LV function monitoring to discard functional abnormalities in athletes with altered ventricular re-polarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flotats, A.; Camacho, V.; Mena, E.; Tembl, A.; Estorch, M.; Carrio, I.; Serra-Grima, R.; Borras, X.; Cinca, J.

2002-01-01

Aim: Marked ventricular re-polarization abnormalities (MRA) in athletes may suggest the presence of associated heart disease. Assessment of LV function during exercise may contribute to rule out heart disease and help to decide continuation of physical training. The aim of the study was to assess whether athletes with MRA show a particular response of LV function to exhausting exercise. Material and Methods: Thirty-nine male athletes underwent monitoring of LV function with a miniaturised radionuclide detector (VEST, Capintec, Inc.) during bicycle exhausting exercise. There were 22 athletes with MRA in the ECG at rest (negative T waves equal or more than 2mm in up to 3 ECG leads) and 17 with normal ECG. All were symptom free. Age and physical fitness were comparable in both groups. Clinical examination, ECG, exercise test and echocardiography were performed in all athletes. Results: In all cases LV wall thickness was that expected for highly conditioned sportsmen. Both groups of athletes attained a similar energy expenditure. During exercise, athletes with MRA showed a tendency to normalise re-polarization. There were no differences in heart rate, LV end-systolic volume, LVEF, cardiac output , and peak ejection and filling rates at rest, 50%, 75%, 85% and 100% of peak HR, nor at 2, 5 and 10 min of recovery between both groups of athletes. At rest stroke volume was lower in athletes with MRA (60% vs. 64%, p=0.044). There were also no differences in LV end-diastolic volume (EDV), except at peak HR, when EDV increased in athletes with normal ECG while it decreased in athletes with MRA (p=0.047). Conclusions: The presence of marked ventricular re-polarization abnormalities in athletes does not substantially affect exercise performance nor LV function and should not preclude physical training. The VEST is a useful means to assess LV function during exhausting upright bicycle exercise

Parametric Investigation of Optimum Thermal Insulation Thickness for External Walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omer Kaynakli

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Numerous studies have estimated the optimum thickness of thermal insulation materials used in building walls for different climate conditions. The economic parameters (inflation rate, discount rate, lifetime and energy costs, the heating/cooling loads of the building, the wall structure and the properties of the insulation material all affect the optimum insulation thickness. This study focused on the investigation of these parameters that affect the optimum thermal insulation thickness for building walls. To determine the optimum thickness and payback period, an economic model based on life-cycle cost analysis was used. As a result, the optimum thermal insulation thickness increased with increasing the heating and cooling energy requirements, the lifetime of the building, the inflation rate, energy costs and thermal conductivity of insulation. However, the thickness decreased with increasing the discount rate, the insulation material cost, the total wall resistance, the coefficient of performance (COP of the cooling system and the solar radiation incident on a wall. In addition, the effects of these parameters on the total life-cycle cost, payback periods and energy savings were also investigated.

Load bearing capacity of welded joints between dissimilar pipelines with unequal wall thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beak, Jonghyun; Kim, Youngpyo; Kim, Woosik [Korea Gas Corporation, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-15

The behavior of the load bearing capacity of a pipeline with unequal wall thickness was evaluated using finite element analyses. Pipelines with a wall thickness ratio of 1.22-1.89 were adopted to investigate plastic collapse under tensile, internal pressure, or bending stress. A parametric study showed that the tensile strength and moment of a pipeline with a wall thickness ratio less than 1.5 were not influenced by the wall thickness ratio and taper angle; however, those of a pipeline with a wall thickness ratio more than 1.5 decreased considerably at a low taper angle. The failure pressure of a pipeline with unequal wall thickness was not influenced by the wall thickness ratio and taper angle.

Wall thickness of major coronary arteries in Pakistani population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullah, Q.W.; Qamar, K.; Butt, S.A.; Butt, S.A.

2012-01-01

To measure the wall thickness of major coronary arteries in Pakistani population, through micrometry. Study design: An observational study. Place and duration of study: Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Khyber Medical College Peshawar and District Headquarter Hospital, Rawalpindi, in collaboration with Departments of Anatomy and Pathology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi. The duration of study was six months with effect from September 2009 to March 2010. Material and methods: After incising pericardium, 1 mm long segments of major coronary arteries i.e. right coronary artery (RCA), left anterior descending artery (LAD) and left circumflex artery (LCX) were taken 1cm distal to their origin, from adult male cadavers of up to 40 years age. After processing for paraffin embedding, 5 mu m thick sections were prepared, mounted on glass slides and subsequently stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H and E) for routine histological study. Verhoeff's elastic stain was used to make the elastic lamina more prominent. Wall thickness for each section was measured through micrometry, circumferentially at eight different places along the planes at 45 deg. to each other and then their mean taken as a reading for the respective artery. Results: The total wall thickness of major coronary arteries and of the individual tunicae was less in Pakistani population. The mean thickness of RCA was 0.61 +- 0.05 mm; LAD had mean thickness of 0.55 +- 0.06 mm whereas that of LCX was 0.66 +- 0.13 mm. The mean thickness of tunica intima of RCA was noted to be 0.230 +- 0.044 mm; tunica media measured 0.205 +- 0.031 mm whereas tunica adventitia was 0.172 +- 0.023 mm thick. The mean thickness of tunica intima of LAD measured 0.156 +- 0.032 mm; tunica media was observed to be 0.224 +- 0.026 mm thick whereas the tunica adventitia was 0.170 +- 0.032 mm thick. The mean thickness of tunica intima of LCX was observed to be 0.203 +- 0.059 mm; tunica media to be 0.282 +- 0.097 mm whereas that of tunica

Vesicular thick-walled swollen hyphae in pulmonary zygomycosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Masatomo; Ito, Hiroyuki

2009-03-01

An autopsy case of pulmonary zygomycosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis on immunosuppressive therapy is presented herein. There was a pulmonary cavitated infarct caused by mycotic thrombosis. Thin-walled narrow hyphae and vesicular thick-walled swollen hyphae were found on the pleural surface and in the necrotic tissue at the periphery of the cavity. Findings of such shaped fungal elements may cause erroneous histopathological diagnosis because pauciseptate broad thin-walled hyphae are usually the only detectable fungal elements in zygomycosis tissue. Although immunohistochemistry confirmed these unusual elements to be zygomycetous in the present case, it is important for the differential diagnosis to be aware that zygomycetes can form thin narrow hyphae and vesicular thick-walled swollen hyphae.

Mortality by Level of Emphysema and Airway Wall Thickness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannessen, Ane; Skorge, Trude Duelien; Bottai, Matteo

2013-01-01

There is limited knowledge of the prognostic value of quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness (AWT) on mortality.......There is limited knowledge of the prognostic value of quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness (AWT) on mortality....

Average chest wall thickness at two anatomic locations in trauma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Elizabeth; Valdez, Carrie; Krauthamer, Andres; Khati, Nadia; Rasmus, Jessica; Amdur, Richard; Brindle, Kathleen; Sarani, Babak

2013-09-01

Needle thoracostomy is the emergent treatment for tension pneumothorax. This procedure is commonly done using a 4.5cm catheter, and the optimal site for chest wall puncture is controversial. We hypothesize that needle thoracostomy cannot be performed using this catheter length irrespective of the site chosen in either gender. A retrospective review of all chest computed tomography (CT) scans obtained on trauma patients from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 was performed. Patients aged 18 and 80 years were included and patients whose chest wall thickness exceeded the boundary of the images acquired were excluded. Chest wall thickness was measured at the 2nd intercostal (ICS), midclavicular line (MCL) and the 5th ICS, anterior axillary line (AAL). Injury severity score (ISS), chest wall thickness, and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed. 201 patients were included, 54% male. Average (SD) BMI was 26 (7)kg/m(2). The average chest wall thickness in the overall cohort was 4.08 (1.4)cm at the 2nd ICS/MCL and 4.55 (1.7)cm at the 5th ICS/AAL. 29% of the overall cohort (27 male and 32 female) had a chest wall thickness greater than 4.5cm at the 2nd ICS/MCL and 45% (54 male and 36 female) had a chest wall thickness greater than 4.5cm at the 5th ICS/AAL. There was no significant interaction between gender and chest wall thickness at either site. BMI was positively associated with chest wall thickness at both the 2nd and 5th ICS/AAL. A 4.5cm catheter is inadequate for needle thoracostomy in most patients regardless of puncture site or gender. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clad vent set cup open end (closure weld zone) wall-thickness study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulrich, G.B.; Sherrill, M.W.

1994-09-01

The wall thickness at the open end of Clad Vent Set (CVS) cups is a very important parameter for maintaining control of the fueled CVS closure weld process. Ideally, the wall thickness in the closure weld zone should be constant. The DOP-26 iridium alloy is very difficult to machine; therefore, key dimensional features are established during the two-draw warm-forming operation. Unfortunately, anisotropy in the forming blanks produces four ears at the open end of each cup. Formation of these ears produces axial and circumferential variations in wall thickness. The cup certification requirement is that the wall thickness in the closure weld zone, defined as the 2.5-mm band at the open end of a cup, measure from 0.63 to 0.73 mm. The wall thickness certification data for the open end of the CVS cups have been statistically evaluated. These data show that the cups recently produced for the Cassini mission have well-controlled open-end wall thicknesses.

Sonographic Measurement of AP Diameter and Wall Thickness of the Gallbladder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, S.K.; Lee, J. S.; Huh, S. J.; Baek, I. S.

1982-01-01

Call bladder size and wall thickness are important in the assessment of the pathologic condition. Authors have measured AP diameter of gallbladder and evaluated the change of all thickness between fasting and postprandial state. The results were as follows: 1. The mean of AP diameter was 2.18+0.49cm 2. The wall thickness was 2.7+0.6mm in fasting state and 3.3+0.8mm after meal. 3. The increase of wall thickness after fat meal was significant statistically(p<.001)

Quantitative estimation of myocardial thickness by the wall thickness map with Tl-201 myocardial SPECT and its clinical use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekiai, Yasuhiro; Sawai, Michihiko; Murayama, Susumu

1988-01-01

To estimate the wall thickness of left ventricular myocardium objectively and quantitatively, we adopted the device of wall thickness map (WTM) with Tl-201 myocardial SPECT. For validation on measuring left ventricular wall thickness with SPECT, fundamental studies were carried out with phantom models, and clinical studies were performed in 10 cases comparing the results from SPECT with those in echocardiography. To draw the WTM, left ventricular wall thickness was measured using the cut off method from SPECT images obtained at 5.6 mm intervals from the base and middle of left ventricle: short-axis image for the base and middle of left ventricle and vertical and horizontal long-axis images for the apical region. Wall thickness was defined from the number of pixel above the cut off level. Results of fundamental studies disclosed that it is impossible to evaluate the thickness of less than 10 mm by Tl-201 myocardial SPECT but possible to discriminate wall thickness of 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm by Tl-201 myocardial SPECT. Echocardiographic results supported the validity of WTM, showing a good linear correlation (r = 0.96) between two methods on measuring wall thickness of left ventricle. We conclude that the WTM applied in this report may be useful for objective and quantitative estimation of myocardial hypertrophy. (author)

Revisited the mathematical derivation wall thickness measurement of pipe for radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamzah, A.R.; Amir, S.M.M. [Non Destructive Testing(NDT) Group, Industrial Technology Div., Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Selangor (Malaysia)

2007-07-01

Wall thickness measurement of pipe is very important of the structural integrity of the industrial plant. However, the radiography method has an advantage because the ability of penetrating the insulated pipe. This will have economic benefit for industry. Moreover, the era of digital radiography has more advantages because the speed of radiographic work, less exposure time and no chemical used for film development. Either the conventional radiography or digital radiology, the wall thickness measurement is using the tangential radiography technique (TRT). In case, of a large diameter, pipe (more than inches) the determination maximum penetration wall thickness must be taken into the consideration. This paper is revisited the mathematical derivation of the determination of wall thickness measurement based on tangential radiography technique (TRT). The mathematical approach used in this derivation is the Pythagoras theorem and geometrical principles. In order to derive the maximum penetration wall thickness a similar approach is used. (authors)

Increased Bladder Wall Thickness in Diabetic and Nondiabetic Women With Overactive Bladder

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Hakkı Uzun

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Bladder wall thickness has been reported to be associated with overactive bladder (OAB in women. Diabetic women have an increased risk for OAB syndrome and may have an increased risk for bladder wall thickness. Methods: A total of 235 female patients aged 40 to 75 years were categorized into four groups. The first group consisted of women free of urgency or urge urinary incontinence. The second group included nondiabetic women with idiopathic OAB. The third group consisted of women with diabetes and clinical OAB, and women with diabetes but without OAB constituted the fourth group. Bladder wall thickness at the anterior wall was measured by ultrasound by the suprapubic approach with bladder filling over 250 mL. Results: The diabetic (third group and nondiabetic (second group women with OAB had significantly greater bladder wall thickness at the anterior bladder wall than did the controls. However, the difference was not significant between the diabetic (third group and the nondiabetic (second group women with OAB. Women with diabetes but without OAB (fourth group had greater bladder wall thickness than did the controls but this difference was not significant. Additionally, the difference in bladder wall thickness between diabetic women with (third group and without (fourth group OAB was not significant. Conclusions: This is the first study to show that bladder wall thickness is increased in diabetic women with and without OAB. Additionally, nondiabetic women with OAB had increased bladder wall thickness. Further studies may provide additional information for diabetic and nondiabetic women with OAB, in whom the etiopathogenesis of the disease may be similar.

Gastric wall thickness and stapling in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy - a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barski, Krzysztof; Binda, Artur; Kudlicka, Emilia; Jaworski, Paweł; Tarnowski, Wiesław

2018-03-01

Despite the growing experience of bariatric surgeons in performing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, the number of complications involving staple line leaks remains constant. Hence a solution to avoid such complications is still sought. A defect of the staple line may be the consequence of an inappropriate choice of staple size in relation to gastric wall thickness. Due to the variable nature of gastric wall thickness, the choice of proper staple height is not obvious. In the few studies in which gastric wall thickness was measured, it was observed to decrease gradually from the antrum to the fundus. However, the authors are divided on the issue of whether gender and body mass index influence gastric wall thickness. The question whether there are other perioperative factors that would allow gastric wall thickness to be predicted remains unanswered.

Influence of slice thickness on the determination of left ventricular wall thickness and dimension by magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohnishi, Shusaku; Fukui, Sugao; Atsumi, Chisato and others

1989-02-01

Wall thickness of the ventricular septum and left ventricle, and left ventricular cavity dimension were determined on magnetic resonance (MR) images with slices 5 mm and 10 mm in thickness. Subjects were 3 healthy volunteers and 7 patients with hypertension (4), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (one) or valvular heart disease (2). In visualizing the cardiac structures such as left ventricular papillary muscle and right and left ventricles, 5 mm-thick images were better than 10 mm-thick images. Edges of ventricular septum and left ventricular wall were more clearly visualized on 5 mm-thick images than 10 mm-thick images. Two mm-thick MR images obtained from 2 patients yielded the most excellent visualization in end-systole, but failed to reveal cardiac structures in detail in end-diastole. Phantom studies revealed no significant differences in image quality of 10 mm and 5 mm in thickness in the axial view 80 degree to the long axis. In the axial view 45 degree to the long axis, 10 mm-thick images were inferior to 5 mm-thick images in detecting the edge of the septum and the left ventricular wall. These results indicate that the selection of slice thickness is one of the most important determinant factors in the measurement of left ventricular wall thickness and cavity dimension. (Namekawa, K).

Influence of slice thickness on the determination of left ventricular wall thickness and dimension by magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, Shusaku; Fukui, Sugao; Atsumi, Chisato

1989-01-01

Wall thickness of the ventricular septum and left ventricle, and left ventricular cavity dimension were determined on magnetic resonance (MR) images with slices 5 mm and 10 mm in thickness. Subjects were 3 healthy volunteers and 7 patients with hypertension (4), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (one) or valvular heart disease (2). In visualizing the cardiac structures such as left ventricular papillary muscle and right and left ventricles, 5 mm-thick images were better than 10 mm-thick images. Edges of ventricular septum and left ventricular wall were more clearly visualized on 5 mm-thick images than 10 mm-thick images. Two mm-thick MR images obtained from 2 patients yielded the most excellent visualization in end-systole, but failed to reveal cardiac structures in detail in end-diastole. Phantom studies revealed no significant differences in image quality of 10 mm and 5 mm in thickness in the axial view 80 degree to the long axis. In the axial view 45 degree to the long axis, 10 mm-thick images were inferior to 5 mm-thick images in detecting the edge of the septum and the left ventricular wall. These results indicate that the selection of slice thickness is one of the most important determinant factors in the measurement of left ventricular wall thickness and cavity dimension. (Namekawa, K)

Observation of normal appearance and wall thickness of esophagus on CT images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Fan; Mao Jingfang; Ding Jinquan; Yang Huanjun

2009-01-01

Purpose: This study sought to observe the appearance of normal esophagus, measure and record the thickness of esophageal wall in order to offer reference for estimating esophageal wall abnormalities and delineating gross tumor target of esophageal carcinomas on CT images. Materials and methods: From September 2006 to February 2007, 110 consecutive CT films from adult patients without esophageal diseases were collected and studied. On CT images the entire esophagus was divided into cervical, thoracic, retrocardiac and intraabdominal segments. The appearance of esophagus was described when the esophagus contracted or dilated. Thickness of esophageal wall and diameters of esophageal cavities were measured by hard-copy reading with a magnifying glass. Age, sex and the thickness of subcutaneous fat of each patient were recorded. Results: It was observed that the esophagus presented both contracted and dilated status on CT images. In each segment there were certain portions of esophagus in complete contraction or dilatation. 47 images (42.7%) showed contracted esophagus in each segment available for measurement. The largest wall thickness when esophagus was in contraction and dilatation was 4.70 (95%CI: 4.44-4.95) mm and 2.11 (95%CI: 2.00-2.23) mm, respectively. When contracting, the intraabdominal esophagus was thicker than the cervical, thoracic and retrocardiac parts, and the average thickness was 5.68 (95%CI: 5.28-6.09) mm, 4.67 (95%CI: 4.36-4.86) mm, 4.56 (95%CI: 4.31-4.87) mm, and 4.05 (95%CI: 3.71-4.21) mm, respectively. When the esophagus was dilating, the average esophageal wall thickness was between 1.87 and 2.70 mm. The thickest part was cervical esophagus. Thickness of esophageal wall was larger in males than that of females (5.26 mm vs. 4.34 mm p < 0.001). Age and the thickness of subcutaneous fat had no significant impact on the thickness of esophageal wall (p-value was 0.056 and 0.173, respectively). Conclusion: The Observation of normal appearance and

The influence of fiber thickness, wall thickness and gap distance on the spiral nanofibrous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Junping; Shah, Ami; Yu Xiaojun

2011-01-01

We have developed a 3D nanofibrous spiral scaffold for bone tissue engineering which has shown enhanced cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation compared to traditional cylindrical scaffolds due to the spiral structures and the nanofiber incorporation. Some important parameters of these spiral scaffolds including gap distance, wall thickness and especially fiber thickness are crucial to the performance of the spiral structured scaffolds. In this study, we investigated the fiber thickness, gap distance and wall thickness of the spiral structure on the behavior of osteoblast cells. The human osteoblast cells are seeded on spiral structured scaffolds with various fiber thickness, gap distance and wall thickness and cell attachment, proliferation, differentiation and mineralized matrix deposition on the scaffolds are evaluated. It was found that increasing the thickness of nanofiber layer not only limited the cell infiltration into the scaffolds, but also restrained the osteoblastic cell phenotype development. Moreover, the geometric effect studies indicated that scaffolds with the thinner wall and gap distance 0.2 mm show the best bioactivity for osteoblasts.

Methods for determining the wall thickness variation of tubular heaters used in thermalhydraulic studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cubizolles, G.; Garnier, J.; Groeneveld, D.; Tanase, A.

2009-01-01

Fuel bundle simulators used in thermalhydraulic studies typically consist of bundles of directly heated tubes. It is usually assumed that the heater tubes have a uniform circumferential heat flux distribution. In practice, this heat flux distribution is never exactly uniform because of wall thickness variations and bore eccentricity. Ignoring the non-uniformity in wall thickness can lead to under-estimating the local heat transfer coefficients. During nucleate boiling tests in a 5x5 PWR-type bundle subassembly at CEA-Grenoble, a sinusoidal temperature distribution was observed around the inside circumference of the heater rods. These heater rods were equipped with high-accuracy sliding thermocouple probes that permit the detailed measurement of the internal wall temperature distribution, both axially and circumferentially. The sinusoidal temperature distribution strongly suggests a variation in wall thickness. A methodology was subsequently derived to determine the circumferential wall thickness variation. The method is based on the principle that for directly heated fuel-element simulators, the nucleate boiling wall superheat at high pressures is nearly uniform around the heater rod circumference. The results show wall thickness variations of up to ±4% which was confirmed by subsequent ultrasonic wall-thickness measurements performed after bundle disassembly. Non-uniformities in circumferential temperature distributions were also observed during parallel thermalhydraulic tests at the University of Ottawa (UofO) on an electrically heated tube cooled internally by R-134a and equipped with fixed thermocouples on the outside. From the measured wall temperatures and knowledge of the inside heat transfer coefficient or wall temperature distribution, the variations in wall thickness and surface heat flux to the coolant were evaluated by solving conduction equations using three separate sets of data (1) single phase heat transfer data, (2) nucleate boiling data, and (3

Pipe Wall Thickness Monitoring Using Dry-Coupled Ultrasonic Waveguide Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheong, Yong Moo; Kim, Ha Nam; Kim, Hong Pyo

2012-01-01

In order to monitor a corrosion or FAC (Flow Accelerated Corrosion) in a pipe, there is a need to measure pipe wall thickness at high temperature. Ultrasonic thickness gauging is the most commonly used non-destructive testing technique for wall thickness measurement. However, current commonly available ultrasonic transducers cannot withstand high temperatures, such as above 200 .deg. C. It is therefore necessary to carry out manual measurements during plant shutdowns. The current method thus reveals several disadvantages: inspection have to be performed during shutdowns with the possible consequences of prolonging down time and increasing production losses, insulation has to be removed and replaced for each manual measurement, and scaffolding has to be installed to inaccessible areas, resulting in considerable cost for interventions. It has been suggested that a structural health monitoring approach with permanently installed ultrasonic thickness gauges could have substantial benefits over current practices. The main reasons why conventional piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers cannot be used at high temperatures are that the piezo-ceramic becomes depolarized at temperature above the Curie temperature and because differential thermal expansion of the substrate, couplant, and piezoelectric materials cause failure. In this paper, a shear horizontal waveguide technique for wall thickness monitoring at high temperature is investigated. Two different designs for contact to strip waveguide are shown and the quality of output signal is compared and reviewed. After a success of acquiring high quality ultrasonic signal, experiment on the wall thickness monitoring at high temperature is planned

Reliability assessment for thickness measurements of pipe wall using probability of detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamoto, Hiroyuki; Kojima, Fumio; Kato, Sho

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a reliability assessment method for thickness measurements of pipe wall using probability of detection (POD). Thicknesses of pipes are measured by qualified inspectors with ultrasonic thickness gauges. The inspection results are affected by human factors of the inspectors and include some errors, because the inspectors have different experiences and frequency of inspections. In order to ensure reliability for inspection results, first, POD evaluates experimental results of pipe-wall thickness inspection. We verify that the results have differences depending on inspectors including qualified inspectors. Second, two human factors that affect POD are indicated. Finally, it is confirmed that POD can identify the human factors and ensure reliability for pipe-wall thickness inspections. (author)

Accuracy of thick-walled hollows during piercing on three-high mill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potapov, I.N.; Romantsev, B.A.; Shamanaev, V.I.; Popov, V.A.; Kharitonov, E.A.

1975-01-01

The results of investigations are presented concerning the accuracy of geometrical dimensions of thick-walled sleeves produced by piercing on a 100-ton trio screw rolling mill MISiS with three schemes of fixing and centering the rod. The use of a spherical thrust journal for the rod and of a long centering bushing makes it possible to diminish the non-uniformity of the wall thickness of the sleeves by 30-50%. It is established that thick-walled sleeves with accurate geometrical dimensions (nonuniformity of the wall thickness being less than 10%) can be produced if the system sleeve - mandrel - rod is highly rigid and the rod has a two- or three-fold stability margin over the length equal to that of the sleeve being pierced. The process of piercing is expedient to be carried out with increased angles of feed (14-16 deg). Blanks have been made from steel 12Kh1MF

Fluid-Structure Simulations of a Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm: Constant versus Patient-Specific Wall Thickness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Voß

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Computational Fluid Dynamics is intensively used to deepen the understanding of aneurysm growth and rupture in order to support physicians during therapy planning. However, numerous studies considering only the hemodynamics within the vessel lumen found no satisfactory criteria for rupture risk assessment. To improve available simulation models, the rigid vessel wall assumption has been discarded in this work and patient-specific wall thickness is considered within the simulation. For this purpose, a ruptured intracranial aneurysm was prepared ex vivo, followed by the acquisition of local wall thickness using μCT. The segmented inner and outer vessel surfaces served as solid domain for the fluid-structure interaction (FSI simulation. To compare wall stress distributions within the aneurysm wall and at the rupture site, FSI computations are repeated in a virtual model using a constant wall thickness approach. Although the wall stresses obtained by the two approaches—when averaged over the complete aneurysm sac—are in very good agreement, strong differences occur in their distribution. Accounting for the real wall thickness distribution, the rupture site exhibits much higher stress values compared to the configuration with constant wall thickness. The study reveals the importance of geometry reconstruction and accurate description of wall thickness in FSI simulations.

Pulse wave velocity as a diagnostic index: The effect of wall thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Hodis, Simona

2018-06-01

Vascular compliance is a major determinant of wave propagation within the vascular system, and hence the measurement of pulse wave velocity (PWV) is commonly used clinically as a method of detecting vascular stiffening. The accuracy of that assessment is important because vascular stiffening is a major risk factor for hypertension. PWV is usually measured by timing a pressure wave as it travels from the carotid artery to the femoral or radial artery and estimating the distance that it traveled in each case to obtain the required velocity. A major assumption on which this technique is based is that the vessel wall thickness h is negligibly small compared with the vessel radius a . The extent to which this assumption is satisfied in the cardiovascular system is not known because the ratio h /a varies widely across different regions of the vascular tree and under different pathological conditions. Using the PWV as a diagnostic test without knowing the effect of wall thickness on the measurement could lead to error when interpreting the PWV value as an index of vessel wall compliance. The aim of the present study was to extend the validity of the current practice of assessing wall stiffness by developing a method of analysis that goes beyond the assumption of a thin wall. We analyzed PWVs calculated with different wall models, depending on the ratio of wall thickness to vessel radius and the results showed that PWV is not reliable when it is estimated with the classic thin wall theory if the vessel wall is not around 25% of vessel radius. If the arterial wall is thicker than 25% of vessel radius, then the wave velocity calculated with the thin wall theory could be overestimated and in the clinical setting, this could lead to a false positive. For thicker walls, a thick wall model presented here should be considered to account for the stresses within the wall thickness that become dominant compared with the wall inertia.

Quality assurance in thick-walled weldments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straub, H.

1978-01-01

Some guidelines are given here for judging the magnitude of flaws in welded thick-walled components (such as nuclear reactor vessels). The actually critical defect sizes are analysed, taking into account the residual stresses after welding and after annealing also. Various procedures for repairing such work are then indicated. (Auth.)

Wall thickness measurements using digital radiography - state of the art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wawrzinek, T.; Zscherpel, U.; Bellon, C.

1997-01-01

Projection radiography is a method long since used for wall thickness measurements in pipes. Another method sometimes applied is thickness determination based on measuring changes of the optical density by using radioactive isotopes, as in this case the effects of stray radiation are negligible. The two methods hitherto were to be performed manually, and wall thickness data were derived by calculations with a pocket calculator. The required measuring and calculating work can now be automated by way of computerized processing of digitised images. The paper presents the software for automated evaluation of data of a selected location after system calibration. (orig./CB) [de

Optimized thick-wall cylinders by virtue of Poisson's ratio selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitty, J.P.M.; Henderson, B.; Francis, J.; Lloyd, N.

2011-01-01

The principal stress distributions in thick-wall cylinders due to variation in the Poisson's ratio are predicted using analytical and finite element methods. Analyses of appropriate brittle and ductile failure criteria show that under the isochoric pressure conditions investigated that auextic (i.e. those possessing a negative Poisson's ratio) materials act as stress concentrators; hence they are predicted to fail before their conventional (i.e. possessing a positive Poisson's ratio) material counterparts. The key finding of the work presented shows that for constrained thick-wall cylinders the maximum tensile principal stress can vanish at a particular Poisson's ratio and aspect ratio. This phenomenon is exploited in order to present an optimized design criterion for thick-wall cylinders. Moreover, via the use of a cogent finite element model, this criterion is also shown to be applicable for the design of micro-porous materials.

Study of Individual Characteristic Abdominal Wall Thickness Based on Magnetic Anchored Surgical Instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ding-Hui Dong

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Magnetic anchored surgical instruments (MASI, relying on magnetic force, can break through the limitations of the single port approach in dexterity. Individual characteristic abdominal wall thickness (ICAWT deeply influences magnetic force that determines the safety of MASI. The purpose of this study was to research the abdominal wall characteristics in MASI applied environment to find ICAWT, and then construct an artful method to predict ICAWT, resulting in better safety and feasibility for MASI. Methods: For MASI, ICAWT is referred to the thickness of thickest point in the applied environment. We determined ICAWT through finding the thickest point in computed tomography scans. We also investigated the traits of abdominal wall thickness to discover the factor that can be used to predict ICAWT. Results: Abdominal wall at C point in the middle third lumbar vertebra plane (L3 is the thickest during chosen points. Fat layer thickness plays a more important role in abdominal wall thickness than muscle layer thickness. "BMI-ICAWT" curve was obtained based on abdominal wall thickness of C point in L3 plane, and the expression was as follow: f(x = P1 × x 2 + P2 × x + P3, where P1 = 0.03916 (0.01776, 0.06056, P2 = 1.098 (0.03197, 2.164, P3 = −18.52 (−31.64, −5.412, R-square: 0.99. Conclusions: Abdominal wall thickness of C point at L3 could be regarded as ICAWT. BMI could be a reliable predictor of ICAWT. In the light of "BMI-ICAWT" curve, we may conveniently predict ICAWT by BMI, resulting a better safety and feasibility for MASI.

Semiautomatic vessel wall detection and quantification of wall thickness in computed tomography images of human abdominal aortic aneurysms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shum, Judy; DiMartino, Elena S.; Goldhammer, Adam; Goldman, Daniel H.; Acker, Leah C.; Patel, Gopal; Ng, Julie H.; Martufi, Giampaolo; Finol, Ender A.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Quantitative measurements of wall thickness in human abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) may lead to more accurate methods for the evaluation of their biomechanical environment. Methods: The authors describe an algorithm for estimating wall thickness in AAAs based on intensity histograms and neural networks involving segmentation of contrast enhanced abdominal computed tomography images. The algorithm was applied to ten ruptured and ten unruptured AAA image data sets. Two vascular surgeons manually segmented the lumen, inner wall, and outer wall of each data set and a reference standard was defined as the average of their segmentations. Reproducibility was determined by comparing the reference standard to lumen contours generated automatically by the algorithm and a commercially available software package. Repeatability was assessed by comparing the lumen, outer wall, and inner wall contours, as well as wall thickness, made by the two surgeons using the algorithm. Results: There was high correspondence between automatic and manual measurements for the lumen area (r=0.978 and r=0.996 for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, respectively) and between vascular surgeons (r=0.987 and r=0.992 for ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, respectively). The authors' automatic algorithm showed better results when compared to the reference with an average lumen error of 3.69%, which is less than half the error between the commercially available application Simpleware and the reference (7.53%). Wall thickness measurements also showed good agreement between vascular surgeons with average coefficients of variation of 10.59% (ruptured aneurysms) and 13.02% (unruptured aneurysms). Ruptured aneurysms exhibit significantly thicker walls (1.78±0.39 mm) than unruptured ones (1.48±0.22 mm), p=0.044. Conclusions: While further refinement is needed to fully automate the outer wall segmentation algorithm, these preliminary results demonstrate the method's adequate reproducibility and

Computed simulation of radiographies of pipes - validation of techniques for wall thickness measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellon, C.; Tillack, G.R.; Nockemann, C.; Wenzel, L.

1995-01-01

A macroscopic model of radiographic NDE methods and applications is given. A computer-aided approach for determination of wall thickness from radiographs is presented, guaranteeing high accuracy and reproducibility of wall thickness determination by means of projection radiography. The algorithm was applied to computed simulations of radiographies. The simulation thus offers an effective means for testing such automated wall thickness determination as a function of imaging conditions, pipe geometries, coatings, and media tracking, and likewise is a tool for validation and optimization of the method. (orig.) [de

On thick domain walls in general relativity

Science.gov (United States)

Goetz, Guenter; Noetzold, Dirk

1989-01-01

Planar scalar field configurations in general relativity differ considerably from those in flat space. It is shown that static domain walls of finite thickness in curved space-time do not possess a reflection symmetry. At infinity, the space-time tends to the Taub vacuum on one side of the wall and to the Minkowski vacuum (Rindler space-time) on the other. Massive test particles are always accelerated towards the Minkowski side, i.e., domain walls are attractive on the Taub side, but repulsive on the Minkowski side (Taub-vacuum cleaner). It is also proved that the pressure in all directions is always negative. Finally, a brief comment is made concerning the possibility of infinite, i.e., bigger than horizon size, domain walls in our universe. All of the results are independent of the form of the potential V(phi) greater than or equal to 0 of the scalar field phi.

Comparative study of diastolic filling under varying left ventricular wall stiffness

Science.gov (United States)

Mekala, Pritam; Santhanakrishnan, Arvind

2014-11-01

Pathological remodeling of the human cardiac left ventricle (LV) is observed in hypertensive heart failure as a result of pressure overload. Myocardial stiffening occurs in these patients prior to chronic maladaptive changes, resulting in increased LV wall stiffness. The goal of this study was to investigate the change in intraventricular filling fluid dynamics inside a physical model of the LV as a function of wall stiffness. Three LV models of varying wall stiffness were incorporated into an in vitro flow circuit driven by a programmable piston pump. Windkessel elements were used to tune the inflow and systemic pressure in the model with least stiffness to match healthy conditions. Models with stiffer walls were comparatively tested maintaining circuit compliance, resistance and pump amplitude constant. 2D phase-locked PIV measurements along the central plane showed that with increase in wall stiffness, the peak velocity and cardiac output inside the LV decreased. Further, inflow vortex ring propagation toward the LV apex was reduced with increasing stiffness. The above findings indicate the importance of considering LV wall relaxation characteristics in pathological studies of filling fluid dynamics.

Comparison of Simulated PEC Probe Performance for Detecting Wall Thickness Reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Young Kil; Choi, Dong Myung; Jung, Hee Sung

2009-01-01

In this paper, four different types of pulsed eddy current(PEC) probe are designed and their performance of detecting wall thickness reduction is compared. By using the backward difference method in time and the finite element method in space, PEC signals from various thickness and materials are numerically calculated and three features of the signal are selected. Since PEC signals and features are obtained by various types and sizes of probe, the comparison is made through the normalized features which reflect the sensitivity of the feature to thickness reduction. The normalized features indicate that the shielded reflection probe provides the best sensitivity to wall thickness reduction for all three signal features. Results show that the best sensitivity to thickness reduction can be achieved by the peak value, but also suggest that the time to peak can be a good candidate because of its linear relationship with the thickness variation.

Study on fluidity of squeeze cast AZ91D magnesium alloy with different wall thicknesses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Yun

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Rectangular cross-section specimens with different section thicknesses were prepared to study the influences of pouring temperature, mould temperature and squeeze velocity on the fluidity of squeeze cast AZ91D magnesium alloy by means of orthogonal test design method. The results show that pouring temperature, mould temperature and squeeze velocity can significantly affect the fluidity of magnesium alloy specimens with wall thickness no more than 4 mm, and the pouring temperature is the most influential factor on the fluidity of specimens with wall thickness of 1, 2 and 3 mm, while mould temperature is the one for specimens with wall thickness of 4 mm. Increasing pouring temperature between 700 °C and 750 °C is beneficial to the fluidity of AZ91D magnesium alloy, and increasing mould temperature significantly enhances the filling ability of thick (3 and 4 mm section castings. The fluidity of squeeze cast magnesium alloy increases with the increase of wall thickness. It is not recommended to produce magnesium alloy casting with wall thickness of smaller than 3 mm by squeeze cast process due to the poor fluidity. The software DPS was used to generate the regression model, and linear regression equations of the fluidity of squeeze cast AZ91D with different wall thicknesses are obtained using the test results.

Post-cast EDM method for reducing the thickness of a turbine nozzle wall

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Raymond Joseph; Bojappa, Parvangada Ganapathy; Kirkpatrick, Francis Lawrence; Schotsch, Margaret Jones; Rajan, Rajiv; Wei, Bin

2002-01-01

A post-cast EDM process is used to remove material from the interior surface of a nozzle vane cavity of a turbine. A thin electrode is passed through the cavity between opposite ends of the nozzle vane and displaced along the interior nozzle wall to remove the material along a predetermined path, thus reducing the thickness of the wall between the cavity and the external surface of the nozzle. In another form, an EDM process employing a profile as an electrode is disposed in the cavity and advanced against the wall to remove material from the wall until the final wall thickness is achieved, with the interior wall surface being complementary to the profile surface.

Impact of plasma tube wall thickness on power coupling in ICP sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nawaz, Anuscheh; Herdrich, Georg

2009-01-01

The inductively heated plasma source at the Institute of Space Systems was investigated with respect to the wall thickness of the plasma tube using an air plasma. For this, the wall thickness of the quartz tube was reduced in steps from 2.5 to 1.25 mm. The significance of reducing the wall thickness was analyzed with respect to both the maximum allowable tube cooling power and the coupling efficiency. While the former results from thermal stresses in the tube's wall, the latter results from a minimization of magnetic field losses near the coil turns of the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. Analysis of the thermal stress could be validated by experimental data, i.e. the measurement of the tube cooling power when the respective tube structure failed. The coupling efficiency could be assessed qualitatively by simplified models, and the experimental data recorded show that coupling was improved far more than predicted.

A semi-empirical method for measuring thickness of pipe-wall using gamma scattering technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vo Hoang Nguyen; Hua Tuyet Le; Le Dinh Minh Quan; Hoang Duc Tam; Le Bao Tran; Tran Thien Thanh; Tran Nguyen Thuy Ngan; Chau Van Tao; VNUHCM-University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City; Huynh Dinh Chuong

2016-01-01

In this work, we propose a semi-empirical method for determining the thickness of pipe-wall, of which the determination is performed by combining the experimental and Monte Carlo simulation data. The testing measurements show that this is an efficient method to measure the thickness of pipe-wall. In addition, this work also shows that it could use a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector and a low activity source to measure the thickness of pipe-wall, which is simple, quick and high accuracy method. (author)

Quantification of esophageal wall thickness in CT using atlas-based segmentation technique

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiahui; Kang, Min Kyu; Kligerman, Seth; Lu, Wei

2015-03-01

Esophageal wall thickness is an important predictor of esophageal cancer response to therapy. In this study, we developed a computerized pipeline for quantification of esophageal wall thickness using computerized tomography (CT). We first segmented the esophagus using a multi-atlas-based segmentation scheme. The esophagus in each atlas CT was manually segmented to create a label map. Using image registration, all of the atlases were aligned to the imaging space of the target CT. The deformation field from the registration was applied to the label maps to warp them to the target space. A weighted majority-voting label fusion was employed to create the segmentation of esophagus. Finally, we excluded the lumen from the esophagus using a threshold of -600 HU and measured the esophageal wall thickness. The developed method was tested on a dataset of 30 CT scans, including 15 esophageal cancer patients and 15 normal controls. The mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean absolute distance (MAD) between the segmented esophagus and the reference standard were employed to evaluate the segmentation results. Our method achieved a mean Dice coefficient of 65.55 ± 10.48% and mean MAD of 1.40 ± 1.31 mm for all the cases. The mean esophageal wall thickness of cancer patients and normal controls was 6.35 ± 1.19 mm and 6.03 ± 0.51 mm, respectively. We conclude that the proposed method can perform quantitative analysis of esophageal wall thickness and would be useful for tumor detection and tumor response evaluation of esophageal cancer.

Prevalence and histopathological finding of thin-walled and thick-walled Sarcocysts in slaughtered cattle of Karaj abattoir, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Nourollahi-Fard, Saeid R; Kheirandish, Reza; Sattari, Saeid

2015-06-01

Sarcocystosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Sarcocystis spp. with obligatory two host life cycle generally alternating between an herbivorous intermediate host and a carnivorous definitive host. Some species of this coccidian parasite can cause considerable morbidity and mortality in cattle. The present study was set to investigate the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. and type of cyst wall in slaughtered cattle of Karaj abattoir, Iran. For this purpose 125 cattle (88 males and 37 females) were investigated for the presence of macroscopic and microscopic Sarcocystis cysts in muscular tissues. No macroscopic Sarcocystis cysts were found in any of the samples. In light microscopy, 121 out of 125 cattle (96.8 %) had thin-walled cysts of Sarcocystis cruzi, while 43 out of them (34.4 %) had thick-walled Sarcocystis cyst. In this survey, the most infected tissue was esophagus and heart and the less was diaphragm. Thin-walled cysts (S. cruzi) mostly found in heart and skeletal muscle showed the less. However, thick-walled cyst (S. hominis or S. hirsuta) mostly were detected in diaphragm, heart muscle showed no thick-walled cyst. No significant relation was observed between age and sex and the rate of infection. The results showed that Sarcocystis cyst is prevalent in cattle in the North part of Iran and the evaluation of infection potential can be useful when considering control programs.

Wall Thickness Measurement Of Insulated Pipe By Tangential Radiography Technique Using Ir 192

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soedarjo

2000-01-01

Insulation pipe wall thickness by tangential radiography technique has been carried out using 41 Curie Iridium 192 source has activity for two carbon steel pipes. The outer diameter of the first pipe is 90 mm, wall thickness is 75.0 mm, source film film distance is 609.5 mm, source tangential point of insulation is 489.5 mm and exposure time 3 minute and 25 second. From the calculation, the first pipe thickness is found to be 12.54 mm and for the second pipe is 8.42 mm. The thickness is due to inaccuracy in reading the pipe thickness on radiography film and the geometry distortion radiation path

Wall thickness dependence of the scaling law for ferroic stripe domains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catalan, G; Scott, J F; Schilling, A; Gregg, J M

2007-01-01

The periodicity of 180 0 stripe domains as a function of crystal thickness scales with the width of the domain walls, both for ferroelectric and for ferromagnetic materials. Here we derive an analytical expression for the generalized ferroic scaling factor and use this to calculate the domain wall thickness and gradient coefficients (exchange constants) in some ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials. We then use these to discuss some of the wider implications for the physics of ferroelectric nanodevices and periodically poled photonic crystals. (fast track communication)

Gastric full-thickness suturing during EMR and for treatment of gastric-wall defects (with video).

Science.gov (United States)

von Renteln, Daniel; Schmidt, Arthur; Riecken, Bettina; Caca, Karel

2008-04-01

The endoscopic full-thickness Plicator device was initially developed to provide an endoscopic treatment option for patients with GERD. Because the endoscopic full-thickness Plicator enables rapid and easy placement of transmural sutures, comparable with surgical sutures, we used the Plicator device for endoscopic treatment or prevention of GI-wall defects. To describe the outcomes and complications of endoscopic full-thickness suturing during EMR and for the treatment of gastric-wall defects. A report of 4 cases treated with the endoscopic full-thickness suturing between June 2006 and April 2007. A large tertiary-referral center. Four subjects received endoscopic full-thickness suturing. The subjects were women, with a mean age of 67 years. Of the 4 subjects, 3 received endoscopic full-thickness suturing during or after an EMR. One subject received endoscopic full-thickness suturing for treatment of a fistula. Primary outcome measurements were clinical procedural success and procedure-related adverse events. The mean time for endoscopic full-thickness suturing was 15 minutes. In all cases, GI-wall patency was restored or ensured, and no procedure-related complications occurred. All subjects responded well to endoscopic full-thickness suturing. The resection of one GI stromal tumor was incomplete. Because of the Plicator's 60F distal-end diameter, endoscopic full-thickness suturing could only be performed with the patient under midazolam and propofol sedation. The durable Plicator suture might compromise the endoscopic follow-up after EMR. The endoscopic full-thickness Plicator permits rapid and easy placement of transmural sutures and seems to be a safe and effective alternative to surgical intervention to restore GI-wall defects or to ensure GI-wall patency during EMR procedures.

Intraventricular flow alterations due to dyssynchronous wall motion

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Audrey M.; Lai, Hong Kuan; Samaee, Milad; Santhanakrishnan, Arvind

2015-11-01

Roughly 30% of patients with systolic heart failure suffer from left ventricular dyssynchrony (LVD), in which mechanical discoordination of the ventricle walls leads to poor hemodynamics and suboptimal cardiac function. There is currently no clear mechanistic understanding of how abnormalities in septal-lateral (SL) wall motion affects left ventricle (LV) function, which is needed to improve the treatment of LVD using cardiac resynchronization therapy. We use an experimental flow phantom with an LV physical model to study mechanistic effects of SL wall motion delay on LV function. To simulate mechanical LVD, two rigid shafts were coupled to two segments (apical and mid sections) along the septal wall of the LV model. Flow through the LV model was driven using a piston pump, and stepper motors coupled to the above shafts were used to locally perturb the septal wall segments relative to the pump motion. 2D PIV was used to examine the intraventricular flow through the LV physical model. Alterations to SL delay results in a reduction in the kinetic energy (KE) of the flow field compared to synchronous SL motion. The effect of varying SL motion delay from 0% (synchronous) to 100% (out-of-phase) on KE and viscous dissipation will be presented. This research was supported by the Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology (HR14-022).

Development of thick wall welding and cutting tools for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakahira, Masataka; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Akou, Kentaro; Koizumi, Koichi

1998-01-01

The Vacuum Vessel, which is a core component of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), is required to be exchanged remotely in a case of accident such as superconducting coil failure. The in-vessel components such as blanket and divertor are planned to be exchanged or fixed. In these exchange or maintenance operations, the thick wall welding and cutting are inevitable and remote handling tools are necessary. The thick wall welding and cutting tools for blanket are under developing in the ITER R and D program. The design requirement is to weld or cut the stainless steel of 70 mm thickness in the narrow space. Tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc welding, plasma cutting and iodine laser welding/cutting are selected as primary option. Element welding and cutting tests, design of small tools to satisfy space requirement, test fabrication and performance tests were performed. This paper reports the tool design and overview of welding and cutting tests. (author)

Development of thick wall welding and cutting tools for ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakahira, Masataka; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Akou, Kentaro; Koizumi, Koichi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-04-01

The Vacuum Vessel, which is a core component of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), is required to be exchanged remotely in a case of accident such as superconducting coil failure. The in-vessel components such as blanket and divertor are planned to be exchanged or fixed. In these exchange or maintenance operations, the thick wall welding and cutting are inevitable and remote handling tools are necessary. The thick wall welding and cutting tools for blanket are under developing in the ITER R and D program. The design requirement is to weld or cut the stainless steel of 70 mm thickness in the narrow space. Tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc welding, plasma cutting and iodine laser welding/cutting are selected as primary option. Element welding and cutting tests, design of small tools to satisfy space requirement, test fabrication and performance tests were performed. This paper reports the tool design and overview of welding and cutting tests. (author)

Three-dimensional atrial wall thickness maps to inform catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Martin; Rajani, Ronak; Plank, Gernot; Gaddum, Nicholas; Carr-White, Gerry; Wright, Matt; O'Neill, Mark; Niederer, Steven

2016-03-01

Transmural lesion formation is critical to success in atrial fibrillation ablation and is dependent on left atrial wall thickness (LAWT). Pre- and peri-procedural planning may benefit from LAWT measurements. To calculate the LAWT, the Laplace equation was solved over a finite element mesh of the left atrium derived from the segmented computed tomographic angiography (CTA) dataset. Local LAWT was then calculated from the length of field lines derived from the Laplace solution that spanned the wall from the endocardium or epicardium. The method was validated on an atrium phantom and retrospectively applied to 10 patients who underwent routine coronary CTA for standard clinical indications at our institute. The Laplace wall thickness algorithm was validated on the left atrium phantom. Wall thickness measurements had errors of atrial wall thickness measurements were performed on 10 patients. Successful comprehensive LAWT maps were generated in all patients from the coronary CTA images. Mean LAWT measurements ranged from 0.6 to 1.0 mm and showed significant inter and intra patient variability. Left atrial wall thickness can be measured robustly and efficiently across the whole left atrium using a solution of the Laplace equation over a finite element mesh of the left atrium. Further studies are indicated to determine whether the integration of LAWT maps into pre-existing 3D anatomical mapping systems may provide important anatomical information for guiding radiofrequency ablation. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessment of global and regional LV function obtained by quantitative gated SPECT using {sup 99m}Tc-tetrofosmin. Comparison with left ventricular cineangiography and echocardiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ban, Kazunobu; Nakajima, Toru; Aoki, Naoto; Abe, Sumihisa; Handa, Shunnosuke; Suzuki, Yutaka [Tokai Univ., Isehara, Kanagawa (Japan). School of Medicine

1998-11-01

The quantitative gated SPECT (QGS) software that has automatic edge detection algorithm of the left ventricle, is able to calculate LV volumes and visualize LV wall motion with perfusion throughout the cardiac cycle. We evaluated the reliability of global and regional LV function derived from QGS using {sup 99m}Tc-tetrofosmin by comparing with left ventricular cineangiography (LVG) and echocardiography (ECHO). In 22 cardiac patients, end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV) and ejection fraction (LVEF) were calculated. Using cinematic display, regional LV wall motion were scored on a 3-point scale (1=normal, 2=hypokinesis, 3=akinesis; WMS). EDV, ESV and LVEF correlated well with those by LVG (p<0.001 for each). Correlation between WMS derived from QGS and ECHO was high (r=0.85, p<0.001). There was an inverse correlation between WMS and LVEF (r=0.77, p<0.001). In conclusion, QGS is useful to evaluate global LV function. Regional wall motion evaluated by QGS is good enough for clinical application. (author)

Quantitative CT: Associations between Emphysema, Airway Wall Thickness and Body Composition in COPD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rutten, Erica P A; Grydeland, Thomas B; Pillai, Sreekumar G

2011-01-01

, CT scans were performed to determine emphysema (%LAA), airway wall thickness (AWT-Pi10), and lung mass. Muscle wasting based on FFMI was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. In both the men and women with COPD, FFMI was negatively associated with %LAA. FMI was positively associated with AWT-Pi10......The objective of the present study was to determine the association between CT phenotypes-emphysema by low attenuation area and bronchitis by airway wall thickness-and body composition parameters in a large cohort of subjects with and without COPD. In 452 COPD subjects and 459 subjects without COPD...... in both subjects with and without COPD. Among the subjects with muscle wasting, the percentage emphysema was high, but the predictive value was moderate. In conclusion, the present study strengthens the hypothesis that the subgroup of COPD cases with muscle wasting have emphysema. Airway wall thickness...

Quantitative CT: Associations between Emphysema, Airway Wall Thickness and Body Composition in COPD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rutten, Erica P A; Grydeland, Thomas B; Pillai, Sreekumar G

2011-01-01

The objective of the present study was to determine the association between CT phenotypes-emphysema by low attenuation area and bronchitis by airway wall thickness-and body composition parameters in a large cohort of subjects with and without COPD. In 452 COPD subjects and 459 subjects without COPD......, CT scans were performed to determine emphysema (%LAA), airway wall thickness (AWT-Pi10), and lung mass. Muscle wasting based on FFMI was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. In both the men and women with COPD, FFMI was negatively associated with %LAA. FMI was positively associated with AWT-Pi10...... in both subjects with and without COPD. Among the subjects with muscle wasting, the percentage emphysema was high, but the predictive value was moderate. In conclusion, the present study strengthens the hypothesis that the subgroup of COPD cases with muscle wasting have emphysema. Airway wall thickness...

Hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) thick-walled component for a pressurised water reactor (PWR) application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hookham, I.; Burdett, B.; Bridger, K.; Sulley, J.L.

2009-01-01

This paper presents the work conducted to justify and provide a quality assured HIPed thick-walled component for a PWR application; the component being designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce has previously published (ICAPP 08) its overall, staged approach to the introduction of powder HIPed components; starting with thin-walled, leak limited pressure boundaries, and culminating in the use of the powder HIPed process for thick walled components. This paper presents details specific to a thick walled pressure vessel component. Results are presented of non-destructive and destructive examinations of one of a batch of components. Mechanical testing and metallurgical examination results of sample material taken from different sections of the component are presented. A full range of test results is provided covering, as examples: tensile, Charpy impact and sensitization susceptibility. Differences in weldability between the HIPed and the previous forged form are also documented. (author)

Quantitative computed tomography measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness are related to respiratory symptoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grydeland, Thomas B; Dirksen, Asger; Coxson, Harvey O

2010-01-01

There is limited knowledge about the relationship between respiratory symptoms and quantitative high-resolution computed tomography measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness.......There is limited knowledge about the relationship between respiratory symptoms and quantitative high-resolution computed tomography measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness....

Effect of subcooling and wall thickness on pool boiling from downward-facing curved surfaces in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Genk, M.S.; Glebov, A.G. [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1995-09-01

Quenching experiments were performed to investigate the effects of water subcooling and wall thickness on pool boiling from a downward-facing curved surface. Experiments used three copper sections of the same diameter (50.8 mm) and surface radius (148 mm), but different thickness (12.8, 20 and 30 mm). Local and average pool boiling curves were obtained at saturation and 5 K, 10 K, and 14 K subcooling. Water subcooling increased the maximum heat flux, but decreased the corresponding wall superheat. The minimum film boiling heat flux and the corresponding wall superheat, however, increased with increased subcooling. The maximum and minimum film boiling heat fluxes were independent of wall thickness above 20 mm and Biot Number > 0.8, indicating that boiling curves for the 20 and 30 thick sections were representative of quasi steady-state, but not those for the 12.8 mm thick section. When compared with that for a flat surface section of the same thickness, the data for the 12.8 mm thick section showed significant increases in both the maximum heat flux (from 0.21 to 0.41 MW/m{sup 2}) and the minimum film boiling heat flux (from 2 to 13 kW/m{sup 2}) and about 11.5 K and 60 K increase in the corresponding wall superheats, respectively.

Detrusor wall thickness compared to other non-invasivemethods in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: The current study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of detrusor wall thickness to othernoninvasive, tools, using pressure flow studies as a reference, in the assessment of bladder outlet, obstructionamong men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms. Patients and Methods: Men aged 50 or older ...

Relaxation of Thick-Walled Cylinders and Spheres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saabye Ottosen, N.

1982-01-01

Using the nonlinear creep law proposed by Soderberg, (1936) closed-form solutions are derived for the relaxation of incompressible thick-walled spheres and cylinders in plane strain. These solutions involve series expressions which, however, converge very quickly. By simply ignoring these series...... expressions, extremely simple approximate solutions are obtained. Despite their simplicity these approximations possess an accuracy that is superior to approximations currently in use. Finally, several physical aspects related to the relaxation of cylinders and spheres are discussed...

