Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy on Craving, Depression & Anxiety among the Opiate Abusers Under MMT

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Fereshte Momeni

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy on craving, symptoms of depression and anxiety among the patients under MMT. Methods: In this experimental study, 36 opiate addicts under MMT were selected out of all the patients referring to Iranian National Center of Addiction Studies on a judgmental sampling method and were randomly allocated to two experimental and control groups. In experimental group, a total sum of 8 sessions (one session per week of cognitive behavioral group therapy were delivered. The main theme of these sessions were efficient management of craving, negative mood and anxiety. Data were gathered with different questionnaires including the questionnaire of demographic data, RPS for craving assessment, BDI-II for depression and BAI for anxiety. Different methods of statistical analysis were implemented. Results: The results indicated that post test and follow-up scores of craving index were decreased significantly (P<0.05. Depression and Anxiety scores showed significant decrease as well. Discussion: Considering the above mentioned findings, we concluded that cognitive-behavioral group therapy was effective in significantly decreasing craving and symptoms of anxiety and depression in opiate addicts under MMT.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of PMMA/MMT nanocomposite as denture base material.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Junping; Su, Qiang; Wang, Chen; Cheng, Gang; Zhu, Ran; Shi, Jin; Yao, Kangde

2011-04-01

Inorganic-polymer nanocomposites are of significant interest for emerging materials due to their improved properties and unique combination of properties. Poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ suspension polymerization with dodecylamine used as MMT-modifier. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the structures of the nanocomposites. Cytotoxicity test, hemolysis test, acute systemic toxicity test, oral mucous membrane irritation test, guinea-pig maximization test and mouse bone-marrow micronucleus test were used to evaluate the biocompatibility of PMMA/MMT nanocomposites. The results indicated that an exfoliated nanocomposite was achieved, and the resulting nanocomposites exhibited excellent biocompatibility as denture base material and had potential application in dental materials.

Megasite Management Tool (mmt): a Decision Support System Built Using Mapwindow Activex Control

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Pulsani, B. R.

2017-11-01

Megasite Management Tool (MMT) is planning and evaluation software for contaminated sites. Using different statistical modules, MMT produces maps which help decision makers in rehabilitating contaminated sites. The input data used by MMT is of geographic nature and exists as shapefile and raster format. As MMT is built using simple windows forms application, the objective of the study was to find a way to visualize geographic data and to allow the user to edit its attribute information. Therefore, the application requirement was to find GIS libraries which offer capabilities such as (1) map viewer with navigation tools (2) library to read/write geographic data and (3) software which allows free distribution of the developed components. A research on these requirements led to the discovery of MapWindow ActiveX components which not only offered these capabilities but also provided free and open source licensing options for redistribution. Although considerable amount of reports and publications exist on MMT, the major contribution provided by MapWindow libraries have been under played. The current study emphasises upon the contribution and advantages MapWindow ActiveX provides for incorporating GIS functionality to an already existing application. Similar components for other languages have also been reviewed.

Comparative studies on the corrosion protection effect of DBSA-doped polyaniline prepared from in situ emulsion polymerization in the presence of hydrophilic Na+-MMT and organophilic organo-MMT clay platelets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, K.-C.; Lai, M.-C.; Peng, C.-W.; Chen, Y.-T.; Yeh, J.-M.; Lin, C.-L.; Yang, J.-C.

2006-01-01

A series of polyaniline (PANI)/Na + -montmorillonite (MMT) clay and PANI/organo-MMT nanocomposite materials have been successfully prepared by in situ emulsion polymerization in the presence of inorganic nanolayers of hydrophilic Na + -MMT clay or organophilic organo-MMT clay with DBSA and KPS as surfactant and initiator, respectively. The as-synthesized Na + -PCN and organo-PCN materials were characterized and compared by Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, wide-angle powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Na + -PCN materials in the form of coatings with low loading of Na + -MMT clay (e.g., 3 wt.%, CLAN3) on cold-rolled steel (CRS) were found much superior in corrosion protection over those of organo-PCN materials with same clay loading based on a series of electrochemical measurements of corrosion potential, polarization resistance, corrosion current and impedance spectroscopy in 5 wt.% aqueous NaCl electrolyte. The molecular weights of PANI extracted from PCN materials and neat PANI were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with NMP as eluant. Effects of material composition on the gas permeability, optical properties and electrical conductivity of neat PANI and a series of PCN materials, in the form of free-standing film, solution and powder-pressed pellet, were also studied by gas permeability analyzer (GPA), ultraviolet-vis spectra and four-point probe technique, respectively

The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy on Reduction of Craving, Depression and Anxiety Symptoms among the Opiate Abusers Under MMT

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Fereshtwh Momeni

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of cognitive behavior group therapy on reduction of craving, depression and anxiety symptoms among the Opiate abusers under MMT. Method: In this experimental research, 36 addicts on MMT were selected between the entire opiate addicts referred to Iranian national center for addiction studies (INCAS by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. In experimental group, cognitive behavior group therapy was performed in 8 sessions, one each week. Sessions were performed for craving, depression and anxiety management. Data was gathered by demographic questionnaire, scale of relapse predicts craving assessment, BDI-II and BAI for depression and anxiety symptoms assessment. The data was analyzed, independent and paired samples t test. Results: Data analysis revealed that craving index was decreased in post- test and follow-up and it was statistically significant. Also beck depression and anxiety symptoms were decreased significantly in post-test and follow-up. Conclusion: The results show that cognitive-behavior group therapy was efficient on reduction of drug craving, depression, and anxiety symptoms in post-test and follow-up, and it can apply as a method of treatment.

Color formation monitoring of extruded melt mixed PP/MMT nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reis, Kelen C. dos; Bertolino, Marcelo K.

2009-01-01

This work advances the use of colorimeter technique to analyze the desegregation of the MMT clay tactoids during the preparation of PP/MMT nanocomposites via polymer melt compounding. X-ray diffraction and the light extinction level (turbidity) measured by the intensity of the detector's signal were used to monitoring platelet exfoliation. On tactoids exfoliation their size are reduced below the minimum particle size to produce light extinction (turbidity) and so the signal intensity reduces as the nano size composite is formed, the luminosity of nanocomposite increased as expected. The color formation was brown, yellow and green and it depends of the organoclay type. (author)

Thermal stability and structural characteristics of PTHF–Mmt organophile nanocomposite

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Youcef Hattab

2015-05-01

The objective of this study is to use organophilized montmorillonites in the presence of monomer tetrahydrofuran to obtain polytétrahydrofuran montmorillonites (PTHF–Mmt of composites by polymerization in situ. The organophilisation of the Mmt is formed by active cationic surface. The obtained results show an increase in the distance inside the reticular in the diffractograms of X-rays (DRX and the appearance of absorption bands of the characteristics of polytétrahydrofuran on the spectra of infrared spectroscopy (IR, which indicate pre-polymerization of tetrahydrofuran in the galleries of clay and, therefore, the obtaining of a nanocomposite. We have also studied the thermal stability of the samples by differential analysis calorimetric (DSC analysis, and we can conclude that the nanocomposites are stabilized thermally by the presence of clay in the matrix.

Effectiveness of Methadone in Reduction of High Risk Behaviors in Clients of MMT Center

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F Ehsani

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Addiction as a social, health problem with its specific complications threatens societies. High risk behaviors such as violence, self mutilation, tattooing, shared injections and unprotected sex behaviors are some of the problems in addicts that need to be treated. One of these treatments is methadone therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of methadone in prevention or reduction of high risk behaviors in clients of a MMT center of Shaheed Sadoughi University of medical sciences of Yazd. Methods: This study was done on 93 clients of a MMT center.Questionnaire for this study included items from MAP and questions about some other risky behaviors. This questionnaire was completed at onset of treatment and 6 months after. Data was analyzed with SPSS software program Results: 89.2% of participants were married and 10.8% were single. 63.5% of them were in the20-40 years age group. Most commonly abused substances were heroin and opium. Before onset of treatment, 37.6% of participants had history of imprisonment, 35.5% had shared injections, 32.3%had had unprotected sex, 22.6%had tattooing and 5.4%had mutilated their own selves. Only 36.6% didn’t have any high risk behavior. These behaviors were more common in heroin users and in the20-40 years age group. After onset of treatment and during 6 month of MMT, 86% of clients didn’t have any risky behavior. Only 14%of them continued to have unsafe sex behaviors Conclusion: Addiction can cause high risk behaviors. Data in this paper suggests that young age, heroin use, low education level and no or inadequate information about addictive substances and their consequences are effective and important factors that cause high risk behaviors. Treatment of addicts with methadone maintenance therapy plays an important role in reduction of risky behaviors. Development of appropriate and more MMT centers are recommended.

MMT OBSERVATORY 6.5M CLIO CALIBRATED OBSERVATIONS OF LCROSS

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This archive contains calibrated observations of the 2009-10-09 impact of the LCROSS spacecraft on the moon by the CLIO instrument on the MMT Observatory 6.5m...

Synthesis and characterization of HDA/NaMMT organoclay

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Abstract. In this study, the rheologic and colloidal characterizations of sodium montmorillonite (NaMMT) were examined. Hexadecylamine (CH3(CH2)15NH2, HDA) was added to the bentonite water dispersion. (2%, w/w) in different concentrations in the range 5⋅6 × 10–4–9⋅4 × 10–3 m mol/l. The rheological and ...

Enhanced Thermal, Mechanical and Morphological Properties of CNT/HDPE Nanocomposite Using MMT as Secondary Filler

OpenAIRE

M. E. Ali Mohsin; Agus Arsad; Othman Y. Alothman

2014-01-01

This study explains the influence of secondary filler on the dispersion of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced high density polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposites (CNT/HDPE). In order to understand the mixed-fillers system, Montmorillonite (MMT) was added to CNT/HDPE nanocomposites. It was followed by investigating their effect on the thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of the aforesaid nanocomposite. Incorporation of 3 wt% each of MMT into CNT/HDPE nanocomposite resulted to the increas...

Fabrication of durable fluorine-free superhydrophobic polyethersulfone (PES) composite coating enhanced by assembled MMT-SiO2 nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiguang; Wang, Huaiyuan; Liu, Zhanjian; Zhu, Yixing; Wu, Shiqi; Wang, Chijia; Zhu, Yanji

2017-02-01

A durable fluorine-free polyethersulfone (PES) superhydrophobic composite coating with excellent wear-resistant and anti-corrosion properties has been successfully fabricated by combining sol-gel and spray technology. The robust micro/nano-structures of the prepared surface were established by introducing binary montmorillonite-silica (MMT-SiO2) assembled composite particles, which were formed by in-situ growth of SiO2 on MMT surfaces via sol-gel. Combined with the low surface energy of amino silicon oil (APDMS), the fluorine-free superhydrophoic PES coating was obtained with high water contact angle 156.1 ± 1.1° and low sliding angle 4.8 ± 0.7°. The anti-wear of the final PES/APDMS/MMT-SiO2 superhydrophobic coating can reach up to 60,100 cycles, which is outdistancing the pure PES coating (6800 cycles) and the PES/MMT/SiO2 coating prepared by simple physical mixture (18,200 cycles). The enhanced wear resistance property can be mainly attributed to the lubrication performance of APDMS and stable interface bonding force between the MMT surface and SiO2. Simultaneously, potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy exhibited the outstanding anti-corrosion property of PES/APDMS/MMT-SiO2 composite coating, with low corrosion current (1.6 × 10-10 A/cm2) and high protection efficiency (99.999%) even after 30 d immersion process. These test results show that this durable superhydrophobic PES composite coating can be hopefully to provide the possibility of industrial application.

MMT OBSERVATORY 6.5M CLIO RAW DATA OBSERVATIONS OF LCROSS

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This archive contains raw observations of the 2009-10-09 impact of the LCROSS spacecraft on the moon by the CLIO instrument on the MMT Observatory 6.5m telescope....

Comparison of in situ polymerization and solution-dispersion techniques in the preparation of Polyimide/Montmorillonite (MMT) Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Mansor Bin; Gharayebi, Yadollah; Salit, Mohd Sapuan; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Shameli, Kamyar

2011-01-01

In this paper, Polyimide/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites (PI/MMT NCs), based on aromatic diamine (4-Aminophenyl sulfone) (APS) and aromatic dianhydride (3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride) (BTDA) were prepared using in situ polymerization and solution-dispersion techniques. The prepared PI/MMT NCs films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The XRD results showed that at the content of 1.0 wt % Organo Montmorillonite (OMMT) for two techniques and 3.0 wt % OMMT for the in situ polymerization technique, the OMMT was well-intercalated, exfoliated and dispersed into polyimide matrix. The OMMT agglomerated when its amount exceeded 10 wt % and 3.0 wt % for solution-dispersion and in situ polymerization techniques respectively. These results were confirmed by the TEM images of the prepared PI/MMT NCs. The TGA thermograms indicated that thermal stability of prepared PI/MMT NCs were increased with the increase of loading that, the effect is higher for the samples prepared by in situ polymerization technique.

Fine-particle Mn and other metals linked to the introduction of MMT into gasoline in Sydney, Australia: Results of a natural experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, D. D.; Gulson, B. L.; Davis, J. M.; Stelcer, E.; Garton, D.; Hawas, O.; Taylor, A.

Using a combination of accelerator-based ion beam methods we have analysed PM 2.5 particulates for a suite of 21 species (H, C, Na, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Pb) to evaluate the contribution to Sydney (New South Wales, Australia) air associated with the introduction of MMT as a replacement for lead. MMT was discontinued in 2004. Teflon filters representing continuous sampling for a 7 year period from 1998 to 2004 were analysed from two sites: one from Mascot, a suburb close to the Central Business District [CBD ( n=718)] and a high trafficked area, and the other, a relatively rural (background) setting at Richmond, ˜20 km west of the CBD ( n=730). Manganese concentrations in air at the background site increased from a mean of 1.5-1.6 ng m -3 to less than 2 ng m -3 at the time of greatest MMT use whereas those at Mascot increased from about 2 to 5 ng m -3. From the maximum values, the Mn showed a steady decrease at both sites concomitant with the decreasing use of MMT. Lead concentrations in air at both sites decreased from 1998 onwards, concomitant with the phase out of leaded gasoline, attained in 2002. Employing previously determined elemental signatures it was possible to adjust effects from season along with auto emissions and soil. A high correlation was obtained for the relationship between Mn in air and lead replacement gasoline use ( R2 0.83) and an improved correlation for Mn/ Al+Si+K and lead replacement gasoline use ( R2 0.93). In addition, using Mn concentrations normalized to background values of Al+Si+K or Ti to account for the lithogenically derived Mn, the proportion of anthropogenic Mn was approximately 70%. The changes for Mn and Pb detected in the particulates are attributed to the before-during-after use of MMT and decreasing use of lead in gasoline. The values measured in Sydney air are well below the reference concentration of 50 ng Mn m -3. The incremental increases in air, however, are larger than

Influence of processing temperature on the rheological behavior of PCL/MMT nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marini, Juliano; Beatrice, Cesar A.G.; Favaro, Marcia M.; Bretas, Rosario E.S.; Branciforti, Marcia C.

2009-01-01

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polymer; however, this polymer had low mechanical strength, limiting its applications. The addition of a lamellar silicate (MMT) can alter this behavior, especially when the filler is well dispersed and distributed thru the polymeric matrix. In this work the influence of the processing temperature in the structure of PCL/MMT nanocomposites was studied. The nanocomposites were obtained by melt intercalation in a Haake rheometer at two temperatures: 80 and 120 deg C. Wide angle X-ray analysis showed that the intercalation of the polymer chains into the clay's galleries was not influenced by the processing temperature. However, the steady state and dynamic rheological properties showed that the higher the processing temperature the better the dispersion and distribution of the clay thru the matrix, without having polymer degradation. (author)

Stroop task among patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and pathological gambling (PG) in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

Science.gov (United States)

Peles, Einat; Weinstein, Aviv; Sason, Anat; Adelson, Miriam; Schreiber, Shaul

2014-12-01

To evaluate the impaired attention selection (Stroop interference effect) and general performance [reaction times (RTs)] on the Stroop task among methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), pathological gambling (PG), both PG/OCD or none, and the influence if having ADHD. Eighty-six patients and 15 control subjects underwent the Stroop task, which measured RTs of condition-related words (color, obsessive compulsive disorder, pathological gambling, addiction) and neutral words. MMT patients had longer RTs on the Stroop task compared with controls. RTs were longer among patients with OCD and in those who abused drugs on the study day. The combined PG/OCD group had the longest RTs, but they were also characterized as abusing more drugs, being older, and having worse cognitive status. Stroop color interference differed only among MMT patients with ADHD, and it was higher among those with OCD than those without OCD. The modified condition-related Stroop did not show any interference effect of OCD, addiction, or gambling words. MMT patients had generally poorer performance, as indicated by longer RTs, that were related to clinical OCD, drug abuse, poor cognitive state, and older age. Patients with both clinical OCD and ADHD had a higher Stroop interference effect, which is a reflection of an attention deficit. In order to improve clinical approach and treatment of MMT patients, OCD and ADHD should be evaluated (and treated as needed).

Multifunctional e-spun colloidal nanofiber structures from various dispersed blends of PVA/ODA-MMT with PVP/ODA-MMT, poly(VP-alt-MA and AgNPs incorporated polymer complexes as electro-active platforms

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U. Bunyatova

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This work presented a new approach to fabricate polymer nanocomposites films with nanofiber structures from solution blends of poly(vinyl alcohol + octadecyl amine-montmorillonite (ODA-MMT (matrix with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone + ODA-MMT (partner-1, poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone-alt-maleic anhydride ((poly(VP-alt-MA + (ODA-MMT (partner-2 and their silver (Ag-carrying polymer complexes by electrospinning. Chemical and physical structures, surface morphologies, thermal behaviors, electrical conductivity and thermal resistance parameters of nanofiber structures were investigated. Poly(VP-alt-MA was used both as a crosslinker and a donor of the hydrophilic groups such as ‒COOH and ‒NH–C=O amide from pyrrolidone ring. Reactive poly(VP-alt-MA, in situ generated Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs and original partner polymer had an significant effect on the morphology and diameter distribution of nanofibers. High and excellent conductive behaviors were observed for the homopolymer and copolymer of VP based fiber structures, respectively. Upon successive chemical cross-linking of the nanofiber structures by reactive partner copolymer, the conductivity of nanofiber films as electro-active platforms dramatically increased to 3.90·10–2 S·cm–1 at room temperature. Comparative analysis results also indicated that electrical properties strongly depended on the loaded reactive organoclay and in situ generated AgNPs.

Evaluation of the contamination and the exposure to manganese from the combustion of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) in unleaded fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zayed, J.; Loranger, S.; Kennedy, G.

1994-01-01

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) has been used since 1976 in Canada as an antiknock additive in gasoline to replace tetraethyl lead. Combustion of MMT in the engine forms manganese oxides, mainly Mn 3 O 4 , which are emitted into the environment. Since human exposure to Mn is associated with various health problems, a research program was initiated to evaluate the degree of contamination and the fate of Mn originating from MMT combustion. Four projects were conducted as part of this program: chronological evaluation of atmospheric Mn concentrations in Montreal from 1981 to 1992; comparative evaluation of Mn concentrations in soil and vegetation exposed to MMT-generated Mn; evaluation of the pigeon as an ecological indicator of MMT-generated Mn contamination; and evaluation of the occupational and environmental exposure of workers exposed to Mn oxides. Methodologies and results from these projects are reveiwed. In Montreal, atmospheric Mn levels are significantly higher at monitoring stations in areas of high traffic density. A large drop in Mn levels starting in 1991 was attributed to closure of a ferromanganese plant ca 25 km from Montreal. Field tests in experimental bean and oat plots also showed higher Mn levels in soil and plants in areas of high traffic. While pigeons from Montreal had higher Mn levels in tissues than rural pigeons, it is nevertheless impossible to link such levels directly to Mn originating from MMT. Mechanics were found to be exposed to higher atmospheric Mn concentrations than blue collar workers. Blood Mn levels in those workers were normal, but Mn concentrations in hair of mechanics were significantly higher than those found in a control group. 13 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs

Implementation and on-sky results of an optimal wavefront controller for the MMT NGS adaptive optics system

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Keith B.; Vaitheeswaran, Vidhya

2010-07-01

The MMT observatory has recently implemented and tested an optimal wavefront controller for the NGS adaptive optics system. Open loop atmospheric data collected at the telescope is used as the input to a MATLAB based analytical model. The model uses nonlinear constrained minimization to determine controller gains and optimize the system performance. The real-time controller performing the adaptive optics close loop operation is implemented on a dedicated high performance PC based quad core server. The controller algorithm is written in C and uses the GNU scientific library for linear algebra. Tests at the MMT confirmed the optimal controller significantly reduced the residual RMS wavefront compared with the previous controller. Significant reductions in image FWHM and increased peak intensities were obtained in J, H and K-bands. The optimal PID controller is now operating as the baseline wavefront controller for the MMT NGS-AO system.

1,2'-Bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene based designed fluoro-poly(ether-imide)/MMT clay nanocomposites: Synthesis and properties for high performance applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vora, Rohitkumar H.; Vora, Mayur

2006-01-01

In an effort to develop structure-property understanding of fluoro-polymer/inorganic clay nanocomposite (i.e., Ceramer) technology, two series of fluoro-poly(ether amic acid) (6F-PEAA)/organosoluble Montmorillonite (MMT) clay nanocomposite formulations containing varying percentage of diamine modified (ion-exchanged) organosoluble-MMT clay were prepared from the partially fluorinated fluoro poly(ether-amic acid)s (6F-PEAA) synthesized by reacting on 2,2'-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6FDA) and di-ether-containing diamines, such as 1,2'-bis(4-aminophenoxy) benzene (o-BAPOB) and 4,4'-bis(4-aminophenoxy) diphenyl sulfone (p-SED), respectively. Self supporting films were cast from these formulations and cured at elevated temperatures. XRD data, indirectly confirmed the exfoliation of organosoluble-MMT clay at molecular level in the nanocomposite. The solubility, chemical resistance, morphology, thermo-oxidative stability, thermal degradation kinetics, mechanical behavior, and moisture absorption of these [(6F-PEI)/MMT clay] nanocomposite films were systematically studied

Comparative Effects of MMT Clay Modified with Two Different Cationic Surfactants on the Thermal and Rheological Properties of Polypropylene Nanocomposites

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Meshal Al-Samhan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Polypropylene montmorillonite (MMT nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending using two different organoclays modified with imidazolium and alkylammonium surfactants. The imidazolium and ammonium modified organoclays were characterized by the FTIR and SEM analysis. The effect of organic clay (MMT on the physical properties of polypropylene was evaluated, thermal and rheological properties with different filler weight percentage. Differential scanning calorimetric results showed that imidazolium modified clay (IMMT exhibits low melting temperature compared to the ammonium modified clay (AMMT. The crystallinity analysis showed that crystallization improved in all nanocomposites irrespective of surface modification; the thermogravimetric analysis showed that the imidazolium modified polymer composites are more thermally stable than conventional ammonium modified composites. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM analyses indicated that the PP-IMMT composites displayed exfoliated morphologies compared with the intercalated structure in PP-AMMT, and the rheological analysis at 180°C showed an enhancement in the viscoelastic properties as the clay concentration increases. The melt viscosity, crossover modulus, and relaxation times were comparable for both the surface modified composites with two different cations. The imidazolium based surfactant was found to be an effective organic modification for MMT to prepare thermally stable PP/MMT nanocomposites.

Survey of relationship between spiritual health and mental health in patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT

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abolhassan naghibi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction and goal: Religiosity and spirituality decreasesof the impact of life stress on the tendency to substance use. Everyday addedto the number of people who believe that spirituality is the way to treat neuroses and mental problems. This study aimed to determine the relationship between spiritual health and mental health in patients undergoing to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT dependent on the private and government sector in Sari. Method: This study was cross- sectional study. The target populations of this study were 123 women and men undergoing to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT. The data collected by spiritual and mental health questionnaire and were analyzed using two-sample t-test and spearman correlationin theSPSS (18 software. Findings: The grade average of spiritual health was 43/29 and mental health was 41/26.The results showed that a significant correlation between spiritual health with mental health. The highest correlation was between spiritual healthwith the social function and the lowestcorrelation was with physical problems. There was no significant relationshipbetween of marital status, number of children, sex and spiritual health. Conclusion: According to positive and significant role spiritual health in mental health, so, strengthen the spiritual dimension can to promote mental health and reduce mental disorders and the tendency to addiction.

The effect of recycled Natural Rubber Glove (rRG) Plasticizers to Deflection and Flexural Strength Properties of PP/MMt/rRG Smart Composites and Its Inflammability

Science.gov (United States)

Suharty, N. S.; Ismail, H.; Diharjo, K.; Handayani, D. S.; Saputri, L. N. M. Z.; Ariesta, N.

2018-03-01

Had been synthesized PP/rRG/MMt+ZB smart material composite in solution reactive processes with various rRG concentration. The addition of rRG plasticizers will improve the deflection properties and increase the filler capacity MMt loading to reach the optimum concentration. The addition of 3% rRG is capable of loading filler capacity MMt to 23% as the optimum condition. At the optimum conditions it can increase the deflection (Defl) and flexural strength (FS) up to 16% and 15% respectively compared to that of the composites without rRG. The rRG plasticizer serves as a bio-compatibilizer that can reduce surface tension of the mixture and leads to decrease the Defl., follow by the increase of loading filler capacity and well interaction finally can increase the FS properties. The increase of loading filler MMt up to 23% can also improve the inflammability of the composites. Time to Ignition (TTI) increase by 5% and Burning Rate (BR) decrease by 4.5% compared to that of the composites which is containing MMt 20% without rRG.

Preparation and photo-catalytic activities of FeOOH/ZnO/MMT composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Yao, E-mail: zy19830808@163.com [College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042 (China); Liu, Fusheng; Yu, Shitao [College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042 (China)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • The montmorillonite was used as the carrier for the synthesis of FeOOH nano-material and FeOOH/ZnO nano-material. • TEM was used to study the structure of the two nano-materials with the composite structure of goethite and wurtzite. • TEM was used to demonstrate FeOOH/ZnO nano-material can formed with the appropriate interface: wurtzite-(1 0 1)/(1 1 1)-goethite. • There were some coupling effect between FeOOH and ZnO, which can improve the photo-catalytic activities of FeOOH. • According to FTIR and TOC, PCP was degraded to aromatic ketone compounds and then to H{sub 2}O, CO{sub 2}, HCl. - Abstract: Montmorillonite (MMT) was used as the carrier for synthesis of FeOOH and FeOOH/ZnO nano-material. FeOOH and FeOOH/ZnO were synthesized by the aqueous solutions of Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}–HNO{sub 3} and Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}–NaOH/Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}–HNO{sub 3} with the carrier of montmorillonite respectively. Transmission electron-microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the morphology form and structure of the nano-materials. TEM was also used to demonstrate that FeOOH/ZnO can be formed with the appropriate interface. According to UV–vis absorption spectra, FeOOH/ZnO has a better response to visible light than FeOOH and ZnO, which indicates there is some coupling effect between FeOOH and ZnO. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was used as a representative organic pollutant to evaluate the photo-catalytic efficiency of the FeOOH/ZnO and FeOOH catalysts in visible light (λ > 400 nm). The photo-catalytic efficiency of FeOOH/ZnO/MMT is better than FeOOH/MMT. According to FTIR, changes of pH and TOC, the degradation mechanism was also discussed. PCP was degraded to aromatic ketone and chloro-hydrocarbon compounds and then to H{sub 2}O, CO{sub 2} and HCl.

Manual muscle testing: a method of measuring extremity muscle strength applied to critically ill patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciesla, Nancy; Dinglas, Victor; Fan, Eddy; Kho, Michelle; Kuramoto, Jill; Needham, Dale

2011-04-12

Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other causes of critical illness often have generalized weakness, reduced exercise tolerance, and persistent nerve and muscle impairments after hospital discharge. Using an explicit protocol with a structured approach to training and quality assurance of research staff, manual muscle testing (MMT) is a highly reliable method for assessing strength, using a standardized clinical examination, for patients following ARDS, and can be completed with mechanically ventilated patients who can tolerate sitting upright in bed and are able to follow two-step commands. (7, 8) This video demonstrates a protocol for MMT, which has been taught to ≥ 43 research staff who have performed >800 assessments on >280 ARDS survivors. Modifications for the bedridden patient are included. Each muscle is tested with specific techniques for positioning, stabilization, resistance, and palpation for each score of the 6-point ordinal Medical Research Council scale. Three upper and three lower extremity muscles are graded in this protocol: shoulder abduction, elbow flexion, wrist extension, hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion. These muscles were chosen based on the standard approach for evaluating patients for ICU-acquired weakness used in prior publications. (1,2).

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT), plant uptake and effects on metabolism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, A.R.; Lytle, C.M.; Stone, R.L.; Smith, B.N [Department of Botany and Range Science, Brigham Young University, Provo (United States); Hansen, L.D. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo (United States)

2000-04-01

In the USA and Canada, methylcyclopentadienyl manganese (MMT) is currently added to gasoline to replace tetraethyl lead as an antiknock fuel additive. Manganese concentrations in roadside soil and plants are increasing and correlated with distance from the roadway, traffic volume, plant type, and microhabitat. Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) seedlings were treated for either five or thirty-five days with different levels of manganous chloride (0-1000ppm). Metabolic heat rates (q) and respiration rates (R{sub CO{sub 2}}), measured calorimetrically, indicated severe stress at Mn concentrations between 10 and 100ppm and at temperatures above 20C. Predicted growth rates (R{sub SG}) also decreased in these circumstances.

HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE US EPA'S SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION (SITE) MONITORING AND MEASUREMENT (MMT) PROGRAM

Science.gov (United States)

This manuscript presents the history and evolution of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Monitoring and Measurement Technology (MMT) Program. This includes a discussion of how the fundamental concepts of a performanc...

Conservative approach in localised rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder and prostate: results from International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) studies: malignant mesenchymal tumour (MMT) 84, 89 and 95.

Science.gov (United States)

Jenney, Meriel; Oberlin, Odile; Audry, Georges; Stevens, Michael C G; Rey, Annie; Merks, Johannes H M; Kelsey, Anna; Gallego, Soledad; Haie-Meder, Christine; Martelli, Hélène

2014-02-01

The three sequential SIOP MMT studies provide the largest dataset available to date, to define the patient and tumour characteristics, treatment modalities and event-free and overall survival for children with non metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the bladder and/or prostate (BP). The combined dataset of 172 patients with BP RMS treated on the SIOP MMT 84, 89 and 95 studies was reviewed to determine tumour characteristics, details of treatment and outcome. Median age at diagnosis was 2.5 years (range 2 months-17.8 years) and 138 (79%) were males. Median follow-up was 11.4 years (range 3 months-22 years). The 5-year overall survival of the combined cohort was 77% (CI 70-83%). The 5-year event-free survival was 63% and included 7 patients (4%) who did not achieve complete remission (CR), and 57 (33%) who relapsed. Age ≥ 10 years (RR 3.7) and alveolar pathology (RR 3.3) were identified as independent prognostic factors on multivariate analysis. Fifty-nine (50%) of the 119 survivors were cured without significant local therapy, improving from 31% in MMT84 study to 61% in MMT95 study. The clinical strategy of the MMT studies aims to minimise the burden of therapy whilst maintaining survival rates. Overall survival is comparable to that of other international groups, despite the lower use of radiotherapy and or radical surgery, although number of events experienced is higher. Further assessment of the late effects of therapy is required to confirm whether this approach results in lower morbidity in the long-term. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Conservative management of post-surgical urinary incontinence in an adolescent using applied kinesiology: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuthbert, Scott C; Rosner, Anthony L

2011-06-01

This case report describes the successful treatment of an adolescent female suffering daily stress and occasional total urinary incontinence with applied kinesiology methods and chiropractic manipulative therapy. A 13-year-old female developed unpredictable urinary incontinence and right hip pain immediately following emergency open appendectomy surgery. The patient was forced to wear an incontinence pad throughout the day and night for 10 months because of unpredictable urinary incontinence. ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION: Chiropractic and applied kinesiology (AK) methods - a multi-modal diagnostic technique that utilizes manual muscle tests (MMT) for the detection of musculoskeletal impairments and specific AK techniques for correction of identified issues - were utilized to diagnose and treat this patient for muscle impairments in the lumbar spine and pelvis. Patient experienced a rapid resolution of her urinary incontinence and hip pain. A six-year follow-up confirmed complete resolution of symptoms. In this case, utilization of MMT allowed for the identification of several inhibited muscles. Utilizing the appropriate corrective techniques improved the strength of these muscles and resulted in their being graded as facilitated. Symptoms of urinary incontinence and hip pain resolved with this diagnostic and treatment approach. AK methods were useful for the discovery of a number of apparent causative factors underlying this patient's urinary incontinence and hip pain. Treatment for these pelvic-floor muscle and joint abnormalities resulted in rapid, long-lasting resolution of her urinary incontinence and hip pain.

Relationship between Corrected-QT Intervals and Other ECG Characteristics with Methadone Dose in Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT Patients and Healthy Subjects: A Case- Control Study

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Mina Akbari Rad

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background In this study we assessed the relationship between corrected-QT intervals and other ECG characteristics with methadone dose and other parameters in MMT patients and healthy subjects. Methods This was a case-control study which was carried out on patients underwent MMT and healthy control group who had been referred to Ebne-Sina academic hospital, Mashhad during 2014 - 2015. At the time of the study, 40 patients who received MMT therapy for at least 6 months and 40 voluntary healthy subjects who matched on age and sex enrolled in the study. 12-lead ECG was performed for all the patients. Mean QT interval, PR interval and QRS duration in every 12 leads were documented for each patient in maximum. Results To evaluate the patients, we divided 80 patients into two groups: 40 patients under treatment with Methadone and 40 voluntary participants as control group. There were 20 males and 20 females in each group. Duration of addiction was 214.80 ± 126.99 months in MMT group. Significant differences were observed in PRi between the patient and control groups (P = 0.007, and also between methadone dose and PRi (r = 0.468, P = 0.038 in males. QTc prolongation was reported in 4 patients of addicted group (10%. All of the QTc prolongation patients were female (P = 0.037. There was significant relationship between PRi and weight (P = 0.015, addiction period (P = 0.011, methadone treatment period (P = 0.018 as well as methadone dosage (P = 0.14. Methadone cut off point of 65 mg had a significant relationship with systolic blood pressure (P = 0.002, diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.013, QTCi (P = 0.016 and QRS (P = 0.044; however, no significant relationship was reported with PRi (P = 0.451. Conclusions We found that there is no exact dosage of methadone in which the side effects such as TdP (Torsade de pointes or QTc prolongation can be predicted. Female gender and methadone dosage ≥ 65 mg were risk factors of our study for QTc prolongation which

Selective Synthesis, Characterization and Kinetics Studies of poly(α-Methyl styrene induced by Maghnite-Na+ Clay (Algerian MMT

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Moulkheir Ayat

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A new and efficient catalyst of Na-Montmorillonite (Na+-MMT was employed in this paper for α-methylstyrene (AMS cationic polymerization. Maghnite clay, obtained from Tlemcen Algeria, was investigated to remove heavy metal ion from wastewater. “Maghnite-Na” is a Montmorillonite sheet silicate clay, exchanged with sodium as an efficient catalyst for cationic polymerization of many vinylic and heterocyclic monomers. The various techniques, including 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR, DSC and Ubbelohde viscometer, were used to elucidate structural characteristics and thermal properties of the resulting polymers. The structure compositions of “MMT”, “H+-MMT” and “Na+-MMT” have been developed. It was found that the cationic polymerization of AMS is initiated by Na+-MMT at 0 °C in bulk and in solution. The influences of reaction temperature, solvent, weight ratio of initiator/monomer and reaction time on the yield of monomer and the molecular weight are investigated. The kinetics indicated that the polymerization rate is first order with respect to the monomer concentration. A possible mechanism of this cationic polymerization is discussed based on the results of the 1H-NMR Spectroscopic analysis of these model reactions. A cationic mechanism for the reaction was proposed. From the mechanism studies, it was showed that monomer was inserted into the growing chains. Copyright © 2016 BCREC GROUP. All rights reserved. Received: 6th September 2016; Revised: 27th April 2016; Accepted: 7th June 2016 How to Cite: Ayat, M., Belbachir, M., Rahmouni, A. (2016. Selective Synthesis, Characterization and Kinetics Studies of poly(α-Methyl styrene induced by Maghnite-Na+ Clay (Algerian MMT. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 11 (3: 376-388 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.11.3.578.376-388 Permalink/DOI: http://doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.11.3.578.376-388

MMT hypervelocity star survey. III. The complete survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Warren R.; Geller, Margaret J.; Kenyon, Scott J., E-mail: wbrown@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: mgeller@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2014-05-20

We describe our completed spectroscopic survey for unbound hypervelocity stars (HVSs) ejected from the Milky Way. Three new discoveries bring the total number of unbound late B-type stars to 21. We place new constraints on the nature of the stars and on their distances using moderate resolution MMT spectroscopy. Half of the stars are fast rotators; they are certain 2.5-4 M {sub ☉} main sequence stars at 50-120 kpc distances. Correcting for stellar lifetime, our survey implies that unbound 2.5-4 M {sub ☉} stars are ejected from the Milky Way at a rate of 1.5 × 10{sup –6} yr{sup –1}. These unbound HVSs are likely ejected continuously over the past 200 Myr and do not share a common flight time. The anisotropic spatial distribution of HVSs on the sky remains puzzling. Southern hemisphere surveys like SkyMapper will soon allow us to map the all-sky distribution of HVSs. Future proper motion measurements with Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia will provide strong constraints on origin. Existing observations are all consistent with HVS ejections from encounters with the massive black hole in the Galactic center.

MMT hypervelocity star survey. III. The complete survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Warren R.; Geller, Margaret J.; Kenyon, Scott J.

2014-01-01

We describe our completed spectroscopic survey for unbound hypervelocity stars (HVSs) ejected from the Milky Way. Three new discoveries bring the total number of unbound late B-type stars to 21. We place new constraints on the nature of the stars and on their distances using moderate resolution MMT spectroscopy. Half of the stars are fast rotators; they are certain 2.5-4 M ☉ main sequence stars at 50-120 kpc distances. Correcting for stellar lifetime, our survey implies that unbound 2.5-4 M ☉ stars are ejected from the Milky Way at a rate of 1.5 × 10 –6 yr –1 . These unbound HVSs are likely ejected continuously over the past 200 Myr and do not share a common flight time. The anisotropic spatial distribution of HVSs on the sky remains puzzling. Southern hemisphere surveys like SkyMapper will soon allow us to map the all-sky distribution of HVSs. Future proper motion measurements with Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia will provide strong constraints on origin. Existing observations are all consistent with HVS ejections from encounters with the massive black hole in the Galactic center.

The Possible Effects of Methadone Maintenance Therapy on Erectile Dysfunction in Male Addicts Visiting MMT Centers of Rasht

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Morteza Rahbar Taramsari

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Methadone is considered a long-acting opioid agonist which is widely used in the treatment of drug addiction. It is believed that opioids can cause erectile dysfunction (ED by inhibiting gonadotropin and testosterone release. This study is aimed at defining the possible effects of conservative treatment with methadone on erectile dysfunction in the addicts. Methods: A total of 382 male addicts visiting methadone maintenance therapy (MMT centers in Rasht, Iran, during 2010 were enrolled in this study. International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF questionnaire and patients' profiles were the main means of collecting data on demographic information, methadone dose intake, and erectile function status before and after the two months of therapy with methadone. Erectile function status was defined by the total score from questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 15 of the questionnaire. The data was analyzed by X2, McNemer’s test, and paired t-test using SPSS software 18. Results: The mean age of patients was 37.6 ± 8.9 years (range: 18-72 years. Most of the patients were married (79.3% and they were citizens of Rasht (72.3%. The most frequent substances were opium (188 patients, 49.2% and crack (129 patients, 33.8%, respectively. Most of the patients received low dose methadone (286 patients, 74.9%. No significant relationship was indicated comparing the average scores of erectile function before and after taking methadone (18.53±6.978 vs. 19.03±5.819 (P=0.138. However, the severity of erectile dysfunction was significantly related to the methadone intake dose (P<0.001. Conclusion: Although MMT increases the frequency of erectile dysfunction, appropriate doses of methadone minimize this effect.

Synthesis and characterization of silver/montmorillonite/chitosan bionanocomposites by chemical reduction method and their antibacterial activity

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Kamyar Shameli

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Kamyar Shameli1, Mansor Bin Ahmad1, Mohsen Zargar3, Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus1, Nor Azowa Ibrahim1, Parvaneh Shabanzadeh2, Mansour Ghaffari Moghaddam41Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, 2Institute for Mathematical Research, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Qum, Iran; 4Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zabol, Zabol, IranAbstract: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs of a small size were successfully synthesized using the wet chemical reduction method into the lamellar space layer of montmorillonite/chitosan (MMT/Cts as an organomodified mineral solid support in the absence of any heat treatment. AgNO3, MMT, Cts, and NaBH4 were used as the silver precursor, the solid support, the natural polymeric stabilizer, and the chemical reduction agent, respectively. MMT was suspended in aqueous AgNO3/Cts solution. The interlamellar space limits were changed (d-spacing = 1.24–1.54 nm; therefore, AgNPs formed on the interlayer and external surface of MMT/Cts with d-average = 6.28–9.84 nm diameter. Characterizations were done using different methods, ie, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Silver/montmorillonite/chitosan bionanocomposite (Ag/MMT/Cts BNC systems were examined. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs in MMT/Cts was investigated against Gram-positive bacteria, ie, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus and Gram-negative bacteria, ie, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the disc diffusion method using Mueller Hinton agar at different sizes of AgNPs. All of the synthesized Ag/MMT/Cts BNCs were found to have high antibacterial activity. These results show that Ag/MMT/Cts BNCs can be useful in different biological research and biomedical

Preparation and characterization of HMSPP/MMT/silver nanocomposite films with antibacterial activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliani, Washington Luiz; Komatsu, Luiz Gustavo Hiroki; Berenguer, Isabelle; Lugao, Ademar Benevolo; Parra, Duclerc Fernandes; Lincopan, Nilton

2015-01-01

The aim of study was to use nanocomposites for bactericide packing for food. The polypropylene modified by irradiation in acetylene at dose of 12.5 kGy, also known as high-melt-strength-polypropylene (HMSPP), with montmorillonite (MMT) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) composed a mix to process by melt intercalation in a twin-screw extruder. As compatibilizer agent it has been used a propylene graft maleic anhydride copolymer (PP-g-MA). The nanocomposites were evaluated by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX) and determination of antibacterial activity. The results indicate the formation of microstructures predominantly intercalated and flocculated. Further, the antibacterial properties of the films were investigated against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) bacteria. (author)

Preparation and characterization of HMSPP/MMT/silver nanocomposite films with antibacterial activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliani, Washington Luiz; Komatsu, Luiz Gustavo Hiroki; Berenguer, Isabelle; Lugao, Ademar Benevolo; Parra, Duclerc Fernandes, E-mail: washoliani@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Lincopan, Nilton [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Escola de Farmacia. Dept. de Analises Clinicas; Rangari, Vijaya Kumar [Center For Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Tuskegee University, AL (United States)

2015-07-01

The aim of study was to use nanocomposites for bactericide packing for food. The polypropylene modified by irradiation in acetylene at dose of 12.5 kGy, also known as high-melt-strength-polypropylene (HMSPP), with montmorillonite (MMT) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) composed a mix to process by melt intercalation in a twin-screw extruder. As compatibilizer agent it has been used a propylene graft maleic anhydride copolymer (PP-g-MA). The nanocomposites were evaluated by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX) and determination of antibacterial activity. The results indicate the formation of microstructures predominantly intercalated and flocculated. Further, the antibacterial properties of the films were investigated against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) bacteria. (author)

Preparation and characterization of bentonite clay for formation of nanocomposites; Preparacao e caracterizacao da argila bentonita para a formacao de nanocompositos PELMD/MMT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, J.J.M.; Silva, B.L.; Araujo, I.J.C.; Medeiros, A.M.; Melo, J.D.D.; Paskocimas, C.A., E-mail: bismarckengmat@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (DEMat/UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais

2011-07-01

This study we used the linear medium density polyethylene (PELMD) as polymer matrix and introduced, as reinforcement to increase the mechanical and thermal properties, the green bentonite deposit of Boa Vista/PB, rich montmorillonite (MMT), previously characterized by XRD, that passed by three stages of purification. The first stage was to clean by washing and filtering for removal of coarse material (sand and organic matter), followed by an acid attack. In the second, we used the quaternary ammonium surfactant, in order to increase the distance between the layers of MMT, and the third was removed from the wastewater, using absolute ethanol, finishing the purification of process. Then, the clay was introduced into the polymer matrix by polymerization in solution by intercalation and characterized by XRD. The results showed a partial exfoliation, satisfying the increasing properties. (author)

Influence of blending sequence on the rheological behavior of HDPE/LLDPE/MMT nano composites; Influencia da sequencia de mistura no comportamento reologico de nanocompositos HDPE/LLDPE/MMT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Passador, F.R.; Pessan, L.A., E-mail: fabiopassador@gmail.co [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (DEMA/UFSCAR), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia de Materiais; Ruvolo Filho, A. [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (PPGCEM/UFSCAR), SP (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencia e Engenharia de Materiais

2010-07-01

The blending sequence affects the rheological behavior and the morphology formation of the nanocomposites. In this work, the blending sequences were explored to see its influence in the rheological behavior of HDPE/LLDPE/MMT nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were obtained by melt-intercalation using HDPE-g-MA as a compatibilizer in a torque rheometer (Haake Rheomix 600p at 180 deg C and rotor speed of 80rpm) and five blending sequences were studied. The materials structures were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and by rheological properties. The nanoclay's addition increased the shear viscosity at low shear rates, changing the behavior of HDPE/LLDPE matrix to a Bingham model behavior with an apparent yield stress. Intense interactions were obtained for the blending sequence where HDPE and HDPE-g-MA were first reinforced with organoclay and then the HDPE/HDPE-g-MA/organoclay nanocomposite was later blended with LLDPE. (author)

EMG normalization method based on grade 3 of manual muscle testing: Within- and between-day reliability of normalization tasks and application to gait analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabard-Fougère, Anne; Rose-Dulcina, Kevin; Pittet, Vincent; Dayer, Romain; Vuillerme, Nicolas; Armand, Stéphane

2018-02-01

Electromyography (EMG) is an important parameter in Clinical Gait Analysis (CGA), and is generally interpreted with timing of activation. EMG amplitude comparisons between individuals, muscles or days need normalization. There is no consensus on existing methods. The gold standard, maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), is not adapted to pathological populations because patients are often unable to perform an MVIC. The normalization method inspired by the isometric grade 3 of manual muscle testing (isoMMT3), which is the ability of a muscle to maintain a position against gravity, could be an interesting alternative. The aim of this study was to evaluate the within- and between-day reliability of the isoMMT3 EMG normalizing method during gait compared with the conventional MVIC method. Lower limb muscles EMG (gluteus medius, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, semitendinosus) were recorded bilaterally in nine healthy participants (five males, aged 29.7±6.2years, BMI 22.7±3.3kgm -2 ) giving a total of 18 independent legs. Three repeated measurements of the isoMMT3 and MVIC exercises were performed with an EMG recording. EMG amplitude of the muscles during gait was normalized by these two methods. This protocol was repeated one week later. Within- and between-day reliability of normalization tasks were similar for isoMMT3 and MVIC methods. Within- and between-day reliability of gait EMG normalized by isoMMT3 was higher than with MVIC normalization. These results indicate that EMG normalization using isoMMT3 is a reliable method with no special equipment needed and will support CGA interpretation. The next step will be to evaluate this method in pathological populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of mold temperature associated with glass fiber on the mechanical and thermal properties of a (PA6/GF/MMT) nanocomposite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damiani, Renato Adriano

2017-01-01

This work describes the second of a series of studies of the effects of injection molding conditions on the mechanical and thermal properties of Polyamide 6/Glass Fiber/Montmorillonite (PA6/GF/MMT) composites and was motivated by the lack of information about how the processing variables influence on the properties of three-phase composites containing fiber glass. By this time, the effects of the injection molding temperature associated with the fiber glass percentage on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite are investigated. Some samples were processed, following a statistical experimental factorial planning, varying the mold temperature and the fiber glass percentage and maintaining 5 wt % of the MMT. The samples were submitted to tensile and flexural tests, XRD, SEM and DSC. The studies showed that an increase in the mold temperature and the fiber percentage improves the maximum tensile and flexural stresses. The increased mold temperature slows the cooling rate, which, over time, decreases the degree of crystallinity. However, there is an increase in the intercalation of the polymeric chains and the nanoclay lamellae, and the structure forms with fewer defects. (author)

Influence of mold temperature associated with glass fiber on the mechanical and thermal properties of a (PA6/GF/MMT) nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Damiani, Renato Adriano, E-mail: eng.damiani@hotmail.com [Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC), Criciuma, SC (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias e Engenharia de Materiais; Duarte, Glaucea Warmeling; Riella, Humberto Gracher, E-mail: gwduarte@gmail.com, E-mail: huberto.riella@ufsc.br [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Quimica; Silva, Luciano Luiz; Mello, Josiane Maria Muneron de; Fiori, Marcio Antonio; Batiston, Eduardo Roberto, E-mail: marciofiori@gmail.com, E-mail: lucianols@unochapeco.edu.br, E-mail: josimello@unochapeco.edu.br, E-mail: erbatiston@unochapeco.edu.br [Universidade Comunitaria da Regiao de Chapeco (UNOCHAPECO), Chapeco, SC (Brazil)

2017-01-15

This work describes the second of a series of studies of the effects of injection molding conditions on the mechanical and thermal properties of Polyamide 6/Glass Fiber/Montmorillonite (PA6/GF/MMT) composites and was motivated by the lack of information about how the processing variables influence on the properties of three-phase composites containing fiber glass. By this time, the effects of the injection molding temperature associated with the fiber glass percentage on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite are investigated. Some samples were processed, following a statistical experimental factorial planning, varying the mold temperature and the fiber glass percentage and maintaining 5 wt % of the MMT. The samples were submitted to tensile and flexural tests, XRD, SEM and DSC. The studies showed that an increase in the mold temperature and the fiber percentage improves the maximum tensile and flexural stresses. The increased mold temperature slows the cooling rate, which, over time, decreases the degree of crystallinity. However, there is an increase in the intercalation of the polymeric chains and the nanoclay lamellae, and the structure forms with fewer defects. (author)

Influence of blending sequence on the rheological behavior of HDPE/LLDPE/MMT nano composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Passador, F.R.; Pessan, L.A.; Ruvolo Filho, A.

2010-01-01

The blending sequence affects the rheological behavior and the morphology formation of the nanocomposites. In this work, the blending sequences were explored to see its influence in the rheological behavior of HDPE/LLDPE/MMT nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were obtained by melt-intercalation using HDPE-g-MA as a compatibilizer in a torque rheometer (Haake Rheomix 600p at 180 deg C and rotor speed of 80rpm) and five blending sequences were studied. The materials structures were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and by rheological properties. The nanoclay's addition increased the shear viscosity at low shear rates, changing the behavior of HDPE/LLDPE matrix to a Bingham model behavior with an apparent yield stress. Intense interactions were obtained for the blending sequence where HDPE and HDPE-g-MA were first reinforced with organoclay and then the HDPE/HDPE-g-MA/organoclay nanocomposite was later blended with LLDPE. (author)

Photosensitized production of hydrogen by Halobacterium halobium MMT sub 22 coupled to Escherichia coli in reversed micelles of sodium lauryl sulfate in organic solvents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, M.M.T.; Bhatt, J.P. (Central Salt and Marine Research Inst., Bhavnagar (India))

1991-01-01

Observation on the enhanced production of hydrogen by Halobacterium halobium MMT{sub 22} coupled to Escherichia coli entrapped inside the reversed micelles formed by sodium lauryl sulfate in various organic solvents, namely benzene, carbon tetrachloride, toluene, n-heptane, nitrobenzene, chlorobenzene, are reported. In the present system, a hundred fold increase in activity as compared to the activity in the usual aqueous medium was observed. (author).

Advances in thermal control and performance of the MMT M1 mirror

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, J. D.; Williams, G. G.; Callahan, S.; Comisso, B.; Ortiz, R.; Williams, J. T.

2010-07-01

Strategies for thermal control of the 6.5-meter diameter borosilicate honeycomb primary (M1) mirror at the MMT Observatory have included: 1) direct control of ventilation system chiller setpoints by the telescope operator, 2) semiautomated control of chiller setpoints, using a fixed offset from the ambient temperature, and 3) most recently, an automated temperature controller for conditioned air. Details of this automated controller, including the integration of multiple chillers, heat exchangers, and temperature/dew point sensors, are presented here. Constraints and sanity checks for thermal control are also discussed, including: 1) mirror and hardware safety, 2) aluminum coating preservation, and 3) optimization of M1 thermal conditions for science acquisition by minimizing both air-to-glass temperature differences, which cause mirror seeing, and internal glass temperature gradients, which cause wavefront errors. Consideration is given to special operating conditions, such as high dew and frost points. Precise temperature control of conditioned ventilation air as delivered to the M1 mirror cell is also discussed. The performance of the new automated controller is assessed and compared to previous control strategies. Finally, suggestions are made for further refinement of the M1 mirror thermal control system and related algorithms.

Morphological analysis of thermoplastic starch films and montmorillonite (TPS/MMT) using vegetable oils of Brazilian Cerrado as plasticizers;Morfologia de filmes de amido termoplastico e montmorilonita (TPS/MMT) usando oleos vegetais do cerrado como plastificantes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlemmer, Daniela; Sales, Maria Jose A. [Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), DF (Brazil). Lab. de Pesquisa em Polimeros; Angelica, Romulo S. [Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA), Belem, PA (Brazil). Lab. de Raios X; Gomes, Ana Cristina M.M. [Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA-CENARGEN), Brasilia, DF (Brazil). Lab. de Microscopia Eletronica

2009-07-01

Biopolymers can be used where petrochemical plastics have applications with short life. The excellent degradation of starch and its low cost make it an alternative for obtaining biodegradable plastics. To obtain thermoplastic starch (TPS) is necessary mechanical shake, high temperature and plasticizers. In this work, TPS were produced using three different vegetable oils from Brazilian's cerrado as plasticizers: buriti, macauba or pequi. Materials are also produced with montmorillonite (MMT). All the materials were analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The starch micrographs revealed irregular delaminate with a predominance of starch and 'holes' for the oils. In nanocomposites the clusters of clay are dispersed without a defined standard. It was understood that the plasticizers and processing completely changed the structure of starch causing a decrease in their crystallinity degree. Almost all nanocomposites presented exfoliate structure, only one presented intercalated structure. (author)

Searching for manganese pollution from MMT anti-knock gasoline additives in snow from central Greenland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veysseyre, A.; Velde, K. van de; Ferrari, C.; Boutron, C.

1998-01-01

Mn has been measured in snow core samples dated from 1967 to 1989 collected in central Greenland. Observed concentrations range from 16 to 236 pg g -1 . A large fraction of Mn in Greenland snow is found to originate from rock and soil dust. The different possible natural sources for 'excess' Mn above that contributed from rock and soil dust include volcanoes, natural vegetation fires and continental biogenic emissions. They could explain part of the observed excess. At least part of it is, however, probably related to anthropogenic inputs, especially from North America. Aside from industrial sources, MMT (methyl-cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl) anti-knock gasoline additives are good candidates, but our data do not allow to clearly identify their influence. Unambiguous identification will require the direct determination of organo-Mn compounds in comprehensive series of Greenland snow samples with sub-seasonal resolution using highly sensitive speciation techniques. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Reflections on Mixing Methods in Applied Linguistics Research

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, Mohammad R.

