Maintenance of Physical Activity among Faculty and Staff in University Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Whipple, Kerry; Kinney, Judy; Kattenbraker, Mark

2008-01-01

Previous studies have placed little emphasis on maintenance of healthy behaviors longer than six months. This study examined factors that contribute to maintenance of physical activity among faculty and staff in university settings. A 55-item survey on physical activity maintenance was used to assess attitudes towards exercise, exercise…

Autonomous and professional maintenance in metallurgical enterprise as activities within total productive maintenance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Gajdzik

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The content of this publication consists of notions connected with Total Productive Maintenance (TPM in metallurgical enterprise. The basic areas of devices condition management through Autonomous and Professional Maintenance are described here. Mentioned areas of activities are performed in metallurgical enterprise ArcelorMittal Poland within pillars of World Class Manufacturing (WCM. The aims of UR programs are to maintain the basic functionality of the devices and decrease the number of failures in order to reach improvement of production efficiency.

Study on application of safety checklist in preventive maintenance activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jin; Chen Song; Liu Jingquan

2013-01-01

The paper describes the principles and the characteristics of safety checklist as a risk evaluation method. Examples of application of safety checklists to preventive maintenance activities such as criteria comparison and checkup items in place in nuclear power plants are illustrated in details with issues appeared in the checklist establishment. Checklist has a good application in the RCM analysis or in the actual preventive maintenance program for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant indicated by concrete instances. In the light of safety checklist which is used to sustain preventive maintenance as a simple and applicable risk analysis approach, we can get deep knowledge of risks of nuclear power plant to perfect preventive maintenance activities. (authors)

Physical activity maintenance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loeppenthin, K; Esbensen, Bente Appel; Østergaard, Mikkel

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To describe the experience of physical activity maintenance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. DESIGN: A qualitative salutogenic-oriented interview study. SETTING: A rheumatology outpatient clinic. SUBJECTS: A purposive sample of 16 physically active patients (mean age 50, range 37...... with non-arthritis populations. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that physical activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis may be understood as a resource to resist disability and to feel and stay healthy while creating and sustaining meaningfulness in life.......-67) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on average 21 years previously (range 4-46 years). METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to illuminate how the phenomenon 'physical activity maintenance' was experienced by patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The interviews...

Anticipated affective consequences of physical activity adoption and maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunton, Genevieve Fridlund; Vaughan, Elaine

2008-11-01

The expected emotional consequences of future actions are thought to play an important role in health behavior change. This research examined whether anticipated affective consequences of success and failure vary across stages of physical activity change and differentially predict physical activity adoption as compared to maintenance. Using a prospective design over a 3-month period, a community sample of 329 healthy, middle-aged adults were assessed at 2 time points. Anticipated positive and negative emotions, stage of behavior change (precontemplation [PC], contemplation [C], preparation [P], action [A], maintenance [M]), and level of physical activity. At baseline, anticipated positive emotions were greater in C versus PC, whereas anticipated negative emotions were greater in M versus A and in M versus P. Higher anticipated positive but not negative emotions predicted physical activity adoption and maintenance after 3 months. Although the expected affective consequences of future success and failure differentiated among individuals in the early and later stages of physical activity change, respectively; only the anticipated affective consequences of success predicted future behavior.

State of technology, system and solution supporting on-line maintenance - company's activities and products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishitani, Junichi; Shimizu, Shunichi; Higasa, Hisakazu

2010-01-01

The new inspection system based on operator's maintenance and monitoring program of nuclear power plants was introduced in Japan more than one year ago and recommended on-line maintenance (maintenance during operation) will be carried out to increase capacity factor with safe and reliable operation of the plant. In this feature article, nine experts described the state of technology, system and solution supporting on-line maintenance - company's activities and products. These were titled as 'MHI's technology supporting on-line maintenance'. 'Technology supporting on-line maintenance - Toshiba's activities to upgrade monitoring and diagnostic service and maintenance management', 'AsahiKASEI's activities of on-line maintenance', 'Importance of information sharing of on-line maintenance and its ideal method-function of impact plan of IBM Maximo Asset Management for Nuclear', 'US's on-line maintenance and information systems', 'SmartProcedures realizing safe operation of nuclear power plant - proposal of computerized procedures', 'Ultrasonic leak detection system SDT170', 'Application of infrared thermography for equipment maintenance in nuclear power plant' and 'On-line condition monitoring system - condition eye'. (T. Tanaka)

Intermediate Energy Activation File (IEAF-99)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korovin, Yu.; Konobeev, A.; Pereslavtsev, P.; Stankovskij, A.; Fischer, U.; Moellendorff, U. von

1999-01-01

Nuclear data library IEAF-99, elaborated to study processes of interactions of intermediate energy neutrons with materials in accelerator driven systems, is described. The library is intended for activation and transmutation studies for materials irradiated by neutrons. IEAF-99 contains evaluated neutron induced reaction cross sections at the energies 0-150 MeV for 665 stable and unstable nuclei from C to Po. Approximately 50,000 excitation functions are included in the library. The IEAF-99 data are written in the ENDF-6 format combining MF = 3,6 MT = 5 data recording. (author)

Operation and maintenance manual addendum to Westinghouse OMM-051-00-005 for intermediate-size inducer pump (ISIP) Model 266

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

This Addendum A to the Westinghouse Operation and Maintenance Manual OMM-051-00-005 contains additions, changes and deletions that modify data for the Liquid Metal Coolant Pump, Model LMP-1 to data applicable to the Rockwell International Intermediate-Size Inducer Pump (ISIP), Model 266. The major modifications on the ISIP are the new impeller/inducer assembly, diffuser vanes and new securing hardware. The paragraphs affected by Addendum A use the numbering system used in OMM-051-00-005 except each paragraph number is prefixed with an A preceding the paragraph number signifying that the paragraph is changed to conform with the ISIP configuration. Paragraphs within OMM-051-00-005 not identified in Addendum A remain unchanged with the data still valid and useable

Study on how to evaluate the effectiveness of maintenance activities for giant complex plant system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Takayuki

2010-01-01

If we try to check the effectiveness of maintenance activities in nuclear power plant, it is necessary to evaluate plant performance from the viewpoint of nuclear safety and economy. So, in this paper, after the relation among maintenance optimization, maintenance performance targets, maintenance effectiveness indicator and maintenance key parameters important to nuclear safety and economy was made clear, a method to evaluate the effectiveness of maintenance activities was discussed. As a result of consideration, it was concluded that the maintenance effectiveness indicator proposed in this paper can evaluate maintenance effectiveness and can show the direction of improving existing maintenance program because the relation with maintenance performance target and maintenance key parameters is clear. (author)

Program plan for future regulatory activity in nuclear-power-plant maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badalamente, R.V.

1982-10-01

The intent of this paper is to describe the results of a study of nuclear power plant (NPP) maintenance conducted by Battelle's Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL) for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The purpose of the study for the NRC was to determine problems affecting human performance in NPP maintenance, pinpoint those which adversely affect public health and safety, review strategies for overcoming the problems, and suggest the direction that regulatory activities should take. Results of the study were presented to the NRC (Division of Human Factors Safety) in the form of a recommended program plan for future regulatory activity in NPP maintenance

76 FR 50489 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Harbor Maintenance Fee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

... Activities: Harbor Maintenance Fee AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland... Fee (CBP Forms 349 and 350). This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was... Fee. OMB Number: 1651-0055. Form Number: CBP Forms 349 and 350. Abstract: The Harbor Maintenance Fee...

Risk mitigation strategies for operations and maintenance activities.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-01

The objective of this research was to investigate the application of integrated risk modeling to operations and maintenance activities, specifically moving operations, such as pavement testing, pavement marking, painting, snow removal, shoulder work,...

Human Error Probability Assessment During Maintenance Activities of Marine Systems

OpenAIRE

Rabiul Islam; Faisal Khan; Rouzbeh Abbassi; Vikram Garaniya

2018-01-01

Background: Maintenance operations on-board ships are highly demanding. Maintenance operations are intensive activities requiring high man–machine interactions in challenging and evolving conditions. The evolving conditions are weather conditions, workplace temperature, ship motion, noise and vibration, and workload and stress. For example, extreme weather condition affects seafarers' performance, increasing the chances of error, and, consequently, can cause injuries or fatalities to personne...

Beyond AIRSpeed: How Organizational Modeling and Simulation Further Reduced Engine Maintenance Time

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hagan, Joel; Slack, William; Zolin, Roxanne; Dillard, John

2007-01-01

The Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Division (AIMD) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, CA, has worked aggressively to reduce engine maintenance time using the tools of the NAVAIR Enterprise AiRSpeed (AiRSpeed) program...

Raman optical activity study on insulin amyloid- and prefibril intermediate

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Yamamoto, Shigeki; Watarai, H.

2012-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 2 (2012), s. 97-103 ISSN 0899-0042 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : raman optical activity * amyloid * fibril * intermediate * insulin Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.718, year: 2012

Differential role of calpain-dependent protein cleavage in intermediate and long-term operant memory in Aplysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Lisa C; Gardner, Jacob S; Lentsch, Cassidy T; Gandour, Catherine E; Krishnan, Harini C; Noakes, Eric J

2017-01-01

In addition to protein synthesis, protein degradation or protein cleavage may be necessary for intermediate (ITM) and long-term memory (LTM) to remove molecular constraints, facilitate persistent kinase activity and modulate synaptic plasticity. Calpains, a family of conserved calcium dependent cysteine proteases, modulate synaptic function through protein cleavage. We used the marine mollusk Aplysia californica to investigate the in vivo role of calpains during intermediate and long-term operant memory formation using the learning that food is inedible (LFI) paradigm. A single LFI training session, in which the animal associates a specific netted seaweed with the failure to swallow, generates short (30min), intermediate (4-6h) and long-term (24h) memory. Using the calpain inhibitors calpeptin and MDL-28170, we found that ITM requires calpain activity for induction and consolidation similar to the previously reported requirements for persistent protein kinase C activity in intermediate-term LFI memory. The induction of LTM also required calpain activity. In contrast to ITM, calpain activity was not necessary for the molecular consolidation of LTM. Surprisingly, six hours after LFI training we found that calpain activity was necessary for LTM, although this is a time at which neither persistent PKC activity nor protein synthesis is required for the maintenance of long-term LFI memory. These results demonstrate that calpains function in multiple roles in vivo during associative memory formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Error Probability Assessment During Maintenance Activities of Marine Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rabiul Islam

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Maintenance operations on-board ships are highly demanding. Maintenance operations are intensive activities requiring high man–machine interactions in challenging and evolving conditions. The evolving conditions are weather conditions, workplace temperature, ship motion, noise and vibration, and workload and stress. For example, extreme weather condition affects seafarers' performance, increasing the chances of error, and, consequently, can cause injuries or fatalities to personnel. An effective human error probability model is required to better manage maintenance on-board ships. The developed model would assist in developing and maintaining effective risk management protocols. Thus, the objective of this study is to develop a human error probability model considering various internal and external factors affecting seafarers' performance. Methods: The human error probability model is developed using probability theory applied to Bayesian network. The model is tested using the data received through the developed questionnaire survey of >200 experienced seafarers with >5 years of experience. The model developed in this study is used to find out the reliability of human performance on particular maintenance activities. Results: The developed methodology is tested on the maintenance of marine engine's cooling water pump for engine department and anchor windlass for deck department. In the considered case studies, human error probabilities are estimated in various scenarios and the results are compared between the scenarios and the different seafarer categories. The results of the case studies for both departments are also compared. Conclusion: The developed model is effective in assessing human error probabilities. These probabilities would get dynamically updated as and when new information is available on changes in either internal (i.e., training, experience, and fatigue or external (i.e., environmental and operational conditions

The impact of self-efficacy on physical activity maintenance in patients with hip osteoarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammer, Nanna Maria; Bieler, Theresa; Beyer, Nina Ann-Marie

2016-01-01

Purpose: Understanding motivational factors related to physical activity (PA) maintenance is essential in promoting long-term exercise benefits. This study explored the impact of self-efficacy (SE) on post-intervention PA maintenance in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Method: An SE-theory based...... mixed-methods sub-study of a trial investigating the effects of 4 months supervised exercise in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Questionnaire data (n = 52; baseline and 12 months) on PA and SE (Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, ASES, score-range 10–100) were analysed (Mann–Whitney test) for differences...... from incorporating the self-efficacy theory in the planning and execution of exercise interventions to promote post-intervention physical activity maintenance and long term health benefits. •Post-intervention physical activity maintenance may be increased by focussing on the patients’ exercise self-efficacy...

Perencanaan Kegiatan Maintenance Dengan Metode Reability Centered Maintenance (Rcm) II

OpenAIRE

Rachmad Hidayat; Nachnul Ansori; Ali Imron

2010-01-01

Maintenance Activity Planning by Reability Centered Maintenance (RCM) II Method. This research discussmaintenance activity by using RCM II method to determine failure function risk at compresor screw. Calculation isgiven to magnitude optimum time maintenance interval by considering the cost maintenance and the cost reparation.From the research results with RPN points out that critical component that needs to get main priority in givemaintenance on compresor screw are bust logistic on timeworn...

Public Tourism Infrastructure: Challenges in the Development and Maintenance Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Shardy

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In Malaysia, the tourism sector is a major contributor to the nation’s development and is spearheaded by the government’s efforts in investing heavily towards providing sufficient and well-functioning public tourism infrastructure. This infrastructure should be ideally developed with a clear and systematic maintenance plan in hand. The challenge herein is not merely providing the necessary infrastructure to sustain tourism activities but rather a pro-active approach towards establishing and subsequently maintaining this infrastructure at its optimal level. The aim of this paper therefore is to identify critical aspects that need to be in place to further enhance the Malaysian tourism industry. The paper discusses the issues and challenges that need to be addressed as a precursor towards an effectively developed and maintained tourism infrastructure system. Development issues that have been identified revolve around the dimensions of quality, quantity and ability of the public agencies involved, particularly issues of inadequate infrastructure, quality of infrastructure and the capability of the agencies in undertaking efficient maintenance activities. These issues were found to lead towards challenges of working with resource constraints, lack of an effective maintenance culture and system as well as the need for clear and effective policies and strategies.

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis applies to tropical forests, but disturbance contributes little to tree diversity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bongers, F.; Poorter, L.; Hawthorne, W.D.; Sheil, D.

2009-01-01

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts local species diversity to be maximal at an intermediate level of disturbance. Developed to explain species maintenance and diversity patterns in species-rich ecosystems such as tropical forests, tests of IDH in tropical forest remain scarce,

Water activity reduction of intermediate moisture yellowstrip trevally (Selaroides leptolepis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phomajun, P.

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Water activity reduction of intermediate moisture yellowstrip trevally was studied. The optimal time (8, 12, 16, 20 hrs. for curing marinade was investigated. The effects of different humectants (glycerol, sorbitol, lactitol, glucose syrup at 50% w/w of curing ingredients were compared. Results showed that moisture content and water activity of cured yellowstrip trevally decreased as curing time increased (p0.05. However, the hardness of intermediate moisture Yellowstrip trevally, determined by texture analyzer, decreased. Hardness, shear force, L a b value of sample added with various humectants were lower than those of the control (p0.05. The glycerol-added samples had the highest overall acceptability score and were higher than control, whereas the glucose syrup-added samples had the lowest score. Moisture content of the samples with the addition of various humectants was higher than that of the control (18.28 %. The samples added with glycerol retained the highest moisture (24.94%. The adsorption isotherm studies showed that the equilibrium moisture of sample added with glycerol was higher than that added with lactitol.

Summary of typical routine maintenance activities at Tokai Reprocessing Plant. Supplement (March, 2002)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-03-01

Typical maintenance activities, such as replacement of worn out parts and cleaning of filter elements, routinely performed during steady operation are summarized. [The Summary of Typical Routine Maintenance Activities at Tokai Reprocessing Plant] (JNC TN 8450 2001-006) was already prepared in September, 2001. The purpose of this summary is to give elementary understanding on these activities to people who are responsible for explanation them to the public. At this time, the same kind of summary is prepared as a supplement of the previous one. (author)

Priority ranking for maintenance activities on embankment dams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chouinard, L.E.; Andersen, G.R.; Robichaud, J.G.; Blanchette, G.; Gervais, R.

1998-01-01

Operators of dams in Canada and the U.S. are steadily shifting from construction of new facilities to the maintenance and repairs of existing ones. This paper emphasized the importance of prioritizing maintenance activities on embankment dams whose maintenance needs vary from structure to structure. Two parallel procedures were developed, one for monitoring devices and the other for defense groups. Both procedures are intended to be used together to rate the condition of the embankment dams. The term 'defense groups' is used to refer to the collection of physical components on dams to prevent adverse conditions from occurring that would result in an uncontrolled release of the reservoir. The priority rankings and condition indices developed by means of this procedure reflects the judgment of a panel of engineers and geologists who implement them. They are not to be interpreted as an index of dam safety. While the process is sufficiently well developed to warrant wide-spread distribution, it is considered to be still in the developmental stage. Therefore, it should be used in conjunction with other parallel processes evaluating structural, mechanical and electrical features of the structure under consideration. 6 refs., 7 tabs

Empirical analysis of selected nuclear power plant maintenance factors and plant safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, J.; Osborn, R.N.; Thurber, J.A.; Sommers, P.E.; Jackson, D.H.

1985-07-01

This report contains a statistical analysis of the relationship between selected aspects of nuclear power plant maintenance programs and safety related performance. The report identifies a large number of maintenance resources which can be expected to influence maintenance performance and subsequent plant safety performance. The resources for which data were readily available were related statistically to two sets of performance indicators: maintenance intermediate safety indicators and final safety performance indicators. The results show that the administrative structure of the plant maintenance program is a significant predictor of performance on both sets of indicators

Financial Motivation Undermines Maintenance in an Intensive Diet and Activity Intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arlen C. Moller

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Financial incentives are widely used in health behavior interventions. However, self-determination theory posits that emphasizing financial incentives can have negative consequences if experienced as controlling. Feeling controlled into performing a behavior tends to reduce enjoyment and undermine maintenance after financial contingencies are removed (the undermining effect. We assessed participants’ context-specific financial motivation to participate in the Make Better Choices trial—a trial testing four different strategies for improving four health risk behaviors: low fruit and vegetable intake, high saturated fat intake, low physical activity, and high sedentary screen time. The primary outcome was overall healthy lifestyle change; weight loss was a secondary outcome. Financial incentives were contingent upon meeting behavior goals for 3 weeks and became contingent upon merely providing data during the 4.5-month maintenance period. Financial motivation for participation was assessed at baseline using a 7-item scale (=.97. Across conditions, a main effect of financial motivation predicted a steeper rate of weight regained during the maintenance period, (165=2.15, =.04. Furthermore, financial motivation and gender interacted significantly in predicting maintenance of healthy diet and activity changes, (160=2.42, =.016, such that financial motivation had a more deleterious influence among men. Implications for practice and future research on incentivized lifestyle and weight interventions are discussed.

Quality Control Activities Related to Mechanical Maintenance of Safety Related Components at Krsko NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djakovic, D.

2016-01-01

For successful, safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plant, maintenance processes have to be systematically controlled and procedures for quality control of maintenance activities shall be established. This is requested by the quality assurance program, which shall provide control over activities affecting the quality of structures, systems, and components, considering their importance to safety. As a part of Quality and Nuclear Oversight Division (QNOD; SKV), the Quality Control Department (QC) provides quality control activities, which are deeply involved in maintenance processes at Krsko NPP, both on safety related and non-safety related (non-nuclear safety) components. QC activities on safety related components have to fulfil all requirements, which will enable the components to perform their intended safety functions. This paper describes quality control activities related to mechanical maintenance of safety related components at Krsko NPP and significant role of the Krsko plant QC Department in three particular maintenance cases connected with safety related components. In these three specific cases, the QC has confirmed its importance in compliance with quality assurance program and presented its significant added value in providing safe and reliable operation of the plant. The first maintenance activity was installation of nozzle check valves in the scope of a modification for improving regulation of spent fuel pit pumps. The QC Department performed receipt inspection of the valves. Using non-destructive examination methods and X-ray spectrometry, it was found out that the valve diffuser was made of improper material, which could cause progressive corrosion of the valve diffuser in borated water and consequently a loss of safety function of the valves followed by long-term consequences. The second one was the receipt inspection of containment ventilation fan coolers. The coolers were claimed and sent back to the supplier because the QC Department

Present activity in ASME Section XI regarding risk-informed maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedden, Owen; Chockie, Alan

2005-01-01

Since 1996 Section XI of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code has actively incorporated risk-informed concepts. The risk-informed process provides a framework for allocating inspection resources in a cost-effective manner and helps focus inspections where most critical for plant safety. Based on the success of the risk-informed ISI piping applications at US and non-US plants, Section XI has refined existing Code Cases and expanded the use of the risk-informed process to a variety of high-risk components and systems. The risk informed approach started in the area of inspection and is now being expanded to other plant maintenance activities. This article summarizes the Section XI actions and the continued development of the risk-informed process to improve nuclear plant maintenance. (author)

Taxation of Financial Intermediation Activities in Hong Kong

OpenAIRE

Jack M. Mintz; Stephen R. Richardson

2001-01-01

This paper discusses issues related to the taxation of financial intermediation in Hong Kong in the context of Hong Kong's position as a major regional financial centre. It first provides some background analysis as to the definition of financial intermediation and identification of the providers of financial services. This is then followed by a discussion of the principles of taxation applicable to financial intermediation, including a comparison of income taxes to consumption taxes. Some sp...

Novel Biomarkers of Physical Activity Maintenance in Midlife Women: Preliminary Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly A. Bosak

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The precision health initiative is leading the discovery of novel biomarkers as important indicators of biological processes or responses to behavior, such as physical activity. Neural biomarkers identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI hold promise to inform future research, and ultimately, for transfer to the clinical setting to optimize health outcomes. This study investigated resting-state and functional brain biomarkers between midlife women who were maintaining physical activity in accordance with the current national guidelines and previously acquired age-matched sedentary controls. Approval was obtained from the Human Subjects Committee. Participants included nondiabetic, healthy weight to overweight (body mass index 19–29.9 kg/m2 women (n = 12 aged 40–64 years. Control group data were used from participants enrolled in our previous functional MRI study and baseline resting-state MRI data from a subset of sedentary (<500 kcal of physical activity per week midlife women who were enrolled in a 9-month exercise intervention conducted in our imaging center. Differential activation of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG and greater connectivity with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC was identified between physically active women and sedentary controls. After correcting for multiple comparisons, these differences in biomarkers of physical activity maintenance did not reach statistical significance. Preliminary evidence in this small sample suggests that neural biomarkers of physical activity maintenance involve activations in the brain region associated with areas involved in implementing goal-directed behavior. Specifically, activation of the IFG and connectivity with the dlPFC is identified as a neural biomarker to explain and predict long-term physical activity maintenance for healthy aging. Future studies should evaluate these biomarker links with relevant clinical correlations.

Managed maintenance, the next step in power plant maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butterworth, G.; Anderson, T.M.

1984-01-01

The Westinghouse Nuclear Services Integration Division managed maintenance services are described. Essential to the management and control of a total plant maintenance programme is the development of a comprehensive maintenance specification. During recent years Westinghouse has jointly developed total plant engineering-based maintenance specifications with a number of utilities. The process employed and the experience to date are described. To efficiently implement the maintenance programme Westinghouse has developed a computer software program specifically designed for day to day use at the power plant by maintenance personnel. This program retains an equipment maintenance history, schedules maintenance activities, issues work orders and performs a number of sophisticated analyses of the maintenance backlog and forecast, equipment failure rates, etc. The functions of this software program are described and details of Westinghouse efforts to support the utilities in reducing outage times through development of predefined outage plans for critical report maintenance activities are given. Also described is the experience gained in the training of specialized maintenance personnel, employing competency-based training techniques and equipment mock-ups, and the benefits experienced, in terms of improved quality and productivity of maintenance performed. The success experienced with these methods has caused Westinghouse to expand the use of these training techniques to the more routine skill areas of power plant maintenance. A significant reduction in the operating costs of nuclear power plants will only be brought about by a significant improvement in the quality of maintenance. Westinghouse intends to effect this change by expanding its international service capabilities and to make major investments in order to promote technological developments in the area of power plant maintenance. (author)

Building Maintenance. Performance Objectives. Basic Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Ernest

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of the 13 terminal objectives for a basic high school building maintenance course (the first year of a 3-year program). The materials were developed for a 36-week course (2 hours daily) designed to enable 10th grade students to develop competencies…

Financial Motivation Undermines Maintenance in an Intensive Diet and Activity Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Moller, Arlen C.; McFadden, H. Gene; Hedeker, Donald; Spring, Bonnie

2012-01-01

Financial incentives are widely used in health behavior interventions. However, self-determination theory posits that emphasizing financial incentives can have negative consequences if experienced as controlling. Feeling controlled into performing a behavior tends to reduce enjoyment and undermine maintenance after financial contingencies are removed (the undermining effect). We assessed participants' context-specific financial motivation to participate in the Make Better Choices trial—a trial testing four different strategies for improving four health risk behaviors: low fruit and vegetable intake, high saturated fat intake, low physical activity, and high sedentary screen time. The primary outcome was overall healthy lifestyle change; weight loss was a secondary outcome. Financial incentives were contingent upon meeting behavior goals for 3 weeks and became contingent upon merely providing data during the 4.5-month maintenance period. Financial motivation for participation was assessed at baseline using a 7-item scale (α = .97). Across conditions, a main effect of financial motivation predicted a steeper rate of weight regained during the maintenance period, t(165) = 2.15, P = .04. Furthermore, financial motivation and gender interacted significantly in predicting maintenance of healthy diet and activity changes, t(160) = 2.42, P = .016, such that financial motivation had a more deleterious influence among men. Implications for practice and future research on incentivized lifestyle and weight interventions are discussed. PMID:22548152

Homogenization of independent inspection criteria of Quality Assurance in the maintenance activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez Cardinanos, R.

2012-01-01

Among the official documents governing the operation of Spanish nuclear power plants is the Quality Manual and Quality Assurance. This manual gives a formal answer to the requirements of the regulations and the Nuclear Safety Council. To monitor the compliance of its requirements, the plants are controlled by independent organizations. Since 2007, in nuclear Sta. Maria de Garona is developed a project to improve the performance of the QA inspectors during maintenance activities. Results of the project have been edited data sheets on specific activities of maintenance. The project aims to incorporate sheets that help QA inspectors in their daily inspection.

Chirality of Intermediate Filaments and Magnetic Helicity of Active Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Eun-Kyung; Chae, J.

2009-05-01

Filaments that form either between or around active regions (ARs) are called intermediate filaments. Even though there have been many theoretical studies, the origin of the chirality of filaments is still unknown. We investigated how intermediate filaments are related to their associated ARs, especially from the point of view of magnetic helicity and the orientation of polarity inversion lines (PILs). The chirality of filaments has been determined based on the orientations of barbs observed in the full-disk Hα images taken at Big Bear Solar Observatory during the rising phase of solar cycle 23. The sign of magnetic helicity of ARs has been determined using S/inverse-S shaped sigmoids from Yohkoh SXT images. As a result, we have found a good correlation between the chirality of filaments and the magnetic helicity sign of ARs. Among 45 filaments, 42 filaments have shown the same sign as helicity sign of nearby ARs. It has been also confirmed that the role of both the orientation and the relative direction of PILs to ARs in determining the chirality of filaments is not significant, against a theoretical prediction. These results suggest that the chirality of intermediate filaments may originate from magnetic helicity of their associated ARs.

Maintenance management for nuclear power plant 'Integrated valve maintenance'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerner, P.; Zanner, G.

2001-01-01

The deregulation of Europe's power market does force many utilities, and especially nuclear power plant operators, to introduce extensive cost-cutting measures in order to be able to compete within this new environment. The optimization of plant outages provides considerable potential for raising plant availability but can also lower operating costs by reducing e.g. expenditure on maintenance. Siemens Nuclear Power GmbH, in cooperation with plant operators, is currently implementing new and improved service concepts which can have a major effect on the way in which maintenance will be performed in the future. Innovative service packages for maintenance in nuclear power plants are available which can be used to perform a time- and cost-effective maintenance. The concepts encompass optimization of the overall sequence from planning in advance to the individual measures including reduction of the scope of maintenance activities, identification of cost cutting potential and bundling of maintenance activities. The main features of these maintenance activities are illustrated here using the examples of outage planning and integrated valve maintenance. In nuclear power plants approx. 5000 valves are periodically preventively, condition-based or breakdown-based maintained. Because of this large number of valves to be maintained a high potential of improvements and cost reductions can be achieved by performing an optimized, cost-effective maintenance based on innovative methods and tools. Siemens Nuclear Power GmbH has developed and qualified such tools which allow to reduce service costs while maintaining high standards of safety and availability. By changing from preventive to predictive (condition-based) maintenance - the number of valves to be maintained may be reduced considerably. The predictive maintenance is based on the Siemens Nuclear Power GmbH diagnostic and evaluation method (ADAM). ADAM is used to monitor the operability of valves by analytical verification of

Maintenance and decline of physical activity during adolescence: insights from a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filion Annie

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Purpose Better knowledge on why some individuals succeed in maintaining participation in physical activity throughout adolescence is needed to guide the development of effective interventions to increase and then maintain physical activity levels. Despite allowing an in-depth understanding, qualitative designs have infrequently been used to study physical activity maintenance. We explored factors contributing to the maintenance and the decline of physical activity during adolescence. Methods Questionnaires were administered to 515 grade 10-12 students. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents was used to determine physical activity level at the end of adolescence. An adapted version of this questionnaire was used to estimate physical activity in early adolescence. Among both genders, we identified participants who maintained a high level of physical activity since grade 7 and some whose activity level declined. For each category, groups of 10 students were randomly selected to take part in focus group discussions. Results Seven focus groups with 5 to 8 participants in each were held. Both maintainers and decliners associated physical activity with positive health outcomes. Maintenance of physical activity was associated with supportive social environments and heightened feelings of competence and attractiveness. A decline in physical activity was associated with negative social validation, poor social support and barriers related to access. Conclusions Although maintainers and decliners associate physical activity with similar themes, the experiences of both groups differ substantially with regards to those themes. Taking both perspectives in consideration could help improve interventions to increase and maintain physical activity levels of adolescents.

Remote maintenance design activities and research and development accomplishments for the Compact Ignition Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spampinato, P.T.

1988-01-01

The use of deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel for the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) requires the use of remote handling technology to carry out maintenance operations. The remote operations consist of removing and replacing such components as first wall armor protection tiles, radio-frequency (rf) heating modules, and diagnostic modules. The major pieces of equipment being developed for maintenance activities internal to the vacuum vessel include an articulated boom manipulator (ABM), an inspection manipulator, and special tooling. For activities external to the vessel, the equipment includes a bridge-mounted manipulator system, decontamination equipment, hot cell equipment, and solid radiation-waste (rad-waste) handling and packaging equipment. The CIT Project is completing the conceptual design phase; research and development (R and D) activities, which include demonstrations of remote maintenance operations on full-size partial mock-ups are under way. 5 figs

Pectin Methyl Esterase Activity Change in Intermediate Moisture Sun-Dried Figs after Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dilek Demirbüker Kavak

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Intermediate moisture fruits can be obtained by rehydrating dried fruits. Intermediate moisture fruits are suitable for direct consumption compared to dry fruits and can be directly used in the production of various products such as bakery products, dairy products and candies. Aim of this study is to compare the pectin methyl esterase (PME activity of intermediate moisture figs which causes softening of the texture and to compare their microbial stability after 3 months storage period. For this purpose, dried figs were rehydrated in 30 and 80° C water until they reach 30% moisture content. Rehydrated samples were stored for 3 months at +4°C. Results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the control samples and the samples rehydrated at 80°C according to the total viable counts. At the end of the storage period, results of residual PME activity in control samples was 24.1 μmol COOH min-1g-1, while it was found 17.4 μmol COOH min-1g-1 in samples rehydrated at 80°C. As a result rehydration conducted at 80°C provided 28% reduction in PME activity compared to the control samples rehydrated at 30°C, although it did not affect the microbial load significantly after storage.

Opportunities and supporting activities to promote preventive maintenance of NPPs in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanada, A.; Shinkawa, T.; Sakurada, M.

1998-01-01

With increase of the number of NPPs and operation history, enhancement of the safety regulation is becoming important for such long-operated NPPs. Centering on the comprehensive preventive maintenance, periodic safety reviews by utilities and its review and evaluation by MITI are in progress. The first reviews have not revealed essential and critical indications to be newly implemented. This means that the most of activities to secure reliability and safety have been done steadily. The present paper addresses the mechanism of on-going preventive maintenance and its essential elements: opportunities to identify issues and problems, and supporting activities to promote decision-makings on feedback, upgrading and modernization of NPPs. (author)

Lessons Learned from Outsourcing the Pearl Harbor MK-48 Intermediate Maintenance Activity

Science.gov (United States)

2008-03-01

transfer of ownership of assets. However, outsourcing is not simply a procurement decision. All organizations procure elements of their operations...systems, commercialization, and franchising (Office of Management and Budget, 2004). Strengths of Outsourcing Outsourcing is more efficient than...operating the IMA with organic resources vs . the cost of a comparable service provided by a contractor. Activity-based costing would also help managers

Plant Maintenance. The Licensee's Viewpoint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ungi, T. [Heysham 2 Power Station, Nuclear Electric LTD (United Kingdom)

1997-07-01

Plant maintenance is a very complex process which requires considerable effort from both within the maintenance process and also many support activities. It is important that the plant maintenance policy is translated into a maintenance programme which will define all relevant aspects of the maintenance. An aspect of this maintenance programme will be a maintenance catalogue which will define the maintenance activities to be carried out and at what frequencies. This paper is aimed at discussing the maintenance philosophy and resulting maintenance catalogues currently adopted in Nuclear Electric Ltd, and in particular at Heysham 2 Power Station. It goes on to consider whether these maintenance catalogues contain the optimum maintenance and if not should they be changed. If change is required, the process by which this change will be brought about is also discussed. (author)

Relationship challenges and relationship maintenance activities following disclosure of transsexualism.

Science.gov (United States)

Alegría, C Aramburu

2010-12-01

• Transsexual persons are increasing their visibility in society, and health care providers and others (such as social workers) will be called upon to help with issues that transsexual persons face. Challenges that face transsexual persons often include issues involving relationships. Psychiatric and mental health nurses and other caregivers can increase their therapeutic skills in working with couples that include transsexual persons by becoming aware of these challenges and subsequent activities that can help with them. • This research study looks at couple relationships in which one partner reveals male-to-female transsexual identity. These are relationships that were established as man-woman and now will transition into relationships that include a male-to-female person and a female partner. • Common challenges for these couples include issues related to: (1) sexual identity and relationship uncertainty; (2) male-to-female transition decision making; and (3) presenting in public. • Relationship maintenance activities that helped the couples in the study maintain and strengthen their relationships through these challenges include: (1) communication; (2) self-talk (for example, putting the situation in perspective); (3) social networks; (4) positive interactions; (5) impression management (for example, managing displays of affection in public); and (6) social activism. This qualitative study describes the relational dynamics that help sustain relationships of couples that include male-to-female transsexual persons (MTF) and their natal female partners (NF) following disclosure of transsexualism. Relationship challenges and relationship maintenance activities are identified. Each partner in 17 MTF-NF couples participated in individual surveys and interviews. The data were coded for themes related to relationship challenges and activities. MTF-NF couples experience challenges within the contexts of their relationships and of society. These challenges

Human temporal cortical single neuron activity during working memory maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamora, Leona; Corina, David; Ojemann, George

2016-06-01

The Working Memory model of human memory, first introduced by Baddeley and Hitch (1974), has been one of the most influential psychological constructs in cognitive psychology and human neuroscience. However the neuronal correlates of core components of this model have yet to be fully elucidated. Here we present data from two studies where human temporal cortical single neuron activity was recorded during tasks differentially affecting the maintenance component of verbal working memory. In Study One we vary the presence or absence of distracting items for the entire period of memory storage. In Study Two we vary the duration of storage so that distractors filled all, or only one-third of the time the memory was stored. Extracellular single neuron recordings were obtained from 36 subjects undergoing awake temporal lobe resections for epilepsy, 25 in Study one, 11 in Study two. Recordings were obtained from a total of 166 lateral temporal cortex neurons during performance of one of these two tasks, 86 study one, 80 study two. Significant changes in activity with distractor manipulation were present in 74 of these neurons (45%), 38 Study one, 36 Study two. In 48 (65%) of those there was increased activity during the period when distracting items were absent, 26 Study One, 22 Study Two. The magnitude of this increase was greater for Study One, 47.6%, than Study Two, 8.1%, paralleling the reduction in memory errors in the absence of distracters, for Study One of 70.3%, Study Two 26.3% These findings establish that human lateral temporal cortex is part of the neural system for working memory, with activity during maintenance of that memory that parallels performance, suggesting it represents active rehearsal. In 31 of these neurons (65%) this activity was an extension of that during working memory encoding that differed significantly from the neural processes recorded during overt and silent language tasks without a recent memory component, 17 Study one, 14 Study two

Human Temporal Cortical Single Neuron Activity During Working Memory Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Zamora, Leona; Corina, David; Ojemann, George

2016-01-01

The Working Memory model of human memory, first introduced by Baddeley and Hitch (1974), has been one of the most influential psychological constructs in cognitive psychology and human neuroscience. However the neuronal correlates of core components of this model have yet to be fully elucidated. Here we present data from two studies where human temporal cortical single neuron activity was recorded during tasks differentially affecting the maintenance component of verbal working memory. In Study One we vary the presence or absence of distracting items for the entire period of memory storage. In Study Two we vary the duration of storage so that distractors filled all, or only one-third of the time the memory was stored. Extracellular single neuron recordings were obtained from 36 subjects undergoing awake temporal lobe resections for epilepsy, 25 in Study one, 11 in Study two. Recordings were obtained from a total of 166 lateral temporal cortex neurons during performance of one of these two tasks, 86 study one, 80 study two. Significant changes in activity with distractor manipulation were present in 74 of these neurons (45%), 38 Study one, 36 Study two. In 48 (65%) of those there was increased activity during the period when distracting items were absent, 26 Study One, 22 Study Two. The magnitude of this increase was greater for Study One, 47.6%, than Study Two, 8.1%, paralleling the reduction in memory errors in the absence of distracters, for Study One of 70.3%, Study Two 26.3% These findings establish that human lateral temporal cortex is part of the neural system for working memory, with activity during maintenance of that memory that parallels performance, suggesting it represents active rehearsal. In 31 of these neurons (65%) this activity was an extension of that during working memory encoding that differed significantly from the neural processes recorded during overt and silent language tasks without a recent memory component, 17 Study one, 14 Study two

Basic Characteristics of Human Erroneous Actions during Test and Maintenance Activities Leading to Unplanned Reactor Trips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Whan; Park, Jin Kyun

2010-01-01

Test and maintenance (T and M) activities of nuclear power plants are essential for sustaining the safety of a power plant and maintaining the reliability of plant systems and components. However, the potential of human errors during T and M activities has also the potential to induce unplanned reactor trips or power derate or making safety-related systems unavailable. According to the major incident/accident reports of nuclear power plants in Korea, contribution of human errors takes up about 20% of the total events. The previous study presents that most of human-related unplanned reactor trip events during normal power operation are associated with T and M activities (63%), which are comprised of plant maintenance activities such as a 'periodic preventive maintenance (PPM)', a 'planned maintenance (PM)' and a 'corrective maintenance (CM)'. This means that T and M activities should be a major subject for reducing the frequency of human-related unplanned reactor trips. This paper aims to introduce basic characteristics of human erroneous actions involved in the test and maintenance-induced unplanned reactor trip events that have occurred between 1986 and 2006 in Korean nuclear power plants. The basic characteristics are described by dividing human erroneous actions into planning-based errors and execution-based errors. For the events associated with planning failures, they are, firstly, classified according to existence of the work procedure and then described for what aspects of the procedure or work plan have deficiency or problem. On the other hand, for the events associated with execution failures, they are described from the aspect of external error modes

Hoxd11 specifies a program of metanephric kidney development within the intermediate mesoderm of the mouse embryo.

Science.gov (United States)

Mugford, Joshua W; Sipilä, Petra; Kobayashi, Akio; Behringer, Richard R; McMahon, Andrew P

2008-07-15

The mammalian kidney consists of an array of tubules connected to a ductal system that collectively function to control water/salt balance and to remove waste from the organisms' circulatory system. During mammalian embryogenesis, three kidney structures form within the intermediate mesoderm. The two most anterior structures, the pronephros and the mesonephros, are transitory and largely non-functional, while the most posterior, the metanephros, persists as the adult kidney. We have explored the mechanisms underlying regional specific differentiation of the kidney forming mesoderm. Previous studies have shown a requirement for Hox11 paralogs (Hoxa11, Hoxc11 and Hoxd11) in metanephric development. Mice lacking all Hox11 activity fail to form metanephric kidney structures. We demonstrate that the Hox11 paralog expression is restricted in the intermediate mesoderm to the posterior, metanephric level. When Hoxd11 is ectopically activated in the anterior mesonephros, we observe a partial transformation to a metanephric program of development. Anterior Hoxd11(+) cells activate Six2, a transcription factor required for the maintenance of metanephric tubule progenitors. Additionally, Hoxd11(+) mesonephric tubules exhibit an altered morphology and activate several metanephric specific markers normally confined to distal portions of the functional nephron. Collectively, our data support a model where Hox11 paralogs specify a metanephric developmental program in responsive intermediate mesoderm. This program maintains tubule forming progenitors and instructs a metanephric specific pattern of nephron differentiation.

Physical activity and healthy weight maintenance from childhood to adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleland, Verity J; Dwyer, Terence; Venn, Alison J

2008-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether change in physical activity was associated with maintaining a healthy weight from childhood to adulthood. This prospective cohort study examined 1,594 young Australian adults (48.9% female) aged 27-36 years who were first examined at age 9-15 years as part of a national health and fitness survey. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight, and physical activity was self-reported at both time points; pedometers were also used at follow-up. Change in physical activity was characterized by calculating the difference between baseline and follow-up z-scores. Change scores were categorized as decreasing (large, moderate), stable, or increasing (large, moderate). Healthy weight was defined in childhood as a BMI less than international overweight cutoff points, and in adulthood as BMIdecreases in physical activity, females in all other groups were 25-37% more likely to be healthy weight maintainers, although associations differed according to the physical activity measure used at follow-up and few reached statistical significance. Although younger males whose relative physical activity moderately or largely increased were 27-34% more likely to be healthy weight maintainers than those whose relative physical activity largely decreased, differences were not statistically significant. In conclusion, relatively increasing and stable physical activity from childhood to adulthood was only weakly associated with healthy weight maintenance. Examining personal, social, and environmental factors associated with healthy weight maintenance will be an important next step in understanding why some groups avoid becoming overweight.

Dynamic contracting : An asset management tool in controlling infrastructure maintenance activities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demirel, H.C.; de Ridder, H.A.J.; Hertogh, M.J.C.M.

2013-01-01

Infrastructure road network is a complex system in a fast changing complicated environment and therefore subject to change. The changes refer to demands, requirements, regulations and financial possibilities as well as advanced technologies. Therefore outsourcing maintenance activities are rather

Human area MT+ shows load-dependent activation during working memory maintenance with continuously morphing stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Galashan, Daniela; Fehr, Thorsten; Kreiter, Andreas K; Herrmann, Manfred

2014-07-11

Initially, human area MT+ was considered a visual area solely processing motion information but further research has shown that it is also involved in various different cognitive operations, such as working memory tasks requiring motion-related information to be maintained or cognitive tasks with implied or expected motion.In the present fMRI study in humans, we focused on MT+ modulation during working memory maintenance using a dynamic shape-tracking working memory task with no motion-related working memory content. Working memory load was systematically varied using complex and simple stimulus material and parametrically increasing retention periods. Activation patterns for the difference between retention of complex and simple memorized stimuli were examined in order to preclude that the reported effects are caused by differences in retrieval. Conjunction analysis over all delay durations for the maintenance of complex versus simple stimuli demonstrated a wide-spread activation pattern. Percent signal change (PSC) in area MT+ revealed a pattern with higher values for the maintenance of complex shapes compared to the retention of a simple circle and with higher values for increasing delay durations. The present data extend previous knowledge by demonstrating that visual area MT+ presents a brain activity pattern usually found in brain regions that are actively involved in working memory maintenance.

Periodic inspections of lightning protection systems in intermediate storage facilities of nuclear technological plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witzel, Andre; Schulz, Olav

2013-01-01

Especially for nuclear technological plants, periodic inspections of lightning protection systems are of great importance. This article shows the sequence of maintenance programs using the examples of the intermediate storage facilities of the nuclear technological plants Grohnde and Unterweser as well as the central intermediate storage facility in Gorleben and gives a description of the extensive measures of inspecting the external and internal lightning protection and the global earth termination system.

