Performance of Radiant Heating Systems of Low-Energy Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Sarbu, Ioan; Mirza, Matei; Crasmareanu, Emanuel

2017-10-01

After the introduction of plastic piping, the application of water-based radiant heating with pipes embedded in room surfaces (i.e., floors, walls, and ceilings), has significantly increased worldwide. Additionally, interest and growth in radiant heating and cooling systems have increased in recent years because they have been demonstrated to be energy efficient in comparison to all-air distribution systems. This paper briefly describes the heat distribution systems in buildings, focusing on the radiant panels (floor, wall, ceiling, and floor-ceiling). Main objective of this study is the performance investigation of different types of low-temperature heating systems with different methods. Additionally, a comparative analysis of the energy, environmental, and economic performances of floor, wall, ceiling, and floor-ceiling heating using numerical simulation with Transient Systems Simulation (TRNSYS) software is performed. This study showed that the floor-ceiling heating system has the best performance in terms of the lowest energy consumption, operation cost, CO2 emission, and the nominal boiler power. The comparison of the room operative air temperatures and the set-point operative air temperature indicates also that all radiant panel systems provide satisfactory results without significant deviations.

Exergy metrication of radiant panel heating and cooling with heat pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilkis, Birol

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Rational Exergy Management Model analytically relates heat pumps and radiant panels. ► Heat pumps driven by wind energy perform better with radiantpanels. ► Better CO 2 mitigation is possible with wind turbine, heat pump, radiant panel combination. ► Energy savings and thermo-mechanical performance are directly linked to CO 2 emissions. - Abstract: Radiant panels are known to be energy efficient sensible heating and cooling systems and a suitable fit for low-exergy buildings. This paper points out the little known fact that this may not necessarily be true unless their low-exergy demand is matched with low-exergy waste and alternative energy resources. In order to further investigate and metricate this condition and shed more light on this issue for different types of energy resources and energy conversion systems coupled to radiant panels, a new engineering metric was developed. Using this metric, which is based on the Rational Exergy Management Model, true potential and benefits of radiant panels coupled to ground-source heat pumps were analyzed. Results provide a new perspective in identifying the actual benefits of heat pump technology in curbing CO 2 emissions and also refer to IEA Annex 49 findings for low-exergy buildings. Case studies regarding different scenarios are compared with a base case, which comprises a radiant panel system connected to a natural gas-fired condensing boiler in heating and a grid power-driven chiller in cooling. Results show that there is a substantial CO 2 emission reduction potential if radiant panels are optimally operated with ground-source heat pumps driven by renewable energy sources, or optimally matched with combined heat and power systems, preferably running on alternative fuels.

Performance evaluation of radiant cooling system application on a university building in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Satrio, Pujo; Sholahudin, S.; Nasruddin

2017-03-01

The paper describes a study developed to estimate the energy savings potential of a radiant cooling system installed in an institutional building in Indonesia. The simulations were carried out using IESVE to evaluate thermal performance and energy consumption The building model was calibrated using the measured data for the installed radiant system. Then this calibrated model was used to simulate the energy consumption and temperature distribution to determine the proportional energy savings and occupant comfort under different systems. The result was radiant cooling which integrated with a Dedicated Outside Air System (DOAS) could make 41,84% energy savings compared to the installed cooling system. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation showed that a radiant system integrated with DOAS provides superior human comfort than a radiant system integrated with Variable Air Volume (VAV). Percentage People Dissatisfied was kept below 10% using the proposed system.

Theoretical Analysis of Interferometer Wave Front Tilt and Fringe Radiant Flux on a Rectangular Photodetector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franz Konstantin Fuss

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper is a theoretical analysis of mirror tilt in a Michelson interferometer and its effect on the radiant flux over the active area of a rectangular photodetector or image sensor pixel. It is relevant to sensor applications using homodyne interferometry where these opto-electronic devices are employed for partial fringe counting. Formulas are derived for radiant flux across the detector for variable location within the fringe pattern and with varying wave front angle. The results indicate that the flux is a damped sine function of the wave front angle, with a decay constant of the ratio of wavelength to detector width. The modulation amplitude of the dynamic fringe pattern reduces to zero at wave front angles that are an integer multiple of this ratio and the results show that the polarity of the radiant flux changes exclusively at these multiples. Varying tilt angle causes radiant flux oscillations under an envelope curve, the frequency of which is dependent on the location of the detector with the fringe pattern. It is also shown that a fringe count of zero can be obtained for specific photodetector locations and wave front angles where the combined effect of fringe contraction and fringe tilt can have equal and opposite effects. Fringe tilt as a result of a wave front angle of 0.05° can introduce a phase measurement difference of 16° between a photodetector/pixel located 20 mm and one located 100 mm from the optical origin.

Subjective evaluation of different ventilation concepts combined with radiant heating and cooling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krajcik, Michal; Tomasi, Roberta; Simone, Angela

2012-01-01

Sixteen subjects evaluated the indoor environment in four experiments with different combinations of ventilation and radiant heating/cooling systems. Two test setups simulated a room in a low energy building with a single occupant during winter. The room was equipped either by a ventilation system...... supplying warm air space heating or by a combination of radiant floor heating and mixing ventilation system. Next two test setups simulated an office room with two occupants during summer, ventilated and cooled by a single displacement ventilation system or by a radiant floor cooling combined...

Radiant Floor Cooling Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Bjarne W.

2008-01-01

In many countries, hydronic radiant floor systems are widely used for heating all types of buildings such as residential, churches, gymnasiums, hospitals, hangars, storage buildings, industrial buildings, and smaller offices. However, few systems are used for cooling.This article describes a floor...... cooling system that includes such considerations as thermal comfort of the occupants, which design parameters will influence the cooling capacity and how the system should be controlled. Examples of applications are presented....