Mathematical modeling of left ventricular dimensional changes in mice during aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Tianyi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Cardiac aging is characterized by diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV, which is due in part to increased LV wall stiffness. In the diastolic phase, myocytes are relaxed and extracellular matrix (ECM is a critical determinant to the changes of LV wall stiffness. To evaluate the effects of ECM composition on cardiac aging, we developed a mathematical model to predict LV dimension and wall stiffness changes in aging mice by integrating mechanical laws and our experimental results. We measured LV dimension, wall thickness, LV mass, and collagen content for wild type (WT C57/BL6J mice of ages ranging from 7.3 months to those of 34.0 months. The model was established using the thick wall theory and stretch-induced tissue growth to an isotropic and homogeneous elastic composite with mixed constituents. The initial conditions of the simulation were set based on the data from the young mice. Matlab simulations of this mathematical model demonstrated that the model captured the major features of LV remodeling with age and closely approximated experimental results. Specifically, the temporal progression of the LV interior and exterior dimensions demonstrated the same trend and order-of-magnitude change as our experimental results. In conclusion, we present here a validated mathematical model of cardiac aging that applies the thick-wall theory and stretch-induced tissue growth to LV remodeling with age.

Association Between the Lateral Wall Thickness of the Maxillary Sinus and the Dental Status: Cone Beam Computed Tomography Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khajehahmadi, Saeedeh; Rahpeyma, Amin; Hoseini Zarch, Seyed Hosein

2014-01-01

Assessment of the lateral wall thickness of the maxillary sinus is very important in decision making for many surgical interventions. The association between the thickness of the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus and the dental status is not well identified. To compare the thickness of the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus in individuals with and without teeth to determine if extraction of the teeth can lead to a significant reduction in the thickness of the maxillary sinus lateral wall or not. In a retrospective study on fifty patients with an edentulous space, the thickness of the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus,one centimeter above the sinus floor in the second premolar (P2), first molar (M1) and second molar (M2) areas was determined by cone beam computed tomography scans(CBCTs) and a digital ruler in Romexis F software (Planmeca Romexis 2.4.2.R) and it was compared with values measured in fifty dentated individuals. Three way analysis of variance was applied for comparison after confirmation of the normal distribution of data. The mean of the wall thickness in each of these points was lower in patients with edentulous spaces; however it was not significant. There was no association between gender and the thickness of the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus, but location was associated with different thicknesses. The differences in the thickness based on the location and dental status necessitates assessment of the wall thickness of the maxillary sinus in addition to the current evaluation of bone thickness between the sinus floor and the edentulous crest before maxillary sinus surgery

Normal wall thickness and tumorous changes in the gastrointestinal tract demonstrated by CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwaan, M.; Gmelin, E.; Borgis, K.J.; Neubauer, B.

1991-01-01

55 patients with tumours of the gastroinstinal tract were ecamined by CT, using a paraffin emulsion as a negative oral contrast medium. These were compared with 119 normal patients. The appearance of normal and tumour bearing portions of the gut wall against the contrast medium was studied. Under hypotonic conditions the gut wall could regularly be distinguished from surrounding organs and gut content. Mural thickness of the oesophagus > 7 mm and of the stomach and colon > 8 mm must be regarded as abnormal. Benign diseases cannot be distinguished from malignant conditions on the basis of wall thickness. Artifacts, such as are caused by positive oral contrast, were of less significance when using paraffin emulsion. (orig.) [de

The Effect of Selected Conditions in a Thermoforming Process on Wall Thickness Variations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emil Sasimowski

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper reports the results of a study on the effect of selected conditions in a thermoforming process for thin polystyrene sheet by vacuum assisted drape forming on the wall thickness non-uniformity of finished parts. The investigation was performed using Statistica’s DOE module for three variables: temperatures in the external and internal zones of the heater as well as heating time of the plastic sheet. The results demonstrate that the wall thickness in the finished parts at the measuring points is primarily affected by the heating time and the temperature in the internal zone of the heater, while the temperature in the external zone only affects some regions of the finished part. The results demonstrate that a short heating time and hence a lower temperature of the plastic sheet lead to a more uniform deformation of both the bottom and the side walls of the finished part, and as a consequence, to smaller variations in the wall thickness. The shortening of the heating time is however limited by the necessity of accurate reproduction of the shape of the finished part.

Subclinical atherosclerosis in obese adolescents with normal left ventricular function.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Wahab, Amina M; Atwa, Hoda A; El-Eraky, Azza Z; El-Aziz, Mohamed A

2011-09-01

To assess the impact of obesity on carotid intima media thickness and left ventricular (LV) mass in obese adolescents. The study included 52 obese adolescents (mean age 14.16+/-2.64 years) and 52 healthy adolescents who served as a control group (mean age 12+/-2.3 years), who were attended the outpatient clinic at Suez Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, Egypt. The study population was submitted for medical history, clinical examination, laboratory investigations (fasting blood sugar and lipid profile), and echocardiographic examination of LV mass and dimensions. Assessment of carotid intima-media thickness was carried out by using carotid duplex. All children had normal LV function. Obese adolescents had a significant increase in total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, and low HDL-C compared to the control group. Also, there was a significant increase in blood pressure, carotid intima media thickness, LV mass, and LV mass index. There was a significant correlation between BMI and dyslipidemia, blood pressure, carotid intima/media thickness, LV mass, and posterior wall thickness. Carotid intima-media thickness had a significant correlation with increased LDL-C and low HDL-C, blood pressure, LV mass, and posterior wall thickness. Obesity in childhood and adolescents is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Although obese children had no LV dysfunction, yet there are LV structure changes.

MDCT assessment of airway wall thickness in COPD patients using a new method: correlations with pulmonary function tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achenbach, Tobias; Weinheimer, Oliver; Schmitt, Sabine; Freudenstein, Daniela; Kunz, Richard Peter; Dueber, Christoph; Biedermann, Alexander; Buhl, Roland; Goutham, Edula; Heussel, Claus Peter

2008-01-01

Quantitative assessment of airway-wall dimensions by computed tomography (CT) has proven to be a marker of airway-wall remodelling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The objective was to correlate the wall thickness of large and small airways with functional parameters of airflow obstruction in COPD patients on multi-detector (MD) CT images using a new quantification procedure from a three-dimensional (3D) approach of the bronchial tree. In 31 patients (smokers/COPD, non-smokers/controls), we quantitatively assessed contiguous MDCT cross-sections reconstructed orthogonally along the airway axis, taking the point-spread function into account to circumvent over-estimation. Wall thickness and wall percentage were measured and the per-patient mean/median correlated with FEV1 and FEV1%. A median of 619 orthogonal airway locations was assessed per patient. Mean wall percentage/mean wall thickness/median wall thickness in non-smokers (29.6%/0.69 mm/0.37 mm) was significantly different from the COPD group (38.9%/0.83 mm/0.54 mm). Correlation coefficients (r) between FEV1 or FEV1% predicted and intra-individual means of the wall percentage were -0.569 and -0.560, respectively, with p<0.001. Depending on the parameter, they were increased for airways of 4 mm and smaller in total diameter, being -0.621 (FEV1) and -0.537 (FEV1%) with p < 0.002. The wall thickness was significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. In COPD patients, the wall thickness measured as a mean for a given patient correlated with the values of FEV1 and FEV1% predicted. Correlation with FEV1 was higher when only small airways were considered. (orig.)

Evaluation of segmental left ventricular wall motion by equilibrium gated radionuclide ventriculography.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Nostrand, D; Janowitz, W R; Holmes, D R; Cohen, H A

1979-01-01

The ability of equilibrium gated radionuclide ventriculography to detect segmental left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities was determined in 26 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Multiple gated studies obtained in 30 degrees right anterior oblique and 45 degrees left anterior oblique projections, played back in a movie format, were compared to the corresponding LV ventriculograms. The LV wall in the two projections was divided into eight segments. Each segment was graded as normal, hypokinetic, akinetic, dyskinetic, or indeterminate. Thirteen percent of the segments in the gated images were indeterminate; 24 out of 27 of these were proximal or distal inferior wall segments. There was exact agreement in 86% of the remaining segments. The sensitivity of the radionuclide technique for detecting normal versus any abnormal wall motion was 71%, with a specificity of 99%. Equilibrium gated ventriculography is an excellent noninvasive technique for evaluating segmental LV wall motion. It is least reliable in assessing the proximal inferior wall and interventricular septum.

Effect of wall thickness and helium cooling channels on duct magnetohydrodynamic flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Qingyun; Feng, Jingchao; Chen, Hongli

2016-01-01

Highlights: • MHD flows in ducts of different wall thickness compared with wall uniform. • Study of velocity, pressure distribution in ducts MHD flows with single pass of helium cooling channels. • Comparison of three types of dual helium cooling channels and acquisition of an option for minimum pressure drop. • A single short duct MHD flow in blanket without FCI has been simulated for pressure gradient analysis. - Abstract: The concept of dual coolant liquid metal (LM) blanket has been proposed in different countries to demonstrate the technical feasibility of DEMO reactor. In the system, helium gas and PbLi eutectic, separated by structure grid, are used to cool main structure materials and to be self-cooled, respectively. The non-uniform wall thickness of structure materials gives rise to wall non-homogeneous conductance ratio. It will lead to electric current distribution changes, resulting in significant changes in the velocity distribution and pressure drop of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. In order to investigate the effect of helium channels on MHD flows, different methods of numerical simulations cases are carried out including the cases of different wall thicknesses, single pass of helium cooling channels, and three types of dual helium cooling channels. The results showed that helium tubes are able to affect the velocity distribution in the boundary layer by forming wave sharp which transfers from Hartmann boundary layer to the core area. In addition, the potential profile and pressure drop in the cases have been compared to these in the case of walls without cooling channel, and the pressure gradient of a simplified single short duct MHD flow in blanket shows small waver along the central axis in the helium channel position.

Effect of wall thickness and helium cooling channels on duct magnetohydrodynamic flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Qingyun; Feng, Jingchao; Chen, Hongli, E-mail: hlchen1@ustc.edu.cn

2016-02-15

Highlights: • MHD flows in ducts of different wall thickness compared with wall uniform. • Study of velocity, pressure distribution in ducts MHD flows with single pass of helium cooling channels. • Comparison of three types of dual helium cooling channels and acquisition of an option for minimum pressure drop. • A single short duct MHD flow in blanket without FCI has been simulated for pressure gradient analysis. - Abstract: The concept of dual coolant liquid metal (LM) blanket has been proposed in different countries to demonstrate the technical feasibility of DEMO reactor. In the system, helium gas and PbLi eutectic, separated by structure grid, are used to cool main structure materials and to be self-cooled, respectively. The non-uniform wall thickness of structure materials gives rise to wall non-homogeneous conductance ratio. It will lead to electric current distribution changes, resulting in significant changes in the velocity distribution and pressure drop of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. In order to investigate the effect of helium channels on MHD flows, different methods of numerical simulations cases are carried out including the cases of different wall thicknesses, single pass of helium cooling channels, and three types of dual helium cooling channels. The results showed that helium tubes are able to affect the velocity distribution in the boundary layer by forming wave sharp which transfers from Hartmann boundary layer to the core area. In addition, the potential profile and pressure drop in the cases have been compared to these in the case of walls without cooling channel, and the pressure gradient of a simplified single short duct MHD flow in blanket shows small waver along the central axis in the helium channel position.

Quantitative CT measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness are related to D(L)CO

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grydeland, Thomas B; Thorsen, Einar; Dirksen, Asger

2011-01-01

There is limited knowledge on the relationship between diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D(L)CO) and quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness.......There is limited knowledge on the relationship between diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D(L)CO) and quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness....

Wall thickness tests by means of rotating electrodynamic transducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hueschelrath, G.

1986-01-01

For about three years, the EROT system has been employed for measuring wall thicknesses on pipes of ferritic steels. The experience gathered and the degree of reliability reached up to now are definitely encouraging, so that an increased use of electrodynamic transducers can be expected for measuring pipes with outside diameters of up to 22 inches. (orig.) [de

Water hammer with fluid-structure interaction in thick-walled pipes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tijsseling, A.S.

2007-01-01

A one-dimensional mathematical model is presented which describes the acoustic behaviour of thick-walled liquid-filled pipes. The model is based on conventional water-hammer and beam theories. Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) is taken into account. The equations governing straight pipes are derived

Airway wall thickness associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second decline and development of airflow limitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoesein, Firdaus A. A. Mohamed; de Jong, Pim A.; Lammers, Jan-Willem J.; Mali, Willem P. T. M.; Schmidt, Michael; de Koning, Harry J.; van der Aalst, Carlijn; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Groen, Harry J. M.; van Ginneken, Bram; van Rikxoort, Eva M.; Zanen, Pieter

Airway wall thickness and emphysema contribute to airflow limitation. We examined their association with lung function decline and development of airflow limitation in 2021 male smokers with and without airflow limitation. Airway wall thickness and emphysema were quantified on chest computed

Usefulness of left ventricular wall thickness-to-diameter ratio in thallium-201 scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manno, B.; Hakki, A.H.; Kane, S.A.; Iskandrian, A.S.

1983-01-01

The ratio of left ventricular wall thickness to the cavity dimension, as seen on thallium-201 images, was used in this study to predict left ventricular ejection fraction and volume. We obtained rest thallium-201 images in 50 patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease. The thickness of a normal-appearing segment of the left ventricular wall and the transverse diameter of the cavity were measured in the left anterior oblique projection. The left ventricular ejection fraction and volume in these patients were determined by radionuclide ventriculography. There was a good correlation between thickness-to-diameter ratio and ejection fraction and end-systolic volume. In 18 patients with a thickness-to-diameter ratio less than 0.70, the ejection fraction was lower than in the 16 patients with thickness-to-diameter ratio greater than or equal to 1.0. Similarly, in patients with a thickness-to-diameter ratio less than 0.70, the end-diastolic and end-systolic volume were higher than in the remaining patients with higher thickness-to-diameter ratios. All 18 patients with a thickness-to-diameter ratio less than 0.70 had ejection fractions less than 40%; 14 of 15 patients with a thickness-to-diameter ratio greater than or equal to 1.0 had an ejection fraction greater than 40%. The remaining 16 patients with a thickness-to-diameter ratio of 0.7-0.99 had intermediate ejection fractions and volumes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fine-Tuning the Wall Thickness of Ordered Mesoporous Graphene by Exploiting Ligand Exchange of Colloidal Nanocrystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dandan Han

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Because of their unique physical properties, three-dimensional (3D graphene has attracted enormous attention over the past years. However, it is still a challenge to precisely control the layer thickness of 3D graphene. Here, we report a novel strategy to rationally adjust the wall thickness of ordered mesoporous graphene (OMG. By taking advantage of ligand exchange capability of colloidal Fe3O4 nanocrystals, we are able to fine-tune the wall thickness of OMG from 2 to 6 layers of graphene. When evaluated as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction upon S and N doping, the 4-layer OMG is found to show better catalytic performance compared with their 2- and 6-layer counterparts, which we attribute to the enhanced exposure of active sites arising from the thin wall thickness and high surface area.

Anatomical Variation in the Wall Thickness of Wood Fibres of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The wall thickness of wood fibres of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) grown and tapped for latex in south eastern Nigeria were investigated to determine anatomical variation. The rubber trees which were overmature for tapping and keeping were sampled in hierarchical order of plantations, bud classes, trees, discs, cardinal ...

Inverse Transient Analysis for Classification of Wall Thickness Variations in Pipelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey Tuck

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Analysis of transient fluid pressure signals has been investigated as an alternative method of fault detection in pipeline systems and has shown promise in both laboratory and field trials. The advantage of the method is that it can potentially provide a fast and cost effective means of locating faults such as leaks, blockages and pipeline wall degradation within a pipeline while the system remains fully operational. The only requirement is that high speed pressure sensors are placed in contact with the fluid. Further development of the method requires detailed numerical models and enhanced understanding of transient flow within a pipeline where variations in pipeline condition and geometry occur. One such variation commonly encountered is the degradation or thinning of pipe walls, which can increase the susceptible of a pipeline to leak development. This paper aims to improve transient-based fault detection methods by investigating how changes in pipe wall thickness will affect the transient behaviour of a system; this is done through the analysis of laboratory experiments. The laboratory experiments are carried out on a stainless steel pipeline of constant outside diameter, into which a pipe section of variable wall thickness is inserted. In order to detect the location and severity of these changes in wall conditions within the laboratory system an inverse transient analysis procedure is employed which considers independent variations in wavespeed and diameter. Inverse transient analyses are carried out using a genetic algorithm optimisation routine to match the response from a one-dimensional method of characteristics transient model to the experimental time domain pressure responses. The accuracy of the detection technique is evaluated and benefits associated with various simplifying assumptions and simulation run times are investigated. It is found that for the case investigated, changes in the wavespeed and nominal diameter of the

Inverse Transient Analysis for Classification of Wall Thickness Variations in Pipelines

Science.gov (United States)

Tuck, Jeffrey; Lee, Pedro

2013-01-01

Analysis of transient fluid pressure signals has been investigated as an alternative method of fault detection in pipeline systems and has shown promise in both laboratory and field trials. The advantage of the method is that it can potentially provide a fast and cost effective means of locating faults such as leaks, blockages and pipeline wall degradation within a pipeline while the system remains fully operational. The only requirement is that high speed pressure sensors are placed in contact with the fluid. Further development of the method requires detailed numerical models and enhanced understanding of transient flow within a pipeline where variations in pipeline condition and geometry occur. One such variation commonly encountered is the degradation or thinning of pipe walls, which can increase the susceptible of a pipeline to leak development. This paper aims to improve transient-based fault detection methods by investigating how changes in pipe wall thickness will affect the transient behaviour of a system; this is done through the analysis of laboratory experiments. The laboratory experiments are carried out on a stainless steel pipeline of constant outside diameter, into which a pipe section of variable wall thickness is inserted. In order to detect the location and severity of these changes in wall conditions within the laboratory system an inverse transient analysis procedure is employed which considers independent variations in wavespeed and diameter. Inverse transient analyses are carried out using a genetic algorithm optimisation routine to match the response from a one-dimensional method of characteristics transient model to the experimental time domain pressure responses. The accuracy of the detection technique is evaluated and benefits associated with various simplifying assumptions and simulation run times are investigated. It is found that for the case investigated, changes in the wavespeed and nominal diameter of the pipeline are both important

Local wall thickness reductions in operative high-pressure gas pipelines; Lokale Wanddickenminderungen an in Betrieb befindlichen Gashochdruckleitungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hass, Georg [Netzdienste Rhein-Main GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Hoffmann, Ulrich [Verbundnetz Gas AG (VNG), Leipzig (Germany); Konarske, Juergen [RWE Westfalen-Weser-Ems Netzservice GmbH, Recklinghausen (Germany); Soppa, Thorsten [NG Netz Gas+Wasser (Germany); Steiner, Michael [Open Grid Europe GmbH, Essen (Germany)

2011-04-15

TUeV Nord, Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung and DVGW investigated methods to assess local wall thickness reductions in operative high-pressure gas pipelines. Methods described in the relevant literature were reviewed with regard to the limiting criteria defined for maximum permissible wall thickness reductions. (orig./GL)

Discrimination of Cylinders with Different Wall Thicknesses using Neural Networks and Simulated Dolphin Sonar Signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Lars Nonboe; Au, Whitlow; Larsen, Jan

1999-01-01

This paper describes a method integrating neural networks into a system for recognizing underwater objects. The system is based on a combination of simulated dolphin sonar signals, simulated auditory filters and artificial neural networks. The system is tested on a cylinder wall thickness...... difference experiment and demonstrates high accuracy for small wall thickness differences. Results from the experiment are compared with results obtained by a false killer whale (pseudorca crassidens)....

The accuracy of ventricular volume measurement and the optimal slice thickness by using multislice helical computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Wei; Guo Yuyin

2005-01-01

Objective: To determine the optimal slice thickness for ventricular volume measurement by tomographic multislice Simpson's method and to evaluate the accuracy of ventricular volume measured by multislice helical computed tomography (MSCT) in human ventricular casts. Methods: Fourteen human left ventricular (LV) and 15 right ventricular (RV) casts were scanned with MSCT scanner by using a scanning protocol similar to clinical practice. A series of LV and RV short-axis images were reconstructed with slice thickness of 2 mm, 3.5 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm, and 10 mm, respectively. Multislice Simpson's method was used to calculate LV and RV volumes and true cast volume was determined by water displacement. Results: The true LV and RV volumes were (55.57 ± 28.91) ml, and (64.23 ± 24.51) ml, respectively. The calculated volumes from different slice thickness ranged from (58.78 ± 28.93) ml to (68.15 ± 32.57) ml for LV casts, and (74.45 ± 27.81) ml to (88.14 ± 32.91) ml for RV casts, respectively. Both the calculated LV and RV volumes correlated closely with the corresponding true volumes (all r > 0.95, P<0.001), but overestimated the corresponding true volume by (3.21 ± 5.95) to (12.58 ± 8.56) ml for LV and (10.22 ± 8.45) to (23.91 ± 12.24) ml for RV (all P<0.01). There was a close correlation between the overestimation and the selected slice thickness for both LV and RV volume measurements (r=0.998 and 0.996, P<0.001). However, when slice thickness was reduced to 5.0 mm, the overestimation became nonsignificant for slice thickness through 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm, and also for both LV and RV volume measurements. Conclusion: Both LV and RV volumes can be accurately calculated with MSCT. A 5 mm slice thickness is enough and most efficient for accurate measurement of LV and RV volume. (authors)

Recognition of regional hypertrophy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using thallium-201 emission-computed tomography: comparison with two-dimensional echocardiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Y.; Kadota, K.; Nohara, R.

1984-01-01

The configuration of the hypertrophied myocardium was evaluated by thallium-201 emission-computed tomography and 2-dimensional (2-D) sector scan in 10 patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), 10 with nonobstructive HC with giant negative T waves and 10 with concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Thallium-201 myocardial imaging was reconstructed into multiple 12-mm-thick slices in 3 planes. The thickness ratio of the ventricular septum and the LV posterior wall in the short-axis plane and the ratio of the ventricular septum and the apical wall in the long-axis plane were analyzed. In the patients with obstructive HC the ventricular septal wall thickness index was increased, and the ratio of septal to posterior wall thickness index (1.45 +/- 0.23) was greater than that in the patients with nonobstructive HC with giant negative T waves or in those with concentric LV hypertrophy (1.03 +/- 0.20 and 0.98 +/- 0.11, respectively; p less than 0.01 for each). In the patients with nonobstructive HC with giant negative T waves, increased apical wall thickness with apical cavity obliteration was characteristic, and the ratio of ventricular septal to apical wall thickness index (0.66 +/- 0.14) was less than that in the patients with obstructive HC or in those with concentric LV hypertrophy (1.46 +/- 0.38 and 1.04 +/- 0.09, respectively; p less than 0.001 for each). In contrast, technically satisfactory 2-D sector scanning (83%) demonstrated various configurations of the hypertrophied ventricularseptum, but could not detect apical hypertrophy in 4 of the 10 patients with nonobstructive HC with giant negative T waves whose LV cineangiograms demonstrated apical hypertrophy. Thus, thallium-201 emission-computed tomography is useful in evaluating the characteristics of LV hypertrophy and assists 2-D sector scan, especially in patients with apical hypertrophy in HC

Helium ion microscopy based wall thickness and surface roughness analysis of polymer foams obtained from high internal phase emulsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodenburg, C.; Viswanathan, P.; Jepson, M.A.E.; Liu, X.; Battaglia, G.

2014-01-01

Due to their wide range of applications, porous polymers obtained from high internal phase emulsions have been widely studied using scanning electron microscopy. However, due to their lack of electrical conductivity, quantitative information of wall thicknesses and surface roughness, which are of particular interest to tissue engineering, has not been obtained. Here, Helium Ion Microscopy is used to examine uncoated polymer foams and some very strong but unexpected contrast is observed, the origin of which is established here. Based on this analysis, a method for the measurement of wall thickness variations and wall roughness measurements has been developed, based on the modeling of Helium ion transmission. The results presented here indicate that within the walls of the void structure there exist small features with height variations of ∼30 nm and wall thickness variations from ∼100 nm to larger 340 nm in regions surrounding interconnecting windows within the structure. The suggested imaging method is applicable to other porous carbon based structures with wall thicknesses in the range of 40–340 nm. - Highlights: • The first helium ion microscopy image of uncoated structures formed from HIPEs is presented. • Unusually high contrast features that change with accelerating voltage are observed. • The origin of the observed contrast is determined to be mass thickness contrast. • A new method for quantitative wall thickness variation/roughness measurements is demonstrated

Helium ion microscopy based wall thickness and surface roughness analysis of polymer foams obtained from high internal phase emulsion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodenburg, C., E-mail: c.rodenburg@sheffield.ac.uk [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD (United Kingdom); Viswanathan, P. [Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2 TN (United Kingdom); Jepson, M.A.E. [Department of Materials, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Liu, X. [Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Carl-Zeiss-Strasse 22, 73447 Oberkochen (Germany); Battaglia, G. [Department of Chemistry University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); The MRC/UCL Centre for Medical Molecular Virology, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom)

2014-04-01

Due to their wide range of applications, porous polymers obtained from high internal phase emulsions have been widely studied using scanning electron microscopy. However, due to their lack of electrical conductivity, quantitative information of wall thicknesses and surface roughness, which are of particular interest to tissue engineering, has not been obtained. Here, Helium Ion Microscopy is used to examine uncoated polymer foams and some very strong but unexpected contrast is observed, the origin of which is established here. Based on this analysis, a method for the measurement of wall thickness variations and wall roughness measurements has been developed, based on the modeling of Helium ion transmission. The results presented here indicate that within the walls of the void structure there exist small features with height variations of ∼30 nm and wall thickness variations from ∼100 nm to larger 340 nm in regions surrounding interconnecting windows within the structure. The suggested imaging method is applicable to other porous carbon based structures with wall thicknesses in the range of 40–340 nm. - Highlights: • The first helium ion microscopy image of uncoated structures formed from HIPEs is presented. • Unusually high contrast features that change with accelerating voltage are observed. • The origin of the observed contrast is determined to be mass thickness contrast. • A new method for quantitative wall thickness variation/roughness measurements is demonstrated.

Manual versus automatic bladder wall thickness measurements: a method comparison study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oelke, M.; Mamoulakis, C.; Ubbink, D.T.; de la Rosette, J.J.; Wijkstra, H.

2009-01-01

Purpose To compare repeatability and agreement of conventional ultrasound bladder wall thickness (BWT) measurements with automatically obtained BWT measurements by the BVM 6500 device. Methods Adult patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, urinary incontinence, or postvoid residual urine were

Fine-tuning the Wall Thickness of Ordered Mesoporous Graphene by Exploiting Ligand Exchange of Colloidal Nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Dandan; Yan, Yancui; Wei, Jishi; Wang, Biwei; Li, Tongtao; Guo, Guannan; Yang, Dong; Xie, Songhai; Dong, Angang

2017-12-01

Because of their unique physical properties, three-dimensional (3D) graphene has attracted enormous attention over the past years. However, it is still a challenge to precisely control the layer thickness of 3D graphene. Here, we report a novel strategy to rationally adjust the wall thickness of ordered mesoporous graphene (OMG). By taking advantage of ligand exchange capability of colloidal Fe3O4 nanocrystals, we are able to fine-tune the wall thickness of OMG from 2 to 6 layers of graphene by tailoring the hydrocarbon ligands attached to the nanocrystal surface. When evaluated as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction upon S and N doping, the 4-layer OMG is found to show better catalytic performance compared with its 2- and 6-layer counterparts, which we attribute to the enhanced exposure of active sites resulting from its ultrathin wall thickness and high surface area.

Nitrate Diffusional Releases from the Saltstone Facility, Vault 2, with Respect to Different Concrete Wall Thicknesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ROBERT, HIERGESELL

2005-01-01

To assist the Saltstone Vault 2 Design Team, an investigation was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative concrete wall thicknesses in limiting nitrate diffusion away from the planned facility. While the current design calls for 18-inch concrete walls, alternative thicknesses of 12-in, 8-in, and 6-in were evaluated using a simplified 1-D numerical model. To serve as a guide for Saltstone Vault 2 conceptual design, the results of this investigation were applied to Saltstone Vault 4 to determine what the hypothetical limits would be for concrete wall thicknesses thinner than the planned 18-inches. This was accomplished by adjusting the Vault 4 Limits, based on the increased nitrate diffusion rates through the thinner concrete walls, such that the 100-m well limit of 44 mg/L of nitrate as nitrate was not exceeded. The implication of these preliminary results is that as thinner vault walls are implemented there is a larger release of nitrate, thus necessitating optimal vault placement to minimize the number of vaults placed along a single groundwater flow path leading to the discharge zone

Conjugate heat transfer for turbulent flow in a thick walled plain pipe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Canli Eyub

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Laminar and turbulent flow have their own characteristics in respect of heat transfer in pipes. While conjugate heat transfer is a major concern for a thick walled pipe with laminar flow inside it, there are limited studies about a turbulent flow in a thick walled plain pipe considering the conjugate heat transfer. In order to conduct such a work by means of in-house developed code, it was desired to make a preliminary investigation with commercially available CFD codes. ANSYS CFD was selected as the tool since it has a positive reputation in the literature for reliability. Defined heat transfer problem was solved with SIMPLE and Coupled Schemes for pressure velocity coupling and results are presented accordingly.

Nonlinear seismic analysis of a thick-walled concrete canyon structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkel, B.V.; Wagenblast, G.R.

1989-01-01

Conventional linear seismic analyses of a thick-walled lightly reinforced concrete structure were found to grossly underestimate its seismic capacity. Reasonable estimates of the seismic capacity were obtained by performing approximate nonlinear spectrum analyses along with static collapse evaluations. A nonlinear time history analyses is planned as the final verification of seismic adequacy

Terahertz inline wall thickness monitoring system for plastic pipe extrusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hauck, J., E-mail: j.hauck@skz.de, E-mail: d.stich@skz.de, E-mail: p.heidemeyer@skz.de, E-mail: m.bastian@skz.de, E-mail: t.hochrein@skz.de; Stich, D., E-mail: j.hauck@skz.de, E-mail: d.stich@skz.de, E-mail: p.heidemeyer@skz.de, E-mail: m.bastian@skz.de, E-mail: t.hochrein@skz.de; Heidemeyer, P., E-mail: j.hauck@skz.de, E-mail: d.stich@skz.de, E-mail: p.heidemeyer@skz.de, E-mail: m.bastian@skz.de, E-mail: t.hochrein@skz.de; Bastian, M., E-mail: j.hauck@skz.de, E-mail: d.stich@skz.de, E-mail: p.heidemeyer@skz.de, E-mail: m.bastian@skz.de, E-mail: t.hochrein@skz.de; Hochrein, T., E-mail: j.hauck@skz.de, E-mail: d.stich@skz.de, E-mail: p.heidemeyer@skz.de, E-mail: m.bastian@skz.de, E-mail: t.hochrein@skz.de [SKZ - German Plastics Center, Wuerzburg (Germany)

2014-05-15

Conventional and commercially available inline wall thickness monitoring systems for pipe extrusion are usually based on ultrasonic or x-ray technology. Disadvantages of ultrasonic systems are the usual need of water as a coupling media and the high damping in thick walled or foamed pipes. For x-ray systems special safety requirements have to be taken into account because of the ionizing radiation. The terahertz (THz) technology offers a novel approach to solve these problems. THz waves have many properties which are suitable for the non-destructive testing of plastics. The absorption of electrical isolators is typically very low and the radiation is non-ionizing in comparison to x-rays. Through the electromagnetic origin of the THz waves they can be used for contact free measurements. Foams show a much lower absorption in contrast to acoustic waves. The developed system uses THz pulses which are generated by stimulating photoconductive switches with femtosecond laser pulses. The time of flight of THz pulses can be determined with a resolution in the magnitude of several ten femtoseconds. Hence the thickness of an object like plastic pipes can be determined with a high accuracy by measuring the time delay between two reflections on materials interfaces e.g. at the pipe's inner and outer surface, similar to the ultrasonic technique. Knowing the refractive index of the sample the absolute layer thickness from the transit time difference can be calculated easily. This method in principle also allows the measurement of multilayer systems and the characterization of foamed pipes.

SU-C-BRA-04: Use of Esophageal Wall Thickness in Evaluation of the Response to Chemoradiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J; Kligerman, S; Lu, W; Kang, M

2015-01-01

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate the esophageal cancer response to chemoradiation therapy (CRT) by measuring the esophageal wall thickness in CT. Method: Two datasets were used in this study. The first dataset is composed of CT scans of 15 esophageal cancer patients and 15 normal controls. The second dataset is composed of 20 esophageal cancer patients who underwent PET/CT scans before (Pre-CRT) and after CRT (Post-CRT). We first segmented the esophagus using a multi-atlas-based algorithm. The esophageal wall thickness was then computed, on each slice, as the equivalent circle radius of the segmented esophagus excluding the lumen. To evaluate the changes of wall thickness, we computed the standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (COV, SD/Mean), and flatness [(Max–Min)/Mean] of wall thickness along the entire esophagus. Results: For the first dataset, the mean wall thickness of cancer patients and normal controls were 6.35 mm and 6.03 mm, respectively. The mean SD, COV, and flatness of the wall thickness were 2.59, 0.21, and 1.27 for the cancer patients and 1.99, 0.16, and 1.13 for normal controls. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were identified in SD and flatness. For the second dataset, the mean wall thickness of pre-CRT and post-CRT patients was 7.13 mm and 6.84 mm, respectively. The mean SD, COV, and flatness were 1.81, 0.26, and 1.06 for pre-CRT and 1.69, 0.26, and 1.06 for post-CRT. Statistically significant difference was not identified for these measurements. Current results are based on the entire esophagus. We believe significant differences between pre- and post-CRT scans could be obtained, if we conduct the measurements at tumor sites. Conclusion: Results show thicker wall thickness in pre-CRT scans and differences in wall thickness changes between normal and abnormal esophagus. This demonstrated the potential of esophageal wall thickness as a marker in the tumor CRT response evaluation. This work was supported in part by

Quantification of common carotid artery and descending aorta vessel wall thickness from MR vessel wall imaging using a fully automated processing pipeline.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shan; van 't Klooster, Ronald; Brandts, Anne; Roes, Stijntje D; Alizadeh Dehnavi, Reza; de Roos, Albert; Westenberg, Jos J M; van der Geest, Rob J

2017-01-01

To develop and evaluate a method that can fully automatically identify the vessel wall boundaries and quantify the wall thickness for both common carotid artery (CCA) and descending aorta (DAO) from axial magnetic resonance (MR) images. 3T MRI data acquired with T 1 -weighted gradient-echo black-blood imaging sequence from carotid (39 subjects) and aorta (39 subjects) were used to develop and test the algorithm. The vessel wall segmentation was achieved by respectively fitting a 3D cylindrical B-spline surface to the boundaries of lumen and outer wall. The tube-fitting was based on the edge detection performed on the signal intensity (SI) profile along the surface normal. To achieve a fully automated process, Hough Transform (HT) was developed to estimate the lumen centerline and radii for the target vessel. Using the outputs of HT, a tube model for lumen segmentation was initialized and deformed to fit the image data. Finally, lumen segmentation was dilated to initiate the adaptation procedure of outer wall tube. The algorithm was validated by determining: 1) its performance against manual tracing; 2) its interscan reproducibility in quantifying vessel wall thickness (VWT); 3) its capability of detecting VWT difference in hypertensive patients compared with healthy controls. Statistical analysis including Bland-Altman analysis, t-test, and sample size calculation were performed for the purpose of algorithm evaluation. The mean distance between the manual and automatically detected lumen/outer wall contours was 0.00 ± 0.23/0.09 ± 0.21 mm for CCA and 0.12 ± 0.24/0.14 ± 0.35 mm for DAO. No significant difference was observed between the interscan VWT assessment using automated segmentation for both CCA (P = 0.19) and DAO (P = 0.94). Both manual and automated segmentation detected significantly higher carotid (P = 0.016 and P = 0.005) and aortic (P < 0.001 and P = 0.021) wall thickness in the hypertensive patients. A reliable and reproducible pipeline for fully

Exercise-mediated changes in conduit artery wall thickness in humans: role of shear stress

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thijssen, D.H.J.; Dawson, E.A.; Munckhof, I.C. van den; Tinken, T.M.; Drijver, E. den; Hopkins, N.; Cable, N.T.; Green, D.J.

2011-01-01

Episodic increases in shear stress have been proposed as a mechanism that induces training-induced adaptation in arterial wall remodeling in humans. To address this hypothesis in humans, we examined bilateral brachial artery wall thickness using high-resolution ultrasound in healthy men across an

Optimization of Surface Roughness and Wall Thickness in Dieless Incremental Forming Of Aluminum Sheet Using Taguchi

Science.gov (United States)

Hamedon, Zamzuri; Kuang, Shea Cheng; Jaafar, Hasnulhadi; Azhari, Azmir

2018-03-01

Incremental sheet forming is a versatile sheet metal forming process where a sheet metal is formed into its final shape by a series of localized deformation without a specialised die. However, it still has many shortcomings that need to be overcome such as geometric accuracy, surface roughness, formability, forming speed, and so on. This project focus on minimising the surface roughness of aluminium sheet and improving its thickness uniformity in incremental sheet forming via optimisation of wall angle, feed rate, and step size. Besides, the effect of wall angle, feed rate, and step size to the surface roughness and thickness uniformity of aluminium sheet was investigated in this project. From the results, it was observed that surface roughness and thickness uniformity were inversely varied due to the formation of surface waviness. Increase in feed rate and decrease in step size will produce a lower surface roughness, while uniform thickness reduction was obtained by reducing the wall angle and step size. By using Taguchi analysis, the optimum parameters for minimum surface roughness and uniform thickness reduction of aluminium sheet were determined. The finding of this project helps to reduce the time in optimising the surface roughness and thickness uniformity in incremental sheet forming.

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV): Literature review

OpenAIRE

Jansen, Mona Dverdal; Mohan, Chadag Vishnumurthy

2017-01-01

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) is an emerging infectious agent that has recently been identified in diseased tilapia on three continents. At the time of writing, scientific publications have reported TiLV in samples collected from Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel and Thailand. While the link between TiLV and disease outbreaks in Israel and Thailand are well documented, further investigations are being undertaken to determine the significance of TiLV in the other countries. Israel and Taiwan Provin...

Application of MV/LV Transformers with OLTC for Increasing the PV Hosting Capacity Of LV Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hashemi Toghroljerdi, Seyedmostafa; Heckmann, Wolfram; Geibel, Dominik

2015-01-01

The increased use of grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems in low voltage (LV) grids also raises concern regarding the effects of these new generation units on the grid operation. Overvoltage in LV grids during high PV generation periods is one of the well-known effects caused by PV systems......) and the reactive power absorption by PV inverters, are investigated using field test results and simulations performed on the mentioned LV grid. The results show that the application of OLTC can effectively increase the PV hosting capacity of the grid......., which potentially can decrease the PV hosting capacity of electric grids. This paper presents the applications of medium voltage to low voltage (MV/LV) transformers with on-load tap changers (OLTCs) to prevent overvoltage in high PV penetration conditions. Autonomous methods for controlling...

Simulation on the Effect of Bottle Wall Thickness Distribution using Blow Moulding Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suraya, S; Azman, M D; Fatchurrohman, N; Jaafar, A A; Yusoff, A R

2016-01-01

The aims of this study are to assess the deformation behavior of a polymeric material during a blow moulding process. Transient computations of two dimensional model of a PP bottle were performed using ANSYS Polyflow computer code to predict the wall thickness distribution at four different parison's diameter; 8mm, 10mm, 18mm, and 20mm. Effects on the final wall thickness diameter and time step are studied. The simulated data shows that the inflation performance degrades with increasing parison diameter. It is concluded that the blow moulding process using 10mm parison successfully meet the product processing requirements. Factors that contribute to the variation in deformation behaviour of the plastic during the manufacturing process are discussed. (paper)

The development and structure of thick-walled, multicellular, aerial spores in Diheterospora chlamydosporia (=Verticillium chlamydosporium).

Science.gov (United States)

Cambell, W P; Griffiths, D A

1975-07-01

The aerial, thick-walled spores in Diheterospara chlamydosporia arose as terminal swellings on erect hyphae. Repeated septation of the continuously swelling spore resulted in a multicellular structure. Immediately after the onset of septation secondary wall material was laid down between the two-layered primary wall and the plasmalemma. The presence of secondary wall material indicates that the multicellular spore is a dictyochlamydospore and not an aleuriospore. The relationship between chlamydospores and aleuriospores in other fungi is discussed.

Multislice helical CT analysis of small-sized airway wall thickness in smokers and patients with bronchial asthma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekimura, Kenshi; Ito, Harumasa; Nakamura, Yutaka; Kobayashi, Hitoshi; Oikawa, Hirobumi; Inoue, Hiroshi; Ehara, Shigeru; Yamauchi, Kohei

2010-01-01

There is accumulating evidence that airway remodeling, which contributes to airway narrowing, plays a role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma (BA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Development of the multislice helical CT (MSCT) with improved spatial resolution has made it possible to obtain more precise imaging of small-sized airways. Small-sized airway wall-thickness was measured using the MSCT scan to analyze small-sized airways of smokers and BA patients, and examine the effects of a β 2 agonists on small-sized airway wall-thickness of BA patients. Thirty-six non-asthmatics who participated in the Health Check Program of Iwate Medical University and 25 patients with asthma were recruited. Amongst the 36 non-asthmatics were 20 healthy never-smokers and 15 smokers. The other 25 asthmatics were recruited from the outpatient clinic at Iwate Medical University. MSCT was performed and the right B10 bronchus was chosen for dimensional analysis. Airway wall thickness was expressed as a percentage of wall area (WA%). WA% of the 7 asthmatics before and 30 mim after procaterol (20μg) inspiration were compared. Small-sized airway wall thickness was significantly increased in smokers and patients with asthma compared to healthy never-smokers, when determined by MSCT. Both %V 50 and %V 25 had significant negative correlations with WA% among the healthy never-smokers and smoker population. Procaterol inspiration reduced WA% in the small airway of patients with asthma. Increase of small-sized airway thickness measured by MSCT scan may reflect peripheral obstructive lesions of smokers and BA patients. (author)

A tale of two neglected systems - structure and function of the thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes in monocotyledonous leaves.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ted eBotha

2013-08-01

Full Text Available There is a large body of information relating to the ontogeny, development and the vasculature of eudicotyledonous leaves. However there is less information available concerning the vascular anatomy of monocotyledonous leaves. This is surprising, given that there are two uniquely different phloem systems present in large groups such as grasses and sedges. Monocotyledonous leaves contain marginal, large, intermediate and small longitudinal veins that are interconnected by numerous transverse veins. The longitudinal veins contain two metaphloem sieve tube types, which, based upon their ontogeny and position within the phloem, are termed early (thin-walled and late (thick-walled sieve tubes. Early metaphloem comprises sieve tubes, companion cells and vascular parenchyma cells, whilst the late metaphloem, contains thick-walled sieve tubes that lack companion cells. Thick-walled sieve tubes are generally adjacent to, or no more than one cell removed from the metaxylem. Unlike thin-walled sieve tube-companion cell complexes, thick-walled sieve tubes are connected to parenchyma by pore-plasmodesma units and are generally symplasmically isolated from the thin walled sieve tubes. This paper addresses key structural and functional differences between thin- and thick-walled sieve tubes and explores the unique advantages of alternate transport strategies that this 5 to 7 million year old dual system may offer. It would seem that these two systems may enhance, add to, or play a significant role in increasing the efficiency of solute retrieval as well as of assimilate transfer.

Four-group classification of left ventricular hypertrophy based on ventricular concentricity and dilatation identifies a low-risk subset of eccentric hypertrophy in hypertensive patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang, Casper N; Gerdts, Eva; Aurigemma, Gerard P

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH; high LV mass [LVM]) is traditionally classified as concentric or eccentric based on LV relative wall thickness. We evaluated the prediction of subsequent adverse events in a new 4-group LVH classification based on LV dilatation (high LV end...

Radiography of large-volume thick-walled structures using transportable high-energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanek, J.; Gross, E.

1994-01-01

Carried by a Renault Saviem truck, the ORION 4 MeV linear accelerator manufactured by the French company CGR MeV proved to be well suited for quality control of welded joints of heavy thick-walled facilities performed directly in the manufacturing plant halls or at the construction sites, as well as for radiographic testing of steel and concrete structures. The operating principles and parameters of the accelerator are given. Steel up to 200 mm thick and concrete up to 550 mm thick can be inspected. Dosimetric data show that the use of the accelerator is radiologically safe. (Z.S.). 2 figs., 5 refs

Ultrasonic measurements of chest wall thickness and realistic chest phantom for calibration of Pu lung counting facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirotani, Takashi

1990-01-01

There are four important problems for the measurements of chest wall thickness using ultrasonic device: (1) selection of optimum position of transducer and the number of measured points on the chest covered with detector, (2) estimation of adipose-to-muscle ratio in the chest wall, especially for dispersed adipose like 'marbled beef', (3) determination of regression equations for the prediction of chest wall thickness, derived from groups of different body shape, i.e. corpulent and lean, and (4) estimation of effective chest wall thickness involved self-absorption layer of lung tissue, which changes with distribution of activity in the lungs. This quantity can not be measured with ultrasonic device. Realistic chest phantom was developed. The phantom contains removable model organs (lungs, liver, kidneys and heart), model trachea and artificial rib cage, and also includes chest plates that can be placed over the chest to simulate wide range adipose-to-muscle ratio in the chest wall. Various soft tissue substitutes were made of polyurethane with different concentrations of additive, and the rib cage were made of epoxy resin with calcium carbonate. The experimental data have shown that the phantom can be used as a standard phantom for the calibration. (author)

Positive association between increased popliteal artery vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis: is OA also part of the metabolic syndrome?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kornaat, Peter R.; Sharma, Ruby; Geest, Rob J. van der; Lamb, Hildo J.; Bloem, Johan L.; Watt, Iain; Kloppenburg, Margreet; Hellio le Graverand, Marie-Pierre

2009-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine if a positive association exists between arterial vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis (OA). Our hypothesis is that generalized OA is another facet of the metabolic syndrome. The medical ethical review board of our institution approved the study. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to the study. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the knee were obtained in 42 patients who had been diagnosed with generalized OA at multiple joint sites. Another 27 MR images of the knee were obtained from a matched normal (non-OA) reference population. Vessel wall thickness of the popliteal artery was quantitatively measured by dedicated software. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association between vessel wall thickness and generalized OA. Adjustments were made for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Confidence intervals (CI) were computed at the 95% level and a significance level of α = 0.05 was used. Patients in the generalized OA population had a significant higher average vessel wall thickness than persons from the normal reference population (p ≤ α), even when correction was made for sex, age, and BMI. The average vessel wall thickness of the popliteal artery was 1.09 mm in patients with generalized OA, and 0.96 mm in the matched normal reference population. The association found between increased popliteal artery vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis suggests that generalized OA might be another facet of the metabolic syndrome. (orig.)

Positive association between increased popliteal artery vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis: is OA also part of the metabolic syndrome?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kornaat, Peter R.; Sharma, Ruby; Geest, Rob J. van der; Lamb, Hildo J.; Bloem, Johan L.; Watt, Iain [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Leiden (Netherlands); Kloppenburg, Margreet [Leiden University Medical Center, Department of Rheumatology, Leiden (Netherlands); Hellio le Graverand, Marie-Pierre [Pfizer Global Research and Development, New London, CT (United States)

2009-12-15

The purpose of the study was to determine if a positive association exists between arterial vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis (OA). Our hypothesis is that generalized OA is another facet of the metabolic syndrome. The medical ethical review board of our institution approved the study. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to the study. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the knee were obtained in 42 patients who had been diagnosed with generalized OA at multiple joint sites. Another 27 MR images of the knee were obtained from a matched normal (non-OA) reference population. Vessel wall thickness of the popliteal artery was quantitatively measured by dedicated software. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association between vessel wall thickness and generalized OA. Adjustments were made for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Confidence intervals (CI) were computed at the 95% level and a significance level of {alpha} = 0.05 was used. Patients in the generalized OA population had a significant higher average vessel wall thickness than persons from the normal reference population (p {<=} {alpha}), even when correction was made for sex, age, and BMI. The average vessel wall thickness of the popliteal artery was 1.09 mm in patients with generalized OA, and 0.96 mm in the matched normal reference population. The association found between increased popliteal artery vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis suggests that generalized OA might be another facet of the metabolic syndrome. (orig.)

Development of Wall-Thinning Evaluation Procedure for Nuclear Power Plant Piping—Part 1: Quantification of Thickness Measurement Deviation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hun Yun

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Pipe wall thinning by flow-accelerated corrosion and various types of erosion is a significant and costly damage phenomenon in secondary piping systems of nuclear power plants (NPPs. Most NPPs have management programs to ensure pipe integrity due to wall thinning that includes periodic measurements for pipe wall thicknesses using nondestructive evaluation techniques. Numerous measurements using ultrasonic tests (UTs; one of the nondestructive evaluation technologies have been performed during scheduled outages in NPPs. Using the thickness measurement data, wall thinning rates of each component are determined conservatively according to several evaluation methods developed by the United States Electric Power Research Institute. However, little is known about the conservativeness or reliability of the evaluation methods because of a lack of understanding of the measurement error. In this study, quantitative models for UT thickness measurement deviations of nuclear pipes and fittings were developed as the first step for establishing an optimized thinning evaluation procedure considering measurement error. In order to understand the characteristics of UT thickness measurement errors of nuclear pipes and fittings, round robin test results, which were obtained by previous researchers under laboratory conditions, were analyzed. Then, based on a large dataset of actual plant data from four NPPs, a quantitative model for UT thickness measurement deviation is proposed for plant conditions.

Parvalbumin-expressing ependymal cells in rostral lateral ventricle wall adhesions contribute to aging-related ventricle stenosis in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Filice, Federica; Celio, Marco R; Babalian, Alexandre; Blum, Walter; Szabolcsi, Viktoria

2017-10-15

Aging-associated ependymal-cell pathologies can manifest as ventricular gliosis, ventricle enlargement, or ventricle stenosis. Ventricle stenosis and fusion of the lateral ventricle (LV) walls is associated with a massive decline of the proliferative capacities of the stem cell niche in the affected subventricular zone (SVZ) in aging mice. We examined the brains of adult C57BL/6 mice and found that ependymal cells located in the adhesions of the medial and lateral walls of the rostral LVs upregulated parvalbumin (PV) and displayed reactive phenotype, similarly to injury-reactive ependymal cells. However, PV+ ependymal cells in the LV-wall adhesions, unlike injury-reactive ones, did not express glial fibrillary acidic protein. S100B+/PV+ ependymal cells found in younger mice diminished in the LV-wall adhesions throughout aging. We found that periventricular PV-immunofluorescence showed positive correlation to the grade of LV stenosis in nonaged mice (wall adhesions and LV stenosis was significantly lower in mid-aged (>10-month-old) PV-knock out (PV-KO) mice. This suggests an involvement of PV+ ependymal cells in aging-associated ventricle stenosis. Additionally, we observed a time-shift in microglial activation in the LV-wall adhesions between age-grouped PV-KO and wild-type mice, suggesting a delay in microglial activation when PV is absent from ependymal cells. Our findings implicate that compromised ependymal cells of the adhering ependymal layers upregulate PV and display phenotype shift to "reactive" ependymal cells in aging-related ventricle stenosis; moreover, they also contribute to the progression of LV-wall fusion associated with a decline of the affected SVZ-stem cell niche in aged mice. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Photoelastic Analysis of Cracked Thick Walled Cylinders

Science.gov (United States)

Pastramă, Ştefan Dan

2017-12-01

In this paper, the experimental determination of the stress intensity factor in thick walled cylinders subject to uniform internal pressure and having longitudinal non-penetrating cracks is presented. Photoelastic measurements were used together with the expressions of the stress field near the crack tip for Mode I crack extension and a specific methodology for stress intensity factor determination. Two types of longitudinal cracks - internal and external - were considered. Four plane models were manufactured and analyzed in a plane polariscope at different values of the applied internal pressure. The values of the normalized stress intensity factor were calculated and the results were compared to those reported by other authors. A good accuracy was noticed, showing the reliability of the experimental procedure.

Leukoaraiosis is associated with arterial wall thickness: a quantitative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Auriel, Eitan; Csiba, Laszlo; Berenyi, Ervin; Varkonyi, Ildiko; Mehes, Gabor; Kardos, Laszlo; Karni, Arnon; Bornstein, Natan M

2012-06-01

Leukoaraiosis refers to an age-related, abnormal appearance of the brain white matter on neuroimaging. The association between leukoaraiosis and cerebrovascular disease suggests that ischemia may be an important contributing factor; however, the pathogenesis of the condition remains controversial. We hypothesized that physical abnormalities of blood vessels might be culpable and compared the external and internal measurements of blood vessel walls between brains that demonstrated leukoaraiosis on imaging and normal control brains. Fourteen brains of individuals who had been diagnosed as having severe leukoaraiosis and five non-leukoaraiosis control brains were studied. Arterial cross-sections were evaluated by length measurements with an image analysis device. Arterial wall thickness and the ratio of the outer and inner diameters of the vessel were measured. We measured a total of 108 vessels in the leukoaraiosis group and 95 vessels in the control group. The vessel walls of the leukoaraiosis patients were an average of 5.5 µm thicker than the walls of control vessels of the same inside diameter (P = 0.0000, 95% CI 3.01-8.08) and an average of 2.3 µm thicker than walls of control vessels of the same outside diameter (P = 0.016, 95% CI 0.48-4.17). Our data provide evidence that leukoaraiosis is associated with vessel wall thickening in an additive fashion and indicate that structural vascular abnormalities are associated with leukoaraiosis. © 2011 Japanese Society of Neuropathology.

Chest wall thickness measurements and the dosimetric implications for male workers in the uranium industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramer, Gary H.; Hauck, Barry M.; Allen, Steve A.

2000-01-01

The Human Monitoring Laboratory has measured the chest wall thickness and adipose mass fraction of a group of workers at three Canadian uranium refinery, conversion plant, and fuel fabrication sites using ultrasound. A site specific biometric equation has been developed for these workers, who seem to be somewhat larger than other workers reported in the literature. The average chest wall thickness of the seated persons measured at the uranium conversion plant and refinery was about 3.8 cm, and at the fuel fabrication facility was 3.4 cm. These values are not statistically different. Persons measured in a seated geometry had a thinner chest wall thickness than persons measured in a supine geometry - the decrease was in the range of 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm. It follows that a seated geometry will give a lower MDA (or decision level) than a supine geometry. Chest wall thickness is a very important modifier for lung counting efficiency and this data has been put into the perspective of the impending Canadian dose limits that will reduce the limit of occupationally exposed workers to essentially 20 mSv per year. Natural uranium must be measured based on the 235 U emissions at these type of facilities. The refining and conversion process removes 234 Th and the equilibrium is disturbed. This is unfortunate as the MDA values for this nuclide are approximately a factor of three lower than the values quoted below. The sensitivity of the germanium and phoswich based lung counting system has been compared. Achievable MDA's (30 minute counting time) with a four-phoswich-detector array lie in the range of 4.7 mg to 13.5 mg of natural uranium based on the 235 U emissions over a range of chest wall thicknesses of 1.6 cm to 6.0 cm. The average achievable MDA is about 8.5 mg which can be reduced to about 6.2 mg by doubling the counting time. Similarly, MDA's (30 minute counting time) obtainable with a germanium lung counting system will lie in the range of 3 mg to 28 mg of natural uranium

Biometric estimation of chest wall thickness of female radiation workers as an aid in in-vivo detection of the actinides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lane, B.H.; Berger, C.D.

1983-01-01

An equation was derived to estimate female chest wall thickness from a series of biometric measurements. This technique will result in improved performance for actinide detection in females by accounting for variations in chest wall thickness in derivation of calibration factors

Development of a Flexible Broadband Rayleigh Waves Comb Transducer with Nonequidistant Comb Interval for Defect Detection of Thick-Walled Pipelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Huamin; He, Cunfu; Yan, Lyu; Zhang, Haijun

2018-03-02

It is necessary to develop a transducer that can quickly detect the inner and outer wall defects of thick-walled pipes, in order to ensure the safety of such pipes. In this paper, a flexible broadband Rayleigh-waves comb transducer based on PZT (lead zirconate titanate) for defect detection of thick-walled pipes is studied. The multiple resonant coupling theory is used to expand the transducer broadband and the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) method is used to optimize transducer array element parameters. Optimization results show that the best array element parameters of the transducer are when the transducer array element length is 30 mm, the thickness is 1.2 mm, the width of one end of is 1.5 mm, and the other end is 3 mm. Based on the optimization results, such a transducer was fabricated and its performance was tested. The test results were consistent with the finite-element simulation results, and the -3 dB bandwidth of the transducer reached 417 kHz. Transducer directivity test results show that the Θ -3dB beam width was equal to 10 °, to meet the defect detection requirements. Finally, defects of thick-walled pipes were detected using the transducer. The results showed that the transducer could detect the inner and outer wall defects of thick-walled pipes within the bandwidth.