Integrated fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and VIKOR method in the prioritization of pavement maintenance activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peyman Babashamsi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Maintenance activities and pavement rehabilitation require the allocation of massive finances. Yet due to budget shortfalls, stakeholders and decision-makers must prioritize projects in maintenance and rehabilitation. This article addresses the prioritization of pavement maintenance alternatives by integrating the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP with the VIKOR method (which stands for ‘VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje,’ meaning multi-criteria optimization and compromise solution for the process of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA by considering various pavement network indices. The indices selected include the pavement condition index (PCI, traffic congestion, pavement width, improvement and maintenance costs, and the time required to operate. In order to determine the weights of the indices, the fuzzy AHP is used. Subsequently, the alternatives’ priorities are ranked according to the indices weighted with the VIKOR model. The choice of these two independent methods was motivated by the fact that integrating fuzzy AHP with the VIKOR model can assist decision makers with solving MCDA problems. The case study was conducted on a pavement network within the same particular region in Tehran; three main streets were chosen that have an empirically higher maintenance demand. The most significant factors were evaluated and the project with the highest priority was selected for urgent maintenance. By comparing the index values of the alternative priorities, Delavaran Blvd. was revealed to have higher priority over the other streets in terms of maintenance and rehabilitation activities. Keywords: Maintenance and rehabilitation prioritization, Fuzzy analysis hierarchy process, VIKOR model, Pavement condition index, Multi-criteria decision analysis

Intermediate report of MoReMo. Modelling resilience for maintenance and outage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oedewald, P.; Macchi, L. (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland)); Axelsson, C. (Ringhals AB, Vattenfall AB (Sweden)); Eitrheim, M.H.R. (Institute for Energy Technology (Norway))

2012-02-15

Resilience Engineering (RE) is a new approach to safety that helps organisations and individuals adapt to unforeseen events and long-term changes. Such an approach is needed by nuclear power plants (NPPs) as they face demanding modification projects, high staff turnover and increased pressures to maintain and improve safety. The goal of the Modelling Resilience for Maintenance and Outage (MoReMO) project is to develop and test models and methods to identify and analyse resilience in safety-critical activities in natural everyday settings. In 2011, we have applied four approaches in different case studies: Organisational Core Task modelling (OCT), Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), Efficiency Thoroughness Trade-Off (ETTO) analysis, and Work Practice and Culture Characterisation. The project has collected data through observations, interviews and document reviews at two NPPs. Together, the four approaches have provided valuable insights for understanding the rationale behind work practices, their effects on safety, and the support of flexibility and adaptability. In 2012, the MoReMO project will complete the data collection and integrate results on how resilience can be operationalized in practical safety management tools for the companies. (Author)

Intermediate report of MoReMo. Modelling resilience for maintenance and outage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oedewald, P.; Macchi, L.; Axelsson, C.; Eitrheim, M.H.R.

2012-02-01

Resilience Engineering (RE) is a new approach to safety that helps organisations and individuals adapt to unforeseen events and long-term changes. Such an approach is needed by nuclear power plants (NPPs) as they face demanding modification projects, high staff turnover and increased pressures to maintain and improve safety. The goal of the Modelling Resilience for Maintenance and Outage (MoReMO) project is to develop and test models and methods to identify and analyse resilience in safety-critical activities in natural everyday settings. In 2011, we have applied four approaches in different case studies: Organisational Core Task modelling (OCT), Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), Efficiency Thoroughness Trade-Off (ETTO) analysis, and Work Practice and Culture Characterisation. The project has collected data through observations, interviews and document reviews at two NPPs. Together, the four approaches have provided valuable insights for understanding the rationale behind work practices, their effects on safety, and the support of flexibility and adaptability. In 2012, the MoReMO project will complete the data collection and integrate results on how resilience can be operationalized in practical safety management tools for the companies. (Author)

Brain Activation during Associative Short-Term Memory Maintenance is Not Predictive for Subsequent Retrieval

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heiko eBergmann

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Performance on working memory (WM tasks may partially be supported by long-term memory (LTM processing. Hence, brain activation recently being implicated in WM may actually have been driven by (incidental LTM formation. We examined which brain regions actually support successful WM processing, rather than being confounded by LTM processes, during the maintenance and probe phase of a WM task. We administered a four-pair (faces and houses associative delayed-match-to-sample (WM task using event-related fMRI and a subsequent associative recognition LTM task, using the same stimuli. This enabled us to analyze subsequent memory effects for both the WM and the LTM test by contrasting correctly recognized pairs with incorrect pairs for either task. Critically, with respect to the subsequent WM effect, we computed this analysis exclusively for trials that were forgotten in the subsequent LTM recognition task. Hence, brain activity associated with successful WM processing was less likely to be confounded by incidental LTM formation. The subsequent LTM effect, in contrast, was analyzed exclusively for pairs that previously had been correctly recognized in the WM task, disclosing brain regions involved in successful LTM formation after successful WM processing. Results for the subsequent WM effect showed no significantly activated brain areas for WM maintenance, possibly due to an insensitivity of fMRI to mechanisms underlying active WM maintenance. In contrast, a correct decision at WM probe was linked to activation in the retrieval success network (anterior and posterior midline brain structures. The subsequent LTM analyses revealed greater activation in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex in the early phase of the maintenance stage. No supra-threshold activation was found during the WM probe. Together, we obtained clearer insights in which brain regions support successful WM and LTM without the potential confound of the

Brain activation during associative short-term memory maintenance is not predictive for subsequent retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergmann, Heiko C; Daselaar, Sander M; Beul, Sarah F; Rijpkema, Mark; Fernández, Guillén; Kessels, Roy P C

2015-01-01

Performance on working memory (WM) tasks may partially be supported by long-term memory (LTM) processing. Hence, brain activation recently being implicated in WM may actually have been driven by (incidental) LTM formation. We examined which brain regions actually support successful WM processing, rather than being confounded by LTM processes, during the maintenance and probe phase of a WM task. We administered a four-pair (faces and houses) associative delayed-match-to-sample (WM) task using event-related functional MRI (fMRI) and a subsequent associative recognition LTM task, using the same stimuli. This enabled us to analyze subsequent memory effects for both the WM and the LTM test by contrasting correctly recognized pairs with incorrect pairs for either task. Critically, with respect to the subsequent WM effect, we computed this analysis exclusively for trials that were forgotten in the subsequent LTM recognition task. Hence, brain activity associated with successful WM processing was less likely to be confounded by incidental LTM formation. The subsequent LTM effect, in contrast, was analyzed exclusively for pairs that previously had been correctly recognized in the WM task, disclosing brain regions involved in successful LTM formation after successful WM processing. Results for the subsequent WM effect showed no significantly activated brain areas for WM maintenance, possibly due to an insensitivity of fMRI to mechanisms underlying active WM maintenance. In contrast, a correct decision at WM probe was linked to activation in the "retrieval success network" (anterior and posterior midline brain structures). The subsequent LTM analyses revealed greater activation in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex in the early phase of the maintenance stage. No supra-threshold activation was found during the WM probe. Together, we obtained clearer insights in which brain regions support successful WM and LTM without the potential confound of

Lean Maintenance Applied to Improve Maintenance Efficiency in Thermoelectric Power Plants

OpenAIRE

Orlando Duran; Andrea Capaldo; Paulo Andrés Duran Acevedo

2017-01-01

Thermoelectric power plants consist of a set of critical equipment that require high levels of availability and reliability. Due to this, maintenance of these physical assets is gaining momentum in industry. Maintenance is considered as an activity that contributes to improving the availability, efficiency and productivity of each piece of equipment. Several techniques have been used to achieve greater efficiencies in maintenance, among which we can find the lean maintenance philosophy. Despi...

Organizational-economic maintenance of innovation activity in the region: comparative assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadezhda Igorevna Antipina

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The article proposes the approach to evaluate the organizational-economic maintenance of innovation activity in the regions in quantitative and qualitative indicators, as well as the method to calculate the assessment of regulatory support of this activity. It justifies the author’s approach of comparative efficiency evaluation of innovation legislation and regions’ innovation development level. The article gives the qualitative estimation of regulatory support of innovation development in the regions that are innovation leaders. It singles out key directions to develop regulatory support of innovation activity, which encourage RF subjects’ innovation activity

Physical Activity in Intermediate Schools: The Interplay of School Culture, Adolescent Challenges, and Athletic Elitism

Science.gov (United States)

MacQuarrie, Colleen; Murnaghan, Donna; MacLellan, Debbie

2008-01-01

The intervention potential of physical activity programs for intermediate schools (grades 7-9), could be enhanced by an understanding of how students engage with and disengage from physical activity. This study provides an interpretation of how adolescents, parents, teachers, and principals perceive students' involvement in physical activity…

The impact of self-efficacy on physical activity maintenance in patients with hip osteoarthritis - a mixed methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Nanna Maria; Bieler, Theresa; Beyer, Nina; Midtgaard, Julie

2016-08-01

Understanding motivational factors related to physical activity (PA) maintenance is essential in promoting long-term exercise benefits. This study explored the impact of self-efficacy (SE) on post-intervention PA maintenance in patients with hip osteoarthritis. An SE-theory based mixed-methods sub-study of a trial investigating the effects of 4 months supervised exercise in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Questionnaire data (n = 52; baseline and 12 months) on PA and SE (Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, ASES, score-range 10-100) were analysed (Mann-Whitney test) for differences in characteristics of maintainers and non-maintainers. Semi-structured individual interviews (n = 15; at 12-months follow-up) were analysed using directed content analysis. Compared to non-maintainers (n = 9; 17%) maintainers (n = 31; 60%) had improved (p exercise outcome expectations and obligation towards the study influenced maintenance. SE contributes to understanding of post-intervention PA maintenance in patients with hip osteoarthritis. However, disease-related factors and clinical trial participation appears significant too. Implications for Rehabilitation Patients' perceived self-efficacy for physical activity contributes to the understanding of post-intervention physical activity maintenance in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Practitioners may benefit from incorporating the self-efficacy theory in the planning and execution of exercise interventions to promote post-intervention physical activity maintenance and long term health benefits. Post-intervention physical activity maintenance may be increased by focussing on the patients' exercise self-efficacy through verbal persuasion and support, disease-specific information and information on normal physiological responses to exercise combined with an individualised training progression to support experiences of success and achievement of desired outcomes.

A Study on the Maintenance Effectiveness Assessment for Active Components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Woo Sang; Oh, Seung Jong

2006-01-01

One of the key tasks in the periodic safety review (PSR) of nuclear power plant is to assess the aging management of structures, systems and components (SSC). The evaluation can be categorized by two parts, passive and active components. Unlike the passive components, active components are periodically maintained and replaced with new components, so the evaluation of aging mechanism of the passive components such as erosion, corrosion is not applicable to the evaluation of active components of nuclear power plant. For active components, they will maintain capability to fulfill its design function if preventive maintenance effectiveness is proper. In this paper, the assessment based on the reliability and availability of the active components of the domestic nuclear power plants is examined

Optimizing preventive maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DiCola, F.E.

1988-01-01

The traditional approach to preventive maintenance (PM) is based on adherence to manufacturers's requirements and recommended frequencies. When equipment fails, either new procedures are established or the frequency is increased. This leads to an increase in the number of PM activities, overloading not only maintenance resources, but support as well. There is no correlation between more PM and an increase in equipment reliability. More PM may actually induce failures. Reliability-centered maintenance, a new concept in utility maintenance, is based on identifying system/subsystem functions, failures, and dominant failure modes to develop or revise PM tasks. The activities described in this paper are based on actual implementation of this concept on an ongoing project to upgrade the PM program at one of the largest electric utilities in the country. Optimum PM activities are those that, when implemented, will minimize factors that c cause equipment to fail. One technique described illustrates how equipment performance, failure modes, and causes can be related to minimize the occurrence of failures. Operating history and service life of a component are key factors in determining the most effective PM activities, provided that the factors are related to failure modes and causes

Relationship between volition, physical activity and weight loss maintenance: Study rationale, design, methods and baseline characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Dandanell, Sune; Elbe, Anne-Marie; Pfister, Gertrud; Elsborg, Peter; W Helge, Jørn

2017-05-01

To investigate the relationship between volition, physical activity and weight loss maintenance. We recruited 84 sedentary (maximal oxygen uptake: 25 ± 5 ml/min), overweight and obese (Body mass index (BMI) 38 ± 7 m/h 2 , fat 44 ± 7 %) women ( n = 55) and men ( n = 29) for an interdisciplinary prospective study with follow-up. The change in lifestyle and weight loss is promoted via a 3-month intensive lifestyle intervention at a private health school. The intervention consists of supervised training (1-3 hours/day), a healthy hypo-caloric diet (-500 to -700 kCal/day) and education in healthy lifestyle in classes/groups. The participants' body weight and composition (Dual Energy X-ray absorptiometry), volitional skills (questionnaire), physical activity level (heart rate accelerometer/questionnaire) and maximal oxygen uptake (indirect calorimetry) are to be monitored before, after, and 3 and 12 months after the intervention. At the 12-month follow-up, three different groups will be established: Clinical weight loss maintenance (> 10% weight loss from baseline), moderate weight loss maintenance (1-10% weight loss) and no weight loss (or weight regain). A linear mixed model analysis will be used to compare levels of volitional skills, physical activity and maximal oxygen uptake over time, between the three groups. Correlational analyses will be used to investigate possible associations between volition, maximal oxygen uptake, physical activity level and weight loss maintenance. If specific volitional skills are identified as predictors of adherence to physical activity and success in clinical weight loss maintenance, these can be trained in future intensive lifestyle interventions in order to optimize the success rate.

Balanced activation of IspG and IspH to eliminate MEP intermediate accumulation and improve isoprenoids production in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qingyan; Fan, Feiyu; Gao, Xiang; Yang, Chen; Bi, Changhao; Tang, Jinlei; Liu, Tao; Zhang, Xueli

2017-11-01

The MEP pathway genes were modulated to investigate whether there were new rate-limiting steps and toxic intermediates in this pathway. Activating IspG led to significant decrease of cell growth and β-carotene production. It was found that ispG overexpression led to accumulation of intermediate HMBPP, which seriously interfered with synthesis machinery of nucleotide and protein in Escherichia coli. Activation of the downstream enzyme IspH could solve HMBPP accumulation problem and eliminate the negative effects of ispG overexpression. In addition, intermediate MECPP accumulated in the starting strain, while balanced activation of IspG and IspH could push the carbon flux away from MECPP and led to 73% and 77% increase of β-carotene and lycopene titer respectively. Our work for the first time identified HMBPP to be a cytotoxic intermediate in MEP pathway and demonstrated that balanced activation of IspG and IspH could eliminate accumulation of HMBPP and MECPP and improve isoprenoids production. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flexibility within working memory and the focus of attention for sequential verbal information does not depend on active maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandry, Joshua; Schwark, Jeremy D; MacDonald, Justin

2014-10-01

The focus of attention seems to be a static element within working memory when verbal information is serially presented, unless additional time is available for processing or active maintenance. Experiment 1 manipulated the reward associated with early and medial list positions in a probe recognition paradigm and found evidence that these nonterminal list positions could be retrieved faster and more accurately if participants were appropriately motivated-without additional time for processing or active maintenance. Experiment 2 used articulatory suppression and demonstrated that the underlying maintenance mechanism cannot be attributed to rehearsal, leaving attentional refreshing as the more likely mechanism. These findings suggest that the focus of attention within working memory can flexibly maintain nonterminal early and medial list representations at the expense of other list representations even when there is not additional time for processing or active maintenance. Maintenance seems to be accomplished through an attentional refreshing mechanism.

Advanced maintenance research programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marston, T.U.; Gelhaus, F.; Burke, R.

1985-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with an idea of the advanced maintenance research program at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). A brief description of the maintenance-related activities is provided as a foundation for the advanced maintenance research projects. The projects can be divided into maintenance planning, preventive maintenance program development and implementation, predictive (or conditional) maintenance, and innovative maintenance techniques. The projects include hardware and software development, human factors considerations, and technology promotion and implementation. The advanced concepts include: the incorporation of artificial intelligence into outage planning; turbine and pump maintenance; rotating equipment monitoring and diagnostics with the aid of expert systems; and the development of mobile robots for nuclear power plant maintenance

Intermediate Ethanol Blends Catalyst Durability Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

West, Brian H; Sluder, Scott; Knoll, Keith; Orban, John; Feng, Jingyu

2012-02-01

In the summer of 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a test program to evaluate the potential impacts of intermediate ethanol blends (also known as mid-level blends) on legacy vehicles and other engines. The purpose of the test program was to develop information important to assessing the viability of using intermediate blends as a contributor to meeting national goals for the use of renewable fuels. Through a wide range of experimental activities, DOE is evaluating the effects of E15 and E20 - gasoline blended with 15% and 20% ethanol - on tailpipe and evaporative emissions, catalyst and engine durability, vehicle driveability, engine operability, and vehicle and engine materials. This report provides the results of the catalyst durability study, a substantial part of the overall test program. Results from additional projects will be reported separately. The principal purpose of the catalyst durability study was to investigate the effects of adding up to 20% ethanol to gasoline on the durability of catalysts and other aspects of the emissions control systems of vehicles. Section 1 provides further information about the purpose and context of the study. Section 2 describes the experimental approach for the test program, including vehicle selection, aging and emissions test cycle, fuel selection, and data handling and analysis. Section 3 summarizes the effects of the ethanol blends on emissions and fuel economy of the test vehicles. Section 4 summarizes notable unscheduled maintenance and testing issues experienced during the program. The appendixes provide additional detail about the statistical models used in the analysis, detailed statistical analyses, and detailed vehicle specifications.

Plant Maintenance. The Licensee's Viewpoint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ungi, T.

1997-01-01

Plant maintenance is a very complex process which requires considerable effort from both within the maintenance process and also many support activities. It is important that the plant maintenance policy is translated into a maintenance programme which will define all relevant aspects of the maintenance. An aspect of this maintenance programme will be a maintenance catalogue which will define the maintenance activities to be carried out and at what frequencies. This paper is aimed at discussing the maintenance philosophy and resulting maintenance catalogues currently adopted in Nuclear Electric Ltd, and in particular at Heysham 2 Power Station. It goes on to consider whether these maintenance catalogues contain the optimum maintenance and if not should they be changed. If change is required, the process by which this change will be brought about is also discussed. (author)

Maintenance management systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohan, M. de

1989-01-01

This paper is concerned principally with Maintenance Management systems and their effective introduction into organisations. Maintenance improvement is basically a problem of managing the maintenance department in the broadest sense. Improvement does not only lie in the area of special techniques, systems or procedures; although they are valuable tools, but rather in a balanced attack, carefully guided by management. Over recent years, maintenance systems have received the major emphasis and in many instances the selection of the system has become a pre-occupation, whereas the importance of each maintenance function must be recognised and good management practices applied to all maintenance activities. The ingredients for success in the implementation of maintenance management systems are summarised as: having a management committee, clear objectives, project approach using project management techniques and an enthusiastic leader, user managed and data processing supported project, realistic budget and an understanding of the financial audit requirements. (author)

Site Maintenance Plan: Part 2, Site Maintenance Action Plan for FY 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisk, E.L.

1994-06-01

This Fiscal Year (FY) 1994 Site Maintenance Action Plan (SMAP) is Part II of the Site Maintenance Plan, and has been written by Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) to outline the requirements stated in DOE Order 4330.4B, Maintenance Management Program, Chapter 1, Paragraph 3.3.1. The SMAP provides an annual status of maintenance initiatives completed and planned, a summary of performance indicators, a summary of maintenance backlog, a listing of real property and capital equipment maintenance cost estimates that were used to create the FY 1996 infrastructure and maintenance budget input, and a listing of proposed line item and general plant projects. Additionally, assumptions for various Site programs are listed to bring the Site Maintenance Plan into focus with overall Site activities. The primary mission at Hanford is to clean up the Site. In this cleanup process WHC will provide scientific and technological expertise to meet global needs, and partnership with stakeholders in the region to develop regional economic diversification. Other missions at the Hanford Site include energy research and development, and waste management and disposal activities. Their primary mission has a 30-year projected life span and will direct the shutting down and cleanup of defense production facilities and the Fast Flux Test Facility. This long-term mission requires continuous maintenance and in many instances, replacement of existing basic infrastructure, support facilities, and utilities. Without adequate maintenance and capital funding these infrastructure, support facilities, and utilities will continue to deteriorate causing an increase in backlogged work.

Site Maintenance Plan: Part 2, Site Maintenance Action Plan for FY 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisk, E.L.

1994-06-01

This Fiscal Year (FY) 1994 Site Maintenance Action Plan (SMAP) is Part II of the Site Maintenance Plan, and has been written by Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) to outline the requirements stated in DOE Order 4330.4B, Maintenance Management Program, Chapter 1, Paragraph 3.3.1. The SMAP provides an annual status of maintenance initiatives completed and planned, a summary of performance indicators, a summary of maintenance backlog, a listing of real property and capital equipment maintenance cost estimates that were used to create the FY 1996 infrastructure and maintenance budget input, and a listing of proposed line item and general plant projects. Additionally, assumptions for various Site programs are listed to bring the Site Maintenance Plan into focus with overall Site activities. The primary mission at Hanford is to clean up the Site. In this cleanup process WHC will provide scientific and technological expertise to meet global needs, and partnership with stakeholders in the region to develop regional economic diversification. Other missions at the Hanford Site include energy research and development, and waste management and disposal activities. Their primary mission has a 30-year projected life span and will direct the shutting down and cleanup of defense production facilities and the Fast Flux Test Facility. This long-term mission requires continuous maintenance and in many instances, replacement of existing basic infrastructure, support facilities, and utilities. Without adequate maintenance and capital funding these infrastructure, support facilities, and utilities will continue to deteriorate causing an increase in backlogged work

Language in use intermediate : classroom book

CERN Document Server

Doff, Adrian

1995-01-01

ach of the four levels comprises about 80 hours of class work, with additional time for the self-study work. The Teacher's Book contains all the pages from the Classroom Book, with interleaved teaching notes including optional activities to cater for different abilities. There is a video to accompany the Beginner, Pre-intermediate and Intermediate levels. Each video contains eight stimulating and entertaining short programmes, as well as a booklet of photocopiable activities. Free test material is available in booklet and web format for Beginner and Pre-intermediate levels. Visit www.cambridge.org/elt/liu or contact your local Cambridge University Press representative.

Language in use intermediate : teacher's book

CERN Document Server

Doff, Adrian

1998-01-01

Each of the four levels comprises about 80 hours of class work, with additional time for the self-study work. The Teacher's Book contains all the pages from the Classroom Book, with interleaved teaching notes including optional activities to cater for different abilities. There is a video to accompany the Beginner, Pre-intermediate and Intermediate levels. Each video contains eight stimulating and entertaining short programmes, as well as a booklet of photocopiable activities. Free test material is available in booklet and web format for Beginner and Pre-intermediate levels. Visit www.cambridge.org/elt/liu or contact your local Cambridge University Press representative.

Top3 processes recombination intermediates and modulates checkpoint activity after DNA damage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mankouri, Hocine W; Hickson, Ian D

2006-01-01

Mutation of TOP3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae causes poor growth, hyperrecombination, and a failure to fully activate DNA damage checkpoints in S phase. Here, we report that overexpression of a dominant-negative allele of TOP3, TOP3(Y356F), which lacks the catalytic (decatenation) activity of Top3......, the catalytic activity of Top3 is not required for DNA damage checkpoint activation, but it is required for normal S-phase progression after DNA damage. We also present evidence that the checkpoint-mediated cell cycle delay and persistence of X-shaped DNA molecules resulting from overexpression of TOP3(Y356F......) are downstream of Rad51 function. We propose that Top3 functions in S phase to both process homologous recombination intermediates and modulate checkpoint activity....

25 CFR Appendix A to Subpart G - List of Activities Eligible for Funding Under BIA Transportation Facility Maintenance Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Transportation Facility Maintenance Program A Appendix A to Subpart G Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER INDIAN RESERVATION ROADS PROGRAM BIA Road Maintenance Pt. 170... Transportation Facility Maintenance Program The following activities are eligible for BIA Transportation Facility...

Improving the TRIGA facility maintenance by predictive maintenance techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preda, M.; Sabau, C.; Barbalata, E.

1997-01-01

This work deals with the specific operation of equipment in radioactive environment or in conditions allowing radioactive contamination. The requirements of remote operation ensuring the operators' protection are presented. Also, the requirements of international standards issued by IAEA-Vienna are reviewed. The organizational withdraws of the maintenance activities, based on the standards and maintenance and repair directives still in force, are shown. It is emphasized the fact that this type of maintenance was adequate to a given level of technical development, characteristic for pre-computerized industry, but, at present, it is obsolete and uneconomic both in utilization and maintenance. Such a system constitutes already a burden hindering the efforts of maximizing the availability, maintenance, prolongation the service life of equipment and utilities, finally, of increasing the efficiency of complex installations. Moreover, the predictive maintenance techniques are strongly requested by the character of radioactive installations precluding the direct access in given zones (a potential risk of irradiation or radioactive contamination) of installations during operation. The results obtained by applying the predictive maintenance techniques in the operation of the double circuit irradiation loop, used in the TRIGA reactors, are presented

77 FR 70846 - Regulatory Guide 1.182, “Assessing and Managing Risk Before Maintenance Activities at Nuclear...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-27

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0285] Regulatory Guide 1.182, ``Assessing and Managing Risk Before Maintenance Activities at Nuclear Power Plants'' AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... withdrawing Regulatory Guide (RG)1.182, Revision (Rev.) 0, ``Assessing and Managing Risk Before Maintenance...

An effective manpower planning approach for maintenance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The level of maintenance activities of a cocoa processing factory in Nigeria was studied. Data on critical machine parts involved in the maintenance work were collected and the different jobs carried out according to sections and nature of the activities were classified. The workloads for each type of maintenance activities ...

TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE EFFICIENCY OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE-FREE ON-BOARD SYSTEM BETWEEN SCHEDULED MAINTENANCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Bronnikov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The avionics concept of the maintenance-free on-board equipment implies the absence of necessity to maintain onboard systems between scheduled maintenance, preserving the required operational and technical characteristics; it should be achieved by automatic diagnosis of the technical condition and the application of active means of ensuring a failsafe design, allowing to change the structure of the system to maintain its functions in case of failure. It is supposed that such equipment will reduce substantially and in the limit eliminate traditional maintenance of aircraft between scheduled maintenance, ensuring maximum readiness for use, along with improving safety. The paper proposes a methodology for evaluating the efficiency of maintenance-free between scheduled maintenance aircraft system with homogeneous redundancy. The excessive redundant elements allow the system to accumulate failures which are repaired during the routine maintenance. If the number of failures of any reserve is approaching a critical value, the recovery of the on-board system (elimination of all failures is carried out between scheduled maintenance by conducting rescue and recovery operations. It is believed that service work leads to the elimination of all failures and completely updates the on-board system. The process of system operational status changes is described with the discrete-continuous model in the flight time. The average losses in the sorties and the average cost of operation are used as integrated efficiency indicators of system operation. For example, the evaluation of the operation efficiency of formalized on-board system with homogeneous redundancy demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed methodology and the possibility of its use while analyzing the efficiency of the maintenance-free operation equipment between scheduled periods. As well as a comparative analysis of maintenance-free operation efficiency of the on-board system with excessive

Design and evaluation of augmented reality for nuclear power plant maintenance based on Cognitive activity analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Jwa Jin

2008-02-01

The goals of maintenance in nuclear power plants (NPPs) are to reduce the number of plant shutdowns, to decrease the shutdown time, to minimize the maintenance costs, and to improve nuclear safety. Furthermore, it is difficult for maintenance personnel to conduct work in NPPs due to the complexity of NPPs, safety issues and time constraints. Human errors should be prevented to achieve maintenance goals in NPPs. Therefore, it is necessary to improve working conditions by introducing support systems. Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to assist with maintenance tasks and make maintenance personnel concentrate on the tasks, which will then the reduced human error and improve human performance. The working procedure for AR systems was designed based on the characteristics of cognitive activity, and an experiment was conducted to estimate the effectiveness of AR. The results indicated that a well-designed working procedure for AR systems was more effective than a conventional paper-based working procedure. In addition, participants made fewer errors using the designed working procedure. AR systems as maintenance support systems are beneficial technology that can improve maintenance performance by reducing cognitive loads and unnecessary movements. An AR application can be attractive and effective at supporting maintenance task

Configuration management of on-line maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grantom, C.R.

1996-01-01

Maintenance activities are performed on station equipment to ensure continued safe and reliable performance. Equipment reliability is thereby improved, resulting in greater confidence that the component will be capable of performing its intended (safety) function. Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSAs) consider equipment reliability and availability to calculate Core Damage Frequency (CDF) and other risk-related values. Since maintenance activities are included in PSA analyses, the effect of equipment outages on CDF can be analyzed. Results from these types of studies can be scaled to reflect different time periods and show the time-dependent impact of planned equipment outages on CDF. These time-dependent impacts on CDF are graphically presented and referred to as ''risk profiles''. Risk profiles are being successfully used at the South Texas Project (STP) to plan preventive maintenance activities and to assess the impact of unplanned maintenance activities on plant safety. At STP, planned maintenance activities are scheduled to minimize the risk impact of unavailable equipment and to prevent the Occurrence of undesirable plant configurations. The features of the risk profiles used at STP enable the evaluation of both work scope and duration of maintenance activities to be evaluated. This is possible since the risk profile illustrates both instantaneous CDF effects and cumulative impacts to CDF

Variable Resistance to Plasminogen Activator Initiated Fibrinolysis for Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Stubblefield, William B; Alves, Nathan J; Rondina, Matthew T; Kline, Jeffrey A

2016-01-01

We examine the clinical significance and biomarkers of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-catalyzed clot lysis time (CLT) in patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). Platelet-poor, citrated plasma was obtained from patients with PE. Healthy age- and sex-matched patients served as disease-negative controls. Fibrinogen, α2-antiplasmin, plasminogen, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), plasminogen activator Inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), thrombin time and D-dimer were quantified. Clotting was induced using CaCl2, tissue factor, and phospholipid. Lysis was induced using 60 ng/mL tPA. Time to 50% clot lysis (CLT) was assessed by both thromboelastography (TEG) and turbidimetry (A405). Compared with disease-negative controls, patients with PE exhibited significantly longer mean CLT on TEG (+2,580 seconds, 95% CI 1,380 to 3,720 sec). Patients with PE and a short CLT who were treated with tenecteplase had increased risk of bleeding, whereas those with long CLT had significantly worse exercise tolerance and psychometric testing for quality of life at 3 months. A multivariate stepwise removal regression model selected PAI-1 and TAFI as predictive biomarkers of CLT. The CLT from TEG predicted increased risk of bleeding and clinical failure with tenecteplase treatment for intermediate-risk PE. Plasmatic PAI-1 and TAFI were independent predictors of CLT.

Transport code and nuclear data in intermediate energy region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasegawa, Akira; Odama, Naomitsu [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Maekawa, F.; Ueki, K.; Kosaka, K.; Oyama, Y.

1998-11-01

We briefly reviewed the problems of intermediate energy nuclear data file and transport codes in connection with processing of the data. This is a summary of our group in the task force on JENDL High Energy File Integral Evaluation (JHEFIE). In this article we stress the necessity of the production of intermediate evaluated nuclear data file up to 3 GeV for the application of accelerator driven transmutation (ADT) system. And also we state the necessity of having our own transport code system to calculate the radiation fields using these evaluated files from the strategic points of view to keep our development of the ADT technology completely free from other conditions outside of our own such as imported codes and data with poor maintenance or unknown accuracy. (author)

Transport code and nuclear data in intermediate energy region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Akira; Odama, Naomitsu; Maekawa, F.; Ueki, K.; Kosaka, K.; Oyama, Y.

1998-01-01

We briefly reviewed the problems of intermediate energy nuclear data file and transport codes in connection with processing of the data. This is a summary of our group in the task force on JENDL High Energy File Integral Evaluation (JHEFIE). In this article we stress the necessity of the production of intermediate evaluated nuclear data file up to 3 GeV for the application of accelerator driven transmutation (ADT) system. And also we state the necessity of having our own transport code system to calculate the radiation fields using these evaluated files from the strategic points of view to keep our development of the ADT technology completely free from other conditions outside of our own such as imported codes and data with poor maintenance or unknown accuracy. (author)

The long-term effects of switching from active intravenous bisphosphonate treatment to low-dose maintenance therapy in children with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Science.gov (United States)

Biggin, Andrew; Zheng, Linda; Briody, Julie N; Coorey, Craig P; Munns, Craig F

2015-01-01

Intravenous bisphosphonate therapy is the first-line treatment in moderate-to-severe osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), but there are varied treatment protocols with little data on long-term efficacy. This study evaluates the clinical outcomes when transitioning from active bisphosphonate treatment to maintenance therapy. A retrospective review was conducted on 17 patients before treatment, following active treatment (zoledronate 0.05 mg/kg 6-monthly or pamidronate 6-9 mg/kg/year) and after establishment on maintenance treatment for more than 2 years (zoledronate 0.025 mg/kg 6-monthly or pamidronate lean tissue mass increased during active treatment. These improvements were maintained during the period of maintenance treatment. Vertebral height improved in fractured thoracic vertebrae from pre-treatment to active therapy and improved further during maintenance treatment. Metacarpal cortical thickness and relative cortical area also increased over the treatment periods. Maintenance intravenous bisphosphonate therapy preserved the beneficial effects of active treatment at the doses stated above. Further studies are required to determine the optimal bisphosphonate treatment regimen in the management of children with OI. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Lean Maintenance Applied to Improve Maintenance Efficiency in Thermoelectric Power Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlando Duran

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Thermoelectric power plants consist of a set of critical equipment that require high levels of availability and reliability. Due to this, maintenance of these physical assets is gaining momentum in industry. Maintenance is considered as an activity that contributes to improving the availability, efficiency and productivity of each piece of equipment. Several techniques have been used to achieve greater efficiencies in maintenance, among which we can find the lean maintenance philosophy. Despite the wide diffusion of lean maintenance, there is no structured method that supports the prescription of lean tools applied to the maintenance function. This paper presents the experience gathered in two lean maintenance projects in thermoelectric power plants. The application of lean techniques was based on using a previously developed multicriterial decision making process that uses the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP methodology to carry out a diagnosis and prescription tasks. That methodology allowed the prescription of the appropriated lean techniques to resolve the main deficiencies in maintenance function. The results of applying such lean tools show that important results can be obtained, making the maintenance function in thermoelectric power plants more efficient and lean.

Identification and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific for macrophages at intermediate stages in the tumoricidal activation pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulnock, D.M.; Lambert, L.E.

1990-01-01

Macrophage activation for tumor cell killing is a multistep pathway in which responsive macrophages interact sequentially with priming and triggering stimuli in the acquisition of full tumoricidal activity. A number of mediators have been identified which have activating capability, including in particular IFN-gamma and bacterial LPS. Although the synergistic functional response of normal macrophages to sequential incubation with these activation signals has been well-established, characterization of the intermediate stages in the activation pathway has been difficult. We have developed a model system for examination of various aspects of macrophage activation, through the use of the murine macrophage tumor cell line, RAW 264.7. These cells, like normal macrophages, exhibit a strict requirement for interaction with both IFN-gamma and LPS in the development of tumor cytolytic activity. In addition, these cells can be stably primed by the administration of gamma-radiation. In the studies reported here, we have used RAW 264.7 cells treated with IFN-gamma alone or with IFN-gamma plus LPS to stimulate the production of rat mAb probes recognizing cell surface changes occurring during the activation process. In this way we have identified three Ag associated with intermediate stages of the activation process. One Ag, TM-1, is expressed on RAW 264.7 cells primed by IFN-gamma or gamma-radiation. This surface Ag thus identifies cells at the primed cell intermediate stage of the tumoricidal activation pathway regardless of the mechanism of activation. A second Ag, TM-2, is expressed on IFN-treated RAW 264.7 cells but not on RAW 264.7 cells primed with gamma-radiation alone. Expression of this Ag can be induced by treatment of irradiated cells with IFN-gamma, but is not induced by IFN-gamma treatment of a noncytolytic cell line, WEHI-3

Analysis of maintenance strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laakso, K.; Simola, K.

1998-01-01

The main topics of the presentation include: (1) an analysis model and methods to evaluate maintenance action programs and the support decision to make changes in them and (2) to understand the maintenance strategies in a systems perspective as a basis for future developments. The subproject showed how systematic models for maintenance analysis and decision support, utilising computerised and statistical tool packages, can be taken into use for evaluation and optimisation of maintenance of active systems from the safety and economic point of view

Oxidative degradation of atenolol by heat-activated persulfate: Kinetics, degradation pathways and distribution of transformation intermediates.

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Dong; Peng, Jianbiao; Zhou, Xiaohuan; Qian, Li; Wang, Mengjie; Zhai, Li; Gao, Shixiang

2018-05-17

Atenolol (ATL) has been widely detected in wastewater and aquatic environment. Although satisfactory removal of ATL from wastewater could be achieved, the mineralization ratio is usually low, which may result in the accumulation of its transformation products in the effluent and cause additional ecological risk to the environment. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of heat activated persulfate (PS) in the removal of ATL from wastewater. Influencing factors including temperature, PS dosage, solution pH, existence of NO 3 - , Cl - , HCO 3 - and Suwannee river fulvic acid (SRFA) were examined. Complete removal of ATL was achieved within 40 min at pH 7.0 and 70 °C by using 0.5 mM PS. Inhibitive effects of HCO 3 - and FA had been observed on ATL oxidation, which was increased with the increase of their concentration. Sulfate radical (SO 4 - ) was determined as the main reactive species by quenching experiment. Eight intermediates produced in ATL degradation were identified, and four degradation pathways were proposed based on the analysis of mass spectrum and frontier electron densities. The distribution of major intermediates was influenced by reaction temperature. Hydroxylation intermediates and deamidation intermediate were the most prominent at 50 °C and 60 °C, respectively. All intermediates were completely degraded in 40 min except P134 at 70 °C. Effective removal of TOC (74.12%) was achieved with 0.5 mM PS, pH 7.0 and 70 °C after 240 min. The results proved that heat activation of PS is a promising method to remove organic pollutants in wastewater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maintenance and environmental qualification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, R.S.; Austin, D.G.

1995-01-01

The design of today's nuclear generating plants involves many detailed design considerations. This includes comprehensive look at aging effects on plant components over their expected lifetimes. This is important to ensuring that the plant operates safely throughout its life. The effects of aging are required to be documented in detail in today's designs. This documentation provides assurance that safe operating conditions are maintained throughout the station life cycle. This requirement is analogous to the longer standing requirement to ensure pressure boundary integrity. The pressure boundary integrity requirement has existed in the industry since its inception. The subject of plant aging effects and the maintenance of functionality is known as Environmental Qualification (EQ). This paper will attempt to explain the wisdom of EQ and the potential for optimizing maintenance activities (to move from reactive to proactive activities), within the context of the overall maintenance program. It is the author's intent to encourage the active involvement of maintenance professionals in the effective implementation of the ongoing EQ program so that the benefits are maximized

Language in use intermediate : self-study workbook

CERN Document Server

Doff, Adrian

1994-01-01

Each of the four levels comprises about 80 hours of class work, with additional time for the self-study work. The Teacher's Book contains all the pages from the Classroom Book, with interleaved teaching notes including optional activities to cater for different abilities. There is a video to accompany the Beginner, Pre-intermediate and Intermediate levels. Each video contains eight stimulating and entertaining short programmes, as well as a booklet of photocopiable activities. Free test material is available in booklet and web format for Beginner and Pre-intermediate levels. Visit www.cambridge.org/elt/liu or contact your local Cambridge University Press representative.

Instrumentation maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, D.A.

1976-09-01

It is essential to any research activity that accurate and efficient measurements be made for the experimental parameters under consideration for each individual experiment or test. Satisfactory measurements in turn depend upon having the necessary instruments and the capability of ensuring that they are performing within their intended specifications. This latter requirement can only be achieved by providing an adequate maintenance facility, staffed with personnel competent to understand the problems associated with instrument adjustment and repair. The Instrument Repair Shop at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is designed to achieve this end. The organization, staffing and operation of this system is discussed. Maintenance policy should be based on studies of (1) preventive vs. catastrophic maintenance, (2) records indicating when equipment should be replaced rather than repaired and (3) priorities established to indicate the order in which equipment should be repaired. Upon establishing a workable maintenance policy, the staff should be instructed so that they may provide appropriate scheduled preventive maintenance, calibration and corrective procedures, and emergency repairs. The education, training and experience of the maintenance staff is discussed along with the organization for an efficient operation. The layout of the various repair shops is described in the light of laboratory space and financial constraints

Variable Resistance to Plasminogen Activator Initiated Fibrinolysis for Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William B Stubblefield

Full Text Available We examine the clinical significance and biomarkers of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA-catalyzed clot lysis time (CLT in patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE.Platelet-poor, citrated plasma was obtained from patients with PE. Healthy age- and sex-matched patients served as disease-negative controls. Fibrinogen, α2-antiplasmin, plasminogen, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI, plasminogen activator Inhibitor 1 (PAI-1, thrombin time and D-dimer were quantified. Clotting was induced using CaCl2, tissue factor, and phospholipid. Lysis was induced using 60 ng/mL tPA. Time to 50% clot lysis (CLT was assessed by both thromboelastography (TEG and turbidimetry (A405.Compared with disease-negative controls, patients with PE exhibited significantly longer mean CLT on TEG (+2,580 seconds, 95% CI 1,380 to 3,720 sec. Patients with PE and a short CLT who were treated with tenecteplase had increased risk of bleeding, whereas those with long CLT had significantly worse exercise tolerance and psychometric testing for quality of life at 3 months. A multivariate stepwise removal regression model selected PAI-1 and TAFI as predictive biomarkers of CLT.The CLT from TEG predicted increased risk of bleeding and clinical failure with tenecteplase treatment for intermediate-risk PE. Plasmatic PAI-1 and TAFI were independent predictors of CLT.

Building relationships for better maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hackman Hon Yin; Scott, David

2009-02-01

Effective management of building maintenance is a vital ingredient in ensuring a high quality built environment for any building's occupiers. However, maintenance is not high on the list of priorities for most organisations. Communication between top management personnel looking at maintenance issues from a strategic standpoint and maintenance staff considering them at an operational level is often not as good as it should be. When planning maintenance activities maintenance personnel often draw too heavily on their technical experience and expertise without taking sufficient account of wider organisational objectives or consulting effectively with top management. Senior managers also regularly complain about lack of managerial input from maintenance departments. Such barriers contribute to communication difficulties between top management at a strategic level and maintenance personnel at an operational level. Identifying where the key differences lie in senior managers' and maintenance personnel's viewpoints on maintenance strategy can prove invaluable in achieving some convergence of opinions and optimising the efficiency of the overall building maintenance process.

Basic study of the plant maintenance model considering plant improvement/modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsumaya, Akira; Inoue, Kazuya; Mochizuki, Masahito; Wakamatsu, Hidefumi; Arai, Eiji

2007-01-01

This paper proposes a maintenance activity model that considers not only routine maintenance activity but also functional maintenance including improvement/modification. Required maintenance types are categorized, and limitation of Activity Domain Integration Diagram (ADID) proposed by ISO18435 are discussed based on framework for life cycle maintenance management of manufacturing assets. Then, we proposed extension ADID model for plant maintenance activity model considering functional improvement/modification. (author)

Creating Value by Integrating Logistic Trains Services and Maintenance Activities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Busstra, Marten; van Dongen, Leonardus Adriana Maria

2015-01-01

NedTrain is the Netherlands Railway's subsidiary responsible for rolling stock maintenance. Train sets are brought in for short-term routine maintenance after set intervals of some 75 to 120 days. When a major defect occurs, train sets are allocated to one of the three maintenance depots and are

Remote maintenance design activities and research and development accomplishments for the compact ignition tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spampinato, P.T.

1989-01-01

The use of deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel for the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) requires the use of remote handling technology in order to carry out maintenance operations. The remote operations consist of removing and replacing such components as first wall armor protection tiles, radio-frequency (RF) heating modules, and diagnostic modules. The major pieces of equipment being developed for maintenance operations internal to the vacuum vessel include an articulated boom manipulator (ABM), an inspection manipulator, and special tooling. For operations external to the vessel, the equipment includes a bridge-mounted manipulator system, decontamination equipment, hot cell equipment, and solid radioactive waste (rad-waste) handling and packaging equipment. The CIT Project is completing the conceptual design phase; research and development (R and D) activities, which include demonstrations of remote maintenance operations on full-size partial mock-ups are under way. (orig.)

Building Maintenance Management System for Heritage Museum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Azree Othuman Mydin

2012-09-01

Full Text Available An investment in the building maintenance aspect is massive throughout the world. In most of the countries, it signifies approximately 50% of the entire revenue of the construction industry. The value of buildings depends on the eminence of the maintenance invested in them. Maintenance management engages obtaining utmost advantage from the investment made on the maintenance activities. At the moment, maintenance in buildings in Malaysia is on the increase in spite of size, category, location, and ownership. This study focuses on Building Maintenance Management System for Heritage Museum, which consists of two case studies in Penang State Museum and Art Gallery, Malaysia and Museum of Perak, Malaysia. The aim of this study is to propose methods to improve the maintenance management system for heritage museum. From the results, the common problem occurs during the implementation for the maintenance of each building is the budget for the maintenance and worker’s skill. The department of each museum must have their own maintenance unit to keep an eye on the maintenance activities for their buildings in order to improve the maintenance management system in their building.

Treatment of rod shaped intermediate active waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graf, A.; Blase, F.; Dirks, F.; Valencia, L.

2002-01-01

The Central Decontamination Operation Department (HDB) of the Research Center Karlsruhe operates facilities for the disposal of radioactive waste. In general, their objective is to reduce the volume of the radioactive waste and to obtain waste products suitable for repository storage. One of the central facilities of the HDB is the intermediate level waste (ILW) scrapping facility which processes intermediate level waste. Since the ILW scrapping facility was not large enough to handle radioactive waste coming from the dismantling and operating of nuclear facilities, HDB expanded and built a larger hot cell. It contains a hydraulically driven metal cutter with a guiding channel and a high pressure compactor. A major task in the hot cell of the ILW scrapping facility is disposing of fuel boxes. These are cut in pieces and scrapped, which is a unique technique in Germany for fuel box disposal. HDB's experiences in disposing of radioactive waste in the ILW scrapping facility will described in detail, with special emphasis on the handling of rod shaped components. (author)

Role of Intermediate Filaments in Vesicular Traffic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azzurra Margiotta

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Intermediate filaments are an important component of the cellular cytoskeleton. The first established role attributed to intermediate filaments was the mechanical support to cells. However, it is now clear that intermediate filaments have many different roles affecting a variety of other biological functions, such as the organization of microtubules and microfilaments, the regulation of nuclear structure and activity, the control of cell cycle and the regulation of signal transduction pathways. Furthermore, a number of intermediate filament proteins have been involved in the acquisition of tumorigenic properties. Over the last years, a strong involvement of intermediate filament proteins in the regulation of several aspects of intracellular trafficking has strongly emerged. Here, we review the functions of intermediate filaments proteins focusing mainly on the recent knowledge gained from the discovery that intermediate filaments associate with key proteins of the vesicular membrane transport machinery. In particular, we analyze the current understanding of the contribution of intermediate filaments to the endocytic pathway.

