-based perspective on the economics of non-conventional natural gas reserves such as coalbed methane, gas shales and tight gas was presented. Traditionally, tax credits stimulate the development of non-conventional gas. Although tax credits for non-conventional gas development stopped at the end of 1992, because of improved technologies, improved finding rates and well productivities, non-conventional reserves continue to play a major role in the U.S. gas drilling development. Non-conventional reserves account for three out of five gas wells drilled in the U.S. The non-conventional gas industry competes directly with the conventional natural gas industry. This paper examined how well non-conventional gas compares to the current replacement costs of conventional natural gas. Investment costs for a non-conventional operation were studied, illustrated by an overview of the costs and economics of non-conventional reserves in the San Juan coal basin, the Piceance tight gas basin and the Michigan and Ft. Worth gas shales basins. 9 tabs

  12. Surface water ponding on clayey soils managed by conventional and conservation tillage in boreal conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. ALAKUKKU

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Surface water ponding and crop hampering due to soil wetness was monitored in order to evaluate the effects of conservation tillage practices and perennial grass cover on soil infiltrability for five years in situ in gently sloping clayey fields. Thirteen experimental areas, each having three experimental fields, were established in southern Finland. The fields belonged to: autumn mouldboard ploughing (AP, conservation tillage (CT and perennial grass in the crop rotation (PG. In the third year, direct drilled (DD fields were established in five areas. Excluding PG, mainly spring cereals were grown in the fields. Location and surface area of ponded water (in the spring and autumn as well as hampered crop growth (during June-July were determined in each field by using GPS devices and GIS programs. Surface water ponding or crop hampering occurred when the amount of rainfall was clearly greater than the long-term average. The mean of the relative area of the ponded surface water, indicating the risk of surface runoff, and hampered crop growth was larger in the CT fields than in the AP fields. The differences between means were, however, not statistically significant. Complementary soil physical measurements are required to investigate the reasons for the repeated surface water ponding.;

  13. Removal of Strontium from Drinking Water by Conventional ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency Contaminant Candidate List 3 lists strontium as a contaminant for potential regulatory consideration in drinking water. There is very little data available on strontium removal from drinking water. As a result, there is an immediate need to perform treatment studies. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of conventional and lime-soda ash softening treatments to remove strontium from surface and ground waters. Conventional drinking water treatment with aluminum and iron coagulants were able to achieve 12% and 5.9% strontium removal at best, while lime softening removed as much as 78% from natural strontium-containing ground water. Systematic fundamental experiments showed that strontium removal during the lime-soda ash softening was related to pH, calcium concentration and dissolved inorganic carbon concentration. Final strontium concentration was also directly associated with initial strontium concentration. Precipitated solids showed well-formed crystals or agglomerates of mixed solids, two polymorphs of calcium carbonate (vaterite and calcite), and strontianite, depending on initial water quality conditions. X-ray diffraction analysis suggested that strontium likely replaced calcium inside the crystal lattice and was likely mainly responsible for removal during lime softening. To inform the public.

  14. SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND CUTTING FORCES IN CRYOGENIC TURNING OF CARBON STEEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. C. YAP

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The effect of cryogenic liquid nitrogen on surface roughness, cutting forces, and friction coefficient of the machined surface when machining of carbon steel S45C in wet, dry and cryogenic condition was studied through experiments. The experimental results show that machining with liquid nitrogen increases the cutting forces, reduces the friction coefficient, and improves the chips produced. Beside this, conventional machining with cutting fluid is still the most suitable method to produce good surface in high speed machining of carbon steel S45C whereas dry machining produced best surface roughness in low speed machining. Cryogenic machining is not able to replace conventional cutting fluid in turning carbon steel.

  15. Positron range in PET imaging: non-conventional isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jødal, L; Le Loirec, C; Champion, C

    2014-01-01

    In addition to conventional short-lived radionuclides, longer-lived isotopes are becoming increasingly important to positron emission tomography (PET). The longer half-life both allows for circumvention of the in-house production of radionuclides, and expands the spectrum of physiological processes amenable to PET imaging, including processes with prohibitively slow kinetics for investigation with short-lived radiotracers. However, many of these radionuclides emit ‘high-energy’ positrons and gamma rays which affect the spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy of PET images. The objective of the present work is to investigate the positron range distribution for some of these long-lived isotopes. Based on existing Monte Carlo simulations of positron interactions in water, the probability distribution of the line of response displacement have been empirically described by means of analytic displacement functions. Relevant distributions have been derived for the isotopes 22 Na, 52 Mn, 89 Zr, 45 Ti, 51 Mn, 94m Tc, 52m Mn, 38 K, 64 Cu, 86 Y, 124 I, and 120 I. It was found that the distribution functions previously found for a series of conventional isotopes (Jødal et al 2012 Phys. Med. Bio. 57 3931–43), were also applicable to these non-conventional isotopes, except that for 120 I, 124 I, 89 Zr, 52 Mn, and 64 Cu, parameters in the formulae were less well predicted by mean positron energy alone. Both conventional and non-conventional range distributions can be described by relatively simple analytic expressions. The results will be applicable to image-reconstruction software to improve the resolution. (paper)

  16. Sustainability assessment for dry, conventional and cryogenic machining in face milling of ti-6al-4v

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masood, I.; Jahanzaib, M.; Wasim, A.

    2017-01-01

    Sustainability achievement in difficult-to-machine materials is major concern now-a-days. This paper presents sustainability assessment of machining titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V. Face milling of Ti-6Al-4V hardened to 55 HRC with PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) coated inserts was analyzed for dry, conventional and cryogenic cooling modes. Experiments were designed using CCD (Central Composite Design) for modeling and analysis of surface roughness. Feed, speed and depth of cut were used as input parameters. For a specific surface finish, the three cooling modes were compared for cutting power, machining time and material removal rate. The results indicate that cryogenic cooling was more sustainable as compared to dry and conventional cooling process. This sustainable model will help to select sustainable input parameters. (author)

  17. SURFACE LAYER ACCRETION IN TRANSITIONAL AND CONVENTIONAL DISKS: FROM POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS TO PLANETS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez-Becker, Daniel; Chiang, Eugene

    2011-01-01

    'Transitional' T Tauri disks have optically thin holes with radii ∼>10 AU, yet accrete up to the median T Tauri rate. Multiple planets inside the hole can torque the gas to high radial speeds over large distances, reducing the local surface density while maintaining accretion. Thus multi-planet systems, together with reductions in disk opacity due to grain growth, can explain how holes can be simultaneously transparent and accreting. There remains the problem of how outer disk gas diffuses into the hole. Here it has been proposed that the magnetorotational instability (MRI) erodes disk surface layers ionized by stellar X-rays. In contrast to previous work, we find that the extent to which surface layers are MRI-active is limited not by ohmic dissipation but by ambipolar diffusion, the latter measured by Am: the number of times a neutral hydrogen molecule collides with ions in a dynamical time. Simulations by Hawley and Stone showed that Am ∼ 100 is necessary for ions to drive MRI turbulence in neutral gas. We calculate that in X-ray-irradiated surface layers, Am typically varies from ∼10 -3 to 1, depending on the abundance of charge-adsorbing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, whose properties we infer from Spitzer observations. We conclude that ionization of H 2 by X-rays and cosmic rays can sustain, at most, only weak MRI turbulence in surface layers 1-10 g cm -2 thick, and that accretion rates in such layers are too small compared to observed accretion rates for the majority of disks.

  18. Plasma immersion ion implantation for the efficient surface modification of medical materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slabodchikov, Vladimir A.; Borisov, Dmitry P.; Kuznetsov, Vladimir M.

    2015-01-01

    The paper reports on a new method of plasma immersion ion implantation for the surface modification of medical materials using the example of nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloys much used for manufacturing medical implants. The chemical composition and surface properties of NiTi alloys doped with silicon by conventional ion implantation and by the proposed plasma immersion method are compared. It is shown that the new plasma immersion method is more efficient than conventional ion beam treatment and provides Si implantation into NiTi surface layers through a depth of a hundred nanometers at low bias voltages (400 V) and temperatures (≤150°C) of the substrate. The research results suggest that the chemical composition and surface properties of materials required for medicine, e.g., NiTi alloys, can be successfully attained through modification by the proposed method of plasma immersion ion implantation and by other methods based on the proposed vacuum equipment without using any conventional ion beam treatment

  19. Abundance of Soil-Borne Entomopathogenic Fungi in Organic and Conventional Fields in the Midwestern USA with an Emphasis on the Effect of Herbicides and Fungicides on Fungal Persistence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric H Clifton

    Full Text Available Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF are widespread in agricultural fields and help suppress crop pests. These natural enemies may be hindered by certain agronomic practices associated with conventional agriculture including the use of pesticides. We tested whether the abundance of EPF differed between organic and conventional fields, and whether specific cropping practices and soil properties were correlated with their abundance. In one year of the survey, soil from organic fields and accompanying margins had significantly more EPF than conventional fields and accompanying margins. Regression analysis revealed that the percentage of silt and the application of organic fertilizer were positively correlated with EPF abundance; but nitrogen concentration, tillage, conventional fields, and margins of conventional fields were negatively correlated with EPF abundance. A greenhouse experiment in which fungicides and herbicides were applied to the soil surface showed no significant effect on EPF. Though organic fields were perceived to be more suitable environments for EPF, abiotic factors and cropping practices such as tillage may have greater impacts on the abundance of EPF. Also, fungicides and herbicides may not be as toxic to soil-borne EPF as originally thought.

  20. Neural correlates of conventional and harm/welfare-based moral decision-making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Stuart F; Zhao, Hui; Leong, Kelly Kimiko; Smetana, Judith G; Nucci, Larry P; Blair, R James R

    2017-12-01

    The degree to which social norms are processed by a unitary system or dissociable systems remains debated. Much research on children's social-cognitive judgments has supported the distinction between "moral" (harm/welfare-based) and "conventional" norms. However, the extent to which these norms are processed by dissociable neural systems remains unclear. To address this issue, 23 healthy participants were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they rated the wrongness of harm/welfare-based and conventional transgressions and neutral vignettes. Activation significantly greater than the neutral vignette baseline was observed in regions implicated in decision-making regions including rostral/ventral medial frontal, anterior insula and dorsomedial frontal cortices when evaluating both harm/welfare-based and social-conventional transgressions. Greater activation when rating harm/welfare-based relative to social-conventional transgressions was seen through much of ACC and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus. Greater activation was observed in superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, left PCC, and temporal-parietal junction when rating social-conventional transgressions relative to harm/welfare-based transgressions. These data suggest that decisions regarding the wrongness of actions, irrespective of whether they involve care/harm-based or conventional transgressions, recruit regions generally implicated in affect-based decision-making. However, there is neural differentiation between harm/welfare-based and conventional transgressions. This may reflect the particular importance of processing the intent of transgressors of conventional norms and perhaps the greater emotional content or salience of harm/welfare-based transgressions.

  1. The nuclear liability conventions revised

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reyners, P.

    2004-01-01

    The signature on 12 February 2004 of the Protocols amending respectively the 1960 Paris Convention and the 1963 Brussels Supplementary Convention was the second step of the process of modernisation of the international nuclear liability regime after the adoption in September 1997 of a Protocol revising the 1963 Vienna Convention and of a new Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage. The common objective of the new instruments is to provide more funds to compensate a larger number of potential victims in respect of a broader range of damage. Another goal of the revision exercise was to maintain the compatibility between the Paris and Vienna based systems, a commitment enshrined in the 1988 Joint Protocol, as well as to ascertain that Paris/Brussels countries could also become a Party to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation. However, while generally consistent vis a vis the Joint Protocol, the provisions of the Paris and Vienna Conventions, as revised, differ on some significant aspects. Another remaining issue is whether the improved international nuclear liability regime will succeed in attracting in the future a larger number of countries, particularly outside Europe, and will so become truly universal. Therefore, the need for international co-operation to address these issues, to facilitate the adoption of new implementing legislation and to ensure that this special regime keeps abreast of economic and technological developments, is in no way diminished after the revision of the Conventions.(author)

  2. Jet-calculus approach including coherence effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, L.M.; Migneron, R.; Narayanan, K.S.S.

    1987-01-01

    We show how integrodifferential equations typical of jet calculus can be combined with an averaging procedure to obtain jet-calculus-based results including the Mueller interference graphs. Results in longitudinal-momentum fraction x for physical quantities are higher at intermediate x and lower at large x than with the conventional ''incoherent'' jet calculus. These results resemble those of Marchesini and Webber, who used a Monte Carlo approach based on the same dynamics

  3. Generalization of fewest-switches surface hopping for coherences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tempelaar, Roel; Reichman, David R.

    2018-03-01

    Fewest-switches surface hopping (FSSH) is perhaps the most widely used mixed quantum-classical approach for the modeling of non-adiabatic processes, but its original formulation is restricted to (adiabatic) population terms of the quantum density matrix, leaving its implementations with an inconsistency in the treatment of populations and coherences. In this article, we propose a generalization of FSSH that treats both coherence and population terms on equal footing and which formally reduces to the conventional FSSH algorithm for the case of populations. This approach, coherent fewest-switches surface hopping (C-FSSH), employs a decoupling of population relaxation and pure dephasing and involves two replicas of the classical trajectories interacting with two active surfaces. Through extensive benchmark calculations of a spin-boson model involving a Debye spectral density, we demonstrate the potential of C-FSSH to deliver highly accurate results for a large region of parameter space. Its uniform description of populations and coherences is found to resolve incorrect behavior observed for conventional FSSH in various cases, in particular at low temperature, while the parameter space regions where it breaks down are shown to be quite limited. Its computational expenses are virtually identical to conventional FSSH.

  4. Effect of Electropulsing-Assisted Ultrasonic Nanocrystalline Surface Modification on the Surface Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Yongda; Wang, Haibo; Tang, Guoyi; Song, Guolin

    2018-05-01

    The effect of electropulsing-assisted ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (EP-UNSM) on surface mechanical properties and microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is investigated. Compared to conventional ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM), EP-UNSM can effectively facilitate surface roughness and morphology, leading to excellent surface roughness (reduced from Ra 0.918 to Ra 0.028 μm by UNSM and Ra 0.019 μm by EP-UNSM) and smoother morphology with less cracks and defects. Surface friction coefficients are enhanced, resulting in lower and smoother friction coefficients. In addition, the surface-strengthened layer and ultra-refined grains are significantly enhanced with more severe plastic deformation and a greater surface hardness (a maximum hardness value of 407 HV and an effective depth of 550 μm, in comparison with the maximum hardness value of 364 HV and effective depth of 300 μm obtained by conventional UNSM). Remarkable enhancement of surface mechanical properties can be attributed to the refined gradient microstructure and the enhanced severe plastic deformation layer induced by coupling the effects of UNSM and electropulsing. The accelerated dislocation mobility and atom diffusion caused by the thermal and athermal effects of electropulsing treatment may be the primary intrinsic reasons for these improvements.

  5. Quantitative roughness characterization of geological surfaces and implications for radar signature analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dierking, Wolfgang

    1999-01-01

    Stochastic surface models are useful for analyzing in situ roughness profiles and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of geological terrain. In this paper, two different surface models are discussed: surfaces with a stationary random roughness (conventional model) and surfaces with a power...

  6. The Evaluation of Surface Integrity During Machining of Inconel 718 with Various Laser Assistance Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wojciechowski Szymon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper is focused on the evaluation of surface integrity formed during turning of Inconel 718 with the application of various laser assistance strategies. The primary objective of the work was to determine the relations between the applied machining strategy and the obtained surface integrity, in order to select the effective cutting conditions allowing the obtainment of high surface quality. The carried out experiment included the machining of Inconel 718 in the conventional turning conditions, as well as during the continuous laser assisted machining and sequential laser assistance. The surface integrity was evaluated by the measurements of machined surface topographies, microstructures and the microhardness. Results revealed that surface integrity of Inconel 718 is strongly affected by the selected machining strategy. The significant improvement of the surface roughness formed during machining of Inconel 718, can be reached by the application of simultaneous laser heating and cutting (LAM.

  7. Importance of including small-scale tile drain discharge in the calibration of a coupled groundwater-surface water catchment model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anne Lausten; Refsgaard, Jens Christian; Christensen, Britt Stenhøj Baun

    2013-01-01

    the catchment. In this study, a coupled groundwater-surface water model based on the MIKE SHE code was developed for the 4.7 km2 Lillebæk catchment in Denmark, where tile drain flow is a major contributor to the stream discharge. The catchment model was calibrated in several steps by incrementally including...... the observation data into the calibration to see the effect on model performance of including diverse data types, especially tile drain discharge. For the Lillebæk catchment, measurements of hydraulic head, daily stream discharge, and daily tile drain discharge from five small (1–4 ha) drainage areas exist....... The results showed that including tile drain data in the calibration of the catchment model improved its general performance for hydraulic heads and stream discharges. However, the model failed to correctly describe the local-scale dynamics of the tile drain discharges, and, furthermore, including the drain...

  8. Recurrent unexplained palpitations (RUP) study comparison of implantable loop recorder versus conventional diagnostic strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giada, Franco; Gulizia, Michele; Francese, Maura; Croci, Francesco; Santangelo, Lucio; Santomauro, Maurizio; Occhetta, Eraldo; Menozzi, Carlo; Raviele, Antonio

    2007-05-15

    The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic yield and the costs of implantable loop recorder (ILR) with those of the conventional strategy in patients with unexplained palpitations. In patients with unexplained palpitations, especially in those with infrequent symptoms, the conventional strategy, including short-term ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring and electrophysiological study, sometimes fails to establish a diagnosis. We studied 50 patients with infrequent (1 min) palpitations. Before enrollment, patients had a negative initial evaluation, including history, physical examination, and ECG. Patients were randomized either to conventional strategy (24-h Holter recording, a 4-week period of ambulatory ECG monitoring with an external recorder, and electrophysiological study) (n = 24) or to ILR implantation with 1-year monitoring (n = 26). Hospital costs of the 2 strategies were calculated. A diagnosis was obtained in 5 patients in the conventional strategy group, and in 19 subjects in the ILR group (21% vs. 73%, p < 0.001). Despite the higher initial cost, the cost per diagnosis in the ILR group was lower than in the conventional strategy group (euro 3,056 +/- euro 363 vs. euro 6,768 +/- euro 6,672, p = 0.012). In subjects without severe heart disease and with infrequent palpitations, ILR is a safe and more cost-effective diagnostic approach than conventional strategy.

  9. Olkiluoto surface hydrological modelling: Update 2012 including salt transport modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karvonen, T.

    2013-11-01

    Posiva Oy is responsible for implementing a final disposal program for spent nuclear fuel of its owners Teollisuuden Voima Oyj and Fortum Power and Heat Oy. The spent nuclear fuel is planned to be disposed at a depth of about 400-450 meters in the crystalline bedrock at the Olkiluoto site. Leakages located at or close to spent fuel repository may give rise to the upconing of deep highly saline groundwater and this is a concern with regard to the performance of the tunnel backfill material after the closure of the tunnels. Therefore a salt transport sub-model was added to the Olkiluoto surface hydrological model (SHYD). The other improvements include update of the particle tracking algorithm and possibility to estimate the influence of open drillholes in a case where overpressure in inflatable packers decreases causing a hydraulic short-circuit between hydrogeological zones HZ19 and HZ20 along the drillhole. Four new hydrogeological zones HZ056, HZ146, BFZ100 and HZ039 were added to the model. In addition, zones HZ20A and HZ20B intersect with each other in the new structure model, which influences salinity upconing caused by leakages in shafts. The aim of the modelling of long-term influence of ONKALO, shafts and repository tunnels provide computational results that can be used to suggest limits for allowed leakages. The model input data included all the existing leakages into ONKALO (35-38 l/min) and shafts in the present day conditions. The influence of shafts was computed using eight different values for total shaft leakage: 5, 11, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 l/min. The selection of the leakage criteria for shafts was influenced by the fact that upconing of saline water increases TDS-values close to the repository areas although HZ20B does not intersect any deposition tunnels. The total limit for all leakages was suggested to be 120 l/min. The limit for HZ20 zones was proposed to be 40 l/min: about 5 l/min the present day leakages to access tunnel, 25 l/min from

  10. Olkiluoto surface hydrological modelling: Update 2012 including salt transport modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karvonen, T. [WaterHope, Helsinki (Finland)

    2013-11-15

    Posiva Oy is responsible for implementing a final disposal program for spent nuclear fuel of its owners Teollisuuden Voima Oyj and Fortum Power and Heat Oy. The spent nuclear fuel is planned to be disposed at a depth of about 400-450 meters in the crystalline bedrock at the Olkiluoto site. Leakages located at or close to spent fuel repository may give rise to the upconing of deep highly saline groundwater and this is a concern with regard to the performance of the tunnel backfill material after the closure of the tunnels. Therefore a salt transport sub-model was added to the Olkiluoto surface hydrological model (SHYD). The other improvements include update of the particle tracking algorithm and possibility to estimate the influence of open drillholes in a case where overpressure in inflatable packers decreases causing a hydraulic short-circuit between hydrogeological zones HZ19 and HZ20 along the drillhole. Four new hydrogeological zones HZ056, HZ146, BFZ100 and HZ039 were added to the model. In addition, zones HZ20A and HZ20B intersect with each other in the new structure model, which influences salinity upconing caused by leakages in shafts. The aim of the modelling of long-term influence of ONKALO, shafts and repository tunnels provide computational results that can be used to suggest limits for allowed leakages. The model input data included all the existing leakages into ONKALO (35-38 l/min) and shafts in the present day conditions. The influence of shafts was computed using eight different values for total shaft leakage: 5, 11, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 l/min. The selection of the leakage criteria for shafts was influenced by the fact that upconing of saline water increases TDS-values close to the repository areas although HZ20B does not intersect any deposition tunnels. The total limit for all leakages was suggested to be 120 l/min. The limit for HZ20 zones was proposed to be 40 l/min: about 5 l/min the present day leakages to access tunnel, 25 l/min from

  11. Randomized controlled pilot study to compare Homeopathy and Conventional therapy in Acute Otitis Media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, M N; Siddiqui, V A; Nayak, C; Singh, Vikram; Dixit, Rupali; Dewan, Deepti; Mishra, Alok

    2012-01-01

    To compare the effectiveness of Homeopathy and Conventional therapy in Acute Otitis Media (AOM). A randomized placebo-controlled parallel group pilot study of homeopathic vs conventional treatment for AOM was conducted in Jaipur, India. Patients were randomized by a computer generated random number list to receive either individualized homeopathic medicines in fifty millesimal (LM) potencies, or conventional treatment including analgesics, antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients who did not improve were prescribed antibiotics at the 3rd day. Outcomes were assessed by the Acute Otitis Media-Severity of Symptoms (AOM-SOS) Scale and Tympanic Membrane Examination over 21 days. 81 patients were included, 80 completed follow-up: 41 for conventional and 40 for homeopathic treatment. In the Conventional group, all 40 (100%) patients were cured, in the Homeopathy group, 38 (95%) patients were cured while 02 (5%) patients were lost to the last two follow-up. By the 3rd day of treatment, 4 patients were cured in Homeopathy group but in Conventional group only one patient was cured. In the Conventional group antibiotics were prescribed in 39 (97.5%), no antibiotics were required in the Homeopathy group. 85% of patients were prescribed six homeopathic medicines. Individualized homeopathy is an effective conventional treatment in AOM, there were no significant differences between groups in the main outcome. Symptomatic improvement was quicker in the Homeopathy group, and there was a large difference in antibiotic requirements, favouring homeopathy. Further work on a larger scale should be conducted. Copyright © 2011 The Faculty of Homeopathy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Ocular surface changes in type II diabetic patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Gao

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To detect and analyze the changes on ocular surface and tear function in type II diabetic patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR, an advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy (DR, using conventional ophthalmic tests and the high-resolution laser scanning confocal microscopy. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with type II diabetes were selected. Based on the diagnostic criteria and stage classification of DR, the patients were divided into the non-DR (NDR group and the PDR group. Thirty-six patients with cataract but no other ocular and systemic disease were included as non-diabetic controls. All the patients were subjected to the conventional clinical tests of corneal sensitivity, Schirmer I Test, and corneal fluorescein staining. The non-invasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT and tear interferometry were conducted by a Tearscope Plus. The morphology of corneal epithelia and nerve fibers was examined using the high-resolution confocal microscopy. RESULTS: The NDR group exhibited significantly declined corneal sensitivity and Schirmer I test value, as compared to the non-diabetic controls (P< 0.001. The PDR group showed significantly reduced corneal sensitivity, Schirmer I test value, and NIBUT in comparison to the non-diabetic controls (P < 0.001. Corneal fluorescein staining revealed the progressively injured corneal epithelia in the PDR patients. Moreover, significant decrease in the corneal epithelial density and morphological abnormalities in the corneal epithelia and nerve fibers were also observed in the PDR patients. CONCLUSION: Ocular surface changes, including blunted corneal sensitivity, reduced tear secretion, tear film dysfunction, progressive loss of corneal epithelia and degeneration of nerve fibers, are common in type II diabetic patients, particularly in the diabetic patients with PDR. The corneal sensitivity, fluorescein staining scores, and the density of corneal epithelial cells and nerve fibers in the diabetic

  13. Ocular surface changes in type II diabetic patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yan; Gao; Yan; Zhang; Yu-Sha; Ru; Xiao-Wu; Wang; Ji-Zhong; Yang; Chun-Hui; Li; Hong-Xing; Wang; Xiao-Rong; Li; Bing; Li

    2015-01-01

    AIM: To detect and analyze the changes on ocular surface and tear function in type II diabetic patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR), an advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy(DR), using conventional ophthalmic tests and the high-resolution laser scanning confocal microscopy.METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with type II diabetes were selected. Based on the diagnostic criteria and stage classification of DR, the patients were divided into the non-DR(NDR) group and the PDR group. Thirty-six patients with cataract but no other ocular and systemic disease were included as non-diabetic controls. All the patients were subjected to the conventional clinical tests of corneal sensitivity, Schirmer I test, and corneal fluorescein staining. The non-invasive tear film break-up time(NIBUT) and tear interferometry were conducted by a Tearscope Plus. The morphology of corneal epithelia and nerve fibers was examined using the high-resolution confocal microscopy.RESULTS: The NDR group exhibited significantly declined corneal sensitivity and Schirmer I test value, as compared to the non-diabetic controls(P <0.001). The PDR group showed significantly reduced corneal sensitivity, Schirmer I test value, and NIBUT in comparison to the non-diabetic controls(P <0.001).Corneal fluorescein staining revealed the progressively injured corneal epithelia in the PDR patients. Moreover,significant decrease in the corneal epithelial density andmorphological abnormalities in the corneal epithelia and nerve fibers were also observed in the PDR patients.CONCLUSION: Ocular surface changes, including blunted corneal sensitivity, reduced tear secretion, tear film dysfunction, progressive loss of corneal epithelia and degeneration of nerve fibers, are common in type II diabetic patients, particularly in the diabetic patients with PDR. The corneal sensitivity, fluorescein staining scores,and the density of corneal epithelial cells and nerve fibers in the diabetic patients correlate with the

  14. The nuclear safety convention. Results for Argentine as contracting party

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caruso, Gustavo

    2002-01-01

    A powerful mechanism for increasing safety worldwide is through the development and adoption of legally binding Safety Conventions. Since 1986 four Conventions were ratified in the areas of Nuclear, Radiation and Waste Safety. The Nuclear Safety Convention establishes an international co-operation mechanism to maintain safety nuclear installations, focused on: to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide through the enhancement of national measures and international co-operation including, where appropriate, safety-related technical co-operation; to establish and maintain effective defences in nuclear installations against potential radiological hazards in order to protect individuals, society and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation from such installations and to prevent accidents with radiological consequences and to mitigate such consequences should they occur. Each contracting party shall take, within the framework of its national law, the legislative, regulatory and administrative measures and other steps necessary for implementing its obligations under this Convention. Moreover, each contracting parties shall submit for review prior to each review meeting, a National Report on the measures it has taken to implement each of the obligations of the Convention. The contracting parties concluded that the review process had proven to be of great value to their national nuclear safety programmes. (author)

  15. Convention on Nuclear Safety. Second National Report, October 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    The present document is the second Spanish national report prepared in order to comply with the obligations deriving from the convention on Nuclear Safety, made in Vienna on 20th September 1994. This convention was signed by Spain on 15th October 1994 and ratified by way of an instrument issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed by H. M. the King on 19th June 1995. The convention, which entered into force on 24th October 1996, following ratification by a minimum number of countries, as set out in articles 20, 21 and 22 includes 51 countries and Euratom, in addition to Spain. The first review meeting, organised in accordance with chapter 3 of the Convention, was held in vienna in April 1999. Spain was represented by the CSN, the State organisation solely responsible for nuclear safety, both for the drawing up of the national report and for participation in the meeting held between the parties. In accordance with article 21, the second review meeting has been scheduled for April 2002, also in Vienna. At the review meeting, the countries party to the Convention review the national reports required by article 5, Spain submitted its first national report in September 1998. The present document is an update of that first report, and is to be submitted by 15th October 2001, as agreed on during the first review meeting. This report will be reviewed by the interested countries, which will forward their comments and questions. In April 2002, the Spanish report and the questions received will be subjected to the review process contemplated by the convention, along with the reports submitted by the other countries

  16. Dumping convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, P.

    1992-01-01

    Sea dumping of radioactive waste has, since 1983, been precluded under a moratorium established by the London Dumping Convention. Pressure from the nuclear industry to allow ocean dumping of nuclear waste is reported in this article. (author)

  17. Comparison of several plant nutrient elements in conventionally and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Organic citrus production has been increasing recently in Turkey. In this study, we compared several nutri-elements concentrations of organically (ORG) and conventionally (CON) grown citrus orchards in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The samples included Satsuma mandarins (Citrus unshiu L.) and Washington ...

  18. Comparison of several plant nutrient elements in conventionally and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2009-04-20

    Apr 20, 2009 ... Organic citrus production has been increasing recently in Turkey. In this study, we compared several nutri-elements concentrations of organically (ORG) and conventionally (CON) grown citrus orchards in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The samples included Satsuma mandarins (Citrus unshiu L.) and.

  19. Understanding the conventional arms trade

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stohl, Rachel

    2017-11-01

    The global conventional arms trade is worth tens of billions of dollars every year and is engaged in by every country in the world. Yet, it is often difficult to control the legal trade in conventional arms and there is a thriving illicit market, willing to arm unscrupulous regimes and nefarious non-state actors. This chapter examines the international conventional arms trade, the range of tools that have been used to control it, and challenges to these international regimes.

  20. Weed Population Dynamics, Water Productivity and Grain Yield of Durum Wheat (Triticum durum L. in No-Tillage and Conventional Tillage Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Mojab

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Elimination or reduction of tillage in conservation agricultural systems has led to wide variations in germination, emergence, and growth of weeds and has caused variations in the density and diversity of weeds under such systems. Maintaining crop residues on the soil surface has many potential benefits in agricultural production systems; such as reducing water and wind erosions, increasing the soil organic matter content, improving the soil structure and sowing conditions, as well as a better weed management through allelopathy or physical interference provided by the crop residues. Crop residue and tillage system cause potential changes in the soil temperature and water content, which influence soil density, structure, moisture, as well as soil temperature and nutrients. Crop residues act as mulches and can effect on weed seed germination and seedling emergence. Therefore, the objectives of current study were to evaluate the effects of no-tillage systems on: (i narrow- and broadleaved weed densities, (ii crop yield and (iii water productivity (WP. Materials and Methods: A two-year field study based on a split plot experiment in a randomized complete block design with four replications was carried out in Zahedshahr, Fars province, Iran (latitude 28˚44΄N, longitude 53˚48΄E, 1180 m altitude during 2009-10 and 2010-11 growing seasons. The planting practices including moldboard plow, disk and leveler were practiced in conventional tillage plots and crop planting was performed using a drill seeder (made by Kohorasan Co., Iran. The no-tillage plots were directly planted without any soil disturbance and removing wheat residues of the last year using a direct planter machine (model Berteni, Argentina. Furrow irrigation was used at both systems and a water counter (model WD, size DN100 was applied to measure the amount of used water based on m3 ha-1. 1 x 1 m quadrates that were installed at the center of each plot. Crop density, narrow

  1. Quantitative Characterisation of Surface Texture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    De Chiffre, Leonardo; Lonardo, P.M.; Trumpold, H.

    2000-01-01

    This paper reviews the different methods used to give a quantitative characterisation of surface texture. The paper contains a review of conventional 2D as well as 3D roughness parameters, with particular emphasis on recent international standards and developments. It presents new texture...

  2. Surface and elemental alterations of dental alloys induced by electro discharge machining (EDM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinelis, Spiros

    2007-05-01

    To evaluate the surface and elemental alterations induced by electro discharge machining (EDM) on the surface of dental cast alloys used for the fabrication of implant retained meso- and super-structures. A completed cast model of an arch that received dental implants was used for the preparation of six wax patterns which were divided into three groups (Au, Co and Ti). The wax patterns of the Au and Co groups were invested with conventional phosphate-bonded silica-based investment material and the Ti group with magnesia-based investment material. The investment rings of the Au and Co groups were cast with an Au-Ag alloy (Stabilor G) and a Co-Cr base alloy (Okta C), respectively, while the investment rings of group Ti were cast with cp Ti (Biotan). One casting of each group was subjected to electro discharge machining (EDM); the other was conventionally ground and polished. The surface morphology and the elemental compositions of conventionally and EDM-finished surfaces were studied by SEM/X-ray EDS analysis. Six spectra were collected from each surface employing the area scan mode and the mean value of each element between conventionally and EDM-finished surfaces was statistically analyzed by t-test (a=0.05). Then the specimens of each group were cut perpendicular to their longitudinal axis and after metallographic grinding and polishing the cross-sections studied under the SEM. The EDM surfaces showed a significant increase in C due to the decomposition of the dielectric fluid during spark erosion. Moreover, a significant Cu uptake was noted on these surfaces from the decomposition of the Cu electrodes used for EDM. Cross-sectional analysis showed that all alloys developed a superficial zone (recast layer) varying from 2 microm for Au-Ag to 10 microm for Co-Cr alloy. The elemental composition of dental alloy surfaces is significantly altered after EDM treatment.

  3. Preliminary assessment on the differences of nuclear terrorism convention from the convention on the physical protection of nuclear material and amendment to the convention on the physical protection of nuclear material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Midiana Ariethia; Muhamad Ilman A A; Mas Pungky Hendrawijaya

    2011-01-01

    The threat of acts of nuclear terrorism in all its forms and manifestations create the urgent need to enhance international cooperation between countries in designing and following practical and effective measures for the prevention of acts of terrorism and to counter and punish its offenders. Several United Nations Security Council Resolutions, such as UNSCR Number 1373 (2001), and UNSCR Number 1540 (2005), and the result of Nuclear Security Summit in 2010 that encourage the member countries of IAEA to ratify nuclear conventions as soon as possible, are the reasons that the Indonesian Government planning on ratifying The International Convention for The Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (Nuclear Terrorism Convention). Nuclear Terrorism Convention is one of the 16 (sixteen) international instruments that must be ratified by the member countries of IAEA. Of the 16 (sixteen) international instruments, 3 (three) conventions are related to nuclear; Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, dan Nuclear Terrorism Convention. This paper presents the preliminary assessment on the differences of Nuclear Terrorism Convention to The Convention on The Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Amendment to The Convention on The Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. This assessment is important due to the plan of the Indonesian Government to ratify the Nuclear Terrorism Convention. The result of this assessment could be used by BAPETEN in the ratification process of the Nuclear Terrorism Convention. The method used in this assessment is references assessment. (author)

  4. Identifying Conventionally Sub-Seismic Faults in Polygonal Fault Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fry, C.; Dix, J.