Risk Assessment of Abdominal Wall Thickness Measured on Pre-Operative Computerized Tomography for Incisional Surgical Site Infection after Abdominal Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tongyoo, Assanee; Chatthamrak, Putipan; Sriussadaporn, Ekkapak; Limpavitayaporn, Palin; Mingmalairak, Chatchai

2015-07-01

The surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication of abdominal operation. It relates to increased hospital stay, increased healthcare cost, and decreased patient's quality of life. Obesity, usually defined by BMI, is known as one of the risks of SSI. However, the thickness of subcutaneous layers of abdominal wall might be an important local factor affecting the rate of SSI after the abdominal operations. The objective of this study is to assess the importance of the abdominal wall thickness on incisional SSI rate. The subjects of the present study were patients who had undergone major abdominal operations at Thammasat University Hospital between June 2013 and May 2014, and had been investigated with CT scans before their operations. The demographic data and clinical information of these patients were recorded. The thickness ofsubcutaneous fatty tissue from skin down to the most superficial layer of abdominal wall muscle at the surgical site was measured on CT images. The wound infectious complication was reviewed and categorized as superficial and deep incisional SSIfollowing the definition from Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The significance ofeach potentialfactors on SSI rates was determined separately with student t-test for quantitative data and χ2-test for categorical data. Then all factors, which had p operative CTscans. Post-operative SSI was 25.2% (35/139), superficial and deep types in 27 and 8 patients, respectively. The comparison of abdominal wall thickness between patients with and without infection was significantly different (20.0 ± 8.4 mm and 16.0 ± 7.2 mm, respectively). When the thickness at 20 mm was used as the cut-off value, 43 of 139 patients had abdominal wall thickness ≥ 20 mm. The incidence of SSI of the thickness ±20 mm group was 37.2% (16/43) and of the less thickness group was 19.8% (19/96), with p operation. However, only abdominal wall thickness and wound classification were still significant

AUTOMATIC THICKNESS AND VOLUME ESTIMATION OF SPRAYED CONCRETE ON ANCHORED RETAINING WALLS FROM TERRESTRIAL LIDAR DATA

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J. Martínez-Sánchez

2016-06-01

Full Text Available When ground conditions are weak, particularly in free formed tunnel linings or retaining walls, sprayed concrete can be applied on the exposed surfaces immediately after excavation for shotcreting rock outcrops. In these situations, shotcrete is normally applied conjointly with rock bolts and mesh, thereby supporting the loose material that causes many of the small ground falls. On the other hand, contractors want to determine the thickness and volume of sprayed concrete for both technical and economic reasons: to guarantee their structural strength but also, to not deliver excess material that they will not be paid for. In this paper, we first introduce a terrestrial LiDAR-based method for the automatic detection of rock bolts, as typically used in anchored retaining walls. These ground support elements are segmented based on their geometry and they will serve as control points for the co-registration of two successive scans, before and after shotcreting. Then we compare both point clouds to estimate the sprayed concrete thickness and the expending volume on the wall. This novel methodology is demonstrated on repeated scan data from a retaining wall in the city of Vigo (Spain, resulting in a rock bolts detection rate of 91%, that permits to obtain a detailed information of the thickness and calculate a total volume of 3597 litres of concrete. These results have verified the effectiveness of the developed approach by increasing productivity and improving previous empirical proposals for real time thickness estimation.

Automatic Thickness and Volume Estimation of Sprayed Concrete on Anchored Retaining Walls from Terrestrial LIDAR Data

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Sánchez, J.; Puente, I.; GonzálezJorge, H.; Riveiro, B.; Arias, P.

2016-06-01

When ground conditions are weak, particularly in free formed tunnel linings or retaining walls, sprayed concrete can be applied on the exposed surfaces immediately after excavation for shotcreting rock outcrops. In these situations, shotcrete is normally applied conjointly with rock bolts and mesh, thereby supporting the loose material that causes many of the small ground falls. On the other hand, contractors want to determine the thickness and volume of sprayed concrete for both technical and economic reasons: to guarantee their structural strength but also, to not deliver excess material that they will not be paid for. In this paper, we first introduce a terrestrial LiDAR-based method for the automatic detection of rock bolts, as typically used in anchored retaining walls. These ground support elements are segmented based on their geometry and they will serve as control points for the co-registration of two successive scans, before and after shotcreting. Then we compare both point clouds to estimate the sprayed concrete thickness and the expending volume on the wall. This novel methodology is demonstrated on repeated scan data from a retaining wall in the city of Vigo (Spain), resulting in a rock bolts detection rate of 91%, that permits to obtain a detailed information of the thickness and calculate a total volume of 3597 litres of concrete. These results have verified the effectiveness of the developed approach by increasing productivity and improving previous empirical proposals for real time thickness estimation.

Creep collapse of thick-walled heat transfer tube subjected to external pressure at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ioka, Ikuo; Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Terunuma, Isao; Nekoya, Shin-ichi; Miyamoto, Yoshiaki

1994-09-01

A series of creep collapse tests of thick-walled heat transfer tube were examined experimentally and analytically to confirm an analytical method for creep deformation behavior of a heat transfer tube of an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) at a depressurization accident of secondary cooling system of HTTR (High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor). The tests were carried out using thick-walled heat transfer tubes made of Hastelloy XR at 950degC in helium gas environment. The predictions of creep collapse time obtained by a general purpose FEM-code ABAQUS were in good agreement with the experimental results. A lot of cracks were observed on the outer surface of the test tubes after the creep collapse. However, the cracks did not pass through the tube wall and, therefore, the leak tightness was maintained regardless of a collapse deformation for all tubes tested. (author)

Prototype gauge for measuring contour and wall thicknesses of hemispherical parts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aarts, H.J.; Robertson, J.H.

1976-01-01

A prototype gauge (gage) was designed and fabricated using air bearings in a new configuration to provide less error and distortion during inspection of hemispherical parts. No wear occurs on the moving parts during operations and accuracy of alignment is maintained. The gauge will check outside radial distance, inside radial, and outside radial and wall, and inner radial and wall thicknesses of parts. The gauge contains only four moving parts, which increases the measuring accuracy. A horizontal table rotates. A table mounted on the horizontal table at 45 0 rotates through two transducers. All moving parts are mounted on hydrostatic gas bearings. Laser interferometric, air-bearing gauge heads are used to obtain the required data. Investigation of a hemispherical part is in any desired spiral path from equator to pole. Measurement information is obtained from two laser interferometric transducers using linear air bearings. The transducers use a Spectra Physics Model-120 helium and neon laser. Working range of each transducer is 1.5 inches. The fringe voltage signals are amplified and converted to inches to be displayed on a digital readout. A punched paper tape contains the nominal inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) information in Binary Coded Decimal form. The tape is fed into a digital computer which calculates error information on ID, OD, and wall thickness. This information is converted to analog form and displayed simultaneously on a strip-chart recorder

Incidence of non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer by amount of emphysema and airway wall thickness: a community-based cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Aamli Gagnat, Ane; Gjerdevik, Miriam; Gallefoss, Frode; Coxson, Harvey O; Gulsvik, Amund; Bakke, Per

2017-05-01

There is limited knowledge about the prognostic value of quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness in cancer.The aim of this study was to investigate if using CT to quantitatively assess the amount of emphysema and airway wall thickness independently predicts the subsequent incidence of non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer.In the GenKOLS study of 2003-2005, 947 ever-smokers performed spirometry and underwent CT examination. The main predictors were the amount of emphysema measured by the percentage of low attenuation areas (%LAA) on CT and standardised measures of airway wall thickness (AWT-PI10). Cancer data from 2003-2013 were obtained from the Norwegian Cancer Register. The hazard ratio associated with emphysema and airway wall thickness was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression for cancer diagnoses.During 10 years of follow-up, non-pulmonary cancer was diagnosed in 11% of the subjects with LAA emphysema remained a significant predictor of the incidence of non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer. Airway wall thickness did not predict cancer independently.This study offers a strong argument that emphysema is an independent risk factor for both non-pulmonary cancer and lung cancer. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

Ultrasonographic wall thickness measurement of the upper and lower uterine segments in the prediction of the progress of preterm labour.

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Sayed Ahmed, W A; Madny, E H; Habash, Y H; Ibrahim, Z M; Morsy, A G K; Said, M E

2015-01-01

To assess the role of ultrasonographic measurement of the upper and lower uterine segments wall thickness in predicting the progress of preterm labour in patients presenting with preterm labour pains. Fifty pregnant women presenting at Obstetrics Department - Suez Canal University, Egypt with regular lower abdominal pains and diagnosed as having preterm labour were enrolled in the study. Measurements of the upper and lower uterine segments wall thickness by transabdominal ultrasonography in-between contractions and with full bladder were taken. The upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was calculated and correlated to the progress of the preterm labour and to the response to tocolytics. The ultrasonographic upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was directly related to the progress of preterm delivery (PTD). The change in this ratio is correlated inversely with the response to tocolysis. Using the ROC curve, when the upper/lower uterine wall thickness ratio was ≤ 1.26 the sensitivity was 94.74 and the specificity was 100.00, and when the ratio was ≤ 1.52 the sensitivity was 100.00 and the specificity was 83.33. These data may serve as a baseline ultrasonographic reference values for further studies in prediction the progress of preterm labour in patients presenting with preterm labour pains.

Relationship between Pipeline Wall Thickness (Gr. X60) and Water Depth towards Avoiding Failure during Installation

Science.gov (United States)

Razak, K. Abdul; Othman, M. I. H.; Mat Yusuf, S.; Fuad, M. F. I. Ahmad; yahaya, Effah

2018-05-01

Oil and gas today being developed at different water depth characterized as shallow, deep and ultra-deep waters. Among the major components involved during the offshore installation is pipelines. Pipelines are a transportation method of material through a pipe. In oil and gas industry, pipeline come from a bunch of line pipe that welded together to become a long pipeline and can be divided into two which is gas pipeline and oil pipeline. In order to perform pipeline installation, we need pipe laying barge or pipe laying vessel. However, pipe laying vessel can be divided into two types: S-lay vessel and J-lay vessel. The function of pipe lay vessel is not only to perform pipeline installation. It also performed installation of umbilical or electrical cables. In the simple words, pipe lay vessel is performing the installation of subsea in all the connecting infrastructures. Besides that, the installation processes of pipelines require special focus to make the installation succeed. For instance, the heavy pipelines may exceed the lay vessel’s tension capacities in certain kind of water depth. Pipeline have their own characteristic and we can group it or differentiate it by certain parameters such as grade of material, type of material, size of diameter, size of wall thickness and the strength. For instances, wall thickness parameter studies indicate that if use the higher steel grade of the pipelines will have a significant contribution in pipeline wall thickness reduction. When running the process of pipe lay, water depth is the most critical thing that we need to monitor and concern about because of course we cannot control the water depth but we can control the characteristic of the pipe like apply line pipe that have wall thickness suitable with current water depth in order to avoid failure during the installation. This research will analyse whether the pipeline parameter meet the requirements limit and minimum yield stress. It will overlook to simulate pipe

Optimum Insulation Thickness for Walls and Roofs for Reducing Peak Cooling Loads in Residential Buildings in Lahore

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SIBGHA SIDDIQUE SIDDIQUE

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Thermal insulation is the most effective energy saving measure for cooling in buildings. Therefore, the main subject of many engineering investigations is the selection and determination of the optimum insulation thickness. In the present study, the optimum insulation thickness on external walls and roofs is determined based on the peak cooling loads for an existing residential building in Lahore, Pakistan. Autodesk® Revit 2013 is used for the analysis of the building and determination of the peak cooling loads. The analysis shows that the optimum insulation thickness to reduce peak cooling loads up to 40.1% is 1 inch for external walls and roof respectively.

Optimum Insulation Thickness for Walls and Roofs for Reducing Peak Cooling Loads in Residential Buildings in Lahore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddique, S.; Arif, S.; Khan, A.; Alam, A.T.

2016-01-01

Thermal insulation is the most effective energy saving measure for cooling in buildings. Therefore, the main subject of many engineering investigations is the selection and determination of the optimum insulation thickness. In the present study, the optimum insulation thickness on external walls and roofs is determined based on the peak cooling loads for an existing residential building in Lahore, Pakistan. Autodesk at the rate Revit 2013 is used for the analysis of the building and determination of the peak cooling loads. The analysis shows that the optimum insulation thickness to reduce peak cooling loads up to 40.1 percent is 1 inch for external walls and roof respectively. (author)

Plane symmetric cosmological model with thick domain walls in Brans-Dicke theory of gravitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawar, D.; Bayaskar, S.; Patil, V.

2009-01-01

We have investigated plane symmetric cosmological model in presence of thick domain walls in Brans-Dicke theory of gravitation, some geometrical and physical behavior of the model are discussed. (authors)

Dynamic film thickness between bubbles and wall in a narrow channel

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Daisuke; Damsohn, Manuel; Prasser, Horst-Michael; Aritomi, Masanori

2011-09-01

The present paper describes a novel technique to characterize the behavior of the liquid film between gas bubbles and the wall in a narrow channel. The method is based on the electrical conductance. Two liquid film sensors are installed on both opposite walls in a narrow rectangular channel. The liquid film thickness underneath the gas bubbles is recorded by the first sensor, while the void fraction information is obtained by measuring the conductance between the pair of opposite sensors. Both measurements are taken on a large two-dimensional domain and with a high speed. This makes it possible to obtain the two-dimensional distribution of the dynamic liquid film between the bubbles and the wall. In this study, this method was applied to an air-water flow ranging from bubbly to churn regimes in the narrow channel with a gap width of 1.5 mm.

Interventional heart wall motion analysis with cardiac C-arm CT systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Müller, Kerstin; Maier, Andreas K; Schwemmer, Chris; Hornegger, Joachim; Zheng, Yefeng; Wang, Yang; Lauritsch, Günter; Rohkohl, Christopher; Fahrig, Rebecca

2014-01-01

Today, quantitative analysis of three-dimensional (3D) dynamics of the left ventricle (LV) cannot be performed directly in the catheter lab using a current angiographic C-arm system, which is the workhorse imaging modality for cardiac interventions. Therefore, myocardial wall analysis is completely based on the 2D angiographic images or pre-interventional 3D/4D imaging. In this paper, we present a complete framework to study the ventricular wall motion in 4D (3D+t) directly in the catheter lab. From the acquired 2D projection images, a dynamic 3D surface model of the LV is generated, which is then used to detect ventricular dyssynchrony. Different quantitative features to evaluate LV dynamics known from other modalities (ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging) are transferred to the C-arm CT data. We use the ejection fraction, the systolic dyssynchrony index a 3D fractional shortening and the phase to maximal contraction (ϕ i, max ) to determine an indicator of LV dyssynchrony and to discriminate regionally pathological from normal myocardium. The proposed analysis tool was evaluated on simulated phantom LV data with and without pathological wall dysfunctions. The LV data used is publicly available online at https://conrad.stanford.edu/data/heart. In addition, the presented framework was tested on eight clinical patient data sets. The first clinical results demonstrate promising performance of the proposed analysis tool and encourage the application of the presented framework to a larger study in clinical practice. (paper)

Combined aerobic and resistance exercise training decreases peripheral but not central artery wall thickness in subjects with type 2 diabetes.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schreuder, T.H.A.; Munckhof, I.C.L. van den; Poelkens, F.; Hopman, M.T.; Thijssen, D.H.

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the impact of exercise training on conduit artery wall thickness in type 2 diabetes. We examined the local and systemic impact of exercise training on superficial femoral (SFA), brachial (BA), and carotid artery (CA) wall thickness in type 2 diabetes patients and

An Asymptomatic Case of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome with Right-sided Free-wall Accessory Pathway and Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takanao Mine, MD

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A 16-year-old girl with a known history of asymptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome exhibited signs of left ventricular (LV septal akinesia and LV dysfunction during routine follow-up. A 12-lead surface ECG showed pre-excitation, a predominantly negative delta wave in V1 and left axis deviation, which was consistent with the presence of a right free-wall accessory pathway. Radiofrequency ablation of the anterolateral right atrium around the local shortest atrium-to-ventricle interval created the accessory pathway block. An echocardiogram taken one month after the procedure revealed that LV septal wall motion had normalized and that LV ejection fraction had improved from 50% before the ablation to 64% after the ablation. Most previous reports of asymptomatic patients of WPW with LV septal dyskinesia and dysfunction have described right septal or posteroseptal accessory pathways. This patient reported here represents a rare case with right free-wall accessory pathway and LV dysfunction without tachycardia.

Behavior of deep flaws in a thick-wall cylinder under thermal shock loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheverton, R.D.

1979-01-01

Behavior of inner-surface flaws in thick-walled vessels was studied in a 991-mm OD x 152 mm wall x 1220 mm length cylinder with toughness properties similar to those for HSST Plate. The initial temperature of 93 0 C and a thermal shock medium of liquid nitrogen (-197 0 C) were employed. The initial flaw selected was a sharp, 16 mm deep, long (1220 mm) axial crack. Crack arrest methodology was shown to be valid for deep flaws under severe thermal shock

Radiation testing of thick-wall objects using a linear accelerator or Co-60

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Depending on the energy required, a 60 Co source or various types of betatrons and linear accelerators may be used for radiation testing of thick-walled metal parts. While 60 Co sources are easily transported, accelerators are not, but a transportable linear accelerator is described

LV dyssynchrony as assessed by phase analysis of gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chun; Li, Dianfu; Miao, Changqing; Zhou, Yanli; Cao, Kejiang; Feng, Jianlin; Lloyd, Michael S.; Chen, Ji

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome pre- and post-radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) using phase analysis of gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Forty-five WPW patients were enrolled and had gated SPECT MPI pre- and 2-3 days post-RFA. Electrophysiological study (EPS) was used to locate accessory pathways (APs) and categorize the patients according to the AP locations (septal, left and right free wall). Electrocardiography (ECG) was performed pre- and post-RFA to confirm successful elimination of the APs. Phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI was used to assess LV dyssynchrony pre- and post-RFA. Among the 45 patients, 3 had gating errors, and thus 42 had SPECT phase analysis. Twenty-two patients (52.4 %) had baseline LV dyssynchrony. Baseline LV dyssynchrony was more prominent in the patients with septal APs than in the patients with left or right APs (p < 0.05). RFA improved LV synchrony in the entire cohort and in the patients with septal APs (p < 0.01). Phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI demonstrated that LV mechanical dyssynchrony can be present in patients with WPW syndrome. Septal APs result in the greatest degree of LV mechanical dyssynchrony and afford the most benefit after RFA. This study supports further investigation in the relationship between electrical and mechanical activation using EPS and phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI. (orig.)

LV dyssynchrony as assessed by phase analysis of gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Chun; Li, Dianfu; Miao, Changqing; Zhou, Yanli; Cao, Kejiang [First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Department of Cardiology, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Feng, Jianlin [First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Lloyd, Michael S. [Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Chen, Ji [Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2012-07-15

The purpose of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome pre- and post-radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) using phase analysis of gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Forty-five WPW patients were enrolled and had gated SPECT MPI pre- and 2-3 days post-RFA. Electrophysiological study (EPS) was used to locate accessory pathways (APs) and categorize the patients according to the AP locations (septal, left and right free wall). Electrocardiography (ECG) was performed pre- and post-RFA to confirm successful elimination of the APs. Phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI was used to assess LV dyssynchrony pre- and post-RFA. Among the 45 patients, 3 had gating errors, and thus 42 had SPECT phase analysis. Twenty-two patients (52.4 %) had baseline LV dyssynchrony. Baseline LV dyssynchrony was more prominent in the patients with septal APs than in the patients with left or right APs (p < 0.05). RFA improved LV synchrony in the entire cohort and in the patients with septal APs (p < 0.01). Phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI demonstrated that LV mechanical dyssynchrony can be present in patients with WPW syndrome. Septal APs result in the greatest degree of LV mechanical dyssynchrony and afford the most benefit after RFA. This study supports further investigation in the relationship between electrical and mechanical activation using EPS and phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI. (orig.)

A clue for the diagnosis of lung cancer looking lobar consolidation with emphasis on thickness and enhancement pattern of bronchial wall on CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Ho Seok; Kwon, Woo Cheol; Cha, Seung Whan; Kim, Sang Ha; Koh, Sang Baek; Kim, Myung Soon

2007-01-01

To differentiate between lung cancer and pneumonia for cases of lobar consolidation, with an emphasis on the thickness and enhancement pattern of the bronchial wall viewed by a CT. We retrospectively analyzed 17 patients with evidence of lobar consolidation, from a simple-chest radiographs, and divided them into groups by condition (lung cancer, n = 5; pneumonia, n 12). CT scans were performed on all patients and bronchial wall thickness, which is the cranio-caudal length of the bronchial wall thickness and the enhancement pattern, were measured and analyzed at the mediastinal window setting. The thickness of the bronchial wall in the lung cancer group (2.46 ± 0.37 mm) was significantly greater than the pneumonia group (1.73 ± 0.36 mm) (ρ = 0.002). Moreover, the bronchial wall thickness was greater than 2.0 mm for all patients in the cancer group. Further, if a diagnostic criterion was set to be larger than 2.0 mm, 100% sensitivity and 66.7% specificity would be achieved for the study subjects. The cranio-caudal length of the bronchial wall thickness in the cancer group was 37.5 ± 16.4 mm, which was significantly greater than the pneumonia group (16.3 ± 6.6 mm) (ρ = 0.001). We found no significant difference for the degree of contrast enhancement between the two groups. A CT scan measurement of the bronchial wall thickness greater than 2 mm in CT scans can be an indicator for diagnosing lung cancer in patients with lobar consolidation

A targeted mutation within the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) envelope protein immunosuppressive domain to improve a canarypox virus-vectored FeLV vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlecht-Louf, Géraldine; Mangeney, Marianne; El-Garch, Hanane; Lacombe, Valérie; Poulet, Hervé; Heidmann, Thierry

2014-01-01

We previously delineated a highly conserved immunosuppressive (IS) domain within murine and primate retroviral envelope proteins that is critical for virus propagation in vivo. The envelope-mediated immunosuppression was assessed by the ability of the proteins, when expressed by allogeneic tumor cells normally rejected by engrafted mice, to allow these cells to escape, at least transiently, immune rejection. Using this approach, we identified key residues whose mutation (i) specifically abolishes immunosuppressive activity without affecting the "mechanical" function of the envelope protein and (ii) significantly enhances humoral and cellular immune responses elicited against the virus. The objective of this work was to study the immunosuppressive activity of the envelope protein (p15E) of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and evaluate the effect of its abolition on the efficacy of a vaccine against FeLV. Here we demonstrate that the FeLV envelope protein is immunosuppressive in vivo and that this immunosuppressive activity can be "switched off" by targeted mutation of a specific amino acid. As a result of the introduction of the mutated envelope sequence into a previously well characterized canarypox virus-vectored vaccine (ALVAC-FeLV), the frequency of vaccine-induced FeLV-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing cells was increased, whereas conversely, the frequency of vaccine-induced FeLV-specific interleukin-10 (IL-10)-producing cells was reduced. This shift in the IFN-γ/IL-10 response was associated with a higher efficacy of ALVAC-FeLV against FeLV infection. This study demonstrates that FeLV p15E is immunosuppressive in vivo, that the immunosuppressive domain of p15E can modulate the FeLV-specific immune response, and that the efficacy of FeLV vaccines can be enhanced by inhibiting the immunosuppressive activity of the IS domain through an appropriate mutation.

Room temperature synthesis of indium tin oxide nanotubes with high precision wall thickness by electroless deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Boehme

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Conductive nanotubes consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO were fabricated by electroless deposition using ion track etched polycarbonate templates. To produce nanotubes (NTs with thin walls and small surface roughness, the tubes were generated by a multi-step procedure under aqueous conditions. The approach reported below yields open end nanotubes with well defined outer diameter and wall thickness. In the past, zinc oxide films were mostly preferred and were synthesized using electroless deposition based on aqueous solutions. All these methods previously developed, are not adaptable in the case of ITO nanotubes, even with modifications. In the present work, therefore, we investigated the necessary conditions for the growth of ITO-NTs to achieve a wall thickness of around 10 nm. In addition, the effects of pH and reductive concentrations for the formation of ITO-NTs are also discussed.

Assessment of the LV-S2 & LV-S3 Stack Sampling Probe Locations for Compliance with ANSI/HPS N13.1-1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glissmeyer, John A.; Antonio, Ernest J.; Flaherty, Julia E.; Amidan, Brett G.

2014-09-30

This document reports on a series of tests conducted to assess the proposed air sampling locations for the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Group 1-2A exhaust stacks with respect to the applicable criteria regarding the placement of an air sampling probe. The LV-C2, LV-S2, and LV-S3 exhaust stacks were tested together as a group (Test Group 1-2A). This report only covers the results of LV-S2 and LV-S3; LV-C2 will be reported on separately. Federal regulations1 require that a sampling probe be located in the exhaust stack according to the criteria established by the American National Standards Institute/Health Physics Society (ANSI/HPS) N13.1-1999, Sampling and Monitoring Releases of Airborne Radioactive Substances from the Stack and Ducts of Nuclear Facilities. 2 These criteria address the capability of the sampling probe to extract a sample that represents the effluent stream.

Clinical efficiency of Piezo-ICSI using micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.625 μm.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiraoka, Kenichiro; Kitamura, Seiji

2015-12-01

The purposes of the present study are to assess the clinical efficiency of Piezo-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to improve the Piezo-ICSI method for human oocytes. We examined three ICSI methods to determine their clinical efficiency by comparing the survival, fertilization, good-quality day-3 embryo, pregnancy, and live birth rates. The three ICSI methods tested were conventional ICSI (CI) (using beveled spiked micropipettes with a wall thickness of 1 μm), conventional Piezo-ICSI (CPI) (using flat-tipped micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.925 μm), and improved Piezo-ICSI (IPI) (using flat-tipped micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.625 μm). We collectively investigated 2020 mature oocytes retrieved from 437 patients between October 2010 and January 2014. The survival rates after CI, CPI, and IPI were 90, 95, and 99 %, respectively. The fertilization rates after CI, CPI, and IPI were 68, 75, and 89 %, respectively. The good-quality day-3 embryo rates after CI, CPI, and IPI were 37, 43, and 55 %, respectively. The pregnancy rates after the transfer of good-quality day-3 embryo of CI, CPI, and IPI were 19, 21, and 31 %, respectively. The live birth rates of CI, CPI, and IPI were 15, 16, and 25 %, respectively. Significantly higher survival, fertilization, good-quality day-3 embryo, pregnancy, and live birth rates were obtained using IPI. When comparing the IPI to the CI and CPI, the results revealed that the Piezo-ICSI using flat-tipped micropipettes with a wall thickness of 0.625 μm significantly improves survival, fertilization, good-quality day-3 embryo, pregnancy, and live birth rates.

Sarcocystis sinensis is the most prevalent thick-walled Sarcocystis species in beef on sale for consumers in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Moré, G; Pantchev, A; Skuballa, J; Langenmayer, M C; Maksimov, P; Conraths, F J; Venturini, M C; Schares, G

2014-06-01

Bovines are intermediate hosts of Sarcocystis cruzi, Sarcocystis hirsuta, and Sarcocystis hominis, which use canids, felids, or primates as definitive hosts, respectively. Cattle represent also intermediate hosts of Sarcocystis sinensis, but the definitive hosts of this parasite are not yet known. Sarcocystosis in cattle is frequently asymptomatic. The infection is characterized by the presence of thin-walled (S. cruzi) or thick-walled muscle cysts or sarcocysts (S. hominis, S. sinensis, and S. hirsuta). Recent reports suggest high prevalence of the zoonotic S. hominis in beef in Europe. We therefore aimed at differentiating Sarcocystis spp. in beef offered to consumers in Germany using molecular and microscopical methods, focusing on those species producing thick-walled sarcocysts. A total of 257 beef samples were obtained from different butcheries and supermarkets in Germany and processed by conventional and multiplex real-time PCR. In addition, 130 of these samples were processed by light microscopy and in 24.6% thick-walled cysts were detected. Transmission electron microscopical analysis of six of these samples revealed an ultrastructural cyst wall pattern compatible with S. sinensis in five samples and with S. hominis in one sample. PCR-amplified 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fragments of 28 individual thick-walled cysts were sequenced, and sequence identities of ≥98% with S. sinensis (n = 22), S. hominis (n = 5) and S. hirsuta (n = 1) were observed. Moreover, nine Sarcocystis sp. 18S rDNA full length gene sequences were obtained, five of S. sinensis, three of S. hominis, and one of S. hirsuta. Out of all samples (n = 257), 174 (67.7%) tested positive by conventional PCR and 179 (69.6%) by multiplex real-time PCR for Sarcocystis spp. Regarding individual species, 134 (52%), 95 (37%), 17 (6.6%), and 16 (6.2%) were positive for S. cruzi, S. sinensis, S. hirsuta, and S. hominis, respectively. In conclusion, S. sinensis is the most prevalent thick-walled

Development of conductor feedthrough module of LV electrical penetration assembly for research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Zhiyuan; Wang Guangjin; Zhou Bin

2007-01-01

A LV electrical penetration assembly with perfusion sealing conductor feedthrough module was developed, which can be used for the connection of internal and external cables through the wall of the research reactor workshop. The LV electrical penetration assembly was combined with several independent modules. The maintenance and replacement of the assembly can be easily done in service. The sealing of conductor feedthrough module was achieved with the perfusion of self-extinguishing epoxy. The leakage between the conductor feedthrough module and the end plate module was blocked with rubber rings. The result of the leakage test and the electrical performance test for the samples of conductor feedthrough module satisfied the requirement of research reactor. The structure of the new electrical penetration assembly is simple and compact. It can be manufactured with mature technology and cost low price. The performance of the assembly is steady. It can be used widely in research reactors. (authors)

Intraventricular filling under increasing left ventricular wall stiffness and heart rates

Science.gov (United States)

Samaee, Milad; Lai, Hong Kuan; Schovanec, Joseph; Santhanakrishnan, Arvind; Nagueh, Sherif

2015-11-01

Heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) is a clinical syndrome that is prevalent in over 50% of heart failure patients. HFNEF patients show increased left ventricle (LV) wall stiffness and clinical diagnosis is difficult using ejection fraction (EF) measurements. We hypothesized that filling vortex circulation strength would decrease with increasing LV stiffness irrespective of heart rate (HR). 2D PIV and hemodynamic measurements were acquired on LV physical models of varying wall stiffness under resting and exercise HRs. The LV models were comparatively tested in an in vitro flow circuit consisting of a two-element Windkessel model driven by a piston pump. The stiffer LV models were tested in comparison with the least stiff baseline model without changing pump amplitude, circuit compliance and resistance. Increasing stiffness at resting HR resulted in diminishing cardiac output without lowering EF below 50% as in HFNEF. Increasing HR to 110 bpm in addition to stiffness resulted in lowering EF to less than 50%. The circulation strength of the intraventricular filling vortex diminished with increasing stiffness and HR. The results suggest that filling vortex circulation strength could be potentially used as a surrogate measure of LV stiffness. This research was supported by the Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology (HR14-022).

Shear flow over a plane wall with an axisymmetric cavity or a circular orifice of finite thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pozrikidis, C.

1994-01-01

Shear flow over a plane wall that contains an axisymmetric depression or pore is studied using a new boundary integral method which is suitable for computing three-dimensional Stokes flow within axisymmetric domains. Numerical results are presented for cavities in the shape of a section of a sphere or a circular cylinder of finite length, and for a family of pores or orifices with finite thickness. The results illustrate the distribution of shear stresses over the plane wall and inside the cavities or pores. It is found that in most cases, the distribution of shear stresses over the plane wall, around the depressions, is well approximated with that for flow over an orifice of infinitesimal thickness for which an exact solution is available. The kinematic structure of the flow is discussed with reference to eddy formation and three-dimensional flow reversal. It is shown that the thickness of a circular orifice or depth of a pore play an important role in determining the kinematical structure of the flow underneath the orifice in the lower half-space

Effect of bladder wall thickness on miniature pneumatic artificial muscle performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillsbury, Thomas E; Kothera, Curt S; Wereley, Norman M

2015-09-28

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are actuators known for their high power to weight ratio, natural compliance and light weight. Due to these advantages, PAMs have been used for orthotic devices and robotic limbs. Small scale PAMs have the same advantages, as well as requiring greatly reduced volumes with potential application to prostheses and small scale robotics. The bladder of a PAM affects common actuator performance metrics, specifically: blocked force, free contraction, hysteresis, and dead-band pressure. This paper investigates the effect that bladder thickness has on static actuation performance of small scale PAMs. Miniature PAMs were fabricated with a range of bladder thicknesses to quantify the change in common actuator performance metrics specifically: blocked force, free contraction, and dead-band pressure. These PAMs were then experimentally characterized in quasi-static conditions, where results showed that increasing bladder wall thickness decreases blocked force and free contraction, while dead-band pressure increases. A nonlinear model was then applied to determine the structure of the stress-strain relationship that enables accurate modeling and the minimum number of terms. Two nonlinear models are compared and the identified parameters are analyzed to study the effect of the bladder thickness on the model.

Determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of the external walls and roof (ceiling) for Turkey's different degree-day regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisman, Nuri; Kahya, Emin; Aras, Nil; Aras, Haydar

2007-01-01

The external walls and roof of a building are the interface between its interior and the outdoor environment. Insulation of the external walls and roof is the most cost-effective way of controlling the outside elements to make homes more comfortable. Although insulation is generally accepted as a factor increasing the building costs, with the calculations we have shown that this is not the case. Fuel consumption and operational costs are reduced by increasing the thickness of the external walls and roof (ceiling), despite an increase in the investment costs. According to Turkish Standard Number 825 (TS 825), there are four different degree-day (DD) regions, and the required heat loads for the buildings in these regions exhibit large differences. Therefore, a method based on costs is needed for the determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of different DD regions. In this study, optimum insulation thicknesses for different DD regions of Turkey, namely, Izmir (DD: 1450), Bursa (DD: 2203), Eskisehir (DD: 3215) and Erzurum (DD: 4856), have been determined for a lifetime of N years, maximizing the present worth value of annual energy savings for insulated external walls

Targeted electroporation of defined lateral ventricular walls: a novel and rapid method to study fate specification during postnatal forebrain neurogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cremer Harold

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Postnatal olfactory bulb (OB neurogenesis involves the generation of granule and periglomerular cells by neural stem cells (NSCs located in the walls of the lateral ventricle (LV. Recent studies show that NSCs located in different regions of the LV give rise to different types of OB neurons. However, the molecular mechanisms governing neuronal specification remain largely unknown and new methods to approach these questions are needed. Results In this study, we refine electroporation of the postnatal forebrain as a technique to perform precise and accurate delivery of transgenes to NSCs located in distinct walls of the LV in the mouse. Using this method, we confirm and expand previous studies showing that NSCs in distinct walls of the LV produce neurons that invade different layers of the OB. Fate mapping of the progeny of radial glial cells located in these distinct LV walls reveals their specification into defined subtypes of granule and periglomerular neurons. Conclusions Our results provide a baseline with which future studies aiming at investigating the role of factors in postnatal forebrain neuronal specification can be compared. Targeted electroporation of defined LV NSC populations will prove valuable to study the genetic factors involved in forebrain neuronal specification.

LV dyssynchrony as assessed by phase analysis of gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chun; Li, Dianfu; Miao, Changqing; Feng, Jianlin; Zhou, Yanli; Cao, Kejiang; Lloyd, Michael S; Chen, Ji

2012-07-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome pre- and post-radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) using phase analysis of gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Forty-five WPW patients were enrolled and had gated SPECT MPI pre- and 2-3 days post-RFA. Electrophysiological study (EPS) was used to locate accessory pathways (APs) and categorize the patients according to the AP locations (septal, left and right free wall). Electrocardiography (ECG) was performed pre- and post-RFA to confirm successful elimination of the APs. Phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI was used to assess LV dyssynchrony pre- and post-RFA. Among the 45 patients, 3 had gating errors, and thus 42 had SPECT phase analysis. Twenty-two patients (52.4%) had baseline LV dyssynchrony. Baseline LV dyssynchrony was more prominent in the patients with septal APs than in the patients with left or right APs (p syndrome. Septal APs result in the greatest degree of LV mechanical dyssynchrony and afford the most benefit after RFA. This study supports further investigation in the relationship between electrical and mechanical activation using EPS and phase analysis of gated SPECT MPI.

Elastic-plastic behaviour of thick-walled containers considering plastic compressibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betten, J.; Frosch, H.G.

1983-01-01

In this paper the elastic-plastic behaviour of thick-walled pressure vessels with internal and external pressure is studied. To describe the mechanical behaviour of isotropic, plastic compressible materials we use a plastic potential which is a single-valued function of the principle stresses. For cylinders and spheres an analytic expression for the computation of stresses and residual stresses is specified. Afterwards the strains are calculated by using the finite difference method. Some examples will high-light the influence of the plastic compressibility on the behaviour of pressure vessels. (orig.) [de

New portable pipe wall thickness measuring technique

Science.gov (United States)

Pascente, Joseph E.

1998-03-01

One of the biggest inspection challenges facing many of the process industries; namely the petrochemical, refining, fossil power, and pulp and paper industries is: How to effectively examine their insulated piping? While there are a number of failure mechanisms involved in various process piping systems, piping degradation through corrosion and erosion are by far the most prevalent. This degradation can be in the form of external corrosion under insulation, internal corrosion through a variety of mechanisms, and internal erosion caused by the flow of the product through the pipe. Refineries, chemical plants and electrical power plants have MANY thousands of miles of pipe that are insulated to prevent heat loss or heat absorption. This insulation is often made up of several materials, with calcium based material being the most dense. The insulating material is usually wrapped with an aluminum or stainless steel outer wrap. Verification of wall thickness of these pipes can be accomplished by removing the insulation and doing an ultrasound inspection or by taking x- rays at a tangent to the edge of the pipe through the insulation. Both of these processes are slow and expensive. The time required to obtain data is measured in hours per meter. The ultrasound method requires that the insulation be plugged after the inspection. The surface needs to be cleaned or the resulting data will not be accurate. The tangent x-ray only shows two thicknesses and requires that the area be roped off because of radiation safety.

Frequency of left ventricular thrombus after anterior wall st-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, M.W.; Fayyaz, A.

2014-01-01

Left ventricular thrombus (LVT) formation is a well known complication seen in patients presenting with acute anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In previous studies the incidence of this complication, after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been reported to be 4% to 60% in large anterior wall STEMI, depending significantly upon the method as well as time of reperfusion therapy after STEMI. Objective: The objective of this descriptive case series study was to evaluate the frequency of left ventricular thrombus formation in patients after acute anterior wall ST-Segment elevation myocardial infarction. Methodology: In this study, 100 patients with anterior wall STEMI presenting to cardiac emergency or coronary care unit (CCU) of Cardiac complex, Gulab Devi Hospital, were selected on non-probability, purposive sampling meeting inclusion criteria, after taking written informed consent. All the patients were treated initially for management of acute STEMI, including use of thrombolytics where indicated. 2-D Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed during the same admission to assess presence of LV thrombus (LVT). Results: The mean age of the patients was 54.3 +- 11.4 years. There were 84(84%) male patients and 16 (16%) female patients. LVT was present in 28 (28%) patients on TTE. Among those, there were 23 (82.1%) male and 5 (17.9%) female patients. However, out of 84 male patients 27.4% develop LVT and among 16 female patients this ratio was 31.3%. The LV thrombus was independent of age and gender. LV thrombus was significantly less in thrombolytic group as compared to those who were not given this therapy, i.e. p value <0.05. Conclusion: Patients with anterior wall acute STEMI not infrequently develop the complication of development of LV thrombus. In this study the frequency of LV thrombus formation after anterior wall acute STEMI was 28%. (author)

Ceramic inlays and partial ceramic crowns: influence of remaining cusp wall thickness on the marginal integrity and enamel crack formation in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Krifka, Stephanie; Anthofer, Thomas; Fritzsch, Marcus; Hiller, Karl-Anton; Schmalz, Gottfried; Federlin, Marianne

2009-01-01

No information is currently available about what the critical cavity wall thickness is and its influence upon 1) the marginal integrity of ceramic inlays (CI) and partial ceramic crowns (PCC) and 2) the crack formation of dental tissues. This in vitro study of CI and PCC tested the effects of different remaining cusp wall thicknesses on marginal integrity and enamel crack formation. CI (n = 25) and PCC (n = 26) preparations were performed in extracted human molars. Functional cusps of CI and PCC were adjusted to a 2.5 mm thickness; for PCC, the functional cusps were reduced to a thickness of 2.0 mm. Non-functional cusps were adjusted to wall thicknesses of 1) 1.0 mm and 2) 2.0 mm. Ceramic restorations (Vita Mark II, Cerec3 System) were fabricated and adhesively luted to the cavities with Excite/Variolink II. The specimens were exposed to thermocycling and central mechanical loading (TCML: 5000 x 5 degrees C-55 degrees C; 30 seconds/cycle; 500000 x 72.5N, 1.6Hz). Marginal integrity was assessed by evaluating a) dye penetration (fuchsin) on multiple sections after TCML and by using b) quantitative margin analysis in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) before and after TCML. Ceramic- and tooth-luting agent interfaces (LA) were evaluated separately. Enamel cracks were documented under a reflective light microscope. The data were statistically analyzed with the Mann Whitney U-test (alpha = 0.05) and the Error Rates Method (ERM). Crack formation was analyzed with the Chi-Square-test (alpha = 0.05) and ERM. In general, the remaining cusp wall thickness, interface, cavity design and TCML had no statistically significant influence on marginal integrity for both CI and PCC (ERM). Single pairwise comparisons showed that the CI and PCC of Group 2 had a tendency towards less microleakage along the dentin/LA interface than Group 1. Cavity design and location had no statistically significant influence on crack formation, but the specimens with 1.0 mm of remaining wall

Male gender and sonographic gall bladder wall thickness: important predictable factors for empyema and gangrene in acute cholecystitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.L.U.; Jawed, M.; Shaikh, U.; Abbassi, M.R.

2014-01-01

Objective: To underline the status of male gender and gall bladder wall thickness as significant risk factors for acute cholecystitis complications. Methods: The retrospective study, with purposive sampling of the patients of acute cholecystits in age above 18 years, who were operated within 10 days of onset of symptoms, was conducted at the Department of Surgery, Dow University Hospital, Karachi, by reviewing the patients' medical record from March 2010 to August 2012. Correlation of incidence of acute cholecystitis complications (empyema and gangrene) to male gender and to the sonographic gall bladder wall thickness more than 4.5mm was analysed using SPSS 16. Result: Out of 62 patients, 8 (13%) patients had gangrene while 10 (16.12%) had empyema. Overall, there were 21 (33.87%) males in the study. Ten (47.6%) of the male patients developed empyema or gangrene of the gall bladder as a complication of acute cholecystitis. Of the 41 (66.12%) female patients, only 8 (19.5%) developed these complications. There were 22 (35.48%) cases of gall bladders with sonographic wall thickness more than 4.5mm who were operated for acute cholecystitis. Of them, 16 (72.7%) had empyema or gangrene. Conclusion: Male gender and sonographic gall bladder wall thickness more than 4.5mm were statistically significant risk factors for suspicion of complicated acute cholecystitis (empyema/gangrene) and by using these risk factors, we can prioritise patients for surgery in the emergency room. (author)

Development of on-line wall thickness gauge for small size seamless tube. Shokei seamless netsukan nikuatsukei no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okumura, T; Konya, N; Oka, H; Kasuya, T [Kawasaki Steel Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1991-03-01

In order to heighten the accuracy of small size seamless tube wall thickness, hot wall thickness gauge was developed to be installed, immediately behind the finishing/rolling mill, for the on-line measurement, of which the method was by the parallel-beam transmissivity of gamma-ray. The measurement unit, aiming at flexible manufacturing system (FMS), is completely automated in correcting the accuracy, changing the sizes, etc. The damping characteristics of gamma-ray beam can be expressed by a characteristic function, taking the outside diameter and wall thickness of subject tube as parameters. The functional calculation, as based on measurement of transmitted quantity of gamma-ray through the three-dimensional steel material, changes, depending upon the outside diameter, wall thickness and material specification of subject tube. System was so applied as to calculate it therefore on a case-by-case basis. Though in the vicinity of tube end, the transmitted quantity of gamma-ray is largely influenced by the horizontal dislocation, that influence is slack in the middle part of tube. Therefore, the cross sectional division was made dense and sparse in the end part and middle part, respectively of tube, which division could diminish the error from several percent to less than 0.1%. The static noise was compressed by the optimized digital filter. That gauge is presently applied for the operational administration of small size seamless tube rolling. 2 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

Minimization of thermal insulation thickness taking into account condensation on external walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurettin Yamankaradeniz

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Condensation occurs in the inner layers of construction materials at whatever point the partial pressure of water vapor diffuses and reaches its saturation pressure. Condensation, also called sweating, damages materials, reduces thermal resistance, and by increasing the total heat transfer coefficient, results in unwanted events such as increased heat loss. This study applied minimization of thermal insulation thickness with consideration given to condensation in the external walls. The calculations of heat and mass transfers in the structure elements are expressed in a graphical form. While there was an increase in the required thermal insulation thickness subsequent to an increase in the internal environment’s temperature, relative humidity, and the external environment’s relative humidity, the required thickness decreased with an increase in the external environment’s temperature. The amount of water vapor transferred varied with internal or external conditions and the thickness of the insulation. A change in the vapor diffusion resistance of the insulation material can increase the risk of condensation on the internal or external surfaces of the insulation.

Measurement of wall thickness with electrodynamic test heads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, R.; Maurer, A.

1993-01-01

Starting from the boundary conditions fixed by the physical properties of the electromagnetic/acoustic conversion and the operating limits which result from these for the sensors used, the use of electro-dynamic ultrasonic transducers for measuring wall thickness and double checks in plants for automatic production inspection and production control is shown. The sensor itself is the heart of a test system, but only the equipment and plant concepts surrounding the sensor make economic solution of the test problem possible. The quality of the signals which are supplied by a sensor, determines the quality of a test system. This can only be achieved by optimising all parts of a complex automatic test rig, such as the test head, mechanics, electronics and evaluation for the test problem concerned. (orig./HP) [de

E/e' Ratio: An Index of LV Filling Pressures Revisited

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherif F. Nagueh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There is a clinical need for the assessment of cardiac function in patients who present with symptoms and signs of pulmonary and systemic congestion. Echocardiography has been utilized over the years to answer this question. It is possible to study left ventricular (LV systolic and diastolic function as well as pulmonary artery pressures and right ventricular function using this technique. With respect to LV diastolic function, an ideal assessment includes evaluation of LV relaxation and LV filling pressures. There are several parameters that when properly acquired and analyzed can predict the 2 fundamental aspects noted above of LV diastolic function. The mitral annulus early diastolic recoil velocity (e’ recorded by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI was introduced as an index of LV relaxation. Further, e’ velocity is combined with mitral peak velocity E to predict LV filling pressures1. I will discuss the supporting literature for the last statement and point to the limitations in its application.

Left ventricular functional parameters and geometric patterns in Korean adults on coronary CT angiography with a 320-detector-row CT scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Eun Ju; Lee, Ki Nam; Cho, Won Jin; Kim, Young Dae [College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Kyung Min; Lim, Jae Kwang; Lee, Jong Min [Dept. of Radiology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-01

To assess the normal reference values of left ventricle (LV) functional parameters in Korean adults on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with a 320-detector-row CT scanner, and to analyze sex-related differences and correlations with various clinical characteristics. This study retrospectively enrolled 172 subjects (107 men and 65 women; age, 58 ± 10.9 years; body surface area [BSA], 1.75 ± 0.2 m{sup 2}) who underwent CCTA without any prior history of cardiac disease. The following parameters were measured by post-processing the CT data: LV volume, LV functional parameters (ejection fraction, stroke volume, cardiac output, etc.), LV myocardial mass, LV inner diameter, and LV myocardial thickness (including septal wall thickness [SWT], posterior wall thickness [PWT], and relative wall thickness [RWT = 2 × PWT / LV inner diameter]). All of the functional or volumetric parameters were normalized using the BSA. The general characteristics and co-morbidities for the enrolled subjects were recorded, and the correlations between these factors and the LV parameters were then evaluated. The LV myocardial thickness (SWT, 1.08 ± 0.18 cm vs. 0.90 ± 0.17 cm, p < 0.001; PWT, 0.91 ± 0.15 cm vs. 0.78 ± 0.10 cm, p < 0.001; RWT, 0.38 ± 0.08 cm vs. 0.33 ± 0.05 cm, p < 0.001), LV volume (LV end-diastolic volume, 112.9 ± 26.1 mL vs. 98.2 ± 21.0 mL, p < 0.001; LV end-systolic volume, 41.7 ± 14.7 mL vs. 33.7 ± 12.2 mL, p = 0.001) and mass (145.0 ± 29.1 g vs. 107.9 ± 20.0 g, p < 0.001) were significantly greater in men than in women. However, these differences were not significant after normalization using BSA, except for the LV mass (LV mass index, 79.6 ± 14.0 g/m{sup 2} vs. 66.2 ± 11.0 g/m{sup 2},p < 0.001). The cardiac output and ejection fraction were not significantly different between the men and women (cardiac output, 4.3 ± 1.0 L/min vs. 4.2 ± 0.9 L/min, p = 0.452; ejection fraction, 63.4 ± 7.7% vs. 66.4 ± 7.6%, p = 0.079). Most of the LV parameters were

Tissue factor levels and the fibrinolytic system in thin and thick intraluminal thrombus and underlying walls of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Science.gov (United States)

Siennicka, Aldona; Zuchowski, Marta; Kaczmarczyk, Mariusz; Cnotliwy, Miłosław; Clark, Jeremy Simon; Jastrzębska, Maria

2018-03-20

The hemostatic system cooperates with proteolytic degradation in processes allowing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. In previous studies, it has been suggested that aneurysm rupture depends on intraluminal thrombus (ILT) thickness, which varies across each individual aneurysm. We hypothesized that hemostatic components differentially accumulate in AAA tissue in relation to ILT thickness. Thick (A1) and thin (B1) segments of ILTs and aneurysm wall sections A (adjacent to A1) and B (adjacent to B1) from one aneurysm sac were taken from 35 patients undergoing elective repair. Factor levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of protein extract. Tissue factor (TF) activities were significantly higher in thinner segments of AAA (B1 vs A1, P = .003; B vs A, P thick thrombus-covered wall segments (A) than in B, A1, and B1 (P = .015, P thick ILT (P = .021) and thick ILT (A1; P thick ILT (A1). However, no correlations were found at B sites, except for a correlation between plasmin and TF activities (r = 0.55; P = .004). These results suggest that higher TF activities are present in thinner AAA regions. These parameters and local fibrinolysis may be part of the processes leading to destruction of the aneurysm wall. Copyright © 2018 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detection of cardiac wall motion defects with combined amplitude/phase analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacharach, S.L.; Green, M.V.; Bonow, R.O.; Pace, L.; Brunetti, A.; Larson, S.M.

1985-01-01

Fourier phase images have been used with some success to detect and quantify left ventricular (LV) wall motion defects. In abnormal regions of the LV, wall motion asynchronies often cause the time activity curve (TAC) to be shifted in phase. Such regional shifts are detected by analysis of the distribution function of phase values over the LV. However, not all wall motion defects result in detectable regional phase abnormalities. Such abnormalities may cause a reduction in the magnitude of contraction (and hence TAC amplitude) without any appreciable change in TAC shape(and hence phase). In an attempt to improve the sensitivity of the Fourier phase method for the detection of wall motion defects the authors analyzed the distribution function of Fourier amplitude as well as phase. 26 individuals with normal cardiac function and no history of cardiac disease served as controls. The goal was to detect and quantify wall motion as compared to the consensus of 3 independent observers viewing the scintigraphic cines. 26 subjects with coronary artery disease and mild wall motion defects (22 with normal EF) were studied ate rest. They found that analysis of the skew of thew amplitude distribution function improved the sensitivity for the detection of wall motion abnormalities at rest in the group from 65% to 85% (17/26 detected by phase alone, 22/26 by combined phase and amplitude analysis) while retaining a 0 false positive rate in the normal group. The authors conclude that analysis of Fourier amplitude distribution functions can significantly increase the sensitivity of phase imaging for detection of wall motion abnormalities

Quantifying grain shape with MorpheoLV: A case study using Holocene glacial marine sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Charpentier, Isabelle; Staszyc, Alicia B.; Wellner, Julia S.; Alejandro, Vanessa

2017-06-01

As demonstrated in earlier works, quantitative grain shape analysis has revealed to be a strong proxy for determining sediment transport history and depositional environments. MorpheoLV, devoted to the calculation of roughness coefficients from pictures of unique clastic sediment grains using Fourier analysis, drives computations for a collection of samples of grain images. This process may be applied to sedimentary deposits assuming core/interval/image archives for the storage of samples collected along depth. This study uses a 25.8 m jumbo piston core, NBP1203 JPC36, taken from a 100 m thick sedimentary drift deposit from Perseverance Drift on the northern Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf. Changes in ocean and ice conditions throughout the Holocene recorded in this sedimentary archive can be assessed by studying grain shape, grain texture, and other proxies. Ninety six intervals were sampled and a total of 2319 individual particle images were used. Microtextures of individual grains observed by SEM show a very high abundance of authigenically precipitated silica that obscures the original grain shape. Grain roughness, computed along depth with MorpheoLV, only shows small variation confirming the qualitative observation deduced from the SEM. Despite this, trends can be seen confirming the reliability of MorpheoLV as a tool for quantitative grain shape analysis.

Quantifying grain shape with MorpheoLV: A case study using Holocene glacial marine sediments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charpentier Isabelle

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As demonstrated in earlier works, quantitative grain shape analysis has revealed to be a strong proxy for determining sediment transport history and depositional environments. MorpheoLV, devoted to the calculation of roughness coefficients from pictures of unique clastic sediment grains using Fourier analysis, drives computations for a collection of samples of grain images. This process may be applied to sedimentary deposits assuming core/interval/image archives for the storage of samples collected along depth. This study uses a 25.8 m jumbo piston core, NBP1203 JPC36, taken from a ~100 m thick sedimentary drift deposit from Perseverance Drift on the northern Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf. Changes in ocean and ice conditions throughout the Holocene recorded in this sedimentary archive can be assessed by studying grain shape, grain texture, and other proxies. Ninety six intervals were sampled and a total of 2319 individual particle images were used. Microtextures of individual grains observed by SEM show a very high abundance of authigenically precipitated silica that obscures the original grain shape. Grain roughness, computed along depth with MorpheoLV, only shows small variation confirming the qualitative observation deduced from the SEM. Despite this, trends can be seen confirming the reliability of MorpheoLV as a tool for quantitative grain shape analysis.

Development of automated welding process for field fabrication of thick walled pressure vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, U A

1981-01-01

Research on automatic welding processes for the fabrication of thick-walled pressure vessels continued. A literature review on the subject was completed. A laboratory study of criteria for judging acceptable root parameters continued. Equipment for a demonstration facility to test the components and processes of the automated welding system has been specified and is being obtained. (LCL)

Development of automated welding process for field fabrication of thick walled pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, U.A.