Dietary and physical activity behaviors among adults successful at weight loss maintenance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gillespie Cathleen

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is limited population-based data on behavioral factors found to be important for successful weight loss maintenance among adults. Methods Data from the 2004 Styles surveys, mailed to U.S. adults aged ≥18 years were used to examine the difference in selected weight loss strategies and attitudes among persons who reported successful weight loss attempts (lost weight and able to keep it off and persons who were not successful (previous attempts to lose weight were unsuccessful or they could not keep the lost weight off. Behaviors examined included modification of diet, leisure-time and sports activities, and self-monitoring, and barriers to weight management. Results Among adults who reported losing weight or trying to lose weight, 31.0% had been successful at both losing weight and maintenance after weight loss. Successful weight loss status differed by sex, age, and current weight status. Assessment of reported weight loss strategies, found that exercising ≥30 minutes/day and adding physical activity to daily life were significantly higher among successful versus unsuccessful weight losers. Individuals who were successful at weight loss and maintenance were less likely to use over-the-counter diet products than those who were unsuccessful at weight loss. Significantly more successful versus unsuccessful weight losers reported that on most days of the week they planned meals (35.9% vs. 24.9%, tracked calories (17.7% vs. 8.8%, tracked fat (16.4% vs. 6.6%, and measured food on plate (15.9% vs. 6.7%. Successful losers were also more likely to weigh themselves daily (20.3% vs. 11.0%. There were a significantly higher proportion of successful losers who reported lifting weights (19.0% versus unsuccessful (10.9%. The odds of being a successful weight loser were 48%–76% lower for those reporting exercise weight control barriers were influencing factors (e.g., no time, too tired to exercise, no one to exercise with, too

The MHD intermediate shock interaction with an intermediate wave: Are intermediate shocks physical?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, C.C.

1988-01-01

Contrary to the usual belief that MHD intermediate shocks are extraneous, the authors have recently shown by numerical solutions of dissipative MHD equations that intermediate shocks are admissible and can be formed through nonlinear steepening from a continuous wave. In this paper, he clarifies the differences between the conventional view and the results by studying the interaction of an MHD intermediate shock with an intermediate wave. The study reaffirms his results. In addition, the study shows that there exists a larger class of shocklike solutions in the time-dependent dissiaptive MHD equations than are given by the MHD Rankine-Hugoniot relations. it also suggests a mechanism for forming rotational discontinuities through the interaction of an intermediate shock with an intermediate wave. The results are of importance not only to the MHD shock theory but also to studies such as magnetic field reconnection models

Kidney transplantation: a systematic review of interventional and observational studies of physical activity on intermediate outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, Jamie Hugo; Kirkman, Danielle; Jibani, Mahdi

2009-11-01

Kidney transplant patients have decreased quality and longevity of life. Whether exercise can positively affect associated outcomes such as physical functioning, metabolic syndrome, kidney function, and immune function, has only been addressed in relatively small studies. Thus the aim of this systematic review was to determine effects of physical activity level on these intermediate outcomes in kidney transplant patients. We electronically and hand searched to identify 21 studies (6 retrospective assessments of habitual physical activity and 15 intervention studies including 6 controlled trials). After study quality assessment, intermediate outcomes associated with quality and longevity of life were expressed as correlations or percentage changes in addition to effect sizes. Habitual physical activity level was positively associated with quality of life and aerobic fitness and negatively associated with body fat (medium to large effect sizes). Exercise interventions also showed medium to large positive effects on aerobic capacity (10%-114% increase) and muscle strength (10%-22% increase). However, exercise programs had minimal or contradictory effects on metabolic syndrome and immune and kidney function. In kidney transplant patients, physical activity intervention is warranted to enhance physical functioning. Whether exercise impacts on outcomes associated with longevity of life requires further study.

Long G2 accumulates recombination intermediates and disturbs chromosome segregation at dysfunction telomere in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Habib, Ahmed G.K.; Masuda, Kenta; Yukawa, Masashi; Tsuchiya, Eiko [Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530 (Japan); Ueno, Masaru, E-mail: scmueno@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530 (Japan); Research Center for the Mathematics on Chromatin Live Dynamics, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530 (Japan)

2015-08-14

Protection of telomere (Pot1) is a single-stranded telomere binding protein which is essential for chromosome ends protection. Fission yeast Rqh1 is a member of RecQ helicases family which has essential roles in the maintenance of genomic stability and regulation of homologous recombination. Double mutant between fission yeast pot1Δ and rqh1 helicase dead (rqh1-hd) maintains telomere by homologous recombination. In pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutant, recombination intermediates accumulate near telomere which disturb chromosome segregation and make cells sensitive to microtubule inhibitors thiabendazole (TBZ). Deletion of chk1{sup +} or mutation of its kinase domain shortens the G2 of pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutant and suppresses both the accumulation of recombination intermediates and the TBZ sensitivity of that double mutant. In this study, we asked whether the long G2 is the reason for the TBZ sensitivity of pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutant. We found that shortening the G2 of pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutant by additional mutations of wee1 and mik1 or gain of function mutation of Cdc2 suppresses both the accumulation of recombination intermediates and the TBZ sensitivity of pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutant. Our results suggest that long G2 of pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutant may allow time for the accumulation of recombination intermediates which disturb chromosome segregation and make cells sensitive to TBZ. - Ηighlights: • We show link between long G2 and accumulation of toxic recombination intermediates. • Accumulation of recombination intermediates at telomere results in TBZ sensitivity. • Activation of DNA damage checkpoint worsens cells' viability in presence of TBZ.

Maintenance philosophy and program at Cernavoda NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobos, M.; Enciu, G.

1994-01-01

Maintenance plays a key role in ensuring safe and reliable operation. An effective maintenance program should ensure that installed equipment operates when needed and the equipment malfunctions or deficiencies are corrected in time and rarely recur. Maintenance includes not only the activities traditionally associated with identifying or correcting current or potential equipment deficiencies but also extends to supporting technical functions for the conduct of these activities (for example, engineering, technical support, chemistry control, radiological protection, industrial safety and training). The maintenance management program should clearly define the relationship among these supporting groups as it is related to overall plant maintenance and promotes the concept of a successful integrated team effort. (Author)

Machine Maintenance Scheduling with Reliability Engineering Method and Maintenance Value Stream Mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Sembiring, N.; Nasution, A. H.

2018-02-01

Corrective maintenance i.e replacing or repairing the machine component after machine break down always done in a manufacturing company. It causes the production process must be stopped. Production time will decrease due to the maintenance team must replace or repair the damage machine component. This paper proposes a preventive maintenance’s schedule for a critical component of a critical machine of an crude palm oil and kernel company due to increase maintenance efficiency. The Reliability Engineering & Maintenance Value Stream Mapping is used as a method and a tool to analize the reliability of the component and reduce the wastage in any process by segregating value added and non value added activities.

Lifetime oriented maintenance planning in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Straub, A.

2003-01-01

In this paper we set up a framework for lifetime oriented maintenance planning as an outcome and input for strategic housing stock management. The maintenance planning holds maintenance activities and costs in the longer term. We consider the maintenance planning as a tool to calculate and implement

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis applies to tropical forests, but disturbance contributes little to tree diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bongers, Frans; Poorter, Lourens; Hawthorne, William D; Sheil, Douglas

2009-08-01

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts local species diversity to be maximal at an intermediate level of disturbance. Developed to explain species maintenance and diversity patterns in species-rich ecosystems such as tropical forests, tests of IDH in tropical forest remain scarce, small-scale and contentious. We use an unprecedented large-scale dataset (2504 one-hectare plots and 331,567 trees) to examine whether IDH explains tree diversity variation within wet, moist and dry tropical forests, and we analyse the underlying mechanism by determining responses within functional species groups. We find that disturbance explains more variation in diversity of dry than wet tropical forests. Pioneer species numbers increase with disturbance, shade-tolerant species decrease and intermediate species are indifferent. While diversity indeed peaks at intermediate disturbance levels little variation is explained outside dry forests, and disturbance is less important for species richness patterns in wet tropical rain forests than previously thought.

Manpower development for safe operation of nuclear power plant. China. Advice on maintenance planning. Activity: 3.1.2-Task-06. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chihara, Y.; Imai, K.

1996-01-01

Regarding the matter of quality assurance related to maintenance activities, we provided appropriate advice on the details of maintenance technologies and on quality control for the nuclear power plant. The advice was provided based on our experience in Japan, with explanations made from specialists' points of view in the form of a lecture. This also included an exchange of questions and answers regarding our experiences with quality control and maintenance activities in Japan

Physical activity maintenance among Spanish-speaking Latinas in a randomized controlled trial of an Internet-based intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, Sheri J; Dunsiger, Shira I; Bock, Beth C; Larsen, Britta A; Linke, Sarah; Pekmezi, Dori; Marquez, Becky; Gans, Kim M; Mendoza-Vasconez, Andrea S; Marcus, Bess H

2017-06-01

Spanish-speaking Latinas have some of the lowest rates of meeting physical activity guidelines in the U.S. and are at high risk for many related chronic diseases. The purpose of the current study was to examine the maintenance of a culturally and individually-tailored Internet-based physical activity intervention for Spanish-speaking Latinas. Inactive Latinas (N  =  205) were randomly assigned to a 6-month Tailored Physical Activity Internet Intervention or a Wellness Contact Control Internet Group, with a 6-month follow-up. Maintenance was measured by assessing group differences in minutes per week of self-reported and accelerometer measured moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 12 months after baseline and changes in MVPA between the end of the active intervention (month 6) and the end of the study (month 12). Potential moderators of the intervention were also examined. Data were collected between 2011 and 2014, and were analyzed in 2015 at the University of California, San Diego. The Intervention Group engaged in significantly more minutes of MVPA per week than the Control Group at the end of the maintenance period for both self-reported (mean diff. = 30.68, SE = 11.27, p = .007) and accelerometer measured (mean diff. = 11.47, SE = 3.19, p = .01) MVPA. There were no significant between- or within-group changes in MVPA from month 6 to 12. Greater intervention effects were seen for those with lower BMI (BMI × intervention = -6.67, SE = 2.88, p = .02) and lower perceived places to walk to in their neighborhood (access × intervention = -43.25, SE = 19.07, p = .02), with a trend for less family support (social support × intervention = -3.49, SE = 2.05, p = .08). Acculturation, health literacy, and physical activity related psychosocial variables were not significant moderators of the intervention effect during the maintenance period. Findings from the current study support the efficacy of an Internet

Maintenance of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

This Guide covers the organizational and procedural aspects of maintenance but does not give detailed technical advice on the maintenance of particular plant items. It gives guidance on preventive and remedial measures necessary to ensure that all structures, systems and components important to safety are capable of performing as intended. The Guide covers the organizational and administrative requirements for establishing and implementing preventive maintenance schedules, repairing defective plant items, providing maintenance facilities and equipment, procuring stores and spare parts, selecting and training maintenance personnel, reviewing and controlling plant modifications arising from maintenance, and for generating, collecting and retaining maintenance records. Maintenance shall be subject to quality assurance in all aspects important to safety. Because quality assurance has been dealt with in detail in other Safety Guides, it is only included here in specific instances where emphasis is required. Maintenance is considered to include functional and performance testing of plant, surveillance and in-service inspection, where these are necessary either to support other maintenance activities or to ensure continuing capability of structures, systems and components important to safety to perform their intended functions

Review on Japanese activities in the field of maintenance and repair of LMFBR steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuchiya, T.; Fukuda, T.; Sato, M.; Okabayashi, K.; Takahashi, T.

2002-01-01

Summary of Japanese activities on maintenance and repair of LMFBR steam generators (SG) is described in this paper. The concept (adoption of helical coil tube etc.) of MONJU SG was established in conceptional design started from 1968, and research and development (R and D) program was prepared. Parallel with basic studies such as material, welding, sodium water reaction and etc., overall verification tests using mock up SGs were conducted. As the first step, 1 Mw SG with two active helical tubes (and eight dummy tubes) was fabricated and operated, and many maintenance and repair experiences were accumulated through two small water leak troubles. Two 50Mw SGs, 1/5 scale of MONJU SG, were constructed and operated for long time. Post test examinations were carried out for No.1 50 Mw SG and feasibility of this type of SG was confirmed. In regard to maintenance and repair techniques, explosive and welding method for tube plugging and UT and ECT techniques for inspection of tube integrity are under development. Overall verification test for on-site and in-factory maintenance and repair techniques was conducted using No.2 50Mw SG evaporator and applicability of those techniques to real plant was evaluated. Many experiences were accumulated for removal and cleaning of sodium water reaction products after sodium water reaction in the cooling system and pressure relief system, using the Large Sodium Water Reaction Test Facility (SWAT-1 and 3). (author)

Improving regulatory oversight of maintenance programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, S.

2008-01-01

Safe nuclear power plant operation requires that risks due to failure or unavailability of Structures, Systems and Components (SSCs) be minimized. Implementation of an effective maintenance program is a key means for achieving this goal. In its regulatory framework, the important relationship between maintenance and safety is acknowledged by the CNSC. A high level maintenance program requirement is included in the Class I Facilities Regulations. In addition, the operating licence contains a condition based on the principle that the design function and performance of SSCs needs to remain consistent with the plant's design and analysis documents. Nuclear power plant licensees have the primary responsibility for safe operation of their facilities and consequently for implementation of a successful maintenance program. The oversight role of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is to ensure that the licensee carries out that responsibility. The challenge for the CNSC is how to do this consistently and efficiently. Three opportunities for improvement to regulatory maintenance oversight are being pursued. These are related to the regulatory framework, compliance verification inspection activities and monitoring of self-reporting. The regulatory framework has been improved by clarifying expectations through the issuance of S-210 'Maintenance Programs for Nuclear Power Plants'. Inspection activities have been improved by introducing new maintenance inspections into the baseline program. Monitoring is being improved by making better use of self-reported and industry produced maintenance related performance indicators. As with any type of program change, the challenge is to ensure the consistent and optimal application of regulatory activities and resources. This paper is a summary of the CNSC's approach to improving its maintenance oversight strategy. (author)

2-propen-1-amine derivatives and their synthetic intermediates: activity against pathogenic trypanosomatids.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, A O; Hemerly, F P; Gomes-Cardoso, L; Santa-Rita, R M; Leon, L L; de Castro, S L; Durán, N

2004-12-01

The potential activity of three new derivatives of 3-(4'-Y-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)-3-(4-X-phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-propen-1-amine (2-PAMs) was assayed against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania amazonensis. They showed higher activity against trypomastigotes and epimastigotes of T. cruzi than the standard drugs, crystal violet and nifurtimox. Besides these derivatives, a series of eleven 2-PAMs derivatives and the corresponding intermediates, biphenyl methanones (BPMs) were assayed against promastigotes of L. amazonensis, showing that the 2-PAMs were remarkably more active than the BPMs. The PAMs 2c, 2e and 2j were about 2-fold more active that pentamidine isothionate and between 27.2- and 46.4-fold less toxic to V79 mammalian cells. The present results encourage further studies, especially against intracellular parasites and in experimental animals.

Application of reliability centred maintenance to optimize operation and maintenance in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-05-01

In order to increase Member States capabilities in utilizing good engineering and management practices the Agency has developed a series of Technical Documents (TECDOCs) to describe best practices and members experience in the application of them. This TECDOC describes the concept of Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) which is the term used to describe a systematic approach to the evaluation, design and development of cost effective maintenance programmes for plant and equipment. The concept has been in existence for over 25 years originating in the civil aviation sector. This TECDOC supplements previous IAEA publications on the subject and seeks to reflect members experience in the application of the principles involved. The process focuses on the functionality of the plant and equipment and the critical failure mechanisms that could result in the loss of functionality. When employed effectively the process can result in the elimination of unnecessary maintenance activities and the identification and introduction of measures to address deficiencies in the maintenance programme. Overall the process can result in higher levels of reliability for the plant and equipment at reduced cost and demands on finite maintenance resources. The application of the process requires interaction between the operators and the maintenance practitioners which is often lacking in traditional maintenance programmes. The imposition of this discipline produces the added benefit of improved information flows between the key players in plant and equipment management with the result that maintenance activities and operational practices are better informed. This publication was produced within IAEA programme on nuclear power plants operating performance and life cycle management

Organization of industrial maintenance in oil pipeline and terminals activities: a project for the implantation of a corporative management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Correia, Paulo de Tarso Arruda [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transporte S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Diretoria de Terminais e Oleodutos; Arruda, Daniela Mendonca; Oliveira, Italo Luiz [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transporte S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-07-01

This paper discusses the definition and implementation of a corporate management model for industrial maintenance within TRANSPETRO's Terminals and Oil Pipelines business segment. A project is under way to answer the company's needs for better coordination of its maintenance activities as well as to face the challenge of increasing performance with higher systems and equipment' availability, at lower costs. To achieve this target, the project has been employing updating management tools for industrial maintenance planning and control. Its scope comprises the definition of: industrial maintenance process guidelines; industrial maintenance normative requirements and operational procedures; industrial maintenance performance indicators; local organizational charts; training of maintenance personnel; qualification and certification policies; conceptualization of maintenance engineering and maintenance based on risk; updating technologies such as asset management; warehousing and logistics for maintenance support in the supply of spare parts and materials. The project will also consider the results of a previous strategic sourcing study, concerning the definition of the most suitable out sourcing strategy for each operational unit, considering its characteristics as well as the characteristics of the region where it is located. (author)

Predictive maintenance: A new approach in maintenance of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benvenuto, F.; Ferrari, L.

2005-01-01

The maintenance services for a Nuclear Power Plant are in general aimed at reaching the following goals: - Increase component availability and consequently decrease intervention frequency; - Reduce unexpected costs from unexpected repairs; - Progressively decrease the time of each intervention; - Improve the spare parts supply efficiency; - Improve spare parts and consumable warehouse managing; - Decrease maintenance costs. Most of the currently used maintenance activities refer to run-to-failure or preventive approaches: - Run-to-failure or Corrective Maintenance means that work is only carried out when a component or system is faulty and unable to perform its critical function. Non critical components such as filters or components with spare may be maintained in this way; - Preventive or Scheduled Maintenance involves a regular pre-set schedule programme of maintenance work. Programme outlined by the manufacturer of the component in question based on the design life of the component and based on past experience by operation. One step further than Preventive Maintenance is represented by Predictive Maintenance. Whereas Preventive Maintenance bases its schedules on past performance data, a predictive system acquires condition data from the machine to be maintained whilst the machine is in operation. The information obtained from this analysis indicates the condition in real time, provides a diagnosis of wear and shows any trend towards critical conditions. Predictive maintenance mainly consists of the following interventions: - Lubricant analysis; - Collection / analysis of functional parameters, such as motor absorption, flow rate, pressure, temperature, noise, vibration of rotating equipment, thermal efficiency, etc; - Periodical test of lifting systems; - Other operations to acquire sensitive equipment parameters. Predictive Maintenance can reduce the accidental intervention and extend the components life, and, in the end, is increasing the global availability

Open system architecture for condition based maintenance applied to a hydroelectric power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amaya, E.J.; Alvares, A.J. [University of Brasilia (UnB), DF (Brazil). Mechanical and Mechatronic Dept.], Emails: eamaya@unb.br, alvares@AlvaresTech.com; Gudwin, R.R. [State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Computer Engineering and Industrial Automation Dept.], E-mail: gudwin@dca.fee.unicamp.br

2009-07-01

The hydroelectric power plant of Balbina is implementing a condition based maintenance system applying an open, modular and scalable integrated architecture to provide comprehensive solutions and support to the end users like operational and maintenance team. The system called SIMPREBAL (Predictive Maintenance System of Balbina) is advocate of open standards, in particular through collaborative research programmers. In the developing is clearly understands the need for both, industry standards and a simple to use software development tool chain, supporting the development of complex condition based maintenance systems with multiple partners. The Open System Architecture for Condition Based Maintenance (OSA-CBM) is a standard that consider seven hierarchic layers that represent a logic transition or performed data flow from the data acquisition layer, through the intermediates layers as signal processing, condition monitor, health assessment, prognostics and decision support, to arrive to the presentation layer. SIMPREBAL is being implementing as an OSA-CBM software framework and tool set that allows the creation of truly integrated, comprehensive maintenance solutions through the internet. This paper identifies specific benefits of the application of the OSA-CBM in comprehensive solutions of condition based maintenance for a hydroelectric power plant. (author)

International codes and model intercomparison for intermediate energy activation yields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rolf, M.; Nagel, P.

1997-01-01

The motivation for this intercomparison came from data needs of accelerator-based waste transmutation, energy amplification and medical therapy. The aim of this exercise is to determine the degree of reliability of current nuclear reaction models and codes when calculating activation yields in the intermediate energy range up to 5000 MeV. Emphasis has been placed for a wide range of target elements ( O, Al, Fe, Co, Zr and Au). This work is mainly based on calculation of (P,xPyN) integral cross section for incident proton. A qualitative description of some of the nuclear models and code options employed is made. The systematics of graphical presentation of the results allows a quick quantitative measure of agreement or deviation. This code intercomparison highlights the fact that modeling calculations of energy activation yields may at best have uncertainties of a factor of two. The causes of such discrepancies are multi-factorial. Problems are encountered which are connected with the calculation of nuclear masses, binding energies, Q-values, shell effects, medium energy fission and Fermi break-up. (A.C.)

Determinants and benefits of physical activity maintenance in hospital employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavoie-Tremblay, Mélanie; Sounan, Charles; Martin, Kara; Trudel, Julie G; Lavigne, Genevieve L; Grover, Steven A; Lowensteyn, Ilka

2014-01-01

This study investigated whether the positive behavioral and anthropometric outcomes of a pedometer-based physical activity 8-week challenge were maintained 6 months after the end of the program. It further investigated the motivational profile of those who maintained their physical activity levels in the months following the end of the program and of those who did not. Hospital employees from a university-affiliated multisite health care center in Canada participated using a questionnaire. Of the 235 participants who completed the 8-week challenge, 157 questionnaires were returned 6 months later. Paired-samples t tests were conducted between the baseline and follow-up scores as well as between the postprogram and follow-up scores to detect significant differences between the measurement points. This study shows that the pedometer-based physical activity helped hospital employees maintain a high level of physical activity as well as maintain a healthy body mass index after 6 months. The results demonstrated that during maintenance the high physical activity group obtained higher scores for identified regulation and intrinsic regulation compared with the other groups. The results of the study revealed that identified and intrinsic regulations are important contributors to maintaining physical activity among hospital employees.

Susquehanna SES maintenance supervisor training and certification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deckman, M.

1991-01-01

Susquehanna's program targets all Supervisors, Supervisor Candidates, and Temporary Supervisors that are responsible for in-plant maintenance or maintenance support activities, including: mechanical maintenance; electrical maintenance; maintenance support (labor support, radwaste, etc.); mobile construction support (mechanical and electrical); chemistry; health physics; maintenance planning; and instrument and controls. The program integrates the three major areas of direct Supervisory responsibilities: (1) Leadership and Management - Skills that require interpersonal activities that are typically humanistic and subjective; such as coaching, motivating, communications, etc. (2) Technical and Administrative - Knowledge that is directly related to the job of Supervising from the production, regulatory, accountability perspective. These topics are very objective and include training on topics such as workpackages, plant chemistry parameters, radiological concerns, etc. (3) Technical Skills - Ensure each Supervisor is technically competent in the plant systems, components, or equipment he/she is tasked with maintaining or overseeing. Typical skills found in this area are, circuit breaker maintenance, primary system sampling, or overhauling pumps

Development of plant maintenance systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomita, Jinji; Ike, Masae; Nakayama, Kenji; Kato, Hisatomo

1989-01-01

Toshiba is making active efforts for the continuing improvement of reliability and maintainability of operating nuclear power plants. As a part of these efforts, the company has developed new maintenance administration systems, diagnostic monitoring facilities for plant equipments, computer-aided expert systems, and remote-controlled machines for maintenance work. The maintenance administration systems provide efficient work plans and data acquisition capabilities for the management of personnel and equipments involved in nuclear power plant maintenance. The plant diagnostic facilities monitor and diagnose plant conditions for preventive maintenance, as well as enabling rapid countermeasures to be carried out should they be required. Expert systems utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology are also employed. The newly developed remote-controlled machines are useful tools for the maintenance inspection of equipment which can not be easily accessed. (author)

Nuclear power plants maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

Nuclear power plants maintenance now appears as an important factor contributing to the competitivity of nuclea energy. The articles published in this issue describe the way maintenance has been organized in France and how it led to an actual industrial activity developing and providing products and services. An information note about Georges Besse uranium enrichment plant (Eurodif) recalls that maintenance has become a main data not only for power plants but for all nuclear industry installations. (The second part of this dossier will be published in the next issue: vol. 1 January-February 1989) [fr

Thermoeconomic studies applied to maintenance of power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, F.R.; Horta Nogueira, L.A.

1996-01-01

The thermoeconomic method is an important tool aiming to improve maintenance activities in steam power plants, becoming possible to share the irreversibilities costs to each equipment, as boilers, turbines and heat exchangers. Furthermore, the effects related to changes in operational and design parameters can be studied in a detailed way, evaluating the local and distributed effects. In this work, after a brief review of power plant maintenance costs concepts and values, one address a methodology for maintenance costs estimation and develops a case study of thermoeconomics of a hypothetical plant, presenting the exergy flows, exergy losses and maintenance costs distribution. Also is presented an evaluation of exergoeconomic maintenance cost, evaluating their significance, at equipment level, related to overall maintenance cost, aiming to help the maintenance activities planning. 10 refs, 3 figs, 12 tabs

Preventive and Predictive Maintenance, Warehousing of Spares, Periodic Testing and In-Service Inspection Activities at the Nigerian Research Reactor-1 Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yusuf, I.; Mati, A. A.; Dewu, B. B.M., [Centre for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (Nigeria)

2014-08-15

The Nigerian Research Reactor–1, or NIRR-1, is sited at Centre for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. Activities on preventive or routine maintenance have been institutionalized since the commissioning of the reactor in February 2004. This has grossly reduced the rates of corrective maintenance activities and helped the reactor management a great deal in predicting failure rates of reactor components and other auxiliary units. Routine maintenance of systems and components are being carried out on a weekly, quarterly and annual basis based on manufacturer’s recommendations, which have been reviewed and improved over the years. The paper presents the implementation of maintenance activities in NIRR-1 from its initial criticality in 2004 till today and the new scheme for periodic testing and in-service-inspection developed after an IAEA Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors mission. The measures put in place are envisaged to reduce the negative impact of ageing on NIRR-1 and its auxiliary systems. (author)

Building Maintenance. Reading and Language Activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessman, William A.

The student manual has been designed primarily for beginning students in a high school level vocational program in building maintenance. A workbook for special needs students, the document does not cover all areas of custodial training but has been written for the purpose of refining the basic skills of reading comprehension, vocabulary building,…

Building Maintenance Management System for Heritage Museum

OpenAIRE

Md Azree Othuman Mydin; Siti Hajar Ismail; Norhidayah Md Ulang

2012-01-01

An investment in the building maintenance aspect is massive throughout the world. In most of the countries, it signifies approximately 50% of the entire revenue of the construction industry. The value of buildings depends on the eminence of the maintenance invested in them. Maintenance management engages obtaining utmost advantage from the investment made on the maintenance activities. At the moment, maintenance in buildings in Malaysia is on the increase in spite of size, ...

Optimizing preventive maintenance with maintenance templates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dozier, I.J.

1996-01-01

Rising operating costs has caused maintenance professionals to rethink their strategy for preventive maintenance (PM) programs. Maintenance Templates are pre-engineered PM task recommendations for a component type based on application of the component. Development of the maintenance template considers the dominant failure cause of the component and the type of preventive maintenance that can predict or prevent the failure from occurring. Maintenance template development also attempts to replace fixed frequency tasks with condition monitoring tasks such as vibration analysis or thermography. For those components that have fixed frequency PM intervals, consideration is given to the maintenance drivers such as criticality, environment and usage. This helps to maximize the PM frequency intervals and maximize the component availability. Maintenance Templates have been used at PECO Energy's Limerick Generating Station during the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Process to optimize their PM program. This paper describes the development and uses of the maintenance templates

A Human Error Analysis Procedure for Identifying Potential Error Modes and Influencing Factors for Test and Maintenance Activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Whan; Park, Jin Kyun

2010-01-01

Periodic or non-periodic test and maintenance (T and M) activities in large, complex systems such as nuclear power plants (NPPs) are essential for sustaining stable and safe operation of the systems. On the other hand, it also has been raised that human erroneous actions that might occur during T and M activities has the possibility of incurring unplanned reactor trips (RTs) or power derate, making safety-related systems unavailable, or making the reliability of components degraded. Contribution of human errors during normal and abnormal activities of NPPs to the unplanned RTs is known to be about 20% of the total events. This paper introduces a procedure for predictively analyzing human error potentials when maintenance personnel perform T and M tasks based on a work procedure or their work plan. This procedure helps plant maintenance team prepare for plausible human errors. The procedure to be introduced is focusing on the recurrent error forms (or modes) in execution-based errors such as wrong object, omission, too little, and wrong action

Organization of industrial maintenance in oil pipeline and terminals activities: a project for the implantation of a corporative management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Correia, Paulo de Tarso Arruda [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transporte S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Diretoria de Terminais e Oleodutos; Arruda, Daniela Mendonca; Oliveira, Italo Luiz [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transporte S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-07-01

This paper discusses the definition and implementation of a corporate management model for industrial maintenance within TRANSPETRO's Terminals and Oil Pipelines business segment. A project is under way to answer the company's needs for better coordination of its maintenance activities as well as to face the challenge of increasing performance with higher systems and equipment' availability, at lower costs. To achieve this target, the project has been employing updating management tools for industrial maintenance planning and control. Its scope comprises the definition of: industrial maintenance process guidelines; industrial maintenance normative requirements and operational procedures; industrial maintenance performance indicators; local organizational charts; training of maintenance personnel; qualification and certification policies; conceptualization of maintenance engineering and maintenance based on risk; updating technologies such as asset management; warehousing and logistics for maintenance support in the supply of spare parts and materials. The project will also consider the results of a previous strategic sourcing study, concerning the definition of the most suitable out sourcing strategy for each operational unit, considering its characteristics as well as the characteristics of the region where it is located. (author)

Intermediate levels of hippocampal activity appear optimal for associative memory formation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Liu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: It is well established that hippocampal activity is positively related to effective associative memory formation. However, in biological systems often optimal levels of activity are contrasted by both sub- and supra-optimal levels. Sub-optimal levels of hippocampal activity are commonly attributed to unsuccessful memory formation, whereas the supra-optimal levels of hippocampal activity related to unsuccessful memory formation have been rarely studied. It is still unclear under what circumstances such supra-optimal levels of hippocampal activity occur. To clarify this issue, we aimed at creating a condition, in which supra-optimal hippocampal activity is associated with encoding failure. We assumed that such supra-optimal activity occurs when task-relevant information is embedded in task-irrelevant, distracting information, which can be considered as noise. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present fMRI study, we probed neural correlates of associative memory formation in a full-factorial design with associative memory (subsequently remembered versus forgotten and noise (induced by high versus low distraction as factors. Results showed that encoding failure was associated with supra-optimal activity in the high-distraction condition and with sub-optimal activity in the low distraction condition. Thus, we revealed evidence for a bell-shape function relating hippocampal activity with associative encoding success. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that intermediate levels of hippocampal activity are optimal while both too low and too high levels appear detrimental for associative memory formation. Supra-optimal levels of hippocampal activity seem to occur when task-irrelevant information is added to task-relevant signal. If such task-irrelevant noise is reduced adequately, hippocampal activity is lower and thus optimal for associative memory formation.

Maintenance of the Photovolatic Plants Using UAV Equipped with Low-cost GNSS RTK Receiver

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bilal, Muhammad; Prasad, Ramjee; Nisi, Marco

2017-01-01

of low-cost GNSS RTK receiver, is the maintenance of photovoltaic (PV) plants using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This paper proposes a solution that aims at automating the maintenance of PV plant with enhanced reliability in a time and cost effective manner, which otherwise requires intermediate human...... intervention. The paper presents the architectural concept, system design, and end-to-end algorithm that plays a pivotal role in enabling the automatic report generation of PV plant status. Preliminary results of the proof-of-concept shows the feasibility of the proposed solution....

On-line maintenance PSA support at NPP Krsko

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosen, R.; Vrbanic, I.; Kastelan, M.

2000-01-01

In 1997 Krsko NPP initiated the on-line maintenance (OLM) practice. On-line maintenance constitutes of corrective activities, preventive activities, surveillance activities, tests and inspections, as well as calibrations and modifications, taking place during the normal power operations. The on-line maintenance is a multidisciplinary process consisting of activity specification, planning, and preparation and performing of the OLM activity of interest. The primary role of the PSA group is to assess from the r isk perspective , using the plant-specific NEK PSA model, system unavailability and the impact to the plant operational risk. The intent is to support planning of the on-line maintenance activities from the risk perspective. The risk evaluation of the OLM activities is based on the probability of core damage evaluation for the defined discrete plant configuration states, determined by the OLM activities. Within this application, the optimized, plant-specific PSA model is used on Risk Spectrum platform. To perform the risk assessment of the on-line maintenance activities, first the systems to be affected are defined based on the planned OLM activities. The next important step is the assessment of the planned work schedule. To define the final schedule, the co-ordination and optimizing the planned OLM activities needs activation of all participating departments, supported also from PSA group. The P3 (i.e. Primavera) planning tool system windows are defined for different systems and groups of systems, and the activities are sorted in particular weeks according to these windows. (author)

Annual summary report on the surveillance and maintenance activities for the Oak Rige National Laboratory Environmental Restoration Program for fiscal year 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-11-01

This Annual Summary Report on the Surveillance and Maintenance Activities for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Environmental Restoration Program for Fiscal Year 1995 was prepared to communicate the accomplishments of the Program during fiscal year 1995. This work was performed under work breakdown structure element 1.4.12.6.1.14.20 (activity data sheet 3314, ''Remedial Action Surveillance and Maintenance''). Publication of this document meets the Life Cycle Baseline milestone date of November 30, 1995. This document provides the accomplishments for both the Remedial Action and Decontamination and Decommissioning Surveillance and Maintenance programs

Performance-based inspection and maintenance strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vesely, W.E.

1995-01-01

Performance-based inspection and maintenance strategies utilize measures of equipment performance to help guide inspection and maintenance activities. A relevant measure of performance for safety system components is component unavailability. The component unavailability can also be input into a plant risk model such as a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) to determine the associated plant risk performance. Based on the present and projected unavailability performance, or the present and projected risk performance, the effectiveness of current maintenance activities can be evaluated and this information can be used to plan future maintenance activities. A significant amount of information other than downtimes or failure times is collected or can be collected when an inspection or maintenance is conducted which can be used to estimate the component unavailability. This information generally involves observations on the condition or state of the component or component piecepart. The information can be detailed such as the amount of corrosion buildup or can be general such as the general state of the component described as ' high degradation', ' moderate degradation', or ' low degradation'. Much of the information collected in maintenance logs is qualitative and fuzzy. As part of an NRC Research program on performance-based engineering modeling, approaches have been developed to apply Fuzzy Set Theory to information collected on the state of the component to determine the implied component or component piecepart unavailability. Demonstrations of the applications of Fuzzy Set Theory are presented utilizing information from plant maintenance logs. The demonstrations show the power of Fuzzy Set Theory in translating engineering information to reliability and risk implications

Maintenance optimization after RCM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doyle, E.K.; Lee, C.-G.; Cho, D.

2005-01-01

Variant forms of RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance) have been the maintenance optimizing tools of choice in industry for the last 20 years. Several such optimization techniques have been implemented at the Bruce Nuclear Station. Further cost refinement of the Station preventive maintenance strategy whereby decisions are based on statistical analysis of historical failure data are now being evaluated. The evaluation includes a requirement to demonstrate that earlier optimization projects have long term positive impacts. This proved to be a significant challenge. Eventually a methodology was developed using Crowe/AMSAA (Army Materials Systems Analysis Activity) plots to justify expenditures on further optimization efforts. (authors)

Maintenance of physical activity in patients with rheumaoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løppenthin, Katrine; Esbensen, Bente Appel; Østergaard, Mikkel

2012-01-01

, described experiences of bodily well-being and liberation from illness provided and secured through PA maintenance. The understanding of regular PA as a resistance resource is essential to development future health promoting interventions aimed to encourage PA maintenance in patients with RA........ The analysis was discussed within a multidisciplinary team of qualitative researchers. Results: The analysis revealed tree dimensions of PA maintenance: (1) A bodily dimension: physical sensations of vitality, sparkling energy and liberation in movement; (2) a mental component: referring to experiences of self...... the participants to adjust to the uncertainty of the illness and preserving hope for a future dominated as little as possible by illness. Conclusions: While RA usually forces a negative attention to joint pain, fatigue and limited mobility in parts of the body, the participants in this study, despite illness...

Development of blanket remote maintenance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kakudate, Satoshi; Nakahira, Masataka; Oka, Kiyoshi; Taguchi, Kou

1998-01-01

ITER in-vessel components such as blankets are scheduled maintenance components, including complete shield blanket replacement for breeding blankets. In-vessel components are activated by 14 MeV neutrons, so blanket maintenance requires remote handling equipment and tools able to handle heavy payloads of about 4 tons within a positioning accuracy of 2 mm under intense gamma radiation. To facilitate remote maintenance, blankets are segmented into 730 modules and rail-mounted vehicle remote maintenance was developed. According to the ITER R and D program, critical technology related to blanket maintenance was developed extensively through joint efforts of the Japan, EU, and U.S. home teams. This paper summarizes current blanket maintenance technology conducted by the Japan Home Team, including development of full-scale remote handling equipment and tools for blanket maintenance. (author)

Development of blanket remote maintenance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kakudate, Satoshi; Nakahira, Masataka; Oka, Kiyoshi; Taguchi, Kou [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-04-01

ITER in-vessel components such as blankets are scheduled maintenance components, including complete shield blanket replacement for breeding blankets. In-vessel components are activated by 14 MeV neutrons, so blanket maintenance requires remote handling equipment and tools able to handle heavy payloads of about 4 tons within a positioning accuracy of 2 mm under intense gamma radiation. To facilitate remote maintenance, blankets are segmented into 730 modules and rail-mounted vehicle remote maintenance was developed. According to the ITER R and D program, critical technology related to blanket maintenance was developed extensively through joint efforts of the Japan, EU, and U.S. home teams. This paper summarizes current blanket maintenance technology conducted by the Japan Home Team, including development of full-scale remote handling equipment and tools for blanket maintenance. (author)

Phosphorus-32 in polycythemia vera with and without maintenance treatment. Intermediate follow-up results; Resultats actuels du protocole de traitement des polyglobulies vraies par le phosphore 32 avec ou sans traitement d`entretien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Najean, Y.; Rain, J.D. [Hopital Saint-Louis, 75 - Paris (France)

1995-12-31

Three-hundred and seventy-two patients with polycythemia vera, aged 65 years or more or with a high risk of vascular complications, were openly treated between 1979 and 1994 with {sup 32}P or a combination of {sup 32}P plus a small maintenance dose (7,5 mg/kg/day) of hydroxy urea. Although only a small number of patients was followed long enough to allow definite conclusions, some results are already significant in this intermediary study performed in November 1994. Maintenance treatment with hydroxy urea led to a significant prolongation of the intervals between {sup 32}P administrations and to a decreased annual mean dose of radiophosphorus. Median survival does not differ between to the two treatment groups, 10,7 years compared to 10,0 years. The rate of vascular complications did not differ between groups. At 10 years follow-up, the risk of developing (epithelial) cancer was increased in the group of patients who received maintenance treatment, 30% compared to 10%. Similarly, development of myelodysplasia, acute leukemia or lymphoma was more common in patients receiving hydroxy urea, 25% compared to 12%. Myeloid transformation of the spleen occurred with the same frequency. Our intermediate follow-up results show that addition of hydroxy urea to {sup 32}P treatment does not change survival or vascular complications in polycythemia vera patients, but probably increases the risk of developing cancer or leukemia. (authors). 2 refs., 4 figs.

Remote maintenance for fusion experimental reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koizumi, Koichi; Takeda, Nobukazu

2000-01-01

Here was introduced on maintenance of reactor core portion operated by remote control among maintenance of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) begun on its design since 1988 under international cooperation of U.S.A., Europe, Russia and Japan. Every appliances constructing the reactor core portion is necessary to carry out all of their inspection and maintenance by using remote controlled apparatus because of their radiation due to neutron generated by DT combustion of plasma. For engineering design activity (EDA) in ITER, not only design and development of the remote control appliances but also design under consideration of remote maintenance for from structural design of maintained objective appliances to access method to appliances, transportation and preservation method of radiated matters, and out-reactor maintenance in a hot cell, is now under progress. Here were also reported on basic concept on maintenance and conservation of ITER, maintenance design of diverter and blanket with high maintenance frequency and present state on development of maintenance appliances. (G.K.)

Safety related maintenance in the framework of the reliability centered maintenance concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

Elevated safety requirements and ever increasing costs of maintenance of nuclear power plants stimulate the interest in different methods and approaches to optimize maintenance activities. Among different concepts, the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) as an approach to improve Preventive Maintenance (PM) programmes is being widely discussed an applied in several IAEA Member States. In order to summarize basic principles and current implementation of the RCM, the IAEA organized a Consultants Meeting in November 1990. The report prepared during that meeting was discussed during the Technical Committee Meeting (TCM) held in May 1991. Numerous technical presentations as well as panel and plenary discussions took place at the TCM. This document contains the report of the Consultants Meeting (modified to include comments of the TCM), a summary of the most important discussions as well as all 14 papers presented at the TCM

A process for risk-focused maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lofgren, E.V.; Cooper, S.E.; Kurth, R.E.; Phillips, L.B.

1991-03-01

This report presents a process for focusing maintenance resources on components that enable nuclear plant systems to perform their essential functions and on components whose failure may initiate challenges to safety systems, so as to have the greatest impact in decreasing risk. The process provides criteria, based on risk, for deciding which components are critical to risk and determining what maintenance activities are required to ensure reliable operation of those risk-critical components. Two approaches are provided for selection of risk-critical components. One approach uses the results of a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA); the other is based on the methodology developed for this report, which has a basis in PRA although it does not use the results of a PRA study. Following identification of risk-critical components, both approaches use a single methodology for determining what maintenance activities are required to ensure reliable operation of the identified components. The report also provides demonstrations of application of the two approaches to selection of risk-critical components and demonstrations of application of the methodology for determining what maintenance activities are required to an active standby safety system, a normally operating system, and passive components. 5 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab

A process for risk-focused maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lofgren, E.V.; Cooper, S.E.; Kurth, R.E.; Phillips, L.B. (Science Applications International Corp., McLean, VA (USA))

1991-03-01

This report presents a process for focusing maintenance resources on components that enable nuclear plant systems to perform their essential functions and on components whose failure may initiate challenges to safety systems, so as to have the greatest impact in decreasing risk. The process provides criteria, based on risk, for deciding which components are critical to risk and determining what maintenance activities are required to ensure reliable operation of those risk-critical components. Two approaches are provided for selection of risk-critical components. One approach uses the results of a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA); the other is based on the methodology developed for this report, which has a basis in PRA although it does not use the results of a PRA study. Following identification of risk-critical components, both approaches use a single methodology for determining what maintenance activities are required to ensure reliable operation of the identified components. The report also provides demonstrations of application of the two approaches to selection of risk-critical components and demonstrations of application of the methodology for determining what maintenance activities are required to an active standby safety system, a normally operating system, and passive components. 5 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab.

Food activities and identity maintenance in old age: a systematic review and meta-synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Plastow, Nicola Ann; Atwal, Anita; Gilhooly, Mary

2015-01-01

Services provided to older people should be developed based on active ageing policies. Nutrition is one aspect of active ageing, but little is known about how food activities contribute to psychological well-being in later life. This is a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative research that answers the question 'What is known about the relationship between food activities and the maintenance of identities in old age?'. We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and used quality assessment parameters to complete a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO databases were searched. We initially identified 8016 articles, of which 167 full-text articles were screened for inclusion. Twenty-two articles were included in the review. There was moderate evidence from nine qualitative and two quantitative studies, of variable quality, that food activities contribute to the maintenance of women's gendered identities, the ethnic identities of men and women, and community identities. There was moderate evidence from 10 qualitative studies, of variable quality, that a change in food choice and deteriorating health changed food activity participation. These changes threatened identities. Most studies included both younger adults and older adults. In later life, there are many life experiences leading to change. Further research is needed to develop understanding of how identity and mental well-being are maintained, despite changes in everyday activities like cooking and eating. This may enable health care professionals to meet psychological needs alongside biological needs during nutritional interventions.

On-Line Maintenance Methodology Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyo Won; Kim, Jae Ho; Jae, Moo Sung [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

Most of domestic maintenance activities for nuclear power plants are performed while overhaul. Therefore, On-Line Maintenance (OLM) is one of the proper risks informed application techniques for diffusing maintenance burden during overhaul with safety of the plant is secured. The NUMARC 93-01 (Rev.3) presents the OLM state of the art and it provides methodology. This study adopts NUMARC 93-01 (Rev.3) and present OLM. The reference component is Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) of Ulchin 3, 4

Maintenance Support System Development for Maintenance Personnel in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yim, Ho Bin; Kim, In; Lee, Seung Min; Seong, Poong Hyun

2009-01-01

As plants or factories get old, the number of maintenance activities increases, and so does the necessity of maintenance itself. Industries have adopted the latest technologies such as RFID, wireless sensor networking, and augmented reality to develop systems which increase human performances as well as productivity. Due to safety related concerns, nuclear power industries have been reluctant to use these fancy technologies. However, from the economics point of view, it is necessary to take advantages of novel technologies. This empirical study considers not only ergonomics view, but also the economics view when building maintenance support systems. This paper introduces brief features of five subsystems which were built to reduce human errors and advantages when each system successfully reduces those human errors

Maintenance Support System Development for Maintenance Personnel in Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yim, Ho Bin; Kim, In; Lee, Seung Min; Seong, Poong Hyun [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2009-05-15

As plants or factories get old, the number of maintenance activities increases, and so does the necessity of maintenance itself. Industries have adopted the latest technologies such as RFID, wireless sensor networking, and augmented reality to develop systems which increase human performances as well as productivity. Due to safety related concerns, nuclear power industries have been reluctant to use these fancy technologies. However, from the economics point of view, it is necessary to take advantages of novel technologies. This empirical study considers not only ergonomics view, but also the economics view when building maintenance support systems. This paper introduces brief features of five subsystems which were built to reduce human errors and advantages when each system successfully reduces those human errors.