    2017-12-01

    Polygonal Fault Systems (PFS) are prevalent in hydrocarbon basins globally and represent potential fluid pathways. However the characterization of these pathways is subject to the limitations of conventional 3D seismic imaging; only capable of resolving features on a decametre scale horizontally and metres scale vertically. While outcrop and core examples can identify smaller features, they are limited by the extent of the exposures. The disparity between these scales can allow for smaller faults to be lost in a resolution gap which could mean potential pathways are left unseen. Here the focus is upon PFS from within the London Clay, a common bedrock that is tunnelled into and bears construction foundations for much of London. It is a continuation of the Ieper Clay where PFS were first identified and is found to approach the seafloor within the Outer Thames Estuary. This allows for the direct analysis of PFS surface expressions, via the use of high resolution 1m bathymetric imaging in combination with high resolution seismic imaging. Through use of these datasets surface expressions of over 1500 faults within the London Clay have been identified, with the smallest fault measuring 12m and the largest at 612m in length. The displacements over these faults established from both bathymetric and seismic imaging ranges from 30cm to a couple of metres, scales that would typically be sub-seismic for conventional basin seismic imaging. The orientations and dimensions of the faults within this network have been directly compared to 3D seismic data of the Ieper Clay from the offshore Dutch sector where it exists approximately 1km below the seafloor. These have typical PFS attributes with lengths of hundreds of metres to kilometres and throws of tens of metres, a magnitude larger than those identified in the Outer Thames Estuary. The similar orientations and polygonal patterns within both locations indicates that the smaller faults exist within typical PFS structure but are

  5. Radiosurgical fistulotomy; an alternative to conventional procedure in fistula in ano.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Pravin J

    2003-01-01

    Most surgeons continue to prefer the classic lay open technique [fistulotomy] as the gold standard of treatment in anal fistula. In this randomized study, a comparison is made between conventional fistulotomy and fistulotomy performed by a radio frequency device. One hundred patients of low anal fistula posted for fistulotomy were randomized prospectively to either a conventional or radio frequency technique. Parameters measured included time taken for the procedure, amount of blood loss, postoperative pain, return to work, and recurrence rate. The patient demographic was comparable in 2 groups. The radio frequency fistulotomy was quicker as compared to a conventional one [22 versus 37 minutes, p = 0.001], amount of bleeding was significantly less [47 ml versus 134 ml, p = 0.002], and hospital stay was less when patient was operated by radio frequency method [37 hours versus 56 hours in conventional method, p = 0.001]. The postoperative pain in the first 24 hours was more in conventional group [2 to 5 versus 0 to 3 on visual analogue scale]. The patients from radio frequency group resumed their duties early with a reduced healing period of the wounds [47 versus 64 days, p = 0.01]. The recurrence or failure rates were comparable in the radio frequency and conventional groups [2% versus 6%]. Fistulotomy procedure using a radio frequency technique has significant advantages over a conventional procedure with regard to operation time, blood loss, return to normal activity, and healing time of the wound.

  6. Comparative study of the effects of photodynamic therapy and conventional therapy on ligature induced peri-implantitis in dogs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayek, Ricardo Rada Ahmad

    2004-01-01

    Progressive peri-implanter bone losses, which are accompanied by inflammatory process in the soft tissues is referred to as peri-implantitis. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of lethal photosensitisation with the conventional technique on bacterial reduction in ligature induced peri-implantitis in dogs. Seventeen third pre-molars of Labrador dogs were extracted and, immediately after, the implants were submerged. After osteointegration, peri-implantitis was induced. After 4 months, ligature were removed and the same period was waited for natural induction of bacterial plaque. The dogs were randomly divided into two groups. In the conventional group, they were treated with the conventional techniques of mucoperiosteal flaps for scaling the implant surface and irrigate it. In the laser group, only mucoperiosteal scaling was carried out before photodynamic therapy. On the peri-implanter pocket an azulene paste was injected and a GaAlAs low-power laser (λ= 660 nm, P= 30 mW, E= 5,4 J and Δt= 3 min.). Microbiological samples were obtained before and immediately after treatment. One implant was removed to be analyzed by scan electron microscopy to verify contamination on the implant surface. The results of this study showed that Prevotella sp., Fusobacterium e S. Beta-haemolyticus were significantly reduced for the conventional and laser groups. (author)

  7. Selections from the ABC 2012 Annual Convention, Honolulu, Hawaii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whalen, D. Joel

    2013-01-01

    The 13 Favorite Assignments featured here were presented at the 2012 Association for Business Communication (ABC) Annual Convention, Honolulu, Hawaii. A variety of learning objectives are featured, including the following: enhancing resume's visual impact, interpersonal skills, social media, team building, web design, community service projects,…

  8. Comparison of denture tooth movement between CAD-CAM and conventional fabrication techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodacre, Brian J; Goodacre, Charles J; Baba, Nadim Z; Kattadiyil, Mathew T

    2018-01-01

    Data comparing the denture tooth movement of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) and conventional denture processing techniques are lacking. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the denture tooth movement of pack-and-press, fluid resin, injection, CAD-CAM-bonded, and CAD-CAM monolithic techniques for fabricating dentures to determine which process produces the most accurate and reproducible prosthesis. A total of 50 dentures were evaluated, 10 for each of the 5 groups. A master denture was fabricated and milled from prepolymerized poly(methyl methacrylate). For the conventional processing techniques (pack-and-press, fluid resin, and injection) a polyvinyl siloxane putty mold of the master denture was made in which denture teeth were placed and molten wax injected. The cameo surface of each wax-festooned denture was laser scanned, resulting in a standard tessellation language (STL) format file. The CAD-CAM dentures included 2 subgroups: CAD-CAM-bonded teeth in which the denture teeth were bonded into the milled denture base and CAD-CAM monolithic teeth in which the denture teeth were milled as part of the denture base. After all specimens had been fabricated, they were hydrated for 24 hours, and the cameo surface laser scanned. The preprocessing and postprocessing scan files of each denture were superimposed using surface-matching software. Measurements were made at 64 locations, allowing evaluation of denture tooth movement in a buccal, lingual, mesial-distal, and occlusal direction. The use of median and interquartile range values was used to assess accuracy and reproducibility. Levene and Kruskal-Wallis analyses of variance were used to evaluate differences between processing techniques (α=.05). The CAD-CAM monolithic technique was the most accurate, followed by fluid resin, CAD-CAM-bonded, pack-and-press, and injection. CAD-CAM monolithic technique was the most reproducible, followed by pack-and-press, CAD

  9. Removal of antibiotics from surface and distilled water in conventional water treatment processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, C.; Wang, Y.; Loftin, K.; Meyer, M.

    2002-01-01

    Conventional drinking water treatment processes were evaluated under typical water treatment plant conditions to determine their effectiveness in the removal of seven common antibiotics: carbadox, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, and trimethoprim. Experiments were conducted using synthetic solutions prepared by spiking both distilled/ deionized water and Missouri River water with the studied compounds. Sorption on Calgon WPH powdered activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and oxidation with chlorine and ozone under typical plant conditions were all shown to be effective in removing the studied antibiotics. Conversely, coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation with alum and iron salts, excess lime/soda ash softening, ultraviolet irradiation at disinfection dosages, and ion exchange were all relatively ineffective methods of antibiotic removal. This study shows that the studied antibiotics could be effectively removed using processes already in use many water treatment plants. Additional work is needed on by-product formation and the removal of other classes of antibiotics.

  10. Risk and value of conventional myelography with regard to radiation exposure of the patient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hentschel, F.

    1989-01-01

    To estimate the effective equivalent dose with reference to the area under examination and the foils employed, fifty patients underwent conventional diagnostic myelography, after which, by means of thermoluminescence surface dosimetry, the mean organ dose was ascertained from the radiation field size, using the computer program ORDOS. Effective equivalent dose can be used to determine the inherent risk of radiation injury involved. The risk-benefit ratios obtained would suggest that conventional myelography, prospectively in the form of digital myelography, and spinal computer tomography are not opposing but complementary approaches to spinal diagnosis. Spinal NMR imaging must not be discussed under the aspect of radiation exposure but under the aspect of availability. (author)

  11. Device including a contact detector

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2011-01-01

    arms (12) may extend from the supporting body in co-planar relationship with the first surface. The plurality of cantilever arms (12) may extend substantially parallel to each other and each of the plurality of cantilever arms (12) may include an electrical conductive tip for contacting the area......The present invention relates to a probe for determining an electrical property of an area of a surface of a test sample, the probe is intended to be in a specific orientation relative to the test sample. The probe may comprise a supporting body defining a first surface. A plurality of cantilever...... of the test sample by movement of the probe relative to the surface of the test sample into the specific orientation.; The probe may further comprise a contact detector (14) extending from the supporting body arranged so as to contact the surface of the test sample prior to any one of the plurality...

  12. Hyperthermal surface ionization mass spectrometry of organic molecules: monoterpenes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishi, Hiroshi; Fujii, Toshihiro.

    1997-01-01

    This paper describes an experimental study on the influence of kinetic energy of fast monoterpene molecules on the surface ionization efficiency and on the mass spectral patterns, using rhenium oxide (ReO 2 ) surface. Molecular kinetic energy, given to the molecules through the acceleration in the seeded supersonic molecular beam, ranged from 1 to 10 eV. Hyperthermal surface ionization mass spectra (HSIMS) were taken for various incident kinetic energies and surface temperatures. The observed mass spectra were interpreted in a purely empirical way, by means of evidence from the previous investigations, and they were compared with conventional EI techniques and with the thermal energy surface ionization technique (SIOMS; Surface Ionization Organic Mass Spectrometry). Ionization efficiency (β) was also studied. Under hyperthermal surface ionization (HSI) conditions, many kinds of fragment ions, including quite abundant odd electron ions (OE +· ) are observed. HSIMS patterns of monoterpenes are different among 6-isomers, contrary to those of SIOMS and EIMS, where very similar patterns for isomers are observed. HSIMS patterns are strongly dependent on the molecular kinetic energies. The surface temperature does not affect much the spectral patterns, but it controls the total amount of ion formation. We conclude from these mass spectral findings, HSI-mechanism contains an impulsive process of ion formation, followed by the fragmentation process as a results of the internal energies acquired through the collision processes. (author)

  13. TiO2-coated mesoporous carbon: conventional vs. microwave-annealing process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coromelci-Pastravanu, Cristina; Ignat, Maria; Popovici, Evelini; Harabagiu, Valeria

    2014-08-15

    The study of coating mesoporous carbon materials with titanium oxide nanoparticles is now becoming a promising and challenging area of research. To optimize the use of carbon materials in various applications, it is necessary to attach functional groups or other nanostructures to their surface. The combination of the distinctive properties of mesoporous carbon materials and titanium oxide is expected to be applied in field emission displays, nanoelectronic devices, novel catalysts, and polymer or ceramic reinforcement. But, their synthesis is still largely based on conventional techniques, such as wet impregnation followed by chemical reduction of the metal nanoparticle precursors, which takes time and money. The thermal heating based techniques are time consuming and often lack control of particle size and morphology. Hence, since there is a growing interest in microwave technology, an alternative way of power input into chemical reactions through dielectric heating is the use of microwaves. This work is focused on the advantages of microwave-assisted synthesis of TiO2-coated mesoporous carbon over conventional thermal heating method. The reviewed studies showed that the microwave-assisted synthesis of such composites allows processes to be completed within a shorter reaction time allowing the nanoparticles formation with superior properties than that obtained by conventional method. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. In vivo precision of conventional and digital methods for obtaining quadrant dental impressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ender, Andreas; Zimmermann, Moritz; Attin, Thomas; Mehl, Albert

    2016-09-01

    Quadrant impressions are commonly used as alternative to full-arch impressions. Digital impression systems provide the ability to take these impressions very quickly; however, few studies have investigated the accuracy of the technique in vivo. The aim of this study is to assess the precision of digital quadrant impressions in vivo in comparison to conventional impression techniques. Impressions were obtained via two conventional (metal full-arch tray, CI, and triple tray, T-Tray) and seven digital impression systems (Lava True Definition Scanner, T-Def; Lava Chairside Oral Scanner, COS; Cadent iTero, ITE; 3Shape Trios, TRI; 3Shape Trios Color, TRC; CEREC Bluecam, Software 4.0, BC4.0; CEREC Bluecam, Software 4.2, BC4.2; and CEREC Omnicam, OC). Impressions were taken three times for each of five subjects (n = 15). The impressions were then superimposed within the test groups. Differences from model surfaces were measured using a normal surface distance method. Precision was calculated using the Perc90_10 value. The values for all test groups were statistically compared. The precision ranged from 18.8 (CI) to 58.5 μm (T-Tray), with the highest precision in the CI, T-Def, BC4.0, TRC, and TRI groups. The deviation pattern varied distinctly depending on the impression method. Impression systems with single-shot capture exhibited greater deviations at the tooth surface whereas high-frame rate impression systems differed more in gingival areas. Triple tray impressions displayed higher local deviation at the occlusal contact areas of upper and lower jaw. Digital quadrant impression methods achieve a level of precision, comparable to conventional impression techniques. However, there are significant differences in terms of absolute values and deviation pattern. With all tested digital impression systems, time efficient capturing of quadrant impressions is possible. The clinical precision of digital quadrant impression models is sufficient to cover a broad variety of

  15. Modification of surfaces and surface layers by non equilibrium processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beamson, G.; Brennan, W.J.; Clark, D.T.; Howard, J.

    1988-01-01

    Plasmas are examples of non-equilibrium phenomena which are being used increasingly for the synthesis and modification of materials impossible by conventional routes. This paper introduces methods available by describing the construction and characteristics of some equipment used for the production of different types of plasmas and other non-equilibrium phenomena. This includes high energy ion beams. The special features, advantages and disadvantages of the techniques will be described. There are a multitude of potential application relevant to electronic, metallic, ceramic, and polymeric materials. However, scale-up from the laboratory to production equipment depends on establishing a better understanding of both the physics and chemistry of plasma as well as plasma-solid interactions. Examples are given of how such an understanding can be gained. The chemical analysis of polymer surfaces undergoing modification by inert gas, hydrogen or oxygen plasmas is shown to give physical information regarding the relative roles of diffusion of active species, and direct and radiative energy transfer from the plasma. Surface modification by plasma depositing a new material onto an existing substrate is discussed with particular reference to the deposition of amorphous carbon films. Applications of the unique properties of these films are outlined together with our current understanding of these properties based on chemical and physical methods of analysis of both the films and the plasmas producing them. Finally, surface modification by ion beams is briefly illustrated using examples from the electronics and metals industries where the modification has had a largely physical rather than chemical effect on the starting material. (orig.)

  16. Comparison Between Physics and Conventional Forceps in Simple Dental Extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Kenawy, Mohamed H; Ahmed, Wael Mohamed Said

    2015-12-01

    Atraumatic dental extraction preserves bone, gingival architecture, and allows for the option of future or immediate dental implant placement. A number of tools and techniques have been proposed for minimally invasive tooth removal such as physics forceps. The biomechanical design of physics forceps decreases the incidence of root fracture, and maintains the buccal bone plate, which is essential for the proper healing of an immediately placed dental implant. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of physics forceps versus conventional forceps in simple dental extraction. 200 adult patients seeking simple dental extraction were selected from the Outpatient Clinic in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Egypt. The selected patients were randomly allocated into two groups: group I: included 100 patients, in this group extraction was done using physics forceps, and group II: included 100 patients, in this group extraction was done using conventional forceps. In physics forceps group: crown fracture occurred in three cases (3 %), buccal bone fracture occurred in three cases (3 %), and root fracture occurred in 14 roots (8.5 %), while in conventional forceps group: crown fracture occurred in 10 cases (10 %), buccal bone fracture occurred in seven cases (7 %), and root fracture occurred in 27 roots (16.6 %). Physics forceps are innovative extraction instruments. By using them, it is possible to perform difficult extractions, with predictable results, and without need to reflect a flap. Using physics forceps decreases the incidence of crown, root, and buccal bone plate fractures, in comparison to the conventional forceps.

  17. Wreck removal and the Nairobi Convention - a movement towards a unified framework?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jhonnie Mikael Kern

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks came into force on the 14 of April 2015 and provides a framework for wreck removal. Three central questions arise when dealing with shipwrecks; Who is responsible? What measures can and are to be taken based on such a responsibility? And lastly; how can the responsibility be enforced? The Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks addresses these questions. The registered owner of a ship bears strict liability according to the convention but can be exonerated by certain limited defenses. Measures that are to be taken include locating, marking and subsequently removing the wreck. The onus to remove the wreck is on the registered owner, but there are also options available for the State affected by the wreck should the registered owner not cooperate or be unable to contact. Finally the convention strives to ensure enforceability by compulsory insurance for ships, wherever registered, with a gross tonnage of 300 tons and above calling any port or offshore facility in a State Party. The convention also enables an Affected State to claim the insurer directly. This article will analyze the convention by the use of the convention text, its preparatory works and legal writing. The article suggests that even though the convention provides a unified framework for wreck removal, it has inclusions that may actually inhibit harmonization. The convention is also in part unclear and ambiguous. Despite this the article concludes in the convention being a natural step forward in unifying the regulation of wrecks and providing a platform to deal with wreck removal in the future.

  18. Proteomic plasma membrane profiling reveals an essential role for gp96 in the cell surface expression of LDLR family members, including the LDL receptor and LRP6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weekes, Michael P; Antrobus, Robin; Talbot, Suzanne; Hör, Simon; Simecek, Nikol; Smith, Duncan L; Bloor, Stuart; Randow, Felix; Lehner, Paul J

    2012-03-02

    The endoplasmic reticulum chaperone gp96 is required for the cell surface expression of a narrow range of proteins, including toll-like receptors (TLRs) and integrins. To identify a more comprehensive repertoire of proteins whose cell surface expression is dependent on gp96, we developed plasma membrane profiling (PMP), a technique that combines SILAC labeling with selective cell surface aminooxy-biotinylation. This approach allowed us to compare the relative abundance of plasma membrane (PM) proteins on gp96-deficient versus gp96-reconstituted murine pre-B cells. Analysis of unfractionated tryptic peptides initially identified 113 PM proteins, which extended to 706 PM proteins using peptide prefractionation. We confirmed a requirement for gp96 in the cell surface expression of certain TLRs and integrins and found a marked decrease in cell surface expression of four members of the extended LDL receptor family (LDLR, LRP6, Sorl1 and LRP8) in the absence of gp96. Other novel gp96 client proteins included CD180/Ly86, important in the B-cell response to lipopolysaccharide. We highlight common structural motifs in these client proteins that may be recognized by gp96, including the beta-propeller and leucine-rich repeat. This study therefore identifies the extended LDL receptor family as an important new family of proteins whose cell surface expression is regulated by gp96.

  19. NON-POLLUTING METAL SURFACE FINISHING PRETREATMENT AND PRETREATMENT/CONVERSION COATING

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picklex, a proprietary formulation, is an alterantive to conventional metal surface pretreatments and is claimed not to produce waste or lower production or lower performance. A laboratory program was designed to evaluate Picklex in common, large scale, polluting surface finishin...

  20. Effects Of Using Non-Conventional Feedstuffs On The Productivity ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examines effects of privately producing layers mash by including such non-conventional feedstuff as cassava, brewers dried grain, etc on the productivity, cost and profit of poultry (eggs) farms. Primary data was collected from three categories of farms – 12” convcentional feedstuff users“ (CFU), ...

  1. Evolutionary Games and Social Conventions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Pelle Guldborg

    2007-01-01

    -defined metaphors of individual learning and social imitation processes, from which a revised theory of convention may be erected (see Sugden 2004, Binmore 1993 and Young 1998). This paper makes a general argument in support of the evolutionary turn in the theory of convention by a progressive exposition of its...... in Aumann (1976) and which, together with the assumptions of perfect rationality, came to be defining of classical game theory. However, classical game theory is currently undergoing severe crisis as a tool for exploring social phenomena; a crisis emerging from the problem of equilibrium selection around......Some thirty years ago Lewis published his Convention: A Philosophical Study (Lewis, 2002). This laid the foundation for a game-theoretic approach to social conventions, but became more famously known for its seminal analysis of common knowledge; the concept receiving its canonical analysis...

  2. Are atmospheric surface layer flows ergodic?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higgins, Chad W.; Katul, Gabriel G.; Froidevaux, Martin; Simeonov, Valentin; Parlange, Marc B.

    2013-06-01

    The transposition of atmospheric turbulence statistics from the time domain, as conventionally sampled in field experiments, is explained by the so-called ergodic hypothesis. In micrometeorology, this hypothesis assumes that the time average of a measured flow variable represents an ensemble of independent realizations from similar meteorological states and boundary conditions. That is, the averaging duration must be sufficiently long to include a large number of independent realizations of the sampled flow variable so as to represent the ensemble. While the validity of the ergodic hypothesis for turbulence has been confirmed in laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations for idealized conditions, evidence for its validity in the atmospheric surface layer (ASL), especially for nonideal conditions, continues to defy experimental efforts. There is some urgency to make progress on this problem given the proliferation of tall tower scalar concentration networks aimed at constraining climate models yet are impacted by nonideal conditions at the land surface. Recent advancements in water vapor concentration lidar measurements that simultaneously sample spatial and temporal series in the ASL are used to investigate the validity of the ergodic hypothesis for the first time. It is shown that ergodicity is valid in a strict sense above uniform surfaces away from abrupt surface transitions. Surprisingly, ergodicity may be used to infer the ensemble concentration statistics of a composite grass-lake system using only water vapor concentration measurements collected above the sharp transition delineating the lake from the grass surface.

  3. Conventional renal angiography versus renal digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the study of renovascular hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Essinger, A.; Morsier, B. de; Narbel, M.; Raimondi, S.

    1988-01-01

    A cost-benefit analysis comparing conventional renal angiography, IV and IA DSA and spot film cameras has been made in order to quantify the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques in screening for renal artery stenosis. DSA is the best modality of imaging, using very little films, easy to archive, with a spatial resolution inferior to conventional angiography but partially compensated by contrast resolution. The surface dose per image using a 512/512 matrix is two thirds less than a conventional film, giving thus an acceptable dose as long as technical personnel is well trained and thus the number of exposures is kept low. Spot film camera, due to its excellent spatial resolution, its low radiation dose and its low price, can also be used as a screening procedure but requires an arterial injection. DSA has furthermore the advantage of quantifying renal artery stenosis making future percutaneous transluminal angioplasty easier

  4. Long-term stability of beam quality and output of conventional X-ray units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuda, Atsushi; Matsubara, Kosuke; Miyati, Tosiaki

    2015-01-01

    Conventional diagnostic X-ray units are used for radiographic imaging in many countries. For obtaining entrance surface doses, a numerical dose determination method has been applied in Japan. Although this technique is effective, it has to account for errors, particularly fluctuations, due to the beam quality and output of X-ray tubes. As a part of our quality control procedures, we recorded the entrance surface air kerma, tube voltage, and half-value layer measurements made for four diagnostic X-ray tubes over a 103-week period. The entrance surface air kerma for one of the four X-ray tubes had increased significantly by 11.4 % over 1 year from its initial setting, whereas the tube voltages and half-value layers did not deviate significantly from their initial values. Medical physicists and radiological technologists should be aware of this fluctuation for diagnostic X-ray tubes and take it into consideration when calculating the entrance surface air kerma.

  5. A philosophical and critical analysis of the European convention of bioethics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hottois, G

    2000-04-01

    The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine is now one of the most important bioethics texts from the point of view of international policy and law. It is the result of five years of discussions and negotiations between the different instances of the Council of Europe. In this article I analyze several problems. First, there are problems of articulation between the Convention and the joint Explanatory Report. The oriented exegesis of the Explanatory Report raises suspicion about the Convention, which appears as a smooth facade for an instrument actually serving ideological positions many people do not share. Second, there are problems of formulation within the Convention. These are mainly problems with articles that state prohibitions without any distinction, relativization, contextualization or sense of evolution. Finally, there are problems of substance, leading to the conclusion that the Convention is not a good illustration of the human rights philosophical tradition in the name of which it has been proclaimed. This tradition is the one of Enlightenment. And when Kant summarizes the motto of Enlightenment, the injunction is "Sapere Aude!": "Dare to know!" It is difficult to hear such a message through the Convention, and the Explanatory Report includes too many passages and sentences that mean the opposite.

  6. FDTD Investigation on Electromagnetic Scattering from Two-Layered Rough Surfaces under UPML Absorbing Condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juan, Li; Li-Xin, Guo; Hao, Zeng

    2009-01-01

    Electromagnetic scattering from one-dimensional two-layered rough surfaces is investigated by using finite-difference time-domain algorithm (FDTD). The uniaxial perfectly matched layer (UPML) medium is adopted for truncation of FDTD lattices, in which the finite-difference equations can be used for the total computation domain by properly choosing the uniaxial parameters. The rough surfaces are characterized with Gaussian statistics for the height and the autocorrelation function. The angular distribution of bistatic scattering coefficient from single-layered perfect electric conducting and dielectric rough surface is calculated and it is in good agreement with the numerical result with the conventional method of moments. The influence of the relative permittivity, the incident angle, and the correlative length of two-layered rough surfaces on the bistatic scattering coefficient with different polarizations are presented and discussed in detail. (fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications))

  7. In vivo precision of conventional and digital methods of obtaining complete-arch dental impressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ender, Andreas; Attin, Thomas; Mehl, Albert

    2016-03-01

    Digital impression systems have undergone significant development in recent years, but few studies have investigated the accuracy of the technique in vivo, particularly compared with conventional impression techniques. The purpose of this in vivo study was to investigate the precision of conventional and digital methods for complete-arch impressions. Complete-arch impressions were obtained using 5 conventional (polyether, POE; vinylsiloxanether, VSE; direct scannable vinylsiloxanether, VSES; digitized scannable vinylsiloxanether, VSES-D; and irreversible hydrocolloid, ALG) and 7 digital (CEREC Bluecam, CER; CEREC Omnicam, OC; Cadent iTero, ITE; Lava COS, LAV; Lava True Definition Scanner, T-Def; 3Shape Trios, TRI; and 3Shape Trios Color, TRC) techniques. Impressions were made 3 times each in 5 participants (N=15). The impressions were then compared within and between the test groups. The cast surfaces were measured point-to-point using the signed nearest neighbor method. Precision was calculated from the (90%-10%)/2 percentile value. The precision ranged from 12.3 μm (VSE) to 167.2 μm (ALG), with the highest precision in the VSE and VSES groups. The deviation pattern varied distinctly according to the impression method. Conventional impressions showed the highest accuracy across the complete dental arch in all groups, except for the ALG group. Conventional and digital impression methods differ significantly in the complete-arch accuracy. Digital impression systems had higher local deviations within the complete arch cast; however, they achieve equal and higher precision than some conventional impression materials. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Conventional and CT angiography in children: dosimetry and dose comparisons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frush, Donald P.; Yoshizumi, Terry

    2006-01-01

    Tremendous advances have been made in imaging in children with both congenital and acquired heart disease. These include technical advances in cardiac catheterization and conventional angiography, especially with advancements in interventional procedures, as well as noninvasive imaging with MR and CT angiography. With rapid advances in multidetector CT (MDCT) technology, most recently 64-detector array systems (64-slice MDCT), have come a number of advantages over MR. However, both conventional and CT angiography impart radiation dose to children. Although the presence of radiation exposure to children has long been recognized, it is apparent that our ability to assess this dose, particularly in light of the rapid advancements, has been limited. Traditional methods of dosimetry for both conventional and CT angiography are somewhat cumbersome or involve a potential for substantial uncertainty. Recent developments in dosimetry, including metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET) and the availability of anthropomorphic, tissue-equivalent phantoms have provided new opportunities for dosimetric assessments. Recent work with this technology in state-of-the-art cardiac angiography suites as well as with MDCT have offered direct comparisons of doses in infants and children undergoing diagnostic cardiac evaluation. It is with these dose data that assessment of risks, and ultimately the assessment of risk-benefit, can be better achieved. (orig.)

  9. Dural ectasia and conventional radiography in the Marfan lumbosacral spine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahn, N U [Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore (United States); Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Baltimore, MD (United States); Nallamshetty, L; Ahn, U M; Buchowski, J M; Kebaish, K M; Sponseller, P D [Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore (United States); Rose, P S [Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore (United States); National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States); Garrett, E S [Dept. of Oncology, Division of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore (United States)

    2001-06-01

    Objective. To determine how well conventional radiographic findings can predict the presence of dural ectasia in Marfan patients.Design and patients. Twelve Marfan patients without dural ectasia and 21 Marfan patients with dural ectasia were included in the study. Five radiographic measurements were made of the lumbosacral spine: interpediculate distance, scalloping value, sagittal canal diameter, vertebral body width, and transverse process width.Results. The following measurements were significantly larger in patients with dural ectasia: interpediculate distances at L3-L4 levels (P<0.03); scalloping values at the L1 and L5 levels (P<0.05); sagittal diameters of the vertebral canal at L5-S1 (P<0.03); transverse process to width ratios at L2 (P<0.03). Criteria were developed for diagnosis of dural ectasia in Marfan patients. These included presence of one of the following: interpediculate distance at L4 >38.0 mm, sagittal diameter at S1 >18.0 mm, or scalloping value at L5 >5.5 mm.Conclusion. Dural ectasia in Marfan syndrome is commonly associated with several osseous changes that are observable on conventional radiographs of the lumbosacral spine. Conventional radiography can detect dural ectasia in patients with Marfan syndrome with a very high specificity (91.7%) but a low sensitivity (57.1%). (orig.)

  10. Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezaei, Mohammad Naser; Steensels, Jan; Courtin, Christophe M.; Verstrepen, Kevin J.

    2016-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today’s diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria. PMID:27776154

  11. Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslankoohi, Elham; Herrera-Malaver, Beatriz; Rezaei, Mohammad Naser; Steensels, Jan; Courtin, Christophe M; Verstrepen, Kevin J

    2016-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today's diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria.

  12. Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elham Aslankoohi

    Full Text Available Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today's diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria.

  13. Energy indices in irrigated wheat production under conservation and conventional tillage and planting methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. M Hosseini

    2016-04-01

    using a moldboard plow and secondary tillage operation was done using a disk harrow and land leveler. Seed bed was prepared in the reduced tillage method using a tine and disc cultivator which was able to complete the primary and secondary tillage operations simultaneously. Wheat seed was directly planted using direct planter without any seed bed preparation in the zero tillage method. Surface irrigation method was used to irrigate the plots and 11970 m3/ha water was consumed in each treatment. Input energies including direct energy (diesel and electricity and indirect energy (water, labor, seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and machinery were measured and calculated. Output energies (energy of grain and straw were measured in each treatment and the share of each input energy, energy ratio, net energy gain, and energy productivity were determined and compared. Collected data were analyzed using SAS software and Duncan’s multiple range tests was used to compare the treatments means. Results and Discussion: Results showed that tillage and planting methods had a significant effect on fuel and machinery energies; while, the total input energy, crop grain yield, and crop biologic yield were not affected by the tillage and planting methods (Table 4. Fertilizers and chemicals had the highest contribution in input energy of all treatments. Results also indicated that reduced tillage and seeding with Roto-seeder had the highest energy ratio (1.46 and the lowest energy ratio (1.40 was related to the conventional tillage methods (Fig.1. The highest net energy gain (47653 MJ was obtained from the reduced tillage and seeding with Roto-seeder; while, the lowest amount of net energy gain (41388 MJ was related to the conventional tillage and planting with Machine Barzegar grain drill (Fig.3. Results also showed that the reduced tillage and seeding with Roto-seeder had the highest energy productivity (0.115 kg MJ-1 and the conventional tillage treatments had the lowest energy productivity

  14. New method to design stellarator coils without the winding surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Caoxiang; Hudson, Stuart R.; Song, Yuntao; Wan, Yuanxi

    2018-01-01

    Finding an easy-to-build coils set has been a critical issue for stellarator design for decades. Conventional approaches assume a toroidal ‘winding’ surface, but a poorly chosen winding surface can unnecessarily constrain the coil optimization algorithm, This article presents a new method to design coils for stellarators. Each discrete coil is represented as an arbitrary, closed, one-dimensional curve embedded in three-dimensional space. A target function to be minimized that includes both physical requirements and engineering constraints is constructed. The derivatives of the target function with respect to the parameters describing the coil geometries and currents are calculated analytically. A numerical code, named flexible optimized coils using space curves (FOCUS), has been developed. Applications to a simple stellarator configuration, W7-X and LHD vacuum fields are presented.

  15. Awareness and use of non-conventional tobacco products among U.S. students, 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Baoguang; King, Brian A; Corey, Catherine G; Arrazola, René A; Johnson, Sarah E

    2014-08-01

    Increasing diversity of the tobacco product landscape, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), hookah, snus, and dissolvable tobacco products (dissolvables), raises concerns about the public health impact of these non-conventional tobacco products among youth. This study assessed awareness, ever use, and current use of non-conventional tobacco products among U.S. students in 2012, overall and by demographic and tobacco use characteristics. Data from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. middle and high school students, were analyzed in 2013. Prevalence of awareness, ever use, and current use of e-cigarettes, hookah, snus, and dissolvables were calculated overall and by sex, school level, race/ethnicity, and conventional tobacco product use, including cigarettes, cigars, or smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip). Overall, 50.3% of students were aware of e-cigarettes; prevalence of ever and current use of e-cigarettes was 6.8% and 2.1%, respectively. Awareness of hookah was 41.2% among all students, and that of ever and current use were 8.9% and 3.6%, respectively. Overall awareness; ever; and current use of snus (32%, 5.3%, 1.7%, respectively) and dissolvables (19.3%, 2.0%, 0.7%, respectively) were generally lower than those of e-cigarettes or hookah. Conventional tobacco product users were more likely to be aware of and to use non-conventional tobacco products. Many U.S. students are aware of and use non-conventional tobacco products. Evidence-based interventions should be implemented to prevent and reduce all tobacco use among youth. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  16. Dismantlement and destruction of chemical, nuclear and conventional weapons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulte, N.T.

    1997-01-01

    The safe destruction and dismantling of chemical, nuclear and conventional weapons is of fundamental importance to the security of all countries represented in this volume. Expertise in the field is not confined to one country or organisation: all can benefit from each other. There is an ever present danger of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: approximately two dozen countries have ongoing programmes to develop or acquire such weapons, and many are also gaining the capability to build air-surface delivery systems. But much can be done to prevent proliferation by reducing leakage of materials and know-how and by solving the problems of the destruction of surplus weapons systems, which has now come to be a key issue. In 13 sessions of the workshop attention was paid to (1) Dismantlement and Destruction of Chemical, Nuclear and Conventional Weapons; (2) Status of Implementation of Arms Control Treaties and Voluntary Commitments; (3) National Perspectives on Cooperation in Disarmament; (4) Stocktaking of National and Bilateral Disposal/Destruction Programmes: Chemical Weapons; (5) Stocktaking of National and Bilateral Disposal/Destruction Programmes: Nuclear Weapons; (6) Stocktaking of National and Bilateral Disposal/Destruction Programmes: Conventional Weapons. Session; (7) Experience with Currently Employed Chemical Destruction Technologies; (8) Alternative Chemical Destruction Technologies; (9) Deactivation, Dismantlement and Destruction of Delivery Systems and Infrastructure for Nuclear Weapons; (10) Storage, Safeguarding and Disposition of Fissile Materials; (11) Technologies for Conversion and Civil Use of Demilitarized Materials; (12) International Organizations; and (13) Environmental Challenges Posed by Chemical and Nuclear Disarmament

  17. Dural ectasia and conventional radiography in the Marfan lumbosacral spine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, N.U.; Nallamshetty, L.; Ahn, U.M.; Buchowski, J.M.; Kebaish, K.M.; Sponseller, P.D.; Rose, P.S.; Garrett, E.S.