Research on automatic welding processes for the fabrication of thick-walled pressure vessels continued. A literature review on the subject was completed. A laboratory study of criteria for judging acceptable root parameters continued. Equipment for a demonstration facility to test the components and processes of the automated welding system has been specified and is being obtained

Standard guide for mutual inductance bridge applications for wall thickness determinations in boiler tubing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This guide describes a procedure for obtaining relative wall thickness indications in ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic steels using the mutual inductance bridge method. The procedure is intended for use with instruments capable of inducing two substantially identical magnetic fields and noting the change in inductance resulting from differing amounts of steel. It is used to distinguish acceptable wall thickness conditions from those which could place tubular vessels or piping at risk of bursting under high temperature and pressure conditions. 1.2 This guide is intended to satisfy two general needs for users of industrial Mutual Inductance Bridge (MIB) equipment: (1) the need for a tutorial guide addressing the general principles of Mutual Inductance Bridges as they apply to industrial piping; and (2) the need for a consistent set of MIB performance parameter definitions, including how these performance parameters relate to MIB system specifications. Potential users and buyers, as well as experienced M...

Minimization of thermal insulation thickness taking into account condensation on external walls

OpenAIRE

Nurettin Yamankaradeniz

2015-01-01

Condensation occurs in the inner layers of construction materials at whatever point the partial pressure of water vapor diffuses and reaches its saturation pressure. Condensation, also called sweating, damages materials, reduces thermal resistance, and by increasing the total heat transfer coefficient, results in unwanted events such as increased heat loss. This study applied minimization of thermal insulation thickness with consideration given to condensation in the external walls. The calcu...

2,3-Butanedione monoxime facilitates successful resuscitation in a dose-dependent fashion in a pig model of cardiac arrest.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Byung Kook; Kim, Mu Jin; Jeung, Kyung Woon; Choi, Sung Soo; Park, Sang Wook; Yun, Seong Woo; Lee, Sung Min; Lee, Dong Hun; Min, Yong Il

2016-06-01

Ischemic contracture compromises the hemodynamic effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and resuscitability from cardiac arrest. In a pig model of cardiac arrest, 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) attenuated ischemic contracture. We investigated the effects of different doses of BDM to determine whether increasing the dose of BDM could improve the hemodynamic effectiveness of CPR further, thus ultimately improving resuscitability. After 16minutes of untreated ventricular fibrillation and 8minutes of basic life support, 36 pigs were divided randomly into 3 groups that received 50mg/kg (low-dose group) of BDM, 100mg/kg (high-dose group) of BDM, or an equivalent volume of saline (control group) during advanced cardiovascular life support. During advanced cardiovascular life support, the control group showed an increase in left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and a decrease in LV chamber area. In contrast, the BDM-treated groups showed a decrease in the LV wall thickness and an increase in the LV chamber area in a dose-dependent fashion. Mixed-model analyses of the LV wall thickness and LV chamber area revealed significant group effects and group-time interactions. Central venous oxygen saturation at 3minutes after the drug administration was 21.6% (18.4-31.9), 39.2% (28.8-53.7), and 54.0% (47.5-69.4) in the control, low-dose, and high-dose groups, respectively (Pfashion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thick-Walled Cylinder Theory Applied on a Conical Wedge Anchorage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennitz, Anders; Grip, Niklas; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup

2011-01-01

for further development of the anchorage.In this paper, we derive and examine an analytical model for the internal stresses and strains within the anchorage for a prescribed presetting distance. This model is derived from the theory of thick walled cylinders under the assumptions regarding plane stress...... and axial symmetry. We simplify the resulting system of ten nonlinear equations and derive a method for solving them numerically. A comparison of plotted results for three different angles on the wedge’s outer surface and six different presetting distances follows.These results are also compared to both axi...

An Analysis of the Quality of the Thick-Walled S355J2+N Steel Joint Welded by the Mag Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krawczyk R.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available An analysis of the quality of the thick-walled S355J2+N steel welded joint used most frequently in the general-building, power and other contemporary steel constructions is presented in the following article. A process of examining welding technologies was made on the tick-walled butt joints of plates by using the MAG – 135 welding method. The aim of the discussed topic was to optimize the process of welding thick-walled welded joints due to their mechanical strength properties and efficiency.

Comparative Efficacy of Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) Inactivated Whole-Virus Vaccine and Canarypox Virus-Vectored Vaccine during Virulent FeLV Challenge and Immunosuppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, M; Carritt, K; Lane, J; Jayappa, H; Stahl, M; Bourgeois, M

2015-07-01

Four vaccines for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are available in the United States. This study's purpose was to compare the efficacy of Nobivac feline 2-FeLV (an inactivated, adjuvanted whole-virus vaccine) and PureVax recombinant FeLV (a live, canarypox virus-vectored vaccine) following FeLV challenge. Cats were vaccinated at 9 and 12 weeks with Nobivac feline 2-FeLV (group A, n = 11) or PureVax recombinant FeLV (group B, n = 10). Group C (n = 11) comprised unvaccinated controls. At 3 months postvaccination, cats were immunosuppressed and challenged with FeLV-A/61E. The outcomes measured were persistent antigenemia at 12 weeks postchallenge (PC) and proviral DNA and viral RNA at 3 to 9 weeks PC. Persistent antigenemia was observed in 0 of 11 cats in group A, 5 of 10 cats in group B, and 10 of 11 cats in group C. Group A was significantly protected compared to those in groups B (P 0.063). The preventable fraction was 100% for group A and 45% for group B. At 9 weeks PC, proviral DNA and viral RNA were detected 1 of 11 cats in group A, 6 of 10 cats in group B, and 9 of 11 cats in group C. Nucleic acid loads were significantly lower in group A than in group C (P feline 2-FeLV-vaccinated cats were fully protected against persistent antigenemia and had significantly smaller amounts of proviral DNA and plasma viral RNA loads than PureVax recombinant FeLV-vaccinated cats and unvaccinated controls. Copyright © 2015, Patel et al.

Quercetin prevents left ventricular hypertrophy in the Apo E knockout mouse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Ulasova

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor for the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Nevertheless, there are few studies aimed at determining the effects of dietary compounds on early or mild cardiac hypertrophy associated with dyslipidemia. Here we describe left ventricular (LV hypertrophy in 12 week-old Apo E−/− hypercholesterolemic mice. The LV end diastolic posterior wall thickness and overall LV mass were significantly increased in Apo E−/− mice compared with wild type (WT controls. Fractional shortening, LV end diastolic diameter, and hemodynamic parameters were unchanged from WT mice. Oral low dose quercetin (QCN; 0.1 µmol QCN/kg body weight for 6 weeks significantly reduced total cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein in the plasma of Apo E−/− mice. QCN treatment also significantly decreased LV posterior wall thickness and LV mass in Apo E−/− mice. Myocardial geometry and function were unaffected in WT mice by QCN treatment. These data suggest that dietary polyphenolic compounds such as QCN may be effective modulators of plasma cholesterol and could prevent maladaptive myocardial remodeling.

Acoustic scattering from a contrast agent microbubble near an elastic wall of finite thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doinikov, Alexander A; Aired, Leila; Bouakaz, Ayache

2011-01-01

Interest in the problem under consideration in this study is motivated by targeted ultrasound imaging where one has to deal with microbubble contrast agents pulsating near blood vessel walls. A modified Rayleigh–Plesset equation is derived that describes the oscillation of a contrast agent microbubble near an elastic wall of finite thickness. It is assumed that the medium behind the wall is a fluid but it is shown that the equation obtained is easily transformable to the case that the medium behind the wall is an elastic solid. In contrast to the model of a rigid wall, which predicts decreasing natural frequency of a bubble near the wall, the elastic wall model reveals that the bubble natural frequency can both decrease and increase, and in cases of interest for medical applications, the bubble natural frequency usually increases. It is found that the influence of an elastic wall on the acoustic response of a bubble is determined by the ratio between a cumulative parameter, which integrally characterizes the mechanical properties of the wall and has the dimension of density, and the density of the liquid surrounding the bubble. It is shown that the acoustic influence of the arterial wall on the bubble is weak and apparently cannot be used to recognize the moment when the bubble approaches the wall. However, in experiments where the behavior of bubbles near various plastic walls is observed, changes in the bubble response, such as increasing natural frequency and decreasing oscillation amplitude, are detectable.

Evaluation of left ventricular hypertrophy using thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy, echocardiography and vectorcardiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukahara, Yasunori; Owada, Kenji; Suzuki, Shigebumi

1983-01-01

Thallium-201 ( 201 Tl) myocardial scintigraphy was performed in 40 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH). Twelve out of 40 patients had pressure overloading (Aortic stenosis: 5, Hypertension: 7), 14 patients had volume overloading (Aortic regurgitation: 9, Mitral regurgitation: 5) and 14 had idiopathic cardiomyopathy (Hypertrophic type (HCM): 8, Congestive type (CCM): 6), respectively. LV area, LV uptake index and Wall uptake ratio were calculated from left anterior oblique view of 201 Tl myocardial images. These three indices of both pressure overloading and volume overloading were significantly higher than those of controls. The degree of LVH was indicated by both LV area and LV uptake index. LV area was significantly larger in volume overloading than in pressure overloading. In idiopathic cardiomyopathy, these three indices of HCM and LV area and LV uptake index of CCM were significantly increased compared with those of controls. LV area of CCM was significantly larger than that of HCM, while Wall uptake ratio of HCM was significantly higher than that of CCM. LV uptake index and Wall uptake ratio of HCM became higher according as left ventricular cavity became smaller. LV area of CCM became larger in proportion as left ventricular cavity became larger and as left ventricular wall thickness became thinner. (author)

Reduction in Left Ventricular Wall Stress and Improvement in Function in Failing Hearts using Algisyl-LVR

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lik Chuan; Zhihong, Zhang; Hinson, Andrew; Guccione, Julius M.

2013-01-01

Injection of Algisyl-LVR, a treatment under clinical development, is intended to treat patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. This treatment was recently used for the first time in patients who had symptomatic heart failure. In all patients, cardiac function of the left ventricle (LV) improved significantly, as manifested by consistent reduction of the LV volume and wall stress. Here we describe this novel treatment procedure and the methods used to quantify its effects on LV wall stress and function. Algisyl-LVR is a biopolymer gel consisting of Na+-Alginate and Ca2+-Alginate. The treatment procedure was carried out by mixing these two components and then combining them into one syringe for intramyocardial injections. This mixture was injected at 10 to 19 locations mid-way between the base and apex of the LV free wall in patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), together with mathematical modeling, was used to quantify the effects of this treatment in patients before treatment and at various time points during recovery. The epicardial and endocardial surfaces were first digitized from the MR images to reconstruct the LV geometry at end-systole and at end-diastole. Left ventricular cavity volumes were then measured from these reconstructed surfaces. Mathematical models of the LV were created from these MRI-reconstructed surfaces to calculate regional myofiber stress. Each LV model was constructed so that 1) it deforms according to a previously validated stress-strain relationship of the myocardium, and 2) the predicted LV cavity volume from these models matches the corresponding MRI-measured volume at end-diastole and end-systole. Diastolic filling was simulated by loading the LV endocardial surface with a prescribed end-diastolic pressure. Systolic contraction was simulated by concurrently loading the endocardial surface with a prescribed end-systolic pressure and adding active contraction in the myofiber direction. Regional myofiber stress at end-diastole and

L.V. switchgear - design and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armes, D.S.; Brown, R.D.

1992-01-01

This work describes the methods employed in the design and development of L.V. switchgear to meet the prospective conditions and operational requirements imposed on equipment at sites of PWR power stations. The work concentrates on the aspects of design, manufacture, qualification work and quality assurance particular to the range of L.V. switchgear distribution boards manufactured by Laurence, Scott and Electromotors Ltd. for Sizewell B Power Station and contrasts this equipment with other equipment for conventional (i.e. non-nuclear) power station purposes. (Author)

Impact of Age and Aerobic Exercise Training on Conduit Artery Wall Thickness: Role of the Shear Pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanahashi, Koichiro; Kosaki, Keisei; Sawano, Yuriko; Yoshikawa, Toru; Tagawa, Kaname; Kumagai, Hiroshi; Akazawa, Nobuhiko; Maeda, Seiji

2017-01-01

Hemodynamic shear stress is the frictional force of blood on the arterial wall. The shear pattern in the conduit artery affects the endothelium and may participate in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. We investigated the role of the shear pattern in age- and aerobic exercise-induced changes in conduit artery wall thickness via cross-sectional and interventional studies. In a cross-sectional study, we found that brachial shear rate patterns and brachial artery intima-media thickness (IMT) correlated with age. Additionally, brachial artery shear rate patterns were associated with brachial artery IMT in 102 middle-aged and older individuals. In an interventional study, 39 middle-aged and older subjects were divided into 2 groups: control and exercise. The exercise group completed 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training. Aerobic exercise training significantly increased the antegrade shear rate and decreased the retrograde shear rate and brachial artery IMT. Moreover, changes in the brachial artery antegrade shear rate and the retrograde shear rate correlated with the change in brachial artery IMT. The results of the present study indicate that changes in brachial artery shear rate patterns may contribute to age- and aerobic exercise training-induced changes in brachial artery wall thickness. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

An Approach for Patient-Specific Multi-domain Vascular Mesh Generation Featuring Spatially Varying Wall Thickness Modeling

OpenAIRE

Raut, Samarth S.; Liu, Peng; Finol, Ender A.

2015-01-01

In this work, we present a computationally efficient image-derived volume mesh generation approach for vasculatures that implements spatially varying patient-specific wall thickness with a novel inward extrusion of the wall surface mesh. Multi-domain vascular meshes with arbitrary numbers, locations, and patterns of both iliac bifurcations and thrombi can be obtained without the need to specify features or landmark points as input. In addition, the mesh output is coordinate-frame independent ...

Numerical investigation on residual stress distribution and evolution during multipass narrow gap welding of thick-walled stainless steel pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.; Zhang, J.X.; Xue, C.B.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We performed pass-by-pass simulation of stresses for welding of thick-walled pipes. → The distributions and evolution of the residual stresses are demonstrated. → After the groove is filled to a height, the through-wall stress is almost unchanged. - Abstracts: The detailed pass-by-pass finite element (FE) simulation is presented to investigate the residual stresses in narrow gap multipass welding of pipes with a wall thickness of 70 mm and 73 weld passes. The simulated residual stress on the outer surface is validated with the experimental one. The distribution and evolution of the through-wall residual stresses are demonstrated. The investigated results show that the residual stresses on the outer and inner surfaces are tensile in the weld zone and its vicinity. The through-wall axial residual stresses at the weld center line and the HAZ line demonstrate a distribution of bending type. The through-wall hoop residual stress within the weld is mostly tensile. After the groove is filled to a certain height, the peak tensile stresses and the stress distribution patterns for both axial and hoop stresses remain almost unchanged.

Measurement of thickness of film deposited on the plasma-facing wall in the QUEST tokamak by colorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Z; Hanada, K; Yoshida, N; Shimoji, T; Miyamoto, M; Oya, Y; Zushi, H; Idei, H; Nakamura, K; Fujisawa, A; Nagashima, Y; Hasegawa, M; Kawasaki, S; Higashijima, A; Nakashima, H; Nagata, T; Kawaguchi, A; Fujiwara, T; Araki, K; Mitarai, O; Fukuyama, A; Takase, Y; Matsumoto, K

2017-09-01

After several experimental campaigns in the Kyushu University Experiment with Steady-state Spherical Tokamak (QUEST), the originally stainless steel plasma-facing wall (PFW) becomes completely covered with a deposited film composed of mixture materials, such as iron, chromium, carbon, and tungsten. In this work, an innovative colorimetry-based method was developed to measure the thickness of the deposited film on the actual QUEST wall. Because the optical constants of the deposited film on the PFW were position-dependent and the extinction coefficient k 1 was about 1.0-2.0, which made the probing light not penetrate through some thick deposited films, the colorimetry method developed can only provide a rough value range of thickness of the metal-containing film deposited on the actual PFW in QUEST. However, the use of colorimetry is of great benefit to large-area inspections and to radioactive materials in future fusion devices that will be strictly prohibited from being taken out of the limited area.

The thick left ventricular wall of the giraffe heart normalises wall tension, but limits stroke volume and cardiac output

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smerup, Morten Holdgaard; Damkjær, Mads; Brøndum, Emil

2016-01-01

Giraffes - the tallest extant animals on Earth - are renowned for their high central arterial blood pressure, which is necessary to secure brain perfusion. The pressure which may exceed 300 mmHg has historically been attributed to an exceptionally large heart. Recently, this has been refuted...... by several studies demonstrating that the mass of giraffe heart is similar to that of other mammals when expressed relative to body mass. It remains enigmatic, however, how the normal-sized giraffe heart generates such massive arterial pressures.We hypothesized that giraffe hearts have a small...... intraventricular cavity and a relatively thick ventricular wall, allowing for generation of high arterial pressures at normal left ventricular wall tension. In nine anaesthetized giraffes (495±38 kg), we determined in vivo ventricular dimensions using echocardiography along with intraventricular and aortic...

Dual-source computed tomography. Effect on regional and global left ventricular function assessment compared to magnetic resonance imaging; Untersuchung der regionalen und globalen linksventrikulaeren Funktion mit der Dual-Source-Computertomografie im Vergleich zur Magnetresonanztomografie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lueders, F.; Seifarth, H.; Wessling, J.; Heindel, W.; Juergens, Kai Uwe [Inst. fuer Klinische Radiologie, Universitaetsklinikum Muenster (Germany); Fischbach, R. [Klinik fuer Radiologie, Nuklearmedizin und Neuroradiologie, Asklepios Klinik Altona (Germany)

2009-10-15

Purpose: to determine regional and global left ventricular (LV) functional parameters and to perform segmental wall thickness (SWT) and motion (WM) analysis of dual source CT (DSCT) with optimized temporal resolution versus MRI. Materials and Methods: 30 patients with known or suspected CAD, non-obstructive HCM, DCM, ARVCM, Fallot Tetralogy, cardiac sarcoidosis and cardiac metastasis underwent DSCT and MRI. The DSCT and MR images were evaluated: end-systolic (ESV), end-diastolic LV (EDV) volumes, stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), and myocardial mass (MM) as well as LV wall thickening and segmental WM applying the AHA model were obtained and statistically analyzed. Results: The mean LV-EDV (r = 0.96) and ESV (r = 0.98) as well as LV-EF (r = 0.97), SV (r = 0.83), and MM (r = 0.95) correlated well. Bland Altman analysis revealed little systematic underestimation of LV-EF (-1.1 {+-} 7.8%), EDV (-0.3 {+-} 18.2 ml), SV (-1.3 {+-} 16.7 ml) and little overestimation of ESV (1.1 {+-} 7.8 ml) and MM (12.8 {+-} 14.4 g) determined by DSCT. Systolic reconstruction time points correlated well (DSCT 32.2 {+-} 6.7 vs. MRI 35.6 {+-} 4.4% RR-interval). The LV wall thickness obtained by DSCT and MRI showed close correlation in all segments (diameter diff 0.42 {+-} 1 mm). In 413 segments (89%) WM abnormalities were equally rated, whereas DSCT tended to underestimate the degree of wall motion impairment. Conclusion: DSCT with optimized temporal resolution enables regional and global LV function analysis as well as segmental WM analysis in good correlation with MRI. However, the degree of WM impairment is slightly underestimated by DSCT. (orig.)

An analytical method for calculating stresses and strains of ATF cladding based on thick walled theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dong Hyun; Kim, Hak Sung [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyo Chan; Yang, Yong Sik; In, Wang kee [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

In this paper, an analytical method based on thick walled theory has been studied to calculate stress and strain of ATF cladding. In order to prescribe boundary conditions of the analytical method, two algorithms were employed which are called subroutine 'Cladf' and 'Couple' of FRACAS, respectively. To evaluate the developed method, equivalent model using finite element method was established and stress components of the method were compared with those of equivalent FE model. One of promising ATF concepts is the coated cladding, which take advantages such as high melting point, a high neutron economy, and low tritium permeation rate. To evaluate the mechanical behavior and performance of the coated cladding, we need to develop the specified model to simulate the ATF behaviors in the reactor. In particular, the model for simulation of stress and strain for the coated cladding should be developed because the previous model, which is 'FRACAS', is for one body model. The FRACAS module employs the analytical method based on thin walled theory. According to thin-walled theory, radial stress is defined as zero but this assumption is not suitable for ATF cladding because value of the radial stress is not negligible in the case of ATF cladding. Recently, a structural model for multi-layered ceramic cylinders based on thick-walled theory was developed. Also, FE-based numerical simulation such as BISON has been developed to evaluate fuel performance. An analytical method that calculates stress components of ATF cladding was developed in this study. Thick-walled theory was used to derive equations for calculating stress and strain. To solve for these equations, boundary and loading conditions were obtained by subroutine 'Cladf' and 'Couple' and applied to the analytical method. To evaluate the developed method, equivalent FE model was established and its results were compared to those of analytical model. Based on the

Ultrasonic guided wave tomography for wall thickness mapping in pipes

Science.gov (United States)

Willey, Carson L.

Corrosion and erosion damage pose fundamental challenges to operation of oil and gas infrastructure. In order to manage the life of critical assets, plant operators must implement inspection programs aimed at assessing the severity of wall thickness loss (WTL) in pipelines, vessels, and other structures. Maximum defect depth determines the residual life of these structures and therefore represents one of the key parameters for robust damage mitigation strategies. In this context, continuous monitoring with permanently installed sensors has attracted significant interest and currently is the subject of extensive research worldwide. Among the different monitoring approaches being considered, significant promise is offered by the combination of guided ultrasonic wave technology with the principles of model based inversion under the paradigm of what is now referred to as guided wave tomography (GWT). Guided waves are attractive because they propagate inside the wall of a structure over a large distance. This can yield significant advantages over conventional pulse-echo thickness gage sensors that provide insufficient area coverage -- typically limited to the sensor footprint. While significant progress has been made in the application of GWT to plate-like structures, extension of these methods to pipes poses a number of fundamental challenges that have prevented the development of sensitive GWT methods. This thesis focuses on these challenges to address the complex guided wave propagation in pipes and to account for parametric uncertainties that are known to affect model based inversion and which are unavoidable in real field applications. The main contribution of this work is the first demonstration of a sensitive GWT method for accurately mapping the depth of defects in pipes. This is achieved by introducing a novel forward model that can extract information related to damage from the complex waveforms measured by pairs of guided wave transducers mounted on the pipe

Creep properties in similar weld joint of a thick-walled P92 steel pipe

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sklenička, Václav; Kuchařová, Květa; Svobodová, M.; Kvapilová, Marie; Král, Petr; Horváth, P.

2016-01-01

Roč. 119, č. 1 (2016), s. 1-12 ISSN 1044-5803 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-09518S; GA MPO FR-TI4/406 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : 9–12%Cr steels * Creep testing * High temperature creep * Thick-walled pipe * Welding Subject RIV: JG - Metallurgy Impact factor: 2.714, year: 2016

The effect of wall thickness distribution on mechanical reliability and strength in unidirectional porous ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Seuba, Jordi; Deville, Sylvain; Guizard, Christian; Stevenson, Adam J.

2016-01-01

Macroporous ceramics exhibit an intrinsic strength variability caused by the random distribution of defects in their structure. However, the precise role of microstructural features, other than pore volume, on reliability is still unknown. Here, we analyze the applicability of the Weibull analysis to unidirectional macroporous yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) prepared by ice-templating. First, we performed crush tests on samples with controlled microstructural features with the loading direction parallel to the porosity. The compressive strength data were fitted using two different fitting techniques, ordinary least squares and Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo, to evaluate whether Weibull statistics are an adequate descriptor of the strength distribution. The statistical descriptors indicated that the strength data are well described by the Weibull statistical approach, for both fitting methods used. Furthermore, we assess the effect of different microstructural features (volume, size, densification of the walls, and morphology) on Weibull modulus and strength. We found that the key microstructural parameter controlling reliability is wall thickness. In contrast, pore volume is the main parameter controlling the strength. The highest Weibull modulus (?) and mean strength (198.2 MPa) were obtained for the samples with the smallest and narrowest wall thickness distribution (3.1 ?m) and lower pore volume (54.5%).

Airway wall thickness of allergic asthma caused by weed pollen or house dust mite assessed by computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Liping; Li, Guangrun; Sun, Yuemei; Li, Jian; Tang, Ningbo; Dong, Liang

2015-03-01

Little was known about Airway wall thickness of asthma patients with different allergen allergy. So we explored the possible difference of Airway wall thickness of asthma patients mono-sensitized to weed pollen or HDM using high-resolution computed tomography. 85 severe asthma patients were divided into weed pollen group and HDM group according to relevant allergen. 20 healthy donors served as controls. Airway wall area, percentage wall area and luminal area at the trunk of the apical bronchus of the right upper lobe were quantified using HRCT and compared. The values of pulmonary function were assessed as well. There were differences between HDM group and weed pollen group in WA/BSA,WA% and FEF25-75% pred, and no significant difference in FEV1%pred, FEV1/FVC and LA/BSA. In weed pollen group, WA/BSA was observed to correlate with the duration of rhinitis, whereas in HDM group, WA/BSA and LA/BSA was observed to correlate with the duration of asthma. In weed pollen group, FEV1/FVC showed a weak but significant negative correlation with WA%, but in HDM group FEV1/FVC showed a significant positive correlation with WA% and a statistical negative correlation with LA/BSA. FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75% pred were higher and WA/BSA and LA/BSA were lower in healthy control group than asthma group. FEV1%pred and WA% was no significant difference between asthma patients and healthy subjects. There are differences between HDM mono-sensitized subjects and weed pollen mono-sensitized subjects, not only in airway wall thickness, but also small airway obstruction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Limit load analysis of thick-walled concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Argyris, J.H.; Faust, G.; Willam, K.J.

1975-01-01

The paper illustrates the interaction of constitutive modeling and finite element solution techniques for limit load prediction of concrete structures. On the constitutive side, an engineering model of concrete fracture is developed in which the Mohr-Coulomb criterion is augmented by tension cut-off to describe incipient failure. Upon intersection with the stress path the failure surface collapses for brittle behaviour according to one of three softening rules, no-tension, no-cohesion, and no-friction. The stress transfer accompanying the energy dissipation during local failure is modelled by several fracture rules which are examined with regard to ultimate load prediction. On the numerical side the effect of finite element idealization is studied first as far as ultimate load convergence is concerned. Subsequently, incremental tangential and initial load techniques are compared together with the effect of step size. Limit load analyses of a thick-walled concrete ring and a lined concrete reactor closure conclude the paper with examples from practical engineering. (orig.) [de

NDE of stresses in thick-walled components by ultrasonic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goebbels, K.; Pitsch, H.; Schneider, E.; Nowack, H.

1985-01-01

The possibilty of measuring stresses - especially residual stresses - by ultrasonic methods has been presented at the 4th and 5th International Conference on NDE in Nuclear Industry. This contribution now presents results of several applications to thick walled components such as turbines and generators for power plants. The measurement technique using linearly polarized shear waves allows one to characterize the homogeneitry of the residual stress situation along and around cylindrically shaped components. Some important results show that the stress distribution integrated over the cross section of the component has not followed in any case the simple relations derived by stress analysts. Conclusions referring to the stress situation inside the components are discussed

Simultaneous measurements of thickness and temperature profile in a wavy liquid film falling freely on a heating wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyu, T.; Mudawar, I.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on a technique for measuring the thickness of liquid films that was developed and tested. The feasibility of this technique was demonstrated in stagnant liquid films as well as in liquid jets. A procedure for in-situ calibration of the thickness probe was developed, allowing the adaptation of the probe to measurements of wavy liquid films. The thickness probe was constructed from a platinum-rhodium wire that was stretched across the film. A constant DC current was supplied through the probe wire, and film thickness was determined from variations in the probe voltage drop resulting from the large differences in the electrical resistances of the wetted and unwetted segments of the wire. Unlike electrical admittance thickness probes, the new probe did not require dissolving an electrolyte in the liquid, making the new probe well suited to studies involving sensible heating of a film of pure dielectric liquid that is in direct contact with a current- carrying wall. Also presented is a composite probe that facilitated simultaneous measurements of temperature profile across a wavy liquid film and film thickness. Experimental results demonstrate a strong influence of waviness on liquid temperature in a film of deionized water falling freely on the outside wall of a vertical, electrically heated tube for film Reynolds numbers smaller than 10,000

Criteria of assessment for local wall thickness reductions in operative high-pressure gas pipelines; Beurteilungskriterien fuer lokale Wanddickenminderungen an in Betrieb befindlichen Gashochdruckleitungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hass, Georg [NetzDienste Rhein/Main GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Hoffman, Ulrich [VNG - Verbundnetz Gas AG, Leipzig (Germany); Konarske, Juergen [RWE Westfalen-Weser-Ems Netzservice GmbH, Recklinghausen (Germany); Soppa, Thorsten [NG Netz Gas+Wasser (Germany). Bau/Betrieb Hochdrucknetz; Steiner, Michael [Open Grid Europe GmbH, Essen (Germany). Integritaet/Werkstofftechnik

2011-07-01

TUeV Nord, Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung and DVGW investigated methods to assess local wall thickness reductions in operative high-pressure gas pipelines. Methods described in the relevant literature were reviewed with regard to the limiting criteria defined for maximum permissible wall thickness reductions. On the basis of this literature study and additional calculations, a comparative evaluation of the available methods was made. Several methods were identified that are compatible with the existing safety concept and general availability. It was found that - nearly independent of the method - burst safeties of 1.8 to 2.0 were used. The ultimate goal is the development of a German standard evaluation concept for local wall thickness reductions in high-pressure gas pipelines in order to avoid uncertainties and/or misinterpretations.

Simulation of Stress Distribution in a Thick- Walled Bushing Produced by Die-Casting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pisarek B.P.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Metallographic investigations and a computer simulation of stresses in a gravity die-casting bushing were performed. Simulation of the casting process, solidification of the thick-walled bushing and calculations of the stress was performed using MAGMA5.3 software. The size variability of phases κII affecting the formation of phase stresses σf, depending on the location of the metallographic test area, was identified. The distribution of thermal σt and shrinkage stresses σs, depending on the location of the control point SC in the bushing's volume, was estimated. Probably the nature of these stresses will change slightly even after machining. This can cause variations in operating characteristics (friction coefficient, wear. Due to the strong inhomogeneity of the stress distribution in the bushing's casting, it is necessary to perform further tests of the possibility to conduct thermal treatment guaranteeing homogenization of the internal stresses in the casting, as well as to introduce changes in the bushing' s construction and the casting technology. The paper presents the continuation of the results of research aimed at identifying the causes of defects in the thick-walled bushing, die-casting made of CuAl10Fe5Ni5Cr aluminium bronze.

Follow-up of CT-derived airway wall thickness : Correcting for changes in inspiration level improves reliability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pompe, Esther; van Rikxoort, Eva M; Mets, Onno M; Charbonnier, Jean-Paul; Kuhnigk, Jan-Martin; de Koning, Harry J; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Zanen, Pieter; Lammers, Jan-Willem J; van Ginneken, Bram; de Jong, Pim A; Mohamed Hoesein, Firdaus A A

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Airway wall thickness (AWT) is affected by changes in lung volume. This study evaluated whether correcting AWT on computed tomography (CT) for differences in inspiration level improves measurement agreement, reliability, and power to detect changes over time. METHODS: Participants of the

Follow-up of CT-derived airway wall thickness : Correcting for changes in inspiration level improves reliability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pompe, Esther; van Rikxoort, Eva M.; Mets, Onno M.; Charbonnier, Jean-Paul; Kuhnigk, Jan-Martin; de Koning, Harry J.; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Zanen, Pieter; Lammers, Jan-Willem J.; van Ginneken, Bram; de Jong, Pim A.; Hoesein, Firdaus A. A. Mohamed

2016-01-01

Objectives: Airway wall thickness (AWT) is affected by changes in lung volume. This study evaluated whether correcting AWT on computed tomography (CT) for differences in inspiration level improves measurement agreement, reliability, and power to detect changes over time. Methods: Participants of the

Blood-pressure-independent wall thickening of intramyocardial arterioles in experimental uraemia: evidence for a permissive action of PTH.

Science.gov (United States)

Amann, K; Törnig, J; Flechtenmacher, C; Nabokov, A; Mall, G; Ritz, E

1995-11-01

Abnormalities in cardiovascular structures, e.g. LV hypertrophy and thickening of vessels (arteries, arterioles, veins) are hallmarks of renal failure. They are in part independent of elevated blood pressure. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been shown to affect cardiac function and has also been identified as a permissive factor in the genesis of cardiac fibrosis. The present study in rats with experimental renal failure was designed to examine whether PTH was permissive for wall thickening of intramyocardial arterioles as well. Male SD rats were sham operated or subtotally nephrectomized and maintained for 2 weeks. Subgroups of subtotally nephrectomized (SNX) rats were parathyroidectomized (PTX). Saline or rat 1, 34 PTH was administered by osmotic minipump. Eucalcaemia was maintained in PTX animals by a high-calcium diet (3%). Serum calcium was not statistically different between the groups. After perfusion fixation, intramyocardial arterioles were assessed using stereological techniques (wall thickness; wall/lumen ratio; minimal lumen diameter; length density). In random samples of the left ventricle, wall thickness of arterioles was 2.2 +/- 0.25 microns in sham-op controls and 2.76 +/- 0.41 in SNX (n = at least 8 animals per group). SNX-PTX animals+solvent did not differ significantly from sham-op controls (2.08 +/- 0.42 microns), while SNX-PTX animals+PTH had values not significantly different from SNX (2.59 +/- 0.54 microns). Differences in wall thickness were not paralleled by differences in systolic blood pressure (sham-op 110 +/- 13.3 mmHg; SNX 138 +/- 8.4 mmHg, SNX-PTX+solvent 142 +/- 5.2 mmHg; SNX-PTX+PTH 148 +/- 5.7 mmHg). PTH treated animals showed signs of marked vascular smooth-muscle cell and endothelial-cell activation. The data suggest that wall thickening of intramyocardial arterioles in short-term experimental uraemia is dependent upon the presence of PTH (permissive effect).

Heat deposition, damage, and tritium breeding characteristics in thick liquid wall blanket concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youssef, M.Z.; Abdou, M.A.

2000-01-01

The advanced power extraction (APEX) study aims at exploring new and innovative blanket concepts that can efficiently extract power from fusion devices with high neutron wall load. Among the concepts under investigation is the free liquid FW/liquid blanket concept in which a fast flowing liquid FW (∼2-3 cm) is followed by thick flowing blanket (B) of ∼40-50 cm thickness with minimal amount of structure. The liquid FW/B are contained inside the vacuum vessel (VV) with a shielding zone (S) located either behind the VV and outside the vacuum boundary (case A) or placed after the FW/B and inside the VV (case B). In this paper we investigate the nuclear characteristics of this concept in terms of: (1) attenuation capability of the liquid FW/B/S and protection of the VV and magnet against radiation damage; (2) profiles of tritium production rate and tritium breeding ratio (TBR) for several liquid candidates; and (3) profiles of heat deposition rate and power multiplication. The candidate liquid breeders considered are Li, Flibe, Li-Sn, and Li-Pb. Parameters varied are (1) FW/B thickness, L, (2) Li-6 enrichment and (3) thickness of the shield

Conjugate heat transfer in a porous cavity filled with nano-fluids and heated by a triangular thick wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamkha, Ali J.; Ismael, Muneer A.

2013-01-01

The conjugate natural convection-conduction heat transfer in a square domain composed of nano-fluids filled porous cavity heated by a triangular solid wall is studied under steady-state conditions. The vertical and horizontal walls of the triangular solid wall are kept isothermal and at the same hot temperature Th. The other boundaries surrounding the porous cavity are kept adiabatic except the right vertical wall where it is kept isothermally at the lower temperature T c . Equations governing the heat transfer in the triangular wall and heat and nano-fluid flow, based on the Darcy model, in the nano-fluid-saturated porous medium together with the derived relation of the interface temperature are solved numerically using the over-successive relaxation finite-difference method. A temperature independent nano-fluids properties model is adopted. Three nano-particle types dispersed in one base fluid (water) are investigated. The investigated parameters are the nano-particles volume fraction φ (0-0.2), Rayleigh number Ra (10-1000), solid wall to base-fluid saturated porous medium thermal conductivity ratio K ro (0.44, 1, 23.8), and the triangular wall thickness D (0.1-1). The results are presented in the conventional form; contours of streamlines and isotherms and the local and average Nusselt numbers. At a very low Rayleigh number Ra = 10, a significant enhancement in heat transfer within the porous cavity with φ is observed. Otherwise, the heat transfer may be enhanced or deteriorated with φ depending on the wall thickness D and the Rayleigh number Ra. At high Rayleigh numbers and low conductivity ratios, critical values of D, regardless of 4, are observed and accounted. (authors)

Stress-intensity factors for a thick-walled cylinder containing an annular imbedded or external or internal surface crack

Science.gov (United States)

Erdol, R.; Erdogan, F.

1976-01-01

The elastostatic axisymmetric problem for a long thick-walled cylinder containing a ring-shaped internal or edge crack is considered. Using the standard transform technique the problem is formulated in terms of an integral equation which has a simple Cauchy kernel for the internal crack and a generalized Cauchy kernel for the edge crack as the dominant part. As examples the uniform axial load and the steady-state thermal stress problems have been solved and the related stress intensity factors have been calculated. Among other findings the results show that in the cylinder under uniform axial stress containing an internal crack the stress intensity factor at the inner tip is always greater than that at the outer tip for equal net ligament thicknesses and in the cylinder with an edge crack which is under a state of thermal stress the stress intensity factor is a decreasing function of the crack depth, tending to zero as the crack depth approaches the wall thickness.

Wall thickness measurements of tubes by Internal Rotary Inspection System (IRIS)- a comparative study with metallography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subramanian, C.V.; Joseph, A.; Ramesh, A.S.; Jayakumar, T.; Kalyanasundaram, P.; Baldev Raj

1996-01-01

Internal Rotary Inspection System (IRIS) is a relatively new ultrasonic system of heat exchanger/ steam condenser tubes and pipelines for measurement of wall thinning and pitting due to corrosion. The wall thickness measurements made during a scan around the circumference of the tube are displayed as a stationary rectilinear display of circumferential cross section (Bscan) of the tube. The paper describes the results obtained on tubes of various materials used in process industries having corrosion on inner and outer surfaces of the tube. (author)

Modification of a Volume-Overload Heart Failure Model to Track Myocardial Remodeling and Device-Related Reverse Remodeling

Science.gov (United States)

Tuzun, Egemen; Bick, Roger; Kadipasaoglu, Cihan; Conger, Jeffrey L.; Poindexter, Brian J.; Gregoric, Igor D.; Frazier, O. H.; Towbin, Jeffrey A.; Radovancevic, Branislav

2011-01-01

Purpose. To provide an ovine model of ventricular remodeling and reverse remodeling by creating congestive heart failure (CHF) and then treating it by implanting a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Methods. We induced volume-overload heart failure in 2 sheep; 20 weeks later, we implanted an LVAD and assessed recovery 11 weeks thereafter. We examined changes in histologic and hemodynamic data and levels of cellular markers of CHF. Results. After CHF induction, we found increases in LV end-diastolic pressure, LV systolic and diastolic dimensions, wall thickness, left atrial diameter, and atrial natriuretic protein (ANP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels; β-adrenergic receptor (BAR) and dystrophin expression decreased markedly. Biopsies confirmed LV remodeling. After LVAD support, LV systolic and diastolic dimensions, wall thickness, and mass, and ANP and ET-1 levels decreased. Histopathologic and hemodynamic markers improved, and BAR and dystrophin expression normalized. Conclusions. We describe a successful sheep model for ventricular and reverse remodeling. PMID:22347659

Focal depth measurements of the vaginal wall: a new method to noninvasively quantify vaginal wall thickness in the diagnosis and treatment of vaginal atrophy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weber, Maaike A.; Diedrich, Chantal M.; Ince, Can; Roovers, Jan-Paul

2016-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate if vaginal focal depth measurement could be a noninvasive method to quantify vaginal wall thickness. Postmenopausal women undergoing topical estrogen therapy because of vaginal atrophy (VA) were recruited. VA was diagnosed based on the presence of symptoms and

Liquid Wall Chambers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meier, W R

2011-02-24

The key feature of liquid wall chambers is the use of a renewable liquid layer to protect chamber structures from target emissions. Two primary options have been proposed and studied: wetted wall chambers and thick liquid wall (TLW) chambers. With wetted wall designs, a thin layer of liquid shields the structural first wall from short ranged target emissions (x-rays, ions and debris) but not neutrons. Various schemes have been proposed to establish and renew the liquid layer between shots including flow-guiding porous fabrics (e.g., Osiris, HIBALL), porous rigid structures (Prometheus) and thin film flows (KOYO). The thin liquid layer can be the tritium breeding material (e.g., flibe, PbLi, or Li) or another liquid metal such as Pb. TLWs use liquid jets injected by stationary or oscillating nozzles to form a neutronically thick layer (typically with an effective thickness of {approx}50 cm) of liquid between the target and first structural wall. In addition to absorbing short ranged emissions, the thick liquid layer degrades the neutron flux and energy reaching the first wall, typically by {approx}10 x x, so that steel walls can survive for the life of the plant ({approx}30-60 yrs). The thick liquid serves as the primary coolant and tritium breeding material (most recent designs use flibe, but the earliest concepts used Li). In essence, the TLW places the fusion blanket inside the first wall instead of behind the first wall.

Magnet Fall inside a Conductive Pipe: Motion and the Role of the Pipe Wall Thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Donoso, G.; Ladera, C. L.; Martin, P.

2009-01-01

Theoretical models and experimental results are presented for the retarded fall of a strong magnet inside a vertical conductive non-magnetic tube. Predictions and experimental results are in good agreement modelling the magnet as a simple magnetic dipole. The effect of varying the pipe wall thickness on the retarding magnetic drag is studied for…

Application of elastic wave dispersion relations to estimate thermal properties of nanoscale wires and tubes of varying wall thickness and diameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bifano, Michael F P; Kaul, Pankaj B; Prakash, Vikas

2010-01-01

This paper reports dependency of specific heat and ballistic thermal conductance on cross-sectional geometry (tube versus rod) and size (i.e., diameter and wall thickness), in free-standing isotropic non-metallic crystalline nanostructures. The analysis is performed using dispersion relations found by numerically solving the Pochhammer-Chree frequency equation for a tube. Estimates for the allowable phonon dispersion relations within the crystal lattice are obtained by modifying the elastic acoustic dispersion relations so as to account for the discrete nature of the material's crystal lattice. These phonon dispersion relations are then used to evaluate the specific heat and ballistic thermal conductance in the nanostructures as a function of the nanostructure geometry and size. Two major results are revealed in the analysis: increasing the outer diameter of a nanotube while keeping the ratio of the inner to outer tube radius (γ) fixed increases the total number of available phonon modes capable of thermal population. Secondly, decreasing the wall thickness of a nanotube (i.e., increasing γ) while keeping its outer diameter fixed, results in a drastic decrease in the available phonon mode density and a reduction in the frequency of the longitudinal and flexural acoustic phonon modes in the nanostructure. The dependency of the nanostructure's specific heat on temperature indicates 1D, 2D, and 3D geometric phonon confinement regimes. Transition temperatures for each phonon confinement regime are shown to depend on both the nanostructure's wall thickness and outer radius. Compared to nanowires (γ = 0), the frequency reduction of acoustic phonon modes in thinner walled nanotubes (γ = 0.96) is shown to elevate the ballistic thermal conductance of the thin-walled nanotube between 0.2 and 150 K. At 20 K, the ballistic thermal conductance of the thin-walled nanotube (γ = 0.96) becomes 300% greater than that of a solid nanowire. For temperatures above 150 K, the trend

High Power Laser Beam Welding of Thick-walled Ferromagnetic Steels with Electromagnetic Weld Pool Support

Science.gov (United States)

Fritzsche, André; Avilov, Vjaceslav; Gumenyuk, Andrey; Hilgenberg, Kai; Rethmeier, Michael

The development of modern high power laser systems allows single pass welding of thick-walled components with minimal distortion. Besides the high demands on the joint preparation, the hydrostatic pressure in the melt pool increases with higher plate thicknesses. Reaching or exceeding the Laplace pressure, drop-out or melt sagging are caused. A contactless electromagnetic weld support system was used for laser beam welding of thick ferromagnetic steel plates compensating these effects. An oscillating magnetic field induces eddy currents in the weld pool which generate Lorentz forces counteracting the gravity forces. Hysteresis effects of ferromagnetic steels are considered as well as the loss of magnetization in zones exceeding the Curie temperature. These phenomena reduce the effective Lorentz forces within the weld pool. The successful compensation of the hydrostatic pressure was demonstrated on up to 20 mm thick plates of duplex and mild steel by a variation of the electromagnetic power level and the oscillation frequency.

Contribution of CT quantified emphysema, air trapping and airway wall thickness on pulmonary function in male smokers with and without COPD.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed Hoesein, Firdaus A A; de Jong, Pim A; Lammers, Jan-Willem J; Mali, Willem P Th M; Mets, Onno M; Schmidt, Michael; de Koning, Harry J; Aalst, Carlijn van der; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Ginneken, Bram van; van Rikxoort, Eva M; Zanen, Pieter

2014-09-01

Emphysema, airway wall thickening and air trapping are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All three can be quantified by computed tomography (CT) of the chest. The goal of the current study is to determine the relative contribution of CT derived parameters on spirometry, lung volume and lung diffusion testing. Emphysema, airway wall thickening and air trapping were quantified automatically on CT in 1,138 male smokers with and without COPD. Emphysema was quantified by the percentage of voxels below -950 Hounsfield Units (HU), airway wall thickness by the square root of wall area for a theoretical airway with 10 mm lumen perimeter (Pi10) and air trapping by the ratio of mean lung density at expiration and inspiration (E/I-ratio). Spirometry, residual volume to total lung capacity (RV/TLC) and diffusion capacity (Kco) were obtained. Standardized regression coefficients (β) were used to analyze the relative contribution of CT changes to pulmonary function measures. The independent contribution of the three CT measures differed per lung function parameter. For the FEV1 airway wall thickness was the most contributing structural lung change (β = -0.46), while for the FEV1/FVC this was emphysema (β = -0.55). For the residual volume (RV) air trapping was most contributing (β = -0.35). Lung diffusion capacity was most influenced by emphysema (β = -0.42). In a cohort of smokers with and without COPD the effect of different CT changes varies per lung function measure and therefore emphysema, airway wall thickness and air trapping need to be taken in account.

Magnet fall inside a conductive pipe: motion and the role of the pipe wall thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donoso, G; Ladera, C L; Martin, P [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Simon BolIvar, Apdo. 89000, Caracas 1080 (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)], E-mail: clladera@usb.ve, E-mail: pmartin@usb.ve

2009-07-15

Theoretical models and experimental results are presented for the retarded fall of a strong magnet inside a vertical conductive non-magnetic tube. Predictions and experimental results are in good agreement modelling the magnet as a simple magnetic dipole. The effect of varying the pipe wall thickness on the retarding magnetic drag is studied for pipes of different materials. Conductive pipes of thinner walls produce less dragging force and the retarded fall of the magnet is seen to consist of an initial transient accelerated regime followed by a stage of uniform motion. Alternative models of the magnet field are also presented that improve the agreement between theory and experiments.

Residual life assessment of thick wall boiler parts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehdizadeh, M.; Rayatpour, M.

2004-01-01

Thick wall components of boiler, such as headers, main steam lines and hot reheat lines, operate at high temperature and stress condition. This condition makes various failure mechanisms to activate during service exposure that gradually deteriorate the microstructure of components. Consequently, knowing about metallurgical condition and remaining life sensitive components particularly in power plants with at least 100,000 her life time is of considerable importance. In this regard, to eliminate unexpected interruptions and reduce the repairing costs, life assessment technology is being used. Various life assessment methods have been developed for power plants components and entered industrial fields. In the present work, remaining life of drums, headers and main steam lines of a power plant were evaluated, using microstructural, hardness changes and dimensional checking methods with non destructive tests. The results show that, the components have appropriate condition according to their service life. Further more, it was revealed that hardness evaluation technique is not a reliable evaluation criteria and various methods should be used for accurate life assessment

Sympathetic stimulation alters left ventricular relaxation and chamber size.

Science.gov (United States)

Burwash, I G; Morgan, D E; Koilpillai, C J; Blackmore, G L; Johnstone, D E; Armour, J A

1993-01-01

Alterations in left ventricular (LV) contractility, relaxation, and chamber dimensions induced by efferent sympathetic nerve stimulation were investigated in nine anesthetized open-chest dogs in sinus rhythm. Supramaximal stimulation of acutely decentralized left stellate ganglia augmented heart rate, LV systolic pressure, and rate of LV pressure rise (maximum +dP/dt, 1,809 +/- 191 to 6,304 +/- 725 mmHg/s) and fall (maximum -dP/dt, -2,392 +/- 230 to -4,458 +/- 482 mmHg/s). It also reduced the time constant of isovolumic relaxation, tau (36.5 +/- 4.8 to 14.9 +/- 1.1 ms). Simultaneous two-dimensional echocardiography recorded reductions in end-diastolic and end-systolic LV cross-sectional chamber areas (23 and 31%, respectively), an increase in area ejection fraction (32%), and increases in end-diastolic and end-systolic wall thicknesses (14 and 13%, respectively). End-systolic and end-diastolic wall stresses were unchanged by stellate ganglion stimulation (98 +/- 12 to 95 +/- 9 dyn x 10(3)/cm2; 6.4 +/- 2.4 to 2.4 +/- 0.3 dyn x 10(3)/cm2, respectively). Atrial pacing to similar heart rates did not alter monitored indexes of contractility. Dobutamine and isoproterenol induced changes similar to those resulting from sympathetic neuronal stimulation. These data indicate that when the efferent sympathetic nervous system increases left ventricular contractility and relaxation, concomitant reductions in systolic and diastolic dimensions of that chamber occur that are associated with increasing wall thickness such that LV wall stress changes are minimized.

Effect of a new specimen size on fatigue crack growth behavior in thick-walled pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shariati, Mahmoud; Mohammadi, Ehsan; Masoudi Nejad, Reza

2017-01-01

Fatigue crack growth in thick-walled pressure vessels is an important factor affecting their fracture. Predicting the path of fatigue crack growth in a pressure vessel is the main issue discussed in fracture mechanics. The objective of this paper is to design a new geometrical specimen in fatigue to define the behavior of semi-elliptical crack growth in thick-walled pressure vessels. In the present work, the importance of the behavior of fatigue crack in test specimen and real conditions in thick-walled pressure vessels is investigated. The results of fatigue loading on the new specimen are compared with the results of fatigue loading in a cylindrical pressure vessel and a standard specimen. Numerical and experimental methods are used to investigate the behavior of fatigue crack growth in the new specimen. For this purpose, a three-dimensional boundary element method is used for fatigue crack growth under stress field. The modified Paris model is used to estimate fatigue crack growth rates. In order to verify the numerical results, fatigue test is carried out on a couple of specimens with a new geometry made of ck45. A comparison between experimental and numerical results has shown good agreement. - Highlights: • This paper provides a new specimen to define the behavior of fatigue crack growth. • We estimate the behavior of fatigue crack growth in specimen and pressure vessel. • A 3D finite element model has been applied to estimate the fatigue life. • We compare the results of fatigue loading for cylindrical vessel and specimens. • Comparison between experimental and numerical results has shown a good agreement.

Studies on the synthesis of isotopes of superheavy element Lv (Z = 116)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santhosh, K.P.; Safoora, V. [Kannur University, School of Pure and Applied Physics, Payyanur (India)

2017-11-15

The probable projectile-target combinations for the synthesis of superheavy nucleus {sup 296}Lv found in the cold valley of {sup 296}Lv have been identified by studying the interaction barrier of the colliding nuclei, probability of compound nucleus formation, P{sub CN}, and survival probability W{sub sur}. At energies near and above the Coulomb barrier, the capture, fusion and evaporation residue (ER) cross sections for the probable combinations for the hot and cold fusion reactions are systematically investigated. By considering intensities of the projectile beams, availabilities of the targets and half lives of the colliding nuclei, the combination {sup 48}Ca + {sup 248}Cm is found to be the most probable projectile-target pair for the synthesis of {sup 296}Lv. The calculated maximum value of 2n, 3n, 4n and 5n channel cross section for the reaction {sup 48}Ca + {sup 248}Cm are 0.599 pb, 5.957 pb, 4.805 pb, and 0.065 pb, respectively. Moreover, the production cross sections for the synthesis of isotopes {sup 291-295,298}Lv using {sup 48}Ca projectile on {sup 243-247,250}Cm targets are calculated. Among these reactions, the reactions {sup 48}Ca + {sup 247}Cm → {sup 295}Lv and {sup 48}Ca + {sup 250}Cm → {sup 298}Lv have maximum production cross section in 3n (10.697 pb) and 4n (12.006 pb) channel, respectively. Our studies on the SHE Lv using the combinations {sup 48}Ca + {sup 245}Cm → {sup 293}Lv and {sup 48}Ca + {sup 248}Cm → {sup 296}Lv are compared with available experimental data and with other theoretical studies. Our studies are in agreement with experimental data and we hope that these studies will be a guide for the future experiments to synthesize the isotopes of Lv. (orig.)

Influences of lumped passes on welding residual stress of a thick-walled nuclear rotor steel pipe by multipass narrow gap welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, Long, E-mail: mse.longtan@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Zhang, Jianxun; Zhuang, Dong [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Liu, Chuan [Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Welding Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003 (China)

2014-07-01

Highlights: • The internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe is measured by using the local removal blind hole method. • Two lumped-pass models are developed to reduce computational cost. • The effect of lumped passes on the welding residual stress is discussed. • Reasonable lumped-pass model can guarantee the accuracy and improve the computational efficiency. - Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the lumped passes simulation on the distribution of residual stresses before and after heat treatment in a thick-walled nuclear power rotor pipe with a 89-pass narrow gap welding process. The local removal blind hole method was used to measure internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe after post weld heat treatment (PWHT). Based on the ANSYS software, a two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model is employed. Two lumped-pass models of M-5th model (five weld beads as one lumped pass) and M-10th model (ten weld beads as one lumped pass) were developed to reduce computational cost. Based on the results in this study, the distributions of residual stresses of a thick-walled welded pipe before and after PWHT are developed. Meanwhile, the distribution of the through-wall axial residual stress along the weld center line is demonstrated to be a self-equilibrating type. In addition, the investigation results show that reasonable and reliable lumped-pass model can not only guarantee the accuracy of the simulated results, but also improve the computational efficiency in the thermo-elastic–plastic FE analysis procedure. Therefore, from the viewpoint of engineering application the developed lumped-pass computational procedure is a promising and useful method to predict residual stress of large and complex welded structures.

Influences of lumped passes on welding residual stress of a thick-walled nuclear rotor steel pipe by multipass narrow gap welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Long; Zhang, Jianxun; Zhuang, Dong; Liu, Chuan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe is measured by using the local removal blind hole method. • Two lumped-pass models are developed to reduce computational cost. • The effect of lumped passes on the welding residual stress is discussed. • Reasonable lumped-pass model can guarantee the accuracy and improve the computational efficiency. - Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the lumped passes simulation on the distribution of residual stresses before and after heat treatment in a thick-walled nuclear power rotor pipe with a 89-pass narrow gap welding process. The local removal blind hole method was used to measure internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe after post weld heat treatment (PWHT). Based on the ANSYS software, a two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model is employed. Two lumped-pass models of M-5th model (five weld beads as one lumped pass) and M-10th model (ten weld beads as one lumped pass) were developed to reduce computational cost. Based on the results in this study, the distributions of residual stresses of a thick-walled welded pipe before and after PWHT are developed. Meanwhile, the distribution of the through-wall axial residual stress along the weld center line is demonstrated to be a self-equilibrating type. In addition, the investigation results show that reasonable and reliable lumped-pass model can not only guarantee the accuracy of the simulated results, but also improve the computational efficiency in the thermo-elastic–plastic FE analysis procedure. Therefore, from the viewpoint of engineering application the developed lumped-pass computational procedure is a promising and useful method to predict residual stress of large and complex welded structures

Simulation of the development and interaction of instabilities in a relativistic electron beam under variation of the beam wall thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badarin, A. A.; Kurkin, S. A. [Saratov State University (Russian Federation); Koronovskii, A. A. [Yuri Gagarin State Technical University (Russian Federation); Rak, A. O. [Belorussian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (Belarus); Hramov, A. E., E-mail: hramovae@gmail.com [Saratov State University (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

The development and interaction of Bursian and diocotron instabilities in an annular relativistic electron beam propagating in a cylindrical drift chamber are investigated analytically and numerically as functions of the beam wall thickness and the magnitude of the external uniform magnetic field. It is found that the interaction of instabilities results in the formation of a virtual cathode with a complicated rotating helical structure and several reflection regions (electron bunches) in the azimuthal direction. It is shown that the number of electron bunches in the azimuthal direction increases with decreasing beam wall thickness and depends in a complicated manner on the magnitude of the external magnetic field.

