Non-steady state modelling of wheel-rail contact problem

Science.gov (United States)

Guiral, A.; Alonso, A.; Baeza, L.; Giménez, J. G.

2013-01-01

Among all the algorithms to solve the wheel-rail contact problem, Kalker's FastSim has become the most useful computation tool since it combines a low computational cost and enough precision for most of the typical railway dynamics problems. However, some types of dynamic problems require the use of a non-steady state analysis. Alonso and Giménez developed a non-stationary method based on FastSim, which provides both, sufficiently accurate results and a low computational cost. However, it presents some limitations; the method is developed for one time-dependent creepage and its accuracy for varying normal forces has not been checked. This article presents the required changes in order to deal with both problems and compares its results with those given by Kalker's Variational Method for rolling contact.

Probing Andreev bound states in one-atom superconducting contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pothier, Hugues; Janvier, Camille; Tosi, Leandro; Girit, Caglar; Goffman, Marcelo; Esteve, Daniel; Urbina, Cristian [Quantronics Group, SPEC, CEA-Saclay (France)

2015-07-01

Superconductors are characterized by a dissipationless current. Since the work of Josephson 50 years ago, it is known that a supercurrent can even flow through tunnel junctions between superconductors. This Josephson effect also occurs through any type of ''weak links'' between superconductors: non-superconducting materials, constrictions,.. A unified understanding of the Josephson effect has emerged from a mesoscopic description of weak links. It relies on the existence of doublets of localized states that have energies below the superconducting gap: the Andreev bound states. I will present experiments performed on the simplest conductor possible, a single-atom contact between superconductors, that illustrate these concepts. The most recent work demonstrates time-domain manipulation of quantum superpositions of Andreev bound states.

Negative intergroup contact is more influential, but positive intergroup contact is more common: Assessing contact prominence and contact prevalence in five Central European countries

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Graf, Sylvie; Paolini, S.; Rubin, M.

2014-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 96 (2014), 536–547 ISSN 0046-2772 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-25656S Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : intergroup contact * negative contact * outgroup attitudes Subject RIV: AN - Psychology Impact factor: 1.712, year: 2014

Usefullness of three-dimensional templating software to quantify the contact state between implant and femur in total hip arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Daisuke; Kabata, Tamon; Maeda, Toru; Kajino, Yoshitomo; Fujita, Kenji; Hasegawa, Kazuhiro; Yamamoto, Takashi; Takagi, Tomoharu; Ohmori, Takaaki; Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki

2015-12-01

It would be ideal if surgeons could precisely confirm whether the planned femoral component achieves the best fit and fill of implant and femur. However, the cortico-cancellous interfaces can be difficult to standardize using plain radiography, and therefore, determining the contact state is a subjective decision by the examiner. Few reports have described the use of CT-based three-dimensional templating software to quantify the contact state of stem and femur in detail. The purpose of this study was to use three-dimensional templating software to quantify the implant-femur contact state and develop a technique to analyze the initial fixation pattern of a cementless femoral stem. We conducted a retrospective review of 55 hips in 53 patients using a short proximal fit-and-fill anatomical stem (APS Natural-Hip™ System). All femurs were examined by density mapping which can visualize and digitize the contact state. We evaluated the contact state of implant and femur by using density mapping. The varus group (cases that had changed varus 2° by 3 months after surgery) consisted of 11 hips. The varus group showed no significant difference with regard to cortical contact in the proximal medial portion (Gruen 7), but the contact area in the distal portion (Gruen 3 and Gruen 5) was significantly lower than that of non-varus group. Density mapping showed that the stem only has to be press-fit to the medial calcar, but also must fill the distal portion of the implant in order to achieve the ideal contact state. Our results indicated that quantifying the contact state of implant and femur by using density mapping is a useful technique to accurately analyze the fixation pattern of a cementless femoral stem.

Relations among Social Anxiety, Eye Contact Avoidance, State Anxiety, and Perception of Interaction Performance during a Live Conversation.

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Ashley N; Zibulsky, Devin A; Srivastav, Akanksha; Weeks, Justin W

2016-01-01

There is building evidence that highly socially anxious (HSA) individuals frequently avoid making eye contact, which may contribute to less meaningful social interactions and maintenance of social anxiety symptoms. However, research to date is lacking in ecological validity due to the usage of either static or pre-recorded facial stimuli or subjective coding of eye contact. The current study examined the relationships among trait social anxiety, eye contact avoidance, state anxiety, and participants' self-perceptions of interaction performance during a live, four-minute conversation with a confederate via webcam, and while being covertly eye-tracked. Participants included undergraduate women who conversed with same-sex confederates. Results indicated that trait social anxiety was inversely related to eye contact duration and frequency averaged across the four minutes, and positively related to state social anxiety and negative self-ratings. In addition, greater anticipatory state anxiety was associated with reduced eye contact throughout the first minute of the conversation. Eye contact was not related to post-task state anxiety or self-perception of poor performance; although, trends emerged in which these relations may be positive for HSA individuals. The current findings provide enhanced support for the notion that eye contact avoidance is an important feature of social anxiety.

Sexuality and Physical Contact in National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project Wave 2

OpenAIRE

Adena M. Galinsky; Martha K. McClintock; Linda J. Waite

2014-01-01

Introduction. Wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) includes new measures of sexual interest and behavior, as well as new measures of the context of sexual experience and the frequency and appeal of physical contact. This is the first time many of these constructs have been measured in a nationally representative sample.

The Contact State Monitoring for Seal End Faces Based on Acoustic Emission Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohui Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Monitoring the contact state of seal end faces would help the early warning of the seal failure. In the acoustic emission (AE detection for mechanical seal, the main difficulty is to reduce the background noise and to classify the dispersed features. To solve these problems and achieve higher detection rates, a new approach based on genetic particle filter with autoregression (AR-GPF and hypersphere support vector machine (HSSVM is presented. First, AR model is used to build the dynamic state space (DSS of the AE signal, and GPF is used for signal filtering. Then, multiple features are extracted, and a classification model based on HSSVM is constructed for state recognition. In this approach, AR-GPF is an excellent time-domain method for noise reduction, and HSSVM has advantage on those dispersed features. Finally experimental data shows that the proposed method can effectively detect the contact state of the seal end faces and has higher accuracy rates than some other existing methods.

Fingerprints of bosonic symmetry protected topological state in a quantum point contact

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Rui-Xing; Liu, Chao-Xing

2016-01-01

In this work, we study the transport through a quantum point contact for bosonic helical liquid that exists at the edge of a bilayer graphene under a strong magnetic field. We identify "smoking gun" transport signatures to distinguish bosonic symmetry protected topological (BSPT) state from fermionic two-channel quantum spin Hall (QSH) state in this system. In particular, a novel charge insulator/spin conductor phase is found for BSPT state, while either charge insulator/spin insulator or cha...

Numerical Analysis of the Influence of Clearance on Stress State and Contact Pressure in Plain Bearings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasile Cojocaru

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the analysis of plain bearings by finite element method it is important to model as closely to real state the aspects that influence the stress and contact pressure: the loading mode, the properties of the materials, the lubrication system, the clearance between the shaft and the bearing body, the evolution in time of clearance correlated with the wear, etc. In order to study the effect of the clearance on the stress state, a plain bearing with nominal diameter d=40 mm was modeled. The contact pressure and the equivalent stress were computed for six discrete values of clearance, range from c=0 to c=0.3 mm. It has been shown that the increase of clearance generates an increase of the equivalent stress and contact pressure. The growth rate is higher for contact pressure, due to the decrease of the contact surface between the shaft and the bearing body

Non-steady state modeling of wheel-rail contact problem

OpenAIRE

Guiral, A.; Alonso, A.; Baeza González, Luis Miguel; Giménez, J.G.

2013-01-01

Among all the algorithms to solve the wheel–rail contact problem, Kalker's FastSim has become the most useful computation tool since it combines a low computational cost and enough precision for most of the typical railway dynamics problems. However, some types of dynamic problems require the use of a non-steady state analysis. Alonso and Giménez developed a non-stationary method based on FastSim, which provides both, sufficiently accurate results and a low computational cost. However, it pre...

The structure of some classes of K-contact manifolds

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. We study projective curvature tensor in K-contact and Sasakian manifolds. We prove that (1) if a K-contact manifold is quasi projectively flat then it is Einstein and (2) a K-contact manifold is ξ-projectively flat if and only if it is Einstein Sasakian. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a K-contact manifold to be quasi ...

Assessment of methods for computing the closest point projection, penetration, and gap functions in contact searching problems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kopačka, Ján; Gabriel, Dušan; Plešek, Jiří; Ulbin, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 105, č. 11 (2016), s. 803-833 ISSN 0029-5981 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP101/12/2315; GA MŠk(CZ) ME10114 Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : closest point projection * local contact search * quadratic elements * Newtons methods * geometric iteration methods * simplex method Subject RIV: JC - Computer Hardware ; Software Impact factor: 2.162, year: 2016 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/nme.4994/abstract

Multiply gapped density of states in a normal metal in contact with a superconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reutlinger, Johannes; Belzig, Wolfgang [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz (Germany); Nazarov, Yuli V. [Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft (Netherlands); Glazman, Leonid I. [Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven CT 06511-8499 (United States)

2012-07-01

The spectral properties of a normal metal adjacent to a superconductor are strongly dependent on the characteristic mesoscopic energy scale - the Thouless energy E{sub Th} - and the strength of the connection. In this work, we predict that the local density of states (LDOS), besides the well know minigap {proportional_to}E{sub Th}, can exhibit a multiple gap structure, which strongly depends on the type of the contact. For ballistic contacts we calculate these secondary gaps analytically in the framework of quantum circuit theory of mesoscopic transport. The secondary gaps are absent in the case of tunnel contacts. In the general case the equations are solved numerically for more realistic contacts, like for example diffusive connectors or dirty interfaces, which are characterized by continuous distributions of transmission eigenvalues between 0 and 1. We find that the gap vanishes in these cases, but the density of states is still suppressed around the superconducting gap edge. Distribution functions with a stronger weight at higher transmissions can be modeled through asymmetric ballistic double junctions, which even exhibit multiple gaps. Such spectral signatures are fundamental to disordered nanoscopic conductors and experimentally accessible.

Geothermal policy project. Quarterly report, March 1-May 30, 1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Connor, T.D.

1980-06-01

Efforts continued to initiate geothermal and groundwater heat pump study activities in newly selected project states and to carry forward policy development in existing project states. Minnesota and South Carolina have agreed to a groundwater heat pump study, and Maryland and Virginia have agreed to a follow-up geothermal study in 1980. Follow-up contacts were made with several other existing project states and state meetings and workshops were held in eleven project states. Two generic documents were prepared, the Geothermal Guidebook and the Guidebook to Groundwater Heat Pumps, in addition to several state-specific documents.

The mechanism and universal scaling law of the contact line friction for the Cassie-state droplets on nanostructured ultrahydrophobic surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lei; Cheng, Jiangtao

2018-04-05

Besides the Wenzel state, liquid droplets on micro/nanostructured surfaces can stay in the Cassie state and consequently exhibit intriguing characteristics such as a large contact angle, small contact angle hysteresis and exceptional mobility. Here we report molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the wetting dynamics of Cassie-state water droplets on nanostructured ultrahydrophobic surfaces with an emphasis on the genesis of the contact line friction (CLF). From an ab initio perspective, CLF can be ascribed to the collective effect of solid-liquid retarding and viscous damping. Solid-liquid retarding is related to the work of adhesion, whereas viscous damping arises from the viscous force exerted on the liquid molecules within the three-phase (liquid/vapor/solid) contact zone. In this work, a universal scaling law is derived to generalize the CLF on nanostructured ultrahydrophobic surfaces. With the decreasing fraction of solid-liquid contact (i.e., the solid fraction), CLF for a Cassie-state droplet gets enhanced due to the fact that viscous damping is counter-intuitively intensified while solid-liquid retarding remains unchanged. Nevertheless, the overall friction between a Cassie-state droplet and the structured surface is indeed reduced since the air cushion formed in the interstices of the surface roughness underneath the Cassie-state droplet applies negligible resistance to the contact line. Our results have revealed the genesis of CLF from an ab initio perspective, demonstrated the effects of surface structures on a moving contact line and justified the critical role of CLF in the analysis of wetting-related situations.

Contact and Connection: A Cross-Cultural Look at Parenting Styles in Bali and the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Kestenberg-Amighi, Janet

2004-01-01

This article argues that a culturally approved style of nonverbal parent-infant interaction influences the unfolding parent-child relationship and the child's social development. The author, an anthropologist, compares parenting styles in the "low-contact" culture of the United States with parenting in the "high-contact"…

The effects of indirect intergroup contact on willingness to engage in direct contact with former adversary

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Voca, S.; Graf, Sylvie

2018-01-01

Roč. 12, č. 1 (2018), s. 47-57 ISSN 2309-3455 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-14387S Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : positive intergroup contact * negative intergroup contact * extended intergroup contact * mass-mediated intergroup contact * willingness to engage in intergroup contact * empathy * outgroup trust Subject RIV: AN - Psychology OBOR OECD: Psychology (including human - machine relations)

Ultrathin reduced graphene oxide films as transparent top-contacts for light switchable solid-state molecular junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Tao; Jevric, Martyn; Hauptmann, Jonas Rahlf

2013-01-01

A new type of solid-state molecular junction is introduced, which employs reduced graphene oxide as a transparent top contact that permits a self-assembled molecular monolayer to be photoswitched in situ, while simultaneously enabling charge-transport measurements across the molecules. The electr......A new type of solid-state molecular junction is introduced, which employs reduced graphene oxide as a transparent top contact that permits a self-assembled molecular monolayer to be photoswitched in situ, while simultaneously enabling charge-transport measurements across the molecules...

Body contact and body language

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther, Helle

2008-01-01

and the boundaries between self and world. In western societies, the modern premises for contact are in some ways developing from close contact to virtual communication. With this breadth of perspective in mind, the ques­tion is whether conscious and experimental work with body contact and body language in move......­ment psychology and education provide potential for intense personal develop­ment as well as for social and cultural learning processes. This performative research project originates from the research project entitled, Movement Psy­chol­ogy: The Language of the Body and the Psy­chol­ogy of Movement based......Body contact and body language are unique and existential and, although culturally dependent and socially embodied, they are also universal communication forms. For small children all over the world, warm, close and nourishing body contact is fundamental to their embodied experi­ence of themselves...

All-Solid-State Sodium-Selective Electrode with a Solid Contact of Chitosan/Prussian Blue Nanocomposite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanushree Ghosh

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Conventional ion-selective electrodes with a liquid junction have the disadvantage of potential drift. All-solid-state ion-selective electrodes with solid contact in between the metal electrode and the ion-selective membrane offer high capacitance or conductance to enhance potential stability. Solution-casted chitosan/Prussian blue nanocomposite (ChPBN was employed as the solid contact layer for an all-solid-state sodium ion-selective electrode in a potentiometric sodium ion sensor. Morphological and chemical analyses confirmed that the ChPBN is a macroporous network of chitosan that contains abundant Prussian blue nanoparticles. Situated between a screen-printed carbon electrode and a sodium-ionophore-filled polyvinylchloride ion-selective membrane, the ChPBN layer exhibited high redox capacitance and fast charge transfer capability, which significantly enhanced the performance of the sodium ion-selective electrode. A good Nernstian response with a slope of 52.4 mV/decade in the linear range from 10−4–1 M of NaCl was observed. The stability of the electrical potential of the new solid contact was tested by chronopotentiometry, and the capacitance of the electrode was 154 ± 4 µF. The response stability in terms of potential drift was excellent (1.3 µV/h for 20 h of continuous measurement. The ChPBN proved to be an efficient solid contact to enhance the potential stability of the all-solid-state ion-selective electrode.

Measurement of contact-angle hysteresis for droplets on nanopillared surface and in the Cassie and Wenzel states: a molecular dynamics simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Koishi, Takahiro; Yasuoka, Kenji; Fujikawa, Shigenori; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

2011-09-27

We perform large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to measure the contact-angle hysteresis for a nanodroplet of water placed on a nanopillared surface. The water droplet can be in either the Cassie state (droplet being on top of the nanopillared surface) or the Wenzel state (droplet being in contact with the bottom of nanopillar grooves). To measure the contact-angle hysteresis in a quantitative fashion, the molecular dynamics simulation is designed such that the number of water molecules in the droplets can be systematically varied, but the number of base nanopillars that are in direct contact with the droplets is fixed. We find that the contact-angle hysteresis for the droplet in the Cassie state is weaker than that in the Wenzel state. This conclusion is consistent with the experimental observation. We also test a different definition of the contact-angle hysteresis, which can be extended to estimate hysteresis between the Cassie and Wenzel state. The idea is motivated from the appearance of the hysteresis loop typically seen in computer simulation of the first-order phase transition, which stems from the metastability of a system in different thermodynamic states. Since the initial shape of the droplet can be controlled arbitrarily in the computer simulation, the number of base nanopillars that are in contact with the droplet can be controlled as well. We show that the measured contact-angle hysteresis according to the second definition is indeed very sensitive to the initial shape of the droplet. Nevertheless, the contact-angle hystereses measured based on the conventional and new definition seem converging in the large droplet limit. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Fingerprints of bosonic symmetry protected topological state in a quantum point contact

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui-Xing; Liu, Chao-Xing

In this work, we study the transport through a quantum point contact for two-channel interacting helical liquids that exist at the edge of a bilayer graphene under a strong magnetic field. We identify ``smoking gun'' transport signatures to distinguish bosonic symmetry protected topological (BSPT) state from fermionic two-channel quantum spin Hall (QSH) state in this system. In particular, a novel charge insulator/spin conductor phase is found for a weak repulsive interaction in the BSPT state, while either charge insulator/spin insulator or charge conductor/spin conductor phase is expected for the two-channel QSH state. In the strong interaction limit, shot noise measurement for the BSPT state is expect to reveal charge-2e instanton tunneling, in comparison with the charge-e tunneling in the two-channel QSH phase.

Prioritized Contact Transport Stream

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Walter Lee, Jr. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A detection process, contact recognition process, classification process, and identification process are applied to raw sensor data to produce an identified contact record set containing one or more identified contact records. A prioritization process is applied to the identified contact record set to assign a contact priority to each contact record in the identified contact record set. Data are removed from the contact records in the identified contact record set based on the contact priorities assigned to those contact records. A first contact stream is produced from the resulting contact records. The first contact stream is streamed in a contact transport stream. The contact transport stream may include and stream additional contact streams. The contact transport stream may be varied dynamically over time based on parameters such as available bandwidth, contact priority, presence/absence of contacts, system state, and configuration parameters.

2018 DOE Solid-State Lighting Project Portfolio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2018-01-31

The 2018 Solid-State Lighting Project Portfolio provides an overview of all SSL projects that have been funded by DOE since 2000. Projects that were active during 2017 are found in the main body of this report, and all historic projects can be found in the appendix. Within these sections, project profiles are sorted by technology type (i.e., LED or OLED) and then by performer name. A profile is provided on each project. Each profile includes a brief technical description, as well as information about project partners, funding, and the research period. This report is updated annually, although the research described in the Portfolio changes periodically as new projects are initiated and existing ones are concluded.

Contact angle and local wetting at contact line.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ri; Shan, Yanguang

2012-11-06

This theoretical study was motivated by recent experiments and theoretical work that had suggested the dependence of the static contact angle on the local wetting at the triple-phase contact line. We revisit this topic because the static contact angle as a local wetting parameter is still not widely understood and clearly known. To further clarify the relationship of the static contact angle with wetting, two approaches are applied to derive a general equation for the static contact angle of a droplet on a composite surface composed of heterogeneous components. A global approach based on the free surface energy of a thermodynamic system containing the droplet and solid surface shows the static contact angle as a function of local surface chemistry and local wetting state at the contact line. A local approach, in which only local forces acting on the contact line are considered, results in the same equation. The fact that the local approach agrees with the global approach further demonstrates the static contact angle as a local wetting parameter. Additionally, the study also suggests that the wetting described by the Wenzel and Cassie equations is also the local wetting of the contact line rather than the global wetting of the droplet.

Final Scientifc Report - Hydrogen Education State Partnership Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leon, Warren

2012-02-03

Under the leadership of the Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells program, Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) educated and worked with state leaders to encourage wider deployment of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. Through outreach to state policymakers, legislative leaders, clean energy funds, energy agencies, and public utility commissions, CESA worked to accomplish the following objectives of this project: 1. Provide information and technical assistance to state policy leaders and state renewable energy programs in the development of effective hydrogen fuel cell programs. 2. Identify and foster hydrogen program best practices. 3. Identify and promote strategic opportunities for states and the Department of Energy (DOE) to advance hydrogen technology deployment through partnerships, collaboration, and targeted activities. Over the three years of this project, CESA, with our partner National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), was able to provide credible information on fuel cell policies, finance, and technical assistance to hundreds of state officials and other stakeholders. CESA worked with its membership network to effectively educate state clean energy policymakers, program managers, and decision makers about fuel cell and hydrogen technologies and the efforts by states to advance those technologies. With the assistance of NCSL, CESA gained access to an effective forum for outreach and communication with state legislators from all 50 states on hydrogen issues and policies. This project worked to educate policymakers and stakeholders with the potential to develop and deploy stationary and portable fuel cell technologies.

Fingerprints of a Bosonic Symmetry-Protected Topological State in a Quantum Point Contact

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui-Xing; Liu, Chao-Xing

2017-05-01

In this work, we study the transport through a quantum point contact for bosonic helical liquid that exists at the edge of a bilayer graphene under a strong magnetic field. We identify "smoking gun" transport signatures to distinguish a bosonic symmetry-protected topological (BSPT) state from a fermionic two-channel quantum spin Hall (QSH) state in this system. In particular, a novel charge-insulator-spin-conductor phase is found for the BSPT state, while either the charge-insulator-spin-insulator or the charge-conductor-spin-conductor phase is expected for the two-channel QSH state. Consequently, a simple transport measurement will reveal the fingerprint of bosonic topological physics in bilayer graphene systems.

The steady-state tangential contact problem for a falling drop type of contact area on corrugated rail by simplified theory of rolling contact

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowski, Jerzy

1991-10-01

Investigation of contact mechanical nonlinearities of a mathematical model of corrugation revealed that the typical shape of contact patch resembles a falling drop of water. A contact patch of that shape was approximated with a figure composed of two parts of ellipses with different eccentricities. The contact pressure distribution was assumed as a smoothing ensemble of two paraboloidal distributions. The description of a general case of double half elliptical contact area was given but a special case of double half elliptical contact is more interesting as it possesses some Hertzian properties. It was shown how three geometrical parameters of double half elliptical contact can be chosen when actual, non-Hertzian contact is known. A linear theory was written which indicates that the lateral vibrations of the rail may be excited only due to shape variation on corrugation even if any other cause for these vibrations does not exist. For nonlinear theory a computer program, based on FASTSIM algorithm by Kalker, was written. The aim is to calculate the creep forces and frictional power density distribution over the contact area. Also, a graphic program visualizing the solution was written. Numerical results are not provided; unattended and unsolved problems relevant for this type of contact are listed.

Intra-State Challenges to the Nation-State Project in Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Intra-State Challenges to the Nation-State Project in Africa. Abdul Raufu Mustapha. Abstract. No Abstract Available CODESRIA Bulletin No.2, 3 & 4 2003: 26-34. AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL · AJOL's Partners · Terms and ...

Relationship between the real contact area and contact force in pre-sliding regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Baojiang; Yan Shaoze

2017-01-01

The pre-sliding regime is typically neglected in the dynamic modelling of mechanical systems. However, the change in contact state caused by static friction may decrease positional accuracy and control precision. To investigate the relationship between contact status and contact force in pre-sliding friction, an optical experimental method is presented in this paper. With this method, the real contact state at the interface of a transparent material can be observed based on the total reflection principle of light by using an image processing technique. A novel setup, which includes a pair of rectangular trapezoidal blocks, is proposed to solve the challenging issue of accurately applying different tangential and normal forces to the contact interface. The improved Otsu’s method is used for measurement. Through an experimental study performed on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the quantity of contact asperities is proven to be the dominant factor that affects the real contact area. The relationship between the real contact area and the contact force in the pre-sliding regime is studied, and the distribution of static friction at the contact interface is qualitatively discussed. New phenomena in which the real contact area expands along with increasing static friction are identified. The aforementioned relationship is approximately linear at the contact interface under a constant normal pressure, and the distribution of friction stress decreases from the leading edge to the trailing edge. (paper)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE SUPPORT FORMS PROJECTS IN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. M. Meilanov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. The topicality of the research is stipulated by the objective necessity of the organizational and economic mechanism improvement of the state support projects of the industrial building. The aim of the research is the development of conceptual provisions and methodological foundations of financial projects creating conditions for economic growth of Russia based on the construction and putting into effect industrial objects.Methods. In the course of the research the system, subject-functional and structural approaches were implemented to solve the problems set widening the scope of the complex approach to assessment of the current operating mechanism of the state financial support of the projects and financial volume; to criteria stipulation of the most effective projects contest selection: to the search of the investment resources accumulation instrument into industrial building.Results. It is stipulated that state investment policy in industrial building mechanism oriented to define rational investment volumes and their branch, reproductive, technological and territorial structure; option of the building branch development priority; increase of the investment projects efficiency realization. The dynamics of the state support in the form of subsidies and budget investments into creation of the industrial building objects is analytically summarized. It is determined that the peculiarity of the modern state support projects of industrial building is transition from budget allocations distribution between branches and regions to selective and partial financing of specific investment projects on competitive basis. Some tactics of state and private partnership attracting private capital without losing strategic state control under systems and objects are defined. As an effective form of the industrial building support projects it is proposed to use a concession model form: projecting - building- financing- ownership - exploitation

Energy. Political contacts at national, state and European level; Energie. Politikkontakte Bund, Land, Europa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holzapfel, Andreas (ed.)

2013-04-01

The manual is in three sections: 1. Parliaments and governments, survey and organization; 2. Biographic section, with 304 biography; 3. Index of names. The first section informs on the organizational structure of parliaments and governments. The subject of energy is discussed three times, i.e. in 'Economics', 'Environment', and 'Research'. For each parliament, the members of the energy policy TCs are listed, followed by names and contact addresses of the senior officials and departments with contact data, both on a national, state, and European scale. The second section contains the biographies of energy policy experts of the German parliament and government, the sixteen land parliaments and governments, and the European Commissions. As the subject of energy is highly interdisciplinary, the authors selected the energy policy committees of the German parliament and state parliaments. The biographies of the committee members are presented in the text.

A Turn-Projected State-Based Conflict Resolution Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Ricky W.; Lewis, Timothy A.

2013-01-01

State-based conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) algorithms detect conflicts and resolve them on the basis on current state information without the use of additional intent information from aircraft flight plans. Therefore, the prediction of the trajectory of aircraft is based solely upon the position and velocity vectors of the traffic aircraft. Most CD&R algorithms project the traffic state using only the current state vectors. However, the past state vectors can be used to make a better prediction of the future trajectory of the traffic aircraft. This paper explores the idea of using past state vectors to detect traffic turns and resolve conflicts caused by these turns using a non-linear projection of the traffic state. A new algorithm based on this idea is presented and validated using a fast-time simulator developed for this study.

Rate and State Friction Relation for Nanoscale Contacts: Thermally Activated Prandtl-Tomlinson Model with Chemical Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Kaiwen; Goldsby, David L.; Carpick, Robert W.

2018-05-01

Rate and state friction (RSF) laws are widely used empirical relationships that describe macroscale to microscale frictional behavior. They entail a linear combination of the direct effect (the increase of friction with sliding velocity due to the reduced influence of thermal excitations) and the evolution effect (the change in friction with changes in contact "state," such as the real contact area or the degree of interfacial chemical bonds). Recent atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments and simulations found that nanoscale single-asperity amorphous silica-silica contacts exhibit logarithmic aging (increasing friction with time) over several decades of contact time, due to the formation of interfacial chemical bonds. Here we establish a physically based RSF relation for such contacts by combining the thermally activated Prandtl-Tomlinson (PTT) model with an evolution effect based on the physics of chemical aging. This thermally activated Prandtl-Tomlinson model with chemical aging (PTTCA), like the PTT model, uses the loading point velocity for describing the direct effect, not the tip velocity (as in conventional RSF laws). Also, in the PTTCA model, the combination of the evolution and direct effects may be nonlinear. We present AFM data consistent with the PTTCA model whereby in aging tests, for a given hold time, static friction increases with the logarithm of the loading point velocity. Kinetic friction also increases with the logarithm of the loading point velocity at sufficiently high velocities, but at a different increasing rate. The discrepancy between the rates of increase of static and kinetic friction with velocity arises from the fact that appreciable aging during static contact changes the energy landscape. Our approach extends the PTT model, originally used for crystalline substrates, to amorphous materials. It also establishes how conventional RSF laws can be modified for nanoscale single-asperity contacts to provide a physically based friction

Jacobian projection reduced-order models for dynamic systems with contact nonlinearities

Science.gov (United States)

Gastaldi, Chiara; Zucca, Stefano; Epureanu, Bogdan I.

2018-02-01

In structural dynamics, the prediction of the response of systems with localized nonlinearities, such as friction dampers, is of particular interest. This task becomes especially cumbersome when high-resolution finite element models are used. While state-of-the-art techniques such as Craig-Bampton component mode synthesis are employed to generate reduced order models, the interface (nonlinear) degrees of freedom must still be solved in-full. For this reason, a new generation of specialized techniques capable of reducing linear and nonlinear degrees of freedom alike is emerging. This paper proposes a new technique that exploits spatial correlations in the dynamics to compute a reduction basis. The basis is composed of a set of vectors obtained using the Jacobian of partial derivatives of the contact forces with respect to nodal displacements. These basis vectors correspond to specifically chosen boundary conditions at the contacts over one cycle of vibration. The technique is shown to be effective in the reduction of several models studied using multiple harmonics with a coupled static solution. In addition, this paper addresses another challenge common to all reduction techniques: it presents and validates a novel a posteriori error estimate capable of evaluating the quality of the reduced-order solution without involving a comparison with the full-order solution.

Approximating local observables on projected entangled pair states

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, M.; Buerschaper, O.; Eisert, J.

2017-06-01

Tensor network states are for good reasons believed to capture ground states of gapped local Hamiltonians arising in the condensed matter context, states which are in turn expected to satisfy an entanglement area law. However, the computational hardness of contracting projected entangled pair states in two- and higher-dimensional systems is often seen as a significant obstacle when devising higher-dimensional variants of the density-matrix renormalization group method. In this work, we show that for those projected entangled pair states that are expected to provide good approximations of such ground states of local Hamiltonians, one can compute local expectation values in quasipolynomial time. We therefore provide a complexity-theoretic justification of why state-of-the-art numerical tools work so well in practice. We finally turn to the computation of local expectation values on quantum computers, providing a meaningful application for a small-scale quantum computer.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the United States. All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. Retailers that sell contacts without a ...

Contact point generation for convex polytopes in interactive rigid body dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silcowitz-Hansen, Morten; Abel, Sarah Maria Niebe; Erleben, Kenny

When computing contact forces in rigid body dynamics systems, most state-of-the-art solutions use iterative methods such as the projected Gauss–Seidel (PGS) method. Methods such as the PGS method are preferred for their robustness. However, the time-critical nature of interactive applications...... combined with the linear convergence rates of such methods, will often result in visual artifacts in the final simulation. With this paper, we address an issue which is of major impact on the animation quality, when using methods such as the PGS method. The issue is robust generation of contact points...... for convex polytopes. A novel contact point generation method is presented, which is based on growth distances and Gauss maps. We demonstrate improvements when using our method in the context of interactive rigid body simulation...

State-of-the-art and needs for jet instability and direct contact condensation model improvements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bousbia-Salah, A.; Moretti, F.; D'auria, F.; Bousbia-Salah, A.)

2007-01-01

There is a common understanding among thermal-hydraulic experts that the system analysis codes have currently reached an acceptable degree of maturity. Reliable application, however, is still limited to the validated domain. There is a growing need for qualified codes in assessing the safety of the existing reactors and for developing advanced reactor systems. Under conditions involving multi-phase flow simulations, the use of classical methods, mainly based upon the one dimensional approach, is not appropriate at all. The use of new computational models, such as the direct numerical simulation, large-eddy simulation or other advanced computational fluid dynamics methods, seems to be more suitable for more complex events. For this purpose, the European Commission financed NURESIM Integrated Project (as a part of the FP6 programme), was adopted to provide the initial step towards a Common European Standard Software Platform for modelling, recording and recovering computer data for nuclear reactor simulations. Some of the studies carried out at the University of Pisa within the framework of the NURESIM project are presented in this paper. They mainly concern the investigation of two critical phenomena connected with jet instabilities and direct contact condensation that occur during emergency core cooling. Through these examples, the state-of-the-art and the need for model improvements and validation against new experimental data for the sake of getting a better understanding and more accurate predictions are discussed. (author)

State of Nevada, Agency for Nuclear Projects/Nuclear Waste Project Office narrative report, January 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The Agency for Nuclear Projects/Nuclear Waste Project Office (NWPO) is the State of Nevada agency designated by State law to monitor and oversee US Department of Energy (DOE) activities relative to the possible siting, construction, operation and closure of a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain and to carry out the State of Nevada's responsibilities under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. During the reporting period the NWPO continued to work toward the five objectives designed to implement the Agency's oversight responsibilities: (1) Assure that the health and safety of Nevada's citizens are adequately protected with regard to any federal high-level radioactive waste program within the State; (2) Take the responsibilities and perform the duties of the State of Nevada as described in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-425) and the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987; (3) Advise the Governor, the State Commission on Nuclear Projects and the Nevada State Legislature on matters concerning the potential disposal of high-level radioactive waste in the State; (4) Work closely and consult with affected local governments and State agencies; (5) Monitor and evaluate federal planning and activities regarding high-level radioactive waste disposal. Plan and conduct independent State studies regarding the proposed repository

A relaxation-projection method for compressible flows. Part I: The numerical equation of state for the Euler equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saurel, Richard; Franquet, Erwin; Daniel, Eric; Le Metayer, Olivier

2007-01-01

A new projection method is developed for the Euler equations to determine the thermodynamic state in computational cells. It consists in the resolution of a mechanical relaxation problem between the various sub-volumes present in a computational cell. These sub-volumes correspond to the ones traveled by the various waves that produce states with different pressures, velocities, densities and temperatures. Contrarily to Godunov type schemes the relaxed state corresponds to mechanical equilibrium only and remains out of thermal equilibrium. The pressure computation with this relaxation process replaces the use of the conventional equation of state (EOS). A simplified relaxation method is also derived and provides a specific EOS (named the Numerical EOS). The use of the Numerical EOS gives a cure to spurious pressure oscillations that appear at contact discontinuities for fluids governed by real gas EOS. It is then extended to the computation of interface problems separating fluids with different EOS (liquid-gas interface for example) with the Euler equations. The resulting method is very robust, accurate, oscillation free and conservative. For the sake of simplicity and efficiency the method is developed in a Lagrange-projection context and is validated over exact solutions. In a companion paper [F. Petitpas, E. Franquet, R. Saurel, A relaxation-projection method for compressible flows. Part II: computation of interfaces and multiphase mixtures with stiff mechanical relaxation. J. Comput. Phys. (submitted for publication)], the method is extended to the numerical approximation of a non-conservative hyperbolic multiphase flow model for interface computation and shock propagation into mixtures

Financing School Capital Projects in New York State.

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Edward T.

1990-01-01

Financing school capital projects in New York State is a responsibility involving both local school districts and the state government. State building aid is provided through an aid ratio and approved expenditure formula. This formula has an equalizing effect among districts by explicitly providing an aid amount inversely proportional to property…

Contact with Counter-Stereotypical Women Predicts Less Sexism, Less Rape Myth Acceptance, Less Intention to Rape (in Men) and Less Projected Enjoyment of Rape (in Women).

Science.gov (United States)

Taschler, Miriam; West, Keon

2017-01-01

Intergroup contact-(positive) interactions with people from different social groups-is a widely researched and strongly supported prejudice-reducing mechanism shown to reduce prejudice against a wide variety of outgroups. However, no known previous research has investigated whether intergroup contact can also reduce sexism against women. Sexism has an array of negative outcomes. One of the most detrimental and violent ones is rape, which is both justified and downplayed by rape myth acceptance. We hypothesised that more frequent, higher quality contact with counter-stereotypical women would predict lower levels of sexism and thus less rape myth acceptance (in men) and less sexualised projected responses to rape (in women). Two studies using online surveys with community samples supported these hypotheses. In Study 1, 170 male participants who experienced more positive contact with counter-stereotypical women reported less intention to rape. Similarly, in Study 2, 280 female participants who experienced more positive contact with counter-stereotypical women reported less projected sexual arousal at the thought of being raped. Thus, the present research is the first known to show that contact could be a potential tool to combat sexism, rape myth acceptance, intentions to rape in men, and sexualisation of rape by women.

West African Journal of Radiology: Contact

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Principal Contact. Dr BC Umerah Editor-in-Chief Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. Department of Radiology University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu State Nigeria. Phone: +234-042-303105. Email: editor_wajr@yahoo.com. Support Contact. Dr IJ Okoye Phone: +234-080 3314449

Contact angle adjustment in equation-of-state-based pseudopotential model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Anjie; Li, Longjian; Uddin, Rizwan; Liu, Dong

2016-05-01

The single component pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann model has been widely applied in multiphase simulation due to its simplicity and stability. In many studies, it has been claimed that this model can be stable for density ratios larger than 1000. However, the application of the model is still limited to small density ratios when the contact angle is considered. The reason is that the original contact angle adjustment method influences the stability of the model. Moreover, simulation results in the present work show that, by applying the original contact angle adjustment method, the density distribution near the wall is artificially changed, and the contact angle is dependent on the surface tension. Hence, it is very inconvenient to apply this method with a fixed contact angle, and the accuracy of the model cannot be guaranteed. To solve these problems, a contact angle adjustment method based on the geometry analysis is proposed and numerically compared with the original method. Simulation results show that, with our contact angle adjustment method, the stability of the model is highly improved when the density ratio is relatively large, and it is independent of the surface tension.

Approximate angular momentum projection from cranked intrinsic states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodman, A.L.

1979-01-01

High-spin spectra are determined by approximately projecting states of good angular momentum from cranked Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (CHFB) wave functions. For each J the projected energy is E/sub PROJ/ approx. = E/sub CHFB/ - (ΔJ) 2 /2 J/sub CHFB/, where the moment of inertia J and the fluctuation ΔJ are spin dependent. For /sup 168,170/Yb and 174 Hf the projected J is less than the CHFB value for all J. Consequently approximate projection increases all yrast excitation energies for these nuclei

Projective limits of state spaces II. Quantum formalism

Science.gov (United States)

Lanéry, Suzanne; Thiemann, Thomas

2017-06-01

In this series of papers, we investigate the projective framework initiated by Kijowski (1977) and Okołów (2009, 2014, 2013), which describes the states of a quantum theory as projective families of density matrices. A short reading guide to the series can be found in Lanéry (2016). After discussing the formalism at the classical level in a first paper (Lanéry, 2017), the present second paper is devoted to the quantum theory. In particular, we inspect in detail how such quantum projective state spaces relate to inductive limit Hilbert spaces and to infinite tensor product constructions (Lanéry, 2016, subsection 3.1) [1]. Regarding the quantization of classical projective structures into quantum ones, we extend the results by Okołów (2013), that were set up in the context of linear configuration spaces, to configuration spaces given by simply-connected Lie groups, and to holomorphic quantization of complex phase spaces (Lanéry, 2016, subsection 2.2) [1].

Post-coma persons emerging from a minimally conscious state with multiple disabilities make technology-aided phone contacts with relevant partners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lancioni, G.E.; Singh, N.N.; O'Reilly, M.F.; Sigafoos, J.; Oliva, D.; Campodonico, F.; D'Amico, F.; Buonocunto, F.; Sacco, V.; Didden, H.C.M.

2013-01-01

Post-coma individuals emerging from a minimally conscious state with multiple disabilities may enjoy contact with relevant partners (e.g., family members and friends), but may not have easy access to them. These two single-case studies assessed whether those individuals could make contact with

Angular momentum projection of tilted axis rotating states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oi, M; Onishi, N; Tajima, N [Tokyo Univ. (Japan); Horibata, T

1998-03-01

We applied an exact angular momentum projection to three dimensional cranked HFB (3d-CHFB) states. Tilted axis rotating states (TAR) and principal axis rotating states (PAR) are compared. It is shown that TAR is more adequate than PAR for description of the back bending phenomena driven by tilted rotation or wobbling motion. (author)

New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center PROSPER Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peach, James

2012-12-31

This document is the final technical report of the Arrowhead Center Prosper Project at New Mexico State University. The Prosper Project was a research and public policy initiative funded by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Prosper project (DOE Grant Number DE-NT0004397) began on October 1, 2008 (FY2009, Quarter 1) and ended on December 31, 2012 (FY2013, Quarter 1). All project milestones were completed on time and within the budget. This report contains a summary of ten technical reports resulting from research conducted during the project. This report also contains a detailed description of the research dissemination and outreach activities of the project including a description of the policy impacts of the project. The report also describes project activities that will be maintained after the end of the project.

Role of multiaxial stress state in the hydrogen-assisted rolling-contact fatigue in bearings for wind turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Toribio

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Offshore wind turbines often involve important engineering challenges such as the improvement of hydrogen embrittlement resistance of the turbine bearings. These elements frequently suffer the so-called phenomenon of hydrogen-assisted rolling-contact fatigue (HA-RCF as a consequence of the synergic action of the surrounding harsh environment (the lubricant supplying hydrogen to the material and the cyclic multiaxial stress state caused by in-service mechanical loading. Thus the complex phenomenon could be classified as hydrogen-assisted rolling-contact multiaxial fatigue (HA-RC-MF. This paper analyses, from the mechanical and the chemical points of view, the so-called ball-on-rod test, widely used to evaluate the hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of turbine bearings. Both the stress-strain states and the steady-state hydrogen concentration distribution are studied, so that a better elucidation can be obtained of the potential fracture places where the hydrogen could be more harmful and, consequently, where the turbine bearings could fail during their life in service.

Design, construction, and operation of the contact size reduction facility at the West Valley Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, D.E.; Reeves, S.R.; Valenti, P.J.

1988-05-01

This paper describes the design, construction and initial operation of the Contact-Handled Size Reduction Facility (CSRF) at the West Valley Demonstration Project. The facility was constructed to size reduce contaminated tanks, piping, and other metallic scrap and package the scrap for disposal. In addition, the CSRF has the capability to decontaminate scrap prior to disposal. The anticipated result of decontaminating the scrap is to reduce waste classified as transuranic or low-level Class B and C to Class A or release for unrestricted use as nonradioactive equipment. 10 figs., 1 tab

42 CFR 403.308 - State systems under demonstration projects-mandatory approval.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false State systems under demonstration projects..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS Recognition of State... approval of a State system are met under § 403.304 (b)(1)-(10) and § 403.304(c), and, if appropriate § 403...