Prediction of attendance at fitness center: a comparison between the theory of planned behavior, the social cognitive theory, and the physical activity maintenance theory

OpenAIRE

Jekauc, Darko; Völkle, Manuel; Wagner, Matthias O.; Mess, Filip; Reiner, Miriam; Renner, Britta

2015-01-01

In the processes of physical activity (PA) maintenance specific predictors are effective, which differ from other stages of PA development. Recently, Physical Activity Maintenance Theory (PAMT) was specifically developed for prediction of PA maintenance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the predictability of the future behavior by the PAMT and compare it with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Participation rate in a fitness center was observed...

Nuclear power plant maintenance optimisation SENUF network activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlstrand, R.; Bieth, M.; Pla, P.; Rieg, C.; Trampus, P.

2004-01-01

During providing scientific and technical support to TACIS and PHARE nuclear safety programs a large amount of knowledge related to Russian design reactor systems has accumulated and led to creation of a new Network concerning Nuclear Safety in Central and Eastern Europe called ''Safety of Eastern European type Nuclear Facilities'' (SENUF). SENUF contributes to bring together all stakeholders of TACIS and PHARE: beneficiaries, end users, Eastern und Western nuclear industries, and thus, to favour fruitful technical exchanges and feedback of experience. At present the main focus of SENUF is the nuclear power plant maintenance as substantial element of plant operational safety as well as life management. A Working Group has been established on plant maintenance. One of its major tasks in 2004 is to prepare a status report on advanced strategies to optimise maintenance. Optimisation projects have an interface with the plant's overall life management program. Today, almost all plants involved in SENUF network have an explicit policy to extend their service life, thus, component ageing management, modernization and refurbishment actions became much more important. A database is also under development, which intends to help sharing the available knowledge and specific equipment and tools. (orig.)

Optimal Medical Equipment Maintenance Service Proposal Decision Support System combining Activity Based Costing (ABC) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).

Science.gov (United States)

da Rocha, Leticia; Sloane, Elliot; M Bassani, Jose

2005-01-01

This study describes a framework to support the choice of the maintenance service (in-house or third party contract) for each category of medical equipment based on: a) the real medical equipment maintenance management system currently used by the biomedical engineering group of the public health system of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas located in Brazil to control the medical equipment maintenance service, b) the Activity Based Costing (ABC) method, and c) the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Results show the cost and performance related to each type of maintenance service. Decision-makers can use these results to evaluate possible strategies for the categories of equipment.

Paranal maintenance and CMMS experience

Science.gov (United States)

Montano, Nelson

2004-10-01

During the last four years of operations, low technical downtime has been one of the relevant records of the Paranal Observatory. From the beginning of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) project, European Southern Observatory (ESO) has considered the implementation of a proper maintenance strategy a fundamental point in order to ensure low technical down time and preserve the Observatory's assets. The implementation of the maintenance strategy was based on the following aspects: - Strong maintenance sense during the design stage. Line Replacement Unit (LRU) concept, standardization and modularity of the Observatory equipment - Creation of a dedicated team for Maintenance - The implementation of a Computerized Maintenance Management System After four operational years, the result of these aspects has exceeded the expectations; the Observatory has been operating with high availability under a sustainable strategy. The strengths of the maintenance strategy have been based on modern maintenance concepts applied by regular production companies, where any minute of down time involves high cost. The operation of the actual Paranal Maintenance System is based mainly on proactive activities, such as regular inspections, preventive maintenance (PM) and predictive maintenance (PdM) plans. Nevertheless, it has been necessary to implement a strong plan for corrective maintenance (CM). The Spare Parts Strategy has also been an important point linked to the Maintenance Strategy and CMMS implementation. At present, almost 4,000 items related to the Observatory spare parts are loaded into the CMMS database. Currently, we are studying the implementation of a Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) project in one of our critical systems The following document presents the actual status of the Paranal Maintenance Strategy and which have been the motivations to implement the established strategy.

Initiating statistical maintenance optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doyle, E. Kevin; Tuomi, Vesa; Rowley, Ian

2007-01-01

Since the 1980 s maintenance optimization has been centered around various formulations of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM). Several such optimization techniques have been implemented at the Bruce Nuclear Station. Further cost refinement of the Station preventive maintenance strategy includes evaluation of statistical optimization techniques. A review of successful pilot efforts in this direction is provided as well as initial work with graphical analysis. The present situation reguarding data sourcing, the principle impediment to use of stochastic methods in previous years, is discussed. The use of Crowe/AMSAA (Army Materials Systems Analysis Activity) plots is demonstrated from the point of view of justifying expenditures in optimization efforts. (author)

Laboratory simulation of maintenance activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantowitz, B.H.

1988-01-01

Laboratory research in highly controlled settings can augment, but not replace, studies in plant or training center locations. A laboratory simulation involves abstraction of the human information processing and social interactions required in prototypical maintenance tasks. A variety of independent variables can be studied quickly, efficiently, and at relatively low cost. Sources of human error can be identified in terms of models of human perception, cognition, action, attention, and social/organizational processes. This paper discusses research in progress at the Battelle Human Performance Laboratory. Both theoretical aspects and practical implications are considered. Directions for future human factors research are indicated

Retendering of ST-CV maintenance contract

CERN Document Server

Battistin, M

2003-01-01

During the next three years, the ST/CV group will be deeply involved in the installation works for the LHC project. During this period the need for maintenance activity will decrease. The minimum level will be reached during the “long shutdown” of the PS and SPS machines in 2005. The budget for the maintenance will decrease accordingly, thus the CV group had to review its maintenance strategy. The new contract, which started on January 1st 2003, has been defined to cope with these workload variations during the next years and to guarantee the minimum maintenance activity on the existing equipment. A lump-sum contract based on a win-win strategy has been discarded. The contractor no longer has to guarantee the performance of the CERN cooling and ventilation systems. A new price list strategy based on performance indicators and penalties has been chosen. The contractor now has to guarantee the performance of every maintenance operation demanded by CERN. This modification obliged the Operation section of the...

ngs (Notochord Granular Surface) Gene Encodes a Novel Type of Intermediate Filament Family Protein Essential for Notochord Maintenance in Zebrafish*

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Xiangjun; Xia, Zhidan; Zu, Yao; Telfer, Helena; Hu, Jing; Yu, Jingyi; Liu, Huan; Zhang, Quan; Sodmergen; Lin, Shuo; Zhang, Bo

2013-01-01

The notochord is an important organ involved in embryonic patterning and locomotion. In zebrafish, the mature notochord consists of a single stack of fully differentiated, large vacuolated cells called chordocytes, surrounded by a single layer of less differentiated notochordal epithelial cells called chordoblasts. Through genetic analysis of zebrafish lines carrying pseudo-typed retroviral insertions, a mutant exhibiting a defective notochord with a granular appearance was isolated, and the corresponding gene was identified as ngs (notochord granular surface), which was specifically expressed in the notochord. In the mutants, the notochord started to degenerate from 32 hours post-fertilization, and the chordocytes were then gradually replaced by smaller cells derived from chordoblasts. The granular notochord phenotype was alleviated by anesthetizing the mutant embryos with tricaine to prevent muscle contraction and locomotion. Phylogenetic analysis showed that ngs encodes a new type of intermediate filament (IF) family protein, which we named chordostatin based on its function. Under the transmission electron microcopy, bundles of 10-nm-thick IF-like filaments were enriched in the chordocytes of wild-type zebrafish embryos, whereas the chordocytes in ngs mutants lacked IF-like structures. Furthermore, chordostatin-enhanced GFP (EGFP) fusion protein assembled into a filamentous network specifically in chordocytes. Taken together, our work demonstrates that ngs encodes a novel type of IF protein and functions to maintain notochord integrity for larval development and locomotion. Our work sheds light on the mechanisms of notochord structural maintenance, as well as the evolution and biological function of IF family proteins. PMID:23132861

ngs (notochord granular surface) gene encodes a novel type of intermediate filament family protein essential for notochord maintenance in zebrafish.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Xiangjun; Xia, Zhidan; Zu, Yao; Telfer, Helena; Hu, Jing; Yu, Jingyi; Liu, Huan; Zhang, Quan; Sodmergen; Lin, Shuo; Zhang, Bo

2013-01-25

The notochord is an important organ involved in embryonic patterning and locomotion. In zebrafish, the mature notochord consists of a single stack of fully differentiated, large vacuolated cells called chordocytes, surrounded by a single layer of less differentiated notochordal epithelial cells called chordoblasts. Through genetic analysis of zebrafish lines carrying pseudo-typed retroviral insertions, a mutant exhibiting a defective notochord with a granular appearance was isolated, and the corresponding gene was identified as ngs (notochord granular surface), which was specifically expressed in the notochord. In the mutants, the notochord started to degenerate from 32 hours post-fertilization, and the chordocytes were then gradually replaced by smaller cells derived from chordoblasts. The granular notochord phenotype was alleviated by anesthetizing the mutant embryos with tricaine to prevent muscle contraction and locomotion. Phylogenetic analysis showed that ngs encodes a new type of intermediate filament (IF) family protein, which we named chordostatin based on its function. Under the transmission electron microcopy, bundles of 10-nm-thick IF-like filaments were enriched in the chordocytes of wild-type zebrafish embryos, whereas the chordocytes in ngs mutants lacked IF-like structures. Furthermore, chordostatin-enhanced GFP (EGFP) fusion protein assembled into a filamentous network specifically in chordocytes. Taken together, our work demonstrates that ngs encodes a novel type of IF protein and functions to maintain notochord integrity for larval development and locomotion. Our work sheds light on the mechanisms of notochord structural maintenance, as well as the evolution and biological function of IF family proteins.

Induction and Maintenance of CX3CR1-Intermediate Peripheral Memory CD8+ T Cells by Persistent Viruses and Vaccines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire Louse Gordon

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: The induction and maintenance of T cell memory is critical to the success of vaccines. A recently described subset of memory CD8+ T cells defined by intermediate expression of the chemokine receptor CX3CR1 was shown to have self-renewal, proliferative, and tissue-surveillance properties relevant to vaccine-induced memory. We tracked these cells when memory is sustained at high levels: memory inflation induced by cytomegalovirus (CMV and adenovirus-vectored vaccines. In mice, both CMV and vaccine-induced inflationary T cells showed sustained high levels of CX3R1int cells exhibiting an effector-memory phenotype, characteristic of inflationary pools, in early memory. In humans, CX3CR1int CD8+ T cells were strongly induced following adenovirus-vectored vaccination for hepatitis C virus (HCV (ChAd3-NSmut and during natural CMV infection and were associated with a memory phenotype similar to that in mice. These data indicate that CX3CR1int cells form an important component of the memory pool in response to persistent viruses and vaccines in both mice and humans. : Gordon et al. demonstrate that CX3CR1int peripheral memory T cells are a substantial component of memory inflation induced by persistent CMVs and adenoviral vaccination. They are characterized by sustained proliferation and an effector-memory phenotype linked to these expanded CD8+ T cell memory responses. Core phenotypic features are shared by humans and mice. Keywords: cytomegalovirus, T cells, memory, adenovirus, vaccination, CX3CR1, memory inflation, mouse, human

Visual dictionaries as intermediate features in the human brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kandan eRamakrishnan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The human visual system is assumed to transform low level visual features to object and scene representations via features of intermediate complexity. How the brain computationally represents intermediate features is still unclear. To further elucidate this, we compared the biologically plausible HMAX model and Bag of Words (BoW model from computer vision. Both these computational models use visual dictionaries, candidate features of intermediate complexity, to represent visual scenes, and the models have been proven effective in automatic object and scene recognition. These models however differ in the computation of visual dictionaries and pooling techniques. We investigated where in the brain and to what extent human fMRI responses to short video can be accounted for by multiple hierarchical levels of the HMAX and BoW models. Brain activity of 20 subjects obtained while viewing a short video clip was analyzed voxel-wise using a distance-based variation partitioning method. Results revealed that both HMAX and BoW explain a significant amount of brain activity in early visual regions V1, V2 and V3. However BoW exhibits more consistency across subjects in accounting for brain activity compared to HMAX. Furthermore, visual dictionary representations by HMAX and BoW explain significantly some brain activity in higher areas which are believed to process intermediate features. Overall our results indicate that, although both HMAX and BoW account for activity in the human visual system, the BoW seems to more faithfully represent neural responses in low and intermediate level visual areas of the brain.

Phonon activity and intermediate glassy phase of YVO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massa, Nestor E.; Piamonteze, Cinthia; Tolentino, Helio C.N.; Alonso, Jose Antonio; Martinez-Lope, Maria Jesus; Casais, Maria Teresa

2004-01-01

We show that in YVO 3 additional hard phonons gradually become zone center infrared active below ∼210 K, verifying that a lattice phase transition takes place at about that temperature. Their gradual increment in intensity between ∼210 and ∼77 K is associated with a 'glassy' behavior found in the temperature-dependent V K edge pseudoradial distribution. This translates into an increase in the Debye-Waller factors ascribed to the appearance of V local structural disorder below ∼150 K. Conflicts between various ordering mechanisms in YVO 3 bring up similarities of the intermediate phase to known results in dielectric incommensurate systems, suggesting the formation of commensurate domains below 116 K, the onset temperature of G-type antiferromagnetism. We propose that ∼210 and ∼77 K be understood as the temperatures where the commensurate-incommensurate and incommensurate-commensurate 'lock-in' phase transitions take place. We found support for this interpretation in the inverted λ shapes of the measured heat capacity and in the overall temperature dependence of the hard phonons

Preventive maintenance and reliability-centered maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, J.G.

1989-01-01

In the recent past, the primary function of the preventive maintenance program at a nuclear power plant was to maintain the operability and reliability of the plant. Reducing overall maintenance costs by performing effective preventive maintenance, instead of more costly and disruptive corrective maintenance, instead of more costly and disruptive corrective maintenance, was a secondary consideration. In today's operating environment, the preventive maintenance program must meet the test of cost-effectiveness as well as many new standards for performance that are being required by rate regulators. The preventive maintenance program must be able to withstand the challenge of independent audit to a new standard of technical adequacy and compliance with recommendations from component vendors. In this new environment, the standard that is being applied at the San Onofre nuclear generating station (SONGS) is that the preventive maintenance program must meet the test of cost-effectiveness, improve equipment performance, support increased plant availability, and (a) literally implement the recommendations of the vendor, (b) provide other compensation for the vendor recommendation, or (c) provide technical justification for the deviation. The subject of this paper is the way that reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is helping SONGS meet these challenges

Remote maintenance development for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tada, Eisuke; Shibanuma, Kiyoshi

1997-01-01

This paper both describes the overall design concept of the ITER remote maintenance system, which has been developed mainly for use with in-vessel components such as divertor and blanket, and outlines of the ITER R and D program, which has been established to develop remote handling equipment/tools and radiation hard components. In ITER, the reactor structures inside cryostat have to be maintained remotely because of activation due to DT operation. Therefore, remote-handling technology is fundamental, and the reactor-structure design must be made consistent with remote maintainability. The overall maintenance scenario and design concepts of the required remote handling equipment/tools have been developed according to their maintenance classification. Technologies are also being developed to verify the feasibility of the maintenance design and include fabrication and testing of a fullscale remote-handling equipment/tools for in-vessel maintenance. (author)

Probabilistic approach to rationalization of plants maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Masao; Notoya, Junichi; Uchimoto, Tetsuya; Miya, Kenzo

2001-01-01

Since there are a lot of equipments in large plants, their safety and reliability cannot be kept as high level as designed without maintenance activities. Then preventive maintenance is intensively executed in some large plants. However, it will be inefficient to perform the preventive maintenance blindly. To make maintenance activities effective, it is essential to identify the critical equipments influencing plant safety and/or reliability and carry out the maintenance by focusing attentions on these equipments. It needs quantitative analyses to identify the critical equipments based on the data of failure rates. However, complete data set of failure rates cannot necessarily be available for some plants such as nuclear power plants. In this study, we carry out the reliability analysis for generic LNG plant and calculate various quantitative risk importance measures for each equipment. We propose rather qualitative representations for some quantitative measures, considering the situation without complete data set and conclude that it is possible to rationalize maintenance procedure by using these rather qualitative measures, though the level of rationalization is of course limited. (author)

Development of divertor remote maintenance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeda, Nobukazu; Oka, Kiyoshi; Akou, Kentaro; Takiguchi, Yuji [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-04-01

The ITER divertor is categorized as a scheduled maintenance component because of extreme heat and particle loads it is exposed to by plasma. It is also highly activated by 14 MeV neutrons. Reliable remote handling equipment and tools are required for divertor maintenance under intense gamma radiation. To facilitate remote maintenance, the divertor is segmented into 60 cassettes, and each cassette weighing about 25 tons and maintained and replaced through four maintenance ports each 90 degrees. Divertor cassettes must be transported toroidally and radially for replacement through maintenance ports. Remote handling involving cassette movers and carriers for toroidal and radial transport has been developed. Under the ITER R and D program, technology critical to divertor cassette maintenance is being developed jointly by Japan, E.U., and U.S. home teams. This paper summarizes divertor remote maintenance design and the status of technology development by the Japan Home Team. (author)

Development of divertor remote maintenance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Nobukazu; Oka, Kiyoshi; Akou, Kentaro; Takiguchi, Yuji

1998-01-01

The ITER divertor is categorized as a scheduled maintenance component because of extreme heat and particle loads it is exposed to by plasma. It is also highly activated by 14 MeV neutrons. Reliable remote handling equipment and tools are required for divertor maintenance under intense gamma radiation. To facilitate remote maintenance, the divertor is segmented into 60 cassettes, and each cassette weighing about 25 tons and maintained and replaced through four maintenance ports each 90 degrees. Divertor cassettes must be transported toroidally and radially for replacement through maintenance ports. Remote handling involving cassette movers and carriers for toroidal and radial transport has been developed. Under the ITER R and D program, technology critical to divertor cassette maintenance is being developed jointly by Japan, E.U., and U.S. home teams. This paper summarizes divertor remote maintenance design and the status of technology development by the Japan Home Team. (author)

Valves maintenance management in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trost, J.

2001-01-01

The deregulation of Europe's power market will force nuclear power plant operators to introduce extensive cost-cutting measures in order to be able to compete within this new environment. The optimization of plant outages provides considerable potential for raising plant availability but can also lower operating costs by reducing expenditure on maintenance. Framatome ANP GmbH, in cooperation with plant operators is currently developing new and improved service concepts which can have a major effect on the way in which maintenance will be performed in the future. The concepts encompass optimization of the overall sequence from planning in advance to the individual measures including reduction of the scope of maintenance activities, identification of cost cutting potential and bundling of maintenance activities. (Author)

PWSCC Preventive Maintenance Activities for Alloy 600 in Japanese PWR Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, K.; Sugimoto, N.; Onishi, K.; Okimura, K.

2012-01-01

Because many nuclear plants have been in operation for ages, the importance of preventive maintenance technologies is getting higher. One conspicuous problem found in pressurized water reactor (PWR) plants is the primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) observed in Alloy 600 (a kind of high nickel based alloy) parts. Alloy 600 was used for butt welds between low alloy steel and stainless steel of nozzles of Reactor Vessel (RV), Steam Generator (SG), and Pressurizer (Pz). As PWSCC occurred at these parts may cause Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA), preventive maintenance is necessary. PWSCC is considered to be caused by a mixture of three elements: high residual tensile stress on surface, material (Alloy 600) and environment. PWSCC can be prevented by improving one of the elements. MHI has been developing stress improvement methods, for example, Water Jet Peening (WJP), Shot Peening by Ultrasonic vibration (USP), and Laser Stress Improvement Process (L-SIP). According to the situation, appropriate method is applied for each part. WJP has been applied for RV nozzles of a lot of plants in Japan. However PWSCC was observed in RV nozzles during the inspection before WJP in recent years, MHI developed the Advanced INLAY system to improve the material from Alloy 600 to Alloy 690. Alloy 600 on the inner surface of the nozzles is removed and welding with Alloy 690 is performed. In addition, heat treatments for the nozzles are difficult for its structural situation, so ambient temperature temper bead welding technique for RV nozzles was developed to make the heat treatments unnecessary. This paper describes countermeasures against PWSCC and introduces the maintenance activities performed in Japan. (author)

Digital maintenance field technology for the maintenance of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Tomomasa; Asama, Hajime; Kita, Nobuyuki; Numano, Masayoshi

2002-01-01

This paper proposes a concept of 'Digital Maintenance Field Technology', which enables human beings and working robots making fully use of the necessary information for maintenance activity not only in any location of the maintenance field (seamless in location) but also in any moment from the past to the future (seamless in time) and in any format in presenting to human (seamless in semantics). The paper points out the following three essential components of the technology: 1) 'Digital Field Construction Technology', 2) 'Digital Field Archival Technology' and 3) 'Digital Field Presentation Technology'. The necessary capabilities are extracted and our approaches and state of the art of realizing these capabilities are introduced in addition to present the state of the art of home application example. The future extension is also illustrated. (author)

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus alters frontal activity during spatial working memory maintenance of patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, Jutta S; Neimat, Joseph; Folley, Bradley S; Bourne, Sarah K; Konrad, Peter E; Charles, David; Park, Sohee

2016-08-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) improves the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). The STN may represent an important relay station not only in the motor but also the associative cortico-striato-thalamocortical pathway. Therefore, STN stimulation may alter cognitive functions, such as working memory (WM). We examined cortical effects of STN-DBS on WM in early PD patients using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The effects of dopaminergic medication on WM were also examined. Lateral frontal activity during WM maintenance was greater when patients were taking dopaminergic medication. STN-DBS led to a trend-level worsening of WM performance, accompanied by increased lateral frontal activity during WM maintenance. These findings suggest that STN-DBS in PD might lead to functional modifications of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical pathway during WM maintenance.

Remote handling maintenance of ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haange, R.

1999-01-01

The remote maintenance strategy and the associated component design of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have reached a high degree of completeness, especially with respect to those components that are expected to require frequent or occasional remote maintenance. Large-scale test stands, to demonstrate the principle feasibility of the remote maintenance procedures and to develop the required equipment and tools, were operational at the end of the Engineering Design Activities (EDA) phase. The initial results are highly encouraging: major remote equipment deployment and component replacement operations have been successfully demonstrated. (author)

Opportune maintenance and predictive maintenance decision support

OpenAIRE

Thomas , Edouard; Levrat , Eric; Iung , Benoît; Cocheteux , Pierre

2009-01-01

International audience; Conventional maintenance strategies on a single component are being phased out in favour of more predictive maintenance actions. These new kinds of actions are performed in order to control the global performances of the whole industrial system. They are anticipative in nature, which allows a maintenance expert to consider non-already-planned maintenance actions. Two questions naturally emerge: when to perform a predictive maintenance action; how a maintenance expert c...

Development of preventive maintenance procedures and schedules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlenker, H.V.; Hammel, J.

1977-01-01

An outline of the procedures and schedules developed for preventive maintenance in power stations within the Rheinisch-Westfaelisches Elektrizitaetswerk (RWE) is presented. After an introduction of maintenance in general the different kinds of preventive maintenance activities are described. This includes also the prerequisite identification systems. The aims of preventive maintenance and the measures are explained that have to be taken, if these aims are to be achieved. A number of examples from actual practice are cited. (orig.) [de

Intermediate-energy nuclear chemistry workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler, G.W.; Giesler, G.C.; Liu, L.C.; Dropesky, B.J.; Knight, J.D.; Lucero, F.; Orth, C.J.

1981-05-01

This report contains the proceedings of the LAMPF Intermediate-Energy Nuclear Chemistry Workshop held in Los Alamos, New Mexico, June 23-27, 1980. The first two days of the Workshop were devoted to invited review talks highlighting current experimental and theoretical research activities in intermediate-energy nuclear chemistry and physics. Working panels representing major topic areas carried out indepth appraisals of present research and formulated recommendations for future research directions. The major topic areas were Pion-Nucleus Reactions, Nucleon-Nucleus Reactions and Nuclei Far from Stability, Mesonic Atoms, Exotic Interactions, New Theoretical Approaches, and New Experimental Techniques and New Nuclear Chemistry Facilities

Intermediate-energy nuclear chemistry workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butler, G.W.; Giesler, G.C.; Liu, L.C.; Dropesky, B.J.; Knight, J.D.; Lucero, F.; Orth, C.J.

1981-05-01

This report contains the proceedings of the LAMPF Intermediate-Energy Nuclear Chemistry Workshop held in Los Alamos, New Mexico, June 23-27, 1980. The first two days of the Workshop were devoted to invited review talks highlighting current experimental and theoretical research activities in intermediate-energy nuclear chemistry and physics. Working panels representing major topic areas carried out indepth appraisals of present research and formulated recommendations for future research directions. The major topic areas were Pion-Nucleus Reactions, Nucleon-Nucleus Reactions and Nuclei Far from Stability, Mesonic Atoms, Exotic Interactions, New Theoretical Approaches, and New Experimental Techniques and New Nuclear Chemistry Facilities.

Nuclear power plant maintenance optimisation SENUF network activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahlstrand, R.; Bieth, M.; Pla, P.; Rieg, C.; Trampus, P. [Inst. for Energy, EC DG Joint Research Centre, Petten (Netherlands)

2004-07-01

During providing scientific and technical support to TACIS and PHARE nuclear safety programs a large amount of knowledge related to Russian design reactor systems has accumulated and led to creation of a new Network concerning Nuclear Safety in Central and Eastern Europe called ''Safety of Eastern European type Nuclear Facilities'' (SENUF). SENUF contributes to bring together all stakeholders of TACIS and PHARE: beneficiaries, end users, Eastern und Western nuclear industries, and thus, to favour fruitful technical exchanges and feedback of experience. At present the main focus of SENUF is the nuclear power plant maintenance as substantial element of plant operational safety as well as life management. A Working Group has been established on plant maintenance. One of its major tasks in 2004 is to prepare a status report on advanced strategies to optimise maintenance. Optimisation projects have an interface with the plant's overall life management program. Today, almost all plants involved in SENUF network have an explicit policy to extend their service life, thus, component ageing management, modernization and refurbishment actions became much more important. A database is also under development, which intends to help sharing the available knowledge and specific equipment and tools. (orig.)

Intermediate organizations in the innovation process in Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria del Pilar Monserrat Pérez Hernández

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The innovation activity depends strongly on the interaction between generating actors and end-users of new knowledge and technologies. There are several intermediate organizations (IO that facilitate translating the needs of the users with the new technologies that are beingdeveloped, in order to satisfy more effectively their demands. This paper analyzes the mediation process involved in the IO in innovative activity in Mexico, to identify structural holes in the innovation process. The relevant results in the Mexican intermediation process points that threeimportant structural holes of the process are missing: one between the negotiation process and sponsorship, the second in marketing and commercial profit of the obtained results and the last one in the regulation and referring activities. It is very important that the detected missinglinks in the intermediation process are filled, because they can hinder considerably the overall profit and benefits that society could obtained of the innovation process.

Business process modeling of industrial maintenance at TRANSPETRO: integrating oil pipeline and marine terminals activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arruda, Daniela Mendonca; Oliveira, Italo Luiz [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transporte S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Diretoria de Terminais e Oleodutos; Almeida, Maria Fatima Ludovico de [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Metrologia para Qualidade e Inovacao

2009-07-01

This paper describes the experience of TRANSPETRO in remodeling industrial maintenance activities focusing on: preparing for business process modeling (BPM); mapping and analyzing 'As-Is' process; designing 'To-Be' process; implementing remodeled process; improving process continuously. The conceptual model and results achieved will contribute to several areas within the company as: reliability engineering; human resources, including employees' selective processes, training and development, and certifications; standardization process encompassing standard and operational procedures adoption according to up-dating external normative references and legal requirements; health, safety and environment (HSE) performance improvement. These are some of potential benefits from BPM focusing on TRANSPETRO's industrial maintenance area in the search of operational excellence. (author)

Management applicability of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis across Mongolian rangeland ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Takehiro; Okubo, Satoru; Okayasu, Tomoo; Jamsran, Undarmaa; Ohkuro, Toshiya; Takeuchi, Kazuhiko

2009-03-01

The current growing body of evidence for diversity-disturbance relationships suggests that the peaked pattern predicted by the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) may not be the rule. Even if ecologists could quantify the diversity-disturbance relationship consistent with the IDH, the applicability of the IDH to land management has rarely been addressed. We examined two hypotheses related to the generality and management applicability of the IDH to Mongolian rangeland ecosystems: that the diversity-disturbance relationship varies as a function of landscape condition and that some intermediate scales of grazing can play an important role in terms of sustainable rangeland management through a grazing gradient approach. We quantified the landscape condition of each ecological site using an ordination technique and determined two types of landscape conditions: relatively benign and harsh environmental conditions. At the ecological sites characterized by relatively benign environmental conditions, diversity-disturbance relationships were generally consistent with the IDH, and maximum diversity was observed at some intermediate distance from the source of the grazing gradient. In contrast, the IDH was not supported at most (but not all) sites characterized by relatively harsh environmental conditions. The intermediate levels of grazing were generally located below the ecological threshold representing the points or zones at which disturbance should be limited to prevent drastic changes in ecological conditions, suggesting that there is little "conundrum" with regard to intermediate disturbance in the studied systems in terms of land management. We suggest that the landscape condition is one of the primary factors that cause inconsistencies in diversity-disturbance relationships. The ecological threshold can extend its utility in rangeland management because it also has the compatibility with the maintenance of species diversity. This study thus suggests that some

Nuclear Power Plant Preventive Maintenance Scheduling Problem with Fuzziness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abass, S.A.; Abdallah, A.S.

2013-01-01

Maintenance activity is regarded as the most important key factor for the safety, reliability and economy of a nuclear power plant. Preventive maintenance refers to set of planned activities which include nondestructive testing and periodic inspection as well as maintenance. In this paper, we address the problem of nuclear power plant preventive maintenance scheduling with uncertainty. The uncertainty will be represented by fuzzy parameters. The problem is how to determine the period for which generating units of an electric system should be taken off line for planned preventive maintenance over specific time horizon. Preventive maintenance activity of a nuclear power plant is an important issue as it designed to extend the plant life . It is more required to review the maintenance not only from the view point of safety and reliability but also economy. Preventive maintenance program exists to ensure that nuclear safety significant equipment will function when it is supposed to. Also this problem is extremely important because a failure in a power plant may cause a general breakdown in an electric network. In this paper a mixed integer programming model is used to express this problem. In proposed model power demand is taken as fuzzy parameters. A case study is provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model.

Lean thinking for a maintenance process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherif Mostafa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The maintenance process shares significant operating costs in an organisation. Lean thinking can be incorporated into maintenance activities through applying its principles and practices/tools. Lean maintenance (LM is a prerequisite for lean manufacturing systems. This research proposes a new structure for LM process based on a systematic literature review of a significant number of related articles that were published on LM. The process structure is designed based on the five lean principles to guide and support organisations to pursue maintenance excellence. This study establishes a scheme for LM tools that are structured into 2 level 4 bundles and 26 lean practices/tools and develops a House of Waste (HoW to demonstrate the association between maintenance wastes and the LM tools. With a successful accomplishment of the proposed scheme, the performance of a maintenance department can create more improvement opportunities over time to reach the maintenance excellence status.

Using heuristic search for optimizing maintenance plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mutanen, Teemu

2012-01-01

This work addresses the maintenance action selection process. Maintenance personnel need to evaluate maintenance actions and costs to keep the machines in working condition. Group of actions are evaluated together as maintenance plans. The maintenance plans as output provide information to the user about which actions to take if any and what future actions should be prepared for. The heuristic search method is implemented as part of general use toolbox for analysis of measurements from movable work machines. Impacts from machine's usage restrictions and maintenance activities are analysed. The results show that once put on a temporal perspective, the prioritized order of the actions is different and provide additional information to the user.

Good practices for cost effective maintenance of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-02-01

This publication is organized around five areas that were identified by the utilities and government organizations who contributed to this report as most important to them. They are: Increasing production through maintenance activities related to improved plant material condition, reduced duration of planned outages, use of on-line maintenance and reduced frequency of forced outages; reducing workload through avoiding unnecessary regulatory burden and using reliability centered maintenance and condition monitoring; improving maintenance processes through better planning and scheduling, use of information management systems, graduated work controls, and appropriate post-maintenance testing; improving productivity through better teamwork, greater sharing of resources, and better radiation management associated with maintenance; measuring performance of maintenance activities through such tools as performance measures and benchmarking. Figs, tabs

Future extension of the Swedish repository for low and intermediate level waste (SFR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson, Jan

2006-01-01

The existing Swedish repository for low and intermediate level waste (SFR) is licensed for disposal of short-lived waste originated from operation and maintenance of Swedish nuclear power plants. The repository is foreseen to be extended to accommodate short-lived waste from the future decommissioning of the Nuclear Power Plants. Long-lived waste from operation, maintenance and eventually decommissioning will be stored some years before disposal in a geological repository. This repository can be build either as a further extension of the SFR facility or as a separate repository. This paper discusses the strategy of a step-wise extended repository where the extensions are performed during operation of the existing parts of the repository. It describes the process for licensing new parts of the repository (and re-license of the existing parts). (author)

PMS2 endonuclease activity has distinct biological functions and is essential for genome maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

van Oers, Johanna M M; Roa, Sergio; Werling, Uwe; Liu, Yiyong; Genschel, Jochen; Hou, Harry; Sellers, Rani S; Modrich, Paul; Scharff, Matthew D; Edelmann, Winfried

2010-07-27

The DNA mismatch repair protein PMS2 was recently found to encode a novel endonuclease activity. To determine the biological functions of this activity in mammals, we generated endonuclease-deficient Pms2E702K knock-in mice. Pms2EK/EK mice displayed increased genomic mutation rates and a strong cancer predisposition. In addition, class switch recombination, but not somatic hypermutation, was impaired in Pms2EK/EK B cells, indicating a specific role in Ig diversity. In contrast to Pms2-/- mice, Pms2EK/EK male mice were fertile, indicating that this activity is dispensable in spermatogenesis. Therefore, the PMS2 endonuclease activity has distinct biological functions and is essential for genome maintenance and tumor suppression.

Which Socio-Ecological Factors Associate with a Switch to or Maintenance of Active and Passive Transport during the Transition from Primary to Secondary School?

Science.gov (United States)

Vanwolleghem, Griet; Van Dyck, Delfien; De Meester, Femke; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Cardon, Greet; Gheysen, Freja

2016-01-01

The aim was to investigate which individual, psychosocial and physical neighborhood environmental factors associate with children's switch to or maintenance of active/passive transport to school and to leisure time destinations during the transition from primary to secondary school. Children (n = 313) filled out a questionnaire in the last year of primary school and 2 years later to assess socio-demographic characteristics and self-reported transport. One of their parents completed a questionnaire to assess parental perceptions of psychosocial and physical neighborhood environmental factors. The increase of the home-school distance was significantly associated with children's switch to or maintenance of passive transport to school compared to a switch to (OR = 0.81; p = 0.03) and maintenance (OR = 0.87; p = 0.03) of active transport to school. Low SES was associated with children's switch to active transport to school compared to maintenance of active transport (OR = 3.67; p = 0.07). For transport to leisure time destinations, other factors such as parental perceived neighborhood safety from traffic and crime (OR = 2.78; p = 0.004), a positive social norm (OR = 1.49; p = 0.08), positive attitudes (OR = 1.39; p = 0.08) (i.e. more benefits, less barriers) towards their children's physical activity and poor walking/cycling facilities in the neighborhood (OR = 0.70; p = 0.06) were associated with children's maintenance of active transport to leisure time destinations compared to a switch to or maintenance of passive transport. This longitudinal study can give directions for interventions promoting children's active transport during the transition to secondary school. It is necessary to promote different possibilities at primary school for children to use active transport when going to secondary school. Walking/cycling a part of the home-school trip can be a possible solution for children who will be living at non-feasible distances from secondary school. Providing safe

Pre-conceptual design assessment of DEMO remote maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loving, A., E-mail: antony.loving@ccfe.ac.uk [EURATOM/Culham Center Fusion Energy, Culham Science Centre, OX14 3DB, Abingdon (United Kingdom); Crofts, O.; Sykes, N.; Iglesias, D.; Coleman, M.; Thomas, J. [EURATOM/Culham Center Fusion Energy, Culham Science Centre, OX14 3DB, Abingdon (United Kingdom); Harman, J. [EFDA Close Support Unit Garching, Boltzmannstaße 2, D-85748 Garching Bei München (Germany); Fischer, U. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Sanz, J. [Instituto de Fusión Nuclear/UPM, Madrid (Spain); Siuko, M. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT (Finland); Mittwollen, M. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut für Fördertechnik und Logistiksysteme, Gotthard-Franz-Straße 8, Geb.50.38, 76131 Karlsruhe (Germany)

2014-10-15

EDFA, as part of the Power Plant Physics and Technology programme, has been working on the pre-conceptual design of a Demonstration Power Plant (DEMO). As part of this programme, a review of the remote maintenance strategy considered maintenance solutions compatible with expected environmental conditions, whilst showing potential for meeting the plant availability targets. A key finding was that, for practical purposes, the expected radiation levels prohibit the use of complex remote handling operations to replace the first wall. In 2012/2013, these remote maintenance activities were further extended, providing an insight into the requirements, constraints and challenges. In particular, the assessment of blanket and divertor maintenance, in light of the expected radiation conditions and availability, has elaborated the need for a very different approach from that of ITER. This activity has produced some very informative virtual reality simulations of the blanket segments and pipe removal that are exceptionally valuable in communicating the complexity and scale of the required operations. Through these simulations, estimates of the maintenance task durations have been possible demonstrating that a full replacement of the blankets within 6 months could be achieved. The design of the first wall, including the need to use sacrificial limiters must still be investigated. In support of the maintenance operations, a first indication of the requirements of an Active Maintenance Facility (AMF) has been elaborated.

Pavement maintenance scheduling using genetic algorithms

OpenAIRE

Yang, Chao; Remenyte-Prescott, Rasa; Andrews, John D.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new pavement management system (PMS) to achieve the optimal pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) strategy for a highway network using genetic algorithms (GAs). Optimal M&R strategy is a set of pavement activities that both minimise the maintenance cost of a highway network and maximise the pavement condition of the road sections on the network during a certain planning period. NSGA-II, a multi-objective GA, is employed to perform pavement maintenance optimisatio...

Designing Interventions that Last: A Classification of Environmental Behaviors in Relation to the Activities, Costs, and Effort Involved for Adoption and Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Harriet E.; Boldero, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Policy makers draw on behavioral research to design interventions that promote the voluntary adoption of environmental behavior in societies. Many environmental behaviors will only be effective if they are maintained over the long-term. In the context of climate change and concerns about future water security, behaviors that involve reducing energy consumption and improving water quality must be continued indefinitely to mitigate global warming and preserve scarce resources. Previous reviews of environmental behavior have focused exclusively on factors related to adoption. This review investigates the factors that influence both adoption and maintenance, and presents a classification of environmental behaviors in terms of the activities, costs, and effort required for both adoption and maintenance. Three categories of behavior are suggested. One-off behaviors involve performing an activity once, such as purchasing an energy efficient washing machine, or signing a petition. Continuous behaviors involve the performance of the same set of behaviors for adoption and for maintenance, such as curbside recycling. Dynamic behaviors involve the performance of different behaviors for adoption and maintenance, such as revegetation. Behaviors can also be classified into four categories related to cost and effort: those that involve little cost and effort for adoption and maintenance, those that involve moderate cost and effort for adoption and maintenance, those that involve a high cost or effort for adoption and less for maintenance, and those that involve less cost or effort for adoption and a higher amount for maintenance. In order to design interventions that last, policy makers should consider the factors that influence the maintenance as well as the adoption of environmental behaviors. PMID:29163265

Fusion reactor horizontal versus vertical maintenance approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charruyer, Ph.; Djerassi, H.; Leger, D.; Maupou, M.; Rouillard, J.; Salpietro, E.; Holloway, C.; Suppan, A.

1987-01-01

This paper concerns the comparison of horizontal versus vertical maintenance options of internal components (blanket and segment) of fusion reactors NET (Next European Torus) and INTOR Design. The described mechanical options are taken to ensure the handling of internals with the required precision, taking into account the problems raised by the safety and confinement requirements. Handling is obviously performed remotely. The option comparisons are performed according to the criteria of feasibility, building size, duration of maintenance operations, safety, flexibility, availability and cost. The first conclusions point on that the vertical handling option offers advantages, as regards the ease of handling and confinement possibilities. From the building size point of view, the two solutions are almost equivalent, while other criteria do not provide a basis for choice. It is emphasized that the confinement option C.T.U. (Containment Transfer Unit) or T.I.C. (Tight Intermediate Confinement) should be the major factor in determining the best options. In additions, a cost comparative analysis emphasizes the best cost/benefit ratio for the different options studied

A maintenance optimization model for mission-oriented systems based on Wiener degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Chiming; Wang, Wenbin; Guo, Bo; Si, Xiaosheng

2013-01-01

Over the past few decades, condition-based maintenance (CBM) has attracted many researchers because of its effectiveness and practical significance. This paper deals with mission-oriented systems subject to gradual degradation modeled by a Wiener stochastic process within the context of CBM. For a mission-oriented system, the mission usually has constraints on availability/reliability, the opportunity for maintenance actions, and the monitoring type (continuous or discrete). Furthermore, in practice, a mission-oriented system may undertake some preventive maintenance (PM) and after such PM, the system may return to an intermediate state between an as-good-as new state and an as-bad-as old state, i.e., the PM is not perfect and only partially restores the system. However, very few CBM models integrated these mission constraints together with an imperfect nature of the PM into the course of optimizing the PM policy. This paper develops a model to optimize the PM policy in terms of the maintenance related cost jointly considering the mission constraints and the imperfect PM nature. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the proposed model. The comparison with the simulated results and the sensitivity analysis show the usefulness of the optimization model for mission-oriented system maintenance presented in this paper.

Maintenance and Safety Practices of Escalator in Commercial Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Afida Isnaini Janipha, Nurul; Nur Aina Syed Alwee, Sharifah; Ariff, Raihan Mohd; Ismail, Faridah

2018-02-01

The escalator is very crucial to transport a person from one place to another. Nevertheless, there are many cases recorded the accidents in relation to escalator. These may occur due to lack of maintenance which leads to systems breakdown, poor safety practices, wear and tear, users’ negligence and others. Thus, proper maintenance systems need to be improvised to prevent and reduce escalator accident in future. This research was aimed to determine the escalator maintenance activities and safety practices in a commercial building. Three case studies were selected within Selangor area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for collecting data from these three case studies. To achieve the aim of this research, the study was carried out on the maintenance activities, safety practices and cost related to escalator maintenance. As one of the important means of access in building, it is very crucial to increase effectiveness of escalator particularly in commercial building. It is expected that readers will get clear information on the maintenance activities and safety practices of escalator in commercial building.

Upgrade of maintenance technologies of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamada, Kazuaki

2005-01-01

In order to enhance long-term safe and stable operation of Ikata Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in more efficient way, maintenance technology upgrade project was started aiming at establishment of simplified and efficient self-maintenance system with affiliated companies. Maintenance technique and supervisor qualification system was introduced after improvement and reinforcement of personnel education and training. Reflecting investigation of maintenance activities of US NPPs and productivity improvement in other industries, preventive maintenance optimization project had been performed such as introduction of key performance indicator (KPI), new system incorporating reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) and condition-based maintenance (CBM), and on-line monitoring and maintenance (OLM) based on risk assessment. Enterprise asset management (EAM) to establish information data base and total productive maintenance (TPM) action for every personnel to participate in self-maintenance was also introduced. (T. Tanaka)

Dynamic contracting mechanism for pavement maintenance management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demirel, H.C.; De Ridder, H.A.J.

2013-01-01

Technological advances, financial possibilities and changes of demands have increasingly affected the pavement maintenance environment for outsourcing in recent years. This induces complexity in the contracting methods of pavement maintenance activities. Despite the fact that current contracting

An intermediate-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channel is important for secretion in pancreatic duct cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hayashi, Mikio; Wang, Jing; Hede, Susanne Edeling

2012-01-01

2; Slack; Slick; and an intermediate-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (IK) channel (K(Ca)3.1). The following functional studies were focused on the IK channel. 5,6-Dichloro-1-ethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzimidazole-2-one (DC-EBIO), an activator of IK channel, increased equivalent short-circuit current...

A Field Study of Scale Economies in Software Maintenance

OpenAIRE

Rajiv D. Banker; Sandra A. Slaughter

1997-01-01

Software maintenance is a major concern for organizations. Productivity gains in software maintenance can enable redeployment of Information Systems resources to other activities. Thus, it is important to understand how software maintenance productivity can be improved. In this study, we investigate the relationship between project size and software maintenance productivity. We explore scale economies in software maintenance by examining a number of software enhancement projects at a large fi...

Cervicovaginal cytokines, sialidase activity and bacterial load in reproductive-aged women with intermediate vaginal flora.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos-Greatti, Mariana Morena de Vieira; da Silva, Márcia Guimarães; Ferreira, Carolina Sanitá Tafner; Marconi, Camila

2016-11-01

Studies have shown that not only bacterial vaginosis, but also intermediate vaginal flora has deleterious effects for women's reproductive health. However, literature still lacks information about microbiological and immunological aspects of intermediate flora. To characterize intermediate flora regarding levels of Interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-10, sialidase; loads of Gardnerella vaginalis, total bacteria and to verify whether it is closer related to normal flora or bacterial vaginosis. This cross-sectional study enrolled 526 non-pregnant reproductive-aged women distributed in 3 groups according to pattern of vaginal flora using Nugent's system in normal, intermediate and bacterial vaginosis. Cervicovaginal levels of cytokines, sialidases, loads of G. vaginalis and total bacteria were assessed by ELISA, conversion of MUAN and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. A principal component analysis(PCA) using all measured parameters was performed to compare the three different types of flora. Results showed that intermediate flora is associated with increased cervicovaginal IL-1beta in relation to normal flora(Pbacterial vaginosis, intermediate flora has higher IL-8 and IL-10 levels(Pbacterial vaginosis(Pbacterial differed among all groups(Pbacterial vaginosis. PCA showed that normal and intermediate flora were closely scattered, while bacterial vaginosis were grouped separately. Although intermediate flora shows some differences in cytokines, sialidases and bacterial loads in relation to normal flora and bacterial vaginosis, when taken together, general microbiological and immunological pattern pattern of intermediate flora resembles the normal flora. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

RA reactor operation and maintenance in 1992, Part 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sotic, O.; Cupac, S.; Sulem, B.; Zivotic, Z.; Majstorovic, D.; Tanaskovic, M.