Cardiac structure and function in elite Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Rugby Football League athletes: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Christopher; Forsythe, Lynsey; Somauroo, John; Papadakis, Michael; George, Keith; Oxborough, David

2018-05-01

The aim of this exploratory study was to define the Athletes Heart (AH) phenotype in Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (NH&PI) Rugby Football League (RFL) athletes. Specifically, (1) to describe conventional echocardiographic indices of left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) structure and function in NH&PI RFL players and matched RFL Caucasian controls (CC) and (2) to demonstrate LV and RV mechanics in these populations. Ethnicity is a contributory factor to the phenotypical expression of the AH. There are no data describing the cardiac phenotype in NH&PI athletes. Twenty-one male elite NH&PI RFL athletes were evaluated using conventional echocardiography and myocardial speckle tracking, allowing the assessment of global longitudinal strain (ε) and strain rate (SR); and basal, mid and global radial and circumferential ε and SR. Basal and apical rotation and twist were also assessed. Results were compared with age-matched Caucasian counterparts (CC; n = 21). LV mass [42 ± 9 versus 37 ± 4 g/(m 2.7 )], mean LV wall thickness (MWT: 9.5 ± 0.7 and 8.7 ± 0.4 mm), relative wall thickness (RWT: 0.35 ± 0.04 and 0.31 ± 0.03) and RV wall thickness (5 ± 1 and 4 ± 1 mm, all p rugby players have a greater LV mass, MWT and RWT with concomitant reductions in circumferential and twist mechanics. This data acts to prompt further research in NH&PI athletes.

Thinner regions of intracranial aneurysm wall correlate with regions of higher wall shear stress: a 7.0 tesla MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Blankena, Roos; Kleinloog, Rachel; Verweij, Bon H.; van Ooij, Pim; ten Haken, Bennie; Luijten, Peter R.; Rinkel, Gabriel J.E.; Zwanenburg, Jaco J.M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a method for semi-quantitative wall thickness assessment on in vivo 7.0 tesla (7T) MRI images of intracranial aneurysms for studying the relation between apparent aneurysm wall thickness and wall shear stress. Materials and Methods Wall thickness was analyzed in 11 unruptured aneurysms in 9 patients, who underwent 7T MRI with a TSE based vessel wall sequence (0.8 mm isotropic resolution). A custom analysis program determined the in vivo aneurysm wall intensities, which were normalized to signal of nearby brain tissue and were used as measure for apparent wall thickness (AWT). Spatial wall thickness variation was determined as the interquartile range in AWT (the middle 50% of the AWT range). Wall shear stress was determined using phase contrast MRI (0.5 mm isotropic resolution). We performed visual and statistical comparisons (Pearson’s correlation) to study the relation between wall thickness and wall shear stress. Results 3D colored AWT maps of the aneurysms showed spatial AWT variation, which ranged from 0.07 to 0.53, with a mean variation of 0.22 (a variation of 1.0 roughly means a wall thickness variation of one voxel (0.8mm)). In all aneurysms, AWT was inversely related to WSS (mean correlation coefficient −0.35, P<0.05). Conclusions A method was developed to measure the wall thickness semi-quantitatively, using 7T MRI. An inverse correlation between wall shear stress and AWT was determined. In future studies, this non-invasive method can be used to assess spatial wall thickness variation in relation to pathophysiologic processes such as aneurysm growth and –rupture. PMID:26892986

Seismic monitoring during acid stimulation of wells LV-4 and LV-13 at the Las Tres Virgenes geothermal field, BCS, Mexico; Monitoreo sismico durante la estimulacion acida de los pozos LV-4 y LV-13 del campo geotermico de Las Tres Virgenes, BCS, Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venegas Salgado, Saul; Arredondo Fragoso, Jesus; Ramirez Silva, German; Flores Armenta, Magaly; Ramirez Montes, Miguel [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Gerencia de Proyectos Geotermoelectricos, Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico)]. E-mail: magaly.flores@cfe.gob.mx

2006-07-15

From September through December 2004 a seismic monitoring in the Las Tres Virgenes, BCS, geothermal field was carried out simultaneously with the acid stimulation of wells LV-4 and LV-13. The seismic network had four digital seismographs and recorded 174 local seismic events, 131 regional ones and many more volcanic signals at seismic station TV20 during the acid stimulation. Additionally, 37 seismic events were located, 22 of them inside the most important geothermal zone at depths between 0.4 and 4 km with typically low magnitudes (0.7 to 2.2 Md). Two relevant zones were determined: Zone A related to the El Volcan fault system and Zone B related to injection well LV-8. In Zone A the well-induction stage and the operation start of the wells LV-4 and LV-13 after acidification on October 30 and November 17, 2004, increased seismic activity to a maximum of 12 daily events in early December. When the two wells in Zone B were cooled before the acidification, the seismic events recorded there increased to a maximum of 6 daily events on October 2, and then decreased. Also in Zone B the seismic activity increased after well-induction and the start of well production once they were acidified, recording up to 11 daily events in late November. According to the seismic distribution, we may conclude that the most active fault systems are El Volcan and El Viejo. New proposals for well locations in the field are supported by these results. [Spanish] De septiembre a diciembre de 2004 se realizo un estudio de monitoreo sismico en el campo geotermico de Las Tres Virgenes, BCS, simultaneamente con las estimulaciones acidas de los pozos LV-4 y LV-13. Se utilizo una red sismica conformada por cuatro sismografos digitales, logrando registrar en la estacion sismica TV20 un total de 174 sismos locales, 131 sismos regionales y muchas mas senales de tipo volcanico, durante el periodo del monitoreo de la estimulacion acida. Ademas, se localizaron un total de 37 sismos, de los cuales 22 se

Automatic Extraction of Myocardial Mass and Volume Using Parametric Images from Dynamic Nongated PET.

Science.gov (United States)

Harms, Hendrik Johannes; Stubkjær Hansson, Nils Henrik; Tolbod, Lars Poulsen; Kim, Won Yong; Jakobsen, Steen; Bouchelouche, Kirsten; Wiggers, Henrik; Frøkiaer, Jørgen; Sörensen, Jens

2016-09-01

Dynamic cardiac PET is used to quantify molecular processes in vivo. However, measurements of left ventricular (LV) mass and volume require electrocardiogram-gated PET data. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of measuring LV geometry using nongated dynamic cardiac PET. Thirty-five patients with aortic-valve stenosis and 10 healthy controls underwent a 27-min (11)C-acetate PET/CT scan and cardiac MRI (CMR). The controls were scanned twice to assess repeatability. Parametric images of uptake rate K1 and the blood pool were generated from nongated dynamic data. Using software-based structure recognition, the LV wall was automatically segmented from K1 images to derive functional assessments of LV mass (mLV) and wall thickness. End-systolic and end-diastolic volumes were calculated using blood pool images and applied to obtain stroke volume and LV ejection fraction (LVEF). PET measurements were compared with CMR. High, linear correlations were found for LV mass (r = 0.95), end-systolic volume (r = 0.93), and end-diastolic volume (r = 0.90), and slightly lower correlations were found for stroke volume (r = 0.74), LVEF (r = 0.81), and thickness (r = 0.78). Bland-Altman analyses showed significant differences for mLV and thickness only and an overestimation for LVEF at lower values. Intra- and interobserver correlations were greater than 0.95 for all PET measurements. PET repeatability accuracy in the controls was comparable to CMR. LV mass and volume are accurately and automatically generated from dynamic (11)C-acetate PET without electrocardiogram gating. This method can be incorporated in a standard routine without any additional workload and can, in theory, be extended to other PET tracers. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Study on the Thick-Walled Pipe Ultrasonic Signal Enhancement of Modified S-Transform and Singular Value Decomposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haichao Cai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available When detecting the ultrasonic flaw of thick-walled pipe, the flaw echo signals are often interrupted by scanning system frequency and background noise. In particular when the thick-walled pipe defect is small, echo signal amplitude is often drowned in noise signal and affects the extraction of defect signal and the position determination accuracy. This paper presents the modified S-transform domain singular value decomposition method for the analysis of ultrasonic flaw echo signals. By changing the scale rule of Gaussian window functions with S-transform to improve the time-frequency resolution. And the paper tries to decompose the singular value decomposition of time-frequency matrix after the S-transform to determine the singular entropy of effective echo signal and realize the adaptive filter. Experiments show that, using this method can not only remove high frequency noise but also remove the low frequency noise and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of echo signal.

Low-intensity interval exercise training attenuates coronary vascular dysfunction and preserves Ca2+-sensitive K+ current in miniature swine with LV hypertrophy

Science.gov (United States)

Tharp, Darla L.; Ivey, Jan R.; Ganjam, Venkataseshu K.; Bowles, Douglas K.

2011-01-01

Coronary vascular dysfunction has been observed in several models of heart failure (HF). Recent evidence indicates that exercise training is beneficial for patients with HF, but the precise intensity and underlying mechanisms are unknown. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy can play a significant role in the development of HF; therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of low-intensity interval exercise training on coronary vascular function in sedentary (HF) and exercise trained (HF-TR) aortic-banded miniature swine displaying LV hypertrophy. Six months postsurgery, in vivo coronary vascular responses to endothelin-1 (ET-1) and adenosine were measured in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Baseline and maximal coronary vascular conductance were similar between all groups. ET-1-induced reductions in coronary vascular conductance (P < 0.05) were greater in HF vs. sedentary control and HF-TR groups. Pretreatment with the ET type A (ETA) receptor blocker BQ-123 prevented ET-1 hypersensitivity in HF animals. Whole cell voltage clamp was used to characterize composite K+ currents (IK+) in coronary smooth muscle cells. Raising internal Ca2+ from 200 to 500 nM increased Ca2+-sensitive K+ current in HF-TR and control, but not HF animals. In conclusion, an ETA-receptor-mediated hypersensitivity to ET-1, elevated resting LV wall tension, and decreased coronary smooth muscle cell Ca2+-sensitive IK+ was found in sedentary animals with LV hypertrophy. Low-intensity interval exercise training preserved normal coronary vascular function and smooth muscle cell Ca2+-sensitive IK+, illustrating a potential mechanism underlying coronary vascular dysfunction in a large-animal model of LV hypertrophy. Our results demonstrate the potential clinical impact of exercise on coronary vascular function in HF patients displaying pathological LV hypertrophy. PMID:21841018

Studying energy absorption in tapered thick walled tubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Hosseini Tehrani

Full Text Available In many engineering structures different energy absorption systems may be used to improve crashworthiness capability of the system and to control damages that may occur in a system during an accident. Therefore, extensive research has been done on the energy-absorbing cells. In this paper, energy absorption in tapered thick walled tubes has been investigated. As a practical case, studies have been focused on the crush element of Siemens ER24PC locomotive. To investigate performance of this part at collision time, it has been modeled in Abaqus software and its collision characteristics have been evaluated. Considering that the crash element is folded at time of collision, an analytical approach has been presented for calculation of instantaneous folding force under axial load. Basis of this method is definition and analysis of main folding mechanism and calculation of average folding force. This method has been used for validation of the results of numerical solution. Since sheet thickness of the crash element is high and may be ruptured at time of collision, some damage models have been used for numerical simulations. One of the three damage models used in this paper is available in the software and coding has been done for two other damage models and desirable damage model has been specified by comparing results of numerical solution with results of laboratory test. In addition, authenticity of the desirable damage model has been studied through ECE R 66 standard. To improve crashworthiness characteristic some attempts, such as use of metal foam and creation of trigger in suitable situations to reduce maximum force resulting from collision, have been performed. Finally though different simulation optimal crush element has been introduced and its performance and efficiency have been evaluated.

Effects of the administration of 2,3-butanedione monoxime during conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation on ischaemic contracture and resuscitability in a pig model of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Byung Kook; Jeung, Kyung Woon; Choi, Sung Soo; Park, Sang Wook; Yun, Seong Woo; Lee, Sung Min; Kim, Nan Yeol; Heo, Tag; Min, Yong Il

2015-02-01

Ischaemic contracture compromises the haemodynamic effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and resuscitability. 2,3-Butanedione monoxime (BDM) reduced ischaemic contracture by inhibiting actin-myosin crossbridge formation in an isolated heart model. We investigated the effects of BDM on ischaemic contracture and resuscitation outcomes in a pig model of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). After 15min of untreated ventricular fibrillation, followed by 8min of basic life support, 16 pigs were randomised to receive either 2mlkg(-1) of BDM solution (25gl(-1)) or 2mlkg(-1) of saline during advanced cardiac life support (ACLS). During the ACLS, the control group showed an increase in left ventricular (LV) wall thickness from 10.0mm (10.0-10.8) to 13.0mm (13.0-13.0) and a decrease in LV chamber area from 8.13cm(2) (7.59-9.29) to 7.47cm(2) (5.84-8.43). In contrast, the BDM group showed a decrease in the LV wall thickness from 10mm (9.0-10.8) to 8.5mm (7.0-9.8) and an increase in the LV chamber area from 9.86cm(2) (7.22-12.39) to 12.15 cm(2) (8.02-14.40). Mixed model analyses of the LV wall thickness and LV chamber area revealed significant group effects and group-time interactions. Spontaneous circulation was restored in four (50%) animals in the control group and in eight (100%) animals in the BDM group (p=0.077). All the resuscitated animals survived during an intensive care period of 4h. BDM administered during cardiopulmonary resuscitation reversed ischaemic contracture in a pig model of OHCA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study on the calculation of the shielding wall thickness in medical linear accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dong Yeon [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Dongnam Ins. of Radiological and Medical Science, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Eun Tae [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jung Hoon [Dept. of Radiological science, college of health sciences, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

The purpose of this study is to calculate the thickness of shielding for concrete which is mainly used for radiation shielding and study of the walls constructed to shield medical linear accelerator. The optimal shielding thickness was calculated using MCNPX(Ver.2.5.0) for 10 MV of photon beam energy generated by linear accelerator. As a result, the TVL for photon shielding was formed at 50⁓100 cm for pure concrete and concrete with Boron+polyethylene at 80⁓100 cm. The neutron shielding was calculated 100⁓140 cm for pure concrete and concrete with Boron+polyethylene at 90⁓100 cm. Based on this study, the concrete is considered to be most efficient method of using steel plates and adding Boron+polyethylene th the concrete.

Quantitative computed tomography: emphysema and airway wall thickness by sex, age and smoking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grydeland, T B; Dirksen, A; Coxson, H O

2009-01-01

We investigated how quantitative high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) measures of emphysema and airway wall thickness (AWT) vary with sex, age and smoking history. We included 463 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases and 431 controls. All included subjects were current or ex...... cases, respectively, and 0.488+/-0.028 and 0.463+/-0.025 in male and female controls, respectively. AWT decreased with increasing age in cases, and increased with the degree of current smoking in all subjects. We found significant differences in quantitative HRCT measures of emphysema and AWT between...

Methodology to calculate wall thickness in metallic pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, G.F.; Feliciano, H.J.

1992-01-01

The principal objective in the developing of the activities of industrial type is to carry out a efficient and productive task: that implies necessarily to know the best working conditions of the equipment and installations to be concerned. The applications of the radioisotope techniques have a long time as useful tools in several fields of human work. For example, in the Petroleos Mexicanos petrochemical complexes, by safety reasons and for to avoid until maximum the losses, it must be know with a high possible precision the operation regimes of the lines of tubes that they conduce the hydrocarbons, with the purpose to know when they should be replaced the defective or wasted pieces. In the Mexican Petroleum Institute is carrying out a work that it has by objective to develop a methodology bases in the use of radioisotopes that permits to determine the average thickness of the metallic tubes wall, that they have thermic insulator, with a precision of ±0.127 mm (±5 thousandth inch). The method is based in the radiation use emitted by Cs-137 sources. In this work it is described the methodology development so as the principal results obtained. (Author)

Suprascarpal fat pad thickness may predict venous drainage patterns in abdominal wall flaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Bast, John; Pitcher, Austin A; Small, Kevin; Otterburn, David M

2016-02-01

Abdominal wall flaps are routinely used in reconstructive procedures. In some patients inadequate venous drainage from the deep vein may cause fat necrosis or flap failure. Occasionally the superficial inferior epigastric vessels (SIEV) are of sufficient size to allow for microvascular revascularization. This study looked at the ratio of the sub- and suprascarpal fat layers, the number of deep system perforators, and SIEV diameter to determine any correlation of the fat topography and SIEV. 50 abdominal/pelvic CT angiograms (100 hemiabdomens) were examined in women aged 34-70 years for number of perforators, SIEV diameter, and fat pad thickness above and below Scarpa's fascia. Data was analyzed using multivariate model. The average suprascarpal and subscarpal layers were 18.6 ± 11.5 mm and 6.2 ± 7.2 mm thick, respectively. The average SIEV diameter was 2.06 ± 0.81 mm and the average number of perforators was 2.09 ± 1.03 per hemiabdomen. Hemiabdomens with suprascarpal thickness>23 mm had greater SIEV diameter [2.69 mm vs. 1.8 mm (P fat layer thickness did not correlate with the number of perforators. Neither subscarpal fat thickness nor suprascarpal-to-subscarpal fat layer thickness correlated significantly with SIEV caliber or number of perforators in multivariate model. Suprascarpal fat pad thicker than 23 mm had larger SIEVs irrespective of the number of deep system perforators. This may indicate a cohort of patients at risk of venous congestion from poor venous drainage if only the deep system is revascularized. We recommend harvesting the SIEV in patients with suprascarpal fat pad >23 mm to aid in superficial drainage. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Asymmetrically thickened posterior wall is associated with decline of ejection fraction after stress on adenosine stress/rest thallium-201 gated myocardial SPECT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Bom Sahn; Lee, Won Woo; Lee, Dong Soo; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Kim, Sang Eun [College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2004-07-01

LV parameters (LVEF. ESVI and EDVI) on adenosine stress/rest thallium-201 gated myocardial SPECT (gSPECT) are various from stress to rest. We investigated the reason why they were various in patients without coronary artery disease. Seventy-one patients(M:F=32:39, age 58.1{+-}9.7yrs), who underwent gSPECT and coronary angiography (CAG) due to chest pain or preoperative evaluation were included. CAG results were normal or insignificant. Exclusion criteria were atrial fibrillation, thyroid disease, primary cardiomyopathy, myocardial bridge, LBBB, MI, and valvular heart disease. Patients were calssified into 3 groups by EF difference ({delta}EF=rest-stress EF) on gSPECT : group1 ({delta}EF{>=}10), group2 (0 {<=}{delta}EF<10), and group3 ({delta}EF<0). LV parameters on gSPECT and thicknesses of IVS (interventricular septum) and LVPW (left ventricular posterior wall) on echocardiography were compared among the 3 groups. Myocardial perfusion status were normal or mild reversible/persistent perfusion defect in 76.1% (54/71). LVEFs at stress were not different among all 3 groups : 59.3{+-}8.54% in group 1 (61.3{+-}10.22% in group 2 and 64.8{+-}7.58% in group 3 (p>0.05). But LVEF at rest was smaller in group 3 (58.7{+-}8.38%) than the other groups (72.5{+-}8.77% in group1 and 66.7{+-}10.6% in group2) (p<0.01). EDVIs and ESVI at stress were larger than those at rest in all groups (p<0.05) except ESVI in group 3 (16.2{+-}6.21ml at stress and 17.5{+-}6.41ml at rest, p<0.01), and that was attributed to EF<0 in group 3. In echocardiographical analysis, group 3 had significantly increased wall thickness of LVPW (10.7{+-}1.2mm versus 9.4{+-}1.6mm, p=0.01) and decreased wall thickness ratio of IVS/LVPW (0.963{+-}0.102 versus 1.048{+-}0.104, p=0.035) than group 1. In patients without coronary artery disease, LVEF, EDVI and ESVI on gSPECT were various and decline of LVEF from stress to rest was caused by unnormalized ESVI . Asymmetrically thickened LVPW may play a crucial role and

Inferring microbial interaction networks from metagenomic data using SgLV-EKF algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Alshawaqfeh, Mustafa; Serpedin, Erchin; Younes, Ahmad Bani

2017-03-27

Inferring the microbial interaction networks (MINs) and modeling their dynamics are critical in understanding the mechanisms of the bacterial ecosystem and designing antibiotic and/or probiotic therapies. Recently, several approaches were proposed to infer MINs using the generalized Lotka-Volterra (gLV) model. Main drawbacks of these models include the fact that these models only consider the measurement noise without taking into consideration the uncertainties in the underlying dynamics. Furthermore, inferring the MIN is characterized by the limited number of observations and nonlinearity in the regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, novel estimation techniques are needed to address these challenges. This work proposes SgLV-EKF: a stochastic gLV model that adopts the extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm to model the MIN dynamics. In particular, SgLV-EKF employs a stochastic modeling of the MIN by adding a noise term to the dynamical model to compensate for modeling uncertainties. This stochastic modeling is more realistic than the conventional gLV model which assumes that the MIN dynamics are perfectly governed by the gLV equations. After specifying the stochastic model structure, we propose the EKF to estimate the MIN. SgLV-EKF was compared with two similarity-based algorithms, one algorithm from the integral-based family and two regression-based algorithms, in terms of the achieved performance on two synthetic data-sets and two real data-sets. The first data-set models the randomness in measurement data, whereas, the second data-set incorporates uncertainties in the underlying dynamics. The real data-sets are provided by a recent study pertaining to an antibiotic-mediated Clostridium difficile infection. The experimental results demonstrate that SgLV-EKF outperforms the alternative methods in terms of robustness to measurement noise, modeling errors, and tracking the dynamics of the MIN. Performance analysis demonstrates that the proposed SgLV-EKF algorithm

Right ventricular mechanics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using feature tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Badran, Hala Mahfouz; Soliman, Mahmood; Hassan, Hesham; Abdelfatah, Raed; Saadan, Haythem; Yacoub, Magdi

2013-01-01

Objectives: Right ventricular (RV) mechanics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are poorly understood. We investigate global and regional deformation of the RV in HCM and its relationship to LV phenotype, using 2D strain vector velocity imaging (VVI). Methods: 100 HCM patients (42% females, 41 ± 19 years) and 30 control patients were studied using VVI. Longitudinal peak systolic strain (ϵsys), strain rate (SR), time to peak (ϵ) (TTP), displacement of RV free wall (RVFW) and septal wall were analyzed. Similar parameters were quantified in LV septal, lateral, anterior and inferior segments. Intra-V-delay was defined as SD of TTP. Inter-V-delay was estimated from TTP difference between the most delayed LV segment & RVFW. Results: ϵsys and SR of both RV & LV, showed loss of base to apex gradient and significant decline in HCM (p < 0.001). Deformation variables estimated from RVFW were strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001). Both were directly related to LV ϵsys, SRsys, SRe, ejection fraction (EF)%, RVFW displacement (P < 0.001) and inversely related to age, positive family history (p < 0.004, 0.005), RV wall thickness, maximum wall thickness (MWT), intra-V-delay, LA volume (P < 0.0001), LVOT gradient (p < 0.02, 0.005) respectively. ROC curves were constructed to explore the cut-off point that discriminates RV dysfunction. Global and RVFW ϵsys: − 19.5% shows 77, 70% sensitivity & 97% specificity, SRsys: − 1.3s− 1 shows 82, 70% sensitivity & 30% specificity. Multivariate analyses revealed that RVFW displacement (β = − 0.9, p < 0.0001) and global LV SRsys (β = 5.9, p < 0.0001) are independent predictors of global RV deformation. Conclusions: Impairment of RV deformation is evident in HCM using feature tracking. It is independently influenced by LV mechanics and correlated to the severity of LV phenotype. RVFW deformation analysis and global RV assessment are comparable. PMID:24689019

Numerical Determination of Natural Frequencies and Modes of the Vibrations of a Thick-Walled Cylindrical Shell

Science.gov (United States)

Grigorenko, A. Ya.; Borisenko, M. Yu.; Boichuk, E. V.; Prigoda, A. P.

2018-01-01

The dynamic characteristics of a thick-walled cylindrical shell are determined numerically using the finite-element method implemented with licensed FEMAR software. The natural frequencies and modes are compared with those obtained earlier experimentally by the method of stroboscopic holographic interferometry. Frequency coefficients demonstrating how the natural frequency depends on the physical and mechanical parameters of the material are determined.

Use of computed tomography to identify atrial fibrillation associated differences in left atrial wall thickness and density.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewland, Thomas A; Wintermark, Max; Vaysman, Anna; Smith, Lisa M; Tong, Elizabeth; Vittinghoff, Eric; Marcus, Gregory M

2013-01-01

Left atrial (LA) tissue characteristics may play an important role in atrial fibrillation (AF) induction and perpetuation. Although frequently used in clinical practice, computed tomography (CT) has not been employed to describe differences in LA wall properties between AF patients and controls. We sought to noninvasively characterize AF-associated differences in LA tissue using CT. CT images of the LA were obtained in 98 consecutive patients undergoing AF ablation and in 89 controls. A custom software algorithm was used to measure wall thickness and density in four prespecified regions of the LA. On average, LA walls were thinner (-15.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] -23.2 to -7.8%, P identified significant thinning of the LA wall and regional alterations in tissue density in patients with a history of AF. These findings suggest differences in LA tissue composition can be noninvasively identified and quantified using CT. ©2012, The Authors. Journal compilation ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysis of the Causes of Cracks in a Thick-Walled Bush Made of Die-Cast Aluminum Bronze

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pisarek B.P.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available For the die casting conditions of aluminium bronzes assumed based on the literature data, a thick-walled bush was cast, made of complex aluminium bronze (Cu-Al-Fe-Ni-Cr. After the cast was removed from the mould, cracks were observed inside it. In order to identify the stage in the technological production process at which, potentially, the formation of stresses damaging the continuity of the microstructure created in the cast was possible (hot cracking and/or cold cracking, a computer simulation was performed. The article presents the results of the computer simulation of the process of casting the material into the gravity die as well as solidifying and cooling of the cast in the shape of a thick-walled bush. The simulation was performed with the use of the MAGMA5 program and by application of the CuAl10Ni5,5Fe4,5 alloy from the MAGMA5 program database. The results were compared with the location of the defects identified in the actual cast. As a result of the simulation of the die-casting process of this bush, potential regions were identified where significant principal stresses accumulate, which can cause local hot and cold cracking. Until now, no research has been made of die-cast aluminium bronzes with a Cr addition. Correlating the results of the computer simulation validated by the analysis of the actual cast made it possible to clearly determine the critical regions in the cast exposed to cracking and point to the causes of its occurrence. Proposals of changes in the bush die casting process were elaborated, in order to avoid hot tearing and cold cracking. The article discusses the results of preliminary tests being a prologue to the optimization of the die-casting process parameters of complex aluminium bronze thick-walled bushs.

Calculation of concrete shielding wall thickness for 450kVp X-ray tube with MCNP simulation and result comparison with half value layer method calculation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Heon; Lee, Eun Joong; Kim, Chan Kyu; Cho, Gyu Seong [Dept. of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Hur, Sam Suk [Sam Yong Inspection Engineering Co., Ltd., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-15

Radiation generating devices must be properly shielded for their safe application. Although institutes such as US National Bureau of Standards and National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) have provided guidelines for shielding X-ray tube of various purposes, industry people tend to rely on 'Half Value Layer (HVL) method' which requires relatively simple calculation compared to the case of those guidelines. The method is based on the fact that the intensity, dose, and air kerma of narrow beam incident on shielding wall decreases by about half as the beam penetrates the HVL thickness of the wall. One can adjust shielding wall thickness to satisfy outside wall dose or air kerma requirements with this calculation. However, this may not always be the case because 1) The strict definition of HVL deals with only Intensity, 2) The situation is different when the beam is not 'narrow'; the beam quality inside the wall is distorted and related changes on outside wall dose or air kerma such as buildup effect occurs. Therefore, sometimes more careful research should be done in order to verify the effect of shielding specific radiation generating device. High energy X-ray tubes which is operated at the voltage above 400 kV that are used for 'heavy' nondestructive inspection is an example. People have less experience in running and shielding such device than in the case of widely-used low energy X-ray tubes operated at the voltage below 300 kV. In this study, Air Kerma value per week, outside concrete shielding wall of various thickness surrounding 450 kVp X-ray tube were calculated using MCNP simulation with the aid of Geometry Splitting method which is a famous Variance Reduction technique. The comparison between simulated result, HVL method result, and NCRP Report 147 safety goal 0.02 mGy wk-1 on Air Kerma for the place where the public are free to pass showed that concrete wall of thickness 80 cm is needed to achieve the

Calculation of concrete shielding wall thickness for 450kVp X-ray tube with MCNP simulation and result comparison with half value layer method calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang Heon; Lee, Eun Joong; Kim, Chan Kyu; Cho, Gyu Seong; Hur, Sam Suk

2016-01-01

Radiation generating devices must be properly shielded for their safe application. Although institutes such as US National Bureau of Standards and National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) have provided guidelines for shielding X-ray tube of various purposes, industry people tend to rely on 'Half Value Layer (HVL) method' which requires relatively simple calculation compared to the case of those guidelines. The method is based on the fact that the intensity, dose, and air kerma of narrow beam incident on shielding wall decreases by about half as the beam penetrates the HVL thickness of the wall. One can adjust shielding wall thickness to satisfy outside wall dose or air kerma requirements with this calculation. However, this may not always be the case because 1) The strict definition of HVL deals with only Intensity, 2) The situation is different when the beam is not 'narrow'; the beam quality inside the wall is distorted and related changes on outside wall dose or air kerma such as buildup effect occurs. Therefore, sometimes more careful research should be done in order to verify the effect of shielding specific radiation generating device. High energy X-ray tubes which is operated at the voltage above 400 kV that are used for 'heavy' nondestructive inspection is an example. People have less experience in running and shielding such device than in the case of widely-used low energy X-ray tubes operated at the voltage below 300 kV. In this study, Air Kerma value per week, outside concrete shielding wall of various thickness surrounding 450 kVp X-ray tube were calculated using MCNP simulation with the aid of Geometry Splitting method which is a famous Variance Reduction technique. The comparison between simulated result, HVL method result, and NCRP Report 147 safety goal 0.02 mGy wk-1 on Air Kerma for the place where the public are free to pass showed that concrete wall of thickness 80 cm is needed to achieve the safety goal

Determination of optimum insulation thicknesses using economical analyse for exterior walls of buildings with different masses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Okan Kon

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, five different cities were selected from the five climatic zones according to Turkish standard TS 825, and insulation thicknesses of exterior walls of sample buildings were calculated by using optimization. Vertical perforated bricks with density of 550 kg/m3 and 1000 kg/m3 were chosen within the study content. Glass wool, expanded polystyrene (XPS, extruded polystyrene (EPS were considered as insulation materials. Additionally, natural gas, coal, fuel oil and LPG were utilized as fuel for heating process while electricity was used for cooling.  Life cycle cost (LCC analysis and degree-day method were the approaches for optimum insulation thickness calculations. As a result, in case of usage vertical perforated bricks with density of 550 kg/m3 and 1000 kg/m3 resulted different values in between 0.005-0.007 m (5-7 mm in the optimum insulation thickness calculations under different insulation materials.  Minimum optimum insulation thickness was calculated in case XPS was preferred as insulation material, and the maximum one was calculated in case of using glass wool.

The secondary stress analyses in the fuel pin cladding due to the swelling gradient across the wall thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Ukai, Shigeharu

2002-01-01

Irradiation deformation analyses of FBR fuel cladding were made by using the finite element method. In these analyses the history of the stress occurred in the cladding was evaluated paying attention to the secondary stress induced by the swelling difference across the wall thickness. It was revealed that the difference of the swelling incubation dose in the direction of the thickness and the irradiation creep deformation play an important role in the history of the secondary stress. The effect of the stress-enhanced swelling was also analyzed in this study

Quantification of progression and regression of descending thoracic aortic wall thickness by enhanced computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokoyama, Kenichi; Takasu, Junichiro; Yamamoto, Rie; Taguchi, Rie; Itani, Yasutaka; Ito, Yuichi; Watanabe, Shigeru; Masuda, Yoshiaki

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study is to verify the usefulness of the quantification of aortic wall involvement by enhanced computed tomography (CT). One-hundred thirteen Japanese patients underwent two enhanced CT of the descending thoracic aorta at intervals. We sliced the descending thoracic aorta continuously from the level of the tracheal bifurcation with 1 cm intervals, and we defined aortic wall volume (AWV) (cm 3 ) as the sum of a 7-slice area of aortic wall involving calcification. The average of AWV increased from 7.95±2.92 cm 3 to 8.70±2.98 cm 3 . The developmental rate of AWV (ΔAWV) was 0.270±0.281 cm 3 /year. ΔAWV did not have a significant correlation with any risk factor at the baseline. ΔAWV had significant correlation with total cholesterol, (LDL-C) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and LDL-C/(HDL-C) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio at the follow-up, and by multivariate analysis with only the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. ΔAWV was not correlated with the intake status of hypoglycemic, antihypertensive or lipid-lowering drugs. The cut-off level of total cholesterol with the most significant odds ratio for progression of aortic wall was 190 mg/dl, and that of LDL-C was 130 mg/dl. This method proved to be useful for the non-invasive assessment of aortic wall thickness. (author)

Thick-walled anisotropic elliptic tube analyzed via curvilinear tensor calculus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mareš T.

2007-10-01

Full Text Available After a brief introduction into the tensor calculus, the thick-walled anisotropic elliptic tube is analyzed. A procedure of the analysis is described in a stepwise manner. A choice of the appropriate coordinate systems is the first step. The second step consists of the determination of corresponding metric tensors. Then the elasticity tensor of a local orthotropy is transformed into a global computational coordinate system. Next the appropriate Christoffel symbols of the second kind are determined and the total potential energy of the system is expressed. At the end the solution is approximated by a Fourier series and for given geometrical values and loading the numerical results are obtained and graphically represented.It must be said that throughout the calculation the free software only was used and for the numerical operations an old laptop is sufficient. The author regards both the former and the latter as a great advantage of the demonstrated method.

On some perculiarities of microstructure formation and the mechanical properties in thick-walled pieces of cast iron and their application as reactor structural materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janakiev, N.

1975-01-01

The following problems are dealt with in the present work: Microstructure formation and mechanical properties of thick-walled cast pieces, influence of neutron irradiation on the mechanical properties, manufacture of thick-walled castings for reactor construction, application of cast iron as reactor structural material. It is shown that graphite formation plays an extremely important role regarding the mechanical properties. A new construction for vertically stressed pressure vessels is given. These vessels can be fabricated mainly of cast iron with graphite spheres, cast steel, or a combination of both depending on the operational pressure. (GSCH) [de

Integration of SPICE with TEK LV500 ASIC Design Verification System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Srivastava

1996-01-01

Full Text Available The present work involves integration of the simulation stage of design of a VLSI circuit and its testing stage. The SPICE simulator, TEK LV500 ASIC Design Verification System, and TekWaves, a test program generator for LV500, were integrated. A software interface in ‘C’ language in UNIX ‘solaris 1.x’ environment has been developed between SPICE and the testing tools (TekWAVES and LV500. The function of the software interface developed is multifold. It takes input from either SPICE2G.6 or SPICE 3e.1. The output generated by the interface software can be given as an input to either TekWAVES or LV500. A graphical user interface has also been developed with OPENWlNDOWS using Xview tool kit on SUN workstation. As an example, a two phase clock generator circuit has been considered and usefulness of the software demonstrated. The interface software could be easily linked with VLSI design such as MAGIC layout editor.

La piattaforma POS/LV di Applanix nelle applicazioni di laser scanner cinematico

OpenAIRE

Domenico Santarsiero

2008-01-01

The Applanix POS/LV platform in cinematic laser scanner applicationsOn the 11th of march the GEOmedia editorial unit had the pleasure of hosting a technical meeting dedicated to the Applanix LANDMark new Position and Orientation System for Land Vehicles (POS/LV)field test. The meeting, which is part of an italian tour organized by Louis Nastro (Applanix Director of Land Products) and Terenzio Mariani (Sales manager for Italy), helped to test the functionalities of a complete POS/LV system equ...

Investigation of residual stresses in thick-walled vessels with combination of autofrettage and wire-winding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedighi, M.; Jabbari, A.H.

2013-01-01

Wire-winding and autofrettage processes can be used to introduce beneficial residual stress in the cylinder of thick-walled pressure vessels. In both techniques, internal residual compressive stress will increase internal pressure capacity, improve fatigue life and reduce fatigue crack initiation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of wire-winding on an autofrettaged thick-walled vessel. Direct method which is a modified Variable Material Properties (VMP) method has been used in order to calculate residual stresses in an autofrettaged vessel. Since wire-winding is done after autofrettage process, the tangent and/or Young's modulus could be changed. For this reason, a new wire-winding method based on Direct Method is introduced. The obtained results for wire-wound autofrettaged vessels are validated by finite element method. The results show that by using this approach, the residual hoop stresses in a wire-wound autofrettaged vessel have a more desirable distribution in the cylinder. -- Highlights: • Combination of autofrettage and wire-winding in pressure vessels has been presented. • A new method based on Direct method is presented for wire-winding process. • Residual hoop stresses are compared in vessels cylinders for different cases. • The residual hoop stress has a more desirable stress distribution. • The benefits of the combined vessel are highlighted in comparison with single cases

Low-intensity interval exercise training attenuates coronary vascular dysfunction and preserves Ca²⁺-sensitive K⁺ current in miniature swine with LV hypertrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Emter, Craig A; Tharp, Darla L; Ivey, Jan R; Ganjam, Venkataseshu K; Bowles, Douglas K

2011-10-01

Coronary vascular dysfunction has been observed in several models of heart failure (HF). Recent evidence indicates that exercise training is beneficial for patients with HF, but the precise intensity and underlying mechanisms are unknown. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy can play a significant role in the development of HF; therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of low-intensity interval exercise training on coronary vascular function in sedentary (HF) and exercise trained (HF-TR) aortic-banded miniature swine displaying LV hypertrophy. Six months postsurgery, in vivo coronary vascular responses to endothelin-1 (ET-1) and adenosine were measured in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Baseline and maximal coronary vascular conductance were similar between all groups. ET-1-induced reductions in coronary vascular conductance (P < 0.05) were greater in HF vs. sedentary control and HF-TR groups. Pretreatment with the ET type A (ET(A)) receptor blocker BQ-123 prevented ET-1 hypersensitivity in HF animals. Whole cell voltage clamp was used to characterize composite K(+) currents (I(K(+))) in coronary smooth muscle cells. Raising internal Ca(2+) from 200 to 500 nM increased Ca(2+)-sensitive K(+) current in HF-TR and control, but not HF animals. In conclusion, an ET(A)-receptor-mediated hypersensitivity to ET-1, elevated resting LV wall tension, and decreased coronary smooth muscle cell Ca(2+)-sensitive I(K(+)) was found in sedentary animals with LV hypertrophy. Low-intensity interval exercise training preserved normal coronary vascular function and smooth muscle cell Ca(2+)-sensitive I(K(+)), illustrating a potential mechanism underlying coronary vascular dysfunction in a large-animal model of LV hypertrophy. Our results demonstrate the potential clinical impact of exercise on coronary vascular function in HF patients displaying pathological LV hypertrophy.

Thermal fatigue crack growth on a thick wall tube containing a semi elliptical circumferential crack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deschanels, H.; Wakai, T.; Lacire, M.H.; Michel, B.

2001-01-01

In order to check the ability of the simplified assessment procedure (A16 guide) to predict fatigue crack growth, a benchmark problem was conducted. This work is carried out under the project ''agreement on the Exchange of Information and Collaboration in the field of Research and Development of Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) between Europe (EU) and Japan''. Experimental work is conducted by PNC using Air cooled Thermal transient Test Facility (ATTF). Specimen is a thick wall tube containing a semi elliptical (3-D) circumferential crack and subjected to cyclic thermal transients. The constitutive material is the 304 austenitic stainless steel type SUS304. Due to thermal shock (650 C-300 C) the stress distribution through the wall is non-linear and well approximated using a 3 rd order polynomial. When comparing computations and tests data we observe a good agreement for the crack propagation in length. In crack depth, accurate results are obtained in the first part of the test, but on the later stage of the experiment the computations slightly underestimate the propagation (deep crack). In addition, we notice the importance of good evaluation of fracture mechanics parameters for non-linear stress distribution through the wall. At present A16 guide handbook gives stress intensity factor solutions for non-linear stress distribution through the wall. (author)

Impact Study of Electric Vehicle (EV) Integration on Low Voltage (LV) Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Qiuwei; Cha, Seung-Tae; Nielsen, Arne Hejde

2012-01-01

the single line diagram (SLD) of the LV grid. The demand profiles of end-users are determined by the end-user yearly consumption and avreaged demand profiles of different customer types in Denmark. Five charging scenarios have been tested using the developed LV grid. The first two charging scenarios are dumb....... The two charging power levels are 1 phase 16 A and 3 phase 16 A. The loading of the power components and voltage profile are analyzed to quantify the impact of the charging scenarios and charging power levels on LV grids....

Evaluation of the room shielding thickness of Hi-Art tomotherapy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Haikuan; Wu Jinhai; Gu Naigu; Gao Yiming; Wang Li; Huang Weiqin; Wang Fengxian

2010-01-01

In this paper, we calculate and evaluate the room shielding thickness of a Hi-Art tomotherapy system, which is a new type of radiotherapy facility. Due to the self-shielding of the accelerator,only scattered beam and beam leakage were considered in calculating the room shielding thickness. The radiation field of the tomotherapy system was used as the basic data to calculate the shielding thickness of every 15 degree solid angle. The maximum shielding thickness required of each shielding wall was at the position with the angle of 15 degree, and the calculated shielding thickness were 1023, 975, 917, 1460, 1147 and 1189 mm for the east wall,south wall,west wall, north wall, the roof and the floor,respectively. According to the calculation results, all shielding walls, ceiling and floor could meet the requirement of the radiation protection, but the north wall thickness of 1200 mm was a little thinner. (authors)

The association of sleep disordered breathing with left ventricular remodeling in CAD patients: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Alonderis, Audrius; Raskauskiene, Nijole; Gelziniene, Vaidute; Mickuviene, Narseta; Brozaitiene, Julija

2017-09-18

There is still insufficient knowledge on the potential effect of mild to moderate sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) that is widely prevalent, often asymptomatic, and largely undiagnosed in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). SDB affects 34% of men and 17% of women aged between 30 and 70. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between SDB and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy as well as structural remodeling in stable CAD patients. The study was based on a cross-sectional design. Echocardiography and polysomnography was performed in 772 patients with CAD and with untreated sleep apnea. All study participants underwent testing by Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire. Their mean age, NYHA and left ventricular ejection fraction were, respectively: 57 ± 9 years, 2.1 ± 0.5 and 51 ± 8%, and 76% were men. Sleep apnea (SA) was defined as an apnea-hypopnea-index (AHI) ≥5 events/h, and, non-SA, as an AHI CAD patients with SA. The patients with SA had significantly higher values of both interventricular septal thickness and posterior wall thickness. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that even mild sleep apnea was an independent predictor for LVH by wall thickness criteria and concentric LVH (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.04-2.2 and OR = 1.9; 1.3-2.9 respectively). We concluded that unrecognized sleep apnea was highly prevalent among patients with stable CAD, and the majority of those patients did not report daytime sleepiness. Mild to moderate sleep apnea was associated with increased LV wall thickness, LV mass, and with higher prevalence of concentric LV hypertrophy independently of coexisting obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus or advancing age.

Determination of Optimum Thermal Insulation Thicknesses for External Walls Considering the Heating, Cooling and Annual Energy Requirement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ömer KAYNAKLI

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, optimization of thermal insulation thickness applied to the external walls of buildings has been carried out comparatively based on the seasonal (space-heating and cooling and the annual energy requirements considering solar radiation effect. This study has been performed for four degree-day regions of Turkey, namely, Iskenderun (in the first region, Istanbul (in the second region, Ankara (in the third region and Ardahan (in the fourth region. By determining the sol-air temperatures for each region and maximizing the present worth value of seasonal and annual energy savings, the optimum thermal insulation thicknesses have been calculated. The effects of solar radiation on heating-cooling energy requirements, the variation of optimum insulation thicknesses and payback periods with respect to degree-day regions, the differences between the analyses based on seasonal and annual have been presented in tabular and graphical form.

A hybrid method for airway segmentation and automated measurement of bronchial wall thickness on CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ziyue; Bagci, Ulas; Foster, Brent; Mansoor, Awais; Udupa, Jayaram K; Mollura, Daniel J

2015-08-01

Inflammatory and infectious lung diseases commonly involve bronchial airway structures and morphology, and these abnormalities are often analyzed non-invasively through high resolution computed tomography (CT) scans. Assessing airway wall surfaces and the lumen are of great importance for diagnosing pulmonary diseases. However, obtaining high accuracy from a complete 3-D airway tree structure can be quite challenging. The airway tree structure has spiculated shapes with multiple branches and bifurcation points as opposed to solid single organ or tumor segmentation tasks in other applications, hence, it is complex for manual segmentation as compared with other tasks. For computerized methods, a fundamental challenge in airway tree segmentation is the highly variable intensity levels in the lumen area, which often causes a segmentation method to leak into adjacent lung parenchyma through blurred airway walls or soft boundaries. Moreover, outer wall definition can be difficult due to similar intensities of the airway walls and nearby structures such as vessels. In this paper, we propose a computational framework to accurately quantify airways through (i) a novel hybrid approach for precise segmentation of the lumen, and (ii) two novel methods (a spatially constrained Markov random walk method (pseudo 3-D) and a relative fuzzy connectedness method (3-D)) to estimate the airway wall thickness. We evaluate the performance of our proposed methods in comparison with mostly used algorithms using human chest CT images. Our results demonstrate that, on publicly available data sets and using standard evaluation criteria, the proposed airway segmentation method is accurate and efficient as compared with the state-of-the-art methods, and the airway wall estimation algorithms identified the inner and outer airway surfaces more accurately than the most widely applied methods, namely full width at half maximum and phase congruency. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Left ventricular wall stress and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase gene expression in renal hypertensive rats: dose-dependent effects of ACE inhibition and AT1-receptor blockade.

Science.gov (United States)

Zierhut, W; Studer, R; Laurent, D; Kästner, S; Allegrini, P; Whitebread, S; Cumin, F; Baum, H P; de Gasparo, M; Drexler, H

1996-05-01

Cardiac hypertrophy is associated with altered Ca2+ handling and may predispose to the development of LV dysfunction and cardiac failure. At the cellular level, the re-expression of ANF represents a well-established marker of myocyte hypertrophy while the decreased expression of the sarcoplasmatic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase is thought o play a crucial role in the alterations of Ca2+ handling and LV function. We assessed the dose-dependent effect of chronic ACE inhibition or AT1 receptor blockade on cardiac function in relation to the cardiac expression of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase and ANF. Renal hypertensive rats (2K-1C) were treated for 12 weeks with three different doses of the ACE inhibitor benazepril, the AT1-receptor antagonist valsartan (each drug 0.3, 3, and 10 mg/kg per day i.p.) or placebo. LV dimensions, hypertrophy and wall stress were determined in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging and the gene expressions of ANF and SR Ca(2+)-ATPase were quantified by Northern blot. Low doses of both drugs did not affect blood pressure, hypertrophy, systolic wall stress and the ANF and SR Ca(2+)-ATPase gene expression. High doses of each drug reduced systolic blood pressure, wall stress, and LV hypertrophy to a similar extent and to values comparable to normotensive, age-matched rats. In addition, high dose treatment reduced LV end-systolic and end-diastolic volume as compared to untreated 2K-1C animals and normalized the mRNA levels of both ANF and SR Ca(2+)-ATPase (as compared to normotensive animals). We conclude that in this model, high doses of ACE inhibition and AT1-receptor blockade are necessary to normalize systolic blood pressure, LV hypertrophy and systolic LV wall stress which, in turn, is associated with restoration of a normal cardiac phenotype with respect to SR Ca(2+)-ATPase and ANF and normalization of cardiac function.

Load capacity of a thick-walled cylinder with a radial hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laczek, S.; Rys, J.; Zielinski, A.P.

2010-01-01

The paper deals with elastic-plastic analysis of the stress-strain state in the vicinity of a hole in a thick-walled cylindrical pressure vessel. The investigations have been inspired by the phenomenon of ductile fracture observed in a high-pressure reactor. Using finite element calculations, different failure criteria are proposed to aid design and control of high-pressure vessels with piping attachments. They are compared with suggestions of American (ASME) and European (EN) standards. A simple shakedown analysis of the structure is also presented. The local stress distribution near the hole results in a specific failure of the vessel. A plastic zone appears in the vicinity of the internal cylinder surface and propagates along the hole side. The vessel unloading can cause local reverse plasticity, which leads to plastic shakedown in the small zone and then to progressive ductile fracture in this zone. This is dangerous for the whole structure.

Formation and characterization of FeLV iscoms.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L. Akerblom; K. Strö mstedt; S. Hö glund; A.D.M.E. Osterhaus (Albert); B. Morein (Bror)

1989-01-01

textabstractImmunostimulating complexes (ISCOMs) have been prepared from feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) envelope proteins. The ISCOMs were characterized biochemically in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showing the presence of proteins of estimated molecular weights of 15,000, 27,000 and

Method and apparatus to produce and maintain a thick, flowing, liquid lithium first wall for toroidal magnetic confinement DT fusion reactors

Science.gov (United States)

Woolley, Robert D.

2002-01-01

A system for forming a thick flowing liquid metal, in this case lithium, layer on the inside wall of a toroid containing the plasma of a deuterium-tritium fusion reactor. The presence of the liquid metal layer or first wall serves to prevent neutron damage to the walls of the toroid. A poloidal current in the liquid metal layer is oriented so that it flows in the same direction as the current in a series of external magnets used to confine the plasma. This current alignment results in the liquid metal being forced against the wall of the toroid. After the liquid metal exits the toroid it is pumped to a heat extraction and power conversion device prior to being reentering the toroid.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance demonstration of the spectrum of morphological phenotypes and patterns of myocardial scarring in Anderson-Fabry disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Deva, Djeven Parameshvara; Hanneman, Kate; Li, Qin; Ng, Ming Yen; Wasim, Syed; Morel, Chantal; Iwanochko, Robert M; Thavendiranathan, Paaladinesh; Crean, Andrew Michael

2016-03-31

Although it is known that Anderson-Fabry Disease (AFD) can mimic the morphologic manifestations of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) on echocardiography, there is a lack of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) literature on this. There is limited information in the published literature on the distribution of myocardial fibrosis in patients with AFD, with scar reported principally in the basal inferolateral midwall. All patients with confirmed AFD undergoing CMR at our center were included. Left ventricular (LV) volumes, wall thicknesses and scar were analyzed offline. Patients were categorized into 4 groups: (1) no wall thickening; (2) concentric hypertrophy; (3) asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH); and (4) apical hypertrophy. Charts were reviewed for clinical information. Thirty-nine patients were included (20 males [51%], median age 45.2 years [range 22.3-64.4]). Almost half (17/39) had concentric wall thickening. Almost half (17/39) had pathologic LV scar; three quarters of these (13/17) had typical inferolateral midwall scar. A quarter (9/39) had both concentric wall thickening and typical inferolateral scar. A subgroup with ASH and apical hypertrophy (n = 5) had greater maximum wall thickness, total LV scar, apical scar and mid-ventricular scar than those with concentric hypertrophy (n = 17, p < 0.05). Patients with elevated LVMI had more overall arrhythmia (p = 0.007) more ventricular arrhythmia (p = 0.007) and sustained ventricular tachycardia (p = 0.008). Concentric thickening and inferolateral mid-myocardial scar are the most common manifestations of AFD, but the spectrum includes cases morphologically identical to apical and ASH subtypes of HCM and these have more apical and mid-ventricular LV scar. Significant LVH is associated with ventricular arrhythmia.

Biocorrosion of 316LV steel used in oral cavity due to Desulfotomaculum nigrificans bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Mystkowska, Joanna; Ferreira, Jose A; Leszczyńska, Katarzyna; Chmielewska, Sylwia; Dąbrowski, Jan Ryszard; Wieciński, Piotr; Kurzydłowski, Krzysztof Jan

2017-01-01

Corrosion processes of metallic biomaterials in the oral cavity pose a significant limitation to the life and reliable functioning of dental materials. In this article, the influence of environment bacteria Desulfotomaculum nigrificans sulfate reducing bacteria on the corrosion processes of 316LV steel was assessed. After 14 and 28 days of contact of the material with the bacterial environment, the surfaces of the tested biomaterial were observed by means of confocal scanning laser microscopy, and their chemical composition was studied using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrometry and a scanning transmission electron microscopy. Corrosive changes, the presence of sulfur (with atomic concentration of 0.5%) on the surface of the biomaterial and the presence of a thin oxide layer (thickness of ∼20 nm) under the surface of the steel were observed. This corrosion layer with significant size reduction of grains was characterized by an increased amount of oxygen (18% mas., p < 0.001) in comparison to untreated 316LV steel (where oxygen concentration - 10% mas.). Image analysis conducted using APHELION software indicated that corrosion pits took up ∼2.8% of the total tested surface. The greatest number of corrosion pits had a surface area within the range of 100-200 μm 2 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 222-229, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of characteristics parameters in the evaluation of wall thickness diminishing in admiralty brass tubes of the steam condenser, tested by eddy currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obrutsky, Alba E.; Mendez, Jorge A.; Acosta, Cesar D.; Scopelliti, Jose D.

1999-01-01

This work is aimed to appraise the measure of the wall thickness diminishing in the signals evaluation obtained in the inspection of steam condenser by eddy currents. In the analysis of the obtained signals were observed in the brass tubes a great quantity of internal defects whose signal indicates that there were diminishing of the wall thickness between 80% and 100%. With all this information and analyzing the data acquired, the tubes with more important indications were selected to make a more exhaustive study of the found defectology. As first test, it was measured the thickness of the worn tubes, comparing them with the original ones that are in stock. It was verified that the tubes separated for this study presented a 30% less thickness in comparison with the new tubes. A semiquantitative chemical test (EDAX) was made to verify if it was the same material. One of the extracted tubes (066 Y1) was reinspected in order to isolate the area with indications. Once this was performed, it was decided to cut the tube to make a visual inspection and to evaluate to what type of defect corresponds to the signals obtained. In the metallography it was confirm that it was a horseshoe type defect. When performing a dimensional control test of the found real defect, it was checked that the information obtained by eddy currents regarding the diminishing of the wall thickness diminishing was valid. At a last stage of the test, it was proceed to make an study and verification of the used parameters, probes, standards and finally determine which shall be the convenient modifications to minimize errors. (author)

Fast mean and variance computation of the diffuse sound transmission through finite-sized thick and layered wall and floor systems

Science.gov (United States)

Decraene, Carolina; Dijckmans, Arne; Reynders, Edwin P. B.

2018-05-01

A method is developed for computing the mean and variance of the diffuse field sound transmission loss of finite-sized layered wall and floor systems that consist of solid, fluid and/or poroelastic layers. This is achieved by coupling a transfer matrix model of the wall or floor to statistical energy analysis subsystem models of the adjacent room volumes. The modal behavior of the wall is approximately accounted for by projecting the wall displacement onto a set of sinusoidal lateral basis functions. This hybrid modal transfer matrix-statistical energy analysis method is validated on multiple wall systems: a thin steel plate, a polymethyl methacrylate panel, a thick brick wall, a sandwich panel, a double-leaf wall with poro-elastic material in the cavity, and a double glazing. The predictions are compared with experimental data and with results obtained using alternative prediction methods such as the transfer matrix method with spatial windowing, the hybrid wave based-transfer matrix method, and the hybrid finite element-statistical energy analysis method. These comparisons confirm the prediction accuracy of the proposed method and the computational efficiency against the conventional hybrid finite element-statistical energy analysis method.