2012-01-01

This commentary advocates the use of mixed methods research--that is the integration of qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study--in applied linguistics. Based on preliminary findings from a research project in progress, some reflections on the current practice of mixing methods as a new trend in applied linguistics are put forward.…

Hybrid membranes of polyamide applied in treatment of waste water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medeiros, Keila Machado de; Araujo, Edcleide Maria; Lira, Helio de Lucena; Lima, Diego de Farias; Lima, Carlos Antonio Pereira de

2017-01-01

In this work, it was prepared hybrid membranes of polyamide6 (PA6) with montmorillonite (MMT) and porogenic agent (CaCl 2 ). The hybrid membranes with CaCl 2 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosimetry by mercury intrusion (PMI), flux measurements and rejection. By means of X-ray diffraction, it was revealed that the hybrid membranes with CaCl 2 have an exfoliated and/or partially exfoliated structure. For FTIR and DSC of hybrid membranes with CaCl 2 , it was found that the spectra and the crystalline melting temperature remained virtually unchanged compared to PA6 membrane. From the SEM images, it was observed that the addition of the MMT and the CaCl 2 in the membrane of PA6 caused an increase in the amount of pores the surface and cross section of these membranes. By PMI, it was observed that the presence of MMT and CaCl 2 in the membrane caused an increase in the average diameters of pores. The water-oil separation tests, indicated a significant reduction of oil in the permeate, allowing treatment of wastewater contaminated with oil. (author)

Hybrid membranes of polyamide applied in treatment of waste water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Medeiros, Keila Machado de; Araujo, Edcleide Maria; Lira, Helio de Lucena, E-mail: keilamachadodemedeiros@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais; Lima, Diego de Farias; Lima, Carlos Antonio Pereira de [Universidade Estadual da Paraiba (UEPB), Campina Grande, PB (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental

2017-03-15

In this work, it was prepared hybrid membranes of polyamide6 (PA6) with montmorillonite (MMT) and porogenic agent (CaCl{sub 2} ). The hybrid membranes with CaCl{sub 2} were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosimetry by mercury intrusion (PMI), flux measurements and rejection. By means of X-ray diffraction, it was revealed that the hybrid membranes with CaCl{sub 2} have an exfoliated and/or partially exfoliated structure. For FTIR and DSC of hybrid membranes with CaCl{sub 2} , it was found that the spectra and the crystalline melting temperature remained virtually unchanged compared to PA6 membrane. From the SEM images, it was observed that the addition of the MMT and the CaCl{sub 2} in the membrane of PA6 caused an increase in the amount of pores the surface and cross section of these membranes. By PMI, it was observed that the presence of MMT and CaCl{sub 2} in the membrane caused an increase in the average diameters of pores. The water-oil separation tests, indicated a significant reduction of oil in the permeate, allowing treatment of wastewater contaminated with oil. (author)

Integrated high-resolution array CGH and SKY analysis of homozygous deletions and other genomic alterations present in malignant mesothelioma cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Klorin, Geula; Rozenblum, Ester; Glebov, Oleg; Walker, Robert L; Park, Yoonsoo; Meltzer, Paul S; Kirsch, Ilan R; Kaye, Frederic J; Roschke, Anna V

2013-05-01

High-resolution oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and spectral karyotyping (SKY) were applied to a panel of malignant mesothelioma (MMt) cell lines. SKY has not been applied to MMt before, and complete karyotypes are reported based on the integration of SKY and aCGH results. A whole genome search for homozygous deletions (HDs) produced the largest set of recurrent and non-recurrent HDs for MMt (52 recurrent HDs in 10 genomic regions; 36 non-recurrent HDs). For the first time, LINGO2, RBFOX1/A2BP1, RPL29, DUSP7, and CCSER1/FAM190A were found to be homozygously deleted in MMt, and some of these genes could be new tumor suppressor genes for MMt. Integration of SKY and aCGH data allowed reconstruction of chromosomal rearrangements that led to the formation of HDs. Our data imply that only with acquisition of structural and/or numerical karyotypic instability can MMt cells attain a complete loss of tumor suppressor genes located in 9p21.3, which is the most frequently homozygously deleted region. Tetraploidization is a late event in the karyotypic progression of MMt cells, after HDs in the 9p21.3 region have already been acquired. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Montessori method applied to dementia - literature review].

Science.gov (United States)

Brandão, Daniela Filipa Soares; Martín, José Ignacio

2012-06-01

The Montessori method was initially applied to children, but now it has also been applied to people with dementia. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the research on the effectiveness of this method using Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline) with the keywords dementia and Montessori method. We selected lo studies, in which there were significant improvements in participation and constructive engagement, and reduction of negative affects and passive engagement. Nevertheless, systematic reviews about this non-pharmacological intervention in dementia rate this method as weak in terms of effectiveness. This apparent discrepancy can be explained because the Montessori method may have, in fact, a small influence on dimensions such as behavioral problems, or because there is no research about this method with high levels of control, such as the presence of several control groups or a double-blind study.

A narrative review of manual muscle testing and implications for muscle testing research.

Science.gov (United States)

Conable, Katharine M; Rosner, Anthony L

2011-09-01

Manual muscle testing (MMT) is used for a variety of purposes in health care by medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and athletic training professionals. The purpose of this study is to provide a narrative review of variations in techniques, durations, and forces used in MMT putting applied kinesiology (AK) muscle testing in context and highlighting aspects of muscle testing important to report in MMT research. PubMed, the Collected Papers of the International College of Applied Kinesiology-USA, and related texts were searched on the subjects of MMT, maximum voluntary isometric contraction testing, and make/break testing. Force parameters (magnitude, duration, timing of application), testing variations of MMT, and normative data were collected and evaluated. "Break" tests aim to evaluate the muscle's ability to resist a gradually increasing pressure and may test different aspects of neuromuscular control than tests against fixed resistances. Applied kinesiologists use submaximal manual break tests and a binary grading scale to test short-term changes in muscle function in response to challenges. Many of the studies reviewed were not consistent in reporting parameters for testing. To increase the chances for replication, studies using MMT should specify parameters of the tests used, such as exact procedures and instrumentation, duration of test, peak force, and timing of application of force. Copyright © 2011 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applying homotopy analysis method for solving differential-difference equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhen; Zou Li; Zhang Hongqing

2007-01-01

In this Letter, we apply the homotopy analysis method to solving the differential-difference equations. A simple but typical example is applied to illustrate the validity and the great potential of the generalized homotopy analysis method in solving differential-difference equation. Comparisons are made between the results of the proposed method and exact solutions. The results show that the homotopy analysis method is an attractive method in solving the differential-difference equations

Morphological analysis of thermoplastic starch films and montmorillonite (TPS/MMT) using vegetable oils of Brazilian Cerrado as plasticizers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlemmer, Daniela; Sales, Maria Jose A.; Angelica, Romulo S.; Gomes, Ana Cristina M.M.

2009-01-01

Biopolymers can be used where petrochemical plastics have applications with short life. The excellent degradation of starch and its low cost make it an alternative for obtaining biodegradable plastics. To obtain thermoplastic starch (TPS) is necessary mechanical shake, high temperature and plasticizers. In this work, TPS were produced using three different vegetable oils from Brazilian's cerrado as plasticizers: buriti, macauba or pequi. Materials are also produced with montmorillonite (MMT). All the materials were analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The starch micrographs revealed irregular delaminate with a predominance of starch and 'holes' for the oils. In nanocomposites the clusters of clay are dispersed without a defined standard. It was understood that the plasticizers and processing completely changed the structure of starch causing a decrease in their crystallinity degree. Almost all nanocomposites presented exfoliate structure, only one presented intercalated structure. (author)

Entropy viscosity method applied to Euler equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delchini, M. O.; Ragusa, J. C.; Berry, R. A.

2013-01-01

The entropy viscosity method [4] has been successfully applied to hyperbolic systems of equations such as Burgers equation and Euler equations. The method consists in adding dissipative terms to the governing equations, where a viscosity coefficient modulates the amount of dissipation. The entropy viscosity method has been applied to the 1-D Euler equations with variable area using a continuous finite element discretization in the MOOSE framework and our results show that it has the ability to efficiently smooth out oscillations and accurately resolve shocks. Two equations of state are considered: Ideal Gas and Stiffened Gas Equations Of State. Results are provided for a second-order time implicit schemes (BDF2). Some typical Riemann problems are run with the entropy viscosity method to demonstrate some of its features. Then, a 1-D convergent-divergent nozzle is considered with open boundary conditions. The correct steady-state is reached for the liquid and gas phases with a time implicit scheme. The entropy viscosity method correctly behaves in every problem run. For each test problem, results are shown for both equations of state considered here. (authors)

Effect of organo clay addition on thermal properties of poly lactide/ polycaprolactone (PLA/ PCL) nano composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Zulaiha Hairaldin; Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus; Norazoma Ibrahim

2010-01-01

In this study, melt blending technique was applied to prepare poly lactide/polycaprolactone (PLA/ PCL) nano composites with various blends. Montmorillonite (MMT) was used as an addition to the matrix. In this study, melt blending technique was applied to prepare poly lactide/polycaprolactone (PLA/ PCL) nano composites. Montmorillonite (MMT) was used as an addition to the matrix with various percentages. The other one is modified clay prepared by modifying the nature of montmorillonite with octadecylamine (ODA) to improve the characteristic of PLA/ PCL blends. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated intercalation of the PLA/ PCL into silicate nano size interlayers galleries of the nano composites. The presence of modified clays in nano composite was confirmed by FTIR spectrum. TGA and DTG results show addition of MMT and modified clay ODA-MMT improved the thermal stability of the PLA/ PCL blends. (author)

Methyl Methacrylate and Alpha-Methyl Styrene: New Strategy for Synthesis of Bloc Copolymers for Use in Potential Biomedical Applications Generated by an Ecologic Catalyst Called Maghnite (Algerian MMT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moulkheir Ayat

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A new model for synthesis of the plastics, block copolymers were prepared from methyl methacrylate (MMA and alpha-methyl styrene (α-MS by cationic copolymerization in the presence of a new and efficient catalyst of “Maghnite-Na” at 0 °C in bulk. In this paper, the copolymerization of α-MS and MMA was induced in heterogeneous phase catalyzed by Maghnite-Na was investigated under suitable conditions. The “Maghnite-Na” is a montmorillonite sheet silicate clay, with exchanged sodium cations to produce Na-Montmorillonite (Na+-MMT obtained from Tlemcen, Algeria, was investigated to remove heavy metal ion from wastewater as an efficient catalyst for cationic polymerization of many vinylic and heterocyclic monomers. The synthesized copolymer were characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR-1H, NMR-13C, FT-IR spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC, and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC to elucidate structural characteristics and thermal properties of the resulting copolymers. The structure compositions of “MMT”, “H+-MMT” and “Na+-MMT” have been developed. The effect of the MMA/α-MS molar ratio on the rate of copolymerization, the amount of catalyst, temperature and time of copolymerization on yield of copolymers was studied. The yield of copolymerization depends on the amount of Na+-MMT used and the reaction time. The kinetic studies indicated that the polymerization rate is first order with respect to monomer concentration. A possible mechanism of this cationic polymerization is discussed based on the results of the 1H-NMR Spectroscopic analysis of these model reactions. A cationic mechanism for the reaction studies showed that monomer was inserted into the growing chains. Copyright © 2016 BCREC GROUP. All rights reserved Received: 2nd May 2015; Revised: 24th February 2016; Accepted: 15th March 2016 How to Cite: Ayat, M., Belbachir, M., Rahmouni, A. (2016. Methyl Methacrylate and Alpha-Methyl Styrene: New

Confine Clay in an Alternating Multilayered Structure through Injection Molding: A Simple and Efficient Route to Improve Barrier Performance of Polymeric Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Feilong; Deng, Hua; Bai, Hongwei; Zhang, Qin; Wang, Ke; Chen, Feng; Fu, Qiang

2015-05-20

Various methods have been devoted to trigger the formation of multilayered structure for wide range of applications. These methods are often complicated with low production efficiency or require complex equipment. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and efficient method for the fabrication of polymeric sheets containing multilayered structure with enhanced barrier property through high speed thin-wall injection molding (HSIM). To achieve this, montmorillonite (MMT) is added into PE first, then blended with PP to fabricate PE-MMT/PP ternary composites. It is demonstrated that alternating multilayer structure could be obtained in the ternary composites because of low interfacial tension and good viscosity match between different polymer components. MMT is selectively dispersed in PE phase with partial exfoliated/partial intercalated microstructure. 2D-WAXD analysis indicates that the clay tactoids in PE-MMT/PP exhibits an uniplanar-axial orientation with their surface parallel to the molded part surface, while the tactoids in binary PE-MMT composites with the same overall MMT contents illustrate less orientation. The enhanced orientation of nanoclay in PE-MMT/PP could be attributed to the confinement of alternating multilayer structure, which prohibits the tumbling and rotation of nanoplatelets. Therefore, the oxygen barrier property of PE-MMT/PP is superior to that of PE-MMT because of increased gas permeation pathway. Comparing with the results obtained for PE based composites in literature, outstanding barrier property performance (45.7% and 58.2% improvement with 1.5 and 2.5 wt % MMT content, respectively) is achieved in current study. Two issues are considered responsible for such improvement: enhanced MMT orientation caused by the confinement in layered structure, and higher local density of MMT in layered structure induced denser assembly. Finally, enhancement in barrier property by confining impermeable filler into alternating multilayer structure through such

Coupling method of magnetic memory and eddy current nondestructive testing for retired crankshafts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ni, Chen; Hua, Lin; Wang, Xiaokai; Wang, Zhou; Qin, Xunpeng; Fang, Zhou [Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-07-15

To verify the validity of the Coupling method of magnetic memory and eddy current (CMMEC) testing for crankshafts, we use this technique to test a 12-cylinder V-design diesel crankshaft. First, the stress distribution in the crankshaft was obtained under 12 working conditions using a Finite element (FE) model that complied with the commercial FE code ABAQUS. Second, Magnetic memory testing (MMT) and Eddy current testing (ECT) were adopted to detect the regions of stress concentration in the crankshaft and the specific location of cracks based on simulation results. Lastly, magnetic particle testing was conducted to detect and display the corresponding crack to verify the CMMEC testing results. The MMT and ECT results can provide basis and guidance for the remanufacture and life evaluation of retired crankshafts.

Coupling method of magnetic memory and eddy current nondestructive testing for retired crankshafts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni, Chen; Hua, Lin; Wang, Xiaokai; Wang, Zhou; Qin, Xunpeng; Fang, Zhou

2016-01-01

To verify the validity of the Coupling method of magnetic memory and eddy current (CMMEC) testing for crankshafts, we use this technique to test a 12-cylinder V-design diesel crankshaft. First, the stress distribution in the crankshaft was obtained under 12 working conditions using a Finite element (FE) model that complied with the commercial FE code ABAQUS. Second, Magnetic memory testing (MMT) and Eddy current testing (ECT) were adopted to detect the regions of stress concentration in the crankshaft and the specific location of cracks based on simulation results. Lastly, magnetic particle testing was conducted to detect and display the corresponding crack to verify the CMMEC testing results. The MMT and ECT results can provide basis and guidance for the remanufacture and life evaluation of retired crankshafts.

Electronic-projecting Moire method applying CBR-technology

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzyakov, O. N.; Lapteva, U. V.; Andreeva, M. A.

2018-01-01

Electronic-projecting method based on Moire effect for examining surface topology is suggested. Conditions of forming Moire fringes and their parameters’ dependence on reference parameters of object and virtual grids are analyzed. Control system structure and decision-making subsystem are elaborated. Subsystem execution includes CBR-technology, based on applying case base. The approach related to analysing and forming decision for each separate local area with consequent formation of common topology map is applied.

Analytical methods applied to water pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baudin, G.

1977-01-01

A comparison of different methods applied to water analysis is given. The discussion is limited to the problems presented by inorganic elements, accessible to nuclear activation analysis methods. The following methods were compared: activation analysis: with gamma-ray spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry, fluorimetry, emission spectrometry, colorimetry or spectrophotometry, X-ray fluorescence, mass spectrometry, voltametry, polarography or other electrochemical methods, activation analysis-beta measurements. Drinking-water, irrigation waters, sea waters, industrial wastes and very pure waters are the subjects of the investigations. The comparative evaluation is made on the basis of storage of samples, in situ analysis, treatment and concentration, specificity and interference, monoelement or multielement analysis, analysis time and accuracy. The significance of the neutron analysis is shown. (T.G.)

Building "Applied Linguistic Historiography": Rationale, Scope, and Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Richard

2016-01-01

In this article I argue for the establishment of "Applied Linguistic Historiography" (ALH), that is, a new domain of enquiry within applied linguistics involving a rigorous, scholarly, and self-reflexive approach to historical research. Considering issues of rationale, scope, and methods in turn, I provide reasons why ALH is needed and…

The influence of montmorillonite content on the kinetics of curing of epoxy nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovičić Mirjana C.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this work, the attention was paid at the investigation of montmorillonite dispersion in epoxy/amine systems due to improved final properties of the nanocomposites. The influence of different montmorillonite content on the kinetics of curing of epoxy/Jeffamine D-230 systems was followed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. The curing of epoxy nanocomposites was performed using dynamic regime at three different heating rates: 5, 10 and 20°C/min. Three isoconversional methods were applied: two integral (Ozawa-Flynn-Wall and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose methods and one differential (Friedman method. The presence of montmorillonite (MMT causes the beginning of curing at lower temperatures. The shape of the DSC curves has been changed by the addition of MMT, supporting the hypothesis of a change in the reaction mechanism. For hybrids with 3 and 5 wt.% of MMT, the Eα dependence is very similar to those found for the reference system (epoxy/Jeffamine D-230 for the curing degree less than 60%. The hybrid with 10 wt.% of MMT has lower energy activation in regard to the referent system without montmorillonite. Greater differences are observed in the second part of the reaction, where it is known that the curing process is more controlled by diffusion (α>0.60. The Ea value increases at the end of the reaction (α→1, which was observed for all systems, and is more pronounced in the presence of montmorillonite. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III45022

Characterization of Polylactic Acid/ Microcrystalline Cellulose/ Montmorillonite Hybrid Composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reza Arjmandi; Azman Hassan; Haafiz, M.K.M.; Zainoha Zakaria; Inuwa, I.M.

2014-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of montmorillonite (MMT)/ microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) hybrid fillers on mechanical properties and morphological characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA) composites. PLA/ MMT nano composites and PLA/ MMT/ MCC hybrid composites were prepared by solution casting method. Morphology and tensile properties of PLA composites were investigated using Field emission scanning electron microscopy and Instron tensile testing machine. The maximum tensile strength of PLA/ MMT nano composites was obtained with 5 phr contents of MMT, which corresponding to 30.75 MPa. Based on optimized formulation of PLA/ MMT nano composites (5 phr MMT contents), various amounts of MCC (0 to 7 phr) were added into optimum formulation of PLA/ MMT in order to produce PLA/ MMT/ MCC hybrid composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed some level of interaction between PLA and both MMT and MCC in the hybrid composites. However, the percent elongation at break of the hybrid composites was generally higher than PLA/ MMT nano composites. Additionally, Young's modulus of the PLA/ MMT/ MCC hybrid composites increased gradually with increasing of MCC contents and was higher than PLA/ MMT at all compositions. The present results are the first among a series of experiments that have been designed in order to probe the effect of MMT and MCC in the PLA. (author)

Single-Case Designs and Qualitative Methods: Applying a Mixed Methods Research Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Hitchcock, John H.; Nastasi, Bonnie K.; Summerville, Meredith

2010-01-01

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to describe a design that mixes single-case (sometimes referred to as single-subject) and qualitative methods, hereafter referred to as a single-case mixed methods design (SCD-MM). Minimal attention has been given to the topic of applying qualitative methods to SCD work in the literature. These two…

Quantitative EEG Applying the Statistical Recognition Pattern Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engedal, Knut; Snaedal, Jon; Hoegh, Peter

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the discriminatory power of quantitative EEG (qEEG) applying the statistical pattern recognition (SPR) method to separate Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients from elderly individuals without dementia and from other dementia patients. METHODS...

“Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover”: A Qualitative Study of Methadone Patients’ Experiences of Stigma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Woo

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Despite its efficacy and widespread use, methadone maintenance treatment (MMT continues to be widely stigmatized. Reducing the stigma surrounding MMT will help improve the accessibility, retention, and treatment outcomes in MMT. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 adults undergoing MMT. Thematic content analysis was used to identify overarching themes. Results: In total, 78% of participants reported having experienced stigma surrounding MMT. Common stereotypes associated with MMT patients included the following: methadone as a way to get high, incompetence, untrustworthiness, lack of willpower, and heroin junkies. Participants reported that stigma resulted in lower self-esteem; relationship conflicts; reluctance to initiate, access, or continue MMT; and distrust toward the health care system. Public awareness campaigns, education of health care workers, family therapy, and community meetings were cited as potential stigma-reduction strategies. Discussion and Conclusion: Stigma is a widespread and serious issue that adversely affects MMT patients’ quality of life and treatment. More efforts are needed to combat MMT-related stigma.

Fabrication and Characterization of Cellulose Acetate/Montmorillonite Composite Nanofibers by Electrospinning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Se Wook Kim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nanofibers composed of cellulose acetate (CA and montmorillonite (MMT were prepared by electrospinning method. MMT was first dispersed in water and mixed with an acetic acid solution of CA. The viscosity and conductivity of the CA/MMT solutions with different MMT contents were measured to compare with those of the CA solution. The CA/MMT solutions were electrospun to fabricate the CA/MMT composite nanofibers. The morphology, thermal stability, and crystalline and mechanical properties of the composite nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and tensile test. The average diameters of the CA/MMT composite nanofibers obtained by electrospinning 18 wt% CA/MMT solutions in a mixed acetic acid/water (75/25, w/w solvent ranged from 150~350 nm. The nanofiber diameter decreased with increasing MMT content. TEM indicated the coexistence of CA nanofibers. The CA/MMT composite nanofibers showed improved tensile strength compared to the CA nanofiber due to the physical protective barriers of the silicate clay layers. MMT could be incorporated into the CA nanofibers resulting in about 400% improvement in tensile strength for the CA sample containing 5 wt% MMT.

Application of a Surimi-Based Coating to Improve the Quality Attributes of Shrimp during Refrigerated Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharaf Eddin, Abdulhakim; Tahergorabi, Reza

2017-09-05

Shrimp is a popular seafood throughout the world. However, shrimp is highly perishable due to biochemical, microbiological, or physical changes during postmortem storage. In this study, the effect of a surimi-based coating with and without montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay on shrimp quality was evaluated during eight days of refrigerator storage. Use of a surimi-based coating resulted in reductions of aerobic plate counts (APC) up to 2 log units. The combined effect of the MMT and coating was observed. Surimi-based coating with MMT resulted in lower APC ( p coating with MMT to the shrimp samples improved sensory quality and delayed lipid oxidation and color deterioration during storage time. In general, better texture was observed when coating was applied either with or without MMT. This study suggests that surimi-based coating may improve the quality of shrimp during refrigerated storage.

MMT/AO 5 μm IMAGING CONSTRAINTS ON THE EXISTENCE OF GIANT PLANETS ORBITING FOMALHAUT AT ∼13-40 AU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenworthy, Matthew A.; Hinz, Philip M.; Meyer, Michael R.; Miller, Douglas L.; Sivanandam, Suresh; Freed, Melanie; Mamajek, Eric E.; Heinze, Aren N.

2009-01-01

A candidate ∼ Jup extrasolar planet was recently imaged by Kalas et al. using Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys and Keck II at 12.''7 (96 AU) separation from the nearby (d = 7.7 pc) young (∼200 Myr) A2V star Fomalhaut. Here, we report results from M-band (4.8 μm) imaging of Fomalhaut on 2006 December 5 using the Clio IR imager on the 6.5 m MMT with the adaptive secondary mirror. Our images are sensitive to giant planets at orbital radii comparable to the outer solar system (∼10-40 AU). Comparing our 5σ M-band photometric limits to theoretical evolutionary tracks for substellar objects, our results rule out the existence of planets with masses >2 M Jup from ∼13 to 40 AU and objects >13 M Jup from ∼8 to 40 AU.

Geostatistical methods applied to field model residuals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maule, Fox; Mosegaard, K.; Olsen, Nils

consists of measurement errors and unmodelled signal), and is typically assumed to be uncorrelated and Gaussian distributed. We have applied geostatistical methods to analyse the residuals of the Oersted(09d/04) field model [http://www.dsri.dk/Oersted/Field_models/IGRF_2005_candidates/], which is based...

Aircraft operability methods applied to space launch vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Douglas

1997-01-01

The commercial space launch market requirement for low vehicle operations costs necessitates the application of methods and technologies developed and proven for complex aircraft systems. The ``building in'' of reliability and maintainability, which is applied extensively in the aircraft industry, has yet to be applied to the maximum extent possible on launch vehicles. Use of vehicle system and structural health monitoring, automated ground systems and diagnostic design methods derived from aircraft applications support the goal of achieving low cost launch vehicle operations. Transforming these operability techniques to space applications where diagnostic effectiveness has significantly different metrics is critical to the success of future launch systems. These concepts will be discussed with reference to broad launch vehicle applicability. Lessons learned and techniques used in the adaptation of these methods will be outlined drawing from recent aircraft programs and implementation on phase 1 of the X-33/RLV technology development program.

Are repeated single-limb heel raises and manual muscle testing associated with peak plantar-flexor force in people with inclusion body myositis?

Science.gov (United States)

Harris-Love, Michael O; Shrader, Joseph A; Davenport, Todd E; Joe, Galen; Rakocevic, Goran; McElroy, Beverly; Dalakas, Marinos

2014-04-01

Repeated heel raises have been proposed as a method of ankle plantar-flexor strength testing that circumvents the limitations of manual muscle testing (MMT). The study objective was to examine the relationships among ankle plantar-flexion isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), repeated single-limb heel raises (SLHRs), and MMT in people with myositis. This was a cross-sectional study with a between-group design. The ability to complete 1 SLHR determined group assignment (SLHR group, n=24; no-SLHR group, n=19). Forty-three participants with myositis (13 women; median age=64.9 years) participated. Outcome measures included MVC, predicted MVC, Kendall MMT, and Daniels-Worthingham MMT. The Kendall MMT was unable to detect significant ankle plantar-flexor weakness established by quantitative methods and was unable to discriminate between participants who could and those who could not perform the SLHR task. Ankle plantar-flexion MVC was not associated with the number of heel-raise repetitions in the SLHR group (pseudo R(2)=.13). No significant relationship was observed between MVC values and MMT grades in the SLHR and no-SLHR groups. However, a moderate relationship between MVC values and MMT grades was evident in a combined-group analysis (ρ=.50-.67). The lower half of both MMT grading scales was not represented in the study despite the profound weakness of the participants. Both Kendall MMT and Daniels-Worthingham MMT had limited utility in the assessment of ankle plantar-flexor strength. Repeated SLHRs should not be used as a proxy measure of ankle plantar-flexion MVC in people with myositis.

Probing Hypergiant Mass Loss with Adaptive Optics Imaging and Polarimetry in the Infrared: MMT-Pol and LMIRCam Observations of IRC +10420 and VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Shenoy, Dinesh P.; Jones, Terry J.; Packham, Chris; Lopez-Rodriguez, Enrique

2015-07-01

We present 2-5 μm adaptive optics (AO) imaging and polarimetry of the famous hypergiant stars IRC +10420 and VY Canis Majoris. The imaging polarimetry of IRC +10420 with MMT-Pol at 2.2 μ {m} resolves nebular emission with intrinsic polarization of 30%, with a high surface brightness indicating optically thick scattering. The relatively uniform distribution of this polarized emission both radially and azimuthally around the star confirms previous studies that place the scattering dust largely in the plane of the sky. Using constraints on scattered light consistent with the polarimetry at 2.2 μ {m}, extrapolation to wavelengths in the 3-5 μm band predicts a scattered light component significantly below the nebular flux that is observed in our Large Binocular Telescope/LMIRCam 3-5 μm AO imaging. Under the assumption this excess emission is thermal, we find a color temperature of ˜500 K is required, well in excess of the emissivity-modified equilibrium temperature for typical astrophysical dust. The nebular features of VY CMa are found to be highly polarized (up to 60%) at 1.3 μm, again with optically thick scattering required to reproduce the observed surface brightness. This star’s peculiar nebular feature dubbed the “Southwest Clump” is clearly detected in the 3.1 μm polarimetry as well, which, unlike IRC +10420, is consistent with scattered light alone. The high intrinsic polarizations of both hypergiants’ nebulae are compatible with optically thick scattering for typical dust around evolved dusty stars, where the depolarizing effect of multiple scatters is mitigated by the grains’ low albedos. Observations reported here were obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona.

Montmorillonite Supported Titanium/Antimony Catalyst:Preparation, Characterization and Immobilization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHEN Guiyong; WANG Xiaoqun; ZHAO Chuan; DU Shanyi

2014-01-01

Montmorillonite supported titanium (Ti-MMT) or antimony catalyst (Sb-MMT) has been a hot area of research on preparing polyethylene terephthalate/montmorillonite (PET/MMT) nanocomposites by in situ polymerization. So removal of Ti or Sb from Ti-MMT or Sb-MMT is not expected during in situ polymerization. Studies on immobilization of Ti or Sb on Ti-MMT or Sb-MMT are seldom reported. In this work, a series of montmorillonite supported catalysts of titanium (Ti-MMT) or antimony (Sb-MMT) and co-intercalated montmorillonite of titanium and antimony (Ti/Sb-MMT) were prepared by (1) the reaction of sodium bentonite suspension with intercalating solution containing titanium tetrachloride and/or antimony chloride, and (2) drying or calcinating the products at different temperature (100, 150, 240, 350 and 450℃). The physicochemical properties of these MMT supported catalysts were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICPOES), N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(UV-vis) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The immobile character of Ti or Sb on MMT supported catalysts was evaluated by a two-step method in deionized water or ethylene glycol. Several results were obtained, i e, (a) during the preparation, with an increase in drying or calcinating temperature, the amount of titanium and/or antimony species remained on these MMT supported catalysts decreased, (b) the experiments about immobile character of Ti or/and Sb showed that with an increase in drying or calcinating temperature, the immobilization of Ti and/or Sb species remained on these MMT supported catalysts increased gradually, (c) Ti-MMT calcinated at 450℃had the biggest pore volume, which means Ti-MMT had the best adsorption application prospect.

Improvement of interfacial interactions using natural polyphenol-inspired tannic acid-coated nanoclay enhancement of soy protein isolate biofilms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Zhong; Kang, Haijiao; Zhang, Wei [MOE Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 (China); Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 (China); Zhang, Shifeng, E-mail: shifeng.zhang@bjfu.edu.cn [MOE Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 (China); Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 (China); Li, Jianzhang, E-mail: lijzh@bjfu.edu.cn [MOE Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 (China); Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 (China)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • A novel interface of MMT was fabricated by natural polyphenol (TA)-inspired chemistry. • The resultant biomimetic surface exhibited good interface and surface compatibility. • TA can act as a bridge between MMT and SPI to enhance the interfacial interaction. • Surface-modified MMT gets the potential to be used in the modification of SPI biofilms for improving the mechanical properties and water resistance apparently. - Abstract: In this study, a novel and economic surface modification technique for montmorillonite (MMT) nanosheets, a biocompatible coupling cross-linking agent, was developed on an attempt at improving the interfacial adhesion with soy protein isolate (SPI) matrix. Inspired by natural polyphenol, the “green dip-coating” method using tannic acid (TA) to surface-modify MMT (TA@MMT). SPI nanocomposite films modified with MMT or TA@MMT, as well as the control ones, were prepared via the casting method. The TA layer was successfully coated on the MMT surface through the (Fe{sup III}) ions coordination chemistry and the synthetic samples were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The compatibility and interfacial interactions between modified MMT and SPI matrix were greatly enhanced by the TA-Fe{sup III} coating on the MMT surface. The mechanical properties, water resistance, and thermal stability of the resultant biofilm were increased accordingly. Compared with that of the unmodified SPI film, the tensile strength of the nanocomposite films modified by the green dip-coating was increased by 113.3%. These SPI-based nanocomposite films showed the favorable potential in terms of food packing applications due to their efficient barriers to water vapor and UV and/or visible light.

The catalytic activity of Ag{sub 2}S-montmorillonites as peroxidase mimetic toward colorimetric detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Qingyun, E-mail: qyliu@sdust.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266510 (China); Jiang, Yanling; Zhang, Leyou; Zhou, Xinpei [School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266510 (China); Lv, Xintian [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000 (China); Ding, Yanyuan; Sun, Lifang; Chen, Pengpeng [School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266510 (China); Yin, Hailiang [Academy of Science & Technology, China University of Petroleum, Dongying 257061 (China)

2016-08-01

Nanocomposites based on silver sulfide (Ag{sub 2}S) and Ca-montmorillonite (Ca{sup 2+}-MMT) were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The as-prepared Ag{sub 2}S-MMT nanocomposites were firstly demonstrated to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and could rapidly catalytically oxidize the substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to produce a blue product which can be seen by the naked eye in only one minute. The experimental results revealed that the Ag{sub 2}S-MMT nanocomposites exhibit higher thermal durance. Based on the TMB–H{sub 2}O{sub 2} catalyzed color reaction, the Ag{sub 2}S-MMT nanocomposites were exploited as a new type of biosensor for detection and estimation of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} through a simple, cheap and selective colorimetric method. - Highlights: • Ag{sub 2}S – montmorillonites (MMT) was synthesized by a facile one step method. • The as-prepared Ag{sub 2}S-MMT nanocomposites firstly demonstrate to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. • Ag{sub 2}S-MMT nanocomposites showed highly catalytic activity. • Ag{sub 2}S-MMT could rapidly catalytically oxidize substrates TMB in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in 1 min. • The catalytic mechanism is from the generation of hydroxyl radical (·OH) decomposed from H{sub 2}O{sub 2}.

Applied mathematical methods in nuclear thermal hydraulics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ransom, V.H.; Trapp, J.A.

1983-01-01

Applied mathematical methods are used extensively in modeling of nuclear reactor thermal-hydraulic behavior. This application has required significant extension to the state-of-the-art. The problems encountered in modeling of two-phase fluid transients and the development of associated numerical solution methods are reviewed and quantified using results from a numerical study of an analogous linear system of differential equations. In particular, some possible approaches for formulating a well-posed numerical problem for an ill-posed differential model are investigated and discussed. The need for closer attention to numerical fidelity is indicated

Effect of the addition order and amylose content on mechanical, barrier and structural properties of films made with starch and montmorillonite.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Bastida, C A; Bello-Pérez, L A; Velazquez, G; Alvarez-Ramirez, J

2015-01-01

This study considered the effect of amylose content (30% and 70%), montmorillonite (MMT) fraction (5 and 15%) and preparation method on mechanical and barrier properties of starch/clay nanocomposites prepared by casting. In Method 1, (30% w/w) glycerol was incorporated before starch gelatinization and MMT addition, while in Method 2 after gelatinization and MMT addition. Nanocomposites with higher amount of MMT showed the highest tensile strength and Young's modulus for both preparation methods. Method 1 favored nanocomposite properties of films with less amylose content, meanwhile Method 2 favored nanocomposites properties with higher amylose content. Water vapor permeability did not decrease significantly in starch films with different amylose content with the two different preparation methods. X-ray diffraction of the starch films indicated intercalated structures. Higher melting temperature (Tm) was found for nanocomposites with Method 2, indicating more ordered structures. Films with 70% amylose content have higher Tm than films with 30% amylose. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination symbol applying method for sintered nuclear fuel product

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizaki, Jin

1998-01-01

The present invention provides a symbol applying method for applying discrimination information such as an enrichment degree on the end face of a sintered nuclear product. Namely, discrimination symbols of information of powders are applied by a sintering aid to the end face of a molded member formed by molding nuclear fuel powders under pressure. Then, the molded product is sintered. The sintering aid comprises aluminum oxide, a mixture of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide, aluminum hydride or aluminum stearate alone or in admixture. As an applying means of the sintering aid, discrimination symbols of information of powders are drawn by an isostearic acid on the end face of the molded product, and the sintering aid is sprayed thereto, or the sintering aid is applied directly, or the sintering aid is suspended in isostearic acid, and the suspension is applied with a brush. As a result, visible discrimination information can be applied to the sintered member easily. (N.H.)

Classification of Specialized Farms Applying Multivariate Statistical Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuzana Hloušková

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Classification of specialized farms applying multivariate statistical methods The paper is aimed at application of advanced multivariate statistical methods when classifying cattle breeding farming enterprises by their economic size. Advantage of the model is its ability to use a few selected indicators compared to the complex methodology of current classification model that requires knowledge of detailed structure of the herd turnover and structure of cultivated crops. Output of the paper is intended to be applied within farm structure research focused on future development of Czech agriculture. As data source, the farming enterprises database for 2014 has been used, from the FADN CZ system. The predictive model proposed exploits knowledge of actual size classes of the farms tested. Outcomes of the linear discriminatory analysis multifactor classification method have supported the chance of filing farming enterprises in the group of Small farms (98 % filed correctly, and the Large and Very Large enterprises (100 % filed correctly. The Medium Size farms have been correctly filed at 58.11 % only. Partial shortages of the process presented have been found when discriminating Medium and Small farms.

Determination of activity of I-125 applying sum-peak methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbelo Penna, Y.; Hernandez Rivero, A.T.; Oropesa Verdecia, P.; Serra Aguila, R.; Moreno Leon, Y.

2011-01-01

The determination of activity of I-125 in radioactive solutions, applying sum-peak methods, by using an n-type HPGe detector of extended range is described. Two procedures were used for obtaining I-125 specific activity in solutions: a) an absolute method, which is independent of nuclear parameters and detector efficiency, and b) an option which consider constant the efficiency in the region of interest and involves calculations using nuclear parameters. The measurement geometries studied are specifically solid point sources. The relative deviations between specific activities, obtained by these different procedures are not higher than 1 %. Moreover, the activity of the radioactive solution was obtained by measuring it in NIST ampoule using a CAPINTEC CRC 35R dose calibrator. The consistency of obtained results, confirm the feasibility of applying direct methods of measurement for I-125 activity determinations, which allow us to achieve lower uncertainties in comparison with the relative methods of measurement. The establishment of these methods is aimed to be applied for the calibration of equipment and radionuclide dose calibrators used currently in clinical RIA/IRMA assays and Nuclear medicine practice respectively. (Author)

Ionic liquids intercalated in montmorillonite as the sorptive phase for the extraction of low-polarity organic compounds from water by rotating-disk sorptive extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiscal-Ladino, Jhon A.; Obando-Ceballos, Mónica; Rosero-Moreano, Milton [Grupo de Investigación en Cromatografía y Técnicas Afines GICTA, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales (Colombia); Montaño, Diego F.; Cardona, Wilson; Giraldo, Luis F. [Química de Plantas Colombianas, Instituto de Química, Escuela de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 No. 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellín (Colombia); Richter, Pablo, E-mail: prichter@ciq.uchile.cl [Departamento de Química Inorgánica y Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 233, Santiago (Chile)

2017-02-08

. - Highlights: • Clay modified with ILs successfully extracts PCBs from aqueous solutions. • A new RDSE sorbent is applied in the analysis of environmental samples. • A simple and green method is developed. • MMT-HDMIM-BR phase was more efficient than other commercial solid phases. • The novel MMT-HDMIM-BR sorbent is promising for determination of other low polarity analytes.

Near-infrared radiation curable multilayer coating systems and methods for applying same

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Mark P; Verdun, Shelley D; Post, Gordon L

2015-04-28

Multilayer coating systems, methods of applying and related substrates are disclosed. The coating system may comprise a first coating comprising a near-IR absorber, and a second coating deposited on a least a portion of the first coating. Methods of applying a multilayer coating composition to a substrate may comprise applying a first coating comprising a near-IR absorber, applying a second coating over at least a portion of the first coating and curing the coating with near infrared radiation.

Effect of montmorillonite on carboxylated styrene butadiene rubber/hindered phenol damping material with improved extraction resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Yuan; Wang, Xiaoping; Liu, Meijun; Xi, Xue; Zhang, Xin; Jia, Demin

2014-01-01

Highlights: • MMT and XSBR display synergic effect on protecting HP1098 from being extracted. • A new hindered phenol HP1098 was used to prepare damping material. • Effects of three preparation methods on the material properties were studied. - Abstract: Three methods of blending, including direct blending, melt blending and latex blending, were introduced to disperse sodium based montmorillonite (Na-MMT) and N,N′-hexane-1,6-diylbis{3-(5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl-propionamide)} (HP1098) into the carboxylated styrene butadiene (XSBR) matrix. Small angle X-ray Diffraction testing indicated that melting Na-MMT with HP1098 enlarged the d-spacing of Na-MMT, which was further enlarged by mechanical blending with XSBR, and this led to homogeneous dispersion of Na-MMT and HP1098, which was indicated by Transmission Electronic Microscopy; latex blending was found most advantageous in dispersing HP1098 which was essential for improved damping performance. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis was utilized to characterize damping properties, and enhanced static mechanical properties were presumably originated from molecule chains being intercalated into the enlarged galleries of Na-MMT by mechanical blending. Formation of hydrogen bonds was observed by Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectrum and was supposed to be responsible for exceptional damping performance at elevated temperature. Extraction measurement of XSBR/Na-MMT/HP1098 composite indicated that XSBR and Na-MMT showed synergic effect in protecting HP1098 molecules from being extracted, which is a promising method in preparing rubber/hindered phenol damping materials with improved extraction resistance, whereby increasing the performance stability and lifespan of the composite materials. Additional advantage of this type of materials is better processability and shortened vulcanization process

Cluster detection methods applied to the Upper Cape Cod cancer data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozonoff David

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A variety of statistical methods have been suggested to assess the degree and/or the location of spatial clustering of disease cases. However, there is relatively little in the literature devoted to comparison and critique of different methods. Most of the available comparative studies rely on simulated data rather than real data sets. Methods We have chosen three methods currently used for examining spatial disease patterns: the M-statistic of Bonetti and Pagano; the Generalized Additive Model (GAM method as applied by Webster; and Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic. We apply these statistics to analyze breast cancer data from the Upper Cape Cancer Incidence Study using three different latency assumptions. Results The three different latency assumptions produced three different spatial patterns of cases and controls. For 20 year latency, all three methods generally concur. However, for 15 year latency and no latency assumptions, the methods produce different results when testing for global clustering. Conclusion The comparative analyses of real data sets by different statistical methods provides insight into directions for further research. We suggest a research program designed around examining real data sets to guide focused investigation of relevant features using simulated data, for the purpose of understanding how to interpret statistical methods applied to epidemiological data with a spatial component.

Clay as a matrix former for spray drying of drug nanosuspensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yuancai; Ng, Wai Kiong; Hu, Jun; Shen, Shoucang; Tan, Reginald B H

2014-04-25

Utilization of sugars (e.g. lactose, sucrose) as matrix formers for spray drying of drug nanosuspensions is associated with two drawbacks: (1) sugars are incapable of preventing agglomeration of drug nanoparticles (NPs) in the suspension state; and (2) the spray-dried sugars are usually amorphous and hygroscopic. This work aimed to apply a clay, montmorillonite (MMT) as an alternative matrix former for spray drying of drug nanosuspensions with fenofibrate (feno) as a model compound. Drug nanosuspensions were synthesized by liquid antisolvent precipitation with different amount of MMT followed by spray drying. It is found that MMT is able to reduce the agglomeration of drug nanoparticles in the suspension state, as observed from the gradual alleviation of the clogging with the increased clay during the spray drying. The spray-dried feno NPs/MMT powders exhibited a much lower moisture sorption than spray-dried feno NPs/lactose powders as evidenced by the dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) analysis. The dissolution within 5 min for the spray-dried feno NPs/MMT powders at drug:MMT weight ratio of 1:3 was 81.4 ± 1.8% and the total dissolution within 60 min was 93.4 ± 0.9%. Our results demonstrate that MMT is a useful matrix former for preservation of the high dissolution rate of nanosized drug particles after drying. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding the drug release mechanism from a montmorillonite matrix and its binary mixture with a hydrophilic polymer using a compartmental modelling approach

Science.gov (United States)

Choiri, S.; Ainurofiq, A.

2018-03-01

Drug release from a montmorillonite (MMT) matrix is a complex mechanism controlled by swelling mechanism of MMT and an interaction of drug and MMT. The aim of this research was to explain a suitable model of the drug release mechanism from MMT and its binary mixture with a hydrophilic polymer in the controlled release formulation based on a compartmental modelling approach. Theophylline was used as a drug model and incorporated into MMT and a binary mixture with hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) as a hydrophilic polymer, by a kneading method. The dissolution test was performed and the modelling of drug release was assisted by a WinSAAM software. A 2 model was purposed based on the swelling capability and basal spacing of MMT compartments. The model evaluation was carried out to goodness of fit and statistical parameters and models were validated by a cross-validation technique. The drug release from MMT matrix regulated by a burst release mechanism of unloaded drug, swelling ability, basal spacing of MMT compartment, and equilibrium between basal spacing and swelling compartments. Furthermore, the addition of HPMC in MMT system altered the presence of swelling compartment and equilibrium between swelling and basal spacing compartment systems. In addition, a hydrophilic polymer reduced the burst release mechanism of unloaded drug.

Methods for model selection in applied science and engineering.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Field, Richard V., Jr.

2004-10-01

Mathematical models are developed and used to study the properties of complex systems and/or modify these systems to satisfy some performance requirements in just about every area of applied science and engineering. A particular reason for developing a model, e.g., performance assessment or design, is referred to as the model use. Our objective is the development of a methodology for selecting a model that is sufficiently accurate for an intended use. Information on the system being modeled is, in general, incomplete, so that there may be two or more models consistent with the available information. The collection of these models is called the class of candidate models. Methods are developed for selecting the optimal member from a class of candidate models for the system. The optimal model depends on the available information, the selected class of candidate models, and the model use. Classical methods for model selection, including the method of maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, as well as a method employing a decision-theoretic approach, are formulated to select the optimal model for numerous applications. There is no requirement that the candidate models be random. Classical methods for model selection ignore model use and require data to be available. Examples are used to show that these methods can be unreliable when data is limited. The decision-theoretic approach to model selection does not have these limitations, and model use is included through an appropriate utility function. This is especially important when modeling high risk systems, where the consequences of using an inappropriate model for the system can be disastrous. The decision-theoretic method for model selection is developed and applied for a series of complex and diverse applications. These include the selection of the: (1) optimal order of the polynomial chaos approximation for non-Gaussian random variables and stationary stochastic processes, (2) optimal pressure load model to be

A facile strategy for the preparation of ZnS nanoparticles deposited on montmorillonite and their higher catalytic activity for rapidly colorimetric detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Yanyuan; Sun, Lifang; Jiang, Yanling; Liu, Shunxiang; Chen, Mingxing; Chen, Miaomiao; Ding, Yanan; Liu, Qingyun, E-mail: qyliu@sdust.edu.cn

2016-10-01

In this paper, ZnS nanoparticles deposited on montmorillonite (ZnS-MMT) were prepared by a facile method at room temperature and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray Detector (EDX) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. Significantly, the as-prepared ZnS-MMT nanocomposites have been proven to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity that can rapidly catalyze the reaction of peroxidase substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and produce a blue color product in less than 30 seconds, which provides a sensitive colorimetric sensor to detect H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. Due to the synergistic effects between montmorillonite and ZnS nanoparticles, the obtained ZnS-MMT nanocomposites exhibit higher catalytic activity than that of MMT or ZnS alone. The catalytic behaviors of the ZnS-MMT nanocomposites showed a typical Michaelis–Menten kinetics. The catalytic activity and the catalytic mechanism were investigated using the procedures of steady-state kinetics and hydroxyl radical detection. ESR data revealed that the peroxidase-like activity of ZnS-MMT originated from the generation of ·OH radicals. - Highlights: • ZnS nanocomposites deposited on MMT was synthesized by a facile one step method. • MMT-ZnS nanocomposites possess excellent intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and show highly catalytic activity. • A sensitive colorimetric sensor for H{sub 2}O{sub 2} is provided based on MMT-ZnS nanocomposites. • The catalytic mechanism is from the generation of hydroxyl radical (·OH) decomposed from H{sub 2}O{sub 2}.

Newton-Krylov methods applied to nonequilibrium radiation diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoll, D.A.; Rider, W.J.; Olsen, G.L.

1998-01-01

The authors present results of applying a matrix-free Newton-Krylov method to a nonequilibrium radiation diffusion problem. Here, there is no use of operator splitting, and Newton's method is used to convert the nonlinearities within a time step. Since the nonlinear residual is formed, it is used to monitor convergence. It is demonstrated that a simple Picard-based linearization produces a sufficient preconditioning matrix for the Krylov method, thus elevating the need to form or store a Jacobian matrix for Newton's method. They discuss the possibility that the Newton-Krylov approach may allow larger time steps, without loss of accuracy, as compared to an operator split approach where nonlinearities are not converged within a time step

Physicians’ attitudes towards office-based delivery of methadone maintenance therapy: results from a cross-sectional survey of Nova Scotia primary-care physicians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dooley Jessica

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Approximately 90,000 Canadians use opioids each year, many of whom experience health and social problems that affect the individual user, families, communities and the health care system. For those who wish to reduce or stop their opioid use, methadone maintenance therapy (MMT is effective and supporting evidence is well-documented. However, access and availability to MMT is often inconsistent, with greater inequity outside of urban settings. Involving community based primary-care physicians in the delivery of MMT could serve to expand capacity and accessibility of MMT programs. Little is known, however, about the extent to which MMT, particularly office-based delivery, is acceptable to physicians. The aim of this study is to survey physicians about their attitudes towards MMT, particularly office-based delivery, and the perceived barriers and facilitators to MMT delivery. Methods In May 2008, facilitated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, a cross-sectional, e-mail survey of 950 primary-care physicians practicing in Nova Scotia, Canada was administered via the OPINIO on-line survey software, to assess the acceptability of office-based MMT. Logistic regressions, adjusted for physician sociodemographic characteristics, were used to examine the association between physicians’ willingness to participate in office-based MMT, and a series of measures capturing physician attitudes and knowledge about treatment approaches, opioid use, and methadone, as well as perceived barriers to MMT. Results Overall, 19.8% of primary-care physicians responded to the survey, with 56% who indicated that they would be willing to be involved in MMT under current or similar circumstances; however, willingness was associated with numerous attitudinal and systemic factors. The barriers to involvement in MMT that were frequently cited included a lack of training or experience in MMT, lack of support services, and potential

Patterns of pre-treatment drug abuse, drug treatment history and characteristics of addicts in methadone maintenance treatment in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shekarchizadeh Hajar

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Opiates are the main drugs of abuse, and Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT is the most widely administered drug addiction treatment program in Iran. Our study aimed to investigate patterns of pre-treatment drug abuse, addiction treatment history and characteristics of patients in MMT in Tehran. Methods We applied a stratified cluster random sampling technique and conducted a cross-sectional survey utilizing a standard patient characteristic and addiction history form with patients (n = 810 in MMT. The Chi-square test and t-test served for statistical analyses. Results A clear majority of the participants were men (96%, more than 60% of whom were between 25 and 44 years of age, educated (89% had more than elementary education, and employed (>70%. The most commonly reported main drugs of abuse prior to MMT entry were opium (69% and crystalline heroin (24%. The patients’ lifetime drug experience included opium (92%, crystalline heroin (28%, cannabis (16%, amphetamines (15%, and other drugs (33%. Crystalline heroin abusers were younger than opium users, had begun abusing drugs earlier, and reported a shorter history of opiate addiction. Conclusion Opium and crystalline heroin were the main drugs of abuse. A high rate of addiction using more dangerous opiate drugs such as crystalline heroin calls for more preventive efforts, especially among young men.

Patterns of pre-treatment drug abuse, drug treatment history and characteristics of addicts in methadone maintenance treatment in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Opiates are the main drugs of abuse, and Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) is the most widely administered drug addiction treatment program in Iran. Our study aimed to investigate patterns of pre-treatment drug abuse, addiction treatment history and characteristics of patients in MMT in Tehran. Methods We applied a stratified cluster random sampling technique and conducted a cross-sectional survey utilizing a standard patient characteristic and addiction history form with patients (n = 810) in MMT. The Chi-square test and t-test served for statistical analyses. Results A clear majority of the participants were men (96%), more than 60% of whom were between 25 and 44 years of age, educated (89% had more than elementary education), and employed (>70%). The most commonly reported main drugs of abuse prior to MMT entry were opium (69%) and crystalline heroin (24%). The patients’ lifetime drug experience included opium (92%), crystalline heroin (28%), cannabis (16%), amphetamines (15%), and other drugs (33%). Crystalline heroin abusers were younger than opium users, had begun abusing drugs earlier, and reported a shorter history of opiate addiction. Conclusion Opium and crystalline heroin were the main drugs of abuse. A high rate of addiction using more dangerous opiate drugs such as crystalline heroin calls for more preventive efforts, especially among young men. PMID:22676557

Multicomponent mass transport model: a model for simulating migration of radionuclides in ground water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washburn, J.F.; Kaszeta, F.E.; Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1980-07-01

This report presents the results of the development of a one-dimensional radionuclide transport code, MMT2D (Multicomponent Mass Transport), for the AEGIS Program. Multicomponent Mass Transport is a numerical solution technique that uses the discrete-parcel-random-wald (DPRW) method to directly simulate the migration of radionuclides. MMT1D accounts for: convection;dispersion; sorption-desorption; first-order radioactive decay; and n-membered radioactive decay chains. Comparisons between MMT1D and an analytical solution for a similar problem show that: MMT1D agrees very closely with the analytical solution; MMT1D has no cumulative numerical dispersion like that associated with solution techniques such as finite differences and finite elements; for current AEGIS applications, relatively few parcels are required to produce adequate results; and the power of MMT1D is the flexibility of the code in being able to handle complex problems for which analytical solution cannot be obtained. Multicomponent Mass Transport (MMT1D) codes were developed at Pacific Northwest Laboratory to predict the movement of radiocontaminants in the saturated and unsaturated sediments of the Hanford Site. All MMT models require ground-water flow patterns that have been previously generated by a hydrologic model. This report documents the computer code and operating procedures of a third generation of the MMT series: the MMT differs from previous versions by simulating the mass transport processes in systems with radionuclide decay chains. Although MMT is a one-dimensional code, the user is referred to the documentation of the theoretical and numerical procedures of the three-dimensional MMT-DPRW code for discussion of expediency, verification, and error-sensitivity analysis

Rubber/clay nanocomposites by combined latex compounding and melt mixing: A masterbatch process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Jinghua; Wang, Xiaoping; Luo, Yuanfang; Jia, Demin

2012-01-01

Highlights: → Rubber/Ca-montmorillonite nanocomposites were prepared by the masterbatch process. → Latex compounding method is efficient to improve the Ca-montmorillonite dispersion. → Exfoliated structure was obtained in the masterbatch by latex compounding method. → Intercalated and exfoliated structures were achieved in the vulcanizate. → The properties of vulcanizate are improved by the addition of Ca-montmorillonite. -- Abstract: Rubber/Ca-montmorillonite (Ca-MMT) nanocomposites with well exfoliated Ca-MMT layers were prepared by combination of latex compounding and melt mixing. Firstly, a high Ca-MMT content masterbatch was co-coagulated by natural rubber (NR) latex and modified Ca-MMT aqueous suspension through latex compounding. The masterbatch was added in the system of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) by melt mixing subsequently. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) results showed that intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained by the masterbatch technique. The effects of modified Ca-MMT introduction into the rubber matrix, via the masterbatch technique, on the properties of the resulting composites were studied. It was found that the vulcanization was hindered by the incorporation of modified Ca-MMT, while mechanical performances, thermal stability and aging resistance were improved. The increasingly glass transition temperature and the storage modulus with the loading of modified Ca-MMT were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).

A Lagrangian meshfree method applied to linear and nonlinear elasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Wade A

2017-01-01

The repeated replacement method (RRM) is a Lagrangian meshfree method which we have previously applied to the Euler equations for compressible fluid flow. In this paper we present new enhancements to RRM, and we apply the enhanced method to both linear and nonlinear elasticity. We compare the results of ten test problems to those of analytic solvers, to demonstrate that RRM can successfully simulate these elastic systems without many of the requirements of traditional numerical methods such as numerical derivatives, equation system solvers, or Riemann solvers. We also show the relationship between error and computational effort for RRM on these systems, and compare RRM to other methods to highlight its strengths and weaknesses. And to further explain the two elastic equations used in the paper, we demonstrate the mathematical procedure used to create Riemann and Sedov-Taylor solvers for them, and detail the numerical techniques needed to embody those solvers in code.