Error analysis of thermocouple measurements in the Radiant Heat Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakos, J.T.; Strait, B.G.

1980-12-01

The measurement most frequently made in the Radiant Heat Facility is temperature, and the transducer which is used almost exclusively is the thermocouple. Other methods, such as resistance thermometers and thermistors, are used but very rarely. Since a majority of the information gathered at Radiant Heat is from thermocouples, a reasonable measure of the quality of the measurements made at the facility is the accuracy of the thermocouple temperature data

Advanced radiant combustion system. Final report, September 1989--September 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, J.D.; Carswell, M.G.; Long, F.S.

1996-09-01

Results of the Advanced Radiant Combustion System (ARCS) project are presented in this report. This work was performed by Alzeta Corporation as prime contractor under a contract to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technologies as part of a larger DOE program entitled Research Program for Advanced Combustion Systems. The goals of the Alzeta ARCS project were to (a) Improve the high temperature performance characteristics of porous surface ceramic fiber burners, (b) Develop an Advanced Radiant Combustion System (ARCS) that combines combustion controls with an advanced radiant burner, and (c) Demonstrate the advanced burner and controls in an industrial application. Prior to the start of this project, Alzeta had developed and commercialized a porous surface radiant burner, the Pyrocore{trademark} burner. The product had been commercially available for approximately 5 years and had achieved commercial success in a number of applications ranging from small burners for commercial cooking equipment to large burners for low temperature industrial fluid heating applications. The burner was not recommended for use in applications with process temperatures above 1000{degrees}F, which prevented the burner from being used in intermediate to high temperature processes in the chemical and petroleum refining industries. The interest in increasing the maximum use temperature of the burner was motivated in part by a desire to expand the number of applications that could use the Pyrocore product, but also because many of the fluid sensitive heating applications of interest would benefit from the distributed flux characteristic of porous surface burners. Background information on porous surface radiant burners, and a discussion of advantages that would be provided by an improved product, are presented in Section 2.

Radiant exchange in partially specular architectural environments

Science.gov (United States)

Beamer, C. Walter; Muehleisen, Ralph T.

2003-10-01

The radiant exchange method, also known as radiosity, was originally developed for thermal radiative heat transfer applications. Later it was used to model architectural lighting systems, and more recently it has been extended to model acoustic systems. While there are subtle differences in these applications, the basic method is based on solving a system of energy balance equations, and it is best applied to spaces with mainly diffuse reflecting surfaces. The obvious drawback to this method is that it is based around the assumption that all surfaces in the system are diffuse reflectors. Because almost all architectural systems have at least some partially specular reflecting surfaces in the system it is important to extend the radiant exchange method to deal with this type of surface reflection. [Work supported by NSF.

Human response to local convective and radiant cooling in a warm environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Krejcirikova, Barbora; Kaczmarczyk, Jan

2013-01-01

The response of 24 human subjects to local convective cooling, radiant cooling, and combined radiant and convective cooling was studied at 28°C and 50% relative humidity. The local cooling devices used were (1) a tabletop cooling fan, (2) personalized ventilation providing a stream of clean air, (3...

Fixed, low radiant exposure vs. incremental radiant exposure approach for diode laser hair reduction: a randomized, split axilla, comparative single-blinded trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlović, M D; Adamič, M; Nenadić, D

2015-12-01

Diode lasers are the most commonly used treatment modalities for unwanted hair reduction. Only a few controlled clinical trials but not a single randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the impact of various laser parameters, especially radiant exposure, onto efficacy, tolerability and safety of laser hair reduction. To compare the safety, tolerability and mid-term efficacy of fixed, low and incremental radiant exposures of diode lasers (800 nm) for axillary hair removal, we conducted an intrapatient, left-to-right, patient- and assessor-blinded and controlled trial. Diode laser (800 nm) treatments were evaluated in 39 study participants (skin type II-III) with unwanted axillary hairs. Randomization and allocation to split axilla treatments were carried out by a web-based randomization tool. Six treatments were performed at 4- to 6-week intervals with study subjects blinded to the type of treatment. Final assessment of hair reduction was conducted 6 months after the last treatment by means of blinded 4-point clinical scale using photographs. The primary endpoint was reduction in hair growth, and secondary endpoints were patient-rated tolerability and satisfaction with the treatment, treatment-related pain and adverse effects. Excellent reduction in axillary hairs (≥ 76%) at 6-month follow-up visit after receiving fixed, low and incremental radiant exposure diode laser treatments was obtained in 59% and 67% of study participants respectively (Z value: 1.342, P = 0.180). Patients reported lower visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score on the fixed (4.26) than on the incremental radiant exposure side (5.64) (P diode laser treatments were less painful and better tolerated. © 2015 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Three-dimensional simulation of super-radiant Smith-Purcell radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D.; Imasaki, K.; Yang, Z.; Park, Gun-Sik

2006-01-01

A simulation of coherent and super-radiant Smith-Purcell radiation is performed in the gigahertz regime using a three-dimensional particle-in-cell code. The simulation model supposes a rectangular grating to be driven by a single electron bunch and a train of periodic bunches, respectively. The true Smith-Purcell radiation is distinguished from the evanescent wave, which has an angle independent frequency lower than the minimum allowed Smith-Purcell frequency. We also find that the super-radiant radiations excited by periodic bunches are emitted at higher harmonics of the bunching frequency and at the corresponding Smith-Purcell angles