1992-01-01

During 1992 Ra reactor was not in operation. All the activities were fulfilled according to the previously adopted plan. Basic activities were concerned with revitalisation of the RA reactor and maintenance of reactor components. All the reactor personnel was busy with reconstruction and renewal of the existing reactor systems and building of the new systems, maintenance of the reactor devices. Part of the staff was trained for relevant tasks and maintenance of reactor systems [sr

Neutron induced activation in the EVEDA accelerator materials: Implications for the accelerator maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanz, J.; Garcia, M.; Sauvan, P.; Lopez, D.; Moreno, C.; Ibarra, A.; Sedano, L.

2009-01-01

The Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDA) phase of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility project should result in an accelerator prototype for which the analysis of the dose rates evolution during the beam-off phase is a necessary task for radioprotection and maintenance feasibility purposes. Important aspects of the computational methodology to address this problem are discussed, and dose rates for workers inside the accelerator vault are assessed and found to be not negligible.

Neutron induced activation in the EVEDA accelerator materials: Implications for the accelerator maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanz, J. [Department of Power Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 12, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Institute of Nuclear Fusion, UPM, 28006 Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: jsanz@ind.uned.es; Garcia, M.; Sauvan, P.; Lopez, D. [Department of Power Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 12, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Institute of Nuclear Fusion, UPM, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Moreno, C.; Ibarra, A.; Sedano, L. [CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2009-04-30

The Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDA) phase of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility project should result in an accelerator prototype for which the analysis of the dose rates evolution during the beam-off phase is a necessary task for radioprotection and maintenance feasibility purposes. Important aspects of the computational methodology to address this problem are discussed, and dose rates for workers inside the accelerator vault are assessed and found to be not negligible.

Maintenance for the Millennium: Another Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sculthorpe, Barruy R.

2002-01-01

Nuclear units nationwide are struggling to increase plant reliability and availability while at the same time reduce their operating and maintenance costs. Some very costly investments have been made in programs such as Reliability Centered Maintenance [RCM]. Florida Power and Light's approach at the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant has taken a slightly different approach. Building on our knowledge of the RCM process and an already existing 'World Class' Predictive Maintenance Program, a 'Condition-Based' Maintenance Program that takes advantage of the RCM philosophy and our toolbox full of advanced and highly successful predictive maintenance technologies. These tools currently consist of vibration analysis, lubricant analysis (both physical property and wear metals analysis, thermographic analysis, motor current signature analysis, tribology and process parameter trending. All employed with the intent to evaluate a machines health. This machine health check allows the forecasting of future preventative maintenance [PM's] tasks and the revision of existing PM's to maximize machine performance and eliminate 'no-value-added' maintenance activities/costs. Within the last year, the Condition-Based Maintenance Program has produced a cost saving of approximately $1.5 million dollars. As the program matures, these cost savings will accumulate well into the millennium. (authors)

Decreasing inventory of a cement factory roller mill parts using reliability centered maintenance method

Science.gov (United States)

Witantyo; Rindiyah, Anita

2018-03-01

According to data from maintenance planning and control, it was obtained that highest inventory value is non-routine components. Maintenance components are components which procured based on maintenance activities. The problem happens because there is no synchronization between maintenance activities and the components required. Reliability Centered Maintenance method is used to overcome the problem by reevaluating maintenance activities required components. The case chosen is roller mill system because it has the highest unscheduled downtime record. Components required for each maintenance activities will be determined by its failure distribution, so the number of components needed could be predicted. Moreover, those components will be reclassified from routine component to be non-routine component, so the procurement could be carried out regularly. Based on the conducted analysis, failure happens in almost every maintenance task are classified to become scheduled on condition task, scheduled discard task, schedule restoration task and no schedule maintenance. From 87 used components for maintenance activities are evaluated and there 19 components that experience reclassification from non-routine components to routine components. Then the reliability and need of those components were calculated for one-year operation period. Based on this invention, it is suggested to change all of the components in overhaul activity to increase the reliability of roller mill system. Besides, the inventory system should follow maintenance schedule and the number of required components in maintenance activity so the value of procurement will be decreased and the reliability system will increase.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory Maintenance Implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bright, J.D.

1992-06-01

This Maintenance Implementation plan has been developed for Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) Nuclear Facilities: 306W, 324, 325, 327 and 329NMF. It is based on a graded approach, self-assessment of the existing maintenance program(s) per the requirements specified by US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4330.4A, Chapter II, Change number-sign 3. The results of this assessment were evaluated to determine needed improvements in PNL Craft Services' current maintenance program. The objective of this implementation plan is to provide baseline information for compliance to the DOE 4330.4A, and for needed improvements. The prime consideration in applying a graded approach to the Order has been to maintain safe and reliable operations, environmental compliance, safeguards and security, programmatic mission, facility preservation, and/or other facility-specific requirements. Using the results of the self-assessment, PNL has selected nine of the 18 elements of the Maintenance Program defined by DOE Order 4330.4A for improvement. The elements selected for improvement are Training and Qualification of Maintenance Personnel; Maintenance Procedures; Planning, Scheduling, and Coordination of Maintenance; Control of Maintenance Activities; Post-Maintenance Testing; Facility Condition Inspection; Management Involvement; Maintenance History; and Additional Maintenance Requirements. Based upon graded approach and current funding, those elements considered most important have been selected as goals for earliest compliance. Commitment dates for these elements have been established for compliance. The remaining elements of noncompliance will be targeted for implementation during later budget periods

TPX remote maintenance and shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rennich, M.J.; Nelson, B.E.

1994-01-01

The Tokamak Physics Experiment machine design incorporates comprehensive planning for efficient and safe component maintenance. Three programmatic decisions have been made to insure the successful implementation of this objective. First, the tokamak incorporates radiation shielding to reduce activation of components and limit the dose rate to personnel working on the outside of the machine. This allows most of the ex-vessel equipment to be maintained through conventional ''hands-on'' procedures. Second, to the maximum extent possible, low activation materials will be used inside the shielding volume. This resulted in the selection of Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) for the vacuum vessel and PFC structures. The third decision stipulated that the primary in-vessel components will be replaced or repaired via remote maintenance tools specifically provided for the task. The component designers have been given the responsibility of incorporating maintenance design and for proving the maintainability of the design concepts in full-scale mockup tests prior to the initiation of final fabrication. Remote maintenance of the TPX machine is facilitated by general purpose tools provided by a special purpose design team. Major tools will include an in-vessel transporter, a vessel transfer system and a large component transfer container. In addition, tools such as manipulators and remotely operable impact wrenches will be made available to the component designers by this group. Maintenance systems will also provide the necessary controls for this equipment

JRR-3 maintenance program utilizing accumulated maintenance data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izumo, Hironobu; Kato, Tomoaki; Kinase, Masami; Torii, Yoshiya; Murayama, Yoji

2007-07-01

JRR-3(Japan Research Reactor No.3) has been operated for more than 15 years after the modification, without significant troubles by carrying out maintenance such as the preventive maintenance (mainly time-based maintenance) for the safety-grade equipments and the breakdown maintenance for the non-safety-grade equipments. Unscheduled shutdowns causes by aged non-safety-grade equipments have been increasing, and the resources such as budgets have been decreasing year by year. In this situation, JRR-3 maintenance program was reviewed about safety, reliability and economic efficiency. This report offers the policy of the maintenance review and the future direction of maintenance programs. (author)

Principles of MONJU maintenance. Characteristic of MONJU maintenance and reflection of LWR maintenance experience to FBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakai, Satoru; Nishio, Ryuichi; Uchihashi, Masaya; Kaneko, Yoshihisa; Yamashita, Hironobu; Yamaguchi, Atsunori; Aoki, Takayuki

2014-01-01

A sodium cooled fast breeder reactor (FBR) has unique systems and components and different degradation mechanism from light water reactor (LWR) so that need to establish maintenance technology in accordance with its features. The examination of the FBR maintenance technology is carried out in the special committee for considering the maintenance for Monju established in the Japan Society of Maintenology (JSM). As a result of the study such as extraction of Monju maintenance feature, maintenance technology benchmark between Monju and LWR components and survey of LWR maintenance experience, it is clear that principles of maintenance are same as LWR, necessity of LWR maintenance experience reflection and points to be considered in Monju maintenance. The road map to establish a FBR maintenance technology in the technical aspect became clear and it is vital to acquire operation and maintenance experience of the plant to implement this road map, and to establish a fast reactor maintenance. (author)

Nuclear instrument maintenance and technical training in Nuclear Energy Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamad Nasir Abdul Wahid

1987-01-01

Instrument maintenance service is a necessity in a Nuclear Research Institute, such as the Nuclear Energy Unit (NEU) to ensure the smooth running of our research activities. However, realising that maintenance back-up service for either nuclear or other scientific equipment is a major problem in developing countries such as Malaysia, NEU has set up an Instrumentation and Control Department to assist in rectifying the maintenance problem. Beside supporting in house activities in NEU, the Instrumentation and Control Department (I and C) is also geared into providing services to other organisations in Malaysia. This paper will briefly outline the activities of NEU in nuclear instrument maintenance as well as in technical training. (author)

Intermediate energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koning, A.J.; Fukahori, T.; Hasegawa, A.

1998-01-01

Subgroup 13 (SG13) on Intermediate Energy Nuclear data was formed by NEA Nuclear Science Committee to solve common problems of these types of data for nuclear applications. An overview is presented in this final report of the present activities of SG13, including data needs, high-priority nuclear data request list (nuclides), compilation of experimental data, specialists meetings and benchmarks, data formats and data libraries. Some important accomplishments are summarized, and recommendations are presented. (R.P.)

The Modern Approach to Industrial Maintenance Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasile DEAC

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The maintenance activity isn’t a purpose in itself, it’s a necessity of which "the production suffers" and the financial agent “considers too expensive”. It often exists a conflict between the production units and the maintenance department, not only for a short term, but, sometimes, for a long term, imposing a rigorous definition of each person’s responsibilities. Considering the mutations in the industrial equipments’ technical complexity and the accidental failures’ catastrophic consequences from the economic and/or social point of view, it should be assigned a new dimension to the maintenance activity. One of the imperatives imposed to this action is represented by modern means of informing through the maintenance’s operational computerization.

The deterioration of intermediate moisture foods

Science.gov (United States)

Labruza, T. P.

1971-01-01

Deteriorative reactions are low and food quality high if intermediate moisture content of a food is held at a water activity of 0.6 to 0.75. Information is of interest to food processing and packaging industry.

Electric motor predictive and preventive maintenance guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, J.A.

1992-07-01

Electric motor performance is vital to the reliable and efficient operation of power plants. The failure of one or more critical motors could cause lost capacity and excessive repair and maintenance cost. However, existing maintenance recommendations proposed by vendors for electric motors have sometimes encouraged many overly conservative maintenance practices. These practices have lead to excessive maintenance activities and costs which have provided no extra margin of operability. EPRI has sponsored RP2814-35 to develop a guide which provides power plants with information and guidance for establishing an effective maintenance program which will aid in preventing unexpected motor failures and assist in planning motor maintenance efforts. The guide includes a technical description which summarizes technical data relative to the four basic types of motors and their components in general use in power plants. The significant causes of motor failures are investigated and described in detail and methods to optimize service life and minimize maintenance cost through appropriate preventive maintenance and conditioning program are presented. This guide provides a foundation for an effective electric motor maintenance program and simplifies the selection of predictive and preventive maintenance tasks. Its use will enable maintenance personnel in nuclear and fossil plants to plan motor repairs during scheduled outages and avoid costly unexpected failures

Remote maintenance concepts for the Compact Ignition Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, F.C.; Hager, E.R.

1988-01-01

Because deuterium-tritium fuel will be used in the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT), remote handling technology is needed to carry out some maintenance operations on the machine. In keeping with the compact, low-cost nature of CIT, remote maintenance is provided only for systems with the highest probability of failure. Remote operations include removing, repairing (if feasible), and replacing such components as thermal protection tiles on the first wall, radio-frequency (rf) heating modules, and diagnostic modules. For maintenance inside the vacuum vessel, major pieces of equipment under development include an articulated boom manipulator with servomanipulators, an inspection manipulator, and special tooling. For maintenance outside the cryostat, remote equipment includes a bridge-mounted manipulator system, equipment for decontamination and hot cell activities, and for handling and packaging solid radioactive waste. The conceptual design phase of the CIT project is nearing completion; research and development activities in support of the project include demonstrations of remote maintenance operations on full-size partial mock-ups. 9 figs

Trend analysis in the nuclear maintenance industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruemeli, W.A.

1986-01-01

The maintenance of nuclear facilities is a demanding, ongoing activity which requires the same level of quality as new construction. Heretofore, many owners and contractors have relied on ''gut feel'' to determine whether maintenance quality was improving or not. However, trend analysis now is becoming a key factor in monitoring plant activities to ensure quality. Literature abounds with descriptions of computerized systems for collecting and sorting data. Even the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has concurred, with its endorsement of trend analysis of construction indicators in NUREG 1055 (Ford Amendment Study). Stearns Catalytic has developed a unique system of tend analyses for nuclear plant activities. Aside from its intended purpose of determining the quality trends in maintenance activities, the program also supplies substantial quantitative data for control and management of the quality activities. Trend analysis is a time series analysis of a set of observations arranged in chronological order. The important aspect is the time basis, specifically the analysis of quality indicators over successive periods of time. Many program elements, including surveillances, nonconformances, inspections, and audits, are designed to look at quality indications

Joint optimization of maintenance, buffers and machines in manufacturing lines

Science.gov (United States)

Nahas, Nabil; Nourelfath, Mustapha

2018-01-01

This article considers a series manufacturing line composed of several machines separated by intermediate buffers of finite capacity. The goal is to find the optimal number of preventive maintenance actions performed on each machine, the optimal selection of machines and the optimal buffer allocation plan that minimize the total system cost, while providing the desired system throughput level. The mean times between failures of all machines are assumed to increase when applying periodic preventive maintenance. To estimate the production line throughput, a decomposition method is used. The decision variables in the formulated optimal design problem are buffer levels, types of machines and times between preventive maintenance actions. Three heuristic approaches are developed to solve the formulated combinatorial optimization problem. The first heuristic consists of a genetic algorithm, the second is based on the nonlinear threshold accepting metaheuristic and the third is an ant colony system. The proposed heuristics are compared and their efficiency is shown through several numerical examples. It is found that the nonlinear threshold accepting algorithm outperforms the genetic algorithm and ant colony system, while the genetic algorithm provides better results than the ant colony system for longer manufacturing lines.

Maintenance, a global approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calmejane, P.

2001-01-01

Maintenance is an important economic activity, it can represent up to 40% of operating costs in some fabrication units. The opening of energy markets to competition has led main operators to center their activities on their basis business and to sub-contract subsidiary activities. Subcontracting with strong engagements from the sub-contractor about results, time allowed and costs is now currently applied in nuclear industry. (A.C.)

340 Facility maintenance implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-03-01

This Maintenance Implementation Plan (MIP) has been developed for maintenance functions associated with the 340 Facility. This plan is developed from the guidelines presented by Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4330.4B, Maintenance Management Program (DOE 1994), Chapter II. The objective of this plan is to provide baseline information for establishing and identifying Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) conformance programs and policies applicable to implementation of DOE order 4330.4B guidelines. In addition, this maintenance plan identifies the actions necessary to develop a cost-effective and efficient maintenance program at the 340 Facility. Primary responsibility for the performance and oversight of maintenance activities at the 340 Facility resides with Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC). Maintenance at the 340 Facility is performed by ICF-Kaiser Hanford (ICF-KH) South Programmatic Services crafts persons. This 340 Facility MIP provides interface requirements and responsibilities as they apply specifically to the 340 Facility. This document provides an implementation schedule which has been developed for items considered to be deficient or in need of improvement. The discussion sections, as applied to implementation at the 340 Facility, have been developed from a review of programs and practices utilizing the graded approach. Biennial review and additional reviews are conducted as significant programmatic and mission changes are made. This document is revised as necessary to maintain compliance with DOE requirements

340 Facility maintenance implementation plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-03-01

This Maintenance Implementation Plan (MIP) has been developed for maintenance functions associated with the 340 Facility. This plan is developed from the guidelines presented by Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4330.4B, Maintenance Management Program (DOE 1994), Chapter II. The objective of this plan is to provide baseline information for establishing and identifying Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) conformance programs and policies applicable to implementation of DOE order 4330.4B guidelines. In addition, this maintenance plan identifies the actions necessary to develop a cost-effective and efficient maintenance program at the 340 Facility. Primary responsibility for the performance and oversight of maintenance activities at the 340 Facility resides with Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC). Maintenance at the 340 Facility is performed by ICF-Kaiser Hanford (ICF-KH) South Programmatic Services crafts persons. This 340 Facility MIP provides interface requirements and responsibilities as they apply specifically to the 340 Facility. This document provides an implementation schedule which has been developed for items considered to be deficient or in need of improvement. The discussion sections, as applied to implementation at the 340 Facility, have been developed from a review of programs and practices utilizing the graded approach. Biennial review and additional reviews are conducted as significant programmatic and mission changes are made. This document is revised as necessary to maintain compliance with DOE requirements.

Intermediate treatments

Science.gov (United States)

John R. Jones; Wayne D. Shepperd

1985-01-01

Intermediate treatments are those applied after a new stand is successfully established and before the final harvest. These include not only intermediate cuttings - primarily thinning - but also fertilization, irrigation, and protection of the stand from damaging agents.

Solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems using stochastic simulation and multi-criteria fuzzy decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tahvili, Sahar; Österberg, Jonas; Silvestrov, Sergei; Biteus, Jonas

2014-01-01

One of the most important factors in the operations of many cooperations today is to maximize profit and one important tool to that effect is the optimization of maintenance activities. Maintenance activities is at the largest level divided into two major areas, corrective maintenance (CM) and preventive maintenance (PM). When optimizing maintenance activities, by a maintenance plan or policy, we seek to find the best activities to perform at each point in time, be it PM or CM. We explore the use of stochastic simulation, genetic algorithms and other tools for solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems in terms of a suggested framework model based on discrete event simulation

Solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems using stochastic simulation and multi-criteria fuzzy decision making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tahvili, Sahar [Mälardalen University (Sweden); Österberg, Jonas; Silvestrov, Sergei [Division of Applied Mathematics, Mälardalen University (Sweden); Biteus, Jonas [Scania CV (Sweden)

2014-12-10

One of the most important factors in the operations of many cooperations today is to maximize profit and one important tool to that effect is the optimization of maintenance activities. Maintenance activities is at the largest level divided into two major areas, corrective maintenance (CM) and preventive maintenance (PM). When optimizing maintenance activities, by a maintenance plan or policy, we seek to find the best activities to perform at each point in time, be it PM or CM. We explore the use of stochastic simulation, genetic algorithms and other tools for solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems in terms of a suggested framework model based on discrete event simulation.

Optimisation of distributed maintenance: Modelling and application to the multi-factory production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simeu-Abazi, Zineb, E-mail: Zineb.Simeu-Abazi@g-scop.inpg.fr [Laboratory G-SCOP, 46 Avenue Felix Viallet, 38031 Grenoble Cedex 1 (France); Ahmad, Alali Alhouaij [Laboratory G-SCOP, 46 Avenue Felix Viallet, 38031 Grenoble Cedex 1 (France)

2011-11-15

This paper concerns the modelling and the cost evaluation of maintenance activities in a distributed context. In this work we study the particular case where the maintenance activities are executed by two workshops: a central maintenance workshop (CMW) and a mobile maintenance workshop (MMW). The CMW concerns the repairing process for the corrective maintenance and the MMW executes all preventive maintenance in several factories according to a defined scheduling. The aim is to take into account the resources (spare parts in the MMW) and maintenance actions for a given operating budget. A modular approach for modelling a multi-site structure is proposed to achieve the aim of improving the availability of facilities on production sites while minimising the cost of maintenance.

Increasing the competitiveness of maintenance contract rates by using an alternative methodology for the calculation of average vehicle maintenance costs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Carstens

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Companies tend to outsource transport to fleet management companies to increase efficiencies if transport is a non-core activity. The provision of fleet management services on contract introduces a certain amount of financial risk to the fleet management company, specifically fixed rate maintenance contracts. The quoted rate needs to be sufficient and also competitive in the market. Currently the quoted maintenance rates are based on the maintenance specifications of the manufacturer and the risk management approach of the fleet management company. This is usually reflected in a contingency that is included in the quoted maintenance rate. An alternative methodology for calculating the average maintenance cost for a vehicle fleet is proposed based on the actual maintenance expenditures of the vehicles and accepted statistical techniques. The proposed methodology results in accurate estimates (and associated confidence limits of the true average maintenance cost and can beused as a basis for the maintenance quote.

Early implementation of the Maintenance Rule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, J.R.

1995-01-01

On July 10, 1991, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published the Maintenance Rule as Section 50.65 of 10 CFR 50. The purpose of the Maintenance Rule is to ensure that the effectiveness of maintenance activities is assessed on an ongoing basis in a manner that ensures key structures, systems, and components are capable of performing their intended function. Full implementation of the rule is required by July 10, 1996. On May 31, 1994, the NRC published Generic Letter 94-01, which allowed removal of technical specification accelerated testing and special reporting requirements for emergency diesel generators provided a program is implemented for monitoring and maintaining emergency diesel generator performance consistent with the provisions of the Maintenance Rule

Safety of nuclear operation and maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, M.; Nitta, T.; Sakai, K.

1994-01-01

The Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc.(Kansai EPC) aims to pursue a high quality and highly reliable operation in nuclear power generation in order to ensure safety by reducing the risk of accidents and win the confidence from the society and the public. It is emphasised that in order to realize this aim manufacturers and contractors cooperate with each other in performing high quality maintenance through plant lifetime maintenance system. TQC (Total Quality Control) activity enhances the motivation for each individual to have a quality-oriented mind and cultivate the safety culture. Under the lifetime employment practice, Kansai EPC and maintenance contractors can conduct systematic education and training, and the Maintenance Training Center helps to make it effective. 6 figs

Regulatory oversight of maintenance activities at nuclear power plants in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouton, J.P.; Lallement, J.

1997-01-01

In France the nuclear safety authority sets out the main safety objectives but the operator remains the first responsible for the NPP safety. During the operation, operators have to demonstrate that the safety level remains the same as defined in the design studies. Maintenance contributes to meet this objective. The French regulation insists on the quality of the safety related components maintenance, especially in the 1984 order. All gap between results and requirements have to be analyzed by operator who provide feedback measures to avoid similar failure to occur. This gap have to be mentioned to regulators. The use of probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) and reliability centered maintenance (RCM) methods is not well developed in France to optimize maintenance. For the French regulatory, the major difficulties in the use of PSA are: The impossibility to detect unanticipated failure mode; the validity of the input data; the validity of model use, based on ''engineering judgement''. For the specific case of passive components inspection, such as the vessel of the primary circuit, the French regulator has already indicated to the operator that the optimization of maintenance by use of PSA cannot be used, for the following reasons: The safety analysis does not take into account the failure of the vessel; unanticipated failure modes have already damaged part of the primary circuit; the use of defense in depth concept requires a systematic detection of any defect on the vessel. (author)

Improved inflammatory activity with peginterferon alfa-2b maintenance therapy in non-cirrhotic prior non-responders: a randomized study.

Science.gov (United States)

Poynard, Thierry; Bruix, Jordi; Schiff, Eugene R; Diago, Moises; Berg, Thomas; Moreno-Otero, Ricardo; Lyra, Andre C; Carrilho, Flair; Griffel, Louis H; Boparai, Navdeep; Jiang, Ruiyun; Burroughs, Margaret; Brass, Clifford A; Albrecht, Janice K

2013-03-01

Therapeutic options for patients failing hepatitis C retreatment are limited. EPIC(3) included a prospective trial assessing long-term peginterferon alfa-2b (PegIFNα-2b) maintenance therapy in patients with METAVIR fibrosis scores (MFS) of F2 or F3 who previously failed hepatitis C retreatment. Patients with F2/F3 MFS who failed retreatment were randomized to PegIFNα-2b (0.5 μg/kg/week, n=270) or observation (n=270) for 36 months. Blinded liver biopsies obtained before retreatment and after maintenance therapy were evaluated using MFS and activity scores, and confirmatory testing was performed using FibroTest and ActiTest. In total, 348 patients had paired biopsies: 192 patients had missing post-treatment biopsies and were considered as having no change in fibrosis/activity scores. In total, 16% of patients receiving PegIFNα-2b and 11% of observation patients had improvement in MFS (p=0.32). More PegIFNα-2b than observation patients had improvement in activity score (20% vs. 9%; p 2.5 years, improvement in MFS or activity score was more common with PegIFNα-2b than observation (21% vs. 14%, p=0.08 and 26% vs. 10%, p 2.5 years. Both FibroTest and ActiTest were significantly improved during maintenance therapy. Copyright © 2012 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A framework for the design of a voice-activated, intelligent, and hypermedia-based aircraft maintenance manual

Science.gov (United States)

Patankar, Manoj Shashikant

Federal Aviation Regulations require Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) to refer to approved maintenance manuals when performing maintenance on airworthy aircraft. Because these manuals are paper-based, larger the size of the aircraft, more cumbersome are the manuals. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recognized the difficulties associated with the use of large manuals and conducted studies on the use of electronic media as an alternative to the traditional paper format. However, these techniques do not employ any artificial intelligence technologies and the user interface is limited to either a keyboard or a stylus pen. The primary emphasis of this research was to design a generic framework that would allow future development of voice-activated, intelligent, and hypermedia-based aircraft maintenance manuals. A prototype (VIHAMS-Voice-activated, Intelligent, and Hypermedia-based Aircraft Maintenance System) was developed, as a secondary emphasis, using the design and development techniques that evolved from this research. An evolutionary software design approach was used to design the proposed framework and the structured rapid prototyping technique was used to produce the VIHAMS prototype. VoiceAssist by Creative Labs was used to provide the voice interface so that the users (AMTs) could keep their hands free to work on the aircraft while maintaining complete control over the computer through discrete voice commands. KnowledgePro for Windows sp{TM}, an expert system shell, provided "intelligence" to the prototype. As a result of this intelligence, the system provided expert guidance to the user. The core information contained in conventional manuals was available in a hypermedia format. The prototype's operating hardware included a notebook computer with a fully functional audio system. An external microphone and the built-in speaker served as the input and output devices (along with the color monitor), respectively. Federal Aviation Administration

Integrated services and maintenance in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roos, Georg

2001-01-01

The general situation concerning services and nuclear power maintenance is reviewed following liberalization of Europa's power market. Issues relating to outsourcing maintenance services, effectiveness and reducing cost structure of maintenance are addressed on the cases of power markets in northern countries, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Hungary. A special attention is paid on range of maintenance activity offered and performanced by Framatome. Ways of reducing costs in the field of maintenance as well as of reducing outage time are indicated. In conclusion, the following items are emphasized: - liberalization of Europe's power market in eastern Europe at its beginning; - in-house service in eastern Europe with numerous personnel; - Framatome ANP covers the entire range of maintenance competence; - consultance can be the first approach for a common co-operation

PNGMDR - Characterisation of intermediate-level long-lived wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-12-01

This document presents the status of the characterization of intermediate-level long-lived wastes which are warehoused on exploited EDF sites or which will be produced during the deconstruction of first-generation reactors. It addresses aspects related to characterisation and packaging of wastes produced before 2015. More specifically, it addresses aspects related to contamination and to activation. Contamination is assessed by measurements whereas activation assessment is based on numerical simulations associated with measurements performed during parcel production. After having mentioned the concerned reactors, the document presents the methodology adopted for these assessments, and reports the progress status of the characterization process for these intermediate-level long-lived wastes

Waste sampling and characterization facility (WSCF) maintenance implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinemann, J.L.; Millard, G.E.

1997-08-01

This Maintenance Implementation Plan (MIP) is written to satisfy the requirements of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4330.4B, Maintenance Management Program that specifies the general policy and objectives for the establishment of the DOE controlled maintenance programs. These programs provide for the management and performance of cost effective maintenance and repair of the DOE property, which includes facilities. This document outlines maintenance activities associated with the facilities operated by Waste Management Hanford, Inc. (WMH). The objective of this MIP is to provide baseline information for the control and execution of WMH Facility Maintenance activities relative to the requirements of Order 4330.4B, assessment of the WMH maintenance programs, and actions necessary to maintain compliance with the Order. Section 2.0 summarizes the history, mission and description of the WMH facilities. Section 3.0 describes maintenance scope and requirements, and outlines the overall strategy for implementing the maintenance program. Specific elements of DOE Order 4330.4B are addressed in Section 4.0, listing the objective of each element, a discussion of the WMH compliance methodology, and current implementation requirements with references to WMH and HNF policies and procedures. Section 5.0 addresses deviations from policy requirements, and Section 6.0 is a schedule for specific improvements in support of this MIP

MYC activation is a hallmark of cancer initiation and maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabay, Meital; Li, Yulin; Felsher, Dean W

2014-06-02

The MYC proto-oncogene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of most types of human tumors. MYC activation alone in many normal cells is restrained from causing tumorigenesis through multiple genetic and epigenetically controlled checkpoint mechanisms, including proliferative arrest, apoptosis, and cellular senescence. When pathologically activated in a permissive epigenetic and/or genetic context, MYC bypasses these mechanisms, enforcing many of the "hallmark" features of cancer, including relentless tumor growth associated with DNA replication and transcription, cellular proliferation and growth, protein synthesis, and altered cellular metabolism. MYC mandates tumor cell fate, by inducing stemness and blocking cellular senescence and differentiation. Additionally, MYC orchestrates changes in the tumor microenvironment, including the activation of angiogenesis and suppression of the host immune response. Provocatively, brief or even partial suppression of MYC back to its physiological levels of activation can result in the restoration of intrinsic checkpoint mechanisms, resulting in acute and sustained tumor regression, associated with tumor cells undergoing proliferative arrest, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis, as well as remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, recruitment of an immune response, and shutdown of angiogenesis. Hence, tumors appear to be "addicted" to MYC because of both tumor cell-intrinsic, cell-autonomous and host-dependent, immune cell-dependent mechanisms. Both the trajectory and persistence of many human cancers require sustained MYC activation. Multiscale mathematical modeling may be useful to predict when tumors will be addicted to MYC. MYC is a hallmark molecular feature of both the initiation and maintenance of tumorigenesis. Copyright © 2014 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Motivational indictors predicting the engagement, frequency and adequacy of rainwater tank maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Mankad, Aditi; Greenhill, Murni

2014-01-01

Rainwater tank maintenance is a key social behavior in our changing environment, as tanks are being adopted worldwide to augment household water supplies and reduce urban water stress. The maintenance of rainwater tanks in urban areas is an important pro-environmental behavior that prevents public health issues arising from unhygienic tank use. This study examined motivational differences in maintenance behavior between householders with retrofitted and mandated (compulsory) rainwater tanks on their property (N = 1988). Results showed that retrofitted tank owners were more self-determined in their motivation than mandated owners. Amotivation and integrated regulation were both dominant predictors of engagement in tank maintenance, frequency and adequacy of tank maintenance activities. Those involved in more maintenance activity were likely driven to do so because of feelings of adherence to personal goals and values (e.g., as "sustainable" citizens), whereas individuals who experienced a lack of control and alienation from the activity were likely to view maintenance as meaningless. Thus, people with higher integrated regulation engaged in more tank maintenance activities, whereas more amotivated individuals engaged in less maintenance. As cities begin relying more on citizen self-sufficiency with respect to water and energy resources, issues relating to infrastructure maintenance and operation become paramount. Results show that motivation is important in the impetus to engage in a pro-environmental behavior as well as the frequency and accuracy with which that behavior is undertaken. Policy implications are further discussed.

Program integration of predictive maintenance with reliability centered maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong, D.K. Jr; Wray, D.M.

1990-01-01

This paper addresses improving the safety and reliability of power plants in a cost-effective manner by integrating the recently developed reliability centered maintenance techniques with the traditional predictive maintenance techniques of nuclear power plants. The topics of the paper include a description of reliability centered maintenance (RCM), enhancing RCM with predictive maintenance, predictive maintenance programs, condition monitoring techniques, performance test techniques, the mid-Atlantic Reliability Centered Maintenance Users Group, test guides and the benefits of shared guide development

Maintenance of the JET active gas handling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennan, P.D.; Bell, A.C.; Brown, K.; Cole, C.; Cooper, B.; Gibbons, C.; Harris, M.; Jones, G.; Knipe, S.; Lewis, J.; Manning, C.; Miller, A.; Perevezentsev, A.; Skinner, N.; Stagg, R.; Stead, M.; Thomas, R.; Yorkshades, J.

2003-01-01

The JET active gas handling system (AGHS) has been in operation in conjunction with the JET machine since Spring 1997. The tritium levels within the vessel have remained sufficiently high, 6.2 g at the end of the DTE1 experiment and currently 1.5 g, such that the AGHS has been required to operate continuously to detritiate gases liberated during D-D operations and to maintain discharges to the environment to ALARP. Maintaining the system to ensure continued operation has been a key factor in guaranteeing the continued availability of the essential sub-systems. The operational history of the JET AGHS has been previously documented in a number of papers [R. Laesser, et al. Proc. of the 19th SOFT Conf. 1 (1996) 227; R. Laesser, et al., Fusion Eng. Des. 46 (1999) 307; P.D. Brennan, et al., 18th Symp. on Fusion Eng., 1999]. Operational downtime is minimised through well-engineered sub-systems that use high integrity components. Outage, contamination and operator dosage are minimised through pre-planned and prepared maintenance operations. The reliability of sub-system critical condition fault detection is demonstrated through routine testing of hard-wired alarms and interlocks

Implementation of the maintenance rule in Spain the PSA role

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerez, L.; Coello, A.

2000-01-01

The 10CFR50, 65 (Maintenance Rule) requires commercial nuclear power plant licensees to monitor the effectiveness of maintenance activities for safety important plant equipment in order to minimise the likelihood of failures and events caused by the lack of effective maintenance. (Author)

Optimization of maintenance policy using the proportional hazard model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samrout, M. [Information Sciences and Technologies Institute, University of Technology of Troyes, 10000 Troyes (France)], E-mail: mohamad.el_samrout@utt.fr; Chatelet, E. [Information Sciences and Technologies Institute, University of Technology of Troyes, 10000 Troyes (France)], E-mail: chatelt@utt.fr; Kouta, R. [M3M Laboratory, University of Technology of Belfort Montbeliard (France); Chebbo, N. [Industrial Systems Laboratory, IUT, Lebanese University (Lebanon)

2009-01-15

The evolution of system reliability depends on its structure as well as on the evolution of its components reliability. The latter is a function of component age during a system's operating life. Component aging is strongly affected by maintenance activities performed on the system. In this work, we consider two categories of maintenance activities: corrective maintenance (CM) and preventive maintenance (PM). Maintenance actions are characterized by their ability to reduce this age. PM consists of actions applied on components while they are operating, whereas CM actions occur when the component breaks down. In this paper, we expound a new method to integrate the effect of CM while planning for the PM policy. The proportional hazard function was used as a modeling tool for that purpose. Interesting results were obtained when comparison between policies that take into consideration the CM effect and those that do not is established.

Maintenance program guidelines for programmatic equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-11-01

The Division Directors at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory are responsible for implementing a maintenance program for research equipment (also referred to as programmatic equipment) assigned to them. The program must allow maintenance to be accomplished in a manner that promotes operational safety, environmental protection and compliance, and cost effectiveness; that preserves the intended functions of the facilities and equipment; and that supports the programmatic mission of the Laboratory. Programmatic equipment -- such as accelerators, lasers, radiation detection equipment, and glove boxes -- is dedicated specifically to research. Installed equipment, by contrast, includes the mechanical and electrical systems installed as part of basic building construction, equipment essential to the normal functioning of the facility and its intended use. Examples of installed equipment are heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems; elevators; and communications systems. The LBL Operating and Assurance Program Plan (PUB-3111, Revision 4) requires that a maintenance program be prepared for programmatic equipment and defines the basic maintenance program elements. Such a program of regular, documented maintenance is vital to the safety and quality of research activities. As a part of that support, this document offers guidance to Laboratory organizations for developing their maintenance programs. It clarifies the maintenance requirements of the Operating and Assurance Program (OAP) and presents an approach that, while not the only possibility, can be expected to produce an effective maintenance program for research equipment belonging to the Laboratory's organizations

Asbestos exposure of building maintenance personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Mlynarek, S; Corn, M; Blake, C

1996-06-01

The exposures of building maintenance personnel and occupants to airborne asbestos fibers, and the effects of operations and maintenance programs on those exposures, continue to be an important public health issue. The subject of this investigation was a large metropolitan county with numerous public buildings which routinely conducted air sampling for asbestos. A total of 302 personal air samples in nine task categories collected during maintenance worker activities in proximity to asbestos-containing materials were analyzed; 102 environmental air samples in four task categories were also analyzed. The arithmetic means of the 8-hr time weighted average exposures for personal sampling for each task category were all below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure level of 0.1 fibers (f)/cc > 5 microm. The highest mean 8-hr time weighted average exposure was 0.030 f/cc > 5 microm for ceiling tile replacement. The maximum asbestos concentration during sample collection for environmental samples was 0.027 f/cc > 5 microm. All asbestos-related maintenance work was done within the framework of an Operations and Maintenance Program (OMP) which utilized both personal protective equipment and controls against fiber release/dispersion. Results are presented in association with specific OMP procedures or controls. These results support the effectiveness of using Operations and Maintenance Programs to manage asbestos in buildings without incurring unacceptable risk to maintenance workers performing maintenance tasks.

Optimum Maintenance Strategies for Highway Bridges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frangopol, Dan M.; Thoft-Christensen, Palle; Das, Parag C.

As bridges become older and maintenance costs become higher, transportation agencies are facing challenges related to implementation of optimal bridge management programs based on life cycle cost considerations. A reliability-based approach is necessary to find optimal solutions based on minimum...... expected life-cycle costs or maximum life-cycle benefits. This is because many maintenance activities can be associated with significant costs, but their effects on bridge safety can be minor. In this paper, the program of an investigation on optimum maintenance strategies for different bridge types...... is described. The end result of this investigation will be a general reliability-based framework to be used by the UK Highways Agency in order to plan optimal strategies for the maintenance of its bridge network so as to optimize whole-life costs....

A quantitative comparison of corrective and perfective maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Joel; Cain, James

1994-01-01

This paper presents a quantitative comparison of corrective and perfective software maintenance activities. The comparison utilizes basic data collected throughout the maintenance process. The data collected are extensive and allow the impact of both types of maintenance to be quantitatively evaluated and compared. Basic statistical techniques test relationships between and among process and product data. The results show interesting similarities and important differences in both process and product characteristics.

PLC based control system and maintenance activities at NCAR, Bilaspur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewangan, Jaidev; Trivedi, T.; Patel, Shiv P.; Malik, C.; Kumar, Rakesh; Gupta, Santosh Kumar; Bajpai, P.K.

2015-01-01

A 3.0 MV high current low energy Pelletron Accelerator facility (Model 9SDH-4, NEC, USA) with TORUIS (ion source for H + and He 2+ beam current H + ion ∼ 50μA @ 6 MeV, He 2+ at ∼ 10μA) and SNICS-II ion source for heavy ions has been commissioned as 'National Centre for Accelerator Based Research' in the Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya. In this paper, we detail out the control system developed and implemented at NCAR. The basic idea of controlling the machine is by providing the output signal through PLC to ACPC of accelerator using user interface points provided by the manufacturer. The PLC based system generates output signal once it receives the feedback signals from search and secure switches, door lock switches and scram switches interlocked with PLC. The output is controlled by ladder logic and is activated only when all the radiation monitors are in healthy state and outside radiations monitor having low radiation level. The details of control system and maintenance activities will be discussed in the paper

Initial integration of accident safety, waste management, recycling, effluent, and maintenance considerations for low-activation materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, S.J.; Herring, J.S.; Cheng, E.T.; Fetter, S.

1991-01-01

A true low-activation material should ideally achieve all of the following objectives: 1. The possible prompt dose at the site boundary from 100% release of the inventory should be <2 Sv (200 rem); hence, the design would be inherently safe in that no possible accident could result in prompt radiation fatalities. 2. The possible cancers from realistic releases should be limited such that the accident risk is <0.1%/yr of the existing background cancer risk to local residents. This includes consideration of elemental volatility. 3. The decay heat should be limited so that active mitigative measures are not needed to protect the investment from cooling transients; hence, the design would be passively safe with respect to decay heat. 4. Used materials could be either recycled or disposed of as near- surface waste. 5. Hands-on maintenance should be possible around coolant system piping and components such as the heat exchanger. 6. Effluent of activation products should be minor compared to the major challenge of limiting tritium effluents. The most recent studies in these areas are used to determine which individual elements and engineering materials are low activation. Grades from A (best) to G (worst) are given to each element in the areas of accident safety, recycling, and waste management. Structure/fluid combinations are examined for low-activation effluents and out-of-blanket maintenance. The lowest activation structural materials are silicon carbide, vanadium alloys, and ferritic steels. Impurities and minor alloying constituents must be carefully considered. The lowest activation coolants are helium, water, FLiBe, and lithium. The lowest activation breeders are lithium, lithium oxide, lithium silicate, and FLiBe. Designs focusing on these truly low-activation materials will help achieve the excellent safety and environmental potential of fusion energy

Operations and maintenance plan : Dallas Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) demonstration project.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

This Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Plan describes how the Integrated Corridor Management System (ICMS) will be used in daily transportation operations and maintenance activities. The Plan addresses the activities needed to effectively operate the ...

Plant inspection and maintenance technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyahara, Masatoshi; Kanazawa, Masafumi

1995-01-01

The article reports on information systems and related tools that support routine inspection and preventive maintenance activities, which contribute to safer plant operation and increase plant operating duty. Tools include the Mitsubishi Electric Reliability and Availability Upgrade Program-Nuclear (MELRAP-N), which supports the general evolution of industry operating experiences, periodic component replacement management, management of discontinued and modified components, periodic inspection item management, and periodic inspection workplace management. The article also introduces a comprehensive preventive maintenance management system currently under development. (author)

Location of an intermediate hub for port activities

Science.gov (United States)

Burciu, Ş.; Ştefănică, C.; Roşca, E.; Dragu, V.; Ruscă, F.

2015-11-01

An intermediate hub might increase the accessibility level of ports but also hinterland and so it can be considered more than a facility with a transhipment role. These hubs might lead to the development of other transport services and enhance their role in gathering and covering economic centres within hinterlands and also getting the part of logistic facility for the ports, with effects on port utilization and its connectivity to global economy. A new location for a hub terminal leads to reduced transport distances within hinterland, with decreased transport costs and external effects, so with gains in people's life quality. Because the production and distribution systems are relatively fixed on short and medium term and the location decisions are strategic and on long term, the logistic chains activities location models have to consider the uncertainties regarding the possible future situations. In most models, production costs are considered equal, the location problem reducing itself to a problem that aims to minimize the total transport costs, meaning the transport problem. The main objective of the paper is to locate a hub terminal that links the producers of cereals that are going to be exported by naval transportation with the Romanian fluvial-maritime ports (Galaţi, Brăila). GIS environment can be used to integrate and analyse a great amount of data and has the ability of using functions as location - allocation models necessary both to private and public sector, being able to determine the optimal location for services like factories, warehouses, logistic platforms and other public services.

Maintenance of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Migaud, D.; Hutin, J.P.; Jouette, I.; Eymond, P.; Devie, P.; Cudelou, C.; Magnier, S.; Frydman, M.

2016-01-01

This document gathers different articles concerning the maintenance of the French nuclear power plants. The first article analyses the impact of the recent law on the energetic transition that sets the share of nuclear power at 50% of the electricity produced by 2025. A consequence may be the decommissioning of 17 to 20 reactors by 2025 and the huge maintenance program called 'Grand Carenage' whose aim is to extend operating life over 40 years will have to be re-considered in order to avoid useless expenses. The second article shows that in 2015 the French nuclear reactor fleet got very good results in terms of availability and safety. There were 49 scheduled outages and among them some ended ahead of time. The third article describes the specificities of the maintenance of a nuclear power plant, for instance the redundancy of some systems implies that maintenance has to deal with systems that have never functioned but must be ready to operate at any moment. Another specificity is the complexity of a nuclear power plant that implies an essential phase of preparation for maintenance operations. Because of safety requirements any maintenance operation has to be controlled, checked and may provide feedback. The fourth article presents the 'Grand Carenage' maintenance program that involves the following operations: the replacement of steam generators, the re-tubing of condensers, the replacement of the filtering drums used for cooling water, the testing of the reactor building, the hydraulic test of the primary circuit and the inspection of the reactor vessel. The fifth article focuses on the organization of the work-site for maintenance operations and the example of the Belleville-sur-Loire is described in the sixth article. Important maintenance operations like 'Grand Carenage' requires a strong collaboration with a network of specialized enterprises and as no reactor (except Flamanville EPR) is being built in France, maintenance

Delayed radical prostatectomy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer is associated with biochemical recurrence: possible implications for active surveillance from the SEARCH database.