    2001-01-01

    Objective. To determine how well conventional radiographic findings can predict the presence of dural ectasia in Marfan patients.Design and patients. Twelve Marfan patients without dural ectasia and 21 Marfan patients with dural ectasia were included in the study. Five radiographic measurements were made of the lumbosacral spine: interpediculate distance, scalloping value, sagittal canal diameter, vertebral body width, and transverse process width.Results. The following measurements were significantly larger in patients with dural ectasia: interpediculate distances at L3-L4 levels (P 38.0 mm, sagittal diameter at S1 >18.0 mm, or scalloping value at L5 >5.5 mm.Conclusion. Dural ectasia in Marfan syndrome is commonly associated with several osseous changes that are observable on conventional radiographs of the lumbosacral spine. Conventional radiography can detect dural ectasia in patients with Marfan syndrome with a very high specificity (91.7%) but a low sensitivity (57.1%). (orig.)

  18. Analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using high-sensitivity HBsAg assays in hepatitis B virus carriers in whom HBsAg seroclearance was confirmed by conventional assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozeki, Itaru; Nakajima, Tomoaki; Suii, Hirokazu; Tatsumi, Ryoji; Yamaguchi, Masakatsu; Kimura, Mutsuumi; Arakawa, Tomohiro; Kuwata, Yasuaki; Ohmura, Takumi; Hige, Shuhei; Karino, Yoshiyasu; Toyota, Joji

    2018-02-01

    We investigated the utility of high-sensitivity hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) assays compared with conventional HBsAg assays. Using serum samples from 114 hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers in whom HBsAg seroclearance was confirmed by conventional HBsAg assays (cut-off value, 0.05 IU/mL), the amount of HBsAg was re-examined by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays (cut-off value, 0.005 IU/mL). Cases negative for HBsAg in both assays were defined as consistent cases, and cases positive for HBsAg in the high-sensitivity HBsAg assay only were defined as discrepant cases. There were 55 (48.2%) discrepant cases, and the range of HBsAg titers determined by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays was 0.005-0.056 IU/mL. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of nucleos(t)ide analog therapy, liver cirrhosis, and negative anti-HBs contributed to the discrepancies between the two assays. Cumulative anti-HBs positivity rates among discrepant cases were 12.7%, 17.2%, 38.8%, and 43.9% at baseline, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively, whereas the corresponding rates among consistent cases were 50.8%, 56.0%, 61.7%, and 68.0%, respectively. Hepatitis B virus DNA negativity rates were 56.4% and 81.4% at baseline, 51.3% and 83.3% at 1 year, and 36.8% and 95.7% at 3 years, among discrepant and consistent cases, respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen reversion was observed only in discrepant cases. Re-examination by high-sensitivity HBsAg assays revealed that HBsAg was positive in approximately 50% of cases. Cumulative anti-HBs seroconversion rates and HBV-DNA seroclearance rates were lower in these cases, suggesting a population at risk for HBsAg reversion. © 2017 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

  19. Influence of citric acid on the surface texture of glass ionomer restorative materials

    OpenAIRE

    Reddy, Dappili Swami Ranga; Kumar, Ramachandran Anil; Venkatesan, Sokkalingam Mothilal; Narayan, Gopal Shankar; Duraivel, Dasarathan; Indra, Rajamani

    2014-01-01

    Aim: This study determined the effectiveness of G-coat plus surface protective agent over petroleum jelly on the surface texture of conventional Glass ionomer restorative materials. Materials and Methods: Three chemically cured conventional glass ionomer restorative materials type II, type IX and ketac molar were evaluated in this study. Sixty specimens were made for each restorative material. They were divided into two groups of thirty specimens each. Of the sixty specimens, thirty were...

  20. Comparative study of the friction and wear behavior of plasma sprayed conventional and nanostructured WC-12%Co coatings on stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Xiaoqin; Zhou Huidi; Chen Jianmin

    2006-01-01

    Conventional and nanostructured WC-12%Co coatings were deposited on 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel substrate using air plasma spraying. The hardness of the coatings was measured, while their friction and wear behavior sliding against Si 3 N 4 at room temperature and elevated temperatures up to 400 deg. C was comparatively studied. The microstructures and worn surface morphologies of the coatings were comparatively analyzed as well by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). It was found that the as-sprayed WC-12%Co coatings were composed of WC as the major phase and W 2 C, WC 1-x , and W 3 Co 3 C as the minor phases. The plasma sprayed nanostructured WC-12%Co coating had much higher hardness and refined microstructures than the conventional WC-12%Co coating. This largely accounted for the better wear resistance of the nanostructured WC-12%Co coating than the conventional coating. Besides, the two types of WC-12%Co coatings showed minor differences in friction coefficients, though the nanostructured WC-12%Co coating roughly had slightly smaller friction coefficient than the conventional coating under the same sliding condition. Moreover, both the conventional and nanostructured WC-12%Co coatings recorded gradually increased wear rate with increasing temperature, and the nanostructured coating was less sensitive to the temperature rise in terms of the wear resistance. The worn surfaces of the conventional WC-12%Co coating at different sliding conditions showed more severe adhesion, microfracture, and peeling as compared to the nanostructured WC-12%Co coating, which well conformed to the corresponding wear resistance of the two types of coatings. The nanostructured WC-12%Co coating with a wear rate as small as 1.01 x 10 -7 mm 3 /Nm at 400 deg. C could be promising candidate coating for the surface-modification of some sliding components subject to harsh working conditions involving elevated

  1. Merchant shipping (Safety Convention) Act 1977

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    When this Act comes into force, it will enable the United Kingdom to ratify and to give effect to the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (the SOLAS Convention) which replaces the SOLAS Convention of 1960. Under the Act, the Secretary of State may make such rules as he considers appropriate regarding ships provided with nuclear power plants in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Annex to the 1974 Convention and to Recommendations attached to it, dealing with nuclear ships, and insofar as those provisions have not been implemented by the Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 1974. (NEA) [fr

  2. Internal reflection spectroscopic analysis of sulphide mineral surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaoma, J.

    1989-01-01

    To establish the reason for flotation of sulfide minerals in the absence of any conventional collector, internal reflection spectroscopic analysis (IRS) of their surfaces was conducted. sulfur, sulfates, thiosulfates, and hydrocarbonates have been detected on the surface of as-grand sulfide minerals. On sodium sulfide-treated surfaces, both sulfur and polysulfide have also been found to be present. From these findings, the flotation of sulfide minerals without collectors is discussed. (author). 26 refs

  3. Dilution Confusion: Conventions for Defining a Dilution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fishel, Laurence A.

    2010-01-01

    Two conventions for preparing dilutions are used in clinical laboratories. The first convention defines an "a:b" dilution as "a" volumes of solution A plus "b" volumes of solution B. The second convention defines an "a:b" dilution as "a" volumes of solution A diluted into a final volume of "b". Use of the incorrect dilution convention could affect…

  4. Cr-Ni ALLOY ELECTRODEPOSITION AND COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL PURE Cr COATING TECHNIQUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Moniruzzaman

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Cr coating is widely used as the outer surface of precision parts due to its attractive appearance and superior corrosion resistance properties. It is obtained by electrodeposition via a conventional bath with hexavalent Cr ions. This manufacturing technique has many drawbacks, such as very low efficiency and high operating temperature and it is hazardous to health. In this work, we studied a Cr-Ni alloy deposition technique and compared the alloy coating properties to those with conventional Cr coating. Sequential two-step alloy electrodeposition was also compared. We took varying concentrations of Cr, Ni and complexing agents for the electrodeposition of Cr-Ni alloy and sequential Cr-Ni alloy coating on mild steel. Operating parameters, i.e. current density and temperature, were varied to examine their effects on the coating properties. The coatings thus obtained were characterized by visual observation, corrosion test, microhardness measurement, morphology and chemical analysis. The Cr-Ni alloy coating was found to be more corrosion resistant in 5% NaCl solution and harder than the pure Cr coating obtained by conventional electrodeposition. Toxic gas was produced in a much lower extent in the alloy coating than the conventional Cr coating technique. Again, the two-step Cr-Ni alloy coating was found better in terms of corrosion resistance as well as hardness compared to the Cr-Ni alloy coating. The process was also found to be much more environmentally friendly.

  5. International practice patterns and factors associated with non-conventional hemodialysis utilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allen Nathan

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of our study was to determine characteristics that influence the utilization of non-conventional hemodialysis (NCHD therapies and its subtypes (nocturnal (NHD, short daily (SDHD, long conventional (LCHD and conventional hemodialysis (CHD as well as provider attitudes regarding the evidence for NCHD use. Methods An international cohort of subscribers of a nephrology education website http://www.nephrologynow.com was invited to participate in an online survey. Non-conventional hemodialysis was defined as any forms of hemodialysis delivered > 3 treatments per week and/or > 4 hours per session. NHD and SDHD included both home and in-centre. Respondents were categorized as CHD if their centre only offered conventional thrice weekly hemodialysis. Variables associated with NCHD and its subtypes were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The survey assessed multiple domains regarding NCHD including reasons for initiating and discontinuing, for not offering and attitudes regarding evidence. Results 544 surveys were completed leading to a 15.6% response rate. The final cohort was limited to 311 physicians. Dialysis modalities utilized among the respondents were as follows: NCHD194 (62.4%, NHD 83 (26.7%, SDHD 107 (34.4%, LCHD 81 (26% and CHD 117 (37.6%. The geographic regions of participants were as follows: 11.9% Canada, 26.7% USA, 21.5% Europe, 6.1% Australia/New Zealand, 10% Africa/Middle East, 10.9% Asia and 12.9% South America. Variables associated with NCHD utilization included NCHD training (OR 2.47 CI 1.25-4.16, government physician reimbursement (OR 2.66, CI 1.11-6.40, practicing at an academic centre (OR 2.28 CI 1.25-4.16, higher national health care expenditure and number of ESRD patients per centre. Hemodialysis providers with patients on NCHD were significantly more likely to agree with the statements that NCHD improves quality of life, improves nutritional status, reduces EPO requirements

  6. Comparison of the Debonding Characteristics of Conventional and New Debonding Instrument used for Ceramic, Composite and Metallic Brackets – An Invitro Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Vikas; Reddy, Y. N. N.; Sanadhya, Sudhanshu; Aapaliya, Pankaj; Sharma, Nidhi

    2014-01-01

    Background: Debonding procedure is time consuming and damaging to the enamel if performed with improper technique. Various debonding methods include: the conventional methods that use pliers or wrenches, an ultrasonic method, electrothermal devices, air pressure impulse devices, diamond burs to grind the brackets off the tooth surface and lasers. Among all these methods, using debonding pliers is most convenient and effective method but has been reported to cause damage to the teeth. Recently, a New Debonding Instrument designed specifically for ceramic and composite brackets has been introduced. As this is a new instrument, little information is available on efficacy of this instrument. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the debonding characteristics of both “the conventional debonding Pliers” and “the New debonding instrument” when removing ceramic, composite and metallic brackets. Materials and Methods: One Hundred Thirty eight extracted maxillary premolar teeth were collected and divided into two Groups: Group A and Group B (n = 69) respectively. They were further divided into 3 subGroups (n = 23) each according to the types of brackets to be bonded. In subGroups A1 and B1{stainless steel};A2 and B2{ceramic};A3 and B3{composite}adhesive precoated maxillary premolar brackets were used. Among them {ceramic and composite} adhesive pre-coated maxillary premolar brackets were bonded. All the teeth were etched using 37% phosphoric acid for 15 seconds and the brackets were bonded using Transbond XT primer. Brackets were debonded using Conventional Debonding Plier and New Debonding Instrument (Group B). After debonding, the enamel surface of each tooth was examined under stereo microscope (10X magnifications). Amodifiedadhesive remnant index (ARI) was used to quantify the amount of remaining adhesive on each tooth. Results: The observations demonstrate that the results of New Debonding Instrument for debonding of metal, ceramic and composite brackets

  7. Spiral CT versus conventional CT in the preoperative assessment of metallic intraocular foreign bodies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prokesch, R.; Bankier, A.; Ba-Ssalamah, A.; Imhof, H.; Lakits, A.; Scholda, C.

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of spiral CT versus conventional CT in the preoperative assessment of metallic intraocular foreign bodies. Results: All foreign bodies were detected by each scanning modality on the axial and on the reconstructed planes. The quality of the axial images was similar for spiral and conventional CT. The spiral technique provided high-quality reconstructed images which allowed accurate localization of the foreign bodies in all cases. Reconstructions by conventional technique were inadequate for preoperative assessment. The examination time for the total orbital volume was 18 s for spiral CT and 52 s for conventional CT. Radiation dose delivered to the lens was 35 mGy for spiral CT and 56 mGy for conventional CT axial scanning. Conclusion: Spiral CT multiplanar offers several significant advantages for the preoperative assessment of metallic intraocular foreign bodies compared to the conventional CT technique in clinical practice, including short examination time, minimized motion artifacts, reduced radiation exposure, and accurate localization. (orig.) [de

  8. Degree of conversion and surface hardness of resin cement cured with different curing units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozturk, Nilgun; Usumez, Aslihan; Usumez, Serdar; Ozturk, Bora

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of conversion and Vickers surface hardness of resin cement under a simulated ceramic restoration with 3 different curing units: a conventional halogen unit, a high-intensity halogen unit, and a light-emitting diode system. A conventional halogen curing unit (Hilux 550) (40 s), a high-intensity halogen curing unit used in conventional and ramp mode (Optilux 501) (10 s and 20 s, respectively), and a light-emitting diode system (Elipar FreeLight) (20 s, 40 s) were used in this study. The dual-curing resin cement (Variolink II) was cured under a simulated ceramic restoration (diameter 5 mm, height 2 mm), and the degree of conversion and Vickers surface hardness were measured. For degree of conversion measurement, 10 specimens were prepared for each group. The absorbance peaks were recorded using the diffuse-reflection mode of Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. For Vickers surface hardness measurement, 10 specimens were prepared for each group. A load of 200 N was applied for 15 seconds, and 3 evaluations of each of the samples were performed. Degree of conversion achieved with Optilux 501 (20 s) was significantly higher than those of Hilux, Optilux 501 (10 s), Elipar FreeLight (20 s), and Elipar FreeLight (40 s). For Vickers surface hardness measurement, Optilux 501 (20 s) produced the highest surface hardness value. No significant differences were found among the Hilux, Optilux 501 (10 s), Elipar FreeLight (20 s), and Elipar FreeLight (40 s). The high-intensity halogen curing unit used in ramp mode (20 s) produced harder resin cement surfaces than did the conventional halogen curing unit, high-intensity halogen curing unit used in conventional mode (10 s) and light-emitting diode system (20 s, 40 s), when cured through a simulated ceramic restoration.

  9. The evolution of development conventions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabio Stefano Erber

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a conceptual view on development and its translation into development policies. It argues that society's perception of development is structured by conventions, which provide a view of the past, present and future and, at the same time, allows a certain hierarchy of problems and solutions to such problems. The prevalence of a specific convention depends on the international conditions faced by this society and on the distribution of economic and political power within that society. Therefore, in complex societies there is always a struggle for hegemony between competing development conventions.

  10. Mechanical behavior of M-Wire and conventional NiTi wire used to manufacture rotary endodontic instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Erika S J; Gomes, Renata O; Leroy, Agnès M F; Singh, Rupinderpal; Peters, Ove A; Bahia, Maria G A; Buono, Vicente T L

    2013-12-01

    Comparison of physical and mechanical properties of one conventional and a new NiTi wire, which had received an additional thermomechanical treatment. Specimens of both conventional (NiTi) and the new type of wire, called M-Wire (MW), were subjected to tensile and three-point bending tests, Vickers microhardness measurements, and to rotating-bending fatigue tests at a strain-controlled level of 6%. Fracture surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy and the non-deformed microstructures by transmission electron microscopy. The thermomechanical treatment applied to produce the M-Wire apparently increased the tensile strength and Vickers microhardness of the material, but its apparent Young modulus was smaller than that of conventionally treated NiTi. The three-point bending tests showed a higher flexibility for MW which also exhibited a significantly higher number of cycles to failure. M-Wire presented mechanical properties that can render endodontic instruments more flexible and fatigue resistant than those made with conventionally processed NiTi wires. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Article Including Environmental Barrier Coating System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kang N. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    An enhanced environmental barrier coating for a silicon containing substrate. The enhanced barrier coating may include a bond coat doped with at least one of an alkali metal oxide and an alkali earth metal oxide. The enhanced barrier coating may include a composite mullite bond coat including BSAS and another distinct second phase oxide applied over said surface.

  12. Wettability and surface free energy of polarised ceramic biomaterials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Miho; Hori, Naoko; Namba, Saki; Yamashita, Kimihiro; Toyama, Takeshi; Nishimiya, Nobuyuki

    2015-01-01

    The surface modification of ceramic biomaterials used for medical devices is expected to improve osteoconductivity through control of the interfaces between the materials and living tissues. Polarisation treatment induced surface charges on hydroxyapatite, β-tricalcium phosphate, carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite and yttria-stabilized zirconia regardless of the differences in the carrier ions participating in the polarisation. Characterization of the surfaces revealed that the wettability of the polarised ceramic biomaterials was improved through the increase in the surface free energies compared with conventional ceramic surfaces. (note)

  13. 2015 Plan. Project 7: the environmental issue and the electrical sector. The options of electrical power supply and their socio-environmental implications: sources/conventional and non-conventional technologies of generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-10-01

    The socio-environmental impacts caused by the uses of conventional sources (hydraulic, mineral coal, nuclear, petroleum by-products and natural gas) and non-conventional (biomass, solar, eolic, ocean and organic wastes) in electric power generation are presented. The main topics that integrate the environmental schedule in the last years are described, including some considerations about environmental legislation and atmospheric alterations. The reserves for each source are also cited. (C.G.C.)

  14. A comparative study of the efficacy of topical negative pressure moist dressings and conventional moist dressings in chronic wounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tauro Leo

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To assess the efficacy of topical negative pressure moist wound dressing as compared to conventional moist wound dressings in improving the healing process in chronic wounds and to prove that negative pressure dressings can be used as a much better treatment option in the management of chronic wounds. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective comparative study of data from 112 patients with chronic wounds, of which 56 patients underwent topical negative pressure dressings (17 diabetic, 10 pressure sores, nine ischemic, two varicose, 10 post-infective raw areas and eight traumatic - six had bone exposed, two orthopaedic prosthesis exposed. The remaining 56 patients underwent conventional moist dressings (20 diabetic, two ischemic, 15 pressure sores, three varicose, eight post-infective raw areas and eight traumatic - five had bone exposed, three orthopaedic prosthesis exposed. The results were compared after 10 days. The variables compared were, rate of granulation tissue formation as a percentage of ulcer area covered, skin graft take up as the percentage of ulcer surface area and duration of hospital stay. The variables were compared using Unpaired Student′s t test. A " P" value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of 56 patients who underwent topical negative pressure dressings, six (10.71% were failures, due to failure in maintaining topical negative pressure due to defective sealing technique; these were included into the study group. After 10 days, the mean rate of granulation tissue formation was 71.43% of ulcer surface area. All these 56 cases underwent split-thickness skin grafting. The mean graft take-up was 79.29%. The mean hospital stay was 32.64 days. In the remaining 56 patients, the mean rate of granulation tissue formation was 52.85% of ulcer surface area. The mean graft take-up was only 60.45% of the total ulcer surface area. The mean hospital stay was 60.45 days. Conclusion: To conclude, topical negative

  15. The convention on the physical protection of nuclear material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-05-01

    This document contains the full text of a convention to facilitate the safe transfer of nuclear material, and to insure the physical protection of nuclear material in domestic use, storage, and transport. Two annexes are included, which establish categories of nuclear materials and levels of physical protection to be applied in international transport

  16. Structural characterization of humic-like substances with conventional and surface-enhanced spectroscopic techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carletti, Paolo; Roldán, Maria Lorena; Francioso, Ornella; Nardi, Serenella; Sanchez-Cortes, Santiago

    2010-10-01

    Emission-excitation, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) combined with surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) were applied to aqueous solutions of a humic-like substance (HLS) extracted from earthworm faeces. All measurements were acquired in a wide range of pH (4-12) and analysed by the linear regression analysis. Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectra were also acquired to assist in the structural characterization of this HLS. The emission and excitation spectra allowed the identification of two main fluorophores in the analysed sample. Moreover, a close correlation between fluorescence intensities of each fluorophore with pH variation was observed. SERS and SEF, in agreement with the fluorescence spectroscopy, showed that the HLS at low pH values exists in an aggregated and coiled molecular structure while it is dispersed and uncoiled at alkaline conditions. The obtained spectra also evidenced that different conditions modify the functional groups exposed to the surrounding aqueous environment.

  17. International conventions for measuring radioactivity of building materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan Chenglong

    2004-01-01

    In buildings, whether civil or industrial, natural radioactivity always occurs at different degrees in the materials (main building materials, decorative materials). Concerns on radioactivity from building materials is unavoidable for human living and developing. As a member of WTO, China's measuring method of radioactivity for building materials, including radionuclides limitation for building materials, hazard evaluation system etc, should keep accordance with the international rules and conventions. (author)

  18. Effect of changing the kilovoltage peak on radiographic caries assessment in digital and conventional radiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zayet, Mohamed Khalifa; Helaly, Yara Rabee; Eiid, Salma Belal [Dept. of Oral Radiology, Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo (Egypt)

    2014-09-15

    This study aimed to investigate the effect of changing the kilovoltage peak (kVp) on the radiographic assessment of dental caries. Seventy-five extracted posterior teeth with proximal caries or apparently sound proximal surfaces were radiographed with conventional E-speed films and a photostimulable phosphor system using 60 kVp and 70 kVp for the caries assessment. The images were evaluated by three oral radiologists and compared with the results of the stereomicroscope analysis. No statistically significant difference was found between 60 kVp and 70 kVp for the caries detection, determination of caries extension into dentin, and caries severity in either the conventional or the digital images. Good to very good inter-observer and intra-observer agreements were found for both kilovoltage values on the conventional and digital images. Changing the kilovoltage between 60 kVp and 70 kVp had no obvious effect on the detection of proximal caries or determination of its extension or severity.

  19. Effect of changing the kilovoltage peak on radiographic caries assessment in digital and conventional radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zayet, Mohamed Khalifa; Helaly, Yara Rabee; Eiid, Salma Belal

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the effect of changing the kilovoltage peak (kVp) on the radiographic assessment of dental caries. Seventy-five extracted posterior teeth with proximal caries or apparently sound proximal surfaces were radiographed with conventional E-speed films and a photostimulable phosphor system using 60 kVp and 70 kVp for the caries assessment. The images were evaluated by three oral radiologists and compared with the results of the stereomicroscope analysis. No statistically significant difference was found between 60 kVp and 70 kVp for the caries detection, determination of caries extension into dentin, and caries severity in either the conventional or the digital images. Good to very good inter-observer and intra-observer agreements were found for both kilovoltage values on the conventional and digital images. Changing the kilovoltage between 60 kVp and 70 kVp had no obvious effect on the detection of proximal caries or determination of its extension or severity.

  20. Towards a Theory of Convention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Pelle Guldborg

    2006-01-01

    Some thirty years ago Lewis published his Convention: A philosophical Study (Lewis 1969). Besides exciting the logical community by providing the seminal analysis work on common knowledge, it also laid the foundations for the formal approach to the study of social conventions by means of game the...

  1. The protocol amending the 1963 Vienna Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamm, V.

    2006-01-01

    Technically the Vienna Convention was revised by the adoption of the protocol to amend the instrument. and according to Article 19 of the protocol 'A State which is Party to this Protocol but not to the 1963 Vienna Convention shall be bound by the provisions of that Convention as amended by this Protocol in relation to other States Parties hereto, and failing an expression of a different intention by that State at the time of deposit of an instrument referred to in Article 20 shall be bound by the provisions of the 1963 Vienna Convention in relation to States which are only Parties thereto'. This solution has created a special situation, because after the entry into force of the protocol there will be living together or operating in practice 'two' Vienna Conventions, notably the convention's original text of 1963 and its new version as amended by the protocol. After the protocol has come into force, a state may only accede to the amended version, but in the inter se relations of the States Party to the 'old' Vienna Convention the provisions of that convention will remain in force until such time as they have acceded to the new protocol. This rather complicated situation is nevertheless understandable and is fully in accord with Article 40 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which provides for the amendment of multilateral treaties. In 1989 the negotiations on the revision of the Vienna Convention had begun with the aim of strengthening the existing nuclear liability regime and of improving the situation of potential victims of nuclear accidents. The Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention serves those purposes; it also reflects a good compromise, since it is the outcome of a negotiation process in which experts from both nuclear and non-nuclear states, from Contacting Parties and non-Contracting Parties were very active. That affords some assurance that the compromise solution reached is acceptable to all States participating in the adoption of

  2. Analysis and suppression of passive noise in surface microseismic data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forghani-Arani, Farnoush

    the surface-wave arrivals. Interferometry is a powerful tool to extract waves (including body-wave and surface-waves) that propagate from any receiver in the array (called a pseudo source) to the other receivers across the array. Since most of the noise sources in surface microseismic data lie on the surface, seismic interferometry yields pseudo source gathers dominated by surface-wave energy. The dispersive characteristics of these surface-waves are important properties that can be used to extract information necessary for suppressing these waves. I demonstrate the application of interferometry to surface passive data recorded during the hydraulic fracturing operation of a tight gas reservoir and extract the dispersion properties of surface-waves corresponding to a pseudo-shot gather. Comparison of the dispersion characteristics of the surface waves from the pseudo-shot gather with that of an active shot-gather shows interesting similarities and differences. The dispersion character (e.g. velocity change with frequency) of the fundamental mode was observed to have the same behavior for both the active and passive data. However, for the higher mode surface-waves, the dispersion properties are extracted at different frequency ranges. Conventional noise suppression techniques in passive data are mostly stacking-based that rely on enforcing the amplitude of the signal by stacking the waveforms at the receivers and are unable to preserve the waveforms at the individual receivers necessary for estimating the microseismic source location and source mechanism. Here, I introduce a technique based on the tau - p transform, that effectively identifies and separates microseismic events from surface-wave noise in the tau -p domain. This technique is superior to conventional stacking-based noise suppression techniques, because it preserves the waveforms at individual receivers. Application of this methodology to microseismic events with isotropic and double-couple source mechanism

  3. Isotropic 3D cardiac cine MRI allows efficient sparse segmentation strategies based on 3D surface reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odille, Freddy; Bustin, Aurélien; Liu, Shufang; Chen, Bailiang; Vuissoz, Pierre-André; Felblinger, Jacques; Bonnemains, Laurent

    2018-05-01

    Segmentation of cardiac cine MRI data is routinely used for the volumetric analysis of cardiac function. Conventionally, 2D contours are drawn on short-axis (SAX) image stacks with relatively thick slices (typically 8 mm). Here, an acquisition/reconstruction strategy is used for obtaining isotropic 3D cine datasets; reformatted slices are then used to optimize the manual segmentation workflow. Isotropic 3D cine datasets were obtained from multiple 2D cine stacks (acquired during free-breathing in SAX and long-axis (LAX) orientations) using nonrigid motion correction (cine-GRICS method) and super-resolution. Several manual segmentation strategies were then compared, including conventional SAX segmentation, LAX segmentation in three views only, and combinations of SAX and LAX slices. An implicit B-spline surface reconstruction algorithm is proposed to reconstruct the left ventricular cavity surface from the sparse set of 2D contours. All tested sparse segmentation strategies were in good agreement, with Dice scores above 0.9 despite using fewer slices (3-6 sparse slices instead of 8-10 contiguous SAX slices). When compared to independent phase-contrast flow measurements, stroke volumes computed from four or six sparse slices had slightly higher precision than conventional SAX segmentation (error standard deviation of 5.4 mL against 6.1 mL) at the cost of slightly lower accuracy (bias of -1.2 mL against 0.2 mL). Functional parameters also showed a trend to improved precision, including end-diastolic volumes, end-systolic volumes, and ejection fractions). The postprocessing workflow of 3D isotropic cardiac imaging strategies can be optimized using sparse segmentation and 3D surface reconstruction. Magn Reson Med 79:2665-2675, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  4. Computed tomographic mammography using a conventional body scanner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, C H; Nesbit, D E; Fisher, D R; Fritz, S L; Dwyer, S J; Templeton, A W; Lin, F; Jewell, W R

    1982-03-01

    The technique for computed tomographic (CT) examination of the breasts using a conventional body scanner is described, and experience with 67 patients is reported. In the diagnosis of both malignant and benign breast lesions, the results with a body scanner were equal to those of a dedicated CT/M mammographic unit. Although the CT study of the breast cannot replace conventional mammography in screening or in routine diagnostic workup, the unique capability of demonstrating both anatomic changes and increased iodide concentration in a cancer provides many advantages over conventional mammography. CT mammography appears to have the capability to detect breast cancers that are occult to other methods. Indications for a CT study of the breasts are: (1) clinically suspected breast cancer, especially with a mammographically occult lesion; (2) questionable mammographic findings, including microcalcifications, tumor shape, architectural distortion, and uncertain lesion location; and (3) evaluation of postbiopsy or postlumpectomy breast cancers when a primary irradiation therapy is contemplated. Breast CT also appears to be a valuable diagnostic tool in searching for a second primary breast cancer, follow-up study of postirradiation of breast cancer, followup study for postmastectomy patients, and screening procedure for genetically high-risk patients, especially those with dense breasts.

  5. Self-ligating versus conventional metallic brackets on Streptococcus mutans retention: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longoni, Juliano N; Lopes, Beatriz M; Freires, Irlan A; Dutra, Kamile L; Franco, Ademir; Paranhos, Luiz R

    2017-01-01

    The present study aimed to review the literature systematically and assess comparatively whether self-ligating metallic brackets accumulate less Streptococcus mutans biofilm than conventional metallic brackets. The systematic search was performed following PRISMA guidelines and registration in PROSPERO. Seven electronic databases (Google Scholar, LILACS, Open Grey, PubMed, SciELO, ScienceDirect, and Scopus) were consulted until April 2016, with no restriction of language and time of publication. Only randomized clinical studies verifying S. mutans colonization in metallic brackets (self-ligating and conventional) were included. All steps were performed independently by two operators. The search resulted in 546 records obtained from the electronic databases. Additionally, 216 references obtained from the manual search of eligible articles were assessed. Finally, a total of 5 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. In 1 study, the total bacterial count was not different among self-ligating and conventional brackets, whereas in 2 studies the amount was lower for self-ligating brackets. Regarding the specific count of S. mutans , 2 studies showed less accumulation in self-ligating than in conventional brackets. Based on the limited evidence, self-ligating metallic brackets accumulate less S. mutans than conventional ones. However, these findings must be interpreted in conjunction with particularities individual for each patient - such as hygiene and dietary habits, which are components of the multifactorial environment that enables S. Mutans to proliferate and keep retained in the oral cavity.

  6. Efficacy of low-pressure foam cleaning compared to conventional cleaning methods in the removal of bacteria from surfaces associated with convenience food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambrechts, A A; Human, I S; Doughari, J H; Lues, J F R

    2014-09-01

    Food borne illnesses and food poisoning are cause for concern globally. The diseases are often caused by food contamination with pathogenic bacteria due largely to poor sanitary habits or storage conditions. Prevalence of some bacteria on cleaned and sanitised food contact surfaces from eight convenience food plants in Gauteng (South Africa) was investigated with the view to evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning methods used with such food contact surfaces. The microbial load of eight convenience food manufacturing plants was determined by sampling stainless steel food contact surfaces after they had been cleaned and sanitised at the end of a day's shift. Samples were analysed for Total Plate Count (TPC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria species. Results showed that 59 % of the total areas sampled for TPC failed to comply with the legal requirements for surfaces, according to the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act ( 0.05) in terms of Listeria species isolates obtained from both cleaning methods. The LPF method proved to be the superior cleaning option for lowering TPC counts. Regardless of cleaning method used, pathogens continued to flourish on various surfaces, including dry stainless steel, posing a contamination hazard for a considerable period depending on the contamination level and type of pathogen. Intensive training for proper chemical usage and strict procedural compliance among workers for efficient cleaning procedures is recommended.

  7. Annual Technology Baseline (Including Supporting Data); NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blair, Nate; Cory, Karlynn; Hand, Maureen; Parkhill, Linda; Speer, Bethany; Stehly, Tyler; Feldman, David; Lantz, Eric; Augusting, Chad; Turchi, Craig; O' Connor, Patrick

    2015-07-08

    Consistent cost and performance data for various electricity generation technologies can be difficult to find and may change frequently for certain technologies. With the Annual Technology Baseline (ATB), National Renewable Energy Laboratory provides an organized and centralized dataset that was reviewed by internal and external experts. It uses the best information from the Department of Energy laboratory's renewable energy analysts and Energy Information Administration information for conventional technologies. The ATB will be updated annually in order to provide an up-to-date repository of current and future cost and performance data. Going forward, we plan to revise and refine the values using best available information. The ATB includes both a presentation with notes (PDF) and an associated Excel Workbook. The ATB includes the following electricity generation technologies: land-based wind; offshore wind; utility-scale solar PV; concentrating solar power; geothermal power; hydropower plants (upgrades to existing facilities, powering non-powered dams, and new stream-reach development); conventional coal; coal with carbon capture and sequestration; integrated gasification combined cycle coal; natural gas combustion turbines; natural gas combined cycle; conventional biopower. Nuclear laboratory's renewable energy analysts and Energy Information Administration information for conventional technologies. The ATB will be updated annually in order to provide an up-to-date repository of current and future cost and performance data. Going forward, we plan to revise and refine the values using best available information.

  8. Characterisation of multifunctional surfaces with robust filters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis, Kasper Storgaard; Godi, Alessandro; De Chiffre, Leonardo

    2011-01-01

    Research has shown that engineered surfaces containing lubrication pockets and directional surface texture can decrease wear and friction in sliding or rolling contacts. A new generation of multifunctional (MUFU) surfaces is achieved by hard machining followed by robot assisted polishing (RAP......). The novel production method allows for a large degree of freedom in specifying surface characteristics such as frequency, depth and volume of the lubricant retention valleys, as well as the amount of load bearing area and the surface roughness. The surfaces cannot readily be characterized by means...... of conventional roughness parameters due to the multi-process production method involved. A series of MUFU surfaces were characterized by using the ISO 13565 standard for stratified surfaces and it is shown that the standard in some cases is inadequate for characterisation of a MUFU surface. To improve...

  9. Unsteady free surface flow in porous media: One-dimensional model equations including vertical effects and seepage face

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Nucci, Carmine

    2018-05-01

    This note examines the two-dimensional unsteady isothermal free surface flow of an incompressible fluid in a non-deformable, homogeneous, isotropic, and saturated porous medium (with zero recharge and neglecting capillary effects). Coupling a Boussinesq-type model for nonlinear water waves with Darcy's law, the two-dimensional flow problem is solved using one-dimensional model equations including vertical effects and seepage face. In order to take into account the seepage face development, the system equations (given by the continuity and momentum equations) are completed by an integral relation (deduced from the Cauchy theorem). After testing the model against data sets available in the literature, some numerical simulations, concerning the unsteady flow through a rectangular dam (with an impermeable horizontal bottom), are presented and discussed.