Improvement on life and NO{sub x} discharge of radiant heat transfer tube heating system by the elasto-plasticity creep analysis; Dansosei kuripukaiseki ni yoru hosha dennetsukan kanetsu shisutemu no jumyo to NO{sub x} haishutsuryo no kaizen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakagawa, Futahiko; Ikaruda, Kunihiro; Abe, Yoshio; Arai, Norio

1999-06-05

Combustion thermal process using the radiant heat transfer tube has widely been applied as a heating method which separates the combustion atmosphere from the heating-e atmosphere in various heating furnace such as iron and steel industry. In this thermal process, in order to burn the fuel in tight space in radiant heat transfer service area, radiant heat transfer tube and burner life were short under high temperature and high-load combustion, and there was a problem that that and, burning characteristic such as NO{sub x} generation rate are improved was difficult. In this study, large temperature distribution by the combustion in the radiant heat transfer tube clarified that the life of the radiant heat transfer tube was shortened by elasto-plasticity creep analysis of the radiant heat transfer tube. Then, two steps combustion burner of the exhaust gas self recycling type was developed as a method for reducing the NO{sub x} generation rate, while the temperature distribution of the radiant heat transfer tube was equalized. As the result, it was possible to reduce over 20% in comparison with conventional two steps combustion burner, while radiant heat transfer tube and life of the burner are extended over the conventional double, in respect of the NO{sub x} generation rate. (translated by NEDO)

Radiant heat increases piglets’ use of the heated creep area on the critical days after birth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Mona Lilian Vestbjerg; Thodberg, Karen; Pedersen, Lene Juul

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate how piglets’ use of a creep area is affected by using radiant heat compared to an incandescent light bulb. It was hypothesised that radiant heat would increase the use of the creep area. Twenty litters were randomly assigned to one of two heat sources...... in the creep area: (1) an incandescent light bulb (STANDARD, n=10) or (2) a radiant heat source (RADIANT, n=10) with five of each type of heat source in each of two batches. Observations on piglets’ position in the pen were made by scan sampling every ten minutes in a 4-hour period from 1100 to 1500 h on day 1......–7, 14 and 21 post partum. A higher percentage of piglets in the creep area was seen for RADIANT litters compared to STANDARD litters on day 2 (P=0.002) and day 3 (P=0.005), and percentage of piglets in the creep area increased for RADIANT litters from day 1 to 2 (P

Surface radiant flux densities inferred from LAC and GAC AVHRR data

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, F.; Klaes, D.

To infer surface radiant flux densities from current (NOAA-AVHRR, ERS-1/2 ATSR) and future meteorological (Envisat AATSR, MSG, METOP) satellite data, the complex, modular analysis scheme SESAT (Strahlungs- und Energieflüsse aus Satellitendaten) could be developed (Berger, 2001). This scheme allows the determination of cloud types, optical and microphysical cloud properties as well as surface and TOA radiant flux densities. After testing of SESAT in Central Europe and the Baltic Sea catchment (more than 400scenes U including a detailed validation with various surface measurements) it could be applied to a large number of NOAA-16 AVHRR overpasses covering the globe.For the analysis, two different spatial resolutions U local area coverage (LAC) andwere considered. Therefore, all inferred results, like global area coverage (GAC) U cloud cover, cloud properties and radiant properties, could be intercompared. Specific emphasis could be made to the surface radiant flux densities (all radiative balance compoments), where results for different regions, like Southern America, Southern Africa, Northern America, Europe, and Indonesia, will be presented. Applying SESAT, energy flux densities, like latent and sensible heat flux densities could also be determined additionally. A statistical analysis of all results including a detailed discussion for the two spatial resolutions will close this study.

A RADIANT AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM USING SOLAR-DRIVEN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. ABDALLA

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Every air-conditioning system needs some fresh air to provide adequate ventilation air required to remove moisture, gases like ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, disease organisms, and heat from occupied spaces. However, natural ventilation is difficult to control because urban areas outside air is often polluted and cannot be supplied to inner spaces before being filtered. Besides the high electrical demand of refrigerant compression units used by most air-conditioning systems, and fans used to transport the cool air through the thermal distribution system draw a significant amount of electrical energy in comparison with electrical energy used by the building thermal conditioning systems. Part of this electricity heats the cooled air; thereby add to the internal thermal cooling peak load. In addition, refrigerant compression has both direct and indirect negative effects on the environment on both local and global scales. In seeking for innovative air-conditioning systems that maintain and improve indoor air quality under potentially more demanding performance criteria without increasing environmental impact, this paper presents radiant air-conditioning system which uses a solar-driven liquid desiccant evaporative cooler. The paper describes the proposed solar-driven liquid desiccant evaporative cooling system and the method used for investigating its performance in providing cold water for a radiant air-conditioning system in Khartoum (Central Sudan. The results of the investigation show that the system can operate in humid as well as dry climates and that employing such a system reduces air-conditioning peak electrical demands as compared to vapour compression systems.

Airflow and Heat Transfer in the Slot-Vented Room with Radiant Floor Heating Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang-Long Liu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Radiant floor heating has received increasing attention due to its diverse advantages, especially the energy saving as compared to the conventional dwelling heating system. This paper presents a numerical investigation of airflow and heat transfer in the slot-vented room with the radiant floor heating unit. Combination of fluid convection and thermal radiation has been implemented through the thermal boundary conditions. Spatial distributions of indoor air temperature and velocity, as well as the heat transfer rates along the radiant floor and the outer wall, have been presented and analyzed covering the domains from complete natural convection to forced convection dominated flows. The numerical results demonstrate that the levels of average temperature in the room with lateral slot-ventilation are higher than those without slot-ventilation, but lower than those in the room with ceiling slot-ventilation. Overall, the slot-ventilation room with radiant floor heating unit could offer better indoor air quality through increasing the indoor air temperature and fresh air exchanging rate simultaneously. Concerning the airborne pollutant transports and moisture condensations, the performance of radiant floor heating unit will be further optimized in our future researches.