Science.gov (United States)

Abern, Michael R; Aronson, William J; Terris, Martha K; Kane, Christopher J; Presti, Joseph C; Amling, Christopher L; Freedland, Stephen J

2013-03-01

Active surveillance (AS) is increasingly accepted as appropriate management for low-risk prostate cancer (PC) patients. It is unknown whether delaying radical prostatectomy (RP) is associated with increased risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) for men with intermediate-risk PC. We performed a retrospective analysis of 1,561 low and intermediate-risk men from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital (SEARCH) database treated with RP between 1988 and 2011. Patients were stratified by interval between diagnosis and RP (≤ 3, 3-6, 6-9, or >9 months) and by risk using the D'Amico classification. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze BCR. Logistic regression was used to analyze positive surgical margins (PSM), extracapsular extension (ECE), and pathologic upgrading. Overall, 813 (52%) men were low-risk, and 748 (48%) intermediate-risk. Median follow-up among men without recurrence was 52.9 months, during which 437 men (38.9%) recurred. For low-risk men, RP delays were unrelated to BCR, ECE, PSM, or upgrading (all P > 0.05). For intermediate-risk men, however, delays >9 months were significantly related to BCR (HR: 2.10, P = 0.01) and PSM (OR: 4.08, P 9 months were associated with BCR in subsets of intermediate-risk men with biopsy Gleason score ≤ 3 + 4 (HR: 2.51, P 9 months predicted greater BCR and PSM risk. If confirmed in future studies, this suggests delayed RP for intermediate-risk PC may compromise outcomes. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Public acceptance of fusion energy and scientific feasibility of a fusion reactor. DREAM (DRastically EAsy Maintenance) tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishio, Satoshi

1998-01-01

If the major part of the electric power demand will be supplied by tokamak fusion power plants, a suitable tokamak reactor must be an ultimate goal, i.e., the reactor must be excellent both in terms of construction cost and safety aspects including operation availability (maintainability and reliability). In attaining this goal, an approach focusing on both safety and availability (including reliability and maintainability) issues is the most promising strategy. The tokamak reactor concept with a very high aspect ratio configuration and SiC/SiC composite structural materials is compatible with this approach, which is called the DREAM (DRastically EAsy Maintenance) approach. The SiC/SiC composite is a low activation material and an insulation material, and the high aspect ratio configuration leads to good accessibility for the maintenance of machines. As an intermediate steps between an experimental reactor such as ITER and the ultimate goal, the development of prototype reactor which demonstrates electric power generation and an initial-phase commercial reactor which demonstrates for COE (cost of electricity) competitiveness has been investigated. Especially for the prototype reactor, material and technological immaturity must be considered. (J.P.N.)

Maintenance facilities, stores and records

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, K.

1986-01-01

The topics of this report are: on-site or off-site facilities. On-site facilities: workshops and special facilities. KWU's Service Center, a typical off-site supporting facility in Germany, capabilities and activities. A pool for special tools and equipment: devices for plugging of nozzles, for handling of RPU-studs and RPU internals etc. Devices for and management of radiological protection on-site for typical outage work. Spare parts and spare part management on site, typical examples. KWU's centralized spare part pools for components, generators and turbines etc. A computerized system for spare parts storage and maintenance planning. A system for mutual exchange of operational experience with respect to maintenance and repair activities. Systematic evaluation of failures and statistical results. (orig./GL)

Mining Surveillance and Maintenance Dollars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MARTINEZ, R.

2000-01-01

Accelerating site cleanup to reduce facility risks to the workers, the public and the environment during a time of declining federal budgets represents a significant technical and economic challenge to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Operations Offices and their respective contractors. A significant portion of a facility's recurring annual expenses are associated with routine, long-term surveillance and maintenance (S and M) activities. However, ongoing S and M activities do nothing to reduce risks and basically spend money that could be reallocated towards facility deactivation. This paper discusses the background around DOE efforts to reduce surveillance and maintenance costs, one approach used to perform cost reviews, lessons learned from field implementation and what assistance is available to assist DOE sites in performing these evaluations

Dr. Mainte. Integrated simulator of maintenance optimization of LWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isobe, Yoshihiro; Sagisaka, Mitsuyuki; Etoh, Junji; Matsunaga, Takashi; Kosaka, Toru; Matsumoto, Satoshi; Yoshimura, Shinobu

2014-01-01

Dr. Mainte, an integrated simulator for maintenance optimization of LWRs (Light Water Reactors) has been developed based on PFM (Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics) analyses. The concept of the simulator is to provide a decision-making system to optimize maintenance activities for representative components and piping systems in nuclear power plants totally and quantitatively in terms of safety, availability and economic efficiency, environmental impact and social acceptance. For the further improvement of the safety and availability, the effect of human error and its reduction on the optimization of plant maintenance activities and approaches of reducing it have been studied. (author)

Manganese-Oxygen Intermediates in O-O Bond Activation and Hydrogen-Atom Transfer Reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Derek B; Massie, Allyssa A; Jackson, Timothy A

2017-11-21

Biological systems capitalize on the redox versatility of manganese to perform reactions involving dioxygen and its derivatives superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water. The reactions of manganese enzymes influence both human health and the global energy cycle. Important examples include the detoxification of reactive oxygen species by manganese superoxide dismutase, biosynthesis by manganese ribonucleotide reductase and manganese lipoxygenase, and water splitting by the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II. Although these enzymes perform very different reactions and employ structurally distinct active sites, manganese intermediates with peroxo, hydroxo, and oxo ligation are commonly proposed in catalytic mechanisms. These intermediates are also postulated in mechanisms of synthetic manganese oxidation catalysts, which are of interest due to the earth abundance of manganese. In this Account, we describe our recent efforts toward understanding O-O bond activation pathways of Mn III -peroxo adducts and hydrogen-atom transfer reactivity of Mn IV -oxo and Mn III -hydroxo complexes. In biological and synthetic catalysts, peroxomanganese intermediates are commonly proposed to decay by either Mn-O or O-O cleavage pathways, although it is often unclear how the local coordination environment influences the decay mechanism. To address this matter, we generated a variety of Mn III -peroxo adducts with varied ligand environments. Using parallel-mode EPR and Mn K-edge X-ray absorption techniques, the decay pathway of one Mn III -peroxo complex bearing a bulky macrocylic ligand was investigated. Unlike many Mn III -peroxo model complexes that decay to oxo-bridged-Mn III Mn IV dimers, decay of this Mn III -peroxo adduct yielded mononuclear Mn III -hydroxo and Mn IV -oxo products, potentially resulting from O-O bond activation of the Mn III -peroxo unit. These results highlight the role of ligand sterics in promoting the formation of mononuclear products and mark an important

Maintenance policy of the nuclear park

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teisset, J.M.

1995-01-01

The nuclear installations maintenance policy of Electricite de France (EDF) follows three axes: first, controlling the aging of the production tool to warrant the safety and the functional reliability during the 40 years of installations service life. Second: optimizing the maintenance activities taking into account the safety goals, costs, security, dosimetry, duration of outages, and intervention conditions in the decisions. Third: developing a real partnership with contractors. EDF has decided to decentralize its maintenance operations towards each unit which is in charge of the organization of its own project. A better management of the contractor personnel has allowed to increase the performances of maintenance operations. The development of long-term agreements with contractors has permitted to reinforce the qualification, the responsibility and the efficiency of the personnel and to improve their means and tools. (J.S.). 1 photo

Interpretive Structural Model of Key Performance Indicators for Sustainable Maintenance Evaluatian in Rubber Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Amrina, E.; Yulianto, A.

2018-03-01

Sustainable maintenance is a new challenge for manufacturing companies to realize sustainable development. In this paper, an interpretive structural model is developed to evaluate sustainable maintenance in the rubber industry. The initial key performance indicators (KPIs) is identified and derived from literature and then validated by academic and industry experts. As a result, three factors of economic, social, and environmental dividing into a total of thirteen indicators are proposed as the KPIs for sustainable maintenance evaluation in rubber industry. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology is applied to develop a network structure model of the KPIs consisting of three levels. The results show the economic factor is regarded as the basic factor, the social factor as the intermediate factor, while the environmental factor indicated to be the leading factor. Two indicators of social factor i.e. labor relationship, and training and education have both high driver and dependence power, thus categorized as the unstable indicators which need further attention. All the indicators of environmental factor and one indicator of social factor are indicated as the most influencing indicator. The interpretive structural model hoped can aid the rubber companies in evaluating sustainable maintenance performance.

25 CFR 170.801 - What is the BIA Road Maintenance Program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is the BIA Road Maintenance Program? 170.801 Section... ROADS PROGRAM BIA Road Maintenance § 170.801 What is the BIA Road Maintenance Program? The BIA Road... subpart contains a list of activities that are eligible for funding under the BIA road maintenance program. ...

Low and intermediate level radioactive waste in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paredes, L.C.; Ortiz, J.R.; Sanchez, S.

2002-01-01

Currently, it is necessary to establish, in a few years, a definitive repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste in order to satisfy the necessities of Mexico for the next 50 years. Consequently, it is required to estimate the volumes of the radioactive waste generated annually, the stored volumes to-date and their projection to medium-term. On this subject, the annual average production of low and intermediate level radioactive waste from the electricity production by means of nuclear power reactors is 250 m 3 /y which consist of humid and dry solid waste from the 2 units of the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power plant having a re-use efficiency of effluents of 95%. On the other hand, the applications in medicine, industry and research generate 20 m 3 /y of solid waste, 280 m 3 /y of liquid waste and approximately 10 m 3 /y from 300 spent sealed radioactive sources. The estimation of the total volume of these waste to the year 2035 is 17500 m 3 corresponding to the 46% of the volume generated by the operation and maintenance of the 2 units of the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power plant, 34% to the decommissioning of these 2 units at the end of their useful life and 20% to the waste generated by applications in medicine, industry and research. (author)

Sound recordings of road maintenance equipment on the Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

D. K. Delaney; T. G. Grubb

2004-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to record, characterize, and quantify road maintenance activity in Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) habitat to gauge potential sound level exposure for owls during road maintenance activities. We measured sound levels from three different types of road maintenance equipment (rock crusherlloader,...

The Role of Physical Therapists in Living Environment Maintenance of the Home-bound Elderly Disabled.

Science.gov (United States)

Takemasa, Seiichi; Abe, Yoko; Nagao, Toru; Murakami, Masahito; Koeda, Hideki; Naruse, Susumu; Gotou, Makoto; Uesugi, Masayuki; Inoue, Yuri; Nanba, Yoshihumi

2013-07-01

[Purpose] This study explored the roles of physical therapists (PTs) in living environment maintenance, which is essential for living securely and stably at home, and examines how physical therapists can fulfill these roles more efficiently and effectively. [Subjects and Methods] A questionnaire on living environment maintenance was given to PTs working at randomly selected hospitals, health care facilities for the elderly requiring long-term care, home-visit nursing stations, and other such facilities and directly providing physical therapy to the home-bound elderly disabled. The subjects of the study were 77 PTs who returned valid responses. [Results] For awareness of systems for living environment maintenance, PTs were more aware of the system based on the Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance Act than the system based on the Act on Welfare for the Home-Bound Elderly Disabled. PTs who have worked at two or more types of medical, welfare, and intermediate institutions were more aware of such systems than PTs who have worked at only one type. For PTs handling living environment maintenance for the home-bound elderly disabled, approximately 80% of respondents answered that they have handled some living environment maintenance, and PTs with longer clinical experience have handled more living environment maintenance cases. [Conclusion] The results demonstrated that PTs understand their living environment maintenance work well and handle the work. The results, however, also suggested that educational and operational improvements are urgently required for PTs handling living environment maintenance essential for the lives of the home-bound elderly disabled.

Selective maintenance of multi-state systems with structural dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dao, Cuong D.; Zuo, Ming J.

2017-01-01

This paper studies the selective maintenance problem for multi-state systems with structural dependence. Each component can be in one of multiple working levels and several maintenance actions are possible to a component in a maintenance break. The components structurally form multiple hierarchical levels and dependence groups. A directed graph is used to represent the precedence relations of components in the system. A selective maintenance optimization model is developed to maximize the system reliability in the next mission under time and cost constraints. A backward search algorithm is used to determine the assembly sequence for a selective maintenance scenario. The maintenance model helps maintenance managers in determining the best combination of maintenance activities to maximize the probability of successfully completing the next mission. Examples showing the use of the proposed method are presented. - Highlights: • A selective maintenance model for multi-state systems is proposed considering both economic and structural dependence. • Structural dependence is modeled as precedence relationship when disassembling components for maintenance. • Resources for disassembly and maintenance are evaluated using a backward search algorithm. • Maintenance strategies with and without structural dependence are analyzed. • Ignoring structural dependence may lead to over-estimation of system reliability.

Maintenance cost models in deregulated power systems under opportunity costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Arfaj, K.; Dahal, K.; Azaiez, M.N.

2007-01-01

In a centralized power system, the operator is responsible for scheduling maintenance. There are different types of maintenance, including corrective maintenance; predictive maintenance; preventive maintenance; and reliability-centred maintenance. The main cause of power failures is poor maintenance. As such, maintenance costs play a significant role in deregulated power systems. They include direct costs associated with material and labor costs as well as indirect costs associated with spare parts inventory, shipment, test equipment, indirect labor, opportunity costs and cost of failure. In maintenance scheduling and planning, the cost function is the only component of the objective function. This paper presented the results of a study in which different components of maintenance costs were modeled. The maintenance models were formulated as an optimization problem with single and multiple objectives and a set of constraints. The maintenance costs models could be used to schedule the maintenance activities of power generators more accurately and to identify the best maintenance strategies over a period of time as they consider failure and opportunity costs in a deregulated environment. 32 refs., 4 tabs., 4 figs

Leisure-time activity is an important determinant of long-term weight maintenance after weight loss in the Sibutramine Trial on Obesity Reduction and Maintenance (STORM trial)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Baak, M. A.; van Mil, E.; Astrup, A.

2003-01-01

The success rate of long-term maintenance of weight loss in obese patients is usually low. To improve the success rate, determinants of long-term weight maintenance must be identified.......The success rate of long-term maintenance of weight loss in obese patients is usually low. To improve the success rate, determinants of long-term weight maintenance must be identified....

Maintenance methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchis, H.; Aucher, P.

1990-01-01

The maintenance method applied at the Hague is summarized. The method was developed in order to solve problems relating to: the different specialist fields, the need for homogeneity in the maintenance work, the equipment diversity, the increase of the materials used at the Hague's new facilities. The aim of the method is to create a knowhow formalism, to facilitate maintenance, to ensure the running of the operations and to improve the estimation of the maintenance cost. One of the method's difficulties is the demonstration of the profitability of the maintenance operations [fr

Modularity Design Approach for Preventive Machine Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Ernawati, D.; Pudji, E.; Ngatilah, Y.; Handoyo, R.

2018-01-01

In a company, machine maintenance system will be very influential in production process activity. The company should have a scheduled engine maintenance system that does not require high costs when repairing and replacing machine parts. Modularity Design method is able to provide solutions to the engine maintenance scheduling system and can prevent fatal damage to the engine components. It can minimize the cost of repair and replacement of these machine components.The paper provides a solution to machine maintenance problems. The paper is also completed with case study of milling machines. That case studies can give us a real description about impact implementation of modularity design to prevent fatal damage to components and minimize the cost of repair and replacement of components of the machine.

Interval of Routine Maintenance and Maintenance Performance: A Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Au-Yong Cheong Peng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In high-rise residential buildings, the quality of facilities management services is significant to the normal operation of the facilities. Unfortunately, lack of concern towards building maintenance, especially preventive maintenance, happens in domestic housing industry in Malaysia. Majority of the maintenance operations of condominiums suffer from lack of planning, lack of proactive maintenance plan, and lack of proper implementation. Thus, this paper reviews the implementation of preventive maintenance strategy, routine maintenance in specific. An extensive review of literature published in 1987 to 2014 is performed for the purpose of this research. The publications are sourced from journal articles, conference proceedings and books. The literature analysis confirms that the routine maintenance of facilities and building services is vital and it can be influential towards the maintenance performance. Subsequently, a theoretical framework is developed, which shows the relationship between routine maintenance of building facilities & services and maintenance performance. The building facilities & services are divided into two categories. They are essential facilities & services that ensure the safety, health, habitability, and operability of buildings; while value-added facilities & services deal with property value, return on investment, and quality living of buildings. Based on the findings, a future research is proposed, which aims to identify the appropriate routine of maintenance for the facilities and services in high-rise residential buildings to improve the maintenance performance.

Antecedents to Organizational Performance: Theoretical and Practical Implications for Aircraft Maintenance Officer Force Development

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-26

Aviation Course 0 MOIC- Maintenance Officer Intermediate Course 0 NATO Nuclear Surety Managemen t Course D NWOC ·Nuclear Weapons Orientation Course 0...Arnold AFB, TN which performs a ground T &E mission. I do not perform many normal duties like a 21A assigned to an operational or depot. My answers to...THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Operational Sciences Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of

The relationship between physical activity, volitional skills and weight loss maintenance in Danish obese individuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elsborg, Peter; Pfister, Gertrud Ursula; Helge, Jørn Wulff

. However, the relationship between weight loss maintenance and volitional skills has not been investigated yet. This study investigates if volitional skills are related to the amount of physical activity in obese individuals, and their relationship with actual successful weight loss. Methods: Participants...... to exercise. Results: Success was determined by the difference between an individual’s highest ever and current BMI. Analyses indicated that the successful weight maintainers’ possessed significantly higher values in the volitional skills initiative, general self-confidence, volitional self......-confidence and coping with failure and lower values in lack of energy, postponing training, and avoiding effort than unsuccessful weight maintainers. Furthermore, the successful were significantly more physically active. Higher physical activity was related to higher positive lower negative values in a total of 9...

Operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackermann, G.

1987-01-01

This textbook gives a systematic introduction into the operational and maintenance activities in nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors. Subjects: (1) Setup and operational behaviour of power reactors, (2) setup of nuclear power plants, (3) radiation protection and nuclear safety, (4) nuclear fuel, (5) constructional layout of nuclear power plants, (6) management, and (7) maintenance. 158 figs., 56 tabs

Exposure control during high maintenance jobs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinson, C.S.; Wigginton, J.E.

1991-01-01

Occupational radiation doses at US light-water-cooled reactors (LWRs) have been decreasing every year since 1983. In 1989, the LWR average dose per reactor reached its lowest point since 1973. Historically, maintenance-related activities have accounted for between 70 and 75% of the total occupational doses at US LWRs, and most of this maintenance-related dose is accrued during plant outages. This paper will focus on high dose maintenance jobs such as steam generator replacement, recirculation pipe replacement/crack repair, induction heating stress improvement, and steam generator tube plugging/sleeving and will discuss how the doses associated with these jobs have declined over the past several years through the implementation of various ALARA techniques

Development of advanced human-machine system for plant operation and maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Wei; Ohi, Tadashi; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu; Sawaragi, Tetsuo; Kitamura, Masaharu; Furuta, Kazuo; Gofuku, Akio; Ito, Koji

2004-01-01

With the worldwide deregulation of the power industry, and the aging of the nuclear power plants (NPPs), concerns are growing over the reliability and safety of the NPPs, because the regulation of man power may lower the current high level of reliability and safety. In this paper, a concept of overall integrated plant management mechanism is proposed, in order to meet the requirements of cutting costs of NPPs and the requirements of maintaining or increasing safety and reliability. The concept is called as satellite operation maintenance center (SOMC). SOMC integrates the operation and maintenance activities of several NPP units by utilizing advanced information technologies to support cooperation activities between workers allocated at SOMC and the field workers. As for the operation activities, a framework called as Advanced Operation System (AOS) is proposed in this paper. AOS consists of three support sub-systems: dynamic operation permission system(DyOPS), supervisor information presentation system using interface agent, and crew performance evaluation system. As for the maintenance activities, a framework called as Ubiquitous-Computing-based Maintenance support System (UCMS) is proposed next. Two case studies are described, in order to show the way of how UCMS support field workers to do maintenance tasks efficiently, safely, and infallibly as well. Finally, a prospect of SOMC is shown in order to explain the way of how the technology elements developed in this project could be integrated as a whole one system to support maintenance activities of NPPs in the future. (author)

A new approach to physical activity maintenance: Rationale, design, and baseline data from the Keep Active Minnesota trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crain A Lauren

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since many individuals who initiate physical activity programs are highly likely to return to a sedentary lifestyle, innovative strategies to efforts to increase the number of physically active older adults who successfully maintain beneficial levels of PA for a substantial length of time are needed. Methods/Design The Keep Active Minnesota Trial is a randomized controlled trial of an interactive phone- and mail-based intervention to help 50–70 year old adults who have recently increased their physical activity level, maintain that activity level over a 24-month period in comparison to usual care. Baseline, 6, 12, and 24 month measurement occurred via phone surveys with kilocalories expended per week in total and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (CHAMPS Questionnaire as the primary outcome measures. Secondary outcomes include hypothesized mediators of physical activity change (e.g., physical activity enjoyment, self-efficacy, physical activity self-concept, body mass index, and depression. Seven day accelerometry data were collected on a sub-sample of participants at baseline and 24-month follow-up. Discussion The Keep Active Minnesota study offers an innovative approach to the perennial problem of physical activity relapse; by focusing explicitly on physical activity maintenance, the intervention holds considerable promise for modifying the typical relapse curve. Moreover, if shown to be efficacious, the use of phone- and mail-based intervention delivery offers potential for widespread dissemination. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00283452.

Maintenance of a physically active lifestyle after pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD: a qualitative study toward motivational factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Kelly F J; Meis, Jessie J M; van de Bool, Coby; Janssen, Daisy J A; Kremers, Stef P J; Schols, Annemie M W J

2014-09-01

To explore determinants of behavior change maintenance of a physically active lifestyle in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 8-11 months after completion of a 4-month outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program. A qualitative descriptive study of semistructured interviews. Pulmonary rehabilitation assessment center. Patients with COPD. Semistructured interviews until data saturation, coded by 2 independent researchers. Patients were classified as responder (maintenance or improvement) or nonresponder (relapse or decrease), based on 3 quantitative variables reflecting exercise capacity (Constant Work Rate Test), health-related quality of life (Short-Form health survey [SF-36]), and self-management abilities (Self-Management Ability Scale [SMAS-30/Version 2]). Mean (SD) forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) among interviewees was 52.5% (14.4%) predicted and the mean age was 63.5 years (range: 45-78). The group consisted of 15 responders and 7 nonresponders. Physical limitations reduced competence to engage in an active lifestyle and responders appeared to experience higher levels of perceived competence. Social support was found important and the experienced understanding from fellow patients made exercising together enjoyable. Particularly, responders expressed autonomous motivation and said they exercised because of the benefits they gain from it. Unexpectedly, only responders also experienced controlled motivation. Perceived competence and autonomous motivation are important determinants for maintenance of an active lifestyle in patients with COPD. In contrast to common theoretical assumptions, a certain threshold level of controlled motivation may remain important in maintaining a physically active lifestyle after a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Copyright © 2014 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of Glycolytic Intermediates in Global Regulation and Signal Transduction. Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liao, J.C.

2000-05-08

The goal of this project is to determine the role of glycolytic intermediates in regulation of cell physiology. It is known that many glycolytic intermediates are involved in regulation of enzyme activities at the kinetic level. However, little is known regarding the role of these metabolites in global regulation and signal transduction. This project aims to investigate the role of glycolytic intermediates in the regulation of gene expression.

Experience in the application of S.A.T. for maintenance training at Cernavoda N.P.P. - U1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erdinici, Abdula

1999-01-01

A short history of Maintenance Training at Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 will be presented highlighting the fact that: - Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 is the first nuclear power plant in Romania; - Construction/Commissioning and initial operation was done under the direct supervision of expert specialists (from Canada, Italy and US). In addition, the application of Systematic Approach to Training (S.A.T.) principles at Cernavoda NPP for all training activities will be addressed. A short history of how maintenance training activity developed over time will be detailed to address the following issues: - how the S.A.T. stages were applied; - how maintenance experience was gained during Unit 1 Construction/Commissioning initial operation and how this experience has been evaluated, credited and transferred; - how maintenance training was documented; - how the maintenance training activity is organized; - on-the-job training for maintenance personnel. Concerning other training activities at Cernavoda NPP the maintenance begins with a training needs analysis for each maintenance position. These needs are documented through Job Related Training requirements (JRTR's) produced for each maintenance position. During commissioning/initial operation, only necessary maintenance training has been delivered, such as: pump alignments, use of maintenance procedure, application of maintenance documentation. The 'hands-on' activities under expatriates specialists supervision was the main training activity. Training coordinators for each maintenance activity (Mechanical, EI. I-and-C, and Services maintenance) have been appointed to administer maintenance training. Following the declaration of the unit in commercial operation, a new approach has been taken related to maintenance Bucharest A Task Force to evaluate maintenance training status and experience has been established. This group was initiated at the Training Department initiative and it was initially co-ordinated by a Canadian maintenance

Negotiating comfort in low energy housing: The politics of intermediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grandclément, Catherine; Karvonen, Andrew; Guy, Simon

2015-01-01

Optimising the energy performance of buildings is technically and economically challenging but it also has significant social implications. Maintaining comfortable indoor conditions while reducing energy consumption involves careful design, construction, and management of the built environment and its inhabitants. In this paper, we present findings from the study of a new low energy building for older people in Grenoble, France where conflicts emerged over the simultaneous pursuit of energy efficiency and comfort. The findings contribute to the contemporary literature on the sociotechnical study of buildings and energy use by focusing on intermediation, those activities that associate a technology to end users. Intermediation activities take many forms, and in some cases, can result in the harmonisation or alignment of energy efficiency goals and comfort goals. In other cases, intermediation is unsuccessful, leading to the conventional dichotomy between optimising technical performance and meeting occupant preferences. By highlighting the multiple ways that comfort and energy efficiency is negotiated, we conclude that buildings are provisional achievements that are constantly being intermediated. This suggests that building energy efficiency policies and programmes need to provide opportunities for intermediaries to negotiate the desires and preferences of the multiple stakeholders that are implicated in low energy buildings. -- Highlights: •Energy efficiency and comfort are two possibly contradictory aims of buildings. •We study the pursuit of these aims at the occupation stage of a new building. •Aligning these aims involve negotiating them with occupants. •Intermediation processes are key to such negotiations. •Intermediation processes involve both actors and technical devices

Intermediate neutron spectrum problems and the intermediate neutron spectrum experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaegers, P.J.; Sanchez, R.G.

1996-01-01

Criticality benchmark data for intermediate energy spectrum systems does not exist. These systems are dominated by scattering and fission events induced by neutrons with energies between 1 eV and 1 MeV. Nuclear data uncertainties have been reported for such systems which can not be resolved without benchmark critical experiments. Intermediate energy spectrum systems have been proposed for the geological disposition of surplus fissile materials. Without the proper benchmarking of the nuclear data in the intermediate energy spectrum, adequate criticality safety margins can not be guaranteed. The Zeus critical experiment now under construction will provide this necessary benchmark data

Maintenance and management of refills NPP Cofrentes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salar, J.; Blanquer, N.

2014-01-01

Maintenance in a nuclear power plant is a discipline that requires considering multiple criteria. Many risks can be involved during the jobs execution, and the preparation of activities needs an important knowledge and experience. During outages, many pieces of equipment are reviewed and inspected, and there is a huge increase of the number of risks and variables needed to perform and adequate preparation, coordination and execution of the maintenance activities. Cofrentes Nuclear Power Plant has improved the Outage preparation organization, in order to get more people involved, and make sure that all the critical parameters have been considered for each outage work. (Author)

The degree of myelosuppression during maintenance therapy of adolescents with B-lineage intermediate risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia predicts risk of relapse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmiegelow, K; Donovan, Martin Heyman; Sherson, Maiken Gustafsson

2010-01-01

Drug doses, blood levels of drug metabolites and myelotoxicity during 6-mercaptopurine/methotrexate (MTX) maintenance therapy were registered for 59 adolescents (10 years) and 176 non-adolescents (leukemia (ALL) and a white blood cell count (WBC......) diagnosis. Event-free survival was lower for adolescents than non-adolescents (pEFS12y:0.71 vs 0.83, P=0.04). For adolescents staying in remission, the mean WBC during maintenance therapy (mWBC) was related to age (rS=0.36, P=0.02), which became nonsignificant for those who relapsed (r...

Improving the development, use and control of maintenance procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgenstern, M.H.; Barnes, V.E.; Radford, L.R.; Wheeler, W.A.; Badalamente, R.V.

1985-12-01

This paper describes the results of a project conducted for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to assess and document the need for guidance or regulatory involvement by the NRC in the development, upgrading, use and control of maintenance procedures in US nuclear power plants. Presented are the findings of the following activities: (1) a survey of current maintenance procedure practices in seven US nuclear power plants; (2) a review and analysis of plant administrative and maintenance procedures; (3) a survey of maintenance procedure practices in industries that share some characteristics with the nuclear industry; and (4) a review of the research pertaining to job performance aids and a brief analysis of their applicability to maintenance in nuclear power plants. Based on these findings, several recommendations to upgrade maintenance procedures are offered

Proactive maintenance initiatives at Argonne National Laboratory-West

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duckwitz, N.R.; Duncan, L.W.; Whipple, J.J.

1995-01-01

In the late 1980's, ANL-W Management foresaw a need to provide dedicated technical support for maintenance supervisors. Maintenance supervisors were facing increased challenges to ensure all environmental, safety, and waste management regulations were followed in daily maintenance activities. This increased burden was diverting supervisory time away from on-the-job supervision. Supervisors were finding less time for their ''mentor'' roles to ensure maintenance focused on finding and correcting root causes. Additionally the traditional maintenance organization could not keep up with the explosion in predictive maintenance technologies. As a result, engineers were tasked to provide direct technical support to the maintenance organization. Today the maintenance technical support group consists of two mechanical engineers, two electrical engineers and an I ampersand C engineer. The group provides a readily available, quick response resource for crafts people and their supervisors. They can and frequently do ask the support group for help to determine the root cause and to effect permanent fixes. Crafts and engineers work together informally to make an effective maintenance team. In addition to day-to-day problem solving, the technical support group has established several maintenance improvement programs for the site. This includes vibration analysis of rotating machinery, testing of fuel for emergency diesel generators, improving techniques for testing of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, and capacity testing of UPS and emergency diesel starting batteries. These programs have increased equipment reliability, reduced conventional routine maintenance, reduced unexpected maintenance, and improved testing accuracy. This paper will discuss the interaction of the technical support group within the maintenance department. Additionally the maintenance improvement programs will be presented along with actual cases encountered, the resolutions and lessons learned

An evaluation of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant preventive maintenance program based on reliability centered maintenance analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCullough, C.L.; McCullough, C.A.

1989-01-01

Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) techniques were used to support a preventative maintenance (PM) upgrade program (PMUP) performed at TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFNP). The purpose of the RCM analysis was to identify critical equipment based on risk and economic importance and to evaluate the PM activities applicable to that equipment. The analysis may be conveniently divided into three steps, which will be outlined in the Approach section of this paper. The net benefit of the RCM approach was a prioritization of the focus of the PM upgrade program so that plant components receive attention proportional to their importance, and assurance that PM activities properly address the most likely component failure causes

PSO Based Optimization of Testing and Maintenance Cost in NPPs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang Chou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Testing and maintenance activities of safety equipment have drawn much attention in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP to risk and cost control. The testing and maintenance activities are often implemented in compliance with the technical specification and maintenance requirements. Technical specification and maintenance-related parameters, that is, allowed outage time (AOT, maintenance period and duration, and so forth, in NPP are associated with controlling risk level and operating cost which need to be minimized. The above problems can be formulated by a constrained multiobjective optimization model, which is widely used in many other engineering problems. Particle swarm optimizations (PSOs have proved their capability to solve these kinds of problems. In this paper, we adopt PSO as an optimizer to optimize the multiobjective optimization problem by iteratively trying to improve a candidate solution with regard to a given measure of quality. Numerical results have demonstrated the efficiency of our proposed algorithm.

Equipment reliability process improvement and preventive maintenance optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darragi, M.; Georges, A.; Vaillancourt, R.; Komljenovic, D.; Croteau, M.

2004-01-01

The Gentilly-2 Nuclear Power Plant wants to optimize its preventive maintenance program through an Integrated Equipment Reliability Process. All equipment reliability related activities should be reviewed and optimized in a systematic approach especially for aging plants such as G2. This new approach has to be founded on best practices methods with the purpose of the rationalization of the preventive maintenance program and the performance monitoring of on-site systems, structures and components (SSC). A rational preventive maintenance strategy is based on optimized task scopes and frequencies depending on their applicability, critical effects on system safety and plant availability as well as cost-effectiveness. Preventive maintenance strategy efficiency is systematically monitored through degradation indicators. (author)

Predictive Maintenance (PdM) Centralization for Significant Energy Savings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Dale

2010-09-15

Cost effective predictive maintenance (PdM) technologies and basic energy calculations can mine energy savings form processes or maintenance activities. Centralizing and packaging this information correctly empowers facility maintenance and reliability professionals to build financial justification and support for strategies and personnel to weather global economic downturns and competition. Attendees will learn how to: Systematically build a 'pilot project' for applying PdM and tracking systems; Break down a typical electrical bill to calculate energy savings; Use return on investment (ROI) calculations to identify the best and highest value options, strategies and tips for substantiating your energy reduction maintenance strategies.

Formation of activation mechanism for investment maintenance management of gas industry enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Вікторія Валеріївна Чорній

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The problematic aspects of the existing management mechanism of investment management of gas industry enterprises are analyzed in the article. The ways of their elimination are suggested in accordance with the Energy Strategy of Ukraine – 2035 at different levels of its operation. The ways of improving the investment management mechanism of the enterprises in this industry on three levels are proved. Activation mechanism for investment maintenance management of gas industry enterprises is developed as result of research. Its implementation will allow enterprises of the industry to increase its investment attractiveness and effectively carry out the procedure for enterprises’ entry to the market of initial public offering to raise the required amount of investment resources for the modernization of investigated industry.

The role of affects and emotions in physical activity maintenance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Wienke

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Although previous research has shown that affective variables are consistently associated with physical activity behavior, the working mechanisms are not understood to the extent of creating an intervention. The aim of this study is to identify situations and aspects of physical activity, which lead to positive affective reactions in people taking part in regular and long-term exercise. In this study 24 adults (12 female, 12 male distributed over three age groups (young, middle, and late adulthood that took part in sport programs (individual or team sport for at least five years. Semi-structured in depth interviews with questions about physical activity, long term participation and affective response in a sporting environment were conducted in order to ascertain those situations and aspects of the exercise program triggering positive affective states. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and followed Grounded Theory principles. Emerging concepts were grouped and merged into different categories representing the key aspects of exercise. Four factors were identified which are associated with emergence of positive emotions in sport and exercise. Firstly, perceived competence is one of the major factors influencing affective states during physical activity representing individual and collective success and progress, competition and challenge. Secondly, perceived social interaction is another factor comprising of all sorts of peer-related aspects such as communication with others, being part of a group and creating close relationships or friendships. Thirdly, novelty experience in contrast to other none-sporting activities such as work, family or other leisure activities was another factor. The last factor found was the perceived physical exertion comprising the degree of exhaustion, a possibly delayed turnaround in the affective response and the aspect of sport being a physical compensation for everyday sedentary life. The results of this study

A Feasibility Study of Expanding the F404 Aircraft Engine Repair Capability at the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department

Science.gov (United States)

1993-06-01

1 A. OBJECTIVES ............. .... .................. 1 B. HISTORY ................... .................... 2 C...utilization, and any additional manpower requirements at the "selected" AIMD’s. B. HISTORY Until late 1991 both NADEP JAX and NADEP North Island (NORIS...TRIANGULAR OR ALL LOG NORMAL DISTRIBUTIONS FOR SERVICE TIMES AT AIND CECIL FIELD maintenance/ Triangular Log Normal MAZDA Difference Differe•ce Supply

Oak Ridge Research Reactor shutdown maintenance and surveillance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coleman, G.H.; Laughlin, D.L.

1990-10-01

The Department of Energy ordered the Oak Ridge Research Center Reactor to be placed in permanent shutdown on July 14, 1987. Maintenance activities, both mechanical and instrument, were essentially routine in nature. The performance of the instrumentation for the facility was satisfactory, and maintenance required is provided. The performance of the process system was satisfactory, and maintenance required is indicated. The results of efficiency tests of the various gaseous-waste filters have been summarized and preparations for transfer of the facility to the remedial action program is also indicated

Elements of banking intermediation in the Algerian Banking system and the means to activate it

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Habbar Abderezak, Dr.

2014-06-01

Banking intermediation raises several interrelated issues for banks, the central bank and the Treasury. It is linked to the gross domestic product, money supply and bank liquidity, etc. These elements will be examined in this article to learn the elements of bank intermediation in the Algerian banking system and ways of strengthening it.

Reducing maintenance costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaiss, W.; Reuschle, K.; Baier, B.

2002-01-01

The increasingly more expensive maintenance measures, cuts in the cost budget, and the loss of know-how on the part of vendors all require a change of policy with respect to maintenance concepts of the part of operators. This also applies to the existing valve concepts, the drives included. Under these aspects, the current drive, which is self-actuated and actuated by outside media, for a parallel-plate valve of a nomial width of 700 was reconsidered. The effort served to reduce maintenance costs and, at the same time, simplify the drive concept as well as cut back on the number of in-service inspections. Moreover, the number of active components were to be minimized and installation conditions in the plant were to be improved. When the boundary conditions to be observed with respect to process technology had been laid down, the competent technical department developed a concept of modification of the drive. A major constituent part was the demonstration of the functioning capability of the new drive under accident conditions. It was achieved mainly by an analytical approach. In the resultant drive concept, the same control valves are employed to actuate a driving cylinder by means of self-actuation or by an outside medium as a function of pressure. (orig.) [de

Preventive maintenance prioritization index of medical equipment using quality function deployment.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Neven; Sharawi, Amr A; Elwahed, Manal Abd; Petti, Alberto; Puppato, Daniele; Balestra, Gabriella

2015-05-01

Preventive maintenance is a core function of clinical engineering, and it is essential to guarantee the correct functioning of the equipment. The management and control of maintenance activities are equally important to perform maintenance. As the variety of medical equipment increases, accordingly the size of maintenance activities increases, the need for better management and control become essential. This paper aims to develop a new model for preventive maintenance priority of medical equipment using quality function deployment as a new concept in maintenance of medical equipment. We developed a three-domain framework model consisting of requirement, function, and concept. The requirement domain is the house of quality matrix. The second domain is the design matrix. Finally, the concept domain generates a prioritization index for preventive maintenance considering the weights of critical criteria. According to the final scores of those criteria, the prioritization action of medical equipment is carried out. Our model proposes five levels of priority for preventive maintenance. The model was tested on 200 pieces of medical equipment belonging to 17 different departments of two hospitals in Piedmont province, Italy. The dataset includes 70 different types of equipment. The results show a high correlation between risk-based criteria and the prioritization list.

Management Tools for Bus Maintenance: Current Practices and New Methods. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Foerster, James; And Others

Management of bus fleet maintenance requires systematic recordkeeping, management reporting, and work scheduling procedures. Tools for controlling and monitoring routine maintenance activities are in common use. These include defect and fluid consumption reports, work order systems, historical maintenance records, and performance and cost…

Maintenance and Outage Management Assessment (MOMA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The competitive environment has significant implications for nuclear power plant (NPP) operations, which include, inter alia, the need for efficient use of resources and effective management of plant activities of maintenance and outages. The purpose of NPP maintenance and outages is to allow NPPs to use all those functions necessary for safe and reliable power production by keeping them available and adequate maintenance programme is essential. The maintenance programme covers all preventive and remedial measures, both administrative and technical, necessary to identify and mitigate degradation of a functioning system, structure or component, or restore the design functions of a failed system, structure or component to an acceptable level. In response to the needs of MSs, NPES (Nuclear Power Section, Division of Nuclear Power, IAEA) plans to strengthen its services. NPES services will not only continue to provide its 'traditional' products of publications of nuclear industrial best practices and technical implementation of TC projects on plant maintenance and outage management, but also be expanded to deliver, in a timely manner, technical support missions as requested by MSs for NPPs. One of many services is Maintenance and Outage Management Assessment (MOMA). The NPP can obtain support and assistance in assessment and optimisation of its maintenance program and/or outage management. It aims to help the NPP improve its performance of maintenance and outage in a competitive nuclear power business environment. The specific benefits of the assessment are as follows: a) disseminate nuclear industrial best practices on maintenance program and outage management in the world, b) benchmark, evaluate and optimise the approach of maintenance program and outage management and c) identify solutions to known problems at nuclear power plants, if any. MOMA is conducted at the request of NPPs of any IAEA Member States. MOMA consists in a technical mission/visit for 1-3 weeks by

Maintenance rule: a system to guarantee maintenance effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torralbo, J.R.

1995-01-01

In the last few years, maintenance activities in nuclear plants have been given prime attention in view of their repercussion on the performance of such plants. One of the results of that attention is a new rule published in the U.S. known as M aintenance Rule . The paper describes the philosophy and main guidelines of the new regulation, and presents the procedure brought into action by the nuclear industry in Spain so to make their application contribute to a real improvement of safety and performance in nuclear plants. (Author)

The maintenance management framework models and methods for complex systems maintenance

CERN Document Server

Crespo Márquez, Adolfo

2010-01-01

“The Maintenance Management Framework” describes and reviews the concept, process and framework of modern maintenance management of complex systems; concentrating specifically on modern modelling tools (deterministic and empirical) for maintenance planning and scheduling. It will be bought by engineers and professionals involved in maintenance management, maintenance engineering, operations management, quality, etc. as well as graduate students and researchers in this field.

Industrial Maintenance Strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajjad Akbar

2006-01-01

Industrial plants have become more complex due to technological advancement. This has made the task of maintenance more difficult. The maintenance costs in terms of resources and downtime loss are so high that maintenance function has become a critical factor in a plant's profitability. Industry should devote as much forethought to the management of maintenance function as to production. Maintenance has grown from an art to a precise, technical engineering science. Planning, organizing scheduling and control of maintenance using modern techniques pays dividends in the form of reduced costs and increased reliability. The magnitude and the dimension of maintenance have multiplied due to development in the engineering technologies. Production cost and capacities are directly affected by the breakdown time. Total operating cost including the maintenance cost plays an important role in replacement dimension. The integrated system approach would bring forth the desired results of high maintenance standards. The standards once achieved and sustained, would add to the reliability of the plan and relieve heavy stresses and strains on the engineering logistic support. (author)

Maintenance risk management in Dayabay nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Xuhong; Tong Jiejuan

2005-01-01

The importance of proper maintenance to safe and reliable nuclear plant operation has long been recognized by the nuclear utility and regulatory body. This paper presents a process of maintenance risk management developed for a Chinese Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The process includes three phases: (I) long term maintenance plan risk management, (II) monthly maintenance plan risk management, and (III) detailed risk management for high risk configuration. A risk matrix is developed for phase I whose purpose is to provide a rough guide for risk management in the making of the annual maintenance plan. For Phase II and Phase III, a software tool named Maintenance- Risk-Monitor is developed based on the internal initiating event, level 1 PSA model. The results of Phase II are the risk information of the all plant configurations caused by the unavailability of the components included the monthly maintenance plan. When the increase of core damage frequency (CDF) or the incremental core damage probability (ICDP) of a configuration is higher than the corresponding thresholds, Phase III is needed for this high risk configuration to get the useful information such as risk-importance components, human actions and initial events, from which appropriate preventive measurements could be derived. It is hoped that the provided process of maintenance risk management, together with the developed software tool, could facilitate the maintenance activities in the NPPs of China. (authors)

Attention modulates maintenance of representations in visual short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Bo-Cheng; Stokes, Mark G; Nobre, Anna Christina

2012-01-01

Recent studies have shown that selective attention is of considerable importance for encoding task-relevant items into visual short-term memory (VSTM) according to our behavioral goals. However, it is not known whether top-down attentional biases can continue to operate during the maintenance period of VSTM. We used ERPs to investigate this question across two experiments. Specifically, we tested whether orienting attention to a given spatial location within a VSTM representation resulted in modulation of the contralateral delay activity (CDA), a lateralized ERP marker of VSTM maintenance generated when participants selectively encode memory items from one hemifield. In both experiments, retrospective cues during the maintenance period could predict a specific item (spatial retrocue) or multiple items (neutral retrocue) that would be probed at the end of the memory delay. Our results revealed that VSTM performance is significantly improved by orienting attention to the location of a task-relevant item. The behavioral benefit was accompanied by modulation of neural activity involved in VSTM maintenance. Spatial retrocues reduced the magnitude of the CDA, consistent with a reduction in memory load. Our results provide direct evidence that top-down control modulates neural activity associated with maintenance in VSTM, biasing competition in favor of the task-relevant information.

Knowledge based maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sturm, A [Hamburgische Electacitaets-Werke AG Hamburg (Germany)

1998-12-31

The establishment of maintenance strategies is of crucial significance for the reliability of a plant and the economic efficiency of maintenance measures. Knowledge about the condition of components and plants from the technical and business management point of view therefore becomes one of the fundamental questions and the key to efficient management and maintenance. A new way to determine the maintenance strategy can be called: Knowledge Based Maintenance. A simple method for determining strategies while taking the technical condition of the components of the production process into account to the greatest possible degree which can be shown. A software with an algorithm for Knowledge Based Maintenance leads the user during complex work to the determination of maintenance strategies for this complex plant components. (orig.)

Knowledge based maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sturm, A. [Hamburgische Electacitaets-Werke AG Hamburg (Germany)

1997-12-31

The establishment of maintenance strategies is of crucial significance for the reliability of a plant and the economic efficiency of maintenance measures. Knowledge about the condition of components and plants from the technical and business management point of view therefore becomes one of the fundamental questions and the key to efficient management and maintenance. A new way to determine the maintenance strategy can be called: Knowledge Based Maintenance. A simple method for determining strategies while taking the technical condition of the components of the production process into account to the greatest possible degree which can be shown. A software with an algorithm for Knowledge Based Maintenance leads the user during complex work to the determination of maintenance strategies for this complex plant components. (orig.)