  10. Plasma immersion surface modification with metal ion plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, I.G.; Yu, K.M.; Godechot, X.

    1991-04-01

    We describe here a novel technique for surface modification in which metal plasma is employed and by which various blends of plasma deposition and ion implantation can be obtained. The new technique is a variation of the plasma immersion technique described by Conrad and co-workers. When a substrate is immersed in a metal plasma, the plasma that condenses on the substrate remains there as a film, and when the substrate is then implanted, qualitatively different processes can follow, including' conventional' high energy ion implantation, recoil implantation, ion beam mixing, ion beam assisted deposition, and metallic thin film and multilayer fabrication with or without species mixing. Multiple metal plasma guns can be used with different metal ion species, films can be bonded to the substrate through ion beam mixing at the interface, and multilayer structures can be tailored with graded or abrupt interfaces. We have fabricated several different kinds of modified surface layers in this way. 22 refs., 4 figs

  11. National Convention on Family Life Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1973-12-01

    This secretarial report gives brief comments on some discussion of topics at the National Convention on Family Life Education. Discussion included: 1) legalized prostitution as a means to reduce venereal disease; 2) family life education promotion by government and civic groups; 3) more authority for the Population Council; 4) more liberal abortion legislation than previously; 5) statutory notification of veneral disease by medical practitioners; 6) compensatory measures for working women with young children, and 7) the need for modernization of legislation pertaining to child health, adoption, paternity, the Persons Act, infant life preservation, drugs, age of consent, and the age of minority.

  12. 9th Structural Engineering Convention 2014

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    The book presents research papers presented by academicians, researchers, and practicing structural engineers from India and abroad in the recently held Structural Engineering Convention (SEC) 2014 at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi during 22 – 24 December 2014. The book is divided into three volumes and encompasses multidisciplinary areas within structural engineering, such as earthquake engineering and structural dynamics, structural mechanics, finite element methods, structural vibration control, advanced cementitious and composite materials, bridge engineering, and soil-structure interaction. Advances in Structural Engineering is a useful reference material for structural engineering fraternity including undergraduate and postgraduate students, academicians, researchers and practicing engineers.

  13. The prospect of conventional disarmament

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adeniji, O.

    1989-01-01

    The prospect of conventional disarmament in Europe holds out great consequences not only for the continent but also for the entire world. The arms race both in its nuclear and conventional aspects has been the single most important element of the destabilizing factors in international relations since 1945. Though initially borne out of the ideological division of Europe and the consequent quest for strategic military superiority, it soon developed a technological momentum of its own, becoming more the cause than the effect of the distrust in the relationship of the two alliances. The issue of conventional weapons was raised for negotiations side by side with that of nuclear weapons when the United Nations took up the question of disarmament in 1946. Due, however, to the unforeseen and most dangerous advance in nuclear weaponry, the fear engendered shifted all attention at the multilateral level to nuclear weapons. Except in Europe where the Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction Talks in Central Europe were initiated, conventional weapons disarmament did not attract multilateral attention again until the First Special Session of the United nations General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament in 1978. The Final Document of the Special Session did accord highest priority to negotiations on nuclear weapons. However, it also affirmed that side by side with negotiations on nuclear weapons, the limitation and gradual reduction of armed forces and conventional weapons should be resolutely pursued within the framework of general and complete disarmament. States with the largest military arsenals, it was stated, had a special responsibility in pursuing conventional armaments reduction. Underscoring the central role of Europe further, the Final Document postulated that the achievement of a more stable situation at a lower level of military potential would contribute toward strengthening of security in Europe and constitute a significant step toward international peace and security

  14. Mean field diffusion models for precipitation in crystalline GaAs including surface tension and bulk stresses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dreyer, Wolfgang [Weierstrass-Institut fuer Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik (WIAS) im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (Germany); Kimmerle, Sven-Joachim [Humboldt-Univ. Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Mathematics

    2009-07-01

    Based on a thermodynamically consistent model for precipitation in gallium arsenide crystals including surface tension and bulk stresses by Dreyer and Duderstadt, we propose different mathematical models to describe the size evolution of liquid droplets in a crystalline solid. The first class of models treats the diffusion-controlled regime of interface motion, while the second class is concerned with the interface-controlled regime of interface motion. Our models take care of conservation of mass and substance. We consider homogenised models, where different length scales of the experimental situation have been exploited in order to simplify the equations. These homogenised models generalise the well-known Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner model for Ostwald ripening. Mean field models capture the main properties of our system and are well adapted for numerics and further analysis. Numerical evidence suggests in which case which one of the two regimes might be appropriate to the experimental situation. (orig.)

  15. Systems and strippable coatings for decontaminating structures that include porous material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Robert V [Idaho Falls, ID; Avci, Recep [Bozeman, MT; Groenewold, Gary S [Idaho Falls, ID

    2011-12-06

    Methods of removing contaminant matter from porous materials include applying a polymer material to a contaminated surface, irradiating the contaminated surface to cause redistribution of contaminant matter, and removing at least a portion of the polymer material from the surface. Systems for decontaminating a contaminated structure comprising porous material include a radiation device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward a surface of a structure, and at least one spray device configured to apply a capture material onto the surface of the structure. Polymer materials that can be used in such methods and systems include polyphosphazine-based polymer materials having polyphosphazine backbone segments and side chain groups that include selected functional groups. The selected functional groups may include iminos, oximes, carboxylates, sulfonates, .beta.-diketones, phosphine sulfides, phosphates, phosphites, phosphonates, phosphinates, phosphine oxides, monothio phosphinic acids, and dithio phosphinic acids.

  16. Optical surfacing via linear ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Lixiang; Wei, Chaoyang; Shao, Jianda

    2017-01-01

    We present a concept of surface decomposition extended from double Fourier series to nonnegative sinusoidal wave surfaces, on the basis of which linear ion sources apply to the ultra-precision fabrication of complex surfaces and diffractive optics. The modified Fourier series, or sinusoidal wave surfaces, build a relationship between the fabrication process of optical surfaces and the surface characterization based on power spectral density (PSD) analysis. Also, we demonstrate that the one-dimensional scanning of linear ion source is applicable to the removal of mid-spatial frequency (MSF) errors caused by small-tool polishing in raster scan mode as well as the fabrication of beam sampling grating of high diffractive uniformity without a post-processing procedure. The simulation results show that optical fabrication with linear ion source is feasible and even of higher output efficiency compared with the conventional approach.

  17. Optical surfacing via linear ion source

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Lixiang, E-mail: wulx@hdu.edu.cn [Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of LSI Design, Microelectronics CAD Center, College of Electronics and Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou (China); Wei, Chaoyang, E-mail: siomwei@siom.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Shao, Jianda, E-mail: jdshao@siom.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China)

    2017-04-15

    We present a concept of surface decomposition extended from double Fourier series to nonnegative sinusoidal wave surfaces, on the basis of which linear ion sources apply to the ultra-precision fabrication of complex surfaces and diffractive optics. The modified Fourier series, or sinusoidal wave surfaces, build a relationship between the fabrication process of optical surfaces and the surface characterization based on power spectral density (PSD) analysis. Also, we demonstrate that the one-dimensional scanning of linear ion source is applicable to the removal of mid-spatial frequency (MSF) errors caused by small-tool polishing in raster scan mode as well as the fabrication of beam sampling grating of high diffractive uniformity without a post-processing procedure. The simulation results show that optical fabrication with linear ion source is feasible and even of higher output efficiency compared with the conventional approach.

  18. Convention on the physical protection of nuclear materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    The document refers to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (IAEA-INFCIRC-274), including in Part I the status list of signature, ratification, acceptance, approval, accession or succession by States or organizations as of 31 December 1996, in Part II the texts of reservations/declarations made upon or following expressing consent to be bound, and in Part III the texts of reservations/declarations made upon signature

  19. Alternative Fuels Data Center: Conventional Natural Gas Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conventional Natural Gas Production to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center : Conventional Natural Gas Production on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Conventional Natural Gas Production on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center: Conventional Natural Gas Production

  20. Implementing the chemical weapons convention

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kellman, B.; Tanzman, E. A.

    1999-12-07

    In 1993, as the CWC ratification process was beginning, concerns arose that the complexity of integrating the CWC with national law could cause each nation to implement the Convention without regard to what other nations were doing, thereby causing inconsistencies among States as to how the CWC would be carried out. As a result, the author's colleagues and the author prepared the Manual for National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and presented it to each national delegation at the December 1993 meeting of the Preparatory Commission in The Hague. During its preparation, the Committee of CWC Legal Experts, a group of distinguished international jurists, law professors, legally-trained diplomats, government officials, and Parliamentarians from every region of the world, including Central Europe, reviewed the Manual. In February 1998, they finished the second edition of the Manual in order to update it in light of developments since the CWC entered into force on 29 April 1997. The Manual tries to increase understanding of the Convention by identifying its obligations and suggesting methods of meeting them. Education about CWC obligations and available alternatives to comply with these requirements can facilitate national response that are consistent among States Parties. Thus, the Manual offers options that can strengthen international realization of the Convention's goals if States Parties act compatibly in implementing them. Equally important, it is intended to build confidence that the legal issues raised by the Convention are finite and addressable. They are now nearing competition of an internet version of this document so that interested persons can access it electronically and can view the full text of all of the national implementing legislation it cites. The internet address, or URL, for the internet version of the Manual is http: //www.cwc.ard.gov. This paper draws from the Manual. It comparatively addresses approximately thirty

  1. Implementing the chemical weapons convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kellman, B.; Tanzman, E. A.

    1999-01-01

    In 1993, as the CWC ratification process was beginning, concerns arose that the complexity of integrating the CWC with national law could cause each nation to implement the Convention without regard to what other nations were doing, thereby causing inconsistencies among States as to how the CWC would be carried out. As a result, the author's colleagues and the author prepared the Manual for National Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and presented it to each national delegation at the December 1993 meeting of the Preparatory Commission in The Hague. During its preparation, the Committee of CWC Legal Experts, a group of distinguished international jurists, law professors, legally-trained diplomats, government officials, and Parliamentarians from every region of the world, including Central Europe, reviewed the Manual. In February 1998, they finished the second edition of the Manual in order to update it in light of developments since the CWC entered into force on 29 April 1997. The Manual tries to increase understanding of the Convention by identifying its obligations and suggesting methods of meeting them. Education about CWC obligations and available alternatives to comply with these requirements can facilitate national response that are consistent among States Parties. Thus, the Manual offers options that can strengthen international realization of the Convention's goals if States Parties act compatibly in implementing them. Equally important, it is intended to build confidence that the legal issues raised by the Convention are finite and addressable. They are now nearing competition of an internet version of this document so that interested persons can access it electronically and can view the full text of all of the national implementing legislation it cites. The internet address, or URL, for the internet version of the Manual is http: //www.cwc.ard.gov. This paper draws from the Manual. It comparatively addresses approximately thirty

  2. Characterization and robust filtering of multifunctional surfaces using ISO standards

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis, Kasper Storgaard; Godi, Alessandro; De Chiffre, Leonardo

    2011-01-01

    Engineered surfaces containing lubrication pockets and directional surface texture can decrease wear and friction in sliding or rolling contacts. A new generation of multifunctional (MUFU) surfaces has been created by hard machining followed by robot-assisted polishing. The production method allows...... for a large degree of freedom in specifying surface topography defined by frequency, depth and volume of the lubricant retention valleys, as well as the amount of load bearing area and the surface roughness. The surfaces cannot readily be characterized by means of conventional roughness parameters due...

  3. Field Evidence Supporting Conventional Onion Curing Practices as a Strategy To Mitigate Escherichia coli Contamination from Irrigation Water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Daniel; Feibert, Erik; Reitz, Stuart; Shock, Clint; Waite-Cusic, Joy

    2018-03-01

    The Produce Safety Rule of the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act includes restrictions on the use of agricultural water of poor microbiological quality. Mitigation options for poor water quality include the application of an irrigation-to-harvest interval of onion production includes an extended irrigation-to-harvest interval (onion fields (randomized block design; n = 5) via drip tape on the final day of irrigation. Onions remained undisturbed for 7 days and were then lifted to the surface to cure for an additional 21 days before harvest. Water, onions, and soil were tested for presence of rifampin-resistant E. coli. One day after irrigation, 13.3% of onions (20 of 150) receiving the poorest quality water (3 log CFU/mL) tested positive for E. coli; this prevalence was reduced to 4% (6 of 150 onions) after 7 days. Regardless of inoculum level, E. coli was not detected on any onions beyond 15 days postirrigation. These results support conventional dry bulb onion curing practices as an effective strategy to mitigate microbiological concerns associated with poor quality irrigation water.

  4. The Chemical Weapons Convention and the Role of Engineers and Scientists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matoušek, J

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Chemical weapons, like all military technology, are associated with activities of scientists and engineers. However, chemical weapons differ from any other military technology because they were invented, and their first mass use directly developed by famous chemists. The active contribution of engineers and scientists and their organisations in the negotiations on chemical disarmament, including drafting the Chemical Weapons Convention, is described. Their present and future role in implementing the Convention is analysed, taking into consideration the threats and benefits of advances in science and technology, and stressing the independent expertise of the OPCW Scientific Advisory Board.

  5. Economic and agronomic analysis of conventional and organic concept of cucumber growing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pavlović Nenad

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Contemporary agro-technology enables high and stabile yield of slicing cucumber throughout the whole year. This study deals with total costs of production, yield per surface unit and the main parameters of profitability of producing slicing cucumber in the greenhouses and in the open field in conventional and organic farming system. Growing cucumbers in the greenhouses and in accordance with the principles of organic farming are the main conditions for higher prices in the market. The highest total costs (820.00 EUR/are but also the highest gain (225.00 EUR/are was realized in producing slicing cucumber both in the greenhouse in the organic farming system. Financial losses were recorded when growing cucumbers in the open field despite lower costs, both in organic and conventional system of growing: 29.00 EUR/are, i.e. -15.00 EUR/are, respectively. The business rate of profitability and the coefficient of cost-effectiveness were higher in growing cucumber in greenhouses in both concepts of production.

  6. Digital vs conventional radiography: cost and revenue analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dalla Palma, L.; Cuttin, R.; Rimondini, A.; Grisi, G.

    1999-01-01

    The objective of this study was to analyse and compare the operating and investment costs of two radiographic systems, a conventional and a digital one, and to evaluate the cost/revenue ratio of the two systems. The radiological activity over 1 year for chest and skeletal exams was evaluated: 13,401 chest and 7,124 skeletal exams were considered. The following parameters of variable costs were evaluated: the difference between variable proportional costs of the two technologies, the effective variable cost of any size film, including the chemicals, and for different sizes of digital film, variable costs of chest plus skeletal exams performed with the two techniques. Afterwards the economical effect was considered taking into account depreciation during a time of utilization ranging between 8 and 4 years. In the second part of the analysis the total cost and the revenues of the two technologies were determined. The comparison between the digital and conventional systems has shown the following aspects: 1. Digital radiography system has a much higher investment cost in comparison with the conventional one. 2. Operating costs of digital equipment are higher or lower depending on the film size used. Evaluating chest X-ray we reach a breakeven point after 1 year and 10,000 exams only if displayed over 8 x 10-in. film and after 30,000 if displayed over a 11 x 14-in. film. 3. The total cost (variable cost, technology cost, labour cost) of digital technology is lower than that of the conventional system by 20 % on average using 8 x 10-in. film size. 4. Digital technology also allows lesser film waste and lesser film per exam (orig.)

  7. 30 CFR 75.206 - Conventional roof support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Roof Support § 75.206 Conventional roof support. (a) Except in anthracite mines using non-mechanized mining systems, when conventional roof support... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Conventional roof support. 75.206 Section 75...

  8. Human rights and conventionality control in Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azul América Aguiar-Aguilar

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The protection of human rights in Mexico has, de jure, suffered an important change in the last years, given a new judicial interpretation delivered by the National Supreme Court of Justice that allows the use of conventionality control, which means, that it allows federal and state judges to verify the conformity of domestic laws with those established in the Inter-American Convention of Human Rights. To what extent domestic actors are protecting human rights using this new legal tool called conventionality control? In this article I explore whom and how is conventionality control being used in Mexico. Using N-Vivo Software I reviewed concluded decisions delivered by intermediate level courts (Collegiate Circuit Courts in three Mexican states. The evidence points that conventionality control is a very useful tool especially to defenders, who appear in sentences claiming compliance with the commitments Mexico has acquired when this country ratified the Convention.

  9. Paris and Vienna nuclear liability conventions: challenges for insurers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reitsma, S. M. S.

    2004-01-01

    Insurers have actively contributed to the negotiations on the revision of the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy. In the course of these negotiations they have pointed out that some of the proposals for revision may have consequences for insurers and could prove incapable of finding insurance support. This paper aims at explaining the revision related points, which could cause problems in respect of insurability. Furthermore, the writer takes the liberty to expand its scope to more generally include developments, which have the potential to influence the availability of insurance capacity. Therefore, also the insurance implications of terrorist acts combined with share market developments of recent years will be dealt with.(author)

  10. Facet Model and Mathematical Morphology for Surface Characterization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abidi, B.R.; Goddard, J.S.; Hunt, M.A.; Sari-Sarraf, H.

    1999-11-13

    This paper describes an algorithm for the automatic segmentation and representation of surface structures and non-uniformities in an industrial setting. The automatic image processing and analysis algorithm is developed as part of a complete on-line web characterization system of a papermaking process at the wet end. The goal is to: (1) link certain types of structures on the surface of the web to known machine parameter values, and (2) find the connection between detected structures at the beginning of the line and defects seen on the final product. Images of the pulp mixture (slurry), carried by a fast moving table, are obtained using a stroboscopic light and a CCD camera. This characterization algorithm succeeded where conventional contrast and edge detection techniques failed due to a poorly controlled environment. The images obtained have poor contrast and contain noise caused by a variety of sources. After a number of enhancement steps, conventional segmentation methods still f ailed to detect any structures and are consequently discarded. Techniques tried include the Canny edge detector, the Sobel, Roberts, and Prewitt's filters, as well as zero crossings. The facet model algorithm, is then applied to the images with various parameter settings and is found to be successful in detecting the various topographic characteristics of the surface of the slurry. Pertinent topographic elements are retained and a filtered image computed. Carefully tailored morphological operators are then applied to detect and segment regions of interest. Those regions are then selected according to their size, elongation, and orientation. Their bounding rectangles are computed and represented. Also addressed in this paper are aspects of the real time implementation of this algorithm for on-line use. The algorithm is tested on over 500 images of slurry and is found to segment and characterize nonuniformities on all 500 images.

  11. Development of Extended Ray-tracing method including diffraction, polarization and wave decay effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagihara, Kota; Kubo, Shin; Dodin, Ilya; Nakamura, Hiroaki; Tsujimura, Toru

    2017-10-01

    Geometrical Optics Ray-tracing is a reasonable numerical analytic approach for describing the Electron Cyclotron resonance Wave (ECW) in slowly varying spatially inhomogeneous plasma. It is well known that the result with this conventional method is adequate in most cases. However, in the case of Helical fusion plasma which has complicated magnetic structure, strong magnetic shear with a large scale length of density can cause a mode coupling of waves outside the last closed flux surface, and complicated absorption structure requires a strong focused wave for ECH. Since conventional Ray Equations to describe ECW do not have any terms to describe the diffraction, polarization and wave decay effects, we can not describe accurately a mode coupling of waves, strong focus waves, behavior of waves in inhomogeneous absorption region and so on. For fundamental solution of these problems, we consider the extension of the Ray-tracing method. Specific process is planned as follows. First, calculate the reference ray by conventional method, and define the local ray-base coordinate system along the reference ray. Then, calculate the evolution of the distributions of amplitude and phase on ray-base coordinate step by step. The progress of our extended method will be presented.

  12. Gingival response in orthodontic patients: Comparative study between self-ligating and conventional brackets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Folco, Alejandra A; Benítez-Rogé, Sandra C; Iglesias, Marina; Calabrese, Diana; Pelizardi, Cristina; Rosa, Alcira; Brusca, Marisa I; Hecht, Pedro; Mateu, María E

    2014-01-01

    Orthodontic brackets contribute to the accumulation of bacterial plaque on tooth surfaces because they hinder oral hygiene. In contrast to conventional brackets, self-ligating brackets do not require additional parts to support the arches, thus improving dental hygiene. The aim of this study was to compare the gingival response in orthodontic patients wearing self-ligating or conventional brackets. A sample of 22 patients aged 16 to 30 years was divided into two groups: Group A, treated with selfligating brackets (Damon system) and Group B, treated with conventional brackets (Roth technique). The following were assessed during the treatment: Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI) and Probing Depth (PD), and sub-gingival samples were taken from teeth 14/24 for microbiological observation. No statistically significant difference was found between Groups A and B; p>0.05 (sign-ranked) or between PI, GI and PD at the different times (Friedman's Analysis of Variance), even though the indices were found to increase at 14 days, particularly for self-ligating brackets. The quantity and quality of microorganisms present were compatible with health on days 0, 28 and 56. As from day 14 there is a predominance of microbiota compatible with gingivitis in both groups. In the samples studied, orthodontic treatment increases bacterial plaque and inflammatory gingival response, but gingival-periodontal health can be maintained with adequate basic therapy. Self-ligating and conventional brackets produced similar gingival response.

  13. Kinetic Model Development for the Combustion of Particulate Matter from Conventional and Soy Methyl Ester Diesel Fuels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Strzelec, Andrea [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2009-12-01

    The primary objective of this research has been to investigate how the oxidation characteristics of diesel particulate matter (PM) are affected by blending soy-based biodiesel fuel with conventional ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel. PM produced in a light duty engine from different biodiesel-conventional fuel blends was subjected to a range of physical and chemical measurements in order to better understand the mechanisms by which fuel-related changes to oxidation reactivity are brought about. These observations were then incorporated into a kinetic model to predict PM oxidation. Nanostructure of the fixed carbon was investigated by HR-TEM and showed that particulates from biodiesel had a more open structure than particulates generated from conventional diesel fuel, which was confirmed by BET surface area measurements. Surface area evolution with extent of oxidation reaction was measured for PM from ULSD and biodiesel. Biodiesel particulate has a significantly larger surface area for the first 40% of conversion, at which point the samples become quite similar. Oxidation characteristics of nascent PM and the fixed carbon portion were measured by temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) and it was noted that increased biodiesel blending lowered the light-off temperature as well as the temperature where the peak rate of oxidation occurred. A shift in the oxidation profiles of all fuels was seen when the mobile carbon fraction was removed, leaving only the fixed carbon, however the trend in temperature advantage of the biofuel blending remained. The mobile carbon fraction was measured by temperature programmed desorption found to generally increase with increasing biodiesel blend level. The relative change in the light-off temperatures for the nascent and fixed carbon samples was found to be related to the fraction of mobile carbon. Effective Arrhenius parameters for fixed carbon oxidation were directly measured with isothermal, differential oxidation experiments

  14. Proceedings of the 2001 Canadian society of petroleum geologists annual convention

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-07-01

    Founded in 1927 as the Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is dedicated to promote and further the study of petroleum and natural gas geology and all the study fields related to it. Its 3300 members represent Canada and 30 other countries. The annual convention is held to provide a forum for the exchange of information on topics related to petroleum geology and to foster the spirit of scientific research with the members. Another objective of the Society and annual convention is to make the general public aware of the need for professional and well-trained scientists. In excess of 100 presentations were made at the 2001 annual convention on topics that included petroleum potential in Somalia, seismic imaging, faulting and fault seal, multi-scale reservoir compartmentalization, non-invasive geochemical and remote sensing methods, and much more. refs., tabs., figs.

  15. Edge screw withdrawal resistance in conventional particleboard and OSB: Influence of the particles type

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miljković Jovan

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This research was based on presumption that the changes in size and shape of wood particles are expected to have certain impact on the particleboard quality in general. Since the conventional particleboard (PB and oriented strand board (OSB were built of the quite diverse wood particles, they present interesting specimens in the comparison tests. In this work, the influence of the wood particles type on the edge screw holding performance of conventional particleboard and OSB was investigated. Those tests were obtained with the screw diameters of 4.0 mm, 4.5 mm and 5 mm. Depth of embedment was 30 mm for all tests and with the pilot-hole diameter kept in the range of 80-90% in respect of the screw root diameter. Additional tests of the thickness density profile and tensile strength perpendicular to the surface of the board were conducted. Since the middle layer structure of the particleboard embeds the screw body, both mentioned parameters are considered important in the aspect of the quality of the edge screw holding performance. In order to have further insight into the conformation of the middle layer the image survey was obtained on the split board section presenting the surface of the middle layer. Significant differences in the SWR performance of OSB and PB was recorded at all screw diameters. For the screw withdrawal tests parameters OSB samples showed 56-73% superior mean values then conventional PB. On the other hand, the OSB showed wider dispersions of measured withdrawal forces at all screw diameters, which might present some of the problems in certain engineering and project calculations.

  16. Modification of BSCCO surface by excimer laser annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibi, A.; Akitsu, T.; Matsuzawa, H.

    2002-01-01

    Irradiation of Kr-F excimer laser onto the BSCCO calcined pellets changed their surface to be amorphous. SEM micrographs showed that sintering of the irradiated pellets recrystallized the surface layer and much reduced the intergrain gaps as compared with only sintered pellets, whereas the internal structure of the irradiated pellets remained unchanged. This processing made the surface-layer grains be tightly connected, resulting in the higher critical temperature than the conventionally sintered samples. We can say that excimer laser annealing process is a novel scheme to reduce the surface weak-link of the high Tc superconductors. (author)

  17. Denmark's forth national communication on climate change. Under the United Nations framework convention on climate change

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-07-01

    The Kingdom of Denmark comprises Denmark, Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has been ratified on behalf of all three parts. This report is Denmark's Fourth Climate Communication under the Climate Convention. Since Denmark's ratification covers the entire Realm, the report includes information on Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. The report is organised in accordance with the guidelines for national communications adopted by the parties to the Climate Convention. (BA)

  18. The Path to Deep Nuclear Reductions. Dealing with American Conventional Superiority

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gormley, D.M.

    2009-07-01

    The transformation of the U.S. conventional capabilities has begun to have a substantial and important impact on counter-force strike missions particularly as they affect counter-proliferation requirements. So too have improvements in ballistic missile defense programs, which are also critically central to U.S. counter-proliferation objectives. These improved conventional capabilities come at a time when thinking about the prospects of eventually achieving a nuclear disarmed world has never been so promising. Yet, the path toward achieving that goal, or making substantial progress towards it, is fraught with pitfalls, including domestic political, foreign, and military ones. Two of the most important impediments to deep reductions in U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals - no less a nuclear disarmed world - are perceived U.S. advantages in conventional counter-force strike capabilities working in combination with even imperfect but growing missile defense systems. The Barack Obama administration has already toned down the George W. Bush administration's rhetoric surrounding many of these new capabilities. Nevertheless, it is likely to affirm that it is a worthy goal to pursue a more conventionally oriented denial strategy as America further weans itself from its reliance on nuclear weapons. The challenge is to do so in the context of a more multilateral or collective security environment in which transparency plays the role it once did during the Cold War as a necessary adjunct to arms control agreements. Considerable thought has already been devoted to assessing many of the challenges along the way to a nuclear-free world, including verifying arsenals when they reach very low levels, more effective management of the civilian nuclear programs that remain, enforcement procedures, and what, if anything, might be needed to deal with latent capacities to produce nuclear weapons.1 But far less thought has been expended on why Russia - whose cooperation is absolutely

  19. The Path to Deep Nuclear Reductions. Dealing with American Conventional Superiority

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gormley, D.M.

    2009-01-01

    The transformation of the U.S. conventional capabilities has begun to have a substantial and important impact on counter-force strike missions particularly as they affect counter-proliferation requirements. So too have improvements in ballistic missile defense programs, which are also critically central to U.S. counter-proliferation objectives. These improved conventional capabilities come at a time when thinking about the prospects of eventually achieving a nuclear disarmed world has never been so promising. Yet, the path toward achieving that goal, or making substantial progress towards it, is fraught with pitfalls, including domestic political, foreign, and military ones. Two of the most important impediments to deep reductions in U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals - no less a nuclear disarmed world - are perceived U.S. advantages in conventional counter-force strike capabilities working in combination with even imperfect but growing missile defense systems. The Barack Obama administration has already toned down the George W. Bush administration's rhetoric surrounding many of these new capabilities. Nevertheless, it is likely to affirm that it is a worthy goal to pursue a more conventionally oriented denial strategy as America further weans itself from its reliance on nuclear weapons. The challenge is to do so in the context of a more multilateral or collective security environment in which transparency plays the role it once did during the Cold War as a necessary adjunct to arms control agreements. Considerable thought has already been devoted to assessing many of the challenges along the way to a nuclear-free world, including verifying arsenals when they reach very low levels, more effective management of the civilian nuclear programs that remain, enforcement procedures, and what, if anything, might be needed to deal with latent capacities to produce nuclear weapons.1 But far less thought has been expended on why Russia - whose cooperation is absolutely

  20. Improvements in quantification of low z element analysis for Sr- and conventional TXRF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baur, K.; Brennan, S.; Pianetta, P.; Kerner, J.; Zhu, Q.; Burrow, B.

    2000-01-01

    As the dimensions of integrated circuits continue to shrink also the amount of tolerable contamination on Si wafer surfaces decreases. Contaminants of primary concern are transition metals and light elements like Al. Total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation from the Stanford synchrotron radiation laboratory (SSRL) is one of the most powerful techniques for trace impurity analysis on Si wafer surfaces. In addition, it is among the more sensitive techniques and the only one, which is non-destructive. Upon having established a better detection sensitivity for transition elements than required by semiconductor industry, the current effort focuses on the improvement of the sensitivity for the detection and data analysis of light elements. Due to the presence of the neighboring Si signal from the substrate this can only be achieved by tuning the excitation energy below the Si-K absorption edge. For conventional TXRF systems this can be done by using a W-M fluorescence line (1.78 keV) for excitation or by employing the tunability of synchrotron radiation. However, this results in a substantial increase in background due to resonant X-ray Raman scattering. This scattering dominates the background behavior of the Al K fluorescence line, and consequently limits the achievable sensitivity for the detection of Al surface contaminants. In particular, we find that for a precise determination of the achievable sensitivity, the specific shape of the continuous Raman background must be used in the deconvolution. This data analysis opens a new perspective for conventional TXRF systems to overcome background problems in quantification and first results will be presented. (author)

  1. Characterization of Genotoxic Response to 15 Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Variable Physicochemical Properties Including Surface Functionalizations in the FE1-Muta(TM) Mouse Lung Epithelial Cell Line

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jackson, Petra; Kling, Kirsten; Jensen, Keld Alstrup

    2015-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes vary greatly in physicochemical properties. We compared cytotoxic and genotoxic response to 15 multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with varying physicochemical properties to identify drivers of toxic responses. The studied MWCNT included OECD Working Party on Manufactured...... Nanomaterials (WPMN) (NM-401, NM-402, and NM-403), materials (NRCWE-026 and MWCNT-XNRI-7), and three sets of surface-modified MWCNT grouped by physical characteristics (thin, thick, and short I-III, respectively). Each Groups I-III included pristine, hydroxylated and carboxylated MWCNT. Group III also included...... an amino-functionalized MWCNT. The level of surface functionalization of the MWCNT was low. The level and type of elemental impurities of the MWCNT varied by...

  2. Numerical assessment of bone remodeling around conventionally and early loaded titanium and titanium-zirconium alloy dental implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akça, Kıvanç; Eser, Atılım; Çavuşoğlu, Yeliz; Sağırkaya, Elçin; Çehreli, Murat Cavit

    2015-05-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate conventionally and early loaded titanium and titanium-zirconium alloy implants by three-dimensional finite element stress analysis. Three-dimensional model of a dental implant was created and a thread area was established as a region of interest in trabecular bone to study a localized part of the global model with a refined mesh. The peri-implant tissues around conventionally loaded (model 1) and early loaded (model 2) implants were implemented and were used to explore principal stresses, displacement values, and equivalent strains in the peri-implant region of titanium and titanium-zirconium implants under static load of 300 N with or without 30° inclination applied on top of the abutment surface. Under axial loading, principal stresses in both models were comparable for both implants and models. Under oblique loading, principal stresses around titanium-zirconium implants were slightly higher in both models. Comparable stress magnitudes were observed in both models. The displacement values and equivalent strain amplitudes around both implants and models were similar. Peri-implant bone around titanium and titanium-zirconium implants experiences similar stress magnitudes coupled with intraosseous implant displacement values under conventional loading and early loading simulations. Titanium-zirconium implants have biomechanical outcome comparable to conventional titanium implants under conventional loading and early loading.

  3. Detecting buried radium contamination using soil-gas and surface-flux radon meaurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karp, K.E.

    1988-06-01

    The Technical Measurements Center (TMC) has investigated the effectiveness of using radon soil-gas under surface-flux measurments to locate radium contamination that is buried sufficiently deep to be undetectable by surface gamma methods. At the first test site studied, an indication of a buried source was revealed by mapping anomalous surface-flux and soil-gas concentrations in the near surface overburden. The mapped radon anomalies were found to correspond in rough outline to the shape of the areal extent of the deposit as determined by borehole gamma-ray logs. The 5.9pCi/g radium deposit, buried 2 feet below the surface, went undetected by conventional surface gamma measurements. Similar results were obtained at the second test site where radon and conventional surface gamma measurements were taken in an area having radium concentrations ranging from 13.3 to 341.0 pCi/g at a depth of 4 feet below the surface. The radon methods were found to have a detection limit for buried radium lower than that of the surface gamma methods, as evidenced by the discovery of the 13.3 pCi/g deposit which went undetected by the surface gamma methods. 15 refs., 33 figs., 8 tabs

  4. Comparative study of long-term outcomes of accelerated and conventional collagen crosslinking for progressive keratoconus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Males, J J; Viswanathan, D

    2018-01-01

    PurposeTo compare the long-term outcomes of accelerated corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) to conventional CXL for progressive keratoconus.Patients and methodsComparative clinical study of consecutive progressive keratoconic eyes that underwent either accelerated CXL (9 mW/cm 2 ultraviolet A (UVA) light irradiance for 10 min) or conventional CXL (3 mW/cm 2 UVA light irradiance for 30 min). Eyes with minimum 12 months' follow-up were included. Post-procedure changes in keratometry readings (Flat meridian: K1; steep meridian: K2), central corneal thickness (CCT), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) were analysed.ResultsA total of 42 eyes were included. In all, 21 eyes had accelerated CXL (20.5±5.5 months' follow-up) and 21 eyes had conventional CXL group (20.2±5.6 months' follow-up). In the accelerated CXL group, a significant reduction in K2 (P=0.02), however no significant change in K1 (P=0.35) and CCT (P=0.62) was noted. In the conventional CXL group, a significant reduction was seen in K1 (P=0.01) and K2 (P=0.04), but not in CCT (P=0.95). Although both groups exhibited significant reductions in K2 readings, no noteworthy differences were noted between them (P=0.36). Improvements in BSCVA (accelerated CXL; P=0.22 and conventional CXL; P=0.20) and MRSE (accelerated CXL; P=0.97 and conventional CXL; P=0.54) were noted, however were not significant in either group.ConclusionAccelerated and conventional CXL appear to be effective procedures for stabilising progressive keratoconus in the long-term.