Radiant absorption characteristics of corrugated curved tubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đorđević Milan Lj.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The utilization of modern paraboloidal concentrators for conversion of solar radiation into heat energy requires the development and implementation of compact and efficient heat absorbers. Accurate estimation of geometry influence on absorption characteristics of receiver tubes is an important step in this process. This paper deals with absorption characteristics of heat absorber made of spirally coiled tubes with transverse circular corrugations. Detailed 3-D surface-to-surface Hemicube method was applied to compare radiation performances of corrugated and smooth curved tubes. The numerical results were obtained by varying the tube curvature ratio and incident radiant heat flux intensity. The details of absorption efficiency of corrugated tubes and the effect of curvature on absorption properties for both corrugated and smooth tubes were presented. The results may have significance to further analysis of highly efficient heat absorbers exposed to concentrated radiant heating. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 42006

Linearization of the interaction principle: Analytic Jacobians in the 'Radiant' model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spurr, R.J.D.; Christi, M.J.

2007-01-01

In this paper we present a new linearization of the Radiant radiative transfer model. Radiant uses discrete ordinates for solving the radiative transfer equation in a multiply-scattering anisotropic medium with solar and thermal sources, but employs the adding method (interaction principle) for the stacking of reflection and transmission matrices in a multilayer atmosphere. For the linearization, we show that the entire radiation field is analytically differentiable with respect to any surface or atmospheric parameter for which we require Jacobians (derivatives of the radiance field). Derivatives of the discrete ordinate solutions are based on existing methods developed for the LIDORT radiative transfer models. Linearization of the interaction principle is completely new and constitutes the major theme of the paper. We discuss the application of the Radiant model and its linearization in the Level 2 algorithm for the retrieval of columns of carbon dioxide as the main target of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) mission

Experimental evaluation of heat transfer coefficients between radiant ceiling and room

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Causone, Francesco; Corgnati, Stefano P.; Filippi, Marco

2009-01-01

The heat transfer coefficients between radiant surfaces and room are influenced by several parameters: surfaces temperature distributions, internal gains, air movements. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the heat transfer coefficients between radiant ceiling and room in typical conditions...... of occupancy of an office or residential building. Internal gains were therefore simulated using heated cylinders and heat losses using cooled surfaces. Evaluations were developed by means of experimental tests in an environmental chamber. Heat transfer coefficient may be expressed separately for radiation...

Radiometric measurements of wall temperatures in the 800 K to 1150 K range for a quartz radiant heating tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blevins, L.G.; Sivathanu, Y.R.; Gore, J.P.; Shahien, M.A.

1995-01-01

Many industrial applications require heat transfer to a load in an inert environment, which can be achieved by using gas-fired radiant tubes. A radiant tube consists of a flame confined in a cylindrical metal or ceramic chamber. The flame heats the tube wall, which in turn radiates to the load. One important characteristic of radiant heating tubes is wall temperature uniformity. Numerical models of radiant tubes have been used to predict wall temperatures, but there is a lack of experimental data for validation. Recently, Namazian et al., Singh and Gorski, and Peters et al. have measured wall temperature profiles of radiant tubes using thermocouples. 13 refs., 3 figs

16 CFR Figure 3 to Subpart A of... - Flooring Radiant Tester Schematic Side Elevation

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flooring Radiant Tester Schematic Side Elevation 3 Figure 3 to Subpart A of Part 1209 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION.... 1209, Subpt. A, Fig. 3 Figure 3 to Subpart A of Part 1209—Flooring Radiant Tester Schematic Side...

An experimental study of thermal comfort at different combinations of air and mean radiant temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simone, Angela; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2009-01-01

It is often discussed if a person prefers a low air temperature (ta) and a high mean radiant temperature (tr), vice-versa or it does not matter as long as the operative temperature is acceptable. One of the hypotheses is that it does not matter for thermal comfort but for perceived air quality......, a lower air temperature is preferred. This paper presents an experimental study with 30 human subjects exposed to three different combinations of air- and mean radiant temperature with an operative temperature around 23 °C. The subjects gave subjective evaluations of thermal comfort and perceived air...... quality during the experiments. The PMV-index gave a good estimation of thermal sensation vote (TSV) when the air and mean radiant temperature were the same. In the environment with different air- and mean radiant temperatures, a thermal comfort evaluation shows an error up to 1 scale unit on the 7-point...

Radiant energy collection and conversion apparatus and method

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, A.J.

The apparatus for collecting radiant energy and converting to alternate energy forms includes a housing having an interior space and a radiation transparent window allowing solar radiation to be received in the interior space of the housing. Means are provided for passing a stream of fluid past the window and for injecting radiation absorbent particles in said fluid stream. The particles absorb the radiation and because of their very large surface area, quickly release the heat to the surrounding fluid stream. The fluid stream particle mixture is heated until the particles vaporize. The fluid stream is then allowed to expand in, for example, a gas turbine to produce mechanical energy. In an aspect of the present invention properly sized particles need not be vaporized prior to the entrance of the fluid stream into the turbine, as the particles will not damage the turbine blades. In yet another aspect of the invention, conventional fuel injectors are provided to inject fuel into the fluid stream to maintain the proper temperature and pressure of the fluid stream should the source of radiant energy be interrupted. In yet another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided which includes means for providing a hot fluid stream having hot particles disbursed therein which can radiate energy, means for providing a cooler fluid stream having cooler particles disbursed therein, which particles can absorb radiant energy and means for passing the hot fluid stream adjacent the cooler fluid stream to warm the cooler fluid and cooler particles by the radiation from the hot fluid and hot particles.