Synergistic reinforcing effect of TiO2 and montmorillonite on potato starch nanocomposite films: Thermal, mechanical and barrier properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Oleyaei, Seyed Amir; Almasi, Hadi; Ghanbarzadeh, Babak; Moayedi, Ali Akbar

2016-11-05

In this study, ternary potato starch (PS) bionanocomposite films containing two types of nanoparticles, sodium montmorillonite (MMT), one-dimensional (1D) clay platelets, (3 and 5wt%) and TiO2, three-dimensional (3D) nanospheres, (0.5, 1 and 2wt%), are prepared using solvent casting method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) test confirms the completely exfoliated structure formed in the PS-MMT nanocomposites containing 3 and 5% MMT. The success of the formation of new hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups of starch and nanofillers is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EB), glass transition temperature (Tg), and melting point (Tm) of the films are also enhanced after MMT and TiO2 incorporation. The water vapor permeability (WVP) and the visible, UVA, UVB and UVC lights transmittance decreases upon TiO2 and MMT content increasing. Generally, a synergistic effect is observed between MMT and TiO2 at lower concentrations of MMT. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retention in methadone maintenance treatment in mainland China, 2004-2012: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Kaina; Zhuang, Guihua

2014-01-01

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was implemented in mainland China since 2004. Numerous individual studies have investigated MMT retention but the overview still remains unclear. The aim of the study was to review MMT retention rates and predicting factors in mainland China during 2004-2012. Chinese and English databases of literature were searched for studies reporting on retention rates and predicting factors in non-transfer MMT patients of fixed-site clinics in mainland China (2004-2012). Qualitative methods were used to synthesize the results. Nineteen studies were eligible for review, with sample size ranging from 29 to 3758. Retention rates varied between 30.0% at 6 months in Shanghai and 70.3% at 12 months in Xi'an. Predicting factors were non-treatment including sociodemographics (n=14), support system and social function (n=9), economic status (n=2) and psychological status (n=1), and treatment-related including drug use (n=15), methadone use (n=12), MMT clinics (n=9), MMT participation (n=7), awareness on MMT (n=5) and HIV serostatus (n=3). Methadone dose (n=12) and age (n=7) were the first two important specific factors. In mainland China, MMT retention rates are heterogeneous and relatively lower, and predicting factors mainly focus on objective aspects. Future work should further explore subjective predicting factors regarding MMT retention. © 2013.

Methods of applied mathematics with a software overview

CERN Document Server

Davis, Jon H

2016-01-01

This textbook, now in its second edition, provides students with a firm grasp of the fundamental notions and techniques of applied mathematics as well as the software skills to implement them. The text emphasizes the computational aspects of problem solving as well as the limitations and implicit assumptions inherent in the formal methods. Readers are also given a sense of the wide variety of problems in which the presented techniques are useful. Broadly organized around the theme of applied Fourier analysis, the treatment covers classical applications in partial differential equations and boundary value problems, and a substantial number of topics associated with Laplace, Fourier, and discrete transform theories. Some advanced topics are explored in the final chapters such as short-time Fourier analysis and geometrically based transforms applicable to boundary value problems. The topics covered are useful in a variety of applied fields such as continuum mechanics, mathematical physics, control theory, and si...

The green synthesis of Ag/ZnO in montmorillonite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabnezhad, Sh.; Seifi, A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Ag/ZnO was loaded in MMT support by green synthesis method. • MMT support increased absorption of dye and separation of electron-hole in ZnO. • Ag nanoparticles improved photocatalytic properties of ZnO-MMT. • The particles size of Ag in ZnO-MMT was 2–4 nm. • In contrast ZnO-MMT, Ag/ZnO-MMT was a visible light driven photocatalyst. - Abstract: The Ag/ZnO-MMT nanocomposite was prepared using urtica dioica leaf extract. To improve the photocatalytic properties of ZnO-MMT nanocomposite, silver metal nanoparticles was deposited over nanocomposite. Zn(CH 3 COO) 2 , AgNO 3 and Urtica dioica leaf extract were used as a zinc, silver precursor and reducing agent, respectively. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The powder X-ray diffraction showed that Ag/ZnO nanoparticles located on the surface MMT layers. The diffuse reflectance spectra of nanocomposite indicated a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption band in the visible region, resulting from metallic Ag nanoparticles. TEM image demonstrated the presence of silver nanoparticles with an average size of 2–4 nm over both MMT and flower-shape ZnO. The photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite was studied for destructive reaction methylene blue dye under visible light. In addition, the effects of different parameters such as amount of nanocomposite, concentration of the dye and pH of the solution were studied. The results showed that modiffication of ZnO-MMT nanocomposite with silver nanoparticles increased the percentage of discoloration methylene blue (MB) from 38.95 to 91.95. MMT matrix showed an important role in the reduction of recombination of electron-hole in nanocomposite.

The green synthesis of Ag/ZnO in montmorillonite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sohrabnezhad, Sh., E-mail: sohrabnezhad@guilan.ac.ir; Seifi, A.

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Ag/ZnO was loaded in MMT support by green synthesis method. • MMT support increased absorption of dye and separation of electron-hole in ZnO. • Ag nanoparticles improved photocatalytic properties of ZnO-MMT. • The particles size of Ag in ZnO-MMT was 2–4 nm. • In contrast ZnO-MMT, Ag/ZnO-MMT was a visible light driven photocatalyst. - Abstract: The Ag/ZnO-MMT nanocomposite was prepared using urtica dioica leaf extract. To improve the photocatalytic properties of ZnO-MMT nanocomposite, silver metal nanoparticles was deposited over nanocomposite. Zn(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}, AgNO{sub 3} and Urtica dioica leaf extract were used as a zinc, silver precursor and reducing agent, respectively. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The powder X-ray diffraction showed that Ag/ZnO nanoparticles located on the surface MMT layers. The diffuse reflectance spectra of nanocomposite indicated a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption band in the visible region, resulting from metallic Ag nanoparticles. TEM image demonstrated the presence of silver nanoparticles with an average size of 2–4 nm over both MMT and flower-shape ZnO. The photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite was studied for destructive reaction methylene blue dye under visible light. In addition, the effects of different parameters such as amount of nanocomposite, concentration of the dye and pH of the solution were studied. The results showed that modiffication of ZnO-MMT nanocomposite with silver nanoparticles increased the percentage of discoloration methylene blue (MB) from 38.95 to 91.95. MMT matrix showed an important role in the reduction of recombination of electron-hole in nanocomposite.

Linear algebraic methods applied to intensity modulated radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Crooks, S M; Xing, L

2001-10-01

Methods of linear algebra are applied to the choice of beam weights for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). It is shown that the physical interpretation of the beam weights, target homogeneity and ratios of deposited energy can be given in terms of matrix equations and quadratic forms. The methodology of fitting using linear algebra as applied to IMRT is examined. Results are compared with IMRT plans that had been prepared using a commercially available IMRT treatment planning system and previously delivered to cancer patients.

Morphological, dielectric and electric conductivity characteristics of clay-containing nanohybrids of Poly(N-Vinyl Carbazole) and Polypyrrole

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Haldar, I

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PNVC) and polypyrrole (PPY)-montmorillonite (MMT) clay hybrids were prepared by mechanical grinding of the respective monomers with MMT followed by subsequent standard processing methods. Fourier transform infrared...

Montmorillonite Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Almasi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Novel citric acid modified starch-carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC -montmorillonite (MMT bionanocomposite films were prepared by casting method and the effect of MMT on the structural and physical properties of the starch-CMC biocomposites was studied. X-ray diffraction test showed thatstrong polar interactions between the hydroxyl groups present in the starch and CMC chains and in the silicate layers led to intercalation of biopolymer chains into MMT layers galleries. The water vapor permeability decreased from 2.44 to 1.13×10-7 g/mhPa as the MMT percentage increased from0 to 7%. At the level of 7% MMT, the composite films showed the highest ultimate tensile strength (27.55 MPa and lowest strain-to-break (18.25%. The DSC tests showed that, the temperature position of the melting peak increased from 221.5°C to 243.0°C as MMT content increased from 1 to 7%, but the glass transition decreased and gradually disappeared.

Reactor calculation in coarse mesh by finite element method applied to matrix response method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakata, H.

1982-01-01

The finite element method is applied to the solution of the modified formulation of the matrix-response method aiming to do reactor calculations in coarse mesh. Good results are obtained with a short running time. The method is applicable to problems where the heterogeneity is predominant and to problems of evolution in coarse meshes where the burnup is variable in one same coarse mesh, making the cross section vary spatially with the evolution. (E.G.) [pt

Enhanced proton conductivity by the influence of modified montmorillonite on poly (vinyl alcohol) based blend composite membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palani, P. Bahavan, E-mail: bahavanpalani@gmail.com; Abidin, K. Sainul [Department of Physics, University College of Engineering, Anna University, Dindigul-624622 (India); Kannan, R., E-mail: rksrsrk@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University College of Engineering, Anna University, Dindigul-624622 (India); Department of Material Sciences & Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NewYork-14853 (United States); Rajashabala, S. [School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai-625021 (India); Sivakumar, M. [School of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630004 (India)

2016-05-23

The highest proton conductivity value of 0.0802 Scm{sup −1} is obtained at 6 wt% of protonated MMT added to the PVA/PEG blends. The polymer blend composite membranes are prepared with varied concentration of Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA), Poly ethylene glycol (PEG) and Montmorillonite (MMT) by solution casting method. The Na{sup +} MMT was modified (protonated) to H{sup +} MMT with ion exchange process. The prepared membranes were characterized by using TGA, FTIR, XRD, Ion Exchange Capacity, Water/Methanol uptake, swelling ratio and proton conductivity. The significant improvements in the hydrolytic stability were observed. In addition, thermal stability of the composite membranes were improved and controlled by the addition of MMT. All the prepared membranes are shown appreciable values of proton conductivity at room temperature with 100% relative humidity.

Analysis of concrete beams using applied element method

Science.gov (United States)

Lincy Christy, D.; Madhavan Pillai, T. M.; Nagarajan, Praveen

2018-03-01

The Applied Element Method (AEM) is a displacement based method of structural analysis. Some of its features are similar to that of Finite Element Method (FEM). In AEM, the structure is analysed by dividing it into several elements similar to FEM. But, in AEM, elements are connected by springs instead of nodes as in the case of FEM. In this paper, background to AEM is discussed and necessary equations are derived. For illustrating the application of AEM, it has been used to analyse plain concrete beam of fixed support condition. The analysis is limited to the analysis of 2-dimensional structures. It was found that the number of springs has no much influence on the results. AEM could predict deflection and reactions with reasonable degree of accuracy.

Accurate simulation of MPPT methods performance when applied to commercial photovoltaic panels.

Science.gov (United States)

Cubas, Javier; Pindado, Santiago; Sanz-Andrés, Ángel

2015-01-01

A new, simple, and quick-calculation methodology to obtain a solar panel model, based on the manufacturers' datasheet, to perform MPPT simulations, is described. The method takes into account variations on the ambient conditions (sun irradiation and solar cells temperature) and allows fast MPPT methods comparison or their performance prediction when applied to a particular solar panel. The feasibility of the described methodology is checked with four different MPPT methods applied to a commercial solar panel, within a day, and under realistic ambient conditions.

Accurate Simulation of MPPT Methods Performance When Applied to Commercial Photovoltaic Panels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Cubas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A new, simple, and quick-calculation methodology to obtain a solar panel model, based on the manufacturers’ datasheet, to perform MPPT simulations, is described. The method takes into account variations on the ambient conditions (sun irradiation and solar cells temperature and allows fast MPPT methods comparison or their performance prediction when applied to a particular solar panel. The feasibility of the described methodology is checked with four different MPPT methods applied to a commercial solar panel, within a day, and under realistic ambient conditions.

Chemical modification of organoclay cloisite ®30B with silane 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertuoli, P.T.; Frizzo, V.P.; Zattera, A.J.; Scienza, L.C.

2014-01-01

The montmorillonite (MMT) is the inorganic phase more used in obtaining polymer nanocomposites. To improve the compatibility and dispersion of MMT in the polymer resin, many researchers have performed the process of functionalization of the clay with silane. This study was performed with the objective of modifying the Cloisite®30B clay with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS). The modification was carried out by ion-exchange method using 10 g of clay Cloisite®30B (MMT-30B), 500 mL of hydroalcoholic solution (75/25 v/v) and 10 g of silane. The clay modified with silane (S-MMT_3_0_B) was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Through the XRD was observed an increase in the basal spacing d_0_0_1 of 1.82 to 2.2 nm. With the analysis of TGA was observed that S-MMT_3_0_B showed greater weight loss than MMT-30B due to decomposition of the silane. The presence of band at 1562 cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum of S-MMT_3_0_B confirmed the presence of silane in the structure of the modified clay. (author)

Applying the Taguchi method for optimized fabrication of bovine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2008-02-19

Feb 19, 2008 ... Nanobiotechnology Research Lab., School of Chemical Engineering, Babol University of Technology, Po.Box: 484, ... nanoparticle by applying the Taguchi method with characterization of the ... of BSA/ethanol and organic solvent adding rate. ... Sodium aside and all other chemicals were purchased from.

Advanced methods for image registration applied to JET videos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Craciunescu, Teddy, E-mail: teddy.craciunescu@jet.uk [EURATOM-MEdC Association, NILPRP, Bucharest (Romania); Murari, Andrea [Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA per la Fusione, Padova (Italy); Gelfusa, Michela [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA – University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Roma (Italy); Tiseanu, Ion; Zoita, Vasile [EURATOM-MEdC Association, NILPRP, Bucharest (Romania); Arnoux, Gilles [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom)

2015-10-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Development of an image registration method for JET IR and fast visible cameras. • Method based on SIFT descriptors and coherent point drift points set registration technique. • Method able to deal with extremely noisy images and very low luminosity images. • Computation time compatible with the inter-shot analysis. - Abstract: The last years have witnessed a significant increase in the use of digital cameras on JET. They are routinely applied for imaging in the IR and visible spectral regions. One of the main technical difficulties in interpreting the data of camera based diagnostics is the presence of movements of the field of view. Small movements occur due to machine shaking during normal pulses while large ones may arise during disruptions. Some cameras show a correlation of image movement with change of magnetic field strength. For deriving unaltered information from the videos and for allowing correct interpretation an image registration method, based on highly distinctive scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) descriptors and on the coherent point drift (CPD) points set registration technique, has been developed. The algorithm incorporates a complex procedure for rejecting outliers. The method has been applied for vibrations correction to videos collected by the JET wide angle infrared camera and for the correction of spurious rotations in the case of the JET fast visible camera (which is equipped with an image intensifier). The method has proved to be able to deal with the images provided by this camera frequently characterized by low contrast and a high level of blurring and noise.

Study of montmorillonite nanoparticles and electron beam irradiation interaction of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/de-vulcanized waste rubber thermoplastic composites

Science.gov (United States)

Bee, Soo-Tueen; Sin, Lee Tin; Hoe, Tie Teck; Ratnam, C. T.; Bee, Soo Ling; Rahmat, A. R.

2018-05-01

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effects of montmorillonite (MMT) loading level and electron beam irradiation on the physical-mechanical properties and thermal stability of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)- devulcanised waste rubber blends. The addition of MMT particles has significantly increased the d-spacing and interchain separation of deflection peak (0 0 2) of MMT particles. This indicates that MMT particles have effectively intercalated in polymer matrix of EVA-devulcanised waste rubber blends. Besides, the application of electron beam irradiation dosages <150 kGy could also significantly induce the effective intercalation effect of MMT particles in polymer matrix by introducing crosslinking networks. The increasing of electron beam irradiation dosages up to 250 kGy has gradually increased the gel content of all EVA-devulcanized rubber blends by inducing the formation of crosslinking networks in polymer matrix. Also, the tensile strength of all EVA-devulcanized waste rubber blends was gradually increased when irradiated up to 150 kGy. This is due to the occurrence of crosslinking networks by irradiation could significantly provide reinforcement effect to polymer matrix by effectively transferring the stress applied on polymer matrix throughout the whole polymer matrix.

Determination methods for plutonium as applied in the field of reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-07-01

The papers presented report on Pu-determination methods, which are routinely applied in process control, and also on new developments which could supercede current methods either because they are more accurate or because they are simpler and faster. (orig./DG) [de

APPLYING SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS ON ANALYSES OF HAZARDOUS WASTE

OpenAIRE

Dobrinić, Julijan; Kunić, Marija; Ciganj, Zlatko

2000-01-01

Abstract The paper presents results of measuring the content of heavy and other metals in waste samples from the hazardous waste disposal site of Sovjak near Rijeka. The preliminary design elaboration and the choice of the waste disposal sanification technology were preceded by the sampling and physico-chemical analyses of disposed waste, enabling its categorization. The following spectroscopic methods were applied on metal content analysis: Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and plas...

Study on Radiated Polymerization of Acrylic Acid on Montmorillonite and Bentonite Used as Bioactivity Carriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham Thi Thu Hong; Nguyen Thanh Duoc; Nguyen Thuy Khanh; Doan Binh

2013-01-01

The radiated polymerization of acrylic acid (AAc) on bentonite (BT) and montmorillonite (MMT) having structured silicate layers to produce hybrid materials were investigated. AAc concentrations of 10 and 40 % w/w were used to polymerize with MMT and BT at the absorbed doses of 3.6 and 6.4 kGy, respectively. The formed PAAc concentration of MMT-PAAc was 68 % and 40 % for BT-PAAc. The results of X-ray diffraction patterns were indicated that, the basal distances (d 001 ) of MMT and BT after polymerization were ≈ 15 Å compared with BT was 12.17 Å and MMT did not appear the d 001 peak. The cellulase immobilized yields of MMT-AAc and BT-AAc were determined by Lowry method with values were of 40.6 % and 68.3 %, respectively. The cellulase activity of the immobilization samples were checked by diffusion the sample solutions on agar after that measure of diameter of CMC hydrolysis circles. The results indicated that, the immobilized cellulase samples still maintain enzymatic activity after three times reuse. (author)

The Lattice Boltzmann Method applied to neutron transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erasmus, B.; Van Heerden, F. A.

2013-01-01

In this paper the applicability of the Lattice Boltzmann Method to neutron transport is investigated. One of the main features of the Lattice Boltzmann method is the simultaneous discretization of the phase space of the problem, whereby particles are restricted to move on a lattice. An iterative solution of the operator form of the neutron transport equation is presented here, with the first collision source as the starting point of the iteration scheme. A full description of the discretization scheme is given, along with the quadrature set used for the angular discretization. An angular refinement scheme is introduced to increase the angular coverage of the problem phase space and to mitigate lattice ray effects. The method is applied to a model problem to investigate its applicability to neutron transport and the results are compared to a reference solution calculated, using MCNP. (authors)

GPS surveying method applied to terminal area navigation flight experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murata, M; Shingu, H; Satsushima, K; Tsuji, T; Ishikawa, K; Miyazawa, Y; Uchida, T [National Aerospace Laboratory, Tokyo (Japan)

1993-03-01

With an objective of evaluating accuracy of new landing and navigation systems such as microwave landing guidance system and global positioning satellite (GPS) system, flight experiments are being carried out using experimental aircraft. This aircraft mounts a GPS and evaluates its accuracy by comparing the standard orbits spotted by a Kalman filter from the laser tracing data on the aircraft with the navigation results. The GPS outputs position and speed information from an earth-centered-earth-fixed system called the World Geodetic System, 1984 (WGS84). However, in order to compare the navigation results with output from a reference orbit sensor or other navigation sensor, it is necessary to structure a high-precision reference coordinates system based on the WGS84. A method that applies the GPS phase interference measurement for this problem was proposed, and used actually in analyzing a flight experiment data. As referred to a case of the method having been applied to evaluating an independent navigation accuracy, the method was verified sufficiently effective and reliable not only in navigation method analysis, but also in the aspect of navigational operations. 12 refs., 10 figs., 5 tabs.

Applying Qualitative Research Methods to Narrative Knowledge Engineering

OpenAIRE

O'Neill, Brian; Riedl, Mark

2014-01-01

We propose a methodology for knowledge engineering for narrative intelligence systems, based on techniques used to elicit themes in qualitative methods research. Our methodology uses coding techniques to identify actions in natural language corpora, and uses these actions to create planning operators and procedural knowledge, such as scripts. In an iterative process, coders create a taxonomy of codes relevant to the corpus, and apply those codes to each element of that corpus. These codes can...

Early adolescent music preferences and minor delinquency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Bogt, T.F.M.; Keijsers, L.G.M.T.; Meeus, W.H.J.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To test Music Marker Theory (MMT) positing that early adolescents’ preferences for nonmainstream types of popular music indicate concurrent and later minor delinquency. Methods: MMT was tested in a 4-year longitudinal study (n = 309). Results: The results showed that early fans of

Magnetic stirring welding method applied to nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirano, Kenji; Watando, Masayuki; Morishige, Norio; Enoo, Kazuhide; Yasuda, Yuuji

2002-01-01

In construction of a new nuclear power plant, carbon steel and stainless steel are used as base materials for the bottom linear plate of Reinforced Concrete Containment Vessel (RCCV) to achieve maintenance-free requirement, securing sufficient strength of structure. However, welding such different metals is difficult by ordinary method. To overcome the difficulty, the automated Magnetic Stirring Welding (MSW) method that can demonstrate good welding performance was studied for practical use, and weldability tests showed the good results. Based on the study, a new welding device for the MSW method was developed to apply it weld joints of different materials, and it practically used in part of a nuclear power plant. (author)

HIV and HCV prevalence among entrants to methadone maintenance treatment clinics in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhuang Xun

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT was implemented in China since 2004. It was initiated in 8 pilot clinics and subsequently expanded to 738 clinics by the end of 2011. Numerous individual research studies have been conducted to estimate HIV and HCV prevalence among MMT clients but an overview of the epidemics in relations to MMT remains unclear. The aim of this study is to estimate the magnitude and changing trends of HIV, HCV and HIV-HCV co-infections among entry clients to MMT clinics in China during 2004-2010. Methods Chinese and English databases of literature were searched for studies reporting HIV, HCV and co-infection prevalence among MMT clients in China from 2004 to 2010. The prevalence estimates were summarized through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literatures. Results Ninety eligible articles were selected in this review (2 in English and 88 in Chinese. Nationally, pooled prevalence of HIV-HCV and HIV-HCV co-infection among MMT clients was 6.0% (95%CI: 4.7%-7.7%, 60.1% (95%CI: 52.8%-67.0% and 4.6% (95%CI: 2.9%-7.2%, respectively. No significant temporal trend was found in pooled prevalence estimates. Study location is the major contributor of heterogeneities of both HIV and HCV prevalence among drug users in MMT. Conclusions There was no significant temporal trend in HIV and HCV prevalence among clients in MMT during 2004–2010. Prevalence of HCV is markedly higher than prevalence of HIV among MMT clients. It is recommended that health educational programs in China promote the earlier initiation and wider coverage of MMT among injecting drug users (IDUs, especially HIV-infected IDUs.

Green Synthesis of Cationic Polyacrylamide Composite Catalyzed by An Ecologically Catalyst Clay Called Maghnite-H+ (Algerian MMT Under Microwave Irradiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmouni Abdelkader

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, a novel green cationic hydrogel of cationic polyacrylamide composite have been prepared and investigated. The synthesis of green cationic polyacrylamide composite was evaluated for its solubility in water. The reactions were performed using acrylamide monomer, solvent, catalyst (clay fin called maghnite and solution of  H2SO4 (0.25 M, with the system under microwave irradiation (160 ºC for 4 min. Major factors affecting the polymerization reaction were studied with a view to discover appropriate conditions for preparation of the composite. The cationic polyacrylamide obtained is the subject of future studies of modification and transformation. The resulting polymer has been characterized by a variety of characterization techniques, such as: Fourier Transform Infrared Spectra and 1H NMR spectra.  Copyright © 2016 BCREC GROUP. All rights reserved Received: 10th June 2015; Revised: 2nd September 2015; Accepted: 5th January 2016 How to Cite: Abdelkader, R., Mohammed, B. (2016. Green Synthesis of Cationic Polyacrylamide Composite Catalyzed by An Ecologically  Catalyst Clay Called Maghnite-H+ (Algerian MMT Under Microwave Irradiation. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 11 (2: 170-175 (doi:10.9767/bcrec.11.2.543.170-175 Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.11.2.543.170-175

Applying Mixed Methods Research at the Synthesis Level: An Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Heyvaert, Mieke; Maes, Bea; Onghena, Patrick

2011-01-01

Historically, qualitative and quantitative approaches have been applied relatively separately in synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence, respectively, in several research domains. However, mixed methods approaches are becoming increasingly popular nowadays, and practices of combining qualitative and quantitative research components at…

An Aural Learning Project: Assimilating Jazz Education Methods for Traditional Applied Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Gamso, Nancy M.

2011-01-01

The Aural Learning Project (ALP) was developed to incorporate jazz method components into the author's classical practice and her applied woodwind lesson curriculum. The primary objective was to place a more focused pedagogical emphasis on listening and hearing than is traditionally used in the classical applied curriculum. The components of the…

Co-coagulation of the NBR latex and clay aqueous suspension: preparation and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reis, Raquel S.; Brum, Elisson; Silva, Vanessa M.; Souza, Diego H.S.; Gomes, Ailton de S.; Nunes, Regina C.R.

2009-01-01

Blends of nitrile rubber (NBR) and sodium montmorillonite (MMT-Na) were prepared by co-coagulation of the NBR latex with aqueous suspension of clay. The content of MMT was varied from 0 to 7 phr and different mixtures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, light scattering, gel content, thermogravimetric analysis and the oscillating disk rheometer. The different methods used indicated that there was formation of a structure interspersed in the mixtures studied, and that increasing the content MMT-Na enhances the values obtained. Rheological measurements on compositions with NBR showed the influence of clay on increasing the time of healing in terms of its content, as is the gel content and the thermal resistance. All results were compared to composition of NBR without MMT. (author)

Co-coagulation of the NBR latex and clay aqueous suspension: preparation and characterization;Co-coagulacao de latex de NBR e suspensao aquosa de argila: preparacao e caracterizacao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reis, Raquel S.; Brum, Elisson; Silva, Vanessa M. [Nitriflex S/A Industria e Comercio, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Souza, Diego H.S.; Gomes, Ailton de S.; Nunes, Regina C.R., E-mail: rcnunes@ima.ufrj.b [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IMA/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Macromoleculas Profa. Eloisa Mano

2009-07-01

Blends of nitrile rubber (NBR) and sodium montmorillonite (MMT-Na) were prepared by co-coagulation of the NBR latex with aqueous suspension of clay. The content of MMT was varied from 0 to 7 phr and different mixtures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, light scattering, gel content, thermogravimetric analysis and the oscillating disk rheometer. The different methods used indicated that there was formation of a structure interspersed in the mixtures studied, and that increasing the content MMT-Na enhances the values obtained. Rheological measurements on compositions with NBR showed the influence of clay on increasing the time of healing in terms of its content, as is the gel content and the thermal resistance. All results were compared to composition of NBR without MMT. (author)

Quantitative histological grading methods to assess subchondral bone and synovium changes subsequent to medial meniscus transection in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Kloefkorn, Heidi E; Allen, Kyle D

The importance of the medial meniscus to knee health is demonstrated by studies which show meniscus injuries significantly increase the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis (OA), and knee OA can be modeled in rodents using simulated meniscus injuries. Traditionally, histological assessments of OA in these models have focused on damage to the articular cartilage; however, OA is now viewed as a disease of the entire joint as an organ system. The aim of this study was to develop quantitative histological measures of bone and synovial changes in a rat medial meniscus injury model of knee OA. To initiate OA, a medial meniscus transection (MMT) and a medial collateral ligament transection (MCLT) were performed in 32 male Lewis rats (MMT group). MCLT alone served as the sham procedure in 32 additional rats (MCLT sham group). At weeks 1, 2, 4, and 6 post-surgery, histological assessment of subchondral bone and synovium was performed (n = 8 per group per time point). Trabecular bone area and the ossification width at the osteochondral interface increased in both the MMT and MCLT groups. Subintimal synovial cell morphology also changed in MMT and MCLT groups relative to naïve animals. OA affects the joint as an organ system, and quantifying changes throughout an entire joint can improve our understanding of the relationship between joint destruction and painful OA symptoms following meniscus injury.

A new clamp method for firing bricks | Obeng | Journal of Applied ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A new clamp method for firing bricks. ... Journal of Applied Science and Technology ... To overcome this operational deficiencies, a new method of firing bricks that uses brick clamp technique that incorporates a clamp wall of 60 cm thickness, a six tier approach of sealing the top of the clamp (by combination of green bricks) ...

Hybrid electrokinetic method applied to mix contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mansour, H.; Maria, E. [Dept. of Building Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia Univ., Montreal (Canada)

2001-07-01

Several industrials and municipal areas in North America are contaminated with heavy metals and petroleum products. This mix contamination presents a particularly difficult task for remediation when is exposed in clayey soil. The objective of this research was to find a method to cleanup mix contaminated clayey soils. Finally, a multifunctional hybrid electrokinetic method was investigated. Clayey soil was contaminated with lead and nickel (heavy metals) at the level of 1000 ppm and phenanthrene (PAH) of 600 ppm. Electrokinetic surfactant supply system was applied to mobilize, transport and removal of phenanthrene. A chelation agent (EDTA) was also electrokinetically supplied to mobilize heavy metals. The studies were performed on 8 lab scale electrokinetic cells. The mix contaminated clayey soil was subjected to DC total voltage gradient of 0.3 V/cm. Supplied liquids (surfactant and EDTA) were introduced in different periods of time (22 days, 42 days) in order to optimize the most excessive removal of contaminants. The ph, electrical parameters, volume supplied, and volume discharged was monitored continuously during each experiment. At the end of these tests soil and cathalyte were subjected to physico-chemical analysis. The paper discusses results of experiments including the optimal energy use, removal efficiency of phenanthrene, as well, transport and removal of heavy metals. The results of this study can be applied for in-situ hybrid electrokinetic technology to remediate clayey sites contaminated with petroleum product mixed with heavy metals (e.g. manufacture Gas Plant Sites). (orig.)

Layer-by-layer composite film of nickel phthalocyanine and montmorillonite clay for synergistic effect on electrochemical detection of dopamine

Science.gov (United States)

de Lucena, Nathalia C.; Miyazaki, Celina M.; Shimizu, Flávio M.; Constantino, Carlos J. L.; Ferreira, Marystela

2018-04-01

Dopamine (DA) abnormal levels are related to diseases which makes important the development of fast, reliable, low-cost and sensitive devices for diagnosis and pharmaceutical controls. Nanostructured film composite of sodium montmorillonite clay (Na+MMT) and nickel phthalocyanine (NiTsPc) was self-assembled by layer-by-layer (LbL) technique and applied as electrochemical sensor for DA in the presence of common natural interferents as ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). Three different LbL architecture films were investigated: LbL films of clay (PEI/Na+MMT) and phthalocyanine (PEI/NiTsPc) in a bilayer structure with a conventional polyelectrolyte (PEI) and a composite film formed by both materials to verify the synergistic effect in the LbL film in a quadri-layer assembly (PEI/Na+MMT/PEI/NiTsPc). Structural characterization indicated molecular level interactions between the layers forming the LbL films. The ITO/(PEI/Na+MMT/PEI/NiTsPc)10 electrode exhibited a LOD of 1.0 μmol L-1 and linear range 5-150 μmol L-1.

Further Insight and Additional Inference Methods for Polynomial Regression Applied to the Analysis of Congruence

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Ayala; Nahum-Shani, Inbal; Doveh, Etti

2010-01-01

In their seminal paper, Edwards and Parry (1993) presented the polynomial regression as a better alternative to applying difference score in the study of congruence. Although this method is increasingly applied in congruence research, its complexity relative to other methods for assessing congruence (e.g., difference score methods) was one of the…

Non-invasive imaging methods applied to neo- and paleo-ontological cephalopod research

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, R.; Schultz, J. A.; Schellhorn, R.; Rybacki, E.; Keupp, H.; Gerden, S. R.; Lemanis, R.; Zachow, S.

2014-05-01

Several non-invasive methods are common practice in natural sciences today. Here we present how they can be applied and contribute to current topics in cephalopod (paleo-) biology. Different methods will be compared in terms of time necessary to acquire the data, amount of data, accuracy/resolution, minimum/maximum size of objects that can be studied, the degree of post-processing needed and availability. The main application of the methods is seen in morphometry and volumetry of cephalopod shells. In particular we present a method for precise buoyancy calculation. Therefore, cephalopod shells were scanned together with different reference bodies, an approach developed in medical sciences. It is necessary to know the volume of the reference bodies, which should have similar absorption properties like the object of interest. Exact volumes can be obtained from surface scanning. Depending on the dimensions of the study object different computed tomography techniques were applied.

Applied systems ecology: models, data, and statistical methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eberhardt, L L

1976-01-01

In this report, systems ecology is largely equated to mathematical or computer simulation modelling. The need for models in ecology stems from the necessity to have an integrative device for the diversity of ecological data, much of which is observational, rather than experimental, as well as from the present lack of a theoretical structure for ecology. Different objectives in applied studies require specialized methods. The best predictive devices may be regression equations, often non-linear in form, extracted from much more detailed models. A variety of statistical aspects of modelling, including sampling, are discussed. Several aspects of population dynamics and food-chain kinetics are described, and it is suggested that the two presently separated approaches should be combined into a single theoretical framework. It is concluded that future efforts in systems ecology should emphasize actual data and statistical methods, as well as modelling.

Investigations into the free-volume changes within starch/plasticizer/nanoclay systems using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Huihua, E-mail: h.liu@federation.edu.au [School of Health Sciences, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Vic (Australia); Chaudhary, Deeptangshu, E-mail: deepc@ers.com.au [ERS Environmental Risk Solutions PTY LTD, Perth, WA (Australia); Campbell, Colin, E-mail: colin.campbell@anu.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Antimatter-Matter Studies (CAMS), Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Roberts, Jason, E-mail: jxr107@physics.anu.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Antimatter-Matter Studies (CAMS), Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Buckman, Stephen, E-mail: stephen.buckman@anu.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Antimatter-Matter Studies (CAMS), Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Sullivan, James, E-mail: james.sullivan@anu.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Antimatter-Matter Studies (CAMS), Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)

2014-11-14

The free-volume of a matrix is a fundamental parameter that relates to its molecular and bulk characteristics, such as crystalline change and glass transition behavior. In starch-based bionanocomposite, we investigated the effect of the addition of montmorillonite nanoclay (MMT) and food plasticizers (glycerol and sorbitol) on changes of molecular pore size (including pore volume and pore distribution) using the Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) method. The results demonstrated counter-intuitive impact of MMT on the total free-volume where the total free-volume increased within the polymeric matrix. When compared to the pure matrix free-volume, the addition of MMT also resulted in the appearance of a broader distribution of the void sizes. The plasticizers, on the other hand, apparently occupied the void spaces, and therefore decreased the free-volume of the matrix. Further, together with the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis, we concluded that this is a result of interplay between the plasticizer-plasticizer interactions and the polymer–plasticizer interactions. For example, in the starch/glycerol/MMT system, the pore radii slightly decrease upon the increasing of glycerol amount (OG210 = O.27 nm and OG220 = 0.26 nm), but the relative weight did increase with the increasing glycerol concentration. However, increasing the sorbitol amount increased the pore size from 0.23 nm(OS210) to 0.28 nm(OS220). Furthermore, the addition MMT in the OS010 system, promote the emergence of a new dateable pore radius(0.90 nm), and the total weight significantly increased from 13.70 (OS010) to 19.5% (OS210). We suggest that the pore variation (size and distribution) due to the MMT and plasticizers are reflected in the polymer glass transition and crystallinity because ultimately, the, total free-volume is a reflection of level of interactions existing within the bulk of these nanocomposites. - Highlights: • PALS is applied to explore the

Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Chitosan-graft Maleic Anhydride Reinforced with Montmorillonite

Science.gov (United States)

Fajrin, A.; Sari, L. A.; Rahmawati, N.; Saputra, O. A.; Suryanti, V.

2017-02-01

The research aims to develop biodegradable composites as bio-based plastics from chitosan. The composites were prepared via solution casting method by introducing the maleic anhydride (MAH) as grafting agent and montmorillonite (MMt) as reinforcement. The grafting process of chitosan was conducted by varying concentrations of MAH which were 10, 20, and 30% w/w. It was observed that the chitosan-graft-maleic anhydride (Cs-g-MAH) containing 10% w/w of MAH increased its tensile strength by 70%. Reinforcement material was added to the Cs-g-MAH by varying MMt concentrations, e.g. 3, 6, 9 and 12% w/w. It was noted that the presence of 9% w/w of MMt in the Cs-g-MAH gave the best mechanical properties of the Cs-g-MAH/MMt composite.

EVALUATION OF METHODS FOR ESTIMATING FATIGUE PROPERTIES APPLIED TO STAINLESS STEELS AND ALUMINUM ALLOYS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taylor Mac Intyer Fonseca Junior

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This work evaluate seven estimation methods of fatigue properties applied to stainless steels and aluminum alloys. Experimental strain-life curves are compared to the estimations obtained by each method. After applying seven different estimation methods at 14 material conditions, it was found that fatigue life can be estimated with good accuracy only by the Bäumel-Seeger method for the martensitic stainless steel tempered between 300°C and 500°C. The differences between mechanical behavior during monotonic and cyclic loading are probably the reason for the absence of a reliable method for estimation of fatigue behavior from monotonic properties for a group of materials.

Novel biodosimetry methods applied to victims of the Goiania accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straume, T.; Langlois, R.G.; Lucas, J.; Jensen, R.H.; Bigbee, W.L.; Ramalho, A.T.; Brandao-Mello, C.E.

1991-01-01

Two biodosimetric methods under development at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory were applied to five persons accidentally exposed to a 137Cs source in Goiania, Brazil. The methods used were somatic null mutations at the glycophorin A locus detected as missing proteins on the surface of blood erythrocytes and chromosome translocations in blood lymphocytes detected using fluorescence in-situ hybridization. Biodosimetric results obtained approximately 1 y after the accident using these new and largely unvalidated methods are in general agreement with results obtained immediately after the accident using dicentric chromosome aberrations. Additional follow-up of Goiania accident victims will (1) help provide the information needed to validate these new methods for use in biodosimetry and (2) provide independent estimates of dose

Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis in a portfolio of prevention programs for injection drug users in mixed HIV epidemics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabina S Alistar

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pre-exposure prophylaxis with oral antiretroviral treatment (oral PrEP for HIV-uninfected injection drug users (IDUs is potentially useful in controlling HIV epidemics with a significant injection drug use component. We estimated the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of strategies for using oral PrEP in various combinations with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT and antiretroviral treatment (ART in Ukraine, a representative case for mixed HIV epidemics. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed a dynamic compartmental model of the HIV epidemic in a population of non-IDUs, IDUs who inject opiates, and IDUs in MMT, adding an oral PrEP program (tenofovir/emtricitabine, 49% susceptibility reduction for uninfected IDUs. We analyzed intervention portfolios consisting of oral PrEP (25% or 50% of uninfected IDUs, MMT (25% of IDUs, and ART (80% of all eligible patients. We measured health care costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs, HIV prevalence, HIV infections averted, and incremental cost effectiveness. A combination of PrEP for 50% of IDUs and MMT lowered HIV prevalence the most in both IDUs and the general population. ART combined with MMT and PrEP (50% access averted the most infections (14,267. For a PrEP cost of $950, the most cost-effective strategy was MMT, at $520/QALY gained versus no intervention. The next most cost-effective strategy consisted of MMT and ART, costing $1,000/QALY gained compared to MMT alone. Further adding PrEP (25% access was also cost effective by World Health Organization standards, at $1,700/QALY gained. PrEP alone became as cost effective as MMT at a cost of $650, and cost saving at $370 or less. CONCLUSIONS: Oral PrEP for IDUs can be part of an effective and cost-effective strategy to control HIV in regions where injection drug use is a significant driver of the epidemic. Where budgets are limited, focusing on MMT and ART access should be the priority, unless PrEP has low cost.

Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in a Portfolio of Prevention Programs for Injection Drug Users in Mixed HIV Epidemics

Science.gov (United States)

Alistar, Sabina S.; Owens, Douglas K.; Brandeau, Margaret L.

2014-01-01

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis with oral antiretroviral treatment (oral PrEP) for HIV-uninfected injection drug users (IDUs) is potentially useful in controlling HIV epidemics with a significant injection drug use component. We estimated the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of strategies for using oral PrEP in various combinations with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Ukraine, a representative case for mixed HIV epidemics. Methods and Findings We developed a dynamic compartmental model of the HIV epidemic in a population of non-IDUs, IDUs who inject opiates, and IDUs in MMT, adding an oral PrEP program (tenofovir/emtricitabine, 49% susceptibility reduction) for uninfected IDUs. We analyzed intervention portfolios consisting of oral PrEP (25% or 50% of uninfected IDUs), MMT (25% of IDUs), and ART (80% of all eligible patients). We measured health care costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), HIV prevalence, HIV infections averted, and incremental cost effectiveness. A combination of PrEP for 50% of IDUs and MMT lowered HIV prevalence the most in both IDUs and the general population. ART combined with MMT and PrEP (50% access) averted the most infections (14,267). For a PrEP cost of $950, the most cost-effective strategy was MMT, at $520/QALY gained versus no intervention. The next most cost-effective strategy consisted of MMT and ART, costing $1,000/QALY gained compared to MMT alone. Further adding PrEP (25% access) was also cost effective by World Health Organization standards, at $1,700/QALY gained. PrEP alone became as cost effective as MMT at a cost of $650, and cost saving at $370 or less. Conclusions Oral PrEP for IDUs can be part of an effective and cost-effective strategy to control HIV in regions where injection drug use is a significant driver of the epidemic. Where budgets are limited, focusing on MMT and ART access should be the priority, unless PrEP has low cost. PMID:24489747

Catalytic Ethanol Dehydration over Different Acid-activated Montmorillonite Clays.

Science.gov (United States)

Krutpijit, Chadaporn; Jongsomjit, Bunjerd

2016-01-01

In the present study, the catalytic dehydration of ethanol to obtain ethylene over montmorillonite clays (MMT) with mineral acid activation including H2SO4 (SA-MMT), HCl (HA-MMT) and HNO3 (NA-MMT) was investigated at temperature range of 200 to 400°C. It revealed that HA-MMT exhibited the highest catalytic activity. Ethanol conversion and ethylene selectivity were found to increase with increased reaction temperature. At 400°C, the HA-MMT yielded 82% of ethanol conversion having 78% of ethylene yield. At lower temperature (i.e. 200 to 300°C), diethyl ether (DEE) was a major product. The highest activity obtained from HA-MMT can be attributed to an increase of weak acid sites and acid density by the activation of MMT with HCl. It can be also proven by various characterization techniques that in most case, the main structure of MMT did not alter by acid activation (excepted for NA-MMT). Upon the stability test for 72 h during the reaction, the MMT and HA-MMT showed only slight deactivation due to carbon deposition. Hence, the acid activation of MMT by HCl is promising to enhance the catalytic dehydration of ethanol.

Should methods of correction for multiple comparisons be applied in pharmacovigilance?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenza Scotti

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. In pharmacovigilance, spontaneous reporting databases are devoted to the early detection of adverse event ‘signals’ of marketed drugs. A common limitation of these systems is the wide number of concurrently investigated associations, implying a high probability of generating positive signals simply by chance. However it is not clear if the application of methods aimed to adjust for the multiple testing problems are needed when at least some of the drug-outcome relationship under study are known. To this aim we applied a robust estimation method for the FDR (rFDR particularly suitable in the pharmacovigilance context. Methods. We exploited the data available for the SAFEGUARD project to apply the rFDR estimation methods to detect potential false positive signals of adverse reactions attributable to the use of non-insulin blood glucose lowering drugs. Specifically, the number of signals generated from the conventional disproportionality measures and after the application of the rFDR adjustment method was compared. Results. Among the 311 evaluable pairs (i.e., drug-event pairs with at least one adverse event report, 106 (34% signals were considered as significant from the conventional analysis. Among them 1 resulted in false positive signals according to rFDR method. Conclusions. The results of this study seem to suggest that when a restricted number of drug-outcome pairs is considered and warnings about some of them are known, multiple comparisons methods for recognizing false positive signals are not so useful as suggested by theoretical considerations.

Synthesis and Characterization of CdS/TiO2-Montmorillonite Nanocomposite with Enhanced Visible-Light Absorption

OpenAIRE

Feng-shan Zhou; Dai-mei Chen; Bao-lin Cui; Wei-heng Wang

2014-01-01

Sodium montmorillonite (MMT) was chosen as the carrier; a serial of CdS/TiO2-MMT nanocomposites with enhanced visible-light absorption ability was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis method combination with semiconductor compound modification method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy; the results showed that TiO2 and CdS nanoparticles were loaded on the surface of montmorillonite unifo...

Covariance methodology applied to 35S disintegration rate measurements by the CIEMAT/NIST method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koskinas, M.F.; Nascimento, T.S.; Yamazaki, I.M.; Dias, M.S.

2014-01-01

The Nuclear Metrology Laboratory (LMN) at IPEN is carrying out measurements in a LSC (Liquid Scintillation Counting system), applying the CIEMAT/NIST method. In this context 35 S is an important radionuclide for medical applications and it is difficult to be standardized by other primary methods due to low beta ray energy. The CIEMAT/NIST is a standard technique used by most metrology laboratories in order to improve accuracy and speed up beta emitter standardization. The focus of the present work was to apply the covariance methodology for determining the overall uncertainty in the 35 S disintegration rate. All partial uncertainties involved in the measurements were considered, taking into account all possible correlations between each pair of them. - Highlights: ► 35 S disintegration rate measured in Liquid Scintillator system using CIEMAT/NIST method. ► Covariance methodology applied to the overall uncertainty in the 35 S disintegration rate. ► Monte Carlo simulation was applied to determine 35 S activity in the 4πβ(PC)-γ coincidence system

Analysis of Brick Masonry Wall using Applied Element Method

Science.gov (United States)

Lincy Christy, D.; Madhavan Pillai, T. M.; Nagarajan, Praveen

2018-03-01

The Applied Element Method (AEM) is a versatile tool for structural analysis. Analysis is done by discretising the structure as in the case of Finite Element Method (FEM). In AEM, elements are connected by a set of normal and shear springs instead of nodes. AEM is extensively used for the analysis of brittle materials. Brick masonry wall can be effectively analyzed in the frame of AEM. The composite nature of masonry wall can be easily modelled using springs. The brick springs and mortar springs are assumed to be connected in series. The brick masonry wall is analyzed and failure load is determined for different loading cases. The results were used to find the best aspect ratio of brick to strengthen brick masonry wall.

An applied study using systems engineering methods to prioritize green systems options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sonya M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Macdonald, John M [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2009-01-01

For many years, there have been questions about the effectiveness of applying different green solutions. If you're building a home and wish to use green technologies, where do you start? While all technologies sound promising, which will perform the best over time? All this has to be considered within the cost and schedule of the project. The amount of information available on the topic can be overwhelming. We seek to examine if Systems Engineering methods can be used to help people choose and prioritize technologies that fit within their project and budget. Several methods are used to gain perspective into how to select the green technologies, such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Kepner-Tregoe. In our study, subjects applied these methods to analyze cost, schedule, and trade-offs. Results will document whether the experimental approach is applicable to defining system priorities for green technologies.

Boundary element methods applied to two-dimensional neutron diffusion problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itagaki, Masafumi

1985-01-01

The Boundary element method (BEM) has been applied to two-dimensional neutron diffusion problems. The boundary integral equation and its discretized form have been derived. Some numerical techniques have been developed, which can be applied to critical and fixed-source problems including multi-region ones. Two types of test programs have been developed according to whether the 'zero-determinant search' or the 'source iteration' technique is adopted for criticality search. Both programs require only the fluxes and currents on boundaries as the unknown variables. The former allows a reduction in computing time and memory in comparison with the finite element method (FEM). The latter is not always efficient in terms of computing time due to the domain integral related to the inhomogeneous source term; however, this domain integral can be replaced by the equivalent boundary integral for a region with a non-multiplying medium or with a uniform source, resulting in a significant reduction in computing time. The BEM, as well as the FEM, is well suited for solving irregular geometrical problems for which the finite difference method (FDM) is unsuited. The BEM also solves problems with infinite domains, which cannot be solved by the ordinary FEM and FDM. Some simple test calculations are made to compare the BEM with the FEM and FDM, and discussions are made concerning the relative merits of the BEM and problems requiring future solution. (author)

Methods of applied mathematics

CERN Document Server

Hildebrand, Francis B

1992-01-01

This invaluable book offers engineers and physicists working knowledge of a number of mathematical facts and techniques not commonly treated in courses in advanced calculus, but nevertheless extremely useful when applied to typical problems in many different fields. It deals principally with linear algebraic equations, quadratic and Hermitian forms, operations with vectors and matrices, the calculus of variations, and the formulations and theory of linear integral equations. Annotated problems and exercises accompany each chapter.

Power secant method applied to natural frequency extraction of Timoshenko beam structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.A.N. Dias

Full Text Available This work deals with an improved plane frame formulation whose exact dynamic stiffness matrix (DSM presents, uniquely, null determinant for the natural frequencies. In comparison with the classical DSM, the formulation herein presented has some major advantages: local mode shapes are preserved in the formulation so that, for any positive frequency, the DSM will never be ill-conditioned; in the absence of poles, it is possible to employ the secant method in order to have a more computationally efficient eigenvalue extraction procedure. Applying the procedure to the more general case of Timoshenko beams, we introduce a new technique, named "power deflation", that makes the secant method suitable for the transcendental nonlinear eigenvalue problems based on the improved DSM. In order to avoid overflow occurrences that can hinder the secant method iterations, limiting frequencies are formulated, with scaling also applied to the eigenvalue problem. Comparisons with results available in the literature demonstrate the strength of the proposed method. Computational efficiency is compared with solutions obtained both by FEM and by the Wittrick-Williams algorithm.

Synthesis and characterization of HDA/NaMMT organoclay

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

applied electric field scatter light whose intensity fluctu- ates with a frequency that is related to the particle velo- city. The photons detected by the photomultiplier .... the vibration modes of HDA. Absorbances due to struc- tural O–H stretching around 3621 cm–1 and Si–O bend- ings at 519 and 465 cm–1 confirm the presence ...

Non-invasive imaging methods applied to neo- and paleontological cephalopod research

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, R.; Schultz, J. A.; Schellhorn, R.; Rybacki, E.; Keupp, H.; Gerden, S. R.; Lemanis, R.; Zachow, S.

2013-11-01

Several non-invasive methods are common practice in natural sciences today. Here we present how they can be applied and contribute to current topics in cephalopod (paleo-) biology. Different methods will be compared in terms of time necessary to acquire the data, amount of data, accuracy/resolution, minimum-maximum size of objects that can be studied, of the degree of post-processing needed and availability. Main application of the methods is seen in morphometry and volumetry of cephalopod shells in order to improve our understanding of diversity and disparity, functional morphology and biology of extinct and extant cephalopods.

Enhanced mechanical and thermal properties of poly (vinyl alcohol)/corn starch blends by nanoclay intercalation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Huafeng; Wang, Kai; Liu, Di; Yan, Jiaan; Xiang, Aimin; Rajulu, A Varada

2017-08-01

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/corn starch blend films with enhanced properties were fabricated by melt processing and montmorillonite (MMT) reinforcing. It was revealed that strong hydrogen bonding occurred between the abundant OH groups of the matrix and polar SiOSi and OH groups of MMT. The highly exfoliated MMT nanolayers were randomly dispersed in the matrix containing MMT lower than 10wt%, whereas the intercalated structure was predominant with MMT content higher than 10wt%. With the increase of MMT, the glass transition temperature as well as equilibrium torque increased. The water sorption decreased and water resistant properties were improved with the incorporation of MMT due to the restricted swelling of the matrix by MMT nanolayers. Significant improvement in strength and flexibility were observed due to the fine dispersion of the MMT layers and the strong interaction between MMT and the matrix. The thermal stability was also improved. The MMT nanolayers could act as the heat and mass transport barriers and retard the thermal decomposition of the composites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HIV risk-taking behaviour among injecting drug users currently, previously and never enrolled in methadone treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, A; Kochan, N; Dixon, J; Wodak, A; Heather, N

1995-04-01

This study compares the injecting and sexual risk-taking behaviour among injecting drug users (IDUs) currently, previously and never enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). All subjects had injected during the 6 months prior to the day of interview. The current MMT group showed significantly lower injecting risk-taking behaviour subscale scores on the HIV Risk-taking Behaviour Scale (HRBS) of the Opiate Treatment Index than the previous MMT and non-MMT groups together. The current MMT group differed from the other two groups in the frequency of injecting and cleaning of injection equipment with bleach. There was no difference between the current MMT group and the other two groups combined in sexual risk-taking behaviour scores on the HRBS. There were no differences between the previous MMT and non-MMT groups in injecting and sexual risk-taking behaviour. HIV seroprevalence was low and there was no difference in seroprevalence between groups. Thus, IDUs currently enrolled in MMT are at reduced risk for HIV infection when compared with IDUs who have previously or never been enrolled in MMT. However, the absence of a difference between the current MMT and other two groups in frequency of sharing behaviours suggests the need for additional strategies among MMT clients to reduce needle-sharing. Possible strategies include the application of relapse prevention interventions and the availability of sterile injecting equipment in MMT clinics. Further research is needed to identify factors which increase attraction and retention of IDUs to MMT.

New tailor-made bio-organoclays for the remediation of olive mill waste water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calabrese, Ilaria; Liveri, Maria Liria Turco; Gelardi, Giulia; Merli, Marcello; Sciascia, Luciana; Rytwo, Giora

2013-01-01

A systematic study aimed at obtaining new organoclays for the treatment of Olive Mill Waste water (OMW) has been performed. Several organoclays have been prepared by loading different amounts of the biocompatible surfactant Tween20 onto the K10 montmorillonite (MMT). Complementary kinetic and equilibrium studies on the adsorption of the Tween20 onto the MMT have been carried out and the characterization of the new tailor-made bio-materials has been performed by means of the XRD and FT-IR measurements. Finally the prepared bio-organoclays have been successfully applied for the OMW remediation and they proved to be highly effective in decreasing the organic content (OC) to an extent that depends on both the amount of loaded surfactant and the experimental protocols applied

New tailor-made bio-organoclays for the remediation of olive mill waste water

Science.gov (United States)

Calabrese, Ilaria; Gelardi, Giulia; Merli, Marcello; Rytwo, Giora; Sciascia, Luciana; Liria Turco Liveri, Maria

2013-12-01

A systematic study aimed at obtaining new organoclays for the treatment of Olive Mill Waste water (OMW) has been performed. Several organoclays have been prepared by loading different amounts of the biocompatible surfactant Tween20 onto the K10 montmorillonite (MMT). Complementary kinetic and equilibrium studies on the adsorption of the Tween20 onto the MMT have been carried out and the characterization of the new tailor-made bio-materials has been performed by means of the XRD and FT-IR measurements. Finally the prepared bio-organoclays have been successfully applied for the OMW remediation and they proved to be highly effective in decreasing the organic content (OC) to an extent that depends on both the amount of loaded surfactant and the experimental protocols applied.

Lessons learned applying CASE methods/tools to Ada software development projects

Science.gov (United States)

Blumberg, Maurice H.; Randall, Richard L.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the lessons learned from introducing CASE methods/tools into organizations and applying them to actual Ada software development projects. This paper will be useful to any organization planning to introduce a software engineering environment (SEE) or evolving an existing one. It contains management level lessons learned, as well as lessons learned in using specific SEE tools/methods. The experiences presented are from Alpha Test projects established under the STARS (Software Technology for Adaptable and Reliable Systems) project. They reflect the front end efforts by those projects to understand the tools/methods, initial experiences in their introduction and use, and later experiences in the use of specific tools/methods and the introduction of new ones.

The Fractional Step Method Applied to Simulations of Natural Convective Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Westra, Douglas G.; Heinrich, Juan C.; Saxon, Jeff (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

This paper describes research done to apply the Fractional Step Method to finite-element simulations of natural convective flows in pure liquids, permeable media, and in a directionally solidified metal alloy casting. The Fractional Step Method has been applied commonly to high Reynold's number flow simulations, but is less common for low Reynold's number flows, such as natural convection in liquids and in permeable media. The Fractional Step Method offers increased speed and reduced memory requirements by allowing non-coupled solution of the pressure and the velocity components. The Fractional Step Method has particular benefits for predicting flows in a directionally solidified alloy, since other methods presently employed are not very efficient. Previously, the most suitable method for predicting flows in a directionally solidified binary alloy was the penalty method. The penalty method requires direct matrix solvers, due to the penalty term. The Fractional Step Method allows iterative solution of the finite element stiffness matrices, thereby allowing more efficient solution of the matrices. The Fractional Step Method also lends itself to parallel processing, since the velocity component stiffness matrices can be built and solved independently of each other. The finite-element simulations of a directionally solidified casting are used to predict macrosegregation in directionally solidified castings. In particular, the finite-element simulations predict the existence of 'channels' within the processing mushy zone and subsequently 'freckles' within the fully processed solid, which are known to result from macrosegregation, or what is often referred to as thermo-solutal convection. These freckles cause material property non-uniformities in directionally solidified castings; therefore many of these castings are scrapped. The phenomenon of natural convection in an alloy under-going directional solidification, or thermo-solutal convection, will be explained. The

Thermally stimulated current method applied to highly irradiated silicon diodes

CERN Document Server

Pintilie, I; Pintilie, I; Moll, Michael; Fretwurst, E; Lindström, G

2002-01-01

We propose an improved method for the analysis of Thermally Stimulated Currents (TSC) measured on highly irradiated silicon diodes. The proposed TSC formula for the evaluation of a set of TSC spectra obtained with different reverse biases leads not only to the concentration of electron and hole traps visible in the spectra but also gives an estimation for the concentration of defects which not give rise to a peak in the 30-220 K TSC temperature range (very shallow or very deep levels). The method is applied to a diode irradiated with a neutron fluence of phi sub n =1.82x10 sup 1 sup 3 n/cm sup 2.