State partnership in environmental health and safety phase of Plowshare projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinsman, S [California State Department of Public Health, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1969-07-01

When experiments on projects involving Plowshare devices are conceived, the state chosen for the project should be invited to participate in planning the health and safety aspects and be prepared to actively participate in the D-Day phase as well as the post-detonation activity. In California nuclear science technology and competence have preceded the social acceptance and use of nuclear devices for large scale Plowshare projects. However, the environmental surveillance program of the Bureau of Radiological Health in the State Department of Public Health has established an operative program which will be ready and able to function as an active participant or in a support role in environmental health phases of nuclear projects scheduled in the State. A description of our present program will be included in this paper. This will enable the attendees and readers to realize capabilities which will be activated for participation and/or support roles during Plowshare activities in the State or in a neighboring state if the need arises. (author)

State partnership in environmental health and safety phase of Plowshare projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinsman, S.

1969-01-01

When experiments on projects involving Plowshare devices are conceived, the state chosen for the project should be invited to participate in planning the health and safety aspects and be prepared to actively participate in the D-Day phase as well as the post-detonation activity. In California nuclear science technology and competence have preceded the social acceptance and use of nuclear devices for large scale Plowshare projects. However, the environmental surveillance program of the Bureau of Radiological Health in the State Department of Public Health has established an operative program which will be ready and able to function as an active participant or in a support role in environmental health phases of nuclear projects scheduled in the State. A description of our present program will be included in this paper. This will enable the attendees and readers to realize capabilities which will be activated for participation and/or support roles during Plowshare activities in the State or in a neighboring state if the need arises. (author)

State of technology of direct contact heat exchanging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vallario, R.W.; DeBellis, D.E.

1984-05-01

Specific objectives of this study were to assess the state of technology development and to identify and evaluate the constraints to wider use of direct contact heat exchanger (DCHE) technology in the U.S. The scope of this study is relatively broad; it includes many types of generic systems and end-use applications, both current and future. Domestic and foreign experience with DCHE technology are compared, although the primary focus is on domestic experience. Twenty-two distinct applications of DCHE technology were identified in this study and are examined in this report. The general format is to describe each system, explore its potential applications, discuss current and past research activities and identify major implementation barriers. Finally, as a result of discussions with principal users of DCHE systems and with other knowledgeable sources, generic and specific R and D needs to overcome specific implementation barriers have been identified. The following list of DCHE systems/concepts has been classified into four major end-uses; there is also a category for specialized (other) applications.

Equation of State Project Overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crockett, Scott [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-09-11

A general overview of the Equation of State (EOS) Project will be presented. The goal is to provide the audience with an introduction of what our more advanced methods entail (DFT, QMD, etc.. ) and how these models are being utilized to better constrain the thermodynamic models. These models substantially reduce our regions of interpolation between the various thermodynamic limits. I will also present a variety example of recent EOS work.

Full state hybrid projective synchronization in hyperchaotic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu Yandong; Chang Yingxiang; Zhang Jiangang; Li Xianfeng; An Xinlei

2009-01-01

In this letter, we investigate the full state hybrid projective synchronization (FSHPS) which includes complete synchronization, anti-synchronization and projective synchronization as its special items. Based on Lyapunov stability theory a controller can be designed for achieving the FSHPS of hyperchaotic systems. Numerical simulations are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Contact wire positions and contact forces. Measurements at high-speed lines in China; Fahrdrahtlage und Kontaktkraefte. Messungen an Hochgeschwindigkeitsstrecken in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heland, Joerg; Rick, Frank; Sarnes, Bernhard [DB Systemtechnik GmbH, Muenchen (Germany); Puschmann, Rainer [Siemens AG, Erlangen (Germany). Infrastructure and Cities

2012-07-15

The reliable energy transmission from overhead contact line to pantograph of traction units without interruption decides on the successful operation of high-speed railway lines. Measurements of contact wire position and contact forces are suited to assess interaction of overhead contact line and pantograph. Chinese Railways actually implement the biggest electrification program for high-speed lines worldwide. For these projects contact wire position and contact forces are monitored by procedures developed in Germany. The experience confirms that keeping the contact wire position within the specified limits lead to a superior energy transmission up to 350 km/h. (orig.)

EpiContactTrace: an R-package for contact tracing during livestock disease outbreaks and for risk-based surveillance.

Science.gov (United States)

Nöremark, Maria; Widgren, Stefan

2014-03-17

During outbreak of livestock diseases, contact tracing can be an important part of disease control. Animal movements can also be of relevance for risk-based surveillance and sampling, i.e. both when assessing consequences of introduction or likelihood of introduction. In many countries, animal movement data are collected with one of the major objectives to enable contact tracing. However, often an analytical step is needed to retrieve appropriate information for contact tracing or surveillance. In this study, an open source tool was developed to structure livestock movement data to facilitate contact-tracing in real time during disease outbreaks and for input in risk-based surveillance and sampling. The tool, EpiContactTrace, was written in the R-language and uses the network parameters in-degree, out-degree, ingoing contact chain and outgoing contact chain (also called infection chain), which are relevant for forward and backward tracing respectively. The time-frames for backward and forward tracing can be specified independently and search can be done on one farm at a time or for all farms within the dataset. Different outputs are available; datasets with network measures, contacts visualised in a map and automatically generated reports for each farm either in HTML or PDF-format intended for the end-users, i.e. the veterinary authorities, regional disease control officers and field-veterinarians. EpiContactTrace is available as an R-package at the R-project website (http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/EpiContactTrace/). We believe this tool can help in disease control since it rapidly can structure essential contact information from large datasets. The reproducible reports make this tool robust and independent of manual compilation of data. The open source makes it accessible and easily adaptable for different needs.

A nodally condensed SUPG formulation for free-surface computation of steady-state flows constrained by unilateral contact - Application to rolling

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Shitij; Fourment, Lionel

2018-05-01

In the context of the simulation of industrial hot forming processes, the resultant time-dependent thermo-mechanical multi-field problem (v →,p ,σ ,ɛ ) can be sped up by 10-50 times using the steady-state methods while compared to the conventional incremental methods. Though the steady-state techniques have been used in the past, but only on simple configurations and with structured meshes, and the modern-days problems are in the framework of complex configurations, unstructured meshes and parallel computing. These methods remove time dependency from the equations, but introduce an additional unknown into the problem: the steady-state shape. This steady-state shape x → can be computed as a geometric correction t → on the domain X → by solving the weak form of the steady-state equation v →.n →(t →)=0 using a Streamline Upwind Petrov Galerkin (SUPG) formulation. There exists a strong coupling between the domain shape and the material flow, hence, a two-step fixed point iterative resolution algorithm was proposed that involves (1) the computation of flow field from the resolution of thermo-mechanical equations on a prescribed domain shape and (2) the computation of steady-state shape for an assumed velocity field. The contact equations are introduced in the penalty form both during the flow computation as well as during the free-surface correction. The fact that the contact description is inhomogeneous, i.e., it is defined in the nodal form in the former, and in the weighted residual form in the latter, is assumed to be critical to the convergence of certain problems. Thus, the notion of nodal collocation is invoked in the weak form of the surface correction equation to homogenize the contact coupling. The surface correction algorithm is tested on certain analytical test cases and the contact coupling is tested with some hot rolling problems.

Projective loop quantum gravity. I. State space

Science.gov (United States)

Lanéry, Suzanne; Thiemann, Thomas

2016-12-01

Instead of formulating the state space of a quantum field theory over one big Hilbert space, it has been proposed by Kijowski to describe quantum states as projective families of density matrices over a collection of smaller, simpler Hilbert spaces. Beside the physical motivations for this approach, it could help designing a quantum state space holding the states we need. In a latter work by Okolów, the description of a theory of Abelian connections within this framework was developed, an important insight being to use building blocks labeled by combinations of edges and surfaces. The present work generalizes this construction to an arbitrary gauge group G (in particular, G is neither assumed to be Abelian nor compact). This involves refining the definition of the label set, as well as deriving explicit formulas to relate the Hilbert spaces attached to different labels. If the gauge group happens to be compact, we also have at our disposal the well-established Ashtekar-Lewandowski Hilbert space, which is defined as an inductive limit using building blocks labeled by edges only. We then show that the quantum state space presented here can be thought as a natural extension of the space of density matrices over this Hilbert space. In addition, it is manifest from the classical counterparts of both formalisms that the projective approach allows for a more balanced treatment of the holonomy and flux variables, so it might pave the way for the development of more satisfactory coherent states.

Effect of localized states on the current-voltage characteristics of metal-semiconductor contacts with thin interfacial layer

Science.gov (United States)

Chattopadhyay, P.

1994-10-01

The role of discrete localized states on the current-voltage characteristics of metal-semiconductor contact is examined. It is seen that, because of these localized states, the logarithmic current vs voltage characteristics become nonlinear. Such nonlinearity is found sensitive to the temperature, and the energy and density of the localized states. The predicted temperature dependence of barrier height and the current-voltage characteristics are in agreement with the experimental results of Aboelfotoh [ Phys. Rev. B39, 5070 (1989)].

Effect of contact deformation on contact electrification: a first-principles calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yuanyue; Shao, Tianmin

2013-01-01

The effect of contact deformation on contact electrification of metallic materials was studied by the first-principles method. The results of charge population and the densities of states of the deformed contact models demonstrated that the magnitude of the transferred charge increased with deformation. The mechanism of the effect of deformation was investigated by studying the electronic properties of the deformed surface slabs. The results showed that crystal deformation led to a change in the electrostatic potential of the metal, where the number of nearly free electrons and unoccupied orbitals for charge transfer increased, and their energy barrier decreased. (paper)

Projected entangled pair states: status and prospects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verstraete, Frank [Universitaet Wien (Austria)

2008-07-01

We report on the progress made to extend the density matrix renormalization group to higher dimensions, discuss the underlying theory of projected entangled pair states (PEPS) and illustrate its potential on the hand of a few examples.

Sexuality and physical contact in National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project Wave 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Galinsky, Adena M; McClintock, Martha K; Waite, Linda J

2014-11-01

Wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) includes new measures of sexual interest and behavior, as well as new measures of the context of sexual experience and the frequency and appeal of physical contact. This is the first time many of these constructs have been measured in a nationally representative sample. We describe the new measures and compare the distributions of each across gender and age groups, in some cases by partnership status. Two components of sexuality decrease with age among both men and women: frequency of finding an unknown person sexually attractive and receptivity to a partner's sexual overtures. In contrast, the inclination to make one's self sexually attractive to others was a more complicated function of partner status, gender, and age: partnered women and unpartnered men made the most effort, with the more effortful gender's effort decreasing with age. Both men and women find nonsexual physical contact appealing but sexual physical contact is more appealing to men than women. Finally, two fifths of men and women report dissatisfaction with their partner's frequency of caring behaviors that make later sexual interactions pleasurable, and a fifth of women and a quarter of men who had vaginal sex in the past year report dissatisfaction with amount of foreplay. These data offer the opportunity to characterize sexual motivation in older adulthood more precisely and richly and to examine how the context of sexual experience and the nonsexual aspects of physical intimacy correlate with sexual behavior, enjoyment, and problems. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

State energy price projections for the residential sector, 1992--1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The purpose of this report, State Energy Price Projections for the Residential Sector, 1992--1993, is to provide projections of State-level residential prices for 1992 and 1993 for the following fuels: electricity, natural gas, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene, and coal. Prices for 1991 are also included for comparison purposes. This report also explains the methodology used to produce these estimates and the limitations

Engineering a "Contact Zone" through Translanguaging

Science.gov (United States)

Helm, Francesca; Dabre, Tejane

2018-01-01

This paper presents a pilot project which uses a translanguaging approach in order to subvert the power dynamics whereby language learners, refugees and migrants are positioned as defective or ineffective communicators of a target language. The project seeks to create a space, an engineered "contact zone" in which the negative,…

Washington State Need Grant: Less-Than-Halftime Pilot Project (SHB 1345)

Science.gov (United States)

Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2006

2006-01-01

The 2005 Washington State Legislature authorized, through Substitute House Bill 1345, a two-year pilot project allowing eligible students, who enroll for four or five credits in a term, to receive the State Need Grant (SNG). Several important policy considerations emerged during the pilot project. Board staff explored these issues with financial…

NHDOT : process for municipally managed state aid highway program projects

Science.gov (United States)

2006-05-23

The design and construction of Municipally Managed State Aid Highway Program projects must comply with the requirements in this guideline in order to receive State Aid under the applicable provisions of RSA 235. Under this process, State Aid Construc...

High-speed railway lines. Fatigue of contact wires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Avronsart, Stephane; Kalsbeek, Guido van [SNCF, La Plaine St. Denis (France); Mai, Si Hai; Massat, Jean Pierre; Nguyen-Tajan, Thi Mac-Lan [SNCF, Paris (France)

2013-06-15

With more than 30 years of operation of High-Speed Lines, SNCF has a large feedback on behaviour of components. Regarding the contact wire, the only operation of maintenance consists in measuring the thickness in order to estimate the remaining lifetime which in total is around 50 years. With such a long period of operation the question was raised on fatigue phenomena. The research project launched by SNCF on this topic in 2011 includes tests on copper material characteristics, modelling of the crack initiation and propagation and detection of cracks on the contact wire. The result of this research project could lead to request for changes in EN 50149 by introducing new material characteristic parameters for contact wire related to fatigue. (orig.)

Projective limits of state spaces IV. Fractal label sets

Science.gov (United States)

Lanéry, Suzanne; Thiemann, Thomas

2018-01-01

Instead of formulating the state space of a quantum field theory over one big Hilbert space, it has been proposed by Kijowski (1977) to represent quantum states as projective families of density matrices over a collection of smaller, simpler Hilbert spaces (see Lanéry (2016) [1] for a concise introduction to this formalism). One can thus bypass the need to select a vacuum state for the theory, and still be provided with an explicit and constructive description of the quantum state space, at least as long as the label set indexing the projective structure is countable. Because uncountable label sets are much less practical in this context, we develop in the present article a general procedure to trim an originally uncountable label set down to countable cardinality. In particular, we investigate how to perform this tightening of the label set in a way that preserves both the physical content of the algebra of observables and its symmetries. This work is notably motivated by applications to the holonomy-flux algebra underlying Loop Quantum Gravity. Building on earlier work by Okołów (2013), a projective state space was introduced for this algebra in Lanéry and Thiemann (2016). However, the non-trivial structure of the holonomy-flux algebra prevents the construction of satisfactory semi-classical states (Lanéry and Thiemann, 2017). Implementing the general procedure just mentioned in the case of a one-dimensional version of this algebra, we show how a discrete subalgebra can be extracted without destroying universality nor diffeomorphism invariance. On this subalgebra, quantum states can then be constructed which are more regular than was possible on the original algebra. In particular, this allows the design of semi-classical states whose semi-classicality is enforced step by step, starting from collective, macroscopic degrees of freedom and going down progressively toward smaller and smaller scales.

Non-conformal contact mechanical characteristic analysis on spherical components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhen-zhi, G.; Bin, H.; Zheng-ming, G.; Feng-mei, Y.; Jin, Q [The 2. Artillery Engineering Univ., Xi' an (China)

2017-03-15

Non-conformal spherical-contact mechanical problems is a three-dimensional coordination or similar to the coordination spherical contact. Due to the complexity of the problem of spherical-contact and difficulties of solving higher-order partial differential equations, problems of three-dimensional coordination or similar to the coordination spherical-contact is still no exact analytical method for solving. It is based on three-dimensional taper model is proposed a model based on the contour surface of the spherical contact and concluded of the formula of the contact pressure and constructed of finite element model by contact pressure distribution under the non-conformal spherical. The results shows spherical contact model can reflect non-conformal spherical-contacting mechanical problems more than taper-contacting model, and apply for the actual project.

Labral reconstruction with iliotibial band autografts and semitendinosus allografts improves hip joint contact area and contact pressure: an in vitro analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Simon; Wuerz, Thomas H; Shewman, Elizabeth; McCormick, Frank M; Salata, Michael J; Philippon, Marc J; Nho, Shane J

2015-01-01

Labral reconstruction using iliotibial band (ITB) autografts and semitendinosus (Semi-T) allografts has recently been described in cases of labral deficiency. To characterize the joint biomechanics with a labrum-intact, labrum-deficient, and labrum-reconstructed acetabulum in a hip cadaveric model. The hypothesis was that labral resection would decrease contact area, increase contact pressure, and increase peak force, while subsequent labral reconstruction with ITB autografts or Semi-T allografts would restore these values toward the native intact labral state. Controlled laboratory study. Ten fresh-frozen human cadaveric hips were analyzed utilizing thin-film piezoresistive load sensors to measure contact area, contact pressure, and peak force (1) with the native intact labrum, (2) after segmental labral resection, and (3) after graft labral reconstruction with either ITB autografts or Semi-T allografts. Each specimen was examined at 20° of extension and 60° of flexion. Statistical analysis was conducted through 1-way analysis of variance with post hoc Games-Howell tests. For the ITB group, labral resection significantly decreased contact area (at 20°: 73.2%±5.38%, P=.0010; at 60°: 78.5%±6.93%, P=.0063) and increased contact pressure (at 20°: 106.7%±4.15%, P=.0387; at 60°: 103.9%±1.15%, P=.0428). In addition, ITB reconstruction improved contact area (at 20°: 87.2%±12.3%, P=.0130; at 60°: 90.5%±8.81%, P=.0079) and contact pressure (at 20°: 98.5%±5.71%, P=.0476; at 60°: 96.6%±1.13%, P=.0056) from the resected state. Contact pressure at 60° of flexion was significantly lower compared with the native labrum (P=.0420). For the Semi-T group, labral resection significantly decreased contact area (at 20°: 68.1%±12.57%, P=.0002; at 60°: 67.5%±6.70%, P=.0002) and increased contact pressure (at 20°: 105.3%±3.73%, P=.0304; at 60°: 106.8%±4.04%, P=.0231). Semi-T reconstruction improved contact area (at 20°: 87.9%±7.95%, P=.0087; at 60°: 92.9%±13

A comparison between the 19th century early proposals and the 20th-21st centuries realized projects intended to contact other planets

Science.gov (United States)

Raulin Cerceau, Florence; Bilodeau, Bénédicte

2012-09-01

Methods dealing with how to contact other planets that are supposed to be inhabited by “intelligent” civilizations have begun more than one century and a half ago. The historical question has been already treated in several studies and the aim of this paper is not to provide details on that aspect. On the other hand, it could be interesting to make a comparison between the different approaches to contact planets, formulated at different epochs (even if obviously techniques were not in the same state of advancement). The most important characteristics of the earliest messages, remained only on a theoretical form, will be presented. The main features of modern messages, which have been concretely realized, will also be emphasized. Drawing a parallel between these two series of projects could demonstrate what has been considered as unavoidable by both pioneer and modern messages creators, while it has not been proved that the first ones have had any influence on the second ones. The common points emerging from this comparison could then (perhaps) help to select adequate models for an intelligible message intended to ETs, particularly concerning the language forms. Besides this, the differences could illustrate the human cultural advances in the field of METI and underline the tendencies that have been chosen in that field since the last decades.

Kansas State University Libraries' OCR Labeling Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Thierer, Joyce; Bower, Merry

This publication describes the planning and implementation of an optical character recognition (OCR) labeling project, the first stage of Kansas State University (KSU) Libraries' program of conversion from a manual to an automated circulation system. It is noted that a telephone survey of libraries with automated circulation systems and…

Reliable Solution of a Unilateral Contact Problem with Friction and Uncertain Data in Thermo-Elasticity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hlaváček, Ivan; Nedoma, Jiří

2005-01-01

Roč. 67, - (2005), s. 559-580 ISSN 0378-4754 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/01/1200; GA MŠk OK 407 Grant - others:COPERNICUS-HIPERGEOS II(XE) KIT 977006 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1030915 Keywords : unilateral contact * steady-state heat flow * Coulomb friction * finite element analysis * radioactive waste repositories Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.554, year: 2005

75 FR 67431 - State-40, Employee Contact Records

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-02

... contact information and employment type (government or contractor). AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE... is not limited to two-factor authentication and time out function. All users with authorized access...

Spin-Projected Matrix Product States: Versatile Tool for Strongly Correlated Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhendong; Chan, Garnet Kin-Lic

2017-06-13

We present a new wave function ansatz that combines the strengths of spin projection with the language of matrix product states (MPS) and matrix product operators (MPO) as used in the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG). Specifically, spin-projected matrix product states (SP-MPS) are constructed as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the spin projector for total spin S and |Ψ MPS (N,M) ⟩ is an MPS wave function with a given particle number N and spin projection M. This new ansatz possesses several attractive features: (1) It provides a much simpler route to achieve spin adaptation (i.e., to create eigenfunctions of Ŝ 2 ) compared to explicitly incorporating the non-Abelian SU(2) symmetry into the MPS. In particular, since the underlying state |Ψ MPS (N,M) ⟩ in the SP-MPS uses only Abelian symmetries, one does not need the singlet embedding scheme for nonsinglet states, as normally employed in spin-adapted DMRG, to achieve a single consistent variationally optimized state. (2) Due to the use of |Ψ MPS (N,M) ⟩ as its underlying state, the SP-MPS can be closely connected to broken-symmetry mean-field states. This allows one to straightforwardly generate the large number of broken-symmetry guesses needed to explore complex electronic landscapes in magnetic systems. Further, this connection can be exploited in the future development of quantum embedding theories for open-shell systems. (3) The sum of MPOs representation for the Hamiltonian and spin projector [Formula: see text] naturally leads to an embarrassingly parallel algorithm for computing expectation values and optimizing SP-MPS. (4) Optimizing SP-MPS belongs to the variation-after-projection (VAP) class of spin-projected theories. Unlike usual spin-projected theories based on determinants, the SP-MPS ansatz can be made essentially exact simply by increasing the bond dimensions in |Ψ MPS (N,M) ⟩. Computing excited states is also simple by imposing orthogonality constraints

Manipulating localized molecular orbitals by single-atom contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weihua; Shi, Xingqiang; Lin, Chensheng; Zhang, Rui Qin; Minot, Christian; Van Hove, Michel A; Hong, Yuning; Tang, Ben Zhong; Lin, Nian

2010-09-17

We have fabricated atom-molecule contacts by attachment of single Cu atoms to terpyridine side groups of bis-terpyridine tetra-phenyl ethylene molecules on a Cu(111) surface. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy, and density functional calculations, we have found that, due to the localization characteristics of molecular orbitals, the Cu-atom contact modifies the state localized at the terpyridine side group which is in contact with the Cu atom but does not affect the states localized at other parts of the molecule. These results illustrate the contact effects at individual orbitals and offer possibilities to manipulate orbital alignments within molecules.

Nigerian Journal of General Practice: Contact

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Principal Contact. Dr Jasper Jideofor Onyekwelu Editor-in-Chief Christ Hospital. Obinwanne Hospital and Maternity,. 19 Uba Street, Nkpor. Anambra State, Nigeria. Phone: +2348033430651. Email: drjideonyekwelu@yahoo.com. Support Contact. Dr Ernest O. Eze-Okoye Phone: +234-803-241-4323

Ohmic contacts to semiconducting diamond

Science.gov (United States)

Zeidler, James R.; Taylor, M. J.; Zeisse, Carl R.; Hewett, C. A.; Delahoussaye, Paul R.

1990-10-01

Work was carried out to improve the electron beam evaporation system in order to achieve better deposited films. The basic system is an ion pumped vacuum chamber, with a three-hearth, single-gun e-beam evaporator. Four improvements were made to the system. The system was thoroughly cleaned and new ion pump elements, an e-gun beam adjust unit, and a more accurate crystal monitor were installed. The system now has a base pressure of 3 X 10(exp -9) Torr, and can easily deposit high-melting-temperature metals such as Ta with an accurately controlled thickness. Improved shadow masks were also fabricated for better alignment and control of corner contacts for electrical transport measurements. Appendices include: A Thermally Activated Solid State Reaction Process for Fabricating Ohmic Contacts to Semiconducting Diamond; Tantalum Ohmic Contacts to Diamond by a Solid State Reaction Process; Metallization of Semiconducting Diamond: Mo, Mo/Au, and Mo/Ni/Au; Specific Contact Resistance Measurements of Ohmic Contracts to Diamond; and Electrical Activation of Boron Implanted into Diamond.

Contact mechanics: contact area and interfacial separation from small contact to full contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C; Persson, B N J

2008-01-01

We present a molecular dynamics study of the contact between a rigid solid with a randomly rough surface and an elastic block with a flat surface. The numerical calculations mainly focus on the contact area and the interfacial separation from small contact (low load) to full contact (high load). For a small load the contact area varies linearly with the load and the interfacial separation depends logarithmically on the load. For a high load the contact area approaches the nominal contact area (i.e. complete contact), and the interfacial separation approaches zero. The numerical results have been compared with analytical theory and experimental results. They are in good agreement with each other. The present findings may be very important for soft solids, e.g. rubber, or for very smooth surfaces, where complete contact can be reached at moderately high loads without plastic deformation of the solids

The modified Cassie’s equation and contact angle hysteresis

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xianmin; Wang, Xiaoping

2012-01-01

In this paper, we derive a modified Cassie's equation for wetting on chemically patterned surfaces from a homogenization approach. The derivation reveals that effective contact angle is a local average of the static contact angle along the contact line which describes all possible equilibrium states including the local minimum of the free energy of the system. The usual Cassie's state which corresponds to the global minimum is only a special case. We then discuss the contact angle hysteresis on chemically patterned surfaces. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

Nanoscale roughness contact in a slider-disk interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Wei; Liu, Bo; Yu, Shengkai; Zhou, Weidong

2009-07-15

The nanoscale roughness contact between molecularly smooth surfaces of a slider-disk interface in a hard disk drive is analyzed, and the lubricant behavior at very high shear rate is presented. A new contact model is developed to study the nanoscale roughness contact behavior by classifying various forms of contact into slider-lubricant contact, slider-disk elastic contact and plastic contact. The contact pressure and the contact probabilities of the three types of contact are investigated. The new contact model is employed to explain and provide insight to an interesting experimental result found in a thermal protrusion slider. The protrusion budget for head surfing in the lubricant, which is the ideal state for contact recording, is also discussed.

Nanoscale roughness contact in a slider-disk interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hua Wei; Liu Bo; Yu Shengkai; Zhou Weidong

2009-01-01

The nanoscale roughness contact between molecularly smooth surfaces of a slider-disk interface in a hard disk drive is analyzed, and the lubricant behavior at very high shear rate is presented. A new contact model is developed to study the nanoscale roughness contact behavior by classifying various forms of contact into slider-lubricant contact, slider-disk elastic contact and plastic contact. The contact pressure and the contact probabilities of the three types of contact are investigated. The new contact model is employed to explain and provide insight to an interesting experimental result found in a thermal protrusion slider. The protrusion budget for head surfing in the lubricant, which is the ideal state for contact recording, is also discussed.

Contact Modelling in Resistance Welding, Part II: Experimental Validation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Song, Quanfeng; Zhang, Wenqi; Bay, Niels

2006-01-01

Contact algorithms in resistance welding presented in the previous paper are experimentally validated in the present paper. In order to verify the mechanical contact algorithm, two types of experiments, i.e. sandwich upsetting of circular, cylindrical specimens and compression tests of discs...... with a solid ring projection towards a flat ring, are carried out at room temperature. The complete algorithm, involving not only the mechanical model but also the thermal and electrical models, is validated by projection welding experiments. The experimental results are in satisfactory agreement...

The Ocean State Power Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makowski, J.

1987-01-01

Ocean State Power is an independent partnership in the form of utility companies and private developers who have joined forces to build a gas-fired, combined cycle generating plant in Burrillville, Rhode Island. The initial capacity of the plant is expected to be approximately 250 MW, with a provision to double the size. Unit I will be on-line 2989/2990 with unit II shortly thereafter. The OSP equity group includes TransCanada PipeLines, Easter Utilities Associates, New England Electric System, Newport Electric and J. Makowski Associates. The author describes the project's major features and turns to a brief status report on the contracts and licenses. Ocean State Power came about because of; the rapid growth in demand for capacity in new England; the availability of a long-term supply of natural gas from Canada which has recently revised export policies and the inherent efficiency and reliability of combined cycle power generation

the level of contact lens practice in port harcourt, rivers state of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

LIVINGSTON

routine optometric examination- keratometer, slit lamp biomicroscope, retinoscope, trial case, and diagnostic contact lenses. For diagnostic contact lenses, the practitioner can confine himself to just a few lens types . A successful contact lens practice would involve astute practice management. Type of practice to be offered ...

Effect of load, area of contact, and contact stress on the tribological properties of polyimide bonded graphite fluoride films

Science.gov (United States)

Fusaro, R. L.

1981-01-01

A pin-on-disk type of friction and wear apparatus was used to study the effect of load, contact stress and rider area of contact on the friction and wear properties of polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride films. Different rider area contacts were obtained by initially generating flats (with areas of 0.0035, 0.0071, 0.0145, and 0.0240 cm) on 0.476-cm radius hemispherically-tipped riders. Different projected contact stresses were obtained by applying loads of 2.5-to 58.8-N to the flats. Two film wear mechanisms were observed. The first was found to be a linear function of contact stress and was independent of rider area of contact. The second was found to increase exponentially as the stress increased. The second also appeared to be a function of rider contact area. Wear equations for each mechanism were empirically derived from the experimental data. In general, friction coefficients increased with increasing rider contact area and with sliding duration. This was related to the build-up of thick rider transfer films.

Effect of load, area of contact, and contact stress on the wear mechanisms of a bonded solid lubricant film

Science.gov (United States)

Fusaro, R. L.

1980-01-01

A pin on disk type of friction and wear apparatus was used to study the effect of load, contact stress and rider area of contact on the friction and wear properties of polyimide bonded graphite fluoride films. Different rider area contacts were obtained by initially generating flats (with areas of 0.0035, 0.0071, 0.0145, and 0.0240 cm) on 0.476-cm radius hemispherically tipped riders. Different projected contact stresses were obtained by applying loads of 2.5- to 58.8-N to the flats. Two film wear mechanisms were observed. The first was found to be a linear function of contact stress and was independent of rider area of contact. The second was found to increase exponentially as the stress increased. The second also appeared to be a function of rider contact area. Wear equations for each mechanism were empirically derived from the experimental data. In general, friction coefficients increased with increasing rider contact area and with sliding duration. This was related to the build up of thick rider transfer films.

The modified Cassie’s equation and contact angle hysteresis

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xianmin

2012-08-29

In this paper, we derive a modified Cassie\\'s equation for wetting on chemically patterned surfaces from a homogenization approach. The derivation reveals that effective contact angle is a local average of the static contact angle along the contact line which describes all possible equilibrium states including the local minimum of the free energy of the system. The usual Cassie\\'s state which corresponds to the global minimum is only a special case. We then discuss the contact angle hysteresis on chemically patterned surfaces. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

Contact forces between a particle and a wet wall at both quasi-static and dynamic state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The contact regime of particle-wall is investigated by the atomic force microscope (AFM and theoretical models. First, AFM is used to measure the cohesive force between a micron-sized grain and a glass plate at quasi-static state under various humidity. It is found out that the cohesive force starts to grow slowly and suddenly increase rapidly beyond a critical Relative Humidity (RH. Second, mathematical models of contacting forces are presented to depict the dynamic process that a particle impacts on a wet wall. Then the energy loss of a falling grain is calculated in comparison with the models and the experimental data from the previous references. The simulation results show that the force models presented here are adaptive for both low and high viscosity fluid films with different thickness.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR THE STATE-GOVERNED GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Lygin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The relevance of the research. Creating high-efficient and innovation-oriented system of studying the subsoil and the mineral resource base is one of the priority areas of developing the geological sphere. The purpose of the present study is to substantiate the rationale for the adoption of the project management methods for the exploration work. Research methods: method of system analysis, method of comparison and analogies, and method of scientific generalization. The results and their application. This article deals with the content of the main standard legislative documents which determine the strategy and lines of the country’s geological sector development in the nearest future. The article discloses the purposes and their strategic objectives and the content of the state program of the Russian Federation called “Reproduction and use of natural resources”. The resource support of the program and its subroutines is also revealed. The structure of geological industry management in modern conditions is presented. The main activities for restructuring of the geological industry are set out. They include the following points. The transformation of the Federal state unitary enterprises of information and expert profile, the advancement of scientific organizations engaged in scientific and analytical support of performed public functions. These functions are concerned with the geological study of subsoil and reproduction of the mineral resource base, as well as improving its management. The consolidation of specialized geological organizations on the types of exploration and mining, and also the main results of reorganization of the enterprises is taken into account. All of the aforementioned is subordinated to and is conducted by the Federal Agency for subsoil management. The shortcomings of the current system of management of works on the state geological study of the subsoil were revealed at the expense of the Federal budget. The

Tri-State Synfuels Project Review: Volume 12. Fluor project status. [Proposed Henderson, Kentucky coal to gasoline plant; engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-06-01

The purpose of this report is to document and summarize activities associated with Fluor's efforts on the Tri-State Synfuels Project. The proposed facility was to be coal-to-transport fuels facility located in Henderson, Kentucky. Tri-State Synfuels Company was participating in the project as a partner of the US Department of Energy per terms of a Cooperative Agreement resulting from DOE's synfuel's program solicitation. Fluor's initial work plan called for preliminary engineering and procurement services to the point of commitment for construction for a Sasol Fischer-Tropsch plant. Work proceeded as planned until October 1981 when results of alternative coal-to-methanol studies revealed the economic disadvantage of the Synthol design for US markets. A number of alternative process studies followed to determine the best process configuration. In January 1982 Tri-State officially announced a change from Synthol to a Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) design basis. Further evaluation and cost estimates for the MTG facility eventually led to the conclusion that, given the depressed economic outlook for alternative fuels development, the project should be terminated. Official announcement of cancellation was made on April 13, 1982. At the time of project cancellation, Fluor had completed significant portions of the preliminary engineering effort. Included in this report are descriptions and summaries of Fluor's work during this project. In addition location of key project data and materials is identified and status reports for each operation are presented.

Large deformation contact mechanics of a pressurized long rectangular membrane. II. Adhesive contact

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Abhishek; Hui, Chung-Yuen

2013-01-01

In part I of this work, we presented a theory for adhesionless contact of a pressurized neo-Hookean plane-strain membrane to a rigid substrate. Here, we extend our theory to include adhesion using a fracture mechanics approach. This theory is used to study contact hysteresis commonly observed in experiments. Detailed analysis is carried out to highlight the differences between frictionless and no-slip contact. Membrane detachment is found to be strongly dependent on adhesion: for low adhesion, the membrane ‘pinches-off’, whereas for large adhesions, it detaches unstably at finite contact (‘pull-off’). Expressions are derived for the critical adhesion needed for pinch-off to pull-off transition. Above a threshold adhesion, the membrane exhibits bistability, two stable states at zero applied pressure. The condition for bistability for both frictionless and no-slip boundary conditions is obtained explicitly. PMID:24353472

Tensor Renormalization of Quantum Many-Body Systems Using Projected Entangled Simplex States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Y. Xie

2014-02-01

Full Text Available We propose a new class of tensor-network states, which we name projected entangled simplex states (PESS, for studying the ground-state properties of quantum lattice models. These states extend the pair-correlation basis of projected entangled pair states to a simplex. PESS are exact representations of the simplex solid states, and they provide an efficient trial wave function that satisfies the area law of entanglement entropy. We introduce a simple update method for evaluating the PESS wave function based on imaginary-time evolution and the higher-order singular-value decomposition of tensors. By applying this method to the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the kagome lattice, we obtain accurate and systematic results for the ground-state energy, which approach the lowest upper bounds yet estimated for this quantity.

A contact-less method to evaluate the state of charge of nickel batteries using Foucault's eddy currents

Science.gov (United States)

Mancier, V.; Metrot, A.; Willmann, P.

A nickel hydroxide electrode and a commercial battery have been studied by a new and contact-less impedance method, based on Foucault's eddy currents, with the aim of determining their state of charge. Four different current line distributions have been employed and the impedance versus time graphs obtained show a linear variation of this impedance during charge and discharge for all configurations. This new method allows the determination of the state of charge and, furthermore some "artifacts" obvious on these graphs may be useful to detect a deterioration of the studied material.

Mathematical Modeling of Contact Problems of Elasticity Theory with Unilateral Discrete Contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Stankevich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Development and operation of modern machinery and latest technology require reliable estimates of the strength characteristics of the critical elements of structures and technological equipment under the impact of high-intensity thermomechanical loading, accompanied, as a rule, by complex contact interaction. Mathematical modeling of stress-strain state of such parts and components in the contact area, based on adequate mathematical models, modern numerical methods and efficient algorithms that implement the direct determination of displacement fields, strains and stresses, is the main tool that allows fast acquisition of data required for the calculations of strength and durability. The paper considers an algorithm for constructing the numerical solution of the contact problem of elasticity theory in relation to the body, which has an obvious one-sided discrete contact interaction with an elastic half-space. The proposed algorithm is specially designed to have a correction of the tangential forces at discrete contact points, allowing us to achieve sufficiently accurate implementation of the adopted law of friction. The algorithm is embedded in a general finite element technology, with which the application code is generated. Numerical study of discrete unilateral contact interaction of an elastic plate and a rigid half-space showed a high efficiency of the developed algorithm and the application code that implements it.

Head-disk interface nanotribology for Tbit/inch2 recording densities: near-contact and contact recording

Science.gov (United States)

Vakis, Antonis I.; Polycarpou, Andreas A.

2010-06-01

In the effort to achieve Tbit/inch2 recording densities, thermal fly-height control (TFC) nanotechnology was developed to effectively reduce the clearance (which is of the order of a few nanometres) at the head-disk interface (HDI) of hard-disk drives. In this work, we present a model of the HDI that can predict the dynamic flying and nanotribological contacting behaviour, allowing for accurate predictions and characterization of the operating regime as a function of TFC actuation. A geometric model for TFC is presented and an improved definition of contact at the interface is developed in the presence of nanoscale topographical roughness and dynamic microwaviness. A new methodology is proposed for the calculation of the nominal area of contact, which affects both near- and at-contact behaviour, while the stiffening of the air bearing force with TFC actuation is also accounted for. Slider behaviour is analysed by quantifying the approach, jump-to-contact, lubricant and solid contact regimes of operation and identifying the critical and optimum TFC actuations. The feasibility of near-contact, light molecularly thin lubricant contact versus solid contact recording is explored under the effect of the interfacial forces and stresses present at the HDI. The clearance and the state of vibrations are analysed and design guidelines are proposed for improved performance.

Head-disk interface nanotribology for Tbit/inch2 recording densities: near-contact and contact recording

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vakis, Antonis I; Polycarpou, Andreas A

2010-01-01

In the effort to achieve Tbit/inch 2 recording densities, thermal fly-height control (TFC) nanotechnology was developed to effectively reduce the clearance (which is of the order of a few nanometres) at the head-disk interface (HDI) of hard-disk drives. In this work, we present a model of the HDI that can predict the dynamic flying and nanotribological contacting behaviour, allowing for accurate predictions and characterization of the operating regime as a function of TFC actuation. A geometric model for TFC is presented and an improved definition of contact at the interface is developed in the presence of nanoscale topographical roughness and dynamic microwaviness. A new methodology is proposed for the calculation of the nominal area of contact, which affects both near- and at-contact behaviour, while the stiffening of the air bearing force with TFC actuation is also accounted for. Slider behaviour is analysed by quantifying the approach, jump-to-contact, lubricant and solid contact regimes of operation and identifying the critical and optimum TFC actuations. The feasibility of near-contact, light molecularly thin lubricant contact versus solid contact recording is explored under the effect of the interfacial forces and stresses present at the HDI. The clearance and the state of vibrations are analysed and design guidelines are proposed for improved performance.

Making contact for contact dermatitis: a survey of the membership of the American Contact Dermatitis Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Nezafati, Kaveh A; Carroll, Bryan; Storrs, Frances J; Cruz, Ponciano D

2013-01-01

The American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) is the principal organization representing the subspecialty of contact dermatitis in the United States. The aim of this study was to characterize ACDS members with respect to demographic characteristics, patch-test practices, and sentiments regarding the Society and its journal Dermatitis. We conducted cross-sectional postal and online surveys of ACDS members. More than a third of ACDS members responded to the survey, 92% of whom practice dermatology, and most of whom are community practitioners. Responders manage patients with allergic and irritant dermatitis at a similar frequency. On average, they patch test 4 patients per week using 66 allergens per patient, which often include customized trays. Almost half of these practitioners learned patch testing from their residency programs. Most of the responders read and value the Society journal, value the Contact Allergen Management Program database, and attend society meetings. The ACDS is comprised overwhelmingly of dermatologists who are primarily community-based, young relative to the start of their practices, and use the Society's resources for continuing education.

U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kan, Shirley A

2007-01-01

... (PRC) and provides a record of major contacts since 1993. The United States suspended military contacts with China and imposed sanctions on arms sales in response to the Tiananmen Crackdown in 1989...

U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kan, Shirley A

2008-01-01

... (PRC) and provides a record of major contacts since 1993. The United States suspended military contacts with China and imposed sanctions on arms sales in response to the Tiananmen Crackdown in 1989...

Structural, Functional, and Metabolic Brain Markers Differentiate Collision versus Contact and Non-Contact Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Churchill, Nathan W; Hutchison, Michael G; Di Battista, Alex P; Graham, Simon J; Schweizer, Tom A

2017-01-01

There is growing concern about how participation in contact sports affects the brain. Retrospective evidence suggests that contact sports are associated with long-term negative health outcomes. However, much of the research to date has focused on former athletes with significant health problems. Less is known about the health of current athletes in contact and collision sports who have not reported significant medical issues. In this cross-sectional study, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate multiple aspects of brain physiology in three groups of athletes participating in non-contact sports ( N  = 20), contact sports ( N  = 22), and collision sports ( N  = 23). Diffusion tensor imaging was used to assess white matter microstructure based on measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD); resting-state functional MRI was used to evaluate global functional connectivity; single-voxel spectroscopy was used to compare ratios of neural metabolites, including N -acetyl aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline, and myo-inositol. Multivariate analysis revealed structural, functional, and metabolic measures that reliably differentiated between sport groups. The collision group had significantly elevated FA and reduced MD in white matter, compared to both contact and non-contact groups. In contrast, the collision group showed significant reductions in functional connectivity and the NAA/Cr metabolite ratio, relative to only the non-contact group, while the contact group overlapped with both non-contact and collision groups. For brain regions associated with contact sport participation, athletes with a history of concussion also showed greater alterations in FA and functional connectivity, indicating a potential cumulative effect of both contact exposure and concussion history on brain physiology. These findings indicate persistent differences in brain physiology for athletes participating in contact and collision sports

PV Project Finance in the United States, 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feldman, David; Lowder, Travis; Schwabe, Paul

2016-09-01

This brief is a compilation of data points and market insights that reflect the state of the project finance market for solar photovoltaic (PV) assets in the United States as of the third quarter of 2016. This information can generally be used as a simplified benchmark of the costs associated with securing financing for solar PV as well as the cost of the financing itself (i.e., the cost of capital). Three sources of capital are considered -- tax equity, sponsor equity, and debt -- across three segments of the PV marketplace.