  5. The importance and effects of BEPS multilateral convention in international tax law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Popović Dejan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting is a result of the BEPS project carried out by the OECD and G20. The object and purpose of the BEPS Multilateral Convention is swift and consistent implementation of the agreed solutions aimed at preventing tax evasion or avoidance via modifications of the existing bilateral tax treaties, while providing for a high level of flexibility in the implementation. Signed on 7 June 2017, the Convention encompasses provisions on hybrid mismatches, treaty abuse, avoidance of permanent establishment status, improving dispute resolution and arbitration. The first four groups of norms have a bilateral impact on the relations between contracting jurisdictions regulated by their covered tax agreements; the effect of the optional provisions on arbitration is multilateral. The Convention contains two minimum standards each party is required to include in its covered tax agreements in an offered manner. The first one refers to the prevention of treaty shopping arrangements, while the second one concerns improvements in the dispute resolution. The flexibility is assured by granting each party the right to specify the tax treaties to which the Convention applies, to opt out of a wide range of provisions (apart from the minimum standards set out in the Convention as eligible for reservations, as well as to select an offered alternative. Serbia's position vis-à-vis the given choices has been elaborated. Serbia specified all its tax treaties as the 'covered tax agreements' but Germany, Switzerland and Sweden did not do the same with their respective treaties with Serbia. Serbia opted out of five articles of the Convention. While not contesting its importance, one may conclude that the Convention does not represent an announcement of a new multilateral tax order but rather a multilateral agreement of a number of states motivated by practical considerations.

  6. Early human bone response to laser metal sintering surface topography: a histologic report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangano, Carlo; Piattelli, Adriano; d'Avila, Susana; Iezzi, Giovanna; Mangano, Francesco; Onuma, Tatiana; Shibli, Jamil Awad

    2010-01-01

    This histologic report evaluated the early human bone response to a direct laser metal sintering implant surface retrieved after a short period of healing. A selective laser sintering procedure using a Ti-6Al-4V alloy powder with a particle size of 25-45 microm prepared this surface topography. One experimental microimplant was inserted into the anterior mandible of a patient during conventional implant surgery of the jaw. The microimplant and surrounding tissues were removed after 2 months of unloaded healing and were prepared for histomorphometric analysis. Histologically, the peri-implant bone appeared in close contact with the implant surface, whereas marrow spaces could be detected in other areas along with prominently stained cement lines. The mean of bone-to-implant contact was 69.51%. The results of this histologic report suggest that the laser metal sintering surface could be a promising alternative to conventional implant surface topographies.

  7. Conventions and workflows for using Situs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wriggers, Willy

    2012-01-01

    Recent developments of the Situs software suite for multi-scale modeling are reviewed. Typical workflows and conventions encountered during processing of biophysical data from electron microscopy, tomography or small-angle X-ray scattering are described. Situs is a modular program package for the multi-scale modeling of atomic resolution structures and low-resolution biophysical data from electron microscopy, tomography or small-angle X-ray scattering. This article provides an overview of recent developments in the Situs package, with an emphasis on workflows and conventions that are important for practical applications. The modular design of the programs facilitates scripting in the bash shell that allows specific programs to be combined in creative ways that go beyond the original intent of the developers. Several scripting-enabled functionalities, such as flexible transformations of data type, the use of symmetry constraints or the creation of two-dimensional projection images, are described. The processing of low-resolution biophysical maps in such workflows follows not only first principles but often relies on implicit conventions. Situs conventions related to map formats, resolution, correlation functions and feature detection are reviewed and summarized. The compatibility of the Situs workflow with CCP4 conventions and programs is discussed

  8. Effects of Conventional and Conservation Tillage on Soil Hydraulic Properties of a Silty-loamy Soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wahl, Niels Arne; Bens, O.; Buczko, U.

    2004-01-01

    Infiltration into soils is strongly correlated with macroporosity. Under agricultural land use, the properties of the macropore network are governed by the applied management and tillage system. On an experimental site with a silt loam soil partly under conventional and conservation tillage, the ......, conservation tillage could possibly offer a means to reduce surface runoff and flood generation in agricultural landscapes dominated by silty-loamy soils. d 2...

  9. Acoustic tweezers via sub-time-of-flight regime surface acoustic waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, David J; Devendran, Citsabehsan; Ma, Zhichao; Ng, Jia Wei; Neild, Adrian; Ai, Ye

    2016-07-01

    Micrometer-scale acoustic waves are highly useful for refined optomechanical and acoustofluidic manipulation, where these fields are spatially localized along the transducer aperture but not along the acoustic propagation direction. In the case of acoustic tweezers, such a conventional acoustic standing wave results in particle and cell patterning across the entire width of a microfluidic channel, preventing selective trapping. We demonstrate the use of nanosecond-scale pulsed surface acoustic waves (SAWs) with a pulse period that is less than the time of flight between opposing transducers to generate localized time-averaged patterning regions while using conventional electrode structures. These nodal positions can be readily and arbitrarily positioned in two dimensions and within the patterning region itself through the imposition of pulse delays, frequency modulation, and phase shifts. This straightforward concept adds new spatial dimensions to which acoustic fields can be localized in SAW applications in a manner analogous to optical tweezers, including spatially selective acoustic tweezers and optical waveguides.

  10. Energy improvement of a conventional dwelling in Argentina through thermal simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Filippin, C. [CONICET-CC302, Santa Rosa 6300, La Pampa (Argentina); Flores Larsen, S. [INENCO-Instituto de Investigaciones en Energias No Convencionales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, CONICET, Avda. Bolivia 5150, CP 4400 Salta Capital (Argentina); Lopez Gay, E.

    2008-10-15

    This paper analyses the design, technology, thermal behaviour, and energy consumption of both a conventional and a refurbished dwelling located in a region with a temperate-cold climate in central Argentina. The thermal behaviour and the energy consumption of the conventional building were monitored during winter. The experimental data were analysed and included in a simulation of the transient thermal behaviour of the house. Measurements and simulation were in agreement, showing a mean deviation below 0.5{sup o}C. To reduce the heating and cooling loads, the dwelling was refurbished and its thermal behaviour was studied through a computer simulation, for the critical seasons (winter and summer) and for two occupancy schedules (with and without inhabitants). The refurbishment included passive solar heating, shading, and an insulated envelope. These successful changes allowed energy savings of 66% and 52% for winter and summer, respectively. (author)

  11. Impact of Assimilation of Conventional and Satellite Radiance GTS Observations on Simulation of Mesoscale Convective System Over Southeast India Using WRF-3DVar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhulatha, A.; Rajeevan, M.; Bhowmik, S. K. Roy; Das, A. K.

    2018-01-01

    The primary goal of present study is to investigate the impact of assimilation of conventional and satellite radiance observations in simulating the mesoscale convective system (MCS) formed over south east India. An assimilation methodology based on Weather Research and Forecasting model three dimensional variational data assimilation is considered. Few numerical experiments are carried out to examine the individual and combined impact of conventional and non-conventional (satellite radiance) observations. After the successful inclusion of additional observations, strong analysis increments of temperature and moisture fields are noticed and contributed to significant improvement in model's initial fields. The resulting model simulations are able to successfully reproduce the prominent synoptic features responsible for the initiation of MCS. Among all the experiments, the final experiment in which both conventional and satellite radiance observations assimilated has showed considerable impact on the prediction of MCS. The location, genesis, intensity, propagation and development of rain bands associated with the MCS are simulated reasonably well. The biases of simulated temperature, moisture and wind fields at surface and different pressure levels are reduced. Thermodynamic, dynamic and vertical structure of convective cells associated with the passage of MCS are well captured. Spatial distribution of rainfall is fairly reproduced and comparable to TRMM observations. It is demonstrated that incorporation of conventional and satellite radiance observations improved the local and synoptic representation of temperature, moisture fields from surface to different levels of atmosphere. This study highlights the importance of assimilation of conventional and satellite radiances in improving the models initial conditions and simulation of MCS.

  12. Surface-Casting Synthesis of Mesoporous Zirconia with a CMK-5-Like Structure and High Surface Area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Dong; Schmidt, Wolfgang; Pichler, Christian M; Bongard, Hans-Josef; Spliethoff, Bernd; Asahina, Shunsuke; Cao, Zhengwen; Terasaki, Osamu; Schüth, Ferdi

    2017-09-04

    About 15 years ago, the Ryoo group described the synthesis of CMK-5, a material consisting of a hexagonal arrangement of carbon nanotubes. Extension of the surface casting synthesis to oxide compositions, however, was not possible so far, in spite of many attempts. Here it is demonstrated, that crystalline mesoporous hollow zirconia materials with very high surface areas up to 400 m 2  g -1 , and in selected cases in the form of CMK-5-like, are indeed accessible via such a surface casting process. The key for the successful synthesis is an increased interaction between the silica hard template surface and the zirconia precursor species by using silanol group-rich mesoporous silica as a hard template. The surface areas of the obtained zirconias exceed those of conventionally hard-templated ones by a factor of two to three. The surface casting process seems to be applicable also to other oxide materials. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Evaluation of Unfixed Tritium Surface Contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Postolache, C.; Matei, Lidia

    2005-01-01

    Surface unfixed radioactive contamination represents the amount of surface total radioactive contamination which can be eliminated by pure mechanical processes. This unfixed contamination represents the main risk factor for contamination of the personnel which operates in tritium laboratories. Unfixed contamination was determined using sampling smears type FPCSN-PSE-AA. Those FPCSN-PSE-AA smears are disks of expanded polystyrene which contain acrylic acid fragments superficially grafted. Sampling factor was determinated by contaminated surface wiping with moisten smears in 50 μL butylic alcohol and activity measuring at liquid scintillation measuring device. Sampling factor was determined by the ratio between measured activity and initially real conventional activity. The sampling factor was determined for Tritium Laboratory existent surfaces: stainless steel, aluminum, glass, ceramics, linoleum, washable coats, epoxy resins type ALOREX LP-52.The sampling factors and the reproducibility were determined in function of surface nature

  14. 3-D FEM Modeling of fiber/matrix interface debonding in UD composites including surface effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pupurs, A; Varna, J

    2012-01-01

    Fiber/matrix interface debond growth is one of the main mechanisms of damage evolution in unidirectional (UD) polymer composites. Because for polymer composites the fiber strain to failure is smaller than for the matrix multiple fiber breaks occur at random positions when high mechanical stress is applied to the composite. The energy released due to each fiber break is usually larger than necessary for the creation of a fiber break therefore a partial debonding of fiber/matrix interface is typically observed. Thus the stiffness reduction of UD composite is contributed both from the fiber breaks and from the interface debonds. The aim of this paper is to analyze the debond growth in carbon fiber/epoxy and glass fiber/epoxy UD composites using fracture mechanics principles by calculation of energy release rate G II . A 3-D FEM model is developed for calculation of energy release rate for fiber/matrix interface debonds at different locations in the composite including the composite surface region where the stress state differs from the one in the bulk composite. In the model individual partially debonded fiber is surrounded by matrix region and embedded in a homogenized composite.

  15. Unconventional applications of conventional intrusion detection sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, J.D.; Matter, J.C.

    1983-01-01

    A number of conventional intrusion detection sensors exists for the detection of persons entering buildings, moving within a given volume, and crossing a perimeter isolation zone. Unconventional applications of some of these sensors have recently been investigated. Some of the applications which are discussed include detection on the edges and tops of buildings, detection in storm sewers, detection on steam and other types of large pipes, and detection of unauthorized movement within secure enclosures. The enclosures can be used around complicated control valves, electrical control panels, emergency generators, etc

  16. International antiterrorist conventions concerning the safety of air transport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacek BARCIK

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article the international law regulations are presented concerning the civilian safety of the air transport. The history concerning air terrorism and international antiterrorist conventions was described in detail, involving The Chicago Convention, The Tokyo Convention, The Hague Convention and Montreal Convention.

  17. Accuracy of Digitally Fabricated Wax Denture Bases and Conventional Completed Complete Dentures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogna Stawarczyk

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the accuracy of digitally fabricated wax trial dentures and conventionally finalized complete dentures in comparison to a surface tessellation language (STL-dataset. A generated data set for the denture bases and the tooth sockets was used, converted into STL-format, and saved as reference. Five mandibular and 5 maxillary denture bases were milled from wax blanks and denture teeth were waxed into their tooth sockets. Each complete denture was checked on fit, waxed onto the dental cast, and digitized using an optical laboratory scanning device. The complete dentures were completed conventionally using the injection method, finished, and scanned. The resulting STL-datasets were exported into the three-dimensional (3D software GOM Inspect. Each of the 5 mandibular and 5 maxillary complete dentures was aligned with the STL- and the wax trial denture dataset. Alignment was performed based on a best-fit algorithm. A three-dimensional analysis of the spatial divergences in x-, y- and z-axes was performed by the 3D software and visualized in a color-coded illustration. The mean positive and negative deviations between the datasets were calculated automatically. In a direct comparison between maxillary wax trial dentures and complete dentures, complete dentures showed higher deviations from the STL-dataset than the wax trial dentures. The deviations occurred in the area of the teeth as well as in the distal area of the denture bases. In contrast, the highest deviations in both the mandibular wax trial dentures and the mandibular complete dentures were observed in the distal area. The complete dentures showed higher deviations on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth compared to the wax dentures. Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM-fabricated wax dentures exhibited fewer deviations from the STL-reference than the complete dentures. The deviations were significantly greater in the

  18. Environmental impact of non-conventional energy sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbasi, S.A.; Abbasi, Naseema; Nipaney, P.C.; Ramasamy, E.V.

    1995-01-01

    Whereas the global attention has always been focused on the adverse environmental impacts of conventional energy sources, only a few studies have been conducted on the clean environment image of the non-conventional energy sources, particularly the renewable ones. The question whether the non-conventional sources are really as benign as they are made out to be is addressed in the present paper in the background of a classical paradigm developed by Lovin which had postulated the hard (malignant) and soft (benign) energy concepts in the first place. It then assesses the likely environmental impacts of several major non-conventional energy sources and comes up with the note of caution that in many cases the adverse impacts may not be insubstantial; indeed in some cases they can be as strongly negative as the impacts of the conventional energy sources. (author). 31 refs

  19. Fourth and Fifth Amendment issues raised by Chemical Weapons Convention inspections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanzman, E.A. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Economics and Law Section

    1994-10-21

    The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) offers a unique challenge to the United States system of constitutional law. This discussion is about the Fourth and Fifth Amendment issues raised by the CWC and about how federal implementing legislation can allow verification inspections to take place in the United States under the Chemical Weapons Convention while remaining in compliance with the Constitution. By implementing legislation, the author means a federal statute that would be enacted separately from Senate approval of the Convention itself. Although implementing legislation is a relatively unusual accompaniment to a treaty, it will be necessary to the CWC, and the Administration has submitted a bill that was under consideration in the last Congress and presumably will be reintroduced early next year. The Fourth and Fifth Amendment problems posed by the CWC arise from the verification inspection scheme embodied in the treaty. The CWC depends heavily on on-site inspections to verify compliance with its key requirements. These include destroying all chemicals weapons stockpiles and bringing potential chemical weapons precursors under international control. The Convention contains four distinct kinds of inspections: systematic inspections of chemical weapons storage and destruction facilities, routine inspections of various declared facilities, challenge inspections, and a variant on challenge inspections in cases of alleged use of chemical weapons. All inspections are supposed to be only as intrusive as necessary to carry out the Convention. These inspections will be carried out by inspectors employed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), located in The Hague, which is responsible for enforcing the Convention. Generally, the inspected State Party is permitted to assign observers to accompany the inspectors.

  20. Conventional armed forces in Europe: Technology scenario development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Houser, G.M.

    1990-07-01

    In January 1986, the Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev proposed elimination of all nuclear weapons by the year 2000. In April of that year, Mr. Gorbachev proposed substantial reductions of conventional weapons in Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains, including reductions in operational-tactical nuclear weapons. In May 1986, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) responded with the Brussels Declaration on Conventional Arms Control,'' which indicated readiness to open East/West discussions on establishing a mandate for negotiating conventional arms control throughout Europe. The Group of 23,'' which met in Vienna beginning in February 1987, concluded the meeting in January 1989 with a mandate for the Conventional Armed Forced in Europe (CFE) negotiations. On 6 March 1989, CFE talks began, and these talks have continued through six rounds (as of April 1990). Although US President George Bush, on 30 May 1989, called for agreement within six months to a year, and the Malta meeting of December 1989 called for completion of a CFE agreement by the end of 1990, much remains to be negotiated. This report provides three types of information. First, treaty provisions brought to the table by both sides are compared. Second, on the basis of these provisions, problem areas for each of the provision elements are postulated and possible scenarios for resolving these problem areas are developed. Third, the scenarios are used as requirements for tasks assigned program elements for possible US implementation of a CFE treaty. As progress is achieved during the negotiations, this report could be updated, as necessary, in each of the areas to provide a continuing systematic basis for program implementation and technology development. 8 refs.

  1. Corrosion caused by elevator and spider marks on CRA pipe: Comparison of conventional inserts and a new gripping system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-05-01

    Corrosion-resistant alloys (CRA) are used to reduce corrosion damage to casing and tubing strings and prolong the life span of the well pipe. An analysis of various corrosion mechanisms shows that surface integrity is an important factor in corrosion prevention. Surface damage caused by inappropriate handling or conventional slip markings contribute directly to the development and propagation of corrosion. A newly developed gripping system distributes the load equally onto a large number of small peaks, minimizing the indentation of each single peak. The new gripping system does not damage the surface integrity of the pipe, virtually eliminating the corrosion potential.

  2. Paris convention - Decisions, recommendations, interpretations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    This booklet is published in a single edition in English and French. It contains decisions, recommendations and interpretations concerning the 1960 Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy adopted by the OECD Steering Committee and the OECD Council. All the instruments are set out according to the Article of the Convention to which they relate and explanatory notes are added where necessary [fr

  3. International nuclear liability conventions: status and possible changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reyners, Patrick.

    1978-01-01

    The table of ratifications and accessions annexed to this paper shows that despite the considerable progress achieved these past years and the entry into force of the Vienna Convention, the number of Contracting Parties to the Nuclear Civil Liability Conventions remains insufficient. The adaptation of the first of these Conventions - the Paris Convention - as well as its Brussels Supplementary Convention to the technical and economic developments which have taken place since their adoption should provide the means for encouraging their implementation at international level. The main amendments which are envisaged are replacement of the present unit of account by the Special Drawing Right, the increase of the amounts of liability and compensation and finally, the technical scope of the Paris Convention. (NEA) [fr

  4. Characterization of a Laser Surface-Treated Martensitic Stainless Steel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Sayed, S R; Hussein, A A; Nofal, A A; Hassab Elnaby, S I; Elgazzar, H

    2017-05-29

    Laser surface treatment was carried out on AISI 416 machinable martensitic stainless steel containing 0.225 wt.% sulfur. Nd:YAG laser with a 2.2-KW continuous wave was used. The aim was to compare the physical and chemical properties achieved by this type of selective surface treatment with those achieved by the conventional treatment. Laser power of different values (700 and 1000 W) with four corresponding different laser scanning speeds (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 m•min-1) was adopted to reach the optimum conditions for impact toughness, wear, and corrosion resistance for laser heat treated (LHT) samples. The 0 °C impact energy of LHT samples indicated higher values compared to the conventionally heat treated (CHT) samples. This was accompanied by the formation of a hard surface layer and a soft interior base metal. Microhardness was studied to determine the variation of hardness values with respect to the depth under the treated surface. The wear resistance at the surface was enhanced considerably. Microstructure examination was characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopes. The corrosion behavior of the LHT samples was also studied and its correlation with the microstructures was determined. The corrosion data was obtained in 3.5% NaCl solution at room temperature by means of a potentiodynamic polarization technique.

  5. Review of Constructed Subsurface Flow vs. Surface Flow Wetlands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HALVERSON, NANCY

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to use existing documentation to review the effectiveness of subsurface flow and surface flow constructed wetlands in treating wastewater and to demonstrate the viability of treating effluent from Savannah River Site outfalls H-02 and H-04 with a subsurface flow constructed wetland to lower copper, lead and zinc concentrations to within National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit limits. Constructed treatment wetlands are engineered systems that have been designed and constructed to use the natural functions of wetlands for wastewater treatment. Constructed wetlands have significantly lower total lifetime costs and often lower capital costs than conventional treatment systems. The two main types of constructed wetlands are surface flow and subsurface flow. In surface flow constructed wetlands, water flows above ground. Subsurface flow constructed wetlands are designed to keep the water level below the top of the rock or gravel media, thus minimizing human and ecological exposure. Subsurface flow wetlands demonstrate higher rates of contaminant removal per unit of land than surface flow (free water surface) wetlands, therefore subsurface flow wetlands can be smaller while achieving the same level of contaminant removal. Wetlands remove metals using a variety of processes including filtration of solids, sorption onto organic matter, oxidation and hydrolysis, formation of carbonates, formation of insoluble sulfides, binding to iron and manganese oxides, reduction to immobile forms by bacterial activity, and uptake by plants and bacteria. Metal removal rates in both subsurface flow and surface flow wetlands can be high, but can vary greatly depending upon the influent concentrations and the mass loading rate. Removal rates of greater than 90 per cent for copper, lead and zinc have been demonstrated in operating surface flow and subsurface flow wetlands. The constituents that exceed NPDES limits at outfalls H-02 a nd H

  6. 7 CFR 58.316 - Conventional churns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conventional churns. 58.316 Section 58.316 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards....316 Conventional churns. Churns shall be constructed of aluminum, stainless steel or equally corrosion...

  7. Comparison of Transmission Line Methods for Surface Acoustic Wave Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, William; Atkinson, Gary

    2009-01-01

    Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology is low cost, rugged, lightweight, extremely low power and can be used to develop passive wireless sensors. For these reasons, NASA is investigating the use of SAW technology for Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring (IVHM) of aerospace structures. To facilitate rapid prototyping of passive SAW sensors for aerospace applications, SAW models have been developed. This paper reports on the comparison of three methods of modeling SAWs. The three models are the Impulse Response Method (a first order model), and two second order matrix methods; the conventional matrix approach, and a modified matrix approach that is extended to include internal finger reflections. The second order models are based upon matrices that were originally developed for analyzing microwave circuits using transmission line theory. Results from the models are presented with measured data from devices. Keywords: Surface Acoustic Wave, SAW, transmission line models, Impulse Response Method.

  8. Shared and task-specific muscle synergies of Nordic walking and conventional walking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boccia, G; Zoppirolli, C; Bortolan, L; Schena, F; Pellegrini, B

    2018-03-01

    Nordic walking is a form of walking that includes a poling action, and therefore an additional subtask, with respect to conventional walking. The aim of this study was to assess whether Nordic walking required a task-specific muscle coordination with respect to conventional walking. We compared the electromyographic (EMG) activity of 15 upper- and lower-limb muscles of 9 Nordic walking instructors, while executing Nordic walking and conventional walking at 1.3 ms -1 on a treadmill. Non-negative matrix factorization method was applied to identify muscle synergies, representing the spatial and temporal organization of muscle coordination. The number of muscle synergies was not different between Nordic walking (5.2 ± 0.4) and conventional walking (5.0 ± 0.7, P = .423). Five muscle synergies accounted for 91.2 ± 1.1% and 92.9 ± 1.2% of total EMG variance in Nordic walking and conventional walking, respectively. Similarity and cross-reconstruction analyses showed that 4 muscle synergies, mainly involving lower-limb and trunk muscles, are shared between Nordic walking and conventional walking. One synergy acting during upper limb propulsion is specific to Nordic walking, modifying the spatial organization and the magnitude of activation of upper limb muscles compared to conventional walking. The inclusion of the poling action in Nordic walking does not increase the complexity of movement control and does not change the coordination of lower limb muscles. This makes Nordic walking a physical activity suitable also for people with low motor skill. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. A Simple Free Surface Tracking Model for Multi-dimensional Two-Fluid Approaches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seungjun; Yoon, Han Young

    2014-01-01

    The development in two-phase experiments devoted to find unknown phenomenological relationships modified conventional flow pattern maps into a sophisticated one and even extended to the multi-dimensional usage. However, for a system including a large void fraction gradient, such as a pool with the free surface, the flow patterns varies spatially throughout small number of cells and sometimes results in an unstable and unrealistic prediction of flows at the large gradient void fraction cells. Then, the numerical stability problem arising from the free surface is the major interest in the analyses of a passive cooling pool convecting the decay heat naturally, which has become a design issue to increase the safety level of nuclear reactors recently. In this research, a new and simple free surface tracking method combined with a simplified topology map is presented. The method modified the interfacial drag coefficient only for the cells defined as the free surface. The performance is shown by comparing the natural convection analysis of a small scale pool with respect to single- and two-phase condition. A simple free surface tracking model with a simplified topology map is developed

  10. Root resorption during orthodontic treatment with self-ligating or conventional brackets: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Jianru; Li, Meile; Li, Yu; Li, Xiaobing; Zhao, Zhihe

    2016-11-21

    The aim of this study was to compare the external apical root resorption (EARR) in patients receiving fixed orthodontic treatment with self-ligating or conventional brackets. Studies comparing the EARR between orthodontic patients using self-ligating or conventional brackets were identified through electronic search in databases including CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and SIGLE, and manual search in relevant journals and reference lists of the included studies until Apr 2016. The extraction of data and risk of bias evaluation were conducted by two investigators independently. The original outcome underwent statistical pooling by using Review Manager 5. Seven studies were included in the systematic review, out of which, five studies were statistically pooled in meta-analysis. The value of EARR of maxillary central incisors in the self-ligating bracket group was significantly lower than that in the conventional bracket group (SMD -0.31; 95% CI: -0.60--0.01). No significant differences in other incisors were observed between self-ligating and conventional brackets. Current evidences suggest self-ligating brackets do not outperform conventional brackets in reducing the EARR in maxillary lateral incisors, mandible central incisors and mandible lateral incisors. However, self-ligating brackets appear to have an advantage in protecting maxillary central incisor from EARR, which still needs to be confirmed by more high-quality studies.

  11. A quantitative AFM analysis of nano-scale surface roughness in various orthodontic brackets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Gi-Ja; Park, Ki-Ho; Park, Young-Guk; Park, Hun-Kuk

    2010-10-01

    In orthodontics, the surface roughnesses of orthodontic archwire and brackets affect the effectiveness of arch-guided tooth movement, corrosion behavior, and the aesthetics of orthodontic components. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were used to provide quantitative information on the surface roughness of the orthodontic material. In this study, the changes in surface roughness of various orthodontic bracket slots before and after sliding movement of archwire in vitro and in vivo were observed through the utilization of AFM. Firstly, we characterized the surface of four types of brackets slots as follows: conventional stainless steel (Succes), conventional ceramic (Perfect), self-ligating stainless steel (Damon) and self-ligating ceramic (Clippy-C) brackets. Succes) and Damon brackets showed relatively smooth surfaces, while Perfect had the roughest surface among the four types of brackets used. Secondly, after in vitro sliding test with beta titanium wire in two conventional brackets (Succes and Perfect), there were significant increases in only stainless steel bracket, Succes. Thirdly, after clinical orthodontic treatment for a maximum of 2 years, the self-ligating stainless steel bracket, Damon, showed a significant increase in surface roughness. But self-ligating ceramic brackets, Clippy-C, represented less significant changes in roughness parameters than self-ligating stainless steel ones. Based on the results of the AFM measurements, it is suggested that the self-ligating ceramic bracket has great possibility to exhibit less friction and better biocompatibility than the other tested brackets. This implies that these bracket slots will aid in the effectiveness of arch-guided tooth movement.

  12. Comparative study of conventional and ultrasonically-assisted bone drilling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, K; Ahmed, Naseer; Silberschmidt, V V

    2014-01-01

    Bone drilling is a well-known surgical procedure in orthopaedics and dentistry for fracture treatment and reconstruction. Advanced understanding of the mechanics of the drill-bone interaction is necessary to overcome challenges associated with the process and related postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to explore the benefits of a novel drilling technique, ultrasonically-assisted drilling (UAD), and its possible utilization in orthopaedic surgeries. The study was performed by conducting experiments to understand the basic mechanics of the drilling process using high speed filming of the drilling zone followed by measurements to quantify thrust force, surface roughness and cracking of the bone near the immediate vicinity of the hole with and without ultrasonic assistance. Compared to the spiral chips produced during conventional drilling (CD), UAD was found to break the chips in small pieces which facilitated their fast evacuation from the cutting region. In UAD, lower drilling force and better surface roughness was measured in drilling in the radial and longitudinal axis of the bone. UAD produced crack-free holes which will enhance postoperative performance of fixative devices anchoring the bone. UAD may be used as a possible substitute for CD in orthopaedic clinics.

  13. On the modelling of semi-insulating GaAs including surface tension and bulk stresses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dreyer, W.; Duderstadt, F.

    2004-07-01

    Necessary heat treatment of single crystal semi-insulating Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), which is deployed in micro- and opto- electronic devices, generate undesirable liquid precipitates in the solid phase. The appearance of precipitates is influenced by surface tension at the liquid/solid interface and deviatoric stresses in the solid. The central quantity for the description of the various aspects of phase transitions is the chemical potential, which can be additively decomposed into a chemical and a mechanical part. In particular the calculation of the mechanical part of the chemical potential is of crucial importance. We determine the chemical potential in the framework of the St. Venant-Kirchhoff law which gives an appropriate stress/strain relation for many solids in the small strain regime. We establish criteria, which allow the correct replacement of the St. Venant-Kirchhoff law by the simpler Hooke law. The main objectives of this study are: (i) We develop a thermo-mechanical model that describes diffusion and interface motion, which both are strongly influenced by surface tension effects and deviatoric stresses. (ii) We give an overview and outlook on problems that can be posed and solved within the framework of the model. (iii) We calculate non-standard phase diagrams, i.e. those that take into account surface tension and non-deviatoric stresses, for GaAs above 786 C, and we compare the results with classical phase diagrams without these phenomena. (orig.)

  14. Modeling Electric Double-Layers Including Chemical Reaction Effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paz-Garcia, Juan Manuel; Johannesson, Björn; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

    2014-01-01

    A physicochemical and numerical model for the transient formation of an electric double-layer between an electrolyte and a chemically-active flat surface is presented, based on a finite elements integration of the nonlinear Nernst-Planck-Poisson model including chemical reactions. The model works...... for symmetric and asymmetric multi-species electrolytes and is not limited to a range of surface potentials. Numerical simulations are presented, for the case of a CaCO3 electrolyte solution in contact with a surface with rate-controlled protonation/deprotonation reactions. The surface charge and potential...... are determined by the surface reactions, and therefore they depends on the bulk solution composition and concentration...

  15. Graphene surface plasmon polaritons with opposite in-plane electron oscillations along its two surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Huawei; Ruan, Shuangchen; Zhang, Min; Su, Hong; Li, Irene Ling

    2015-01-01

    We predict the existence of a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode that can be guided by a graphene monolayer, regardless of the sign of the imaginary part of its conductivity. In this mode, in-plane electron oscillations along two surfaces of graphene are of opposite directions, which is very different from conventional SPPs on graphene. Significantly, coating graphene with dielectric films yields a way to guide the SPPs with both sub-wavelength mode widths and ultra-long propagation distances. In particular, the mode characteristics are very sensitive to the chemical potential of graphene, so the graphene-based waveguide can find applications in many optoelectronic devices

  16. Graphene surface plasmon polaritons with opposite in-plane electron oscillations along its two surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liang, Huawei; Ruan, Shuangchen, E-mail: scruan@szu.edu.cn; Zhang, Min; Su, Hong; Li, Irene Ling [Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Laser Engineering, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China)

    2015-08-31

    We predict the existence of a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode that can be guided by a graphene monolayer, regardless of the sign of the imaginary part of its conductivity. In this mode, in-plane electron oscillations along two surfaces of graphene are of opposite directions, which is very different from conventional SPPs on graphene. Significantly, coating graphene with dielectric films yields a way to guide the SPPs with both sub-wavelength mode widths and ultra-long propagation distances. In particular, the mode characteristics are very sensitive to the chemical potential of graphene, so the graphene-based waveguide can find applications in many optoelectronic devices.

  17. 3 July 1985: Convention signed in Brussels on 31 January 1963, supplementary to the Paris Convention of 29 July 1960 on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy and Act approving the Protocols to amend the Paris Convention and the Brussels Supplementary Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-01-01

    This Act refers to the Brussels Supplementary Convention approved by Belgium in 1966 and ratified on 20 August 1985 and approves ratification of the Protocols of 16 November 1982 to amend the Paris Convention and the Brussels Supplementary Convention respectively. The Protocols are reproduced in French, Dutch and German. (NEA) [fr

  18. Electrochemical characterization of screen-printed and conventional carbon paste electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fanjul-Bolado, Pablo; Hernandez-Santos, David; Lamas-Ardisana, Pedro Jose [Departamento de Quimica Fisica y Analitica, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias (Spain); Martin-Pernia, Alberto [Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica, Electronica de Computadores y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, 33204 Gijon, Asturias (Spain); Costa-Garcia, Agustin [Departamento de Quimica Fisica y Analitica, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias (Spain)], E-mail: costa@fq.uniovi.es

    2008-04-01

    This work compares the electroactivity of a conventional carbon paste electrode and non-pretreated commercially available screen-printed carbon electrodes (from Alderon Biosciences, University of Florence and DropSens) towards some benchmark redox couples like hexaammineruthenium (III), ferricyanide, p-aminophenol and hydroquinone. While cyclic voltammograms of Ru{sup 3+} did not show significative electron transfer reactivity differences between the electrodes tested, the other redox systems exhibited higher reversible behaviours on DropSens electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy and roughness analysis with a profilometer were applied to detect the surface morphology of the working electrodes. The roughness evaluated of the screen-printed carbon working electrodes increased in this order Alderon < University of Florence < DropSens. Finally, the most electrochemically active and rough unpretreated electrode (DropSens commercial screen-printed electrode) was used to study the electrochemical-chemical reaction mechanism of indigo carmine oxidation in 0.1 M sulphuric acid. This study showed that the adsorption of the oxidation product of indigo carmine is stabilized when it is adsorbed on the surface of the electrode.

  19. Electrochemical characterization of screen-printed and conventional carbon paste electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fanjul-Bolado, Pablo; Hernandez-Santos, David; Lamas-Ardisana, Pedro Jose; Martin-Pernia, Alberto; Costa-Garcia, Agustin

    2008-01-01

    This work compares the electroactivity of a conventional carbon paste electrode and non-pretreated commercially available screen-printed carbon electrodes (from Alderon Biosciences, University of Florence and DropSens) towards some benchmark redox couples like hexaammineruthenium (III), ferricyanide, p-aminophenol and hydroquinone. While cyclic voltammograms of Ru 3+ did not show significative electron transfer reactivity differences between the electrodes tested, the other redox systems exhibited higher reversible behaviours on DropSens electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy and roughness analysis with a profilometer were applied to detect the surface morphology of the working electrodes. The roughness evaluated of the screen-printed carbon working electrodes increased in this order Alderon < University of Florence < DropSens. Finally, the most electrochemically active and rough unpretreated electrode (DropSens commercial screen-printed electrode) was used to study the electrochemical-chemical reaction mechanism of indigo carmine oxidation in 0.1 M sulphuric acid. This study showed that the adsorption of the oxidation product of indigo carmine is stabilized when it is adsorbed on the surface of the electrode

  20. Observability-Enhanced PMU Placement Considering Conventional Measurements and Contingencies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Esmaili

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs are in growing attention in recent power systems because of their paramount abilities in state estimation. PMUs are placed in existing power systems where there are already installed conventional measurements, which can be helpful if they are considered in PMU optimal placement. In this paper, a method is proposed for optimal placement of PMUs incorporating conventional measurements of zero injection buses and branch flow measurements using a permutation matrix. Furthermore, the effect of single branch outage and single PMU failure is included in the proposed method. When a branch with a flow measurement goes out, the network loses one observability path (the branch and one conventional measurement (the flow measurement. The permutation matrix proposed here is able to model the outage of a branch equipped with a flow measurement or connected to a zero injection bus. Also, measurement redundancy, and consequently measurement reliability, is enhanced without increasing the number of PMUs this implies a more efficient usage of PMUs than previous methods. The PMU placement problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming that results in the global optimal solution. Results obtained from testing the proposed method on four well-known test systems in diverse situations confirm its efficiency.