Water Permeability of Pervious Concrete Is Dependent on the Applied Pressure and Testing Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yinghong Qin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Falling head method (FHM and constant head method (CHM are, respectively, used to test the water permeability of permeable concrete, using different water heads on the testing samples. The results indicate the apparent permeability of pervious concrete decreasing with the applied water head. The results also demonstrate the permeability measured from the FHM is lower than that from the CHM. The fundamental difference between the CHM and FHM is examined from the theory of fluid flowing through porous media. The testing results suggest that the water permeability of permeable concrete should be reported with the applied pressure and the associated testing method.

Survival in Response to Multimodal Therapy in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasongsook, Naiyarat; Kumar, Aditi; Chintakuntlawar, Ashish V; Foote, Robert L; Kasperbauer, Jan; Molina, Julian; Garces, Yolanda; Ma, Daniel; Wittich, Michelle A Neben; Rubin, Joseph; Richardson, Ronald; Morris, John; Hay, Ian; Fatourechi, Vahab; McIver, Bryan; Ryder, Mabel; Thompson, Geoffrey; Grant, Clive; Richards, Melanie; Sebo, Thomas J; Rivera, Michael; Suman, Vera; Jenkins, Sarah M; Smallridge, Robert C; Bible, Keith C

2017-12-01

Historical outcomes in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) have been dismal. To determine whether an initial intensive multimodal therapy (MMT) is associated with improved ATC survival. MMT was offered to all patients with newly diagnosed ATC treated at the Mayo Clinic from 2003 through 2015; MMT vs care with palliative intent (PI) was individualized considering clinical status and patient preferences. Outcomes were retrospectively analyzed by American Joint Committee on Cancer stage and treatments compared with patient cohort data from 1949 through 1999. Forty-eight patients (60% male; median age, 62 years); 18 treated with PI, 30 with MMT. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival determined by Kaplan-Meier method. Median OS and 1-year survival for the later cohort were 9 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 4 to 22 months] and 42% (95% CI, 28% to 56%) vs 3 months and 10% for the earlier cohort. Median OS was 21 months compared with 3.9 months in the pooled MMT vs PI groups for the later cohort [hazard ratio (HR), 0.32; P = 0.0006]. Among only patients in the later cohort who had stage IVB disease, median OS was 22.4 vs 4 months (HR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.44; P = 0.0001), with 68% vs 0% alive at 1 year (MMT vs PI). Among patients with stage IVC cancer, OS did not differ by therapy. MMT appears to convey longer survival in ATC among patients with stage IVA/B disease. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society

Fabrication of High Gas Barrier Epoxy Nanocomposites: An Approach Based on Layered Silicate Functionalized by a Compatible and Reactive Modifier of Epoxy-Diamine Adduct

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ran Wei

2018-05-01

Full Text Available To solve the drawbacks of poor dispersion and weak interface in gas barrier nanocomposites, a novel epoxy-diamine adduct (DDA was synthesized by reacting epoxy monomer DGEBA with curing agent D400 to functionalize montmorillonite (MMT, which could provide complete compatibility and reactivity with a DGEBA/D400 epoxy matrix. Thereafter, sodium type montmorillonite (Na-MMT and organic-MMTs functionalized by DDA and polyether amines were incorporated with epoxy to manufacture nanocomposites. The effects of MMT functionalization on the morphology and gas barrier property of nanocomposites were evaluated. The results showed that DDA was successfully synthesized, terminating with epoxy and amine groups. By simulating the small-angle neutron scattering data with a sandwich structure model, the optimal dispersion/exfoliation of MMT was observed in a DDA-MMT/DGEBA nanocomposite with a mean radius of 751 Å, a layer thickness of 30.8 Å, and only two layers in each tactoid. Moreover, the DDA-MMT/DGEBA nanocomposite exhibited the best N2 barrier properties, which were about five times those of neat epoxy. Based on a modified Nielsen model, it was clarified that this excellent gas barrier property was due to the homogeneously dispersed lamellas with almost exfoliated structures. The improved morphology and barrier property confirmed the superiority of the adduct, which provides a general method for developing gas barrier nanocomposites.

Diamond difference method with hybrid angular quadrature applied to neutron transport problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zani, Jose H.; Barros, Ricardo C.; Alves Filho, Hermes

2005-01-01

In this work we presents the results for the calculations of the disadvantage factor in thermal nuclear reactor physics. We use the one-group discrete ordinates (S N ) equations to mathematically model the flux distributions in slab lattices. We apply the diamond difference method with source iteration iterative scheme to numerically solve the discretized systems equations. We used special interface conditions to describe the method with hybrid angular quadrature. We show numerical results to illustrate the accuracy of the hybrid method. (author)

Power System Oscillation Modes Identifications: Guidelines for Applying TLS-ESPRIT Method

Science.gov (United States)

Gajjar, Gopal R.; Soman, Shreevardhan

2013-05-01

Fast measurements of power system quantities available through wide-area measurement systems enables direct observations for power system electromechanical oscillations. But the raw observations data need to be processed to obtain the quantitative measures required to make any inference regarding the power system state. A detailed discussion is presented for the theory behind the general problem of oscillatory mode indentification. This paper presents some results on oscillation mode identification applied to a wide-area frequency measurements system. Guidelines for selection of parametes for obtaining most reliable results from the applied method are provided. Finally, some results on real measurements are presented with our inference on them.

3D Marine MT Modeling for a Topographic Seafloor

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, B., Sr.; Yin, C.; Ren, X.; Liu, Y.; Huang, X.; Liu, L.

2017-12-01

As an effective geophysical tool, marine magnetotelluric (MMT) exploration has been widely used in offshore oil and gas exploration. Accordingly, the MMT forward modelling has made big progress. However, most of the researches are focused on a flat seafloor. In this paper, we present a 3D finite-element (FE) algorithm for marine MT forward modelling based on unstructured grids that can accurately model the MMT responses for a topographic seafloor. The boundary value problem for the forward modelling is described by an Helmholtz equation together with the boundary conditions derived by assuming the electrical polarizations respectively along the x- and y-direction on the top surface of the modelling domain. Applying the Galerkin method to the boundary value problem and substituting the unstructured finite-element vector shape function into the equation, we derive the final large linear system for the two polarizations, from which the EM fields is obtained for the calculation of impedance apparent resistivities and phases. To verify the effectiveness of our algorithm, we compare our modelling results with those by Key's (2013) 2D marine MT open source code of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Figure 1). From Figure 1, one sees that the two agree well, implying that our 3D modelling method based unstructured FE is an effective modelling tool for topographic seafloor. From the MMT modelling responses for other topographic seafloor models (not shown here), we further observe that 1) the apparent resistivities have a similar profile pattern to the topography at the seafloor; 2) at the edges of the topography, there exist sharp changes; 3) the seafloor topography may dominate the responses from the abnormal bodies under the seafloor. This paper is supported by Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (41530320), China Natural Science Foundation for Young Scientists (41404093), and Key National Research Project of China (2016YFC0303100, 2017YFC0601900)

Applying the Mixed Methods Instrument Development and Construct Validation Process: the Transformative Experience Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

Koskey, Kristin L. K.; Sondergeld, Toni A.; Stewart, Victoria C.; Pugh, Kevin J.

2018-01-01

Onwuegbuzie and colleagues proposed the Instrument Development and Construct Validation (IDCV) process as a mixed methods framework for creating and validating measures. Examples applying IDCV are lacking. We provide an illustrative case integrating the Rasch model and cognitive interviews applied to the development of the Transformative…

Machine Learning Method Applied in Readout System of Superheated Droplet Detector

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yi; Sullivan, Clair Julia; d'Errico, Francesco

2017-07-01

Direct readability is one advantage of superheated droplet detectors in neutron dosimetry. Utilizing such a distinct characteristic, an imaging readout system analyzes image of the detector for neutron dose readout. To improve the accuracy and precision of algorithms in the imaging readout system, machine learning algorithms were developed. Deep learning neural network and support vector machine algorithms are applied and compared with generally used Hough transform and curvature analysis methods. The machine learning methods showed a much higher accuracy and better precision in recognizing circular gas bubbles.

Nuclear and nuclear related analytical methods applied in environmental research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popescu, Ion V.; Gheboianu, Anca; Bancuta, Iulian; Cimpoca, G. V; Stihi, Claudia; Radulescu, Cristiana; Oros Calin; Frontasyeva, Marina; Petre, Marian; Dulama, Ioana; Vlaicu, G.

2010-01-01

Nuclear Analytical Methods can be used for research activities on environmental studies like water quality assessment, pesticide residues, global climatic change (transboundary), pollution and remediation. Heavy metal pollution is a problem associated with areas of intensive industrial activity. In this work the moss bio monitoring technique was employed to study the atmospheric deposition in Dambovita County Romania. Also, there were used complementary nuclear and atomic analytical methods: Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). These high sensitivity analysis methods were used to determine the chemical composition of some samples of mosses placed in different areas with different pollution industrial sources. The concentrations of Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn were determined. The concentration of Fe from the same samples was determined using all these methods and we obtained a very good agreement, in statistical limits, which demonstrate the capability of these analytical methods to be applied on a large spectrum of environmental samples with the same results. (authors)

Association between cannabis use and treatment outcomes in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment: a systematic review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Zielinski, Laura; Bhatt, Meha; Eisen, Rebecca B; Perera, Stefan; Bhatnagar, Neera; MacKillop, James; Steiner, Meir; McDermid Vaz, Stephanie; Thabane, Lehana; Samaan, Zainab

2016-08-16

With the non-medical use of prescription opioids increasingly becoming a method of abuse in Canada, the number of patients requiring methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opioid use disorder has increased dramatically. The rate of cannabis use in this population is disproportionately high (~50 %). Because its use is generally perceived as harmless, cannabis use is often not monitored during MMT. Current literature regarding the effects of cannabis use on MMT is conflicting, and the presence and nature of an association has not been clearly established. The primary objective of this review will be to conduct a systematic review of the literature and, if appropriate, a meta-analysis to determine whether there is an association between cannabis use and MMT outcomes. A secondary objective will be to perform subgroup analyses (by age, sex, method of cannabis measurement, and country) to determine whether cannabis use differentially influences MMT outcomes within these subgroups. The search will be conducted on the following electronic databases using a predefined search strategy: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Two authors (LZ and MB) will independently screen articles using predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria and will extract data from included articles using a pilot-tested data extraction form. Disagreements at all stages of the screening process will be settled through discussion, and when consensus cannot be reached, a third author (ZS) will be consulted. An assessment of quality and risk of bias will be conducted on all included articles, and a sensitivity analysis will be used to compare results of studies with high and low risk of bias. We will perform random- and fixed-effects meta-analyses, if appropriate, with heterogeneity calculated using the I (2) statistic and formal evaluation of publication bias. Results of this systematic review will elucidate the association between cannabis

Applied probabilistic methods in the field of reactor safety in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuser, F.W.

1982-01-01

Some aspects of applied reliability and risk analysis methods in nuclear safety and the present role of both in Germany, are discussed. First, some comments on the status and applications of reliability analysis are given. Second, some conclusions that can be drawn from previous work on the German Risk Study are summarized. (orig.)

Controlled release of agrochemicals intercalated into montmorillonite interlayer space.

Science.gov (United States)

Wanyika, Harrison

2014-01-01

Periodic application of agrochemicals has led to high cost of production and serious environmental pollution. In this study, the ability of montmorillonite (MMT) clay to act as a controlled release carrier for model agrochemical molecules has been investigated. Urea was loaded into MMT by a simple immersion technique while loading of metalaxyl was achieved by a rotary evaporation method. The successful incorporation of the agrochemicals into the interlayer space of MMT was confirmed by several techniques, such as, significant expansion of the interlayer space, reduction of Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) pore volumes and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas, and appearance of urea and metalaxyl characteristic bands on the Fourier-transform infrared spectra of the urea loaded montmorillonite (UMMT) and metalaxyl loaded montmorillonite (RMMT) complexes. Controlled release of the trapped molecules from the matrix was done in water and in the soil. The results reveal slow and sustained release behaviour for UMMT for a period of 10 days in soil. For a period of 30 days, MMT delayed the release of metalaxyl in soil by more than 6 times. It is evident that MMT could be used to improve the efficiency of urea and metalaxyl delivery in the soil.

Properties of nanoclay PVA composites materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed H. M. Ali

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA/ Na-rich Montmorillonite (MMT nanocomposites were prepared using solution method to create polymer-clay nanocomposite (PCN material. The PCN material was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD, demonstrating polymer-clay intercalation that has a high d-spacing (lower diffraction angles in the PCN XRD pattern, compared to the pure MMT clay XRD pattern, which has a low d-spacing (high diffraction angles. The nano-scanning electron microscope (NSEM was used to study the morphological image of the PVA, MMT and PCN materials. The results showed that intercalation that took place between the PVA and MMT produced the PCN material. The mechanical properties of the pure PVA and the intercalated polymer material were studied. It was found that the small amount of MMT clay made the tensile modulus and percentage of the total elongation of the nano-composite significantly higher than the pure PVA polymer value, due to polymer-clay intercalation. The thermal stability of the intercalated polymer has been studied using thermal analytical techniques such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. The results showed that the PCN material is more thermally stable than the pure PVA polymer.

A Prospective Study to Investigate Predictors of Relapse among Patients with Opioid Use Disorder Treated with Methadone

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Leen Naji

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Concomitant opioid abuse is a serious problem among patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT for opioid use disorder. This is an exploratory study that aims to identify predictors of the length of time a patient receiving MMT for opioid use disorder remains abstinent (relapse-free. Methods Data were collected from 250 MMT patients enrolled in addiction treatment clinics across Southern Ontario. The impact of certain clinical and socio-demographic factors on the outcome (time until opioid relapse was determined using a Cox proportional hazard model. Results History of injecting drug use behavior (hazard ratio (HR: 2.26, P = 0.042, illicit benzodiazepine consumption (HR: 1.07, P = 0.002, and the age of onset of opioid abuse (HR: 1.10, P < 0.0001 are important indicators of accelerated relapse among MMT patients. Conversely, current age is positively associated with duration of abstinence from illicit opioid use, serving as a protective factor against relapse (HR: 0.93, P = 0.003. Conclusion This study helps to identify patients at increased risk of relapse during MMT, allowing health care providers to target more aggressive adjunct therapies toward high-risk patients.

Influence of Reaction Medium on CO2 Photocatalytic Reduction Yields Over Zns-MMT / Vliv Reakčního Prostření Na Výtěžky Fotokatalytické Redukce CO2 V Přítomnosti Zns-MMT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reli Martin

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Redukce CO2 pomocí fotokatalyzátorů je jedna z nejslibnějších metod, jelikož CO2 může být redukován na užitečné sloučeniny ozařováním UV zářením při pokojové teplotě a tlaku. Tato práce byla zaměřena na posouzení vlivu reakčních prostředí na výtěžky fotokatalytické redukce CO2 v přítomnosti nanočástic ZnS nanesených na montmorillonit (ZnS-MMT. Byla testována čtyři různá reakční prostředí, NaOH, NaOH+Na2SO3 (1:1, NH4OH, NH4OH+Na2SO3 (1:1. Výtěžky v obou fázích, plynné (CH4 a CO i kapalné (CH3OH, byly vyšší v čistém hydroxidu sodném než v hydroxidu amonném. Přídavek Na2SO3 zvýšil výtěžky methanolu a to díky zamezení oxidace vznikajícího methanolu zpět na oxid uhličitý. Výtěžky plynné fáze se však po přídavku Na2SO3 snížily. Nejlepším z testovaných reakčních prostředí pro fotokatalytickou redukci CO2 byl roztok hydroxidu sodného.

Influence of Conducting Polymer as Filler and Matrix on the Spectral, Morphological and Fluorescent Properties of Sonochemically Intercalated poly(o-phenylenediamine)/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Riaz, Ufana; Ashraf, Syed M; Verma, Anurakshee

2016-01-01

Nanocomposites consisting of spatially confined polymeric chains are of great interest due to their application in optoelectronic and photonics devices. Polymer layered silicate nanocomposites have attracted much attention in industry as well as academia owing to their remarkable physical and chemical properties as compared to conventional polymer nanocomposites. In present study, comparative investigation of the in-situ polymerization of poly(ophenylenediamine) intercalated montmorillonite has been done via two methods i.e using poly(o-phenylenediamine) as filler for MMT in one case and as matrix in the other. Intercalation and in-situ polymerization was confirmed by FT-IR, UV-Visible spectroscopy and XRD studies. TEM and optical microscopy studies confirmed the self-assembled morphology of nanocomposites while the fluorescence properties revealed that controlled emission could be achieved by confining poly(o-phenylenediamine) in MMT galleries. Intercalation and in-situ polymerization of o-phenylenediamine within MMT was successfully carried out using sonochemical technique. The growth of conducting polymers in the interlayer region of the clays has been shown to dramatically improve the properties of conducting polymers. Also, the loading of the polymer in the MMT has shown to influence the optical properties of the nanocomposite. IR spectra and XRD analysis confirmed the intercalation of POPD and its polymerization within the clay galleries. UV spectra revealed the doped state of POPD within clay galleries. Highest oscillator strength of 0.0137 was observed for POPD:MMT-1:0.25. Spherical self-assembled morphology was attained for POPD:MMT-1:0.25. XRD revealed major shift of 82.5 Å for the nanocomposite POPD:MMT-1:1, POPD:MMT-1:0.5 and MMT:POPD-1:0.25. Blue shift of 20 nm was noticed in the fluorescence spectra of POPD:MMT-1:0.25 and POPD:MMT-1:0.5 which was correlated to the intense interaction between NH of POPD with SiO of MMT. Highest quantum yield of 0

'Crisis' and 'everyday' initiators: A qualitative study of coercion and agency in the context of methadone maintenance treatment initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Damon, Will; Small, Will; Anderson, Solanna; Maher, Lisa; Wood, Evan; Kerr, Thomas; McNeil, Ryan

2017-03-01

Patient attrition is common among people enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs and most pronounced during the first year of treatment. However, the experiences of patients initiating MMT have been overlooked in the literature. This study explores experiences of MMT initiation among MMT patients, focusing on contextual influences on MMT initiation and perceptions of MMT and their subsequent influence on treatment retention. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 MMT patients in Vancouver, Canada. Individuals reporting enrolment in MMT were recruited from within two ongoing cohort studies comprised of people who use drugs. Interview transcripts were analysed using an inductive and iterative approach. Two groups of MMT initiators were identified: (i) 'crisis initiators' prescribed methadone following critical transition events, such as incarceration or pregnancy; and (ii) 'everyday initiators' enrolled in MMT as part of routine healthcare utilisation. While most 'crisis initiators' and some 'everyday initiators' described experiencing coercion during MMT initiation, 'crisis initiators' were further subjected to the coercive leveraging of their vulnerability to motivate 'consent' for MMT. 'Crisis initiators' developed negative views towards MMT and were more likely to discontinue treatment. Long-standing patient-provider relationships and open dialogue were associated with more positive views regarding MMT, regardless of the circumstances of initiation. Findings underscore the need for clear and effective communication regarding treatment regimens and expectations during MMT initiation. Furthermore, training in trauma-informed care may help reduce perceptions of coercion and rates of early treatment termination. [Damon W, Small W, Anderson S, Maher L, Wood E, Kerr T, McNeil R. Crisis' and 'everyday' initiators: A qualitative study of coercion and agency in the context of methadone maintenance treatment initiation. Drug

Surface Modification of Sodium Montmorillonite Nanoclay by Plasma Polymerization and Its Effect on the Properties of Polystyrene Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa Idalia Narro-Céspedes

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Sodium montmorillonite nanoclay (Na+-MMT was modified by plasma polymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA and styrene (St as monomers and was denominated as Na+-MMT/MMA and Na+-MMT/St, respectively. This plasma modified nanoclay was used as reinforcement for polystyrene (PS nanocomposites that were prepared by melt mixing. Pristine and modified Na+-MMT nanoclay were analyzed by the dispersion in various solvents, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The results confirmed a change in hydrophilicity of the modified Na+-MMT, as well as the presence of a polymeric material over its surface. The pristine PS/Na+-MMT and modified PS/Na+-MMT/MMA and PS/Na+-MMT/St nanocomposites were studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and TGA, as well as mechanical properties. It was found that the PS/Na+-MMT/St nanocomposites presented better thermal properties and an improvement in Young’s modulus (YM in compared to PS/Na+-MMT/MMA nanocomposites.

Trends in Research Methods in Applied Linguistics: China and the West.

Science.gov (United States)

Yihong, Gao; Lichun, Li; Jun, Lu

2001-01-01

Examines and compares current trends in applied linguistics (AL) research methods in China and the West. Reviews AL articles in four Chinese journals, from 1978-1997, and four English journals from 1985 to 1997. Articles are categorized and subcategorized. Results show that in China, AL research is heading from non-empirical toward empirical, with…

A nodal method applied to a diffusion problem with generalized coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laazizi, A.; Guessous, N.

1999-01-01

In this paper, we consider second order neutrons diffusion problem with coefficients in L ∞ (Ω). Nodal method of the lowest order is applied to approximate the problem's solution. The approximation uses special basis functions in which the coefficients appear. The rate of convergence obtained is O(h 2 ) in L 2 (Ω), with a free rectangular triangulation. (authors)

Comparison of Heuristic Methods Applied for Optimal Operation of Water Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Borhani Dariane

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Water resources optimization problems are usually complex and hard to solve using the ordinary optimization methods, or they are at least  not economically efficient. A great number of studies have been conducted in quest of suitable methods capable of handling such problems. In recent years, some new heuristic methods such as genetic and ant algorithms have been introduced in systems engineering. Preliminary applications of these methods in water resources problems have shown that some of them are powerful tools, capable of solving complex problems. In this paper, the application of such heuristic methods as Genetic Algorithm (GA and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO have been studied for optimizing reservoir operation. The Dez Dam reservoir inIranwas chosen for a case study. The methods were applied and compared using short-term (one year and long-term models. Comparison of the results showed that GA outperforms both DP and ACO in finding true global optimum solutions and operating rules.

Criticality analysis of thermal reactors for two energy groups applying Monte Carlo and neutron Albedo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terra, Andre Miguel Barge Pontes Torres

2005-01-01

The Albedo method applied to criticality calculations to nuclear reactors is characterized by following the neutron currents, allowing to make detailed analyses of the physics phenomena about interactions of the neutrons with the core-reflector set, by the determination of the probabilities of reflection, absorption, and transmission. Then, allowing to make detailed appreciations of the variation of the effective neutron multiplication factor, keff. In the present work, motivated for excellent results presented in dissertations applied to thermal reactors and shieldings, was described the methodology to Albedo method for the analysis criticality of thermal reactors by using two energy groups admitting variable core coefficients to each re-entrant current. By using the Monte Carlo KENO IV code was analyzed relation between the total fraction of neutrons absorbed in the core reactor and the fraction of neutrons that never have stayed into the reflector but were absorbed into the core. As parameters of comparison and analysis of the results obtained by the Albedo method were used one dimensional deterministic code ANISN (ANIsotropic SN transport code) and Diffusion method. The keff results determined by the Albedo method, to the type of analyzed reactor, showed excellent agreement. Thus were obtained relative errors of keff values smaller than 0,78% between the Albedo method and code ANISN. In relation to the Diffusion method were obtained errors smaller than 0,35%, showing the effectiveness of the Albedo method applied to criticality analysis. The easiness of application, simplicity and clarity of the Albedo method constitute a valuable instrument to neutronic calculations applied to nonmultiplying and multiplying media. (author)

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles in montmorillonite and their antibacterial behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shameli K

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Kamyar Shameli1, Mansor Bin Ahmad1, Mohsen Zargar2, Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus1, Abdolhossein Rustaiyan3, Nor Azowa Ibrahim11Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Qom Branch, Qom, Iran; 3Department of Chemistry, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IranAbstract: Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs were synthesized by the chemical reducing method in the external and interlamellar space of montmorillonite (MMT as a solid support at room temperature. AgNO3 and NaBH4 were used as a silver precursor and reducing agent, respectively. The most favorable experimental conditions for synthesizing Ag NPs in the MMT are described in terms of the initial concentration of AgNO3. The interlamellar space limits changed little (d-spacing = 1.24–1.47 nm; therefore, Ag NPs formed on the MMT suspension with d-average = 4.19–8.53 nm diameter. The Ag/MMT nanocomposites (NCs, formed from AgNO3/MMT suspension, were characterizations with different instruments, for example UV-visible, PXRD, TEM, SEM, EDXRF, FT-IR, and ICP-OES analyzer. The antibacterial activity of different sizes of Ag NPs in MMT were investigated against Gram-positive, ie, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA and Gram-negative bacteria, ie, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, by the disk diffusion method using Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA. The smaller Ag NPs were found to have significantly higher antibacterial activity. These results showed that Ag NPs can be used as effective growth inhibitors in different biological systems, making them applicable to medical applications.Keywords: silver nanoparticles, nanoparticles, montmorillonite, antibacterial activity, Mueller-Hinton agar 

Which DTW Method Applied to Marine Univariate Time Series Imputation

OpenAIRE

Phan , Thi-Thu-Hong; Caillault , Émilie; Lefebvre , Alain; Bigand , André

2017-01-01

International audience; Missing data are ubiquitous in any domains of applied sciences. Processing datasets containing missing values can lead to a loss of efficiency and unreliable results, especially for large missing sub-sequence(s). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to build a framework for filling missing values in univariate time series and to perform a comparison of different similarity metrics used for the imputation task. This allows to suggest the most suitable methods for the imp...

A new method of AHP applied to personal credit evaluation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

JIANG Ming-hui; XIONG Qi; CAO Jing

2006-01-01

This paper presents a new negative judgment matrix that combines the advantages of the reciprocal judgment matrix and the fuzzy complementary judgment matrix, and then puts forth the properties of this new matrix. In view of these properties, this paper derives a clear sequencing formula for the new negative judgment matrix, which improves the sequencing principle of AHP. Finally, this new method is applied to personal credit evaluation to show its advantages of conciseness and swiftness.

Nano porous Adsorbent from Chitosan Interacted Montmorillonite for Dye-containing Wastewater Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siriphannon, P.; Monvisade, P.

2011-01-01

Chitosan intercalated montmorillonite (Chi-MMT) was prepared by mixing 2 wt% of chitosan solution with sodium mont-morillonite (Na + -MMT) suspension at 60 degree Celsius for 24 hours. The Na + ions in Na + -MMT were completely exchanged with -NH 3 + ions of chitosan, resulting in the intercalation of chitosan into the MMT layer. The chitosan intercalation brought about the expansion of d 001 of Na + -MMT from 1.23 nm to 1.42 - >2.21 nm of the Chi-MMT. The existence of the intercalated-chitosan and large pore size could significantly increase the adsorption capacity of Chi-MMT from those of the starting materials, for example Na + -MMT and chitosan. The adsorption capacity of Chi-MMT adsorbent was equal to 4.9 mg/ g for acid red 91 (AR91) with initial dye concentration of 50 mg/ L, 45.9 mg/ g for basic yellow 1 (BY1) and 15.0 mg/ g for reactive orange 16 (RO16) with initial dye concentration of 500 mg/ L. These results indicated the competency of Chi-MMT nano porous adsorbent for treatment of wastewater containing various kinds of dyestuffs. (author)

Method of applying single higher order polynomial basis function over multiple domains

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Lysko, AA

2010-03-01

Full Text Available A novel method has been devised where one set of higher order polynomial-based basis functions can be applied over several wire segments, thus permitting to decouple the number of unknowns from the number of segments, and so from the geometrical...

Non-contact tensile viscoelastic characterization of microscale biological materials

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuhui; Hong, Yuan; Xu, Guang-Kui; Liu, Shaobao; Shi, Qiang; Tang, Deding; Yang, Hui; Genin, Guy M.; Lu, Tian Jian; Xu, Feng

2018-06-01

Many structures and materials in nature and physiology have important "meso-scale" structures at the micron length-scale whose tensile responses have proven difficult to characterize mechanically. Although techniques such as atomic force microscopy and micro- and nano-identation are mature for compression and indentation testing at the nano-scale, and standard uniaxial and shear rheometry techniques exist for the macroscale, few techniques are applicable for tensile-testing at the micrometre-scale, leaving a gap in our understanding of hierarchical biomaterials. Here, we present a novel magnetic mechanical testing (MMT) system that enables viscoelastic tensile testing at this critical length scale. The MMT system applies non-contact loading, avoiding gripping and surface interaction effects. We demonstrate application of the MMT system to the first analyses of the pure tensile responses of several native and engineered tissue systems at the mesoscale, showing the broad potential of the system for exploring micro- and meso-scale analysis of structured and hierarchical biological systems.

Methodical basis of training of cadets for the military applied heptathlon competitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.V. Anatskyi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the research is to develop methodical bases of training of cadets for the military applied heptathlon competitions. Material and methods: Cadets of 2-3 courses at the age of 19-20 years (n=20 participated in researches. Cadets were selected by the best results of exercises performing included into the program of military applied heptathlon competitions (100 m run, 50 m freestyle swimming, Kalashnikov rifle shooting, pull-up, obstacle course, grenade throwing, 3000 m run. Preparation took place on the basis of training center. All trainings were organized and carried out according to the methodical basics: in a week preparation microcycle five days cadets had two trainings a day (on Saturday was one training, on Sunday they had rest. The selected exercises with individual loads were performed, Results : Sport scores demonstrated top results in the performance of 100 m run, 3000 m run and pull-up. The indices of performing exercise "obstacle course" were much lower than expected. Rather low results were demonstrated in swimming and shooting. Conclusions . Results of researches indicate the necessity of quality improvement: cadets’ weapons proficiency; physical readiness to perform the exercises requiring complex demonstration of all physical qualities.

Multigrid method applied to the solution of an elliptic, generalized eigenvalue problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alchalabi, R.M. [BOC Group, Murray Hill, NJ (United States); Turinsky, P.J. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

1996-12-31

The work presented in this paper is concerned with the development of an efficient MG algorithm for the solution of an elliptic, generalized eigenvalue problem. The application is specifically applied to the multigroup neutron diffusion equation which is discretized by utilizing the Nodal Expansion Method (NEM). The underlying relaxation method is the Power Method, also known as the (Outer-Inner Method). The inner iterations are completed using Multi-color Line SOR, and the outer iterations are accelerated using Chebyshev Semi-iterative Method. Furthermore, the MG algorithm utilizes the consistent homogenization concept to construct the restriction operator, and a form function as a prolongation operator. The MG algorithm was integrated into the reactor neutronic analysis code NESTLE, and numerical results were obtained from solving production type benchmark problems.

A Spiking Neural Network Methodology and System for Learning and Comparative Analysis of EEG Data From Healthy Versus Addiction Treated Versus Addiction Not Treated Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Doborjeh, Maryam Gholami; Wang, Grace Y; Kasabov, Nikola K; Kydd, Robert; Russell, Bruce

2016-09-01

This paper introduces a method utilizing spiking neural networks (SNN) for learning, classification, and comparative analysis of brain data. As a case study, the method was applied to electroencephalography (EEG) data collected during a GO/NOGO cognitive task performed by untreated opiate addicts, those undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opiate dependence and a healthy control group. the method is based on an SNN architecture called NeuCube, trained on spatiotemporal EEG data. NeuCube was used to classify EEG data across subject groups and across GO versus NOGO trials, but also facilitated a deeper comparative analysis of the dynamic brain processes. This analysis results in a better understanding of human brain functioning across subject groups when performing a cognitive task. In terms of the EEG data classification, a NeuCube model obtained better results (the maximum obtained accuracy: 90.91%) when compared with traditional statistical and artificial intelligence methods (the maximum obtained accuracy: 50.55%). more importantly, new information about the effects of MMT on cognitive brain functions is revealed through the analysis of the SNN model connectivity and its dynamics. this paper presented a new method for EEG data modeling and revealed new knowledge on brain functions associated with mental activity which is different from the brain activity observed in a resting state of the same subjects.

Applying Mathematical Optimization Methods to an ACT-R Instance-Based Learning Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Said, Nadia; Engelhart, Michael; Kirches, Christian; Körkel, Stefan; Holt, Daniel V

2016-01-01

Computational models of cognition provide an interface to connect advanced mathematical tools and methods to empirically supported theories of behavior in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. In this article, we consider a computational model of instance-based learning, implemented in the ACT-R cognitive architecture. We propose an approach for obtaining mathematical reformulations of such cognitive models that improve their computational tractability. For the well-established Sugar Factory dynamic decision making task, we conduct a simulation study to analyze central model parameters. We show how mathematical optimization techniques can be applied to efficiently identify optimal parameter values with respect to different optimization goals. Beyond these methodological contributions, our analysis reveals the sensitivity of this particular task with respect to initial settings and yields new insights into how average human performance deviates from potential optimal performance. We conclude by discussing possible extensions of our approach as well as future steps towards applying more powerful derivative-based optimization methods.

Applying Mathematical Optimization Methods to an ACT-R Instance-Based Learning Model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Said

Full Text Available Computational models of cognition provide an interface to connect advanced mathematical tools and methods to empirically supported theories of behavior in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. In this article, we consider a computational model of instance-based learning, implemented in the ACT-R cognitive architecture. We propose an approach for obtaining mathematical reformulations of such cognitive models that improve their computational tractability. For the well-established Sugar Factory dynamic decision making task, we conduct a simulation study to analyze central model parameters. We show how mathematical optimization techniques can be applied to efficiently identify optimal parameter values with respect to different optimization goals. Beyond these methodological contributions, our analysis reveals the sensitivity of this particular task with respect to initial settings and yields new insights into how average human performance deviates from potential optimal performance. We conclude by discussing possible extensions of our approach as well as future steps towards applying more powerful derivative-based optimization methods.

Labile soil phosphorus as influenced by methods of applying radioactive phosphorus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selvaratnam, V.V.; Andersen, A.J.; Thomsen, J.D.; Gissel-Nielsen, G.

1980-03-01

The influence of different methods of applying radioactive phosphorus on the E- and L-values was studied in four foil types using barley, buckwheat, and rye grass for the L-value determination. The four soils differed greatly in their E- and L-values. The experiment was carried out both with and without carrier-P. The presence of carrier-P had no influence on the E-values, while carrier-P in some cases gave a lower L-value. Both E- and L-values dependent on the method of application. When the 32 P was applied on a small soil or sand sample and dried before mixing with the total amount of soil, the E-values were higher than at direct application most likely because of a stronger fixation to the soil/sand particles. This was not the case for the L-values that are based on a much longer equilibrium time. On the contrary, the direct application of the 32 p-solution to the whole amount of soil gave higher L-values of a non-homogeneous distribution of the 32 p in the soil. (author)

Data Mining Methods Applied to Flight Operations Quality Assurance Data: A Comparison to Standard Statistical Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Stolzer, Alan J.; Halford, Carl

2007-01-01

In a previous study, multiple regression techniques were applied to Flight Operations Quality Assurance-derived data to develop parsimonious model(s) for fuel consumption on the Boeing 757 airplane. The present study examined several data mining algorithms, including neural networks, on the fuel consumption problem and compared them to the multiple regression results obtained earlier. Using regression methods, parsimonious models were obtained that explained approximately 85% of the variation in fuel flow. In general data mining methods were more effective in predicting fuel consumption. Classification and Regression Tree methods reported correlation coefficients of .91 to .92, and General Linear Models and Multilayer Perceptron neural networks reported correlation coefficients of about .99. These data mining models show great promise for use in further examining large FOQA databases for operational and safety improvements.

Local regression type methods applied to the study of geophysics and high frequency financial data

Science.gov (United States)

Mariani, M. C.; Basu, K.

2014-09-01

In this work we applied locally weighted scatterplot smoothing techniques (Lowess/Loess) to Geophysical and high frequency financial data. We first analyze and apply this technique to the California earthquake geological data. A spatial analysis was performed to show that the estimation of the earthquake magnitude at a fixed location is very accurate up to the relative error of 0.01%. We also applied the same method to a high frequency data set arising in the financial sector and obtained similar satisfactory results. The application of this approach to the two different data sets demonstrates that the overall method is accurate and efficient, and the Lowess approach is much more desirable than the Loess method. The previous works studied the time series analysis; in this paper our local regression models perform a spatial analysis for the geophysics data providing different information. For the high frequency data, our models estimate the curve of best fit where data are dependent on time.

Translation Methods Applied in Translating Quotations in “the Secret” by Rhonda

OpenAIRE

FEBRIANTI, VICKY

2014-01-01

Keywords: Translation Methods, The Secret, Quotations.Translation helps human to get information written in any language evenwhen it is written in foreign languages. Therefore translation happens in printed media. Books have been popular printed media. The Secret written by Rhonda Byrne is a popular self-help book which has been translated into 50 languages including Indonesian (“The Secret”, n.d., para.5-6).This study is meant to find out the translation methods applied in The Secret. The wr...

Police bribery and access to methadone maintenance therapy within the context of drug policy reform in Tijuana, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Werb, D; Wagner, K D; Beletsky, L; Gonzalez-Zuniga, Patricia; Rangel, Gudelia; Strathdee, S A

2015-03-01

In 2009, Mexico passed legislation to decriminalize drug possession and improve access to addiction treatment. We undertook research to assess the implementation of the reform among a cohort of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Tijuana. This study specifically sought to determine whether discretionary policing practices like extortion impact access to methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) in Tijuana, a city characterized by high levels of drug-related harms. Generalized estimating equation analyses were used to construct longitudinal confounding models to determine the association between paying a police bribe and MMT enrolment among PWID in Tijuana enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Outcome of interest was MMT enrolment in the past six months. Data on police interactions and MMT enrolment were also obtained. Between October, 2011 and September, 2013, 637 participants provided 1825 observations, with 143 (7.8%) reports of MMT enrolment during the study period. In a final confounding model, recently reporting being forced to pay a bribe to police was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of accessing MMT (adjusted odds ratio=1.69, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-2.81, p=0.043). However, in 56 (39.2%) cases, MMT enrolment ceased within six months. The majority of participant responses cited the fact that MMT was too expensive (69.1%). Levels of MMT access were low. PWID who experienced police extortion were more likely to access MMT at baseline, though this association decreased during the study period. Coupled with the costs of MMT, this may compromise MMT retention among PWID. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a Low-Threshold/High-Tolerance Methadone Maintenance Treatment Clinic in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada: One Year Retention Rate and Illicit Drug Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy K. S. Christie

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To report the one-year retention rate and the prevalence of illicit opioid use and cocaine use in the Low-Threshold/High-Tolerance (LTHT methadone maintenance treatment (MMT clinic located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Methods. A description of the LTHT MMT clinic is provided. The one-year retention rate was determined by collecting data on patients who enrolled in the LTHT MMT clinic between August 04, 2009 and August 04, 2010. The prevalence of illicit drug use was determined using a randomly selected retrospective cohort of 84 participants. For each participant the results of six consecutive urine tests for the most recent three months were compared to the results of the first six consecutive urine tests after program entry. Results. The one-year retention rate was 95%, 67% of the cohort achieved abstinence from illicit opioids and an additional 13% abstained from cocaine use. Conclusion. The novel feature of the LTHT MMT clinic is that patients are not denied methadone because of lack of ancillary services. Traditional comprehensive MMT programs invest the majority of financial resources in ancillary services that support the biopsychosocial model, whereas the LTHT approach utilizes a medical model and directs resources at medical management.

Hemicelluloses/montmorillonite hybrid films with improved mechanical and barrier properties

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ge-Gu; Qi, Xian-Ming; Li, Ming-Peng; Guan, Ying; Bian, Jing; Peng, Feng; Yao, Chun-Li; Sun, Run-Cang

2015-11-01

A facile and environmentally friendly method was introduced to incorporate montmorillonite (MMT) as an inorganic phase into quaternized hemicelluloses (QH) for forming hemicellulose-based films. Two fillers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitin nanowhiskers (NCH), were added into the hemicelluloses/MMT hybrid matrices to prepare hybrid films, respectively. The hybrid films were nanocomposites with nacre-like structure and multifunctional characteristics including higher strength and good oxygen barrier properties via the electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions. The addition of PVA and NCH could induce changes in surface topography, and effectively enhance mechanical strength, thermal stability, transparency, and oxygen barrier properties. The tensile strengths of the composite films FPVA(0.3), FPVA(0.5), and FNCH(0.8) were 53.7, 46.3, and 50.1 MPa, respectively, which were 171%, 134%, and 153% larger than the FQH-MMT film (19.8 MPa). The tensile strength, and oxygen transmission rate of QH-MMT-PVA film were better than those of quaternized hemicelluloses/MMT films. Thus, the proper filler is very important for the strength of the hybrid film. These results provide insights into the understanding of the structural relationships of hemicellulose-based composite films in coating and packaging application for the future.

Characterization of the new biodegradable WPI/clay nanocomposite films based on kefiran exopolysaccharide.

Science.gov (United States)

Zolfi, Mohsen; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Mousavi, Mohammad; Hashemi, Maryam

2015-06-01

Physico-mechanical, thermal and structural characteristics of nanocomposite film composed of kefiran-whey protein isolate (WPI)-montmorillonite (MMT; 1, 3 and 5 % w/w) were studied. Incorporation of MMT significantly affected the mechanical attributes of the kefiran-WPI films. The tensile strength and Young's modulus increased and the percentage of elongation at break decreased as the MMT content increased. Moisture content, moisture absorption and water solubility decreased as the MMT concentration increased. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the glass transition temperature for kefiran-WPI film was -12.5 °C and was noticeably affected by an increase in MMT. X-ray diffraction analysis showed formation of an exfoliated structure with the addition of small amounts of MMT to the kefiran-WPI matrix. Intercalation and some exfoliation occurred up to 5 % (wt) increase in MMT. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated ideal dispersion for MMT nanoparticles into the structure of the bio-nanocomposite films.

A new sub-equation method applied to obtain exact travelling wave solutions of some complex nonlinear equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Huiqun

2009-01-01

By using a new coupled Riccati equations, a direct algebraic method, which was applied to obtain exact travelling wave solutions of some complex nonlinear equations, is improved. And the exact travelling wave solutions of the complex KdV equation, Boussinesq equation and Klein-Gordon equation are investigated using the improved method. The method presented in this paper can also be applied to construct exact travelling wave solutions for other nonlinear complex equations.

Method of levelized discounted costs applied in economic evaluation of nuclear power plant project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Li; Wang Yongqing; Liu Jingquan; Guo Jilin; Liu Wei

2000-01-01

The main methods of economic evaluation of bid which are in common use are introduced. The characteristics of levelized discounted cost method and its application are presented. The method of levelized discounted cost is applied to the cost calculation of a 200 MW nuclear heating reactor economic evaluation. The results indicate that the method of levelized discounted costs is simple, feasible and which is considered most suitable for the economic evaluation of various case. The method is suggested which is used in the national economic evaluation

Use of MMT and MMT organoclay in production of starch nanocomposites; Utilizacao da MMT e da MMT organofilica na producao de nanocompositos de amido

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlemmer, D; Sales, M J.A., [Universidade de Brasilia (LabPol/UnB), DF (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica. Lab. de Pesquisa em Polimeros; Macedo, J.L. de [Universidade de Brasilia (LabCat/UnB), DF (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica. Lab. de Catalise; Angelica, R S [Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA), Belem, PA (Brazil). Inst. de Geociencias. Lab. de Raios X

2010-07-01

Starch can be used to replace petrochemical plastics for short shelf life. However, starch films have poor mechanical strength and sensitivity to moisture. This can be improved through the incorporation of nanoclays, such as montmorillonite, forming nanocomposites. Nanocomposites were prepared with 1, 3, 5 and 10% of montmorillonite, using pequi oil as plasticizer. The clay was also modified with a quaternary ammonium salt. The clays were characterized by XRF, XRD, IR and TG. Results confirmed the organophilization. The nanocomposites diffractograms showed that the addition of small amounts of clay produces delaminated nanocomposites. Already the addition of larger amount of clay does not form nanocomposites, or leads to the formation of intercalated nanocomposites. (author)

Metrological evaluation of characterization methods applied to nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faeda, Kelly Cristina Martins; Lameiras, Fernando Soares; Camarano, Denise das Merces; Ferreira, Ricardo Alberto Neto; Migliorini, Fabricio Lima; Carneiro, Luciana Capanema Silva; Silva, Egonn Hendrigo Carvalho

2010-01-01

In manufacturing the nuclear fuel, characterizations are performed in order to assure the minimization of harmful effects. The uranium dioxide is the most used substance as nuclear reactor fuel because of many advantages, such as: high stability even when it is in contact with water at high temperatures, high fusion point, and high capacity to retain fission products. Several methods are used for characterization of nuclear fuels, such as thermogravimetric analysis for the ratio O / U, penetration-immersion method, helium pycnometer and mercury porosimetry for the density and porosity, BET method for the specific surface, chemical analyses for relevant impurities, and the laser flash method for thermophysical properties. Specific tools are needed to control the diameter and the sphericity of the microspheres and the properties of the coating layers (thickness, density, and degree of anisotropy). Other methods can also give information, such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, microanalysis, and mass spectroscopy of secondary ions for chemical analysis. The accuracy of measurement and level of uncertainty of the resulting data are important. This work describes a general metrological characterization of some techniques applied to the characterization of nuclear fuel. Sources of measurement uncertainty were analyzed. The purpose is to summarize selected properties of UO 2 that have been studied by CDTN in a program of fuel development for Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). The selected properties are crucial for thermalhydraulic codes to study basic design accidents. The thermal characterization (thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity) and the penetration immersion method (density and open porosity) of UO 2 samples were focused. The thermal characterization of UO 2 samples was determined by the laser flash method between room temperature and 448 K. The adaptive Monte Carlo Method was used to obtain the endpoints of the

Metrological evaluation of characterization methods applied to nuclear fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faeda, Kelly Cristina Martins; Lameiras, Fernando Soares; Camarano, Denise das Merces; Ferreira, Ricardo Alberto Neto; Migliorini, Fabricio Lima; Carneiro, Luciana Capanema Silva; Silva, Egonn Hendrigo Carvalho, E-mail: kellyfisica@gmail.co, E-mail: fernando.lameiras@pq.cnpq.b, E-mail: dmc@cdtn.b, E-mail: ranf@cdtn.b, E-mail: flmigliorini@hotmail.co, E-mail: lucsc@hotmail.co, E-mail: egonn@ufmg.b [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2010-07-01

In manufacturing the nuclear fuel, characterizations are performed in order to assure the minimization of harmful effects. The uranium dioxide is the most used substance as nuclear reactor fuel because of many advantages, such as: high stability even when it is in contact with water at high temperatures, high fusion point, and high capacity to retain fission products. Several methods are used for characterization of nuclear fuels, such as thermogravimetric analysis for the ratio O / U, penetration-immersion method, helium pycnometer and mercury porosimetry for the density and porosity, BET method for the specific surface, chemical analyses for relevant impurities, and the laser flash method for thermophysical properties. Specific tools are needed to control the diameter and the sphericity of the microspheres and the properties of the coating layers (thickness, density, and degree of anisotropy). Other methods can also give information, such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, microanalysis, and mass spectroscopy of secondary ions for chemical analysis. The accuracy of measurement and level of uncertainty of the resulting data are important. This work describes a general metrological characterization of some techniques applied to the characterization of nuclear fuel. Sources of measurement uncertainty were analyzed. The purpose is to summarize selected properties of UO{sub 2} that have been studied by CDTN in a program of fuel development for Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). The selected properties are crucial for thermalhydraulic codes to study basic design accidents. The thermal characterization (thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity) and the penetration immersion method (density and open porosity) of UO{sub 2} samples were focused. The thermal characterization of UO{sub 2} samples was determined by the laser flash method between room temperature and 448 K. The adaptive Monte Carlo Method was used to obtain the endpoints of

Applying Activity Based Costing (ABC) Method to Calculate Cost Price in Hospital and Remedy Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajabi, A; Dabiri, A

2012-01-01

Activity Based Costing (ABC) is one of the new methods began appearing as a costing methodology in the 1990's. It calculates cost price by determining the usage of resources. In this study, ABC method was used for calculating cost price of remedial services in hospitals. To apply ABC method, Shahid Faghihi Hospital was selected. First, hospital units were divided into three main departments: administrative, diagnostic, and hospitalized. Second, activity centers were defined by the activity analysis method. Third, costs of administrative activity centers were allocated into diagnostic and operational departments based on the cost driver. Finally, with regard to the usage of cost objectives from services of activity centers, the cost price of medical services was calculated. The cost price from ABC method significantly differs from tariff method. In addition, high amount of indirect costs in the hospital indicates that capacities of resources are not used properly. Cost price of remedial services with tariff method is not properly calculated when compared with ABC method. ABC calculates cost price by applying suitable mechanisms but tariff method is based on the fixed price. In addition, ABC represents useful information about the amount and combination of cost price services.

Intestinal colic in newborn babies: incidence and methods of proceeding applied by parents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Lewandowska

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Intestinal colic is one of the more frequent complaints that a general practitioner and paediatrician deal with in their work. 10-40% of babies formula fed and 10-20% breast fed are stricken by this complaint. A colic attack appears suddenly and very quickly causes energetic, squeaky cry or even scream. Colic attacks last for a few minutes and appear every 2-3 hours usually in the evenings. Specialist literature provides numerous definitions of intestinal colic. The concept was introduced for the first time to paediatric textbooks over 250 years ago. One of the most accurate definitions describe colic as recurring attacks of intensive cry and anxiety lasting for more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week within 3 weeks. Care of a baby suffering from an intestinal colic causes numerous problems and anxiety among parents, therefore knowledge of effective methods to combat this complaint is a challenge for contemporary neonatology and paediatrics. The aim of the study is to estimate the incidence of intestinal colic in newborn babies formula and breast fed as well as to assess methods of proceeding applied by parents and analyze their effectiveness. Material and methods: The research involved 100 newborn babies breast fed and 100 formula fed, and their parents. The research method applied in the study was a diagnostic survey conducted by use of a questionnaire method. Results: Among examined newborn babies that were breast fed, 43% have experienced intestinal colic, while among those formula fed 30% have suffered from it. The study involved 44% new born female babies and 56% male babies. 52% of mothers were 30-34 years old, 30% 35-59 years old, and 17% 25-59 years old. When it comes to families, the most numerous was a group in good financial situation (60%. The second numerous group was that in average financial situation (40%. All the respondents claimed that they had the knowledge on intestinal colic and the main source of knowledge

Restraining Na-Montmorillonite Delamination in Water by Adsorption of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate or Octadecyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride on the Edges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongliang Li

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The delamination of montmorillonite in water leads to sliming in ore slurry, which is detrimental to mineral flotation and solid/water separation. In this work, the delamination of Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT has been restrained by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS or octadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (1831 through the adsorption on the edge of the mineral. The experimental results have shown that the pretreatment by adding SDS and 1831 could greatly reduce the Stokes size percentage of −1.1 µm particles in the aqueous Na-MMT suspension. From the X-ray diffractometer (XRD results, the interlayer spacing of the MMT pre-treated by SDS and 1831 is smaller than that of original MMT particles. Adsorption position of SDS and 1831 on MMT surfaces was analyzed by the measurements of adsorption capacity of SDS and 1831, inductively-coupled plasma spectra, and zeta potential before and after the plane surface of MMT was covered with tetraethylenepentaminecopper ([Cu(tetren]2+. The results indicated that SDS and 1831 are adsorbed on the edge and the whole surface of Na-MMT, respectively. Delamination of MMT could be well restrained by the adsorption of SDS and 1831 on the edges of MMT.

Adsorption properties of Congo Red from aqueous solution onto surfactant-modified montmorillonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Li; Wang Aiqin

2008-01-01

A series of surfactant-modified montmorillonites (MMT) were prepared using octyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTAB), dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and stearyltrimethylammonium bromide (STAB), and the organification of MMT was proved by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrographic (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The adsorption of Congo Red (CR) anionic dye from aqueous solution onto surfactant-modified MMT was carried out. Compared with MMT, the adsorption capacity of surfactant-modified MMT for CR was greatly enhanced and MMT modified with CTAB (2.0 CEC) exhibited the higher adsorption capacity. The effects of pH value of the dye solution, adsorption temperature, adsorption time and the initial dye concentration on the adsorption capacity of CR on CTAB-MMT have been investigated. The results showed that the adsorption kinetic of CR on CTAB-MMT could be best described by the pseudo-second-order model and that the adsorption isotherm of CR was in good agreement with the Langmuir equation. The IR spectra and SEM analysis also revealed that the adsorption of CTAB-MMT was a chemical adsorption process between CTAB and the NH 2 , -N=N- and SO 3 groups of CR

Applied Electromagnetics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamashita, H; Marinova, I; Cingoski, V [eds.

2002-07-01

These proceedings contain papers relating to the 3rd Japanese-Bulgarian-Macedonian Joint Seminar on Applied Electromagnetics. Included are the following groups: Numerical Methods I; Electrical and Mechanical System Analysis and Simulations; Inverse Problems and Optimizations; Software Methodology; Numerical Methods II; Applied Electromagnetics.

Applied Electromagnetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashita, H.; Marinova, I.; Cingoski, V.

2002-01-01

These proceedings contain papers relating to the 3rd Japanese-Bulgarian-Macedonian Joint Seminar on Applied Electromagnetics. Included are the following groups: Numerical Methods I; Electrical and Mechanical System Analysis and Simulations; Inverse Problems and Optimizations; Software Methodology; Numerical Methods II; Applied Electromagnetics

Artificial intelligence methods applied for quantitative analysis of natural radioactive sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medhat, M.E.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Basic description of artificial neural networks. ► Natural gamma ray sources and problem of detections. ► Application of neural network for peak detection and activity determination. - Abstract: Artificial neural network (ANN) represents one of artificial intelligence methods in the field of modeling and uncertainty in different applications. The objective of the proposed work was focused to apply ANN to identify isotopes and to predict uncertainties of their activities of some natural radioactive sources. The method was tested for analyzing gamma-ray spectra emitted from natural radionuclides in soil samples detected by a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry based on HPGe (high purity germanium). The principle of the suggested method is described, including, relevant input parameters definition, input data scaling and networks training. It is clear that there is satisfactory agreement between obtained and predicted results using neural network.

Relativistic convergent close-coupling method applied to electron scattering from mercury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bostock, Christopher J.; Fursa, Dmitry V.; Bray, Igor

2010-01-01

We report on the extension of the recently formulated relativistic convergent close-coupling (RCCC) method to accommodate two-electron and quasi-two-electron targets. We apply the theory to electron scattering from mercury and obtain differential and integrated cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering. We compared with previous nonrelativistic convergent close-coupling (CCC) calculations and for a number of transitions obtained significantly better agreement with the experiment. The RCCC method is able to resolve structure in the integrated cross sections for the energy regime in the vicinity of the excitation thresholds for the (6s6p) 3 P 0,1,2 states. These cross sections are associated with the formation of negative ion (Hg - ) resonances that could not be resolved with the nonrelativistic CCC method. The RCCC results are compared with the experiment and other relativistic theories.

Nutrient Runoff Losses from Liquid Dairy Manure Applied with Low-Disturbance Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Jokela, William; Sherman, Jessica; Cavadini, Jason

2016-09-01

Manure applied to cropland is a source of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in surface runoff and can contribute to impairment of surface waters. Tillage immediately after application incorporates manure into the soil, which may reduce nutrient loss in runoff as well as N loss via NH volatilization. However, tillage also incorporates crop residue, which reduces surface cover and may increase erosion potential. We applied liquid dairy manure in a silage corn ( L.)-cereal rye ( L.) cover crop system in late October using methods designed to incorporate manure with minimal soil and residue disturbance. These include strip-till injection and tine aerator-band manure application, which were compared with standard broadcast application, either incorporated with a disk or left on the surface. Runoff was generated with a portable rainfall simulator (42 mm h for 30 min) three separate times: (i) 2 to 5 d after the October manure application, (ii) in early spring, and (iii) after tillage and planting. In the postmanure application runoff, the highest losses of total P and dissolved reactive P were from surface-applied manure. Dissolved P loss was reduced 98% by strip-till injection; this result was not statistically different from the no-manure control. Reductions from the aerator band method and disk incorporation were 53 and 80%, respectively. Total P losses followed a similar pattern, with 87% reduction from injected manure. Runoff losses of N had generally similar patterns to those of P. Losses of P and N were, in most cases, lower in the spring rain simulations with fewer significant treatment effects. Overall, results show that low-disturbance manure application methods can significantly reduce nutrient runoff losses compared with surface application while maintaining residue cover better than incorporation by tillage. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Preparation and characterization of silver loaded montmorillonite modified with sulfur amino acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Tian, E-mail: phdlitian@163.com; Lin, Oulian; Lu, Zhiyuan; He, Liuimei; Wang, Xiaosheng

2014-06-01

The Na{sup +} montmorillonite (MMT) was modified with sulfur containing amino acid (L-cystine, L-cysteine or L-methionine) and characterized by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR). The results showed the modification was smooth and the surface condition of MMT was changed with sulfur containing groups. Then silver was loaded on the modified MMTs via ion-exchange reaction under microwave irradiation, the spectra of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), EDS and FT-IR confirmed the successful loading of massive silver and the strong interaction between sulfur and silver, the silver loaded L-cystine modified MMT (Ag@AA-MMT-3) with a silver content of 10.93 wt% was the highest of all. Further more, the Ag@AA-MMT-3 was under the irradiation of a UV lamp to turn silver ions to silver nano particles (Ag NPs). The XPS, specific surface area (SSA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), XRD patterns and UV–vis spectra proved the existence of uniform nano scaled metallic Ag NPs. By contrast, the UV irradiated Ag@AA-MMT-3 (Ag@AA-MMT-UV) showed a much better slow release property than Ag@AA-MMT-3 or Ag@MMT. The Ag@AA-MMT-UV showing a large inhibition zone and high inhibition ratio presented very good antibacterial property.