Modeling contact angle hysteresis of a liquid droplet sitting on a cosine wave-like pattern surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Promraksa, Arwut; Chen, Li-Jen

2012-10-15

A liquid droplet sitting on a hydrophobic surface with a cosine wave-like square-array pattern in the Wenzel state is simulated by using the Surface Evolver to determine the contact angle. For a fixed drop volume, multiple metastable states are obtained at two different surface roughnesses. Unusual and non-circular shape of the three-phase contact line of a liquid droplet sitting on the model surface is observed due to corrugation and distortion of the contact line by structure of the roughness. The contact angle varies along the contact line for each metastable state. The maximum and minimum contact angles among the multiple metastable states at a fixed viewing angle correspond to the advancing and the receding contact angles, respectively. It is interesting to observe that the advancing/receding contact angles (and contact angle hysteresis) are a function of viewing angle. In addition, the receding (or advancing) contact angles at different viewing angles are determined at different metastable states. The contact angle of minimum energy among the multiple metastable states is defined as the most stable (equilibrium) contact angle. The Wenzel model is not able to describe the contact angle along the three-phase contact line. The contact angle hysteresis at different drop volumes is determined. The number of the metastable states increases with increasing drop volume. Drop volume effect on the contact angles is also discussed. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Colored Contact Lens Dangers

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... the United States. All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by ... Care Apr 23, 2018 How long does it take the eye to go back to its original ...

Geysers advanced direct contact condenser research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, J.; Bahning, T.; Bharathan, D.

1997-12-31

The first geothermal application of the Advanced Direct Contact Condenser (ADCC) technology developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is now operational and is being tested at The Geysers Power Plant Unit 11. This major research effort is being supported through the combined efforts of NREL, The Department of Energy (DOE), and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). NREL and PG&E have entered into a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) for a project to improve the direct-contact condenser performance at The Geysers Power Plant. This project is the first geothermal adaptation of an advanced condenser design developed for the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems. PG&E expects this technology to improve power plant performance and to help extend the life of the steam field by using steam more efficiently. In accordance with the CRADA, no money is transferred between the contracting parties. In this case the Department of Energy is funding NREL for their efforts in this project and PG&E is contributing funds in kind. Successful application of this technology at The Geysers will provide a basis for NREL to continue to develop this technology for other geothermal and fossil power plant systems.

Source/drain electrodes contact effect on the stability of bottom-contact pentacene field-effect transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinge Yu

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Bottom-contact pentacene field-effect transistors were fabricated with a PMMA dielectric layer, and the air stability of the transistors was investigated. To characterize the device stability, the field-effect transistors were exposed to ambient conditions for 30 days and subsequently characterized. The degradation of electrical performance was traced to study the variation of field-effect mobility, saturation current and off-state current. By investigating the morphology variance of the pentacene film at the channel and source/drain (S/D contact regions by atomic force microscopy, it was clear that the morphology of the pentacene film adhered to the S/D degenerated dramatically. Moreover, by studying the variation of contact resistance in detail, it was found that the S/D contact effect was the main reason for the degradation in performance.

Nigerian Journal of Technological Research: Contact

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Principal Contact. Prof. OOA Fasanya Editor-in-Chief Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria Journal Office, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 65, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria Phone: +234 81313 45053. Email: njtrfutminna@gmail.com ...

National Evaluation of the State Deaf-Blind Projects. NCEE 2018-4006

Science.gov (United States)

Daley, Tamara C.; Edwards, Jessica; Fiore, Thomas A.; Johnson, Laura

2018-01-01

This report describes the work done by the 48 State Deaf-Blind Projects awarded grants by the Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in late 2013. The report documents the technical assistance and dissemination activities carried out by the Projects and their collaborative activities, describes the needs for…

Information Theoretic Characterization of Physical Theories with Projective State Space

Science.gov (United States)

Zaopo, Marco

2015-08-01

Probabilistic theories are a natural framework to investigate the foundations of quantum theory and possible alternative or deeper theories. In a generic probabilistic theory, states of a physical system are represented as vectors of outcomes probabilities and state spaces are convex cones. In this picture the physics of a given theory is related to the geometric shape of the cone of states. In quantum theory, for instance, the shape of the cone of states corresponds to a projective space over complex numbers. In this paper we investigate geometric constraints on the state space of a generic theory imposed by the following information theoretic requirements: every non completely mixed state of a system is perfectly distinguishable from some other state in a single shot measurement; information capacity of physical systems is conserved under making mixtures of states. These assumptions guarantee that a generic physical system satisfies a natural principle asserting that the more a state of the system is mixed the less information can be stored in the system using that state as logical value. We show that all theories satisfying the above assumptions are such that the shape of their cones of states is that of a projective space over a generic field of numbers. Remarkably, these theories constitute generalizations of quantum theory where superposition principle holds with coefficients pertaining to a generic field of numbers in place of complex numbers. If the field of numbers is trivial and contains only one element we obtain classical theory. This result tells that superposition principle is quite common among probabilistic theories while its absence gives evidence of either classical theory or an implausible theory.

Kuerschner's energy manual. Political contacts at national, state and European level; Kuerschners Handbuch Energie. Politikkontakte Bund, Land, Europa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holzapfel, Andreas (ed.)

2011-07-01

The manual is in three sections: 1. Parliaments and governments, survey and organization; 2. Biographic section, with 453 biography; 3. Index of names. The first section informs on the organizational structure of parliaments and governments. The subject of energy is discussed three times, i.e. in 'Economics', 'Environment', and 'Research'. For each parliament, the members of the energy policy TCs are listed, followed by names and contact addresses of the senior officials and departments with contact data, both on a national, state, and European scale. The second section contains the biographies of energy policy experts of the German parliament and government, the sixteen land parliaments and governments, and the European Commissions. As the subject of energy is highly interdisciplinary, the authors selected the energy policy committees of the German parliament and state parliaments. The biographies of the committee members are presented in the text.

IMPROVING THE PROVISION OF STATE GUARANTEES UNDER CREDITS OR BONDED LOANS RAISED FOR INVESTMENT PROJECTS IMPLEMENTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lola D. Sanginova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Importance: Under current conditions, the Russian economy needs investment resources to ensure sustainable social and economic development. One of instruments of state-financing backing that can be used to support capital intensive, economically viable, financially and socially efficient investment projects that create "growing points" are state guarantees of theRussian Federation.Objective: The objective of this study is to identify possible ways to improve the requirements and procedures of providing state guarantees of theRussian Federationwhich contribute to the increase in the quantity and quality of investment projects of high social importance. Methods: Through the use of general scientific methods, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction the possibility of creating a more attractive environment for principals is analyzed, measures to reduce the risk for public legal entities in providing state guarantees of theRussian Federationunder credits or bonded loans raised for investment projects implementation.Results: Principles of state guarantee support that ensure the interests of both the principals and the guarantor are defined. The basic directions for improving the mechanism how state guarantees of theRussian Federationsupport investment projects are justified. These directions include increasing availability of obtaining state guarantee support by lowering the cost of investment projects for which the state guarantees may be provided; reducing time of decision making on granting a state guarantee; increasing the creditors’ responsibility for a qualitative assessment of the creditworthiness of principals and investment projects; changing the methodology for assessing the social efficiency of investment projects; increasing the information transparency of provided state guarantees of the Russian Federation.Conclusions: The main result of this study is that under current conditions of economic turbulence state guarantees of the

Adoptees' Contact with Birth Relatives in Emerging Adulthood

Science.gov (United States)

Farr, Rachel H.; Grant-Marsney, Holly A.; Musante, Danila S.; Grotevant, Harold D.; Wrobel, Gretchen Miller

2014-01-01

While openness in adoption has become more common in the United States, little research has examined contact between birth and adoptive families as adoptees become adults. Using quantitative and qualitative data from 167 emerging adult adoptees, factors characterizing contact (e.g., type, frequency, with whom), satisfaction with contact, and the…

Novel Contact Materials for Improved Performance CdTe Solar Cells Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rockett, Angus [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Marsillac, Sylvain [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States); Collins, Robert [Univesity of Toledo

2018-04-15

This program has explored a number of novel materials for contacts to CdTe solar cells in order to reduce the back contact Schottky barrier to zero and produce an ohmic contact. The project tested a wide range of potential contact materials including TiN, ZrN, CuInSe2:N, a-Si:H and alloys with C, and FeS2. Improved contacts were achieved with FeS2. As part of understanding the operation of the devices and controlling the deposition processes, a number of other important results were obtained. In the process of this project and following its conclusion it led to research that resulted in seven journal articles, nine conference publications, 13 talks presented at conferences, and training of eight graduate students. The seven journal articles were published in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and have been cited, as of March 2018, 52 times (one cited 19 times and two cited 11 times). We demonstrated high levels of doping of CIS with N but electrical activity of the resulting N was not high and the results were difficult to reproduce. Furthermore, even with high doping the contacts were not good. Annealing did not improve the contacts. A-Si:H was found to produce acceptable but unstable contacts, degrading even over a day or two, apparently due to H incorporation into the CdTe. Alloying with C did not improve the contacts or stability. The transition metal nitrides produced Schottky type contacts for all materials tested. While these contacts were found to be unsatisfactory, we investigated FeS2 and found this material to be effective and comparable to the best contacts currently available. The contacts were found to be chemically stable under heat treatment and preferable to Cu doped contacts. Thus, we demonstrated an improved contact material in the course of this project. In addition, we developed new ways of controlling the deposition of CdTe and other materials, demonstrated the nature of defects in CdTe, and studied the distribution of conductivity and carrier type in Cd

Projective limits of state spaces III. Toy-models

Science.gov (United States)

Lanéry, Suzanne; Thiemann, Thomas

2018-01-01

In this series of papers, we investigate the projective framework initiated by Kijowski (1977) and Okołów (2009, 2014, 2013) [1,2], which describes the states of a quantum theory as projective families of density matrices. A short reading guide to the series can be found in Lanéry (2016). A strategy to implement the dynamics in this formalism was presented in our first paper Lanéry and Thiemann (2017) (see also Lanéry, 2016, section 4), which we now test in two simple toy-models. The first one is a very basic linear model, meant as an illustration of the general procedure, and we will only discuss it at the classical level. In the second one, we reformulate the Schrödinger equation, treated as a classical field theory, within this projective framework, and proceed to its (non-relativistic) second quantization. We are then able to reproduce the physical content of the usual Fock quantization.

Energy final consumption projection - 1985/2005 - basic scenery - Minas Gerais State

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-03-01

A projection of the final energy consumption study for the Minas Gerais State until 2005 year is presented. The conclusion of this projection shows a increasing of 108,8% for the total energy. The industries will be response for 62,0% and the transport sector will use 20,7% of the total energy in 2005. (L.J.C.)

Spin fluctuation effects on the conductance through a single Pd atom contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, M A; Goldberg, E C; Gomez-Carrillo, S C; Bolcatto, P G

2009-01-01

A controversy about the conductance through single atoms still exists. There are many experiments where values lower than the quantum unity G 0 = 2e 2 /h have been found associated to Kondo regimes with high Kondo temperatures. Specifically in the Pd single atom contact, conductance values close to G 0 /2 at room temperature have been reported. In this work we propose a theoretical analysis of a break junction of Pd where the charge fluctuation in the single atom contact is limited to the most probable one: d 10 ↔d 9 . The projected density of states and the characteristics of the electron transport are calculated by using a realistic description of the interacting system. A Kondo regime is found where the conductance values and their dependence on temperature are in good agreement with the experimental trends observed in the conduction of single molecule transistors based on transition metal coordination complexes.

Contact mechanical analysis of O-ring stresses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyung Kyu

2007-02-15

The purpose of this project is to develop the approximate solutions of contact traction and internal stress of an O-ring by using a two dimensional elasticity for enhancing the design and failure prediction technology. Investigated were the applicability of Lindley's formulae of contact force prediction and the Hertz theory. Three cases of O-ring installation were considered. The approximate solution of contact tractions and internal stresses of each case were derived. The key results are summarized as follows: 1. It is verified that Lindley's formulae predicts the relationship between the fractional compression and contact force. 2. In the case of Case I, II and III without internal pressure, it is found that a function form of the contact traction is the Hertzian. So it is possible to express the traction with a Hertzian form and correction factors. 3. The internal stresses are derived in the case of the Hertzian traction profile. The stresses at the center of O-ring show a satisfactory result when compared with the finite element result.

Contact Binaries on Their Way Towards Merging

Science.gov (United States)

Gazeas, K.

2015-07-01

Contact binaries are the most frequently observed type of eclipsing star system. They are small, cool, low-mass binaries belonging to a relatively old stellar population. They follow certain empirical relationships that closely connect a number of physical parameters with each other, largely because of constraints coming from the Roche geometry. As a result, contact binaries provide an excellent test of stellar evolution, specifically for stellar merger scenarios. Observing campaigns by many authors have led to the cataloging of thousands of contact binaries and enabled statistical studies of many of their properties. A large number of contact binaries have been found to exhibit extraordinary behavior, requiring follow-up observations to study their peculiarities in detail. For example, a doubly-eclipsing quadruple system consisting of a contact binary and a detached binary is a highly constrained system offering an excellent laboratory to test evolutionary theories for binaries. A new observing project was initiated at the University of Athens in 2012 in order to investigate the possible lower limit for the orbital period of binary systems before coalescence, prior to merging.

Basic technology of high-Tc superconductors. Project: Preparation, microstructure, contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arlt, G.; Bonnenberg, D.; Kliem, H.

1991-01-01

By conventional mixed oxide sintering technique some hundred samples of polycrystalline BYaCuO were prepared. Their physical properties were measured here and in some other research organizations. We investigated mainly: The origin of domain configuration, the contact resistances metal-superconductor, the critical current. All problems were solved satisfactorily. (orig.) With 30 refs [de

Point contact to single-crystalline diamond

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mareš, Jiří J.; Hubík, Pavel; Uxa, Štěpán; Krištofik, Jozef; Kozak, Halyna

2012-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 6 (2012), 1-4 ISSN 0268-1242 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP204/10/0212 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : point-contact * diamond * space-charge–limited transport Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.921, year: 2012

Contact lens surface by electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Jung Hyuck; Lee, Suk Ju; Hwang, Kwang Ha; Jeon Jin

2011-01-01

Contact lens materials needs good biocompatibility, high refractive index, high optical transparency, high water content etc. Surface treat method by using plasma and radiation can modify the physical and/or chemical properties of the contact lens surface. Radiation technology such as electron beam irradiation can apply to polymerization reaction and enhance the functionality of the polymer.The purpose of this study is to modify of contact lens surface by using Eb irradiation technology. Electron beam was irradiated to the contact lens surface which was synthesized thermal polymerization method and commercial contact lens to modify physical and chemical properties. Ft-IR, XP, UV-vis spectrophotometer, water content, oxygen trans-metastability were used to characterize the surface state, physicochemical, and optical property of the contact lens treated with Eb. The water content and oxygen transmissibility of the contact lens treated with Eb were increased due to increase in the hydrophilic group such as O-C=O and OH group on the contact lens surface which could be produced by possible reaction between carbon and oxygen during the Eb irradiation. All of the lenses showed the high optical transmittance above 90%. In this case of B/Es, TES, Ti contact lens, the optical transmittance decreased about 5% with increasing Eb dose in the wavelength of UV-B region. The contact lens modified by Eb irradiation could improve the physical properties of the contact lens such as water content and oxygen transmissibility

Characterizing symmetries in a projected entangled pair state

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Garcia, D; Gonzalez-Guillen, C E [Departamento Analisis Matematico and IMI, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Sanz, M; Cirac, J I [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); Wolf, M M [Niels Bohr Institute, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)], E-mail: dperez@mat.ucm.es

2010-02-15

We show that two different tensors defining the same translational invariant injective projected entangled pair state (PEPS) in a square lattice must be the same up to a trivial gauge freedom. This allows us to characterize the existence of any local or spatial symmetry in the state. As an application of these results we prove that a SU(2) invariant PEPS with half-integer spin cannot be injective, which can be seen as a Lieb-Shultz-Mattis theorem in this context. We also give the natural generalization for U(1) symmetry in the spirit of Oshikawa-Yamanaka-Affleck, and show that a PEPS with Wilson loops cannot be injective.

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE STRESS-STRAIN STATE OF A ROPE STRAND WITH LINEAR CONTACT UNDER TENSION AND TORSION LOADING CONDITIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgenij Kalentev

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of a numerical analysis of the stress-strain state of a rope strand with linear contact under tension and torsion loading conditions. Calculations are done using the ANSYS software package. Different approaches to calculation of the stress-strain state of ropes are reviewed, and their advantages and deficiencies are considered. The analysis of the obtained results leads us to the conclusion that the proposed method can be used in engineering calculations.

75 FR 64350 - Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the NextLight Renewable Power, LLC, Silver State...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-19

...Light Renewable Power, LLC, Silver State Solar Project Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: Bureau of... CONTACT: Gregory Helseth, Renewable Energy Project Manager, phone: (702) 515-5173; address: BLM Southern...) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the NextLight Renewable Power, LLC, Silver...

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station: an example of the state role in regional nuclear projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasternak, A.

1980-10-01

A nuclear power plant siting policy which confines new construction to existing sites will lead to the formation of large regional power centers, each involving many utilities from several states. The Palo Verde Nuclear Project in Arizona has been examined in terms of the role state regulation plays in large regional nuclear projects. State regulatory processes do not reflect the regional nature of large power centers. Decisions and actions by individual state regulatory commissions create risk and uncertainty for all the utility participants in regional projects. A climate and mechanism to encourage and facilitate interstate cooperation are needed to enhance the viability of the confined siting policy and the regional power center concept

National Conference of State Legislators Geothermal Project. Final report, February 1978-September 1982

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-01-01

The activities of the National Conference of State Legislatures Geothermal Project in stimulating and assessing state legislative action to encourage the efficient development of geothermal resources, including the use of ground water heat pumps, are reviewed by state. (MHR)

ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trisna Yuliharti Tersinanda

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Allergic contact dermatitis is an immunologic reaction that tends to involve the surrounding skin and may even spread beyond affected sites. This skin disease is one of the more frequent, and costly dermatologic problems. Recent data from United Kingdom and United States suggest that the percentage of occupational contact dermatitis due to allergy may be much higher, thus raising the economic impact of occupational allergic contact dermatitis. There is not enough data about the epidemiology of allergic contact dermatitis in Indonesia, however based on research that include beautician in Denpasar, about 27,6 percent had side effect of cosmetics, which is 25,4 percent of it manifested as allergic contact dermatitis. Diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis is based on anamnesis, physical examination, patch test, and this disease should be distinguished from other eczematous skin disease. The management is prevention of allergen exposure, symptomatic treatment, and physicochemical barrier /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Pairing vibrational and isospin rotational states in a particle number and isospin projected generator coordinate method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H.T.; Muether, H.; Faessler, A.

1978-01-01

Pairing vibrational and isospin rotational states are described in different approximations based on particle number and isospin projected, proton-proton, neutron-neutron and proton-neutron pairing wave functions and on the generator coordinate method (GCM). The investigations are performed in models for which an exact group theoretical solution exists. It turns out that a particle number and isospin projection is essential to yield a good approximation to the ground state or isospin yrast state energies. For strong pairing correlations (pairing force constant equal to the single-particle level distance) isospin cranking (-ωTsub(x)) yields with particle number projected pairing wave function also good agreement with the exact energies. GCM wave functions generated by particle number and isospin projected BCS functions with different amounts of pairing correlations yield for the lowest T=0 and T=2 states energies which are practically indistinguishable from the exact solutions. But even the second and third lowest energies of charge-symmetric states are still very reliable. Thus it is concluded that also in realistic cases isospin rotational and pairing vibrational states may be described in the framework of the GCM method with isospin and particle number projected generating wave functions. (Auth.)

The fifth generation computer project state of the art report 111

CERN Document Server

Scarrott

1983-01-01

The Fifth Generation Computer Project is a two-part book consisting of the invited papers and the analysis. The invited papers examine various aspects of The Fifth Generation Computer Project. The analysis part assesses the major advances of the Fifth Generation Computer Project and provides a balanced analysis of the state of the art in The Fifth Generation. This part provides a balanced and comprehensive view of the development in Fifth Generation Computer technology. The Bibliography compiles the most important published material on the subject of The Fifth Generation.

Formulation of state projected centroid molecular dynamics: Microcanonical ensemble and connection to the Wigner distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Orr, Lindsay; Hernández de la Peña, Lisandro; Roy, Pierre-Nicholas

2017-06-07

A derivation of quantum statistical mechanics based on the concept of a Feynman path centroid is presented for the case of generalized density operators using the projected density operator formalism of Blinov and Roy [J. Chem. Phys. 115, 7822-7831 (2001)]. The resulting centroid densities, centroid symbols, and centroid correlation functions are formulated and analyzed in the context of the canonical equilibrium picture of Jang and Voth [J. Chem. Phys. 111, 2357-2370 (1999)]. The case where the density operator projects onto a particular energy eigenstate of the system is discussed, and it is shown that one can extract microcanonical dynamical information from double Kubo transformed correlation functions. It is also shown that the proposed projection operator approach can be used to formally connect the centroid and Wigner phase-space distributions in the zero reciprocal temperature β limit. A Centroid Molecular Dynamics (CMD) approximation to the state-projected exact quantum dynamics is proposed and proven to be exact in the harmonic limit. The state projected CMD method is also tested numerically for a quartic oscillator and a double-well potential and found to be more accurate than canonical CMD. In the case of a ground state projection, this method can resolve tunnelling splittings of the double well problem in the higher barrier regime where canonical CMD fails. Finally, the state-projected CMD framework is cast in a path integral form.

Formulation of state projected centroid molecular dynamics: Microcanonical ensemble and connection to the Wigner distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Orr, Lindsay; Hernández de la Peña, Lisandro; Roy, Pierre-Nicholas

2017-06-01

A derivation of quantum statistical mechanics based on the concept of a Feynman path centroid is presented for the case of generalized density operators using the projected density operator formalism of Blinov and Roy [J. Chem. Phys. 115, 7822-7831 (2001)]. The resulting centroid densities, centroid symbols, and centroid correlation functions are formulated and analyzed in the context of the canonical equilibrium picture of Jang and Voth [J. Chem. Phys. 111, 2357-2370 (1999)]. The case where the density operator projects onto a particular energy eigenstate of the system is discussed, and it is shown that one can extract microcanonical dynamical information from double Kubo transformed correlation functions. It is also shown that the proposed projection operator approach can be used to formally connect the centroid and Wigner phase-space distributions in the zero reciprocal temperature β limit. A Centroid Molecular Dynamics (CMD) approximation to the state-projected exact quantum dynamics is proposed and proven to be exact in the harmonic limit. The state projected CMD method is also tested numerically for a quartic oscillator and a double-well potential and found to be more accurate than canonical CMD. In the case of a ground state projection, this method can resolve tunnelling splittings of the double well problem in the higher barrier regime where canonical CMD fails. Finally, the state-projected CMD framework is cast in a path integral form.

Feedback Control of a Solid-State Qubit Using High-Fidelity Projective Measurement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Riste, D.; Bultink, C.C.; Lehnert, K.W.; DiCarlo, L.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate feedback control of a superconducting transmon qubit using discrete, projective measurement and conditional coherent driving. Feedback realizes a fast and deterministic qubit reset to a target state with 2.4% error averaged over input superposition states, and allows concatenating

Contact enhancement of locomotion in spreading cell colonies

Science.gov (United States)

D'Alessandro, Joseph; Solon, Alexandre P.; Hayakawa, Yoshinori; Anjard, Christophe; Detcheverry, François; Rieu, Jean-Paul; Rivière, Charlotte

2017-10-01

The dispersal of cells from an initially constrained location is a crucial aspect of many physiological phenomena, ranging from morphogenesis to tumour spreading. In such processes, cell-cell interactions may deeply alter the motion of single cells, and in turn the collective dynamics. While contact phenomena like contact inhibition of locomotion are known to come into play at high densities, here we focus on the little explored case of non-cohesive cells at moderate densities. We fully characterize the spreading of micropatterned colonies of Dictyostelium discoideum cells from the complete set of individual trajectories. From data analysis and simulation of an elementary model, we demonstrate that contact interactions act to speed up the early population spreading by promoting individual cells to a state of higher persistence, which constitutes an as-yet unreported contact enhancement of locomotion. Our findings also suggest that the current modelling paradigm of memoryless active particles may need to be extended to account for the history-dependent internal state of motile cells.

Report of the State of Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

This third biennial Report of the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects has been prepared in fulfillment of the requirements of NRS 459.0092, which stipulates that the Commission shall report to the Governor and Legislature on any matter relating to radioactive waste disposal the Commission deems appropriate and advise and make recommendations on the policy of the State concerning nuclear waste disposal projects. Chapter One of the Report presents a brief overview of the Commission's functions and statutory charges. It also contains a summary of developments which have affected the overall nuclear waste disposl issue since the last Commission Report was published in November, 1988. Chapter Two contains a synthesis of Commission activities and reports on the findings of the Commission relative to the geotechnical, environmental, socioeconomic, transportation, intergovernmental and legal aspects of federal and State nuclear waste program efforts

Projecting climate change in the United States: A technical document supporting the Forest Service RPA 2010 Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Linda A. Joyce; David T. Price; David P. Coulson; Daniel W. McKenney; R. Martin Siltanen; Pia Papadopol; Kevin. Lawrence

2014-01-01

A set of climate change projections for the United States was developed for use in the 2010 USDA Forest Service RPA Assessment. These climate projections, along with projections for population dynamics, economic growth, and land use change in the United States, comprise the RPA scenarios and are used in the RPA Assessment to project future renewable resource conditions...

Population Estimates and Projections: Projections of the Population of the United States, 1975 to 2050. Current Population Reports, Series P-25, No. 601.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Campbell; Wetrogan, Signe

This report presents population projections of the United States by age, sex, and the components of population changes, births, deaths, and net immigration. These projections are shown annually by race--white and black--from 1975 to 2000 and in less detail for the total population from 2000 to 2050. In 1974, the population of the United States,…

Survey of the occurrence of 1,6-hexanediol diglycidyl ether in food contact materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

producers and importers. The substance is not allowed for use in plastic materials for food contact. One Danish company reported a possible use of HDDGE in coating of drinking tanks and pipelines. This is the only use of HDDGE confirmed in relation to food contact materials in Denmark. The project...... is following up on a previous survey under the Danish EPA’s LOUS-review (Environmental Project no. 1472)....

Contact-free palm-vein recognition based on local invariant features.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenxiong Kang

Full Text Available Contact-free palm-vein recognition is one of the most challenging and promising areas in hand biometrics. In view of the existing problems in contact-free palm-vein imaging, including projection transformation, uneven illumination and difficulty in extracting exact ROIs, this paper presents a novel recognition approach for contact-free palm-vein recognition that performs feature extraction and matching on all vein textures distributed over the palm surface, including finger veins and palm veins, to minimize the loss of feature information. First, a hierarchical enhancement algorithm, which combines a DOG filter and histogram equalization, is adopted to alleviate uneven illumination and to highlight vein textures. Second, RootSIFT, a more stable local invariant feature extraction method in comparison to SIFT, is adopted to overcome the projection transformation in contact-free mode. Subsequently, a novel hierarchical mismatching removal algorithm based on neighborhood searching and LBP histograms is adopted to improve the accuracy of feature matching. Finally, we rigorously evaluated the proposed approach using two different databases and obtained 0.996% and 3.112% Equal Error Rates (EERs, respectively, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Contact-free palm-vein recognition based on local invariant features.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Wenxiong; Liu, Yang; Wu, Qiuxia; Yue, Xishun

2014-01-01

Contact-free palm-vein recognition is one of the most challenging and promising areas in hand biometrics. In view of the existing problems in contact-free palm-vein imaging, including projection transformation, uneven illumination and difficulty in extracting exact ROIs, this paper presents a novel recognition approach for contact-free palm-vein recognition that performs feature extraction and matching on all vein textures distributed over the palm surface, including finger veins and palm veins, to minimize the loss of feature information. First, a hierarchical enhancement algorithm, which combines a DOG filter and histogram equalization, is adopted to alleviate uneven illumination and to highlight vein textures. Second, RootSIFT, a more stable local invariant feature extraction method in comparison to SIFT, is adopted to overcome the projection transformation in contact-free mode. Subsequently, a novel hierarchical mismatching removal algorithm based on neighborhood searching and LBP histograms is adopted to improve the accuracy of feature matching. Finally, we rigorously evaluated the proposed approach using two different databases and obtained 0.996% and 3.112% Equal Error Rates (EERs), respectively, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Occupational contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Doutre, Marie-Sylvie

2005-01-01

Irritant dermatitis and eczema are the most prevalent occupational skin diseases. Less common are immediate contact reactions such as contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis. Occupational contact urticaria can be subdivided into two categories, immunological and non immunological. However, some agents can induce these two types of reactions. Contact urticaria to natural rubber latex is particularly frequent among health care personnel, but contact urticaria to a wide variety of other substances occurs in many other occupations. Among those at risk are cooks, bakers, butchers, restaurant personnel, veterinarians, hairdressers, florists, gardeners, and forestry workers. Protein contact dermatitis in some of these occupations is caused principally by proteins of animal or plant origin, especially among individuals with a history of atopic dermatitis. Diagnosis requires careful interrogation, clinical examination and skin tests (open tests and prick tests with immediate lecture) to identify a particular contact allergen.

Endoplasmic Reticulum-Plasma Membrane Contact Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Saheki, Yasunori; De Camilli, Pietro

2017-06-20

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has a broad localization throughout the cell and forms direct physical contacts with all other classes of membranous organelles, including the plasma membrane (PM). A number of protein tethers that mediate these contacts have been identified, and study of these protein tethers has revealed a multiplicity of roles in cell physiology, including regulation of intracellular Ca 2+ dynamics and signaling as well as control of lipid traffic and homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the cross talk between the ER and the PM mediated by direct contacts. We review factors that tether the two membranes, their properties, and their dynamics in response to the functional state of the cell. We focus in particular on the role of ER-PM contacts in nonvesicular lipid transport between the two bilayers mediated by lipid transfer proteins.

Amino acid empirical contact energy definitions for fold recognition in the space of contact maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fogolari Federico

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Contradicting evidence has been presented in the literature concerning the effectiveness of empirical contact energies for fold recognition. Empirical contact energies are calculated on the basis of information available from selected protein structures, with respect to a defined reference state, according to the quasi-chemical approximation. Protein-solvent interactions are estimated from residue solvent accessibility. Results In the approach presented here, contact energies are derived from the potential of mean force theory, several definitions of contact are examined and their performance in fold recognition is evaluated on sets of decoy structures. The best definition of contact is tested, on a more realistic scenario, on all predictions including sidechains accepted in the CASP4 experiment. In 30 out of 35 cases the native structure is correctly recognized and best predictions are usually found among the 10 lowest energy predictions. Conclusion The definition of contact based on van der Waals radii of alpha carbon and side chain heavy atoms is seen to perform better than other definitions involving only alpha carbons, only beta carbons, all heavy atoms or only backbone atoms. An important prerequisite for the applicability of the approach is that the protein structure under study should not exhibit anomalous solvent accessibility, compared to soluble proteins whose structure is deposited in the Protein Data Bank. The combined evaluation of a solvent accessibility parameter and contact energy allows for an effective gross screening of predictive models.

United States-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevalence Survey: lessons learned from implementation of the project.

Science.gov (United States)

de Cosío, Federico G; Díaz-Apodaca, Beatriz A; Ruiz-Holguín, Rosalba; Lara, Agustín; Castillo-Salgado, Carlos

2010-09-01

This paper reviews and discusses the main procedures and policies that need to be followed when designing and implementing a binational survey such as the United States of America (U.S.)-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevalence Study that took place between 2001 and 2002. The main objective of the survey was to determine the prevalence of diabetes in the population 18 years of age or older along U.S.-Mexico border counties and municipalities. Several political, administrative, financial, legal, and cultural issues were identified as critical factors that need to be considered when developing and implementing similar binational projects. The lack of understanding of public health practices, implementation of existing policies, legislation, and management procedures in Mexico and the United States may delay or cancel binational research, affecting the working relation of both countries. Many challenges were identified: multiagency/multifunding, ethical/budget clearances, project management, administrative procedures, laboratory procedures, cultural issues, and project communications. Binational projects are complex; they require coordination between agencies and institutions at federal, state, and local levels and between countries and need a political, administrative, bureaucratic, cultural, and language balance. Binational agencies and staff should coordinate these projects for successful implementation.

Hyperfine structure of the MnH X 7Sigma + state: A large gas-to-matrix shift in the Fermi contact interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Varberg, Thomas D.; Field, Robert W.; Merer, Anthony J.

1990-06-01

Sub-Doppler spectra of the A 7Π-X 7Σ+ (0,0) band of gas phase MnH near 5680 Å were recorded by intermodulated fluorescence spectroscopy. The spectra reveal hyperfine splittings arising from both the 55Mn and 1H nuclear spins. Internal hyperfine perturbations have been observed between the different spin components of the ground state at low N`. From a preliminary analysis of several rotational lines originating from the isolated and unperturbed F1(J`=3) spin component of the X 7Σ+(N`=0) level, the 55Mn Fermi contact interaction in the ground state has been measured as bF=Aiso =276(1) MHz. This value is 11% smaller than the value obtained by Weltner et al. from an electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) study of MnH in an argon matrix at 4 K. This unprecedented gas-to-matrix shift in the Fermi contact parameter is discussed.

Hyperfine structure of the MnH X 7Σ+ state: A large gas-to-matrix shift in the Fermi contact interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varberg, T.D.; Field, R.W.; Merer, A.J.

1990-01-01

Sub-Doppler spectra of the A 7 Π--X 7 Σ + (0,0) band of gas phase MnH near 5680 A were recorded by intermodulated fluorescence spectroscopy. The spectra reveal hyperfine splittings arising from both the 55 Mn and 1 H nuclear spins. Internal hyperfine perturbations have been observed between the different spin components of the ground state at low N double-prime. From a preliminary analysis of several rotational lines originating from the isolated and unperturbed F 1 (J double-prime=3) spin component of the X 7 Σ + (N double-prime=0) level, the 55 Mn Fermi contact interaction in the ground state has been measured as b F =A iso =276(1) MHz. This value is 11% smaller than the value obtained by Weltner et al. from an electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) study of MnH in an argon matrix at 4 K. This unprecedented gas-to-matrix shift in the Fermi contact parameter is discussed

Orexinergic fibers are in contact with Kölliker-Fuse nucleus neurons projecting to the respiration-related nuclei in the medulla oblongata and spinal cord of the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokota, Shigefumi; Oka, Tatsuro; Asano, Hirohiko; Yasui, Yukihiko

2016-10-01

The neural pathways underlying the respiratory variation dependent on vigilance states remain unsettled. In the present study, we examined the orexinergic innervation of Kölliker-Fuse nucleus (KFN) neurons sending their axons to the rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) and phrenic nucleus (PhN) as well as to the hypoglossal nucleus (HGN) by using a combined retrograde tracing and immunohistochemistry. After injection of cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) into the KFN, CTb-labeled neurons that are also immunoreactive for orexin (ORX) were found prominently in the perifornical and medial regions and additionally in the lateral region of the hypothalamic ORX field. After injection of fluorogold (FG) into the rVRG, PhN or HGN, we found an overlapping distribution of ORX-immunoreactive axon terminals and FG-labeled neurons in the KFN. Within the neuropil of the KFN, asymmetrical synaptic contacts were made between these terminals and neurons. We further demonstrated that many neurons labeled with FG injected into the rVRG, PhN, or HGN are immunoreactive for ORX receptor 2. Present data suggest that rVRG-, PhN- and HGN-projecting KFN neurons may be under the excitatory influence of the ORXergic neurons for the state-dependent regulation of respiration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Licensing Status of New and Expanding In-Situ Recovery Uranium Projects in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Catchpole, G.; Thomas, M., E-mail: gccatchpole@uranerz.com [Uranerz Energy Corporation (URZ), Casper, WY (United States)

2014-05-15

The authors investigated the licensing status of new in-situ recovery (“ISR”) uranium projects, as well as the expansion of existing projects, within the United States (“US”). Specific emphasis and analysis is placed on those projects within the states of Texas and Wyoming. Of note, information used to prepare this paper was obtained from public sources that included company web sites, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”), the US Energy Information Agency (“EIA”), and the relevant state regulatory agencies. The renewed interest in the production of natural uranium has been motivated, in part, by the increased sale price of yellowcake beginning around 2003 resulting in numerous new and existing natural resources companies acquiring mineral rights in the United States. Because of the economic favorability in terms of both operating and capital costs of ISR mines versus conventional mines in the US (with its relatively low grade of uranium ore), the model for most companies was to acquire mineral properties that had the potential for being mined using the ISR method. There were, however, exceptions to this model. The Uravan mineral district in southwest Colorado and southeast Utah, where relatively high-grade, shallow uranium deposits have the potential to be mined using underground methods, is one such exception. However, the focus of this paper will be on ISR projects. In Wyoming, which has been the top producer of natural uranium among the 50 states for the past seven years, there is one producing ISR mine (Bill Smith — Highland), one ISR mine on standby (Christensen Ranch), and two ISR uranium projects licensed but not yet built (Gas Hills and North Butte). Cameco Resources is planning to develop two ISR projects in Wyoming that have been licensed but not yet constructed. Additionally, three new uranium companies (Ur-Energy, Uranerz and Uranium One) have filed applications with the federal and

Projective Synchronization of N-Dimensional Chaotic Fractional-Order Systems via Linear State Error Feedback Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baogui Xin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Based on linear feedback control technique, a projective synchronization scheme of N-dimensional chaotic fractional-order systems is proposed, which consists of master and slave fractional-order financial systems coupled by linear state error variables. It is shown that the slave system can be projectively synchronized with the master system constructed by state transformation. Based on the stability theory of linear fractional order systems, a suitable controller for achieving synchronization is designed. The given scheme is applied to achieve projective synchronization of chaotic fractional-order financial systems. Numerical simulations are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed projective synchronization scheme.

Coherent State Projection Operator Representation of Symplectic Transformations as a Loyal Representation of Symplectic Group

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Hong-Yi; Chen, Jun-Hua

2002-08-01

We find that the coherent state projection operator representation of symplectic transformation constitutes a loyal group representation of symplectic group. The result of successively applying squeezing operators on number state can be easily derived. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 10575057 and the President Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Resonating-valence-bond superconductors with fermionic projected entangled pair states

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poilblanc, D.; Corboz, P.; Schuch, N.; Cirac, J.I.

2014-01-01

We construct a family of simple fermionic projected entangled pair states (fPEPS) on the square lattice with bond dimension D=3 which are exactly hole-doped resonating valence bond (RVB) wave functions with short-range singlet bonds. Under doping the insulating RVB spin liquid evolves immediately

All-solid-state potentiometric sensors for ascorbic acid by using a screen-printed compatible solid contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veltsistas, Panayotis G.; Prodromidis, Mamas I.; Efstathiou, Constantinos

2004-01-01

The development of all-solid-state potentiometric ion selective electrodes for monitoring of ascorbic acid, by using a screen-printed compatible solid contact is described. The applied methodology is based on the use of PVC membrane modified with some firstly-tested ionophores (triphenyltin(IV)chloride, triphenyltin(IV)hydroxide and palmitoyl-L-ascorbic acid) and a novel one synthesized in our laboratory (dibutyltin(IV) diascorbate). Synthesis protocol and some preliminary identification studies are given. A conductive graphite-based polymer thick film ink was used as an internal solid contact between the graphite electrode and the PVC membrane. The presence and the nature of the solid contact (plain or doped with lanthanum 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPI)) seem to enhance the analytical performance of the electrodes in terms of sensitivity, dynamic range, and response time. The analytical performance of the constructed electrodes was evaluated with potentiometry, constant-current chronopotentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The interference effect of various compounds was also tested. The potential response of the optimized Ph 3 SnCl-based electrode was linear against ascorbic acid concentration range 0.005-5.0 mM. The applicability of the proposed sensors in real samples was also tested. The detection limit was 0.002 mM ascorbic acid (50 mM phosphate, pH 5 in 50 mM KCl). The slope of the electrodes was super-Nernstian and pH dependent, indicating a mechanism involving a combination of charge transfer and ion exchange processes. Fabrication of screen-printed ascorbate ISEs has also been demonstrated

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Research projects` update project status as of March 31, 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-07-01

This report provides an update of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) program. The NYSERDA research and development program has five major areas: industry, buildings, energy resources, transportation, and environment. NYSERDA organizes projects within these five major areas based on energy use and supply, and end-use sectors. Therefore, issues such as waste management, energy products and renewable energy technologies are addressed in several areas of the program. The project descriptions presented are organized within the five program areas. Descriptions of projects completed between the period April 1, 1996, and March 31, 1997, including technology-transfer activities, are at the end of each subprogram section.

On a structural property in the state complexity of projected regular languages

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jirásková, G.; Masopust, Tomáš

2012-01-01

Roč. 449, Aug 31 (2012), s. 93-105 ISSN 0304-3975 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GPP202/11/P028 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : projections * state complexity * descriptional complexity Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.489, year: 2012 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304397512003532

Mechatronic modeling of real-time wheel-rail contact

CERN Document Server

Bosso, Nicola; Gugliotta, Antonio; Somà, Aurelio

2013-01-01

Real-time simulations of the behaviour of a rail vehicle require realistic solutions of the wheel-rail contact problem which can work in a real-time mode. Examples of such solutions for the online mode have been well known and are implemented within standard and commercial tools for the simulation codes for rail vehicle dynamics. This book is the result of the research activities carried out by the Railway Technology Lab of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino. This book presents work on the project for the development of a real-time wheel-rail contact model and provides the simulation results obtained with dSpace real-time hardware. Besides this, the implementation of the contact model for the development of a real-time model for the complex mechatronic system of a scaled test rig is presented in this book and may be useful for the further validation of the real-time contact model with experiments on a full scale test rig.