Super-radiant Smith–Purcell radiation from periodic line charges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D.; Hangyo, M.; Tsunawaki, Y.; Yang, Z.; Wei, Y.; Miyamoto, S; Asakawa, M.R.; Imasaki, K.

2012-01-01

Smith–Purcell radiation occurs when an electron passes close to the surface of a metallic grating. The radiation becomes coherent when the length of the electron bunch is smaller than the wavelength of the radiation. A train of periodic bunches can enhance the spectral intensity by changing the angular and spectral distribution of the radiation. This is called super-radiant Smith–Purcell radiation, and has been observed in experiments and particle-in-cell simulations. In this paper, we introduce a new method to study this effect by calculating the reflected waves of an incident evanescent wave from periodic line charges. The reflection coefficients are numerically computed, and the spectral distributions of the super-radiant radiation are demonstrated. These analytical results are in agreement with those obtained through part-in-cell simulations.

The Use of information technology tools to reduce barriers of distance learning

OpenAIRE

Targamadzė, Aleksandras; Petrauskienė, Rūta

2012-01-01

Distance learning takes place when learning conditions do not allow using traditional learning. Remoteness is the main feature of distance learning; however, it can be various. Remoteness is frequently described as barriers and includes traditional barriers such as distance and time as well as technological, organizational, social, cultural, psychological and other barriers that have not been examined so widely. Barriers can be eliminated or reduced when using information technologies (ITs). ...

Load calculations of radiant cooling systems for sizing the plant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bourdakis, Eleftherios; Kazanci, Ongun Berk; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was, by using a building simulation software, to prove that a radiant cooling system should not be sized based on the maximum cooling load but at a lower value. For that reason six radiant cooling models were simulated with two control principles using 100%, 70% and 50......% of the maximum cooling load. It was concluded that all tested systems were able to provide an acceptable thermal environment even when the 50% of the maximum cooling load was used. From all the simulated systems the one that performed the best under both control principles was the ESCS ceiling system. Finally...... it was proved that ventilation systems should be sized based on the maximum cooling load....

Optimum pulse duration and radiant exposure for vascular laser therapy of dark port-wine skin: a theoretical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tunnell, James W.; Anvari, Bahman; Wang, Lihong V.

2003-01-01

Laser therapy for cutaneous hypervascular malformations such as port-wine stain birthmarks is currently not feasible for dark-skinned individuals. We study the effects of pulse duration, radiant exposure, and cryogen spray cooling (CSC) on the thermal response of skin, using a Monte Carlo based optical-thermal model. Thermal injury to the epidermis decreases with increasing pulse duration during irradiation at a constant radiant exposure; however, maintaining vascular injury requires that the radiant exposure also increase. At short pulse durations, only a minimal increase in radiant exposure is necessary for a therapeutic effect to be achieved because thermal diffusion from the vessels is minimal. However, at longer pulse durations the radiant exposure must be greatly increased. There exists an optimum pulse duration at which minimal damage to the epidermis and significant injury within the targeted vasculature occur. For example, the model predicts optimum pulse durations of approximately 1.5, 6, and 20 ms for vessel diameters of 40, 80, and 120 μm, respectively. Optimization of laser pulse duration and radiant exposure in combination with CSC may offer a means to treat cutaneous lesions in dark-skinned individuals

Integrated application of combined cooling, heating and power poly-generation PV radiant panel system of zero energy buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Baoquan

2018-02-01

A new type of combined cooling, heating and power of photovoltaic radiant panel (PV/R) module was proposed, and applied in the zero energy buildings in this paper. The energy system of this building is composed of PV/R module, low temperature difference terminal, energy storage, multi-source heat pump, energy balance control system. Radiant panel is attached on the backside of the PV module for cooling the PV, which is called PV/R module. During the daytime, the PV module was cooled down with the radiant panel, as the temperature coefficient influence, the power efficiency was increased by 8% to 14%, the radiant panel solar heat collecting efficiency was about 45%. Through the nocturnal radiant cooling, the PV/R cooling capacity could be 50 W/m2. For the multifunction energy device, the system shows the versatility during the heating, cooling and power used of building utilization all year round.

Dynamic heat transfer modeling and parametric study of thermoelectric radiant cooling and heating panel system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Yongqiang; Zhang, Ling; Liu, Zhongbing; Wang, Yingzi; Wu, Jing; Wang, Xiliang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Dynamic model of thermoelectric radiant panel system is established. • The internal parameters of thermoelectric module are dynamically calculated in simulation. • Both artificial neural networks model and system model are verified through experiment data. • Optimized system structure is obtained through parametric study. - Abstract: Radiant panel system can optimize indoor thermal comfort with lower energy consumption. The thermoelectric radiant panel (TERP) system is a new and effective prototype of radiant system using thermoelectric module (TEM) instead of conventional water pipes, as heat source. The TERP can realize more stable and easier system control as well as lower initial and operative cost. In this study, an improved system dynamic model was established by combining analytical system model and artificial neural networks (ANN) as well as the dynamic calculation functions of internal parameters of TEM. The double integral was used for the calculation of surface average temperature of TERP. The ANN model and system model were in good agreement with experiment data in both cooling and heating mode. In order to optimize the system design structure, parametric study was conducted in terms of the thickness of aluminum panel and insulation, as well as the arrangement of TEMs on the surface of radiant panel. It was found through simulation results that the optimum thickness of aluminum panel and insulation are respectively around 1–2 mm and 40–50 mm. In addition, TEMs should be uniformly installed on the surface of radiant panel and each TEM should stand at the central position of a square-shaped typical region with length around 0.387–0.548 m.