  1. Beneficial effects of microwave-assisted heating versus conventional heating in noble metal nanoparticle synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahal, Naween; García, Stephany; Zhou, Jiping; Humphrey, Simon M

    2012-11-27

    An extensive comparative study of the effects of microwave versus conventional heating on the nucleation and growth of near-monodisperse Rh, Pd, and Pt nanoparticles has revealed distinct and preferential effects of the microwave heating method. A one-pot synthetic method has been investigated, which combines nucleation and growth in a single reaction via precise control over the precursor addition rate. Using this method, microwave-assisted heating enables the convenient preparation of polymer-capped nanoparticles with improved monodispersity, morphological control, and higher crystallinity, compared with samples heated conventionally under otherwise identical conditions. Extensive studies of Rh nanoparticle formation reveal fundamental differences during the nucleation phase that is directly dependent on the heating method; microwave irradiation was found to provide more uniform seeds for the subsequent growth of larger nanostructures of desired size and surface structure. Nanoparticle growth kinetics are also markedly different under microwave heating. While conventional heating generally yields particles with mixed morphologies, microwave synthesis consistently provides a majority of tetrahedral particles at intermediate sizes (5-7 nm) or larger cubes (8+ nm) upon further growth. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy indicates that Rh seeds and larger nanoparticles obtained from microwave-assisted synthesis are more highly crystalline and faceted versus their conventionally prepared counterparts. Microwave-prepared Rh nanoparticles also show approximately twice the catalytic activity of similar-sized conventionally prepared particles, as demonstrated in the vapor-phase hydrogenation of cyclohexene. Ligand exchange reactions to replace polymer capping agents with molecular stabilizing agents are also easily facilitated under microwave heating, due to the excitation of polar organic moieties; the ligand exchange proceeds with excellent retention of

  2. Manufacture of functional surfaces through combined application of tool manufacturing processes and Robot Assisted Polishing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eriksen, Rasmus Solmer; Arentoft, Mogens; Grønbæk, J.

    2012-01-01

    The tool surface topography is often a key parameter in the tribological performance of modern metal forming tools. A new generation of multifunctional surfaces is achieved by combination of conventional tool manufacturing processes with a novel Robot Assisted Polishing process. This novel surface...

  3. Surface-bound states in nanodiamonds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Peng; Antonov, Denis; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Bester, Gabriel

    2017-05-01

    We show via ab initio calculations and an electrostatic model that the notoriously low, but positive, electron affinity of bulk diamond becomes negative for hydrogen passivated nanodiamonds and argue that this peculiar situation (type-II offset with a vacuum level at nearly midgap) and the three further conditions: (i) a surface dipole with positive charge on the outside layer, (ii) a spherical symmetry, and (iii) a dielectric mismatch at the surface, results in the emergence of a peculiar type of surface state localized just outside the nanodiamond. These states are referred to as "surface-bound states" and have consequently a strong environmental sensitivity. These type of states should exist in any nanostructure with negative electron affinity. We further quantify the band offsets of different type of nanostructures as well as the exciton binding energy and contrast the results with results for "conventional" silicon quantum dots.

  4. Two-dimensional orthonormal trend surfaces for prospecting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarma, D. D.; Selvaraj, J. B.

    Orthonormal polynomials have distinct advantages over conventional polynomials: the equations for evaluating trend coefficients are not ill-conditioned and the convergence power of this method is greater compared to the least-squares approximation and therefore the approach by orthonormal functions provides a powerful alternative to the least-squares method. In this paper, orthonormal polynomials in two dimensions are obtained using the Gram-Schmidt method for a polynomial series of the type: Z = 1 + x + y + x2 + xy + y2 + … + yn, where x and y are the locational coordinates and Z is the value of the variable under consideration. Trend-surface analysis, which has wide applications in prospecting, has been carried out using the orthonormal polynomial approach for two sample sets of data from India concerned with gold accumulation from the Kolar Gold Field, and gravity data. A comparison of the orthonormal polynomial trend surfaces with those obtained by the classical least-squares method has been made for the two data sets. In both the situations, the orthonormal polynomial surfaces gave an improved fit to the data. A flowchart and a FORTRAN-IV computer program for deriving orthonormal polynomials of any order and for using them to fit trend surfaces is included. The program has provision for logarithmic transformation of the Z variable. If log-transformation is performed the predicted Z values are reconverted to the original units and the trend-surface map generated for use. The illustration of gold assay data related to the Champion lode system of Kolar Gold Fields, for which a 9th-degree orthonormal trend surface was fit, could be used for further prospecting the area.

  5. Conflict and convention in dynamic networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley, Michael; Forber, Patrick; Smead, Rory; Riedl, Christoph

    2018-03-01

    An important way to resolve games of conflict (snowdrift, hawk-dove, chicken) involves adopting a convention: a correlated equilibrium that avoids any conflict between aggressive strategies. Dynamic networks allow individuals to resolve conflict via their network connections rather than changing their strategy. Exploring how behavioural strategies coevolve with social networks reveals new dynamics that can help explain the origins and robustness of conventions. Here, we model the emergence of conventions as correlated equilibria in dynamic networks. Our results show that networks have the tendency to break the symmetry between the two conventional solutions in a strongly biased way. Rather than the correlated equilibrium associated with ownership norms (play aggressive at home, not away), we usually see the opposite host-guest norm (play aggressive away, not at home) evolve on dynamic networks, a phenomenon common to human interaction. We also show that learning to avoid conflict can produce realistic network structures in a way different than preferential attachment models. © 2017 The Author(s).

  6. Digital vs. conventional implant impressions: efficiency outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sang J; Gallucci, German O

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficiency, difficulty and operator's preference of a digital impression compared with a conventional impression for single implant restorations. Thirty HSDM second year dental students performed conventional and digital implant impressions on a customized model presenting a single implant. The outcome of the impressions was evaluated under an acceptance criteria and the need for retake/rescan was decided. The efficiency of both impression techniques was evaluated by measuring the preparation, working, and retake/scan time (m/s) and the number of retakes/rescans. Participants' perception on the level of difficulty for the both impressions was assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaire. Multiple questionnaires were obtained to assess the participants' perception on preference, effectiveness and proficiency. Mean total treatment time was of 24:42 m/s for conventional and 12:29 m/s for digital impressions (P impressions (P impression (P impression technique and 30.63 (±17.57) for digital impression technique (P = 0.006). Sixty percent of the participants preferred the digital impression, 7% the conventional impression technique and 33% preferred either technique. Digital impressions resulted in a more efficient technique than conventional impressions. Longer preparation, working, and retake time were consumed to complete an acceptable conventional impression. Difficulty was lower for the digital impression compared with the conventional ones when performed by inexperienced second year dental students. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  7. Protein signatures using electrostatic molecular surfaces in harmonic space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Sofia Carvalho

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available We developed a novel method based on the Fourier analysis of protein molecular surfaces to speed up the analysis of the vast structural data generated in the post-genomic era. This method computes the power spectrum of surfaces of the molecular electrostatic potential, whose three-dimensional coordinates have been either experimentally or theoretically determined. Thus we achieve a reduction of the initial three-dimensional information on the molecular surface to the one-dimensional information on pairs of points at a fixed scale apart. Consequently, the similarity search in our method is computationally less demanding and significantly faster than shape comparison methods. As proof of principle, we applied our method to a training set of viral proteins that are involved in major diseases such as Hepatitis C, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, Bovine viral diarrhea and West Nile fever. The training set contains proteins of four different protein families, as well as a mammalian representative enzyme. We found that the power spectrum successfully assigns a unique signature to each protein included in our training set, thus providing a direct probe of functional similarity among proteins. The results agree with established biological data from conventional structural biochemistry analyses.

  8. AECT Convention, Orlando, Florida 2008 Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vega, Eddie

    2009-01-01

    This article presents several reports that highlight the events at the 2008 Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) International Convention in Orlando, Florida. At the annual convention this year, the Multimedia Production Division goal was to continue to share information about the latest tools in multimedia production,…

  9. The protocol amending the 1963 Vienna Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamm, V.

    1998-01-01

    In the first stage of the revision process, the only goal was to amend certain provisions of the Vienna Convention. Later, in what might be called the second stage, the question was seriously raised of establishing a new supplementary convention by which additional funds were to be provided by the international community of States. Most experts felt that the nuclear liability regime of the Vienna Convention, as amended, would really serve the interests of potential victims of nuclear incidents only if it were supported by an international supplementary fund providing additional compensation for nuclear damage to that provided by the operator. Thus, the Standing Committee started to consider the establishment, under the Vienna Convention, of a mechanism for mobilizing additional funds for compensation of nuclear damage. During the negotiations it was deemed necessary to establish a separate treaty for such a supplementary fund, and indeed, efforts were undertaken to draw up such an instrument concurrently with the revision of the Vienna Convention. (K.A.)

  10. Development of conventional fatigue database for structure materials of nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Bing

    2002-01-01

    Management system of the conventional fatigue database for structure materials of nuclear power plant (NPP) is developed. The database included the parameters of design curves, i.e., the stress-life, survival probability-stress-life, strain-life, survival probability-strain-life, stress-strain and survival probability-stress-strain curves, and corresponding information of materials and testing conditions. Two ways, by materials name or by the inter-bounds of material mechanical properties, are constructed to search the database. From the searched information it can be conveniently performed of the conventional fatigue design analysis and reliability assessment of structures

  11. Provisions relating to Nuclear Energy. II - International Conventions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    This book published by the Portuguese Junta de Energia Nuclear (Nuclear Energy Commission) reproduces in Portuguese and in the original language (English or French), texts of a series of international conventions in the nuclear field and the Statutes of international nuclear organisations and undertakings. The following are among the texts included: the Statutes of the IAEA, NEA, Eurochemic; the Euratom Treaty; the Tlatelolco Treaty; the co-operation agreement between Portugal and the United States on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. (NEA) [fr

  12. numerical assessment of conventional regulation effectiveness

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Benkoussas B, Djedjig R, and Vauquelin O

    2016-05-01

    May 1, 2016 ... The effectiveness of an underground smoke control system mainly depends on fire safety engineering that is ... In the same context, this work aims firstly, at investigating the effectiveness of conventional regulation applied to .... 5a). Fig.4. Station smoke behavior for conventional ventilation regulation. Fig.5a.

  13. A multileaf collimator field prescription preparation system for conventional radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, M.N.; Yu, C. X.; Symons, M.; Yan, D.; Taylor, R.; Matter, R.C.; Gustafson, G.; Martinez, A.; Wong, J.W.

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this work is to develop a prescription preparation system for efficient field shaping using a multileaf collimator that can be used in community settings as well as research institutions. The efficiency advantage of the computer-controlled multileaf collimator, over cerrobend blocks, to shape radiation fields has been shown in conformal treatments, which typically require complete volumetric computerized tomographic data for three-dimensional radiation treatment planning--a utility not readily available to the general community. As a result, most patients today are treated with conventional radiation therapy. Therefore, we believe that it is very important to fully use the same efficiency advantage of multileaf collimator as a block replacement in conventional practice. Methods and Material: The multileaf collimator prescription preparation system developed by us acquires prescription images from different sources, including film scanner and radiation treatment planning systems. The multileaf collimator angle and leaf positions are set from the desired field contour defined on the prescription image, by minimizing the area discrepancies. Interactive graphical tools include manual adjustment of collimator angle and leaf positions, and definition of portions of the field edges that require maximal conformation. Data files of the final leaf positions are transferred to the multileaf collimator controller via a dedicated communication link. Results: We have implemented the field prescription preparation system and a network model for integrating the multileaf collimator and other radiotherapy modalities for routine treatments. For routine plan evaluation, isodose contours measured with film in solid water phantom at prescription depth are overlaid on the prescription image. Preliminary study indicates that the efficiency advantage of the MLC over cerrobend blocks in conformal therapy also holds true for conventional treatments. Conclusion: Our

  14. Late toxicities after conventional radiation therapy alone for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tuan, Jeffrey Kit Loong, E-mail: ntrtkl@nccs.com.sg [Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (Singapore); Ha, Tam Cam [Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore (Singapore); Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Singapore); Ong, Whee Sze [Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore (Singapore); Siow, Tian Rui [Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (Singapore); Tham, Ivan Weng Keong [National University Health System Singapore (Singapore); Yap, Swee Peng; Tan, Terence Wee Kiat; Chua, Eu Tiong; Fong, Kam Weng [Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (Singapore); Wee, Joseph Tien Seng [Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (Singapore); Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore (Singapore); Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Singapore)

    2012-09-15

    Background and purpose: We sought to evaluate the nature and frequency of late toxicities in a cohort of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients treated with conventional radiotherapy alone. Methods and materials: Seven-hundred and ninety-six consecutive NPC patients treated using conventional radiotherapy at a single center from 1992 to 1995 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with histology proven, completely staged, Stage I-IVB World Health Organization Type I-III NPC and completed radical radiotherapy were included. Patients with incomplete staging investigations, distant metastases at diagnosis, previous treatment, and incomplete radiotherapy were excluded. Radiotherapy-related complications were categorized using the RTOG Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria. Results: Median follow-up was 7.2 years. The 5-year overall survival and disease free survival were 69% and 56%, respectively, and the corresponding 10-year rates were 52% and 44%. Among 771 patients with at least 3 months of follow-up post treatment, 565 (73%) developed RT-related complications. Diagnosed neurological complications were cranial nerve palsies (n = 70; 9%), temporal lobe necrosis (n = 37; 5%), Lhermitte's syndrome (n = 7; 1%), and brachial plexopathy (n = 2; 0.3%). Non-neurological complications included xerostomia (n = 353; 46%), neck fibrosis (n = 169; 22%), hypo-pituitarism (n = 48; 6%), hearing loss (n = 120; 16%), dysphagia (n = 116; 15%), otorrhea (n = 101; 13%), tinnitus (n = 94; 12%), permanent tube feeding (n = 61; 8%), trismus (n = 45; 6%), second malignancies within treatment field (n = 17; 2%), and osteo-radionecrosis (n = 13; 2%). Conclusions: While radiotherapy is curative in NPC, many patients suffer significant late treatment morbidities with conventional radiotherapy techniques.

  15. Late toxicities after conventional radiation therapy alone for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuan, Jeffrey Kit Loong; Ha, Tam Cam; Ong, Whee Sze; Siow, Tian Rui; Tham, Ivan Weng Keong; Yap, Swee Peng; Tan, Terence Wee Kiat; Chua, Eu Tiong; Fong, Kam Weng; Wee, Joseph Tien Seng

    2012-01-01

    Background and purpose: We sought to evaluate the nature and frequency of late toxicities in a cohort of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients treated with conventional radiotherapy alone. Methods and materials: Seven-hundred and ninety-six consecutive NPC patients treated using conventional radiotherapy at a single center from 1992 to 1995 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with histology proven, completely staged, Stage I–IVB World Health Organization Type I–III NPC and completed radical radiotherapy were included. Patients with incomplete staging investigations, distant metastases at diagnosis, previous treatment, and incomplete radiotherapy were excluded. Radiotherapy-related complications were categorized using the RTOG Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria. Results: Median follow-up was 7.2 years. The 5-year overall survival and disease free survival were 69% and 56%, respectively, and the corresponding 10-year rates were 52% and 44%. Among 771 patients with at least 3 months of follow-up post treatment, 565 (73%) developed RT-related complications. Diagnosed neurological complications were cranial nerve palsies (n = 70; 9%), temporal lobe necrosis (n = 37; 5%), Lhermitte’s syndrome (n = 7; 1%), and brachial plexopathy (n = 2; 0.3%). Non-neurological complications included xerostomia (n = 353; 46%), neck fibrosis (n = 169; 22%), hypo-pituitarism (n = 48; 6%), hearing loss (n = 120; 16%), dysphagia (n = 116; 15%), otorrhea (n = 101; 13%), tinnitus (n = 94; 12%), permanent tube feeding (n = 61; 8%), trismus (n = 45; 6%), second malignancies within treatment field (n = 17; 2%), and osteo-radionecrosis (n = 13; 2%). Conclusions: While radiotherapy is curative in NPC, many patients suffer significant late treatment morbidities with conventional radiotherapy techniques.

  16. A multipurpose hybrid conventional/scanning near-field optical microscope for applications in materials science and biology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Longo, G; Girasole, M; Pompeo, G; Generosi, R; Luce, M; Cricenti, A

    2010-01-01

    A hybrid conventional/scanning near-field optical microscope is presented. The instrument is obtained coupling an Olympus IX-70 inverted optical microscope with a SNOM head, to combine the versatility and ease of use of the conventional microscope with the high-resolution and three-dimensional reconstruction achieved by the SNOM. The head can be run in shear or tapping mode and is optimized to characterize soft, biological samples including living cells in physiological environment by including the SNOM in a cylindrical chamber that insulates it from external noise, while maintaining a controlled temperature and atmosphere

  17. Assessment of differences between products obtained in conventional and vacuum spray dryer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda de Melo RAMOS

    Full Text Available Abstract In this work, an experimental unit of a vacuum spray dryer was built. This prototype attempted to combine the advantages of freeze-drying (drying at low temperatures due to vacuum and spray drying (increase of surface area aiming the improvement of heat transfer efficiency. Maltodextrin solutions were dried in the vacuum operated equipment and in conventional spray dryer. The vacuum spray dryer system allowed obtaining powder at low temperatures due to the lowering of pressure conditions (2-5 kPa inside the drying chamber. The products obtained in the two systems were characterized and compared for particle size distribution, moisture content, water activity, bulk density and solubility in water. The processes yields were also evaluated and compared. The vacuum spray dryer system allowed the production of larger, more soluble and less dense particles than those obtained in the conventional configuration of the equipment, resulting in drier and, therefore, with lower water activity particles. Thus, the use of the vacuum spray dryer as a drying technique may be an alternative for the production of powder rich in thermosensitive compounds.

  18. The effects of work surface hardness on mechanical stress, muscle activity, and wrist postures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jeong Ho; Aulck, Lovenoor; Trippany, David; Johnson, Peter W

    2015-01-01

    Contact pressure is a risk factor which can contribute to musculoskeletal disorders. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a work surface with a soft, pliable front edge could reduce contact pressure, muscle activity, and subjective musculoskeletal comfort, and improve wrist posture relative to a conventional, hard work surface. In a repeated-measures blinded experiment with eighteen subjects (8 females and 10 males), contact pressure, wrist posture, typing productivity, perceived fatigue, wrist and shoulder muscle activity, and subjective comfort were compared between the two different work surfaces during keyboard use, mouse use and mixed mouse and keyboard use. The results showed that across the three modes of computer work, the contact pressure was lower on the soft-edge work surface compared to the conventional work surface (p's work surfaces. Given the significant reduction in contact pressure and corresponding lower ratings in perceived fatigue, the soft-edge work surface subjectively and objectively improved measures of contact stress which may reduce physical exposures associated with the onset and development of musculoskeletal disorders.

  19. Microbial terroir in Chilean valleys: Diversity of non-conventional yeast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla eJara

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the presence of non-conventional yeast associated with vineyards located between latitudes 30ºS and 36ºS was examined, including the valleys of Limarí, Casablanca, Maipo, Colchagua, Maule and Itata. The microbial fingerprinting in each valley was examined based on the specific quantification of yeast of enological interest. Grape berries were sampled to evaluate the presence and load of non-conventional yeast with enological potential, such as Metschnikowia, Hanseniaspora, Torulaspora, Debaryomyces, Meyerozyma and Rhodotorula. These yeasts were present in all vineyards studied but with varying loads depending on the valley sampled. No identical fingerprints were observed; however, similarities and differences could be observed among the microbial profiles of each valley. A co-variation in the loads of Metschnikowia and Hanseniaspora with latitude was observed, showing high loads in the Casablanca and Itata valleys, which was coincident with the higher relative humidity or rainfall of those areas. Non-conventional yeasts were also isolated and identified after sequencing molecular markers. Potentially good aromatic properties were also screened among the isolates, resulting in the selection of mostly Metschnikowia and Hanseniaspora isolates. Finally, our results suggest that microbial terroir might be affected by climatic conditions such as relative humidity and rainfall, especially impacting the load of non-conventional yeast. In this study, the microbial fingerprint for yeast in Chilean vineyards is reported for the first time revealing an opportunity to study the contribution of this assembly of microorganisms to the final product.

  20. DNA base dimers are stabilized by hydrogen-bonding interactions including non-Watson-Crick pairing near graphite surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shankar, Akshaya; Jagota, Anand; Mittal, Jeetain

    2012-10-11

    Single- and double-stranded DNA are increasingly being paired with surfaces and nanoparticles for numerous applications, such as sensing, imaging, and drug delivery. Unlike the majority of DNA structures in bulk that are stabilized by canonical Watson-Crick pairing between Ade-Thy and Gua-Cyt, those adsorbed on surfaces are often stabilized by noncanonical base pairing, quartet formation, and base-surface stacking. Not much is known about these kinds of interactions. To build an understanding of the role of non-Watson-Crick pairing on DNA behavior near surfaces, one requires basic information on DNA base pair stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. All-atom molecular simulations of DNA bases in two cases--in bulk water and strongly adsorbed on a graphite surface--are conducted to study the relative strengths of stacking and hydrogen bond interactions for each of the 10 possible combinations of base pairs. The key information obtained from these simulations is the free energy as a function of distance between two bases in a pair. We find that stacking interactions exert the dominant influence on the stability of DNA base pairs in bulk water as expected. The strength of stability for these stacking interactions is found to decrease in the order Gua-Gua > Ade-Gua > Ade-Ade > Gua-Thy > Gua-Cyt > Ade-Thy > Ade-Cyt > Thy-Thy > Cyt-Thy > Cyt-Cyt. On the other hand, mutual interactions of surface-adsorbed base pairs are stabilized mostly by hydrogen-bonding interactions in the order Gua-Cyt > Ade-Gua > Ade-Thy > Ade-Ade > Cyt-Thy > Gua-Gua > Cyt-Cyt > Ade-Cyt > Thy-Thy > Gua-Thy. Interestingly, several non-Watson-Crick base pairings, which are commonly ignored, have similar stabilization free energies due to interbase hydrogen bonding as Watson-Crick pairs. This clearly highlights the importance of non-Watson-Crick base pairing in the development of secondary structures of oligonucleotides near surfaces.

  1. Surface Treatment And Protection Method For Cadium Zinc Telluride Crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Gomez W.; James, Ralph B.; Burger, Arnold; Chinn, Douglas A.

    2006-02-21

    A method for treatment of the surface of a CdZnTe (CZT) crystal that provides a native dielectric coating to reduce surface leakage currents and thereby, improve the resolution of instruments incorporating detectors using CZT crystals. A two step process is disclosed, etching the surface of a CZT crystal with a solution of the conventional bromine/methanol etch treatment, and after attachment of electrical contacts, passivating the CZT crystal surface with a solution of 10 w/o NH4F and 10 w/o H2O2 in water.

  2. Dental Students' Perceptions of Digital and Conventional Impression Techniques: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zitzmann, Nicola U; Kovaltschuk, Irina; Lenherr, Patrik; Dedem, Philipp; Joda, Tim

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to analyze inexperienced dental students' perceptions of the difficulty and applicability of digital and conventional implant impressions and their preferences including performance. Fifty undergraduate dental students at a dental school in Switzerland were randomly divided into two groups (2×25). Group A first took digital impressions in a standardized phantom model and then conventional impressions, while the procedures were reversed for Group B. Participants were asked to complete a VAS questionnaire (0-100) on the level of difficulty and applicability (user/patient-friendliness) of both techniques. They were asked which technique they preferred and perceived to be more efficient. A quotient of "effective scan time per software-recorded time" (TRIOS) was calculated as an objective quality indicator for intraoral optical scanning (IOS). The majority of students perceived IOS as easier than the conventional technique. Most (72%) preferred the digital approach using IOS to take the implant impression to the conventional method (12%) or had no preference (12%). Although total work was similar for males and females, the TRIOS quotient indicated that male students tended to use their time more efficiently. In this study, dental students with no clinical experience were very capable of acquiring digital tools, indicating that digital impression techniques can be included early in the dental curriculum to help them catch up with ongoing development in computer-assisted technologies used in oral rehabilitation.

  3. Analytical models of Ohmic heating and conventional heating in food processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serventi, A.; Bozzoli, F.; Rainieri, S.

    2017-11-01

    Ohmic heating is a food processing operation in which an electric current is passed through a food and the electrical resistance of the food causes the electric power to be transformed directly into heat. The heat is not delivered through a surface as in conventional heat exchangers but it is internally generated by Joule effect. Therefore, no temperature gradient is required and it origins quicker and more uniform heating within the food. On the other hand, it is associated with high energy costs and its use is limited to a particular range of food products with an appropriate electrical conductivity. Sterilization of foods by Ohmic heating has gained growing interest in the last few years. The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefits of Ohmic heating with respect to conventional heat exchangers under uniform wall temperature, a condition that is often present in industrial plants. This comparison is carried out by means of analytical models. The two different heating conditions are simulated under typical circumstances for the food industry. Particular attention is paid to the uniformity of the heat treatment and to the heating section length required in the two different conditions.

  4. Conference on Techniques of Nuclear and Conventional Analysis and Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    Full text : With their wide scope, particularly in the areas of environment, geology, mining, industry and life sciences; analysis techniques are of great importance in research as fundamental and applied. The Conference on Techniques for Nuclear and Conventional Analysis and Applications (TANCA) are Registered in the national strategy of opening of the University and national research centers on their local, national and international levels. This conference aims to: Promoting nuclear and conventional analytical techniques; Contribute to the creation of synergy between the different players involved in these techniques include, Universities, Research Organizations, Regulatory Authorities, Economic Operators, NGOs and others; Inform and educate potential users of the performance of these techniques; Strengthen exchanges and links between researchers, industry and policy makers; Implement a program of inter-laboratory comparison between Moroccan one hand, and their foreign counterparts on the other; Contribute to the research training of doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars. Given the relevance and importance of the issues related to environment and impact on cultural heritage, this fourth edition of TANCA is devoted to the application of analytical techniques for conventional and nuclear Questions ied to environment and its impact on cultural heritage.

  5. Plasma surface interactions in Q-enhanced mirror systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Post, R.F.

    1978-01-01

    Two approaches to enhancement of the Q (energy gain) factor of mirror systems are under study at Livermore. These include the Tandem Mirror and the Field Reversed Mirror. Both of these new ideas preserve features of conventional mirror systems as far as plasma-wall interactions are concerned. Specifically in both approaches field lines exit from the ends of the system and impinge on walls located at a distance from the confinement chamber. It is possible to predict some aspects of the plasma/surface interactions of TM and FRM systems from experience obtained in the Livermore 2XIIB experiment. In particular, as observed in 2XIIB, effective isolation of the plasma from thermal contact with the ends owing to the development of sheath-like regions is to be expected. Studies presently underway directed toward still further enhancing the decoupling of the plasma from the effects of plasma surface interactions at the walls will be discussed, with particular reference to the problem of minimizing the effects of refluxing secondary electrons produced by plasma impact on the end walls

  6. Multi-directional plasmonic surface-wave splitters with full bandwidth isolation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Zhen; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Baile

    2016-01-01

    We present a multidirectional plasmonic surface-wave splitter with full bandwidth isolation experimentally based on coupled defect surface modes in a surface-wave photonic crystal. In contrast to conventional plasmonic surface-wave frequency splitters with polaritonic dispersion relations that overlap at low frequencies, this multidirectional plasmonic surface-wave splitter based on coupled defect surface modes can split different frequency bands into different waveguide branches without bandwidth overlap. Transmission spectra and near-field imaging measurements have been implemented in the microwave frequencies to verify the performance of the multidirectional plasmonic surface-wave splitter. This surface wave structure can be used as a plasmonic wavelength-division multiplexer that may find potential applications in the surface-wave integrated circuits from microwave to terahertz frequencies.

  7. Method for Pre-Conditioning a Measured Surface Height Map for Model Validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidick, Erkin

    2012-01-01

    This software allows one to up-sample or down-sample a measured surface map for model validation, not only without introducing any re-sampling errors, but also eliminating the existing measurement noise and measurement errors. Because the re-sampling of a surface map is accomplished based on the analytical expressions of Zernike-polynomials and a power spectral density model, such re-sampling does not introduce any aliasing and interpolation errors as is done by the conventional interpolation and FFT-based (fast-Fourier-transform-based) spatial-filtering method. Also, this new method automatically eliminates the measurement noise and other measurement errors such as artificial discontinuity. The developmental cycle of an optical system, such as a space telescope, includes, but is not limited to, the following two steps: (1) deriving requirements or specs on the optical quality of individual optics before they are fabricated through optical modeling and simulations, and (2) validating the optical model using the measured surface height maps after all optics are fabricated. There are a number of computational issues related to model validation, one of which is the "pre-conditioning" or pre-processing of the measured surface maps before using them in a model validation software tool. This software addresses the following issues: (1) up- or down-sampling a measured surface map to match it with the gridded data format of a model validation tool, and (2) eliminating the surface measurement noise or measurement errors such that the resulted surface height map is continuous or smoothly-varying. So far, the preferred method used for re-sampling a surface map is two-dimensional interpolation. The main problem of this method is that the same pixel can take different values when the method of interpolation is changed among the different methods such as the "nearest," "linear," "cubic," and "spline" fitting in Matlab. The conventional, FFT-based spatial filtering method used to

  8. Comparison of the efficacy of biologics versus conventional systemic therapies in the treatment of psoriasis at a comprehensive psoriasis care center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Au, Shiu-Chung; Madani, Abdulaziz; Alhaddad, Marwan; Alkofide, Maha; Gottlieb, Alice B

    2013-08-01

    The efficacy of biologic treatment for psoriasis has not been compared to that of conventional systemic therapies and phototherapy outside of clinical trial settings. Retrospective, cross-sectional. All patient visits with a code for psoriasis (ICD-9 696.1) in the clinical practice of two dermatologists with a high percentage (over 70% of chief complaints) of psoriasis patients from Jan 1, 2008 to Jan 4, 2012 inclusive were included in this retrospective data analysis. Patients were excluded if the baseline Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) at start of treatment was unknown, or less than 3 (moderate). The practice is a comprehensive psoriasis care center in the Northeastern United States serving a metropolitan population of over 4 million people. Patients were divided by treatment type (biologic, conventional systemic or both) and history of previous treatments. Patients were evaluated by Body Surface Area (BSA), PGA, Simple-Measure for Assessing Psoriasis Activity (S-MAPA, calculated by BSA multiplied by PGA). Patients were evaluated at baseline, 8, 12, 16, and 24 weeks after start of treatment. Patients must have completed at least 8 weeks on a single treatment in order to be included. 46 courses of biologics, 12 courses of conventional systemic therapies, and 18 courses of both together were identified with PGA 3 or greater at baseline. Baseline S-MAPA for biologics was 74, for non-biologic systemics was 62.25. At week 24, S-MAPA improved 70.2% over baseline in patients treated with biologics, patients treated with non-biologic systemics improved by only 40.4% (PMAPA (PGA multiplied by BSA) at week 24. These results were observed despite the fact that patients on biologics had a greater baseline severity and had a greater number of previous treatments.

  9. Cycling of conventional power plants: Technical limits and actual costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van den Bergh, Kenneth; Delarue, Erik

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Literature reports a wide range of cycling parameters (technical and cost-related). • The impact of different cycling parameters is assessed. • The German 2013 system is studied as a case study. • Even for stringent parameters, the dynamic limit of the portfolio is not reached. • Cycling costs can be reduced with 40% when taken into account in the scheduling. - Abstract: Cycling of conventional generation units is an important source of operational flexibility in the electricity generation system. Cycling is changing the power output of conventional units by means of ramping and switching (starting up and shutting down). In the literature, a wide range of technical and cost-related cycling parameters can be found. Different studies allocate different cycling parameters to similar generation units. This paper assesses the impact of different cycling parameters allocated to a conventional generation portfolio. Both the technical limitations of power plants and all costs related to cycling are considered. The results presented in this paper follow from a unit commitment model, used for a case study based on the German 2013 system. The conventional generation portfolio has to deliver different residual load time series, corresponding to different levels of renewables penetration. The study shows, under the assumptions made, that although the dynamic limits of some units are reached, the limits of the conventional generation portfolio as a whole are not reached, even if stringent dynamic parameters are assigned to the generation portfolio and a highly variable residual load is imposed to the system. The study shows also the importance of including full cycling costs in the unit commitment scheduling. The cycling cost can be reduced by up to 40% when fully taken into account

  10. Comparison of microleakage between flowable nanocomposite, flowable Composite and Conventional sealant in fissure sealant therapy of the permanent teeth: an in- vitro study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Maleki Kambakhsh

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Novel dental materials including nanocomposites have been introduced in recent years. It is claimed that they have superior properties such as high esthetic., low wear, increased filler content resulting in better mechanical properties, and releasing ions i.e. fluoride and amorphous calcium phosphate that are important for enamel remineralization. Considering these features, if they have retention and microleakage rates comparable with conventional sealants, these materials can be appropriate alternatives to conventional resin sealants in future. The current study aimed at comparing . microleakage of a flowable nanocomposite, a flowable composite , and a conventional sealant in fissure sealant therapy of the permanent teeth. Materials and Methods: First of all ,42 extracted sound human maxillary first premolars were collected and were randomly divided into 3 equal groups. Then the teeth were embedded in self-cure acrylic resin. Occlusal fissures of the samples were cleaned using explorer, enameloplasty with ¼ round diamond bur and water/air spray was done. The prepared surfaces were etched using 36% phosphoric acid gel for 15s, rinsed and dried. Bonding agent was placed in the pits and fissures, cured for 10s after thinning with air. In the first, second , and the third group conventional sealant, flowable composite , and flowable nanocomposite were placed, respectively; and light cured for 40s. The samples were thermocycled (1000 cycles between 5-55ºC and then immersed in 2% basic Fuchsine solution for 24hs. They were then cut bucculingually and microleakage evaluation was done using stereomicroscope. The obtained data was analyzed using Kruskal wallis tests. Results: There was no significant difference in microleakage rate of the study groups. (P>0.05. Conclusion: Considering the condition of the study, it can be concluded that flowable composite and flowable nanocomposite can be used as suitable alternatives to

  11. Evaluation of the safety and efficiency of novel metallic ultrasonic scaler tip on titanium surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, Seung-Ho; Shon, Won-Jun; Bae, Kwang-Shik; Kum, Kee-Yeon; Lee, Woo-Cheol; Park, Young-Seok

    2012-11-01

    To evaluate the safety and efficiency of novel ultrasonic scaler tips, conventional stainless-steel tips, and plastic tips on titanium surfaces. Mechanical instrumentation was carried out using conventional ultrasonic scalers (EMS, Nyon, Switzerland) with novel metallic implant tip (BS), a plastic-headed tip (ES), a plastic tip (PS) and a conventional stainless-steel tip (CS) on 10 polished commercially pure titanium disks (Grade II) per group. Arithmetic mean roughness (R(a) ) and maximum height roughness (R(y) ) of titanium samples were measured and dissipated power of the scaler tip in the tip-surface junction was estimated to investigate the scaling efficiency. The instrumented surface morphology of samples was viewed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and surface profile of the each sample was investigated using contact mode with a commercial atomic force microscope (AFM). There were no significant differences in surface roughness (R(a) and R(y) ) among BS, ES, and PS group. However, CS group showed significant higher surface roughness (R(a) and R(y) ). The efficiency of CS tip is twice as much higher than that of BS tip, the efficiency of BS tip is 20 times higher than that of PS tip, and the efficiency of BS tip is 90 times higher than that of ES tip. Novel metallic copper alloy ultrasonic scaler tips may minimally influence the titanium surface, similar to plastic tip. Therefore, they can be a suitable instrument for implant maintenance therapy. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  12. Radiation exposure of the Yazd Population from medical conventional X-ray examinations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouzarjomehri, F.; Zare, M. H.; Dashti, M. H.