Global Journal of Geological Sciences: Contact

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Principal Contact. Prof . Barth N. Ekwueme MANAGING EDITOR Global Journal Series Department of Geology, University of Calabar, P. O. Box 3561 Unical P.O. Calabar Cross River State Nigeria Email: bachudo@yahoo.com ...

Outbreaks of Acute Gastroenteritis Transmitted by Person-to-Person Contact, Environmental Contamination, and Unknown Modes of Transmission--United States, 2009-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Wikswo, Mary E; Kambhampati, Anita; Shioda, Kayoko; Walsh, Kelly A; Bowen, Anna; Hall, Aron J

2015-12-11

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of illness in the United States, with an estimated 179 million episodes annually. AGE outbreaks propagated through direct person-to-person contact, contaminated environmental surfaces, and unknown modes of transmission were not systematically captured at the national level before 2009 and thus were not well characterized. 2009-2013. The National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) is a voluntary national reporting system that supports reporting of all waterborne and foodborne disease outbreaks and all AGE outbreaks resulting from transmission by contact with contaminated environmental sources, infected persons or animals, or unknown modes. Local, state, and territorial public health agencies within the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia (DC), five U.S. territories, and three Freely Associated States report outbreaks to CDC via NORS using a standard online data entry system. A total of 10,756 AGE outbreaks occurred during 2009-2013, for which the primary mode of transmission occurred through person-to-person contact, environmental contamination, and unknown modes of transmission. NORS received reports from public health agencies in 50 U.S. states, DC, and Puerto Rico. These outbreaks resulted in 356,532 reported illnesses, 5,394 hospitalizations, and 459 deaths. The median outbreak reporting rate for all sites in a given year increased from 2.7 outbreaks per million population in 2009 to 11.8 outbreaks in 2013. The etiology was unknown in 31% (N = 3,326) of outbreaks. Of the 7,430 outbreaks with a suspected or confirmed etiology reported, norovirus was the most common, reported in 6,223 (84%) of these outbreaks. Other reported suspected or confirmed etiologies included Shigella (n = 332) and Salmonella (n = 320). Outbreaks were more frequent during the winter, with 5,716 (53%) outbreaks occurring during December-February, and 70% of the 7,001 outbreaks with a reported setting of exposure occurred in long

Improved contraction schemes for projected entangled pair states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lubasch, Michael; Cirac, Juan Ignacio; Banuls, Mari-Carmen [Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching (Germany)

2013-07-01

Projected Entangled Pair States (PEPS) represent the natural generalization of Matrix Product States (MPS) in higher dimensions. The strength of MPS in the numerical simulation of 1D quantum many-body systems is well established, as they are the variational class of states underlying the Density Matrix Renormalization Group and the latter is nowadays considered numerically exact for systems comprising hundreds of quantum particles. In algorithms based on MPS or PEPS, the bond dimension D of the state determines the number of variational parameters and the computational cost. While bond dimensions on the order of hundreds and thousands are feasible with MPS, standard 2D PEPS algorithms are limited to values in the range 2 to 6 due to the much worse scaling of the computational cost with D. Recently, a new algorithm based on an alternative contraction has been proposed that reduces this cost significantly. It resorts to the single-layer picture where the contraction is done in ket and bra separately. We investigate the advantages and disadvantages of this algorithm which can be understood in terms of the PEPS's boundary approximation.

Children’s Contact With Their Incarcerated Parents

Science.gov (United States)

Poehlmann, Julie; Dallaire, Danielle; Loper, Ann Booker; Shear, Leslie D.

2014-01-01

Approximately 1.7 million children have parents who are incarcerated in prison in the United States, and possibly millions of additional children have a parent incarcerated in jail. Many affected children experience increased risk for developing behavior problems, academic failure, and substance abuse. For a growing number of children, incarcerated parents, caregivers, and professionals, parent– child contact during the imprisonment period is a key issue. In this article, we present a conceptual model to provide a framework within which to interpret findings about parent– child contact when parents are incarcerated. We then summarize recent research examining parent–child contact in context. On the basis of the research reviewed, we present initial recommendations for children’s contact with incarcerated parents and also suggest areas for future intervention and research with this vulnerable population. PMID:20822198

Increasing seat belt use through state-level demonstration projects : a compendium of initial findings

Science.gov (United States)

2008-08-01

This report summarizes the efforts and results from four of six State-level demonstration projects supported with cooperative agreements from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The projects were intended to increase seat belt use sta...

Detection of fission fragments using thick samples in contact with solid state nuclear track detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, D.A. de; Martins, J.B.; Tavares, O.A.P.

1987-01-01

Whenever use is made of thick samples in contact with solid state nuclear track detectors for determining fission yields, one of the fundamental problems is the evaluation of the effective number of target nuclei which contributes to the fraction of the number of fission events that will be recorded. The evaluation of the effective number of target nuclei which contributes to recorded events is based on the effective thickness of the sample. A method for evaluating effective thickness of thick samples for binary fission modes, is presented. A cross section equation which takes into account all the necessary corrections due to fragment attenuation effects by a thick target for calculation induced fission yields, was obtained. (Author) [pt

A comparative analysis of business structures suitable for farmer-owned wind power projects in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolinger, Mark; Wiser, Ryan

2006-01-01

For years, farmers in the United States have looked with envy on their European counterparts' ability to profitably farm the wind through ownership of distributed, utility-scale wind projects. Only within the past few years, however, has farmer- or community-owned wind power development become a reality in the United States. The primary hurdle to this type of development in the United States has been devising and implementing suitable business and legal structures that enable such projects to take advantage of tax-based federal incentives for wind power. This article discusses the limitations of such incentives in supporting farmer- or community-owned wind projects, describes four ownership structures that potentially overcome such limitations, and finally conducts comparative financial analysis on those four structures, using as an example a hypothetical 1.5 MW farmer-owned project located in the state of Oregon. We find that material differences in the competitiveness of each structure do exist, but that choosing the best structure for a given project will largely depend on the conditions at hand; e.g., the ability of the farmer(s) to utilize tax credits, preference for individual versus 'cooperative' ownership, and the state and utility service territory in which the project will be located

Predicting a contact's sensitivity to initial conditions using metrics of frictional coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flicek, Robert C.; Hills, David A.; Brake, Matthew Robert W.

2016-01-01

This paper presents a method for predicting how sensitive a frictional contact’s steady-state behavior is to its initial conditions. Previous research has proven that if a contact is uncoupled, i.e. if slip displacements do not influence the contact pressure distribution, then its steady-state response is independent of initial conditions, but if the contact is coupled, the steady-state response depends on initial conditions. In this paper, two metrics for quantifying coupling in discrete frictional systems are examined. These metrics suggest that coupling is dominated by material dissimilarity due to Dundurs’ composite material parameter β when β ≥ 0.2, but geometric mismatch becomes the dominant source of coupling for smaller values of β. Based on a large set of numerical simulations with different contact geometries, material combinations, and friction coefficients, a contact’s sensitivity to initial conditions is found to be correlated with the product of the coupling metric and the friction coefficient. For cyclic shear loading, this correlation is maintained for simulations with different contact geometries, material combinations, and friction coefficients. Furthermore, for cyclic bulk loading, the correlation is only maintained when the contact edge angle is held constant.

Modeling of contact tracing in social networks

Science.gov (United States)

Tsimring, Lev S.; Huerta, Ramón

2003-07-01

Spreading of certain infections in complex networks is effectively suppressed by using intelligent strategies for epidemic control. One such standard epidemiological strategy consists in tracing contacts of infected individuals. In this paper, we use a recently introduced generalization of the standard susceptible-infectious-removed stochastic model for epidemics in sparse random networks which incorporates an additional (traced) state. We describe a deterministic mean-field description which yields quantitative agreement with stochastic simulations on random graphs. We also discuss the role of contact tracing in epidemics control in small-world and scale-free networks. Effectiveness of contact tracing grows as the rewiring probability is reduced.

Probing multiband superconductivity by point-contact spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daghero, D; Gonnelli, R S

2010-01-01

Point-contact spectroscopy was originally developed for the determination of the electron-phonon spectral function in normal metals. However, in the past 20 years it has become an important tool in the investigation of superconductors. As a matter of fact, point contacts between a normal metal and a superconductor can provide information on the amplitude and symmetry of the energy gap that, in the superconducting state, opens up at the Fermi level. In this paper we review the experimental and theoretical aspects of point-contact spectroscopy in superconductors, and we give an experimental survey of the most recent applications of this technique to anisotropic and multiband superconductors. (topical review)

Molecular dynamics study of contact mechanics: contact area and interfacial separation from small to full contact

OpenAIRE

Yang, C.; Persson, B. N. J.

2007-01-01

We report a molecular dynamics study of the contact between a rigid solid with a randomly rough surface and an elastic block with a flat surface. We study the contact area and the interfacial separation from small contact (low load) to full contact (high load). For small load the contact area varies linearly with the load and the interfacial separation depends logarithmically on the load. For high load the contact area approaches to the nominal contact area (i.e., complete contact), and the i...

An Evaluation of the Science Education Component of the Cross River State Science and Technical Education Project

Science.gov (United States)

Ekuri, Emmanuel Etta

2012-01-01

The Cross River State Science and Technical Education Project was introduced in 1992 by edict number 9 of 20 December 1991, "Cross River State Science and Technical Education Board Edit, 20 December, 1991", with the aim of improving the quality of science teaching and learning in the state. As the success of the project depends…

Projected study of neutronic decay of giant resonances and continuum states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumenfeld, Y.; Chomaz, P.; Fortier, S.; Frascaria, N.; Gales, S.; Guillot, J.; Langevin, H.; Laurent, H.; Maison, J.M.; Nguyen Van Giai

1988-01-01

A project to study the decay of very excited states in nuclei is presented. A multidetector to measure these modes for excited structures situated beyond the neutron emission threshold is proposed. Coincidence experiments would allow a study of the wave functions of these elementary excitations and of the damping mechanisms in the nuclear domain. The definition of the characteristics of the system; tests to be carried out before selecting a detector; and nonscientific and nontechnical aspects of the project are also presented [fr

75 FR 22890 - Notice of Extension of Public Comment Period for the Proposed Keystone XL Pipeline Project Draft...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-30

... notice that listed the public comment meetings and additional information on the DEIS was published in.... By mail addressed to: Elizabeth Orlando, Keystone XL Project Manager, U.S. Department of State, OES... screening. Fax to: (202) 647-1052, attention Elizabeth Orlando. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For...

Optimal contact definition for reconstruction of Contact Maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stehr Henning

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Contact maps have been extensively used as a simplified representation of protein structures. They capture most important features of a protein's fold, being preferred by a number of researchers for the description and study of protein structures. Inspired by the model's simplicity many groups have dedicated a considerable amount of effort towards contact prediction as a proxy for protein structure prediction. However a contact map's biological interest is subject to the availability of reliable methods for the 3-dimensional reconstruction of the structure. Results We use an implementation of the well-known distance geometry protocol to build realistic protein 3-dimensional models from contact maps, performing an extensive exploration of many of the parameters involved in the reconstruction process. We try to address the questions: a to what accuracy does a contact map represent its corresponding 3D structure, b what is the best contact map representation with regard to reconstructability and c what is the effect of partial or inaccurate contact information on the 3D structure recovery. Our results suggest that contact maps derived from the application of a distance cutoff of 9 to 11Å around the Cβ atoms constitute the most accurate representation of the 3D structure. The reconstruction process does not provide a single solution to the problem but rather an ensemble of conformations that are within 2Å RMSD of the crystal structure and with lower values for the pairwise average ensemble RMSD. Interestingly it is still possible to recover a structure with partial contact information, although wrong contacts can lead to dramatic loss in reconstruction fidelity. Conclusions Thus contact maps represent a valid approximation to the structures with an accuracy comparable to that of experimental methods. The optimal contact definitions constitute key guidelines for methods based on contact maps such as structure prediction through

Spin valve effect in single-atom contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziegler, M; Neel, N; Berndt, R; Lazo, C; Ferriani, P; Heinze, S; Kroeger, J

2011-01-01

Magnetic single-atom contacts have been controllably fabricated with a scanning tunnelling microscope. A voltage-dependent spin valve effect with conductance variations of ∼40% is reproducibly observed from contacts comprising a Cr-covered tip and Co and Cr atoms on ferromagnetic nanoscale islands on W(110) with opposite magnetization. The spin-dependent conductances are interpreted from first-principles calculations in terms of the orbital character of the relevant electronic states of the junction.

Divergent projections of future land use in the United States arising from different models and scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Sohl, Terry L.; Wimberly, Michael; Radeloff, Volker C.; Theobald, David M.; Sleeter, Benjamin M.

2016-01-01

A variety of land-use and land-cover (LULC) models operating at scales from local to global have been developed in recent years, including a number of models that provide spatially explicit, multi-class LULC projections for the conterminous United States. This diversity of modeling approaches raises the question: how consistent are their projections of future land use? We compared projections from six LULC modeling applications for the United States and assessed quantitative, spatial, and conceptual inconsistencies. Each set of projections provided multiple scenarios covering a period from roughly 2000 to 2050. Given the unique spatial, thematic, and temporal characteristics of each set of projections, individual projections were aggregated to a common set of basic, generalized LULC classes (i.e., cropland, pasture, forest, range, and urban) and summarized at the county level across the conterminous United States. We found very little agreement in projected future LULC trends and patterns among the different models. Variability among scenarios for a given model was generally lower than variability among different models, in terms of both trends in the amounts of basic LULC classes and their projected spatial patterns. Even when different models assessed the same purported scenario, model projections varied substantially. Projections of agricultural trends were often far above the maximum historical amounts, raising concerns about the realism of the projections. Comparisons among models were hindered by major discrepancies in categorical definitions, and suggest a need for standardization of historical LULC data sources. To capture a broader range of uncertainties, ensemble modeling approaches are also recommended. However, the vast inconsistencies among LULC models raise questions about the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of current modeling approaches. Given the substantial effects that land-use change can have on ecological and societal processes, there

Changes in Contact Area in Meniscus Horizontal Cleavage Tears Subjected to Repair and Resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Beamer, Brandon S; Walley, Kempland C; Okajima, Stephen; Manoukian, Ohan S; Perez-Viloria, Miguel; DeAngelis, Joseph P; Ramappa, Arun J; Nazarian, Ara

2017-03-01

To assess the changes in tibiofemoral contact pressure and contact area in human knees with a horizontal cleavage tear before and after treatment. Ten human cadaveric knees were tested. Pressure sensors were placed under the medial meniscus and the knees were loaded at twice the body weight for 20 cycles at 0°, 10°, and 20° of flexion. Contact area and pressure were recorded for the intact meniscus, the meniscus with a horizontal cleavage tear, after meniscal repair, after partial meniscectomy (single leaflet), and after subtotal meniscectomy (double leaflet). The presence of a horizontal cleavage tear significantly increased average peak contact pressure and reduced effective average tibiofemoral contact area at all flexion angles tested compared with the intact state (P contact pressure after creation of the horizontal cleavage tear. Repairing the horizontal cleavage tear restored peak contact pressures and areas to within 15% of baseline, statistically similar to the intact state at all angles tested (P contact pressure and reduced average contact area at all degrees of flexion compared with the intact state (P contact area and a significant elevation in contact pressure. These changes may accelerate joint degeneration. A suture-based repair of these horizontal cleavage tears returns the contact area and contact pressure to nearly normal, whereas both partial and subtotal meniscectomy lead to significant reductions in contact area and significant elevations in contact pressure within the knee. Repairing horizontal cleavage tears may lead to improved clinical outcomes by preserving meniscal tissue and the meniscal function. Understanding contact area and peak contact pressure resulting from differing strategies for treating horizontal cleavage tears will allow the surgeon to evaluate the best strategy for treating his or her patients who present with this meniscal pathology. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier

Ohmic Contacts to 2D Semiconductors through van der Waals Bonding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Farmanbar Gelepordsari, M.; Brocks, G.

2016-01-01

High contact resistances have blocked the progress of devices based on MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te) 2D semiconductors. Interface states formed at MX2/metal contacts pin the Fermi level, leading to sizable Schottky barriers for p-type contacts in particular. It is shown that i) one can remove the

[Sport injuries in full contact and semi-contact karate].

Science.gov (United States)

Greier, K; Riechelmann, H; Ziemska, J

2014-03-01

Karate enjoys great popularity both in professional and recreational sports and can be classified into full, half and low contact styles. The aim of this study was the analysis of sports injuries in Kyokushinkai (full contact) and traditional Karate (semi-contact). In a retrospective study design, 215 active amateur karateka (114 full contact, 101 semi-contact) were interviewed by means of a standardised questionnaire regarding typical sport injuries during the last 36 months. Injuries were categorised into severity grade I (not requiring medical treatment), grade II (single medical treatment), grade III (several outpatient medical treatments) and grade IV (requiring hospitalisation). In total, 217 injuries were reported in detail. 125 injuries (58%) occurred in full contact and 92 (42%) in semi-contact karate. The time related injury rate of full contact karateka was 1.9/1000 h compared to 1.3/1000 h of semi-contact karateka (p injuries were musculoskeletal contusions (33% full contact, 20% semi-contact), followed by articular sprains with 19% and 16%. The lower extremity was affected twice as often in full contact (40%) as in semi-contact (20%) karate. Training injuries were reported by 80% of the full contact and 77% of the semi-contact karateka. Most injuries, both in training and competition, occurred in kumite. 75% of the reported injuries of full contact and 70% of semi-contact karateka were classified as low grade (I or II). The high rate of injuries during training and kumite (sparring) points to specific prevention goals. The emphasis should be put on proprioceptive training and consistent warm-up. In the actual competition the referees play a vital role regarding prevention. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Gradient optimization of finite projected entangled pair states

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wen-Yuan; Dong, Shao-Jun; Han, Yong-Jian; Guo, Guang-Can; He, Lixin

2017-05-01

Projected entangled pair states (PEPS) methods have been proven to be powerful tools to solve strongly correlated quantum many-body problems in two dimensions. However, due to the high computational scaling with the virtual bond dimension D , in a practical application, PEPS are often limited to rather small bond dimensions, which may not be large enough for some highly entangled systems, for instance, frustrated systems. Optimization of the ground state using the imaginary time evolution method with a simple update scheme may go to a larger bond dimension. However, the accuracy of the rough approximation to the environment of the local tensors is questionable. Here, we demonstrate that by combining the imaginary time evolution method with a simple update, Monte Carlo sampling techniques and gradient optimization will offer an efficient method to calculate the PEPS ground state. By taking advantage of massive parallel computing, we can study quantum systems with larger bond dimensions up to D =10 without resorting to any symmetry. Benchmark tests of the method on the J1-J2 model give impressive accuracy compared with exact results.

Demographics of US pediatric contact dermatitis registry providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldenberg, Alina; Jacob, Sharon E

2015-01-01

Children are as likely as adults to be sensitized and reactive to contact allergens. However, the prevailing data on pediatric allergic contact dermatitis are quantitatively and qualitatively limited because of a narrow geographic localization of data-reporting providers. The aim of the study was to present the first quarter results from the Loma Linda Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry focused on registered providers who self-identified as providing care for pediatric allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) within the United States. The US providers were invited to join the registry via completion of an online, secure, 11-question registration survey addressing demographics and clinical practice essentials. The presented results reflect data gathered within the first quarter of registry recruitment; registration is ongoing. Of 169 responders from 48 states, the majority of providers were female (60.4%), academic (55.6%), and dermatologists (76.3%). Based on individual provider averages, the minimum cumulative number of pediatric patch-test evaluations performed each year ranged between 1372 and 3468 children. The Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry provides a description of the current leaders in the realm of pediatric ACD and gaps, which are in need of attention. The registry allows for a collaborative effort to exchange information, educate providers, and foster investigative research with the hope of legislation that can reduce the disease burden of ACD in US children.

Evaluation of the Contact Angle from Molecular Simulations.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Škvára, J.; Škvor, J.; Nezbeda, Ivo

2018-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 3 (2018), s. 190-199 ISSN 0892-7022 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-19542S Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : contact angle * argon droplet * surface molecules Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 1.254, year: 2016

Axoglial contacts in the area postrema of the cat - An ultrastructural study

Science.gov (United States)

Damelio, Fernando E.; Gibbs, Michael A.; Mehler, William R.; Philpott, Delbert E.; Savage, Wayne

1986-01-01

Axoglial contacts were observed in an ultrastructural study of the area postrema of the cat. According to the disposition of the electron-dense projections attached to the adjoining membranes these contacts were classified as symmetrical or asymmetrical. The axon profiles contained aggregations of clear vesicles randomly distributed or grouped in clusters adjacent to the electron-dense projections. Dense core vesicles were occasionally seen. The neuroglial profiles were either astrocytic or ependymoglial in nature. The astrocytes showed a clear cytoplasm, polymorphous vesicles, mitochondria, glycogen granules, and bundles of filaments. The ependymal cells, in contrast, had a more electron-dense and granular appearance, tubular structures, irregular vesicular formations, profiles of smooth reticuloendoplasm, and filaments grouped in bundles or isolated in the cytoplasm. The possibility that these contacts might play a role in the chemical transfer from neurons to glial cells is discussed on the basis of existing biochemical data.

Contact and Non-contact Measurements of Grinding Pins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdziak Marek

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of contact and non-contact measurements of external profiles of selected grinding pins. The measurements were conducted in order to choose the appropriate measuring technique in the case of the considered measurement task. In the case of contact measurements the coordinate measuring machine ACCURA II was applied. The used coordinate measuring machine was equipped with the contact scanning probe VAST XT and the Calypso inspection software. Contact coordinate measurements were performed by using of different measurement strategies. The applied strategies included different scanning velocities and distances between measured points. Non-contact measurements were conducted by means of the tool presetter produced by the Mahr company. On the basis of gained results the guidelines concerning measurements of grinding pins were formulated. The measurements of analyzed grinding pins performed by means of the non-contact measuring system are characterized by higher reproducibility than the contact measurements. The low reproducibility of contact measurements may be connected with the inaccuracy of the selected coordinate measuring machine and the measuring probe, the measurement parameters and environmental conditions in the laboratory where the coordinate measuring machine is located. Moreover, the paper presents the possible application of results of conducted investigations. The results of non-contact measurements can be used in the simulation studies of grinding processes. The simulations may reduce the costs of machining processes.

Using Contact Theory to Assess Staff Perspectives on Training Initiatives of an Intergenerational Programming Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Raven H; Naar, Jill J; Jarrott, Shannon E

2017-12-25

Project TRIP (Transforming Relationships through Intergenerational Programs) was developed as a sustainable intergenerational community project involving child care participants and elders attending an elder care program or volunteering at the children's program. The project focused on staff development of evidence-based intergenerational practices. To enhance available intervention research, contact theory provided a theoretical framework to explore how staff members' and administrators' perceptions of the intervention influenced their ability to implement programming in social care settings. We used a directed content analysis approach to analyze small group and individual interviews with 32 participants from 6 program sites over 5 years. Participants highlighted inherent challenges and subsequent benefits of academic-community partnerships. Greater on-site presence, open communication, and relationship-building proved critical to improve community partnerships, project fidelity, and program sustainability. When interactions reflected contact theory tenets, collaborators reported positive attitudes toward and interactions with research partners. Contact theory provided a useful framework to understand the researcher-practitioner partnership. Researchers should plan for partnerships that: (a) are supported by authority figures, including staff and participants, (b) utilize a shared expertise approach where partners have equal group status, (c) involve close cooperation; (d) align research and program goals, and (e) foster positive communication through frequent contact using practitioners' preferred methods and including in-person contact. We recommend future intergenerational programming interventions build on a foundation of both theory and practice. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Numerical simulations of rough contacts between viscoelastic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Spinu, S.; Cerlinca, D.

2017-08-01

The durability of the mechanical contact is often plagued by surface-related phenomena like rolling contact fatigue, wear or crack propagation, which are linked to the important gradients of stress arising in the contacting bodies due to interaction at the asperity level. The semi-analytical computational approach adopted in this paper is based on a previously reported algorithm capable of simulating the contact between bodies with arbitrary limiting surfaces and viscoelastic behaviour, which is enhanced and adapted for the contact of real surfaces with microtopography. As steep slopes at the asperity level inevitably lead to localized plastic deformation at the tip of the asperities that are first brought into contact, the viscoelastic behaviour is amended by limiting the maximum value of the pressure on the contact area to that of the material hardness, according to the Tabor equation. In this manner, plasticity is considered in a simplified manner that assures the knowledge of the contact area and of the pressure distribution without estimation of the residual state. The main advantage of this approach is the preservation of the algorithmic complexity, allowing the simulation of very fine meshes capable of capturing particular features of the investigated contacting surface. The newly advanced model is expected to predict the contact specifics of rough surfaces as resulting from various manufacturing processes, thus assisting the design of durable machine elements using elastomers or rubbers.

Electrical Contacts in Monolayer Arsenene Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yangyang; Ye, Meng; Weng, Mouyi; Li, Jingzhen; Zhang, Xiuying; Zhang, Han; Guo, Ying; Pan, Yuanyuan; Xiao, Lin; Liu, Junku; Pan, Feng; Lu, Jing

2017-08-30

Arsenene, arsenic analogue of graphene, as an emerging member of two-dimensional semiconductors (2DSCs), is quite promising in next-generation electronic and optoelectronic applications. The metal electrical contacts play a vital role in the charge transport and photoresponse processes of nanoscale 2DSC devices and even can mask the intrinsic properties of 2DSCs. Here, we present a first comprehensive study of the electrical contact properties of monolayer (ML) arsenene with different electrodes by using ab initio electronic calculations and quantum transport simulations. Schottky barrier is always formed with bulk metal contacts owing to the Fermi level pinning (pinning factor S = 0.33), with electron Schottky barrier height (SBH) of 0.12, 0.21, 0.25, 0.35, and 0.50 eV for Sc, Ti, Ag, Cu, and Au contacts and hole SBH of 0.75 and 0.78 eV for Pd and Pt contacts, respectively. However, by contact with 2D graphene, the Fermi level pinning effect can be reduced due to the suppression of metal-induced gap states. Remarkably, a barrier free hole injection is realized in ML arsenene device with graphene-Pt hybrid electrode, suggestive of a high device performance in such a ML arsenene device. Our study provides a theoretical foundation for the selection of favorable electrodes in future ML arsenene devices.

Energy and contact of the one-dimensional Fermi polaron at zero and finite temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Doggen, E V H; Kinnunen, J J

2013-07-12

We use the T-matrix approach for studying highly polarized homogeneous Fermi gases in one dimension with repulsive or attractive contact interactions. Using this approach, we compute ground state energies and values for the contact parameter that show excellent agreement with exact and other numerical methods at zero temperature, even in the strongly interacting regime. Furthermore, we derive an exact expression for the value of the contact parameter in one dimension at zero temperature. The model is then extended and used for studying the temperature dependence of ground state energies and the contact parameter.

Comparative meta-analysis of tuberculosis contact investigation interventions in eleven high burden countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucie Blok

Full Text Available Screening of household contacts of tuberculosis (TB patients is a recommended strategy to improve early case detection. While it has been widely implemented in low prevalence countries, the most optimal protocols for contact investigation in high prevalence, low resource settings is yet to be determined. This study evaluated contact investigation interventions in eleven lower and middle income countries and reviewed the association between context or program-related factors and the yield of cases among contacts.We reviewed data from nineteen first wave TB REACH funded projects piloting innovations to improve case detection. These nineteen had fulfilled the eligibility criteria: contact investigation implementation and complete data reporting. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the percentage yield and case notifications for each project. Implementation strategies were delineated and the association between independent variables and yield was analyzed by fitting a random effects logistic regression.Overall, the nineteen interventions screened 139,052 household contacts, showing great heterogeneity in the percentage yield of microscopy confirmed cases (SS+, ranging from 0.1% to 6.2%. Compared to the most restrictive testing criteria (at least two weeks of cough the aOR's for lesser (any TB related symptom and least (all contacts restrictive testing criteria were 1.71 (95%CI 0.94-3.13 and 6.90 (95% CI 3.42-13.93 respectively. The aOR for inclusion of SS- and extra-pulmonary TB was 0.31 (95% CI 0.15-0.62 compared to restricting index cases to SS+ TB. Contact investigation contributed between <1% and 14% to all SS+ cases diagnosed in the intervention areas.This study confirms that high numbers of active TB cases can be identified through contact investigation in a variety of contexts. However, design and program implementation factors appear to influence the yield of contact investigation and its concomitant contribution to TB case detection.

A survey of wheel-rail contact models for rail vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Meymand, Sajjad Z.; Keylin, Alexander; Ahmadian, Mehdi

2016-03-01

Accurate and efficient contact models for wheel-rail interaction are essential for the study of the dynamic behaviour of a railway vehicle. Assessment of the contact forces and moments, as well as contact geometry provide a fundamental foundation for such tasks as design of braking and traction control systems, prediction of wheel and rail wear, and evaluation of ride safety and comfort. This paper discusses the evolution and the current state of the theories for solving the wheel-rail contact problem for rolling stock. The well-known theories for modelling both normal contact (Hertzian and non-Hertzian) and tangential contact (Kalker's linear theory, FASTSIM, CONTACT, Polach's theory, etc.) are reviewed. The paper discusses the simplifying assumptions for developing these models and compares their functionality. The experimental studies for evaluation of contact models are also reviewed. This paper concludes with discussing open areas in contact mechanics that require further research for developing better models to represent the wheel-rail interaction.

Bacteria and parasites in contact lenses of asymptomatic wearers in Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Emina, Michael Osita; Idu, Faustina Kemdinum

2011-01-01

Purpose: This is to determine the prevalence of bacterial and parasitic flora in asymptomatic disposable and extended contact lens wearers in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods: The study was carried out on 156 contact lenses from 78 asymptomatic wearers between the ages of 12 to 38 years. Eighty two disposable daily wear (DWCL) and 74 extended wear (EWCL) contact lenses were examined. The contact lenses’ swabs and the trays were transferred to the laboratory for microbial examination. Resul...

A 3D model for rubber tyres contact, based on Kalker's methods through the STRIPES model

Science.gov (United States)

Chollet, Hugues

2012-01-01

A project on the pavement-rutting evolution under the effect of a tram on tyre, led the author to make a link between road and railway approaches to the problem of rolling contact. A simplified model is proposed with a fine description of the contact patch between a tyre and the road, and a more realistic pressure and shear stresses distribution than that available from basic models previously available. Experimental measurements are used to identify some characteristics of the force description, while the geometric shape of the tyre-road section are used, like in the traditional rail-wheel contact models, to build the 3D model. The last part validates a plausible contact pressure shape from self-aligning torque measurements and from Kalker's contact stresses gradient applied to the real tyre used in the project. The final result is a brush model extended from the wheel-rail STRIPES one, applicable to dynamics or contact studies of real tyres, with a physical coupling between longitudinal, lateral and spin effects, and a relatively fine description of the contact stresses along each strip of each tyre of the vehicle on an uneven road.

Southern routes for high-level radioactive waste: Agencies, contacts, and designations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-05-01

The Southern Routes for High-Level Radioactive Waste: Agencies, Contacts and Designations is a compendium of sixteen southern states' routing programs for the transportation of high-level radioactive materials. The report identifies the state-designated routing agencies as defined under 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 171 and provides a reference to the source and scope of the agencies' rulemaking authority. Additionally, the state agency and contact designated by the state's governor to receive advance notification and shipment routing information under 10 CFR Parts 71 and 73 are also listed. This report also examines alternative route designations made by southern states and the lessons that were learned from the designation process

Complex projection of unitary dynamics of quaternionic pure states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asorey, M.; Scolarici, G.; Solombrino, L.

2007-01-01

Quaternionic quantum mechanics has been revealed to be a very useful framework to describe quantum phenomena. In the case of two qubit compound systems we show that the complex projection of quaternionic pure states and quaternionic unitary maps permits the description of interesting phenomena such as decoherence and optimal entanglement generation. The approach, however, presents severe limitations for the case of multipartite or higher dimensional bipartite quantum systems as we point out

The SESAME project. State of the art liquid metal thermal hydraulics and beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roelofs, F.; Shams, A.; Batta, A.; Moreau, V.; Di Piazza, I.; Gerschenfeld, A.; Planquart, P.; Tarantino, M. [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG), Petten (Netherlands)

2017-08-15

The European Sustainable Nuclear Industry Initiative (ESNII) aims at industrial application of fast reactor technology for a sustainable nuclear energy production. Currently four demonstration projects have a promising outlook in Europe, i.e. the ASTRID project in France, the MYRRHA project in Belgium, the ALFRED pan-European project to be realized in Romania, and SEALER in Sweden. Sodium and lead(-alloys) are envisaged as coolants for these reactors. Obviously, in the development of these reactors, thermal-hydraulics is recognized as a key challenge with emphasis on safety issues. This paper discusses the state-of-the-art knowledge with respect to experiments and simulation techniques as pursued in the Horizon 2020 SESAME (thermal hydraulics Simulations and Experiments for the Safety Assessment of MEtal cooled reactors) project.

Design, simulation and fabrication of a novel contact-enhanced MEMS inertial switch with a movable contact point

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Haogang; Ding Guifu; Yang Zhuoqing; Su Zhijuan; Zhou Jiansheng; Wang Hong

2008-01-01

A novel inertial switch based on a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) was designed, which consists of three main parts: a proof mass as the movable electrode, a cross beam as the stationary electrode and a movable contact point to prolong the contact time. A MATLAB/Simulink model, which had been verified by comparison with ANSYS transient simulation, was built to simulate the dynamic response, based on which the contact-enhancing mechanism was confirmed and the dependence of threshold acceleration on the proof mass thickness was studied. The simulated dynamic responses under various accelerations exhibit satisfactory device behaviors: the switch-on time is prolonged under transient acceleration; the switch-on state is more continuous than the conventional design under long lasting acceleration. The inertial micro-switch was fabricated by multilayer electroplating technology and then tested by a drop hammer experiment. The test results indicate that the contact effect was improved significantly and a steady switch-on time of over 50 µs was observed under half-sine wave acceleration with 1 ms duration, in agreement with the dynamic simulation

U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress. CRS Report for Congress

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kan, Shirley

2005-01-01

...), and provides a chronology of contacts from 1993 to 2005. The United States suspended military contacts with China and imposed sanctions on arms sales in response to the Tiananmen Crackdown in 1989...

Using Contact Work in Interactions with Adults with Learning Disabilities and Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Sharon; Paterson, Gail

2011-01-01

This article describes a project about using contact work with people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. People with learning disabilities and additional autistic spectrum disorder are at risk of becoming socially isolated because of their difficulties in interacting with others. Contact work is a form of Pre-Therapy, which…

Are You Sure You Want to Contact Us? Quantifying the Leakage of PII via Website Contact Forms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Starov Oleksii

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The majority of commercial websites provide users the ability to contact them via dedicated contact pages. In these pages, users are typically requested to provide their names, email addresses, and reason for contacting the website. This effectively makes contact pages a gateway from being anonymous or pseudonymous, i.e., identified via stateful and stateless identifiers, to being eponymous. As such, the environment where users provide their personally identifiable information (PII has to be trusted and free from intentional and unintentional information leaks. In this paper, we report on the first large-scale study of PII leakage via contact pages of the 100,000 most popular sites of the web. We develop a reliable methodology for identifying and interacting with contact forms as well as techniques that allow us to discover the leakage of PII towards thirdparties, even when that information is obfuscated. Using these methods, we witness the leakage of PII towards third-parties in a wide range of ways, including the leakage through third-party form submissions, third-party scripts that collect PII information from a first-party page, and unintended leakage through a browser’s Referer header. To recover the lost control of users over their PII, we design and develop Formlock, a browser extension that warns the user when contact forms are using PII-leaking practices, and provides the ability to comprehensively lock-down a form so that a user’s details cannot be, neither accidentally, nor intentionally, leaked to third parties

An elastic-plastic contact model for line contact structures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Haibin; Zhao, Yingtao; He, Zhifeng; Zhang, Ruinan; Ma, Shaopeng

2018-06-01

Although numerical simulation tools are now very powerful, the development of analytical models is very important for the prediction of the mechanical behaviour of line contact structures for deeply understanding contact problems and engineering applications. For the line contact structures widely used in the engineering field, few analytical models are available for predicting the mechanical behaviour when the structures deform plastically, as the classic Hertz's theory would be invalid. Thus, the present study proposed an elastic-plastic model for line contact structures based on the understanding of the yield mechanism. A mathematical expression describing the global relationship between load history and contact width evolution of line contact structures was obtained. The proposed model was verified through an actual line contact test and a corresponding numerical simulation. The results confirmed that this model can be used to accurately predict the elastic-plastic mechanical behaviour of a line contact structure.

Factors influencing accruement of contact hours for nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubsch, Sylvia; Henniges, Amy; Lorenzoni, Nancy; Eckardt, Sally; Oleniczak, Sandra

2003-01-01

A decline in attendance at continuing education (CE) in nursing activities was observed in a Midwest state where CE attendance is not required. The purpose of this research study was to identify the effect of attitude, extrinsic and intrinsic reinforcement, and deterrents on contact hour accrual. A convenience sample of 282 registered nurses was surveyed using a researcher-constructed instrument determined to be valid and reliable. Registered nurses earning 0 to 15 contact hours annually reported accruing fewer contact hours in 1999 than in an average year. Registered nurses who earned 16 to 45+ contact hours annually reported earning more contact hours in 1999 than in an average year. Intrinsic reinforcement was found to be a significant motivator (r [257] = .242; p Operant Conditioning Theory has use in explaining registered nurse attendance at CE activities. CE planners should consider placing more emphasis on intrinsic rather than extrinsic reinforcement to encourage staff to attend CE activities.

Continuous control systems for non-contact ECG

Science.gov (United States)

Kodkin, Vladimir L.; Yakovleva, Galina V.; Smirnov, Alexey S.

2017-03-01

South Ural State University is still conducting the research work dedicated to innovations in biomedicine. Development of system for continuous control and diagnosis of the functional state in large groups of people is based on studies of non-contact ECG recording reported by the authors at the SPIE conference in 2016. The next stage of studies has been performed this year.

Equilibrium contact angle or the most-stable contact angle?

Science.gov (United States)

Montes Ruiz-Cabello, F J; Rodríguez-Valverde, M A; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, M A

2014-04-01

It is well-established that the equilibrium contact angle in a thermodynamic framework is an "unattainable" contact angle. Instead, the most-stable contact angle obtained from mechanical stimuli of the system is indeed experimentally accessible. Monitoring the susceptibility of a sessile drop to a mechanical stimulus enables to identify the most stable drop configuration within the practical range of contact angle hysteresis. Two different stimuli may be used with sessile drops: mechanical vibration and tilting. The most stable drop against vibration should reveal the changeless contact angle but against the gravity force, it should reveal the highest resistance to slide down. After the corresponding mechanical stimulus, once the excited drop configuration is examined, the focus will be on the contact angle of the initial drop configuration. This methodology needs to map significantly the static drop configurations with different stable contact angles. The most-stable contact angle, together with the advancing and receding contact angles, completes the description of physically realizable configurations of a solid-liquid system. Since the most-stable contact angle is energetically significant, it may be used in the Wenzel, Cassie or Cassie-Baxter equations accordingly or for the surface energy evaluation. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contact materials for nanowire devices and nanoelectromechanical switches

KAUST Repository

Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2011-02-01

The impact of contact materials on the performance of nanostructured devices is expected to be signifi cant. This is especially true since size scaling can increase the contact resistance and induce many unseen phenomenon and reactions that greatly impact device performance. Nanowire and nanoelectromechanical switches are two emerging nanoelectronic devices. Nanowires provide a unique opportunity to control the property of a material at an ultra-scaled dimension, whereas a nanoelectromechanical switch presents zero power consumption in its off state, as it is physically detached from the sensor anode. In this article, we specifi cally discuss contact material issues related to nanowire devices and nanoelectromechanical switches.

Projecting housing starts and softwood lumber consumption in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffrey P. Prestemon; David N. Wear; Karen L. Abt; Robert C. Abt

2018-01-01

New residential construction is a primary user of wood products in the United States; therefore, wood products projections require understanding the determinants of housing starts. We model quarterly US total, single-family, and multifamily housing starts with several model specifications, using data from 1979 to 2008, and evaluate their...

Projected Gauss-Seidel subspace minimization method for interactive rigid body dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silcowitz-Hansen, Morten; Abel, Sarah Maria Niebe; Erleben, Kenny

2010-01-01

artifacts such as viscous or damped contact response. In this paper, we present a new approach to contact force determination. We formulate the contact force problem as a nonlinear complementarity problem, and discretize the problem to derive the Projected Gauss–Seidel method. We combine the Projected Gauss......–Seidel method with a subspace minimization method. Our new method shows improved qualities and superior convergence properties for specific configurations....

Small power reactor projects in the United States of America and Canada. Information gathered as a result of invitations from Member States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1962-01-01

As part of its activities in connection with the development of nuclear power, and in response to the resolutions adopted by the General Conference, the Agency has been undertaking a continuing study of the technology and economics of small and medium sized power reactors, particularly with reference to the needs of the less-developed countries. This report summarizes the information gathered on the small power reactor projects in the United States of America and Canada, as a result of the opportunity afforded by these Member States to the Agency. It may be recalled that, at the third regular session of the General Conference, the United States Government offered to provide the Agency with relevant technical and economic data on several small power reactor projects of its Atomic Energy Commission. The Agency accepted the offer and since June 1960 it has sent one or two staff members at approximately six-monthly intervals to follow the development of nine power reactor projects in the United States which represent six different reactor systems. Last year, the Agency issued a report summarizing the information obtained through their visits and study of available published literature. The present document, which should be read in conjunction with that document, brings the information up to date and provides additional information on certain phases of the projects already discussed in the last report. Three more power reactor projects are also dealt with, namely the experimental gas-cooled reactor (EGCR), the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) and the Hallam nuclear power facility (HNPF). Early in 1962, the Canadian Government expressed its willingness to make available to the Agency relevant information on the NPD and CANDU projects. The coverage of the NPD reactor is based upon the published information supplied by AECL of Canada and the visit by one of the staff members to the NPD site. The Agency wishes to acknowledge with thanks the co-operation extended

Dynamics of contact line depinning during droplet evaporation based on thermodynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Dong In; Kwak, Ho Jae; Doh, Seung Woo; Ahn, Ho Seon; Park, Hyun Sun; Kiyofumi, Moriyama; Kim, Moo Hwan

2015-02-17

For several decades, evaporation phenomena have been intensively investigated for a broad range of applications. However, the dynamics of contact line depinning during droplet evaporation has only been inductively inferred on the basis of experimental data and remains unclear. This study focuses on the dynamics of contact line depinning during droplet evaporation based on thermodynamics. Considering the decrease in the Gibbs free energy of a system with different evaporation modes, a theoretical model was developed to estimate the receding contact angle during contact line depinning as a function of surface conditions. Comparison of experimentally measured and theoretically modeled receding contact angles indicated that the dynamics of contact line depinning during droplet evaporation was caused by the most favorable thermodynamic process encountered during constant contact radius (CCR mode) and constant contact angle (CCA mode) evaporation to rapidly reach an equilibrium state during droplet evaporation.