Fe/Ti co-pillared clay for enhanced arsenite removal and photo oxidation under UV irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yuan [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Guang Dong Electric Power Design Institute, China Energy Engineering Group Co. Ltd., Guangzhou 510663 (China); Cai, Xiaojiao [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Guo, Jingwei [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); The 718th Research Institute of CSIC, Handan 056027 (China); Zhou, Shimin [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Na, Ping, E-mail: naping@tju.edu.cn [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • An iron and titanium co-pillared montmorillonite (Fe-Ti/MMT) was synthesized for arsenite removal. • Variety of characterization results indicated that Fe and Ti species were pillared in MMT. • A possible mechanism of arsenite adsorption/oxidation with UV light was established. • The participation of Fe component can promote the process of photocatalytic oxidation in Fe-Ti/MMT + As(III) system. • Fe-Ti/MMT can function as both photocatalyst and adsorbent for arsenite removal. - Abstract: A series of iron and titanium co-pillared montmorillonites (Fe-Ti/MMT) were prepared using hydrolysis of inserted titanium and different iron content in montmorillonite (MMT). The Fe-Ti/MMT were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, N{sub 2} adsorption and desorption, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confirming the effective insertion of Fe species and TiO{sub 2} in the MMT. The Fe-Ti/MMT was used to remove arsenite (As(III)) from aqueous solutions under different conditions. The result of As(III) adsorption under UV irradiation showed that the photo activity can be enhanced by incorporating Fe and Ti in MMT. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that the hydroxyl groups bonded to metal oxide (M–OH) played an important role in the adsorption of As(III)

Teaching organization theory for healthcare management: three applied learning methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Olden, Peter C

2006-01-01

Organization theory (OT) provides a way of seeing, describing, analyzing, understanding, and improving organizations based on patterns of organizational design and behavior (Daft 2004). It gives managers models, principles, and methods with which to diagnose and fix organization structure, design, and process problems. Health care organizations (HCOs) face serious problems such as fatal medical errors, harmful treatment delays, misuse of scarce nurses, costly inefficiency, and service failures. Some of health care managers' most critical work involves designing and structuring their organizations so their missions, visions, and goals can be achieved-and in some cases so their organizations can survive. Thus, it is imperative that graduate healthcare management programs develop effective approaches for teaching OT to students who will manage HCOs. Guided by principles of education, three applied teaching/learning activities/assignments were created to teach OT in a graduate healthcare management program. These educationalmethods develop students' competency with OT applied to HCOs. The teaching techniques in this article may be useful to faculty teaching graduate courses in organization theory and related subjects such as leadership, quality, and operation management.

An Ultrasonic Guided Wave Method to Estimate Applied Biaxial Loads (Preprint)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

VALIDATION A fatigue test was performed with an array of six surface-bonded PZT transducers on a 6061 aluminum plate as shown in Figure 4. The specimen...direct paths of propagation are oriented at different angles. This method is applied to experimental sparse array data recorded during a fatigue test...and the additional complication of the resulting fatigue cracks interfering with some of the direct arrivals is addressed via proper selection of

Comparison of craving for opioid in opioid-dependent individuals and people under methadone maintenance treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azita Chehri

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT is the most important treatment for opioid -dependency recurrence. The aim of this study was to compare the craving level in opioid-dependent individuals and people under methadone maintenance therapy. Methods: In this case – control study, 120 men with opioid dependency were selected through cluster sampling method. They were divided into two groups, 60 people in opioid-dependent group and 60 people in MMT group. Both groups were matched for age, sex, marital status, education, duration of opioid dependency and method of consumption. Then, they completed INCAS Substance Abuse Profile (ISAP, opiate withdrawal symptoms checklist, self–report of craving, Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ, Obsessive Compulsive Drug Use Scale (OCDUS and visual cue-induced craving questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 15 using t-test and ANOVA. Results: Mean craving for drug significantly was lower in MMT group comparing opioid-dependent group (P<0.01. Conclusion: Methadone Maintenance Therapy decreased the craving for drugs and substances This can have an important role in relapse prevention.

Effects of Methadone Maintenance Treatment on Decision-Making Processes in Heroin-Abusers: A Cognitive Modeling Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arash Khodadadi

2010-05-01

Full Text Available A B S T R A C TIntroduction: Although decision-making processes have become a principal target of study among addiction researchers, few researches are published according to effects of different treatment methods on the cognitive processes underlying decision making up to now. Utilizing cognitive modeling method, in this paper we examine the effects of Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT on cognitive processes underlying decision-making disorders in heroin-abusers. Methods: For this purpose, for the first time, we use the balloon analog risk task (BART to assess the decision-making ability of heroin-abusers before and after treatment and compare it to the non heroin-dependent subjects. Results: Results demonstrate that heroin-abusers show more risky behavior than other groups. But, there is no difference between the performance of heroin-abusers after 6 months of MMT and control group. Modeling subjects’ behavior in BART reveals that poor performance in heroin-abusers is due to reward-dependency and insensitivity to evaluation. Discussion: Results show that 6 months of MMT decreases reward-dependency and increases sensitivity to evaluation.

Flood Hazard Mapping by Applying Fuzzy TOPSIS Method

Science.gov (United States)

Han, K. Y.; Lee, J. Y.; Keum, H.; Kim, B. J.; Kim, T. H.

2017-12-01

There are lots of technical methods to integrate various factors for flood hazard mapping. The purpose of this study is to suggest the methodology of integrated flood hazard mapping using MCDM(Multi Criteria Decision Making). MCDM problems involve a set of alternatives that are evaluated on the basis of conflicting and incommensurate criteria. In this study, to apply MCDM to assessing flood risk, maximum flood depth, maximum velocity, and maximum travel time are considered as criterion, and each applied elements are considered as alternatives. The scheme to find the efficient alternative closest to a ideal value is appropriate way to assess flood risk of a lot of element units(alternatives) based on various flood indices. Therefore, TOPSIS which is most commonly used MCDM scheme is adopted to create flood hazard map. The indices for flood hazard mapping(maximum flood depth, maximum velocity, and maximum travel time) have uncertainty concerning simulation results due to various values according to flood scenario and topographical condition. These kind of ambiguity of indices can cause uncertainty of flood hazard map. To consider ambiguity and uncertainty of criterion, fuzzy logic is introduced which is able to handle ambiguous expression. In this paper, we made Flood Hazard Map according to levee breach overflow using the Fuzzy TOPSIS Technique. We confirmed the areas where the highest grade of hazard was recorded through the drawn-up integrated flood hazard map, and then produced flood hazard map can be compared them with those indicated in the existing flood risk maps. Also, we expect that if we can apply the flood hazard map methodology suggested in this paper even to manufacturing the current flood risk maps, we will be able to make a new flood hazard map to even consider the priorities for hazard areas, including more varied and important information than ever before. Keywords : Flood hazard map; levee break analysis; 2D analysis; MCDM; Fuzzy TOPSIS

Effect of Manganese Promotion on Al-Pillared Montmorillonite Supported Cobalt Nanoparticles for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, N.; Hussain, S. T.; Abbas, S. M.; Khan, Y.; Muhammad, B.; Ali, N.

2013-01-01

The effect of Mn-promotion on high surface area Al-pillared montmorillonite (AlMMT) supported Co nanoparticles prepared by hydrothermal method have been investigated. A series of different weight% Mn-promoted Co nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by XRD, TPR, TGA, BET and SEM techniques. An increase in the surface area of MMT is observed with Al-pillaring. Fischer-Tropsch catalytic activity of the as prepared catalysts was studied in a fixed bed micro reactor at 225 .deg. C, H 2 /CO = 2 and at 1 atm pressure. The data showed that by the addition of Mn the selectivity of C 1 dropped drastically while that of C 2 -C 12 hydrocarbons increased significantly over all the Mn-promoted Co/AlMMT catalysts. The C 13 -C 20 hydrocarbons remained almost same for all the catalysts while the selectivity of C 21+ long chain hydrocarbons decreased considerably with the addition of Mn. The catalyst with 3.5%Mn showed lowest C 21+ and highest C 2 -C 12 hydrocarbons selectivity due to cracking of long chain hydrocarbons over acidic sites of MMT

Proposal and Evaluation of Management Method for College Mechatronics Education Applying the Project Management

Science.gov (United States)

Ando, Yoshinobu; Eguchi, Yuya; Mizukawa, Makoto

In this research, we proposed and evaluated a management method of college mechatronics education. We applied the project management to college mechatronics education. We practiced our management method to the seminar “Microcomputer Seminar” for 3rd grade students who belong to Department of Electrical Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology. We succeeded in management of Microcomputer Seminar in 2006. We obtained the good evaluation for our management method by means of questionnaire.

Perspective for applying traditional and inovative teaching and learning methods to nurses continuing education

OpenAIRE

Bendinskaitė, Irmina

2015-01-01

Bendinskaitė I. Perspective for applying traditional and innovative teaching and learning methods to nurse’s continuing education, magister thesis / supervisor Assoc. Prof. O. Riklikienė; Departament of Nursing and Care, Faculty of Nursing, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. – Kaunas, 2015, – p. 92 The purpose of this study was to investigate traditional and innovative teaching and learning methods perspective to nurse’s continuing education. Material and methods. In a period fro...

Apparatus and method for applying an end plug to a fuel rod tube end

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieben, S.L.; Wylie, M.E.

1987-01-01

An apparatus is described for applying an end plug to a hollow end of a nuclear fuel rod tube, comprising: support means mounted for reciprocal movement between remote and adjacent positions relative to a nuclear fuel rod tube end to which an end plug is to be applied; guide means supported on the support means for movement; and drive means coupled to the support means and being actuatable for movement between retracted and extended positions for reciprocally moving the support means between its respective remote and adjacent positions. A method for applying an end plug to a hollow end of a nuclear fuel rod tube is also described

Analytical methods applied to diverse types of Brazilian propolis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcucci Maria

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Propolis is a bee product, composed mainly of plant resins and beeswax, therefore its chemical composition varies due to the geographic and plant origins of these resins, as well as the species of bee. Brazil is an important supplier of propolis on the world market and, although green colored propolis from the southeast is the most known and studied, several other types of propolis from Apis mellifera and native stingless bees (also called cerumen can be found. Propolis is usually consumed as an extract, so the type of solvent and extractive procedures employed further affect its composition. Methods used for the extraction; analysis the percentage of resins, wax and insoluble material in crude propolis; determination of phenolic, flavonoid, amino acid and heavy metal contents are reviewed herein. Different chromatographic methods applied to the separation, identification and quantification of Brazilian propolis components and their relative strengths are discussed; as well as direct insertion mass spectrometry fingerprinting. Propolis has been used as a popular remedy for several centuries for a wide array of ailments. Its antimicrobial properties, present in propolis from different origins, have been extensively studied. But, more recently, anti-parasitic, anti-viral/immune stimulating, healing, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic activities of diverse types of Brazilian propolis have been evaluated. The most common methods employed and overviews of their relative results are presented.

Applying some methods to process the data coming from the nuclear reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suleymanov, M.K.; Abdinov, O.B.; Belashev, B.Z.

2010-01-01

Full text : The methods of a posterior increasing the resolution of the spectral lines are offered to process the data coming from the nuclear reactions. The methods have applied to process the data coming from the nuclear reactions at high energies. They give possibilities to get more detail information on a structure of the spectra of particles emitted in the nuclear reactions. The nuclear reactions are main source of the information on the structure and physics of the atomic nuclei. Usually the spectrums of the fragments of the reactions are complex ones. Apparently it is not simple to extract the necessary for investigation information. In the talk we discuss the methods of a posterior increasing the resolution of the spectral lines. The methods could be useful to process the complex data coming from the nuclear reactions. We consider the Fourier transformation method and maximum entropy one. The complex structures were identified by the method. One can see that at lest two selected points are indicated by the method. Recent we presented a talk where we shown that the results of the analyzing the structure of the pseudorapidity spectra of charged relativistic particles with ≥ 0.7 measured in Au+Em and Pb+Em at AGS and SPS energies using the Fourier transformation method and maximum entropy one. The dependences of these spectra on the number of fast target protons were studied. These distribution shown visually some plateau and shoulder that was at least three selected points on the distributions. The plateaus become wider in PbEm reactions. The existing of plateau is necessary for the parton models. The maximum entropy method could confirm the existing of the plateau and the shoulder on the distributions. The figure shows the results of applying the maximum entropy method. One can see that the method indicates several clean selected points. Some of them same with observed visually ones. We would like to note that the Fourier transformation method could not

Zoltàn Dörnyei, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics

OpenAIRE

Marie-Françoise Narcy-Combes

2012-01-01

Research Methods in Applied Linguistics est un ouvrage pratique et accessible qui s’adresse en priorité au chercheur débutant et au doctorant en linguistique appliquée et en didactique des langues pour lesquels il représente un accompagnement fort utile. Son style clair et son organisation sans surprise en font une lecture facile et agréable et rendent les différents concepts aisément compréhensibles pour tous. Il présente un bilan de la méthodologie de la recherche en linguistique appliquée,...

Biodegradation behaviors and water adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol)/starch/carboxymethyl cellulose/clay nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Taghizadeh, Mohammad Taghi; Sabouri, Narges

2013-09-01

The focus of this work is to study the effect of sodium montmorillonite (MMT-Na) clay content on the rate and extent of enzymatic hydrolysis polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/starch (S)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) blends using enzyme cellulase. The rate of glucose production from each nanocomposite substrates was most rapid for the substrate without MMT-Na and decreased with the addition of MMT-Na for PVA/S/CMC blend (51.5 μg/ml h), PVA/S/CMC/1% MMT (45.4 μg/ml h), PVA/S/CMC/3% MMT (42.8 μg/ml h), and PVA/S/CMC/5% MMT (39.2 μg/ml h). The results of this study have revealed that films with MMT-Na content at 5 wt.% exhibited a significantly reduced rate and extent of hydrolysis. Enzymatic degradation behavior of MMT-Na containing nanocomposites of PVA/S/CMC was based on the determinations of weight loss and the reducing sugars. The degraded residues have been characterized by various analytical techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy.

Methods of the professional-applied physical preparation of students of higher educational establishments of economic type

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maliar E.I.

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Is considered the directions of professionally-applied physical preparation of students with the prevailing use of facilities of football. Are presented the methods of professionally-applied physical preparation of students. It is indicated that application of method of the circular training is rendered by an assistance development of discipline, honesty, honesty, rational use of time. Underline, that in teaching it is necessary to provide a short cut to mastering of the planned knowledge, abilities and skills, improvement of physical qualities.

Manufacturing Methods and Technology Project Summary Reports

Science.gov (United States)

1984-12-01

Powder ME-16 Type Recoil Mechanism Testing Machine (Powder Gymnasticator ) Projects 677, 78 7814 - Synthetic Quenchants for ME-18 Heat Treating Weapon...were deemed most urgent. These two were the prime candidates for the GEPTTA. Figure I is an artist depiction of the General Purpose Transportability...REPORT (RCS DRCMT-302) MMT Project 677 7753 titled "Noise Suppressor for Powder Type Recoil Mecha- nism Testing Machine (Powder Gymnasticator )" was

Applied ecosystem analysis - a primer; the ecosystem diagnosis and treatment method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lestelle, L.C.; Mobrand, L.E.; Lichatowich, J.A.; Vogel, T.S.

1996-05-01

The aim of this document is to inform and instruct the reader about an approach to ecosystem management that is based upon salmon as an indicator species. It is intended to provide natural resource management professionals with the background information needed to answer questions about why and how to apply the approach. The methods and tools the authors describe are continually updated and refined, so this primer should be treated as a first iteration of a sequentially revised manual

Accuracy of the Adomian decomposition method applied to the Lorenz system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashim, I.; Noorani, M.S.M.; Ahmad, R.; Bakar, S.A.; Ismail, E.S.; Zakaria, A.M.

2006-01-01

In this paper, the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) is applied to the famous Lorenz system. The ADM yields an analytical solution in terms of a rapidly convergent infinite power series with easily computable terms. Comparisons between the decomposition solutions and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta (RK4) numerical solutions are made for various time steps. In particular we look at the accuracy of the ADM as the Lorenz system changes from a non-chaotic system to a chaotic one

In situ characterization of organo-modified and unmodified montmorillonite aqueous suspensions by UV-visible spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Alin, Jonas; Rubino, Maria; Auras, Rafael

2015-10-15

UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy (Tyndall spectra) was applied and tested for its ability to measure organo-modified and unmodified montmorillonite (MMT) clays in aqueous suspensions. A full factorial design of experiments was used to study the influence of pH, NaCl and clay concentrations on the average particle size of the clay agglomerates. The methodology was evaluated by observing results that were consistent with previous research about the unmodified clay's behavior in aqueous suspensions. The results from this evaluation corresponded to accepted theories about the unmodified clay's behavior, indicating that the methodology is precise enough to distinguish the effects of the studied factors on these clay suspensions. The effect of clay concentration was related to the amount of ions per clay particle for the unmodified clay, but was not significant for the organo-modified MMT. The average particle size of the organo-modified MMT in suspension was significantly larger than that of the unmodified clay. Size of the organo-modified MMT agglomerates in suspension decreased in the presence of NaCl and at both high and low pH; this behavior was opposite to that of the unmodified clay. These results demonstrate that the UV-Vis methodology is well-suited for characterizing clay particle size in aqueous suspensions. The technique also is simple, rapid, and low-cost. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kinetics and mechanism of the biodegradation of PLA/clay nanocomposites during thermophilic phase of composting process.

Science.gov (United States)

Stloukal, Petr; Pekařová, Silvie; Kalendova, Alena; Mattausch, Hannelore; Laske, Stephan; Holzer, Clemens; Chitu, Livia; Bodner, Sabine; Maier, Guenther; Slouf, Miroslav; Koutny, Marek

2015-08-01

The degradation mechanism and kinetics of polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposite films, containing various commercially available native or organo-modified montmorillonites (MMT) prepared by melt blending, were studied under composting conditions in thermophilic phase of process and during abiotic hydrolysis and compared to the pure polymer. Described first order kinetic models were applied on the data from individual experiments by using non-linear regression procedures to calculate parameters characterizing aerobic composting and abiotic hydrolysis, such as carbon mineralization, hydrolysis rate constants and the length of lag phase. The study showed that the addition of nanoclay enhanced the biodegradation of PLA nanocomposites under composting conditions, when compared with pure PLA, particularly by shortening the lag phase at the beginning of the process. Whereas the lag phase of pure PLA was observed within 27days, the onset of CO2 evolution for PLA with native MMT was detected after just 20days, and from 13 to 16days for PLA with organo-modified MMT. Similarly, the hydrolysis rate constants determined tended to be higher for PLA with organo-modified MMT, particularly for the sample PLA-10A with fastest degradation, in comparison with pure PLA. The acceleration of chain scission in PLA with nanoclays was confirmed by determining the resultant rate constants for the hydrolytical chain scission. The critical molecular weight for the hydrolysis of PLA was observed to be higher than the critical molecular weight for onset of PLA mineralization, suggesting that PLA chains must be further shortened so as to be assimilated by microorganisms. In conclusion, MMT fillers do not represent an obstacle to acceptance of the investigated materials in composting facilities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel toughened polylactic acid nanocomposite: Mechanical, thermal and morphological properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balakrishnan, Harintharavimal; Hassan, Azman; Wahit, Mat Uzir; Yussuf, A.A.; Razak, Shamsul Bahri Abdul

2010-01-01

The objective of the study is to develop a novel toughened polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposite. The effects of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and organophilic modified montmorillonite (MMT) on mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of PLA were investigated. LLDPE toughened PLA nanocomposites consisting of PLA/LLDPE blends, of composition 100/0 and 90/10 with MMT content of 2 phr and 4 phr were prepared. The Young's and flexural modulus improved with increasing content of MMT indicating that MMT is effective in increasing stiffness of LLDPE toughened PLA nanocomposite even at low content. LLDPE improved the impact strength of PLA nanocomposites with a sacrifice of tensile and flexural strength. The tensile and flexural strength also decreased with increasing content of MMT in PLA/LLDPE nanocomposites. The impact strength and elongation at break of LLDPE toughened PLA nanocomposites also declined steadily with increasing loadings of MMT. The crystallization temperature and glass transition temperature dropped gradually while the thermal stability of PLA improved with addition of MMT in PLA/LLDPE nanocomposites. The storage modulus of PLA/LLDPE nanocomposites below glass transition temperature increased with increasing content of MMT. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope studies revealed that an intercalated LLDPE toughened PLA nanocomposite was successfully prepared at 2 phr MMT content.

An IMU-to-Body Alignment Method Applied to Human Gait Analysis

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Laura Susana Vargas-Valencia

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel calibration procedure as a simple, yet powerful, method to place and align inertial sensors with body segments. The calibration can be easily replicated without the need of any additional tools. The proposed method is validated in three different applications: a computer mathematical simulation; a simplified joint composed of two semi-spheres interconnected by a universal goniometer; and a real gait test with five able-bodied subjects. Simulation results demonstrate that, after the calibration method is applied, the joint angles are correctly measured independently of previous sensor placement on the joint, thus validating the proposed procedure. In the cases of a simplified joint and a real gait test with human volunteers, the method also performs correctly, although secondary plane errors appear when compared with the simulation results. We believe that such errors are caused by limitations of the current inertial measurement unit (IMU technology and fusion algorithms. In conclusion, the presented calibration procedure is an interesting option to solve the alignment problem when using IMUs for gait analysis.

Economic consequences assessment for scenarios and actual accidents do the same methods apply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenot, J.

1991-01-01

Methods for estimating the economic consequences of major technological accidents, and their corresponding computer codes, are briefly presented with emphasis on the basic choices. When applied to hypothetic scenarios, those methods give results that are of interest for risk managers with a decision aiding perspective. Simultaneously the various costs, and the procedures for their estimation are reviewed for some actual accidents (Three Mile Island, Chernobyl,..). These costs are used in a perspective of litigation and compensation. The comparison of the methods used and cost estimates obtained for scenarios and actual accidents shows the points of convergence and discrepancies that are discussed

Effects of Different Montmorillonite Nanoclay Loading on Cure Behavior and Properties of Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A Epoxy

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Alfred Tcherbi-Narteh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The primary focus of this study was to understand the effects of different amounts of montmorillonite nanoclay (MMT loading on viscosity, cure behavior, reaction mechanism, and properties of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA epoxy composites. Influence of 1–3 wt.% MMT on rheological and subsequent cure behavior of SC-15 epoxy resin was studied using nonisothermal and isothermal rheometry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. Rheological properties were influenced by different amounts of MMT at lower shear rates prior to and during curing. Cure reaction mechanism was unaffected by different MMT concentration; however heat and activation energy of reactions increased with increasing MMT loading. Samples with 2 wt.% MMT showed highest reaction rate constant, indicative of catalytic behavior. X-ray diffraction (XRD and transmission electron microscope (TEM revealed mainly intercalated microstructure throughout the MMT infused epoxy composite samples irrespective of the percent loading.

Correlation between ?CT imaging, histology and functional capacity of the osteoarthritic knee in the rat model of osteoarthritis

OpenAIRE

Bagi, Cedo M.; Zakur, David E.; Berryman, Edwin; Andresen, Catharine J.; Wilkie, Dean

2015-01-01

Background To acquire the most meaningful understanding of human arthritis, it is essential to select the disease model and methodology translatable to human conditions. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate a number of analytic techniques and biomarkers for their ability to accurately gauge bone and cartilage morphology and metabolism in the medial meniscal tear (MMT) model of osteoarthritis (OA). Methods MMT surgery was performed in rats to induce OA. A dynamic weight bearing ...

Applying multi-resolution numerical methods to geodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, David Rhodri

Computational models yield inaccurate results if the underlying numerical grid fails to provide the necessary resolution to capture a simulation's important features. For the large-scale problems regularly encountered in geodynamics, inadequate grid resolution is a major concern. The majority of models involve multi-scale dynamics, being characterized by fine-scale upwelling and downwelling activity in a more passive, large-scale background flow. Such configurations, when coupled to the complex geometries involved, present a serious challenge for computational methods. Current techniques are unable to resolve localized features and, hence, such models cannot be solved efficiently. This thesis demonstrates, through a series of papers and closely-coupled appendices, how multi-resolution finite-element methods from the forefront of computational engineering can provide a means to address these issues. The problems examined achieve multi-resolution through one of two methods. In two-dimensions (2-D), automatic, unstructured mesh refinement procedures are utilized. Such methods improve the solution quality of convection dominated problems by adapting the grid automatically around regions of high solution gradient, yielding enhanced resolution of the associated flow features. Thermal and thermo-chemical validation tests illustrate that the technique is robust and highly successful, improving solution accuracy whilst increasing computational efficiency. These points are reinforced when the technique is applied to geophysical simulations of mid-ocean ridge and subduction zone magmatism. To date, successful goal-orientated/error-guided grid adaptation techniques have not been utilized within the field of geodynamics. The work included herein is therefore the first geodynamical application of such methods. In view of the existing three-dimensional (3-D) spherical mantle dynamics codes, which are built upon a quasi-uniform discretization of the sphere and closely coupled

The reduction method of statistic scale applied to study of climatic change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernal Suarez, Nestor Ricardo; Molina Lizcano, Alicia; Martinez Collantes, Jorge; Pabon Jose Daniel

2000-01-01

In climate change studies the global circulation models of the atmosphere (GCMAs) enable one to simulate the global climate, with the field variables being represented on a grid points 300 km apart. One particular interest concerns the simulation of possible changes in rainfall and surface air temperature due to an assumed increase of greenhouse gases. However, the models yield the climatic projections on grid points that in most cases do not correspond to the sites of major interest. To achieve local estimates of the climatological variables, methods like the one known as statistical down scaling are applied. In this article we show a case in point by applying canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to the Guajira Region in the northeast of Colombia

Brucellosis Prevention Program: Applying “Child to Family Health Education” Method

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H. Allahverdipour

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Pupils have efficient potential to increase community awareness and promoting community health through participating in the health education programs. Child to family health education program is one of the communicative strategies that was applied in this field trial study. Because of high prevalence of Brucellosis in Hamadan province, Iran, the aim of this study was promoting families’ knowledge and preventive behaviors about Brucellosis in the rural areas by using child to family health education method.Materials & Methods: In this nonequivalent control group design study three rural schools were chosen (one as intervention and two others as control. At first knowledge and behavior of families about Brucellosis were determined using a designed questionnaire. Then the families were educated through “child to family” procedure. At this stage the students gained information. Then they were instructed to teach their parents what they had learned. After 3 months following the last session of education, the level of knowledge and behavior changes of the families about Brucellosis were determined and analyzed by paired t-test.Results: The results showed significant improvement in the knowledge of the mothers. The knowledge of the mothers about the signs of Brucellosis disease in human increased from 1.81 to 3.79 ( t:-21.64 , sig:0.000 , and also the knowledge on the signs of Brucellosis in animals increased from 1.48 to 2.82 ( t:-10.60 , sig:0.000. Conclusion: Child to family health education program is one of the effective and available methods, which would be useful and effective in most communities, and also Students potential would be effective for applying in the health promotion programs.

Applied Bayesian hierarchical methods

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Congdon, P

2010-01-01

... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Posterior Inference from Bayes Formula . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Markov Chain Monte Carlo Sampling in Relation to Monte Carlo Methods: Obtaining Posterior...

Applying the response matrix method for solving coupled neutron diffusion and transport problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sibiya, G.S.

1980-01-01

The numerical determination of the flux and power distribution in the design of large power reactors is quite a time-consuming procedure if the space under consideration is to be subdivided into very fine weshes. Many computing methods applied in reactor physics (such as the finite-difference method) require considerable computing time. In this thesis it is shown that the response matrix method can be successfully used as an alternative approach to solving the two-dimension diffusion equation. Furthermore it is shown that sufficient accuracy of the method is achieved by assuming a linear space dependence of the neutron currents on the boundaries of the geometries defined for the given space. (orig.) [de

Factors associated with interest in receiving prison-based methadone maintenance therapy in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Trena I; Wickersham, Jeffrey A; Desai, Mayur M; Pillai, Veena; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L

2016-07-01

Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is crucial for HIV prevention and treatment in people who inject opioids. In Malaysia, a large proportion of the prison population is affected by both HIV and opioid use disorders. This study assessed individual preferences and factors associated with interest in receiving MMT among male prisoners meeting criteria for opioid dependence in Malaysia. A convenience sample of 96 HIV-positive and 104 HIV-negative incarcerated men who met pre-incarceration criteria for opioid dependence was interviewed using a structured questionnaire to examine participant characteristics and attitudes toward MMT. Factors associated with interest in prison-based MMT initiation were identified using logistic regression analysis. Among all participants, 85 (42.5%) were interested in receiving MMT within prison. Independent correlates of interest in prison-based MMT were being previously married (AOR=4.15, 95% CI: 1.15, 15.02), previously incarcerated (AOR=5.68, 95% CI: 1.54, 21.02), depression (AOR=3.66, 95% CI: 1.68, 7.98), daily heroin use in the 30days prior to incarceration (AOR=5.53, 95% CI: 1.65, 18.58), and more favorable attitudes toward MMT (AOR=19.82, 95% CI: 6.07, 64.74). Overall, interest in receiving prison-based MMT was low, and was associated with adverse social, mental health, and drug use consequences. Incarceration provides a unique opportunity to initiate MMT for those who need it, however, optimal scale-up efforts must be systemic and address modifiable factors like improving attitudes toward and motivation for MMT. Informed or shared decision-making tools may be useful in improving expectations and acceptability of MMT. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scalable Methods for Eulerian-Lagrangian Simulation Applied to Compressible Multiphase Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Zwick, David; Hackl, Jason; Balachandar, S.

2017-11-01

Multiphase flows can be found in countless areas of physics and engineering. Many of these flows can be classified as dispersed two-phase flows, meaning that there are solid particles dispersed in a continuous fluid phase. A common technique for simulating such flow is the Eulerian-Lagrangian method. While useful, this method can suffer from scaling issues on larger problem sizes that are typical of many realistic geometries. Here we present scalable techniques for Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations and apply it to the simulation of a particle bed subjected to expansion waves in a shock tube. The results show that the methods presented here are viable for simulation of larger problems on modern supercomputers. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1315138. This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-NA0002378.

Effects of bedding systems selected by manual muscle testing on sleep and sleep-related respiratory disturbances.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Ling-Ling; Liu, Hau-Min

2008-03-01

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of applying manual muscle testing (MMT) for bedding selection and examined the bedding effect on sleep. Four lay testers with limited training in MMT performed muscle tests for the selection of the bedding systems from five different mattresses and eight different pillows for 14 participants with mild sleep-related respiratory disturbances. For each participant individually, two bedding systems-one inducing stronger muscle forces and the other inducing weaker forces-were selected. The tester-participant pairs showed 85% and 100% agreement, respectively, for the selection of mattresses and pillows that induced the strongest muscle forces. The firmness of the mattress and the height of the pillow were significantly correlated with the body weight and body mass index of the participants for the selected strong bedding system but not for the weak bedding system. Finally, differences were observed between the strong and the weak bedding systems with regard to sleep-related respiratory disturbances and the percentage of slow-wave sleep. It was concluded that MMT can be performed by inexperienced testers for the selection of bedding systems.

Parallel Implicit Runge-Kutta Methods Applied to Coupled Orbit/Attitude Propagation

Science.gov (United States)

Hatten, Noble; Russell, Ryan P.

2017-12-01

A variable-step Gauss-Legendre implicit Runge-Kutta (GLIRK) propagator is applied to coupled orbit/attitude propagation. Concepts previously shown to improve efficiency in 3DOF propagation are modified and extended to the 6DOF problem, including the use of variable-fidelity dynamics models. The impact of computing the stage dynamics of a single step in parallel is examined using up to 23 threads and 22 associated GLIRK stages; one thread is reserved for an extra dynamics function evaluation used in the estimation of the local truncation error. Efficiency is found to peak for typical examples when using approximately 8 to 12 stages for both serial and parallel implementations. Accuracy and efficiency compare favorably to explicit Runge-Kutta and linear-multistep solvers for representative scenarios. However, linear-multistep methods are found to be more efficient for some applications, particularly in a serial computing environment, or when parallelism can be applied across multiple trajectories.

Eco-friendly soluble soybean polysaccharide/nanoclay Na+ bionanocomposite: Properties and characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Salarbashi, Davoud; Noghabi, Mostafa Shahidi; Bazzaz, Bibi Sedigheh Fazly; Shahabi-Ghahfarrokhi, Iman; Jafari, Behrouz; Ahmadi, Reza

2017-08-01

The impact of montmorillonite (MMT) as a nanofiller at different concentrations (5, 10, 15wt.%) on the physicochemical and functional properties of nanocomposite film based on soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) was investigated. The results showed that an increase in MMT concentration was accompanied by a decrease in water solubility, thickness, and elongation at break. Furthermore, tensile strength increased when MMT concentration was increased to 10wt.%. Atomic force and scanning electron micrographs showed a significant agglomeration at MMT 15wt.%. With added MMT, the level of whiteness, greenness, and yellowness of SSPS film increased (P<0.05). Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis indicated that the storage modulus of nanocomposites increased when the MMT was increased to 10wt.%. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry demonstrated that no considerable changes occurred in the functional groups of the SSPS when MMT was added. Antimicrobial tests revealed that antibacterial and anti-mold activities were unlikely from reinforced nanocomposites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sexual dysfunction improved in heroin-dependent men after methadone maintenance treatment in Tianjin, China.

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Minying Zhang

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether methadone maintenance treatment (MMT is correlated with sexual dysfunction in heroin-dependent men and to determine the prevalence and risk factors of sexual dysfunction among men on MMT. METHODS: The study included a retrospective survey and a cross-sectional survey which contained interviews of 293 men who are currently engaged in MMT. The results of the two surveys were compared. For a subset of 43 participants, radioimmunoassay was additionally conducted using retrospective and prospective blood samples to test the levels of plasma testosterone and luteinizing hormone. Other study evaluations were the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15, and Self-rating Depression Scale. RESULTS: Sexual dysfunction in all five IIEF-15 domains (erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction was strongly associated with long-term use of heroin. A decrease in the severity of sexual dysfunction was associated with MMT initiation. Erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual desire, inability to orgasm, and lack of intercourse satisfaction were significantly correlated with increasing age of the participants. Methadone dose and duration of methadone treatment were not found to be associated with sexual dysfunction. The level of plasma testosterone significantly declined during methadone treatment, but results from multivariate analysis indicated low levels of testosterone were not the main cause of sexual dysfunction. No correlation between reported depression status and sexual function was found. CONCLUSIONS: While high levels of sexual dysfunction were reported by heroin-dependent men in our study before and after MMT initiation, MMT appears to be correlated with improved sexual function in the population of the study.

Applied Mathematical Methods in Theoretical Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Masujima, Michio

2005-04-01

All there is to know about functional analysis, integral equations and calculus of variations in a single volume. This advanced textbook is divided into two parts: The first on integral equations and the second on the calculus of variations. It begins with a short introduction to functional analysis, including a short review of complex analysis, before continuing a systematic discussion of different types of equations, such as Volterra integral equations, singular integral equations of Cauchy type, integral equations of the Fredholm type, with a special emphasis on Wiener-Hopf integral equations and Wiener-Hopf sum equations. After a few remarks on the historical development, the second part starts with an introduction to the calculus of variations and the relationship between integral equations and applications of the calculus of variations. It further covers applications of the calculus of variations developed in the second half of the 20th century in the fields of quantum mechanics, quantum statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. Throughout the book, the author presents over 150 problems and exercises -- many from such branches of physics as quantum mechanics, quantum statistical mechanics, and quantum field theory -- together with outlines of the solutions in each case. Detailed solutions are given, supplementing the materials discussed in the main text, allowing problems to be solved making direct use of the method illustrated. The original references are given for difficult problems. The result is complete coverage of the mathematical tools and techniques used by physicists and applied mathematicians Intended for senior undergraduates and first-year graduates in science and engineering, this is equally useful as a reference and self-study guide.

Six Sigma methods applied to cryogenic coolers assembly line

Science.gov (United States)

Ventre, Jean-Marc; Germain-Lacour, Michel; Martin, Jean-Yves; Cauquil, Jean-Marc; Benschop, Tonny; Griot, René

2009-05-01

Six Sigma method have been applied to manufacturing process of a rotary Stirling cooler: RM2. Name of the project is NoVa as main goal of the Six Sigma approach is to reduce variability (No Variability). Project has been based on the DMAIC guideline following five stages: Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control. Objective has been set on the rate of coolers succeeding performance at first attempt with a goal value of 95%. A team has been gathered involving people and skills acting on the RM2 manufacturing line. Measurement System Analysis (MSA) has been applied to test bench and results after R&R gage show that measurement is one of the root cause for variability in RM2 process. Two more root causes have been identified by the team after process mapping analysis: regenerator filling factor and cleaning procedure. Causes for measurement variability have been identified and eradicated as shown by new results from R&R gage. Experimental results show that regenerator filling factor impacts process variability and affects yield. Improved process haven been set after new calibration process for test bench, new filling procedure for regenerator and an additional cleaning stage have been implemented. The objective for 95% coolers succeeding performance test at first attempt has been reached and kept for a significant period. RM2 manufacturing process is now managed according to Statistical Process Control based on control charts. Improvement in process capability have enabled introduction of sample testing procedure before delivery.

Behavioral and quality-of-life outcomes in different service models for methadone maintenance treatment in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Bach Xuan; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Nong, Vuong Minh; Nguyen, Cuong Tat; Phan, Huong Thu Thi; Latkin, Carl A

2016-02-02

Integrating HIV/AIDS and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) services with existing health care delivery system is critical in sustaining efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in large injection-driven epidemics. However, efficiency of different integrative service models is unknown. This study assessed behavioral and health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcomes of MMT in four service delivery models and explored factors associated with these outcomes of interest. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two HIV epicenters in Vietnam: Hanoi and Nam Dinh Province. All patients in five selected MMT clinics were invited to participate, and 1016 were interviewed (80-90% response rate). Respondents had a mean age of 35.8, taken MMT for average 16.5 months and 3.3% on MMT for 36-60 months. The MMT integrated with rural district health center (DHC) has the highest prevalence of concurrent drug use (11.3%). The percentage of condom use (last sexual intercourse) with primary and casual partners was lowest in the MMT at urban DHCs. Patients at the rural DHC reported very high proportions of pain/discomfort (37.8%), anxiety/depression (43.1%), and mobility (13.3%). In regression models, poorer HRQOL outcomes were found in MMT models in the rural areas or without general health care, and among those patients who were HIV positive, reported concurrent drug use, and had higher numbers of previous drug rehabilitation episodes. Mobility and anxiety/depression are factors that increased the likelihood of concurrent drug use among MMT patients. Outcomes of MMT were diverse across different integrative service models. Policies on rapid expansion of the MMT program in Vietnam should also emphasize on the integration with comprehensive health care services including psychological supports for patients.

Impact of One-Year Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Heroin Users in Jiangsu Province, China

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Guohong Chen

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Context Although the effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT is well-established in many countries, it is a relatively new therapy for heroin users in China. Jiangsu Province, a relatively wealthy province, set up 4 MMT clinics in February 2006. No previous studies have evaluated the impact of MMT in a wealthy Chinese province. Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a 1-year MMT among heroin users in Jiangsu Province. We investigated the impact of the treatment by examining the following outcomes: 1 reduction of heroin use, 2 increase of appropriate sexual intercourse, 3 reduction of antisocial behavior, 4 increase of better social and family relationships, and 5 HIV prevalence among heroin users in MMT clinics. Design and Setting Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted before and after heroin users in Jiangsu Province received at least 1-year of treatment in the MMT clinics. A questionnaire survey was implemented for those who agreed to participate from March to April 2006, before the initiation of MMT (N = 554. The second survey was from August to September 2007 and was administered to those who received MMT for more than 1 year (N = 804. One hundred and ninety-six patients who were investigated in both surveys were included in a longitudinal study to evaluate the factors attributable to behavior change. Results MMT helped in reducing the percentage of heroin injection and also improved social and familial relationships. Antisocial behavior, including theft, prostitution, and dealing in heroin, decreased after 1-year treatment in the MMT clinics. However, the percentage of patients using condoms was not statistically significant. No case was found to be HIV-positive among those who received more than 1 year MMT. In the longitudinal study of 196 patients who participated in both surveys, no specific demographic variables were found to be associated with heroin use, anti-social behaviors after 1-year

Development of a tracking method for augmented reality applied to nuclear plant maintenance work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimoda, Hiroshi; Maeshima, Masayuki; Nakai, Toshinori; Bian, Zhiqiang; Ishii, Hirotake; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu

2005-01-01

In this paper, a plant maintenance support method is described, which employs the state-of-the-art information technology, Augmented Reality (AR), in order to improve efficiency of NPP maintenance work and to prevent from human error. Although AR has a great possibility to support various works in real world, it is difficult to apply it to actual work support because the tracking method is the bottleneck for the practical use. In this study, a bar code marker tracking method is proposed to apply AR system for a maintenance work support in NPP field. The proposed method calculates the users position and orientation in real time by two long markers, which are captured by the user-mounted camera. The markers can be easily pasted on the pipes in plant field, and they can be easily recognized in long distance in order to reduce the number of pasted markers in the work field. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory and plant field to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that (1) fast and stable tracking can be realized, (2) position error in camera view is less than 1%, which is almost perfect under the limitation of camera resolution, and (3) it is relatively difficult to catch two markers in one camera view especially in short distance

A method to evaluate performance reliability of individual subjects in laboratory research applied to work settings.

Science.gov (United States)

1978-10-01

This report presents a method that may be used to evaluate the reliability of performance of individual subjects, particularly in applied laboratory research. The method is based on analysis of variance of a tasks-by-subjects data matrix, with all sc...

Synthesis of Pd and Rh metal nanoparticles in the interlayer space of organically modified montmorillonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Hasmukh A.; Bajaj, Hari C.; Jasra, Raksh Vir

2008-01-01

This study reports the synthesis of palladium and rhodium metal nanoparticles supported on montmorillonite (MMT) and partially organically modified MMT (POMM) using tetraamine palladium and hexaamine rhodium complex as precursor for palladium and rhodium respectively. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction PXRD and TEM. The PXRD study shows characteristic crystallographic planes for Pd and Rh metal and confirm the formation of metal nanoparticles in MMT and POMM. The TEM images reveal the effect of organic modification of MMT on decreasing particle size of Pd and Rh metal. The Pd and Rh metal nanoparticles are agglomerated in pristine MMT while nanoparticles are well dispersed in POMM. ICP-AES analysis was carried out to estimate quantitative amount of Pd and Rh metal in MMT and POMM

Study on preparation of montmorillonite-based composite phase change materials and their applications in thermal storage building materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Xiaoming; Zhang Zhengguo; Chen Zhonghua

2008-01-01

Three composite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared by blending butyl stearate, dodecanol and RT20 with an organically modified montmorillonite (MMT), respectively. After the three composite PCMs were characterized by DSC, it was indicated that the RT20/MMT composite PCM was a good candidate for building applications due to its large latent heat, suitable phase change temperature and good performance stability. Compared with RT20, the RT20/MMT composite PCM exhibited higher heat transfer efficiency and had good compatibility with gypsum due to the combination with MMT. The composite gypsum boards containing RT20/MMT composite PCM had the function of reducing building energy consumption by reducing the indoor temperature variation, and the function was enhanced with the increase in the mass ratio of the RT20/MMT composite PCM

Applying systems ergonomics methods in sport: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulme, Adam; Thompson, Jason; Plant, Katherine L; Read, Gemma J M; Mclean, Scott; Clacy, Amanda; Salmon, Paul M

2018-04-16

As sports systems become increasingly more complex, competitive, and technology-centric, there is a greater need for systems ergonomics methods to consider the performance, health, and safety of athletes in context with the wider settings in which they operate. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to identify and critically evaluate studies which have applied a systems ergonomics research approach in the context of sports performance and injury management. Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus) were searched for the dates 01 January 1990 to 01 August 2017, inclusive, for original peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers. Reported analyses were underpinned by a recognised systems ergonomics method, and study aims were related to the optimisation of sports performance (e.g. communication, playing style, technique, tactics, or equipment), and/or the management of sports injury (i.e. identification, prevention, or treatment). A total of seven articles were identified. Two articles were focussed on understanding and optimising sports performance, whereas five examined sports injury management. The methods used were the Event Analysis of Systemic Teamwork, Cognitive Work Analysis (the Work Domain Analysis Abstraction Hierarchy), Rasmussen's Risk Management Framework, and the Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Processes method. The individual sport application was distance running, whereas the team sports contexts examined were cycling, football, Australian Football League, and rugby union. The included systems ergonomics applications were highly flexible, covering both amateur and elite sports contexts. The studies were rated as valuable, providing descriptions of injury controls and causation, the factors influencing injury management, the allocation of responsibilities for injury prevention, as well as the factors and their interactions underpinning sports performance. Implications and future

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF APPLYING EVOLVED METHODS IN MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING PRACTICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SABOU FELICIA

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The evolved methods of management accounting have been developed with the purpose of removing the disadvantages of the classical methods, they are methods adapted to the new market conditions, which provide much more useful cost-related information so that the management of the company is able to take certain strategic decisions. Out of the category of evolved methods, the most used is the one of standard-costs due to the advantages that it presents, being used widely in calculating the production costs in some developed countries. The main advantages of the standard-cost method are: in-advance knowledge of the production costs and the measures that ensure compliance to these; with the help of the deviations calculated from the standard costs, one manages a systematic control over the costs, thus allowing the making of decision in due time, in as far as the elimination of the deviations and the improvement of the activity are concerned and it is a method of analysis, control and cost forecast; Although the advantages of using standards are significant, there are a few disadvantages to the employment of the standard-cost method: sometimes there can appear difficulties in establishing the deviations from the standard costs, the method does not allow an accurate calculation of the fixed costs. As a result of the study, we can observe the fact that the evolved methods of management accounting, as compared to the classical ones, present a series of advantages linked to a better analysis, control, and foreseeing of costs, whereas the main disadvantage is related to the large amount of work necessary for these methods to be applied.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF APPLYING EVOLVED METHODS IN MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING PRACTICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SABOU FELICIA

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The evolved methods of management accounting have been developed with the purpose of removing the disadvantages of the classical methods, they are methods adapted to the new market conditions, which provide much more useful cost-related information so that the management of the company is able to take certain strategic decisions. Out of the category of evolved methods, the most used is the one of standard-costs due to the advantages that it presents, being used widely in calculating the production costs in some developed countries. The main advantages of the standard-cost method are: in-advance knowledge of the production costs and the measures that ensure compliance to these; with the help of the deviations calculated from the standard costs, one manages a systematic control over the costs, thus allowing the making of decision in due time, in as far as the elimination of the deviations and the improvement of the activity are concerned and it is a method of analysis, control and cost forecast; Although the advantages of using standards are significant, there are a few disadvantages to the employment of the standard-cost method: sometimes there can appear difficulties in establishing the deviations from the standard costs, the method does not allow an accurate calculation of the fixed costs. As a result of the study, we can observe the fact that the evolved methods of management accounting, as compared to the classical ones, present a series of advantages linked to a better analysis, control, and foreseeing of costs, whereas the main disadvantage is related to the large amount of work necessary for these methods to be applied

Critical path method applied to research project planning: Fire Economics Evaluation System (FEES)

Science.gov (United States)

Earl B. Anderson; R. Stanton Hales

1986-01-01

The critical path method (CPM) of network analysis (a) depicts precedence among the many activities in a project by a network diagram; (b) identifies critical activities by calculating their starting, finishing, and float times; and (c) displays possible schedules by constructing time charts. CPM was applied to the development of the Forest Service's Fire...

A Multifactorial Analysis of Reconstruction Methods Applied After Total Gastrectomy

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Oktay Büyükaşık

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reconstruction methods applied after total gastrectomy in terms of postoperative symptomology and nutrition. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 31 patients who underwent total gastrectomy due to gastric cancer in 2. Clinic of General Surgery, SSK Ankara Training Hospital. 6 different reconstruction methods were used and analyzed in terms of age, sex and postoperative complications. One from esophagus and two biopsy specimens from jejunum were taken through upper gastrointestinal endoscopy from all cases, and late period morphological and microbiological changes were examined. Postoperative weight change, dumping symptoms, reflux esophagitis, solid/liquid dysphagia, early satiety, postprandial pain, diarrhea and anorexia were assessed. Results: Of 31 patients,18 were males and 13 females; the youngest one was 33 years old, while the oldest- 69 years old. It was found that reconstruction without pouch was performed in 22 cases and with pouch in 9 cases. Early satiety, postprandial pain, dumping symptoms, diarrhea and anemia were found most commonly in cases with reconstruction without pouch. The rate of bacterial colonization of the jejunal mucosa was identical in both groups. Reflux esophagitis was most commonly seen in omega esophagojejunostomy (EJ, while the least-in Roux-en-Y, Tooley and Tanner 19 EJ. Conclusion: Reconstruction with pouch performed after total gastrectomy is still a preferable method. (The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2010; 48:126-31

Data Analytics of Mobile Serious Games: Applying Bayesian Data Analysis Methods

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Heide Lukosch

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Traditional teaching methods in the field of resuscitation training show some limitations, while teaching the right actions in critical situations could increase the number of people saved after a cardiac arrest. For our study, we developed a mobile game to support the transfer of theoretical knowledge on resuscitation.  The game has been tested at three schools of further education. A number of data has been collected from 171 players. To analyze this large data set from different sources and quality, different types of data modeling and analyses had to be applied. This approach showed its usefulness in analyzing the large set of data from different sources. It revealed some interesting findings, such as that female players outperformed the male ones, and that the game fostering informal, self-directed is equally efficient as the traditional formal learning method.

Effect of heterocyclic based organoclays on the properties of polyimide-clay nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, P Santhana Gopala; Joshi, Mangala; Bhargava, Prachur; Valiyaveettil, Suresh; He, Chaobin

2005-07-01

Polyimide-clay nanocomposites were prepared from their precursor, namely, polyamic acid, by the solution-casting method. Organomodified montmorillonite (MMT) clay was prepared by treating Na+MMT (Kunipia F) with three different intercalating agents, namely, piperazine dihydrochloride, 1,3-bis(4-piperidinylpropane) dihydrochloride and 4,4'-bipiperidine dihydrochloride at 80 degrees C. Polyamic acid solutions containing various weight percentages of organomodified MMT were prepared by reacting 4,4'-(1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diyldioxy)dianiline with bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone containing dispersed particles of organomodified MMT at 20 degrees C. Nanocomposite films were prepared from these solutions by solution casting and heated subsequently at a programmed heating rate. These films were transparent and brown in color. The extent of layer separation in nanocomposite films depends upon the chemical structure of the organoclay. These films were characterized by inherent viscosity, FT-IR, DSC, TMA, WAXD, TEM, UV, and TGA. The tensile behavior and surface energy studies were also investigated. The nanocomposite films had superior tensile properties, thermal behavior, and solvent resistance. Among the three organoclays, piperazine dihydrochloride was the best modifier.

Application of 3DAC (3D anisotropy contrast) imaging to predict motor function outcome of patients with cerebral infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igase, Keiji; Matsubara, Ichiro; Arai, Masamori; Goishi, Jyunji; Sadamoto, Kazuhiko

2009-01-01

ThreeDAC (3D anisotropy contrast) image can depict neuronal fibers in 3 dimensions and the way those anatomical structures exist. However, despite its sophistication, quantitative analysis of 3DAC image has been performed poorly, probably, due to difficulties collecting numerical factors, thus we have tried to evaluate a feasible quantitative 3DAC image technique to predict motor function outcome in patients with cerebral infarction. Twenty-five patients with a acute cerebral infarctions, who underwent 3DAC procedure with 3 tesla MRI within 1 week after the onset, were enrolled in this study. To assess motor function, we applied manual muscle testing (MMT) score, which was modified by designating from 1 to 13 points corresponding to MMT, during both the onset and 3 months later. 3DAC image was created through the procedure assigning each direction to red, green and blue (RGB) colors after obtaining rare 3DAC images. On the slice showing the maximally injured region, Injured Fiber Ratio (IFR), defined as the ratio of injured area on horizontal fibers shown as blue area to the area of whole horizontal fibers in a healthy side, was calculated and compared with MMT score. Although MMT score at the onset did not correlate significantly with IFR, each MMT score of the arm and leg 3 months later revealed a significant correlation with IFR(R 2 =0.47 and R 2 =0.67, respectively). Given these results, by exploiting the IFR obtained from 3DAC image a motor function outcome in patients with cerebral infarction might be predicted even in a very acute stage and 3DAC image could be a feasible modality for analyzing a neuronal injury in cerebral infarction patients. (author)

Tampering by office-based methadone maintenance patients with methadone take home privileges: a pilot study

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Frank Nathan

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT is among the most widely studied treatments for opiate dependence with proven benefits for patients and society. When misused, however, methadone can also be lethal. The issue of methadone diversion is a major concern for all MMT programs. A potential source for such diversion is from those MMT patients who receive daily take home methadone doses. Using a reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography method, seven of the nine patients who were randomly selected to have all of their remaining methadone take home doses (within a 24 hour period analyzed, returned lower than expected quantities of methadone. This finding suggests the possibility that such patients may have tampered with their daily take home doses. Larger prospective observational studies are clearly needed to test the supposition of this pilot study.

Novel Luminescent Multilayer Films Containing π-Conjugated Anionic Polymer with Electronic Microenvironment

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Tianlei Wang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Layered double hydroxides (LDHs, luminescent π-conjugated anionic polymer and montmorillonite (MMT were orderly assembled into luminescent multilayer films via layer-by-layer self-assembly method. The electronic microenvironment (EME, the structure of which is like a traditional capacitor, can be constructed by exfoliated LDHs or MMT nanosheets. In addition, the rigid inorganic laminated configuration can offer stable surroundings between the interlayers. As a result, we conclude that EME can extend the luminescent lifespans of multilayer films substantially, due to affecting relaxation times of π-conjugated anionic polymer. Consequently, because of the remarkable impact on better photoemission behaviors of luminescent π-conjugated anionic polymer, EME assembled by LDHs or MMT nanosheets have had high hopes attached to them. They are expected to have the potential for designing, constructing, and investigating novel light-emitting thin films.

Polyaniline nanocomposites via in situ emulsion polymerization based on montmorillonite: Preparation and characterization

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M.A. Abd El-Ghaffar

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Polyaniline nanocomposites were prepared via in situ emulsion polymerization in the presence of Na+ montmorillonite (Na+MMT. For achieving this purpose the clay was organophilized to (MMT-CTA form using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB. The X-ray diffraction (XRD demonstrated that the basal space of Na+-montmorillonite increased after the organophilization from 11.21 to 19.35 Å. Polyaniline/montmorillonite (PAn/MMT nanocomposites were prepared by intercalating the emulsion of aniline monomer with treated organically layers of (Na+-MMT using ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS as an initiator. Furthermore aniline hydrochloride (AnHCl was used as a modifier and monomer to prepare PAn/H+MMT nanocomposites by cation exchange of the anilinuim moiety with the sodium ion inside the basal spaces which enlarged after the polymerization process to 35 Å as evidenced from X-ray diffraction (XRD. The d-spacing of the PAn/H+-MMT nanocomposite was found to become wider about 23.79 Å than that of the pure Na+-MMT, and successful intercalation or exfoliation of PAnH+ into Na+-MMT layers. The prepared PAn/MMT nanocomposites were characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA, scanning electron microscope (SEM, and transmission electron microscope (TEM. The electrical property measurements showed an enhancement in the conductivity values of the prepared nanocomposites especially on using AnHCl monomer to be in the order of 10−1 S/cm.