    2007-01-01

    Radiation dose knowledge through X-ray examinations and their distribution in Iran provides useful guidance on patient dose reduction. The results of the entrance skin dose (ESD s ) of five common radiographs in all radiology centers in Yazd province were reported in our previous study (2003). In the present study we have evaluated the collective effective dose of conventional X-ray examinations, as well as the annual per caput of Yazd population.Materials and Methods: The annual frequencies of 18 different types of conventional radiology examinations during April 2005 to March 2006 were recorded from all 35 radiology centers in Yazd province. The exposure conditions consisted of kVp, mAs, and Focus surface distance (FSD) of the examinations for the mode of exposure in each X-ray unit. 620 ESD were measured by diode dosimeter in 35 hospitals and clinics. The real exposure kVp for each radiology unit was measured by a Molt-0-Meter. The conversion coefficient (effective dose - ESD ratio) for each radiology examination was determined by using SR262 tables. Finally, the patients' effective dose was calculated by multiplying the conversion factor to the ESD. Results: The patients' annual collective effective dose due to the conventional radiology examinations was 31.159 man-Sv (0.03 mSv per inhabitant). The frequency of examinations was 311813 i.e. 0.36 examinations per head of the population for one year. Conclusion: According to our findings, the effective per caput dose seems to be optimally relative to HCL-II countries, which may be due to low mean effective dose that could obscure high examination frequency. The number of radiology conventional examinations and frequency of radiologist per1000 population of Yazd was more and lower than HCL-II countries respectively. Thus the justification of radiography requests in this province must be revised

  13. Flight testing of a luminescent surface pressure sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mclachlan, B. G.; Bell, J. H.; Espina, J.; Gallery, J.; Gouterman, M.; Demandante, C. G. N.; Bjarke, L.

    1992-01-01

    NASA ARC has conducted flight tests of a new type of aerodynamic pressure sensor based on a luminescent surface coating. Flights were conducted at the NASA ARC-Dryden Flight Research Facility. The luminescent pressure sensor is based on a surface coating which, when illuminated with ultraviolet light, emits visible light with an intensity dependent on the local air pressure on the surface. This technique makes it possible to obtain pressure data over the entire surface of an aircraft, as opposed to conventional instrumentation, which can only make measurements at pre-selected points. The objective of the flight tests was to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of a luminescent pressure sensor in the actual flight environment. A luminescent pressure sensor was installed on a fin, the Flight Test Fixture (FTF), that is attached to the underside of an F-104 aircraft. The response of one particular surface coating was evaluated at low supersonic Mach numbers (M = 1.0-1.6) in order to provide an initial estimate of the sensor's capabilities. This memo describes the test approach, the techniques used, and the pressure sensor's behavior under flight conditions. A direct comparison between data provided by the luminescent pressure sensor and that produced by conventional pressure instrumentation shows that the luminescent sensor can provide quantitative data under flight conditions. However, the test results also show that the sensor has a number of limitations which must be addressed if this technique is to prove useful in the flight environment.

  14. The role of regional pollution conventions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haywar, P.

    1989-01-01

    Within the last 12 years a number of regional pollution conventions and action plans have been negotiated to protect the world's seas from pollution. This paper traces the development of this activity and points out the specific role of regional, as opposed to global, pollution conventions. Chief among the functions of regional conventions is the specific legal framework they provide for a particular geographical region. They also provide a forum for neighboring states to develop a coherent policy for a particular regional sea, as well as being the means of establishing regional control over potentially polluting activities. Regional agreements also constitute a suitable framework for monitoring the input of pollutants to the marine environment and assessing their effects. In addition, they provide a forum for the exchange of scientific and technical information and for developing cooperation between states. The paper concludes by summarizing the most important functions of a regional convention and suggesting that, with increasing industrialization and pollution stress, there will continue to be a need for action to be taken at the regional level

  15. Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    Part I: Status lists as of 31 December 1996. A. Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (Notification Convention). B. Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (Assistance Convention). PART II: Texts of reservations/declarations made upon or following expressing consent to be bound and objections thereto Part III: Texts of reservations/declarations made upon signature

  16. Transfrontier nuclear civil liability without international conventions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dogauchi, M.

    1992-01-01

    Japan is not a contracting party of any international convention in the field of nuclear civil liability, and neither are other east Asian countries who have or will soon have nuclear plants. Therefore, the ordinary rules on private international law will play an important role in dealing with transfrontier nuclear civil liability. Above all, the problems on judicial jurisdiction and governing law are crucial points. With regard to the relations between the above countries and the countries whose legal systems are within the framework of Paris or Vienna Conventions, geographical scopes of these conventions are to be considered. There are two different parts in the international civil liability conventions: uniform civil liability law and mutual funds. As to the first, it is important that, even without the conventions, the basic structure of the nuclear civil liability laws in non-member countries are almost the same with those of members. In any event, considering that the establishment of a single international regime to cover all countries will be hardly possible, legal consequences under the private international law will be explored. (author)

  17. Drag resistance measurements for newly applied antifouling coatings and welding seams on ship hull surface

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Xueting; Olsen, S. M.; Andres, E.

    Drag resistances of newly applied antifouling coatings and welding seams on ship hull surface have been investigated using a pilot-scale rotary setup. Both conventional biocide-based antifouling (AF) coatings and silicone-based fouling release (FR) coatings have been studied and compared in their......Drag resistances of newly applied antifouling coatings and welding seams on ship hull surface have been investigated using a pilot-scale rotary setup. Both conventional biocide-based antifouling (AF) coatings and silicone-based fouling release (FR) coatings have been studied and compared...

  18. Characterization of a Laser Surface-Treated Martensitic Stainless Steel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.R. Al-Sayed

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Laser surface treatment was carried out on AISI 416 machinable martensitic stainless steel containing 0.225 wt.% sulfur. Nd:YAG laser with a 2.2-KW continuous wave was used. The aim was to compare the physical and chemical properties achieved by this type of selective surface treatment with those achieved by the conventional treatment. Laser power of different values (700 and 1000 W with four corresponding different laser scanning speeds (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 m•min−1 was adopted to reach the optimum conditions for impact toughness, wear, and corrosion resistance for laser heat treated (LHT samples. The 0 °C impact energy of LHT samples indicated higher values compared to the conventionally heat treated (CHT samples. This was accompanied by the formation of a hard surface layer and a soft interior base metal. Microhardness was studied to determine the variation of hardness values with respect to the depth under the treated surface. The wear resistance at the surface was enhanced considerably. Microstructure examination was characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopes. The corrosion behavior of the LHT samples was also studied and its correlation with the microstructures was determined. The corrosion data was obtained in 3.5% NaCl solution at room temperature by means of a potentiodynamic polarization technique.

  19. Visualization of brain surface structures by weighted summation technique using multislice MR images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machida, Yoshio; Hatanaka, Masahiko; Hagiwara, Masayuki; Sugimoto, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Tadatoki; Katada, Kazuhiro.

    1991-01-01

    Surface anatomy scanning (SAS) technique which visualizes brain surface structures has been developed since 1987. In this paper, we propose a modified method called 'multislice SAS', which also generates such surface structure images, and has several advantages compared with conventional SAS technique. The conventional SAS technique uses a very long echo time sequence (e.g. SE(3000, 250)) with a thick slice and a surface coil to enhance CSF on the brain surface. Our modified technique also uses a long echo time sequence. But, added multislice images, each appropriately weighted, are used in stead of a thick slice and a surface coil. Our basic studies have shown that this modified method has the following advantage: Several surface images with slightly different summation directions are obtained, and they are used for stereographic display and cine display. This is very useful for visualizing the spatial relationship of brain surface structures. By choosing appropriate weighting, we can obtain clinically legible surface images. This technique dose not require a surface coil. It means that flexibility of selecting imaging direction is high. We can make a lot of modifications, because the original multislice images of weighted summation are arbitrary. And we also clarify some limitation or disadvantage of this modified method. In conclusion, we think that this technique is one of the practical approaches for surface anatomy imaging. (author)

  20. Life cycle water consumption for shale gas and conventional natural gas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Corrie E; Horner, Robert M; Harto, Christopher B

    2013-10-15

    Shale gas production represents a large potential source of natural gas for the nation. The scale and rapid growth in shale gas development underscore the need to better understand its environmental implications, including water consumption. This study estimates the water consumed over the life cycle of conventional and shale gas production, accounting for the different stages of production and for flowback water reuse (in the case of shale gas). This study finds that shale gas consumes more water over its life cycle (13-37 L/GJ) than conventional natural gas consumes (9.3-9.6 L/GJ). However, when used as a transportation fuel, shale gas consumes significantly less water than other transportation fuels. When used for electricity generation, the combustion of shale gas adds incrementally to the overall water consumption compared to conventional natural gas. The impact of fuel production, however, is small relative to that of power plant operations. The type of power plant where the natural gas is utilized is far more important than the source of the natural gas.

  1. Laser surface processing with controlled nitrogen-argon concentration levels for regulated surface life time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obeidi, M. Ahmed; McCarthy, E.; Brabazon, D.

    2018-03-01

    Laser surface modification can be used to enhance the mechanical properties of a material, such as hardness, toughness, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance. Surface nitriding is a widely used thermochemical method of surface modification, in which nitrogen is introduced into a metal or other material at an elevated temperature within a furnace. It is used on parts where there is a need for increased wear resistance, corrosion resistance, fatigue life, and hardness. Laser nitriding is a novel method of nitriding where the surface is heated locally by a laser, either in an atmosphere of nitrogen or with a jet of nitrogen delivered to the laser heated site. It combines the benefits of laser modification with those of nitriding. Recent work on high toughness tool steel samples has shown promising results due to the increased nitrogen gas impingement onto the laser heated region. Increased surface activity and nitrogen adsorption was achieved which resulted in a deeper and harder surface compared to conventional hardening methods. In this work, the effects of the laser power, pulse repetition frequency, and overlap percentage on laser surface treatment of 316 L SST steel samples with an argon-nitrogen jet will be presented. Resulting microstructure, phase type, microhardness, and wear resistance are presented.

  2. Effects of Surface Alloying and Laser Beam Treatment on the Microstructure and Wear Behaviour of Surfaces Modified Using Submerged Metal Arc Welding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regita BENDIKIENE

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the effects of surface alloying of cheap plain carbon steel using submerged metal arc technique and subsequent laser beam treatment on the microstructure and wear behaviour of surfaced layers were studied. This method is the cheapest one to obtain high alloyed coatings, because there is no need to apply complex technologies of powder making (metal powder is spread on the surface of base metal or inserted into the flux, it is enough to grind, granulate and blend additional materials. On the other hand, strengthening of superficial layers of alloys by thermal laser radiation is one of the applications of laser. Surface is strengthened by concentrated laser beam focused into teeny area (from section of mm till some mm. Teeny area of metal heat up rapidly and when heat is drain to the inner metal layers giving strengthening effect. Steel surface during this treatment exceeds critical temperatures, if there is a need to strengthen deeper portions of the base metal it is possible even to fuse superficial layer. The results presented in this paper are based on micro-structural and micro-chemical analyses of the surfaced and laser beam treated surfaces and are supported by analyses of the hardness, the wear resistance and resultant microstructures. Due to the usage of waste raw materials a significant improvement (~ 30 % in wear resistance was achieved. The maximum achieved hardness of surfaced layer was 62 HRC, it can be compared with high alloyed conventional steel grade. Wear properties of overlays with additional laser beam treatment showed that weight loss of these layers was ~10 % lower compared with overlays after welding; consequently it is possible to replace high alloyed conventional steel grades forming new surfaces or restoring worn machine elements and tools.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.1.7621

  3. Enhanced Electron-Phonon Coupling at Metal Surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plummer, Ward E.

    2010-08-04

    The Born-Oppenheimer approximation (BOA) decouples electronic from nuclear motion, providing a focal point for most quantum mechanics textbooks. However, a multitude of important chemical, physical and biological phenomena are driven by violations of this approximation. Vibronic interactions are a necessary ingredient in any process that makes or breaks a covalent bond, for example, conventional catalysis or enzymatically delivered biological reactions. Metastable phenomena associated with defects and dopants in semiconductors, oxides, and glasses entail violation of the BOA. Charge exchange in inorganic polymers, organic slats and biological systems involves charge- induced distortions of the local structure. A classic example is conventional superconductivity, which is driven by the electron-lattice interaction. High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission experiments are yielding new insight into the microscopic origin of electron-phonon coupling (EPC) in anisotropic two-dimensional systems. Our recent surface phonon measurement on the surface of a high-Tc material clearly indicates an important momentum dependent EPC in these materials. In the last few years we have shifted our research focus from solely looking at electron phonon coupling to examining the structure/functionality relationship at the surface of complex transition metal compounds. The investigation on electron phonon coupling has allowed us to move to systems where there is coupling between the lattice, the electrons and the spin.

  4. Holonomic surface codes for fault-tolerant quantum computation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiang; Devitt, Simon J.; You, J. Q.; Nori, Franco

    2018-02-01

    Surface codes can protect quantum information stored in qubits from local errors as long as the per-operation error rate is below a certain threshold. Here we propose holonomic surface codes by harnessing the quantum holonomy of the system. In our scheme, the holonomic gates are built via auxiliary qubits rather than the auxiliary levels in multilevel systems used in conventional holonomic quantum computation. The key advantage of our approach is that the auxiliary qubits are in their ground state before and after each gate operation, so they are not involved in the operation cycles of surface codes. This provides an advantageous way to implement surface codes for fault-tolerant quantum computation.

  5. Minamata Convention on Mercury

    Science.gov (United States)

    On November 6, 2013 the United States signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a new multilateral environmental agreement that addresses specific human activities which are contributing to widespread mercury pollution

  6. Trends, Fashions, Patterns, Norms, Conventions...and Hypertext Too.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amitay, Einat

    2001-01-01

    Outlines the theory behind the formation of language conventions, then reveals conventions evolving in the community of people writing hypertext on the Web. Demonstrates how these conventions can be used to augment and shift the meaning of already published hypertexts. Describes the system called InCommonSense, which reuses particular hypertext…

  7. Surface modification and characterization Collaborative Research Center at ORNL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    The Surface Modification and Characterization Collaborative Research Center (SMAC/CRC) is a unique facility for the alteration and characterization of the near-surface properties of materials. The SMAC/CRC facility is equipped with particle accelerators and high-powered lasers which can be used to improve the physical, electrical, and/or chemical properties of solids and to create unique new materials not possible to obtain with conventional ''equilibrium'' processing techniques. Surface modification is achieved using such techniques as ion implantation doping, ion beam mixing, laser mixing, ion deposition, and laser annealing

  8. On the possibility of study the surface structure of small bio-objects, including fragments of nucleotide chains, by means of electron interference

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Namiot, V.A., E-mail: vnamiot@gmail.co [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University, Vorobyovy Gory, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2009-07-20

    We propose a new method to study the surface of small bio-objects, including macromolecules and their complexes. This method is based on interference of low-energy electrons. Theoretically, this type of interference may allow to construct a hologram of the biological object, but, unlike an optical hologram, with the spatial resolution of the order of inter-atomic distances. The method provides a possibility to construct a series of such holograms at various levels of electron energies. In theory, obtaining such information would be enough to identify the types of molecular groups existing on the surface of the studied object. This method could also be used for 'fast reading' of nucleotide chains. It has been shown how to depose a long linear molecule as a straight line on a substrate before carrying out such 'reading'.

  9. Investigation of back surface fields effect on bifacial solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sepeai, Suhaila; Sulaiman, M. Y.; Sopian, Kamaruzzaman; Zaidi, Saleem H.

    2012-11-01

    A bifacial solar cell, in contrast with a conventional monofacial solar cell, produces photo-generated current from both front and back sides. Bifacial solar cell is an attractive candidate for enhancing photovoltaic (PV) market competitiveness as well as supporting the current efforts to increase efficiency and lower material costs. This paper reports on the fabrication of bifacial solar cells using phosphorus-oxytrichloride (POCl3) emitter formation on p-type, nanotextured silicon (Si) wafer. Backside surface field was formed through Al-diffusion using conventional screen-printing process. Bifacial solar cells with a structure of n+pp+ with and without back surface field (BSF) were fabricated in which silicon nitride (SiN) anti reflection and passivation films were coated on both sides, followed by screen printing of Argentum (Ag) and Argentum/Aluminum (Ag/Al) on front and back contacts, respectively. Bifacial solar cells without BSF exhibited open circuit voltage (VOC) of 535 mV for front and 480 mV for back surface. With Al-alloyed BSF bifacial solar cells, the VOC improved to 580 mV for the front surface and 560 mV for the back surface. Simulation of bifacial solar cells using PC1D and AFORS software demonstrated good agreement with experimental results. Simulations showed that best bifacial solar cells are achieved through a combination of high lifetime wafer, low recombination back surface field, reduced contact resistance, and superior surface passivation.

  10. Minilaparotomy-Assisted Transmesenteric-Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt: Comparison with Conventional Transjugular Approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jalaeian, Hamed, E-mail: hjalaeia@umn.edu; Talaie, Reza; D’Souza, Donna; Taleb, Shayandokht [University of Minnesota, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States); Noorbaloochi, Siamak [University of Minnesota, School of Medicine (United States); Flanagan, Siobhan; Hunter, David; Golzarian, Jafar [University of Minnesota, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (United States)

    2016-10-15

    PurposeThis study was performed to compare the intrahepatic shunt function outcome and procedural complications of minilaparotomy-assisted transmesenteric (MAT)-transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement with the conventional transjugular method.MethodsThis is a retrospective review of all patients who had a MAT or conventional TIPS procedure over a 6-year period at our institute. The primary patency rate, fluoroscopy time, technical success, major procedure-related complications, and mortality data were compared between two treatment groups.ResultsWe included 49 patients with MAT-TIPS, and 63 with conventional TIPS, with an average follow-up of 21.43 months. The primary patency rates at 6 and 12 months were 82.9 and 66.7 % in the conventional TIPS group, and 81.0 and 76.5 % in the MAT-TIPS group (p = 1.000, and 0.529), respectively. There was no significant difference in technical success rate, post-procedure portosystemic pressure gradient, fluoroscopy time, and peri-procedural mortality rate between treatment groups. Major procedural-related complications were seen more frequently among MAT-TIPS patients (p = 0.012). In the MAT-TIPS group, 5 (10.2 %) patients developed post-procedure minilaparotomy, wound-related complications, and 5 (10.2 %) developed bacterial peritonitis; whereas, none of patients with conventional TIPS had either of these complications (p = 0.014).ConclusionWhile both MAT-TIPS and conventional TIPS had similar shunt primary patency rate and technical success rate, the MAT approach was associated with a significantly higher rate of minilaparotomy-related wound complications or infectious complications. These complications maybe prevented by a change in post-procedure monitoring and therapy.

  11. Multitechnique characterization of CPTi surfaces after electro discharge machining (EDM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinelis, Spiros; Al Jabbari, Youssef S; Thomas, Andrew; Silikas, Nick; Eliades, George

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to comparatively assess the surface roughness parameters, the hardness, and the elemental and molecular alterations induced on CPTi surfaces after conventional finishing and finishing with electro discharge machining (EDM). A completed cast model of an arch that received four implants was used for the preparation of two grade II CPTi castings. One framework was conventionally finished (CF), whereas the other was subjected to EDM finishing. The surface morphology was imaged employing SEM. 3D surface parameters (S a, S q, S z, S ds, S dr, and S ci) were calculated by optical profilometry. The elemental composition of the treated surfaces was determined by energy dispersive X-ray analysis, whereas the elemental and chemical states of the outmost layer were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. Surface hardness was also tested with a Knoop indenter. The results of surface roughness parameters, elemental analysis, and hardness were compared using unpaired t test (a = 0.05). The EDM group demonstrated a rougher surface, with a significant uptake of C and Cu. The CF surface mainly consisted of TiO2. On EDM surface though, Ti was probed in different chemicals states (TiO2, Ti2O3, TiC and metallic Ti) and Cu was traced as Cu2O and CuO. Hardness after EDM was almost ten times higher than CF. EDM significantly affected surface roughness, chemical state, and hardness properties of grade II CPTi castings in comparison with CF. The morphological and elemental alterations of EDM-treated CPTi surfaces may strongly contribute to the reduced corrosion resistance documented for this procedure. The degradation of electrochemical properties may have further biological implications through ionic release in the oral environment.

  12. Analysis and optimization of surface profile correcting mechanism of the pitch lap in large-aperture annular polishing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Huifang; Yang, Minghong; Xu, Xueke; Wu, Lunzhe; Yang, Weiguang; Shao, Jianda

    2017-10-01

    The surface figure control of the conventional annular polishing system is realized ordinarily by the interaction between the conditioner and the lap. The surface profile of the pitch lap corrected by the marble conditioner has been measured and analyzed as a function of kinematics, loading conditions, and polishing time. The surface profile measuring equipment of the large lap based on laser alignment was developed with the accuracy of about 1μm. The conditioning mechanism of the conditioner is simply determined by the kinematics and fully fitting principle, but the unexpected surface profile deviation of the lap emerged frequently due to numerous influencing factors including the geometrical relationship, the pressure distribution at the conditioner/lap interface. Both factors are quantitatively evaluated and described, and have been combined to develop a spatial and temporal model to simulate the surface profile evolution of pitch lap. The simulations are consistent with the experiments. This study is an important step toward deterministic full-aperture annular polishing, providing a beneficial guidance for the surface profile correction of the pitch lap.

  13. Evaluation of Fatigue Behavior and Surface Characteristics of Aluminum Alloy 2024 T6 After Electric Discharge Machining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehmood, Shahid; Shah, Masood; Pasha, Riffat Asim; Sultan, Amir

    2017-10-01

    The effect of electric discharge machining (EDM) on surface quality and consequently on the fatigue performance of Al 2024 T6 is investigated. Five levels of discharge current are analyzed, while all other electrical and nonelectrical parameters are kept constant. At each discharge current level, dog-bone specimens are machined by generating a peripheral notch at the center. The fatigue tests are performed on four-point rotating bending machine at room temperature. For comparison purposes, fatigue tests are also performed on the conventionally machined specimens. Linearized SN curves for 95% failure probability and with four different confidence levels (75, 90, 95 and 99%) are plotted for each discharge current level as well as for conventionally machined specimens. These plots show that the electric discharge machined (EDMed) specimens give inferior fatigue behavior as compared to conventionally machined specimen. Moreover, discharge current inversely affects the fatigue life, and this influence is highly pronounced at lower stresses. The EDMed surfaces are characterized by surface properties that could be responsible for change in fatigue life such as surface morphology, surface roughness, white layer thickness, microhardness and residual stresses. It is found that all these surface properties are affected by changing discharge current level. However, change in fatigue life by discharge current could not be associated independently to any single surface property.

  14. Accuracy and reliability of three-dimensional surface reconstruction measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizukami, Chikashi; Yamamoto, Etsuo; Ohmura, Masaki; Oiki, Hiroyuki; Tsuji, Jun; Muneta, Yuki; Tanabe, Makito; Hakuba, Nobuhiro; Azemoto, Syougo.

    1993-01-01

    We are using a new three-dimensional (3-D) surface reconstruction system to measure the temporal bones. This system offers the advantage of observation of the external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct and the porus acusticus internus in living subjects. However, its accuracy has not been confirmed. To investigate the accuracy of this new system, we measured the length of an in situ ceramic ossicular replacement prosthesis (CORP) of known length of 6.0 mm using 3-D surface reconstruction, conventional plain X-ray and polytomography. The CORP was scanned in the axial, sagittal and oblique directions. The mean measured length obtained with the 3-D surface reconstruction images was 5.94±0.21 on vertical scans, 5.91±0.27 on horizontal scans, and 6.01±0.25 on oblique scans. There were no significant differences among the measured lengths obtained in the three directions. Therefore, this 3-D surface reconstruction measurement system is considered to be reliable. Conversely, the mean measured length obtained by plain X-ray was 7.98±0.20, and by polytomography it was 7.94±0.23. These conventional methods have the inherent disadvantage of magnification of size which consequently requires correction. (author)

  15. An Investigation into the Trueness and Precision of Copy Denture Templates Produced by Rapid Prototyping and Conventional Means.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davda, K; Osnes, C; Dillon, S; Wu, J; Hyde, P; Keeling, A

    2017-12-01

    To assess the trueness and precision of copy denture templates produced using traditional methods and 3D printing. Six copies of a denture were made using: 1. Conventional technique with silicone putty in an impression tray (CT). 2. Conventional technique with no impression tray (CNT). 3. 3D scanning and printing (3D). Scan trueness and precision was investigated by scanning a denture six times and comparing five scans to the sixth. Then the scans of the six CT, CNT and 3D dentures were compared by aligning, in turn, the copies of each denture to the scanned original. Outcome measures were the mean surface-to-surface distance, standard deviation of that distance and the maximum distance. Student's unpaired t-tests with Bonferroni correction were used to analyse the results. The repeated scans of the original denture showed a scan trueness of 0.013mm (SD 0.002) and precision of 0.013mm (SD 0.002). Trueness: CT templates, 0.168mm (0.047), CNT templates 0.195mm (0.034) and 3D 0.103mm (0.021). Precision: CT templates 0.158mm (0.037), CNT 0.233mm (0.073), 3D 0.090mm (0.017). For each outcome measure the 3D templates demonstrated an improvement which was statistically significant (p⟨0.05). 3D printed copy denture templates reproduced the original with greater trueness and precision than conventional techniques. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

  16. Outcomes of the First Review Meeting of the Joint Convention

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Linsley, G.

    2003-01-01

    The First Review Meeting of the Joint Convention was held from 3 to 14 November 2003 in Vienna. It was attended by representatives of 33 Contracting Parties (350 persons registered). The scope of applications includes: Waste and spent fuel from the operation of NPPs; Waste from use of radionuclides in medicine and industry; Spent sealed sources; Discharges from regulated nuclear facilities; Waste from mining and processing of uranium. The content of the Joint Convention and obligation of the Contracting Parties are reviewed in the report. The review process is also described. The effectiveness of review mechanism is discussed. Some technical issues are also discussed, such as: the wide variety of long term spent fuel and radioactive waste management policies; clearance; decommissioning; regulatory independence; discharges to the environment; Management of disused sealed sources etc. Some good practices have been identified and comments are given

  17. Robotic Patterning a Superhydrophobic Surface for Collective Cell Migration Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Yonggang; Yang, Jing; Hui, Zhixin; Grottkau, Brian E

    2018-04-01

    Collective cell migration, in which cells migrate as a group, is fundamental in many biological and pathological processes. There is increasing interest in studying the collective cell migration in high throughput. Cell scratching, insertion blocker, and gel-dissolving techniques are some methodologies used previously. However, these methods have the drawbacks of cell damage, substrate surface alteration, limitation in medium exchange, and solvent interference. The superhydrophobic surface, on which the water contact angle is greater than 150 degrees, has been recently utilized to generate patterned arrays. Independent cell culture areas can be generated on a substrate that functions the same as a conventional multiple well plate. However, so far there has been no report on superhydrophobic patterning for the study of cell migration. In this study, we report on the successful development of a robotically patterned superhydrophobic array for studying collective cell migration in high throughput. The array was developed on a rectangular single-well cell culture plate consisting of hydrophilic flat microwells separated by the superhydrophobic surface. The manufacturing process is robotic and includes patterning discrete protective masks to the substrate using 3D printing, robotic spray coating of silica nanoparticles, robotic mask removal, robotic mini silicone blocker patterning, automatic cell seeding, and liquid handling. Compared with a standard 96-well plate, our system increases the throughput by 2.25-fold and generates a cell-free area in each well non-destructively. Our system also demonstrates higher efficiency than conventional way of liquid handling using microwell plates, and shorter processing time than manual operating in migration assays. The superhydrophobic surface had no negative impact on cell viability. Using our system, we studied the collective migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and cancer cells using assays of endpoint

  18. Dendritic surface morphology of palladium hydride produced by electrolytic deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Julin, Peng; Bursill, L.A.

    1990-01-01

    Conventional and high-resolution electron microscopic studies of electrolytically-deposited palladium hydride reveal a fascinating variety of surface profile morphologies. The observations provide direct information concerning the surface structure of palladium electrodes and the mechanism of electrolytic deposition of palladium black. Both classical electrochemical mechanisms and recent 'modified diffusion-limited-aggregation' computer simulations are discussed in comparison with the experimental results. 13 refs., 9 figs

  19. Main features of the convention on supplementary compensation for nuclear damage - an over view

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boulanenkov, V.

    2000-01-01

    The Chernobyl accident prompted widespread awareness of the need for improved protection of the public from the consequences of nuclear accidents. It was generally recognised that urgent efforts should be undertaken to strengthen the international nuclear liability regime based on two civil law conventions, namely the 1963 Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and the 1960 Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy. The work initiated by the Agency - it was assigned to the Standing Committee established in 1990 - followed a two-track approach: to improve the existing civil liability regime, including revision of the Vienna Convention for which the IAEA is depositary; and, to develop a comprehensive international liability regime. The issue of compensation additional to that available under the two basic conventions received full attention in the negotiations. In the latter context, this work resulted in the adoption by a diplomatic conference convened by the IAEA in September 1997 of a new instrument, i.e. the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (the CSC). The CSC is a product of many years of multilateral negotiations and represents a balance of various legal, economic and political considerations. While not all concerns may have been fully met, it represents a significant improvement in the protection of the public from the consequences of nuclear accidents. (author)

  20. Future directions conventional oil supply, Western Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, G.R.; Hayward, J.

    1997-01-01

    The history of the Canadian oil industry was briefly sketched and the future outlook for crude oil and natural gas liquids in western Canada was forecast. The historical review encompassed some of the significant events in history of the Canadian oil industry, including the Leduc discovery in 1947, the Swan Hills discovery in 1957, the start of commercial production from the Athabasca oil sands in 1967, the discovery of the Hibernia oilfield offshore Newfoundland in 1979, and the onset of the use of horizontal production wells in western Canada in 1987. The resource base, supply costs, and the technology that is being developed to reduce costs and to improve recovery, were reviewed. Future oil prices were predicted, taking into account the costs associated with technological developments. It was suggested that the character of the industry is undergoing a change from an industry dominated by conventional supply to a mixed industry with increasing volume of heavy oil, primary bitumen, synthetic oil and frontier supply replacing 'conventional' light crude oil. Projections into the future are subject to uncertainty both on the supply as well as on the demand side. The potential impact of technology can significantly affect demand, and technological developments can yield additional supplies which exceed current expectations. 10 figs

  1. Joining and fabrication techniques for high temperature structures including the first wall in fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Ho Jin; Lee, B. S.; Kim, K. B.

    2003-09-01

    The materials for PFC's (Plasma Facing Components) in a fusion reactor are severely irradiated with fusion products in facing the high temperature plasma during the operation. The refractory materials can be maintained their excellent properties in severe operating condition by lowering surface temperature by bonding them to the high thermal conducting materials of heat sink. Hence, the joining and bonding techniques between dissimilar materials is considered to be important in case of the fusion reactor or nuclear reactor which is operated at high temperature. The first wall in the fusion reactor is heated to approximately 1000 .deg. C and irradiated severely by the plasma. In ITER, beryllium is expected as the primary armour candidate for the PFC's; other candidates including W, Mo, SiC, B4C, C/C and Si 3 N 4 . Since the heat affected zones in the PFC's processed by conventional welding are reported to have embrittlement and degradation in the sever operation condition, both brazing and diffusion bonding are being considered as prime candidates for the joining technique. In this report, both the materials including ceramics and the fabrication techniques including joining technique between dissimilar materials for PFC's are described. The described joining technique between the refractory materials and the dissimilar materials may be applicable for the fusion reactor and Generation-4 future nuclear reactor which are operated at high temperature and high irradiation

  2. Comparison of the Microbiological Quality and Safety between Conventional and Organic Vegetables Sold in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chee-Hao Kuan

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Given the remarkable increase of public interest in organic food products, it is indeed critical to evaluate the microbiological risk associated with consumption of fresh organic produce. Organic farming practices including the use of animal manures may increase the risk of microbiological contamination as manure can act as a vehicle for transmission of foodborne pathogens. This study aimed to determine and compare the microbiological status between organic and conventional fresh produce at the retail level in Malaysia. A total of 152 organic and conventional vegetables were purchased at retail markets in Malaysia. Samples were analyzed for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms using conventional microbiological methods. Combination methods of most probable number-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (MPN-mPCR were used to detect and quantify foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Enteritidis. Results indicated that most types of organic and conventional vegetables possessed similar microbial count (P > 0.05 of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms. E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium were not detected in any sample analyzed in this study. Among the 152 samples tested, only the conventional lettuce and organic carrot were tested positive for STEC and S. Enteritidis, respectively. L. monocytogenes were more frequently detected in both organic (9.1% and conventional vegetables (2.7% as compared to E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and S. Enteritidis. Overall, no trend was shown that either organically or conventionally grown vegetables have posed greater microbiological risks. These findings indicated that one particular type of farming practices would not affect the microbiological profiles of fresh produce. Therefore, regardless of farming methods, all vegetables should be

  3. Comparison of the Microbiological Quality and Safety between Conventional and Organic Vegetables Sold in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuan, Chee-Hao; Rukayadi, Yaya; Ahmad, Siti H; Wan Mohamed Radzi, Che W J; Thung, Tze-Young; Premarathne, Jayasekara M K J K; Chang, Wei-San; Loo, Yuet-Ying; Tan, Chia-Wanq; Ramzi, Othman B; Mohd Fadzil, Siti N; Kuan, Chee-Sian; Yeo, Siok-Koon; Nishibuchi, Mitsuaki; Radu, Son

    2017-01-01

    Given the remarkable increase of public interest in organic food products, it is indeed critical to evaluate the microbiological risk associated with consumption of fresh organic produce. Organic farming practices including the use of animal manures may increase the risk of microbiological contamination as manure can act as a vehicle for transmission of foodborne pathogens. This study aimed to determine and compare the microbiological status between organic and conventional fresh produce at the retail level in Malaysia. A total of 152 organic and conventional vegetables were purchased at retail markets in Malaysia. Samples were analyzed for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms using conventional microbiological methods. Combination methods of most probable number-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (MPN-mPCR) were used to detect and quantify foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Enteritidis. Results indicated that most types of organic and conventional vegetables possessed similar microbial count ( P > 0.05) of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms. E. coli O157:H7 and S . Typhimurium were not detected in any sample analyzed in this study. Among the 152 samples tested, only the conventional lettuce and organic carrot were tested positive for STEC and S . Enteritidis, respectively. L. monocytogenes were more frequently detected in both organic (9.1%) and conventional vegetables (2.7%) as compared to E. coli O157:H7, S . Typhimurium, and S . Enteritidis. Overall, no trend was shown that either organically or conventionally grown vegetables have posed greater microbiological risks. These findings indicated that one particular type of farming practices would not affect the microbiological profiles of fresh produce. Therefore, regardless of farming methods, all vegetables should be subjected to

  4. Comparison of the Microbiological Quality and Safety between Conventional and Organic Vegetables Sold in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuan, Chee-Hao; Rukayadi, Yaya; Ahmad, Siti H.; Wan Mohamed Radzi, Che W. J.; Thung, Tze-Young; Premarathne, Jayasekara M. K. J. K.; Chang, Wei-San; Loo, Yuet-Ying; Tan, Chia-Wanq; Ramzi, Othman B.; Mohd Fadzil, Siti N.; Kuan, Chee-Sian; Yeo, Siok-Koon; Nishibuchi, Mitsuaki; Radu, Son

    2017-01-01

    Given the remarkable increase of public interest in organic food products, it is indeed critical to evaluate the microbiological risk associated with consumption of fresh organic produce. Organic farming practices including the use of animal manures may increase the risk of microbiological contamination as manure can act as a vehicle for transmission of foodborne pathogens. This study aimed to determine and compare the microbiological status between organic and conventional fresh produce at the retail level in Malaysia. A total of 152 organic and conventional vegetables were purchased at retail markets in Malaysia. Samples were analyzed for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms using conventional microbiological methods. Combination methods of most probable number-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (MPN-mPCR) were used to detect and quantify foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Salmonella Enteritidis. Results indicated that most types of organic and conventional vegetables possessed similar microbial count (P > 0.05) of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds, and total coliforms. E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium were not detected in any sample analyzed in this study. Among the 152 samples tested, only the conventional lettuce and organic carrot were tested positive for STEC and S. Enteritidis, respectively. L. monocytogenes were more frequently detected in both organic (9.1%) and conventional vegetables (2.7%) as compared to E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium, and S. Enteritidis. Overall, no trend was shown that either organically or conventionally grown vegetables have posed greater microbiological risks. These findings indicated that one particular type of farming practices would not affect the microbiological profiles of fresh produce. Therefore, regardless of farming methods, all vegetables should be subjected to

  5. Pavement Aging Model by Response Surface Modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manzano-Ramírez A.

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available In this work, surface course aging was modeled by Response Surface Methodology (RSM. The Marshall specimens were placed in a conventional oven for time and temperature conditions established on the basis of the environment factors of the region where the surface course is constructed by AC-20 from the Ing. Antonio M. Amor refinery. Volatilized material (VM, load resistance increment (ΔL and flow resistance increment (ΔF models were developed by the RSM. Cylindrical specimens with real aging were extracted from the surface course pilot to evaluate the error of the models. The VM model was adequate, in contrast (ΔL and (ΔF models were almost adequate with an error of 20 %, that was associated with the other environmental factors, which were not considered at the beginning of the research.