PAIR INFLUENCE OF WIND SPEED AND MEAN RADIANT TEMPERATURE ON OUTDOOR THERMAL COMFORT OF HUMID TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangkertadi Sangkertadi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purposes of this article is to explore knowledge of outdoor thermal comfort in humid tropical environment for urban activities especially for people in walking activity, and those who stationary/seated with moderate action. It will be characterized the pair influence of wind speed and radiant temperature on the outdoor thermal comfort. Many of researchers stated that those two microclimate variables give significant role on outdoor thermal comfort in tropical humid area. Outdoor Tropical Comfort (OTC model was used for simulation in this study. The model output is comfort scale that refers on ASHRAE definition. The model consists of two regression equations with variables of air temperature, globe temperature, wind speed, humidity and body posture, for two types of activity: walking and seated. From the results it can be stated that there is significant role of wind speed to reduce mean radiant temperature and globe temperature, when the velocity is elevated from 0.5 m/s to 2 m/s. However, the wind has not play significant role when the speed is changed from 2 m/s to 3.5 m/s. The results of the study may inspire us to implement effectiveness of electrical-fan equipment for outdoor space in order to get optimum wind speed, coupled with optimum design of shading devices to minimize radiant temperature for thermal comfort.

Radiant heating of petroleum reservoirs; Aquecimento radiante de reservatorios petroliferos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sidrim, Fernando A.C.

1990-12-31

This work presents a proposal of a simplified model for the enhanced oil recovery process through radiant heating of oil reservoirs. The resulting continuity, energy and motion equations were solved analytically for the prediction of the increase in well flow rates. The heat loss to adjacent formations and the necessary for the establishment of the temperature profile,which are transient terms of energy equation, have been neglected. Also, no temperature gradient in the axial direction has been modelled as a cylindrical wave propagating in a loss medium. It is concluded that: the inclusion of a radial conduction term in the energy equation led to higher flow rates than the ones predicted by the literature existing solution; if the absorption coefficient is too large, it is profitable to dry the reservoir around the well bore; the transient terms in the energy equation are significant for extended periods of well production. 47 refs., 18 figs., 4 tabs.

Automatic drawing and CAD actualization in processing data of radiant sampling in physics prospect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jinsheng

2010-01-01

In this paper discussed a method of processing radiant sampling data with computer. By this method can get expain the curve of radiant sampling data, and we can combine mineral masses and analyse and calculate them, then record the result on Notebook. There are many merites of this method: easy to learn, simple to use, high efficient. It adapts to all sorts of mines. (authors)

Automatic drawing and cad actualiztion in processing data of radiant sampling in physics prospect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jinsheng

2010-01-01

In this paper discussed a method of processing radiant sampling data with computer. By this method can get explain the curve of radiant sampling data, and we can combine mineral masses and analyses and calculate them, then record the result on Notebook. There are many merites of this method: easy to learn, simple to use, high efficient. It adapts to all sorts of mines. (authors)

Validation of the uncertainty budget for soft X-ray radiant power measurement using a cryogenic radiometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabus, H.; Klein, R.; Scholze, F.; Thornagel, R.; Ulm, G.

2002-01-01

The cryogenic radiometer SYRES, a thermal detector based on the electrical substitution principle, has been used as the primary detector standard for radiant power measurement in the ultraviolet, vacuum ultraviolet and soft X-ray spectral ranges. In order to investigate the possibility of radiant energy being deposited in its absorber cavity without being transformed into heat when detecting soft X-rays, SYRES has been directly compared with the electron storage ring BESSY 1, a primary radiometric source standard of calculable spectral radiant power. To this end, the integral radiant power emitted by the storage ring,into a solid angle defined by a high-precision aperture was measured with SYRES. The experiments were conducted at two nominal energies of the circulating electrons, 800 MeV and 340 MeV, to study the influence of the different spectral distributions of the synchrotron radiation. For the original graphite-coated cavity absorber, significant discrepancies were found which could be traced back to the ablation of the graphite coating from the copper cavity body. In the case of the new gold-coated cavity absorber, the calculated and measured values of the radiant power agreed in all experiments within the combined relative uncertainties of typically 2.5 x 10 -3 (k = 1). (author)

Validation of the uncertainty budget for soft X-ray radiant power measurement using a cryogenic radiometer

CERN Document Server

Rabus, H; Scholze, F; Thornagel, R; Ulm, G

2002-01-01

The cryogenic radiometer SYRES, a thermal detector based on the electrical substitution principle, has been used as the primary detector standard for radiant power measurement in the ultraviolet, vacuum ultraviolet and soft X-ray spectral ranges. In order to investigate the possibility of radiant energy being deposited in its absorber cavity without being transformed into heat when detecting soft X-rays, SYRES has been directly compared with the electron storage ring BESSY 1, a primary radiometric source standard of calculable spectral radiant power. To this end, the integral radiant power emitted by the storage ring,into a solid angle defined by a high-precision aperture was measured with SYRES. The experiments were conducted at two nominal energies of the circulating electrons, 800 MeV and 340 MeV, to study the influence of the different spectral distributions of the synchrotron radiation. For the original graphite-coated cavity absorber, significant discrepancies were found which could be traced back to th...