Effects of Montmorillonite on the Mineralization and Cementing Properties of Microbiologically Induced Calcium Carbonate

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Tao Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Carbonate mineralization microbe is a microorganism capable of decomposing the substrate in the metabolic process to produce the carbonate, which then forms calcium carbonate with calcium ions. By taking advantage of this process, contaminative uranium tailings can transform to solid cement, where calcium carbonate plays the role of a binder. In this paper, we have studied the morphology of mineralized crystals by controlling the mineralization time and adding different concentrations of montmorillonite (MMT. At the same time, we also studied the effect of carbonate mineralized cementation uranium tailings by controlling the amount of MMT. The results showed that MMT can regulate the crystal morphology of calcium carbonate. What is more, MMT can balance the acidity and ions in the uranium tailings; it also can reduce the toxicity of uranium ions on microorganisms. In addition, MMT filling in the gap between the uranium tailings made the cement body more stable. When the amount of MMT is 6%, the maximum strength of the cement body reached 2.18 MPa, which increased by 47.66% compared with that the sample without MMT. Therefore, it is reasonable and feasible to use the MMT to regulate the biocalcium carbonate cemented uranium tailings.

Effect of Montmorillonite Nanogel Composite Fillers on the Protection Performance of Epoxy Coatings on Steel Pipelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Atta, Ayman M; El-Saeed, Ashraf M; Al-Lohedan, Hamad A; Wahby, Mohamed

2017-06-02

Montmorillonite (MMT) clay mineral is widely used as filler for several organic coatings. Its activity is increased by exfoliation via chemical modification to produce nanomaterials. In the present work, the modification of MMT to form nanogel composites is proposed to increase the dispersion of MMT into epoxy matrices used to fill cracks and holes produced by the curing exotherms of epoxy resins. The dispersion of MMT in epoxy improved both the mechanical and anti-corrosion performance of epoxy coatings in aggressive marine environments. In this respect, the MMT surfaces were chemically modified with different types of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) nanogels using a surfactant-free dispersion polymerization technique. The effect of the chemical structure, nanogel content and the interaction with MMT surfaces on the surface morphology, surface charges and dispersion in the epoxy matrix were investigated for use as nano-filler for epoxy coatings. The modified MMT nanogel epoxy composites showed excellent resistance to mechanical damage and salt spray resistance up to 1000 h. The interaction of MMT nanogel composites with the epoxy matrix and good response of AMPS nanogel to sea water improve their ability to act as self-healing materials for epoxy coatings for steel.

The Effect of Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Insomnia due to Methadone Maintenance Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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Robabeh Soleimani

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Sleep disturbance is a common complaint of patients undergoing methadone maintenance therapy (MMT. There are limited studies about the effect of different treatments on insomnia due to MMT. In this study, we evaluated the effect of cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBTI on sleep disorders in patients undergoing MMT. Methods: Twenty-two patients with insomnia due to MMT (aged 18-60 years participated in this randomized double-blind clinical trial. The intervention group received CBTI from a clinical psychologist for 8 weeks, whereas the control group received behavioral placebo therapy (BPT. The duration of individual sessions was 45 minutes, which was conducted once a week. The primary outcome was sleep disturbance assessed with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 19. Results: Eleven patients were assigned to each group. Two groups were matched according to demographic characteristics (age, marital status, education, and daily methadone doses. Although PSQI score was significantly reduced during weeks 5 and 8 after both interventions, there was a significant difference in intervention versus time interaction (P<0.02. The effects of CBTI versus placebo were significantly different (P<0.001. The time course was also significant (P<0.001. Conclusion: This study showed that CBTI is more effective than BPT in overall sleep quality. We recommend further studies, with a larger sample, on CBTI in patients undergoing MMT.

Morphology of Poly lactide/Polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) Nano composite by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Zulaiha Hairaldin; Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus; Norazowa Ibrahim

2011-01-01

In this study, Octadecylamine Modified Montmorillonites (ODAMMT) were used to prepare Poly lactide/ Polycaprolactone (PLA/ PCL) nano composites. PLA and PCL mix in 90:10 ratios, using an internal mixer by melt blending technique. The other sample was blend with Natrium Montmorillonite (NaMMT) and Octadecylamine Modified Montmorillonite (ODA-MMT) to produce PLA/ PCL-NaMMT and PLA/ PCL ODAMMT. To characterize the polymer nano composites, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR and SEM analysis were conducted. Comparison of morphology were made up between PLA/ PCL, PLA/ PCL with presence of 7 % of Na-MMT and 7 % ODA-MMT respectively based on SEM micrograph by calculate the number-average diameter. (author)

Applying the expansion method in hierarchical functions to the solution of Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabundjian, Gaiane

1999-01-01

This work presents a novel numeric method, based on the finite element method, applied for the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible fluids in two dimensions in laminar flow. The method is based on the expansion of the variables in almost hierarchical functions. The used expansion functions are based on Legendre polynomials, adjusted in the rectangular elements in a such a way that corner, side and area functions are defined. The order of the expansion functions associated with the sides and with the area of the elements can be adjusted to the necessary or desired degree. This novel numeric method is denominated by Hierarchical Expansion Method. In order to validate the proposed numeric method three well-known problems of the literature in two dimensions are analyzed. The results show the method capacity in supplying precise results. From the results obtained in this thesis it is possible to conclude that the hierarchical expansion method can be applied successfully for the solution of fluid dynamic problems that involve incompressible fluids. (author)

Non-regularized inversion method from light scattering applied to ferrofluid magnetization curves for magnetic size distribution analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rijssel, Jos van; Kuipers, Bonny W.M.; Erné, Ben H.

2014-01-01

A numerical inversion method known from the analysis of light scattering by colloidal dispersions is now applied to magnetization curves of ferrofluids. The distribution of magnetic particle sizes or dipole moments is determined without assuming that the distribution is unimodal or of a particular shape. The inversion method enforces positive number densities via a non-negative least squares procedure. It is tested successfully on experimental and simulated data for ferrofluid samples with known multimodal size distributions. The created computer program MINORIM is made available on the web. - Highlights: • A method from light scattering is applied to analyze ferrofluid magnetization curves. • A magnetic size distribution is obtained without prior assumption of its shape. • The method is tested successfully on ferrofluids with a known size distribution. • The practical limits of the method are explored with simulated data including noise. • This method is implemented in the program MINORIM, freely available online

Applied Ecosystem Analysis - - a Primer : EDT the Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment Method.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lestelle, Lawrence C.; Mobrand, Lars E.

1996-05-01

The aim of this document is to inform and instruct the reader about an approach to ecosystem management that is based upon salmon as an indicator species. It is intended to provide natural resource management professionals with the background information needed to answer questions about why and how to apply the approach. The methods and tools the authors describe are continually updated and refined, so this primer should be treated as a first iteration of a sequentially revised manual.

The LTSN method used in transport equation, applied in nuclear engineering problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borges, Volnei; Vilhena, Marco Tulio de

2002-01-01

The LTS N method solves analytically the S N equations, applying the Laplace transform in the spatial variable. This methodology is used in determination of scalar flux for neutrons and photons, absorbed dose rate, buildup factors and power for a heterogeneous planar slab. This procedure leads to the solution of a transcendental equations for effective multiplication, critical thickness and the atomic density. In this work numerical results are reported, considering multigroup problem in heterogeneous slab. (author)

Applying terminological methods and description logic for creating and implementing and ontology on inhibition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zambach, Sine; Madsen, Bodil Nistrup

2009-01-01

By applying formal terminological methods to model an ontology within the domain of enzyme inhibition, we aim to clarify concepts and to obtain consistency. Additionally, we propose a procedure for implementing this ontology in OWL with the aim of obtaining a strict structure which can form...

Can spatial autocorrelation method be applied to arbitrary array shape; Kukan jiko sokanho no nin`i array eno tekiyo kanosei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, H; Iwamoto, K; Saito, T; Tachibana, M [Iwate University, Iwate (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-05-27

Methods to learn underground structures by utilizing the dispersion phenomenon of surface waves contained in microtremors include the frequency-wave number analysis method (the F-K method) and the spatial autocorrelation method (the SAC method). Despite the fact that the SAC method is capable of exploring structures at greater depths, the method is not utilized because of its stringent restriction in arrangement of seismometers during observation that they must be arranged evenly on the same circumference. In order to eliminate this restriction in the SAC method, a research group in the Hokuriku University has proposed an expanded spatial autocorrelation (ESAC) method. Using the concept of the ESAC method as its base, a method was realized to improve phase velocity estimation by making a simulation on an array shifted to the radius direction. As a result of the discussion, it was found that the proposed improvement method can be applied to places where waves come from a number of directions, such as urban areas. If the improvement method can be applied, the spatial autocorrelation function needs not be even in the circumferential direction. In other words, the SAC method can be applied to arbitrary arrays. 1 ref., 7 figs.

The virtual fields method applied to spalling tests on concrete

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Forquin P.

2012-08-01

Full Text Available For one decade spalling techniques based on the use of a metallic Hopkinson bar put in contact with a concrete sample have been widely employed to characterize the dynamic tensile strength of concrete at strain-rates ranging from a few tens to two hundreds of s−1. However, the processing method mainly based on the use of the velocity profile measured on the rear free surface of the sample (Novikov formula remains quite basic and an identification of the whole softening behaviour of the concrete is out of reach. In the present paper a new processing method is proposed based on the use of the Virtual Fields Method (VFM. First, a digital high speed camera is used to record the pictures of a grid glued on the specimen. Next, full-field measurements are used to obtain the axial displacement field at the surface of the specimen. Finally, a specific virtual field has been defined in the VFM equation to use the acceleration map as an alternative ‘load cell’. This method applied to three spalling tests allowed to identify Young’s modulus during the test. It was shown that this modulus is constant during the initial compressive part of the test and decreases in the tensile part when micro-damage exists. It was also shown that in such a simple inertial test, it was possible to reconstruct average axial stress profiles using only the acceleration data. Then, it was possible to construct local stress-strain curves and derive a tensile strength value.

Super-convergence of Discontinuous Galerkin Method Applied to the Navier-Stokes Equations

Science.gov (United States)

Atkins, Harold L.

2009-01-01

The practical benefits of the hyper-accuracy properties of the discontinuous Galerkin method are examined. In particular, we demonstrate that some flow attributes exhibit super-convergence even in the absence of any post-processing technique. Theoretical analysis suggest that flow features that are dominated by global propagation speeds and decay or growth rates should be super-convergent. Several discrete forms of the discontinuous Galerkin method are applied to the simulation of unsteady viscous flow over a two-dimensional cylinder. Convergence of the period of the naturally occurring oscillation is examined and shown to converge at 2p+1, where p is the polynomial degree of the discontinuous Galerkin basis. Comparisons are made between the different discretizations and with theoretical analysis.

Use of MMT and MMT organoclay in production of starch nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlemmer, D.; Sales, M.J.A.; Macedo, J.L. de; Angelica, R.S.

2010-01-01

Starch can be used to replace petrochemical plastics for short shelf life. However, starch films have poor mechanical strength and sensitivity to moisture. This can be improved through the incorporation of nanoclays, such as montmorillonite, forming nanocomposites. Nanocomposites were prepared with 1, 3, 5 and 10% of montmorillonite, using pequi oil as plasticizer. The clay was also modified with a quaternary ammonium salt. The clays were characterized by XRF, XRD, IR and TG. Results confirmed the organophilization. The nanocomposites diffractograms showed that the addition of small amounts of clay produces delaminated nanocomposites. Already the addition of larger amount of clay does not form nanocomposites, or leads to the formation of intercalated nanocomposites. (author)

21 CFR 111.320 - What requirements apply to laboratory methods for testing and examination?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What requirements apply to laboratory methods for testing and examination? 111.320 Section 111.320 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING...

Caffeine adsorption of montmorillonite in coffee extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiono, Takashi; Yamamoto, Kenichiro; Yotsumoto, Yuko; Yoshida, Aruto

2017-08-01

The growth in health-conscious consumers continues to drive the demand for a wide variety of decaffeinated beverages. We previously developed a new technology using montmorillonite (MMT) in selective decaffeination of tea extract. This study evaluated and compared decaffeination of coffee extract using MMT and activated carbon (AC). MMT adsorbed caffeine without significant adsorption of caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs), feruloylquinic acids (FQAs), dicaffeoylquinic acids (di-CQAs), or caffeoylquinic lactones (CQLs). AC adsorbed caffeine, chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and CQLs simultaneously. The results suggested that the adsorption selectivity for caffeine in coffee extract is higher in MMT than AC. The caffeine adsorption isotherms of MMT in coffee extract fitted well to the Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption properties in coffee extracts from the same species were comparable, regardless of roasting level and locality of growth. Our findings suggest that MMT is a useful adsorbent in the decaffeination of a wide range of coffee extracts.

Thermotropic liquid crystalline polyazomethine nanocomposites via in situ interlayer polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Ungki; Chang, Jin-Hae

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Nanocomposites of polyazomethine with the organoclay C 12 -MMT were synthesized by using the in situ interlayer polymerization method. → The thermal properties of the polyazomethine hybrids increase with the addition of the organoclay up to a critical content and then decrease with further organoclay loading. → Liquid crystalline compositions with 0-9 wt% organoclay have threaded Schlieren nematic textures. - Abstract: Nanocomposites of polyazomethine (PAM) with the organoclay C 12 -MMT were synthesized by using the in situ interlayer polymerization method. The variations with organoclay content of the thermal properties, morphology, and liquid crystalline mesophases of the hybrids were determined for concentrations from 0 to 9 wt% C 12 -MMT. The thermal properties and the morphologies of the PAM nanocomposites were examined by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), wide angle X-ray diffractometry (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The XRD analysis and TEM micrographs show that the levels of nanosize dispersion can be controlled by varying the C 12 -MMT content. The clay particles are better dispersed in the matrix polymer at low clay contents than at high clay contents. With the exception of the glass transition temperature (T g ), the maximum enhancement in the thermal properties was found to arise at an organoclay content of 1 wt%. Further, the PAM hybrids were shown to exhibit a nematic liquid crystalline phase for organoclay contents in the range 0-9 wt%.

Environmental contamination and human exposure to manganese--contribution of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl in unleaded gasoline.

Science.gov (United States)

Zayed, J; Vyskocil, A; Kennedy, G

1999-01-01

The organomanganese compound MMT (methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl), an antiknock additive in unleaded gasoline, has been used in Canada since 1976. Indeed, Canada is the only country where MMT is almost exclusively used. In October 1995, by court decision the Environmental protection Agency (EPA) granted Ethyl's waiver for the use of MMT in the United States. Paradoxically, in 1997 the federal government of Canada adopted a law (C-29) that banned both the interprovincial trade and the importation for commercial purposes of manganese-based substances, including MMT. However, MMT is currently widely used in Canada because of substantial stockpiling, and six Canadian provinces are challenging the law in the courts. Moreover, MMT has been approved for use in Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Russia, and conditionally, in New Zealand. It has been suggested by some scientists that combustion of MMT may be a significant source of exposure to inorganic Mn in urban areas. The crucial question is whether Mn contamination from industrial sources combined with the additional contamination that would result from the widespread use of MMT would lead to toxic effects. Our research efforts have attempted to assess the environmental/ecosystem Mn contamination arising from the combustion of MMT in abiotic and biotic systems as well as human exposure. The experimental evidence acquired so far provides useful information on certain environmental consequences of the use of MMT as well as raising a number of questions. Our results gave evidence indicating that roadside air, soils, plants, and animals may be contaminated by Mn. As well, some specific groups of the population could have a higher level of exposure to Mn. Nevertheless, the levels of exposure remain below international guide values. Further studies and further characterization of dose-response relationships are thus needed to provide successful implementation of evidence-based risk-assessment approaches.

Variation in the Viral Hepatitis and HIV Policies and Practices of Methadone Maintenance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Jessop, Amy B; Hom, Jeffrey K; Burke, Monika

Patients prescribed methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) demonstrate elevated prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, and HIV. Government agencies recommend testing for these infections in MMT programs, but uptake is limited. We audited infection-related policies and practices of all 14 MMT programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2015. Results were tabulated and compared with the results from a 2010 audit of 10 of 12 MMT programs. The audit focused on which patients are tested, timing and frequency, specific tests ordered, vaccination, and communication of test results. Written policies were nonspecific, offering little guidance on appropriate testing. The principal change in policy between 2010 and 2015 involved adding clearer guidance for communication of results to patients. In 2010 and 2015, all MMT programs tested new patients for hepatitis C virus antibodies, although retesting of existing patients varied. HBV testing increased from 2010 to 2015, though it was not uniform, with 5 programs testing for HBV surface antibodies and 10 programs testing for HBV surface antigens. Six programs assessed hepatitis vaccination status, but only 1 administered vaccines. In 2010, city-sponsored HIV antibody testing was available at all MMT programs. Without this program in 2015, few MMT programs conducted HIV testing. Despite limited hepatitis and HIV screening in MMT programs nationally, this study shows that testing can be incorporated into routine procedures. MMT programs are positioned to play an integral role in the identification of patients with chronic infections, but additional guidance and resources are required to maximize their impact.

Pharmacotherapy of Opioid Addiction: "Putting a Real Face on a False Demon".

Science.gov (United States)

Salsitz, E; Wiegand, T

2016-03-01

Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT), a pharmacological treatment for opioid use disorder for the past 50 years, continues to remain controversial. Despite consistent and overwhelming evidence confirming the effectiveness and safety of MMT, misconceptions and myths persist regarding its legitimacy as a treatment for opioid addiction. This often results in the underutilization and limited availability of this treatment modality. Despite successful outcomes, the controversial nature of MMT, and the stigma experienced by the patients on methadone, has been a particularly difficult obstacle to overcome. We present the history of MMT, review the evidence for its efficacy in the treatment of opioid dependence, and explore the origins of the stigma and misconceptions related to MMT.

Synthesis of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/clay nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J.P.; Lyu, S.G. [Yeungnam Univeristy, Kyongsan (Korea); Bae, K.S. [Andong Institute of Information and Technology, Andong (Korea); Sur, G.S. [Yeungnam Univeristy, Kyungsan (Korea)

2001-03-01

MAPTAC-MMT was prepared by exchanging the mineral cation (sodium montmorillonite) with 3-(methacryloyl amino) propyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, thus rendering the mineral organophilic and forming polymerizable moieties directly bonded to the surface of montmorillonite (MMT). Thermoresponsive nanocomposites (PNIPAM-MMT) were synthesized by polymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide in an aqueous suspension of MAPTAC-MMT at room temperature. Thermoresponsive nanocomposites exhibited a low critical solution temperature (LCST) similar to unmodified poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM). The LCST of thermoresponsive nanocomposites decreased in proportion to the amount of MAPTAC-MMT. TGA results showed that the thermal stability of thermoresponsieve nanocomposites was improved compared to PNIPAM itself the thermoresponsive polymer. (author). 25 refs., 9 figs.

Modified Method of Simplest Equation Applied to the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

Science.gov (United States)

Vitanov, Nikolay K.; Dimitrova, Zlatinka I.

2018-03-01

We consider an extension of the methodology of the modified method of simplest equation to the case of use of two simplest equations. The extended methodology is applied for obtaining exact solutions of model nonlinear partial differential equations for deep water waves: the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. It is shown that the methodology works also for other equations of the nonlinear Schrödinger kind.

Morphological, dielectric and electric conductivity characteristics of clay-containing nanohybrids of Poly(N-Vinyl Carbazole) and Polypyrrole

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Haldar, I

2012-10-01

Full Text Available analyses indicated the enhancement of ‘d001’ values in MMT implying intercalation of the polymers into the nano-interlamellar spaces of MMT. The dielectric constants of PNVC-MMT hybrids were improved (60–180) relative to the homopolymer (3...

Simplified inelastic analysis methods applied to fast breeder reactor core design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abo-El-Ata, M.M.

1978-01-01

The paper starts with a review of some currently available simplified inelastic analysis methods used in elevated temperature design for evaluating plastic and thermal creep strains. The primary purpose of the paper is to investigate how these simplified methods may be applied to fast breeder reactor core design where neutron irradiation effects are significant. One of the problems discussed is irradiation-induced creep and its effect on shakedown, ratcheting, and plastic cycling. Another problem is the development of swelling-induced stress which is an additional loading mechanism and must be taken into account. In this respect an expression for swelling-induced stress in the presence of irradiation creep is derived and a model for simplifying the stress analysis under these conditions is proposed. As an example, the effects of irradiation creep and swelling induced stress on the analysis of a thin walled tube under constant internal pressure and intermittent heat fluxes, simulating a fuel pin, is presented

Applying the Network Simulation Method for testing chaos in a resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junction model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Gimeno Bellver

Full Text Available In this paper, we explore the chaotic behavior of resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junctions via the so-called Network Simulation Method. Such a numerical approach establishes a formal equivalence among physical transport processes and electrical networks, and hence, it can be applied to efficiently deal with a wide range of differential systems.The generality underlying that electrical equivalence allows to apply the circuit theory to several scientific and technological problems. In this work, the Fast Fourier Transform has been applied for chaos detection purposes and the calculations have been carried out in PSpice, an electrical circuit software.Overall, it holds that such a numerical approach leads to quickly computationally solve Josephson differential models. An empirical application regarding the study of the Josephson model completes the paper. Keywords: Electrical analogy, Network Simulation Method, Josephson junction, Chaos indicator, Fast Fourier Transform

Perturbative methods applied for sensitive coefficients calculations in thermal-hydraulic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade Lima, F.R. de

1993-01-01

The differential formalism and the Generalized Perturbation Theory (GPT) are applied to sensitivity analysis of thermal-hydraulics problems related to pressurized water reactor cores. The equations describing the thermal-hydraulic behavior of these reactors cores, used in COBRA-IV-I code, are conveniently written. The importance function related to the response of interest and the sensitivity coefficient of this response with respect to various selected parameters are obtained by using Differential and Generalized Perturbation Theory. The comparison among the results obtained with the application of these perturbative methods and those obtained directly with the model developed in COBRA-IV-I code shows a very good agreement. (author)

A methodological framework applied to the choice of the best method in replacement of nuclear systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vianna Filho, Alfredo Marques

2009-01-01

The economic equipment replacement problem is a central question in Nuclear Engineering. On the one hand, new equipment are more attractive given their best performance, better reliability, lower maintenance cost etc. New equipment, however, require a higher initial investment. On the other hand, old equipment represent the other way around, with lower performance, lower reliability and specially higher maintenance costs, but in contrast having lower financial and insurance costs. The weighting of all these costs can be made with deterministic and probabilistic methods applied to the study of equipment replacement. Two types of distinct problems will be examined, substitution imposed by the wearing and substitution imposed by the failures. In order to solve the problem of nuclear system substitution imposed by wearing, deterministic methods are discussed. In order to solve the problem of nuclear system substitution imposed by failures, probabilistic methods are discussed. The aim of this paper is to present a methodological framework to the choice of the most useful method applied in the problem of nuclear system substitution.(author)

A randomized controlled trial of multimodal music therapy for children with anxiety disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldbeck, Lutz; Ellerkamp, Thomas

2012-01-01

Music therapy has been shown to be effective for children with psychopathology, providing an alternative nonverbal approach to the treatment of children with anxiety disorders. This pilot study investigates the efficacy of Multimodal Music Therapy (MMT), a combination of music therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Thirty-six children aged 8-12 years with a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to 15 sessions of MMT or to TAU. Diagnostic status and dimensional outcome variables were assessed at the end of treatment and 4 months later. MMT was superior compared to TAU according to the remission rates after treatment (MMT 67%; TAU 33%; chi2 = 4.0; p = 0.046) and remissions persisted until four months post-treatment. Dimensional measures showed equivalent improvement after either MMT or TAU. The results regarding the efficacy of MMT are promising for children with anxiety disorders. Further evaluation with larger samples and comparisons to pure CBT are recommended.

Modified Method of Simplest Equation Applied to the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitanov Nikolay K.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We consider an extension of the methodology of the modified method of simplest equation to the case of use of two simplest equations. The extended methodology is applied for obtaining exact solutions of model nonlinear partial differential equations for deep water waves: the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. It is shown that the methodology works also for other equations of the nonlinear Schrödinger kind.

Resonating group method as applied to the spectroscopy of α-transfer reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Subbotin, V. B.; Semjonov, V. M.; Gridnev, K. A.; Hefter, E. F.

1983-10-01

In the conventional approach to α-transfer reactions the finite- and/or zero-range distorted-wave Born approximation is used in liaison with a macroscopic description of the captured α particle in the residual nucleus. Here the specific example of 16O(6Li,d)20Ne reactions at different projectile energies is taken to present a microscopic resonating group method analysis of the α particle in the final nucleus (for the reaction part the simple zero-range distorted-wave Born approximation is employed). In the discussion of suitable nucleon-nucleon interactions, force number one of the effective interactions presented by Volkov is shown to be most appropriate for the system considered. Application of the continuous analog of Newton's method to the evaluation of the resonating group method equations yields an increased accuracy with respect to traditional methods. The resonating group method description induces only minor changes in the structures of the angular distributions, but it does serve its purpose in yielding reliable and consistent spectroscopic information. NUCLEAR STRUCTURE 16O(6Li,d)20Ne; E=20 to 32 MeV; calculated B(E2); reduced widths, dσdΩ extracted α-spectroscopic factors. ZRDWBA with microscope RGM description of residual α particle in 20Ne; application of continuous analog of Newton's method; tested and applied Volkov force No. 1; direct mechanism.

The Evaluation of Relationship between Sexual Self-concept and Sexual Dysfunction in Individuals Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Rajabizadeh, Ghodratolah; Yazdanpanah, Fatemeh; Ramezani, Mohammad Arash

2017-01-01

Background The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a causal model for the evaluation of sexual dysfunctions based on the variables of methadone dosage and sexual self-concept among individuals undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Methods The study population of the present study consisted of married men of 20 to 45 years of age with sexual ýrelations and undergoing MMT for a minimum of 8 weeks referring to all MMT clinics of Kerman, Iran, in ýý2015-2016. ýThe subjects were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling (n = 250). Data were collected using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Multi-Dimensional Sexual Self-concept Questionnaire (MSSQ), and Internal Index for Erectile Function (IIEF). Data were analyzed using path analysis method and Pearson correlation coefficient. The suggested model was evaluated using structural equation model (SEM), and indirect relationships were assessed using Bootstrap method. Findings The suggested model showed acceptable fitness with the data, and all routes, except methadone use route, to sexual function were significant. The result of the multiple ýindirect route showed that sexual function had a significant relationship with methadone use through ýsexual self-concept. In total, 60% of variance in sexual dysfunction was explained using the variables of the suggested model. Conclusion Further studies are suggested to be conducted regarding psychological factors effective on the sexual dysfunctions among individuals undergoing MMT, such as sexual self-concept. Moreover, more detailed evaluation of each subscale of positive and negative sexual self-concept is recommended to assess the psychological causes of sexual dysfunctions in these individuals and design psychological, behavioral, and cognitive-behavioral treatment interventions for them. PMID:29299211

Splendor and misery of the distorted wave method applied to heavy ions transfer reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mermaz, M.C.

1979-01-01

The success and failure of the Distorted Wave Method (DWM) applied to heavy ion transfer reactions are illustrated by few examples: one and multi-nucleon transfer reactions induced by 15 N and 18 O on 28 Si target nucleus performed on the vicinity of Coulomb barrier respectively at 44 and 56 MeV incident energy

A Review of Auditing Methods Applied to the Content of Controlled Biomedical Terminologies

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xinxin; Fan, Jung-Wei; Baorto, David M.; Weng, Chunhua; Cimino, James J.

2012-01-01

Although controlled biomedical terminologies have been with us for centuries, it is only in the last couple of decades that close attention has been paid to the quality of these terminologies. The result of this attention has been the development of auditing methods that apply formal methods to assessing whether terminologies are complete and accurate. We have performed an extensive literature review to identify published descriptions of these methods and have created a framework for characterizing them. The framework considers manual, systematic and heuristic methods that use knowledge (within or external to the terminology) to measure quality factors of different aspects of the terminology content (terms, semantic classification, and semantic relationships). The quality factors examined included concept orientation, consistency, non-redundancy, soundness and comprehensive coverage. We reviewed 130 studies that were retrieved based on keyword search on publications in PubMed, and present our assessment of how they fit into our framework. We also identify which terminologies have been audited with the methods and provide examples to illustrate each part of the framework. PMID:19285571

Artificial Intelligence in Numerical Modeling of Silver Nanoparticles Prepared in Montmorillonite Interlayer Space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvaneh Shabanzadeh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Artificial neural network (ANN models have the capacity to eliminate the need for expensive experimental investigation in various areas of manufacturing processes, including the casting methods. An understanding of the interrelationships between input variables is essential for interpreting the sensitivity data and optimizing the design parameters. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs have attracted considerable attention for chemical, physical, and medical applications due to their exceptional properties. The nanocrystal silver was synthesized into an interlamellar space of montmorillonite by using the chemical reduction technique. The method has an advantage of size control which is essential in nanometals synthesis. Silver nanoparticles with nanosize and devoid of aggregation are favorable for several properties. In this investigation, the accuracy of artificial neural network training algorithm was applied in studying the effects of different parameters on the particles, including the AgNO3 concentration, reaction temperature, UV-visible wavelength, and montmorillonite (MMT d-spacing on the prediction of size of silver nanoparticles. Analysis of the variance showed that the AgNO3 concentration and temperature were the most significant factors affecting the size of silver nanoparticles. Using the best performing artificial neural network, the optimum conditions predicted were a concentration of AgNO3 of 1.0 (M, MMT d-spacing of 1.27 nm, reaction temperature of 27°C, and wavelength of 397.50 nm.

24 CFR 1000.54 - What procedures apply to complaints arising out of any of the methods of providing for Indian...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What procedures apply to complaints arising out of any of the methods of providing for Indian preference? 1000.54 Section 1000.54 Housing and... ACTIVITIES General § 1000.54 What procedures apply to complaints arising out of any of the methods of...

Coda Wave Interferometry Method Applied in Structural Monitoring to Assess Damage Evolution in Masonry and Concrete Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masera, D; Bocca, P; Grazzini, A

2011-01-01

In this experimental program the main goal is to monitor the damage evolution in masonry and concrete structures by Acoustic Emission (AE) signal analysis applying a well-know seismic method. For this reason the concept of the coda wave interferometry is applied to AE signal recorded during the tests. Acoustic Emission (AE) are very effective non-destructive techniques applied to identify micro and macro-defects and their temporal evolution in several materials. This technique permits to estimate the velocity of ultrasound waves propagation and the amount of energy released during fracture propagation to obtain information on the criticality of the ongoing process. By means of AE monitoring, an experimental analysis on a set of reinforced masonry walls under variable amplitude loading and strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) beams under monotonic static load has been carried out. In the reinforced masonry wall, cyclic fatigue stress has been applied to accelerate the static creep and to forecast the corresponding creep behaviour of masonry under static long-time loading. During the tests, the evaluation of fracture growth is monitored by coda wave interferometry which represents a novel approach in structural monitoring based on AE relative change velocity of coda signal. In general, the sensitivity of coda waves has been used to estimate velocity changes in fault zones, in volcanoes, in a mining environment, and in ultrasound experiments. This method uses multiple scattered waves, which travelled through the material along numerous paths, to infer tiny temporal changes in the wave velocity. The applied method has the potential to be used as a 'damage-gauge' for monitoring velocity changes as a sign of damage evolution into masonry and concrete structures.

Coda Wave Interferometry Method Applied in Structural Monitoring to Assess Damage Evolution in Masonry and Concrete Structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masera, D; Bocca, P; Grazzini, A, E-mail: davide.masera@polito.it [Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering - Politecnico di Torino, corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin (Italy)

2011-07-19

In this experimental program the main goal is to monitor the damage evolution in masonry and concrete structures by Acoustic Emission (AE) signal analysis applying a well-know seismic method. For this reason the concept of the coda wave interferometry is applied to AE signal recorded during the tests. Acoustic Emission (AE) are very effective non-destructive techniques applied to identify micro and macro-defects and their temporal evolution in several materials. This technique permits to estimate the velocity of ultrasound waves propagation and the amount of energy released during fracture propagation to obtain information on the criticality of the ongoing process. By means of AE monitoring, an experimental analysis on a set of reinforced masonry walls under variable amplitude loading and strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) beams under monotonic static load has been carried out. In the reinforced masonry wall, cyclic fatigue stress has been applied to accelerate the static creep and to forecast the corresponding creep behaviour of masonry under static long-time loading. During the tests, the evaluation of fracture growth is monitored by coda wave interferometry which represents a novel approach in structural monitoring based on AE relative change velocity of coda signal. In general, the sensitivity of coda waves has been used to estimate velocity changes in fault zones, in volcanoes, in a mining environment, and in ultrasound experiments. This method uses multiple scattered waves, which travelled through the material along numerous paths, to infer tiny temporal changes in the wave velocity. The applied method has the potential to be used as a 'damage-gauge' for monitoring velocity changes as a sign of damage evolution into masonry and concrete structures.

Physical and mechanical properties of hybrid montmorillonite/zinc oxide reinforced carboxymethyl cellulose nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahedi, Younes; Fathi-Achachlouei, Bahram; Yousefi, Ali Reza

2018-03-01

In this research, a novel carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based nanocomposite films containing sodium montmorillonite (MMT) (5%wt) and zinc oxide (ZnO) (1, 2, 3 and 4%wt) nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated via casting method. The results revealed that addition of NPs decreased water vapor permeability of the films by about 53%, while moisture content, density and glass transition temperature increased. The nanomaterials enhanced resistance of the nanocomposites against tensile stress at the expense of elongation at break. Nano-ZnO was very effective than nanoclay in UV-light blocking (99% vs. 60%) associated with sacrificing the films transparency. Formation of hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups of CMC and MMT was evidenced by FTIR spectroscopy. According to the XRD analysis, clay nanolayers formed an exfoliated structure in the nanocomposites, whereas ZnO NPs raised crystallinity. SEM micrographs showed well-dispersed MMT and ZnO NPs through the films surface. Antibacterial test showed that vulnerability of Gram-positive S. aureus toward ZnO NPs was more than that of Gram-negative E. Coli. In conclusion, simultaneous incorporation of MMT and ZnO NPs improved the functional characteristics of CMC film and extended the potential for food packaging applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Least-square NUFFT methods applied to 2-D and 3-D radially encoded MR image reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jiayu; Liu, Yanhui; Gewalt, Sally L; Cofer, Gary; Johnson, G Allan; Liu, Qing Huo

2009-04-01

Radially encoded MRI has gained increasing attention due to its motion insensitivity and reduced artifacts. However, because its samples are collected nonuniformly in the k-space, multidimensional (especially 3-D) radially sampled MRI image reconstruction is challenging. The objective of this paper is to develop a reconstruction technique in high dimensions with on-the-fly kernel calculation. It implements general multidimensional nonuniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT) algorithms and incorporates them into a k-space image reconstruction framework. The method is then applied to reconstruct from the radially encoded k-space data, although the method is applicable to any non-Cartesian patterns. Performance comparisons are made against the conventional Kaiser-Bessel (KB) gridding method for 2-D and 3-D radially encoded computer-simulated phantoms and physically scanned phantoms. The results show that the NUFFT reconstruction method has better accuracy-efficiency tradeoff than the KB gridding method when the kernel weights are calculated on the fly. It is found that for a particular conventional kernel function, using its corresponding deapodization function as a scaling factor in the NUFFT framework has the potential to improve accuracy. In particular, when a cosine scaling factor is used, the NUFFT method is faster than KB gridding method since a closed-form solution is available and is less computationally expensive than the KB kernel (KB griding requires computation of Bessel functions). The NUFFT method has been successfully applied to 2-D and 3-D in vivo studies on small animals.

Numerical consideration for multiscale statistical process control method applied to nuclear material accountancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Mitsutoshi; Hori, Masato; Asou, Ryoji; Usuda, Shigekazu

2006-01-01

The multiscale statistical process control (MSSPC) method is applied to clarify the elements of material unaccounted for (MUF) in large scale reprocessing plants using numerical calculations. Continuous wavelet functions are used to decompose the process data, which simulate batch operation superimposed by various types of disturbance, and the disturbance components included in the data are divided into time and frequency spaces. The diagnosis of MSSPC is applied to distinguish abnormal events from the process data and shows how to detect abrupt and protracted diversions using principle component analysis. Quantitative performance of MSSPC for the time series data is shown with average run lengths given by Monte-Carlo simulation to compare to the non-detection probability β. Recent discussion about bias corrections in material balances is introduced and another approach is presented to evaluate MUF without assuming the measurement error model. (author)

A METHOD FOR PREPARING A SUBSTRATE BY APPLYING A SAMPLE TO BE ANALYSED

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

The invention relates to a method for preparing a substrate (105a) comprising a sample reception area (110) and a sensing area (111). The method comprises the steps of: 1) applying a sample on the sample reception area; 2) rotating the substrate around a predetermined axis; 3) during rotation......, at least part of the liquid travels from the sample reception area to the sensing area due to capillary forces acting between the liquid and the substrate; and 4) removing the wave of particles and liquid formed at one end of the substrate. The sensing area is closer to the predetermined axis than...... the sample reception area. The sample comprises a liquid part and particles suspended therein....

Complementary variational principle method applied to thermal conductivities of a plasma in a uniform magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sehgal, A K; Gupta, S C [Punjabi Univ., Patiala (India). Dept. of Physics

1982-12-14

The complementary variational principles method (CVP) is applied to the thermal conductivities of a plasma in a uniform magnetic field. The results of computations show that the CVP derived results are very useful.

The Cn method applied to problems with an anisotropic diffusion law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grandjean, P.M.

A 2-dimensional Cn calculation has been applied to homogeneous media subjected to the Rayleigh impact law. Results obtained with collision probabilities and Chandrasekhar calculations are compared to those from Cn method. Introducing in the expression of the transport equation, an expansion truncated on a polynomial basis for the outgoing angular flux (or possibly entrance flux) gives two Cn systems of algebraic linear equations for the expansion coefficients. The matrix elements of these equations are the moments of the Green function in infinite medium. The search for the Green function is effected through the Fourier transformation of the integrodifferential equation and its moments are derived from their Fourier transforms through a numerical integration in the complex plane. The method has been used for calculating the albedo in semi-infinite media, the extrapolation length of the Milne problem, and the albedo and transmission factor of a slab (a concise study of convergence is presented). A system of integro-differential equations bearing on the moments of the angular flux inside the medium has been derived, for the collision probability method. It is numerically solved with approximately the bulk flux by step functions. The albedo in semi-infinite medium has also been computed through the semi-analytical Chandrasekhar method. In the latter, the outgoing flux is expressed as a function of the entrance flux by means of a integral whose kernel is numerically derived [fr

Study of different ultrasonic focusing methods applied to non destructive testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Amrani, M.

1995-01-01

The work presented in this thesis concerns the study of different ultrasonic focusing techniques applied to Nondestructive Testing (mechanical focusing and electronic focusing) and compares their capabilities. We have developed a model to predict the ultrasonic field radiated into a solid by water-coupled transducers. The model is based upon the Rayleigh integral formulation, modified to take account the refraction at the liquid-solid interface. The model has been validated by numerous experiments in various configurations. Running this model and the associated software, we have developed new methods to optimize focused transducers and studied the characteristics of the beam generated by transducers using various focusing techniques. (author). 120 refs., 95 figs., 4 appends

Multimedia technologies in university libraries: opportunities and tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tavalbekh Serkhan Ali

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Multimedia technologies (MMT are considered as a factor of qualitative changes of informational environment of education. Leading role of libraries in the process of integration of MMT environment of university is determined. Influence of libraries experience in usage of informational technologies both traditional and computer-aided, Internet in particular is observed. Determined that introduction of MMT noticeable improving the importance of library in MMT environment organization of universities, improvement of library informational service. Tasks of university libraries with integration into united media space are defining.

Determination of the calcium salt content on the trunk skeleton and on the peripheral bone applying the Compton backscattering method and the ashing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, K.W.

1974-01-01

The Compton backscattering method is applied to determine the bone decalcification. Post mortal excised calcanei and vertebral bodies of 50 people are taken as investigation objects which are examined for their calcium salt content and are then ashed for control measurement. The results show that the method would be better suited to early diagnosis of calcipenic osteopathy than the densitometric method used today on extremity bones. (ORU/LH) [de

Solution of the neutron point kinetics equations with temperature feedback effects applying the polynomial approach method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tumelero, Fernanda; Petersen, Claudio Z.; Goncalves, Glenio A.; Lazzari, Luana

2015-01-01

In this work, we present a solution of the Neutron Point Kinetics Equations with temperature feedback effects applying the Polynomial Approach Method. For the solution, we consider one and six groups of delayed neutrons precursors with temperature feedback effects and constant reactivity. The main idea is to expand the neutron density, delayed neutron precursors and temperature as a power series considering the reactivity as an arbitrary function of the time in a relatively short time interval around an ordinary point. In the first interval one applies the initial conditions of the problem and the analytical continuation is used to determine the solutions of the next intervals. With the application of the Polynomial Approximation Method it is possible to overcome the stiffness problem of the equations. In such a way, one varies the time step size of the Polynomial Approach Method and performs an analysis about the precision and computational time. Moreover, we compare the method with different types of approaches (linear, quadratic and cubic) of the power series. The answer of neutron density and temperature obtained by numerical simulations with linear approximation are compared with results in the literature. (author)

Solution of the neutron point kinetics equations with temperature feedback effects applying the polynomial approach method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tumelero, Fernanda, E-mail: fernanda.tumelero@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica; Petersen, Claudio Z.; Goncalves, Glenio A.; Lazzari, Luana, E-mail: claudiopeteren@yahoo.com.br, E-mail: gleniogoncalves@yahoo.com.br, E-mail: luana-lazzari@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal de Pelotas (DME/UFPEL), Capao do Leao, RS (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica e Matematica

2015-07-01

In this work, we present a solution of the Neutron Point Kinetics Equations with temperature feedback effects applying the Polynomial Approach Method. For the solution, we consider one and six groups of delayed neutrons precursors with temperature feedback effects and constant reactivity. The main idea is to expand the neutron density, delayed neutron precursors and temperature as a power series considering the reactivity as an arbitrary function of the time in a relatively short time interval around an ordinary point. In the first interval one applies the initial conditions of the problem and the analytical continuation is used to determine the solutions of the next intervals. With the application of the Polynomial Approximation Method it is possible to overcome the stiffness problem of the equations. In such a way, one varies the time step size of the Polynomial Approach Method and performs an analysis about the precision and computational time. Moreover, we compare the method with different types of approaches (linear, quadratic and cubic) of the power series. The answer of neutron density and temperature obtained by numerical simulations with linear approximation are compared with results in the literature. (author)

Total Monte-Carlo method applied to the assessment of uncertainties in a reactivity-initiated accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cruz, D.F. da; Rochman, D.; Koning, A.J. [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group NRG, Petten (Netherlands)

2014-07-01

The Total Monte-Carlo (TMC) method has been applied extensively since 2008 to propagate the uncertainties in nuclear data for reactor parameters and fuel inventory, and for several types of advanced nuclear systems. The analyses have been performed considering different levels of complexity, ranging from a single fuel rod to a full 3-D reactor core at steady-state. The current work applies the TMC method for a full 3-D pressurized water reactor core model under steady-state and transient conditions, considering thermal-hydraulic feedback. As a transient scenario the study focused on a reactivity-initiated accident, namely a control rod ejection accident initiated by a mechanical failure of the control rod drive mechanism. The uncertainties on the main reactor parameters due to variations in nuclear data for the isotopes {sup 235},{sup 238}U, {sup 239}Pu and thermal scattering data for {sup 1}H in water were quantified. (author)

Applying contemporary statistical techniques

CERN Document Server

Wilcox, Rand R

2003-01-01

Applying Contemporary Statistical Techniques explains why traditional statistical methods are often inadequate or outdated when applied to modern problems. Wilcox demonstrates how new and more powerful techniques address these problems far more effectively, making these modern robust methods understandable, practical, and easily accessible.* Assumes no previous training in statistics * Explains how and why modern statistical methods provide more accurate results than conventional methods* Covers the latest developments on multiple comparisons * Includes recent advanc

A nanohybrid system for taste masking of sildenafil

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji-Hee; Choi, Goeun; Oh, Yeon-Ji; Park, Je Won; Choy, Young Bin; Park, Mung Chul; Yoon, Yeo Joon; Lee, Hwa Jeong; Chang, Hee Chul; Choy, Jin-Ho

2012-01-01

A nanohybrid was prepared with an inorganic clay material, montmorillonite (MMT), for taste masking of sildenafil (SDN). To further improve the taste-masking efficiency and enhance the drug-release rate, we coated the nanohybrid of SDN–MMT with a basic polymer, polyvinylacetal diethylaminoacetate (AEA). Powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared experiments showed that SDN was successfully intercalated into the interlayer space of MMT. The AEA-coated SDN–MMT nanohybrid showed drug release was much suppressed at neutral pH (release rate, 4.70 ± 0.53%), suggesting a potential for drug taste masking at the buccal cavity. We also performed in vitro drug release experiments in a simulated gastric fluid (pH = 1.2) and compared the drug-release profiles of AEA-coated SDN–MMT and Viagra®, an approved dosage form of SDN. As a result, about 90% of SDN was released from the AEA-coated SDN–MMT during the first 2 hours while almost 100% of drug was released from Viagra®. However, an in vivo experiment showed that the AEA-coated SDN–MMT exhibited higher drug exposure than Viagra®. For the AEA-coated SDN–MMT, the area under the plasma concentration– time curve from 0 hours to infinity (AUC0-∞) and maximum concentration (Cmax) were 78.8 ± 2.32 μg · hour/mL and 12.4 ± 0.673 μg/mL, respectively, both of which were larger than those obtained with Viagra® (AUC0-∞ = 69.2 ± 3.19 μg · hour/mL; Cmax = 10.5 ± 0.641 μg/mL). Therefore, we concluded that the MMT-based nanohybrid is a promising delivery system for taste masking of SDN with possibly improved drug exposure. PMID:22619517

Obtenção de nanocompósitos condutores de montmorilonita/polipirrol: efeito da incorporação do surfactante na estrutura e propriedades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sílvia Daniela Araújo da Silva Ramôa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nanocompósitos de montmorilonita/polipirrol (MMT/PPy foram preparados a partir da polimerização in situ do pirrol na presença de argila, bentonita sódica natural, (MMT-Na+ em solução aquosa com ou sem surfactante aniônico, dodecil sulfato de sódio (SDS, utilizando-se o cloreto de ferro (III hexahidratado (FeCl3.6H2O, como oxidante. A estrutura e propriedades dos nanocompósitos obtidos pela polimerização in situ do pirrol na presença de SDS (MMT/PPy.SDS e sem surfactante (MMT/PPy foram avaliadas e comparadas a partir da espectroscopia de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR, difração de raios X (DRX, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV, microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET, análise termogravimétrica (TG e método padrão quatro pontas. Os difratogramas dos nanocompósitos revelaram que o espaçamento basal d001 da MMT (1,42 nm foi alterado para valores maiores, indicando a intercalação do PPy na MMT para ambos os nanocompósitos obtidos. Os difratogramas e as imagens de MET e MEV dos nanocompósitos de MMT/PPy.SDS confirmaram que a presença do SDS na reação promoveu, além da intercalação, esfoliação parcial da argila. Os nanocompósitos MMT/PPy.SDS apresentaram condutividade elétrica (9,50 S/cm maior do que o nanocompósito de MMT/PPy (4,44 S/cm. A presença da argila melhorou de forma significativa a estabilidade térmica do PPy.

Social and structural barriers for adherence to methadone maintenance treatment among Vietnamese opioid dependence patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Bach Xuan; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Tran, Tung Thanh; Latkin, Carl A

2018-01-01

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) services may reduce the risk of HIV transmission if patients completely adhere to the treatment. Identifying adherence patterns and potential related factors is vital for the sustainability of MMT program in Vietnam. This study examined social and structural factors associated with adherence to MMT among patients in different service delivery models. A total of 510 patients at three MMT clinics in Hanoi were interviewed. Measures of self-reported adherence included the number of missed doses in the past 7 days and the level of adherence in the past 30 days using a visual analog scale (VAS) scoring from 0 (non-adherence) to 100 (perfect adherence). Multivariate regressions were employed to identify factors associated with non-adherence to MMT. A total of 17.7% of participants reported incomplete MMT adherence in the last 30 days and 8.3% reported missing a dose in the last seven days, respectively. Living with HIV/AIDS, poor self-care and usual activities, and disclosure of health issues to spouses or intimate partners were associated with non-adherence. Those patients with pain or depression were more likely to report better adherence. Disclosing health status to spouse/partner increased the risk of incomplete adherence, while disclosing to friends reduced the number of missed dose in the last seven days. Patients attending clinics with comprehensive services had a lower VAS score of adherence compared to those enrolling in clinics with only MMT and general health care. Sustaining the compliance of patients to MMT is principal in the rapid expansion of this service in Vietnam. It is necessary to address the complexity of health care demands of drug users, their difficulties to be rehabilitated into workforce and society, and the stigmatization to maximize the outcomes of MMT program.

Nystro¨m method applied to integral formulation of the neutron transport equation in X-Y geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azevedo, Fabio S.; Sauter, Esequia; Konzen, Pedro H.A.; Barichello, Liliane B., E-mail: fabio.azevedo@ufrgs.br, E-mail: esequia.sauter@ufrgs.br, E-mail: pedro.konzen@ufrgs.br, E-mail: lbaric@mat.ufrgs.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Departamento de Matem´atica Pura e Aplicada

2017-07-01

Neutron transport problems in X-Y geometry have been solved with several techniques in last decades but it is still a challenge to produce a good balance between computational efficiency and accuracy. In this work, we address this problem by efficiently applying the Nystr¨om method to the integral formulation of the transport equation. Analytical techniques, modern numerical packages and optimized implementation were applied to reduce the computational time. This method presented results free of ray effects leading to high accurate numerical results for two-dimensional scalar flux. Our implementation simulates homogeneous problems with vacuum and reflective boundary conditions. Results were validated with up to seven significant digits and compared with those available in the literature. (author)

Complex Method Mixed with PSO Applying to Optimization Design of Bridge Crane Girder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Yan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In engineer design, basic complex method has not enough global search ability for the nonlinear optimization problem, so it mixed with particle swarm optimization (PSO has been presented in the paper,that is the optimal particle evaluated from fitness function of particle swarm displacement complex vertex in order to realize optimal principle of the largest complex central distance.This method is applied to optimization design problems of box girder of bridge crane with constraint conditions.At first a mathematical model of the girder optimization has been set up,in which box girder cross section area of bridge crane is taken as the objective function, and its four sizes parameters as design variables, girder mechanics performance, manufacturing process, border sizes and so on requirements as constraint conditions. Then complex method mixed with PSO is used to solve optimization design problem of cane box girder from constrained optimization studying approach, and its optimal results have achieved the goal of lightweight design and reducing the crane manufacturing cost . The method is reliable, practical and efficient by the practical engineer calculation and comparative analysis with basic complex method.

Analytical Plug-In Method for Kernel Density Estimator Applied to Genetic Neutrality Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samir Saoudi

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The plug-in method enables optimization of the bandwidth of the kernel density estimator in order to estimate probability density functions (pdfs. Here, a faster procedure than that of the common plug-in method is proposed. The mean integrated square error (MISE depends directly upon J(f which is linked to the second-order derivative of the pdf. As we intend to introduce an analytical approximation of J(f, the pdf is estimated only once, at the end of iterations. These two kinds of algorithm are tested on different random variables having distributions known for their difficult estimation. Finally, they are applied to genetic data in order to provide a better characterisation in the mean of neutrality of Tunisian Berber populations.

Applied environmetrics. Simulation applied to the physical environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beer, T

1988-02-01

Environmetrics is the application of quantitative methods to all aspects of the social and natural environment. This includes forecasting, mathematical modelling, data analysis, and statistics. Applied Environmetrics as a discipline involves the analysis of environmental data through the use of packaged, or specially designed computer software. Two case studies of recent implementations of applied environmetrics within the Australian mining industry are dealt with. 3 figs., 5 refs.

A Framework Applied Three Ways: Responsive Methods of Co-Developing and Implementing Community Science Solutions for Local Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, M.; Pandya, R.; Udu-gama, N.; Wilkins, S.

2017-12-01

While one-size-fits all may work for most hats, it rarely does for communities. Research products, methods and knowledge may be usable at a local scale, but applying them often presents a challenge due to issues like availability, accessibility, awareness, lack of trust, and time. However, in an environment with diminishing federal investment in issues related climate change, natural hazards, and natural resource use and management, the ability of communities to access and leverage science has never been more urgent. Established, yet responsive frameworks and methods can help scientists and communities work together to identify and address specific challenges and leverage science to make a local impact. Through the launch of over 50 community science projects since 2013, the Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) has created a living framework consisting of a set of milestones by which teams of scientists and community leaders navigate the challenges of working together. Central to the framework are context, trust, project planning and refinement, relationship management and community impact. We find that careful and respectful partnership management results in trust and an open exchange of information. Community science partnerships grounded in local priorities result in the development and exchange of stronger decision-relevant tools, resources and knowledge. This presentation will explore three methods TEX uses to apply its framework to community science partnerships: cohort-based collaboration, online dialogues, and one-on-one consultation. The choice of method should be responsive to a community's needs and working style. For example, a community may require customized support, desire the input and support of peers, or require consultation with multiple experts before deciding on a course of action. Knowing and applying the method of engagement best suited to achieve the community's objectives will ensure that the science is most effectively translated and applied.

Willingness to pay for methadone maintenance treatment in Vietnamese epicentres of injection-drug-driven HIV infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Bach Xuan

2013-07-01

Willingness to pay for methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in three Vietnamese epicentres of injection-drug-driven human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was assessed. A convenience sample of 1016 patients receiving HIV treatment in seven clinics was enrolled during 2012. Contingent valuation was used to assess willingness to pay. Interviewers reviewed adverse consequences of injection drug use and the benefits of MMT. Interviewers then described the government's plan to scale up MMT and the financial barriers to scale-up. Willingness to pay was assessed using double-bounded binary questions and a follow-up open-ended question. Point and interval data models were used to estimate maximum willingness to pay. A total of 548 non-drug-users and 468 injection drug users were enrolled; 988 were willing to pay for MMT. Monthly mean willingness to pay among non-drug-users, 347 drug users not receiving MMT and 121 drug users receiving MMT was 10.7 United States dollars [US$] (35.7% of treatment costs), US$ 21.1 (70.3%) and US$ 26.2 (87.3%), respectively (mean: US$ 15.9; 95% confidence interval, CI: 13.6-18.1). Fifty per cent of drug users were willing to pay 50% of MMT costs. Residence in households with low monthly per capita income and poor health status predicted willingness to pay less among drug users; educational level, employment status, health status and current antiretroviral therapy receipt predicted willingness to pay less among non-drug-users. Willingness to pay for MMT was very high, supporting implementation of a co-payment programme.

A reflective lens: applying critical systems thinking and visual methods to ecohealth research.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleland, Deborah; Wyborn, Carina

2010-12-01

Critical systems methodology has been advocated as an effective and ethical way to engage with the uncertainty and conflicting values common to ecohealth problems. We use two contrasting case studies, coral reef management in the Philippines and national park management in Australia, to illustrate the value of critical systems approaches in exploring how people respond to environmental threats to their physical and spiritual well-being. In both cases, we used visual methods--participatory modeling and rich picturing, respectively. The critical systems methodology, with its emphasis on reflection, guided an appraisal of the research process. A discussion of these two case studies suggests that visual methods can be usefully applied within a critical systems framework to offer new insights into ecohealth issues across a diverse range of socio-political contexts. With this article, we hope to open up a conversation with other practitioners to expand the use of visual methods in integrated research.