The Northern Climate Exchange Gap Analysis Project : an assessment of the current state of knowledge about the impacts of climate change in northern Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The Northern Climate ExChange (NCE) Gap Analysis Project was launched in 1999 with an objective to assess the state of knowledge on climate change in northern Canada. Resulting products of the project have included the Infosource Database, an on-line database of published climate change research related to the Canadian North, the Directory of Contacts, another on-line database of interested parties to climate change issues, and a set of tables that rate the level of available information on climate change as it relates to natural, economic and community systems. Other products include a report of a workshop on climate change research, 2 reports assessing the level of traditional northern knowledge about climate change, 2 reports assessing the completeness and value of the Infosource Database, a web site for NCE, and this report. All products are available to the public on the Internet or on a CD-ROM. The NCE Gap Analysis Project has shown there are inequalities in the amount of information across different systems, and that there is more knowledge on predicted temperature changes than for other climate components. The study notes that there are strong regional trends for compiled knowledge, with some regions having been better studied than others. The project revealed that traditional knowledge of climate change has not been well documented, and that more information exists about climate change impacts on biological systems with an economic component than those without economic significance. refs., tabs., figs

Futures project anticipates changes and challenges facing forests of the northern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Stephen R. Shifley; W. Keith Moser; Michael E. Goerndt; Nianfu Song; Mark D. Nelson; David J. Nowak; Patrick D. Miles; Brett J. Butler; Ryan D. DeSantis; Francisco X. Aguilar; Brian G. Tavernia

2014-01-01

The Northern Forest Futures Project aims to reveal how today's trends and choices are likely to change the future forest landscape in the northeastern and midwestern United States. The research is focused on the 20-state quadrant bounded by Maine, Maryland, Missouri, and Minnesota. This area, which encompasses most of the Central Hardwood Forest region, is the...

On topological derivatives for contact problems in elasticity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Giusti, S.M.; Sokolowski, S.; Stebel, Jan

2015-01-01

Roč. 165, č. 1 (2015), s. 279-294 ISSN 0022-3239 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/0917 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : topological derivative * static frictionless contact problem * asymptotic analysis Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.160, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10957-014-0594-7

Estimation of contact resistance in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Lianhong; Liu, Ying; Song, Haimin; Wang, Shuxin [School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072 (China); Zhou, Yuanyuan; Hu, S. Jack [Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125 (United States)

2006-11-22

The contact resistance between the bipolar plate (BPP) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) is an important factor contributing to the power loss in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. At present there is still not a well-developed method to estimate such contact resistance. This paper proposes two effective methods for estimating the contact resistance between the BPP and the GDL based on an experimental contact resistance-pressure constitutive relation. The constitutive relation was obtained by experimentally measuring the contact resistance between the GDL and a flat plate of the same material and processing conditions as the BPP under stated contact pressure. In the first method, which was a simplified prediction, the contact area and contact pressure between the BPP and the GDL were analyzed with a simple geometrical relation and the contact resistance was obtained by the contact resistance-pressure constitutive relation. In the second method, the contact area and contact pressure between the BPP and GDL were analyzed using FEM and the contact resistance was computed for each contact element according to the constitutive relation. The total contact resistance was then calculated by considering all contact elements in parallel. The influence of load distribution on contact resistance was also investigated. Good agreement was demonstrated between experimental results and predictions by both methods. The simplified prediction method provides an efficient approach to estimating the contact resistance in PEM fuel cells. The proposed methods for estimating the contact resistance can be useful in modeling and optimizing the assembly process to improve the performance of PEM fuel cells. (author)

FACTORS AFFECTING COST PERFORMANCE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITHIN KELANTAN STATE IN MALAYSIA

OpenAIRE

ABDELNASER OMRAN; SITI NORHYDAYATON BINTI MAMAT

2011-01-01

This study investigates the factors affecting cost performance of construction projects in Kelantan State located in the east-coast part of Malaysia. It draws on relevant previous research in the theory of work on cost performance. Thirty-three contractors companies with different working grades in the state of Kelantan were participated in the study. Data were collected from the contractors using a questionnaire survey. The results indicated that the success factors affecting the cost perfor...

A projection gradient method for computing ground state of spin-2 Bose–Einstein condensates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Hanquan, E-mail: hanquan.wang@gmail.com [School of Statistics and Mathematics, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650221 (China); Yunnan Tongchang Scientific Computing and Data Mining Research Center, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650221 (China)

2014-10-01

In this paper, a projection gradient method is presented for computing ground state of spin-2 Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC). We first propose the general projection gradient method for solving energy functional minimization problem under multiple constraints, in which the energy functional takes real functions as independent variables. We next extend the method to solve a similar problem, where the energy functional now takes complex functions as independent variables. We finally employ the method into finding the ground state of spin-2 BEC. The key of our method is: by constructing continuous gradient flows (CGFs), the ground state of spin-2 BEC can be computed as the steady state solution of such CGFs. We discretized the CGFs by a conservative finite difference method along with a proper way to deal with the nonlinear terms. We show that the numerical discretization is normalization and magnetization conservative and energy diminishing. Numerical results of the ground state and their energy of spin-2 BEC are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the numerical method.

A projection gradient method for computing ground state of spin-2 Bose–Einstein condensates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hanquan

2014-01-01

In this paper, a projection gradient method is presented for computing ground state of spin-2 Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC). We first propose the general projection gradient method for solving energy functional minimization problem under multiple constraints, in which the energy functional takes real functions as independent variables. We next extend the method to solve a similar problem, where the energy functional now takes complex functions as independent variables. We finally employ the method into finding the ground state of spin-2 BEC. The key of our method is: by constructing continuous gradient flows (CGFs), the ground state of spin-2 BEC can be computed as the steady state solution of such CGFs. We discretized the CGFs by a conservative finite difference method along with a proper way to deal with the nonlinear terms. We show that the numerical discretization is normalization and magnetization conservative and energy diminishing. Numerical results of the ground state and their energy of spin-2 BEC are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the numerical method

Reducing contact resistance in graphene devices through contact area patterning.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Joshua T; Franklin, Aaron D; Farmer, Damon B; Dimitrakopoulos, Christos D

2013-04-23

Performance of graphene electronics is limited by contact resistance associated with the metal-graphene (M-G) interface, where unique transport challenges arise as carriers are injected from a 3D metal into a 2D-graphene sheet. In this work, enhanced carrier injection is experimentally achieved in graphene devices by forming cuts in the graphene within the contact regions. These cuts are oriented normal to the channel and facilitate bonding between the contact metal and carbon atoms at the graphene cut edges, reproducibly maximizing "edge-contacted" injection. Despite the reduction in M-G contact area caused by these cuts, we find that a 32% reduction in contact resistance results in Cu-contacted, two-terminal devices, while a 22% reduction is achieved for top-gated graphene transistors with Pd contacts as compared to conventionally fabricated devices. The crucial role of contact annealing to facilitate this improvement is also elucidated. This simple approach provides a reliable and reproducible means of lowering contact resistance in graphene devices to bolster performance. Importantly, this enhancement requires no additional processing steps.

Contact with friction modeling for the study of a bolted junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebon, F.; Raous, M.; Boulegues, D.

1987-01-01

Many structural analysis problems are concerned by contact phenomena. A good knowledge of the contact displacements and the contact forces between the different parts of the structure is generally essential in structure assembling. The special boundary behaviour has a strong influence on the distribution of the stresses in the whole structure and on his total fiability. The contact behaviour is strongly non linear because of the non penetration conditions on the one hand, and because of the friction on the other. On such problems the real contact zone and the contact forces are unknown 'a priori' and have to be determined during the resolution. The non-penetration is characterized by unilateral conditions and the friction is described by a constitutive law (Coulomb friction law). The application presented here concerns the assembling of the three parts of a bolted junction using a pressing ring. There are three contact zones in this program. A good description of the contact phenomena is essential to ensure tightness. Our methods are based on projection techniques coupled with overrelaxed Gauss-Seidel methods including condensation procedures (reduction of the number of variables). Non linear programming methods and iterative procedures on special boundary conditions are also used. (orig./HP)

Metal Contacts to Gallium Arsenide.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Fan

1991-07-01

While various high performance devices fabricated from the gallium arsenide (GaAs) and related materials have generated considerable interest, metallization are fundamental components to all semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. The essential roles of metallization systems are providing the desired electrical paths between the active region of the semiconductor and the external circuits through the metal interconnections and contacts. In this work, in-situ clean of native oxide, high temperature n-type, low temperature n-type and low temperature p-type ohmic metal systems have been studied. Argon ion mill was used to remove the native oxide prior to metal deposition. For high temperature process n-type GaAs ohmic contacts, Tungsten (W) and Tungsten Silicide (WSi) were used with an epitaxial grown graded Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) layer (0.2 eV) on GaAs. In addition, refractory metals, Molybdenum (Mo), was incorporated in the Gold-Germanium (AuGe) based on n-type GaAs ohmic contacts to replace conventional silver as barrier to prevent the reaction between ohmic metal and chlorine based plasma as well as the ohmic metallization intermixing which degrades the device performance. Finally, Indium/Gold-Beryllium (In/Au-Be) alloy has been developed as an ohmic contact for p-type GaAs to reduce the contact resistance. The Fermi-level pinning of GaAs has been dominated by the surface states. The Schottky barrier height of metal contacts are about 0.8 V regardless of the metal systems. By using p-n junction approach, barrier height of pulsed C-doped layers was achieved as high as 1.4 V. Arsenic implantation into GaAs method was also used to enhance the barrier height of 1.6 V.

Testing and Modeling of Contact Problems in Resistance Welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Song, Quanfeng

together two or three cylindrical parts as well as disc-ring pairs of dissimilar metals. The tests have demonstrated the effectiveness of the model. A theoretical and experimental study is performed on the contact resistance aiming at a more reliable model for numerical simulation of resistance welding......As a part of the efforts towards a professional and reliable numerical tool for resistance welding engineers, this Ph.D. project is dedicated to refining the numerical models related to the interface behavior. An FE algorithm for the contact problems in resistance welding has been developed...... for the formulation, and the interfaces are treated in a symmetric pattern. The frictional sliding contact is also solved employing the constant friction model. The algorithm is incorporated into the finite element code. Verification is carried out in some numerical tests as well as experiments such as upsetting...

Projective Synchronization of Chaotic Discrete Dynamical Systems via Linear State Error Feedback Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baogui Xin

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A projective synchronization scheme for a kind of n-dimensional discrete dynamical system is proposed by means of a linear feedback control technique. The scheme consists of master and slave discrete dynamical systems coupled by linear state error variables. A kind of novel 3-D chaotic discrete system is constructed, to which the test for chaos is applied. By using the stability principles of an upper or lower triangular matrix, two controllers for achieving projective synchronization are designed and illustrated with the novel systems. Lastly some numerical simulations are employed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed projective synchronization scheme.

American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergy Management Program: An Epidemiologic Tool to Determine Relative Prevalence of Contact Allergens.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheman, Andrew; Severson, David

2016-01-01

Data on the prevalence of contact allergy in North America are currently reported by groups of academic contact allergy specialists at select academic centers. Sampling of data from numerous centers across North America, including practices performing more limited patch testing, would provide a broader perspective of contact allergen prevalence in North America. The American Contact Dermatitis Society Contact Allergy Management Program is an ideal tool for collection of epidemiologic data regarding contact allergy prevalence in North America. The aim of the study was to identify the relative prevalence of contact allergy to common contact allergens in North America. Mapping of Contact Allergy Management Program (CAMP) data was performed to allow analysis of how frequently searches were performed for various contact allergens. The number of searches performed for specific allergens provides a measure of the relative prevalence of contact allergy to these allergens. The top 35 allergens for the period from November 18, 2012 to November 18, 2013 are reported. Although these data are useful, specific recommendations for minor alterations to CAMP are discussed, which will allow future CAMP data to be stratified and more powerful. With minor modifications, CAMP can provide a quantum leap in the reporting of contact allergy epidemiologic data in North America.

Fermilab History and Archives Project | Home

Science.gov (United States)

Special Events Early Users Meetings (1979 - 1989) The Tevatron Natural History Discoveries Technology Site Fermilab History and Archives Project Fermilab History and Archives Project Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Home About the Archives History & Archives Online Request Contact Us Site Index

Evolution of real contact area under shear and the value of static friction of soft materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahli, R; Pallares, G; Ducottet, C; Ben Ali, I E; Al Akhrass, S; Guibert, M; Scheibert, J

2018-01-16

The frictional properties of a rough contact interface are controlled by its area of real contact, the dynamical variations of which underlie our modern understanding of the ubiquitous rate-and-state friction law. In particular, the real contact area is proportional to the normal load, slowly increases at rest through aging, and drops at slip inception. Here, through direct measurements on various contacts involving elastomers or human fingertips, we show that the real contact area also decreases under shear, with reductions as large as 30[Formula: see text], starting well before macroscopic sliding. All data are captured by a single reduction law enabling excellent predictions of the static friction force. In elastomers, the area-reduction rate of individual contacts obeys a scaling law valid from micrometer-sized junctions in rough contacts to millimeter-sized smooth sphere/plane contacts. For the class of soft materials used here, our results should motivate first-order improvements of current contact mechanics models and prompt reinterpretation of the rate-and-state parameters.

Language Contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelde, Peter Hans

1995-01-01

Examines the phenomenon of language contact and recent trends in linguistic contact research, which focuses on language use, language users, and language spheres. Also discusses the role of linguistic and cultural conflicts in language contact situations. (13 references) (MDM)

High-resolution laser-projection display system using a grating electromechanical system (GEMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Brazas, John C.; Kowarz, Marek W.

2004-01-01

Eastman Kodak Company has developed a diffractive-MEMS spatial-light modulator for use in printing and display applications, the grating electromechanical system (GEMS). This modulator contains a linear array of pixels capable of high-speed digital operation, high optical contrast, and good efficiency. The device operation is based on deflection of electromechanical ribbons suspended above a silicon substrate by a series of intermediate supports. When electrostatically actuated, the ribbons conform to the supporting substructure to produce a surface-relief phase grating over a wide active region. The device is designed to be binary, switching between a reflective mirror state having suspended ribbons and a diffractive grating state having ribbons in contact with substrate features. Switching times of less than 50 nanoseconds with sub-nanosecond jitter are made possible by reliable contact-mode operation. The GEMS device can be used as a high-speed digital-optical modulator for a laser-projection display system by collecting the diffracted orders and taking advantage of the low jitter. A color channel is created using a linear array of individually addressable GEMS pixels. A two-dimensional image is produced by sweeping the line image of the array, created by the projection optics, across the display screen. Gray levels in the image are formed using pulse-width modulation (PWM). A high-resolution projection display was developed using three 1080-pixel devices illuminated by red, green, and blue laser-color primaries. The result is an HDTV-format display capable of producing stunning still and motion images with very wide color gamut.

Trends in Maternity Care Practice Skin-to-Skin Contact Indicators: United States, 2007-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Boundy, Ellen O; Perrine, Cria G; Barrera, Chloe M; Li, Ruowei; Hamner, Heather C

2018-05-21

Mother-infant skin-to-skin contact (SSC) immediately after birth helps transition infants to the post-uterine environment and increases the likelihood of breastfeeding initiation and duration. This study examines trends in U.S. maternity practices related to SSC, and variations by facility demographics. Data were from the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) surveys (2007-2015), a biennial assessment of all U.S. maternity facilities. Facilities reported how often patients were encouraged to practice mother-infant SSC for ≥30 minutes within 1 hour of uncomplicated vaginal birth and 2 hours of uncomplicated cesarean birth, and how often routine infant procedures are performed while in SSC. We calculated the percentage of maternity facilities reporting these indicators for ≥90% of patients across the United States for each survey year. Estimates by facility characteristics (size, type, and state) were calculated for 2015 only. The percentage of facilities reporting "Most (≥90%)" women, which were encouraged to practice early SSC, increased from 2007 to 2015 following both vaginal (40.4% to 83.0%) and cesarean (29.3% to 69.9%) births. The percentage of facilities reporting routine infant procedures were performed "Almost always (≥90%)," while mother and infant were SSC increased from 16.6% to 49.5% (2007 to 2015) for vaginal births and from 2.2% to 10.7% (2009 to 2015) for cesarean births. Variations in SSC practice by facility type, size, and state were noted. Significant progress has been made in increasing hospital encouragement of early SSC for both vaginal and cesarean births. Continued efforts to support evidence-based maternity practices are needed.

Overview of ACTYS project on development of indigenous state-of-the-art code suites for nuclear activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subhash, P.V.; Tadepalli, Sai Chaitanya; Deshpande, Shishir P.; Kanth, Priti; Srinivasan, R.

2017-01-01

Rigorous activation calculations are warranted for safer and efficient design of future fusion machines. Suitable activation codes, which yield accurate results with faster performance yet include all fusion relevant reactions are a prerequisite. To meet these, an indigenous project called ACTYS-Project is initiated and as a result, four state-of-art codes are developed so far. The goal of this project is to develop indigenous state-of-the-art code suites for nuclear activation analysis

Projected demographic composition of the United States population of people living with diagnosed HIV.

Science.gov (United States)

Hood, Julia E; Golden, Matthew R; Hughes, James P; Goodreau, Steven M; Siddiqi, Azfar-E-Alam; Buskin, Susan E; Hawes, Stephen E

2017-12-01

The transformation of HIV from a fatal disease to lifelong disease has resulted in an HIV-infected population that is growing and aging, placing new and increasing demands on public programs and health services. We used National HIV Surveillance System and US census data to project the demographic composition of the population of people living with diagnosed HIV (PLWDH) in the United States through 2045. The input parameters for the projections include: (1) census projections, (2) number of people with an existing HIV diagnosis in 2013, (3) number of new HIV diagnoses in 2013, and (4) death rate within the PLWDH population in 2013. Sex-, risk group-, and race-specific projections were estimated through an adapted Leslie Matrix Model for age-structured populations. Projections for 2013-2045 suggest that the number of PLWDH in the U.S. will consistently grow, from 917,294 to 1,232,054, though the annual growth rate will slow from 1.8% to 0.8%. The number of PLWDH aged 55 years and older will increase from 232,113 to 470,221. The number of non-Hispanic (NH) African Americans/Blacks and Hispanics is projected to consistently grow, shifting the racial/ethnic composition of the US PLWDH population from 32 to 23% NH-White, 42 to 38% NH-Black, and 20-32% Hispanic between 2013 and 2045. Given current trends, the composition of the PLWDH population is projected to change considerably. Public health practitioners should anticipate large shifts in the age and racial/ethnic structure of the PLWDH population in the United States.

Survival of contact processes on the hierarchical group

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Athreya, S.R.; Swart, Jan M.

2010-01-01

Roč. 147, č. 3 (2010), s. 529-563 ISSN 0178-8051 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/06/1323 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : contact process * survival * hierarchical group * coupling * renormalization group Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.590, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/SI/swart-0342729.pdf

Contact efflorescence as a pathway for crystallization of atmospherically relevant particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Ryan D; Lance, Sara; Gordon, Joshua A; Ushijima, Shuichi B; Tolbert, Margaret A

2015-12-29

Inadequate knowledge of the phase state of atmospheric particles represents a source of uncertainty in global climate and air quality models. Hygroscopic aqueous inorganic particles are often assumed to remain liquid throughout their atmospheric lifetime or only (re)crystallize at low relative humidity (RH) due to the kinetic limitations of efflorescence (salt crystal nucleation and growth from an aqueous solution). Here we present experimental observations of a previously unexplored heterogeneous nucleation pathway that we have termed "contact efflorescence," which describes efflorescence initiated by an externally located solid particle coming into contact with the surface of a metastable aqueous microdroplet. This study demonstrates that upon a single collision, contact efflorescence is a pathway for crystallization of atmospherically relevant aqueous particles at high ambient RH (≤80%). Soluble inorganic crystalline particles were used as contact nuclei to induce efflorescence of aqueous ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4], sodium chloride (NaCl), and ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), with efflorescence being observed in several cases close to their deliquescence RH values (80%, 75%, and 62%, respectively). To our knowledge, these observations represent the highest reported efflorescence RH values for microdroplets of these salts. These results are particularly important for considering the phase state of NH4NO3, where the contact efflorescence RH (∼20-60%) is in stark contrast to the observation that NH4NO3 microdroplets do not homogeneously effloresce, even when exposed to extremely arid conditions (<1% RH). Considering the occurrence of particle collisions in the atmosphere (i.e., coagulation), these observations of contact efflorescence challenge many assumptions made about the phase state of inorganic aerosol.

State of the art and challenges in development of electrical contact materials in the light of the RoHS directive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ćosović V.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The article surveys current state of the art and challenges in the development of the electrical contact materials in the light of the EU Directive on Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS. The focus was placed on widely used silver-cadmium alloys. According to this directive, as of July 1, 2006, use of six hazardous materials, including cadmium, are restricted for applicable electrical and electronic products intended for the EU market. In contrast, traditionally preferred material for production of electrical contacts is Ag-CdO, due to its outstanding functional properties. These conflicting interests result in present state where RoHS directive has not yet been implemented in its original form and has undergone numerous amendments and exceptions regarding the use of cadmium. Main reason for this seems to be the unrealistic time frame imposed by legislation. Although, significant effort has been put into research and development of alternative materials, there are still cases where adequate replacement materials had not been found. Therefore, importance of synchronicity between legislation and technological progress i.e. communication between legislative administration and industry and academia is brought to light as well as some common issues that may arise with an introduction of new replacement materials or product modification. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike SRbije, br. OI 172037 and TR 34023

Year 4 Of The NSF-funded PAARE Project At SC State

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Donald K.; Brittain, S. D.; Cash, J. L.; Hartmann, D. H.; Howell, S. B.; King, J. R.; Leising, M. D.; Mayo, E. A.; Mighell, K. J.; Smith, D. M.

2012-01-01

We summarize the progress made through Year 4 of "A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy (POCA)". This NSF-funded project is part of the "Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE)" program. Our partnership includes South Carolina State University (a Historically Black College/University), Clemson University (a Ph.D. granting institution) and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Fellowships provided by POCA as well as recruitment efforts on the national level have resulted in enrolling a total of four underrepresented minorities into the Ph.D. program in astronomy at Clemson. We report on the success and challenges to recruiting students into the undergraduate physics major with astronomy option at SC State. Our summer REU program under POCA includes underrepresented students from across the country conducting research at each of our three institutions. Examples are given of our inquiry-based, laboratory exercises and web- based activities related to cosmology that have been developed with PAARE funding. We discuss our ground-based photometric and spectroscopic study of RV Tauri and Semi-Regular variables which has been expanded to include successful Cycle 2 Kepler observations of a dozen of these objects reported elsewhere at this conference (see D.K. Walter, et.al.). Support for the POCA project is provided by the NSF PAARE program to South Carolina State University under award AST-0750814 as well as resources and support provided by Clemson University and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Support for the Kepler observations is provided by NASA to South Carolina State University under award NNX11AB82G.

Making Contact: The NAMES Project in Comparison to the Vietnam Memorial.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Marvin D.

Several principles of gestalt therapy are applied in an analysis of the similarities between the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and The NAMES Project Quilt. The NAMES Project Quilt memorializes people who have died of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The creators of the two memorials engaged in the initial searches for "whole"…

EPro Non-contact erosion profiling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meinert, Palle

Pro is a profiling program build to measure the same surface or work piece multiple times and track changes due to erosion. It was developed during 2001 - 2002 at Aalborg University and was part of a Master of Science project dealing with stability of rubble mound breakwaters. The goal was to aut......Pro is a profiling program build to measure the same surface or work piece multiple times and track changes due to erosion. It was developed during 2001 - 2002 at Aalborg University and was part of a Master of Science project dealing with stability of rubble mound breakwaters. The goal...... was to automate the measuring of profiles in order to save manpower and to increase the number of possible measure points. Additional requirement was that measurements should be done in a non-contact way and that the measuring should not be hindered by the presence of water....

Generalized projective synchronization via the state observer and its application in secure communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Di; Li Juan-Juan

2010-01-01

Based on the improved state observer and the pole placement technique, by adding a constant which extends the scope of use of the original system, a new design method of generalized projective synchronization is proposed. With this method, by changing the projective synchronization scale factor, one can achieve not only complete synchronization, but also anti-synchronization, as well as arbitrary percentage of projective synchronization, so that the system may attain arbitrary synchronization in a relatively short period of time, which makes this study more meaningful. By numerical simulation, and choosing appropriate scale factor, the results of repeated experiments verify that this method is highly effective and satisfactory. Finally, based on this method and the relevant feedback concept, a novel secure communication project is designed. Numerical simulation verifies that this secure communication project is very valid, and moreover, the experimental result has been greatly improved in decryption time. (general)

Mechanical deformation of atomic-scale metallic contacts: Structure and mechanisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Mads Reinholdt; Brandbyge, Mads; Jacobsen, Karsten Wedel

1998-01-01

We have simulated the mechanical deformation of atomic-scale metallic contacts under tensile strain using molecular dynamics and effective medium theory potentials. The evolution of the structure of the contacts and the underlying deformation mechanisms are described along with the calculated......, but vacancies can be permanently present. The transition states and energies for slip mechanisms have been determined using the nudged elastic band method, and we find a size-dependent crossover from a dislocation-mediated slip to a homogeneous slip when the contact diameter becomes less than a few nm. We show...

Evaluation of anti-tuberculosis antibodies in healthy contact and non-contacts persons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, N; Bukhari, M.H; Muneer, M; Tayyab, M; Chaudhry, N.A.

2006-01-01

This study was conducted to see the presence of the antimycobacterial antibodies in healthy household contacts of tuberculosis patients and healthy normal subjects who have never been in contact with tuberculosis patients. A total of 200 subjects, 120 with history of household contact and 80 without such history were included in the study. Routine Haematological investigations were performed and all the sera of 200 subjects were tested who 19M, 19G and IgA anti tuberculosis antibodies using ELISA technique. There was no difference in the average age of the household contacts and non-contacts. The complaints of pyrexia, night sweats and loss of weight was more in house hold contacts as compared to non-contacts. The awareness about BCG vaccination was equal among the household contacts and non-contacts. The combined serological positivity of the household contacts was 65.8% and the combined serological positivity for non-contacts was 34.1%. There was no statistically significant difference in the presence of 19M among household contacts as compared to non-contacts. However both IgG and 19A were present in significantly higher number of household contacts as compared to non contacts. This study concludes that the persons living in the house with a patient suffering from active pulmonary tuberculosis (household contact) have more chances of being infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis as compared to the healthy non-contacts. (author)

Investigations of Caenorhabditis Elegans Using Soft X-ray Contact Microscopy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Desai, T.; Batani, D.; Bernardinello, A.; Poletti, G.; Orsini, F.; Ullschmied, Jiří; Skála, Jiří; Králiková, Božena; Krouský, Eduard; Mocek, Karel; Pfeifer, Miroslav; Kadlec, Christelle; Mocek, Tomáš; Präg R., Ansgar; Renner, Oldřich; Juha, Libor; Cotelli, F.; Lamia, C. L.; Zullini, A.

2004-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 3 (2004), s. 121-125 ISSN 1120-1797 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LN00A100 Keywords : C. elegans * soft X-ray contact microscopy * intense laser plasma * gold target Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 0.341, year: 2004

Contact Lens Care

Science.gov (United States)

... Consumers Consumer Information by Audience For Women Contact Lens Care Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing ... www.fda.gov/medwatch Learn More about Contact Lens Care Other Tips on Contact Lenses Decorative Contact ...

Entanglement in bipartite pure states of an interacting boson gas obtained by local projective measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paraan, Francis N. C.; Korepin, Vladimir E.; Molina-Vilaplana, Javier; Bose, Sougato

2011-01-01

We quantify the extractable entanglement of excited states of a Lieb-Liniger gas that are obtained from coarse-grained measurements on the ground state in which the boson number in one of two complementary contiguous partitions of the gas is determined. Numerically exact results obtained from the coordinate Bethe ansatz show that the von Neumann entropy of the resulting bipartite pure state increases monotonically with the strength of repulsive interactions and saturates to the impenetrable-boson limiting value. We also present evidence indicating that the largest amount of entanglement can be extracted from the most probable projected state having half the number of bosons in a given partition. Our study points to a fundamental difference between the nature of the entanglement in free-bosonic and free-fermionic systems, with the entanglement in the former being zero after projection, while that in the latter (corresponding to the impenetrable-boson limit) being nonzero.

Cellulose-Pectin Spatial Contacts Are Inherent to Never-Dried Arabidopsis Primary Cell Walls: Evidence from Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tuo; Park, Yong Bum; Hong, Mei

2015-01-01

The structural role of pectins in plant primary cell walls is not yet well understood because of the complex and disordered nature of the cell wall polymers. We recently introduced multidimensional solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterize the spatial proximities of wall polysaccharides. The data showed extensive cross peaks between pectins and cellulose in the primary wall of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), indicating subnanometer contacts between the two polysaccharides. This result was unexpected because stable pectin-cellulose interactions are not predicted by in vitro binding assays and prevailing cell wall models. To investigate whether the spatial contacts that give rise to the cross peaks are artifacts of sample preparation, we now compare never-dried Arabidopsis primary walls with dehydrated and rehydrated samples. One-dimensional 13C spectra, two-dimensional 13C-13C correlation spectra, water-polysaccharide correlation spectra, and dynamics data all indicate that the structure, mobility, and intermolecular contacts of the polysaccharides are indistinguishable between never-dried and rehydrated walls. Moreover, a partially depectinated cell wall in which 40% of homogalacturonan is extracted retains cellulose-pectin cross peaks, indicating that the cellulose-pectin contacts are not due to molecular crowding. The cross peaks are observed both at −20°C and at ambient temperature, thus ruling out freezing as a cause of spatial contacts. These results indicate that rhamnogalacturonan I and a portion of homogalacturonan have significant interactions with cellulose microfibrils in the native primary wall. This pectin-cellulose association may be formed during wall biosynthesis and may involve pectin entrapment in or between cellulose microfibrils, which cannot be mimicked by in vitro binding assays. PMID:26036615

Economics of United States tuberculosis airline contact investigation policies: a return on investment analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Margaret S; Marienau, Karen J; Marano, Nina; Marks, Suzanne M; Cetron, Martin S

2014-01-01

In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modified its 2008 protocol for flight-related tuberculosis contact investigation initiation. The 2011 Modified protocol was implemented and replaced the 2008 CDC protocol based on comparative epidemiologic and economic analyses; this publication reports the economic analysis results. A return on investment model compared relative changes in tuberculosis disease treatment costs resulting from expenditures on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis infection treatment for the 2008 CDC and Modified protocols. At moderate/high rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease, positive returns on investment indicated each $1.00 spent on tuberculosis contact investigations and latent tuberculosis treatment resulted in more than $1.00 of savings from reduced tuberculosis disease treatment costs. Low rates of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease resulted in negative returns on investment, indicating economic losses from tuberculosis disease treatment costs. There were smaller economic losses at low latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease rates with the Modified protocol in comparison to the 2008 CDC protocol, while both identified comparable numbers of persons at risk for tuberculosis. The Modified protocol for conducting flight-related tuberculosis contact investigations represents a better use of resources and protects public health. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Conservative systems with ports on contact manifolds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eberard, D.; Maschke, B.M.; van der Schaft, Arjan; Piztek, P.

In this paper we propose an extension of port Hamiltonian systems, called conservative systems with ports, which encompass systems arising from the Irreversible Thermodynamics. Firstly we lift a port Hamiltonian system from its state space manifold to the thermodynamic phase space to a contact

Contact Geometry of Mesoscopic Thermodynamics and Dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miroslav Grmela

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The time evolution during which macroscopic systems reach thermodynamic equilibrium states proceeds as a continuous sequence of contact structure preserving transformations maximizing the entropy. This viewpoint of mesoscopic thermodynamics and dynamics provides a unified setting for the classical equilibrium and nonequilibrium thermodynamics, kinetic theory, and statistical mechanics. One of the illustrations presented in the paper is a new version of extended nonequilibrium thermodynamics with fluxes as extra state variables.

75 FR 48986 - Northwest Area Water Supply Project, North Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-12

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Northwest Area Water Supply Project, North Dakota... Area Water Supply Project (NAWS Project), a Federal reclamation project, located in North Dakota. A... CONTACT: Alicia Waters, Northwest Area Water Supply Project EIS, Bureau of Reclamation, Dakotas Area...

75 FR 49518 - Northwest Area Water Supply Project, North Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Northwest Area Water Supply Project, North Dakota... Area Water Supply Project (NAWS Project), a Federal reclamation project, located in North Dakota. A... CONTACT: Alicia Waters, Northwest Area Water Supply Project EIS, Bureau of Reclamation, Dakotas Area...

Economic impact study of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project in Colorado: Colorado state fiscal year 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-12-01

The Colorado economic impact study summarizes employment and economic benefits to the state from activities associated with the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project during Colorado state fiscal year 1993 (July 1, 1992, through June 30, 1993). To capture employment benefits, a questionnaire was distributed to subcontractor employees at the active UMTRA Project sites of Grand Junction, Rifle, and Gunnison, Colorado. An estimated 52 percent of the employees working on the UMTRA Project responded to this information request. Economic data were requested from each site prime subcontractor, as well as from the Remedial Action Contractor. The most significant benefits associated with the UMTRA Project in Colorado are summarized

Unilateral contact problems variational methods and existence theorems

CERN Document Server

Eck, Christof; Krbec, Miroslav

2005-01-01

The mathematical analysis of contact problems, with or without friction, is an area where progress depends heavily on the integration of pure and applied mathematics. This book presents the state of the art in the mathematical analysis of unilateral contact problems with friction, along with a major part of the analysis of dynamic contact problems without friction. Much of this monograph emerged from the authors'' research activities over the past 10 years and deals with an approach proven fruitful in many situations. Starting from thin estimates of possible solutions, this approach is based on an approximation of the problem and the proof of a moderate partial regularity of the solution to the approximate problem. This in turn makes use of the shift (or translation) technique - an important yet often overlooked tool for contact problems and other nonlinear problems with limited regularity. The authors pay careful attention to quantification and precise results to get optimal bounds in sufficient conditions f...

Nonsmooth Newton method for Fischer function reformulation of contact force problems for interactive rigid body simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silcowitz, Morten; Niebe, Sarah Maria; Erleben, Kenny

2009-01-01

contact response. In this paper, we present a new approach to contact force determination. We reformulate the contact force problem as a nonlinear root search problem, using a Fischer function. We solve this problem using a generalized Newton method. Our new Fischer - Newton method shows improved...... qualities for specific configurations where the most widespread alternative, the Projected Gauss-Seidel method, fails. Experiments show superior convergence properties of the exact Fischer - Newton method....

How many Enrons? Mark-ups in the stated capital cost of independent power producers' (IPPs') power projects in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phadke, Amol

2009-01-01

I analyze the determinants of the stated capital cost of IPPs' power projects which significantly influences their price of power. I show that IPPs face a strong incentive to overstate their capital cost and argue that effective competition or regulatory scrutiny will limit the extent of the same. I analyze the stated capital costs of combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) IPP projects in eight developing countries which became operational during 1990-2006 and find that the stated capital cost of projects selected without competitive bidding is 44-56% higher than those selected with competitive bidding, even after controlling for the effect of cost differences among projects. The extent to which the stated capital costs of projects selected without competitive bidding are higher compared those selected with competitive bidding, is a lower bound on the extent to which they are overstated. My results indicate the drawbacks associated with a policy of promoting private sector participation without an adequate focus on improving competition or regulation. (author)

Transportation research synthesis : state DOT experiences with Primavera P6 project management software.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-01

The eight agencies we interviewed all reported general satisfaction with Primavera P6 as a project management tool within their organizations, although they noted that a significant commitment to training is required. Most states have not implemented...

Apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis on liquid infused surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Semprebon, Ciro; McHale, Glen; Kusumaatmaja, Halim

2016-12-21

We theoretically investigate the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of a droplet placed on a liquid infused surface. We show that the apparent contact angle is not uniquely defined by material parameters, but also has a dependence on the relative size between the droplet and its surrounding wetting ridge formed by the infusing liquid. We derive a closed form expression for the contact angle in the limit of vanishing wetting ridge, and compute the correction for small but finite ridge, which corresponds to an effective line tension term. We also predict contact angle hysteresis on liquid infused surfaces generated by the pinning of the contact lines by the surface corrugations. Our analytical expressions for both the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis can be interpreted as 'weighted sums' between the contact angles of the infusing liquid relative to the droplet and surrounding gas phases, where the weighting coefficients are given by ratios of the fluid surface tensions.

Evaluation of metal–nanowire electrical contacts by measuring contact end resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hongsik; Beresford, Roderic; Xu, Jimmy; Ha, Ryong; Choi, Heon-Jin; Shin, Hyunjung

2012-01-01

It is known, but often unappreciated, that the performance of nanowire (NW)-based electrical devices can be significantly affected by electrical contacts between electrodes and NWs, sometimes to the extent that it is really the contacts that determine the performance. To correctly understand and design NW device operation, it is thus important to carefully measure the contact resistance and evaluate the contact parameters, specific contact resistance and transfer length. A four-terminal pattern or a transmission line model (TLM) pattern has been widely used to measure contact resistance of NW devices and the TLM has been typically used to extract contact parameters of NW devices. However, the conventional method assumes that the electrical properties of semiconducting NW regions covered by a metal are not changed after electrode formation. In this study, we report that the conventional methods for contact evaluation can give rise to considerable errors because of an altered property of the NW under the electrodes. We demonstrate that more correct contact resistance can be measured from the TLM pattern rather than the four-terminal pattern and correct contact parameters including the effects of changed NW properties under electrodes can be evaluated by using the contact end resistance measurement method. (paper)

Correlations between deformations, surface state and leak rate in metal to metal contact; Correlations entre deformations, etat de surface et debit de fuite au contact metal-metal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armand, G; Lapujoulade, J; Paigne, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1963-07-01

The study of metal to metal contact from the stand-point of the leak rate has been carried on a copper ring located between two hard-steel flanges. The analysis of the results confirms the hysteresis phenomenon already seen. Some curves (leak rate versus force and leak rate versus true deformation) in semi-logarithmic coordinates are straight lines. Likewise some curves (electrical contact resistance versus force) in bi-logarithmic coordinates are straight lines. All these results can be understood by looking at the conductance introduced by the deformations of the micro-geometry of the surfaces in contact. Some tests carried out in rising the temperature confirm these hypothesis. (authors) [French] L'etude du contact metal-metal du point de vue debit de fuite a ete poursuivie en utilisant un anneau de cuivre place entre brides d'acier dur. L'analyse des resultats confirme le phenomene d'hysteresis deja constate, montre l'influence de l'etat de surface des brides et du joint. Certaines courbes (debit de fuite/force et debit de fuite/deformation rationnelle), en coordonnees semi-logarithmiques, sont des droites. De meme, certaines courbes (resistance de contact/force) en coordonnees bi-logarithmiques, sont des droites. Ces resultats s'interpretent en considerant la conductance produite par la deformation des microgeometries des surfaces en contact. Quelques essais d'elevation de temperature confirment ces resultats. (auteurs)

Static semicoercive normal compliance contact problem with limited interpenetration

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jarušek, Jiří

2015-01-01

Roč. 66, č. 5 (2015), s. 2161-2172 ISSN 0044-2275 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP201/12/0671 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : contact * limited interpenetration * friction Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.560, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00033-015-0539-5

Contact interactions of closed superstrings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greensite, J.

1987-07-01

It is shown that closed light-cone superstring field theory, which is presently formulated with only cubic interaction terms, does not have a stable ground state, and that the global supersymmetry algebra is violated at second order in the coupling. Local contact interactions, of quartic (and possibly higher) order in the string fields, must be added to the light-cone Hamiltonian to restore supersymmetry and vacuum stability. (orig.)

Contextualizing Intergroup Contact: Do Political Party Cues Enhance Contact Effects?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar; Thomsen, Jens Peter Frølund

2015-01-01

This article examines intergroup contact effects in different political contexts. We expand on previous efforts of social psychologists by incorporating the messages of political parties as a contextual trigger of group membership awareness in contact situations. We argue that the focus among...... political parties on us-them categorizations heightens the awareness of group memberships. This focus in turn enhances the positive intergroup contact effect by stimulating majority members to perceive contacted persons as prototypical outgroup members. A multilevel analysis of 22 countries and almost 37......,000 individuals confirms that the ability of intergroup contact to reduce antiforeigner sentiment increases when political parties focus intensively on immigration issues and cultural differences. Specifically, both workplace contact and interethnic friendship become more effective in reducing antiforeigner...

Theory of the Andreev reflection and the density of states in proximity contact normal-superconducting infinite double-layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagato, Yasushi; Nagai, Katsuhiko

1993-01-01

Proximity contact N-S double-layer with infinite layer widths is studied in the clean limit. The finite reflection at the interface is taken into account. Starting from a recent theory of finite width double-layer by Ashida et al., the authors obtain explicit expressions for the quasi-classical Green's function which already satisfy the boundary condition and include no exploding terms at infinities. The self-consistent pair potentials are obtained numerically with sufficient accuracy. The Andreev reflection at the N-S interface is discussed on the basis of the self-consistent pair potential. It is shown that there exists a resonance state in a potential valley formed between the depressed pair potential and the partially reflecting interface, which leads to a peak of the Andreev reflection coefficient with the height unity slightly below the bulk superconductor energy gap. They also find general relationship between the Andreev reflection coefficient and the local density of states of the superconductor just at the interface

Collecting data on leisure travel: The link between leisure contacts and social interactions

OpenAIRE

Kowald, Matthias; Frei, Andreas; Hackney, Jeremy K.; Illenberger, J.; Axhausen, Kay W.

2010-01-01

The aim of a new survey project is to collect data on the link between leisure contacts and leisure activities. The paper introduces briefly into former studies that applied the methods of social network analysis in transport planning. Using these projects as starting points the methodology and background of the new project are presented in detail. This is followed by first descriptive analyses checking how representative the data are for the Swiss population. The paper finishes by giving an ...