Processing and validation of intermediate energy evaluated data files

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

Current accelerator-driven and other intermediate energy technologies require accurate nuclear data to model the performance of the target/blanket assembly, neutron production, activation, heating and damage. In a previous WPEC subgroup, SG13 on intermediate energy nuclear data, various aspects of intermediate energy data, such as nuclear data needs, experiments, model calculations and file formatting issues were investigated and categorized to come to a joint evaluation effort. The successor of SG13, SG14 on the processing and validation of intermediate energy evaluated data files, goes one step further. The nuclear data files that have been created with the aforementioned information need to be processed and validated in order to be applicable in realistic intermediate energy simulations. We emphasize that the work of SG14 excludes the 0-20 MeV data part of the neutron evaluations, which is supposed to be covered elsewhere. This final report contains the following sections: section 2: a survey of the data files above 20 MeV that have been considered for validation in SG14; section 3: a summary of the review of the 150 MeV intermediate energy data files for ENDF/B-VI and, more briefly, the other libraries; section 4: validation of the data library against an integral experiment with MCNPX; section 5: conclusions. (author)

A novel integrated condition-based maintenance and stochastic flexible job shop scheduling problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahmati, Seyed Habib A.; Ahmadi, Abbas; Govindan, Kannan

2018-01-01

the level of the system optimization. By means of this equipment, managers can benefit from a condition-based maintenance (CBM) for monitoring and managing their system. The chief aim of the paper is to develop a stochastic maintenance problem based on CBM activities engaged with a complex applied......Integrated consideration of production planning and maintenance processes is a real world assumption. Specifically, by improving the monitoring equipment such as various sensors or product-embedded information devices in recent years, joint assessment of these processes is inevitable for enhancing...... production problem called flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSP). This integrated problem considers two maintenance scenarios in terms of corrective maintenance (CM) and preventive maintenance (PM). The activation of scenario is done by monitoring the degradation condition of the system and comparing...

Towards total productive maintenance in the Eastern European mining industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buck, J.D. [Kepner-Tregoe (United Kingdom) Ltd., Windsor

1999-08-01

An European Union consultancy project was undertaken to install a `best-in-class` maintenance system for the lignite mines of Romania. The project, funded by PHARE, started with a critical analysis of the maintenance and repair systems of equipment in both the open-pit and underground mines operated by RALO (Regia Autonoma a Lignitului Octenia). This study paved the way for the introduction of a computerised maintenance system and the inception of a planned preventative maintenance scheme. A development strategy leading by a structural methodology towards predictive maintenance and total productive maintenance was drawn up and attention was given to multi-skilling, training and further facilitating activities to enable the success of the total productive maintenance strategy. An abridged version of the paper was presented at MAINTE 97, held in Birmingham, UK in 1997. 5 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

Jointly Production and Correlated Maintenance Optimization for Parallel Leased Machines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarek ASKRI

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with a preventive maintenance strategy optimization correlated to production for a manufacturing system made by several parallel machines under lease contract. In order to minimize the total cost of production and maintenance by reducing the production system interruptions due to maintenance activities, a correlated group preventive maintenance policy is developed using the gravity center approach (GCA. The aim of this study is to determine an economical production plan and an optimal group preventive maintenance interval Tn at which all machines are maintained simultaneously. An analytical correlation between failure rate of machines and production level is considered and the impact of the preventive maintenance policy on the production plan is studied. Finally, the proposed maintenance policy GPM is compared with an individual simple strategy approach IPM in order to illustrate its efficiency.

Maintenance - a design perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedges, K.R.

1992-01-01

The paper describes how the CANDU-3 has incorporated, at the design stage, maintenance requirements such as component accessibility, standardization, ease of replacement, reduction in the number of components, and simplified component design. AECL is also active in the planned rehabilitation of the four units at Ontario Hydro's Bruce A nuclear generating station. In addition to conceptual design and development, detailed design and analysis, procurement and site assistance, AECL's Sheridan Park Laboratory will provide important development and mockup facilities. An AECL research and development program on reactor maintenance includes the identification and characterization of aging and degrading mechanisms, the tailoring of developed products to plant requirements, and the identification of areas of international cooperation and information exchange. 3 tabs., 1 fig

Regulatory surveillance of safety related maintenance at nuclear power plants. Report of a technical committee meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

The operational safety and reliability of a nuclear power plant as well as its availability for electricity generation depend on, among other things, its maintenance programme. Regulatory bodies therefore have considerable interest in maintenance activities. There are several approaches to maintenance, i.e. reliability centered maintenance or risk focused maintenance, aimed at optimizing maintenance by focusing on important components or systems. These approaches may result in significant changes to maintenance activities and therefore have to be considered for regulatory acceptance. In order to review and discuss the status of maintenance regulation in participating countries, the IAEA convened a Technical Committee Meeting on Regulatory Oversight of Maintenance Activities at Nuclear Power Plants in Vienna from 9 to 13 October 1995. The meeting was attended by 16 experts from 11 countries. In addition to the consideration of papers that were presented and which are reproduced here, extensive group and panel discussions took place during the meeting. These covered three main topics: general features and basic characteristics of maintenance regulation, regulatory acceptance of maintenance optimization and use of PSA for maintenance optimization. The discussion are summarized in Section 2. Section 3 discusses the following three additional topics: regulatory involvement in the maintenance programme, modifications to the maintenance programme and personnel related aspects of maintenance. The conclusions are presented in Section 4. Figs, tabs

Remote maintenance challenges presented in the ITER engineering design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgess, T.W.; Herndon, J.N.; Schrock, S.L.; Lousteau, D.C.

1995-01-01

Leading fusion energy research institutions are currently engaged in the Engineering Design Activity for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). A tokamak reactor design is evolving which emphasizes high system performance in a minimum overall reactor and building size. The resulting high component density dictates careful attention to ITER remote maintenance considerations in the development of the configuration. The complexity and scale of ITER remote maintenance tasks are well beyond the scope of today's experience and technology. This paper discusses the remote maintenance philosophy, describes the basic configuration as it relates to maintenance, and describes the basic procedures and equipment required. Key enabling technology research and development needs are also addressed

Developing a CANDU industry maintenance guide. A 'community of practice' compendium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Von Hatten, P.; Hoye, D.S.

2011-01-01

The CANDU Owners Group (COG) has initiated a joint utility project to create an Industry Maintenance Guide. The primary goal of the guide is to provide a structured template of activities to implement the maintenance program, based on industry best practices, and with consideration for new regulatory requirements identified in the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission document S210. The guide will be prepared with a macro view of the maintenance program, which includes core maintenance activities as well as supporting activities and programs in Engineering, Supply Chain and Work Management. Currently there is no such document that solidly links all the requirements to develop, support and execute a maintenance program. Some elements are captured in various industry documents such as INPO documents AP928, Work Management, AP913, Equipment Reliability and AP908, Materials and Services. The guide will not replicate these good practices, but will focus on how they are linked and interrelate to create an optimum program. It is expected that utilities will be able to utilize the guide to take the next incremental step in performance based on cross functional alignment and efficiency.

International express student's book : pre-intermediate

CERN Document Server

Taylor, Liz

1996-01-01

The New Edition of International Express Pre-Intermediate retains all the keys features of this popular and successel four-level course. It combines engaging, up-to-date topics with a time-efficient and student-centred approach to language work, and clearly focused activities that reflect learner's real communicative needs - the ideal course for professional adults who use English for work, travel, and socializing.

LHC Report: The machine under maintenance

CERN Multimedia

Katy Foraz for the LHC Team

2012-01-01

The LHC Christmas break started on 12 December. Since then, teams have been working hard to complete all the maintenance work planned to ensure the reliable operation of the LHC in 2012.   Installation of shielding at Point 1. The maintenance work is being carried out on key infrastructure such as the cooling, ventilation, electricity and safety systems. Maintenance work is being carried out not just in the LHC but also across the whole accelerator complex, which makes planning the work even more complicated. At the time of going to print, 50% of the cryogenics system maintenance has been finished, which, according to the schedule, will allow the LHC teams to start cooling down the first sectors next week to have the entire machine cold by the end of February. A lot of activity is going on in order to mitigate the effects of radiation on equipment installed in the LHC tunnel and underground areas during 2012 operation. To this end, teams have installed additional shielding at Point 1 (see ph...

Application of new designed butterfly type intermediate valve for nuclear steam turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Kazuhiro; Kawamata, Susumu; Fujita, Isao; Taketomo, Seiki.

1991-01-01

To cope with a large capacity nuclear steam turbine, a butterfly type intermediate valve has been developed. Compared to the conventional valve, or globe valve, the butterfly valve has the following design features: a) Higher thermal efficiency due to lower pressure loss, b) Easier maintenance due to simplified construction, and c) Lower station cost due to the smaller size of the valve assembly. An experiment with a scaled-down test valve was carried out using compressed air. Subsequently a full-scale valve was tested using steam under actual steam conditions. As a result, these tests gave us no problems. The first nuclear turbine (1100MW) equipped with a butterfly valve is operating satisfactorily with good performance as expected. (author)

The spacing between adjacent binding sites in the family of repeats affects the functions of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 in transcription activation and stable plasmid maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hebner, Christy; Lasanen, Julie; Battle, Scott; Aiyar, Ashok

2003-07-05

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the closely related Herpesvirus papio (HVP) are stably replicated as episomes in proliferating latently infected cells. Maintenance and partitioning of these viral plasmids requires a viral sequence in cis, termed the family of repeats (FR), that is bound by a viral protein, Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1). Upon binding FR, EBNA1 maintains viral genomes in proliferating cells and activates transcription from viral promoters required for immortalization. FR from either virus encodes multiple binding sites for the viral maintenance protein, EBNA1, with the FR from the prototypic B95-8 strain of EBV containing 20 binding sites, and FR from HVP containing 8 binding sites. In addition to differences in the number of EBNA1-binding sites, adjacent binding sites in the EBV FR are typically separated by 14 base pairs (bp), but are separated by 10 bp in HVP. We tested whether the number of binding sites, as well as the distance between adjacent binding sites, affects the function of EBNA1 in transcription activation or plasmid maintenance. Our results indicate that EBNA1 activates transcription more efficiently when adjacent binding sites are separated by 10 bp, the spacing observed in HVP. In contrast, using two separate assays, we demonstrate that plasmid maintenance is greatly augmented when adjacent EBNA1-binding sites are separated by 14 bp, and therefore, presumably lie on the same face of the DNA double helix. These results provide indication that the functions of EBNA1 in transcription activation and plasmid maintenance are separable.

The spacing between adjacent binding sites in the family of repeats affects the functions of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 in transcription activation and stable plasmid maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hebner, Christy; Lasanen, Julie; Battle, Scott; Aiyar, Ashok

2003-01-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the closely related Herpesvirus papio (HVP) are stably replicated as episomes in proliferating latently infected cells. Maintenance and partitioning of these viral plasmids requires a viral sequence in cis, termed the family of repeats (FR), that is bound by a viral protein, Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1). Upon binding FR, EBNA1 maintains viral genomes in proliferating cells and activates transcription from viral promoters required for immortalization. FR from either virus encodes multiple binding sites for the viral maintenance protein, EBNA1, with the FR from the prototypic B95-8 strain of EBV containing 20 binding sites, and FR from HVP containing 8 binding sites. In addition to differences in the number of EBNA1-binding sites, adjacent binding sites in the EBV FR are typically separated by 14 base pairs (bp), but are separated by 10 bp in HVP. We tested whether the number of binding sites, as well as the distance between adjacent binding sites, affects the function of EBNA1 in transcription activation or plasmid maintenance. Our results indicate that EBNA1 activates transcription more efficiently when adjacent binding sites are separated by 10 bp, the spacing observed in HVP. In contrast, using two separate assays, we demonstrate that plasmid maintenance is greatly augmented when adjacent EBNA1-binding sites are separated by 14 bp, and therefore, presumably lie on the same face of the DNA double helix. These results provide indication that the functions of EBNA1 in transcription activation and plasmid maintenance are separable

Intermediality and media change

OpenAIRE

2012-01-01

This book is about intermediality as an approach to analysing and understanding media change. Intermediality and Media Change is critical of technological determinism that characterises 'new media discourse' about the ongoing digitalization, framed as a revolution and creating sharp contrasts between old and new media. Intermediality instead emphasises paying attention to continuities between media of all types and privileges a comparative perspective on technological changes in media over ti...

Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization for Hybrid Flowshop Scheduling Problem with Maintenance Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jun-qing; Pan, Quan-ke; Mao, Kun

2014-01-01

A hybrid algorithm which combines particle swarm optimization (PSO) and iterated local search (ILS) is proposed for solving the hybrid flowshop scheduling (HFS) problem with preventive maintenance (PM) activities. In the proposed algorithm, different crossover operators and mutation operators are investigated. In addition, an efficient multiple insert mutation operator is developed for enhancing the searching ability of the algorithm. Furthermore, an ILS-based local search procedure is embedded in the algorithm to improve the exploitation ability of the proposed algorithm. The detailed experimental parameter for the canonical PSO is tuning. The proposed algorithm is tested on the variation of 77 Carlier and Néron's benchmark problems. Detailed comparisons with the present efficient algorithms, including hGA, ILS, PSO, and IG, verify the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. PMID:24883414

Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization for Hybrid Flowshop Scheduling Problem with Maintenance Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-qing Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A hybrid algorithm which combines particle swarm optimization (PSO and iterated local search (ILS is proposed for solving the hybrid flowshop scheduling (HFS problem with preventive maintenance (PM activities. In the proposed algorithm, different crossover operators and mutation operators are investigated. In addition, an efficient multiple insert mutation operator is developed for enhancing the searching ability of the algorithm. Furthermore, an ILS-based local search procedure is embedded in the algorithm to improve the exploitation ability of the proposed algorithm. The detailed experimental parameter for the canonical PSO is tuning. The proposed algorithm is tested on the variation of 77 Carlier and Néron’s benchmark problems. Detailed comparisons with the present efficient algorithms, including hGA, ILS, PSO, and IG, verify the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Hybrid particle swarm optimization for hybrid flowshop scheduling problem with maintenance activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jun-qing; Pan, Quan-ke; Mao, Kun

2014-01-01

A hybrid algorithm which combines particle swarm optimization (PSO) and iterated local search (ILS) is proposed for solving the hybrid flowshop scheduling (HFS) problem with preventive maintenance (PM) activities. In the proposed algorithm, different crossover operators and mutation operators are investigated. In addition, an efficient multiple insert mutation operator is developed for enhancing the searching ability of the algorithm. Furthermore, an ILS-based local search procedure is embedded in the algorithm to improve the exploitation ability of the proposed algorithm. The detailed experimental parameter for the canonical PSO is tuning. The proposed algorithm is tested on the variation of 77 Carlier and Néron's benchmark problems. Detailed comparisons with the present efficient algorithms, including hGA, ILS, PSO, and IG, verify the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Reliability and risk treatment centered maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pexa, Martin; Hladik, Tomas; Ales, Zdenek; Legat, Vaclav; Muller, Miroslav; Valasek, Petr; Havlu, Vit

2014-01-01

We propose a new methodology for application of well-known tools - RCM, RBI and SIF pro - with the aim to treat risks by means of suitable maintenance. The basis of the new methodology is the complex application of all three methods at the same time and not separately as is typical today. The proposed methodology suggests having just one managing team for reliability and risk treatment centred maintenance (RRTCM), employing existing RCM, RBI, and SIFpro tools concurrently. This approach allows for significant reduction of engineering activities' duration. In the proposed methodology these activities are staged into five phases and structured to eliminate all duplication resulting from separate application of the three tools. The newly proposed methodology saves 45% to 50% of the engineering workload and dequate significant financial savings.

Reliability and risk treatment centered maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pexa, Martin; Hladik, Tomas; Ales, Zdenek; Legat, Vaclav; Muller, Miroslav; Valasek, Petr [Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka (Czech Republic); Havlu, Vit [Unipetrol A. S, Prague (Czech Republic)

2014-10-15

We propose a new methodology for application of well-known tools - RCM, RBI and SIF pro - with the aim to treat risks by means of suitable maintenance. The basis of the new methodology is the complex application of all three methods at the same time and not separately as is typical today. The proposed methodology suggests having just one managing team for reliability and risk treatment centred maintenance (RRTCM), employing existing RCM, RBI, and SIFpro tools concurrently. This approach allows for significant reduction of engineering activities' duration. In the proposed methodology these activities are staged into five phases and structured to eliminate all duplication resulting from separate application of the three tools. The newly proposed methodology saves 45% to 50% of the engineering workload and dequate significant financial savings.

Technology Trend in the Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Kyungsup; Lee, Unjang

2014-01-01

In this paper, overall technology evolution is reviewed and the improvements in the plant safety, reliability and productivity are described. And the issue and some recommendation for better maintenance of Korean nuclear power plants are presented as the interim study results on the 'Management and Regulatory Policy for the Nuclear Power Plant Maintenance and Equipment Reliability' under the agreement with the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. The future trend in the maintenance technologies is also covered. Maintenance is the essential element for the enhancement of plant safety, reliability and economics and also for public safety. Therefore the regulator's involvements and the utility's active participation is inevitable for the better maintenance. For the better sustainability of our nuclear power plants the followings are recommended. ·Establishment of the good maintenance program and continuous improvement. ·Application of OLM on the safety related and non-safety related components by step-by-step approach. ·Improvement PRA technology for the accurate and reliable risk analysis. ·Continuous training and cultivation for the qualified maintenance personnel

Technology Trend in the Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Kyungsup; Lee, Unjang [CTO and CEO, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

In this paper, overall technology evolution is reviewed and the improvements in the plant safety, reliability and productivity are described. And the issue and some recommendation for better maintenance of Korean nuclear power plants are presented as the interim study results on the 'Management and Regulatory Policy for the Nuclear Power Plant Maintenance and Equipment Reliability' under the agreement with the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. The future trend in the maintenance technologies is also covered. Maintenance is the essential element for the enhancement of plant safety, reliability and economics and also for public safety. Therefore the regulator's involvements and the utility's active participation is inevitable for the better maintenance. For the better sustainability of our nuclear power plants the followings are recommended. ·Establishment of the good maintenance program and continuous improvement. ·Application of OLM on the safety related and non-safety related components by step-by-step approach. ·Improvement PRA technology for the accurate and reliable risk analysis. ·Continuous training and cultivation for the qualified maintenance personnel.

RCM optimization of a system under both preventive and corrective maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bris, R.; Cepin, M.

2005-01-01

Testing and maintenance activities of power electrical equipment are an important potential for both risk and cost reduction. A multi-objective maintenance optimization method is presented based on the Genetic Algorithms (GA) technique. The method determines the optimal schedule of preventive maintenance actions based on minimization both selected risk measure and cost. Applied cost model takes into account both preventive and corrective maintenance. This paper also presents application of the methodology to optimize maintenance of a real distribution network 22 kV. Conclusions and recommendations for practice are made on the basis of obtained results. (author)

Intermediate Fragment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse Aagaard, Anders

2015-01-01

This text and its connected exhibition are aiming to reflect both on the thoughts, the processes and the outcome of the design and production of the artefact ‘Intermediate Fragment’ and making as a contemporary architectural tool in general. Intermediate Fragment was made for the exhibition ‘Enga...... of realising an exhibition object was conceived, but expanded, refined and concretised through this process. The context of the work shown here is an interest in a tighter, deeper connection between experimentally obtained material knowledge and architectural design....

Application of Dr. Mainte, integrated simulator of maintenance optimization, to LWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isobe, Yoshihiro; Sagisaka, Mitsuyuki; Etoh, Junji; Matsunaga, Takashi; Kosaka, Toru; Matsumoto, Satoshi; Yoshimura, Shinobu

2015-01-01

Dr. Mainte, an integrated simulator for maintenance optimization of LWRs (Light Water Reactors) is based on PFM (Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics) analyses. The concept of the simulator is to provide a decision-making system to optimize maintenance activities for typical components and piping systems in nuclear power plants totally and quantitatively in terms of safety, availability, economic rationality, environmental impact and social acceptance. For the further improvement of the safety and availability of nuclear power plants, the effect of human error and its reduction on the optimization of maintenance activities have been studied. In addition, an approach of reducing human error is proposed. (author)

Preventive and corrective maintenance for MINT EPS 3000 electron beam machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Aiasah Hashim; Shaari Jahar

2005-01-01

Preventive and corrective maintenance of a high energy electron is to ensure that the machine would not fail during operation. MINT's EPS 3000 electron beam machine has been in operation for almost 12 years. Throughout those years, events relating to scheduled overhauls and unscheduled corrective maintenance had provided invaluable experience in the form of informal maintenance training to the operators. With the implementation of ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System at the facility, the preventive and corrective maintenance program is becoming more structured and orderly. Collected maintenance data shall be used to initiate continual improvement activities in the facility.This paper describes MINT-ALURTRON's 12 years experience in providing maintenance work for the EPS 3000. (Author)

Governance-Default Risk Relationship and the Demand for Intermediated and Non-Intermediated Debt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Husam Aldamen

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the impact of corporate governance on the demand for intermediated debt (asset finance, bank debt, non-bank private debt and non-intermediated debt (public debt in the Australian debt market. Relative to other countries the Australian debt market is characterised by higher proportions of intermediated or private debt with a lower inherent level of information asymmetry in that private lenders have greater access to financial information (Gray, Koh & Tong 2009. Our firm level, cross-sectional evidence suggests that higher corporate governance impacts demand for debt via the mitigation of default risk. However, this relationship is not uniform across all debt types. Intermediated debt such as bank and asset finance debt are more responsive to changes in governance-default risk relationship than non-bank and non-intermediated debt. The implication is that a firm’s demand for different debt types will reflect its governance-default risk profile.

Addressing imperfect maintenance modelling uncertainty in unavailability and cost based optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, Ana; Carlos, Sofia; Martorell, Sebastian; Villanueva, Jose F.

2009-01-01

Optimization of testing and maintenance activities performed in the different systems of a complex industrial plant is of great interest as the plant availability and economy strongly depend on the maintenance activities planned. Traditionally, two types of models, i.e. deterministic and probabilistic, have been considered to simulate the impact of testing and maintenance activities on equipment unavailability and the cost involved. Both models present uncertainties that are often categorized as either aleatory or epistemic uncertainties. The second group applies when there is limited knowledge on the proper model to represent a problem, and/or the values associated to the model parameters, so the results of the calculation performed with them incorporate uncertainty. This paper addresses the problem of testing and maintenance optimization based on unavailability and cost criteria and considering epistemic uncertainty in the imperfect maintenance modelling. It is framed as a multiple criteria decision making problem where unavailability and cost act as uncertain and conflicting decision criteria. A tolerance interval based approach is used to address uncertainty with regard to effectiveness parameter and imperfect maintenance model embedded within a multiple-objective genetic algorithm. A case of application for a stand-by safety related system of a nuclear power plant is presented. The results obtained in this application show the importance of considering uncertainties in the modelling of imperfect maintenance, as the optimal solutions found are associated with a large uncertainty that influences the final decision making depending on, for example, if the decision maker is risk averse or risk neutral

Addressing imperfect maintenance modelling uncertainty in unavailability and cost based optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez, Ana [Department of Statistics and Operational Research, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071 Valencia (Spain); Carlos, Sofia [Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071 Valencia (Spain); Martorell, Sebastian [Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071 Valencia (Spain)], E-mail: smartore@iqn.upv.es; Villanueva, Jose F. [Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Camino de Vera, s/n, 46071 Valencia (Spain)

2009-01-15

Optimization of testing and maintenance activities performed in the different systems of a complex industrial plant is of great interest as the plant availability and economy strongly depend on the maintenance activities planned. Traditionally, two types of models, i.e. deterministic and probabilistic, have been considered to simulate the impact of testing and maintenance activities on equipment unavailability and the cost involved. Both models present uncertainties that are often categorized as either aleatory or epistemic uncertainties. The second group applies when there is limited knowledge on the proper model to represent a problem, and/or the values associated to the model parameters, so the results of the calculation performed with them incorporate uncertainty. This paper addresses the problem of testing and maintenance optimization based on unavailability and cost criteria and considering epistemic uncertainty in the imperfect maintenance modelling. It is framed as a multiple criteria decision making problem where unavailability and cost act as uncertain and conflicting decision criteria. A tolerance interval based approach is used to address uncertainty with regard to effectiveness parameter and imperfect maintenance model embedded within a multiple-objective genetic algorithm. A case of application for a stand-by safety related system of a nuclear power plant is presented. The results obtained in this application show the importance of considering uncertainties in the modelling of imperfect maintenance, as the optimal solutions found are associated with a large uncertainty that influences the final decision making depending on, for example, if the decision maker is risk averse or risk neutral.

Knowledge representation for integrated plant operation and maintenance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lind, Morten

2010-01-01

Integrated operation and maintenance of process plants has many advantages. One advantage is the improved economy obtained by reducing the number of plant shutdowns. Another is to increase reliability of operation by monitoring of risk levels during on-line maintenance. Integrated plant operation...... and maintenance require knowledge bases which can capture the interactions between the two plant activities. As an example, taking out a component or a subsystem for maintenance during operation will require a knowledge base representing the interactions between plant structure, functions, operating states...... and goals and incorporate knowledge about redundancy and reliability data. Multilevel Flow Modeling can be used build knowledge bases representing plant goals and functions and has been applied for fault diagnosis and supervisory control but currently it does not take into account structural information...

Annual report of the maintenance division for 1965

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolic, M.

1965-12-01

The personnel of the Division is organized in groups, each responsible for a number of tasks related to maintenance of reactor mechanical structures, electric equipment, electronic equipment. According to the action plan for 1965 the division for RA reactor maintenance the main activities were: planned maintenance of the reactor components, planned repair of the main components, indispensable repairs during reactor operation, repair during planned shutdown periods and tasks related to improvement of operation components and systems. Quite a significant number of failures was related to electronic equipment resulting from failures of thermometers in the heavy water system due to vibrations of the pumps. A number of spare parts and tools were produced needed for maintenance of reactor components, as well as instruments for control and calibration of reactor measuring devices [sr

New Models for Maintenance of Offshore Wind Farms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Kristian R.

component that was causing a large amount of downtime were identified. Further analysis with the Reliability-Centred Maintenance concept helped determine the most appropriate maintenance strategy. In the final perspective, long-term strategic decisions were the focus. Asset Management and especially Asset...... Life-Cycle Management were studied using a case study. The case study analysis was used to generate strategies to help managers perform maintenance more proactively and to prepare the management of the offshore wind farm turbines for the future. Existing literature on Asset Life-Cycle Management has......Operations and maintenance (O&M) processes are important for keeping offshore wind turbines in operation. Costs related to such activities constitute approximately 30% of the lifetime cost of an offshore wind farm project. Currently, the offshore wind energy industry has shown a rapid increase...

Development of maintenance equipment for nuclear material fabrication equipment in a highly active hot cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. J.; Yang, M. S.; Kim, K. H. and others

2000-09-01

This report presents the development of a maintenance system for a highly contaminated nuclear material handling equipment at a hot-cell. This maintenance system has mainly three subsystems - a gamma-radiation measurement module for detecting a gamma-radiation level and identifying its distribution in-situ, a dry-type decontamination device for cleaning up contaminated particles, and a maintenance chamber for isolating contaminated equipment. The mechanical design considerations, controller, capabilities and remote operation and manipulation of the maintenance system are described. Such subsystems developed were installed and tested in the IMEF (Irradiated Material Examination Facility) M6 hot-cell after mock-up tests and performed their specific tasks successfully

Development of maintenance equipment for nuclear material fabrication equipment in a highly active hot cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, J. J.; Yang, M. S.; Kim, K. H. and others

2000-09-01

This report presents the development of a maintenance system for a highly contaminated nuclear material handling equipment at a hot-cell. This maintenance system has mainly three subsystems - a gamma-radiation measurement module for detecting a gamma-radiation level and identifying its distribution in-situ, a dry-type decontamination device for cleaning up contaminated particles, and a maintenance chamber for isolating contaminated equipment. The mechanical design considerations, controller, capabilities and remote operation and manipulation of the maintenance system are described. Such subsystems developed were installed and tested in the IMEF (Irradiated Material Examination Facility) M6 hot-cell after mock-up tests and performed their specific tasks successfully.

Echinococcus multilocularis and Its Intermediate Host: A Model of Parasite-Host Interplay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominique Angèle Vuitton

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Host-parasite interactions in the E. multilocularis-intermediate host model depend on a subtle balance between cellular immunity, which is responsible for host's resistance towards the metacestode, the larval stage of the parasite, and tolerance induction and maintenance. The pathological features of alveolar echinococcosis. the disease caused by E. multilocularis, are related both to parasitic growth and to host's immune response, leading to fibrosis and necrosis, The disease spectrum is clearly dependent on the genetic background of the host as well as on acquired disturbances of Th1-related immunity. The laminated layer of the metacestode, and especially its carbohydrate components, plays a major role in tolerance induction. Th2-type and anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and TGF-β, as well as nitric oxide, are involved in the maintenance of tolerance and partial inhibition of cytotoxic mechanisms. Results of studies in the experimental mouse model and in patients suggest that immune modulation with cytokines, such as interferon-α, or with specific antigens could be used in the future to treat patients with alveolar echinococcosis and/or to prevent this very severe parasitic disease.

Electrophysiological signatures of phonological and semantic maintenance in sentence repetition.

Science.gov (United States)

Meltzer, Jed A; Kielar, Aneta; Panamsky, Lilia; Links, Kira A; Deschamps, Tiffany; Leigh, Rosie C

2017-08-01

Verbal short-term memory comprises resources for phonological rehearsal, which have been characterized anatomically, and for maintenance of semantic information, which are less understood. Sentence repetition tasks tap both processes interactively. To distinguish brain activity involved in phonological vs. semantic maintenance, we recorded magnetoencephalography during a sentence repetition task, incorporating three manipulations emphasizing one mechanism over the other. Participants heard sentences or word lists and attempted to repeat them verbatim after a 5-second delay. After MEG, participants completed a cued recall task testing how much they remembered of each sentence. Greater semantic engagement relative to phonological rehearsal was hypothesized for 1) sentences vs. word lists, 2) concrete vs. abstract sentences, and 3) well recalled vs. poorly recalled sentences. During auditory perception and the memory delay period, we found highly left-lateralized activation in the form of 8-30 Hz event-related desynchronization. Compared to abstract sentences, concrete sentences recruited posterior temporal cortex bilaterally, demonstrating a neural signature for the engagement of visual imagery in sentence maintenance. Maintenance of arbitrary word lists recruited right hemisphere dorsal regions, reflecting increased demands on phonological rehearsal. Sentences that were ultimately poorly recalled in the post-test also elicited extra right hemisphere activation when they were held in short-term memory, suggesting increased demands on phonological resources. Frontal midline theta oscillations also reflected phonological rather than semantic demand, being increased for word lists and poorly recalled sentences. These findings highlight distinct neural resources for phonological and semantic maintenance, with phonological maintenance associated with stronger oscillatory modulations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for the selection and maintenance of behavioural activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiore, Vincenzo G; Dolan, Raymond J; Strausfeld, Nicholas J; Hirth, Frank

2015-12-19

Survival and reproduction entail the selection of adaptive behavioural repertoires. This selection manifests as phylogenetically acquired activities that depend on evolved nervous system circuitries. Lorenz and Tinbergen already postulated that heritable behaviours and their reliable performance are specified by genetically determined programs. Here we compare the functional anatomy of the insect central complex and vertebrate basal ganglia to illustrate their role in mediating selection and maintenance of adaptive behaviours. Comparative analyses reveal that central complex and basal ganglia circuitries share comparable lineage relationships within clusters of functionally integrated neurons. These clusters are specified by genetic mechanisms that link birth time and order to their neuronal identities and functions. Their subsequent connections and associated functions are characterized by similar mechanisms that implement dimensionality reduction and transition through attractor states, whereby spatially organized parallel-projecting loops integrate and convey sensorimotor representations that select and maintain behavioural activity. In both taxa, these neural systems are modulated by dopamine signalling that also mediates memory-like processes. The multiplicity of similarities between central complex and basal ganglia suggests evolutionarily conserved computational mechanisms for action selection. We speculate that these may have originated from ancestral ground pattern circuitries present in the brain of the last common ancestor of insects and vertebrates. © 2015 The Authors.

Optimizing Maintenance Planning in the Production Industry Using the Markovian Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B Kareem

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Maintenance is an essential activity in every manufacturing establishment, as manufacturing effectiveness counts on the functionality of production equipment and machinery in terms of their productivity and operational life. Maintenance cost minimization can be achieved by adopting an appropriate maintenance planning policy. This paper applies the Markovian approach to maintenance planning decision, thereby generating optimal maintenance policy from the identified alternatives over a specified period of time. Markov chains, transition matrices, decision processes, and dynamic programming models were formulated for the decision problem related to maintenance operations of a cable production company. Preventive and corrective maintenance data based on workloads and costs, were collected from the company and utilized in this study. The result showed variability in the choice of optimal maintenance policy that was adopted in the case study. Post optimality analysis of the process buttressed the claim. The proposed approach is promising for solving the maintenance scheduling decision problems of the company.

Reliability-based performance simulation for optimized pavement maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Jui-Sheng; Le, Thanh-Son

2011-01-01

Roadway pavement maintenance is essential for driver safety and highway infrastructure efficiency. However, regular preventive maintenance and rehabilitation (M and R) activities are extremely costly. Unfortunately, the funds available for the M and R of highway pavement are often given lower priority compared to other national development policies, therefore, available funds must be allocated wisely. Maintenance strategies are typically implemented by optimizing only the cost whilst the reliability of facility performance is neglected. This study proposes a novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) technique to evaluate the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy based on non-dominant solutions. Moreover, a probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. A numerical example of a highway pavement project is illustrated to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed MOPSO algorithms. The analytical results show that the proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans. - Highlights: →A novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization technique. → Evaluation of the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy. → A probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. → The proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans.

Reliability-based performance simulation for optimized pavement maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chou, Jui-Sheng, E-mail: jschou@mail.ntust.edu.tw [Department of Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech), 43 Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Le, Thanh-Son [Department of Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech), 43 Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2011-10-15

Roadway pavement maintenance is essential for driver safety and highway infrastructure efficiency. However, regular preventive maintenance and rehabilitation (M and R) activities are extremely costly. Unfortunately, the funds available for the M and R of highway pavement are often given lower priority compared to other national development policies, therefore, available funds must be allocated wisely. Maintenance strategies are typically implemented by optimizing only the cost whilst the reliability of facility performance is neglected. This study proposes a novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) technique to evaluate the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy based on non-dominant solutions. Moreover, a probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. A numerical example of a highway pavement project is illustrated to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed MOPSO algorithms. The analytical results show that the proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans. - Highlights: > A novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization technique. > Evaluation of the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy. > A probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. > The proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans.

Coordinating technician allocation and maintenance routing for offshore wind farms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schrotenboer, Albert H.; uit het Broek, Michiel A. J.; Jargalsaikhan, Bolor; Roodbergen, Kees Jan

2018-01-01

A maintenance activity at offshore wind farms requires a combination of technicians with different skills. At an operational level, it is important to fully utilize and coordinate technicians in order to increase efficiency of the short-term maintenance planning. In this paper, we investigate

Maintenance Management Update.

Science.gov (United States)

Sternloff, Robert E.

1987-01-01

Current trends in park maintenance are overviewed, including maintenance impact statements, avoidance of cost through efficient use and national resource conservation, horticultural accomplishments that influence maintenance management, and vandalism prevention. (CB)

Activated carbon/ZnO composites prepared using hydrochars as intermediate and their electrochemical performance in supercapacitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yueming; Liu, Xi

2014-01-01

We report a new methodology to prepare activated carbon and activated carbons/ZnO composites from walnut shell-derived hydrothermal carbons (hydrochars), which were prepared under hydrothermal condition in presence of ZnCl 2 . For this method, activated carbon/ZnO composites were prepared via heat treatment of hydrochars under inert environment and activated carbons were prepared by removing the ZnO in activated carbon/ZnO composites. The chemical structure of walnut shell, hydrochars, activated carbon/ZnO and activated carbon was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman, X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and N 2 adsorption/desorption measurements. It is found ZnCl 2 plays multiple roles, i.e., helping to remove the oxygen-containing groups during hydrothermal stage, improving the surface area of activated carbon and acting as the precursor of ZnO in heat-treatment stage. The specific surface areas up to 818.9 and 1072.7 m 2  g −1 have been achieved for activated carbon/ZnO composites and activated carbon, respectively. The activated carbon/ZnO as electrode materials for supercapacitors showed that specific capacitance of up to 117.4 F g −1 at a current density of 0.5 A g −1 in KOH aqueous solution can be achieved and keeps stable in 1000 cycles. - Highlights: • Hydrochars as intermediate to prepare activated carbon/ZnO composites. • Activated carbon/ZnO showed excellent electrochemical performance in supercapacitors. • Activated carbon with large surface area can be obtained by removing ZnO

Spacing Sensitivity Analysis of HLW Intermediate Storage Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youn, Bum Soo; Lee, Kwang Ho

2010-01-01

Currently, South Korea's spent fuels are stored in its temporary storage within the plant. But the temporary storage is expected to be reaching saturation soon. For the effective management of spent fuel wastes, the need for intermediate storage facility is a desperate position. However, the research for the intermediate storage facility for waste has not made active so far. In addition, in case of foreign countries it is mostly treated confidentially and the information isn't easy to collect. Therefore, the purpose of this study is creating the basic thermal analysis data for the waste storage facility that will be valuable in the future

The lower body muscle activation of intermediate to experienced kayakers when navigating white water.

Science.gov (United States)

Murtagh, Misha; Brooks, Darrell; Sinclair, Jonathan; Atkins, Stephen

2016-11-01

In white-water kayaking, the legs play a vital part in turning, stabilising and bracing actions. To date, there has been no reported information on neuromuscular activation of the legs in an authentic white-water environment. The aim of the current study was to identify lower body muscle activation, using 'in-boat' electromyography (EMG), whilst navigating a white-water run. Ten experienced male kayakers (age 31.5 ± 12.5 yr, intermediate to advanced experience) completed three successful runs of an international standard white-water course (grade 3 rapids), targeting right and left sides of the course, in a zigzag formation. Surface EMG (sEMG) outputs were generated, bilaterally, for the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis, biceps femoris and gastrocnemius, expressed as a percentage of a dynamic maximal voluntary contraction (dMVC). Only RF showed significantly higher activation than any muscle on the left side of the body, and only on the left side of the course (P = .004; ETA(2) = 0.56). Other results showed no significant difference between muscle activation in the right and left legs during each run, nor when assessed at either the right or left side of the course (P > .05). These findings indicate that contralateral symmetry in lower limb muscle activation is evident during white-water kayaking. This symmetry may provide a stable base to allow more asymmetrical upper body and trunk movements to be fully optimised. Lower body symmetry development should be considered useful in targeted training programmes for white-water kayakers.

The ITER Remote Maintenance Management System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tesini, Alessandro; Rolfe, A.C.

2009-01-01

A major challenge for the ITER project is to develop and implement a Remote Maintenance System, which can deliver high Tokamak availability within the constraints of the overall ITER programme objectives. Much of the maintenance of ITER will be performed using remote handling methods and some with combined manual and remote activities working together. The organization and management of the ITER remote handling facilities will be of a scale unlike any other remote handling application in the world. The ITER remote handling design and procurement activities will require co-ordination and management across many different sites throughout the world. It will be a major challenge for the ITER project to ensure a consistent quality and technical approach in all of the contributing parties. To address this issue the IO remote handling team are implementing the ITER Maintenance Management Plan (IMMP) comprising an overarching document defining the policies and methodologies (ITER Remote Maintenance Management System or IMMS) and an associated ITER remote handling code of practise (IRHCOP). The IMMS will be in document form available as a pdf file or similar. The IRHCOP will be implemented as a web based application and will provide access to the central resource of the entire code of practise from any location in the world. The IRHCOP data library will be centrally controlled in order that users can be assured of the data relevance and authenticity. This paper will describe the overall approach being taken to deal with this challenge and go on to detail the structure and content of both the IMMS and the IRHCOP.

Improving human performance in maintenance personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez Anez, Francisco; Agueero Agueero, Jorge

2010-01-01

The continuous evolution and improvement of safety-related processes has included the analysis, design and development of training plans for the qualification of maintenance nuclear power plant personnel. In this respect, the international references in this area recommend the establishment of systematic qualification programmes for personnel performing functions or carrying out safety related tasks. Maintenance personnel qualification processes have improved significantly, and training plans have been designed and developed based on Systematic Approach to Training methodology to each job position. These improvements have been clearly reflected in recent training programmes with new training material and training facilities focused not only on developing technical knowledge and skills but also on improving attitudes and safety culture. The objectives of maintenance training facilities such as laboratories, mock-ups real an virtual, hydraulic loops, field simulators and other training material to be used in the maintenance training centre are to cover training necessities for initial and continuous qualification. Evidently, all these improvements made in the qualification of plant personnel should be extended to include supplemental personnel (external or contracted) performing safety-related tasks. The supplemental personnel constitute a very spread group, covering the performance of multiple activities entailing different levels of responsibility. Some of these activities are performed permanently at the plant, while others are occasional or sporadic. In order to establish qualification requirements for these supplemental workers, it is recommended to establish a rigorous analysis of job positions and tasks. The objective will be to identify the qualification requirements to assure competence and safety. (authors)

Medicare and state health care programs: fraud and abuse, civil money penalties and intermediate sanctions for certain violations by health maintenance organizations and competitive medical plans--HHS. Final rule.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-07-15

This final rule implements sections 9312(c)(2), 9312(f), and 9434(b) of Public Law 99-509, section 7 of Public Law 100-93, section 4014 of Public Law 100-203, sections 224 and 411(k)(12) of Public Law 100-360, and section 6411(d)(3) of Public Law 101-239. These provisions broaden the Secretary's authority to impose intermediate sanctions and civil money penalties on health maintenance organizations (HMOs), competitive medical plans, and other prepaid health plans contracting under Medicare or Medicaid that (1) substantially fail to provide an enrolled individual with required medically necessary items and services; (2) engage in certain marketing, enrollment, reporting, or claims payment abuses; or (3) in the case of Medicare risk-contracting plans, employ or contract with, either directly or indirectly, an individual or entity excluded from participation in Medicare. The provisions also condition Federal financial participation in certain State payments on the State's exclusion of certain prohibited entities from participation in HMO contracts and waiver programs. This final rule is intended to significantly enhance the protections for Medicare beneficiaries and Medicaid recipients enrolled in a HMO, competitive medical plan, or other contracting organization under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act.

Radioactive waste packages stored at the Aube facility for low-intermediate activity wastes. A selective and controlled storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The waste package is the first barrier designed to protect the man and the environment from the radioactivity contained in wastes. Its design is thus particularly stringent and controlled. This brochure describes the different types of packages for low to intermediate activity wastes like those received and stored at the Aube facility, and also the system implemented by the ANDRA (the French national agency of radioactive wastes) and by waste producers to safely control each step of the design and fabrication of these packages. (J.S.)

Control maintenance training program for special safety systems at Bruce B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinwald, G.

1997-01-01

It was recognized from the early days of commissioning of Bruce B that Control Maintenance staff would require a level of expertise to be able to maintain Special Safety Systems in proper running order. In the early 80's this was achieved through hands on experience during the original commissioning, troubleshooting and placing of the various systems in service. Control maintenance procedures were developed and implemented as the new systems came available for commissioning, as were operating manuals,training manuals etc. Under the development of the Maintenance Manager, a Conduct of Maintenance section was organized. One of the responsibilities of this section was to develop a series of Maintenance Administrative Procedures (MAPs) that set the standards for maintenance activities including training

Development of the tool infrastructure for implementation of the maintenance rule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo, Chung-Kung; Hsu, Pi-Lin

2009-01-01

INER PSA Group helps the three operating plants in Taiwan to decide the importance of their scoped-in equipment in terms of risk significance and develop the application database software (MEMOS) to implement the maintenance effectiveness monitoring process. NER also develops a software tool (MIRU) used in the on-line maintenance scheduling and risk assessment process. It serves as a platform for the plants to plan their daily maintenance activities and perform the risk assessment in the future rolling on-line maintenance. The implementation of routine on-line maintenance will be a critical step towards improving the capacity factors and thus further enhancement of the performance of nuclear power in Taiwan

Systematic maintenance analysis with decision support method and tool for optimizing maintenance programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laakso, K.; Simola, K.; Dorrepaal, J.; Skogberg, P.

1999-01-01

This report describes an approach to evaluate the effectiveness of test and maintenance programs of technical systems used during several years. The method combines an analysis of the historical data on faults and repairs with an analysis of the history of periodic testing and preventive maintenance action programs. The application of the maintenance analysis from the methodological point of view in the reliability centered maintenance (RCM) project for Barsebaeck nuclear power plant is described. In order to limit the analysis resources, a method for ranking of objects for maintenance analysis is needed. Preliminary suggestions for changes in maintenance action programs are based on signals from simple maintenance indicators and qualitative analysis of underlying data on failures and maintenance. To facilitate generation of maintenance indicators, and make the maintenance analysis more efficient, a powerful and suitable data treatment tool is needed for analysis of the work order history. In the final maintenance decisions, additional decision criteria must be taken into account, and thus a more formal decision analysis is often needed for decision support. (au)

Intermediate Filaments at the Junction of Mechanotransduction, Migration, and Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rucha Sanghvi-Shah

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Mechanically induced signal transduction has an essential role in development. Cells actively transduce and respond to mechanical signals and their internal architecture must manage the associated forces while also being dynamically responsive. With unique assembly-disassembly dynamics and physical properties, cytoplasmic intermediate filaments play an important role in regulating cell shape and mechanical integrity. While this function has been recognized and appreciated for more than 30 years, continually emerging data also demonstrate important roles of intermediate filaments in cell signal transduction. In this review, with a particular focus on keratins and vimentin, the relationship between the physical state of intermediate filaments and their role in mechanotransduction signaling is illustrated through a survey of current literature. Association with adhesion receptors such as cadherins and integrins provides a critical interface through which intermediate filaments are exposed to forces from a cell's environment. As a consequence, these cytoskeletal networks are posttranslationally modified, remodeled and reorganized with direct impacts on local signal transduction events and cell migratory behaviors important to development. We propose that intermediate filaments provide an opportune platform for cells to both cope with mechanical forces and modulate signal transduction.

Darlington Station outage - a maintenance perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plourde, J.; Marczak, J.; Stone, M.; Myers, R.; Sutton, K.