Applying of whole-tree harvesting method; Kokopuujuontomenetelmaen soveltaminen aines- ja energiapuun hankintaan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vesisenaho, T [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Liukkonen, S [VTT Manufacturing Technology, Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-01

The objective of this project is to apply whole-tree harvesting method to Finnish timber harvesting conditions in order to lower the harvesting costs of energy wood and timber in spruce-dominant final cuttings. In Finnish conditions timber harvesting is normally based on the log-length method. Because of small landings and the high level of thinning cuttings, whole-tree skidding methods cannot be utilised extensively. The share of stands which could be harvested with whole-tree skidding method showed up to be about 10 % of the total harvesting amount of 50 mill. m{sup 3}. The corresponding harvesting potential of energy wood is 0,25 Mtoe. The aim of the structural measurements made in this project was to get information about the effect of different hauling methods into the structural response of the tractor, and thus reveal the possible special requirements that the new whole-tree skidding places forest tractor design. Altogether 7 strain gauge based sensors were mounted into the rear frame structures and drive shafts of the forest tractor. Five strain gauges measured local strains in some critical details and two sensors measured the torque moments of the front and rear bogie drive shafts. Also the revolution speed of the rear drive shaft was recorded. Signal time histories, maximum peaks, Time at Level distributions and Rainflow distributions were gathered in different hauling modes. From these, maximum values, average stress levels and fatigue life estimates were calculated for each mode, and a comparison of the different methods from the structural point of view was performed

Montmorillonite surface properties and sorption characteristics for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ijagbemi, Christianah Olakitan; Baek, Mi-Hwa; Kim, Dong-Su

2009-01-01

Surface properties of montmorillonite (MMT) and its adsorption characteristics for heavy metals have been investigated with nickel and copper as sorbate from aqueous solutions. Employing the potentiometric and mass titration techniques in batch experimental methods, the point of zero charge (PZC) and point of zero net proton charge (PZNPC) of MMT edges at different ionic strengths present pH PZC and pH PZNPC to be 3.4 ± 0.2. A crossing point was observed for the proton adsorption vs. pH curves at different ionic strengths of KCl electrolyte and in investigating MMT remediation potentialities as sorbent for heavy metals polluted waters, the effects of heavy metal concentration, pH, MMT dosage, reaction time and temperature for Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ uptake were studied. The sorption of metal ions by MMT was pH dependent and the adsorption kinetics revealed sorption rate could be well fitted by the pseudo-second-order rate model. The data according to mass transfer and intraparticle diffusion models confirmed diffusion of solutes inside the clay particles as the rate-controlling step and more important for the adsorption rate than the external mass transfer. Adsorption isotherms showed that the uptake of Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ could be described by the Langmuir model and from calculations on thermodynamic parameters, the positive ΔG o values at different temperatures suggest that the sorption of both metal ions were non-spontaneous. Change in enthalpy (ΔH o ) for Ni 2+ and Cu 2+ were 28.9 and 13.27 kJ/mol K respectively, hence an endothermic diffusion process, as ion uptake increased with increase in temperature. Values of ΔS o indicate low randomness at the solid/solution interface during the uptake of both Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ by MMT. Montmorillonite has a considerable potential for the removal of heavy metal cationic species from aqueous solution and wastewater.

Applying electric field to charged and polar particles between metallic plates: extension of the Ewald method.

Science.gov (United States)

Takae, Kyohei; Onuki, Akira

2013-09-28

We develop an efficient Ewald method of molecular dynamics simulation for calculating the electrostatic interactions among charged and polar particles between parallel metallic plates, where we may apply an electric field with an arbitrary size. We use the fact that the potential from the surface charges is equivalent to the sum of those from image charges and dipoles located outside the cell. We present simulation results on boundary effects of charged and polar fluids, formation of ionic crystals, and formation of dipole chains, where the applied field and the image interaction are crucial. For polar fluids, we find a large deviation of the classical Lorentz-field relation between the local field and the applied field due to pair correlations along the applied field. As general aspects, we clarify the difference between the potential-fixed and the charge-fixed boundary conditions and examine the relationship between the discrete particle description and the continuum electrostatics.

Least Square NUFFT Methods Applied to 2D and 3D Radially Encoded MR Image Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jiayu; Liu, Qing H.; Gewalt, Sally L.; Cofer, Gary; Johnson, G. Allan

2009-01-01

Radially encoded MR imaging (MRI) has gained increasing attention in applications such as hyperpolarized gas imaging, contrast-enhanced MR angiography, and dynamic imaging, due to its motion insensitivity and improved artifact properties. However, since the technique collects k-space samples nonuniformly, multidimensional (especially 3D) radially sampled MRI image reconstruction is challenging. The balance between reconstruction accuracy and speed becomes critical when a large data set is processed. Kaiser-Bessel gridding reconstruction has been widely used for non-Cartesian reconstruction. The objective of this work is to provide an alternative reconstruction option in high dimensions with on-the-fly kernels calculation. The work develops general multi-dimensional least square nonuniform fast Fourier transform (LS-NUFFT) algorithms and incorporates them into a k-space simulation and image reconstruction framework. The method is then applied to reconstruct the radially encoded k-space, although the method addresses general nonuniformity and is applicable to any non-Cartesian patterns. Performance assessments are made by comparing the LS-NUFFT based method with the conventional Kaiser-Bessel gridding method for 2D and 3D radially encoded computer simulated phantoms and physically scanned phantoms. The results show that the LS-NUFFT reconstruction method has better accuracy-speed efficiency than the Kaiser-Bessel gridding method when the kernel weights are calculated on the fly. The accuracy of the LS-NUFFT method depends on the choice of scaling factor, and it is found that for a particular conventional kernel function, using its corresponding deapodization function as scaling factor and utilizing it into the LS-NUFFT framework has the potential to improve accuracy. When a cosine scaling factor is used, in particular, the LS-NUFFT method is faster than Kaiser-Bessel gridding method because of a quasi closed-form solution. The method is successfully applied to 2D and

Severity of psychiatric and physical problems is associated with lower quality of life in methadone patients in Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Iskandar, Shelly; van Crevel, Reinout; Hidayat, Teddy; Siregar, Ike M P; Achmad, Tri H; van der Ven, Andre J; De Jong, Cor A

2013-01-01

The goal of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is to reduce the harm and to improve patients' quality of life (Qol). However, the Qol is also influenced by other co-occurring disorders. Data regarding the Qol and the co-occurrence of these disorders is lacking in low-middle income countries. We therefore describe the prevalence of physical, psychiatric, and drug abuse co-occurring disorders among MMT patients in Indonesia and determine the association between the severity of the co-occurring disorders and the Qol. Data were collected in 112 injection drug abusers (IDUs) attending a MMT program in West Java, Indonesia, using validated questionnaires, medical records and laboratory testing. For comparison, 154 IDUs not enrolled in MMT were recruited by respondent driven sampling. The most frequent co-occurring disorders were hepatitis C (92%), HIV (77%), benzodiazepine abuse (56%), and anxiety disorders (32%). IDUs in MMT had one (26%), two (47%), or three (27%) co-occurring disorders. Higher severity in psychiatric and physical problems was associated with poorer Qol. IDUs not enrolled in MMT had similar co-occurring problems. The prevalence of co-occurring disorders in IDUs in Indonesia is high and they influence their Qol. Therefore, comprehensive treatment, especially focusing on the common co-occurring disorders should be provided in MMT to improve the Qol. Copyright © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Chitosan composite three dimensional macrospheric scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Vyas, Veena; Kaur, Tejinder; Thirugnanam, Arunachalam

2017-11-01

The present work deals with the fabrication of chitosan composite scaffolds with controllable and predictable internal architecture for bone tissue engineering. Chitosan (CS) based composites were developed by varying montmorillonite (MMT) and hydroxyapatite (HA) combinations to fabricate macrospheric three dimensional (3D) scaffolds by direct agglomeration of the sintered macrospheres. The fabricated CS, CS/MMT, CS/HA and CS/MMT/HA 3D scaffolds were characterized for their physicochemical, biological and mechanical properties. The XRD and ATR-FTIR studies confirmed the presence of the individual constituents and the molecular interaction between them, respectively. The reinforcement with HA and MMT showed reduced swelling and degradation rate. It was found that in comparison to pure CS, the CS/HA/MMT composites exhibited improved hemocompatibility and protein adsorption. The sintering of the macrospheres controlled the swelling ability of the scaffolds which played an important role in maintaining the mechanical strength of the 3D scaffolds. The CS/HA/MMT composite scaffold showed 14 folds increase in the compressive strength when compared to pure CS scaffolds. The fabricated scaffolds were also found to encourage the MG 63 cell proliferation. Hence, from the above studies it can be concluded that the CS/HA/MMT composite 3D macrospheric scaffolds have wider and more practical application in bone tissue regeneration applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analytic methods in applied probability in memory of Fridrikh Karpelevich

CERN Document Server

Suhov, Yu M

2002-01-01

This volume is dedicated to F. I. Karpelevich, an outstanding Russian mathematician who made important contributions to applied probability theory. The book contains original papers focusing on several areas of applied probability and its uses in modern industrial processes, telecommunications, computing, mathematical economics, and finance. It opens with a review of Karpelevich's contributions to applied probability theory and includes a bibliography of his works. Other articles discuss queueing network theory, in particular, in heavy traffic approximation (fluid models). The book is suitable

Photographic-Based Optical Evaluation of Tissues and Biomaterials Used for Corneal Surface Repair: A New Easy-Applied Method.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Gonzalez-Andrades

Full Text Available Tissues and biomaterials used for corneal surface repair require fulfilling specific optical standards prior to implantation in the patient. However, there is not a feasible evaluation method to be applied in clinical or Good Manufacturing Practice settings. In this study, we describe and assess an innovative easy-applied photographic-based method (PBM for measuring functional optical blurring and transparency in corneal surface grafts.Plastic compressed collagen scaffolds (PCCS and multilayered amniotic membranes (AM samples were optically and histologically evaluated. Transparency and image blurring measures were obtained by PBM, analyzing photographic images of a standardized band pattern taken through the samples. These measures were compared and correlated to those obtained applying the Inverse Adding-Doubling (IAD technique, which is the gold standard method.All the samples used for optical evaluation by PBM or IAD were histological suitable. PCCS samples presented transmittance values higher than 60%, values that increased with increasing wavelength as determined by IAD. The PBM indicated that PCCS had a transparency ratio (TR value of 80.3 ± 2.8%, with a blurring index (BI of 50.6 ± 4.2%. TR and BI obtained from the PBM showed a high correlation (ρ>|0.6| with the diffuse transmittance and the diffuse reflectance, both determined using the IAD (p<0.005. The AM optical properties showed that there was a largely linear relationship between the blurring and the number of amnion layers, with more layers producing greater blurring.This innovative proposed method represents an easy-applied technique for evaluating transparency and blurriness of tissues and biomaterials used for corneal surface repair.

Analytical Plug-In Method for Kernel Density Estimator Applied to Genetic Neutrality Study

Science.gov (United States)

Troudi, Molka; Alimi, Adel M.; Saoudi, Samir

2008-12-01

The plug-in method enables optimization of the bandwidth of the kernel density estimator in order to estimate probability density functions (pdfs). Here, a faster procedure than that of the common plug-in method is proposed. The mean integrated square error (MISE) depends directly upon [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] which is linked to the second-order derivative of the pdf. As we intend to introduce an analytical approximation of [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.], the pdf is estimated only once, at the end of iterations. These two kinds of algorithm are tested on different random variables having distributions known for their difficult estimation. Finally, they are applied to genetic data in order to provide a better characterisation in the mean of neutrality of Tunisian Berber populations.

Life Expectancies Applied to Specific Statuses: a History of the Indicators and the Methods of Calculation {Population, 3, 1998)

OpenAIRE

N. Brouard; J.-M. Robine; E. Cambois

1999-01-01

Cambois (Emmanuelle), Robin? (Jean-Marie), Brouard (Nicolas).- Life Expectancies Applied to Specific Statuses: A History of the Indicators and the Methods of Calculation Indicators of life expectancy applied to specific statuses, such as the state of health or professional status, were introduced at the end of the 1930s and are currently the object of renewed interest. Because they relate mortality to different domains (health, professional activity) applied life expectancies reflect simultan...

The AMC 󈨎 Mobility Model

Science.gov (United States)

1975-05-01

M ot.atacla OnnU Strata« iBdldil t’. MMt < •allr/l fanäii aM im >. MMt 1 Uck * for im ■ atar Dap tu 0*4 vanicia rioattai...code numbers. V-2 ’■’- I run mmt Assignment of specific geometric properties and physical dimensions to the linear features can be done by a

Remediation of arsenic-contaminated groundwater using media-injected permeable reactive barriers with a modified montmorillonite: sand tank studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Ximing; Liu, Haifei; Huang, Guoxin; Li, Ye; Zhao, Yan; Li, Xu

2016-01-01

A modified montmorillonite (MMT) was prepared using an acid activation-sodium activation-iron oxide coating method to improve the adsorption capacities of natural MMTs. For MMT, its interlamellar distance increased from 12.29 to 13.36 Å, and goethite (α-FeOOH) was intercalated into its clay layers. Two novel media-injected permeable reactive barrier (MI-PRB) configurations were proposed for removing arsenic from groundwater. Sand tank experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of the two MI-PRBs: Tank A was filled with quartz sand. Tank B was packed with quartz sand and zero-valent iron (ZVI) in series, and the MMT slurry was respectively injected into them to form reactive zones. The results showed that for tank A, total arsenic (TA) removal of 98.57% was attained within the first 60 mm and subsequently descended slowly to 88.84% at the outlet. For tank B, a similar spatial variation trend was observed in the quartz sand layer, and subsequently, TA removal increased to ≥99.80% in the ZVI layer. TA removal by MMT mainly depended on both surface adsorption and electrostatic adhesion. TA removal by ZVI mainly relied on coagulation/precipitation and adsorption during the iron corrosion. The two MI-PRBs are feasible alternatives for in situ remediation of groundwater with elevated As levels.

Comparison of Tensile, Permeability and Color Properties of Starch-based Bionanocomposites Containing Two Types of Fillers: Sodium Montmorilonite and Cellulose Nanocrystal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nooshin Noushirvani

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to compare the tensile, permeability, solubility and color properties of plasticized starch-polyvinyl alcohol-Montmo-rillonite (PS-PVA-MMT and plasticized starch-polyvinyl alcohol-cellulose nanocrystal (PS-PVA-NCC bionanocomposite flms. The results showed that adding MMT (7%, increased the ultimate tensile strenght from 4.2 MPa to 4.61 MPa, however, NCC (7% did not show signifcant (p < 0.5 effect on the ultimate tensile strength. Addition of MMT decreased while NCC  increased  the  strain-to-break of  the flms. The solubility in water decreased from 23.56% to 18.77% and 11.75% for the flms containing NCC and MMT, respectively. Similarly, water vapor permeability value of 7.41 ×10-7 g/m.h.Pa was dropped to 7.05×10-7 g/m.h.Pa and 6.19×10-7 g/m.h.Pa in flms containing NCC and MMT, respectively. The results showed that the effects of MMT on tensile and permeability were higher than NCC, which can be attributed to differences in the structure and hydrophilicity of two nanoparticles.

Problem based review: The patient taking methadone.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Alok; Williams, Karen

2013-01-01

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is an effective therapy for opioid-dependence; its use is based on a harm reduction philosophy and represents one of a range of treatment approaches for opioid-dependent individuals. The medical literature supports MMT as a well established and cost-effective treatment for opioid-dependence that allows a return-to-normal physiological, psychological and societal functioning. The effectiveness of MMT is enhanced by psycho-social interventions such as contingency management and addressing other co-existing health and social needs. MMT saves lives and reduces violent and non-violent crime, drug use and the transmission of HIV, hepatitis C and other communicable diseases. For some people, MMT may continue for life, while others may eventually be able to discontinue and remain abstinent. Methadone interacts with numerous drugs and prolongs the corrected QT interval (QTc) with risk of sudden cardiac death. It has a prolonged half-life and premature discharge of patients after methadone overdose may be fatal. Each patient must be assessed, treated and monitored on an individual basis. Successful outcomes through MMT require knowledge, experience, vigilance, and diligence on the part of the physician, the patient and all of those involved in treatment.

Making Design Decisions Visible: Applying the Case-Based Method in Designing Online Instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heng Luo,

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The instructional intervention in this design case is a self-directed online tutorial that applies the case-based method to teach educators how to design and conduct entrepreneurship programs for elementary school students. In this article, the authors describe the major decisions made in each phase of the design and development process, explicate the rationales behind them, and demonstrate their effect on the production of the tutorial. Based on such analysis, the guidelines for designing case-based online instruction are summarized for the design case.

[Acupuncture therapy for the improvement of sleep quality of outpatients receiving methadone maintenance treatment: a randomized controlled trial].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi; Liu, Xue-bing; Zhang, Yao

2012-08-01

To study the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for the improvement of sleep quality of outpatients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Using randomized double-blinded controlled design, seventy-five MMT outpatients with low sleep quality [score of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) > or = 8], were randomly assigned to the acupuncture group (38 cases) and the sham-acupuncture group (37 cases). All patients maintained previous MMT. Acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV20), Shenmen (bilateral, TF4), Shenting (GV24), Sanyinjiao (bilateral, SP6), and Sishencong (EX-HN1) in the acupuncture group. The same procedures were performed in the sham-acupuncture group, but not to the acupoints (5 mm lateral to the acupoints selected in the acupuncture group) with shallow needling technique. The treatment was performed 5 times each week for 8 successive weeks. The PSQI was assessed before treatment, at the end of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th week of the treatment. The detection ratio of low sleep quality and the incidence of adverse acupuncture reactions were compared between the two groups at the end of the 8th week. The overall PSQI score was obviously higher in the acupuncture group than in the sham-acupuncture group with statistical difference (P acupuncture group (60.53%, 23/38 cases) than in the sham-acupuncture group (83.78%, 31/37 cases) with statistical difference (P acupuncture reaction was 5.26% (2/38 cases) in the acupuncture group and 2.70% (1/37 cases) in the sham-acupuncture group respectively, showing no statistical difference (P > 0.05). Acupuncture therapy could effectively and safely improve the sleep quality of outpatients receiving MMT.

Applying stated-preference methods to improve health systems in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Lauren; Lee, Ting-Hsuan; De Allegri, Manuela; Rao, Krishna; Bridges, John Fp

2017-10-01

Sub-Saharan African health systems must balance shifting disease burdens with desires for robust institutions. Stated-preference methods have been applied extensively to elicit health care workers' preferences and priorities for rural practice. This systematic review characterizes the range of their applications to African health systems problems. Areas covered: A PRISMA protocol was submitted to PROSPERO. Six databases were queried for peer-reviewed articles using quantitative stated-preference methods to evaluate a health systems-related trade-off. Quality was assessed using the PREFS checklist. Seventy-seven articles published between 1996 and 2017 met review criteria. Methods were primarily choice-based: discrete-choice experiments (n = 46), ranking/allocation techniques (n = 21), conjoint analyses (n = 7), and best-worst scaling (n = 3). Trade-offs fell into six 'building blocks': service features (n = 27), workforce incentives (n = 17), product features (n = 14), system priorities (n = 14), insurance features (n = 4), and research priorities (n = 1). Five countries dominated: South Africa (n = 11), Ghana (n = 9), Malawi (n = 9), Uganda (n = 9), and Tanzania (n = 8). Discrete-choice experiments were of highest quality (mean score: 3.36/5). Expert commentary: Stated-preference methods have been applied to many health systems contexts throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Studies examined established strategic areas, especially primary health care for women, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and workforce development. Studies have neglected the emerging areas of non-communicable diseases.

Applied dynamics

CERN Document Server

Schiehlen, Werner

2014-01-01

Applied Dynamics is an important branch of engineering mechanics widely applied to mechanical and automotive engineering, aerospace and biomechanics as well as control engineering and mechatronics. The computational methods presented are based on common fundamentals. For this purpose analytical mechanics turns out to be very useful where D’Alembert’s principle in the Lagrangian formulation proves to be most efficient. The method of multibody systems, finite element systems and continuous systems are treated consistently. Thus, students get a much better understanding of dynamical phenomena, and engineers in design and development departments using computer codes may check the results more easily by choosing models of different complexity for vibration and stress analysis.

NEGOTIATING STRUCTURAL VULNERABILITY FOLLOWING REGULATORY CHANGES TO A PROVINCIAL METHADONE PROGRAM IN VANCOUVER, CANADA: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Science.gov (United States)

McNeil, Ryan; Kerr, Thomas; Anderson, Solanna; Maher, Lisa; Keewatin, Chereece; Milloy, MJ; Wood, Evan; Small, Will

2015-01-01

While regulatory frameworks governing methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) require highly regimented treatment programs that shape treatment outcomes, little research has examined the effects of regulatory changes to these programs on those receiving treatment, and located their experiences within the wider context of socialstructural inequities. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, provincial regulations governing MMT have recently been modified, including: replacing the existing methadone formulation with Methadose® (pre-mixed and 10 times more concentrated); prohibiting pharmacy delivery of methadone; and, prohibiting pharmacies incentives for methadone dispensation. We undertook this study to examine the impacts of these changes on a structurally vulnerable population enrolled in MMT in Vancouver, BC. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 people enrolled in MMT and recruited from two ongoing observational prospective cohort studies comprised of drug-using individuals in the six-month period in 2014 following these regulatory changes. Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically, and by drawing on the concept of ‘structural vulnerability’. Findings underscore how these regulatory changes disrupted treatment engagement, producing considerable health and social harms. The introduction of Methadose® precipitated increased withdrawal symptoms. The discontinuation of pharmacy delivery services led to interruptions in MMT and codispensed HIV medications due to constraints stemming from their structural vulnerability (e.g., poverty, homelessness). Meanwhile, the loss of pharmacy incentives limited access to material supports utilized by participants to overcome barriers to MMT, while diminishing their capacity to assert some degree of agency in negotiating dispensation arrangements with pharmacies. Collectively, these changes functioned to compromise MMT engagement and increased structural vulnerability to harm, including re-initiation of injection drug

The Evaluation of Relationship between Sexual Self-concept and Sexual Dysfunction in Individuals Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajabizadeh, Ghodratolah; Yazdanpanah, Fatemeh; Ramezani, Mohammad Arash

2017-04-01

The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a causal model for the evaluation of sexual dysfunctions based on the variables of methadone dosage and sexual self-concept among individuals undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The study population of the present study consisted of married men of 20 to 45 years of age with sexual ýrelations and undergoing MMT for a minimum of 8 weeks referring to all MMT clinics of Kerman, Iran, in ýý2015-2016. ýThe subjects were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling (n = 250). Data were collected using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Multi-Dimensional Sexual Self-concept Questionnaire (MSSQ), and Internal Index for Erectile Function (IIEF). Data were analyzed using path analysis method and Pearson correlation coefficient. The suggested model was evaluated using structural equation model (SEM), and indirect relationships were assessed using Bootstrap method. The suggested model showed acceptable fitness with the data, and all routes, except methadone use route, to sexual function were significant. The result of the multiple ýindirect route showed that sexual function had a significant relationship with methadone use through ýsexual self-concept. In total, 60% of variance in sexual dysfunction was explained using the variables of the suggested model. Further studies are suggested to be conducted regarding psychological factors effective on the sexual dysfunctions among individuals undergoing MMT, such as sexual self-concept. Moreover, more detailed evaluation of each subscale of positive and negative sexual self-concept is recommended to assess the psychological causes of sexual dysfunctions in these individuals and design psychological, behavioral, and cognitive-behavioral treatment interventions for them.

Chemometric methods and near-infrared spectroscopy applied to bioenergy production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liebmann, B.

2010-01-01

data analysis (i) successfully determine the concentrations of moisture, protein, and starch in the feedstock material as well as glucose, ethanol, glycerol, lactic acid, acetic acid in the processed bioethanol broths; (ii) and allow quantifying a complex biofuel's property such as the heating value. At the third stage, this thesis focuses on new chemometric methods that improve mathematical analysis of multivariate data such as NIR spectra. The newly developed method 'repeated double cross validation' (rdCV) separates optimization of regression models from tests of model performance; furthermore, rdCV estimates the variability of the model performance based on a large number of prediction errors from test samples. The rdCV procedure has been applied to both the classical PLS regression and the robust 'partial robust M' regression method, which can handle erroneous data. The peculiar and relatively unknown 'random projection' method is tested for its potential of dimensionality reduction of data from chemometrics and chemoinformatics. The main findings are: (i) rdCV fosters a realistic assessment of model performance, (ii) robust regression has outstanding performance for data containing outliers and thus is strongly recommendable, and (iii) random projection is a useful niche application for high-dimensional data combined with possible restrictions in data storage and computing time. The three chemometric methods described are available as functions for the free software R. (author) [de

Sodium montmorillonite/amine-containing drugs complexes: new insights on intercalated drugs arrangement into layered carrier material.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murilo L Bello

Full Text Available Layered drug delivery carriers are current targets of nanotechnology studies since they are able to accommodate pharmacologically active substances and are effective at modulating drug release. Sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT is a clay that has suitable properties for developing new pharmaceutical materials due to its high degree of surface area and high capacity for cation exchange. Therefore Na-MMT is a versatile material for the preparation of new drug delivery systems, especially for slow release of protonable drugs. Herein, we describe the intercalation of several amine-containing drugs with Na-MMT so we can derive a better understanding of how these drugs molecules interact with and distribute throughout the Na-MMT interlayer space. Therefore, for this purpose nine sodium montmorillonite/amine-containing drugs complexes (Na-MMT/drug were prepared and characterized. In addition, the physicochemical properties of the drugs molecules in combination with different experimental conditions were assessed to determine how these factors influenced experimental outcomes (e.g. increase of the interlayer spacing versus drugs arrangement and orientation. We also performed a molecular modeling study of these amine-containing drugs associated with different Na-MMT/drug complex models to analyze the orientation and arrangement of the drugs molecules in the complexes studied. Six amine-containing drugs (rivastigmine, doxazosin, 5-fluorouracil, chlorhexidine, dapsone, nystatin were found to successfully intercalate Na-MMT. These findings provide important insights on the interlayer aspect of the molecular systems formed and may contribute to produce more efficient drug delivery nanosystems.

Reliability of tensiomyography and myotonometry in detecting mechanical and contractile characteristics of the lumbar erector spinae in healthy volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohr, Christine; Braumann, Klaus-Michael; Reer, Ruediger; Schroeder, Jan; Schmidt, Tobias

2018-04-20

Tensiomyography™ (TMG) and MyotonPRO ® (MMT) are two non-invasive devices for monitoring muscle contractile and mechanical characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the test-retest reliability of TMG and MMT parameters for measuring (TMG:) muscle displacement (D m ), contraction time (T c ), and velocity (V c ) and (MMT:) frequency (F), stiffness (S), and decrement (D) of the erector spinae muscles (ES) in healthy adults. A particular focus was set on the establishment of reliability measures for the previously barely evaluated secondary TMG parameter V c . Twenty-four subjects (13 female and 11 male, mean ± SD, 38.0 ± 12.0 years) were measured using TMG and MMT over 2 consecutive days. Absolute and relative reliability was calculated by standard error of measurement (SEM, SEM%), Minimum detectable change (MDC, MDC%), coefficient of variation (CV%) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, 3.1) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The ICCs for all variables and test-retest intervals ranged from 0.75 to 0.99 indicating a good to excellent relative reliability for both TMG and MMT, demonstrating the lowest values for TMG T c and between-day MMT D (ICC TMG parameter (ICC > 0.95, CV TMG V c could be established successfully. Its further applicability needs to be confirmed in future studies. MMT was found to be more reliable on repeated testing than the two other TMG parameters D m and T c .

Methadone maintenance treatment program in prisons from the perspective of medical and non-medical prison staff: a qualitative study in Iran.

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Moradi, Ghobad; Farnia, Marzieh; Shokoohi, Mostafa; Shahbazi, Mohammad; Moazen, Babak; Rahmani, Khaled

2015-03-12

As one of the most important components of harm reduction strategy for high-risk groups, following the HIV epidemics, Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) has been initiated in prisoners since 2003. In this paper, we aimed to assess the advantages and shortcomings of the MMT program from the perspective of people who were involved with the delivery of prison healthcare in Iran. On the basis of grounded theory and through conducting 14 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), 7 FGDs among physicians, consultants, experts, and 7 FGDs among directors and managers of prisons (n= 140) have been performed. The respondents were asked about positive and negative elements of the MMT program in Iranian prisons. This study included a total of 48 themes, of which 22 themes were related to advantages and the other 26 were about shortcomings of MMT programs in the prisons. According to participants' views "reduction of illegal drug use and high-risk injection", "reduction of potentially high-risk behaviors" and "making positive attitudes" were the main advantages of MMT in prisons, while issues such as "inaccurate implementation", "lack of skilled manpower" and "poor care after release from prison" were among the main shortcomings of MMT program. MMT program in Iran's prisons has achieved remarkable success in the field of harm reduction, but to obtain much more significant results, its shortcomings and weaknesses must be also taken into account by policy-makers. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Simulation methods to estimate design power: an overview for applied research.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Benjamin F; Hogan, Daniel R; Colford, John M; Hubbard, Alan E

2011-06-20

Estimating the required sample size and statistical power for a study is an integral part of study design. For standard designs, power equations provide an efficient solution to the problem, but they are unavailable for many complex study designs that arise in practice. For such complex study designs, computer simulation is a useful alternative for estimating study power. Although this approach is well known among statisticians, in our experience many epidemiologists and social scientists are unfamiliar with the technique. This article aims to address this knowledge gap. We review an approach to estimate study power for individual- or cluster-randomized designs using computer simulation. This flexible approach arises naturally from the model used to derive conventional power equations, but extends those methods to accommodate arbitrarily complex designs. The method is universally applicable to a broad range of designs and outcomes, and we present the material in a way that is approachable for quantitative, applied researchers. We illustrate the method using two examples (one simple, one complex) based on sanitation and nutritional interventions to improve child growth. We first show how simulation reproduces conventional power estimates for simple randomized designs over a broad range of sample scenarios to familiarize the reader with the approach. We then demonstrate how to extend the simulation approach to more complex designs. Finally, we discuss extensions to the examples in the article, and provide computer code to efficiently run the example simulations in both R and Stata. Simulation methods offer a flexible option to estimate statistical power for standard and non-traditional study designs and parameters of interest. The approach we have described is universally applicable for evaluating study designs used in epidemiologic and social science research.

Geometric methods for estimating representative sidewalk widths applied to Vienna's streetscape surfaces database

Science.gov (United States)

Brezina, Tadej; Graser, Anita; Leth, Ulrich

2017-04-01

Space, and in particular public space for movement and leisure, is a valuable and scarce resource, especially in today's growing urban centres. The distribution and absolute amount of urban space—especially the provision of sufficient pedestrian areas, such as sidewalks—is considered crucial for shaping living and mobility options as well as transport choices. Ubiquitous urban data collection and today's IT capabilities offer new possibilities for providing a relation-preserving overview and for keeping track of infrastructure changes. This paper presents three novel methods for estimating representative sidewalk widths and applies them to the official Viennese streetscape surface database. The first two methods use individual pedestrian area polygons and their geometrical representations of minimum circumscribing and maximum inscribing circles to derive a representative width of these individual surfaces. The third method utilizes aggregated pedestrian areas within the buffered street axis and results in a representative width for the corresponding road axis segment. Results are displayed as city-wide means in a 500 by 500 m grid and spatial autocorrelation based on Moran's I is studied. We also compare the results between methods as well as to previous research, existing databases and guideline requirements on sidewalk widths. Finally, we discuss possible applications of these methods for monitoring and regression analysis and suggest future methodological improvements for increased accuracy.

Experimental and theoretical study of Co sorption in clay montmorillonites

Science.gov (United States)

Gil Rebaza, A. V.; Montes, M. L.; Taylor, M. A.; Errico, L. A.; Alonso, R. E.

2018-03-01

Montmorillonite (MMT) clays are 2:1 layered structures which in natural state may allocate different hydrated cations such as M-nH2O (M = Na, Ca, Fe, etc) in its interlayer space. Depending on the capability for ion sorption, these materials are interesting for environmental remediation. In this work we experimentally study the Co sorption in a natural Na-MMT using UV-visible spectrometry and XRD on semi-oriented samples, and then analyze the sorption ability of this clay by means of ab initio calculation performed on pristine MMT. The structural properties of Na-MMT and Co-adsorbed MMT, and the hyperfine parameters at different atomic sites were analyzed and compared with the experimental ones for the first, and for the case of the hyperfine parameters, presented for the first time for the last. The theoretical predictions based on total energy considerations confirm that Co incorporation replacing Na is energetically favorable. Also, the basal spacing d001 experimentally obtained is well reproduced.

Least square methods and covariance matrix applied to the relative efficiency calibration of a Ge(Li) detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geraldo, L.P.; Smith, D.L.

1989-01-01

The methodology of covariance matrix and square methods have been applied in the relative efficiency calibration for a Ge(Li) detector apllied in the relative efficiency calibration for a Ge(Li) detector. Procedures employed to generate, manipulate and test covariance matrices which serve to properly represent uncertainties of experimental data are discussed. Calibration data fitting using least square methods has been performed for a particular experimental data set. (author) [pt

[Work organisation improvement methods applied to activities of Blood Transfusion Establishments (BTE): Lean Manufacturing, VSM, 5S].

Science.gov (United States)

Bertholey, F; Bourniquel, P; Rivery, E; Coudurier, N; Follea, G

2009-05-01

Continuous improvement of efficiency as well as new expectations from customers (quality and safety of blood products) and employees (working conditions) imply constant efforts in Blood Transfusion Establishments (BTE) to improve work organisations. The Lean method (from "Lean" meaning "thin") aims at identifying wastages in the process (overproduction, waiting, over-processing, inventory, transport, motion) and then reducing them in establishing a mapping of value chain (Value Stream Mapping). It consists in determining the added value of each step of the process from a customer perspective. Lean also consists in standardizing operations while implicating and responsabilizing all collaborators. The name 5S comes from the first letter of five operations of a Japanese management technique: to clear, rank, keep clean, standardize, make durable. The 5S method leads to develop the team working inducing an evolution of the way in the management is performed. The Lean VSM method has been applied to blood processing (component laboratory) in the Pays de la Loire BTE. The Lean 5S method has been applied to blood processing, quality control, purchasing, warehouse, human resources and quality assurance in the Rhône-Alpes BTE. The experience returns from both BTE shows that these methods allowed improving: (1) the processes and working conditions from a quality perspective, (2) the staff satisfaction, (3) the efficiency. These experiences, implemented in two BTE for different processes, confirm the applicability and usefulness of these methods to improve working organisations in BTE.

Drug addiction stigma in relation to methadone maintenance treatment by different service delivery models in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Bach Xuan; Vu, Phuong Bich; Nguyen, Long Hoang; Latkin, Sophia Knowlton; Nguyen, Cuong Tat; Phan, Huong Thu Thi; Latkin, Carl A

2016-03-08

The rapid expansion of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) services has significantly improved health status and quality of life of patients. However, little is known about its impacts on addiction-related stigma and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, and Nam Dinh province among 1016 methadone maintenance patients; 26.6 % at provincial AIDS centers (PAC) and 73.4 % at district health centers (DHC), respectively. Drug addiction history and related stigma, health status, MMT-related covariates, and sociodemographic characteristics were interviewed. More than one-sixth of the sample reported experiencing felt or enacted stigma, including Blame or Judgement (17.2 %), Shame (19.9 %), or Others' fear of HIV transmission (17.1 %). These proportions were higher in PACs than in DHCs, which are integrated with other HIV or general health care services. Very few patients reported being discriminated at the workplace (2.5 %) or at health care services (1.7 %); however, 15.6 % of patients at PACs and 10.6 % of patients at DHCs reported discrimination in their communities. Drug users taking MMT for longer periods were less likely to report felt stigma. Other factors associated with stigma against MMT patients included the lack of comprehensive services, higher education, presence of pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, self-reported HIV positive, and number of previous drug rehabilitation episodes. The study shows a high level of stigma against MMT patients and emphasizes the necessity to integrate MMT with comprehensive health and support services. Mass communication campaigns to reduce stigma against people with drug addiction and HIV/AIDS, as well as vocational trainings and jobs referrals for MMT patients, are needed to maximize the benefits of MMT programs in Vietnam.

Improvement of food packaging related properties in whey protein isolate‑based nanocomposite films and coatings by addition of montmorillonite nanoplatelets

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid, Markus; Merzbacher, Sarah; Brzoska, Nicola; Müller, Kerstin; Jesdinszki, Marius

2017-11-01

In the present study the effects of the addition of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoplatelets on whey protein isolate (WPI)-based nanocomposite films and coatings were investigated. The main objective was the development of WPI-based MMT-nanocomposites with enhanced barrier and mechanical properties. WPI-based nanocomposite cast-films and coatings were prepared by dispersing 0 % (reference sample), 3 %, 6 %, 9 % (w/w protein) MMT, or, depending on the protein concentration, also 12 % and 15 % (w/w protein) MMT into native WPI-based dispersions, followed by subsequent denaturation during the drying and curing process. The natural MMT nanofillers could be randomly dispersed into film-forming WPI-based nanodispersions, displaying good compatibility with the hydrophilic biopolymer matrix. As a result, by addition of 15 % (w/w protein) MMT into 10 % (w/w dispersion) WPI-based cast-films or coatings, the oxygen permeability (OP) was reduced by 91 % for glycerol-plasticized and 84 % for sorbitol-plasticized coatings, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) was reduced by 58 % for sorbitol-plasticized cast-films. Due to the addition of MMT- nanofillers the Young’s modulus and tensile strength improved by 315 % and 129 %, respectively, whereas elongation at break declined by 77 % for glycerol-plasticized cast-films. In addition, comparison of plasticizer type revealed that sorbitol-plasticized cast-films were generally stiffer and stronger, but less flexible compared glycerol-plasticized cast-films. Viscosity measurements demonstrated good processability and suitability for up-scaled industrial processes of native WPI-based nanocomposite dispersions, even at high nanofiller-loadings. These results suggest that the addition of natural MMT- nanofillers into native WPI-based matrices to form nanocomposite films and coatings holds great potential to replace well-established, fossil-based packaging materials for at least certain applications such as oxygen barriers as part of

Applying system engineering methods to site characterization research for nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, T.W.

1985-01-01

Nuclear research and engineering projects can benefit from the use of system engineering methods. This paper is brief overview illustrating how system engineering methods could be applied in structuring a site characterization effort for a candidate nuclear waste repository. System engineering is simply an orderly process that has been widely used to transform a recognized need into a fully defined system. Such a system may be physical or abstract, natural or man-made, hardware or procedural, as is appropriate to the system's need or objective. It is a way of mentally visualizing all the constituent elements and their relationships necessary to fulfill a need, and doing so compliant with all constraining requirements attendant to that need. Such a system approach provides completeness, order, clarity, and direction. Admittedly, system engineering can be burdensome and inappropriate for those project objectives having simple and familiar solutions that are easily held and controlled mentally. However, some type of documented and structured approach is needed for those objectives that dictate extensive, unique, or complex programs, and/or creation of state-of-the-art machines and facilities. System engineering methods have been used extensively and successfully in these cases. The scientific methods has served well in ordering countless technical undertakings that address a specific question. Similarly, conventional construction and engineering job methods will continue to be quite adequate to organize routine building projects. Nuclear waste repository site characterization projects involve multiple complex research questions and regulatory requirements that interface with each other and with advanced engineering and subsurface construction techniques. There is little doubt that system engineering is an appropriate orchestrating process to structure such diverse elements into a cohesive, well defied project

A Simple and Useful Method to Apply Exogenous NO Gas to Plant Systems: Bell Pepper Fruits as a Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Palma, José M; Ruiz, Carmelo; Corpas, Francisco J

2018-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved many physiological plant processes, including germination, growth and development of roots, flower setting and development, senescence, and fruit ripening. In the latter physiological process, NO has been reported to play an opposite role to ethylene. Thus, treatment of fruits with NO may lead to delay ripening independently of whether they are climacteric or nonclimacteric. In many cases different methods have been reported to apply NO to plant systems involving sodium nitroprusside, NONOates, DETANO, or GSNO to investigate physiological and molecular consequences. In this chapter a method to treat plant materials with NO is provided using bell pepper fruits as a model. This method is cheap, free of side effects, and easy to apply since it only requires common chemicals and tools available in any biology laboratory.

Cork-resin ablative insulation for complex surfaces and method for applying the same

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, H. M.; Sharpe, M. H.; Simpson, W. G. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A method of applying cork-resin ablative insulation material to complex curved surfaces is disclosed. The material is prepared by mixing finely divided cork with a B-stage curable thermosetting resin, forming the resulting mixture into a block, B-stage curing the resin-containing block, and slicing the block into sheets. The B-stage cured sheet is shaped to conform to the surface being insulated, and further curing is then performed. Curing of the resins only to B-stage before shaping enables application of sheet material to complex curved surfaces and avoids limitations and disadvantages presented in handling of fully cured sheet material.

Preparation of novel flame-retardant organoclay and its application to natural rubber composites

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guangjian; Wang, Jincheng

2018-04-01

In this study, a novel type of flame-retardant montmorillonite (MMT) was prepared using a new approach to obtain highly branched polymer chains. First, MMT was modified using a small liquid crystal molecule comprising N,N,N tris(2-hydroxyethyl)sbnd N-dodecylammonium bromide and organic MMT (OMMT) was obtained. Next, three generations of dendrimer-modified organoclay comprising DOMMT-1, DOMMT-2, and DOMMT-3 were successfully prepared using OMMT and branching units of ethylenediamine and methyl acrylate. Their chemical structures were characterized and confirmed by different methods. The DOMMT organoclay was used in the preparation of natural rubber (NR) composites. The tensile strength and elongation at breakage for NR/DOMMT-10 were 17.3 MPa and 697%, respectively, which were about 13.8% and 10.8% higher, respectively, compared with that for the pure NR. After the addition of DOMMT, the horizontal burning time increased by about 69% and the thermal stability was also improved. We also propose a possible flame-retardant and reinforcing mechanism for this novel organoclay in an NR matrix.

The improvement of characteristics of biodegradable films made from kefiran-whey protein by nanoparticle incorporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zolfi, Mohsen; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Mousavi, Mohammad; Hashemi, Maryam

2014-08-30

Biodegradable kefiran-whey protein isolate (WPI) nanocomposites were produced using montmorillonite (MMT) and nano-TiO2 as nanoparticles in the percentage of 1, 3, and 5% (w/w) by a casting and solvent-evaporation method. Physical, mechanical, and water-vapor permeability (WVP) properties were determined as a function of nanoparticle concentration. The results revealed that the effect of these nanoparticles was different according to their nature and percentage. The films incorporated with 5% (w/w) MMT showed the highest tensile strength, Young's modulus, puncture strength, and the lowest WVP compared with the control and TiO2 added films. In contrast to MMT, addition of TiO2 nanoparticles due to the plasticizing effect led to a significant change in color and transparency of nanocomposite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations demonstrated the films' properties in relation to their microstructures. The surface topography results also showed a considerable increase in roughness parameters by incorporating the nanoparticles in kefiran-WPI matrix. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hybrid Films Based on a Bridged Silsesquioxane Doped with Goethite and Montmorillonite Nanoparticles as Sorbents of Wastewater Contaminants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina V. Waiman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The synthesis and characterization of silsesquioxane (SSO films with pendant dodecyl groups and doped with goethite (Gt or montmorillonite (MMT nanoparticles were carried out and the new materials tested as sorbents of diverse contaminants. The synthetic method used yielded SSO films with the inorganic substrates homogeneously distributed within the polymeric matrices. The new materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, and DSC and tested to evaluate their capability for adsorbing metallic cations, organic dyes, and phosphate, frequent contaminants of industrial effluents. All films were found suitable for removing metallic cations. Results also showed that the SSO films undoped and doped with Gt are primarily apt for anionic compounds removal. Although the SSO films doped with MMT are capable of removing cationic contaminants from aqueous samples, the stiffness of the SSO matrix hinders MMT properties as an adsorbent. The possibility of dispersing nanoparticulate systems in the stable and chemically inert SSO matrices simplifies their application for contaminant removal, particularly because it makes the separation process of the absorbed pollutant from the treated medium easier.

Exfoliation of clays in poly(dimethylsiloxane) rubber using an unexpected couple: a silicone surfactant and water.

Science.gov (United States)

Labruyère, Céline; Monteverde, Fabien; Alexandre, Michaël; Dubois, Philippe

2009-04-01

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/montmorillonite (MMT) composites have been prepared using a newly synthesized omega-ammonium functionalized poly(dimethylsiloxane) compatibilizer coupled with a dispersion technique in water. The organoclay containing the new siloxane surfactant was characterized by TGA and XRD. For the first time, a nanoscopic dispersion of MMT nanoplatelets in the PDMS composite cured by hydrosilylation and a good compatibility between clay layers and matrix were obtained. The beneficial effect of both the surfactant and the water onto clay nanoplatelet dispersion was evaluated by different microscopy techniques and by measuring different properties such as the viscosity of the uncured PDMS/MMT nanodispersions, and the swelling rate and Young's modulus of the cured PDMS/MMT nanocomposites.

Solution and study of nodal neutron transport equation applying the LTSN-DiagExp method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauser, Eliete Biasotto; Pazos, Ruben Panta; Vilhena, Marco Tullio de; Barros, Ricardo Carvalho de

2003-01-01

In this paper we report advances about the three-dimensional nodal discrete-ordinates approximations of neutron transport equation for Cartesian geometry. We use the combined collocation method of the angular variables and nodal approach for the spatial variables. By nodal approach we mean the iterated transverse integration of the S N equations. This procedure leads to the set of one-dimensional averages angular fluxes in each spatial variable. The resulting system of equations is solved with the LTS N method, first applying the Laplace transform to the set of the nodal S N equations and then obtained the solution by symbolic computation. We include the LTS N method by diagonalization to solve the nodal neutron transport equation and then we outline the convergence of these nodal-LTS N approximations with the help of a norm associated to the quadrature formula used to approximate the integral term of the neutron transport equation. (author)

A new effective Monte Carlo Midway coupling method in MCNP applied to a well logging problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serov, I.V.; John, T.M.; Hoogenboom, J.E

1998-12-01

The background of the Midway forward-adjoint coupling method including the black absorber technique for efficient Monte Carlo determination of radiation detector responses is described. The method is implemented in the general purpose MCNP Monte Carlo code. The utilization of the method is fairly straightforward and does not require any substantial extra expertise. The method was applied to a standard neutron well logging porosity tool problem. The results exhibit reliability and high efficiency of the Midway method. For the studied problem the efficiency gain is considerably higher than for a normal forward calculation, which is already strongly optimized by weight-windows. No additional effort is required to adjust the Midway model if the position of the detector or the porosity of the formation is changed. Additionally, the Midway method can be used with other variance reduction techniques if extra gain in efficiency is desired.

Accuracy improvement in measurement of arterial wall elasticity by applying pulse inversion to phased-tracking method

Science.gov (United States)

Miyachi, Yukiya; Arakawa, Mototaka; Kanai, Hiroshi

2018-07-01

In our studies on ultrasonic elasticity assessment, minute change in the thickness of the arterial wall was measured by the phased-tracking method. However, most images in carotid artery examinations contain multiple-reflection noise, making it difficult to evaluate arterial wall elasticity precisely. In the present study, a modified phased-tracking method using the pulse inversion method was examined to reduce the influence of the multiple-reflection noise. Moreover, aliasing in the harmonic components was corrected by the fundamental components. The conventional and proposed methods were applied to a pulsated tube phantom mimicking the arterial wall. For the conventional method, the elasticity was 298 kPa without multiple-reflection noise and 353 kPa with multiple-reflection noise on the posterior wall. That of the proposed method was 302 kPa without multiple-reflection noise and 297 kPa with multiple-reflection noise on the posterior wall. Therefore, the proposed method was very robust against multiple-reflection noise.

Applied methods and techniques for mechatronic systems modelling, identification and control

CERN Document Server

Zhu, Quanmin; Cheng, Lei; Wang, Yongji; Zhao, Dongya

2014-01-01

Applied Methods and Techniques for Mechatronic Systems brings together the relevant studies in mechatronic systems with the latest research from interdisciplinary theoretical studies, computational algorithm development and exemplary applications. Readers can easily tailor the techniques in this book to accommodate their ad hoc applications. The clear structure of each paper, background - motivation - quantitative development (equations) - case studies/illustration/tutorial (curve, table, etc.) is also helpful. It is mainly aimed at graduate students, professors and academic researchers in related fields, but it will also be helpful to engineers and scientists from industry. Lei Liu is a lecturer at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), China; Quanmin Zhu is a professor at University of the West of England, UK; Lei Cheng is an associate professor at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, China; Yongji Wang is a professor at HUST; Dongya Zhao is an associate professor at China University o...

Modelling emissions from natural gas flaring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Ezaina Umukoro

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The world today recognizes the significance of environmental sustainability to the development of nations. Hence, the role oil and gas industry plays in environmental degrading activities such as gas flaring is of global concern. This study presents material balance equations and predicts results for non-hydrocarbon emissions such as CO2, CO, NO, NO2, and SO2 etc. from flaring (combustion of 12 natural gas samples representing composition of natural gas of global origin. Gaseous emission estimates and pattern were modelled by coding material balance equations for six reaction types and combustion conditions with a computer program. On the average, anticipated gaseous emissions from flaring natural gas with an average annual global flaring rate 126 bcm per year (between 2000 and 2011 in million metric tonnes (mmt are 560 mmt, 48 mmt, 91 mmt, 93 mmt and 50 mmt for CO2, CO, NO, NO2 and SO2 respectively. This model predicted gaseous emissions based on the possible individual combustion types and conditions anticipated in gas flaring operation. It will assist in the effort by environmental agencies and all concerned to track and measure the extent of environmental pollution caused by gas flaring operations in the oil and gas industry.

Treadmill exercise attenuates the severity of physical dependence, anxiety, depressive-like behavior and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving methadone maintenance treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Alizadeh, Maryam; Zahedi-Khorasani, Mahdi; Miladi-Gorji, Hossein

2018-05-30

This study was designed to examine whether treadmill exercise would attenuate the severity of physical dependence, methadone-induced anxiety, depression and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The rats were chronically treated with bi-daily doses (10 mg/kg, at 12 h intervals) of morphine for 14 days. The exercising rats receiving MMT were forced to run on a motorized treadmill for 30 days during morphine withdrawal. Then, rats were tested for the severity of morphine dependence, the elevated plus-maze (EPM), sucrose preference test (SPT) and voluntary morphine consumption using a two-bottle choice (TBC) paradigm. The results showed that naloxone- precipitated opioid withdrawal signs were decreased in exercising morphine-dependent rats receiving MMT than sedentary rats. Also, the exercising morphine-dependent rats receiving MMT exhibited an increased time on open arms, preference for sucrose and a lower morphine preference ratio than sedentary rats. We conclude that treadmill exercise decreased the severity of physical dependence, anxiety/depressive-like behaviors and also the voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving MMT. Thus, exercise may benefit in the treatment of addicts during MMT. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of HCl Loading and Ethanol Concentration over HCl-Activated Clay Catalysts for Ethanol Dehydration to Ethylene.

Science.gov (United States)

Krutpijit, Chadaporn; Jongsomjit, Bunjerd

2017-01-01

Montmorillonite clay (MMT) is one of materials that can be "green material" due to its environmental safety. In this work, acid-activated MMT catalysts were prepared for the dehydration reaction of ethanol. To be the green process, the reaction with bioethanol was also studied. Ethanol concentrations in feed were varied in the range of 10-99.95 wt%. Moreover, the concentrations of hydrochloric acid activated MMT were investigated in range of 0.05-4 M. From the experiment, it reveals that different acid concentrations to activate MMT affect the catalytic activity of catalysts. The 0.3 M of HCl activated MMT exhibits the highest activity (under the best condition of 30 ml HCl aging for 1 h) with the Si/Al ratio of 7.4. It can reach the ethanol conversion and ethylene selectivity up to 95% and 98% at reaction temperature of 400°C, respectively. For the several ethanol feed concentrations, it does not remarkably affect in ethanol conversion. However, it has some different effect on ethylene selectivity between lower and higher reaction temperatures. It was found that at lower temperature reaction, ethylene selectivity is high due to the behavior of water in feed. In addition, the 0.3 M-MMT can be carried out under the hydrothermal effect.

Elevated Hair Cortisol Levels among Heroin Addicts on Current Methadone Maintenance Compared to Controls.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Yang

Full Text Available Whether methadone maintenance treatment (MMT can improve the basal function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis, which is suppressed by long-term heroin consumption, is a matter of debate. The stress state and depression and anxiety symptoms may affect the basal activity of the HPA axis in MMT patients. However, the effect of psychological factors on HPA activity was not simultaneously controlled in previous studies. This study investigated differences in HPA basal activity between MMT patients and controls using psychological variables as covariates. The participants included 52 MMT patients and 41 age-matched, non-heroin-dependent controls. Psychological states were self-reported with the Perceived Stress Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. The hair cortisol level was adopted as a biomarker of HPA basal activity and was determined with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The results revealed that MMT patients had significantly higher hair cortisol levels than the controls (p0.05 when the perceived stress, depression and anxiety scores were used as covariates. We concluded that patients with long-term MMT showed higher basal activity of the HPA axis. The high chronic stress state and increase in depression and anxiety symptoms may mask the suppression effect of methadone on the HPA activity.

Method for pulse to pulse dose reproducibility applied to electron linear accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ighigeanu, D.; Martin, D.; Oproiu, C.; Cirstea, E.; Craciun, G.

2002-01-01

An original method for obtaining programmed beam single shots and pulse trains with programmed pulse number, pulse repetition frequency, pulse duration and pulse dose is presented. It is particularly useful for automatic control of absorbed dose rate level, irradiation process control as well as in pulse radiolysis studies, single pulse dose measurement or for research experiments where pulse-to-pulse dose reproducibility is required. This method is applied to the electron linear accelerators, ALIN-10 of 6.23 MeV and 82 W and ALID-7, of 5.5 MeV and 670 W, built in NILPRP. In order to implement this method, the accelerator triggering system (ATS) consists of two branches: the gun branch and the magnetron branch. ATS, which synchronizes all the system units, delivers trigger pulses at a programmed repetition rate (up to 250 pulses/s) to the gun (80 kV, 10 A and 4 ms) and magnetron (45 kV, 100 A, and 4 ms).The accelerated electron beam existence is determined by the electron gun and magnetron pulses overlapping. The method consists in controlling the overlapping of pulses in order to deliver the beam in the desired sequence. This control is implemented by a discrete pulse position modulation of gun and/or magnetron pulses. The instabilities of the gun and magnetron transient regimes are avoided by operating the accelerator with no accelerated beam for a certain time. At the operator 'beam start' command, the ATS controls electron gun and magnetron pulses overlapping and the linac beam is generated. The pulse-to-pulse absorbed dose variation is thus considerably reduced. Programmed absorbed dose, irradiation time, beam pulse number or other external events may interrupt the coincidence between the gun and magnetron pulses. Slow absorbed dose variation is compensated by the control of the pulse duration and repetition frequency. Two methods are reported in the electron linear accelerators' development for obtaining the pulse to pulse dose reproducibility: the method

Knowledge-Based Trajectory Error Pattern Method Applied to an Active Force Control Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endra Pitowarno, Musa Mailah, Hishamuddin Jamaluddin

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The active force control (AFC method is known as a robust control scheme that dramatically enhances the performance of a robot arm particularly in compensating the disturbance effects. The main task of the AFC method is to estimate the inertia matrix in the feedback loop to provide the correct (motor torque required to cancel out these disturbances. Several intelligent control schemes have already been introduced to enhance the estimation methods of acquiring the inertia matrix such as those using neural network, iterative learning and fuzzy logic. In this paper, we propose an alternative scheme called Knowledge-Based Trajectory Error Pattern Method (KBTEPM to suppress the trajectory track error of the AFC scheme. The knowledge is developed from the trajectory track error characteristic based on the previous experimental results of the crude approximation method. It produces a unique, new and desirable error pattern when a trajectory command is forced. An experimental study was performed using simulation work on the AFC scheme with KBTEPM applied to a two-planar manipulator in which a set of rule-based algorithm is derived. A number of previous AFC schemes are also reviewed as benchmark. The simulation results show that the AFC-KBTEPM scheme successfully reduces the trajectory track error significantly even in the presence of the introduced disturbances.Key Words:  Active force control, estimated inertia matrix, robot arm, trajectory error pattern, knowledge-based.

Applying sociodramatic methods in teaching transition to palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Baile, Walter F; Walters, Rebecca

2013-03-01

We introduce the technique of sociodrama, describe its key components, and illustrate how this simulation method was applied in a workshop format to address the challenge of discussing transition to palliative care. We describe how warm-up exercises prepared 15 learners who provide direct clinical care to patients with cancer for a dramatic portrayal of this dilemma. We then show how small-group brainstorming led to the creation of a challenging scenario wherein highly optimistic family members of a 20-year-old young man with terminal acute lymphocytic leukemia responded to information about the lack of further anticancer treatment with anger and blame toward the staff. We illustrate how the facilitators, using sociodramatic techniques of doubling and role reversal, helped learners to understand and articulate the hidden feelings of fear and loss behind the family's emotional reactions. By modeling effective communication skills, the facilitators demonstrated how key communication skills, such as empathic responses to anger and blame and using "wish" statements, could transform the conversation from one of conflict to one of problem solving with the family. We also describe how we set up practice dyads to give the learners an opportunity to try out new skills with each other. An evaluation of the workshop and similar workshops we conducted is presented. Copyright © 2013 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applied Formal Methods for Elections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Jian

development time, or second dynamically, i.e. monitoring while an implementation is used during an election, or after the election is over, for forensic analysis. This thesis contains two chapters on this subject: the chapter Analyzing Implementations of Election Technologies describes a technique...... process. The chapter Measuring Voter Lines describes an automated data collection method for measuring voters' waiting time, and discusses statistical models designed to provide an understanding of the voter behavior in polling stations....