  6. Laparoscopic splenectomy using conventional instruments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dalvi A

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION : Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS is an accepted procedure for elective splenectomy. Advancement in technology has extended the possibility of LS in massive splenomegaly [Choy et al., J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A 14(4, 197-200 (2004], trauma [Ren et al., Surg Endosc 15(3, 324 (2001; Mostafa et al., Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 12(4, 283-286 (2002], and cirrhosis with portal hypertension [Hashizume et al., Hepatogastroenterology 49(45, 847-852 (2002]. In a developing country, these advanced gadgets may not be always available. We performed LS using conventional and reusable instruments in a public teaching the hospital without the use of the advanced technology. The technique of LS and the outcome in these patients is reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Patients undergoing LS for various hematological disorders from 1998 to 2004 were included. Electrocoagulation, clips, and intracorporeal knotting were the techniques used for tackling short-gastric vessels and splenic pedicle. Specimen was delivered through a Pfannensteil incision. RESULTS : A total of 26 patients underwent LS. Twenty-two (85% of patients had spleen size more than 500 g (average weight being 942.55 g. Mean operative time was 214 min (45-390 min. The conversion rate was 11.5% ( n = 3. Average duration of stay was 5.65 days (3-30 days. Accessory spleen was detected and successfully removed in two patients. One patient developed subphrenic abscess. There was no mortality. There was no recurrence of hematological disease. CONCLUSION : Laparoscopic splenectomy using conventional equipment and instruments is safe and effective. Advanced technology has a definite advantage but is not a deterrent to the practice of LS.

  7. A comparative evaluation of effect of modern-curing lights and curing modes on conventional and novel-resin monomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Konda Karthik; Kumar, Kanumuru Pavan; John, Gijo; Sooraparaju, Sujatha Gopal; Nujella, Surya Kumari; Sowmya, Kyatham

    2018-01-01

    Aim: The aim of this study is to compare and to evaluate effect of curing light and curing modes on the nanohybrid composite resins with conventional Bis-GMA and novel tricyclodecane (TCD) monomers. Methodology: Two nanohybrid composites, IPS empress direct and charisma diamond were used in this study. Light-emitting diode (LED)-curing unit and quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH)-curing unit which were operated into two different modes: continuous and soft start. Based on the composite resin, curing lights, and mode of curing used, the samples were divided into 8 groups. After polymerization, the samples were stored for 48 h in complete darkness at 37°C and 100% humidity. The Vickers hardness (VK) of the surface was determined with Vickers indenter by the application of 200 g for 15 s. Three VK readings were recorded for each sample surface both on top and bottom surfaces. For all the specimens, the three hardness values for each surface were averaged and reported as a single value. The mean VK and hardness ratio were calculated. The depth of cure was assessed based on the hardness ratio. Results: Comparison of mean hardness values and hardness ratios was done using ANOVA with post hoc Tukey's test. Conclusion: Both QTH- and LED-curing units had shown the adequate depth of cure. Soft-start-curing mode in both QTH- and LED-curing lights had effectively increased microhardness than the continuous mode of curing. TCD monomer had shown higher hardness values compared with conventional Bis-GMA-containing resin. PMID:29628651

  8. Strategic interaction and conventions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Espinosa, María Paz

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The scope of the paper is to review the literature that employs coordination games to study social norms and conventions from the viewpoint of game theory and cognitive psychology. We claim that those two alternative approaches are in fact complementary, as they provide different insights to explain how people converge to a unique system of self-fulfilling expectations in presence of multiple, equally viable, conventions. While game theory explains the emergence of conventions relying on efficiency and risk considerations, the psychological view is more concerned with frame and labeling effects. The interaction between these alternative (and, sometimes, competing effects leads to the result that coordination failures may well occur and, even when coordination takes place, there is no guarantee that the convention eventually established will be the most efficient.

    El objetivo de este artículo es presentar la literatura que emplea los juegos de coordinación para el estudio de normas y convenciones sociales, que se han analizado tanto desde el punto de vista de la teoría de juegos como de la psicología cognitiva. Argumentamos en este trabajo que estos dos enfoques alternativos son en realidad complementarios, dado que ambos contribuyen al entendimiento de los procesos mediante los cuales las personas llegan a coordinarse en un único sistema de expectativas autorrealizadas, en presencia de múltiples convenciones todas ellas igualmente viables. Mientras que la teoría de juegos explica la aparición de convenciones basándose en argumentos de eficiencia y comportamientos frente al riesgo, el enfoque de la psicología cognitiva utiliza en mayor medida consideraciones referidas al entorno y naturaleza de las decisiones. La interacción entre estos efectos diferentes (y en ocasiones, rivales desemboca con frecuencia en fallos de coordinación y, aun cuando la coordinación se produce, no hay garantía de que la convención en vigor sea la m

  9. Temporary surface passivation for characterisation of bulk defects in silicon : a review

    OpenAIRE

    Grant, Nicholas E.; Murphy, John D.

    2017-01-01

    Accurate measurements of the bulk minority carrier lifetime in high-quality silicon materials is challenging due to the influence of surface recombination. Conventional surface passivation processes such as thermal oxidation or dielectric deposition often modify the bulk lifetime significantly before measurement. Temporary surface passivation processes at room or very low temperatures enable a more accurate measurement of the true bulk lifetime, as they limit thermal reconfiguration of bulk d...

  10. Comparison of a continuous working level monitor for radon daughters with conventional grab-sampling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigu, J.; Grenier, M.

    1982-08-01

    An evaluation of a radon daughter monitor was carried out under laboratory controlled conditions. The monitor operates on continuous sampling and time integrating principles and was tested in conjunction with a newly designed, large radon/thoron room calibration facility. The monitor was tested under constant and rapidly fluctuating radiation conditions. Experimental data obtained with the monitor were compared with data obtained by conventional grab-sampling and with an automated radon daughter/thoron daughter 'grab-sampler'. The Working Level used in the tests ranged from less than 0.01 WL to approximately 10 WL. The measurements were carried out under low aerosol concentration (1 x 10 3 - 2 x 10 3 cm -3 , approximately) to study plate-out effects in the sampling head. Good agreement (within about 10 %) was found between the monitor, conventional grab-sampling and the automated grab-sampler. The monitor should prove quite flexible, useful and reliable for monitoring underground and surface environments in the uranium mining industry

  11. Engineering single-polymer micelle shape using nonuniform spontaneous surface curvature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moths, Brian; Witten, T. A.

    2018-03-01

    Conventional micelles, composed of simple amphiphiles, exhibit only a few standard morphologies, each characterized by its mean surface curvature set by the amphiphiles. Here we demonstrate a rational design scheme to construct micelles of more general shape from polymeric amphiphiles. We replace the many amphiphiles of a conventional micelle by a single flexible, linear, block copolymer chain containing two incompatible species arranged in multiple alternating segments. With suitable segment lengths, the chain exhibits a condensed spherical configuration in solution, similar to conventional micelles. Our design scheme posits that further shapes are attained by altering the segment lengths. As a first study of the power of this scheme, we demonstrate the capacity to produce long-lived micelles of horseshoe form using conventional bead-spring simulations in two dimensions. Modest changes in the segment lengths produce smooth changes in the micelle's shape and stability.

  12. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal: Final Act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-03-01

    The Conference on Plenipotentiaries on the Global Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes was convened by the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) pursuant to decision 14/30, adopted by the Governing Council of UNEP on 17 June 1987. The Conference adopted the Global Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. In the 29 articles of this Convention the definitions of hazardous wastes, the scope of the Convention, general obligations of the signatory parties, transboundary waste movement between Parties as well as through states which are not parties, illegal traffic, international control, liabilities, financial aspects, verification, accession and withdrawal of the Parties are defined in detail. There are 6 Annexes, including specifications of hazardous wastes, information requirements, notification rules, etc

  13. Versatile microbial surface-display for environmental remediation and biofuels production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Cindy H.; Mulchandani, Ashok; Chen, wilfred

    2008-02-14

    Surface display is a powerful technique that utilizes natural microbial functional components to express proteins or peptides on the cell exterior. Since the reporting of the first surface-display system in the mid-1980s, a variety of new systems have been reported for yeast, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Non-conventional display methods are emerging, eliminating the generation of genetically modified microorganisms. Cells with surface display are used as biocatalysts, biosorbents and biostimulants. Microbial cell-surface display has proven to be extremely important for numerous applications ranging from combinatorial library screening and protein engineering to bioremediation and biofuels production.

  14. Comparative analysis of fiscal terms for Alberta oil sands and international heavy and conventional oils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Meurs, P.

    2007-01-01

    There are considerable differences between international heavy oil and Alberta oil sands projects, notably the high viscosity of the bitumen in the oil sands reservoirs. The oil sands bitumen do not flow to wells without heating the bitumen, thereby adding to the already high cost of Alberta oil sand operations. This report provided an economic comparison of Alberta oil sands and international heavy oil projects. It also included a brief scoping review to compare with conventional oil regimes. Full exploration costs including the costs of dry holes were allocated to conventional oil operations in order to obtain a proper comparison. This investigation included the costs of dry holes. The report was a follow up to an earlier study released on April 12, 2007 on the preliminary fiscal evaluation of Alberta oil sand terms. The report provided an economic framework and described project selection. It then provided a discussion of production, costs and price data. Four adjusted projects were presented and compared with Alberta. The Venezuelan royalty formula was also discussed. Last, the report provided a detailed fiscal analysis. Comparisons were offered with Cold Lake and Athabasca Mine. A review of some other fiscal systems applicable to conventional oil were also outlined. It was concluded that Alberta oil sands developments are very competitive. It would be possible to modestly increase government revenues, without affecting the international competitive position of Alberta with respect to conventional oil. There is also some possibility to increase the base royalty on the Alberta oil sands without losing competitiveness. tabs., figs

  15. Vienna Convention and Its Revision and convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage on September 12, 1997

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soljan, V.

    1998-01-01

    After Chernobyl, the perception of common interest in modernization of the international regime that regulate various aspects of nuclear energy, has been evident among states with nuclear power plants as well as those likely to be involved in or affected by a nuclear incident. The adoption of the protocol Amending the Vienna Convention on Civil liability for Nuclear Damage, 1963 and the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for nuclear damage in September 1997, represents important part of the entire result that has been achieved from the 1986. This article gives a brief survey on the background of the process of modernization of the international regime of liability for nuclear damage and examines solutions contained in the provisions of the conventions. (author)

  16. Transient Splenial Lesion of Corpus Callosum Associated with Antiepileptic Drug: Conventional and Diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hakyemez, B.; Erdogan, C.; Yildirim, N.; Gokalp, G.; Parlak, M. [Uludag Univ. Medical School, Bursa (Turkey). Dept. of Radiology

    2005-11-01

    Transient focal lesions of splenium of corpus callosum can be seen as a component of many central nervous system diseases, including antiepileptic drug toxicity. The conventional magnetic resonance (MR) findings of the disease are characteristic and include ovoid lesions with high signal intensity at T2-weighted MRI. Limited information exists about the diffusion-weighted MRI characteristics of these lesions vanishing completely after a period of time. We examined the conventional, FLAIR, and diffusion-weighted MR images of a patient complaining of depressive mood and anxiety disorder after 1 year receiving antiepileptic medication.

  17. Sea disposal of radioactive wastes: The London Convention 1972

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sjoeblom, K.L.; Linsley, G.

    1994-01-01

    For many years the oceans were used for the disposal of industrial wastes, including radioactive wastes. In the 1970s, the practice became subject to an international convention which had the aim of regularizing procedures and preventing activities which could lead to marine pollution. This article traces the history of radioactive waste disposal at sea from the time when it first came within the view of international organizations up to the present. 2 figs, 2 tabs

  18. The impact of the future Nuclear Safety Convention on the Spanish licensing system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ripol Carulla, S.

    1995-01-01

    The adoption of the 1994 Nuclear Safety Convention should not affect Spanish law. Nevertheless, the coming into force of the Nuclear Safety Convention in Spain will represent an opportunity for Spanish nuclear authorities to clarify one of the aspects of the Spanish nuclear legislation that has become oldfashioned. It would be important to adopt a general rule on nuclear safety which, at the highest level, would clearly establish the prerequisites which have to be fulfilled in order to get a licence as well as the competences of the supervision authorities, including the (criminal and) administrative penalties that can be imposed. (orig./HP)

  19. [Intellectual property rights in Costa Rica in the light of the Biodiversity Convention].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salazar, R; Cabrera, J A

    1996-04-01

    This report analyzes intellectual property rights and acquisition of biological samples in light of the Biological Diversity Convention, with emphasis on Costa Rica. It examines the legal framework which exists for the protection of biological resources in this country, especially evaluating the law regarding protection of biota, which was approved in 1992. This includes information regarding access to genetic resources, and regulation for the aforementioned law. It examines the Biological Diversity Convention which was signed at the Rio Summit in 1992, whose objectives and goals, above all, emphasize the subject of distribution of benefits to be derived from the utilization of biological resources.

  20. Estimation of the kinetics of martensitic transformation in austenitic stainless steels by conventional and novel approaches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shirdel, M., E-mail: mshirdel1989@ut.ac.ir [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mirzadeh, H., E-mail: hmirzadeh@ut.ac.ir [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Advanced Metalforming and Thermomechanical Processing Laboratory, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Parsa, M.H., E-mail: mhparsa@ut.ac.ir [School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Center of Excellence for High Performance Materials, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Advanced Metalforming and Thermomechanical Processing Laboratory, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-01-29

    A comparative study was carried out on the kinetics of the martensitic transformation in a 304L stainless steel during cold rolling by conventional and novel approaches. The phase analysis based on X-ray diffraction patterns and metallography and also magnetic measurements based on ferritescope readings were utilized to elucidate the kinetics of the martensitic transformation. A straightforward magnetic measurement approach for evaluating the amount of strain-induced martensite in metastable austenitic stainless steels has been introduced in this study. This technique collects the data throughout the bulk of the material to give a realistic estimate of the amount of ferromagnetic martensite. This is an advantage over the surface collecting methods such as ferritescope readings, which overestimates the amount of martensite due to its inhomogeneous distribution through the thickness based on the frictional effects between the rolls and the specimen surface. The proposed approach can be applied in various designs for static/continuous magnetic measurement of bulk materials that is advantageous compared with the conventional vibrating sample magnetometer technique which is useful for static measurement of bulk materials with specific shapes. Moreover, in analogy to ferritescope, the output data of the developed device is directly related to the amount of martensite.

  1. Estimation of the kinetics of martensitic transformation in austenitic stainless steels by conventional and novel approaches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirdel, M.; Mirzadeh, H.; Parsa, M.H.

    2015-01-01

    A comparative study was carried out on the kinetics of the martensitic transformation in a 304L stainless steel during cold rolling by conventional and novel approaches. The phase analysis based on X-ray diffraction patterns and metallography and also magnetic measurements based on ferritescope readings were utilized to elucidate the kinetics of the martensitic transformation. A straightforward magnetic measurement approach for evaluating the amount of strain-induced martensite in metastable austenitic stainless steels has been introduced in this study. This technique collects the data throughout the bulk of the material to give a realistic estimate of the amount of ferromagnetic martensite. This is an advantage over the surface collecting methods such as ferritescope readings, which overestimates the amount of martensite due to its inhomogeneous distribution through the thickness based on the frictional effects between the rolls and the specimen surface. The proposed approach can be applied in various designs for static/continuous magnetic measurement of bulk materials that is advantageous compared with the conventional vibrating sample magnetometer technique which is useful for static measurement of bulk materials with specific shapes. Moreover, in analogy to ferritescope, the output data of the developed device is directly related to the amount of martensite

  2. Issues in identifying germ tube positive yeasts by conventional methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazdanpanah, Atta; Khaithir, Tzar Mohd Nizam

    2014-01-01

    Candida speciation is vital for epidemiology and management of candidiasis. Nonmolecular conventional methods often fail to identify closely related germ tube positive yeasts from clinical specimens. The present study was conducted to identify these yeasts and to highlight issues in conventional versus molecular methods of identification. A total of 98 germ tube positive yeasts from high vaginal swabs were studied over a 12-month period. Isolates were examined with various methods including growth at 42 °C and 45 °C on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA), color development on CHROMagar Candida medium, chlamydospore production on corn meal agar at 25 °C, carbohydrate assimilation using ID 32C system, and polymerase chain reaction using a single pair of primers targeting the hyphal wall protein 1 (Hwp1) gene. Of all the isolates studied, 97 were molecularly confirmed as C. albicans and one isolate was identified as C. dubliniensis. No C. africana was detected in this study. The molecular method used in our study was an accurate and useful tool for discriminating C. albicans, C. dubliniensis, and C. africana. The conventional methods, however, were less accurate and riddled with many issues that will be discussed in further details. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Surface modification of YIG by magnet array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atalay, S.; Kolat, V.S.; Bakır, H.G.; Izgi, T.; Kaya, A.O.; Kaya, O.A.; Gencer, H.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The surface of YIG films were magnetically modulated by magnet array. • The surface modulated YIG films formed sharp band gaps. • A very small magnetic field change leads a large change in the peak value of band gap frequency. - Abstract: In this work, magnetostatic surface spin waves (MSSW) were propagated along the single crystal YIG (Y_3Fe_5O_1_2) film grown on GGG substrate. In order to obtain magnonic crystals, unlike the conventional methods, the surface of YIG films were magnetically modulated by magnet array in one and two-dimensions. The surface modulated YIG films formed sharp band gaps at approximately 6.55 GHz and 6.58 GHz at 1600 Oe magnetic field for one and two-dimensional magnonic crystals, respectively. It was found that a very small magnetic field change leads a large change in the peak value of band gap frequency.

  4. Surface modification of YIG by magnet array

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atalay, S., E-mail: satalay@inonu.edu.tr [Inonu University, Science and Art Faculty, Physics Department, 44280 Malatya (Turkey); Kolat, V.S. [Inonu University, Science and Art Faculty, Physics Department, 44280 Malatya (Turkey); Bakır, H.G. [Inonu University, Science and Art Faculty, Astronomy Department, 44280 Malatya (Turkey); Izgi, T.; Kaya, A.O. [Inonu University, Science and Art Faculty, Physics Department, 44280 Malatya (Turkey); Kaya, O.A. [Inonu University, Education Faculty, Computer Education and Educational Technology Department, 44280 Malatya (Turkey); Gencer, H. [Inonu University, Science and Art Faculty, Physics Department, 44280 Malatya (Turkey)

    2015-11-01

    Highlights: • The surface of YIG films were magnetically modulated by magnet array. • The surface modulated YIG films formed sharp band gaps. • A very small magnetic field change leads a large change in the peak value of band gap frequency. - Abstract: In this work, magnetostatic surface spin waves (MSSW) were propagated along the single crystal YIG (Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 5}O{sub 12}) film grown on GGG substrate. In order to obtain magnonic crystals, unlike the conventional methods, the surface of YIG films were magnetically modulated by magnet array in one and two-dimensions. The surface modulated YIG films formed sharp band gaps at approximately 6.55 GHz and 6.58 GHz at 1600 Oe magnetic field for one and two-dimensional magnonic crystals, respectively. It was found that a very small magnetic field change leads a large change in the peak value of band gap frequency.

  5. Denmark's forth national communication on climate change. Under the United Nations framework convention on climate change

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-07-01

    The Kingdom of Denmark comprises Denmark, Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has been ratified on behalf of all three parts. This report is Denmark's Fourth Climate Communication under the Climate Convention. Since Denmark's ratification covers the entire Realm, the report includes information on Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. The report is organised in accordance with the guidelines for national communications adopted by the parties to the Climate Convention. (BA)

  6. Advanced Techniques for Reservoir Simulation and Modeling of Non-Conventional Wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durlofsky, Louis J.

    2000-08-28

    This project targets the development of (1) advanced reservoir simulation techniques for modeling non-conventional wells; (2) improved techniques for computing well productivity (for use in reservoir engineering calculations) and well index (for use in simulation models), including the effects of wellbore flow; and (3) accurate approaches to account for heterogeneity in the near-well region.

  7. Comparison of community managed projects and conventional ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Comparison of community managed projects and conventional approaches in rural water supply of Ethiopia. ... African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ... This study aimed to compare Community Managed Projects (CMP) approach with the conventional approaches (Non-CMP) in the case of Ethiopia.

  8. Acid-base behavior of the gaspeite (NiCO3(s)) surface in NaCl solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villegas-Jiménez, Adrián; Mucci, Alfonso; Pokrovsky, Oleg S; Schott, Jacques

    2010-08-03

    Gaspeite is a low reactivity, rhombohedral carbonate mineral and a suitable surrogate to investigate the surface properties of other more ubiquitous carbonate minerals, such as calcite, in aqueous solutions. In this study, the acid-base properties of the gaspeite surface were investigated over a pH range of 5 to 10 in NaCl solutions (0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 M) at near ambient conditions (25 +/- 3 degrees C and 1 atm) by means of conventional acidimetric and alkalimetric titration techniques and microelectrophoresis. Over the entire experimental pH range, surface protonation and electrokinetic mobility are strongly affected by the background electrolyte, leading to a significant decrease of the pH of zero net proton charge (PZNPC) and the pH of isoelectric point (pH(iep)) at increasing NaCl concentrations. This challenges the conventional idea that carbonate mineral surfaces are chemically inert to background electrolyte ions. Multiple sets of surface complexation reactions (i.e., ionization and ion adsorption) were formulated within the framework of three electrostatic models (CCM, BSM, and TLM) and their ability to simulate proton adsorption and electrokinetic data was evaluated. A one-site, 3-pK, constant capacitance surface complexation model (SCM) reproduces the proton adsorption data at all ionic strengths and qualitatively predicts the electrokinetic behavior of gaspeite suspensions. Nevertheless, the strong ionic strength dependence exhibited by the optimized SCM parameters reveals that the influence of the background electrolyte on the surface reactivity of gaspeite is not fully accounted for by conventional electrostatic and surface complexation models and suggests that future refinements to the underlying theories are warranted.

  9. Conventional and unconventional political participation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Opp, K.D.

    1985-01-01

    A non-recursive model is proposed and empirically tested with data of opponents of nuclear power. In explaining conventional and unconventional participation the theory of collective action is applied and modified in two respects: the perceived influence on the elimination of collective evils are taken into account; the selective incentives considered are non-material ones. These modifications proved to be valid: the collective good variables and non-material incentives were important determinants for the two forms of participation. Another result was that there is a reciprocal causal relationship between conventional and unconventional participation. (orig./PW) [de

  10. Unsteady panel method for complex configurations including wake modeling

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Van Zyl, Lourens H

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available implementations of the DLM are however not very versatile in terms of geometries that can be modeled. The ZONA6 code offers a versatile surface panel body model including a separated wake model, but uses a pressure panel method for lifting surfaces. This paper...

  11. French Economics of Convention and Economic Sociology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jagd, Søren

    foundation of markets and of money may be an occasion for economic sociology to focus even more on elaborating on the institutional void created by traditional economic theory. A second point is that economic sociology could benefit from the perspective of a plurality of forms of coordination involved......The French Economics of convention tradition has developed to be an influential research tradition situated in the area between economics and sociology. The aim of the paper is to explore some of the themes that may be common to economics of conventions and economic sociology by looking more...... closely into three recent texts from the economics of convention tradition discussing, in slightly different ways, differences and similarities between economics of convention and economic sociology. It is argued that André Orléan’s point that a common aim could be to ‘denaturalise’ the institutional...

  12. 75 FR 64717 - Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage Contingent Cost Allocation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage Contingent Cost... Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (``CSC'') including its obligation to contribute to an international supplementary fund in the event of certain nuclear incidents. The NOI provided a September 27...

  13. The microscopic origin of self-organized nanostripe pattern formation on an electropolished aluminium surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarkar, Jaya; Basumallick, A; Khan, Gobinda Gopal

    2009-01-01

    By correlating the experimental evidence obtained from atomic force microscopy, conventional x-ray diffraction, and a surface sensitive modified x-ray diffraction technique with the results of density functional theory based computations, we demonstrate that self-organized nanostripe patterns formed on the electropolished surface of aluminium originate as a consequence of relaxation and reconstruction of the new surfaces exposed and textural changes at the surface caused by the dissolution during polishing.

  14. Conventional - Frontier and east coast supply

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrell, G.R.

    1998-01-01

    An assessment of frontier basins in Canada with proven potential for petroleum resources was provided. A prediction of which frontier basin will become a major supplier of conventional light oil was made by examining where companies are investing in frontier exploration today. Frontier land values for five active frontier areas were discussed. These included the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia Offshore, Western Newfoundland, the southern Northwest Territories and the Central Mackenzie Valley. The focus of this presentation was on three of these regions which are actually producing: Newfoundland's Grand Banks, offshore Nova Scotia and the Mackenzie Valley. Activities in each of these areas were reviewed. The Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board has listed Hibernia's reserves at 666 million barrels. The Sable Offshore Energy Project on the continental shelf offshore Nova Scotia proposes to develop 5.4 tcf of gas plus 75 million barrels of NGLs over a project life of 14 years. In the Mackenzie Valley there are at least three petroleum systems, including the 235 million barrel pool at Norman Wells. 8 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs

  15. [Shang Ring circumcision versus conventional circumcision for redundant prepuce or phimosis: a meta analysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Er-Long; Ding, Hui; Li, Yong-Qian; Wang, Zhi-Ping

    2013-10-01

    To compare the effect and safety of Shang Ring circumcision with those of conventional circumcision in the treatment of redundant prepuce or phimosis. We retrieved the randomized controlled trials on Shang Ring circumcision and conventional circumcision for the treatment of redundant prepuce or phimosis published at home and abroad. Relevant data were selected according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews by two reviewers after quality evaluation of the included trials, and the statistical software RevMan 5.0 was used for meta analysis. Totally 8 randomized controlled trials with 2277 cases were included in this study. Compared with conventional circumcision, Shang Ring circumcision showed a shorter operation time (SMD = -5.82, 95% CI [ -7.39, -4.24], PSMD = -3.28, 95% CI [ -3.47, -3.09], Pinfection (OR = 0.44, 95% CI [0.26, 0.72], P=0.001), lower rate of postoperative bleeding (OR =0.05, 95% CI [0.02, 0.12], PSMD = -3.32, 95% CI [ -3.50, -3.14], PSMD = -3.28, 95% CI [ - 3.47, - 3.00], P<0.00001), but longer wound healing time (OR=1.46, 95% CI [1.03, 1.90], P<0.00001). In comparison with conventional circumcision, Shang Ring circumcision has the advantages of shorter operation time, fewer complications, mild pain, and higher rate of satisfaction with the postoperative penile appearance. However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials with large samples are required to lend further support to our findings.

  16. Atraumatic restorative treatment versus conventional restorative treatment for managing dental caries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorri, Mojtaba; Martinez-Zapata, Maria José; Walsh, Tanya; Marinho, Valeria Cc; Sheiham Deceased, Aubrey; Zaror, Carlos

    2017-12-28

    Trials.gov) and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for ongoing trials. No restrictions were placed on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with at least six months' follow-up that compared the effects of ART with a conventional restorative approach using the same or different restorative dental materials to treat caries lesions. Two review authors independently screened search results, extracted data from included studies and assessed the risk of bias in those studies. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane to evaluate risk of bias and synthesise data. Where pooling was appropriate we conducted meta-analyses using the random-effects model. We assessed the quality of the evidence using GRADE criteria. We included a total of 15 eligible studies randomising 3760 participants in this review. The age of participants across the studies ranged from 3 to 101 years, with a mean of 25.42 years. 48% of participants were male. All included studies were published between 2002 and 2016. Two of the 15 studies declared that the financial support was from companies that manufacture restorative material. Five studies were individually randomised parallel-group studies; six were cluster-randomised parallel-group studies; and four were randomised studies that used a split-mouth design. Eleven studies evaluated the effects of ART on primary teeth only, and four on permanent teeth. The follow-up period of the included studies ranged from 6 months to 36 months. We judged all studies to be at high risk of bias.For the main comparison of ART compared to conventional treatment using the same material: all but two studies used high-viscosity glass ionomer (H-GIC) as the restorative material; one study used a composite material; and one study used resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RM-GIC)).Compared to conventional treatment using H

  17. Non-Conventional Tools to Preserve and Prolong the Quality of Minimally-Processed Fruits and Vegetables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Rosaria Corbo

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The main topic of this paper is a focus on some non-conventional tools to preserve the microbiological and physico-chemical quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. The quality of fresh-cut foods is the result of a complex equilibrium involving surface microbiota, storage temperature, gas in the headspace and the use of antimicrobials. This paper proposes a short overview of some non-conventional approaches able to preserve the quality of this kind of product, with a special focus on some new ways, as follows: (1 use of edible or antimicrobial-containing coatings (e.g., chitosan-based coatings on fruits or vegetables; (2 alternative modified atmospheres (e.g., high O2-modified atmosphere packaging (MAP or the use of essential oils in the headspace; (3 conditioning solutions with antimicrobials or natural compounds for fruit salad; and (4 biopreservation and use of a probiotic coating.

  18. Fracture toughness of yttria-stabilized zirconia sintered in conventional and microwave ovens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinis, Aristotelis; Aquilino, Steven A; Lund, Peter S; Gratton, David G; Stanford, Clark M; Diaz-Arnold, Ana M; Qian, Fang

    2013-03-01

    The fabrication of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) dental prosthetic substructures requires an extended sintering process (8 to 10 hours) in a conventional oven. Microwave sintering is a shorter process (2 hours) than conventional sintering. The purpose of this study was to compare the fracture toughness of 3 mol % Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 sintered in a conventional or microwave oven. Partially sintered ZrO2 specimens from 3 manufacturers, KaVo, Lava 3M, and Crystal HS were milled (KaVo Everest engine) and randomly divided into 2 groups: conventional sintering and microwave sintering (n=16 per group). The specimens were sintered according to the manufacturers' recommendations and stored in artificial saliva for 10 days. Fracture toughness was determined by using a 4-point bend test, and load to fracture was recorded. Mean fracture toughness for each material was calculated. A 2-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey HDS post hoc test was used to assess the significance of sintering and material effects on fracture toughness, including an interaction between the 2 factors (α=.05). The 2-way ANOVA suggested a significant main effect for ZrO2 manufacturer (P.05). The main effect of the sintering process (Conventional [5.30 MPa·m(1/2) ±1.00] or Microwave [5.36 MPa·m(1/2) ±0.92]) was not significant (P=.76), and there was no interaction between sintering and ZrO2 manufacturer (P=.91). Based on the results of this study, no statistically significant difference was observed in the fracture toughness of ZrO2 sintered in microwave or conventional ovens. Copyright © 2013 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Adiabatic surface thermometer for improved production braze quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dittbenner, G.R.

    1975-01-01

    An adiabatic surface thermometer was developed to control automatically the critical temperature-time cycle of a production vacuum-brazing process. Investigations revealed that optimum braze-joint strength required precise control of the brazing temperature. Spot-welded thermocouples could not be used because the spot welds cause surface damage. This thermometer touches the surface and uses a differential thermocouple and heater to measure surface temperature without heat flow, thereby eliminating large errors caused by conduction losses common to conventional spring-loaded thermocouples. Temperatures in air or vacuum are measured to 800 0 C with errors less than 5 0 C. This thermometer has minimized the rejection of production parts, resulting in a cost saving to the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration

  20. Uncertainties in the dosimetric assessments of NORM management in conventional waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mora, J. C.; Robles, B.

    2012-01-01

    Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) are generated in huge quantities in several industries-NORM industries-and their management has been formerly carried out in most countries under considerations of industrial non radioactive wastes, with varying considerations on their radioactive content. As the concentration of non radioactive tonics in several of those materials is relatively high, they were treated as toxic materials. This implies that the materials must be previously conditioned using conventional methods and that the waste disposal itself must be prepared to isolate the toxic from the environment for long periods of time. Spanish regulation for these conventional toxic waste disposals include conditions that assure adequate isolation, also including considerations on their radioactive content in such a way that their management way guarantee radiological protection on the people and the environment. After the 96/29 European Directive (the European BSS), radiological implications on NORM industries and their residual materials must be considered. One option that can be considered for the disposal of NORM with activity concentrations above the established unconditional clearance level is the use of the same industrial waste disposals, if guarantees for corresponding radiological criteria are accomplished, according to Authorities establishment. This work analyses the radiological implications of the management of NORM under the considerations applicable for their management as conventional waste, emphasising in activity concentrations slightly over unconditional clearance levels specifically from 1 Bq up to 50 Bq.g - 1. Resulting generic dose assessments are usually carried out under highly conservative hypothesis. This study discusses uncertainties that should be considered to include possible variation due to climate factors or other parameters used in the assessment models. (Author)13 refs.