Measuring contact area in a sliding human finger-pad contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, X; Carré, M J; Zhang, Q; Lu, Z; Matcher, S J; Lewis, R

2018-02-01

The work outlined in this paper was aimed at achieving further understanding of skin frictional behaviour by investigating the contact area between human finger-pads and flat surfaces. Both the static and the dynamic contact areas (in macro- and micro-scales) were measured using various techniques, including ink printing, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC). In the studies of the static measurements using ink printing, the experimental results showed that the apparent and the real contact area increased with load following a piecewise linear correlation function for a finger-pad in contact with paper sheets. Comparisons indicated that the OCT method is a reliable and effective method to investigate the real contact area of a finger-pad and allow micro-scale analysis. The apparent contact area (from the DIC measurements) was found to reduce with time in the transition from the static phase to the dynamic phase while the real area of contact (from OCT) increased. The results from this study enable the interaction between finger-pads and contact object surface to be better analysed, and hence improve the understanding of skin friction. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A practical introduction to tensor networks: Matrix product states and projected entangled pair states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orús, Román, E-mail: roman.orus@uni-mainz.de

2014-10-15

This is a partly non-technical introduction to selected topics on tensor network methods, based on several lectures and introductory seminars given on the subject. It should be a good place for newcomers to get familiarized with some of the key ideas in the field, specially regarding the numerics. After a very general introduction we motivate the concept of tensor network and provide several examples. We then move on to explain some basics about Matrix Product States (MPS) and Projected Entangled Pair States (PEPS). Selected details on some of the associated numerical methods for 1d and 2d quantum lattice systems are also discussed. - Highlights: • A practical introduction to selected aspects of tensor network methods is presented. • We provide analytical examples of MPS and 2d PEPS. • We provide basic aspects on several numerical methods for MPS and 2d PEPS. • We discuss a number of applications of tensor network methods from a broad perspective.

Liquid-bridge stability and breakup on surfaces with contact-angle hysteresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, Amir; Hill, Reghan J

2016-08-10

We study the stability and breakup of liquid bridges with a free contact line on surfaces with contact-angle hysteresis (CAH) under zero-gravity conditions. Non-ideal surfaces exhibit CAH because of surface imperfections, by which the constraints on three-phase contact lines are influenced. Given that interfacial instabilities are constraint-sensitive, understanding how CAH affects the stability and breakup of liquid bridges is crucial for predicting the drop size in contact-drop dispensing. Unlike ideal surfaces on which contact lines are always free irrespective of surface wettability, contact lines may undergo transitions from pinned to free and vice versa during drop deposition on non-ideal surfaces. Here, we experimentally and theoretically examine how stability and breakup are affected by CAH, highlighting cases where stability is lost during a transition from a pinned-pinned (more constrained) to pinned-free (less constrained) interface-rather than a critical state. This provides a practical means of expediting or delaying stability loss. We also demonstrate how the dynamic contact angle can control the contact-line radius following stability loss.

A sparse autoencoder-based deep neural network for protein solvent accessibility and contact number prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Lei; Fan, Chao; Zeng, Zhiwen

2017-12-28

Direct prediction of the three-dimensional (3D) structures of proteins from one-dimensional (1D) sequences is a challenging problem. Significant structural characteristics such as solvent accessibility and contact number are essential for deriving restrains in modeling protein folding and protein 3D structure. Thus, accurately predicting these features is a critical step for 3D protein structure building. In this study, we present DeepSacon, a computational method that can effectively predict protein solvent accessibility and contact number by using a deep neural network, which is built based on stacked autoencoder and a dropout method. The results demonstrate that our proposed DeepSacon achieves a significant improvement in the prediction quality compared with the state-of-the-art methods. We obtain 0.70 three-state accuracy for solvent accessibility, 0.33 15-state accuracy and 0.74 Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) for the contact number on the 5729 monomeric soluble globular protein dataset. We also evaluate the performance on the CASP11 benchmark dataset, DeepSacon achieves 0.68 three-state accuracy and 0.69 PCC for solvent accessibility and contact number, respectively. We have shown that DeepSacon can reliably predict solvent accessibility and contact number with stacked sparse autoencoder and a dropout approach.

Electric contact arcing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuthrell, R.E.

1976-01-01

Electrical contacts must function properly in many types of components used in nuclear weapon systems. Design, application, and testing of these components require detailed knowledge of chemical and physical phenomena associated with stockpile storage, stockpile testing, and operation. In the past, investigation of these phenomena has led to significant discoveries on the effects of surface contaminants, friction and wear, and the mechanics of closure on contact performance. A recent investigation of contact arcing phenomena which revealed that, preceding contact closure, arcs may occur at voltages lower than had been previously known is described. This discovery is important, since arcing may damage contacts, and repetitive testing of contacts performed as part of a quality assurance program might produce cumulative damage that would yield misleading life-test data and could prevent proper operation of the contacts at some time in the future. This damage can be avoided by determining the conditions under which arcing occurs, and ensuring that these conditions are avoided in contact testing

NEWS Climatology Project: The State of the Water Cycle at Continental to Global Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Rodell, Matthew; LEcuyer, Tristan; Beaudoing, Hiroko Kato; Olson, Bill

2011-01-01

NASA's Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS) program fosters collaborative research towards improved quantification and prediction of water and energy cycle consequences of climate change. In order to measure change, it is first necessary to describe current conditions. The goal of the NEWS Water and Energy Cycle Climatology project is to develop "state of the global water cycle" and "state of the global energy cycle" assessments based on data from modern ground and space based observing systems and data integrating models. The project is a multiinstitutional collaboration with more than 20 active contributors. This presentation will describe results of the first stage of the water budget analysis, whose goal was to characterize the current state of the water cycle on mean monthly, continental scales. We examine our success in closing the water budget within the expected uncertainty range and the effects of forcing budget closure as a method for refining individual flux estimates.

Measurements of heat transfer coefficients at low contact pressures for actively cooled bolted armour concepts in Tore Supra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipa, M.; Chappuis, Ph.; Dufayet, A.

2000-01-01

For the future upgrade of inner vessel components (CIEL project) a guard limiter for plasma ramp-up and disruption protection will be installed on the high field side of the vacuum vessel. Among transient heat loads, this structure has to sustain a moderate heat flux in the range of ≤0.5 MW/m 2 during quasi steady state operation (1000 s). A bolted carbon-carbon (C-C) tile is preferred compared with a brazed tile solution due to the expected moderate heat fluxes, costs and the possibility of rapid replacement of individual tiles. Large flat tile assemblies require a sufficient soft and conductive compliant layer enclosed between tile and heat sink in order to avoid thermal contact loss of the assembly during heat loads and therefore minimising the tile surface temperature. The global heat transfer coefficient (H gl ) under vacuum at low contact pressures (0.5-1.5 MPa) between C-C and CuCrZr heat sink substrata has been measured in the experimental device, installation of contact heat transfer measurements (ITTAC), using different compliant materials. It appears that the best compliant layer is a graphite sheet (PAPYEX), compared with copper-felt/foam material. As an example, a H gl number of ∼10 4 W/m 2 K at an average contact pressure of 0.5 MPa has been measured near room temperature between C-C (SEP N11) and CuCrZr substrata using a 0.5-mm thick PAPYEX layer. Thermohydraulic calculations (2D) of the guard limiter design show an expected tile surface temperature of about 550 deg. C in steady state regime for an incident heat flux of 0.5 MW/m 2

DETERMINATION OF CONTACT STRESSES IN THE RAILS P50, WHICH ARE OPERATED IN THE METRO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Agarkov

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose. In the research one should do: 1 to determine a 3-d stress-strain state of the rail head in contact with the rolling wheels; 2 to analyze different forms of contact interaction; 3 to obtain the data necessary to calculate the durability of railway track rails. Methodology. The basis for calculating the 3-d stress-strain state is the finite element method. The basis for calculating the volume of the stress-strain state is the finite element method. The problem was solved in the elastic 3-D conditions. Real geometrical bodies parameters were used during the solving. Findings. The calculation of the 3-d stress-strain state of the rail head in contact with the rolling wheels for various cases of the contact surfaces geometry is performed. The results of calculation are presented in the graphic and tabular form. The comparison of different options contact conditions is performed. The results are analyzed and conclusions about the optimality conditions of contact interaction are made. Originality. The results of the calculation showed that within the criterion of minimizing the contact stresses in the rails P50 for the conditions specific to the direct contact route section, the use of rolling wheels with a profile according to the drawings of CJSC «MINETEK» is not the most rational decision. The most rational in this case, among the considered is the laying of rails in track with gradient 1:20 and the use of the wheel with the rolling surface profile of 1:10 conicity. The lack of rail gradient eliminates the benefits of the wheel running surface with 1:10 conicity, and a case of contact interaction is the least rational. Practical value. The results of analysis of the contact interaction of the rail head with a rolling stock wheel in a three-dimensional elastic formulation for different conditions of contact interaction were obtained. These data can be used to optimize the conditions of contact interaction and scientific substantiation of

Nation state and the challenge of globalization: Project draft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Obrenović Zoran G.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This project draft discusses the issues facing a nation state in the dynamic processes of globalization. First, the term globalization is tentatively defined as a decentralized process of condensation and homogenization of space and time. Then, the ambivalent structure of the globalization discourse, i.e. its semantic and pragmatic dimensions, are shown. The neo-liberal viewpoint is explored of the erosion and weakening of the nation state within the global capitalist power, both in terms of its (state's traditional functions, and in terms of its internal and external sovereignty. Against the neo-liberal thesis about the decline of the nation state many empirical arguments have been offered. Some of these are presented in this text. The main point of this argumentation consists in a general view that the decline of the nation state is strongly linked with the process of globalization. In view of the critical argumentation included in the paper, it is argued that in the environment of global processes only the societies which have a strong state behind them have a chance to succeed. Politics, not economy, still dominates international relations. Emphasis on state politics opens a new perspective in discussing the process of globalization. Current globalization processes cannot be judged accurately unless geopolitical interests and the changing balance of world power are understood. Finally, the paper points to the ideological nature of the neo-liberal discourse of globalization, questioning another basic assumption of the latter, namely, the idea that the process of globalization is at the same time a process of emancipation. By challenging the positing of a necessary link between globalization and emancipation we formulate a position that allows for a normative critique of current processes.

A vibrating thermoelastic plate in a contact with an obstacle

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bock, I.; Jarušek, Jiří

2015-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 1 (2015), s. 39-52 ISSN 1210-3195 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP201/12/0671 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : thermoelastic plate * unilateral dynamic contact * rigid obstacle Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics http://tatra.mat.savba.sk/paper.php?id_paper=1244

The Introduction of Innovative Services in a State Owned Airline: A Case Study of an IT Migration Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantinos Malagas

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study critically examines the transition process followed by a state-owned airline in a major IT migration project (introduction of novel electronic services. The change management process proposed by Kotter (1995 is examined in relation to the different phases identifed, based on an interview based qualitative research. Focusing on the project team leaders a set of results is identifed / determined, which provides signifcant insight into the key factors, defciencies and outcomes of the project, with reference to the characteristics of a state-owned company. Further elaboration of the proposed methodology is deemed to be applicable in the identifcation of the weak and strong points of similar change projects.

An EBIS for charge state breeding in the SPES project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Variale, V.; Lamanna, G.; Valentino, V.; Brautti, G.; Clauser, T.; Raino, A.; Stagno, V.; Boggia, A.; Boimelshtein, Y.; Logatchov, P.; Skarbo, B.; Tiunov, M.

2002-01-01

The charge state breeder BRIC (Breeding Ion Charge) is in construction at the INFN section of Bari (Italy). It is based on EBIS scheme and it is designed to accept radioactive ion beam (RIB) with charge state +1 in a slow injection mode. This experiment can be considered as a first step towards the design and construction of a charge breeder for the SPES project. The new feature of BRIC, with respect to the classical EBIS is given by the insertion, in the ion chamber, of a rf-quadrupole aiming at filtering the unwanted masses and then making a more efficient containment of the wanted ions. In this paper, the breeder design, the simulation results of the electron and ion beam propagation and the construction problems of the device will be reported. (author)

Projections in donor organs available for liver transplantation in the United States: 2014-2025.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Neehar D; Hutton, David; Marrero, Wesley; Sanghani, Kunal; Xu, Yongcai; Lavieri, Mariel

2015-06-01

With the aging US population, demographic shifts, and obesity epidemic, there is potential for further exacerbation of the current liver donor shortage. We aimed to project the availability of liver grafts in the United States. We performed a secondary analysis of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database of all adult donors from 2000 to 2012 and calculated the total number of donors available and transplanted donor livers stratified by age, race, and body mass index (BMI) group per year. We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention historical data to stratify the general population by age, sex, race, and BMI. We then used US population age and race projections provided by the US Census Bureau and the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and made national and regional projections of available donors and donor liver utilization from 2014 to 2025. We performed sensitivity analyses and varied the rate of the rise in obesity, proportion of Hispanics, population growth, liver utilization rate, and donation after cardiac death (DCD) utilization. The projected adult population growth in the United States from 2014 to 2025 will be 7.1%. However, we project that there will be a 6.1% increase in the number of used liver grafts. There is marked regional heterogeneity in liver donor growth. Projections were significantly affected by changes in BMI, DCD utilization, and liver utilization rates but not by changes in the Hispanic proportion of the US population or changes in the overall population growth. Overall population growth will outpace the growth of available donor organs and thus potentially exacerbate the existing liver graft shortage. The projected growth in organs is highly heterogeneous across different United Network for Organ Sharing regions. Focused strategies to increase the liver donor pool are warranted. © 2015 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

[Eye contact effects: A therapeutic issue?

Science.gov (United States)

Baltazar, M; Conty, L

2016-12-01

following the view that people with autism are not interested in processing social signals such as gaze but could do so efficiently if properly motivated. For each pathology we emphasize that eye contact could be used, for example, to enhance sensitivity to bodily states, thus improving emotional decision making (in autism); to lead to more positive appraisal of the self and others (in depression); to improve memory performances (in Alzheimer disease) and, more generally, to motivate the recipient to engage in the therapeutic process. (3) Finally we propose two concrete ways to employ eye contact effects as a therapeutic tool. The first is to develop cognitive-behavioral tools to learn and/or motivate the recipient to create frequent and prolonged eye contact periods. The second is to raise awareness among caregivers of the beneficial effects of eye contact and to teach them the way to use eye contact to reach its optimum effects. Future investigations are however needed to explore the ways in which eye contact effects can be efficiently integrated in therapeutic strategies, as well as to identify the clinical populations that can benefit from such therapeutic interventions. Copyright © 2016 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Behaviour of contact layer material between cermet fuel element core and can

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavrilin, S.S.; Permyakov, L.N.; Simakov, G.A.; Chernikov, A.S.

1996-01-01

The structural state of the contact layer between the shell of the Zr1Nb alloy and cermet fuel element core containing up to 70% of uranium dioxides is experimental studied. The silumin alloy was used as contact material. The results of studies on interaction zones, formed on the Zr1Nb - silumin boundary after fuel elements manufacture and also under temperature conditions, modeling the maximum design and hypothetical accidents accompanied by the contact material melting, are presented [ru

Metallized compliant 3D microstructures for dry contact thermal conductance enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jin; Wang, Jicheng; Zhong, Yang; Pan, Liang; Weibel, Justin A.

2018-05-01

Microstructured three-dimensional (3D) materials can be engineered to enable new capabilities for various engineering applications; however, microfabrication of large 3D structures is typically expensive due to the conventional top-down fabrication scheme. Herein we demonstrated the use of projection micro-stereolithography and electrodeposition as cost-effective and high-throughput methods to fabricate compliant 3D microstructures as a thermal interface material (TIM). This novel TIM structure consists of an array of metallized micro-springs designed to enhance the dry contact thermal conductance between nonflat surfaces under low interface pressures (10s-100s kPa). Mechanical compliance and thermal resistance measurements confirm that this dry contact TIM can achieve conformal contact between mating surfaces with a nonflatness of approximately 5 µm under low interface pressures.

Control of polyaniline conductivity and contact angles by partial protonation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Blinova, Natalia V.; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Trchová, Miroslava; Prokeš, J.

2008-01-01

Roč. 57, č. 1 (2008), s. 66-69 ISSN 0959-8103 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 847; GA ČR GA202/06/0419 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : conducting polymer * conductivity * contact angle Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.029, year: 2008

Exploring Factors Affecting Implementation of Public Private Partnership Housing Projects in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Sani

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Public Private Partnership (PPP Housing scheme in Nigeria is intended to complement government effort toward increasing housing stock and providing affordable housing in the country. However, Bauchi state government adopted the construction of 5,000 phases PPP Housing. But 6 years after the commencement of the scheme, only a few numbers of housing units were completed and commissioned. Therefore, it becomes imperative to carry out research on the impact level of those factors affecting the implementation of the scheme. The aim of the study is to investigate impact level of factors affecting the implementation of PPP housing projects in Bauchi state with a view to find out possible ways that will improve the implementation of the scheme. The descriptive and explorative research design was adopted for this study. 54 structured Questionnaires were administered to construction professional’s staff under private housing developers and relevant government agencies in Bauchi state. 42 valid Questionnaires were retrieved and analysed with SPSS software. The result of the quantitative data analysis shows that creation of favourable investment environment and government support have very high Impact on the implementation of Bauchi PPP housing projects. Therefore, this study recommends that government and other stakeholders should give more attention to the creation of favourable investment environment, support in policy formulation and managerial strategies in the future for improving the implementation of PPP housing projects.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meltem Önder

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Allergic contact dermatitis is the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to exogenous agents. Allergic contact dermatitis may clinically present acutely after allergen exposure and initial sensitization in a previously sensitized individual. Acute phase is characterized by erythematous, scaly plaques. In severe cases vesiculation and bullae in exposed areas are very characteristic. Repeated or continuous exposure of sensitized individual with allergen result in chronic dermatitis. Lichenification, erythematous plaques, hyperkeratosis and fissuring may develop in chronic patients. Allergic contact dermatitis is very common dermatologic problem in dermatology daily practice. A diagnosis of contact dermatitis requires the careful consideration of patient history, physical examination and patch testing. The knowledge of the clinical features of the skin reactions to various contactans is important to make a correct diagnosis of contact dermatitis. It can be seen in every age, in children textile product, accessories and touch products are common allergens, while in adults allergic contact dermatitis may be related with topical medicaments. The contact pattern of contact dermatitis depends on fashion and local traditions as well. The localization of allergic reaction should be evaluated and patients’ occupation and hobbies should be asked. The purpose of this review is to introduce to our collaques up dated allergic contact dermatitis literatures both in Turkey and in the World.

Vascular species composition of a contact zone between Seasonal and Araucaria forests in Guaraciaba, Far West of Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil

OpenAIRE

Gnigler, Luciana; Caddah, Mayara

2015-01-01

A floristic survey was carried out in a contact area between Araucaria Forest and Seasonal Forest areas, in the municipality of Guaraciaba, Far West of Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil. We provide a checklist containing 108 species and 42 plant families for the area. Families with the most encountered number of species were Myrtaceae (eight species), Solanaceae (eight), Euphorbiaceae (seven) and Poaceae (six). Two species are classified as endangered of extinction, following IUCN criteri...

Twisted injectivity in projected entangled pair states and the classification of quantum phases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buerschaper, Oliver, E-mail: obuerschaper@perimeterinstitute.ca

2014-12-15

We introduce a class of projected entangled pair states (PEPS) which is based on a group symmetry twisted by a 3-cocycle of the group. This twisted symmetry is expressed as a matrix product operator (MPO) with bond dimension greater than 1 and acts on the virtual boundary of a PEPS tensor. We show that it gives rise to a new standard form for PEPS from which we construct a family of local Hamiltonians which are gapped, frustration-free and include fixed points of the renormalization group flow. Based on this insight, we advance the classification of 2D gapped quantum spin systems by showing how this new standard form for PEPS determines the emergent topological order of these local Hamiltonians. Specifically, we identify their universality class as DIJKGRAAF–WITTEN topological quantum field theory (TQFT). - Highlights: • We introduce a new standard form for projected entangled pair states via a twisted group symmetry which is given by nontrivial matrix product operators. • We construct a large family of gapped, frustration-free Hamiltonians in two dimensions from this new standard form. • We rigorously show how this new standard form for low energy states determines the emergent topological order.

Economic impact study of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action project in Colorado: Colorado state fiscal year 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-12-01

This Colorado economic impact study summarizes employment and economic benefits to the state from activities associated with the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project during Colorado state fiscal year (FY) 1995 (1 July 1994 through 30 June 1995). To capture employment information, a questionnaire was distributed to subcontractor employees at the active UMTRA Project sites of Grand Junction, Gunnison, Maybell, Naturita, Rifle, and Slick Rock, Colorado. Economic data were requested from the Remedial Action Contractor (RAC), the Technical Assistance Contractor (TAC) and the US Department of Energy (DOE). The most significant benefits associated with the UMTRA Project in Colorado are summarized

Solvability of Static Contact Problems with Coulomb Friction for Orthotropic Material

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Eck, C.; Jarušek, Jiří

2008-01-01

Roč. 93, č. 1 (2008), s. 93-104 ISSN 0374-3535 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1075402 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : contact problem * Coulomb friction * orthotropic elasticity Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.277, year: 2008

Immunotherapy of allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiewak, Radoslaw

2011-08-01

The term 'immunotherapy' refers to treating diseases by inducing, enhancing or suppressing immune responses. As allergy is an excessive, detrimental immune reaction to otherwise harmless environmental substances, immunotherapy of allergic disease is aimed at the induction of tolerance toward sensitizing antigens. This article focuses on the historical developments, present state and future outlook for immunotherapy with haptens as a therapeutic modality for allergic contact dermatitis. Inspired by the effectiveness of immunotherapy in respiratory allergies, attempts were undertaken at curing allergic contact dermatitis by means of controlled administration of the sensitizing haptens. Animal and human experiments confirmed that tolerance to haptens can be induced most effectively when the induction of tolerance precedes attempted sensitization. In real life, however, therapy is sought by people who are already sensitized and an effective reversal of hypersensitivity seems more difficult to achieve. Decades of research on Rhus hypersensitivity led to a conclusion that immunotherapy can suppress Rhus dermatitis, however, only to a limited degree, for a short period of time, and at a high risk of side effects, which makes this method therapeutically unprofitable. Methodological problems with most available studies of immunotherapy of contact allergy to nickel make any definite conclusions impossible at this stage.

Long wavelength infrared radiation thermometry for non-contact temperature measurements in gas turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Manara, J.; Zipf, M.; Stark, T.; Arduini, M.; Ebert, H.-P.; Tutschke, A.; Hallam, A.; Hanspal, J.; Langley, M.; Hodge, D.; Hartmann, J.

2017-01-01

The objective of the EU project "Sensors Towards Advanced Monitoring and Control of Gas Turbine Engines (acronym STARGATE)" is the development of a suite of advanced sensors, instrumentation and related systems in order to contribute to the developing of the next generation of green and efficient gas turbine engines. One work package of the project deals with the design and development of a long wavelength infrared (LWIR) radiation thermometer for the non-contact measurement of the surface temperature of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) during the operation of gas turbine engines. For opaque surfaces (e.g. metals or superalloys) radiation thermometers which are sensitive in the near or short wavelength infrared are used as state-of-the-art method for non-contact temperature measurements. But this is not suitable for oxide ceramic based TBCs (e.g. partially yttria stabilized zirconia) as oxide ceramics are semi-transparent in the near and short wavelength infrared spectral region. Fortunately the applied ceramic materials are non-transparent in the long wavelength infrared and additionally exhibit a high emittance in this wavelength region. Therefore, a LWIR pyrometer can be used for non-contact temperature measurements of the surfaces of TBCs as such pyrometers overcome the described limitation of existing techniques. For performing non-contact temperature measurements in gas turbines one has to know the infrared-optical properties of the applied TBCs as well as of the hot combustion gas in order to properly analyse the measurement data. For reaching a low uncertainty on the one hand the emittance of the TBC should be high (>0.9) in order to reduce reflections from the hot surrounding and on the other hand the absorbance of the hot combustion gas should be low (<0.1) in order to decrease the influence of the gas on the measured signal. This paper presents the results of the work performed by the authors with focus on the implementation of the LWIR pyrometer and the

Experimental investigation on the electrical contact behavior of rolling contact connector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Junxing; Yang, Fei, E-mail: yfei2007@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Luo, Kaiyu; Zhu, Mingliang; Wu, Yi; Rong, Mingzhe [State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China)

2015-12-15

Rolling contact connector (RCC) is a new technology utilized in high performance electric power transfer systems with one or more rotating interfaces, such as radars, satellites, wind generators, and medical computed tomography machines. Rolling contact components are used in the RCC instead of traditional sliding contacts to transfer electrical power and/or signal. Since the requirement of the power transmission is increasing in these years, the rolling electrical contact characteristics become more and more important for the long-life design of RCC. In this paper, a typical form of RCC is presented. A series of experimental work are carried out to investigate the rolling electrical contact characteristics during its lifetime. The influence of a variety of factors on the electrical contact degradation behavior of RCC is analyzed under both vacuum and air environment. Based on the surface morphology and elemental composition changes in the contact zone, which are assessed by field emission scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope, the mechanism of rolling electrical contact degradation is discussed.

Catalog of Investment Projects in Bulgaria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-10-15

This catalog includes information about 129 potential investment projects in Bulgaria and was developed by a team of experts from InvestBulgaria Agency in cooperation with municipalities and private companies. The document presents in brief general facts about the regions in Bulgaria. Projects are divided into the following categories: Tourism, Manufacturing, Urban Planning, Real Estate, Environment and renewable energy sources, Commerce, and Innovative and creative projects. The catalog provides detailed information about each project such as: status of the project, location, ownership, infrastructure, estimated value, contact information, etc.

CMS Sensitivity to Quark Contact Interactions using Dijets

CERN Document Server

Esen, Selda

2006-01-01

We estimate CMS sensitivity to quark contact interactions in the dijet final state. The canonical model of a contact interaction among left-handed composite quarks changes the dijet angular distribution at high dijet mass. The dijet ratio variable introduced at the Tevatron is used as a simple measure of the angular distribution as a function of dijet mass. The contact interaction signal and QCD background are estimated for the dijet ratio as a function of dijet mass from 0.3 to 6.5 TeV. Statistical uncertainties are estimated for integrated luminosities of 100 pb^-1, 1 fb^-1, and 10 fb^-1 and a realistic trigger table including multiple thresholds and prescales for the single jet triggers. Systematic uncertainties on the dijet ratio are estimated and are found to be small. The chisquard between the background and the signal is estimated, including systematics, and is used to find CMS sensitivity to the contact interaction scale Lambda^+. For an integrated luminosity of 100 pb^-1, 1 fb^-1, and 10 fb^-1, CMS c...

Projected costs of nuclear and conventional base load electricity generation in some IAEA Member States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

The cost of nuclear and conventional electricity is one of the most important parameters for power system planning, and in particular for decisions on base load power projects. This study reviews the projected levelized electricity generation costs of the base load power generation options expected to be available in the medium term, using an agreed common economic methodology. Cost projections were obtained and evaluated for nuclear and fossil fuelled (mainly coal-fired) plants that could be commissioned in the mid- to late 1990s in 10 IAEA Member States. 27 refs, figs and tabs

Utility-Scale Solar 2014. An Empirical Analysis of Project Cost, Performance, and Pricing Trends in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolinger, Mark [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Seel, Joachim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-09-01

Other than the nine Solar Energy Generation Systems (“SEGS”) parabolic trough projects built in the 1980s, virtually no large-scale or “utility-scale” solar projects – defined here to include any groundmounted photovoltaic (“PV”), concentrating photovoltaic (“CPV”), or concentrating solar thermal power (“CSP”) project larger than 5 MW_AC – existed in the United States prior to 2007. By 2012 – just five years later – utility-scale had become the largest sector of the overall PV market in the United States, a distinction that was repeated in both 2013 and 2014 and that is expected to continue for at least the next few years. Over this same short period, CSP also experienced a bit of a renaissance in the United States, with a number of large new parabolic trough and power tower systems – some including thermal storage – achieving commercial operation. With this critical mass of new utility-scale projects now online and in some cases having operated for a number of years (generating not only electricity, but also empirical data that can be mined), the rapidly growing utility-scale sector is ripe for analysis. This report, the third edition in an ongoing annual series, meets this need through in-depth, annually updated, data-driven analysis of not just installed project costs or prices – i.e., the traditional realm of solar economics analyses – but also operating costs, capacity factors, and power purchase agreement (“PPA”) prices from a large sample of utility-scale solar projects in the United States. Given its current dominance in the market, utility-scale PV also dominates much of this report, though data from CPV and CSP projects are presented where appropriate.

A Contact Pressure Analysis Comparing an All-Inside and Inside-Out Surgical Repair Technique for Bucket-Handle Medial Meniscus Tears.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchetti, Daniel Cole; Phelps, Brian M; Dahl, Kimi D; Slette, Erik L; Mikula, Jacob D; Dornan, Grant J; Bucci, Gabriella; Turnbull, Travis Lee; Singleton, Steven B

2017-10-01

To directly compare effectiveness of the inside-out and all-inside medial meniscal repair techniques in restoring native contact area and contact pressure across the medial tibial plateau at multiple knee flexion angles. Twelve male, nonpaired (n = 12), fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees underwent a series of 5 consecutive states: (1) intact medial meniscus, (2) MCL tear and repair, (3) simulated bucket-handle longitudinal tear of the medial meniscus, (4) inside-out meniscal repair, and (5) all-inside meniscal repair. Knees were loaded with a 1,000-N axial compressive force at 5 knee flexion angles (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°), and contact area, mean contact pressure, and peak contact pressure were calculated using thin film pressure sensors. No significant differences were observed between the inside-out and all-inside repair techniques at any flexion angle for contact area, mean contact pressure, and peak contact pressure (all P > .791). Compared with the torn meniscus state, inside-out and all-inside repair techniques resulted in increased contact area at all flexion angles (all P contact pressure at all flexion angles (all P contact pressure at all flexion angles (all P contact area and peak contact pressure between the intact state and inside-out technique at angles ≥45° (all P contact area at 60° and 90° and peak contact pressure at 90° (both P contact area, mean contact pressure, and peak contact pressure over the tested flexion angles ranged from 498 to 561 mm 2 , 786 to 997 N/mm 2 , and 1,990 to 2,215 N/mm 2 , respectively. Contact area, mean contact pressure, and peak contact pressure were not significantly different between the all-inside and inside-out repair techniques at any tested flexion angle. Both techniques adequately restored native meniscus biomechanics near an intact level. An all-inside repair technique provided similar, native-state-restoring contact mechanics compared with an inside-out repair technique for the treatment of

Atlas of point contact spectra of electron-phonon interactions in metals

CERN Document Server

Khotkevich, A V

1995-01-01

The characteristics of electrical contacts have long attracted the attention of researchers since these contacts are used in every electrical and electronic device. Earlier studies generally considered electrical contacts of large dimensions, having regions of current concentration with diameters substantially larger than the characteristic dimensions of the material: the interatomic distance, the mean free path for electrons, the coherence length in the superconducting state, etc. [110]. The development of microelectronics presented to scientists and engineers the task of studying the characteristics of electrical contacts with ultra-small dimensions. Characteristics of point contacts such as mechanical stability under continuous current loads, the magnitudes of electrical fluctuations, inherent sensitivity in radio devices and nonlinear characteristics in connection with electromagnetic radiation can not be understood and altered in the required way without knowledge of the physical processes occurring in c...

All-solid-state potassium-selective electrode using graphene as the solid contact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Fenghua; Ye, Junjin; Zhou, Min

2012-01-01

Graphene sheets are used for the first time to fabricate a new type of solid-contact ion-selective electrode (SC-ISE) as the intermediate layer between an ionophore-doped solvent polymeric membrane and a glassy carbon electrode. The new transducing layer was characterized by transmission electron...

The significance of oxygen during contact lens wear.

Science.gov (United States)

Papas, Eric B

2014-12-01

In order to establish the relevance of oxygen to contemporary contact lens practice, a review of the literature was conducted. The results indicate that there are a number of processes occurring in the normal healthy eye where oxygen is required and which are potentially affected by the presence of a contact lens. These activities appear to take place at all corneal levels, as well as at the limbus. Evidence from laboratory, clinical and modelling studies indicates that what constitutes normal oxygenation (normoxia) depends on, among other things, the physiological system under consideration, corneal location and the state of eye closure. This diversity is reflected in the wide range of minimum lens oxygen transmissibility (Dk/t) requirements that are present in a literature. Copyright © 2014 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CONTACT RESISTANCE MODELING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. LOSKUTOV

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To determine the contribution of the real contact spots distribution in the total conductivity of the conductors contact. Methodology. The electrical contact resistance research was carried out on models. The experimental part of this work was done on paper with a graphite layer with membranes (the first type and conductive liquids with discrete partitions (the second type. Findings. It is shown that the contact electrical resistance is mainly determined by the real area of metal contact. The experimental dependence of the electrical resistance of the second type model on the distance between the electrodes and the potential distribution along the sample surface for the first type model were obtained. The theoretical model based on the principle of electric field superposition was considered. The dependences obtained experimentally and calculated by using the theoretical model are in good agreement. Originality. The regularity of the electrical contact resistance formation on a large number of membranes was researched for the first time. A new model of discrete electrical contact based on the liquid as the conducting environment with nuclear membrane partitions was developed. The conclusions of the additivity of contact and bulk electrical resistance were done. Practical value. Based on these researches, a new experimental method of kinetic macroidentation that as a parameter of the metal surface layer deformation uses the real contact area was developed. This method allows to determine the value of average contact stresses, yield point, change of the stress on the depth of deformation depending on the surface treatment.

The State of Open Source Electronic Health Record Projects: A Software Anthropology Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsaffar, Mona; Yellowlees, Peter; Odor, Alberto; Hogarth, Michael

2017-02-24

Electronic health records (EHR) are a key tool in managing and storing patients' information. Currently, there are over 50 open source EHR systems available. Functionality and usability are important factors for determining the success of any system. These factors are often a direct reflection of the domain knowledge and developers' motivations. However, few published studies have focused on the characteristics of free and open source software (F/OSS) EHR systems and none to date have discussed the motivation, knowledge background, and demographic characteristics of the developers involved in open source EHR projects. This study analyzed the characteristics of prevailing F/OSS EHR systems and aimed to provide an understanding of the motivation, knowledge background, and characteristics of the developers. This study identified F/OSS EHR projects on SourceForge and other websites from May to July 2014. Projects were classified and characterized by license type, downloads, programming languages, spoken languages, project age, development status, supporting materials, top downloads by country, and whether they were "certified" EHRs. Health care F/OSS developers were also surveyed using an online survey. At the time of the assessment, we uncovered 54 open source EHR projects, but only four of them had been successfully certified under the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC Health IT) Certification Program. In the majority of cases, the open source EHR software was downloaded by users in the United States (64.07%, 148,666/232,034), underscoring that there is a significant interest in EHR open source applications in the United States. A survey of EHR open source developers was conducted and a total of 103 developers responded to the online questionnaire. The majority of EHR F/OSS developers (65.3%, 66/101) are participating in F/OSS projects as part of a paid activity and only 25.7% (26/101) of EHR F/OSS developers are, or have been

Effect of contact area on electron transport through graphene-metal interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hongmei; Kondo, Hisashi; Ohno, Takahisa

2013-08-21

We perform first-principles investigations of electron transport in armchair graphene nanoribbons adsorbed on Cu(111) and Ni(111) surfaces with various contact areas. We find that the contact area between metals and graphene has different influences on the conductance. The Cu-graphene system shows an increase in differential conductance for more contact area at a low bias voltage, primarily originating from the shift of transmission peaks relative to the Fermi energy. As the bias increases, there is an irregular change of conductance, including a weak negative differential conductance for more contact area. In contrast, the conductance of the Ni-graphene junction is monotonically enhanced with increasing overlap area. The minority spin which shows a broad transmission is responsible for the conductance increase of Ni-graphene. These behaviors can be attributed to different mechanisms of the interfacial electron transport: Charge transfer between graphene and Cu largely dominates the transmission enhancement of Cu-graphene, whereas hybridization between graphene and Ni states plays a more important role in the transmission enhancement of Ni-graphene. The different behaviors of transmission increase correlate with not only the strength of the graphene-metal interaction but also the location of metal d states.

Adaptive full state hybrid projective synchronization of chaotic systems with the same and different order

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Manfeng; Xu Zhenyuan; Zhang Rong; Hu Aihua

2007-01-01

This Letter further investigates the full state hybrid projective synchronization (FSHPS) of chaotic and hyper-chaotic systems with fully unknown parameters. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory, a unified adaptive controller and parameters update law can be designed for achieving the FSHPS of chaotic and/or hyper-chaotic systems with the same and different order. Especially, for two chaotic systems with different order, reduced order MFSHPS (an acronym for modified full state hybrid projective synchronization) and increased order MFSHPS are first studied in this Letter. Five groups numerical simulations are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. In addition, the proposed FSHPS scheme is quite robust against the effect of noise

Friction and universal contact area law for randomly rough viscoelastic contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Scaraggi, M; Persson, B N J

2015-03-18

We present accurate numerical results for the friction force and the contact area for a viscoelastic solid (rubber) in sliding contact with hard, randomly rough substrates. The rough surfaces are self-affine fractal with roughness over several decades in length scales. We calculate the contribution to the friction from the pulsating deformations induced by the substrate asperities. We also calculate how the area of real contact, A(v, p), depends on the sliding speed v and on the nominal contact pressure p, and we show how the contact area for any sliding speed can be obtained from a universal master curve A(p). The numerical results are found to be in good agreement with the predictions of an analytical contact mechanics theory.

Current knowledge on biomarkers for contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koppes, Sjors A.; Engebretsen, Kristiane A.; Agner, Tove

2017-01-01

Contact sensitization is common and affects up to 20% of the general population. The clinical manifestation of contact sensitization is allergic contact dermatitis. This is a clinical expression that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other types of dermatitis, for example irritant...... and atopic dermatitis. Several studies have examined the pathogenesis and severity of allergic contact dermatitis by measuring the absence or presence of various biomarkers. In this review, we provide a non-systematic overview of biomarkers that have been studied in allergic contact dermatitis. These include...... genetic variations and mutations, inflammatory mediators, alarmins, proteases, immunoproteomics, lipids, natural moisturizing factors, tight junctions, and antimicrobial peptides. We conclude that, despite the enormous amount of data, convincing specific biomarkers for allergic contact dermatitis are yet...

Coordinate transformation in the model of long Josephson contacts: geometrically equivalent contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semerdzhieva, E.G.; Boyadzhiev, T.L.; ); Shukrinov, Yu.M.; Physical Technical Institute Dushanbe, 734063

2005-01-01

The transition from model of long Josephson variable-width contact to the contact model with coordinate-dependent Josephson current amplitude is realized by transforming the coordinates. This sets up a correspondence between Josephson contacts of variable width and quasi-one-dimensional contacts of variable thickness barrier layer. It is shown, that for contacts of exponentially varying width the barrier layer of the corresponding quasi-one-dimensional contact contains the distributed resistive inhomogeneity which is an attractor to magnetic flux vortices. With numerical experiments, a 'critical current-magnetic field' dependence for a resistive microinhomogeneity Josephson contact was plotted, and its comparison with the critical curve for a contact of exponentially varying width was made. Thus, this demonstrates that the distributed inhomogeneity may be replaced by a local one at the JC end what technologically, may offer definite advantages

Simulation Results: Optimization of Contact Ratio for Interdigitated Back-Contact Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinay Budhraja

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the fabrication of interdigitated back contact (IBC solar cells, it is very important to choose the right size of contact to achieve the maximum efficiency. Line contacts and point contacts are the two possibilities, which are being chosen for IBC structure. It is expected that the point contacts would give better results because of the reduced recombination rate. In this work, we are simulating the effect of contact size on the performance of IBC solar cells. Simulations were done in three dimension using Quokka, which numerically solves the charge carrier transport. Our simulation results show that around 10% of contact ratio is able to achieve optimum cell efficiency.

ChemCam-like Spectrometer for Non-Contact Measurements of Key Isotopes, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This project addresses the need for a non-contact instrument capable of measuring the isotopic ratios O-18/O-16 and D/H from water ice and other solid materials...

2015 Project Portfolio: Solid-State Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2015-01-30

Overview of SSL projects currently funded by DOE, and those previously funded but since completed. Each profile includes a brief technical description, as well as information about project partners, funding, and the research period. This report is updated annually.

2017 Project Portfolio: Solid-State Lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2017-01-02

Overview of SSL projects currently funded by DOE, and those previously funded but since completed. Each profile includes a brief technical description, as well as information about project partners, funding, and the research period. This report is updated annually.

Metallization systems for stable ohmic contacts to GaAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tandon, J.L.; Douglas, K.D.; Vendura, G.; Kolawa, E.; So, F.C.T.; Nicolet, M.A.

1986-01-01

A metallization scheme to form reproducible and stable ohmic contacts to GaAs is described. The approach is based on the configuration: GaAs/X/Y/Z; where X is a thin metal film (e.g. Pt, Ti, Pd, Ru), Y is an electrically conducting diffusion barrier layer (TiN, W or W/sub 0.7/N/sub 0.3/), and Z is a thick metal layer (e.g. Ag) typically required for bonding or soldering purposes. The value and reproducibility of the contact resistance in these metallization systems results from the uniform steady-state solid-phase reaction of the metal X with GaAs. The stability of the contacts is achieved by the diffusion barrier layer Y, which not only confines the reaction of X with GaAs, but also prevents the top metal layer Z from interfering with this reaction. Applications of such contacts in fabricating stable solar cells are also discussed

Model Wind Turbine Design in a Project-Based Middle School Engineering Curriculum Built on State Frameworks

Science.gov (United States)

Cogger, Steven D.; Miley, Daniel H.

2012-01-01

This paper proposes that project-based active learning is a key part of engineering education at the middle school level. One project from a comprehensive middle school engineering curriculum developed by the authors is described to show how active learning and state frameworks can coexist. The theoretical basis for learning and assessment in a…

A simple proof of exponential decay of subcritical contact processes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Swart, Jan M.