1997-01-01

Ontario Hydro's Darlington Nuclear Generating Station (4x881MW(e)net) has carried out its first station outage since full commercial operation. The outage presented challenges to the organization in terms of outage planning, support, management, and safe execution within the constraints of schedule, budget and resources. This paper will focus on the success of the outage maintenance program, identifying the major work programs - a vacuum structure and containment outage, an emergency service water system outage, an emergency coolant injection system outage, intake channel inspections, low pressure service water inspections, and significant outage maintenance work on each of the four reactor units. Planning for the outage was initiated early in anticipation of this important milestone in the station's life. Detailed safety reviews - nuclear, radiation, and conventional - were conducted in support of the planned maintenance program. System lineup and work protection were provided by the Station Operator work group. Work protection permitry was initiated well in advance of the outage. Station maintenance staff resources were bolstered in support of the outage to ensure program execution could be maintained within the schedule. Training programs were in place to ensure that expectations were clear and that high standards would be maintained. Materials management issues in support of maintenance activities were given high priority to ensure no delays to the planned work. Station management review and monitoring in preparation for and during the outage ensured that staff priorities remained focused. Lessons learned from the outage execution are being formalized in maintenance procedures and outage management procedures, and shared with the nuclear community. (author)

A Naval Aviation Maintenance Organizational Activity Strategic Information System (OASIS)

Science.gov (United States)

1990-03-01

Management Plan ( CIMP ) [Ref. 49] lists all information systems currently being planned or developed to support NAVAIR missions. The four "functional...in the CIMP . They include local area networks (LANs) for specific commands, systems dedicated to supporting one level of maintenance, systems designed

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase is activated through a sulfenic acid intermediate at a copper ion entry site.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetherolf, Morgan M; Boyd, Stefanie D; Taylor, Alexander B; Kim, Hee Jong; Wohlschlegel, James A; Blackburn, Ninian J; Hart, P John; Winge, Dennis R; Winkler, Duane D

2017-07-21

Metallochaperones are a diverse family of trafficking molecules that provide metal ions to protein targets for use as cofactors. The copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase (Ccs1) activates immature copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Sod1) by delivering copper and facilitating the oxidation of the Sod1 intramolecular disulfide bond. Here, we present structural, spectroscopic, and cell-based data supporting a novel copper-induced mechanism for Sod1 activation. Ccs1 binding exposes an electropositive cavity and proposed "entry site" for copper ion delivery on immature Sod1. Copper-mediated sulfenylation leads to a sulfenic acid intermediate that eventually resolves to form the Sod1 disulfide bond with concomitant release of copper into the Sod1 active site. Sod1 is the predominant disulfide bond-requiring enzyme in the cytoplasm, and this copper-induced mechanism of disulfide bond formation obviates the need for a thiol/disulfide oxidoreductase in that compartment. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The study of the maintenance for a cryogenics pilot plant in nuclear regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anghel, Vasile

2002-01-01

The Cryogenic Pilot Plant, CPP, has as goal the extraction of tritium from heavy water at the CANDU Reactors in Cernavoda. Its operation allows a continuos nuclear regime. CPP consists in several modules, each of them implying static and dynamical complex equipment in which fluids circulate at cryogenic temperatures. From these reasons it results that the CPP maintenance is essential. The relational structure regarding the integrated maintenance systems in the whole ICSI's activity is presented in the frame of management decision system and contains a procedural program of maintenance (PPM). PPM includes adoption strategy for maintenance activity in the conditions required by the Manuals worked out in compliance with QA of ICSI and specific regulations of operation in nuclear regime. An explanation based on a thorough analysis is given for the strategy of maintenance, the structure of modules and the use of informatics subsystems. The structure of PPM strategy has a flowchart implying: - Reorganization, Scientific background, and Operative Maintenance strategy (inside/outside strategy) as well as PPM stage realization and specifications for maintenance assurance (manuals, cards and subsystems). Also, provided in the maintenance strategy are the PPM preparatory and proper stage conceptions

Maintenance concept development for the Compact Ignition Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macdonald, D.

1988-01-01

The Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT), located at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, will be the next major experimental machine in the US Fusion Program. Its use of deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel requires the use of remote handling technology to carry out maintenance operations on the machine. These operations consist of removing and repairing such components as diagnostic equipment modules by using remotely operated maintenance equipment. The major equipment being developed for maintenance external to the vacuum vessel includes both bridge-mounted and floor-mounted manipulator systems. Additionally, decontamination (decon) equipment, hot cell repair facilities, and equipment for handling and packaging solid radioactive waste (rad-waste) are being developed. Recent design activities have focused on establishing maintenance system interfaces with the facility design, developing manipulator system requirements, and using mock-ups to support the tokamak configuration design. 3 refs., 8 figs

[STRATEGY OF USE AND MAINTENANCE OF CLINICAL HOSPITAL CENTER RIJEKA IN ACCORDANCE WITH KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR STRATEGIC HEALTHCARE FACILITIES MAINTENANCE].

Science.gov (United States)

Sjekavica, Mariela; Haller, Herman; Cerić, Anita

2015-01-01

Building usage is the phase in the building life cycle that is most time-consuming, most functional, most significant due to building purpose and often systematically ignored. Maintenance is the set of activities that ensure the planned duration of facility exploitation phase in accordance with the requirements for quality maintenance of a large number of important building features as well as other elements immanent to the nature of facilities' life. The aim of the study is to show the analysis of the current state of organized, planned and comprehensive managerial approach in hospital utilization and maintenance in the Republic of Croatia, given on the case study of Clinical hospital center in Rijeka. The methodology used consists of relevant literature section of theory of facility utilization, maintenance and management in general, hospital buildings especially, display of practice on case study, and comparison of key performance indicators values obtained through interview with those that author Igal M. Shohet defined in his study by field surveys and statistical analyses. Despite many positive indicators of Clinical hospital center Rijeka maintenance, an additional research is needed in order to define a more complete national hospital maintenance strategy.

Phosphorylation of Minichromosome Maintenance 3 (MCM3) by Checkpoint Kinase 1 (Chk1) Negatively Regulates DNA Replication and Checkpoint Activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xiangzi; Mayca Pozo, Franklin; Wisotsky, Jacob N; Wang, Benlian; Jacobberger, James W; Zhang, Youwei

2015-05-08

Mechanisms controlling DNA replication and replication checkpoint are critical for the maintenance of genome stability and the prevention or treatment of human cancers. Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is a key effector protein kinase that regulates the DNA damage response and replication checkpoint. The heterohexameric minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex is the core component of mammalian DNA helicase and has been implicated in replication checkpoint activation. Here we report that Chk1 phosphorylates the MCM3 subunit of the MCM complex at Ser-205 under normal growth conditions. Mutating the Ser-205 of MCM3 to Ala increased the length of DNA replication track and shortened the S phase duration, indicating that Ser-205 phosphorylation negatively controls normal DNA replication. Upon replicative stress treatment, the inhibitory phosphorylation of MCM3 at Ser-205 was reduced, and this reduction was accompanied with the generation of single strand DNA, the key platform for ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) activation. As a result, the replication checkpoint is activated. Together, these data provide significant insights into the regulation of both normal DNA replication and replication checkpoint activation through the novel phosphorylation of MCM3 by Chk1. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Design for improved maintenance of the fiber-optic cable system (As carried out in a concurrent engineering environment)

Science.gov (United States)

Tremoulet, P. C.

The author describes a number of maintenance improvements in the Fiber Optic Cable System (FOCS). They were achieved during a production phase pilot concurrent engineering program. Listed in order of importance (saved maintenance time and material) by maintenance level, they are: (1) organizational level: improved fiber optic converter (FOC) BITE; (2) Intermediate level: reduced FOC adjustments from 20 to 2; partitioned FOC into electrical and optical parts; developed cost-effective fault isolation test points and test using standard test equipment; improved FOC chassis to have lower mean time to repair; and (3) depot level: revised test requirements documents (TRDs) for common automatic test equipment and incorporated ATE testability into circuit and assemblies and application-specific integrated circuits. These improvements met this contract's tailored logistics MIL-STD 1388-1A requirements of monitoring the design for supportability and determining the most effective support equipment. Important logistics lessons learned while accomplishing these maintainability and supportability improvements on the pilot concurrent engineering program are also discussed.

With a re-engineering of maintenance to a profitably oriented maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelevska, Silvana; Jolevski, Tome

2000-01-01

This paper presents an overview of effectiveness of the profit centered maintenance as a contemporary way of the maintenance management concept. Such redesign of a maintenance procedure results in significant gains in cost reduction and increase of the profitability and competitiveness of energy. The business process re engineering - a modern management control theory that is important aspect of the profit centered maintenance is summarized

Assessing maintenance contracts when preventive maintenance is outsourced

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Shaomin

2012-01-01

In some companies, corrective maintenance is conducted in-house but preventive maintenance might be outsourced. This raises a need to optimise some parameters such as the number of contracts from a perspective of the equipment owner. This paper considers a maintenance policy for such a situation, analyses the roles of the parameters in a PM model, proposes approaches to defining bonus functions, and finally discusses special cases of both the PM policy and the bonus function. Numerical examples are also given to explore the impact of parameters on the expected lifecycle cost rate.

MHD intermediate shock discontinuities: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennel, C.F.; Blandford, R.D.; Coppi, P.

1989-01-01

Recent numerical investigations have focused attention once more on the role of intermediate shocks in MHD. Four types of intermediate shock are identified using a graphical representation of the MHD Rankine-Hugoniot conditions. This same representation can be used to exhibit the close relationship of intermediate shocks to switch-on shocks and rotational discontinuities. The conditions under which intermediate discontinuities can be found are elucidated. The variations in velocity, pressure, entropy and magnetic-field jumps with upstream parameters in intermediate shocks are exhibited graphically. The evolutionary arguments traditionally advanced against intermediate shocks may fail because the equations of classical MHD are not strictly hyperbolic. (author)

Annual report on surveillance and maintenance activities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, fiscal year 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-11-01

In fiscal year (FY) 1995, the sites and facilities from both the Remedial Action (RA) and Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) programs were combined to form the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Surveillance and Maintenance (S and M) Program. Surveillance and Maintenance activities were conducted throughout FY 1996 at the RA facilities. Overall, the RA S and M Program consists of approximately 650 acres that include 14 waste area groupings with approximately 200 sites. These sites include 46 major facilities, several leak and contaminated soil sites, 38 inactive tanks, approximately 50 environmental study areas and approximately 2,973 wells and boreholes. Site inspections were conducted at established frequencies on appropriate sites in the RA S and M Program in accordance with the established S and M FY 1996 Incentive Task Order (ITO)

Managing nuclear maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

For utilities operating nuclear powerplants, the rules of the game continue to change. Conflicting regulatory pressures and a tougher competitive environment will make management's job more complicated and difficult in the 1990s. Dealing with these pressures successfully requires greater attention to maintenance effectiveness. Utilities can help shape their future environment by developing a well-planned strategy to guide their actions. Parts of the strategy that are discussed include developing a sound maintenance philosophy, selecting a service company, radiation exposure, and managing spare parts. This article also addresses the Swedish experience in maintenance, German philosophy regarding maintenance and the current maintenance practices of the Electricite de France

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE HANGAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GEAMBASU Gabriel George

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the maintenance process that is done on an airplane, at a certain period of time, or after a number of flight hours or cycles and describes the checks performed behind each inspection. The first part of research describes the aircraft maintenance process that has to be done after an updated maintenance manual according with aircraft type, followed by a short introduction about maintenance hangar. The second part of the paper presents a hangar design with a foldable roof and walls, which can be folded or extended, over an airplane when a maintenance process is done, or depending on weather condition.

Potential of Computerized Maintenance Management System in Facilities Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noor Farisya Azahar

2014-07-01

Full Text Available For some time it has been clear that managing buildings or estates has been carried out in the context of what has become known as facilities management. British Institute of Facilities Management defined facilities management is the integration of multi-disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace. Effective facilities management is vital to the success of an organisation by contributing to the delivery of its strategic and operational objectives. Maintenance of buildings should be given serious attention before (stage design, during and after a building is completed. But total involvement in building maintenance is after the building is completed and during its operations. Residents of and property owners require their building to look attractive, durable and have a peaceful indoor environment and efficient. The objective of the maintenance management system is to stream line the vast maintenance information system to improve the productivity of an industrial plant. a good maintenance management system makes equipment and facilities available. This paper will discuss the fundamental steps of maintenance management program and Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS

Maintenance Business Plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Matt

2002-01-01

Discusses maintenance business plans, statements which provide accountability for facilities maintenance organizations' considerable budgets. Discusses the plan's components: statement of plan objectives, macro and detailed description of the facility assets, maintenance function descriptions, description of key performance indicators, milestone…

Maintenance implementation plan for the Plutonium Finishing Plant. Revision 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meldrom, C.A.

1996-03-01

This document outlines the Maintenance Implementation Plan (MIP) for the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) located at the Hanford site at Richland, Washington. This MIP describes the PFP maintenance program relative to DOE order 4330.4B. The MIP defines the key actions needed to meet the guidelines of the Order to produce a cost-effective and efficient maintenance program. A previous report identified the presence of significant quantities of Pu-bearing materials within PFP that pose risks to workers. PFP's current mission is to develop, install and operate processes which will mitigate these risks. The PFP Maintenance strategy is to equip the facility with systems and equipment able to sustain scheduled PFP operations. The current operating run is scheduled to last seven years. Activities following the stabilization operation will involve an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to determine future plant activities. This strategy includes long-term maintenance of the facility for safe occupancy and material storage. The PFP maintenance staff used the graded approach to dictate the priorities of the improvement and upgrade actions identified in Chapter 2 of this document. The MIP documents PFP compliance to the DOE 4330.4B Order. Chapter 2 of the MIP follows the format of the Order in addressing the eighteen elements. As this revision is a total rewrite, no sidebars are included to highlight changes

North American nuclear maintenance best practices compared to Japanese utility maintenance practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harazim, M.L.; Ferguson, B.J.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare the best practices in North America concerning Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance and Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) or Preventive Maintenance Optimization (PMO) with the time-directed maintenance philosophies utilized by Japanese utilities, and how the Japanese utilities are considering (and some have begun) adopting North American ways of doing business. Preventive Maintenance Living Programs are also discussed, along with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations AP-913 process, Equipment Reliability Process. Also, a cost benefit analysis will be demonstrated showing how major cost savings can be achieved by shifting from a predominantly time-directed maintenance philosophy to a predominantly predictive strategy utilizing vibration analysis, lubricating oil analysis, thermography and other predictive technologies to better utilize resources, reduce spare part consumption and to minimize maintenance induced errors. As a result of the strides made while incorporating these new philosophies, we no longer advocate tearing apart perfectly good equipment. (author)

Building Maintenance. Student Learning Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction, West Palm Beach, FL.

This student learning guide contains one module for completing a course in building maintenance. It is designed especially for use in secondary schools in Palm Beach County, Florida. The module covers one task, and consists of a purpose, performance objective, enabling objectives, learning activities keyed to resources, information sheets, student…

Reliability centered Maintenance (RCM) program for Chashma NPP (CHASNUPP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalid, S.; Khan, S.A.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the proposed Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) program for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP). Major steps are the identification of risk critical components and the implementation of RCM procedures. Identification of risk critical components is based upon the CHASNUPP level 1 PSA results (performed under IAEA TC Project PAK/9/019) which is near completion. The other requirements for implementation of RCM program is the qualitative analysis to be performed for identifying the dominant potential failure modes of each risk critical component and determination of the necessary maintenance activities, required to ensure reliable operation of the identified risk critical components. Implementation of RCM program for these components will lead to improvement in plant availability and safety together with reduction in the maintenance cost. Development - implementation of RCM program at this stage will help the CHASNUPP Maintenance department who is now developing the maintenance program - procedures for CHASNUPP. (author)

Maintenance features of the Compact Ignition Tokamak fusion reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spampinato, P.T.; Hager, E.R.

1987-01-01

The Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) is envisaged to be the next experimental machine in the US Fusion Program. Its use of deuterium/tritium fuel requires the implementation of remote handling technology for maintenance and disassembly operations. The reactor is surrounded by a close-proximity nuclear shield which is designed to permit personnel access within the test cell, one day after shutdown. With the shield in place, certain maintenance activities in the cell may be done hands-on. Maintenance on the reactor is accomplished remotely using a boom-mounted manipulator after disassembling the shield. Maintenance within the plasma chamber is accomplished with two articulated boom manipulators that are capable of operating in a vacuum environment. They are stored in a vacuum enclosure behind movable shield plugs

Application Regarding the Butt-Welding Through Intermediate Melting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tudorel Ene

2006-10-01

Full Text Available It consists in presenting butt welding procedure through intermediate melting and its usage for manufacturing cutting tools type drill, tap screw, reamer by welding the active part (made of high-speed steel to the tool tail (made of unalloyed steel wit low carbon.

Maintenance of BWR control rod drive mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, R.H.

1991-01-01

Control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) replacement and rebuilding is one of the highest dose, most physically demanding, and complicated maintenance activities routinely accomplished by BWR utilities. A recent industry workshop sponsored by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which dealt with the effects of CRDM aging, revealed enhancements in maintenance techniques and tooling which have reduced ALARA, improved worker comfort and productivity, and have provided revised guidelines for CRDM changeout selection. Highlights of this workshop and ongoing research on CRDM aging are presented in this paper

A proactive condition-based maintenance strategy with both perfect and imperfect maintenance actions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do, Phuc; Voisin, Alexandre; Levrat, Eric; Iung, Benoit

2015-01-01

This paper deals with a proactive condition-based maintenance (CBM) considering both perfect and imperfect maintenance actions for a deteriorating system. Perfect maintenance actions restore completely the system to the ‘as good as new’ state. Their related cost are however often high. The first objective of the paper is to investigate the impacts of imperfect maintenance actions. In fact, both positive and negative impacts are considered. Positive impact means that the imperfect maintenance cost is usually low. Negative impact implies that (i) the imperfect maintenance restores a system to a state between good-as-new and bad-as-old and (ii) each imperfect preventive action may accelerate the speed of the system's deterioration process. The second objective of the paper is to propose an adaptive maintenance policy which can help to select optimally maintenance actions (perfect or imperfect actions), if needed, at each inspection time. Moreover, the time interval between two successive inspection points is determined according to a remaining useful life (RUL) based-inspection policy. To illustrate the use of the proposed maintenance policy, a numerical example finally is introduced. - Highlights: • A new imperfect maintenance model for deterioration system is proposed. • Both positive and negative impacts of an imperfect maintenance action are investigated. • An adaptive condition-based maintenance policy is introduced. • The optimal number of useful imperfect maintenance actions for each life cycle is optimally provided

78 FR 26383 - Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Increase in Operation, Maintenance and Replacement...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-06

... Proposed Increase in Operation, Maintenance and Replacement Activities Associated With the Wasatch County... of potential impacts associated with a proposed change in Operation, Maintenance and Replacement..., Maintenance, and Replacement Proposed Action includes: stabilizing canal banks; lining, piping, or enclosing...

Insignificant disease among men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sung Kyu; Vertosick, Emily; Sjoberg, Daniel D; Scardino, Peter T; Eastham, James A

2014-12-01

A paucity of data exists on the insignificant disease potentially suitable for active surveillance (AS) among men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa). We tried to identify pathologically insignificant disease and its preoperative predictors in men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) for intermediate-risk PCa. We analyzed data of 1,630 men who underwent RP for intermediate-risk disease. Total tumor volume (TTV) data were available in 332 men. We examined factors associated with classically defined pathologically insignificant cancer (organ-confined disease with TTV ≤0.5 ml with no Gleason pattern 4 or 5) and pathologically favorable cancer (organ-confined disease with no Gleason pattern 4 or 5) potentially suitable for AS. Decision curve analysis was used to assess clinical utility of a multivariable model including preoperative variables for predicting pathologically unfavorable cancer. In the entire cohort, 221 of 1,630 (13.6 %) total patients had pathologically favorable cancer. Among 332 patients with TTV data available, 26 (7.8 %) had classically defined pathologically insignificant cancer. Between threshold probabilities of 20 and 40 %, decision curve analysis demonstrated that using multivariable model to identify AS candidates would not provide any benefit over simply treating all men who have intermediate-risk disease with RP. Although a minority of patients with intermediate-risk disease may harbor pathologically favorable or insignificant cancer, currently available conventional tools are not sufficiently able to identify those patients.

Fatty acid oxidation is required for active and quiescent brown adipose tissue maintenance and thermogenic programing.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Hurtado, Elsie; Lee, Jieun; Choi, Joseph; Wolfgang, Michael J

2018-01-01

To determine the role of fatty acid oxidation on the cellular, molecular, and physiologic response of brown adipose tissue to disparate paradigms of chronic thermogenic stimulation. Mice with an adipose-specific loss of Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 2 (Cpt2 A-/- ), that lack mitochondrial long chain fatty acid β-oxidation, were subjected to environmental and pharmacologic interventions known to promote thermogenic programming in adipose tissue. Chronic administration of β3-adrenergic (CL-316243) or thyroid hormone (GC-1) agonists induced a loss of BAT morphology and UCP1 expression in Cpt2 A-/- mice. Fatty acid oxidation was also required for the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and the induction of UCP1 in WAT. In contrast, chronic cold (15 °C) stimulation induced UCP1 and thermogenic programming in both control and Cpt2 A-/- adipose tissue albeit to a lesser extent in Cpt2 A-/- mice. However, thermoneutral housing also induced the loss of UCP1 and BAT morphology in Cpt2 A-/- mice. Therefore, adipose fatty acid oxidation is required for both the acute agonist-induced activation of BAT and the maintenance of quiescent BAT. Consistent with this data, Cpt2 A-/- BAT exhibited increased macrophage infiltration, inflammation and fibrosis irrespective of BAT activation. Finally, obese Cpt2 A-/- mice housed at thermoneutrality exhibited a loss of interscapular BAT and were refractory to β3-adrenergic-induced energy expenditure and weight loss. Mitochondrial long chain fatty acid β-oxidation is critical for the maintenance of the brown adipocyte phenotype both during times of activation and quiescence. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

Effects of dairy intake on weight maintenance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun Xiaocun

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To compare the effects of low versus recommended levels of dairy intake on weight maintenance and body composition subsequent to weight loss. Design and Methods Two site (University of Kansas-KU; University of Tennessee-UT, 9 month, randomized trial. Weight loss was baseline to 3 months, weight maintenance was 4 to 9 months. Participants were maintained randomly assigned to low dairy ( 3 servings/d diets for the maintenance phase. Three hundred thirty eight men and women, age: 40.3 ± 7.0 years and BMI: 34.5 ± 3.1, were randomized; Change in weight and body composition (total fat, trunk fat from 4 to 9 months were the primary outcomes. Blood chemistry, blood pressure, resting metabolism, and respiratory quotient were secondary outcomes. Energy intake, calcium intake, dairy intake, and physical activity were measured as process evaluation. Results During weight maintenance, there were no overall significant differences for weight or body composition between the low and recommended dairy groups. A significant site interaction occurred with the low dairy group at KU maintaining weight and body composition and the low dairy group at UT increasing weight and body fat. The recommended dairy group exhibited reductions in plasma 1,25-(OH2-D while no change was observed in the low dairy group. No other differences were found for blood chemistry, blood pressure or physical activity between low and recommended dairy groups. The recommended dairy group showed significantly greater energy intake and lower respiratory quotient compared to the low dairy group. Conclusion Weight maintenance was similar for low and recommended dairy groups. The recommended dairy group exhibited evidence of greater fat oxidation and was able to consume greater energy without greater weight gain compared to the low dairy group. Recommended levels of dairy products may be used during weight maintenance without contributing to weight gain compared to diets low

Competence within Maintenance

OpenAIRE

Nerland, Annette Smørholm

2010-01-01

Maintenance can be a contributing factor to unwanted events, as well as desired events and states. Human competence can be defined as the ability to perform a specific task, action or function successfully, and is therefore a key factor to proper execution of maintenance tasks. Hence,maintenance will have negative consequences if done wrong, and give positive results when done right. The purpose of this report is to study the many aspects of maintenance competence. Endeavoring to improve ...

Application of data mining in a maintenance system for failure prediction

OpenAIRE

Bastos, Pedro; Lopes, Isabel; Pires, L.C.M.

2014-01-01

In industrial environment, data generated during equipment maintenance and monitoring activities has become increasingly overwhelming. Data mining presents an opportunity to increase significantly the rate at which the volume of data can be turned into useful information. This paper presents an architecture designed to gather data generated in industrial units on their maintenance activities, and to forecast future failures based on data analysis. Rapid Miner is used to apply diff...

Random maintenance policies

CERN Document Server

Nakagawa, Toshio

2014-01-01

Exploring random maintenance models, this book provides an introduction to the implementation of random maintenance, and it is one of the first books to be written on this subject.  It aims to help readers learn new techniques for applying random policies to actual reliability models, and it provides new theoretical analyses of various models including classical replacement, preventive maintenance and inspection policies. These policies are applied to scheduling problems, backup policies of database systems, maintenance policies of cumulative damage models, and reliability of random redundant systems. Reliability theory is a major concern for engineers and managers, and in light of Japan’s recent earthquake, the reliability of large-scale systems has increased in importance. This also highlights the need for a new notion of maintenance and reliability theory, and how this can practically be applied to systems. Providing an essential guide for engineers and managers specializing in reliability maintenance a...

Cernavoda NPP risk - Based test and maintenance planning - Methodology development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgescu, G.; Popa, P.; Petrescu, A.; Naum, M.; Gutu, M.

1997-01-01

The Cernavoda Power Plant starts the commercial operation in November 1996. During operation of the nuclear power plant, several mandatory tests and maintenance are performed on stand-by safety system components to ensure their availability in case of accident. The basic purpose of such activities is the early detection of any failure and degradation, and timely correction of deteriorations. Because of the large number of such activities, emphasis on plant safety and allocation of resources becomes difficult. The probabilistic model and methodology can be effectively used to obtain the risk significance of these activities so that the resources are directed to the most important areas. The proposed Research Contract activity is strongly connected with other safety related areas under development. Since, the Cernavoda Probabilistic Safety Evaluation Level 1 PSA Study (CPSE) was performed and now the study is revised taking into account the as-built information, it is recommended to implement into the model the necessary modeling features to support further PSA application, especially related to Test and Maintenance optimization. Methods need to be developed in order to apply the PSA model including risk information together with other needed information for Test and Maintenance optimization. Also, in parallel with the CPSE study updating, the software interface for the PSA model is under development (Risk Monitor Software class), methods and models needing to be developed for the purpose of using it for qualified monitoring of Test and Maintenance Strategy efficiency. Similar, the Data Collection System need to be appropriate for the purpose of an ongoing implementation of a risk - based Test and Maintenance Strategy. (author). 4 refs, 1 fig

Activated carbon/ZnO composites prepared using hydrochars as intermediate and their electrochemical performance in supercapacitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yueming, E-mail: liyueming@ysu.edu.cn; Liu, Xi

2014-11-14

We report a new methodology to prepare activated carbon and activated carbons/ZnO composites from walnut shell-derived hydrothermal carbons (hydrochars), which were prepared under hydrothermal condition in presence of ZnCl{sub 2}. For this method, activated carbon/ZnO composites were prepared via heat treatment of hydrochars under inert environment and activated carbons were prepared by removing the ZnO in activated carbon/ZnO composites. The chemical structure of walnut shell, hydrochars, activated carbon/ZnO and activated carbon was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman, X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption measurements. It is found ZnCl{sub 2} plays multiple roles, i.e., helping to remove the oxygen-containing groups during hydrothermal stage, improving the surface area of activated carbon and acting as the precursor of ZnO in heat-treatment stage. The specific surface areas up to 818.9 and 1072.7 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} have been achieved for activated carbon/ZnO composites and activated carbon, respectively. The activated carbon/ZnO as electrode materials for supercapacitors showed that specific capacitance of up to 117.4 F g{sup −1} at a current density of 0.5 A g{sup −1} in KOH aqueous solution can be achieved and keeps stable in 1000 cycles. - Highlights: • Hydrochars as intermediate to prepare activated carbon/ZnO composites. • Activated carbon/ZnO showed excellent electrochemical performance in supercapacitors. • Activated carbon with large surface area can be obtained by removing ZnO.

Equipment Maintenance management support system based on statistical analysis of maintenance history data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, S.; Ando, Y.; Morioka, T.

1990-01-01

Plant maintenance is recently becoming important with the increase in the number of nuclear power stations and in plant operating time. Various kinds of requirements for plant maintenance, such as countermeasures for equipment degradation and saving maintenance costs while keeping up plant reliability and productivity, are proposed. For this purpose, plant maintenance programs should be improved based on equipment reliability estimated by field data. In order to meet these requirements, it is planned to develop an equipment maintenance management support system for nuclear power plants based on statistical analysis of equipment maintenance history data. The large difference between this proposed new method and current similar methods is to evaluate not only failure data but maintenance data, which includes normal termination data and some degree of degradation or functional disorder data for equipment and parts. So, it is possible to utilize these field data for improving maintenance schedules and to evaluate actual equipment and parts reliability under the current maintenance schedule. In the present paper, the authors show the objectives of this system, an outline of this system and its functions, and the basic technique for collecting and managing of maintenance history data on statistical analysis. It is shown, from the results of feasibility tests using simulation data of maintenance history, that this system has the ability to provide useful information for maintenance and the design enhancement

Mechanisms of deterioration of intermediate moisture food systems

Science.gov (United States)

Labuza, T. P.

1972-01-01

A study of shelf stability in intermediate moisture foods was made. Major efforts were made to control lipid oxidation and nonenzymatic browning. In order to determine means of preventing these reactions, model systems were developed having the same water activity content relationship of intermediate moisture foods. Models were based on a cellulose-lipid and protein-lipid system with glycerol added as the humectant. Experiments with both systems indicate that lipid oxidation is promoted significantly in the intermediate moisture range. The effect appeared to be related to increased mobility of either reactants or catalysts, since when the amount of water in the system reached a level where capillary condensation occurred and thus free water was present, the rates of oxidation increased. With added glycerol, which is water soluble and thus increases the amount of mobile phase, the increase in oxidation rate occurs at a lower relative humidity. The rates of oxidation were maximized at 61% RH and decreased again at 75% RH probably due to dilution. No significant non-enzymatic browning occurred in the protein-lipid systems. Prevention of oxidation by the use of metal chelating agents was enhanced in the cellulose system, whereas, with protein present, the lipid soluble chain terminating antioxidants (such as BHA) worked equally as well. Preliminary studies of foods adjusted to the intermediate moisture range bear out the results of oxidation in model systems. It can be concluded that for most fat containing intermediate moisture foods, rancidity will be the reaction most limiting stability.

Using the system maintenance datastore to characterize lifetime maintenance for PLiM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, P.; Dam, R.; Nickerson, J.

2004-01-01

A comprehensive Plant Life Management (PLiM) program involves evaluating a large amount of information. For any plant, there are numerous maintenance, surveillance and inspection programs for the important systems, structures and components. There is extensive industry experience on component failure modes, degradation mechanisms and recommended maintenance practices. This information forms the basis of the aging assessment work, through which improvements to these plant programs are identified. AECL has developed several tools to manage the quantities of information required in aging assessment studies, such as the SYSTMS (SYtematic approach for the development of STrategy for Maintenance and Surveillance) tool and the System Maintenance Datastore (SMD). The SMD has been developed to serve as a hub to a Systematic based Adaptive Maintenance Program (SAMP), by storing maintenance resource requirements for recommended maintenance tasks for use by the other processes in a SAMP. The SMD can be used to (a) quantify the savings or cost of optimising a maintenance program, (b) characterize and understand long term trends in condition-based maintenance due to component aging, (c) quantify the resource savings due to optimum timing of component replacement or general plant refurbishment, and (d) provide aging assessment cost information for input to plant asset evaluation. The SMD contains data for regular maintenance program tasks, plant condition assessment recommendations, and equipment refurbishment costs. A prototype SMD has been developed with data tables populated with information from operating CANDU stations. The SMD is now available to be used either with a SYSTMS evaluation or with a plant's database of maintenance tasks. (author)

Monitoring plan and maintenance NPP the Vandellos I and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margalef Escoda, S.

2013-01-01

This paper intends to give to know the singularities of an installation phase of latency and your monitoring and maintenance plan. the horizons that has the installation medium-term to guide the future dismantling level 3 monitoring and maintenance activities are also described.

Scheduling a maintenance activity under skills constraints to minimize total weighted tardiness and late tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Djalal Hedjazi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Skill management is a key factor in improving effectiveness of industrial companies, notably their maintenance services. The problem considered in this paper concerns scheduling of maintenance tasks under resource (maintenance teams constraints. This problem is generally known as unrelated parallel machine scheduling. We consider the problem with a both objectives of minimizing total weighted tardiness (TWT and number of tardiness tasks. Our interest is focused particularly on solving this problem under skill constraints, which each resource has a skill level. So, we propose a new efficient heuristic to obtain an approximate solution for this NP-hard problem and demonstrate his effectiveness through computational experiments. This heuristic is designed for implementation in a static maintenance scheduling problem (with unequal release dates, processing times and resource skills, while minimizing objective functions aforementioned.

Proposal of challenges in sociology of maintenance. The role of mass media in the society dependent on technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattori, Shigeo

2009-01-01

'Sociology of Maintenance' is a very unique field of activity in the JSM compared to the other academic organizations. Since the JSM is dealing with maintenance activities of people on large scale infra-systems, it is necessary to study and to systematically clarify the interface/interaction between the maintenance activities and related society. In this session, the recent discussions in the Sociology of Maintenance Workshop in JSM on the nature of special atmosphere surrounding nuclear power maintenance and influence of mass media on the atmosphere are discussed by showing actual examples of the course of accident/affair. (author)

Two Different Maintenance Strategies in the Hospital Environment: Preventive Maintenance for Older Technology Devices and Predictive Maintenance for Newer High-Tech Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Sezdi, Mana

2016-01-01

A maintenance program generated through the consideration of characteristics and failures of medical equipment is an important component of technology management. However, older technology devices and newer high-tech devices cannot be efficiently managed using the same strategies because of their different characteristics. This study aimed to generate a maintenance program comprising two different strategies to increase the efficiency of device management: preventive maintenance for older technology devices and predictive maintenance for newer high-tech devices. For preventive maintenance development, 589 older technology devices were subjected to performance verification and safety testing (PVST). For predictive maintenance development, the manufacturers' recommendations were used for 134 high-tech devices. These strategies were evaluated in terms of device reliability. This study recommends the use of two different maintenance strategies for old and new devices at hospitals in developing countries. Thus, older technology devices that applied only corrective maintenance will be included in maintenance like high-tech devices.

Characterization of C₃--C₄ intermediate species in the genus Heliotropium L. (Boraginaceae): anatomy, ultrastructure and enzyme activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Muhaidat, Riyadh; Sage, Tammy L; Frohlich, Michael W; Dengler, Nancy G; Sage, Rowan F

2011-10-01

Photosynthetic pathway characteristics were studied in nine species of Heliotropium (sensu lato, including Euploca), using assessments of leaf anatomy and ultrastructure, activities of PEP carboxylase and C₄ acid decarboxylases, and immunolocalization of ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and the P-subunit of glycine decarboxylase (GDC). Heliotropium europaeum, Heliotropium calcicola and Heliotropium tenellum are C₃ plants, while Heliotropium texanum and Heliotropium polyphyllum are C₄ species. Heliotropium procumbens and Heliotropium karwinskyi are functionally C₃, but exhibit 'proto-Kranz' anatomy where bundle sheath (BS) cells are enlarged and mitochondria primarily occur along the centripetal (inner) wall of the BS cells; GDC is present throughout the leaf. Heliotropium convolvulaceum and Heliotropium greggii are C₃--C₄ intermediates, with Kranz-like enlargement of the BS cells, localization of mitochondria along the inner BS wall and a loss of GDC in the mesophyll (M) tissue. These C₃--C₄ species of Heliotropium probably shuttle photorespiratory glycine from the M to the BS tissue for decarboxylation. Heliotropium represents an important new model for studying C₄ evolution. Where existing models such as Flaveria emphasize diversification of C₃--C₄ intermediates, Heliotropium has numerous C₃ species expressing proto-Kranz traits that could represent a critical initial phase in the evolutionary origin of C₄ photosynthesis. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Some problems of maintenance regulation at Ukrainian nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koltakov, V.

1997-01-01

Among all the possible problems arising in a connection with provision of NPP power units safe operation, the maintenance and repair at the Ukrainian NPPs possess an important place. System of maintenance and repair at the Ukrainian NPPs is presently still traditional one, based on the former USSR' document ''Rules of the NPPs Equipment Maintenance and Repair Arrangement'' (RD.53.025.002-088). For to provide technical systems reliability and safety in an accordance with ''General Provisions on NPP Safety'' (OPB-82) (presently OPB-95 is in underway in Ukraine) nuclear operators are implementing their maintenance and repair. These procedures are obligatory conditions for NPP operation during all the life term. To implement an equipment maintenance and repair there are appropriate divisions in NPP structure envisaged such as departments, laboratories, sections, shops, etc. composing an NPP maintenance and repair service. There are also another specific enterprises engaged in such activities. (author). 2 tabs, 4 diagrams

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions in achieving behaviour change maintenance in young and middle aged adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Jennifer M; Brennan, Sarah F; French, David P; Patterson, Christopher C; Kee, Frank; Hunter, Ruth F

2017-11-01

Physical activity (PA) interventions are generally effective in supporting short-term behaviour change, but increases are not always maintained. This review examined the effectiveness of PA interventions for behaviour change maintenance in young and middle-aged adults, and investigated which Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) and other intervention features were associated with maintenance. Six databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, Web of Science) were systematically searched. Eligibility criteria were controlled trials investigating the effectiveness of PA interventions with adult (mean age 18-64 years) non-clinical populations using validated measures of PA behaviour at baseline and ≥six months' post-baseline. Results were pooled in meta-analyses using standardised mean differences (SMD) at five time intervals (6-9, 9-15, 15-21, 21-24, >24 months). Moderator analyses investigated the influence of sample and intervention characteristics on PA maintenance at 6-9 months. Sixty-two studies were included. PA interventions had a significant effect on behaviour maintenance 6-15 months post-baseline relative to controls. Interventions had a larger effect on maintenance at 6-9 months (SMD = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.35; I 2  = 73%) compared to 9-15 months (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.26; I 2  = 70%). Beyond 15 months, PA measurements were infrequent with little evidence supporting maintenance. Moderator analyses showed some BCTs and intervention settings moderated PA outcomes at 6-9 months. A multivariable meta-regression model showed interventions using the BCTs 'Prompt self-monitoring of behavioural outcome' (b = 1.46, p behaviour to 15 months. Greater consideration must be given to how future interventions encourage and measure maintenance of changes, and investigate broader psychological, social and environmental influences of PA behaviour. PROSPERO 2015:CRD42015025462. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All

Olfactory short-term memory encoding and maintenance - an event-related potential study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenk, Steffen; Bluschke, Annet; Beste, Christian; Iannilli, Emilia; Rößner, Veit; Hummel, Thomas; Bender, Stephan

2014-09-01

This study examined whether the memory encoding and short term maintenance of olfactory stimuli is associated with neurophysiological activation patterns which parallel those described for sensory modalities such as vision and auditory. We examined olfactory event-related potentials in an olfactory change detection task in twenty-four healthy adults and compared the measured activation to that found during passive olfactory stimulation. During the early olfactory post-processing phase, we found a sustained negativity over bilateral frontotemporal areas in the passive perception condition which was enhanced in the active memory task. There was no significant lateralization in either experimental condition. During the maintenance interval at the end of the delay period, we still found sustained activation over bilateral frontotemporal areas which was more negative in trials with correct - as compared to incorrect - behavioural responses. This was complemented by a general significantly stronger frontocentral activation. Summarizing, we were able to show that olfactory short term memory involves a parallel sequence of activation as found in other sensory modalities. In addition to olfactory-specific frontotemporal activations in the memory encoding phase, we found slow cortical potentials over frontocentral areas during the memory maintenance phase indicating the activation of a supramodal memory maintenance system. These findings could represent the neurophysiological underpinning of the 'olfactory flacon', the olfactory counter-part to the visual sketchpad and phonological loop embedded in Baddeley's working memory model. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PROMSYS, Plant Equipment Maintenance and Inspection Scheduling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, D.L.; Srite, B.E.

1986-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: PROMSYS is a computer system designed to automate the scheduling of routine maintenance and inspection of plant equipment. This 'programmed maintenance' provides the detailed planning and accomplishment of lubrication, inspection, and similar repetitive maintenance activities which can be scheduled at specified predetermined intervals throughout the year. The equipment items included are the typical pumps, blowers, motors, compressors, automotive equipment, refrigeration units, filtering systems, machine shop equipment, cranes, elevators, motor-generator sets, and electrical switchgear found throughout industry, as well as cell ventilation, shielding, containment, and material handling equipment unique to nuclear research and development facilities. Four related programs are used to produce sorted schedule lists, delinquent work lists, and optional master lists. Five additional programs are used to create and maintain records of all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance history. 2 - Method of solution: Service specifications and frequency are established and stored. The computer program reviews schedules weekly and prints, on schedule cards, instructions for service that is due the following week. The basic output from the computer program comes in two forms: programmed-maintenance schedule cards and programmed-maintenance data sheets. The data sheets can be issued in numerical building, route, and location number sequence as equipment lists, grouped for work assigned to a particular foreman as the foreman's equipment list, or grouped by work charged to a particular work order as the work-order list. Data sheets grouped by equipment classification are called the equipment classification list

Transfer of technology in maintenance tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delorme, H.; Cartry, J.P.

1985-10-01

For maximum reliability of maintenance operations, FRAMATOME has aimed to improve the accessibility of highly irradiated and contaminated reactor coolant system equipment by the active promotion of an automation and robotization strategy. A number of robot designs have been developed providing replacement of operators inside the steam generator channel head, smooth handling of heavy or cumbersome objects in this zone, easy marking of steam generator tubes and increased speed of repetitive channel head operations: maintenance spider, theta-theta prime robotic service arm, R-theta robotic service arm, remote manipulator arm. Two operations are described: channel head folding cover plate and, operation of the torquing machine for head cover plate

Integrated maintenance program (IMP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zemdegs, R.T.; Chout, Q.B.

1998-01-01

Approaches to the maintenance of nuclear power plants have undergone significant change in the past several decades. The traditional breakdown approach has been displaced by preventive (calendar-based) maintenance and more recently, by condition-based maintenance (CBM). This is largely driven by the fact that traditional maintenance programs, derived primarily from equipment vendor recommendations, are generally unsuccessful in controlling maintenance costs or equipment failures. Many advances in the maintenance field have taken place since the maintenance plans for Ontario Hydro's nuclear plants were initially established. Ontario Hydro nuclear plant operating costs can be substantially reduced and Incapability Factor improved with the application of modern maintenance processes and tools. Pickering is designated as the lead station for IMP. Of immediate concern is the fact that Pickering Nuclear Division has been experiencing a significant backlog of Operating Preventive Maintenance Callups. This backlog, over 2000, is unacceptable to both station management and the nuclear regulator, the Atomic Energy Control Board. In addition there are over 500 callups in various stages of revision (in hyperspace) without an adequate control nor reporting system to manage their completion. There is also considerable confusion about the classification of l icensing c allups, e.g. callups which are mandatory as a result of legal requirements. Furthermore the ineffectiveness of the Preventive Maintenance (PM) has been the subject of peer audits and Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) findings over the past several years. The current preventive maintenance ratio PM2 /(PM+CM3) at Pickering ND is less than 20%, due to the current high load of equipment breakdown. This past summer, an Independent Integrated Performance Assessment (IIPA) review at Ontario Hydro confirmed these concerns. Over the past several years, Ontario Hydro nuclear staff have evaluated several programs to improve

Maintenance work management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanai, T.; Takahashi, Y.; Takahashi, K.; Nishino, M.; Takeshige, R.

2000-01-01

The maintenance work management system supports the efficient drawing up of various documents for the maintenance work at nuclear power stations and the speeding up of the permission procedure. In addition, it improves the quality assurance of the safety and reliability of the maintenance work. Key merits of the system are: 1. Efficiently drawing up various documents for the maintenance work by using the stored data for the previous maintenance work and the pipe and instrument diagram (P and ID) data. 2. Supporting the management work for the completion of maintenance work safety by using the isolation information stored on the computer system. 3. Speeding up the permission procedure by electronic mail and electronic permission. 4. Displaying additional information such as the specifications of equipment, maintenance result, and maintenance plan by linking up with the database of another system. 5. Reducing the cost of hardware devices by using client/server network configurations of personal computers and a personal computer server. (author)

Sustained activation of STAT5 is essential for chromatin remodeling and maintenance of mammary-specific function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Ren; Nelson, Celeste M.; Muschler, John L.; Veiseh, Mandana; Vonderhaar, Barbara K.; Bissell, Mina J.

2009-06-03

Epithelial cells, once dissociated and placed in two-dimensional (2D) cultures, rapidly lose tissue-specific functions. We showed previously that in addition to prolactin, signaling by laminin-111 was necessary to restore functional differentiation of mammary epithelia. Here, we elucidate two additional aspects of laminin-111 action. We show that in 2D cultures, the prolactin receptor is basolaterally localized and physically segregated from its apically placed ligand. Detachment of the cells exposes the receptor to ligation by prolactin leading to signal transducers and activators of transcription protein 5 (STAT5) activation, but only transiently and not sufficiently for induction of milk protein expression. We show that laminin-111 reorganizes mammary cells into polarized acini, allowing both the exposure of the prolactin receptor and sustained activation of STAT5. The use of constitutively active STAT5 constructs showed that the latter is necessary and sufficient for chromatin reorganization and {beta}-casein transcription. These results underscore the crucial role of continuous laminin signaling and polarized tissue architecture in maintenance of transcription factor activation, chromatin organization, and tissue-specific gene expression.

A genetic algorithm solution for a nuclear power plant risk-cost maintenance model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong Jiejuan; Mao Dingyuan; Xue Dazhi

2004-01-01

Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) is one of the popular maintenance optimization methods according to certain kinds of priorities. Traditional RCM usually analyzes and optimizes the maintenance strategy from the viewpoint of component instead of the whole maintenance program impact. Research presented in this paper is a pilot study using PSA techniques in RCM. How to reflect the effect on component unavailability by the maintenance activities such as surveillance testing and preventive maintenance in PSA model is discussed firstly. Based on the discussion, a maintenance risk-cost model is established for global maintenance optimization in a nuclear power plant, and a genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to solve such a model to get the global optimized maintenance strategy. Finally, the result got from a simple test case based on a risk-cost model consisting of 10 components is presented