Continuous thickness control of extruded pipes with assistance of microcomputers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breil, J.

1983-06-01

Because of economic and quality securing reasons a constant wall thickness of extruded pipes in circumference and extrusion direction is an important production aim. Therefore a microcomputer controlled system was developed, which controls die centering with electric motors. The control of wall thickness distribution; was realized with two conceptions: a dead time subjected control with a rotating on line wall thickness measuring instrument and an adaptive control with sensors in the pipe die. With a PI-algorithm excentricities of 30% of the wall thickness could be controlled below a trigger level of 2% within three dead times. (orig.) [de

Urinary albumin excretion in hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction. Prevalence of microalbuminuria and correlation to left ventricle wall thickness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taskiran, M; Feldt-Rasmussen, B; Jensen, G B

1998-01-01

was independent of blood pressure, body weight, smoking, diabetes mellitus, renal disease, and thrombolytic treatment. There was a positive correlation between urinary albumin excretion and thickness of the left ventricle wall (R = 0.28; p = 0.001) which was independent of blood pressure. Follow-up examination...

Factors affecting accuracy of ventricular volume and ejection fraction measured by gated Tl-201 myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pai, Moon Sun; Yang, You Jung; Im, Ki Chun; Hong, Il Ki; Yun, Sung Cheol; Kang, Duk Hyun; Song, Jae Kwan; Moon, Dae Hyuk

2005-01-01

Systemic errors in the gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) measurement of left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV) and ejection fraction (EF) may occur. We evaluated whether patient-related factors affected the accuracy of EDV, ESV, and EF measured by electrocardiogram-gated Tl-201 SPECT. A total of 518 patients without perfusion defects on Tl-201 SPECT or coronary artery disease were studied. EDV, ESV, and EF were measured from echocardiography and adenosine stress/redistribution gated Tl-201 SPECT using commercially available software packages (QGS and 4D-MSPECT). We identified factors affecting the accuracy of gated SPECT via multiple linear regression analysis of the differences between echocardiography and gated SPECT. Gated SPECT analyzed with QGS underestimated EDV and ESV, and overestimated EF, but 4D-MSPECT overestimated all those values (p<0.001). Independent variables that increased the difference in EDV between echocardiography and gated SPECT were decreasing LV end-diastolic wall thickness, decreasing body surface area, female sex and increasing EDV (p< 0.001). Those for ESV were decreasing LV end-systolic wall thickness, female sex, and decreasing ESV (p<0.001). Increasing end-systolic wall thickness, male sex and decreasing age were independent determinants associated with an increased difference in EF (p< 0.001). Adenosine stress SPECT showed significantly higher EDV and ESV values and a lower EF than did redistribution SPECT (p< 0.001). In determination of EF, QGS demonstrated a smaller bias than did 4D-MSPECT. However, in men with LV hypertrophy, 4D-MSPECT was superior to QGS. Systemic error by gated Tl-201 SPECT is determined by individual patient-characteristics

Chest-wall thickness and percent thoracic fat estimation by B-mode ultrasound: system and procedure review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, C.D.; Lane, B.H.; Dunsmore, M.R.

1983-02-01

Accurate measurement of chest wall thickness is necessary for estimation of lung burden of transuranic elements in humans. To achieve tis capability, the ORNL Whole Body Counter has acquired a B-mode ultrasonic imaging system for defining the structure within the thorax of the body. This report contains a review of the ultrasound system in use at the ORNL Whole Body Counter, including its theory of operation, and te procedure for use of the system. Future developmental plans are also presented

Reducing the Impact of Electroconductivity and the Gap between the Pipe and the Transducer at Measuring Thickness of Electroconductive Pipe Walls using the Eddy-Current Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakimov Evgeny

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes a dual-frequency method for reducing the impact of changes in the gap size between the eddy-current transducer and the pipe, as well as the pipe electrical conductivity on the eddy-current thickness gauge readings. A block-diagram of the dual-frequency eddycurrent thickness gauge is proposed for light-alloy drill pipes. The amplitude and signal phase dependencies on the wall thickness in the range from 6 to 17 mm and the gap in the range from 0 to 13.5 mm were studied, the results are presented. The digital signal processing algorithms based on the piecewise-linear approximation of low-frequency and high-frequency signal phase dependencies on the wall thickness are proposed. It is shown that the proposed correction algorithms can reduce the error caused by variations of electrical conductivity and the gap between the transducer and the pipe.

[Coronary circulation in asymmetrical hypertrophy of the interventricular septum. On a new pathogenic hypothesis].

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, G; Orea, A; Trevethan, S; Martínez Ríos, M A

1984-01-01

Thirty-four patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were studied. In all cases the following parameters were analyzed: 1) Echocardiography:left ventricular diastolic and systolic diameters, ejection fraction, thickness and movement of interventricular septum and posterior wall of the left ventricle (LV) 2) Electrocardiography: R wave voltaje in precordial leads V2, V3 and V5 and electrical axis in frontal plane 3) Catheterization: intracavitary pressures in LV and aortic pressures 4) Left ventriculography: areas of altered contractility 5) Coronariography: distribution pattern of coronary arteries and number of first order branches of circumflex (CA) and anterior descending coronary arteries (ADCA). The population was divided into 2 groups. Group A (GA) was made up of 22 patients with concentric hypertrophy (CH) of the LV (15 with systemic hypertensive heart disease, 6 with aortic valvular stenosis and 1 idiopathic). Echocardiographic findings included posterior wall thickness (PWT) or septal thickness of 1.1. cm or more and interventricular septum-posterior wall thickness ratio (S/PW) of less than 1.3. Group B (GB) included 12 patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (ASH), idiopathic in 5, systemic hypertensive heart disease in 4 and aortic valvular stenosis in 3. In these patients the S/PW thickness ratio was greater than 1.3 and the thickness of either wall greater than 1.1. cm. When the data of the two groups were compared there were significant differences in relation to the presence of septal hypertrophy. The R wave voltage in V2, interventricular thickness and S/PW were greater in GB. In addition, septal movement was less in GB than in Group A (0.47 +/- 0.26 cm vs. 0.74 +/- 0.37 cm; P less than 0.05). PWT was also less in Group B than in A (B: 1.01 +/- 0.1 cm, A: 1.2 +/- 0.2 cm; P less than 0.001). The CA in Group B divided into fewer than 4 first order branches to the upper two thirds of the posterior and lateral walls of the LV in 91.6%. This

Continuous monitoring of the wall thickness of pipelines with ultrasonic waves; Dauerueberwachung der Wanddicke von Rohrleitungen mit Ultraschall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueck, Andreas [SONOTEC Ultraschallsensorik Halle GmbH, Halle (Saale) (Germany); Imhof, Dietmar [TUeV NORD MPA GmbH und Co.KG, Leuna (Germany)

2015-07-01

Pipelines in industrial plants must be constantly monitored due to occurring erosion and corrosion. The determination of the residual wall thickness is generally carried out with ultrasound. Often, the critical points are difficult to access and the pipes insulated. The preparation and evaluation of a measurement is therefore very costly. The measuring system SONOWALL S ultrasonic probes are firmly attached to the pipeline and installed into isolation. The number and position of the probes can be freely selected. Often, the load is not known exactly why the monitoring of the pipe wall thickness over the entire circumference is necessary. The acoustic coupling to the pipe is done with proven adhesives that do not lose their adhesive strength even under changing ambient temperatures. The connecting cables are housed away up to 20 m in an easily accessible place in a terminal box. There can be done a wall thickness measurement with conventional ultrasonic testing devices. By using standardized components, the measuring system meets the requirements of DIN EN 12668 and DIN EN 14127. [German] Rohrleitungen in industriellen Anlagen muessen aufgrund der auftretenden Erosion und Korrosion permanent ueberwacht werden. Die Bestimmung der Restwanddicke erfolgt in der Regel mit Ultraschall. Oftmals sind die kritischen Stellen schwer zugaenglich und die Rohrleitungen isoliert. Die Vor- und Nachbereitung einer Messung ist dadurch sehr aufwendig. Beim Messsystem SONOWALL S werden Ultraschallpruefkoepfe fest an der Rohrleitung angebracht und in die Isolation eingebaut. Die Anzahl und Position der Pruefkoepfe ist dabei frei waehlbar. Oft ist die Belastung nicht genau bekannt, weshalb eine Ueberwachung der Rohrwanddicke ueber den gesamten Umfang notwendig ist. Die akustische Ankopplung an das Rohr erfolgt mit erprobten Klebstoffen, die auch bei wechselnden Umgebungstemperaturen ihre Haftfestigkeit nicht verlieren. Die Anschlusskabel werden bis zu 20m entfernt an einer gut

Biodegradation of di-n-butyl phthalate by bacterial consortium LV-1 enriched from river sludge.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yangyang Wang

Full Text Available A stable bacterial consortium (LV-1 capable of degrading di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP was enriched from river sludge. Community analysis revealed that the main families of LV-1 are Brucellaceae (62.78% and Sinobacteraceae (14.83%, and the main genera of LV-1 are Brucella spp. (62.78% and Sinobacter spp. (14.83%. The optimal pH and temperature for LV-1 to degrade DBP were pH 6.0 and 30°C, respectively. Inoculum size influenced the degradation ratio when the incubation time was < 24 h. The initial concentration of DBP also influenced the degradation rates of DBP by LV-1, and the degradation rates ranged from 69.0-775.0 mg/l/d in the first 24 h. Degradation of DBP was best fitted by first-order kinetics when the initial concentration was < 300 mg/l. In addition, Cd2+, Cr6+, and Zn2+ inhibited DBP degradation by LV-1 at all considered concentrations, but low concentrations of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ enhanced DBP degradation. The main intermediates (mono-ethyl phthalate [MEP], mono-butyl phthalate [MBP], and phthalic acid [PA] were identified in the DBP degradation process, thus a new biochemical pathway of DBP degradation is proposed. Furthermore, LV-1 also degraded other phthalates with shorter ester chains (DMP, DEP, and PA.

EV Charging Facilities and Their Application in LV Feeders with Photovoltaics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marra, Francesco; Yang, Guangya; Træholt, Chresten

2013-01-01

Low-voltage (LV) grid feeders with high penetration of photovoltaics (PVs) are often affected by voltage magnitude problems. To solve such issues, previous research has shown that reactive power methods, active power curtailment and grid reinforcement can be used for voltage support, yet showing...... several limits. We introduce the use of electric vehicle (EV) public charging stations with energy storage system (ESS) as a solution for voltage regulation in LV feeders with PV. A novel method is proposed to determine the ESS charging load required for voltage regulation and compare the results...... for the different locations in the feeder. With time-series simulations, we quantify the energy size required for a station ESS. A Belgian LV residential grid, modeled using real PV generation and load profiles, is used as case study. The method and simulation results show the effectiveness of using public EV...

Athlete's Heart: Is the Morganroth Hypothesis Obsolete?

Science.gov (United States)

Haykowsky, Mark J; Samuel, T Jake; Nelson, Michael D; La Gerche, Andre

2018-05-01

In 1975, Morganroth and colleagues reported that the increased left ventricular (LV) mass in highly trained endurance athletes versus nonathletes was primarily due to increased end-diastolic volume while the increased LV mass in resistance trained athletes was solely due to an increased LV wall thickness. Based on the divergent remodelling patterns observed, Morganroth and colleagues hypothesised that the increased "volume" load during endurance exercise may be similar to that which occurs in patients with mitral or aortic regurgitation while the "pressure" load associated with performing a Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) during resistance exercise may mimic the stress imposed on the heart by systemic hypertension or aortic stenosis. Despite widespread acceptance of the four-decade old Morganroth hypothesis in sports cardiology, some investigators have questioned whether such a divergent "athlete's heart" phenotype exists. Given this uncertainty, the purpose of this brief review is to re-evaluate the Morganroth hypothesis regarding: i) the acute effects of resistance exercise performed with a brief VM on LV wall stress, and the patterns of LV remodelling in resistance-trained athletes; ii) the acute effects of endurance exercise on biventricular wall stress, and the time course and pattern of LV and right ventricular (RV) remodelling with endurance training; and iii) the value of comparing "loading" conditions between athletes and patients with cardiac pathology. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Development of sea water pipe thickness measurement technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morimoto, Kazuo; Wakayama, Seiichi; Takeuchi, Iwao; Masamori, Sigero; Yamasita, Takesi.

1995-01-01

In nuclear and thermal power plants, wall wear of sea water pipes is reported to occur in the inner surface due to corrosion and erosion. From the viewpoint of improving the equipments reliability, it is desirable that wall thickness should be measured from the outer surface of the pipe during operation. In the conventional method, paint on the outer surface of the pipe was locally removed at each point of a 20 by 50 mm grid, and inspection was carried out at these spots. However, this method had some problems, such as (1) it was necessary to replace the paint, and (2) it was difficult to obtain the precise distribution of wall thickness. Therefore, we have developed a wall thickness measuring system which has the following features. (1) It is possible to perform inspection from the outer surface without removing paint during operation. (2) It is possible to measure the distribution of wall thickness and display it as color contour map simultaneously. (3) The work of inspectors can be alleviated by the automatic recording of measured data. (author)

Localizing gravity on exotic thick 3-branes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo-Felisola, Oscar; Melfo, Alejandra; Pantoja, Nelson; Ramirez, Alba

2004-01-01

We consider localization of gravity on thick branes with a nontrivial structure. Double walls that generalize the thick Randall-Sundrum solution, and asymmetric walls that arise from a Z 2 symmetric scalar potential, are considered. We present a new asymmetric solution: a thick brane interpolating between two AdS 5 spacetimes with different cosmological constants, which can be derived from a 'fake supergravity' superpotential, and show that it is possible to confine gravity on such branes

Benazepril inhibited the NF-κB and TGF-β networking on LV hypertrophy in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Shi-Hai; Zhao, Ning-Wei; Zhu, Xuan-Xuan; Wang, Qiong; Wang, Hai-Dan; Fu, Rui; Sun, Yuan; Li, Qi-Yi

2013-05-01

Benazepril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, has been used to treat hypertension, congestive heart failure, and chronic renal failure. However, its biological activity and mechanism of action in inflammation are not fully identified. The present study was designed to determine the in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of benazepril on LV hypertrophy in rats. LV hypertrophy was produced in rats by abdominal aortic coarctation. They were then divided into the following groups: sham operation; LV hypertrophy; LV hypertrophy+benazepril (1mg/kg in a gavage, once a day for 4 weeks). Both morphological assays (hemodynamic and hemorheological measurement; LV hypertrophy assessment), and molecular assays (protein levels of Collagen type I/III, TNF-α and VCAM-1; TGF-β gene expression; NF-κB or Smad activation; intracellular ROS production) were performed. The following effects were observed in rats treated with benazepril: (1) marked improvements in hemodynamic and hemorheological parameters; (2) significant reductions in LV hypertrophy, dilatation and fibrosis; (3) significantly attenuated protein levels of Collagen type I/III, TGF-β, TNF-α and VCAM-1, NF-κB or Smad activation, as well as intracellular ROS production. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of benazepril may be ascribed to their down-regulation of both NF-κB and TGF-β signaling pathways by acting on the intracellular ROS production in rats with LV hypertrophy, thus supporting the use of benazepril as an anti-inflammatory agent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regional left ventricular myocardial contraction abnormalities and asynchrony in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy evaluated by magnetic resonance spatial modulation of magnetization myocardial tagging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishiro, Yuichiro; Oki, Takashi; Iuchi, Arata

1999-01-01

Global left ventricular (LV) pump function is generally preserved in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, it is unknown whether regional myocardial contractility is impaired, especially in nonhypertrophied regions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate regional LV myocardial contraction in patients with HCM using magnetic resonance (MR) spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM) myocardial tagging. The study group comprised 20 patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (HCM group) and 16 age-matched normal patients (control group), and data were collected using transthoracic M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiography, and MR SPAMM myocardial tagging. The systolic strain ratio, maximum systolic strain velocity, and time from end-diastole to maximum systolic strain (ΔT) in the anterior, ventricular septal, inferior and lateral regions for 2 LV short-axis sections at the levels of the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles were measured at 50-ms intervals by MR myocardial tagging. The end-diastolic anterior and ventricular septal wall thicknesses and LV mass index were significantly different between the HCM and control groups. The systolic strain ratio for all 4 walls, particularly the anterior and ventricular septal regions, was significantly lower in the HCM group. In the HCM group, the maximum systolic strain velocity was significantly lower and ΔT was significantly shorter for all 4 walls, particularly the anterior and ventricular septal regions. The standard deviation for the ΔT, calculated from the ΔT for the 8 regions of the 2 LV short-axis sections, was significantly greater in the HCM group. In conclusion, regional LV myocardial contraction is impaired in both hypertrophied and nonhypertrophied regions, and systolic LV wall asynchrony occurs in patients with HCM. (author)

Structural remodeling of the heart and its premotor cardioinhibitory vagal neurons following T(5) spinal cord transection.

Science.gov (United States)

Lujan, Heidi L; Janbaih, Hussein; DiCarlo, Stephen E

2014-05-01

Midthoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with enhanced cardiac sympathetic activity and reduced cardiac parasympathetic activity. The enhanced cardiac sympathetic activity is associated with sympathetic structural plasticity within the stellate ganglia, spinal cord segments T1-T4, and heart. However, changes to cardiac parasympathetic centers rostral to an experimental SCI are relatively unknown. Importantly, reduced vagal activity is a predictor of high mortality. Furthermore, this autonomic dysregulation promotes progressive left ventricular (LV) structural remodeling. Accordingly, we hypothesized that midthoracic spinal cord injury is associated with structural plasticity in premotor (preganglionic parasympathetic neurons) cardioinhibitory vagal neurons located within the nucleus ambiguus as well as LV structural remodeling. To test this hypothesis, dendritic arborization and morphology (cholera toxin B immunohistochemistry and Sholl analysis) of cardiac projecting premotor cardioinhibitory vagal neurons located within the nucleus ambiguus were determined in intact (sham transected) and thoracic level 5 transected (T5X) rats. In addition, LV chamber size, wall thickness, and collagen content (Masson trichrome stain and structural analysis) were determined. Midthoracic SCI was associated with structural changes within the nucleus ambiguus and heart. Specifically, following T5 spinal cord transection, there was a significant increase in cardiac parasympathetic preganglionic neuron dendritic arborization, soma area, maximum dendritic length, and number of intersections/animal. This parasympathetic structural remodeling was associated with a profound LV structural remodeling. Specifically, T5 spinal cord transection increased LV chamber area, reduced LV wall thickness, and increased collagen content. Accordingly, results document a dynamic interaction between the heart and its parasympathetic innervation.

Fatigue as Presenting Symptom and a High Burden of Premature Ventricular Contractions Are Independently Associated With Increased Ventricular Wall Stress in Patients With Normal Left Ventricular Function.

Science.gov (United States)

van Huls van Taxis, Carine F B; Piers, Sebastiaan R D; de Riva Silva, Marta; Dekkers, Olaf M; Pijnappels, Daniël A; Schalij, Martin J; Wijnmaalen, Adrianus P; Zeppenfeld, Katja

2015-12-01

High idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVC) burden has been associated with PVC-induced cardiomyopathy. Patients may be symptomatic before left ventricular (LV) dysfunction develops. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and circumferential end-systolic wall stress (cESS) on echocardiography are markers for increased ventricular wall stress. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between presenting symptoms, PVC burden, and increased ventricular wall stress in patients with frequent PVCs and preserved LV function. Eighty-three patients (41 men; 49±15 years) with idiopathic PVCs and normal LV function referred for PVC ablation were included. Type of symptoms (palpitations, fatigue, and [near-]syncope), PVC burden on 24-hour Holter, NT-proBNP levels, and cESS on echocardiography were assessed before and 3 months after ablation. Sustained successful ablation was defined as ≥80% PVC burden reduction during follow-up. Patients were symptomatic for 24 months (Q1-Q3, 16-60); 73% reported palpitations, 47% fatigue, and 30% (near-)syncope. Baseline PVC burden was 23±13%, median NT-proBNP 92 pg/mL (Q1-Q3 50-156), and cESS 143±35 kdyne/cm(2). Fatigue was associated with higher baseline NT-proBNP and cESS (PFatigue was independently associated with a significantly larger reduction in NT-proBNP. In patients with nonsuccessful ablation, NT-proBNP and cESS remained unchanged. In patients with frequent PVCs and preserved LV function, fatigue was associated with higher baseline NT-proBNP and cESS, and with a significantly larger reduction in NT-proBNP after sustained successful ablation. These findings support a link between fatigue and PVC-induced increased ventricular wall stress, despite preserved LV function. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

The Risk of Heart Failure and Cardiometabolic Complications in Obesity May Be Masked by an Apparent Healthy Status of Normal Blood Glucose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuchita Tiwari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Although many obese individuals are normoglycemic and asymptomatic of cardiometabolic complications, this apparent healthy state may be a misnomer. Since heart failure is a major cause of mortality in obesity, we investigated the effects of heme-oxygenase (HO on heart failure and cardiometabolic complications in obese normoglycemic Zucker-fatty rats (ZFs. Treatment with the HO-inducer, hemin, reduced markers of heart failure, such as osteopontin and osteoprotegerin, abated left-ventricular (LV hypertrophy/fibrosis, extracellular matrix/profibrotic proteins including collagen IV, fibronectin, TGF-β1, and reduced cardiac lesions. Furthermore, hemin suppressed inflammation by abating macrophage chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 alpha, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β but enhanced adiponectin, atrial-natriuretic peptide (ANP, HO activity, insulin sensitivity, and glucose metabolism. Correspondingly, hemin improved several hemodynamic/echocardiographic parameters including LV-diastolic wall thickness, LV-systolic wall thickness, mean-arterial pressure, arterial-systolic pressure, arterial-diastolic pressure, LV-developed pressure, +dP/dt, and cardiac output. Contrarily, the HO-inhibitor, stannous mesoporphyrin nullified the hemin effect, exacerbating inflammatory/oxidative insults and aggravated insulin resistance (HOMA-index. We conclude that perturbations in insulin signaling and cardiac function may be forerunners to overt hyperglycemia and heart failure in obesity. Importantly, hemin improves cardiac function by suppressing markers of heart failure, LV hypertrophy, cardiac lesions, extracellular matrix/profibrotic proteins, and inflammatory/oxidative mediators, while concomitantly enhancing the HO-adiponectin-ANP axis.

Athletic Cardiac Remodeling in US Professional Basketball Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Engel, David J; Schwartz, Allan; Homma, Shunichi

2016-04-01

The incidence of sudden cardiac death is higher in US basketball players compared with other athlete groups. However, the recognition of the risk for sudden cardiac death among basketball players is challenging because little is known regarding athletic cardiac remodeling in these athletes or athletes of similarly increased size. To perform a comprehensive cardiac structural analysis of National Basketball Association (NBA) professional athletes. Echocardiographic observational study of NBA players on the active rosters for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons was performed from December 16, 2013, to December 12, 2014. The policy of the NBA mandates annual preseason stress echocardiograms for each player. The NBA has sanctioned Columbia University Medical Center to conduct annual health and safety reviews of these echocardiograms. Data were analyzed from January to May 2015. Cardiac variables assessed included left ventricular (LV) size, mass, wall thickness, and hypertrophy patterns and function; left atrial volume; and aortic root diameter. All dimensions were biometrically scaled. Of the 526 athletes included in the study, 406 (77.2%) were African American and 107 (20.3%) were white, with a mean (SD) age of 25.7 (4.3) years. Mean (SD) athlete height was 200.2 (8.8) cm; mean body surface area, 2.38 (0.19) m2. Left ventricular size and mass in NBA athletes were proportional to body size, extending to the uppermost biometrics of the cohort. Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 144 athletes (27.4%). African American athletes had increased LV wall thickness (unadjusted mean, 11.2 mm; 95% CI, 11.1-11.3 mm) and LV mass (unadjusted mean, 106.3 g/m2; 95% CI, 104.6-108.0 g/m2) compared with LV wall thickness (unadjusted mean, 10.5 mm; 95% CI, 10.3-10.7 mm; P basketball players and the athletic community at large.

The influence of wall thickness on the microstructure of bronze BA1055 with the additions of Si, Cr, Mo and/or W

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.P. Pisarek

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Aluminium bronzes belong to the high-grade constructional materials applied on the put under strongly load pieces of machines, about good sliding, resistant properties on corrosion both in the cast state how and after the thermal processing. It moves to them Cr and Si in the aim of the improvement of their usable proprieties. Additions Mo and/or W were not applied so far in the larger concentration, these elements were introduced to the melts of the copper as the components of modifiers. It was worked out therefore the new kind of bronzes casting including these elements. Make additions to the Cu-Al-Fe-Ni bronze of Si, Cr, Mo and/or W in the rise of these properties makes possible. The investigations of the influence of the wall thickness of the cast on size of crystallites were conducted: the primary phase β and intermetallic phase κ and the width separates of the secondary phase α precipitate at phase boundary. It results from conducted investigations, that in the aluminium bronze BA1055 after simultaneous makes additions Si, Cr, Mo and in the primary phase β it undergoes considerable reducing size. The addition W reduce size of the grain phase β in the thin walls of the cast 3-6 mm, and addition Cr in the range of the thickness of the wall of the cast 3-6 mm it favors to reducing size the phase β, in walls 12-25 mm the growth causes it. The addition Mo does not influence the change of the size of the grain of the β phase significantly. The make addition singly or simultaneously of the Cr, Mo and W to the bronze CuAl10Fe5Ni5Si it influences the decrease of the quantity separates of the phase α on the interface boundary and of width it separates independently from the thickness of the wall of the cast. The simultaneous make addition of the Si, Cr, Mo and W it enlarges the surface of the phase κFe, κMo. The make addition to the bronze CuAl10Fe5Ni5Si of the Cr, Mo or W the quantity of crystallizing hard phase κ enlarges and the

Left Ventricle: Fully Automated Segmentation Based on Spatiotemporal Continuity and Myocardium Information in Cine Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (LV-FAST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lijia Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available CMR quantification of LV chamber volumes typically and manually defines the basal-most LV, which adds processing time and user-dependence. This study developed an LV segmentation method that is fully automated based on the spatiotemporal continuity of the LV (LV-FAST. An iteratively decreasing threshold region growing approach was used first from the midventricle to the apex, until the LV area and shape discontinued, and then from midventricle to the base, until less than 50% of the myocardium circumference was observable. Region growth was constrained by LV spatiotemporal continuity to improve robustness of apical and basal segmentations. The LV-FAST method was compared with manual tracing on cardiac cine MRI data of 45 consecutive patients. Of the 45 patients, LV-FAST and manual selection identified the same apical slices at both ED and ES and the same basal slices at both ED and ES in 38, 38, 38, and 41 cases, respectively, and their measurements agreed within -1.6±8.7 mL, -1.4±7.8 mL, and 1.0±5.8% for EDV, ESV, and EF, respectively. LV-FAST allowed LV volume-time course quantitatively measured within 3 seconds on a standard desktop computer, which is fast and accurate for processing the cine volumetric cardiac MRI data, and enables LV filling course quantification over the cardiac cycle.

Manufacturing and maintenance technologies developed for a thick-wall structure of the ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, M.; Alfile, J.P.; Aubert, Ph.; Dagenais, J.-F.; Grebennikov, D.; Ioki, K.; Jones, L.; Koizumi, K.; Krylov, V.; Maslakowski, J.; Nakahira, M.; Nelson, B.; Punshon, C.; Roy, O.; Schreck, G.

2001-01-01

Development of welding, cutting and non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques, and development of remotized systems have been carried out for on-site manufacturing and maintenance of the thick-wall structure of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) vacuum vessel (VV). Conventional techniques, including tungsten inert gas welding, plasma cutting, and ultrasonic inspection, have been improved and optimized for the application to thick austenitic stainless steel plates. In addition, advanced methods have been investigated, including reduced-pressure electron-beam and multi-pass neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (NdYAG) laser welding, NdYAG laser cutting, and electro-magnetic acoustic transducer inspection, to improve cost and technical performance. Two types of remotized systems with different payloads have been investigated and one of them has been fabricated and demonstrated in field joint welding, cutting, and NDT tests on test mockups and full-scale ITER VV sector models. The progress and results of this development to date provide a high level of confidence that the manufacturing and maintenance of the ITER VV is feasible

Manufacturing and maintenance technologies developed for a thick-wall structure of the ITER vacuum vessel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, M. E-mail: onozukm@itereu.de; Alfile, J.P.; Aubert, Ph.; Dagenais, J.-F.; Grebennikov, D.; Ioki, K.; Jones, L.; Koizumi, K.; Krylov, V.; Maslakowski, J.; Nakahira, M.; Nelson, B.; Punshon, C.; Roy, O.; Schreck, G

2001-09-01

Development of welding, cutting and non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques, and development of remotized systems have been carried out for on-site manufacturing and maintenance of the thick-wall structure of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) vacuum vessel (VV). Conventional techniques, including tungsten inert gas welding, plasma cutting, and ultrasonic inspection, have been improved and optimized for the application to thick austenitic stainless steel plates. In addition, advanced methods have been investigated, including reduced-pressure electron-beam and multi-pass neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (NdYAG) laser welding, NdYAG laser cutting, and electro-magnetic acoustic transducer inspection, to improve cost and technical performance. Two types of remotized systems with different payloads have been investigated and one of them has been fabricated and demonstrated in field joint welding, cutting, and NDT tests on test mockups and full-scale ITER VV sector models. The progress and results of this development to date provide a high level of confidence that the manufacturing and maintenance of the ITER VV is feasible.

Transient Response of a Fluid-Filled, Thick-Walled Spherical Shell Embedded in an Elastic Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bahari Ako

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses the problem of transient elastodynamics analysis of a thick-walled, fluid-filled spherical shell embedded in an elastic medium with an analytical approach. This configuration is investigated at first step for a full-space case. Different constitutive relations for the elastic medium, shell material and filling fluid can be considered, as well as different excitation sources (including S/P wave or plane/spherical incident wave at different locations. With mapmaking visualisation, the wave propagation phenomena can be described and better understood. The methodology is going to be applied to analysis of the tunnels or other shell like structures under the effect of nearby underground explosion.

Recovery of BMIPP uptake and regional wall motion in insulin resistant patients following angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujino, Takayuki; Ishii, Yoshinao; Hirasawa, Kunihiko; Tateda, Kunihiko [Asahikawa City Hospital, Hokkaido (Japan); Takeuchi, Toshiharu; Kikuchi, Kenjiro; Hasebe, Naoyuki [Asahikawa Medical Coll., Hokkaido (Japan)

2003-09-01

The effect of insulin resistance (IR) on the fatty acid metabolism of myocardium, and therefore on the recovery of left ventricular (LV) wall motion, has not been established in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A total of consecutive 58 non-diabetic AMI patients who had successfully undergone emergency coronary angioplasty were analyzed retrospectively. They were categorized into 2 groups, normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The parameters of OGTT, myocardial scintigraphy (n=58) (thallium-201 (Tl) and iodine-123-{beta}-methyl-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP)) and left ventriculography (n=24) were compared in the 2 groups after reperfusion (acute phase) and 3-4 weeks after the AMI (chronic phase). The IR, estimated by the serum concentration of insulin at 120 min (IRI 120') of the OGTT and by the HOMA (the homeostasis model assessment) index, was higher in the IGT group than in NGT group. An inverse correlation was found between the recovery of regional LV wall motion in the ischemic lesion and the IRI 120' and HOMA index. Although the recovery of BMIPP uptake from the acute to the chronic phase was higher in the IGT group, it was only correlated with the degree of IRI 120', not with the HOMA. IR accompanied by IGT can negatively influence the recovery of regional LV wall motion. (author)

Recovery of BMIPP uptake and regional wall motion in insulin resistant patients following angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujino, Takayuki; Ishii, Yoshinao; Hirasawa, Kunihiko; Tateda, Kunihiko; Takeuchi, Toshiharu; Kikuchi, Kenjiro; Hasebe, Naoyuki

2003-01-01

The effect of insulin resistance (IR) on the fatty acid metabolism of myocardium, and therefore on the recovery of left ventricular (LV) wall motion, has not been established in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A total of consecutive 58 non-diabetic AMI patients who had successfully undergone emergency coronary angioplasty were analyzed retrospectively. They were categorized into 2 groups, normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The parameters of OGTT, myocardial scintigraphy (n=58) (thallium-201 (Tl) and iodine-123-β-methyl-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP)) and left ventriculography (n=24) were compared in the 2 groups after reperfusion (acute phase) and 3-4 weeks after the AMI (chronic phase). The IR, estimated by the serum concentration of insulin at 120 min (IRI 120') of the OGTT and by the HOMA (the homeostasis model assessment) index, was higher in the IGT group than in NGT group. An inverse correlation was found between the recovery of regional LV wall motion in the ischemic lesion and the IRI 120' and HOMA index. Although the recovery of BMIPP uptake from the acute to the chronic phase was higher in the IGT group, it was only correlated with the degree of IRI 120', not with the HOMA. IR accompanied by IGT can negatively influence the recovery of regional LV wall motion. (author)

Recovery of BMIPP uptake and regional wall motion in insulin resistant patients following angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujino, Takayuki; Ishii, Yoshinao; Takeuchi, Toshiharu; Hirasawa, Kunihiko; Tateda, Kunihiko; Kikuchi, Kenjiro; Hasebe, Naoyuki

2003-09-01

The effect of insulin resistance (IR) on the fatty acid metabolism of myocardium, and therefore on the recovery of left ventricular (LV) wall motion, has not been established in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A total of consecutive 58 non-diabetic AMI patients who had successfully undergone emergency coronary angioplasty were analyzed retrospectively. They were categorized into 2 groups, normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The parameters of OGTT, myocardial scintigraphy (n=58) (thallium-201 (Tl) and iodine-123-beta-methyl-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP)) and left ventriculography (n=24) were compared in the 2 groups after reperfusion (acute phase) and 3-4 weeks after the AMI (chronic phase). The insulin resistance (IR), estimated by the serum concentration of insulin at 120 min (IRI 120') of the OGTT and by the HOMA (the homeostasis model assessment) index, was higher in the IGT group than in NGT group. An inverse correlation was found between the recovery of regional LV wall motion in the ischemic lesion and the IRI 120' and HOMA index. Although the recovery of BMIPP uptake from the acute to the chronic phase was higher in the IGT group, it was only correlated with the degree of IRI 120', not with the HOMA. IR accompanied by IGT can negatively influence the recovery of regional LV wall motion.

Evaluation of Aortic Blood Flow and Wall Shear Stress in Aortic Stenosis and Its Association With Left Ventricular Remodeling

Science.gov (United States)

von Knobelsdorff-Brenkenhoff, Florian; Karunaharamoorthy, Achudhan; Trauzeddel, Ralf Felix; Barker, Alex J; Blaszczyk, Edyta; Markl, Michael; Schulz-Menger, Jeanette

2016-01-01

Background Aortic stenosis (AS) leads to variable stress for the left ventricle (LV) and consequently a broad range of LV remodeling. Study aim was to describe blood flow patterns in the ascending aorta of AS patients and determine their association with remodeling. Methods and Results Thirty-seven patients with AS (14 mild, 8 moderate, 15 severe; age 63±13 years) and 37 healthy controls (age 60±10 years) underwent 4D-flow MRI. Helical and vortical flow formations and flow eccentricity were assessed in the ascending aorta. Normalized flow displacement from the vessel center and peak systolic wall shear stress (WSSpeak) in the ascending aorta were quantified. LV remodeling was assessed based on LV mass index (LVMI-I) and the ratio of LV mass to enddiastolic volume (relative wall mass; RWM). Marked helical and vortical flow formation and eccentricity were more prevalent in patients with AS than in healthy subjects, and AS patients exhibited an asymmetric and elevated distribution of WSSpeak. In AS, aortic orifice area was strongly negatively associated with vortical flow formation (p=0.0274), eccentricity (p=0.0070) and flow displacement (p=0.0021). Bicuspid aortic valve was associated with more intense helical (p=0.0098) and vortical flow formation (p=0.0536), higher flow displacement (p=0.11) and higher WSSpeak (p=0.0926). LVM-I and RWM were significantly associated with aortic orifice area (p=0.0611, p=0.0058) and flow displacement (p=0.0058, p=0.0283). Conclusions In this pilot study, AS leads to abnormal blood flow pattern and WSSpeak in the ascending aorta. In addition to aortic orifice area, normalized flow displacement was significantly associated with LV remodeling. PMID:26917824

Optimization of wall thickness and lay-up for the shell-like composite structure loaded by non-uniform pressure field

Science.gov (United States)

Shevtsov, S.; Zhilyaev, I.; Oganesyan, P.; Axenov, V.

2017-01-01

The glass/carbon fiber composites are widely used in the design of various aircraft and rotorcraft components such as fairings and cowlings, which have predominantly a shell-like geometry and are made of quasi-isotropic laminates. The main requirements to such the composite parts are the specified mechanical stiffness to withstand the non-uniform air pressure at the different flight conditions and reduce a level of noise caused by the airflow-induced vibrations at the constrained weight of the part. The main objective of present study is the optimization of wall thickness and lay-up of composite shell-like cowling. The present approach assumes conversion of the CAD model of the cowling surface to finite element (FE) representation, then its wind tunnel testing simulation at the different orientation of airflow to find the most stressed mode of flight. Numerical solutions of the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations supplemented by k-w turbulence model provide the spatial distributions of air pressure applied to the shell surface. At the formulation of optimization problem the global strain energy calculated within the optimized shell was assumed as the objective. A wall thickness of the shell had to change over its surface to minimize the objective at the constrained weight. We used a parameterization of the problem that assumes an initiation of auxiliary sphere with varied radius and coordinates of the center, which were the design variables. Curve that formed by the intersection of the shell with sphere defined boundary of area, which should be reinforced by local thickening the shell wall. To eliminate a local stress concentration this increment was defined as the smooth function defined on the shell surface. As a result of structural optimization we obtained the thickness of shell's wall distribution, which then was used to design the draping and lay-up of composite prepreg layers. The global strain energy in the optimized cowling was reduced in2

Connection of thin-walled casings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Druyan, V.M.; Grinev, A.F.; Gruzdev, V.D.; Perchanik, V.V.; Syplenko, V.T.

1981-08-28

A connection is suggested for castings which contains a nipple and coupling part with conical triangular threading. in order to improve the strength of the connection of thin-walled casings with ratio D/S>22, where D is the outer diameter of the casing, S is the thickness of the wall of the casing, the end of the pipe on the length from the end to the main plane of the thread is conical with constant thickness of the wall and conicity eqal to the conicity of the thread.

The association of metabolic syndrome with left ventricular mass and geometry in community-based hypertensive patients among Han Chinese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuxia Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The association of metabolic syndrome (MS with left ventricular (LV hypertrophy is controversial. The objective of our study was to investigate the influence of MS on LV mass and geometry in community-based hypertensive patients among Han Chinese. Materials and Methods: This study included 1733 metabolic syndrome patients according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF definition and 2373 non-MS hypertension patients. LV hypertrophy was diagnosed by the criteria of LV mass ≥49.2 g/m 2.7 for men and 46.7 g/m 2.7 for women. LV geometric patterns (normal, concentric remodeling, concentric or eccentric hypertrophy were calculated according to LV hypertrophy and relative wall thickness. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine odds ratio (OR and 95% confidence interval (CI of MS for LV hypertrophy and LV geometry abnormality. Results: The LV mass and LV mass index were higher in the MS group than in the non-MS group. In multiple adjusted models. LV mass index, LV mass, interventricular septum, and post wall were raised with the increased number of MS disorders. MS was associated with increased LV hypertrophy risk (unadjusted OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.21-1.57; age, sex, and blood pressure (BP; adjusted OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.22-1.59. MS was also associated with increased risk of eccentric hypertrophy in male and female patients. MS was only associated with increased risk of concentric hypertrophy in female patients; and MS was not associated with concentric remodeling. Conclusion: LV mass and LV mass index were associated with the increased number of MS disorders in the Chinese community-based hypertensive population. MS was not only associated with increased LV hypertrophy risk, but also associated with concentric and eccentric LV geometry abnormality, especially in females.

Electrocardiographic features of sarcomere mutation carriers with and without clinically overt hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lakdawala, Neal K; Thune, Jens Jakob; Maron, Barry J

2011-01-01

In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), electrocardiographic (ECG) changes have been postulated to be an early marker of disease, detectable in sarcomere mutation carriers when left ventricular (LV) wall thickness is still normal. However, the ECG features of mutation carriers have not been fully...

The surface glycoprotein of a natural feline leukemia virus subgroup A variant, FeLV-945, as a determinant of disease outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolin, Lisa L; Ahmad, Shamim; Levy, Laura S

2011-10-15

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a natural retrovirus of domestic cats associated with degenerative, proliferative and malignant diseases. Studies of FeLV infection in a cohort of naturally infected cats were undertaken to examine FeLV variation, the selective pressures operative in FeLV infection that lead to predominance of natural variants, and the consequences for infection and disease progression. A unique variant, designated FeLV-945, was identified as the predominant isolate in the cohort and was associated with non-T-cell diseases including multicentric lymphoma. FeLV-945 was assigned to the FeLV-A subgroup based on sequence analysis and receptor utilization, but was shown to differ in sequence from a prototype member of FeLV-A, designated FeLV-A/61E, in the long terminal repeat (LTR) and the surface glycoprotein gene (SU). A unique sequence motif in the FeLV-945 LTR was shown to function as a transcriptional enhancer and to confer a replicative advantage. The FeLV-945 SU protein was observed to differ in sequence as compared to FeLV-A/61E within functional domains known to determine receptor selection and binding. Experimental infection of newborn cats was performed using wild type FeLV-A/61E or recombinant FeLV-A/61E in which the LTR (61E/945L) or LTR and SU (61E/945SL) were exchanged for that of FeLV-945. Infection with either FeLV-A/61E or 61E/945L resulted in T-cell lymphoma of the thymus, although 61E/945L caused disease significantly more rapidly. In contrast, infection with 61E/945SL resulted in the rapid induction of a multicentric lymphoma of B-cell origin, thus recapitulating the outcome of natural infection and implicating FeLV-945 SU as a determinant of disease outcome. Recombinant FeLV-B was detected infrequently and at low levels in multicentric lymphomas, and was thereby not implicated in disease induction. Preliminary studies of receptor interaction indicated that virus particles bearing FeLV-945 SU bind to the FeLV-A receptor more

Ultrasonic wall thickness gauging for ferritic steam generator tubing as an in-service inspection tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haesen, W.M.J.; Tromp, Th.J.

1980-01-01

In-service inspection of LWR steam generators is more or less a standard routine operation. The situation can be very different for LMFBRs. For the SNR 300 (Kalkar Power Station) the situation is different because the steam generators have ferritic tubing. The tube walls are comparatively thick, 2 to 4.5 mm. During inservice examinations the steam generators will be drained on both sides, however on the sodium side a sodium film will be present. Furthermore the SNR 300 will have two types of steam generator. A straight tube design and a helical coil design will be used. Both types consist of a evaporator and superheater. The steam generators are of course not radioactive. It is obvious that in this case the eddy current (EC) technique is not an enviable inservice inspection tool. Basically EC is a surface flaw detection technique. Only the saturation magnetisation method will improve the EC technique sufficiently for ferritic material. However the 'in bore examination' with the saturation technique was, in case of the SNR 300 steam generator tubing, considered impossible since the inner diameters are fairly small. Furthermore sodium traces may influence the EC method. Although multifrequency methods can solve this problem, EC is not considered as a useful tool for examining ferritic tubing. Another method is to employ the 'stray flux' method which is under development with the TNO organization in Holland. The EC and stray flux method do have one drawback, these methods do not detect gradual changes in wall thickness. Ultrasonic examinations will be used in the SNR 300 as the main inspection tool for the steam generators. In this paper the reasons why ultrasonic examination was selected are explained. The results of the development work on this subject are discussed

Percent wall thickness evaluated by Gd-DTPA enhanced cine MRI as an indicator of local parietal movement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirano, Masaharu

1998-01-01

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a cardiac disease, the basic pathology of which consists of a decrease in left ventricular dilation compliance due to uneven hypertrophy of the left ventricular wall. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful in monitoring uneven parietal hypertrophy and kinetics in HCM patients. The present study was undertaken in 47 HCM patients who showed asymmetrical septal hypertrophy to determine if percent thickness can be an indicator of left ventricular local movement using cine MRI. Longest and shortest axis images were acquired by the ECG synchronization method using a 1.5 T MR imager. Cardiac function was analyzed based on longest axis cine images, and telediastolic and telesystolic parietal thickness were measured based on shorter axis cine images at the papillary muscle level. Parietal movement index and percent thickness were used as indicators of local parietal movement. The correlation between these indicators and parietal thickness was evaluated. The percent thickness changed at an earlier stage of hypertrophy than the parietal movement index, thus it is thought to be useful in detecting left ventricular parietal movement disorders at an early stage of HCM. (author)

Percent wall thickness evaluated by Gd-DTPA enhanced cine MRI as an indicator of local parietal movement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirano, Masaharu [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan)

1998-11-01

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a cardiac disease, the basic pathology of which consists of a decrease in left ventricular dilation compliance due to uneven hypertrophy of the left ventricular wall. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful in monitoring uneven parietal hypertrophy and kinetics in HCM patients. The present study was undertaken in 47 HCM patients who showed asymmetrical septal hypertrophy to determine if percent thickness can be an indicator of left ventricular local movement using cine MRI. Longest and shortest axis images were acquired by the ECG synchronization method using a 1.5 T MR imager. Cardiac function was analyzed based on longest axis cine images, and telediastolic and telesystolic parietal thickness were measured based on shorter axis cine images at the papillary muscle level. Parietal movement index and percent thickness were used as indicators of local parietal movement. The correlation between these indicators and parietal thickness was evaluated. The percent thickness changed at an earlier stage of hypertrophy than the parietal movement index, thus it is thought to be useful in detecting left ventricular parietal movement disorders at an early stage of HCM. (author)

Protection of LV system against lightning

OpenAIRE

Yordanova Nedyalkova, Greta

2010-01-01

Lightning is a natural hazard and one of the greatest local mysteries. Scientists have not fully understood the mechanism of lightning. It is one of the most beautiful displays in nature and one of the nature's most dangerous phenomenon known to man. Overvoltage due to lightning is a very important problem of LV systems. Some lightning flashes damage buildings and a few kill or injure people and animals, either directly or indirectly, by causing fire and explosions. The need for protect...

Evaluation of local allowable wall thickness of thinned pipe considering internal pressure and bending moment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. W.; Park, C. Y.; Kim, B. Y.

2000-01-01

This study proposed the local allowable wall thickness (LAWT) evaluation method for local wall thinned pipe subjected by internal pressure and bending moment. Also, LAWT was evaluated for simplified thinned pipe and the effect of axial extent of thinned area on LAWT was investigated. The results showed that LAWT predicted by present method was thinner, about 50%, than that evaluated by construction code and ASME Code Case N-597, while it was thicker, about 2 times, than that calculated by evaluation model based on pipe experiments. LAWT decreased with increasing axial extent of thinned area and was saturated above axial extent of pipe radius, which was a contrast to the results of ASME Code Case N-597 evaluation. The results of stress analysis with applied loading type indicated that the effect of axial extent of thinned area on LAWT was dependent on loading type considering in the evaluation. That is, the dependence of axial extent on LAWT is determined by magnitude of bending moment, and the contrary trend with axial extent in ASME Code Case is because ASME Code Case N-597 considers only internal pressure in the evaluation

Flow characteristics and scaling past highly porous wall-mounted fences

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-López, Eduardo; Bruce, Paul J. K.; Buxton, Oliver R. H.

2017-07-01

An extensive characterization of the flow past wall-mounted highly porous fences based on single- and multi-scale geometries has been performed using hot-wire anemometry in a low-speed wind tunnel. Whilst drag properties (estimated from the time-averaged momentum equation) seem to be mostly dependent on the grids' blockage ratio; wakes of different size and orientation bars seem to generate distinct behaviours regarding turbulence properties. Far from the near-grid region, the flow is dominated by the presence of two well-differentiated layers: one close to the wall dominated by the near-wall behaviour and another one corresponding to the grid's wake and shear layer, originating from between this and the freestream. It is proposed that the effective thickness of the wall layer can be inferred from the wall-normal profile of root-mean-square streamwise velocity or, alternatively, from the wall-normal profile of streamwise velocity correlation. Using these definitions of wall-layer thickness enables us to collapse different trends of the turbulence behaviour inside this layer. In particular, the root-mean-square level of the wall shear stress fluctuations, longitudinal integral length scale, and spanwise turbulent structure is shown to display a satisfactory scaling with this thickness rather than with the whole thickness of the grid's wake. Moreover, it is shown that certain grids destroy the spanwise arrangement of large turbulence structures in the logarithmic region, which are then re-formed after a particular streamwise extent. It is finally shown that for fences subject to a boundary layer of thickness comparable to their height, the effective thickness of the wall layer scales with the incoming boundary layer thickness. Analogously, it is hypothesized that the growth rate of the internal layer is also partly dependent on the incoming boundary layer thickness.

Avoided losses on LV networks as a result of microgeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Paulo Moises [Escola Superior Tecnologia Viseu, Instituto Politecnico Viseu, Campus Politecnico Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu (Portugal); Matos, Manuel A. [INESC Porto, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Porto (Portugal)

2009-04-15

In the scope of the discussions about microgeneration (and microgrids), the avoided electrical losses are often pointed out as an important value to be credited to those entities. Therefore, methods to assess the impact of microgeneration on losses must be developed in order to support the definition of a suitable regulatory framework for the economic integration of microgeneration on distribution networks. This paper presents an analytical method to quantify the value of avoided losses that microgeneration may produce on LV networks. Intervals of expected avoided losses are used to account for the variation of avoided losses due to the number, size and location of microgenerators, as well as for the kind of load distribution on LV networks. (author)

The experimental study of sinal wall thickening on CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kase, Yasuhiro; Iinuma, Tositaka; Oyama, Kazuyuki.

1988-01-01

In our previous report, we investigated several factors which cause apparent thickening of the walls of maxillary sinus. We confirmed, however, that the major factor for the sinal wall thickening is the artifact of CT. In present study, we report the results obtained by phantom models of isolated maxillary bone and egg shell. As the substance corresponding to the soft tissue density, solutions of CaCl 2 in various concentrations were used. In the maxillary bone studies, the thickness of the anterior sinus wall by CT was larger than the actual value even though only the air was contained. When solutions of CaCl 2 were contained and in touch with the anterior wall, the thickness by CT was larger than that of containing air. In the egg shell studies, the increase in thickness by CT correlated to the increase in percentage of solutions. The above results indicate that the apparent increased thickness of the sinal walls by CT is largely the artifact by CT and is dependent upon the soft tissue density or CT value (X-ray attenuation coefficient) of substances in touch with the sinal walls. In CT images obtained by clinical cases, the increased thickness of the sinal walls, in sinuses filled with soft tissue density, is more apparent than real. (author)

A Dynamic and Heuristic Phase Balancing Method for LV Feeders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samad Taghipour Boroujeni

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the single-phase loads and their stochastic behavior, the current in the distribution feeders is not balanced. In addition, the single-phase loads are located in different positions along the LV feeders. So the amount of the unbalanced load and its location affect the feeder losses. An unbalanced load causes the feeder losses and the voltage drop. Because of time-varying behavior of the single-phase loads, phase balancing is a dynamic and combinatorial problem. In this research, a heuristic and dynamic solution for the phase balancing of the LV feeders is proposed. In this method, it is supposed that the loads’ tie could be connected to all phases through a three-phase switch. The aim of the proposed method is to make the feeder conditions as balanced as possible. The amount and the location of single-phase loads are considered in the proposed phase balancing method. Since the proposed method needs no communication interface or no remote controller, it is inexpensive, simple, practical, and robust. Applying this method provides a distributed and dynamic phase balancing control. In addition, the feasibility of reducing the used switches is investigated. The ability of the proposed method in the phase balancing of the LV feeders is approved by carrying out some simulations.

Envelope Proteins of White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV Interact with Litopenaeus vannamei Peritrophin-Like Protein (LvPT.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shijun Xie

Full Text Available White spot syndrome virus (WSSV is a major pathogen in shrimp cultures. The interactions between viral proteins and their receptors on the surface of cells in a frontier target tissue are crucial for triggering an infection. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H library was constructed using cDNA obtained from the stomach and gut of Litopenaeus vannamei, to ascertain the role of envelope proteins in WSSV infection. For this purpose, VP37 was used as the bait in the Y2H library screening. Forty positive clones were detected after screening. The positive clones were analyzed and discriminated, and two clones belonging to the peritrophin family were subsequently confirmed as genuine positive clones. Sequence analysis revealed that both clones could be considered as the same gene, LV-peritrophin (LvPT. Co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the interaction between LvPT and VP37. Further studies in the Y2H system revealed that LvPT could also interact with other WSSV envelope proteins such as VP32, VP38A, VP39B, and VP41A. The distribution of LvPT in tissues revealed that LvPT was mainly expressed in the stomach than in other tissues. In addition, LvPT was found to be a secretory protein, and its chitin-binding ability was also confirmed.

Estudio de las cualidades inmunoestimulantes de nuevas bacterias probióticas asociadas al cultivo de lv

OpenAIRE

Gullian, Mariel; Rodríguez, Jenny

2002-01-01

Estudio de las cualidades inmunoestimulantes de nuevas bacterias probióticas asociadas al cultivo de LV Estudio de las cualidades inmunoestimulantes de nuevas bacterias probióticas asociadas al cultivo de LV

Seroprevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in shelter cats on the island of Newfoundland, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Munro, Hannah J; Berghuis, Lesley; Lang, Andrew S; Rogers, Laura; Whitney, Hugh

2014-04-01

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are retroviruses found within domestic and wild cat populations. These viruses cause severe illnesses that eventually lead to death. Housing cats communally for long periods of time makes shelters at high risk for virus transmission among cats. We tested 548 cats from 5 different sites across the island of Newfoundland for FIV and FeLV. The overall seroprevalence was 2.2% and 6.2% for FIV and FeLV, respectively. Two sites had significantly higher seroprevalence of FeLV infection than the other 3 sites. Analysis of sequences from the FeLV env gene (envelope gene) from 6 positive cats showed that 4 fell within the FeLV subtype-A, while 2 sequences were most closely related to FeLV subtype-B and endogenous feline leukemia virus (en FeLV). Varying seroprevalence and the variation in sequences at different sites demonstrate that some shelters are at greater risk of FeLV infections and recombination can occur at sites of high seroprevalence.