Effect of type and content of modified montmorillonite on the structure and properties of bio-nanocomposite films based on soy protein isolate and montmorillonite.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, P; Sandeep, K P; Alavi, S; Truong, V D; Gorga, R E

2010-06-01

The nonbiodegradable and nonrenewable nature of plastic packaging has led to a renewed interest in packaging materials based on bio-nanocomposites (biopolymer matrix reinforced with nanoparticles such as layered silicates). Bio-nanocomposite films based on soy protein isolate (SPI) and modified montmorillonite (MMT) were prepared using melt extrusion. The effect of different type (Cloisite 20A and Cloisite 30B) and content (0% to 15%) of modified MMT on the structure (degree of intercalation and exfoliation) and properties (color, mechanical, dynamic mechanical, thermal stability, and water vapor permeability) of SPI-MMT bio-nanocomposite films were investigated. Extrusion of SPI and modified MMTs resulted in bio-nanocomposites with exfoliated structures at lower MMT content (5%). At higher MMT content (15%), the structure of bio-nanocomposites ranged from intercalated for Cloisite 20A to disordered intercalated for Cloisite 30B. At an MMT content of 5%, bio-nanocomposite films based on modified MMTs (Cloisite 20A and Cloisite 30B) had better mechanical (tensile strength and percent elongation at break), dynamic mechanical (glass transition temperature and storage modulus), and water barrier properties as compared to those based on natural MMT (Cloisite Na(+)). Bio-nanocomposite films based on 10% Cloisite 30B had mechanical properties comparable to those of some of the plastics that are currently used in food packaging applications. However, much higher WVP values of these films as compared to those of existing plastics might limit the application of these films to packaging of high moisture foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

The fundamental parameter method applied to X-ray fluorescence analysis with synchrotron radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Pantenburg, F. J.; Beier, T.; Hennrich, F.; Mommsen, H.

1992-05-01

Quantitative X-ray fluorescence analysis applying the fundamental parameter method is usually restricted to monochromatic excitation sources. It is shown here, that such analyses can be performed as well with a white synchrotron radiation spectrum. To determine absolute elemental concentration values it is necessary to know the spectral distribution of this spectrum. A newly designed and tested experimental setup, which uses the synchrotron radiation emitted from electrons in a bending magnet of ELSA (electron stretcher accelerator of the university of Bonn) is presented. The determination of the exciting spectrum, described by the given electron beam parameters, is limited due to uncertainties in the vertical electron beam size and divergence. We describe a method which allows us to determine the relative and absolute spectral distributions needed for accurate analysis. First test measurements of different alloys and standards of known composition demonstrate that it is possible to determine exact concentration values in bulk and trace element analysis.

An input feature selection method applied to fuzzy neural networks for signal esitmation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Man Gyun; Sim, Young Rok

2001-01-01

It is well known that the performance of a fuzzy neural networks strongly depends on the input features selected for its training. In its applications to sensor signal estimation, there are a large number of input variables related with an output. As the number of input variables increases, the training time of fuzzy neural networks required increases exponentially. Thus, it is essential to reduce the number of inputs to a fuzzy neural networks and to select the optimum number of mutually independent inputs that are able to clearly define the input-output mapping. In this work, principal component analysis (PAC), genetic algorithms (GA) and probability theory are combined to select new important input features. A proposed feature selection method is applied to the signal estimation of the steam generator water level, the hot-leg flowrate, the pressurizer water level and the pressurizer pressure sensors in pressurized water reactors and compared with other input feature selection methods

Infrared thermography inspection methods applied to the target elements of W7-X divertor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Missirlian, M. [Association Euratom-CEA, CEA/DSM/DRFC, CEA/Cadarache, F-13108 Saint Paul Lez Durance (France)], E-mail: marc.missirlian@cea.fr; Traxler, H. [PLANSEE SE, Technology Center, A-6600 Reutte (Austria); Boscary, J. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Euratom Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Durocher, A.; Escourbiac, F.; Schlosser, J. [Association Euratom-CEA, CEA/DSM/DRFC, CEA/Cadarache, F-13108 Saint Paul Lez Durance (France); Schedler, B.; Schuler, P. [PLANSEE SE, Technology Center, A-6600 Reutte (Austria)

2007-10-15

The non-destructive examination (NDE) method is one of the key issues in developing highly loaded plasma-facing components (PFCs) for a next generation fusion devices such as W7-X and ITER. The most critical step is certainly the fabrication and the examination of the bond between the armour and the heat sink. Two inspection systems based on the infrared thermography methods, namely, the transient thermography (SATIR-CEA) and the pulsed thermography (ARGUS-PLANSEE), are being developed and have been applied to the pre-series of target elements of the W7-X divertor. Results obtained from qualification experiences performed on target elements with artificial calibrated defects allowed to demonstrate the capability of the two techniques and raised the efficiency of inspection to a level which is appropriate for industrial application.

Infrared thermography inspection methods applied to the target elements of W7-X divertor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Missirlian, M.; Traxler, H.; Boscary, J.; Durocher, A.; Escourbiac, F.; Schlosser, J.; Schedler, B.; Schuler, P.

2007-01-01

The non-destructive examination (NDE) method is one of the key issues in developing highly loaded plasma-facing components (PFCs) for a next generation fusion devices such as W7-X and ITER. The most critical step is certainly the fabrication and the examination of the bond between the armour and the heat sink. Two inspection systems based on the infrared thermography methods, namely, the transient thermography (SATIR-CEA) and the pulsed thermography (ARGUS-PLANSEE), are being developed and have been applied to the pre-series of target elements of the W7-X divertor. Results obtained from qualification experiences performed on target elements with artificial calibrated defects allowed to demonstrate the capability of the two techniques and raised the efficiency of inspection to a level which is appropriate for industrial application

Synthesis of Various Polyaniline / Clay Nanocomposites Derived from Aniline and Substituted Aniline Derivatives by Mechanochemical Intercalation Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Kalaivasan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Polyaniline clay nanocomposite can be prepared by mechano-chemical method in which intercalation of anilinium ion into the clay lattices accomplished by mechanical grinding of sodium montmorillonite (Na+MMT in presence of anilinium hydrochloride at room temperature using mortar & pestle for about 30 min and subsequent grinding with oxidizing agent, ammonium peroxysulfate. The appearance of green colour indicates the formation of polyaniline/clay nanocomposite (PANI/Clay. Similarly aniline derivatives like o-toludine and o-anisidine in the form of HCl salt can form intercalation into the clay lattices. The intercalated aniline derivatives were ground mechanically in presence of oxidizing agent ammonium peroxysulfate lead to formation of substituted polyaniline/ clay nanocomposites. The characteristics of various polyaniline-clay nanocomposites were investigated using UV-Visible, FT-IR, cyclic voltammetry studies.

Study on Feasibility of Applying Function Approximation Moment Method to Achieve Reliability-Based Design Optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, Jae Sung; Kwak, Byung Man

2011-01-01

Robust optimization or reliability-based design optimization are some of the methodologies that are employed to take into account the uncertainties of a system at the design stage. For applying such methodologies to solve industrial problems, accurate and efficient methods for estimating statistical moments and failure probability are required, and further, the results of sensitivity analysis, which is needed for searching direction during the optimization process, should also be accurate. The aim of this study is to employ the function approximation moment method into the sensitivity analysis formulation, which is expressed as an integral form, to verify the accuracy of the sensitivity results, and to solve a typical problem of reliability-based design optimization. These results are compared with those of other moment methods, and the feasibility of the function approximation moment method is verified. The sensitivity analysis formula with integral form is the efficient formulation for evaluating sensitivity because any additional function calculation is not needed provided the failure probability or statistical moments are calculated

A Precise Method for Cloth Configuration Parsing Applied to Single-Arm Flattening

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Li Sun

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate the contribution that visual perception affords to a robotic manipulation task in which a crumpled garment is flattened by eliminating visually detected wrinkles. In order to explore and validate visually guided clothing manipulation in a repeatable and controlled environment, we have developed a hand-eye interactive virtual robot manipulation system that incorporates a clothing simulator to close the effector-garment-visual sensing interaction loop. We present the technical details and compare the performance of two different methods for detecting, representing and interpreting wrinkles within clothing surfaces captured in high-resolution depth maps. The first method we present relies upon a clustering-based method for localizing and parametrizing wrinkles, while the second method adopts a more advanced geometry-based approach in which shape-topology analysis underpins the identification of the cloth configuration (i.e., maps wrinkles. Having interpreted the state of the cloth configuration by means of either of these methods, a heuristic-based flattening strategy is then executed to infer the appropriate forces, their directions and gripper contact locations that must be applied to the cloth in order to flatten the perceived wrinkles. A greedy approach, which attempts to flatten the largest detected wrinkle for each perception-iteration cycle, has been successfully adopted in this work. We present the results of our heuristic-based flattening methodology which relies upon clustering-based and geometry-based features respectively. Our experiments indicate that geometry-based features have the potential to provide a greater degree of clothing configuration understanding and, as a consequence, improve flattening performance. The results of experiments using a real robot (as opposed to simulated robot also confirm our proposition that a more effective visual perception system can advance the performance of cloth

Method of moments as applied to arbitrarily shaped bounded nonlinear scatterers

Science.gov (United States)

Caorsi, Salvatore; Massa, Andrea; Pastorino, Matteo

1994-01-01

In this paper, we explore the possibility of applying the moment method to determine the electromagnetic field distributions inside three-dimensional bounded nonlinear dielectric objects of arbitrary shapes. The moment method has usually been employed to solve linear scattering problems. We start with an integral equation formulation, and derive a nonlinear system of algebraic equations that allows us to obtain an approximate solution for the harmonic vector components of the electric field. Preliminary results of some numerical simulations are reported. Dans cet article nous explorons la possibilité d'appliquer la méthode des moments pour déterminer la distribution du champ électromagnétique dans des objets tridimensionnels diélectriques, non-linéaires, limités et de formes arbitraires. La méthode des moments a été communément employée pour les problèmes de diffusion linéaire. Nous commençons par une formulation basée sur l'équation intégrale et nous dérivons un système non-linéaire d'équations algébriques qui nous permet d'obtenir une solution approximative pour les composantes harmoniques du vecteur du champ électrique. Les résultats préliminaires de quelques simulations numériques sont présentés.

Dose rate reduction method for NMCA applied BWR plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagase, Makoto; Aizawa, Motohiro; Ito, Tsuyoshi; Hosokawa, Hideyuki; Varela, Juan; Caine, Thomas

2012-09-01

BRAC (BWR Radiation Assessment and Control) dose rate is used as an indicator of the incorporation of activated corrosion by products into BWR recirculation piping, which is known to be a significant contributor to dose rate received by workers during refueling outages. In order to reduce radiation exposure of the workers during the outage, it is desirable to keep BRAC dose rates as low as possible. After HWC was adopted to reduce IGSCC, a BRAC dose rate increase was observed in many plants. As a countermeasure to these rapid dose rate increases under HWC conditions, Zn injection was widely adopted in United States and Europe resulting in a reduction of BRAC dose rates. However, BRAC dose rates in several plants remain high, prompting the industry to continue to investigate methods to achieve further reductions. In recent years a large portion of the BWR fleet has adopted NMCA (NobleChem TM ) to enhance the hydrogen injection effect to suppress SCC. After NMCA, especially OLNC (On-Line NobleChem TM ), BRAC dose rates were observed to decrease. In some OLNC applied BWR plants this reduction was observed year after year to reach a new reduced equilibrium level. This dose rate reduction trends suggest the potential dose reduction might be obtained by the combination of Pt and Zn injection. So, laboratory experiments and in-plant tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of Pt and Zn on Co-60 deposition behaviour. Firstly, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effect of noble metal deposition on Co deposition on stainless steel surfaces. Polished type 316 stainless steel coupons were prepared and some of them were OLNC treated in the test loop before the Co deposition test. Water chemistry conditions to simulate HWC were as follows: Dissolved oxygen, hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide were below 5 ppb, 100 ppb and 0 ppb (no addition), respectively. Zn was injected to target a concentration of 5 ppb. The test was conducted up to 1500 hours at 553 K. Test

Flame retardant behavior of polyelectrolyte-clay thin film assemblies on cotton fabric.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yu-Chin; Schulz, Jessica; Mannen, Sarah; Delhom, Chris; Condon, Brian; Chang, Sechin; Zammarano, Mauro; Grunlan, Jaime C

2010-06-22

Cotton fabric was treated with flame-retardant coatings composed of branched polyethylenimine (BPEI) and sodium montmorillonite (MMT) clay, prepared via layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. Four coating recipes were created by exposing fabric to aqueous solutions of BPEI (pH 7 or 10) and MMT (0.2 or 1 wt %). BPEI pH 10 produces the thickest films, while 1 wt % MMT gives the highest clay loading. Each coating recipe was evaluated at 5 and 20 bilayers. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that coated fabrics left as much as 13% char after heating to 500 degrees C, nearly 2 orders of magnitude more than uncoated fabric, with less than 4 wt % coming from the coating itself. These coatings also reduced afterglow time in vertical flame tests. Postburn residues of coated fabrics were examined with SEM and revealed that the weave structure and fiber shape in all coated fabrics were preserved. The BPEI pH 7/1 wt % MMT recipe was most effective. Microcombustion calorimeter testing showed that all coated fabrics reduced the total heat release and heat release capacity of the fabric. Fiber count and strength of uncoated and coated fabric are similar. These results demonstrate that LbL assembly is a relatively simple method for imparting flame-retardant behavior to cotton fabric. This work lays the foundation for using these types of thin film assemblies to make a variety of complex substrates (foam, fabrics, etc.) flame resistant.

Valuing national effects of digital health investments: an applied method.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagens, Simon; Zelmer, Jennifer; Frazer, Cassandra; Gheorghiu, Bobby; Leaver, Chad

2015-01-01

This paper describes an approach which has been applied to value national outcomes of investments by federal, provincial and territorial governments, clinicians and healthcare organizations in digital health. Hypotheses are used to develop a model, which is revised and populated based upon the available evidence. Quantitative national estimates and qualitative findings are produced and validated through structured peer review processes. This methodology has applied in four studies since 2008.

The Effect of Medicine Knowledge on the Methods Applied for Lowering Blood Pressure in Patients with Hypertension

OpenAIRE

Belguzar Kara; Senay Uzun; Mehmet Yokusoglu; Mehmet Uzun

2009-01-01

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of medicine knowledge on the methods applied for lowering blood pressure among patients with hypertension. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 1 and April 30, 2006. The sample of the study was constituted by 77 patients who had admitted to Gulhane Military Medical Academy Cardiology Outpatient Clinic with the diagnosis of hypertension. The data were collected by using a questionnaire designed by the investig...

How to apply the optimal estimation method to your lidar measurements for improved retrievals of temperature and composition

Science.gov (United States)

Sica, R. J.; Haefele, A.; Jalali, A.; Gamage, S.; Farhani, G.

2018-04-01

The optimal estimation method (OEM) has a long history of use in passive remote sensing, but has only recently been applied to active instruments like lidar. The OEM's advantage over traditional techniques includes obtaining a full systematic and random uncertainty budget plus the ability to work with the raw measurements without first applying instrument corrections. In our meeting presentation we will show you how to use the OEM for temperature and composition retrievals for Rayleigh-scatter, Ramanscatter and DIAL lidars.

Estimating the Impacts of Local Policy Innovation: The Synthetic Control Method Applied to Tropical Deforestation

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, Erin O.; Herrera, Diego; Kirkpatrick, A. Justin; Brandão, Amintas; Dickson, Rebecca; Hall, Simon; Pattanayak, Subhrendu; Shoch, David; Vedoveto, Mariana; Young, Luisa; Pfaff, Alexander

2015-01-01

Quasi-experimental methods increasingly are used to evaluate the impacts of conservation interventions by generating credible estimates of counterfactual baselines. These methods generally require large samples for statistical comparisons, presenting a challenge for evaluating innovative policies implemented within a few pioneering jurisdictions. Single jurisdictions often are studied using comparative methods, which rely on analysts’ selection of best case comparisons. The synthetic control method (SCM) offers one systematic and transparent way to select cases for comparison, from a sizeable pool, by focusing upon similarity in outcomes before the intervention. We explain SCM, then apply it to one local initiative to limit deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The municipality of Paragominas launched a multi-pronged local initiative in 2008 to maintain low deforestation while restoring economic production. This was a response to having been placed, due to high deforestation, on a federal “blacklist” that increased enforcement of forest regulations and restricted access to credit and output markets. The local initiative included mapping and monitoring of rural land plus promotion of economic alternatives compatible with low deforestation. The key motivation for the program may have been to reduce the costs of blacklisting. However its stated purpose was to limit deforestation, and thus we apply SCM to estimate what deforestation would have been in a (counterfactual) scenario of no local initiative. We obtain a plausible estimate, in that deforestation patterns before the intervention were similar in Paragominas and the synthetic control, which suggests that after several years, the initiative did lower deforestation (significantly below the synthetic control in 2012). This demonstrates that SCM can yield helpful land-use counterfactuals for single units, with opportunities to integrate local and expert knowledge and to test innovations and permutations on

Estimating the Impacts of Local Policy Innovation: The Synthetic Control Method Applied to Tropical Deforestation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, Erin O; Herrera, Diego; Kirkpatrick, A Justin; Brandão, Amintas; Dickson, Rebecca; Hall, Simon; Pattanayak, Subhrendu; Shoch, David; Vedoveto, Mariana; Young, Luisa; Pfaff, Alexander

2015-01-01

Quasi-experimental methods increasingly are used to evaluate the impacts of conservation interventions by generating credible estimates of counterfactual baselines. These methods generally require large samples for statistical comparisons, presenting a challenge for evaluating innovative policies implemented within a few pioneering jurisdictions. Single jurisdictions often are studied using comparative methods, which rely on analysts' selection of best case comparisons. The synthetic control method (SCM) offers one systematic and transparent way to select cases for comparison, from a sizeable pool, by focusing upon similarity in outcomes before the intervention. We explain SCM, then apply it to one local initiative to limit deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The municipality of Paragominas launched a multi-pronged local initiative in 2008 to maintain low deforestation while restoring economic production. This was a response to having been placed, due to high deforestation, on a federal "blacklist" that increased enforcement of forest regulations and restricted access to credit and output markets. The local initiative included mapping and monitoring of rural land plus promotion of economic alternatives compatible with low deforestation. The key motivation for the program may have been to reduce the costs of blacklisting. However its stated purpose was to limit deforestation, and thus we apply SCM to estimate what deforestation would have been in a (counterfactual) scenario of no local initiative. We obtain a plausible estimate, in that deforestation patterns before the intervention were similar in Paragominas and the synthetic control, which suggests that after several years, the initiative did lower deforestation (significantly below the synthetic control in 2012). This demonstrates that SCM can yield helpful land-use counterfactuals for single units, with opportunities to integrate local and expert knowledge and to test innovations and permutations on policies

Estimating the Impacts of Local Policy Innovation: The Synthetic Control Method Applied to Tropical Deforestation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin O Sills

Full Text Available Quasi-experimental methods increasingly are used to evaluate the impacts of conservation interventions by generating credible estimates of counterfactual baselines. These methods generally require large samples for statistical comparisons, presenting a challenge for evaluating innovative policies implemented within a few pioneering jurisdictions. Single jurisdictions often are studied using comparative methods, which rely on analysts' selection of best case comparisons. The synthetic control method (SCM offers one systematic and transparent way to select cases for comparison, from a sizeable pool, by focusing upon similarity in outcomes before the intervention. We explain SCM, then apply it to one local initiative to limit deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The municipality of Paragominas launched a multi-pronged local initiative in 2008 to maintain low deforestation while restoring economic production. This was a response to having been placed, due to high deforestation, on a federal "blacklist" that increased enforcement of forest regulations and restricted access to credit and output markets. The local initiative included mapping and monitoring of rural land plus promotion of economic alternatives compatible with low deforestation. The key motivation for the program may have been to reduce the costs of blacklisting. However its stated purpose was to limit deforestation, and thus we apply SCM to estimate what deforestation would have been in a (counterfactual scenario of no local initiative. We obtain a plausible estimate, in that deforestation patterns before the intervention were similar in Paragominas and the synthetic control, which suggests that after several years, the initiative did lower deforestation (significantly below the synthetic control in 2012. This demonstrates that SCM can yield helpful land-use counterfactuals for single units, with opportunities to integrate local and expert knowledge and to test innovations and

Organizational methods conditions of formation of motivation at corresponding pedagogical skills to professional-applied physical training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victorya Tsybul’ska

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to develop organizational and methodological conditions of formation and motivation of students to determine their effectiveness. Materials and Methods: the study was conducted by third year student of the correspondence department of the Faculty of Primary Education (53 people. We used the following methods: survey of theoretical knowledge, motor tests, evaluation methods of physical health (G. Apanasenko, psychological methods of training motivation (T. Ilyina, motivation to succeed (T. Elers, rapid diagnosis empathy (I. Yusupova, methods of mathematical statistics. Results: the factors that affect the state of professionally-applied physical fitness of students of the correspondence department of the Faculty of Primary Education. Conclusions: the proposed organizational and methodological conditions activation independent of external students is the basis for providing in centives for self-study educational materials, improving theoretical knowledge in the field of physical education, increased motor activity through various forms of regular exercise.

A Research for Determination of Pricing Methods Applied to Food and Bevarege Enterprises That Had Tourism Operation License in Gaziantep

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan AKIN

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The number of the food and beverage businesses is getting higher day by day. As a result of this, an intensive competition is seen. That the businesses are based on labor-intensive and capital and that the products which are produced in businesses can’t be stocked and weakness of them and also the rivalry between the businesses make pricing important. Because of this reason, during the pricing products which are produced by businesses , determining a right method and applying it is important for the future of the business. The main purpose of this study is to specify the methods which are applied pricing the products which are produced by food and beverage services having tourism certified. In southeast’s largest province Gaziantep, a survey was conducted by using face to face method in order to determine about tourism certified business pricing with status of current all of the business(18 pieces. And by using surveys results, frequency distributions were examined and as part of 5 points Likert analyze, it was determined that the businesses apply methods which are intended to profit and cost. And also the owners and administrators who joined survey are not sure about whether place of the business has an importance on pricing or not

A Method for Evaluation and Comparison of Parallel Robots for Safe Human Interaction, Applied to Robotic TMS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Jan Johannes; Stienen, Arno; van der Wijk, V.; Wessels, Martijn; van der Kooij, Herman

2012-01-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive method to modify behaviour of neurons in the brain. TMS is applied by running large currents through a coil close to the scalp. For consistent results it is required to maintain the coil position within millimetres of the targeted location,

A Rapid Coordinate Transformation Method Applied in Industrial Robot Calibration Based on Characteristic Line Coincidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bailing Liu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Coordinate transformation plays an indispensable role in industrial measurements, including photogrammetry, geodesy, laser 3-D measurement and robotics. The widely applied methods of coordinate transformation are generally based on solving the equations of point clouds. Despite the high accuracy, this might result in no solution due to the use of ill conditioned matrices. In this paper, a novel coordinate transformation method is proposed, not based on the equation solution but based on the geometric transformation. We construct characteristic lines to represent the coordinate systems. According to the space geometry relation, the characteristic line scan is made to coincide by a series of rotations and translations. The transformation matrix can be obtained using matrix transformation theory. Experiments are designed to compare the proposed method with other methods. The results show that the proposed method has the same high accuracy, but the operation is more convenient and flexible. A multi-sensor combined measurement system is also presented to improve the position accuracy of a robot with the calibration of the robot kinematic parameters. Experimental verification shows that the position accuracy of robot manipulator is improved by 45.8% with the proposed method and robot calibration.

The Inverse System Method Applied to the Derivation of Power System Non—linear Control Laws

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

DonghaiLI; XuezhiJIANG; 等

1997-01-01

The differential geometric method has been applied to a series of power system non-linear control problems effectively.However a set of differential equations must be solved for obtaining the required diffeomorphic transformation.Therefore the derivation of control laws is very complicated.In fact because of the specificity of power system models the required diffeomorphic transformation may be obtained directly,so it is unnecessary to solve a set of differential equations.In addition inverse system method is equivalent to differential geometric method in reality and not limited to affine nonlinear systems,Its physical meaning is able to be viewed directly and its deduction needs only algebraic operation and derivation,so control laws can be obtained easily and the application to engineering is very convenient.Authors of this paper take steam valving control of power system as a typical case to be studied.It is demonstrated that the control law deduced by inverse system method is just the same as one by differential geometric method.The conclusion will simplify the control law derivations of steam valving,excitation,converter and static var compensator by differential geometric method and may be suited to similar control problems in other areas.

A Rapid Coordinate Transformation Method Applied in Industrial Robot Calibration Based on Characteristic Line Coincidence

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bailing; Zhang, Fumin; Qu, Xinghua; Shi, Xiaojia

2016-01-01

Coordinate transformation plays an indispensable role in industrial measurements, including photogrammetry, geodesy, laser 3-D measurement and robotics. The widely applied methods of coordinate transformation are generally based on solving the equations of point clouds. Despite the high accuracy, this might result in no solution due to the use of ill conditioned matrices. In this paper, a novel coordinate transformation method is proposed, not based on the equation solution but based on the geometric transformation. We construct characteristic lines to represent the coordinate systems. According to the space geometry relation, the characteristic line scan is made to coincide by a series of rotations and translations. The transformation matrix can be obtained using matrix transformation theory. Experiments are designed to compare the proposed method with other methods. The results show that the proposed method has the same high accuracy, but the operation is more convenient and flexible. A multi-sensor combined measurement system is also presented to improve the position accuracy of a robot with the calibration of the robot kinematic parameters. Experimental verification shows that the position accuracy of robot manipulator is improved by 45.8% with the proposed method and robot calibration. PMID:26901203

Conversation Analysis in Applied Linguistics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasper, Gabriele; Wagner, Johannes

2014-01-01

on applied CA, the application of basic CA's principles, methods, and findings to the study of social domains and practices that are interactionally constituted. We consider three strands—foundational, social problem oriented, and institutional applied CA—before turning to recent developments in CA research...... on learning and development. In conclusion, we address some emerging themes in the relationship of CA and applied linguistics, including the role of multilingualism, standard social science methods as research objects, CA's potential for direct social intervention, and increasing efforts to complement CA......For the last decade, conversation analysis (CA) has increasingly contributed to several established fields in applied linguistics. In this article, we will discuss its methodological contributions. The article distinguishes between basic and applied CA. Basic CA is a sociological endeavor concerned...

Evaluation of Retention in Methadone Treatment in Patients Attending Baharan Hospital Clinic in Zahedan City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.D. Mohebi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objectives: Substance abuse and opioid dependency refers to hazardous use of psychoactive substance .Prevention and treatment of opiate dependence has not been success-ful. Most effective drug in agonist treatment of opiates is methadone maintenance therapy (MMT.But the lack of cooperation of addicts in methadone maintenance therapy has always been a big problem to continue. The purpose of this study is to investigate the retention in the MMT. Materials & Methods: This historical cohort study analyzed the medical records of patients of Baharan hospital in Zahedan. All 912 cases of methadone maintenance clinic of Baharan hos-pital in Zahedan 2011-2012 were studied and the data were analyzed using SPSS. Tables and indexes were analyzed by the Chi-square test and survival curves were plotted using Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed by Log-Rank test. Results: This study reviewed records from 912 patients with a mean age of 34.67% and stan-dard deviation of 10.88 and the range of 15-86 years. 735 were male and 177 ware female. 1-moth retention rate was 71%, 3 months was 59%, 6 months was 47%, 1 year was 30% and 2 years was 17%. Kaplan-Meier median survival time of 8 months was estimated by relation-ship. Doses higher than 60 mg/d of methadone was associated with increased survival on MMT. Conclusion: Age increase, increase of employment time, increasing of the duration of drug abuse, increasing the daily dose of methadone, oral substance abuse increased retention rate and heroin abuse and smoking were associated with decrease retention rate of methadone maintenance therapy. So, with an emphasis on each of these factors effective steps can be taken to improve the cooperation of patients in MMT. (Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci 2015; 22 (1:30-36

Efficient alpha particle detection by CR-39 applying 50 Hz-HV electrochemical etching method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabi, M.; Soltani, Z.

2016-01-01

Alpha particles can be detected by CR-39 by applying either chemical etching (CE), electrochemical etching (ECE), or combined pre-etching and ECE usually through a multi-step HF-HV ECE process at temperatures much higher than room temperature. By applying pre-etching, characteristics responses of fast-neutron-induced recoil tracks in CR-39 by HF-HV ECE versus KOH normality (N) have shown two high-sensitivity peaks around 5–6 and 15–16 N and a large-diameter peak with a minimum sensitivity around 10–11 N at 25°C. On the other hand, 50 Hz-HV ECE method recently advanced in our laboratory detects alpha particles with high efficiency and broad registration energy range with small ECE tracks in polycarbonate (PC) detectors. By taking advantage of the CR-39 sensitivity to alpha particles, efficacy of 50 Hz-HV ECE method and CR-39 exotic responses under different KOH normalities, detection characteristics of 0.8 MeV alpha particle tracks were studied in 500 μm CR-39 for different fluences, ECE duration and KOH normality. Alpha registration efficiency increased as ECE duration increased to 90 ± 2% after 6–8 h beyond which plateaus are reached. Alpha track density versus fluence is linear up to 10 6  tracks cm −2 . The efficiency and mean track diameter versus alpha fluence up to 10 6  alphas cm −2 decrease as the fluence increases. Background track density and minimum detection limit are linear functions of ECE duration and increase as normality increases. The CR-39 processed for the first time in this study by 50 Hz-HV ECE method proved to provide a simple, efficient and practical alpha detection method at room temperature. - Highlights: • Alpha particles of 0.8 MeV were detected in CR-39 by 50 Hz-HV ECE method. • Efficiency/track diameter was studied vs fluence and time for 3 KOH normality. • Background track density and minimum detection limit vs duration were studied. • A new simple, efficient and low-cost alpha detection method

A semiempirical method of applying the dechanneling correction in the extraction of disorder distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, R.S.; Thompson, D.A.; Poehlman, S.W.

1977-01-01

The application of single, plural or multiple scattering theories to the determination of defect dechanneling in channeling-backscattering disorder measurements is re-examined. A semiempirical modification to the method is described that results in making the extracted disorder and disorder distribution relatively insensitive to the scattering model employed. The various models and modifications have been applied to the 1 to 2 MeV He + channeling-backscatter data obtained from 20 to 80 keV H + to Ne + bombarded Si, GaP and GaAs at 50 K and 300 K. (author)

Regional homogeneity changes between heroin relapse and non-relapse patients under methadone maintenance treatment: a resting-state fMRI study

OpenAIRE

Chang, Haifeng; Li, Wei; Li, Qiang; Chen, Jiajie; Zhu, Jia; Ye, Jianjun; Liu, Jierong; Li, Zhe; Li, Yongbin; Shi, Ming; Wang, Yarong; Wang, Wei

2016-01-01

Background Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is recognized as one of the most effective treatments for heroin addiction but its effect is dimmed by the high incidence of heroin relapse. However, underlying neurobiology mechanism of heroin relapse under MMT is still largely unknown. Here, we took advantage of a resting-state fMRI technique by analysis of regional homogeneity (ReHo), and tried to explore the difference of brain function between heroin relapsers and non-relapsers in MMT. Met...

Adding randomness controlling parameters in GRASP method applied in school timetabling problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato Santos Pereira

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the influence of randomness controlling parameters (RCP in first stage GRASP method applied in graph coloring problem, specifically school timetabling problems in a public high school. The algorithm (with the inclusion of RCP was based on critical variables identified through focus groups, whose weights can be adjusted by the user in order to meet the institutional needs. The results of the computational experiment, with 11-year-old data (66 observations processed at the same high school show that the inclusion of RCP leads to significantly lowering the distance between initial solutions and local minima. The acceptance and the use of the solutions found allow us to conclude that the modified GRASP, as has been constructed, can make a positive contribution to this timetabling problem of the school in question.

Applied mathematics

CERN Document Server

Logan, J David

2013-01-01

Praise for the Third Edition"Future mathematicians, scientists, and engineers should find the book to be an excellent introductory text for coursework or self-study as well as worth its shelf space for reference." -MAA Reviews Applied Mathematics, Fourth Edition is a thoroughly updated and revised edition on the applications of modeling and analyzing natural, social, and technological processes. The book covers a wide range of key topics in mathematical methods and modeling and highlights the connections between mathematics and the applied and nat

Performance comparison of two efficient genomic selection methods (gsbay & MixP) applied in aquacultural organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Hailin; Li, Hengde; Wang, Shi; Wang, Yangfan; Bao, Zhenmin

2017-02-01

Genomic selection is more and more popular in animal and plant breeding industries all around the world, as it can be applied early in life without impacting selection candidates. The objective of this study was to bring the advantages of genomic selection to scallop breeding. Two different genomic selection tools MixP and gsbay were applied on genomic evaluation of simulated data and Zhikong scallop ( Chlamys farreri) field data. The data were compared with genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) method which has been applied widely. Our results showed that both MixP and gsbay could accurately estimate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker effects, and thereby could be applied for the analysis of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV). In simulated data from different scenarios, the accuracy of GEBV acquired was ranged from 0.20 to 0.78 by MixP; it was ranged from 0.21 to 0.67 by gsbay; and it was ranged from 0.21 to 0.61 by GBLUP. Estimations made by MixP and gsbay were expected to be more reliable than those estimated by GBLUP. Predictions made by gsbay were more robust, while with MixP the computation is much faster, especially in dealing with large-scale data. These results suggested that both algorithms implemented by MixP and gsbay are feasible to carry out genomic selection in scallop breeding, and more genotype data will be necessary to produce genomic estimated breeding values with a higher accuracy for the industry.

Crystallization and unusual rheological behavior in poly(ethylene oxide)–clay nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Kelarakis, Antonios

2011-05-01

We report a systematic study of the crystallization and rheological behavior of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-clay nanocomposites. To that end a series of nanocomposites based on PEOs of different molecular weight (103 < MW < 105 g/mol) and clay surface modifier was synthesized and characterized. Incorporation of organoclays with polar (MMT-OH) or aromatic groups (MMT-Ar) suppresses the crystallization of polymer chains in low MW PEO, but does not significantly affect the crystallization of high MW matrices. In addition, the relative complex viscosity of the nanocomposites based on low MW PEO increases significantly, but the effect is less pronounced at higher MWs. The viscosity increases in the series MMT-Alk < MMT-OH < MMT-Ar. In contrast to the neat PEO which exhibits a monotonic decrease of viscosity with temperature, all nanocomposites show an increase after a certain temperature. This is the first report of such dramatic enhancements in the viscoelasticity of nanocomposites, which are reversible, are based on a simple polymer matrix and are true in a wide temperature range. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanocomposites of polyamide 6/residual monomer with organic-modified montmorillonite and their nanofibers produced by electrospinning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cesar Augusto Gonçalves Beatrice

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Nanocomposites of an organic-modified montmorillonite (MMT and polyamide 6 (PA6 with a residual monomer were produced by melt mixing in a torque rheometer. By wide angle X-rays diffraction (WAXD, intercalated/exfoliated structures were observed in the PA6/MMT nanocomposites with 3 and 5 wt. (% of MMT; on the other hand, when 7 wt. (% of MMT was added, a nanocomposite with exfoliated structures was obtained due to the predominant linking reactions between the residual monomer and the "nanoclays" organic surfactant. Solutions of these PA6/MMT nanocomposites at 15, 17 and 20 wt. (% in formic acid were prepared. The 3 and 5 wt. (% nanocomposites were successfully electrospun; however, electrospinning of the 7 wt. (% nanocomposite was not possible. WAXD, scanning and transmission electron microscopy results showed that the 3 and 5 wt. (% nanofibers with average diameter between 80-250 nm had exfoliated structures. These results indicate that the high elongational forces developed during the electrospinning process changed the initial intercalated/exfoliated structure of the nanocomposites to an exfoliated one.

Nanocomposites of rice and banana flours blend with montmorillonite: partial characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Marín, María L; Bello-Pérez, Luis A; Yee-Madeira, Hernani; Zhong, Qixin; González-Soto, Rosalía A

2013-10-01

Rice and banana flours are inexpensive starchy materials that can form films with more improved properties than those made with their starch because flour and starch present different hydrophobicity. Montmorillonite (MMT) can be used to further improve the properties of starch-based films, which has not received much research attention for starchy flours. The aim of this work was to evaluate the mechanical and barrier properties of nanocomposite films of banana and rice flours as matrix material with addition of MMT as a nanofiller. MMT was modified using citric acid to produce intercalated structures, as verified by the X-ray diffraction pattern. The intercalated MMT was blended with flour slurries, and films were prepared by casting. Nanocomposite films of banana and rice flours presented an increase in the tensile at break and elongation percentage, respectively, more than their respective control films without MMT. This study showed that banana and rice flours could be alternative raw materials to use in making nanocomposite films. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Printing method and printer used for applying this method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2006-01-01

The invention pertains to a method for transferring ink to a receiving material using an inkjet printer having an ink chamber (10) with a nozzle (8) and an electromechanical transducer (16) in cooperative connection with the ink chamber, comprising actuating the transducer to generate a pressure

Predicting the Mineral Composition of Dust Aerosols. Part 2; Model Evaluation and Identification of Key Processes with Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Perlwitz, J. P.; Garcia-Pando, C. Perez; Miller, R. L.

2015-01-01

A global compilation of nearly sixty measurement studies is used to evaluate two methods of simulating the mineral composition of dust aerosols in an Earth system model. Both methods are based upon a Mean Mineralogical Table (MMT) that relates the soil mineral fractions to a global atlas of arid soil type. The Soil Mineral Fraction (SMF) method assumes that the aerosol mineral fractions match the fractions of the soil. The MMT is based upon soil measurements after wet sieving, a process that destroys aggregates of soil particles that would have been emitted from the original, undisturbed soil. The second method approximately reconstructs the emitted aggregates. This model is referred to as the Aerosol Mineral Fraction (AMF) method because the mineral fractions of the aerosols differ from those of the wet-sieved parent soil, partly due to reaggregation. The AMF method remedies some of the deficiencies of the SMF method in comparison to observations. Only the AMF method exhibits phyllosilicate mass at silt sizes, where they are abundant according to observations. In addition, the AMF quartz fraction of silt particles is in better agreement with measured values, in contrast to the overestimated SMF fraction. Measurements at distinct clay and silt particle sizes are shown to be more useful for evaluation of the models, in contrast to the sum over all particles sizes that is susceptible to compensating errors, as illustrated by the SMF experiment. Model errors suggest that allocation of the emitted silt fraction of each mineral into the corresponding transported size categories is an important remaining source of uncertainty. Evaluation of both models and the MMT is hindered by the limited number of size-resolved measurements of mineral content that sparsely sample aerosols from the major dust sources. The importance of climate processes dependent upon aerosol mineral composition shows the need for global and routine mineral measurements.

Resilience associated with mental health problems among methadone maintenance treatment patients in Guangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Mingxu; Gu, Jing; Xu, Huifang; Hao, Chun; Lau, Joseph T F; Mo, Phoenix; Liu, Di; Zhao, Yuteng; Zhang, Xiao; Babbitt, Andrew; Hao, Yuantao

2017-05-01

A considerable proportion of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clients have experienced mental health problems (e.g., depression and anxiety), and poor mental health status is associated with HIV-related risk behaviors and treatment drop-out. Resilience is known to be a protective factor for mental health problems but is not studied among MMT clients in China. This study aimed to explore the relationship between resilience and mental health problems (depression, anxiety and stress) among clients of community-based MMT clinics in China. A total of 208 MMT clients completed the face-to-face interview conducted at 4 of 11 MMT clinics in Guangzhou. The Chinese short version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess the presence of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to measure resilience. Logistic regression models were fit in data analyses. Of all participants, 12.8%, 19.5% and 8.3% had depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. The mean resilience score was 57.6 (SD = 15.9). In the univariate analyses, resilience was negatively associated with two studied mental health problems (depression and anxiety, OR u  = 0.96 and 0.96, p mental health problems of MMT users should consider resilience as an important part in the designing of such interventions.

The green synthesis of Ag/ZnO in montmorillonite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Sohrabnezhad, Sh.; Seifi, A.

2016-11-01

The Ag/ZnO-MMT nanocomposite was prepared using urtica dioica leaf extract. To improve the photocatalytic properties of ZnO-MMT nanocomposite, silver metal nanoparticles was deposited over nanocomposite. Zn(CH3COO)2, AgNO3 and Urtica dioica leaf extract were used as a zinc, silver precursor and reducing agent, respectively. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The powder X-ray diffraction showed that Ag/ZnO nanoparticles located on the surface MMT layers. The diffuse reflectance spectra of nanocomposite indicated a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption band in the visible region, resulting from metallic Ag nanoparticles. TEM image demonstrated the presence of silver nanoparticles with an average size of 2-4 nm over both MMT and flower-shape ZnO. The photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite was studied for destructive reaction methylene blue dye under visible light. In addition, the effects of different parameters such as amount of nanocomposite, concentration of the dye and pH of the solution were studied. The results showed that modiffication of ZnO-MMT nanocomposite with silver nanoparticles increased the percentage of discoloration methylene blue (MB) from 38.95 to 91.95. MMT matrix showed an important role in the reduction of recombination of electron-hole in nanocomposite.

Exact traveling wave solutions of fractional order Boussinesq-like equations by applying Exp-function method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmatullah

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We have computed new exact traveling wave solutions, including complex solutions of fractional order Boussinesq-Like equations, occurring in physical sciences and engineering, by applying Exp-function method. The method is blended with fractional complex transformation and modified Riemann-Liouville fractional order operator. Our obtained solutions are verified by substituting back into their corresponding equations. To the best of our knowledge, no other technique has been reported to cope with the said fractional order nonlinear problems combined with variety of exact solutions. Graphically, fractional order solution curves are shown to be strongly related to each other and most importantly, tend to fixate on their integer order solution curve. Our solutions comprise high frequencies and very small amplitude of the wave responses. Keywords: Exp-function method, New exact traveling wave solutions, Modified Riemann-Liouville derivative, Fractional complex transformation, Fractional order Boussinesq-like equations, Symbolic computation

Applying Fuzzy Possibilistic Methods on Critical Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazdani, Hossein; Ortiz-Arroyo, Daniel; Choros, Kazimierz

2016-01-01

Providing a flexible environment to process data objects is a desirable goal of machine learning algorithms. In fuzzy and possibilistic methods, the relevance of data objects is evaluated and a membership degree is assigned. However, some critical objects objects have the potential ability to affect...... the performance of the clustering algorithms if they remain in a specific cluster or they are moved into another. In this paper we analyze and compare how critical objects affect the behaviour of fuzzy possibilistic methods in several data sets. The comparison is based on the accuracy and ability of learning...... methods to provide a proper searching space for data objects. The membership functions used by each method when dealing with critical objects is also evaluated. Our results show that relaxing the conditions of participation for data objects in as many partitions as they can, is beneficial....

The superfield method for the calculation of effective potentials applied to chiral superfields: Wess-Zumino and O'Raifeartaigh models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, R.P. dos.

1986-12-01

The superfield method is applied to the effective potential calculation in supersymmetric models. The Weinberg and Jackiw methods are discussed in the context of supersymmetric field theories, highlighting the greater simplicity obtained when the Feynman super diagrams are used. The chiral superfield propagators are derived and their relations with components field are commented. (L.C.J.A.)

[The diagnostic methods applied in mycology].

Science.gov (United States)

Kurnatowska, Alicja; Kurnatowski, Piotr

2008-01-01

The systemic fungal invasions are recognized with increasing frequency and constitute a primary cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in immunocompromised patients. Early diagnosis improves prognosis, but remains a problem because there is lack of sensitive tests to aid in the diagnosis of systemic mycoses on the one hand, and on the other the patients only present unspecific signs and symptoms, thus delaying early diagnosis. The diagnosis depends upon a combination of clinical observation and laboratory investigation. The successful laboratory diagnosis of fungal infection depends in major part on the collection of appropriate clinical specimens for investigations and on the selection of appropriate microbiological test procedures. So these problems (collection of specimens, direct techniques, staining methods, cultures on different media and non-culture-based methods) are presented in article.

Applying scrum methods to ITS projects.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-01

The introduction of new technology generally brings new challenges and new methods to help with deployments. Agile methodologies have been introduced in the information technology industry to potentially speed up development. The Federal Highway Admi...

Enlisted Force Management: Past Practices and Future Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-22

8217 asm I 11 ree i~t emeneti v ate (ftilly ’Iinsme nusn. ti mmt Ie wiso, knik Ipt~lailt’tI aimist not om nll (oaisidea. t~t Fo fta’t’ s o 01 todny. bill...most recent military actuarial model data available, we then applied a monetary cost to each enlisted grade and year-of-service level based on annual

Spatial distribution of HIV, HCV, and co-infections among drug users in the southwestern border areas of China (2004-2014): a cohort study of a national methadone maintenance treatment program.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mingli; Li, Rongjian; Shen, Zhiyong; Li, Chunying; Liang, Nengxiu; Peng, Zhenren; Huang, Wenbo; He, Chongwei; Zhong, Feng; Tang, Xianyan; Lan, Guanghua

2017-09-30

A methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program to curb the dual epidemics of HIV/AIDS and drug use has been administered by China since 2004. Little is known regarding the geographic heterogeneity of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among MMT clients in the resource-constrained context of Chinese provinces, such as Guangxi. This study aimed to characterize the geographic distribution patterns and co-clustered epidemic factors of HIV, HCV and co-infections at the county level among drug users receiving MMT in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, located in the southwestern border area of China. Baseline data on drug users' demographic, behavioral and biological characteristics in the MMT clinics of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during the period of March 2004 to December 2014 were obtained from national HIV databases. Residential addresses were entered into a geographical information system (GIS) program and analyzed for spatial clustering of HIV, HCV and co-infections among MMT clients at the county level using geographic autocorrelation analysis and geographic scan statistics. A total of 31,015 MMT clients were analyzed, and the prevalence of HIV, HCV and co-infections were 13.05%, 72.51% and 11.96% respectively. Both the geographic autocorrelation analysis and geographic scan statistics showed that HIV, HCV and co-infections in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region exhibited significant geographic clustering at the county level, and the Moran's I values were 0.33, 0.41 and 0.30, respectively (P areas surrounding P county. HIV, HCV and co-infections among MMT clients in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region all presented substantial geographic heterogeneity at the county level with a number of overlapping significant clusters. The areas surrounding P county were effective in enrolling high-risk clients in their MMT programs which, in turn, might enable people who inject drugs to inject less, share fewer syringes, and receive referrals for HIV or HCV treatment in

Adsorption and Desorption of Nickel(II) Ions from Aqueous Solution by a Lignocellulose/Montmorillonite Nanocomposite

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaotao; Wang, Ximing

2015-01-01

A new and inexpensive lignocellulose/montmorillonite (LNC/MMT) nanocomposite was prepared by a chemical intercalation of LNC into MMT and was subsequently investigated as an adsorbent in batch systems for the adsorption-desorption of Ni(II) ions in an aqueous solution. The optimum conditions for the Ni(II) ion adsorption capacity of the LNC/MMT nanocomposite were studied in detail by varying parameters such as the initial Ni(II) concentration, the solution pH value, the adsorption temperature and time. The results indicated that the maximum adsorption capacity of Ni(II) reached 94.86 mg/g at an initial Ni(II) concentration of 0.0032 mol/L, a solution pH of 6.8, an adsorption temperature of 70°C, and adsorption time of 40 min. The represented adsorption kinetics model exhibited good agreement between the experimental data and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir isotherm equation best fit the experimental data. The structure of the LNC/MMT nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), whereas the adsorption mechanism was discussed in combination with the results obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses (FTIR). The desorption capacity of the LNC/MMT nanocomposite depended on parameters such as HNO3 concentration, desorption temperature, and desorption time. The satisfactory desorption capacity of 81.34 mg/g was obtained at a HNO3 concentration, desorption temperature, and desorption time of 0.2 mol/L, 60 ºC, and 30 min, respectively. The regeneration studies showed that the adsorption capacity of the LNC/MMT nanocomposite was consistent for five cycles without any appreciable loss in the batch process and confirmed that the LNC/MMT nanocomposite was reusable. The overall study revealed that the LNC/MMT nanocomposite functioned as an effective adsorbent in the detoxification of Ni

Efeito da hibridização de montmorilonita e celulose II sobre as propriedades mecânicas de nanocompósitos de borracha natural Effect of montmorillonite and cellulose II hybridization on mechanical properties of natural rubber nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta M. Mariano

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Nanocompósitos híbridos de borracha natural (NR com argila mineral montmorilonita (MMT e celulose II (CEL II foram obtidos partindo de látex elastomérico, xantato de celulose e suspensão aquosa de MMT. O conteúdo de MMT foi variado de 1 a 5 phr (per hundred resin e a quantidade de celulose II utilizada foi mantida constante em 15 phr. Foi comprovada por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (TEM a formação de nanocompósitos, na ausência e presença de xantato de celulose, mostrando a eficiência da técnica utilizada. Além do resultado de TEM, a viscosidade e relaxação Mooney, e propriedades mecânicas foram estudadas em todas as composições desenvolvidas. A adição da argila mineral promoveu aumento nas propriedades mecânicas estudadas, sendo que o aumento na viscosidade Mooney e a redução na capacidade de relaxação indicaram boa interação entre a montmorilonita e o sistema NR/CEL II.Hybrid nanocomposites of natural rubber (NR, clay (MMT and cellulose II (CEL II were obtained with elastomeric latex, cellulose xanthate and aqueous suspension of the clay. The content of MMT varied from 1 to 5 phr (per hundred resin while cellulose II was kept as 15 phr. The formation of nanocomposites from co-coagulation of natural rubber latex and MMT aqueous suspension, in the presence and absence of cellulose xanthate, was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM, thus showing the efficiency of the technique used. In addition to the TEM investigation, all compositions were studied with measurements of the Mooney viscosity and relaxation and mechanical properties. The MMT addition improved the mechanical properties, causing an increase in Mooney viscosity and a reduction in relaxation capability, which indicate a good interaction between MMT and NR/CEL II system.

Exact traveling wave solutions of fractional order Boussinesq-like equations by applying Exp-function method

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmatullah; Ellahi, Rahmat; Mohyud-Din, Syed Tauseef; Khan, Umar

2018-03-01

We have computed new exact traveling wave solutions, including complex solutions of fractional order Boussinesq-Like equations, occurring in physical sciences and engineering, by applying Exp-function method. The method is blended with fractional complex transformation and modified Riemann-Liouville fractional order operator. Our obtained solutions are verified by substituting back into their corresponding equations. To the best of our knowledge, no other technique has been reported to cope with the said fractional order nonlinear problems combined with variety of exact solutions. Graphically, fractional order solution curves are shown to be strongly related to each other and most importantly, tend to fixate on their integer order solution curve. Our solutions comprise high frequencies and very small amplitude of the wave responses.

Synthesis and Characterization of CdS/TiO2-Montmorillonite Nanocomposite with Enhanced Visible-Light Absorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng-shan Zhou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Sodium montmorillonite (MMT was chosen as the carrier; a serial of CdS/TiO2-MMT nanocomposites with enhanced visible-light absorption ability was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis method combination with semiconductor compound modification method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis spectroscopy; the results showed that TiO2 and CdS nanoparticles were loaded on the surface of montmorillonite uniformly. N2 adsorption-desorption experiment showed that the specific surface area of TiO2/montmorillonite nanocomposite made by this method can reach 200 m2/g and pore-size distribution was from 4 to 6 nm; UV-Vis showed that the recombination of CdS and TiO2 enhanced visible-light absorption ability of samples of TiO2/montmorillonite and visible-light absorption ability increase with the increased of the adsorption of CdS.

LOGICAL CONDITIONS ANALYSIS METHOD FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST RESULTS DECODING APPLIED TO COMPETENCE ELEMENTS PROFICIENCY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. I. Freyman

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Subject of Research.Representation features of education results for competence-based educational programs are analyzed. Solution importance of decoding and proficiency estimation for elements and components of discipline parts of competences is shown. The purpose and objectives of research are formulated. Methods. The paper deals with methods of mathematical logic, Boolean algebra, and parametrical analysis of complex diagnostic test results, that controls proficiency of some discipline competence elements. Results. The method of logical conditions analysis is created. It will give the possibility to formulate logical conditions for proficiency determination of each discipline competence element, controlled by complex diagnostic test. Normalized test result is divided into noncrossing zones; a logical condition about controlled elements proficiency is formulated for each of them. Summarized characteristics for test result zones are imposed. An example of logical conditions forming for diagnostic test with preset features is provided. Practical Relevance. The proposed method of logical conditions analysis is applied in the decoding algorithm of proficiency test diagnosis for discipline competence elements. It will give the possibility to automate the search procedure for elements with insufficient proficiency, and is also usable for estimation of education results of a discipline or a component of competence-based educational program.

The influence of multi-frontal teaching method on the effectiveness of the teaching process in the applied studies in technical sciences

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Novković Dragan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The orientation towards equity and quality in education clearly imposes the need for individual approach to each student separately. This situation is especially pronounced in the higher education institutions of applied studies in the field of technology, whose primary goal is very often individual training for use of highly specialized software and hardware tools. In such a situation it is necessary to move away from classical ex-cathedra methodology, and to develop student-centred learning environments. The multi-frontal teaching method was until now experimentally analyzed at the level of primary and secondary education in Serbia, where it shows results that suggest additional research is warranted. The research presented in this paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of this method applied in higher education institution of applied studies in the domain of technology. Results of the conducted research indicate that the application of the multi-frontal teaching method shows a positive effect on students' performance, self-efficacy and overall sense of personal gain and satisfaction.

Applying the Delphi method to assess impacts of forest management on biodiversity and habitat preservation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Filyushkina, Anna; Strange, Niels; Löf, Magnus

2018-01-01

This study applied a structured expert elicitation technique, the Delphi method, to identify the impacts of five forest management alternatives and several forest characteristics on the preservation of biodiversity and habitats in the boreal zone of the Nordic countries. The panel of experts...... as a valuable addition to on-going empirical and modeling efforts. The findings could assist forest managers in developing forest management strategies that generate benefits from timber production while taking into account the trade-offs with biodiversity goals....

Projection-reduction method applied to deriving non-linear optical conductivity for an electron-impurity system

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Nam Lyong Kang

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The projection-reduction method introduced by the present authors is known to give a validated theory for optical transitions in the systems of electrons interacting with phonons. In this work, using this method, we derive the linear and first order nonlinear optical conductivites for an electron-impurity system and examine whether the expressions faithfully satisfy the quantum mechanical philosophy, in the same way as for the electron-phonon systems. The result shows that the Fermi distribution function for electrons, energy denominators, and electron-impurity coupling factors are contained properly in organized manners along with absorption of photons for each electron transition process in the final expressions. Furthermore, the result is shown to be represented properly by schematic diagrams, as in the formulation of electron-phonon interaction. Therefore, in conclusion, we claim that this method can be applied in modeling optical transitions of electrons interacting with both impurities and phonons.

Commissioning methods applied to the Hunterston 'B' AGR operator training simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hacking, D.

1985-01-01

The Hunterston 'B' full scope AGR Simulator, built for the South of Scotland Electricity Board by Marconi Instruments, encompasses all systems under direct and indirect control of the Hunterston central control room operators. The resulting breadth and depth of simulation together with the specification for the real time implementation of a large number of highly interactive detailed plant models leads to the classic problem of identifying acceptance and acceptability criteria. For example, whilst the ultimate criterion for acceptability must clearly be that within the context of the training requirement the simulator should be indistinguishable from the actual plant, far more measurable (i.e. less subjective) statements are required if a formal contractual acceptance condition is to be achieved. Within the framework, individual models and processes can have radically different acceptance requirements which therefore reflect on the commissioning approach applied. This paper discusses the application of a combination of quality assurance methods, design code results, plant data, theoretical analysis and operator 'feel' in the commissioning of the Hunterston 'B' AGR Operator Training Simulator. (author)

Development of safety evaluation methods applied to the safety regulations for the operation stage of fast breeder reactor