2018-01-01

Roč. 170, 1-2 (2018), s. 1-9 ISSN 0178-8051 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-15238S Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : subcritical contact process * sharpness of the phase transition * eigenmeasure Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.895, year: 2016 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2016/SI/swart-0462694.pdf

Audit of United States portion of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Worldwide efforts in fusion energy research are designed to develop fusion power as a safe, environmentally sound, and economically competitive source of energy. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is a worldwide effort to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power. The European Community, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United States are collaborating on ITER, with each of the four parties expected to equally share costs and benefits. Shared costs for the current engineering design phase of the project are estimated at $1 billion in 1989 dollars, excluding certain management and support costs to be absorbed by each partner, with an early estimate of $6 billion, also in 1989 dollars, for construction of the reactor. Engineering design formally began in July 1992, and this phase is in its formative stages. The US had already spent about $100 million since 1987 on ITER conceptual design activities and other preparatory activities in advance of the engineering design phase. Because of its cost significance, the importance of ITER to the US fusion energy program, and the project's unique aspects which may provide a framework for future international endeavors, we initiated an audit of the ITER project. The purpose of the audit was to evaluate management controls over the US portion of the ITER project. Our objectives was to determine whether key front-end controls were in place to ensure that the project could be managed in an efficient and effective manner

First contact diagnosis and management of contact lens-related complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Fagan, Xavier J; Jhanji, Vishal; Constantinou, Marios; Amirul Islam, F M; Taylor, Hugh R; Vajpayee, Rasik B

2012-08-01

To describe the spectrum of contact lens-related problems in cases presenting to a tertiary referral eye hospital. A retrospective case record analysis of 111 eyes of 97 consecutive patients was undertaken over a period of five months at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Contact lens-related complications (CLRC) were classified into microbial keratitis, sterile corneal infiltrates, corneal epitheliopathy and contact lens-related red eye (CLARE). Main parameters examined were nature of the first contact, clinical diagnosis, and management pattern. Forty-two percent of the initial presentations were to health care practitioners (HCPs) other than ophthalmologists. Mean duration from the onset of symptoms to presentation was 6.3 ± 10.9 days. Forty-nine percent (n = 54) of patients had an associated risk factor, most commonly overnight use of contact lenses (n = 14, 13 %). Most common diagnosis at presentation was corneal epitheliopathy (68 %) followed by sterile infiltrates (10 %), CLARE (8 %) and microbial keratitis (6 %). No significant differences were found in the pattern of treatment modalities administered by ophthalmologists and other HCPs. HCPs other than ophthalmologists are the first contact for contact lens-related problems in a significant proportion of patients. These HCPs manage the majority of CLRC by direct treatment or immediate referral.

USEPAM Project: The State of Progress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Søren

The paper represents the introductory speech at the 2nd regional workshop of the USEPAM project in Phnom Penh March 2005. It gives a review of the project's activities and achievements, and an introduction to the objectives, structure and programme of the workshop...

Production-history projections of fuels and some crucial metals in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arndt, R A; Roper, L D

1977-09-01

The production-history projection method of the authors is refined to determine the earliest date at which reasonably well-determined depletion parameters can be ascertained. The method is applied to the United States production data for silver, crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, and uranium ore. 13 references.

Inventory and characteristics of current and projected low-level radioactive materials and waste in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bisaria, A.; Bugos, R.G.; Pope, R.B.; Salmon, R.; Storch, S.N.; Lester, P.B.

1994-01-01

The Integrated Data Base (IDB), under US Department of Energy (DOE) funding and guidance, provides an annual update of compiled data on current and projected inventories and characteristics of DOE and commercially owned radioactive wastes. The data base addresses also the inventories of DOE and commercial spent fuel. These data are derived from reliable information from government sources, open literature, technical reports, and direct contacts. The radioactive materials considered are spent nuclear fuel, high-level waste (HLW), transuranic (TRU) waste, low-level waste (LLW), commercial uranium mill tailings, environmental restoration wastes, and mixed-LLW. This paper primarily focuses on LLW inventory and characterization

State of Art Report for the OECD-NEA Loss-of-Forced Cooling (LOFC) Test Project using HTTR Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jun, Ji Su

2011-05-01

The OECD/NEA Project is planned to perform the LOFC (Loss Of Forced Cooling) test using the HTTR (High Temperature engineering Test Reactor) in Japan from 31 March 2011 to 31 March 2013 in order to obtain the data for the code validation of the VHTR safety analysis. Based on the Project Agreement Document, this report gives a description of the HTTR-LOFC test, HTTR test facility, project schedule and deliverable items as the technical state art of the project, and appends the full translation of the project agreement articles on the project management

Damage progression in silicon nitride undergoing non-conforming hybrid cyclic contact

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Raga, R.; Khader, I.; Chlup, Zdeněk; Kailer, A.

2017-01-01

Roč. 105, DEC (2017), s. 97-110 ISSN 0142-1123 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 263476 - ROLICER Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : Silicon nitride * Cyclic contact fatigue * Surface and subsurface damage Subject RIV: JL - Materials Fatigue, Friction Mechanics OBOR OECD: Audio engineering, reliability analysis Impact factor: 2.899, year: 2016

International medical cooperation project for State of Libya using international medical tourism system in Thailand

OpenAIRE

奥寺, 敬; 坂本, 美重

2013-01-01

International medical cooperation project for State of Libya is reported. The concept of this project is to treat Libyan injured people using international medical tourism system in Thailand. Management of patient, including evaluation, domestic and international transportation arrangement of hospital, is supported by Normeca International Co., Ltd, (Pattaya, Thailand). Treatment of Libyan patient in two international hospitals (Bangpakok 9 Hospital and Navamin 9 Hopsital) in Bangkok was succ...

Projected 21st century climate change for wolverine habitats within the contiguous United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peacock, Synte, E-mail: synte@ucar.edu [National Center for Atmospheric Research, 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States)

2011-01-15

Ensembles of 21st century climate projections made using a state of the art global climate model are analyzed to explore possible changes in spring snow cover and summer air temperature in present-day wolverine habitats in the contiguous United States (US). Projected changes in both snow cover and temperature are presented for a range of future emissions scenarios, and implications for the continued survival of the wolverine in the contiguous US are discussed. It is shown that under a high or medium-low emissions scenario there are likely to be dramatic reductions in spring snow cover in present-day wolverine habitats. Under these scenarios there is also likely to be a concomitant increase in summer-time temperatures, with projected maximum daily August temperatures far above those currently tolerated by the wolverine. It is likely that the wolverine, with its many adaptations for cold weather and deep snow pack, would have great difficulty adapting to such changes. The results of the simulations presented here suggest that the very low numbers of wolverines currently living in the contiguous US will likely further decline in response to the deterioration of their habitat in coming decades.

Projected 21st century climate change for wolverine habitats within the contiguous United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peacock, Synte

2011-01-01

Ensembles of 21st century climate projections made using a state of the art global climate model are analyzed to explore possible changes in spring snow cover and summer air temperature in present-day wolverine habitats in the contiguous United States (US). Projected changes in both snow cover and temperature are presented for a range of future emissions scenarios, and implications for the continued survival of the wolverine in the contiguous US are discussed. It is shown that under a high or medium-low emissions scenario there are likely to be dramatic reductions in spring snow cover in present-day wolverine habitats. Under these scenarios there is also likely to be a concomitant increase in summer-time temperatures, with projected maximum daily August temperatures far above those currently tolerated by the wolverine. It is likely that the wolverine, with its many adaptations for cold weather and deep snow pack, would have great difficulty adapting to such changes. The results of the simulations presented here suggest that the very low numbers of wolverines currently living in the contiguous US will likely further decline in response to the deterioration of their habitat in coming decades.

Conductance enhancement in quantum-point-contact semiconductor-superconductor devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Asger; Jauho, Antti-Pekka; Flensberg, Karsten

1999-01-01

We present numerical calculations of the conductance of an interface between a phase-coherent two-dimensional electron gas and a superconductor with a quantum point contact in the normal region. Using a scattering matrix approach we reconsider the geometry of De Raedt, Michielsen, and Klapwijk...... [Phys. Rev. B 50, 631 (1994)] which was studied within the time-dependent Bogoliubov-de Gennes formalism. We find that the factor-of-2 enhancement of the conductance G(NS) compared to the normal state conductance GN for ideal interfaces may be suppressed for interfaces with a quantum point contact...

Workforce Projections 2010-2020: Annual Supply and Demand Forecasting Models for Physical Therapists Across the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Michel D; Hack, Laurita M; Coulson, Elizabeth; Freburger, Janet; Johnson, Michael P; Katz, Richard; Kerwin, Joanne; Smith, Megan H; Wessman, Henry C Bud; Venskus, Diana G; Sinnott, Patricia L; Goldstein, Marc

2016-01-01

Health human resources continue to emerge as a critical health policy issue across the United States. The purpose of this study was to develop a strategy for modeling future workforce projections to serve as a basis for analyzing annual supply of and demand for physical therapists across the United States into 2020. A traditional stock-and-flow methodology or model was developed and populated with publicly available data to produce estimates of supply and demand for physical therapists by 2020. Supply was determined by adding the estimated number of physical therapists and the approximation of new graduates to the number of physical therapists who immigrated, minus US graduates who never passed the licensure examination, and an estimated attrition rate in any given year. Demand was determined by using projected US population with health care insurance multiplied by a demand ratio in any given year. The difference between projected supply and demand represented a shortage or surplus of physical therapists. Three separate projection models were developed based on best available data in the years 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively. Based on these projections, demand for physical therapists in the United States outstrips supply under most assumptions. Workforce projection methodology research is based on assumptions using imperfect data; therefore, the results must be interpreted in terms of overall trends rather than as precise actuarial data-generated absolute numbers from specified forecasting. Outcomes of this projection study provide a foundation for discussion and debate regarding the most effective and efficient ways to influence supply-side variables so as to position physical therapists to meet current and future population demand. Attrition rates or permanent exits out of the profession can have important supply-side effects and appear to have an effect on predicting future shortage or surplus of physical therapists. © 2016 American Physical Therapy

Contact isotopic- and contact ion-exchange between two adsorbents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunzl, K.; Mohan, R.; Haimerl, M.

1975-01-01

The kinetics of contact ion exchange processes between an ion exchange membrane and resin ion exchange beads, stirred in pure water, was investigated. A general criterion was derived, which indicates whether diffusion of the ions between the intermingling electric double layers or the collision frequency between the two adsorbents is the rate dermining step. Since the latter process proved to be rate controlling under our experimental conditions, the corresponding rate equations were derived under various initial and boundary conditions. Experimentally, the kinetics of contact isotopic exchange of Cs + - and Na + -ions as well as of the reverse contact ion exchange process of Cs + -versus Na + -ions were investigated by using Na 22 and Cs 137 radioisotopes. The experiments reveal in quantitative accord with the theory that the rate of collision controlled contact ion exchange processes depends mainly on the 'exchange coefficient', the separation factor and the collision frequency. While the latter two quantities were determined independently by separate experiments, the 'exchange coefficient' was evaluated from a contact isotopic exchange experiment. (orig.) [de

Clean Coal Technology Programs: Completed Projects (Volume 2)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy

2003-12-01

Annual report on the Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCTDP), Power Plant Improvement Initiative (PPII), and Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI). The report addresses the roles of the programs, implementation, funding and costs, project descriptions, legislative history, program history, environmental aspects, and project contacts. The project descriptions describe the technology and provides a brief summary of the demonstration results.

ComplexContact: a web server for inter-protein contact prediction using deep learning

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Hong; Wang, Sheng; Zhou, Tianming; Zhao, Feifeng; Li, Xiufeng; Wu, Qing; Xu, Jinbo

2018-01-01

ComplexContact (http://raptorx2.uchicago.edu/ComplexContact/) is a web server for sequence-based interfacial residue-residue contact prediction of a putative protein complex. Interfacial residue-residue contacts are critical for understanding how proteins form complex and interact at residue level. When receiving a pair of protein sequences, ComplexContact first searches for their sequence homologs and builds two paired multiple sequence alignments (MSA), then it applies co-evolution analysis and a CASP-winning deep learning (DL) method to predict interfacial contacts from paired MSAs and visualizes the prediction as an image. The DL method was originally developed for intra-protein contact prediction and performed the best in CASP12. Our large-scale experimental test further shows that ComplexContact greatly outperforms pure co-evolution methods for inter-protein contact prediction, regardless of the species.

ComplexContact: a web server for inter-protein contact prediction using deep learning

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Hong

2018-05-20

ComplexContact (http://raptorx2.uchicago.edu/ComplexContact/) is a web server for sequence-based interfacial residue-residue contact prediction of a putative protein complex. Interfacial residue-residue contacts are critical for understanding how proteins form complex and interact at residue level. When receiving a pair of protein sequences, ComplexContact first searches for their sequence homologs and builds two paired multiple sequence alignments (MSA), then it applies co-evolution analysis and a CASP-winning deep learning (DL) method to predict interfacial contacts from paired MSAs and visualizes the prediction as an image. The DL method was originally developed for intra-protein contact prediction and performed the best in CASP12. Our large-scale experimental test further shows that ComplexContact greatly outperforms pure co-evolution methods for inter-protein contact prediction, regardless of the species.

ComplexContact: a web server for inter-protein contact prediction using deep learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Hong; Wang, Sheng; Zhou, Tianming; Zhao, Feifeng; Li, Xiufeng; Wu, Qing; Xu, Jinbo

2018-05-22

ComplexContact (http://raptorx2.uchicago.edu/ComplexContact/) is a web server for sequence-based interfacial residue-residue contact prediction of a putative protein complex. Interfacial residue-residue contacts are critical for understanding how proteins form complex and interact at residue level. When receiving a pair of protein sequences, ComplexContact first searches for their sequence homologs and builds two paired multiple sequence alignments (MSA), then it applies co-evolution analysis and a CASP-winning deep learning (DL) method to predict interfacial contacts from paired MSAs and visualizes the prediction as an image. The DL method was originally developed for intra-protein contact prediction and performed the best in CASP12. Our large-scale experimental test further shows that ComplexContact greatly outperforms pure co-evolution methods for inter-protein contact prediction, regardless of the species.

Current knowledge on biomarkers for contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Koppes, Sjors A; Engebretsen, Kristiane A; Agner, Tove; Angelova-Fischer, Irena; Berents, Teresa; Brandner, Johanna; Brans, Richard; Clausen, Maja-Lisa; Hummler, Edith; Jakasa, Ivone; Jurakić-Tončic, Ružica; John, Swen M; Khnykin, Denis; Molin, Sonja; Holm, Jan O; Suomela, Sari; Thierse, Hermann-Josef; Kezic, Sanja; Martin, Stefan F; Thyssen, Jacob P

2017-07-01

Contact sensitization is common and affects up to 20% of the general population. The clinical manifestation of contact sensitization is allergic contact dermatitis. This is a clinical expression that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other types of dermatitis, for example irritant and atopic dermatitis. Several studies have examined the pathogenesis and severity of allergic contact dermatitis by measuring the absence or presence of various biomarkers. In this review, we provide a non-systematic overview of biomarkers that have been studied in allergic contact dermatitis. These include genetic variations and mutations, inflammatory mediators, alarmins, proteases, immunoproteomics, lipids, natural moisturizing factors, tight junctions, and antimicrobial peptides. We conclude that, despite the enormous amount of data, convincing specific biomarkers for allergic contact dermatitis are yet to be described. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quaternionic contact Einstein structures and the quaternionic contact Yamabe problem

CERN Document Server

Ivanov, Stefan; Vassilev, Dimiter

2014-01-01

A partial solution of the quaternionic contact Yamabe problem on the quaternionic sphere is given. It is shown that the torsion of the Biquard connection vanishes exactly when the trace-free part of the horizontal Ricci tensor of the Biquard connection is zero and this occurs precisely on 3-Sasakian manifolds. All conformal transformations sending the standard flat torsion-free quaternionic contact structure on the quaternionic Heisenberg group to a quaternionic contact structure with vanishing torsion of the Biquard connection are explicitly described. A "3-Hamiltonian form" of infinitesimal conformal automorphisms of quaternionic contact structures is presented.

Impact of the economic downturn on total joint replacement demand in the United States: updated projections to 2021.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtz, Steven M; Ong, Kevin L; Lau, Edmund; Bozic, Kevin J

2014-04-16

Few studies have explored the role of the National Health Expenditure and macroeconomics on the utilization of total joint replacement. The economic downturn has raised questions about the sustainability of growth for total joint replacement in the future. Previous projections of total joint replacement demand in the United States were based on data up to 2003 using a statistical methodology that neglected macroeconomic factors, such as the National Health Expenditure. Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1993 to 2010) were used with United States Census and National Health Expenditure data to quantify historical trends in total joint replacement rates, including the two economic downturns in the 2000s. Primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty were identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Projections in total joint replacement were estimated using a regression model incorporating the growth in population and rate of arthroplasties from 1993 to 2010 as a function of age, sex, race, and census region using the National Health Expenditure as the independent variable. The regression model was used in conjunction with government projections of National Health Expenditure from 2011 to 2021 to estimate future arthroplasty rates in subpopulations of the United States and to derive national estimates. The growth trend for the incidence of joint arthroplasty, for the overall United States population as well as for the United States workforce, was insensitive to economic downturns. From 2009 to 2010, the total number of procedures increased by 6.0% for primary total hip arthroplasty, 6.1% for primary total knee arthroplasty, 10.8% for revision total hip arthroplasty, and 13.5% for revision total knee arthroplasty. The National Health Expenditure model projections for primary hip replacement in 2020 were higher than a previously projected model, whereas the current model estimates for total

Non-Amontons-Coulomb local friction law of randomly rough contact interfaces with rubber

OpenAIRE

Nguyen, D. T.; Wandersman, E.; Prevost, A.; Chenadec, Y. Le; Fretigny, C.; Chateauminois, A.

2017-01-01

We report on measurements of the local friction law at a multi-contact interface formed between a smooth rubber and statistically rough glass lenses, under steady state friction. Using contact imaging, surface displacements are measured, and inverted to extract both distributions of frictional shear stress and contact pressure with a spatial resolution of about 10~$\\mu$m. For a glass surface whose topography is self-affine with a Gaussian height asperity distribution, the local frictional she...

Utility-Scale Solar 2013: An empirical analysis of project cost, performance, and pricing trends in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolinger, Mark [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Weaver, Samantha [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2014-09-17

Other than the SEGS I-IX parabolic trough projects built in the 1980s, virtually no large-scale or "utility-scale" solar projects-defined here to include any ground-mounted photovoltaic ("PV"), concentrating photovoltaic ("CPV"), or concentrating solar power ("CSP" or solar thermal) project larger than 5 MW_AC-existed in the United States prior to 2007.

R&D activities on RF contacts for the ITER ion cyclotron resonance heating launcher

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hillairet, Julien, E-mail: julien.hillairet@cea.fr [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Argouarch, Arnaud [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Bamber, Rob [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Beaumont, Bertrand [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St. Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Bernard, Jean-Michel; Delaplanche, Jean-Marc [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Durodié, Frédéric [Laboratory for Plasmas Physics, 1000 Brussels (Belgium); Lamalle, Philippe [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St. Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Lombard, Gilles [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Nicholls, Keith; Shannon, Mark [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Vulliez, Karl [Maestral Laboratory, Technetics Group, Pierrelatte (France); Cantone, Vincent; Hatchressian, Jean-Claude; Larroque, Sébastien; Lebourg, Philippe; Martinez, André; Mollard, Patrick; Mouyon, David; Pagano, Marco [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); and others

2015-10-15

Highlights: • CEA have developed a dedicated test-bed for testing RF contact in ITER relevant conditions (vacuum, temperature, RF current). • A prototype of RF contacts have been designed and manufactured, with copper lamellas brazed on a titanium holder. • This RF contact prototype failed at RF current larger than 1.8 kA. • Extensive R&D is foreseen with new RF contact designs. - Abstract: Embedded RF contacts are integrated within the ITER ICRH launcher to allow assembling, sliding and to lower the thermo-mechanical stress. They have to withstand a peak RF current up to 2.5 kA at 55 MHz in steady-state conditions, in the vacuum environment of the machine. The contacts have to sustain a temperature up to 250 °C during several days in baking operations and have to be reliable during the whole life of the launcher without degradation. The RF contacts are critical components for the launcher performance and intensive R&D is therefore required, since no RF contacts have so far been qualified at these specifications. In order to test and validate the anticipated RF contacts in operational conditions, CEA has prepared a test platform consisting of a steady-state vacuum pumped RF resonator. In collaboration with ITER Organization and the CYCLE consortium (CYclotron CLuster for Europe), an R&D program has been conducted to develop RF contacts that meet the ITER ICRH launcher specifications. A design proposed by CYCLE consortium, using brazed lamellas supported by a spring to improve thermal exchange efficiency while guaranteeing high contact force, was tested successfully in the T-resonator up to 1.7 kA during 1200 s, but failed for larger current values due to a degradation of the contacts. Details concerning the manufacturing of the brazed contacts on its titanium holder, the RF tests results performed on the resonator and the non-destructive tests analysis of the contacts are given in this paper.

Tyre-road contact using a particle-envelope surface model

Science.gov (United States)

Pinnington, Roger J.

2013-12-01

Determination of the contact forces is the central problem in all aspects of road-tyre interaction: i.e. noise, energy loss and friction. A procedure to find the contact forces under a rolling tyre is presented in four stages. First, the contact stiffness of a uniform peak array from indentations in the rubber tread, and also tyre carcass deflection, is described by some new simplified expressions. Second, a routine divides a single surface profile into equal search intervals, in which the highest peaks are identified. These are used to obtain the parameters for the interval, i.e. the mean envelope and the mean interval. The process is repeated at geometrically decreasing search intervals until the level of the data resolution, thereby describing the profile by a set of envelopes. The ‘strip profile’ ultimately used to describe the surface, is obtained by selecting the highest points across the profiles of one stone's width. The third stage is to combine the strip profile envelopes with the contact stiffness expressions, yielding the nonlinear stiffness-displacement, and force-displacement relationships for the chosen road-tyre combination. Finally the contact pressure distribution from a steady-state rolling tyre model is applied to the strip profile, via the force-displacement relationship, giving the local tyre displacements on the road texture. This displacement pattern is shown to be proportional to the time and space varying contact pressure, which then is incorporated into a wave equation for rolling contact.

Contact Dermatitis in Pediatrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelletier, Janice L; Perez, Caroline; Jacob, Sharon E

2016-08-01

Contact dermatitis is an umbrella term that describes the skin's reaction to contacted noxious or allergenic substances. The two main categories of contact dermatitis are irritant type and allergic type. This review discusses the signs, symptoms, causes, and complications of contact dermatitis. It addresses the testing, treatment, and prevention of contact dermatitis. Proper management of contact dermatitis includes avoidance measures for susceptible children. Implementation of a nickel directive (regulating the use of nickel in jewelry and other products that come into contact with the skin) could further reduce exposure to the most common allergens in the pediatric population. [Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(8):e287-e292.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Internal states of model isotropic granular packings. I. Assembling process, geometry, and contact networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Agnolin, Ivana; Roux, Jean-Noël

2007-12-01

This is the first paper of a series of three, in which we report on numerical simulation studies of geometric and mechanical properties of static assemblies of spherical beads under an isotropic pressure. The influence of various assembling processes on packing microstructures is investigated. It is accurately checked that frictionless systems assemble in the unique random close packing (RCP) state in the low pressure limit if the compression process is fast enough, higher solid fractions corresponding to more ordered configurations with traces of crystallization. Specific properties directly related to isostaticity of the force-carrying structure in the rigid limit are discussed. With frictional grains, different preparation procedures result in quite different inner structures that cannot be classified by the sole density. If partly or completely lubricated they will assemble like frictionless ones, approaching the RCP solid fraction Phi_{RCP} approximately 0.639 with a high coordination number: z* approximately =6 on the force-carrying backbone. If compressed with a realistic coefficient of friction mu=0.3 packings stabilize in a loose state with Phi approximately 0.593 and z* approximately =4.5 . And, more surprisingly, an idealized "vibration" procedure, which maintains an agitated, collisional regime up to high densities results in equally small values of z* while Phi is close to the maximum value Phi_{RCP}. Low coordination packings have a large proportion (>10%) of rattlers--grains carrying no force--the effect of which should be accounted for on studying position correlations, and also contain a small proportion of localized "floppy modes" associated with divalent grains. Low-pressure states of frictional packings retain a finite level of force indeterminacy even when assembled with the slowest compression rates simulated, except in the case when the friction coefficient tends to infinity. Different microstructures are characterized in terms of near

Infinite projected entangled-pair state algorithm for ruby and triangle-honeycomb lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Jahromi, Saeed S.; Orús, Román; Kargarian, Mehdi; Langari, Abdollah

2018-03-01

The infinite projected entangled-pair state (iPEPS) algorithm is one of the most efficient techniques for studying the ground-state properties of two-dimensional quantum lattice Hamiltonians in the thermodynamic limit. Here, we show how the algorithm can be adapted to explore nearest-neighbor local Hamiltonians on the ruby and triangle-honeycomb lattices, using the corner transfer matrix (CTM) renormalization group for 2D tensor network contraction. Additionally, we show how the CTM method can be used to calculate the ground-state fidelity per lattice site and the boundary density operator and entanglement entropy (EE) on an infinite cylinder. As a benchmark, we apply the iPEPS method to the ruby model with anisotropic interactions and explore the ground-state properties of the system. We further extract the phase diagram of the model in different regimes of the couplings by measuring two-point correlators, ground-state fidelity, and EE on an infinite cylinder. Our phase diagram is in agreement with previous studies of the model by exact diagonalization.

Terms, Trends, and Insights: PV Project Finance in the United States, 2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feldman, David J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schwabe, Paul D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-10-23

This brief is a compilation of data points and market insights that reflect the state of the project finance market for solar photovoltaic (PV) assets in the United States as of the third quarter of 2017. This information can generally be used as a simplified benchmark of the costs associated with securing financing for solar PV as well as the cost of the financing itself (i.e., the cost of capital). This work represents the second DOE sponsored effort to benchmark financing costs across the residential, commercial, and utility-scale PV markets, as part of its larger effort to benchmark the components of PV system costs.

Shot Noise Suppression in a Quantum Point Contact with Short Channel Length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Heejun

2015-01-01

An experimental study on the current shot noise of a quantum point contact with short channel length is reported. The experimentally measured maximum energy level spacing between the ground and the first excited state of the device reached up to 7.5 meV, probably due to the hard wall confinement by using shallow electron gas and sharp point contact geometry. The two-dimensional non-equilibrium shot noise contour map shows noise suppression characteristics in a wide range of bias voltage. Fano factor analysis indicates spin-polarized transport through a short quantum point contact. (paper)

Enlivening Dance History Pedagogy through Archival Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Randall, Tresa

2012-01-01

Dance archives can bring students into contact with historical subjects through artifacts of the past. This article advocates the use of archival projects in undergraduate dance history courses, arguing that such hands-on learning activities give students dynamic and interactive experiences of history. The author describes a creative project she…

Contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis in adolescents: prevalence measures and associations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mørtz, Charlotte G; Lauritsen, Jens Martin; Bindslev-Jensen, Carsten

2002-01-01

The aims of this cross-sectional study were to establish the prevalence measures of contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis in 8th grade schoolchildren (aged 12-16 years) in Odense, Denmark, and to examine the associations with atopic dermatitis, inhalant allergy and hand eczema. Contact...... allergy to a standard series allergen was found in 15.2% of schoolchildren. The point prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis was 0.7% and the lifetime prevalence 7.2%, predominantly in girls. The most common contact allergens were nickel (8.6%) and fragrance mix (1.8%). Nickel allergy was clinically...... relevant in 69% and fragrance allergy in 29% of cases. A significant association was found between contact allergy and hand eczema while no association was found between contact allergy and atopic dermatitis or inhalant allergy. In the future this cohort of schoolchildren will be followed with regard...

Current knowledge on biomarkers for contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koppes, Sjors A.; Engebretsen, Kristiane A.; Agner, Tove; Angelova-Fischer, Irena; Berents, Teresa; Brandner, Johanna; Brans, Richard; Clausen, Maja-Lisa; Hummler, Edith; Jakasa, Ivone; Jurakić-Tončic, Ružica; John, Swen M.; Khnykin, Denis; Molin, Sonja; Holm, Jan O.; Suomela, Sari; Thierse, Hermann-Josef; Kezic, Sanja; Martin, Stefan F.; Thyssen, Jacob P.

2017-01-01

Contact sensitization is common and affects up to 20% of the general population. The clinical manifestation of contact sensitization is allergic contact dermatitis. This is a clinical expression that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other types of dermatitis, for example irritant and

Project «Zero Failure Level». Organization, State, Tasks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ugryumov, A.

2015-01-01

This paper starts with description of organizational actions and structure of the project. Tree of failures - hierarchical list; VVER-1000 FA failure main features like: change of geometrical form; mechanical damage; leaking FA and post irradiation examination of leaking fuel assemblies VVER-1000 are also presented. At the end author concluded that: 1) Organizational and technical actions are completed. 2) Significant part of works per stage «Determination of current state» is fulfilled. 3) Systematic cause of the main feature of failure – leaking of FA- is the debris damage of fuel rod cladding with foreign objects. 4) It is important to equip NPPs with modern means of FA inspection and means of extraction of foreign objects

Mechanical performance and contact zone of timber joint with oblique faces

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kunecký, Jiří; Sebera, V.; Tippner, J.; Hasníková, Hana; Kloiber, Michal; Arciszewska-Kędzior, Anna; Milch, J.

2015-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 4 (2015), s. 1153-1159 ISSN 1211-8516 R&D Projects: GA MK(CZ) DF12P01OVV004 Keywords : bending * contact zone * digital image correlation * dowel * non-destructive test ing * timber joint Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage http://dx.doi.org/10.11118/actaun201563041153

Identification of Microorganisms Isolated From Counterfeit and Unapproved Decorative Contact Lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Land, Adrian D; Penno, Katie L; Brzezinski, Jennifer L

2018-03-01

All contact lenses (corrective/noncorrective) are considered Class II or Class III medical devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which also states that contact lenses can only be obtained with a prescription. The Forensic Chemistry Center of the US Food & Drug Administration has examined over 300 decorative, noncorrective contact lenses obtained without a prescription. Our observations indicate that 60% of the counterfeit lenses and 27% of the unapproved lenses examined were positive for microbial contamination. Twenty-nine different brands of noncorrective contact lenses were examined, and 48% of them had at least one sample positive for microbial contamination. Each microorganism was further identified using DNA sequencing. Contaminated contact lenses are associated with numerous health risks, including ocular infections and conjunctivitis leading to permanent visual impairment or blindness. These results support the contention that acquiring contact lenses without a prescription is a considerable threat to consumer health and safety. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Contact Lens Risks

Science.gov (United States)

... There is a risk of eye infection from bacteria in swimming pool water, hot tubs, lakes and the ocean Replace your contact lens storage case every 3 months or as directed by your eye care professional. Other Risks of Contact Lenses Other risks of contact lenses include pink eye ( ...

Noneczematous Contact Dermatitis

Science.gov (United States)

Foti, Caterina; Vestita, Michelangelo; Angelini, Gianni

2013-01-01

Irritant or allergic contact dermatitis usually presents as an eczematous process, clinically characterized by erythematoedematovesicous lesions with intense itching in the acute phase. Such manifestations become erythematous-scaly as the condition progresses to the subacute phase and papular-hyperkeratotic in the chronic phase. Not infrequently, however, contact dermatitis presents with noneczematous features. The reasons underlying this clinical polymorphism lie in the different noxae and contact modalities, as well as in the individual susceptibility and the various targeted cutaneous structures. The most represented forms of non-eczematous contact dermatitis include the erythema multiforme-like, the purpuric, the lichenoid, and the pigmented kinds. These clinical entities must obviously be discerned from the corresponding “pure” dermatitis, which are not associated with contact with exogenous agents. PMID:24109520

Subcritical contact processes seen from a typical infected site

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sturm, A.; Swart, Jan M.

2014-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 1 (2014), 53-1-53-46 ISSN 1083-6489 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/1931; GA ČR GAP201/12/2613 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : contact process * exponential growth rate * eigenmeasure * Campbell law * Palm law * quasi-invariant law Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.765, year: 2014 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2014/SI/swart-0429073.pdf

Evaluation of DELTA PREP: A Project Aimed at Integrating Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence Within State Domestic Violence Coalitions

Science.gov (United States)

Freire, Kimberley E.; Zakocs, Ronda; Le, Brenda; Hill, Jessica A.; Brown, Pamela; Wheaton, Jocelyn

2018-01-01

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been recognized as a public health problem since the late 20th century. To spur IPV prevention efforts nationwide, the DELTA PREP Project selected 19 state domestic violence coalitions to build organizational prevention capacity and catalyze IPV primary prevention strategies within their states. Objective DELTA PREP’s summative evaluation addressed four major questions: (1) Did coalitions improve their prevention capacity during the project period? (2) Did coalitions serve as catalysts for prevention activities within their states during the project period? (3) Was initial prevention capacity associated with the number of prevention activity types initiated by coalitions by the end of the project? (4) Did coalitions sustain their prevention activities 6 months after the end of the project period? Results DELTA PREP achieved its capacity-building goal, with all 19 participant coalitions integrating prevention within their organizations and serving as catalysts for prevention activities in their states. At 6 months follow up, coalitions had sustained almost all prevention activities they initiated during the project. Baseline prevention capacity (Beginner vs. Intermediate) was not associated with the number of prevention activity types coalitions implemented by the end of the project. Conclusion Service and treatment organizations are increasingly asked to integrate a full spectrum of prevention strategies. Selecting organizations that have high levels of general capacity and readiness for an innovation like integrating a public health approach to IPV prevention will likely increase success in building an innovation-specific capacity, and in turn implementing an innovation. PMID:26245932

Perovskite/silicon-based heterojunction tandem solar cells with 14.8% conversion efficiency via adopting ultrathin Au contact

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Lin; Wang, Fengyou; Liang, Junhui; Yao, Xin; Fang, Jia; Zhang, Dekun; Wei, Changchun; Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Xiaodan

2017-01-01

A rising candidate for upgrading the performance of an established narrow-bandgap solar technology without adding much cost is to construct the tandem solar cells from a crystalline silicon bottom cell and a high open-circuit voltage top cell. Here, we present a four-terminal tandem solar cell architecture consisting of a self-filtered planar architecture perovskite top cell and a silicon heterojunction bottom cell. A transparent ultrathin gold electrode has been used in perovskite solar cells to achieve a semi-transparent device. The transparent ultrathin gold contact could provide a better electrical conductivity and optical reflectance-scattering to maintain the performance of the top cell compared with the traditional metal oxide contact. The four-terminal tandem solar cell yields an efficiency of 14.8%, with contributions of the top (8.98%) and the bottom cell (5.82%), respectively. We also point out that in terms of optical losses, the intermediate contact of self-filtered tandem architecture is the uppermost problem, which has been addressed in this communication, and the results show that reducing the parasitic light absorption and improving the long wavelength range transmittance without scarifying the electrical properties of the intermediate hole contact layer are the key issues towards further improving the efficiency of this architecture device. Project supported by the International Cooperation Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology (No. 2014DFE60170), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61474065, 61674084), the Tianjin Research Key Program of Application Foundation and Advanced Technology (No. 15JCZDJC31300), the Key Project in the Science & Technology Pillar Program of Jiangsu Province (No. BE2014147-3), and the 111 Project (No. B16027).

Long-term labour productivity and GDP projections for the EU25 Member States : a production function framework

OpenAIRE

Carone, Giuseppe; Denis, Cécile; Mc Morrow, Kieran; Mourre, Gilles; Röger, Werner

2006-01-01

This paper presents the results of long run labour productivity and GDP growth rate projections (until 2050) for each of the 25 EU Member States and provides a detailed overview of the forecast methodology used. These projections were undertaken in order to provide an internationally comparable macroeconomic framework against which to assess the potential economic and fiscal effects of ageing populations. The projections presented in this paper, using a common production function methodology ...

Long-term labour productivity and GDP projections for the EU25 Member States : a production function framework

OpenAIRE

Carone, Giuseppe; Denis, Cécile; Mc Morrow, Kieran; Mourre, Gilles; Röger, Werner

2006-01-01

This paper presents the results of long run labour productivity and GDP growth rate projections (until 2050) for each of the 25 EU Member States and provides a detailed overview of the forecast methodology used. These projections were undertaken in order to provide an internationally comparable macroeconomic framework against which to assess the potential economic and fiscal effects of ageing populations. The projections presented in this paper, using a common production function methodol...

Apparent Contact Angle and Contact Angle Hysteresis on Liquid Infused Surfaces

OpenAIRE

Semprebon, Ciro; McHale, Glen; Kusumaatmaja, Halim

2016-01-01

We theoretically investigate the apparent contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of a droplet placed on a liquid infused surface. We show that the apparent contact angle is not uniquely defined by material parameters, but also has a strong dependence on the relative size between the droplet and its surrounding wetting ridge formed by the infusing liquid. We derive a closed form expression for the contact angle in the limit of vanishing wetting ridge, and compute the correction for small b...

Contact heterogeneities in feral swine: implications for disease management and future research

Science.gov (United States)

Pepin, Kim; Davis, Amy J.; Beasley, James; Boughton, Raoul; Campbell, Tyler; Cooper, Susan; Gaston, Wes; Hartley, Stephen B.; Kilgo, John C.; Wisely, Samantha; Wyckoff, Christy; VerCauteren, Kurt

2016-01-01

Contact rates vary widely among individuals in socially structured wildlife populations. Understanding the interplay of factors responsible for this variation is essential for planning effective disease management. Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are a socially structured species which pose an increasing threat to livestock and human health, and little is known about contact structure. We analyzed 11 GPS data sets from across the United States to understand the interplay of ecological and demographic factors on variation in co-location rates, a proxy for contact rates. Between-sounder contact rates strongly depended on the distance among home ranges (less contact among sounders separated by >2 km; negligible between sounders separated by >6 km), but other factors causing high clustering between groups of sounders also seemed apparent. Our results provide spatial parameters for targeted management actions, identify data gaps that could lead to improved management and provide insight on experimental design for quantitating contact rates and structure.

Contact force and mechanical loss of multistage cable under tension and bending

Science.gov (United States)

Ru, Yanyun; Yong, Huadong; Zhou, Youhe

2016-10-01

A theoretical model for calculating the stress and strain states of cabling structures with different loadings has been developed in this paper. We solve the problem for the first- and second-stage cable with tensile or bending strain. The contact and friction forces between the strands are presented by two-dimensional contact model. Several theoretical models have been proposed to verify the results when the triplet subjected to the tensile strain, including contact force, contact stresses, and mechanical loss. It is found that loadings will affect the friction force and the mechanical loss of the triplet. The results show that the contact force and mechanical loss are dependent on the twist pitch. A shorter twist pitch can lead to higher contact force, while the trend of mechanical loss with twist pitch is complicated. The mechanical loss may be reduced by adjusting the twist pitch reasonably. The present model provides a simple analysis method to investigate the mechanical behaviors in multistage-structures under different loads.

Frictionless contact analysis of a functionally graded piezoelectric layered half-plane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ke Liaoliang; Yang Jie; Kitipornchai, Sritawat; Wang Yuesheng

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the frictionless contact problem of a layered half-plane made of functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) in the plane strain state under the action of a rigid punch whose shape may be flat, triangular or cylindrical. It is assumed that the punch is a perfect electrical insulator with zero electric charge distribution. The electroelastic properties of the FGPM layer vary exponentially along the thickness direction. By using the Fourier integral transform technique, the problem is reduced to a Cauchy singular integral equation which is then numerically solved to determine the contact pressure, contact region, maximum indentation depth, normal stress, electrical potential and electric displacement fields. The stress intensity factor is also given to quantitatively characterize the singularity behavior of the contact pressure at the ends of a flat and triangular punch. Numerical results show that both the material property gradient of the FGPM layer and the punch geometry have a significant influence on the contact performance of the FGPM layered half-plane

Photovoltaic concentrator technology development project. Sixth project integration meeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-10-01

Thirty-three abstracts and short papers are presented which describe the current status of research, development, and demonstration of concentrator solar cell technology. Solar concentrators discussed include the parabolic trough, linear focus Fresnel lens, point focus Fresnel lens, and the parabolic dish. Solar cells studied include silicon, GaAs, and AlGaAs. Research on multiple junction cells, combined photovoltaic/thermal collectors, back contact solar cells, and beam splitter modules is described. Concentrator solar cell demonstration programs are reported. Contractor status summaries are given for 33 US DOE concentrator solar cell contracts; a description of the project, project status, and key results to date is included. (WHK)

Using the FORE-SCE model to project land-cover change in the southeastern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Sohl, Terry; Sayler, Kristi L.

2008-01-01

A wide variety of ecological applications require spatially explicit current and projected land-use and land-cover data. The southeastern United States has experienced massive land-use change since European settlement and continues to experience extremely high rates of forest cutting, significant urban development, and changes in agricultural land use. Forest-cover patterns and structure are projected to change dramatically in the southeastern United States in the next 50 years due to population growth and demand for wood products [Wear, D.N., Greis, J.G. (Eds.), 2002. Southern Forest Resource Assessment. General Technical Report SRS-53. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Asheville, NC, 635 pp]. Along with our climate partners, we are examining the potential effects of southeastern U.S. land-cover change on regional climate. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Land Cover Trends project is analyzing contemporary (1973-2000) land-cover change in the conterminous United States, providing ecoregion-by-ecoregion estimates of the rates of change, descriptive transition matrices, and changes in landscape metrics. The FORecasting SCEnarios of future land-cover (FORE-SCE) model used Land Cover Trends data and theoretical, statistical, and deterministic modeling techniques to project future land-cover change through 2050 for the southeastern United States. Prescriptions for future proportions of land cover for this application were provided by ecoregion-based extrapolations of historical change. Logistic regression was used to develop relationships between suspected drivers of land-cover change and land cover, resulting in the development of probability-of-occurrence surfaces for each unique land-cover type. Forest stand age was initially established with Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data and tracked through model iterations. The spatial allocation procedure placed patches of new land cover on the landscape until the scenario

Modeling and simulation of water flow on containment walls with inhomogeneous contact angle distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amend, Katharina; Klein, Markus

2017-01-01

The paper presents a three-dimensional numerical simulation for water running down inclined surfaces using OpenFOAM. This research project aims at developing a CFD model to describe the run down behavior of liquids and the resulting wash down of fission products on surfaces in the reactor containment. An empirical contact angle model with wetted history is introduced as well as a filtered randomized initial contact angle field. Simulation results are in good agreement with the experiments. Experimental Investigation on Passive.

Modeling and simulation of water flow on containment walls with inhomogeneous contact angle distribution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amend, Katharina; Klein, Markus [Univ. der Bundeswehr Muenchen, Neubiberg (Germany). Inst. for Numerical Methods in Aerospace Engineering

2017-07-15

The paper presents a three-dimensional numerical simulation for water running down inclined surfaces using OpenFOAM. This research project aims at developing a CFD model to describe the run down behavior of liquids and the resulting wash down of fission products on surfaces in the reactor containment. An empirical contact angle model with wetted history is introduced as well as a filtered randomized initial contact angle field. Simulation results are in good agreement with the experiments. Experimental Investigation on Passive.