Removal of the liquid waste storage tank LV-2 in JRTF. Part 2. Removal works

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanayama, Fumihiko; Hagiya, Kazuaki; Sunaoshi, Mizuho; Muraguchi, Yoshinori; Satomi, Shinichi; Nemoto, Kouichi; Terunuma, Akihiro; Shiraishi, Kunio; Ito, Shinichi

2011-06-01

Dismantling activities of components in JAERI's Reprocessing Test Facility (JRTF) started from 1996 as a part of decommissioning of this facility. Removing out of a large liquid waste storage tank LV-2 as a whole tank from the annex building B without cutting in pieces to confirm safety and efficiency of this method started from 2006. After preparatory works, ceiling of LV-2 room was opened, and LV-2 was transferred. Useful data such as manpower, radiation control and waste amount through these works were collected, and work efficiency was analyzed by using of these data. (author)

Longstanding Hyperthyroidism Is Associated with Normal or Enhanced Intrinsic Cardiomyocyte Function despite Decline in Global Cardiac Function

Science.gov (United States)

Redetzke, Rebecca A.; Gerdes, A. Martin

2012-01-01

Thyroid hormones (THs) play a pivotal role in cardiac homeostasis. TH imbalances alter cardiac performance and ultimately cause cardiac dysfunction. Although short-term hyperthyroidism typically leads to heightened left ventricular (LV) contractility and improved hemodynamic parameters, chronic hyperthyroidism is associated with deleterious cardiac consequences including increased risk of arrhythmia, impaired cardiac reserve and exercise capacity, myocardial remodeling, and occasionally heart failure. To evaluate the long-term consequences of chronic hyperthyroidism on LV remodeling and function, we examined LV isolated myocyte function, chamber function, and whole tissue remodeling in a hamster model. Three-month-old F1b hamsters were randomized to control or 10 months TH treatment (0.1% grade I desiccated TH). LV chamber remodeling and function was assessed by echocardiography at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 months of treatment. After 10 months, terminal cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and LV hemodynamics. Hyperthyroid hamsters exhibited significant cardiac hypertrophy and deleterious cardiac remodeling characterized by myocyte lengthening, chamber dilatation, decreased relative wall thickness, increased wall stress, and increased LV interstitial fibrotic deposition. Importantly, hyperthyroid hamsters demonstrated significant LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Despite the aforementioned remodeling and global cardiac decline, individual isolated cardiac myocytes from chronically hyperthyroid hamsters had enhanced function when compared with myocytes from untreated age-matched controls. Thus, it appears that long-term hyperthyroidism may impair global LV function, at least in part by increasing interstitial ventricular fibrosis, in spite of normal or enhanced intrinsic cardiomyocyte function. PMID:23056390

Longstanding hyperthyroidism is associated with normal or enhanced intrinsic cardiomyocyte function despite decline in global cardiac function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathan Y Weltman

Full Text Available Thyroid hormones (THs play a pivotal role in cardiac homeostasis. TH imbalances alter cardiac performance and ultimately cause cardiac dysfunction. Although short-term hyperthyroidism typically leads to heightened left ventricular (LV contractility and improved hemodynamic parameters, chronic hyperthyroidism is associated with deleterious cardiac consequences including increased risk of arrhythmia, impaired cardiac reserve and exercise capacity, myocardial remodeling, and occasionally heart failure. To evaluate the long-term consequences of chronic hyperthyroidism on LV remodeling and function, we examined LV isolated myocyte function, chamber function, and whole tissue remodeling in a hamster model. Three-month-old F1b hamsters were randomized to control or 10 months TH treatment (0.1% grade I desiccated TH. LV chamber remodeling and function was assessed by echocardiography at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 months of treatment. After 10 months, terminal cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and LV hemodynamics. Hyperthyroid hamsters exhibited significant cardiac hypertrophy and deleterious cardiac remodeling characterized by myocyte lengthening, chamber dilatation, decreased relative wall thickness, increased wall stress, and increased LV interstitial fibrotic deposition. Importantly, hyperthyroid hamsters demonstrated significant LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Despite the aforementioned remodeling and global cardiac decline, individual isolated cardiac myocytes from chronically hyperthyroid hamsters had enhanced function when compared with myocytes from untreated age-matched controls. Thus, it appears that long-term hyperthyroidism may impair global LV function, at least in part by increasing interstitial ventricular fibrosis, in spite of normal or enhanced intrinsic cardiomyocyte function.

A New Protection System for Islanding Detection in LV Distribution Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Rita Di Fazio

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The growth of penetration of Distributed Generators (DGs is increasing the risk of unwanted islanded operation in Low Voltage (LV distribution systems. In this scenario, the existing anti-islanding protection systems, installed at the DG premises and based on classical voltage and frequency relays, are no longer effective, especially in the cases of islands characterized by a close match between generation and load. In this paper, a new protection system for islanding detection in LV distribution systems is proposed. The classical voltage and frequency relays in the DG interface protections are enriched with an innovative Smart Islanding Detector, which adopts a new passive islanding detection method. The aim is to keep the advantages of the classical relays while overcoming the problem of their limited sensitivity in detecting balanced islands. In the paper, to define the requirements of the anti-islanding protection system, the events causing the islanded operation of the LV distribution systems are firstly identified and classified. Then, referring to proposed protection system, its architecture and operation are described and, eventually, its performance is analyzed and validated by experimental laboratory tests, carried out with a hardware-in-the-loop technique.

Smart curtailment for congestion management in LV distribution network

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haque, A. N.M.M.; Rahman, M. T.; Nguyen, P. H.; Bliek, F. W.

2016-01-01

The rapid proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) leads to capacity challenges, i.e. network congestions, in the low-voltage (LV) distribution networks. A number of strategies are being widely studied to tackle the challenges with direct switching actions such as load shedding or power

Global limit load solutions for thick-walled cylinders with circumferential cracks under combined internal pressure, axial force and bending moment − Part II: Finite element validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yuebing; Lei, Yuebao; Gao, Zengliang

2014-01-01

Global limit load solutions for thick-walled cylinders with circumferential internal/external surface and through-wall defects under combined positive/negative axial force, positive/negative global bending moment and internal pressure have been developed in Part I of this paper. In this Part II, elastic-perfectly plastic 3-D finite element (FE) analyses are performed for selected cases, covering a wide range of geometries and load combinations, to validate the developed limit load solutions. The results show that these limit load solutions can predict the FE data very well for the cases with shallow or deep and short cracks and are conservative. For the cases with very long and deep cracks, the predictions are reasonably accurate and more conservative. -- Highlights: • Elastic-perfectly plastic 3D finite element limiting analyses of cylinders. • Thin/thick-walled cylinders with circumferential surface defects. • Combined loading for pressure, end-force and global bending moment. • Totally 1458 cases analysed and tabulated normalised results provided. • Results used to validate the developed limit load solutions in Part I of this paper

Role of HIV-2 envelope in Lv2-mediated restriction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, Sandra; Kaumanns, Patrick; Buschhorn, Sabine B.; Dittmar, Matthias T.

2005-01-01

We have characterized envelope protein pseudotyped HIV-2 particles derived from two HIV-2 isolates termed prCBL23 and CBL23 in order to define the role of the envelope protein for the Lv2-mediated restriction to infection. Previously, it has been described that the primary isolate prCBL23 is restricted to infection of several human cell types, whereas the T cell line adapted isolate CBL23 is not restricted in these cell types. Molecular cloning of the two isolates revealed that the env and the gag gene are responsible for the observed phenotype and that this restriction is mediated by Lv2, which is distinct from Ref1/Lv1 (Schmitz, C., Marchant, D., Neil, S.J., Aubin, K., Reuter, S., Dittmar, M.T., McKnight, A., Kizhatil, K., Albritton, L.M., 2004. Lv2, a novel postentry restriction, is mediated by both capsid and envelope. J. Virol. 78 (4), 2006-2016). We generated pseudotyped viruses consisting of HIV-2 (ROD-AΔenv-GFP, ROD-AΔenv-RFP, or ROD-AΔenv-REN) and the prCBL23 or CBL23 envelope proteins as well as chimeric proteins between these envelopes. We demonstrate that a single amino acid exchange at position 74 in the surface unit of CBL23-Env confers restriction to infection. This single point mutation causes tighter CD4 binding, resulting in a less efficient fusion into the cytosol of the restricted cell line. Prevention of endosome formation and prevention of endosome acidification enhance infectivity of the restricted particles for GHOST/X4 cells indicating a degradative lysosomal pathway as a cause for the reduced cytosolic entry. The described restriction to infection of the primary isolate prCBL23 is therefore largely caused by an entry defect. A remaining restriction to infection (19-fold) is preserved when endosomal acidification is prevented. This restriction to infection is also dependent on the presence of the point mutation at position 74 (G74E)

Assessment of left ventricular mass in sequential studies with cine MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomei, E.; Semelka, R.; Wagner, S.; Mayo, J.; Chatterjee, K.; Parmley, W.W.; O'Sullivan, M.; Wolfe, C.L.; Caputo, G.; Higgins, C.B.

1989-01-01

The aim of this study was to measure left ventricular (LV) mass in 11 healthy volunteers, 10 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and eight patients with LV hypertrophy (LVH), using two sequential studies to compare the characteristics of LV mass in the same subject and in different clinical situations. All subjects underwent short- axis cine MR imaging at 1.5 T. Each subject had two separate studies: the healthy volunteers within 6 months and those with cardiac disease within 1 week. Measurements (both end- systolic and end-diastolic) included LV mass, LV mass index, and wall thickness. LV mass was substantially increased in both DCM and LVH. The interstudy variability for end- systolic and end-diastolic mass was 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively, for healthy volunteers, 5.2% and 4.0% for LVH, and 3.8% and 6.1% for DCM. The low variability indicates the reproducibility of this technique in sequential studies when no change is expected

Current status of the Citrus leprosis virus (CiLV -C and its vector Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes

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Guillermo León M

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The Citrus leprosis virus CiLV-C is a quarantine disease of economic importance. Over the past 15 years, this disease has spread to several countries of Central and South America. Colombia has about 45,000 hectares of citrus planted with an annual production of 750,000 tonnes. The CiLV-C has only been detected in the departments of Meta, Casanare and recently Tolima. Meta has 4,300 hectares representing 10% of the national cultivated area, and Casanare, where CiLV-C appeared in 2004, has no more than 500 ha planted with citrus. The presence of the Citrus leprosis virus in Colombia could affect the international market for citrus, other crops and ornamental plants with the United States and other countries without the disease. The false spider mite Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes (Acari: Tenuipalpidae is the main vector of the CiLV-C. Disease management is based on control programs of the vector and diminishing host plants. Chemical mite control is expensive, wasteful and generates resistance to different acaricides. This paper provides basic information on CiLV-C and its vector, advances in diagnosis and methods to control the disease and prevention of its spread

Predictors of Renal Denervation Efficacy in the Treatment of Resistant Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Ripp, Tatiana M; Mordovin, Victor F; Pekarskiy, Stanislav E; Ryabova, Tamara R; Zlobina, Marina V; Baev, Andrei E; Anfinogenova, Yana; Popov, Sergey V

2015-12-01

The aims of the study were to evaluate the effects of renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) on the heart and to identify the predictors of RSD efficacy in patients with resistant arterial hypertension. The study comprised 60 RSD patients (54.6 ± 9.5 years) who received full-dose antihypertensive therapy (4.1 drugs) including diuretics. Initially, 58.6% of patients had abnormal left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. All patients received echocardiography before and 24 weeks after RSD. Renal sympathetic denervation was achieved through the endovascular radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the renal arteries. Drug therapy continued for the entire period of observation. After RSD, all patients were retrospectively assigned to two groups: group 1 comprised patients (n = 22; 36.7%) in whom the myocardial mass (MM) of the left ventricle decreased by more than 10 g after RSD; group 2 comprised patients (n = 38; 63.3%) in whom LV MM increased or decreased by less than 10 g. Anthropometry, arterial blood pressure, heart rate, therapy, and LV end-diastolic dimensions (EDD) were comparable in these groups. After RSD, the values of office blood pressure significantly decreased and MM regressed by more than 10 g in 36.7% of patients; LV diastolic function normalized in 31% of patients, and diastolic dysfunction improved in 14% of patients. The study found the associations between the initial LV wall dimensions and LV MM changes. Unlike LV EDD, arterial blood pressure, or heart rate, the initial values of LV wall thickness predicted LV MM regress. #NCT01499810 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01499810.

T-wave inversions related to left ventricular basal hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis in non-apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Xiuyu; Zhao, Shihua; Zhao, Tao; Lu, Minjie; Yin, Gang; Jiang, Shiliang; Prasad, Sanjay

2014-01-01

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between T-wave inversions and left ventricular (LV) segmental hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with non-apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods: 196 consecutive patients with non-apical HCM underwent late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR and 12-lead electrocardiogram. The distribution and magnitude of LV segmental hypertrophy and LGE were assessed according to the AHA 17-segment model and analyzed in relation to T-wave inversions. Results: Of 196 HCM patients, 144 (73%) exhibited T-wave inversions. 144 (73%) patients had evidence of myocardial fibrosis as defined by LGE, and the prevalence of LGE was significantly higher in patients with T-wave inversions compared with those without T-wave inversions (78% vs. 59%, P = 0.008). T-wave inversions were related to basal anterior and basal anteroseptal LGE (20% vs. 10%, P = 0.04 and 68% vs. 46%, P = 0.005, respectively). In addition, T-wave inversions were associated with greater basal anteroseptal and basal inferior wall thickness (19.5 ± 4.7 mm vs. 16.7 ± 4.5 mm, P < 0.001 and 10.9 ± 3.3 mm vs. 9.6 ± 3.0 mm, P = 0.01, respectively). By logistic regression analysis, basal anteroseptal wall thickness and LGE were independent determinants of T-wave inversions (P = 0.005, P = 0.01, respectively). Conclusions: T-wave inversions in HCM are associated with LGE and wall thickness of the left ventricular basal segments. Moreover, basal anteroseptal wall thickness and LGE are independent determinants of T-wave inversions

T-wave inversions related to left ventricular basal hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis in non-apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiuyu, E-mail: cxy0202@126.com [Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037 (China); Zhao, Shihua, E-mail: zhaoshihua0202@126.com [Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037 (China); Zhao, Tao, E-mail: taozhao0202@126.com [Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037 (China); Lu, Minjie, E-mail: lmjkan@126.com [Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037 (China); Yin, Gang, E-mail: gangyin0202@126.com [Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037 (China); Jiang, Shiliang, E-mail: jiangsl-2011@163.com [Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037 (China); Prasad, Sanjay, E-mail: s.prasad@rbht.nhs.uk [NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP (United Kingdom)

2014-02-15

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between T-wave inversions and left ventricular (LV) segmental hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with non-apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods: 196 consecutive patients with non-apical HCM underwent late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR and 12-lead electrocardiogram. The distribution and magnitude of LV segmental hypertrophy and LGE were assessed according to the AHA 17-segment model and analyzed in relation to T-wave inversions. Results: Of 196 HCM patients, 144 (73%) exhibited T-wave inversions. 144 (73%) patients had evidence of myocardial fibrosis as defined by LGE, and the prevalence of LGE was significantly higher in patients with T-wave inversions compared with those without T-wave inversions (78% vs. 59%, P = 0.008). T-wave inversions were related to basal anterior and basal anteroseptal LGE (20% vs. 10%, P = 0.04 and 68% vs. 46%, P = 0.005, respectively). In addition, T-wave inversions were associated with greater basal anteroseptal and basal inferior wall thickness (19.5 ± 4.7 mm vs. 16.7 ± 4.5 mm, P < 0.001 and 10.9 ± 3.3 mm vs. 9.6 ± 3.0 mm, P = 0.01, respectively). By logistic regression analysis, basal anteroseptal wall thickness and LGE were independent determinants of T-wave inversions (P = 0.005, P = 0.01, respectively). Conclusions: T-wave inversions in HCM are associated with LGE and wall thickness of the left ventricular basal segments. Moreover, basal anteroseptal wall thickness and LGE are independent determinants of T-wave inversions.

Quantum confinement effect in Bi anti-dot thin films with tailored pore wall widths and thicknesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Y.; Hirose, Y.; Fukumura, T.; Hasegawa, T.; Nakao, S.; Xu, J.

2014-01-01

We investigated quantum confinement effects in Bi anti-dot thin films grown on anodized aluminium oxide templates. The pore wall widths (w Bi ) and thickness (t) of the films were tailored to have values longer or shorter than Fermi wavelength of Bi (λ F  = ∼40 nm). Magnetoresistance measurements revealed a well-defined weak antilocalization effect below 10 K. Coherence lengths (L ϕ ) as functions of temperature were derived from the magnetoresistance vs field curves by assuming the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model. The anti-dot thin film with w Bi and t smaller than λ F showed low dimensional electronic behavior at low temperatures where L ϕ (T) exceed w Bi or t

Influence of the Method of Definition on the Prevalence of Left-Ventricular Hypertrophy in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease: Data from the Know-Ped CKD Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Heeyeon; Choi, Hyun Jin; Kang, Hee Gyung; Ha, Il-Soo; Cheong, Hae Il; Han, Kyung Hee; Kim, Seong Heon; Cho, Min Hyun; Shin, Jae Il; Lee, Joo Hoon; Park, Young Seo

2017-01-01

Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Left-ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) is an early marker of cardiovascular disease in pediatric CKD, and the prevalence of LVH in pediatric CKD is approximately 20-30% in pre-dialysis CKD patients. However, there is no consensus on the ideal method of defining LVH in pediatric CKD patients. Previous studies have typically used the LV mass index (LVMI), which is calculated as LV mass in grams divided by height in meters to the 2.7th power ≥ 38 g/m2.7, to diagnose LVH in children with CKD. Recently, age-specific reference values for LVMI ≥ 95th percentile and LV wall-thickness z-score > 1.64 in children were addressed. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and contributing factors of LVH in pediatric CKD patients according to each measurement and evaluate the concordance between each measurement. We used the baseline data of the KoreaN cohort study for Outcome in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease (KNOW-Ped CKD), which is a nationwide, 10-year, prospective, observational cohort study of pediatric CKD. A total of 469 patients were enrolled, and 458 patients were included in the final analysis. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the association of the variables with LVH. Kappa statistics were used to analyze the concordance. According to an LVH diagnosis of LVMI ≥ 38 g/m2.7, 188 patients (41.0%) were diagnosed with LVH, and the prevalence of LVH was high in younger patients ( 1.64. There is poor concordance between the diagnosis of LVH using the LV wall-thickness z-score and the LVMI method. The results of this study show that there is poor concordance between the diagnosis of LVH using the wall-thickness z-score and the LVMI2.7 criteria. Further investigation is needed to estimate the correlation between LVH and cardiac dysfunction and to find a better method for defining LVH in the pediatric CKD cohort

Mechanosensation Dynamically Coordinates Polar Growth and Cell Wall Assembly to Promote Cell Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Davì, Valeria; Tanimoto, Hirokazu; Ershov, Dmitry; Haupt, Armin; De Belly, Henry; Le Borgne, Rémi; Couturier, Etienne; Boudaoud, Arezki; Minc, Nicolas

2018-04-23

How growing cells cope with size expansion while ensuring mechanical integrity is not known. In walled cells, such as those of microbes and plants, growth and viability are both supported by a thin and rigid encasing cell wall (CW). We deciphered the dynamic mechanisms controlling wall surface assembly during cell growth, using a sub-resolution microscopy approach to monitor CW thickness in live rod-shaped fission yeast cells. We found that polar cell growth yielded wall thinning and that thickness negatively influenced growth. Thickness at growing tips exhibited a fluctuating behavior with thickening phases followed by thinning phases, indicative of a delayed feedback promoting thickness homeostasis. This feedback was mediated by mechanosensing through the CW integrity pathway, which probes strain in the wall to adjust synthase localization and activity to surface growth. Mutants defective in thickness homeostasis lysed by rupturing the wall, demonstrating its pivotal role for walled cell survival. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV and Leishmania sp. in domestic cats in the Midwest of Brazil

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Daniella Poffo

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This search aimed to investigate FIV and FeLV infections in domestic cats, analysing the epidemiological profile of the disease as well as additional infection with Leishmania sp. We evaluated 88 domestic cats for the presence of FIV, FeLV and Leishmania sp. infection. Eleven (12.5% cats were positive for FIV infection, four (4.5% were positive for FeLV, and two were co-infected. However, none was infected with Leishmania sp. The prevalence for FIV infection was higher than FeLV, and those observed in other regions, but no factor was associated with the infection by FIV and FeLV in this study.

Voltage unbalance mitigation in LV networks using three-phase PV systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garcia Bajo, Cristina; Hashemi Toghroljerdi, Seyedmostafa; Bækhøj Kjær, Søren

2015-01-01

In this paper a new method is proposed to mitigate voltage unbalance caused by single-phase solar inverters in low voltage (LV) networks. The method is based on uneven reactive power absorption and injection by three-phase solar inverters. Independent control of each phase is performed to achieve...... this uneven injection. The average values of phase voltages at the connection points of the photovoltaic (PV) inverters are used as the references for the balancing algorithm. Voltage unbalance mitigation is achieved by use of this method in different scenarios with variable three-phase and single......-phase inverters penetration in a realistic LV grid. In addition, the overvoltage is reduced by using this method....

Efficient Control of Energy Storage for Increasing the PV Hosting Capacity of LV Grids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hashemi Toghroljerdi, Seyedmostafa; Østergaard, Jacob

2016-01-01

grid is usually limited by overvoltage, and the efficient control of distributed electrical energy storage systems (EESSs) can considerably increase this capacity. In this paper, a new control approach based on the voltage sensitivity analysis is proposed to prevent overvoltage and increase the PV......Photovoltaic (PV) systems are among the renewable sources that electrical energy systems are adopting with increasing frequency. The majority of already-installed PV systems are decentralized units that are usually connected to lowvoltage (LV) distribution grids. The PV hosting capacity of an LV...... hosting capacity of LV grids by determining dynamic set points for EESS management. The method has the effectiveness of central control methods and can effectively decrease the energy storage required for overvoltage prevention, yet it eliminates the need for a broadband and fast communication. The net...

Ballistic Limit Equation for Single Wall Titanium

Science.gov (United States)

Ratliff, J. M.; Christiansen, Eric L.; Bryant, C.

2009-01-01

Hypervelocity impact tests and hydrocode simulations were used to determine the ballistic limit equation (BLE) for perforation of a titanium wall, as a function of wall thickness. Two titanium alloys were considered, and separate BLEs were derived for each. Tested wall thicknesses ranged from 0.5mm to 2.0mm. The single-wall damage equation of Cour-Palais [ref. 1] was used to analyze the Ti wall's shielding effectiveness. It was concluded that the Cour-Palais single-wall equation produced a non-conservative prediction of the ballistic limit for the Ti shield. The inaccurate prediction was not a particularly surprising result; the Cour-Palais single-wall BLE contains shield material properties as parameters, but it was formulated only from tests of different aluminum alloys. Single-wall Ti shield tests were run (thicknesses of 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, and 0.5 mm) on Ti 15-3-3-3 material custom cut from rod stock. Hypervelocity impact (HVI) tests were used to establish the failure threshold empirically, using the additional constraint that the damage scales with impact energy, as was indicated by hydrocode simulations. The criterion for shield failure was defined as no detached spall from the shield back surface during HVI. Based on the test results, which confirmed an approximately energy-dependent shield effectiveness, the Cour-Palais equation was modified.

La piattaforma POS/LV di Applanix nelle applicazioni di laser scanner cinematico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domenico Santarsiero

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The Applanix POS/LV platform in cinematic laser scanner applicationsOn the 11th of march the GEOmedia editorial unit had the pleasure of hosting a technical meeting dedicated to the Applanix LANDMark new Position and Orientation System for Land Vehicles (POS/LVfield test. The meeting, which is part of an italian tour organized by Louis Nastro (Applanix Director of Land Products and Terenzio Mariani (Sales manager for Italy, helped to test the functionalities of a complete POS/LV system equipped with a laser and an imaging acquisition software installed on board of a SUV.

Solidified structure of thin-walled titanium parts by vertical centrifugal casting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Shiping

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The solidified structure of the thin-walled and complicated Ti-6Al-4V castings produced by the vertical centrifugal casting process was studied in the present work. The results show that the wall thickness of the section is featured with homogeneously distributed fine equiaxial grains, compared with the microstructure of the thick-walled section. The grain size of the castings has a tendency to decrease gradually with the increasing of the centrifugal radius. The inter-lamellar space in thick-walled casting parts is bigger than that of the thin-walled parts, and the profile of inter-lamellar space is not susceptible to the centrifugal radius.

Optimized aspect ratios of restrained thick-wall cylinders by virtue of Poisson's ratio selection. Part two: Temperature application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitty, J.P.M.; Henderson, B.; Francis, J.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Incontrovertible evidence is presented that thermal stresses in cylindrical components which include nuclear reactors and containment vessels are shown to be highly dependent on the Poisson's ratio of the materials. → The key novelty is concerned with the identification of a new potential thermal applications for negative Poisson's ratio (auxetic) materials; i.e. those that get fatter when they are stretched. → Negative Poisson's ratio (auxetic) materials exhibit lower thermal stress build-up than conventional positive Poisson's ratio materials, this conjecture being proven using thermal surface plots. - Abstract: Analytical and numerical modelling have been employed to show that the choice of Poisson's ratio is one of the principal design criteria in order to reduce thermal stress build-up in isotropic materials. The modelling procedures are all twofold; consisting of a solution to a steady-state heat conduction problem followed by a linear static solution. The models developed take the form of simplistic thick-wall cylinders such model systems are applicable at macro-structural and micro-structural levels as the underlining formulations are based on the classical theory of elasticity. Generally, the results show that the Poisson's ratio of the material has a greater effect on the magnitude of the principal stresses than the aspect ratio of the cylinders investigated. Constraining the outside of these models significantly increases the thermal stresses induced. The most significant and original finding presented is that the for both freely expanding and constrained thick-wall cylinders the optimum Poisson's ratio is minus unity.

Effect of mortar joint thickness on deformability in medieval stone walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cassinello, M. J.

2006-12-01

Full Text Available An analysis of the stone walls in Gothic cathedrals revealed that Medieval master builders varied mortar joint thicknesses from one structural member to another. This fact, which has gone largely unnoticed to date, has a considerable impact on the structural behavior of cathedrals,due to its direct effect on two fundamental parameters,deformability and strength. In the absence offield data, an experimental test program was conducted at the INTEMAC Central Laboratory to determine the possible variations in deformability of Medieval masonry with changes in joint mortar thickness in the range found in the structural members of Spanish Gothic cathedrals. The results obtained show —further to an observation by Eduardo Torroja— that mortar joints are a determinant in the structural behavior of masonry. The modulus of deformation varied from 169.7 to 5,632.7 N/mm2at joint thicknesses ranging from 17.00 to 5.50 mm. Structural models should be adapted to accommodate this behavior pattern via parametric sensitivity analysis to obtain a clearer understanding of structural behaviour in Gothic cathedrals.El análisis desarrollado sobre las fábricas pétreas de las catedrales góticas revela que los maestros medievales utilizaron diferentes espesores de juntas de mortero en cada uno de sus elementos estructurales. Este hecho —no tenido en cuenta hasta la fecha— tiene una gran repercusión en el comportamiento estructural de la catedral,ya que influye directamente en sus parámetros fundamentales: deformabilidad y resistencia. Dada la inexistencia de datos, realizamos un programa experimental de ensayos en el laboratorio central de INTEMAC, para establecerlos posibles rangos de variabilidad de la deformabilidad de las fábricas medievales en función de la variabilidad del espesor del mortero de juntas que detectamos en los diferentes elementos estructurales de las catedrales góticas españolas. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran

Comparative Structural and functional changes in the heart and aorta of retire active and non- active endurance and bodybuilder athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eskandar Rahimi

2016-06-01

We concluded that the BA had a greater thickness of LV posterior wall than EI and also they had a significant difference in aortic wall elasticity than BI and EI. This may be due to the Valsalva maneuver or differences in breathing of bodybuilder. We also found that the structure changes of heart in spite of detraining remain for years. Keywords: former endurance athletes, former bodybuilder athletes, Aortic elasticity, cardiac structure and function

Analysis of critical operating conditions for LV distribution networks with microgrids

Science.gov (United States)

Zehir, M. A.; Batman, A.; Sonmez, M. A.; Font, A.; Tsiamitros, D.; Stimoniaris, D.; Kollatou, T.; Bagriyanik, M.; Ozdemir, A.; Dialynas, E.

2016-11-01

Increase in the penetration of Distributed Generation (DG) in distribution networks, raises the risk of voltage limit violations while contributing to line losses. Especially in low voltage (LV) distribution networks (secondary distribution networks), impacts of active power flows on the bus voltages and on the network losses are more dominant. As network operators must meet regulatory limitations, they have to take into account the most critical operating conditions in their systems. In this study, it is aimed to present the impact of the worst operation cases of LV distribution networks comprising microgrids. Simulation studies are performed on a field data-based virtual test-bed. The simulations are repeated for several cases consisting different microgrid points of connection with different network loading and microgrid supply/demand conditions.

ECG gated NMR-CT for cardiovascular diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishikawa, J.; Machida, K.; Iio, M.; Yoshimoto, N.; Sugimoto, T.; Kawaguchi, H.; Mano, H.

1984-01-01

The authors applied NMR-CT to cardiac study with ECG gated technique to evaluate the left ventricular (LV) function and compared it with cardiovascular nuclear medicine study (NM). The NMR-CT machine has resistive air-core magnet with 0.15 Tesla. The saturation recovery image or inversion recovery image were obtained as 256 x 256 matrix and 15 mm in thickness. The study population was ten patients who were evaluated both by NMR image and by NM performed within one week interval. The heart muscle was able to be visualized without any contrast material nor radioisotopes in inversion recovery images, whereas saturation recovery images failed to separate heart muscle from blood pool. The wall motions of LV in both methods were well correlated except for inferior wall. The values of ejection fraction in NMR image were moderately low, but two modalities showed satisfactory correlation (r=0.85). The region of myocardial infarction was revealed as wall thinning and/or wall motion abnormality. It is still preliminary to draw a conclusion, however, it can be said that in the evaluation of LV function, method by NMR might be of equal value to those of NM. It can be certain that eventually gated NMR-CT will become more effective method for various aspects of cardiovascular evaluation

Carotid artery wall thickness and ischemic symptoms: evaluation using multi-detector-row CT angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saba, Luca; Caddeo, Giancarlo; Mallarini, Giorgio [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Polo di Monserrato, Department of Radiology, Cagliari (Italy); Sanfilippo, Roberto; Montisci, Roberto [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Polo di Monserrato, Department of Vascular Surgery, Cagliari (Italy); Pascalis, Luigi [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Polo di Cagliari, Division of II Internal Medicine, Cagliari (Italy)

2008-09-15

The purpose of this study was to determine if carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT) studied by using multi-detector-row CT angiography (MDCTA) can be considered an effective parameter predictive of increased risk of stroke. A total of 217 patients were retrospectively studied by using MDCTA. In all patients CAWT was measured with an internal digital caliper. Continuous data were described as the mean value {+-} standard deviation (SD), and they were compared with Student's t-test. Scatter plots to determine interobserver agreement were performed, and correlation coefficient was calculated with Pearson statistics. A P value <0.05 was considered to mean statistical significance. Measurements of the distal common CAWT ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 mm. In the patient group without stroke, average CAWT was 0.82 mm (0.22 SD), whereas in patient group with stroke it was 1.096 mm (0.21 SD). CAWT in patients without stroke showed statistical difference (P<0.0001) when compared to patients with stroke. By using a threshold of 1 mm, an important statistical association between thick CAWT and stroke was found (P<0.0001). In fact, patients with {>=}1 mm CAWT had stroke with an odds ratio of 8.16 when compared with patients with <1 mm CAWT. Resulting data suggested that an increased CAWT is an indicator for risk of stroke. This parameter should be considered in addition to other well-known risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia. (orig.)

Carotid artery wall thickness and ischemic symptoms: evaluation using multi-detector-row CT angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saba, Luca; Caddeo, Giancarlo; Mallarini, Giorgio; Sanfilippo, Roberto; Montisci, Roberto; Pascalis, Luigi

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT) studied by using multi-detector-row CT angiography (MDCTA) can be considered an effective parameter predictive of increased risk of stroke. A total of 217 patients were retrospectively studied by using MDCTA. In all patients CAWT was measured with an internal digital caliper. Continuous data were described as the mean value ± standard deviation (SD), and they were compared with Student's t-test. Scatter plots to determine interobserver agreement were performed, and correlation coefficient was calculated with Pearson statistics. A P value <0.05 was considered to mean statistical significance. Measurements of the distal common CAWT ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 mm. In the patient group without stroke, average CAWT was 0.82 mm (0.22 SD), whereas in patient group with stroke it was 1.096 mm (0.21 SD). CAWT in patients without stroke showed statistical difference (P<0.0001) when compared to patients with stroke. By using a threshold of 1 mm, an important statistical association between thick CAWT and stroke was found (P<0.0001). In fact, patients with ≥1 mm CAWT had stroke with an odds ratio of 8.16 when compared with patients with <1 mm CAWT. Resulting data suggested that an increased CAWT is an indicator for risk of stroke. This parameter should be considered in addition to other well-known risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia. (orig.)

Carotid artery wall thickness and ischemic symptoms: evaluation using multi-detector-row CT angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saba, Luca; Caddeo, Giancarlo; Mallarini, Giorgio [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Polo di Monserrato, Department of Radiology, Cagliari (Italy); Sanfilippo, Roberto; Montisci, Roberto [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Polo di Monserrato, Department of Vascular Surgery, Cagliari (Italy); Pascalis, Luigi [Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Polo di Cagliari, Division of II Internal Medicine, Cagliari (Italy)

2008-09-15

The purpose of this study was to determine if carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT) studied by using multi-detector-row CT angiography (MDCTA) can be considered an effective parameter predictive of increased risk of stroke. A total of 217 patients were retrospectively studied by using MDCTA. In all patients CAWT was measured with an internal digital caliper. Continuous data were described as the mean value {+-} standard deviation (SD), and they were compared with Student's t-test. Scatter plots to determine interobserver agreement were performed, and correlation coefficient was calculated with Pearson statistics. A P value <0.05 was considered to mean statistical significance. Measurements of the distal common CAWT ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 mm. In the patient group without stroke, average CAWT was 0.82 mm (0.22 SD), whereas in patient group with stroke it was 1.096 mm (0.21 SD). CAWT in patients without stroke showed statistical difference (P<0.0001) when compared to patients with stroke. By using a threshold of 1 mm, an important statistical association between thick CAWT and stroke was found (P<0.0001). In fact, patients with {>=}1 mm CAWT had stroke with an odds ratio of 8.16 when compared with patients with <1 mm CAWT. Resulting data suggested that an increased CAWT is an indicator for risk of stroke. This parameter should be considered in addition to other well-known risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia. (orig.)

Effective RNA-silencing strategy of Lv-MSTN/GDF11 gene and its effects on the growth in shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji-Hyun; Momani, Jalal; Kim, Young Mog; Kang, Chang-Keun; Choi, Jung-Hwa; Baek, Hae-Ja; Kim, Hyun-Woo

2015-01-01

Myostatin (MSTN), also known as GDF8, is a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily and plays an important role in muscle growth, development, and differentiation. Recently, Lv-MSTN/GDF11, the primitive isoform of MSTN and GDF11, was identified from the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. The major production site for Lv-MSTN/GDF11 is in the heart, not the tail muscle, which differs from MSTNs in mammals. Among the three injected RNAs, long dsRNA was the most effective for Lv-MSTN/GDF11 knockdown and transcripts of Lv-MSTN/GDF11 decreased in both the heart (88.85%) and skeletal muscles (43.36%) 72h after injection of 10pmol of long dsRNA. We also found that higher doses of dsRNA did not lead to greater decreases in Lv-MSTN/GDF11 transcripts for amounts between 1pmol and 100pmol. Injection of Lv-MSTN/GDF11 dsRNA did not affect the upregulation of the skeletal actin gene (Lv-ACTINSK) in the tail muscle, but the expression of cytoplasmic and cardiac actins were upregulated in both the heart and tail muscle. Over the course of 8weeks of dsRNA injection, considerably higher mortality (~71%) was seen in the dsRNA-injected group compared to the control group (40%). Surviving shrimp in the dsRNA injected group had a lower growth rate due to the adverse effects of Lv-MSTN/GDF11 knockdown. Lv-MSTN/GDF11 appears to be involved in muscular or neuronal development, but not in doubling muscle fibers, as is the case with mammalian MSTN. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantum confinement effect in Bi anti-dot thin films with tailored pore wall widths and thicknesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Y., E-mail: youngok@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Hirose, Y.; Fukumura, T.; Hasegawa, T. [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, JST, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Nakao, S. [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, JST, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Xu, J. [School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 (United States)

2014-01-13

We investigated quantum confinement effects in Bi anti-dot thin films grown on anodized aluminium oxide templates. The pore wall widths (w{sub Bi}) and thickness (t) of the films were tailored to have values longer or shorter than Fermi wavelength of Bi (λ{sub F} = ∼40 nm). Magnetoresistance measurements revealed a well-defined weak antilocalization effect below 10 K. Coherence lengths (L{sub ϕ}) as functions of temperature were derived from the magnetoresistance vs field curves by assuming the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model. The anti-dot thin film with w{sub Bi} and t smaller than λ{sub F} showed low dimensional electronic behavior at low temperatures where L{sub ϕ}(T) exceed w{sub Bi} or t.

Minimum wall pressure coefficient of orifice plate energy dissipater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan-zheng Ai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Orifice plate energy dissipaters have been successfully used in large-scale hydropower projects due to their simple structure, convenient construction procedure, and high energy dissipation ratio. The minimum wall pressure coefficient of an orifice plate can indirectly reflect its cavitation characteristics: the lower the minimum wall pressure coefficient is, the better the ability of the orifice plate to resist cavitation damage is. Thus, it is important to study the minimum wall pressure coefficient of the orifice plate. In this study, this coefficient and related parameters, such as the contraction ratio, defined as the ratio of the orifice plate diameter to the flood-discharging tunnel diameter; the relative thickness, defined as the ratio of the orifice plate thickness to the tunnel diameter; and the Reynolds number of the flow through the orifice plate, were theoretically analyzed, and their relationships were obtained through physical model experiments. It can be concluded that the minimum wall pressure coefficient is mainly dominated by the contraction ratio and relative thickness. The lower the contraction ratio and relative thickness are, the larger the minimum wall pressure coefficient is. The effects of the Reynolds number on the minimum wall pressure coefficient can be neglected when it is larger than 105. An empirical expression was presented to calculate the minimum wall pressure coefficient in this study.

Viral Determinants of FeLV Infection and Pathogenesis: Lessons Learned from Analysis of a Natural Cohort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura S. Levy

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Detailed analysis has been performed over many years of a geographic and temporal cohort of cats naturally infected with feline leukemia virus (FeLV. Molecular analysis of FeLV present in the diseased tissues and application of those viruses to experimental systems has revealed unique isolates with distinctive disease potential, previously uncharacterized virus-receptor interactions, information about the role of recombinant viruses in disease induction, and novel viral and cellular oncogenes implicated in pathogenesis, among other findings. The studies have contributed to an understanding of the selective forces that lead to predominance of distinctive FeLV isolates and disease outcomes in a natural population.

A film-based wall shear stress sensor for wall-bounded turbulent flows

Science.gov (United States)

Amili, Omid; Soria, Julio

2011-07-01

In wall-bounded turbulent flows, determination of wall shear stress is an important task. The main objective of the present work is to develop a sensor which is capable of measuring surface shear stress over an extended region applicable to wall-bounded turbulent flows. This sensor, as a direct method for measuring wall shear stress, consists of mounting a thin flexible film on the solid surface. The sensor is made of a homogeneous, isotropic, and incompressible material. The geometry and mechanical properties of the film are measured, and particles with the nominal size of 11 μm in diameter are embedded on the film's surface to act as markers. An optical technique is used to measure the film deformation caused by the flow. The film has typically deflection of less than 2% of the material thickness under maximum loading. The sensor sensitivity can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the layer or the shear modulus of the film's material. The paper reports the sensor fabrication, static and dynamic calibration procedure, and its application to a fully developed turbulent channel flow at Reynolds numbers in the range of 90,000-130,000 based on the bulk velocity and channel full height. The results are compared to alternative wall shear stress measurement methods.

Reconstruction of massive full-thickness abdominal wall defect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aydin, Dogu; Paulsen, Ida Felbo; Bentzen, Vibeke Egerup

2016-01-01

We demonstrate that it is possible to use a nonabsorbable mesh for abdominal wall reconstruction after total wound rupture and successfully split-skin graft directly on the mesh. Sufficient granulation tissue formation prior to skin grafting was obtained with long-term use of negative pressure...

Gold-Based Cubic Nanoboxes with Well-Defined Openings at the Corners and Ultrathin Walls Less Than Two Nanometers Thick.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaojun; Kim, Junki; Gilroy, Kyle D; Liu, Jingyue; König, Tobias A F; Qin, Dong

2016-08-23

We report a facile synthesis of Au-based cubic nanoboxes as small as 20 nm for the outer edge length, together with well-defined openings at the corners and walls fewer than 10 atomic layers (or nanocubes, followed by the conformal deposition of Au on the side faces in a layer-by-layer fashion. When six atomic layers of Au are formed on the side faces to generate Ag@Au6L core-shell nanocubes, we can selectively remove the Ag2O patches at the corner sites using a weak acid, making it possible to further remove the Ag core by H2O2 etching without breaking the ultrathin Au shell. This synthetic approach works well for Ag nanocubes of 38 and 18 nm in edge length, and the wall thickness of the nanoboxes can be controlled down to 2 nm. The resultant Au nanoboxes exhibit strong plasmonic absorption in the near-infrared region, consistent with computational simulations.

Influence of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy on detection of ischemic area with exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyama, Takuji; Nishimura, Tsunehiko; Uehara, Toshiisa

1992-01-01

Sixty-four patients with single left anterior descending artery disease having effort angina (group A: 40 patients with hypertrophic hypertension, group B: 10 patients with hypertrophic hypertension, group C: 14 patients with non-hypertrophic hypertension) were assessed to determine the influence of hypertensive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy on detection of ischemic area. The criterion of hypertrophy by two-dimensional echocardiography was >12 mm in the wall thickness of interventricular septal or posterior wall. Population in Group B might show low detectability in ischemic area by 201 Tl myocardial scintigraphy (positive thallium rate 60%, defect score 2.7±3.6), and high lung thallium uptake and high frequence of ECG positive among three groups. In semiquantitative analysis, the washout rate of the posterolateral wall and %RD (delayed %uptake-initial %uptake) of the septal wall in patients with Group B were lowest among three groups. However, the washout rate in the septal wall against the posterior wall, and the initial %uptake and the delayed %uptake of the septal wall were not significantly different among three groups. We could conclude that the decreased washout rate in nonischemic area with hypertensive LV hypertrophy might make the ischemic area masked. (author)

Bone demarcation of the temporomandibular joint. Validity of clinical assessment of bone thickness by means of CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlqvist, J.B.; Isberg, A.M.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To study the CT depiction of bone demarcations in the temporomandibular joint, using conventional window level and window width; and to evaluate observer performance in estimating bone thickness in these images. Material and Methods: Seven joint specimens were imaged by CT and then cryosectioned. The measurements of bone wall thickness in the images were compared to the true bone thickness at each cutting level. In addition, 4 experienced radiologists estimated the thickness of the bone walls in the images. Results: The relative difference between the CT reproduction and the true bone thickness was small for bone walls thicker than 2 mm. This difference increased with the decrease in bone thickness and the increase in the inclination of the bone wall from the perpendicular to the image plane. Bone walls thinner than 1 mm were reproduced as considerably thicker than their true thickness. This resulted in a clinical overestimation of bone thickness. Conclusion: Both the CT representation and the interpretation of bone demarcation in the temporomandibular joint may constitute a problem. Partial volume averaging effects can result in an overestimation of bone dimensions amounting to 200% for thin bones. The central white zone in images of thin bone walls obtained with the parameters described here could serve as an indicator that could help to reduce the risk of overestimating bone thickness. (orig.)

Radiation transmission pipe thickness measurement system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higashi, Yasuhiko

2010-01-01

Fuji Electric Systems can be measured from the outer insulation of the transmission Characteristics and radiation detection equipment had been developed that can measure pipe wall thinning in plant and running, the recruitment of another three-beam calculation method by pipe thickness measurement system was developed to measure the thickness of the pipe side. This equipment has been possible to measure the thickness of the circumferential profile of the pipe attachment by adopting automatic rotation. (author)

Peritrophin-like protein from Litopenaeus vannamei (LvPT) involved in white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection in digestive tract challenged with reverse gavage

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Shijun; Li, Fuhua; Zhang, Xiaojun; Zhang, Jiquan; Xiang, Jianhai

2017-11-01

The peritrophic membrane plays an important role in the defense system of the arthropod gut. The digestive tract is considered one of the major tissues targeted by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in shrimp. In this study, the nucleotide sequence encoding peritrophin-like protein of Litopenaeus vannamei (LvPT) was amplified from a yeast two-hybrid library of L. vannamei. The epitope peptide of LvPT was predicted with the GenScript OptimumAntigen™ design tool. An anti-LvPT polyclonal antibody was produced and shown to specifically bind a band at 27 kDa, identified as LvPT. The LvPT protein was expressed and its concentration determined. LvPT dsRNA (4 μg per shrimp) was used to inhibit LvPT expression in shrimp, and a WSSV challenge experiment was then performed with reverse gavage. The pleopods, stomachs, and guts were collected from the shrimp at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h post-infection (hpi). Viral load quantification showed that the levels of WSSV were significantly lower in the pleopods, stomachs, and guts of shrimp after LvPT dsRNA interference than in those of the controls at 48 and 72 hpi. Our results imply that LvPT plays an important role during WSSV infection of the digestive tract.

Ultrasonic TOFD method application for steel components and welds of 10 mm wall thickness using ultrasonic flaw detector and ULTRA7 TOFD software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasarov, R.; Tabakova, B.

2008-01-01

Pressure Vessels inspection is carried out using complex of NDT techniques. A relatively recent technique ultrasonic NDJ is the Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD,) method as an effective method for detection and sizing of flaws. One of the way inspection heavy duty steel elements and welds is to use manual TOFD technique with longitudinal waves at refracted angles of 45 to 70 degrees. Typically inspections using this method have been on steel elements and welds varying from 12 mm to 300 mm wall thickness. In this paper is presented examples of using the TOFD techniques for 10 mm wall thickness using USM 35X5 and ULTRA-7 TOFD software. This software provides TOFD inspection design (PCS, sound path, beam coverage, dead zones) and validation services. The calculations of the two dead zones are derived from relatively trigonometric equation, graphically displayed on a PC-screen and weld frame form. Using ULTRA-7 TOFD the user must move the gate at which the flaw is located on PC-screen to determine the depth of defect. The diffraction points graphically displayed in a weld frame form and analyzed using geometry calculations. (authors)

An analytical solution to the heat transfer problem in thick-walled hunt flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bluck, Michael J; Wolfendale, Michael J

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Convective heat transfer in Hunt type flow of a liquid metal in a rectangular duct. • Analytical solution to the H1 constant peripheral temperature in a rectangular duct. • New H1 result demonstrating the enhancement of heat transfer due to flow distortion by the applied magnetic field. • Analytical solution to the H2 constant peripheral heat flux in a rectangular duct. • New H2 result demonstrating the reduction of heat transfer due to flow distortion by the applied magnetic field. • Results are important for validation of CFD in magnetohydrodynamics and for implementation of systems code approaches. - Abstract: The flow of a liquid metal in a rectangular duct, subject to a strong transverse magnetic field is of interest in a number of applications. An important application of such flows is in the context of coolants in fusion reactors, where heat is transferred to a lead-lithium eutectic. It is vital, therefore, that the heat transfer mechanisms are understood. Forced convection heat transfer is strongly dependent on the flow profile. In the hydrodynamic case, Nusselt numbers and the like, have long been well characterised in duct geometries. In the case of liquid metals in strong magnetic fields (magnetohydrodynamics), the flow profiles are very different and one can expect a concomitant effect on convective heat transfer. For fully developed laminar flows, the magnetohydrodynamic problem can be characterised in terms of two coupled partial differential equations. The problem of heat transfer for perfectly electrically insulating boundaries (Shercliff case) has been studied previously (Bluck et al., 2015). In this paper, we demonstrate corresponding analytical solutions for the case of conducting hartmann walls of arbitrary thickness. The flow is very different from the Shercliff case, exhibiting jets near the side walls and core flow suppression which have profound effects on heat transfer.

Calculation of the thicknesses of the walls of the radiographic inspection building of the NKS enterprise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez A, G.; Gutierrez R, C.

1983-07-01

During the month of February, 1983, the Structural Civil Department of the Latin American of Engineering, S.A. de C.V. company (LATISA), outline to the Engineering and Industry Applications Management of the ININ that the industrial group NKS had taken charge them the design of a building where it would lodge a linear electron accelerator of 4 MeV, one source of Co-60 of 30 Ci and an X-ray equipment, tube type, of range of 60 to 300 KV and that to make the design they required to know the necessary thickness of the walls, doors and roof to protect to the workers, outside of the building, of the X and gamma radiations generated by the sources mentioned during the radiographic inspections of metal-mechanical pieces. (Author)

Influence of cold walls on PET image quantification and volume segmentation: A phantom study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berthon, B.; Marshall, C.; Edwards, A.; Spezi, E.; Evans, M.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Commercially available fillable plastic inserts used in positron emission tomography phantoms usually have thick plastic walls, separating their content from the background activity. These “cold” walls can modify the intensity values of neighboring active regions due to the partial volume effect, resulting in errors in the estimation of standardized uptake values. Numerous papers suggest that this is an issue for phantom work simulating tumor tissue, quality control, and calibration work. This study aims to investigate the influence of the cold plastic wall thickness on the quantification of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose on the image activity recovery and on the performance of advanced automatic segmentation algorithms for the delineation of active regions delimited by plastic walls.Methods: A commercial set of six spheres of different diameters was replicated using a manufacturing technique which achieves a reduction in plastic walls thickness of up to 90%, while keeping the same internal volume. Both sets of thin- and thick-wall inserts were imaged simultaneously in a custom phantom for six different tumor-to-background ratios. Intensity values were compared in terms of mean and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVs) in the spheres and mean SUV of the hottest 1 ml region (SUV max , SUV mean , and SUV peak ). The recovery coefficient (RC) was also derived for each sphere. The results were compared against the values predicted by a theoretical model of the PET-intensity profiles for the same tumor-to-background ratios (TBRs), sphere sizes, and wall thicknesses. In addition, ten automatic segmentation methods, written in house, were applied to both thin- and thick-wall inserts. The contours obtained were compared to computed tomography derived gold standard (“ground truth”), using five different accuracy metrics.Results: The authors' results showed that thin-wall inserts achieved significantly higher SUV mean , SUV max , and RC values (up to 25%, 16

Prognostic implications of left ventricular mass and geometry following myocardial infarction: the VALIANT (VALsartan In Acute myocardial iNfarcTion) Echocardiographic Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Verma, Anil; Meris, Alessandra; Skali, Hicham

2008-01-01

associated with RWT was independent of LVMi. CONCLUSIONS: Increased baseline LV mass and abnormal LV geometry portend an increased risk for morbidity and mortality following high-risk myocardial infarction. Concentric LV hypertrophy carries the greatest risk of adverse cardiovascular events including death...... cardiovascular events. METHODS: Quantitative echocardiographic analyses were performed at baseline in 603 patients from the VALIANT (VALsartan In Acute myocardial iNfarcTion) echocardiographic study. The left ventricular mass index (LVMi) and relative wall thickness (RWT) were calculated. Patients were...... classified into 4 mutually exclusive groups based on RWT and LVMi as follows: normal geometry (normal LVMi and normal RWT), concentric remodeling (normal LVMi and increased RWT), eccentric hypertrophy (increased LVMi and normal RWT), and concentric hypertrophy (increased LVMi and increased RWT). Cox...

Biometric estimation of chest wall thickness in female nonradiation workers of a monazite processing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radhakrishnan, Sujata; Maniyan, C.G.; Pillai, P.M.B.; Khan, A.H.

2003-01-01

Chest wall thickness (CWT) was estimated in fifty four female nonradiation workers of a monazite processing plant by biometric measurements. The CWT ranged from 4.12 cm to 6.94 cm giving an average of 5.19 ± 0.76 cm. CWT was found to have very good correlation with percent Body Fat and abdominal circumference but poor correlation with Body Mass Index, Body Build Index, Slenderness, age etc. CWT increases with age especially in the upper middle-aged group (> 35 years). A single measurement of abdominal circumference can be used to estimate CWT with 94 % accuracy. A factor of 0.0587 was derived to estimate CWT from abdominal circumference. The study also showed that about 11 % of the subjects were obese. The results obtained will be very useful for the accurate measurement of Low Energy Photons like 239 Pu and 241 Am deposited in the lung. (author)

Leg blood pressure measured in orthostatic posture is associated with left ventricular mass in normotensive subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Gemignani, Tiago; Matos-Souza, José R; Franchini, Kleber G; Nadruz, Wilson

2012-10-01

Changing from a supine to an orthostatic posture is associated with substantial increments in leg blood pressure (BP) levels, which could ultimately influence the hemodynamic burden imposed on the heart. This study investigated the relationship between brachial and leg BP measurements and the left cardiac chamber's structure and assessed the role of body posture changes in this regard. One hundred and thirty normotensive, nondiabetic, nonsmoking, normolipemic subjects were evaluated by a clinical history, anthropometry, the analysis of metabolic parameters, echocardiography, and the measurement of BP in the arm and the calf in both supine and orthostatic positions. Significant correlation coefficients between the leg BP measurements and the cardiac structure were detected, especially between the orthostatic pulse pressure (PP) and the left ventricular (LV) wall thickness (r = 0.38; P < 0.001), the orthostatic PP and the LV mass (r = 0.37; P < 0.001), and the orthostatic systolic BP (SBP) and the left atrial size (r = 0.35; P < 0.001). Stepwise and standard regression analysis adjusted for brachial BP and anthropometric and metabolic variables confirmed that the leg orthostatic PP was independently related to the LV wall thickness and mass. Moreover, the leg orthostatic SBP was associated with the left atrial dimension even after adding the LV mass to the statistical models. Finally, triglyceride levels and body surface area showed significant relationship with leg orthostatic PP and SBP, whereas brachial orthostatic PP and SBP were only associated with age and anthropometric variables. Orthostatic leg BP is independently associated with the cardiac structure in normotensive subjects.

Altered Aortic Upper Wall TDI Velocity Is Inversely Related with Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Operated Tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassareo, Pier Paolo; Saba, Luca; Marras, Andrea R; Mercuro, Giuseppe

2016-12-01

Postoperative tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients often develop progressive aortic root dilatation due to an impairment in aortic elastic properties. (1) to assess aortic elasticity at the level of the aortic upper wall by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI); (2) to evaluate the influence of aortic elasticity on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in TOF patients. Twenty-eight postoperative TOF patients (14 males, 14 females. Mean age: 25.7 ± 1.6 years) and 28 age- and sex-matched normal subjects were examined. Aortic distensibility and stiffness index were calculated. Aortic wall systolic and diastolic velocities, LV systolic and diastolic parameters were assessed by TDI. Aortic distensibility was significantly lower (P = .024), and aortic stiffness index significantly higher (P = .036) in TOF patients compared to controls. E/E' was significantly higher in TOF than in control group (P < .001). Aortic upper wall early diastolic velocity (AWEDV) was significantly correlated with aortic stiffness index (r: -0.42; P < .03), aortic distensibility (r = 0.54; P < .004), left atrial volume (r = -0.62; P = .0004), and E/E' ratio (r = -0.87; P < .0001). The latter relationship remained significant even when excluding the influence of age at surgery (r = -0.60; P < .0007) and of previous palliative surgery (r = -0.53; P < .02). Aortic elastic properties can be directly assessed using TDI to measure AWEDV. Aortic elasticity is significantly lower in postoperative TOF patients, exerting a negative effect also on LV diastolic function, with a potential long-term influence on clinical status. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cigarette smoking in military pilots and intima-media thickness of the carotid arteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovelić Stojan

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Background. It is well known that smoking is associated with an increase in arterial wall thickness. However, most studies of this problem have been undertaken in age and sex heterogeneous groups, as well as in patients with already present other conventional risk factors. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of cigarette smoking on arterial wall thickness of the common carotid artery in asymptomatic pilots. Methods. The imaging of intima−media thickness of the posterior wall of the distal 1 cm of both common carotid arteries was performed using a B mode ultrasound device, in 39 pilots (37.05 ± 6.66 years, for whom smoking was the single cardiovascular risk factor. Comparisons were made with 49 non-smokers (35.12 ± 7.39 years. Results. The posterior walls of both common carotid arteries were thicker in smokers (left, p < 0.05; right, p > 0,05. Intima-media thickness was significantly lower on the right side than on the left side in both smokers and nonsmokers (p < 0.01. Conclusion. Cigarette smoking as the single cardiovascular risk factor was associated with the wall thickness of the carotid arteries in our study. This finding indicated that early atherosclerosis was already present in pilots - smokers entering middle age.