Electric radiant heating: A hot item in home comfort

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemieux, G. [Britech Corp., Toronto, ON (Canada)

2003-12-01

Electric radiant heating as a floor warming system and its growing popularity in home comfort are discussed. Price can be as low as $2.00 per square foot; cost of operation may be as little as 30 cents per square foot per year, depending on time of use and local hydro rates. The use of radiant cable heating is said to have surged in popularity; it provides the same warmth and comfort as more expensive hydronic systems. Radiant cable is simple and inexpensive to install since unlike hydronic systems, it requires no complicated mechanical system with boiler, heat exchanger, valves, pumps and extensive controls. Nevertheless, prospective end users are warned to make sure that the cable is sturdy, tough, has multiple layers of protection with a thick grounding system and conductor core. In addition to heating floors, electric heating cables can also be used for snow and ice control and for melting in driveways and gutters. In these type of installations heavy duty cables are used which are installed under asphalt, concrete or interlocking stones. Thirty watts per square foot per hour is the typical requirement for melting snow and ice. Based on average electricity prices in Ontario, melting snow on an 800 square foot driveway would cost about $2.20 per hour. Assuming five hours for the system to clear the driveway, installing a heating system under the driveway could be an economically viable solution for the home owner, providing freedom from ice, the inconvenience of shovelling snow, and saving time and money.

The relationship between radiant heat, air temperature and thermal comfort at rest and exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Guéritée, Julien; Tipton, Michael J

2015-02-01

The aims of the present work were to investigate the relationships between radiant heat load, air velocity and body temperatures with or without coincidental exercise to determine the physiological mechanisms that drive thermal comfort and thermoregulatory behaviour. Seven male volunteers wearing swimming trunks in 18°C, 22°C or 26°C air were exposed to increasing air velocities up to 3 m s(-1) and self-adjusted the intensity of the direct radiant heat received on the front of the body to just maintain overall thermal comfort, at rest or when cycling (60 W, 60 rpm). During the 30 min of the experiments, skin and rectal temperatures were continuously recorded. We hypothesized that mean body temperature should be maintained stable and the intensity of the radiant heat and the mean skin temperatures would be lower when cycling. In all conditions, mean body temperature was lower when facing winds of 3 m s(-1) than during the first 5 min, without wind. When facing winds, in all but the 26°C air, the radiant heat was statistically higher at rest than when exercising. In 26°C air mean skin temperature was lower at rest than when exercising. No other significant difference was observed. In all air temperatures, high correlation coefficients were observed between the air velocity and the radiant heat load. Other factors that we did not measure may have contributed to the constant overall thermal comfort status despite dropping mean skin and body temperatures. It is suggested that the allowance to behaviourally adjust the thermal environment increases the tolerance of cold discomfort. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cooling load calculations of radiant and all-air systems for commercial buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bourdakis, Eleftherios; Bauman, Fred; Schiavon, Stefano

The authors simulated in TRNSYS three radiant systems coupled with a 50% sized variable air volume (VAV) system and a 50% sized all-air VAV system with night ventilation. The objective of this study was to identify the differences in the cooling load profiles of the examined systems when they are......The authors simulated in TRNSYS three radiant systems coupled with a 50% sized variable air volume (VAV) system and a 50% sized all-air VAV system with night ventilation. The objective of this study was to identify the differences in the cooling load profiles of the examined systems when...

Effects of cryogen spray cooling and high radiant exposures on selective vascular injury during laser irradiation of human skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Tunnell, James W; Chang, David W; Johnston, Carol; Torres, Jorge H; Patrick, Charles W; Miller, Michael J; Thomsen, Sharon L; Anvari, Bahman

2003-06-01

Increasing radiant exposure offers a means to increase treatment efficacy during laser-mediated treatment of vascular lesions, such as port-wine stains; however, excessive radiant exposure decreases selective vascular injury due to increased heat generation within the epidermis and collateral damage to perivascular collagen. To determine if cryogen spray cooling could be used to maintain selective vascular injury (ie, prevent epidermal and perivascular collagen damage) when using high radiant exposures (16-30 J/cm2). Observational study. Academic hospital and research laboratory. Twenty women with normal abdominal skin (skin phototypes I-VI). Skin was irradiated with a pulsed dye laser (wavelength = 585 nm; pulse duration = 1.5 milliseconds; 5-mm-diameter spot) using various radiant exposures (8-30 J/cm2) without and with cryogen spray cooling (50- to 300-millisecond cryogen spurts). Hematoxylin-eosin-stained histologic sections from each irradiated site were examined for the degree of epidermal damage, maximum depth of red blood cell coagulation, and percentage of vessels containing perivascular collagen coagulation. Long cryogen spurt durations (>200 milliseconds) protected the epidermis in light-skinned individuals (skin phototypes I-IV) at the highest radiant exposure (30 J/cm2); however, epidermal protection could not be achieved in dark-skinned individuals (skin phototypes V-VI) even at the lowest radiant exposure (8 J/cm2). The red blood cell coagulation depth increased with increasing radiant exposure (to >2.5 mm for skin phototypes I-IV and to approximately 1.2 mm for skin phototypes V-VI). In addition, long cryogen spurt durations (>200 milliseconds) prevented perivascular collagen coagulation in all skin types. Cryogen spurt durations much longer than those currently used in therapy (>200 milliseconds) may be clinically useful for protecting the epidermis and perivascular tissues when using high radiant exposures during cutaneous laser therapies

Measurement of radiant properties of ceramic foam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoornstra, J.; Turecky, M.; Maatman, D.

1994-07-01

An experimental facility is described for the measurement of the normal spectral and total emissivity and transmissivity of semi-transparent materials in the temperature range of 600 C to 1200 C. The set-up was used for the measurement of radiation properties of highly porous ceramic foam which is used in low NO x radiant burners. Emissivity and transmissivity data were measured and are presented for coated and uncoated ceramic foam of different thicknesses. (orig.)