Annual Report of the Tandem Accelerator Center, Nuclear and Solid State Research Project, University of Tsukuba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

In 1977, 12 UD Pelletron tandem accelerator has been operated by the University's researchers and engineers. Except for the tank opening for regular inspection we met twice the troubles which forced to change the accelerating tube. The experiences teach us that it needs about 20 days to finish the conditioning after changing the accelerating tube. A sputter ion source of new version is now being installed on the top floor. Two devices for the detection of X-rays were tested. An apparatus for bombardment of samples in air for biological and medical sciences has been successfully used. The subjects of researches on nuclear physics cover the light-ion reactions, heavy-ion reactions and nuclear spectroscopy. A special emphasis has been put on the measurements on vector- and tensor-analyzing powers in the light-ion reactions, because of a higher efficiency of the polarized ion source. Elaborate works on the heavy-ion reactions including the angular correlation patterns and excitation functions have been made in parallel. Papers of these works are now being prepared, a few having been published already. Moreover, in the University of Tsukuba, a new research system, called Special Research Project on Nuclear and Solid State Sciences Using Accelerated Beams (Nuclear and Solid State Research Project) started in 1978 and will continue for five years. In this research project, researchers from various Institutes in the University of Tsukuba, as well as visiting researchers from other institutions in Japan and from abroad, participate. Using a variety of accelerated beams, i.e. of heavy, light and polarized beams, this research project aims mainly at the high excitation, short life, transient and inhomogeneous states both in nuclear and extra-nuclear world. It covers both fundamental research in nuclear, atomic and solid state sciences as well as their application in various fields. (J.P.N.)

Investigation of Thermostressed State of Coating Formation at Electric Contact Surfacing of “Shaft” Type Parts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olena V. Berezshnaya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The forming of coating at electric contact surfacing is considered. The mathematical model of the coating formation is developed. The method of numerical recurrent solution of the finite-difference form of static equilibrium conditions of the selected elementary volume of coating is used. This model considers distribution of thermal properties and geometric parameters along the thermal deformation zone during the process of electric contact surfacing by compact material. It is found that the change of value of speed asymmetry factor leads to increasing of the friction coefficient in zone of surfacing. This provides the forming of the coating of higher quality. The limitation of the technological capabilities of equipment for electric contact surfacing is related to the size of recoverable parts and application of high electromechanical powers. The regulation of the speed asymmetry factor allows for expanding the technological capabilities of equipment for electric contact surfacing. The nomograms for determination of the stress on the roller electrode and the finite thickness of the coating as the function of the initial thickness of the compact material and the deformation degree are shown.

Entanglement spectrum and boundary theories with projected entangled-pair states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cirac, Ignacio [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Garching (Germany); Poilblanc, Didier [Laboratoire de Physique Theorique, C.N.R.S. and Universite de Toulouse, Toulouse (France); Schuch, Norbert [California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Verstraete, Frank [Vienna Univ. (Austria)

2012-07-01

In many physical scenarios, close relations between the bulk properties of quantum systems and theories associated to their boundaries have been observed. In this work, we provide an exact duality mapping between the bulk of a quantum spin system and its boundary using Projected Entangled Pair States (PEPS). This duality associates to every region a Hamiltonian on its boundary, in such a way that the entanglement spectrum of the bulk corresponds to the excitation spectrum of the boundary Hamiltonian. We study various models and find that a gapped bulk phase with local order corresponds to a boundary Hamiltonian with local interactions, whereas critical behavior in the bulk is reflected on a diverging interaction length of the boundary Hamiltonian. Furthermore, topologically ordered states yield non-local Hamiltonians. As our duality also associates a boundary operator to any operator in the bulk, it in fact provides a full holographic framework for the study of quantum many-body systems via their boundary.

A new solution method for wheel/rail rolling contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jian; Song, Hua; Fu, Lihua; Wang, Meng; Li, Wei

2016-01-01

To solve the problem of wheel/rail rolling contact of nonlinear steady-state curving, a three-dimensional transient finite element (FE) model is developed by the explicit software ANSYS/LS-DYNA. To improve the solving speed and efficiency, an explicit-explicit order solution method is put forward based on analysis of the features of implicit and explicit algorithm. The solution method was first applied to calculate the pre-loading of wheel/rail rolling contact with explicit algorithm, and then the results became the initial conditions in solving the dynamic process of wheel/rail rolling contact with explicit algorithm as well. Simultaneously, the common implicit-explicit order solution method is used to solve the FE model. Results show that the explicit-explicit order solution method has faster operation speed and higher efficiency than the implicit-explicit order solution method while the solution accuracy is almost the same. Hence, the explicit-explicit order solution method is more suitable for the wheel/rail rolling contact model with large scale and high nonlinearity.

Projecting climate effects on birds and reptiles of the Southwestern United States

Science.gov (United States)

van Riper, Charles; Hatten, James R.; Giermakowski, J. Tomasz; Mattson, David; Holmes, Jennifer A.; Johnson, Matthew J.; Nowak, Erika M.; Ironside, Kirsten; Peters, Michael; Heinrich, Paul; Cole, K.L.; Truettner, C.; Schwalbe, Cecil R.

2014-01-01

We modeled the current and future breeding ranges of seven bird and five reptile species in the Southwestern United States with sets of landscape, biotic (plant), and climatic global circulation model (GCM) variables. For modeling purposes, we used PRISM data to characterize the climate of the Western United States between 1980 and 2009 (baseline for birds) and between 1940 and 2009 (baseline for reptiles). In contrast, we used a pre-selected set of GCMs that are known to be good predictors of southwestern climate (five individual and one ensemble GCM), for the A1B emission scenario, to characterize future climatic conditions in three time periods (2010–39; 2040–69; and, 2070–99). Our modeling approach relied on conceptual models for each target species to inform selection of candidate explanatory variables and to interpret the ecological meaning of developed probabilistic distribution models. We employed logistic regression and maximum entropy modeling techniques to create a set of probabilistic models for each target species. We considered climatic, landscape, and plant variables when developing and testing our probabilistic models. Climatic variables included the maximum and minimum mean monthly and seasonal temperature and precipitation for three time periods. Landscape features included terrain ruggedness and insolation. We also considered plant species distributions as candidate explanatory variables where prior ecological knowledge implicated a strong association between a plant and animal species. Projected changes in range varied widely among species, from major losses to major gains. Breeding bird ranges exhibited greater expansions and contractions than did reptile species. We project range losses for Williamson’s sapsucker and pygmy nuthatch of a magnitude that could move these two species close to extinction within the next century. Although both species currently have a relatively limited distribution, they can be locally common, and neither

Contact with turf algae alters the coral microbiome: contact versus systemic impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Pratte, Zoe A.; Longo, Guilherme O.; Burns, Andrew S.; Hay, Mark E.; Stewart, Frank J.

2018-03-01

Coral reefs are degrading to algae-dominated reefs worldwide, with alterations of coral microbiomes commonly co-occurring with reef demise. The severe thermal anomaly during the 2016 El Niño event in the South Pacific killed many corals and stressed others. We examined the microbiome of turf algae and of the coral Porites sp. in contact with turf during this thermal event to investigate algal turf effects on the coral microbiome during a period of environmental stress. The microbial composition of turf did not differ between coral-contacted and non-contacted turfs. However, microbiomes of corals in direct contact with turf were similar to those of the turf microbiome, but differed significantly from coral portions 5 cm from the point of turf/coral contact and from portions of the coral that looked most healthy, regardless of location. Although the majority of significant differences occurred in coral samples at the point of contact, a small subset of microbial taxa was enriched in coral tissues taken 5 cm from turf contact compared to all other sample types, including samples from areas of the coral that appeared most healthy. These results suggest that the coral microbiome is susceptible to colonization by microbes from turf, but not vice versa. Results also suggest that algal contact elicits a subtle shift in the coral microbiome just beyond the contact site. The combination of turf microbiome stability and coral microbiome vulnerability at areas of contact may contribute to the continued decline in coral cover and increase in algal cover associated with coral-algae phase shifts.

Patients with multiple contact allergies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carlsen, Berit Christina; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Menné, Torkil

2008-01-01

Patients with multiple contact allergies, also referred to as polysensitized, are more frequent than predicted from prevalence of single sensitivities. The understanding of why some people develop multiple contact allergies, and characterization of patients with multiple contact allergies...... of developing multiple contact allergies. Evidence of allergen clusters among polysensitized individuals is also reviewed. The literature supports the idea that patients with multiple contact allergies constitute a special entity within the field of contact allergy. There is no generally accepted definition...... of patients with multiple contact allergies. We suggest that contact allergy to 3 or more allergens are defined as multiple contact allergies....

All-Elastomer 3-Axis Contact Resistive Tactile Sensor Arrays and Micromilled Manufacturing Methods Thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Charalambides, Alexandros (Inventor); Bergbreiter, Sarah (Inventor); Penskiy, Ivan (Inventor)

2018-01-01

At least one tactile sensor includes an insulating layer and a conductive layer formed on the surface of the insulating layer. The conductive layer defines at least one group of flexible projections extending orthogonally from the surface of the insulating layer. The flexible projections include a major projection extending a distance orthogonally from the surface and at least one minor projection that is adjacent to and separate from the major projection wherein the major projection extends a distance orthogonally that is greater than the distance that the minor projection extends orthogonally. Upon a compressive force normal to, or a shear force parallel to, the surface, the major projection and the minor projection flex such that an electrical contact resistance is formed between the major projection and the minor projection. A capacitive tactile sensor is also disclosed that responds to the normal and shear forces.

Projecting the Effect of Changes in Smoking and Obesity on Future Life Expectancy in the United States

OpenAIRE

Preston, Samuel H.; Stokes, Andrew; Mehta, Neil K.; Cao, Bochen

2013-01-01

We estimate the effects of declining smoking and increasing obesity on mortality in the United States over the period 2010?2040. Data on cohort behavioral histories are integrated into these estimates. Future distributions of body mass indices are projected using transition matrices applied to the initial distribution in 2010. In addition to projections of current obesity, we project distributions of obesity when cohorts are age 25. To these distributions, we apply death rates by current and ...

Economic impact study of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project in Colorado: Colorado state fiscal year 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-11-01

The Colorado economic impact study summarizes employment and economic benefits to the state from activities associated with the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project during Colorado state fiscal year 1994. To capture employment information, a questionnaire was distributed to subcontractor employees at the active UMTRA Project sites of Grand Junction, Naturita, Gunnison, and Rifle, Colorado. Economic data were requested from each site prime subcontractor, as well as from the Remedial Action Contractor. The most significant benefits associated with the UMTRA Project in Colorado are summarized. This study assesses benefits associated with the Grand Junction, Gunnison, Naturita, and Rifle UMTRA Projects sites for the 1-year period under study. Work at the Naturita site was initiated in April 1994 and involved demolition of buildings at the processing site. Actual start-up of remediation of Naturita is planned to begin in the spring of 1995. Work at the Slick Rock and Maybell sites is expected to begin in 1995. The only current economic benefits associated with these sites are related to UMTRA Project support work

Projecting changes in regional temperature and precipitation extremes in the United States

OpenAIRE

Justin T. Schoof; Scott M. Robeson

2016-01-01

Regional and local climate extremes, and their impacts, result from the multifaceted interplay between large-scale climate forcing, local environmental factors (physiography), and societal vulnerability. In this paper, we review historical and projected changes in temperature and precipitation extremes in the United States, with a focus on strengths and weaknesses of (1) commonly used definitions for extremes such as thresholds and percentiles, (2) statistical approaches to quantifying change...

The Gaseous State. Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). Unit P1.

Science.gov (United States)

Inner London Education Authority (England).

This unit on the gaseous state is one of 10 first year units produced by the Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). The unit consists of two levels. Level one deals with the distinctive characteristics of gases, then considers the gas laws, in particular the ideal gas equation and its applications. Level two concentrates on…

Integrating Forage, Wildlife, Water, and Fish Projections with Timber Projections at the Regional Level: A Case Study in Southern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Linda A. Joyce; Curtis H. Flather; Patricia A. Flebbe; Thomas W. Hoekstra; Stan J. Ursic

1990-01-01

The impact of timber management and land-use change on forage production, turkey and deer abundance, red-cockaded woodpecker colonies, water yield, and trout abundance was projected as part of a policy study focusing on the southern United States. The multiresource modeling framework used in this study linked extant timber management and land-area policy models with...

Contact system activation and high thrombin generation in hyperthyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Namhee; Gu, Ja-Yoon; Yoo, Hyun Ju; Han, Se Eun; Kim, Young Il; Nam-Goong, Il Sung; Kim, Eun Sook; Kim, Hyun Kyung

2017-05-01

Hyperthyroidism is associated with increased thrombotic risk. As contact system activation through formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) has emerged as an important trigger of thrombosis, we hypothesized that the contact system is activated along with active NET formation in hyperthyroidism and that their markers correlate with disease severity. In 61 patients with hyperthyroidism and 40 normal controls, the levels of coagulation factors (fibrinogen, and factor VII, VIII, IX, XI and XII), D-dimer, thrombin generation assay (TGA) markers, NET formation markers (histone-DNA complex, double-stranded DNA and neutrophil elastase) and contact system markers (activated factor XII (XIIa), high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK), prekallikrein and bradykinin) were measured. Patients with hyperthyroidism showed higher levels of fibrinogen (median (interquartile range), 315 (280-344) vs 262 (223-300), P  = 0.001), D-dimer (103.8 (64.8-151.5) vs 50.7 (37.4-76.0), P  hyperthyroidism's contribution to coagulation and contact system activation. Free T4 was significantly correlated with factors VIII and IX, D-dimer, double-stranded DNA and bradykinin. This study demonstrated that contact system activation and abundant NET formation occurred in the high thrombin generation state in hyperthyroidism and were correlated with free T4 level. © 2017 European Society of Endocrinology.

Experimental and numerical investigation of contact-area-limited doping for top-contact pentacene thin-film transistors with Schottky contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Kei; Wada, Yasuo; Toyabe, Toru

2015-10-28

Effects of contact-area-limited doping for pentacene thin-film transistors with a bottom-gate, top-contact configuration were investigated. The increase in the drain current and the effective field-effect mobility was achieved by preparing hole-doped layers underneath the gold contact electrodes by coevaporation of pentacene and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ), confirmed by using a thin-film organic transistor advanced simulator (TOTAS) incorporating Schottky contact with a thermionic field emission (TFE) model. Although the simulated electrical characteristics fit the experimental results well only in the linear regime of the transistor operation, the barrier height for hole injection and the gate-voltage-dependent hole mobility in the pentacene transistors were evaluated with the aid of the device simulation. This experimental data analysis with the simulation indicates that the highly-doped semiconducting layers prepared in the contact regions can enhance the charge carrier injection into the active semiconductor layer and concurrent trap filling in the transistor channel, caused by the mitigation of a Schottky energy barrier. This study suggests that both the contact-area-limited doping and the device simulation dealing with Schottky contact are indispensable in designing and developing high-performance organic thin-film transistors.

Role of Firing Temperature, Sheet Resistance, and Contact Area in Contact Formation on Screen-Printed Metal Contact of Silicon Solar Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Samir Mahmmod; Leong, Cheow Siu; Sopian, K.; Zaidi, Saleem H.

2018-03-01

Formation of an Ohmic contact requires a suitable firing temperature, appropriate doping profile, and contact dimensions within resolution limits of the screen-printing process. In this study, the role of the peak firing temperature in standard rapid thermal annealing (RTA) six-zone conveyor belt furnace (CBF) and two inexpensive alternate RTA systems [a custom-designed, three-zone, 5″-diameter quartz tube furnace (QTF) and a tabletop, 3″-diameter rapid thermal processing (RTP)] has been investigated. In addition, the role of sheet resistance and contact area in achieving low-resistance ohmic contacts has been examined. Electrical measurements of ohmic contacts between silver paste/ n +-emitter layer with varying sheet resistances and aluminum paste/ p-doped wafer were carried out in transmission line method configuration. Experimental measurements of the contact resistivity ( ρ c) exhibited the lowest values for CBF at 0.14 mΩ cm2 for Ag and 100 mΩ cm2 for Al at a peak firing temperature of 870°C. For the QTF configuration, lowest measured contact resistivities were 3.1 mΩ cm2 for Ag and 74.1 mΩ cm2 for Al at a peak firing temperature of 925°C. Finally, for the RTP configuration, lowest measured contact resistivities were 1.2 mΩ cm2 for Ag and 68.5 mΩ cm2 for Al at a peak firing temperature of 780°C. The measured contact resistivity exhibits strong linear dependence on sheet resistance. The contact resistivity for Ag decreases with contact area, while for Al the opposite behavior is observed.

An approximate JKR solution for a general contact, including rough contacts

Science.gov (United States)

Ciavarella, M.

2018-05-01

In the present note, we suggest a simple closed form approximate solution to the adhesive contact problem under the so-called JKR regime. The derivation is based on generalizing the original JKR energetic derivation assuming calculation of the strain energy in adhesiveless contact, and unloading at constant contact area. The underlying assumption is that the contact area distributions are the same as under adhesiveless conditions (for an appropriately increased normal load), so that in general the stress intensity factors will not be exactly equal at all contact edges. The solution is simply that the indentation is δ =δ1 -√{ 2 wA‧ /P″ } where w is surface energy, δ1 is the adhesiveless indentation, A‧ is the first derivative of contact area and P‧‧ the second derivative of the load with respect to δ1. The solution only requires macroscopic quantities, and not very elaborate local distributions, and is exact in many configurations like axisymmetric contacts, but also sinusoidal waves contact and correctly predicts some features of an ideal asperity model used as a test case and not as a real description of a rough contact problem. The solution permits therefore an estimate of the full solution for elastic rough solids with Gaussian multiple scales of roughness, which so far was lacking, using known adhesiveless simple results. The result turns out to depend only on rms amplitude and slopes of the surface, and as in the fractal limit, slopes would grow without limit, tends to the adhesiveless result - although in this limit the JKR model is inappropriate. The solution would also go to adhesiveless result for large rms amplitude of roughness hrms, irrespective of the small scale details, and in agreement with common sense, well known experiments and previous models by the author.

New Project in Huacheng Paper of Guangxi State Farms Sugar Group Laid the Foundation Stone

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2010-01-01

@@ The foundation-stone laying ceremony of 200,000 t/y culture paper project in Huacheng Paper, a member of Guangxi State Farms Sugar Group, was held in Laibin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on October 18, 2009.

HTSC-Josephson step contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrmann, K.

1994-03-01

In this work the properties of josephson step contacts are investigated. After a short introduction into Josephson step contacts the structure, properties and the Josphson contacts of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x high-T c superconductors is presented. The fabrication of HTSC step contacts and the microstructure is discussed. The electric properties of these contacts are measured together with the Josephson emission and the magnetic field dependence. The temperature dependence of the stationary transport properties is given. (WL)

Technology projects for characterization--monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Junk, G.A.; Haas, W.J. Jr.

1992-07-01

One hundred thirty technology project titles related to the characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at an arid site are listed alphabetically by first contact person in a master compilation that includes phone numbers, addresses, keywords, and short descriptions. Separate tables are presented for 62 field-demonstrated, 36 laboratory-demonstrated, and 35 developing technology projects. The technology projects in each of these three categories are also prioritized in separate summary tables. Additional tables are presented for a number of other categorizations of the technology projects: In Situ; Fiberoptic; Mass Spectrometer; Optical Spectroscopy; Raman or SERS; Ion Mobility or Acoustic; Associated; and Commercial. Four lists of contact person names are provided so details concerning the projects that deal with sampling, and VOCs in gases, waters, and soils (sediments) can be obtained. Finally, seven wide-ranging conclusions based on observations and experiences during this work are presented.

Technology projects for characterization--monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Junk, G.A.; Haas, W.J. Jr.

1992-07-01

One hundred thirty technology project titles related to the characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at an arid site are listed alphabetically by first contact person in a master compilation that includes phone numbers, addresses, keywords, and short descriptions. Separate tables are presented for 62 field-demonstrated, 36 laboratory-demonstrated, and 35 developing technology projects. The technology projects in each of these three categories are also prioritized in separate summary tables. Additional tables are presented for a number of other categorizations of the technology projects: In Situ; Fiberoptic; Mass Spectrometer; Optical Spectroscopy; Raman or SERS; Ion Mobility or Acoustic; Associated; and Commercial. Four lists of contact person names are provided so details concerning the projects that deal with sampling, and VOCs in gases, waters, and soils (sediments) can be obtained. Finally, seven wide-ranging conclusions based on observations and experiences during this work are presented

Non-linear scalable TFETI domain decomposition based contact algorithm

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dobiáš, Jiří; Pták, Svatopluk; Dostál, Z.; Vondrák, V.; Kozubek, T.

2010-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 1 (2010), s. 1-10 ISSN 1757-8981. [World Congress on Computational Mechanics/9./. Sydney, 19.07.2010 - 23.07.2010] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA101/08/0574 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : finite element method * domain decomposition method * contact Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics http://iopscience.iop.org/1757-899X/10/1/012161/pdf/1757-899X_10_1_012161.pdf

Major infrastructure projects and the foreign policy of the Baltic states in 2010—2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mezhevich N. M.

2014-02-01

Full Text Available At the current stage of social development, particular attention is drawn to studies that assess major infrastructure — and thus political — projects aimed at a qualitative breakthrough in the socio-economic development of the countries under investigation. The scheduled multi-billion investments into energy sector are of political rather than economic nature. The projects to develop alternative power grids and high-speed railways can result in large-scale economic downturns diminishing the prospects of balanced social development. The author addresses the classical concepts of the theory of regional economy and new economic geography and their interpretation of the interconnection between political and economic factors. The article aims to demonstrate the inconsistency between political and economic objectives of the development of the Baltics. The study contributes to a broader set of research into the issues of post-Soviet economic and political development. The Baltic States follow their own political and economic ways. The study proves the hypothesis of low efficiency of large infrastructure project and their political motivation. It is concluded that the disregard of the factor of mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Russia destabilizes the development of national economic of the Baltic States. The author believes that modern infrastructure projects in the Baltic Sea region should be integrated into both western and eastern dimensions.

Adhesive contact delaminating at mixed mode, its thermodynamics and analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rossi, R.; Roubíček, Tomáš

2013-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 1 (2013), s. 1-37 ISSN 1463-9963 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP201/10/0357 Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : contact mechanics * rate-independent processes * heat equation * energetic solution Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.574, year: 2013 http://www.ems-ph.org/journals/show_abstract.php?issn=1463-9963&vol=15&iss=1&rank=1

Ocular surface displacement with and without contact lenses during non-contact tonometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rimayanti, Ulfah; Kiuchi, Yoshiaki; Uemura, Shohei; Takenaka, Joji; Mochizuki, Hideki; Kaneko, Makoto

2014-01-01

To evaluate the displacement of the central ocular surface during non-contact tonometry with and without soft contact lenses and determine the factors associated with the displacement of the central ocular surface and intraocular pressure (IOP) reading changes caused by wearing soft contact lenses (CLs). One eye each in 21 subjects was studied. The cornea was photographed using a high-speed camera at 5,000 frames/sec during non-contact tonometry without contact lenses (NCL), with -5.0 diopters (D), -0.5 D and +5.0 D CL. The displacement of the ocular surface and the factors affecting displacement at the IOP reading and maximum displacement time were investigated. The IOP readings while wearing +5 D CL were significantly higher than those obtained while wearing -5 D CL. The ocular surface displacement between +5 D CL and other groups were significantly different. A significant positive correlation was found between the ocular surface displacement of subjects at the IOP reading time and the IOP obtained with the non-contact tonometer. A significant negative correlation was found between the ocular surface curvature and the IOP obtained using the non-contact tonometer. The radius of curvature of the ocular surface affected the displacement during the IOP reading and maximum displacement time. Our results indicate that soft contact lens use changes the ocular surface behavior and IOP readings during non-contact tonometry. The radius of curvature of the eye affects the ocular surface displacement and IOP readings in this situation.

[Health projects managed by Nursing Coordinators: an analysis of contents and degree of success].

Science.gov (United States)

Palese, Alvisa; Bresciani, Federica; Brutti, Caterina; Chiari, Ileana; Fontana, Luciana; Fronza, Ornella; Gasperi, Giuseppina; Gheno, Oscar; Guarese, Olga; Leali, Anna; Mansueti, Nadia; Masieri, Enrico; Messina, Laura; Munaretto, Gabriella; Paoli, Claudia; Perusi, Chiara; Randon, Giulia; Rossi, Gloria; Solazzo, Pasquale; Telli, Debora; Trenti, Giuliano; Veronese, Elisabetta; Saiani, Luisa

2012-01-01

To describe the evolution and results of health projects run in hospitals and managed by Nursing Coordinators. A convenience sample of 13 north Italian hospital, and a sample of 56 Nursing Coordinators with a permanent position from at least 1 year, was contacted. The following information was collected with a structured interview: projects run in 2009, topic, if bottom up or top down, number of staff involved and state (ended, still running, stopped). In 2009 Nursing Coordinators started 114 projects (mean 1.8±1.2 each): 94 (82.5%) were improvement projects, 17 (14.9%) accreditation, and 3 (2.6%) research. The projects involved 2.732 staff members (73.7%; average commitment 84 hours); 55 (48.2%) projects were still running, 52 (45.6%) completed, for 5 (4.4%) there was no assessment and 2 (1.8%) had been stopped. Nurses are regularly involved in several projects. A systematic monitoring of the results obtained and stabilization strategies are scarce. Due to the large number of resources invested, a correct management and the choice of areas relevant for patients' problems and needs are pivotal.

State and local economic impacts from wind energy projects: Texas case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slattery, Michael C.; Lantz, Eric; Johnson, Becky L.

2011-01-01

This paper uses the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) model to estimate economic impacts from 1398 MW of wind power development in four counties in west Texas. Project-specific impacts are estimated at the local level (i.e., within a 100-mile radius around the wind farms) and at the state level. The primary economic policy question addressed is how investment in wind energy affects the state and local communities where the wind farms are built. During the four-year construction phase approximately 4100 FTE (full time equivalents) jobs were supported with turbine and supply chain impacts accounting for 58% of all jobs generated. Total lifetime economic activity to the state from the projects equated to more than $1.8 billion, or $1.3 million per MW of installed capacity. The total economic activity to the local communities was also substantial, equating to nearly $730 million over the assumed 20-year life cycle of the farms, or $0.52 million per MW of installed capacity. Given the current level of impacts observed, and the potential for increased impacts via greater utilization of instate manufacturing capacity and the development of trained wind industry specific laborers, Texas appears to be well positioned to see increasing impacts from continued wind development. - Highlights: ► We use the JEDI model to assess economic impacts from wind development in west Texas. ► Total lifetime economic impact from 1398 MW wind equated to more than $1.8 billion. ► Texas is well positioned to see increasing impacts from continued wind development.

Primal and Dual Penalty Methods for Contact Problems with Geometrical Non-linearities

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vondrák, V.; Dostál, Z.; Dobiáš, Jiří; Pták, Svatopluk

-, č. 5 (2005), s. 449-450 ISSN 1617-7061. [GAMM Annual Meeting 2005. Luxembourg, 28.03.2005-01.04.2005] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA101/05/0423 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : primal penalty * dual penalty * contact problem Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics

Drop rebound after impact: the role of the receding contact angle.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonini, C; Villa, F; Bernagozzi, I; Amirfazli, A; Marengo, M

2013-12-31

Data from the literature suggest that the rebound of a drop from a surface can be achieved when the wettability is low, i.e., when contact angles, measured at the triple line (solid-liquid-air), are high. However, no clear criterion exists to predict when a drop will rebound from a surface and which is the key wetting parameter to govern drop rebound (e.g., the "equilibrium" contact angle, θeq, the advancing and the receding contact angles, θA and θR, respectively, the contact angle hysteresis, Δθ, or any combination of these parameters). To clarify the conditions for drop rebound, we conducted experimental tests on different dry solid surfaces with variable wettability, from hydrophobic to superhydrophobic surfaces, with advancing contact angles 108° contact angles 89° contact angle is the key wetting parameter that influences drop rebound, along with surface hydrophobicity: for the investigated impact conditions (drop diameter 2.4 contact angles higher than 100°. Also, the drop rebound time decreased by increasing the receding contact angle. It was also shown that in general care must be taken when using statically defined wetting parameters (such as advancing and receding contact angles) to predict the dynamic behavior of a liquid on a solid surface because the dynamics of the phenomenon may affect surface wetting close to the impact point (e.g., as a result of the transition from the Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel state in the case of the so-called superhydrophobic surfaces) and thus affect the drop rebound.

Improved protein structure reconstruction using secondary structures, contacts at higher distance thresholds, and non-contacts.

Science.gov (United States)

Adhikari, Badri; Cheng, Jianlin

2017-08-29

Residue-residue contacts are key features for accurate de novo protein structure prediction. For the optimal utilization of these predicted contacts in folding proteins accurately, it is important to study the challenges of reconstructing protein structures using true contacts. Because contact-guided protein modeling approach is valuable for predicting the folds of proteins that do not have structural templates, it is necessary for reconstruction studies to focus on hard-to-predict protein structures. Using a data set consisting of 496 structural domains released in recent CASP experiments and a dataset of 150 representative protein structures, in this work, we discuss three techniques to improve the reconstruction accuracy using true contacts - adding secondary structures, increasing contact distance thresholds, and adding non-contacts. We find that reconstruction using secondary structures and contacts can deliver accuracy higher than using full contact maps. Similarly, we demonstrate that non-contacts can improve reconstruction accuracy not only when the used non-contacts are true but also when they are predicted. On the dataset consisting of 150 proteins, we find that by simply using low ranked predicted contacts as non-contacts and adding them as additional restraints, can increase the reconstruction accuracy by 5% when the reconstructed models are evaluated using TM-score. Our findings suggest that secondary structures are invaluable companions of contacts for accurate reconstruction. Confirming some earlier findings, we also find that larger distance thresholds are useful for folding many protein structures which cannot be folded using the standard definition of contacts. Our findings also suggest that for more accurate reconstruction using predicted contacts it is useful to predict contacts at higher distance thresholds (beyond 8 Å) and predict non-contacts.

The Value Range of Contact Stiffness Factor between Pile and Soil Based on Penalty Function

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Sandy H. L.; Wu, Xinliu

2018-03-01

The value range of contact stiffness factor based on penalty function is studied when we use finite element software ANSYS to analyze contact problems, take single pile and soil of a certain project for example, the normal contact between pile and soil is analyzed with 2D simplified model in horizontal load. The study shows that when adopting linear elastic model to simulate soil, the maximum contact pressure and penetration approach steady value as the contact stiffness factor increases. The reasonable value range of contact stiffness factor reduces as the underlying element thickness decreases, but the rule reverses when refers to the soil stiffness. If choose DP model to simulate soil, the stiffness factor should be magnified 100 times compares to the elastic model regardless of the soil bears small force and still in elastic deformation stage or into the plastic deformation stage. When the soil bears big force and into plastic deformation stage, the value range of stiffness factor relates to the plastic strain range of the soil, and reduces as the horizontal load increases.

Projected Entangled Pair States with non-Abelian gauge symmetries: An SU(2) study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zohar, Erez, E-mail: erez.zohar@mpq.mpg.de [Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Straße 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); Wahl, Thorsten B. [Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford, 1 Keble Road, OX1 3NP (United Kingdom); Burrello, Michele, E-mail: michele.burrello@mpq.mpg.de [Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Straße 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); Cirac, J. Ignacio [Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Straße 1, 85748 Garching (Germany)

2016-11-15

Over the last years, Projected Entangled Pair States have demonstrated great power for the study of many body systems, as they naturally describe ground states of gapped many body Hamiltonians, and suggest a constructive way to encode and classify their symmetries. The PEPS study is not only limited to global symmetries, but has also been extended and applied for local symmetries, allowing to use them for the description of states in lattice gauge theories. In this paper we discuss PEPS with a local, SU(2) gauge symmetry, and demonstrate the use of PEPS features and techniques for the study of a simple family of many body states with a non-Abelian gauge symmetry. We present, in particular, the construction of fermionic PEPS able to describe both two-color fermionic matter and the degrees of freedom of an SU(2) gauge field with a suitable truncation.

Absolute Dimensions of Contact Binary Stars in Baade Window

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Woon Kang

1999-12-01

Full Text Available The light curves of the representative 6 contact binary stars observed by OGLE Project of searching for dark matter in our Galaxy have been analyzed by the method of the Wilson and Devinney Differential Correction to find photometric solutions. The orbital inclinations of these binaries are in the range of 52 deg - 69 deg which is lower than that of the solar neighborhood binaries. The Roche lobe filling factor of these binaries are distributed in large range of 0.12 - 0.90. Since absence of spectroscopic observations for these binaries we have found masses of the 6 binary systems based on the intersection between Kepler locus and locus derived from Vandenberg isochrones in the mass - luminosity plane. Then absolute dimensions and distances have been found by combining the masses and the photometric solutions. The distances of the 6 binary systems are distributed in the range of 1 kpc - 6 kpc. This distance range is the limiting range where the contact binaries which have period shorter than a day are visible. Most contact binaries discovered in the Baade window do not belong to the Galactic bulge.

Project management best practices: forging win-win partnerships

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livet, B.

2006-01-01

This paper reviews various aspects of management of renewable energy projects. It outlines contracting strategies, major cost impacts on balance of plants construction and permitting a wind farm project. It concludes by recommending a careful evaluation of the contracting strategy which best fits the circumstances, consideration of site and balance of plant issues in developing a realistic cost model for the project and making an early contact with authorities to ascertain the permitting required for the project

Effect of implanted doses of N+-ions on the contact resistance of copper contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubravec, B.; Kovac, P.; Lipka, F.; Padysak, M.

1997-01-01

The paper deals with the effect of implanted doses of N + ions on the contact resistance. Dependencies of the contact resistance versus contact force R c =f(F c ) and microhardness of implanted surfaces were measured for three implanted profiles. The influence of the aggressive environs on the contact resistance of implanted contact is given too

Collaborative efforts are needed to ensure proper knowledge dissemination of telemedicine projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Neel Kolthoff; Jensen, Lena Sundby; Kayser, Lars

2014-01-01

documented and disseminated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Public and private funds were contacted for information about telemedicine studies focusing on people residing in their homes. After an initial screening of titles and abstracts, 19 projects were identified. The managers of the projects were contacted......INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine is often seen as the solution to the challenge of providing health care for an increasing number of people with chronic conditions. Projects are often organised locally and based on the involvement of stakeholders with a wide range of backgrounds. It can be challenging...... to ensure that projects are based on previous experience and that they do not repeat previous studies. To better understand these challenges and current practice, we examined telemedicine projects funded in the 2008-2010 period to explore where, how and to what extent results from the projects were...

Electrical contacts principles and applications

CERN Document Server

Slade, Paul G

2013-01-01

Covering the theory, application, and testing of contact materials, Electrical Contacts: Principles and Applications, Second Edition introduces a thorough discussion on making electric contact and contact interface conduction; presents a general outline of, and measurement techniques for, important corrosion mechanisms; considers the results of contact wear when plug-in connections are made and broken; investigates the effect of thin noble metal plating on electronic connections; and relates crucial considerations for making high- and low-power contact joints. It examines contact use in switch

Directory of Solar Energy Research Activities in the United States: First Edition, May 1980. [1220 projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-05-01

Information covering 1220, FY 1978 and FY 1979 solar energy research projects is included. In addition to the title and text of project summaries, the directory contains the following indexes: subject index, investigator index, performing organization index, and supporting organization index. This information was registered with the Smithsonian Science Information Exchange by Federal, State, and other supporting organizations. The project summaries are categorized in the following areas: biomass, ocean energy, wind energy,photovoltaics, photochemical energy conversion, photobiological energy conversion, solar heating and cooling, solar process heat, solar collectors and concentrators, solar thermal electric generation, and other solar energy conversion. (WHK)

Knowledge of nursing undergraduate students about the use of contact precautions measures

OpenAIRE

Julielen Salvador dos Santos; Ione Corrêa; Manoel Henrique Salgado

2013-01-01

Objective. To assess knowledge of nursing undergraduate students about the use of contact precautions. Methodology. There were 106 nursing undergraduate students from three universities within the state of Sao Paulo. The data collection was done between April and May 2012. A questionnaire was elaborated with questions assessing knowledge regarding contact precautions. The data were submitted to statistical procedures in the package MINITAB version 16. The knowledge were rated as adequate, par...

Ocular surface displacement with and without contact lenses during non-contact tonometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulfah Rimayanti

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate the displacement of the central ocular surface during non-contact tonometry with and without soft contact lenses and determine the factors associated with the displacement of the central ocular surface and intraocular pressure (IOP reading changes caused by wearing soft contact lenses (CLs. METHODS: One eye each in 21 subjects was studied. The cornea was photographed using a high-speed camera at 5,000 frames/sec during non-contact tonometry without contact lenses (NCL, with -5.0 diopters (D, -0.5 D and +5.0 D CL. The displacement of the ocular surface and the factors affecting displacement at the IOP reading and maximum displacement time were investigated. RESULTS: The IOP readings while wearing +5 D CL were significantly higher than those obtained while wearing -5 D CL. The ocular surface displacement between +5 D CL and other groups were significantly different. A significant positive correlation was found between the ocular surface displacement of subjects at the IOP reading time and the IOP obtained with the non-contact tonometer. A significant negative correlation was found between the ocular surface curvature and the IOP obtained using the non-contact tonometer. The radius of curvature of the ocular surface affected the displacement during the IOP reading and maximum displacement time. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that soft contact lens use changes the ocular surface behavior and IOP readings during non-contact tonometry. The radius of curvature of the eye affects the ocular surface displacement and IOP readings in this situation.

37 CFR 10.33 - Direct contact with prospective clients.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Direct contact with prospective clients. 10.33 Section 10.33 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND... clients. A practitioner may not solicit professional employment from a prospective client with whom the...

Current voltage characteristics of composite superconductors with high contact resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhmetov, A.A.; Baev, V.P.

1984-01-01

An experimental study has been made of current-voltage characteristics of composite superconductors with contact resistance between superconducting filaments and normal metal with high electrical conductivity. It is shown that stable resistive states exist in such conductors over a wide range of currents. The presence of resistive states is interpreted in terms of the resistive domain concept. The minimum and maximum currents of resistive states are found to be dependent on the electrical resistance of normal metal and magnetic field. (author)

Lifetime limitations of ohmic, contacting RF MEMS switches with Au, Pt and Ir contact materials due to accumulation of ‘friction polymer’ on the contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czaplewski, David A; Nordquist, Christopher D; Dyck, Christopher W; Patrizi, Gary A; Kraus, Garth M; Cowan, William D

2012-01-01

We present lifetime limitations and failure analysis of many packaged RF MEMS ohmic contacting switches with Au–Au, Au–Ir, and Au–Pt contact materials operating with 100 µN of contact force per contact in hermetically sealed glass wall packages. All metals were tested using the same switch design in a controlled environment to provide a comparison between the performance of the different materials and their corresponding failure mechanisms. The switch lifetimes of the different contact materials varied from several hundred cycles to 200 million cycles with different mechanisms causing failures for different contact materials. Switches with Au–Au contacts failed due to adhesion when thoroughly cleaned while switches with dissimilar metal contacts (Au–Ir and Au–Pt) operated without adhesion failures but failed due to carbon accumulation on the contacts even in a clean, packaged environment as a result of the catalytic behavior of the contact materials. Switch lifetimes correlated inversely with catalytic behavior of the contact metals. The data suggests the path to increase switch lifetime is to use favorable catalytic materials as contacts, design switches with higher contact forces to break through any residual contamination, and use cleaner, probably smaller, packages. (paper)

Overview of uranium mill tailings remedial action project of the United States of America 1995-1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edge, R.

1997-01-01

From the early 1940's through the 1960's the United States federal government contracted for processed uranium ore for national defense research, weapons development and commercial nuclear energy. When these contracts were terminated, the mills ceased operation leaving large uranium tailings on the former mill sites. The purpose of the Uranium Remedial Action Project (UMTRA) is to minimize or eliminate potential health hazards resulting from exposure of the public to the tailings at these abandons sites. There are 24 inactive uranium mill tailings sites, in 10 states and an Indian reservation lands, included for clean up under the auspices of UMTRA. Presently the last 2 sites are under remediation. This paper addresses the progress of the project over the last two years. (author)

The effect of contact precautions on healthcare worker activity in acute care hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Daniel J; Pineles, Lisa; Shardell, Michelle; Graham, Margaret M; Mohammadi, Shahrzad; Forrest, Graeme N; Reisinger, Heather S; Schweizer, Marin L; Perencevich, Eli N

2013-01-01

Contact precautions are a cornerstone of infection prevention but have also been associated with less healthcare worker (HCW) contact and adverse events. We studied how contact precautions modified HCW behavior in 4 acute care facilities. Prospective cohort study. Four acute care facilities in the United States performing active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Trained observers performed "secret shopper" monitoring of HCW activities during routine care, using a standardized collection tool and fixed 1-hour observation periods. A total of 7,743 HCW visits were observed over 1,989 hours. Patients on contact precautions had 36.4% fewer hourly HCW visits than patients not on contact precautions (2.78 vs 4.37 visits per hour; [Formula: see text]) as well as 17.7% less direct patient contact time with HCWs (13.98 vs 16.98 minutes per hour; [Formula: see text]). Patients on contact precautions tended to have fewer visitors (23.6% fewer; [Formula: see text]). HCWs were more likely to perform hand hygiene on exiting the room of a patient on contact precautions (63.2% vs 47.4% in rooms of patients not on contact precautions; [Formula: see text]). Contact precautions were found to be associated with activities likely to reduce transmission of resistant pathogens, such as fewer visits and better hand hygiene at exit, while exposing patients on contact precautions to less HCW contact, less visitor contact, and potentially other unintended outcomes.

Lessons learned by southern states in designating alternative routes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-08-01

The purpose of this report is to discuss the ''lessons learned'' by the five states within the southem region that have designated alternative or preferred routes under the regulations of the Department of Transportation (DOT) established for the transportation of radioactive materials. The document was prepared by reviewing applicable federal laws and regulations, examining state reports and documents and contacting state officials and routing agencies involved in making routing decisions. In undertaking this project, the Southern States Energy Board hopes to reveal the process used by states that have designated alternative routes and thereby share their experiences (i.e., lessons learned) with other southern states that have yet to make designations. Under DOT regulations (49 CFR 177.826), carriers of highway route controlled quantities of radioactive materials (which include spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste) must use preferred routes selected to reduce time in transit. Such preferred routes consist of (1) an interstate system highway with use of an interstate system bypass or beltway around cities when available, and (2) alternate routes selected by a ''state routing agency.''

Effects of recent energy system changes on CO2 projections for the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenox, Carol S; Loughlin, Daniel H

2017-09-21