Evaluation of ECG-gated [(11)C]acetate PET for measuring left ventricular volumes, mass, and myocardial external efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansson, Nils Henrik; Tolbod, Lars; Harms, Johannes; Wiggers, Henrik; Kim, Won Yong; Hansen, Esben; Zaremba, Tomas; Frøkiær, Jørgen; Jakobsen, Steen; Sørensen, Jens

2016-08-01

Noninvasive estimation of myocardial external efficiency (MEE) requires measurements of left ventricular (LV) oxygen consumption with [(11)C]acetate PET in addition to LV stroke volume and mass with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Measuring LV geometry directly from ECG-gated [(11)C]acetate PET might enable MEE evaluation from a single PET scan. Therefore, we sought to establish the accuracy of measuring LV volumes, mass, and MEE directly from ECG-gated [(11)C]acetate PET. Thirty-five subjects with aortic valve stenosis underwent ECG-gated [(11)C]acetate PET and CMR. List mode PET data were rebinned into 16-bin ECG-gated uptake images before measuring LV volumes and mass using commercial software and compared to CMR. Dynamic datasets were used for calculation of mean LV oxygen consumption and MEE. LV mass, volumes, and ejection fraction measured by CMR and PET correlated strongly (r = 0.86-0.92, P PET (P PET-based MEE, corrected for bias, correlated fairly with PET/CMR-based MEE (r = 0.60, P PET-based MEE bias was strongly associated with LV wall thickness. Although analysis-related improvements in accuracy are recommended, LV geometry estimated from ECG-gated [(11)C]acetate PET correlate excellently with CMR and can indeed be used to evaluate MEE.

Application of SPCALC for chemical and thermodynamic speciation of fluids -example for wells LV-4A, LV-11 and LV-13, Las Tres Virgenes geothermal field, BCS; Aplicacion del SPCALC en la especiacion quimica y termodinamica de fluidos: ejemplo del caso de los pozos LV-4A, LV-11 y LV-13, del campo geotermico de Las Tres Virgenes, BCS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viggiano Guerra, J.C.; Sandoval Medina, F.; Flores Armenta, M.C. [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Gerencia de Proyectos Geotermoelectricos, Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico)]. E-mail: fernando.sandoval@cfe.gob.mx, E-mail: magaly.flores@cfe.gob.mx; Perez, R.J. [Universidad de Calgary (Canada); Gonzalez Partida, E. [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Centro de Geociencias, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2009-01-15

SPCALC is an excellent software application providing chemical and multi-phase speciation for geothermal fluids. Recently it was acquired by the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) through a contract with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the University of Calgary, Canada. Software methodology consists of calculating thermodynamic variables, such as activity (a) and fugacity (f) of chemical species, as well as the saturation indices (log Q/K) of mineral phases of the reservoir. In other words, it models the thermodynamic conditions of the reservoir (pH among other) and simulates the fluid-corrosion rate. This allows the software to foresee scaling and corrosion. In this paper, pervasive fluids in Cretaceous granitic rocks penetrated by wells LV-4A, LV-11 and LV-13 in Las Tres Virgenes geothermal field, BCS, are modeled, starting with chemical analyses. The more important ratios among activities [those which influence the fluid-rock interaction (i.e. {sup a}K{sup +}/{sup a}H{sup +}, {sup a}Ca{sup ++}/{sup a}H{sup +}, {sup a}Na{sup +}/{sup a}H{sup +}, {sup a}Mg{sup ++}/{sup a}H{sup +}) and whose results are the minerals visible under a microscope] are graphed in balance diagrams compatible with the pressure (P) and temperature (T) conditions in the reservoir. Epidote (zoisite) is the mineral found in congruent equilibrium with the system. The main mineral association at those conditions (200-250 degrees Celsius and {approx}18 bar), as observed in the well cuttings, is calcite+illite-quartz{+-}epidote, which is explained by the hydrolithic reactions that form replacement calcite in the presence of CO{sub 2}, thus restricting the formation of epidote and eventually eliminating it. The process enhances the CO{sub 2} molarity in the residual fluid, even up to {sup m}CO{sub 2} 1, which means the CO{sub 2} can be diluted back into fluid and intervene again in the process of calcite formation (2HCO{sub 3}{sup -} + Ca{sup ++} = calcite + H{sub 2}O

Bloch walls in a nickel single crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, J.; Treimer, W.

2001-01-01

We present a consistent theory for the dependence of the magnetic structure in bulk samples on external static magnetic fields and corresponding experimental results. We applied the theory of micromagnetism to this crystal and calculated the Bloch wall thickness as a function of external magnetic fields. The theoretical results agree well with the experimental data, so that the Bloch wall thickness of a 71 deg. nickel single crystal was definitely determined with some hundred of nanometer

Tearing stability analysis of an axial surface flaw in thick-walled pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahoor, A.; Ghassemi, B.B.

1991-01-01

This paper presents two fracture mechanics models for evaluation of an axial surface flaw in pressure vessels. The surface flaw is located on the outside surface of the vessel. The first model assumes yielding of the remaining ligament directly ahead of the flaw. The second model assumes contained yielding ahead of the flaw and uses a linear elastic fracture mechanics solution. The former model is suitable for cases where the combination of material toughness, flaw size, and load is such that initiation of flaw growth follows ligament yielding. The latter model is suitable for low-toughness materials where initiation of crack growth and potential tearing instability may occur prior to the yielding of the ligament. Both models are suitable for thick-walled vessels. The paper discusses the applicability regime for both models. The models are then applied to a test vessel and the predicted failure pressure is compared against the pressure attained in the test. Results show that both models can be applied successfully. In particular, the contained yielding model when used with the plane-stress assumption can give reasonable predictions even for cases that involve yielding of the ligament. (orig.)

Tearing stability analysis of an axial surface flaw in thick-walled pressure vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahoor, A.; Ghassemi, B.B. (NOVETECH Corp., Rockville, MD (USA))

1991-04-01

This paper presents two fracture mechanics models for evaluation of an axial surface flaw in pressure vessels. The surface flaw is located on the outside surface of the vessel. The first model assumes yielding of the remaining ligament directly ahead of the flaw. The second model assumes contained yielding ahead of the flaw and uses a linear elastic fracture mechanics solution. The former model is suitable for cases where the combination of material toughness, flaw size, and load is such that initiation of flaw growth follows ligament yielding. The latter model is suitable for low-toughness materials where initiation of crack growth and potential tearing instability may occur prior to the yielding of the ligament. Both models are suitable for thick-walled vessels. The paper discusses the applicability regime for both models. The models are then applied to a test vessel and the predicted failure pressure is compared against the pressure attained in the test. Results show that both models can be applied successfully. In particular, the contained yielding model when used with the plane-stress assumption can give reasonable predictions even for cases that involve yielding of the ligament. (orig.).

Bobbin-Tool Friction-Stir Welding of Thick-Walled Aluminum Alloy Pressure Vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalder, E C; Pastrnak, J W; Engel, J; Forrest, R S; Kokko, E; Ternan, K M; Waldron, D

2007-06-06

It was desired to assemble thick-walled Al alloy 2219 pressure vessels by bobbin-tool friction-stir welding. To develop the welding-process, mechanical-property, and fitness-for-service information to support this effort, extensive friction-stir welding-parameter studies were conducted on 2.5 cm. and 3.8 cm. thick 2219 Al alloy plate. Starting conditions of the plate were the fully-heat-treated (-T62) and in the annealed (-O) conditions. The former condition was chosen with the intent of using the welds in either the 'as welded' condition or after a simple low-temperature aging treatment. Since preliminary stress-analyses showed that stresses in and near the welds would probably exceed the yield-strength of both 'as welded' and welded and aged weld-joints, a post-weld solution-treatment, quenching, and aging treatment was also examined. Once a suitable set of welding and post-weld heat-treatment parameters was established, the project divided into two parts. The first part concentrated on developing the necessary process information to be able to make defect-free friction-stir welds in 3.8 cm. thick Al alloy 2219 in the form of circumferential welds that would join two hemispherical forgings with a 102 cm. inside diameter. This necessitated going to a bobbin-tool welding-technique to simplify the tooling needed to react the large forces generated in friction-stir welding. The bobbin-tool technique was demonstrated on both flat-plates and plates that were bent to the curvature of the actual vessel. An additional issue was termination of the weld, i.e. closing out the hole left at the end of the weld by withdrawal of the friction-stir welding tool. This was accomplished by friction-plug welding a slightly-oversized Al alloy 2219 plug into the termination-hole, followed by machining the plug flush with both the inside and outside surfaces of the vessel. The second part of the project involved demonstrating that the welds were fit for the intended

Drift of IBL LV current and its consequence in IBL distortion

CERN Document Server

The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

The low voltage (LV) current of the IBL modules had been stable since the beginning of the Run2 until the middle of September 2015, but it has been unstable since then (Figure 1). A clear relation is observed between the current rise-up and the total radiation doze (TID) increase, which is considered to be the TID effect reported in . A shutdown of more than 29 hour on October 6 recovered the current largely (Figure 2). With the change of the LV current, the temperature of IBL modules also changes (Figure 3). The change of the thermo-mechanical condition of the IBL resulted in the change of the IBL distortion magnitude, and a clear relation between the module temperature and the distortion magnitude is observed (Figure 4). Through the duration presented in this series of plots, the cooling set temperature of the IBL was kept at -10℃.

The use of thick-walled hollow cylinder creep tests for evaluating flow criteria for rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, H.S.; Wawersik, W.R.

1990-01-01

Finite element simulations of two laboratory creep tests on thick-walled hollow cylinders of rock salt are evaluated to determine if such bench-scale experiments can be used to establish applicability of either von Mises or Tresca stress measures and associated flow conditions. In the tests, the cylinders were loaded axially and pressurized both internally and externally to produce stress fields similar to those found around underground excavations in rock salt. Several different loading stages were used in each test. The simulations show that for each of two creep models studied, quite different deformations of the cylinders are predicted with the Mises and Tresca flow criteria, especially if friction between the cylinders and axial loading platens is ignored. When friction is included in the simulations, the differences in deformation are changed but are sill clearly distinguishable. 10 refs., 10 figs

Ultrasonic measurements on residual stress in autofrettged thick walled petroleum pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woias, G.; Mizera, J.

2008-01-01

The residual stresses in a component or structure are caused by incompatible permanent deformation and related gradient of plastic/elastic strains. They may be generated or modified at every stage in the components life cycle, from original material production to final disposal. Residual stresses can be measured by non-destructive techniques, including X-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetic and ultrasonic methods. The selection of the optimum measurement technique should take account volumetric resolution, material, geometry and access to the component. For large metallic components neutron diffraction is of prime importance as it provides quantitative information on stresses in relatively large volume of methods disregarding its shape complexity. Residual stresses can play a significant role in explaining or preventing failure of components of industrial installations. One example of residual stresses preventing failure are the ones generated by shot peening, inducing surface compressive stresses that improve the fatigue life. Petroleum refinery piping is generally characterized by large-diameters, operated at elevated temperature and under high pressure. Pipelines of a polyethylene plant working in one of the Polish refineries are subjected to pressures exceeding 300 MPa at temperatures above 200 o C. The pipes considered here were pressurized with pressure of 600 MPa. The wall thickness of the pipes is 27 mm and pipe dimensions are 46 x 100 mm. The material is steel with Re=580 MPa. Due to pressurizing, the components retain compressive stresses at the internal surface. These stresses increase resistance to cracking of the pipes. Over the period of exploitation these stresses diminish due to temperature activated relaxation or creep. The purpose of the project is to verify kinetics of such a relaxation process and calibrate alternative methods of their measurements. To avoid stress relaxation, numerical analysis from Finite Element Modelling (FEM)gave an

ASSESSMENT OF DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION, ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, AND CAROTID INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS IN PATIENTS WITH ACROMEGALY.

Science.gov (United States)

Cansu, Güven Barış; Yılmaz, Nusret; Yanıkoğlu, Atakan; Özdem, Sebahat; Yıldırım, Aytül Belgi; Süleymanlar, Gültekin; Altunbaş, Hasan Ali

2017-05-01

Early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in acromegaly, may be an efficient approach to extending the lifespan of affected patients. Therefore, it is crucial to determine any cardiovascular diseases in the subclinical period. The study objectives were to determine markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and asses heart structure and function. This was a cross-sectional, single-center study of 53 patients with acromegaly and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), pulse-wave velocity (PWV), and echocardiographic data were compared between these groups. CIMT and PWV were higher in the acromegaly group than in the healthy group (P = .008 and P = .002, respectively). Echocardiography showed that left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was present in 11.3% of patients. Left ventricular mass index and left atrial volume index were higher in the patients (P = .016 and Pacromegaly and the control group. Our results showed that subclinical atherosclerosis (i.e., CIMT and PWV markers) and heart structure and function were worse in patients with acromegaly than in healthy individuals. Because there were no differences in these parameters between patients with controlled and uncontrolled acromegaly, our results suggest that the structural and functional changes do not reverse with biochemical control. AA = active acromegaly BSA = body surface area CA = biochemically controlled acromegaly CH = concentric hypertrophy CIMT = carotid intima-media thickness DBP = diastolic blood pressure DM = diabetes mellitus ECHO = echocardiography EDV = enddiastolic volume EF = ejection fraction ESV = endsystolic volume GH = growth hormone HC = healthy control HL = hyperlipidemia HT = hypertension IGF-1 = insulin-like growth factor 1 LA = left atrial LAV = left atrial volume LAVI = left atrial volume index LV = left ventricular LVDD = left ventricular diastolic dysfunction LVEF = left

Interneta sociālie tīkli draugiem.lv, mammam/tetiem.lv un twitter.com kā reklāmas nesēji Latvijā (2009.gads)

OpenAIRE

Vismane, Inese

2010-01-01

Maģistra darba tēma ir „Interneta sociālie tīkli draugiem.lv, mammam/tetiem.lv un twitter.com kā reklāmas nesēji Latvijā (2009.gads)”. Darba mērķis ir izpētīt Latvijas interneta sociālo tīklu vidi kā potenciāli augošu un reklāmai piemērotu, kā arī izpētīt pamanāmākos reklāmas gadījumus šajos portālos. Teorijas daļā tiek apskatīta Web 2.0 ēra, interneta reklāmas un sociālo mediju mārketinga īpatnības, sociālo tīklu fenomens un teorijas, Latvijas reklāmas tirgus un auditorija, kā arī sociāl...

The Use of Tensor Fascia Lata Pedicled Flap in Reconstructing Full Thickness Abdominal Wall Defects and Groin Defects Following Tumor Ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rifaat, M.A.; Abdel Gawad, W.S.

2005-01-01

The tensor fascia lata is a versatile flap with many uses in reconstructive plastic surgery. As a pedicled flap its reach to the lower abdomen and groin made it an attractive option for reconstructing soft tissue defects after tumor ablation. However, debate exists on the safe dimension of the flap, as distal tip necrosis is common. Also, the adequacy of the fascia lata as a sole substitute for abdominal wall muscles has been disputable. The aim of the current study is to report our experience and clinical observations with this flap in reconstructing those challenging defects and to discuss the possible options to minimize the latter disputable issues. Patients and Methods: From April 2001 to April 2004, 12 pedicled TFL flaps were used to reconstruct 5 central abdominal wall full thickness defects and 6 groin soft tissue defects following tumor resection. ]n one case, bilateral flaps were used to reconstruct a large central abdominal wall defect. There were 4 males and 7 females. Their age ranged from 19 to 60. From the abdominal wall defects group, all repairs were enforced primarily with a prolene mesh except for one patient who was the first in this study. Patients presenting with groin defects required coverage of exposed vessels following tumor resection. All patients in the current study underwent immediate reconstruction. The resulting soft tissue defects in this study were due to resection of 4 abdominal wall desmoid tumors, a colonic carcinoma infiltrating the abdominal wall, 4 primary groin soft developed in a flap used to cover a groin defect. In the former 3 cases, The flap was simply transposed without complete islanding of the flap. In the latter case, a very large flap was harvested beyond the safe limits with its distal edge just above the knee. In addition, wound dehiscence of the flap occurred in 2 other cases from the groin group. Nevertheless, all the wounds healed spontaneously with repeated dressings. Out of the 5 cases that underwent

Nondestructive testing of welds on thin-walled tubing

Science.gov (United States)

Hagemaier, D. J.; Posakony, G. J.

1969-01-01

Special ultrasonic search unit, or transducer assembly, reliably inspects the quality of melt-through welds of fusion welded tubing couplers for hydraulic lines. This instrumentation can also be used to detect faulty braze bonds in thin-walled, small diameter joints and wall thickness of thin-walled metal tubing.

Left Atrial Mechanical Function and Global Strain in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung-Jin Kim

Full Text Available Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia and is associated with adverse outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM. Although left atrial (LA remodeling and dysfunction are known to associate with the development of atrial fibrillation in HCM, the changes of the LA in HCM patients remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in LA size and mechanical function in HCM patients compared to control subjects and to determine the characteristics of HCM associated with LA remodeling and dysfunction.Seventy-nine HCM patients (mean age, 54 ± 11 years; 76% were men were compared to 79 age- and sex-matched controls (mean age, 54 ± 11 years; 76% were men and 20 young healthy controls (mean age, 33 ± 5 years; 45% were men. The LA diameter, volume, and mechanical function, including global strain (ε, were evaluated by 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography. The phenotype of HCM, maximal left ventricular (LV wall thickness, LV mass, and presence and extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE were evaluated with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.HCM patients showed increased LA volume index, impaired reservoir function, and decreased LA ε compared to the control subjects. When we divided the HCM group according to a maximal LA volume index (LAVImax of 38.7 ml/m2 or LA ε of 21%, no significant differences in the HCM phenotype and maximal LV wall thickness were observed for patients with LAVImax >38.7 ml/m2 or LA ε ≤21%. Conversely, the LV mass index was significantly higher both in patients with maximal LA volume index >38.7 ml/m2 and with LA ε ≤21% and was independently associated with LAVImax and LA ε. Although the LGE extent was increased in patients with LA ε ≤21%, it was not independently associated with either LAVImax or LA ε.HCM patients showed progressed LA remodeling and dysfunction; the determinant of LA remodeling and dysfunction was LV mass index rather than LV myocardial fibrosis by LGE-magnetic resonance

Wood formation from the base to the crown in Pinus radiata: gradients of tracheid wall thickness, wood density, radial growth rate and gene expression

Science.gov (United States)

Sheree Cato; Lisa McMillan; Lloyd Donaldson; Thomas Richardson; Craig Echt; Richard Gardner

2006-01-01

Wood formation was investigated at five heights along the bole for two unrelated trees of Pinus radiataBoth trees showed clear gradients in wood properties from the base to the crown. Cambial cells at the base of the tree were dividing 3.3-fold slower than those at the crown, while the average thickness of cell walls in wood was highest at the base....

‘Lv Peng and his Chinese Art History in Operation, since 1986’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua Gong

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Lv Peng is one of the most influential contemporary Chinese art historians, who began publishing his work in 1986 and introduced various innovative approaches and methods to the field. Even though his work gained momentum in the field, his totalising and continually-revised publication scheme have come under incessant criticism from friends and rivals alike. This article is an attempt at surveying Lv Peng’s oeuvre, while testifying to the value of his art history writings by making his various approaches more legible and systematic. His most popular publications as well as a few projects that are still in progress will be analysed for a more comprehensive understanding of his operational art history.

Relationship between echocardiographic LV mass and ECG based left ventricular voltages in an adolescent population: related or random?

Science.gov (United States)

Czosek, Richard J; Cnota, James F; Knilans, Timothy K; Pratt, Jesse; Guerrier, Karine; Anderson, Jeffrey B

2014-09-01

In attempts to detect diseases that may place adolescents at risk for sudden death, some have advocated for population-based screening. Controversy exists over electrocardiography (ECG) screening due to the lack of specificity, cost, and detrimental effects of false positive or extraneous outcomes. Analyze the relationship between precordial lead voltage on ECG and left ventricle (LV) mass by echocardiogram in adolescent athletes. Retrospective cohort analysis of a prospectively obtained population of self-identified adolescent athletes during sports screening with ECG and echocardiogram. Correlation between ECG LV voltages (R wave in V6 [RV6] and S wave in lead V1 [SV1]) was compared to echocardiogram-based measurements of left ventricular mass. Potential effects on ECG voltages by body anthropometrics, including weight, body mass index (BMI), and body surface area were analyzed, and ECG voltages indexed to BMI were compared to LV mass indices to analyze for improved correlation. A total of 659 adolescents enrolled in this study (64% male). The mean age was 15.4 years (14-18). The correlations between LV mass and RV6, SV1, and RV6 + SV1 were all less than 0.20. The false positive rate for abnormal voltages was relatively high (5.5%) but improved if abnormal voltages in both RV6 and SV1 were mandated simultaneously (0%). Indexing ECG voltages to BMI significantly improved correlation to LV mass, though false positive findings were increased (12.9%). There is poor correlation between ECG precordial voltages and echocardiographic LV mass. This relationship is modified by BMI. This finding may contribute to the poor ECG screening characteristics. ©2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Distributed generation in the Dutch LV network - self-supporting residential area

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mes, M.; Vanalme, G.M.A.; Myrzik, J.M.A.; Bongaerts, M.; Verbong, G.P.J.; Kling, W.L.

2008-01-01

A self-supporting residential area is seen as an alternative operational approach of power supply in low voltage (LV) networks. The intention of the new approach is to exploit the advantages of distributed generation (DG) and avoid the difficulties, that come with DG when implemented in the

Hematological findings and factors associated with feline leukemia virus (FeLV and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV positivity in cats from southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda V.A. da Costa

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Using a retrospective study, 493 cats tested for FeLV and FIV were selected for analysis of the association between hematologic findings and positivity at immunoassay test. Individual and hematologic variables were assessed considering the influence of results using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Out 153 of the 493 cats were positive for FeLV (31%, 50 were positive for FIV (10.1% and 22 were positive for both FIV and FeLV (4.4%. Multivariate analysis detected significant associations between FeLV infection and age below 1 year (p=0.01, age from 1 to 10 years (p=0.03, and crossbreed (p=0.04. Male cats were more likely to be FIV-positive (p=0.002. Regarding hematological changes, FeLV-positive cats have higher odds to anemia, leukopenia and lymphopenia than FeLV-negative cats. FIV-positive cats are more likely to have anemia than negative. Identification of associated factors related to animal status and correlation of hematological disorders with infection by retroviruses in cats could be useful for detecting these retroviral diseases in cats.

In-core assembly configuration having a dual-wall pressure boundary for nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todt, W.H. Sr.; Playfoot, K.C.

1988-01-01

This patent describes an in-core detector assembly of the type having an in-core part and an out-of-core part and having an elongated outer hollow housing tube with a wall thickness, an inner hollow calibration tube with a wall thickness and disposed concentrically within the outer tube to define an annular space therewith, and a plurality of discrete, circular, rod-like elements extending through the annular space, the improvement comprising: the elements having outer diameters and being of a number to substantially occupy the entire annular space of both the incore and out-of-core parts without significant voids between elements; each of the elements including at least an outer sheath and interior highly compacted mineral insulation for the entire length of the element; a first number of the elements also including center lead means connected to condition responsive element means in the in-core part of the length of the assembly and a second, remaining number of the elements being non-operating elements. The wall thickness of the housing tube and the wall thickness of the calibration tube, taken together with the diameter of the elements, provide a thickness dimension adequate to meet code primary pressure requirements for normal nuclear reactor in-core conditions, while the wall thickness of the calibration tube alone provides a thickness dimension less than adequate to meet such requirements

Litopenaeus vannamei sterile-alpha and armadillo motif containing protein (LvSARM is involved in regulation of Penaeidins and antilipopolysaccharide factors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pei-Hui Wang

Full Text Available The Toll-like receptor (TLR-mediated NF-κB pathway is tightly controlled because overactivation may result in severe damage to the host, such as in the case of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. In mammals, sterile-alpha and armadillo motif-containing protein (SARM plays an important role in negatively regulating this pathway. While Caenorhabditis elegans SARM is crucial for an efficient immune response against bacterial and fungal infections, it is still unknown whether Drosophila SARM participates in immune responses. Here, Litopenaeus vannamei SARM (LvSARM was cloned and functionally characterized. LvSARM shared signature domains with and exhibited significant similarities to mammalian SARM. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the expression of LvSARM was responsive to Vibrio alginolyticus and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV infections in the hemocyte, gill, hepatopancreas and intestine. In Drosophila S2 cells, LvSARM was widely distributed in the cytoplasm and could significantly inhibit the promoters of the NF-κB pathway-controlled antimicrobial peptide genes (AMPs. Silencing of LvSARM using dsRNA-mediated RNA interference increased the expression levels of Penaeidins and antilipopolysaccharide factors, which are L.vannamei AMPs, and increased the mortality rate after V. alginolyticus infection. Taken together, our results reveal that LvSARM may be a novel component of the shrimp Toll pathway that negatively regulates shrimp AMPs, particularly Penaeidins and antilipopolysaccharide factors.

Regulation of FeLV-945 by c-Myb binding and CBP recruitment to the LTR

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Finstad Samantha L

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Feline leukemia virus (FeLV induces degenerative, proliferative and malignant hematologic disorders in its natural host, the domestic cat. FeLV-945 is a viral variant identified as predominant in a cohort of naturally infected animals. FeLV-945 contains a unique sequence motif in the long terminal repeat (LTR comprised of a single copy of transcriptional enhancer followed by a 21-bp sequence triplicated in tandem. The LTR is precisely conserved among independent cases of multicentric lymphoma, myeloproliferative disease and anemia in animals from the cohort. The 21-bp triplication was previously shown to act as a transcriptional enhancer preferentially in hematopoietic cells and to confer a replicative advantage. The objective of the present study was to examine the molecular mechanism by which the 21-bp triplication exerts its influence and the selective advantage responsible for its precise conservation. Results Potential binding sites for the transcription factor, c-Myb, were identified across the repeat junctions of the 21-bp triplication. Such sites would not occur in the absence of the repeat; thus, a requirement for c-Myb binding to the repeat junctions of the triplication would exert a selective pressure to conserve its sequence precisely. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated specific binding of c-Myb to the 21-bp triplication. Reporter gene assays showed that the triplication-containing LTR is responsive to c-Myb, and that responsiveness requires the presence of both c-Myb binding sites. Results further indicated that c-Myb in complex with the 21-bp triplication recruits the transcriptional co-activator, CBP, a regulator of normal hematopoiesis. FeLV-945 replication was shown to be positively regulated by CBP in a manner dependent on the presence of the 21-bp triplication. Conclusion Binding sites for c-Myb across the repeat junctions of the 21-bp triplication may account for its precise conservation in

Mathematical Model of Stress-Strain State of Curved Tube of Non-Circular Cross-Section with Account of Technological Wall Thickness Variation

Science.gov (United States)

Pirogov, S. P.; Ustinov, N. N.; Smolin, N. I.

2018-05-01

A mathematical model of the stress-strain state of a curved tube of a non-circular cross-section is presented, taking into account the technological wall thickness variation. On the basis of the semi-membrane shell theory, a system of linear differential equations describing the deformation of a tube under the effect of pressure is obtained. To solve the boundary value problem, the method of shooting is applied. The adequacy of the proposed mathematical model is verified by comparison with the experimental data and the results of the calculation of tubes by the energy method.

Copper alloy conducting first wall for the FED-A tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiffen, F.W.

1984-01-01

The first wall of the tokamak FED-A device was designed to satisfy two conflicting requirements. They are a low electrical resistance to give a long eddy-current decay time and a high neutron transparency to give a favorable tritium breeding ratio. The tradeoff between these conflicting requirements resulted in a copper alloy first wall that satisfied the specific goals for FED-A, i.e., a minimum eddy-current decay time of 0.5 sec and a tritium breeding ratio of at least 1.2. Aluminum alloys come close to meeting the requirements and would also probably work. Stainless steel will not work in this application because shells thin enough to satisfy temperature and stress limits are not thick enough to give a long eddy-current decay time and to avoid disruption induced melting. The baseline first wall design is a rib-stiffened, double-wall construction. The total wall thickness is 1.5 cm, including a water coolant thickness of 0.5 cm. The first wall is divided into twelve 30-degree sectors. Flange rings at the ends of each sector are bolted together to form the torus. Structural support is provided at the top center of each sector

Investigation of the Geometry of Metal Tube Walls after Necking in Uniaxial Tension

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Chong Li

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract: In order to characterize the deformation and true stress–strain relation of metal tubes, the geometry of tube walls after necking in uniaxial tension need to be determined. The paper investigated the necking process of metal tube. A large number of tensile tests and finite element analysis of 1Cr18Ni9Ti tubes with different sizes were conducted. It was found that the geometry of outer tube wall in the necking region can be described using a logistic regression model. The final geometry of the tube is determined by original tube diameter and wall thickness. The offset of tube walls are affected by two competing factors: volume constancy and necking. The offset distances of outer and inner walls are mainly affected by original wall thickness. The length of the necking zone is more influenced by original tube diameter. Tube elongation at fracture increases slightly as tube diameter gets larger, while the wall thickness has almost no impact on the elongation.

Material development for grade X80 heavy-wall hot induction bends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xu; Xiao Furen; Fu Yanhong; Chen Xiaowei; Liao Bo

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► The new material for X80 heavy wall thickness hot induction bend was designed. ► The continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were determined. ► The steel adapts to manufacture of X80 heavy-wall thickness hot induction bend. ► The optimum manufactural processes were obtained. ► The bending temperature is about 990 °C, and tempering is about 600 °C. - Abstract: A new steel for grade X80 heavy wall thickness hot induction bends was designed based on the chemical compositions of commercial X80 steels in this work. Then, its continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram was determined with Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator. Furthermore, the effects of heat treatment technology on its microstructure and mechanical property were investigated, and the technology parameters of the heat treatment were optimized. The results show that the acicular ferrite and/or bainite transformations are promoted, the polygonal ferrite and pearlite transformation are restrained, because proper amount of alloying elements were added into the new steel. Therefore, the strength of this new steel is improved markedly, even if the cooling rate is lower, which ensure the higher strength distribution along cross section of the heavy wall thickness. It is significant for the manufacture of grade X80 heavy wall thickness hot induction bends in the second West-to-East gas transportation pipeline project of China.

Multiaxial loading of large-diameter, thin-walled tube rock specimens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hecker, S.S.; Petrovic, J.J.

1981-01-01

A large-scale mechanical testing facility permits previously impossible thin-walled tube multiaxial loading experiments on rock materials. Constraints are removed regarding tube wall thickness in relation to rock microstructural features and tube diameter as well as test machine load capacity. Thin-walled tube studies clarify the influence of intermediate principal stress sigma 2 on rock fracture and help define a realistic rock fracture criterion for all multiaxial stressing situations. By comparing results of thin-walled and thick-walled tube fracture investigations, effects of stress gradients can be established. Finally, influence of stress path on rock fracture, an area largely ignored in current rock failure criteria, can be examined in detail using controlled loading changes as well as specimen prestrains

Dome style heavy wall steel casting manufactured by metallic core mould system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Shiro; Saeki, Keiji; Hirose, Yutaka; Takebayashi, Kazunari; Kawasaki, Masatoshi

1986-01-01

Semi-spherical thick walled steel castings are one of the main products of Nippon Chutanko K.K., but there have been the problems of internal defects peculiar to large thick walled steel castings, and the various improvements have been carried out so far for the manufacturing method, but still some of those remains. Based on the anxiety about the reliability of large steel castings, the conversion to forging has been studied. For the purpose of thoroughly improving the internal quality of thick walled steel castings to compete with forgings, on the basis of the operating experience of chills, the development of the casting techniques changing cores completely to metallic cores has been advanced. After the preliminary experiment using models, a semi-spherical thick walled steel casting mentioned before was manufactured by this metallic core casting method for trial, and the detailed investigation was carried out. As the result, the excellent internal quality was confirmed, accordingly at present, the production is made by this method. The form, dimensions and specification of the semi-spherical thick walled steel castings, the conventional casting plan, the metallic core casting plan, the design of metallic cores, molding and casting, and the examination of the castings made for trial are reported. (Kako, I.)

Direct measurement of wall slip and slip layer thickness of non-Brownian hard-sphere suspensions in rectangular channel flows

Science.gov (United States)

Jesinghausen, Steffen; Weiffen, Rene; Schmid, Hans-Joachim

2016-09-01

Wall slip is a long-known phenomenon in the field of rheology. Nevertheless, the origin and the evolution are not completely clear yet. Regarding suspensions, the effect becomes even more complicated, because different mechanisms like pure slip or slip due to particle migration have to be taken into account. Furthermore, suspensions themselves show many flow anomalies and the isolation of slip is complicated. In order to develop working physical models, further insight is necessary. In this work, we measured experimentally the wall slip velocities of different highly filled suspensions in a rectangular slit die directly with respect to the particle concentration and the particle size. The slip velocities were obtained using a particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. The suspensions consisting of a castor oil-cinnamon oil blend and PMMA particles were matched in terms of refractive indexes to appear transparent. Hereby, possible optical path lengths larger than 15 mm were achieved. The slip velocities were found to be in a quadratic relation to the wall shear stress. Furthermore, the overall flow rate as well as the particle concentration has a direct influence on the slip. Concerning the shear stress, there seem to be two regions of slip with different physical characteristics. Furthermore, we estimated the slip layer thickness directly from the velocity profiles and propose a new interpretation. The PIV technique is used to investigate the viscosity and implicit the concentration profile in the slit die. It is shown that the particle migration process is quite fast.

Tests of a High Temperature Sample Conditioner for the Waste Treatment Plant LV-S2, LV-S3, HV-S3A and HV-S3B Exhaust Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaherty, Julia E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Glissmeyer, John A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-03-18

Tests were performed to evaluate a sample conditioning unit for stack monitoring at Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) exhaust stacks with elevated air temperatures. The LV-S2, LV-S3, HV-S3A and HV-S3B exhaust stacks are expected to have elevated air temperature and dew point. At these emission points, exhaust temperatures are too high to deliver the air sample directly to the required stack monitoring equipment. As a result, a sample conditioning system is considered to cool and dry the air prior to its delivery to the stack monitoring system. The method proposed for the sample conditioning is a dilution system that will introduce cooler, dry air to the air sample stream. This method of sample conditioning is meant to reduce the sample temperature while avoiding condensation of moisture in the sample stream. An additional constraint is that the ANSI/HPS N13.1-1999 standard states that at least 50% of the 10 μm aerodynamic diameter (AD) particles present in the stack free stream must be delivered to the sample collector. In other words, depositional loss of particles should be limited to 50% in the sampling, transport, and conditioning systems. Based on estimates of particle penetration through the LV-S3 sampling system, the diluter should perform with about 80% penetration or better to ensure that the total sampling system passes the 50% or greater penetration criterion.

Results obtained during wall breaching research

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hattingh, S

2008-11-01

Full Text Available To understand the physics of what is happening inside the wall directly after the detonation and the application of this knowledge in the improvement of the charge Measure the shock/stress waves in the masonry material and then in the wall as a whole... to maximise the effect of the charges on the walls and to broaden the knowledge of the physics of shock and stress waves. The thickness and characteristics of walls are not usually known in an operation. The effect of the charges on real buildings is still...

Free and Forced Vibrations of Thick-Walled Anisotropic Cylindrical Shells

Science.gov (United States)

Marchuk, A. V.; Gnedash, S. V.; Levkovskii, S. A.

2017-03-01

Two approaches to studying the free and forced axisymmetric vibrations of cylindrical shell are proposed. They are based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity and division of the original cylindrical shell with concentric cross-sectional circles into several coaxial cylindrical shells. One approach uses linear polynomials to approximate functions defined in plan and across the thickness. The other approach also uses linear polynomials to approximate functions defined in plan, but their variation with thickness is described by the analytical solution of a system of differential equations. Both approaches have approximation and arithmetic errors. When determining the natural frequencies by the semi-analytical finite-element method in combination with the divide and conqure method, it is convenient to find the initial frequencies by the finite-element method. The behavior of the shell during free and forced vibrations is analyzed in the case where the loading area is half the shell thickness

Detailed Dynamic Heat Transfer in Thick Brick Walls Typical of Lille Metropolis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antczak E.

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The study of thermal transfer in old houses massive walls offers a big interest permitting the understanding of their specificities and the choice of a suitable material for their eventual insulation. We propose to study the thermal transfer in massive brick walls that characterize the Northern Europe old houses. To do so, we will begin by defining the thermal transfer mode: we proved that the transfer mode can be reduced to a unidirectional transfer. Then, an experimental wall is built and submitted to two different solicitation types (constant temperature in steady state mode and sinusoidal temperature through a wooden insulated box containing a radiator. The interest of these solicitations is to determine the thermal properties of the wall: the steady-state regime permits to determine the thermal resistances of the system when the harmonic regime permits to determine the thermal capacities of the system.

Pt-Ag cubic nanocages with wall thickness less than 2 nm and their enhanced catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaojun; Yang, Xuan; Zhang, Yun; Ding, Yong; Su, Dong; Qin, Dong

2017-10-12

We report a facile synthesis of Pt-Ag nanocages with walls thinner than 2 nm by depositing a few atomic layers of Pt as conformal shells on Ag nanocubes and then selectively removing the Ag template via wet etching. In a typical process, we inject a specific volume of aqueous H 2 PtCl 6 into a mixture of Ag nanocubes, ascorbic acid (H 2 Asc), NaOH, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) in water under ambient conditions. At an initial pH of 11.9, the Pt(iv) precursor is quickly reduced by an ascorbate monoanion, a strong reducing agent derived from the neutralization of H 2 Asc with NaOH. The newly formed Pt atoms are deposited onto the edges and then corners and side faces of Ag nanocubes, leading to the generation of Ag@Pt core-shell nanocubes with a conformal Pt shell of approximately three atomic layers (or, about 0.6 nm in thickness) when 0.4 mL of 0.2 mM H 2 PtCl 6 is involved. After the selective removal of Ag in the core using an etchant based on a mixture of Fe(NO 3 ) 3 and HNO 3 , we transform the core-shell nanocubes into Pt-Ag alloy nanocages with an ultrathin wall thickness of less than 2 nm. We further demonstrate that the as-obtained nanocages with a composition of Pt 42 Ag 58 exhibit an enhanced catalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction, with a mass activity of 0.30 A mg -1 and a specific activity of 0.93 mA cm -2 , which are 1.6 and 2.5 times, respectively, greater than those of a commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Zygotic LvBMP5-8 is required for skeletal patterning and for left-right but not dorsal-ventral specification in the sea urchin embryo.

Science.gov (United States)

Piacentino, Michael L; Chung, Oliver; Ramachandran, Janani; Zuch, Daniel T; Yu, Jia; Conaway, Evan A; Reyna, Arlene E; Bradham, Cynthia A

2016-04-01

Skeletal patterning in the sea urchin embryo requires coordinated signaling between the pattern-dictating ectoderm and the skeletogenic primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs); recent studies have begun to uncover the molecular basis for this process. Using an unbiased RNA-Seq-based screen, we have previously identified the TGF-ß superfamily ligand, LvBMP5-8, as a skeletal patterning gene in Lytechinus variegatus embryos. This result is surprising, since both BMP5-8 and BMP2/4 ligands have been implicated in sea urchin dorsal-ventral (DV) and left-right (LR) axis specification. Here, we demonstrate that zygotic LvBMP5-8 is required for normal skeletal patterning on the left side, as well as for normal PMC positioning during gastrulation. Zygotic LvBMP5-8 is required for expression of the left-side marker soxE, suggesting that LvBMP5-8 is required for left-side specification. Interestingly, we also find that LvBMP5-8 knockdown suppresses serotonergic neurogenesis on the left side. While LvBMP5-8 overexpression is sufficient to dorsalize embryos, we find that zygotic LvBMP5-8 is not required for normal DV specification or development. In addition, ectopic LvBMP5-8 does not dorsalize LvBMP2/4 morphant embryos, indicating that, in the absence of BMP2/4, BMP5-8 is insufficient to specify dorsal. Taken together, our data demonstrate that zygotic LvBMP5-8 signaling is essential for left-side specification, and for normal left-side skeletal and neural patterning, but not for DV specification. Thus, while both BMP2/4 and BMP5-8 regulate LR axis specification, BMP2/4 but not zygotic BMP5-8 regulates DV axis specification in sea urchin embryos. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CT-Sellink - a new method for demonstrating the gut wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiele, J.; Kloeppel, R.; Schulz, H.G.

1993-01-01

34 patients were examined by CT following a modified enema (CT-Sellink) in order to demonstrate the gut. By introducing a 'gut index' it is possible to define the tone of the gut providing its folds remain constant. By means of a radial density profile the gut wall can be defined objectively and in numerical terms. Gut wall thickness in the small bowel averaged 1.2 mm with a density of 51 Hu and gut wall thickness in the colon averaged 2 mm with a density of 59 Hu. (orig.) [de

Quantitative evaluation of right ventricular overload with thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Toshiya; Miyakoda, Hiroyuki; Koike, Yoshihiro; Itatsu, Hidetaka; Kawai, Naoki; Sotobata, Iwao.

1983-01-01

Thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and right-heart catheterization were performed on patients with right ventricular pressure overload (RVPO) or right ventricular volume overload (RVVO). In 18 patients with RVPO, right ventricular systolic pressure correlated significantly both with the RV/LV wall thallium-201 uptake ratios (r=0.54, p<0.02) and the RV wall/background thallium-201 uptake ratios (r=0.70, p<0.01). RV/LV work ratios also significantly correlated with RV/LV wall thallium-201 uptake ratios (r=0.57, p<0.02). In 19 patients with RVVO, Qp/Qs and RV/LV work ratios both significantly correlated with RV/LV wall thallium-201 uptake ratios (r=0.78 and 0.87, respectively; p<0.001 for both) and RV wall/background thallium-201 uptake ratios (r=0.69, p<0.01 for both parameters). Right ventricular systolic pressure also correlated with RV/LV wall thallium-201 uptake ratios (r=0.57, p<0.02). Feasibility of the differentiation between RVPO and RVVO was suggested with use of ''transitional view angle'' and RV/LV diameter ratios obtained from the scintigram. In patients who underwent cardiac surgery, post-operative alleviations of the right ventricular overload were evaluated. There was a significant decrease in RV/LV wall thallium-201 uptake ratios, but no significant decrease in RV wall/background thallium-201 uptake ratios in patients with RVPO. On the other hand, there was a significant decrease both in RV/LV wall thallium-201 uptake ratios and RV wall/background thallium-201 uptake ratios in patients with RVVO. No significant changes were observed between the scintigraphic measurements obtained 1 month and 1 year after the surgery, irrespective of the type of right ventricular overloading. (J.P.N.)

RPC HADES-TOF wall cosmic ray test performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blanco, A., E-mail: alberto@coimbra.lip.pt [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); Belver, D.; Cabanelas, P. [LabCAF, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Diaz, J. [Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular IFIC (CSIC-Universidad de Valencia), Valencia (Spain); Fonte, P. [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Coimbra, ISEC, Coimbra (Portugal); Garzon, J.A. [LabCAF, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Gil, A. [Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular IFIC (CSIC-Universidad de Valencia), Valencia (Spain); Gonzalez-Diaz, D.; Koenig, W.; Kolb, B. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt (Germany); Lopes, L. [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); Palka, M. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt (Germany); Pereira, A. [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); and others

2012-01-01

In this work we present results concerning the cosmic ray test, prior to the final installation and commissioning of the new Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) Time of Flight (TOF) wall for the High-Acceptance DiElectron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI. The TOF wall is composed of six equal sectors, each one constituted by 186 individual 4-gaps glass-aluminium shielded RPC cells distributed in six columns and 31 rows in two partially overlapping layers, covering an area of 1.26 m{sup 2}. All sectors were tested with the final Front End Electronic (FEE) and Data AcQuisition system (DAQ) together with Low Voltage (LV) and High Voltage (HV) systems. Results confirm a very uniform average system time resolution of 77 ps sigma together with an average multi-hit time resolution of 83 ps. Crosstalk levels below 1% (in average), moderate timing tails along with an average longitudinal position resolution of 8.4 mm sigma are also confirmed.

RPC HADES-TOF wall cosmic ray test performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, A.; Belver, D.; Cabanelas, P.; Díaz, J.; Fonte, P.; Garzon, J.A.; Gil, A.; Gonzalez-Díaz, D.; Koenig, W.; Kolb, B.; Lopes, L.; Palka, M.; Pereira, A.

2012-01-01

In this work we present results concerning the cosmic ray test, prior to the final installation and commissioning of the new Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) Time of Flight (TOF) wall for the High-Acceptance DiElectron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI. The TOF wall is composed of six equal sectors, each one constituted by 186 individual 4-gaps glass-aluminium shielded RPC cells distributed in six columns and 31 rows in two partially overlapping layers, covering an area of 1.26 m 2 . All sectors were tested with the final Front End Electronic (FEE) and Data AcQuisition system (DAQ) together with Low Voltage (LV) and High Voltage (HV) systems. Results confirm a very uniform average system time resolution of 77 ps sigma together with an average multi-hit time resolution of 83 ps. Crosstalk levels below 1% (in average), moderate timing tails along with an average longitudinal position resolution of 8.4 mm sigma are also confirmed.

A thick-walled sphere rotating in a uniform magnetic field: The next step to de-spin a space object

Science.gov (United States)

Nurge, Mark A.; Youngquist, Robert C.; Caracciolo, Ryan A.; Peck, Mason; Leve, Frederick A.

2017-08-01

Modeling the interaction between a moving conductor and a static magnetic field is critical to understanding the operation of induction motors, eddy current braking, and the dynamics of satellites moving through Earth's magnetic field. Here, we develop the case of a thick-walled sphere rotating in a uniform magnetic field, which is the simplest, non-trivial, magneto-statics problem that leads to complete closed-form expressions for the resulting potentials, fields, and currents. This solution requires knowledge of all of Maxwell's time independent equations, scalar and vector potential equations, and the Lorentz force law. The paper presents four cases and their associated experimental results, making this topic appropriate for an advanced student lab project.

Coordinated control to mitigate over voltage and under voltage in LV networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Viyathukattuva Mohamed Ali, M.M.; Nguyen, H.P.; Cobben, J.F.G.

2016-01-01

Increasing penetration of distributed renewable energy resources (DRES) and smart loads into the LV network lead to new power quality challenges. Important power quality challenges are overvoltage and undervoltage. A number of solutions are already developed to mitigate these voltage variations. In

Development of tools to manage the operational monitoring and pre-design of the NPP-LV cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perusquia, R.; Arredondo S, C.; Hernandez M, J. L.; Montes T, J. L.; Castillo M, A.; Ortiz S, J. J.

2015-09-01

This paper presents the development of tools to facilitate the management so much, the operational monitoring of boiling water reactors (BWR) of the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde (NPP-LV) through independent codes, and how to carry out the static calculations corresponding to process of optimized pre-design of the reference cycle next to current cycle. The progress and preliminary results obtained with the program SACal, developed at Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ), central tool to achieve provide a management platform of the operational monitoring and pre-design of NPP-LV cycle are also described. The reached preliminary advances directed to get an Analysis center and automated design of fuel assembly cells are also presented, which together with centers or similar modules related with the fuel reloads form the key part to meet the targets set for the realization of a Management Platform of Nuclear Fuel of the NPP-LV. (Author)

An ultrasonographic evaluation of skin thickness in breast cancer patients after postmastectomy radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Sharon; Kaur, Amarjit; Back, Michael; Lee, Khai Mun; Baggarley, Shaun; Lu, Jiade Jay

2011-01-01

To determine the usefulness of ultrasonography in the assessment of post radiotherapy skin changes in postmastectomy breast cancer patients. Patients treated for postmastectomy radiotherapy in National University Hospital (NUH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), Singapore between January 2004- December 2005 was recruited retrospectively. Ultrasound scan was performed on these Asian patients who had been treated to a total dose of 46-50 Gy with 1 cm bolus placed on the skin. The ultrasound scans were performed blinded to the RTOG scores, and the skin thickness of the individually marked points on the irradiated chest wall was compared to the corresponding points on the non-irradiated breast. The mean total skin thickness inclusive of the epidermis and the dermis of the right irradiated chest wall was 0.1712 mm (± 0.03392 mm) compared with the contra-lateral non-irradiated breast which was 0.1845 mm (± 0.04089 mm; p = 0.007). The left irradiated chest wall had a mean skin thickness of 0.1764 mm (± 0.03184 mm) compared with the right non-irradiated breast which was 0.1835 mm (± 0.02584 mm; p = 0.025). These independent t-tests produced a significant difference of reduced skin thickness on the right irradiated chest wall, p = 0.007 (p < 0.05) and left irradiated chest wall p = 0.025 (p < 0.025) in comparison to the non-irradiated skin thickness investigating chronic skin reactions. Patients with grade 2 acute skin toxicity presented with thinner skin as compared to patients with grade 1 (p = 0.006). This study has shown that there is a statistically significant difference between the skin thicknesses of the irradiated chest wall and the contra-lateral non-irradiated breast and a predisposition to chronic reactions was found in patients with acute RTOG scoring of grade1 and grade 2

Shakedown analysis of thick-walled cylinders subjected to internal pressure with the unified strength criterion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Shuanqiang; Yu Maohong

2005-01-01

Most previous studies on shakedown of thick-walled cylinders were based on the assumption that the compressive and tensile strengths of the materials were identical. In this paper the shakedown of an internally pressurized cylinder made of a material with a strength-difference and intermediate principal stress effects is dealt with by using a unified strength criterion which consists of a family of convex piecewise linear strength criteria. Through an elasto-plastic analysis the solutions for the loading stresses, residual stresses, elastic limit, plastic limit and shakedown limit of the cylinder are derived. It is shown that the present solutions include the classical plasticity solutions as special cases and have the ability to account for the strength-difference and intermediate principal stress effects. Finally, the influence of the two effects on the shakedown limit of the cylinder is investigated. The results show that the shakedown limit depends on the two effects and is underestimated if these effects are neglected as in the classical plasticity solution based on the Tresca criterion

Experience of measuring wall thicknesses of district heating pipes in use with free-floating salamanders (pigs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbian, O.A.; Goedecke, H.; Krieg, W.

1992-01-01

A test system for district heating pipes (laid above ground or in the ground or in the offshore field) is introduced, a so-called 'intelligent' test 'pig' which, like in a pneumatic tube, floats through the pipe with the medium during operation and finds out any corrosion damage. The equipment works on the principle of ultrasonic wall thickness testing in immersed technique, and is equipped with a large number of test heads in order to scan the pipe surface completely in one run-through. The data processing in the pig with the aid of microprocessors and the type of data collection in mass memories is briefly described. The test results are clearly shown by coloured graphics, which makes efficient assessment and evaluation of the faults possible. The ability of the system to supply information (data collection, data storage, assessment and evaluation) is demonstrated by a series of typical faults, which were found worldwide in oil and gas pipes. (orig./HP) [de

Lead Equivalent Thickness Measurement for Mixed Compositions of Barium Plaster Block

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norriza Mohd Isa; Muhammad Jamal Muhammad Isa; Nur Shahriza Zainuddin; Mohd Khairusalih Md Zin; Shahrul Azlan Azizan

2016-01-01

Measurement of lead equivalent thickness for ionizing radiation exposure room wall shall be performed as stated in Malaysian Standard MS 838. A few numbers of sample blocks with different mixture of barium plaster compositions based and varies certain thickness as a shielding material for exposure room wall belong to a local company were tested by using Cs-137, Co-60 and Am-241 with different activities . Radiations passed through the samples were detected with calibrated survey meter. The distance between radiation source and the detector is about 40 cm. Lead uniformity test on the samples was also determined at three labeled points on the samples. Lead equivalent thicknesses for the samples were evaluated based on a calibration graph that was plotted with lead sheets and with the radiation sources. Results shown that lead equivalent thickness for the samples with same actual physical thickness represent different values for different sources. (author)

Material development for grade X80 heavy-wall hot induction bends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Xu [Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); CNPC Bohai Petroleum Equipment Manufacture Co. Ltd., Qingxian 062658 (China); Xiao Furen, E-mail: frxiao@ysu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Fu Yanhong [CNPC Bohai Petroleum Equipment Manufacture Co. Ltd., Qingxian 062658 (China); Chen Xiaowei [Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); CNPC Bohai Petroleum Equipment Manufacture Co. Ltd., Qingxian 062658 (China); Liao Bo, E-mail: cyddjyjs@263.net [Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

2011-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The new material for X80 heavy wall thickness hot induction bend was designed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were determined. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The steel adapts to manufacture of X80 heavy-wall thickness hot induction bend. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The optimum manufactural processes were obtained. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The bending temperature is about 990 Degree-Sign C, and tempering is about 600 Degree-Sign C. - Abstract: A new steel for grade X80 heavy wall thickness hot induction bends was designed based on the chemical compositions of commercial X80 steels in this work. Then, its continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram was determined with Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator. Furthermore, the effects of heat treatment technology on its microstructure and mechanical property were investigated, and the technology parameters of the heat treatment were optimized. The results show that the acicular ferrite and/or bainite transformations are promoted, the polygonal ferrite and pearlite transformation are restrained, because proper amount of alloying elements were added into the new steel. Therefore, the strength of this new steel is improved markedly, even if the cooling rate is lower, which ensure the higher strength distribution along cross section of the heavy wall thickness. It is significant for the manufacture of grade X80 heavy wall thickness hot induction bends in the second West-to-East gas transportation pipeline project of China.

Current distribution in LV networks during 1-phase MV short-circuit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Waes, van J.B.M.; Provoost, F.; Merwe, van der J.; Cobben, J.F.G.; Deursen, van A.P.J.; van Riet, M.J.M.; Laan, van der P.C.T.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the consequences of a fault in a medium voltage network on the grounding systems at the LV-side. To study the current distribution and to verify the models, we deliberately introduced one phase to ground faults in the 10 kV floating MV network. The selected site was the end of a

Performance of phase change materials on storage capacity of trombe wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Karaghouli, A.A.; Mujally, L.

2006-01-01

Two types of phase change materials were used as storage media in a Trombe Wall; namely paraffin wax (N-Eicoseue C 20 H 42 ) and Glaubers Salt (Na 2 SO 4 10H 2 O). To investigate the performance of these materials, a theoretical model and a simulation programme were developed. The wall temperature, the amount of heat stored, and the optimum wall thickness were calculated for both types. The study found that using two sheets of glass on the outside wall increased the surface wall temperature by around 50 degree C. It also found that Glauber salt was a much better storage material than paraffin wax. For a selected winter day at a location of 32 o N latitude, the storage capacity of the salt was more than twice that of the paraffin wax. The salt storage capacity was 32816 kJ/m 3 at an optimum wall thickness of 16 cm. this value for paraffin was 14464 kJ/m 3 at 13 cm optimum thickness. The study also concluded that according to this high heating value the wall uses, Glauber salt as a storage medium could supply its heat to the surrounding for a much longer period at night

Measure Guideline: Incorporating Thick Layers of Exterior Rigid Insulation on Walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lstiburek, Joseph [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States); Baker, Peter [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2015-04-01

This measure guideline provides information about the design and construction of wall assemblies that use layers of rigid exterior insulation thicker than 1-½ inches and that require a secondary cladding attachment location exterior to the insulation. The guideline is separated into several distinct sections that cover: fundamental building science principles relating to the use of exterior insulation on wall assemblies; design principles for tailoring this use to the specific project goals and requirements; and construction detailing to increase understanding about implementing the various design elements.

Scaling of reactor cavity wall loads and stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohachevsky, I.O.

1977-11-01

Scalings of reactor cavity wall loads and stresses are determined by deriving an analytic expression in terms of relevant parameters for each loading induced in the reactor cavity walls by fuel pellet microexplosion and by deriving associated expressions relating resulting stresses to shell thicknesses. Also identified are problems that require additional investigations to obtain satisfactory explicit stress estimates for the reactor cavity walls

Follow-up of CT-derived airway wall thickness: Correcting for changes in inspiration level improves reliability