Thermal Conditions in a Simulated Office Environment with Convective and Radiant Cooling Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustakallio, Panu; Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov; Kostov, Kalin

2013-01-01

velocity and turbulent intensity were measured and draft rate levels calculated in the room. Manikin-based equivalent temperature (MBET) was determined by two thermal manikins to identify the impact of the local thermal conditions generated by the studied systems on occupants’ thermal comfort. The results......The thermal conditions in a two person office room were measured with four air conditioning systems: chilled beam (CB), chilled beam with radiant panel (CBR), chilled ceiling with ceiling installed mixing ventilation (CCMV) and four desk partition mounted local radiant cooling panels with mixing...

Numerical Model and Experimental Analysis of the Thermal Behavior of Electric Radiant Heating Panels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Ferrarini

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Electric radiant heating panels are frequently selected during the design phase of residential and industrial heating systems, especially for retrofit of existing buildings, as an alternative to other common heating systems, such as radiators or air conditioners. The possibility of saving living and working space and the ease of installation are the main advantages of electric radiant solutions. This paper investigates the thermal performance of a typical electric radiant panel. A climatic room was equipped with temperature sensors and heat flow meters to perform a steady state experimental analysis. For the dynamic behavior, a mathematical model was created and compared to a thermographic measurement procedure. The results showed for the steady state an efficiency of energy transformation close to one, while in a transient thermal regime the time constant to reach the steady state condition was slightly faster than the typical ones of hydronic systems.

Characteristics of infrared thermometers manufactured in Japan and calibration methods for sky radiant emittance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, X.; Horiguchi, I.; Machimura, T.

1993-01-01

Infrared thermometers to measure surface temperature have been increasingly adopted in recent years. The characteristics of the IR thermometer, however, are not well known.IR thermometers manufactured in Japan systematically adjust for ambient radiation based on the internal temperature of the thermometer. If, therefore, there is a large difference between the internal temperature of the IR thermometer and the apparent temperature associated with the surrounding radiation, a large error will be induced into the measured surface temperature.The purpose of our research was to determine the characteristics and measurement errors of IR thermometers. Experiments were performed with regard to the following items: (1) Measurement errors related to the internal temperature of the IR thermometer. (2) Linearity of the output signal of the IR thermometer. (3) Response of the output signal to changes in the emissivity setting. (4) Effect of sky radiant emittance on the measured surface temperature. (5) Calibration method for the terrestrial surface.The following is a summary of the results: Measurement error is affected by the internal temperature of the IR thermometer. Measurement accuracy is improved with a controlled internal temperature of 20-30°C. The measurement error becomes larger at emissivity settings under 0.7.The measurement error outdoors was not proportional to the downward longwave radiation, but to the sky radiant temperature measured by the IR thermometer. Calibration for sky radiant emittance was improved by using the difference between sky radiant temperature and air temperature.When the surface temperature measured by the infrared thermometer is plotted against the surface temperature measured by thermocouple, the sky radiant emittance error is obtained from the Y intercept. Additionally, the difference between true temperature and output of the IR thermometer for a reference plate was compared to that obtained for vegetation, and the RMS obtained was

Inverse optimal design of the radiant heating in materials processing and manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorov, A. G.; Lee, K. H.; Viskanta, R.

1998-12-01

Combined convective, conductive, and radiative heat transfer is analyzed during heating of a continuously moving load in the industrial radiant oven. A transient, quasi-three-dimensional model of heat transfer between a continuous load of parts moving inside an oven on a conveyor belt at a constant speed and an array of radiant heaters/burners placed inside the furnace enclosure is developed. The model accounts for radiative exchange between the heaters and the load, heat conduction in the load, and convective heat transfer between the moving load and oven environment. The thermal model developed has been used to construct a general framework for an inverse optimal design of an industrial oven as an example. In particular, the procedure based on the Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear least squares optimization algorithm has been developed to obtain the optimal temperatures of the heaters/burners that need to be specified to achieve a prescribed temperature distribution of the surface of a load. The results of calculations for several sample cases are reported to illustrate the capabilities of the procedure developed for the optimal inverse design of an industrial radiant oven.

Simplified Building Thermal Model Used for Optimal Control of Radiant Cooling System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei He

2016-01-01

Full Text Available MPC has the ability to optimize the system operation parameters for energy conservation. Recently, it has been used in HVAC systems for saving energy, but there are very few applications in radiant cooling systems. To implement MPC in buildings with radiant terminals, the predictions of cooling load and thermal environment are indispensable. In this paper, a simplified thermal model is proposed for predicting cooling load and thermal environment in buildings with radiant floor. In this thermal model, the black-box model is introduced to derive the incident solar radiation, while the genetic algorithm is utilized to identify the parameters of the thermal model. In order to further validate this simplified thermal model, simulated results from TRNSYS are compared with those from this model and the deviation is evaluated based on coefficient of variation of root mean square (CV. The results show that the simplified model can predict the operative temperature with a CV lower than 1% and predict cooling loads with a CV lower than 10%. For the purpose of supervisory control in HVAC systems, this simplified RC thermal model has an acceptable accuracy and can be used for further MPC in buildings with radiation terminals.

Effect of radiant heat at the birth site in farrowing crates on hypothermia and behaviour in neonatal piglets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Heidi Mai-Lis; Pedersen, Lene Juul

2016-01-01

It has been documented that floor heating of the farrowing area in loose housed sows improves survival of piglets significantly. However, today, the majority of farrowing pens are designed with crating of sows and slatted floor at the birth site. The aim of this study was to investigate whether...... providing radiant heat at the birth site to new-born piglets in pens with crated sows reduced hypothermia, time to first milk intake and growth of the piglets during the 1st week. Second parity Danish Landrace×Yorkshire sows (n=36) were randomly divided into two groups: Control (CG) and heat (HG......). In the area behind the sow (zone 1), two radiant heat panels were mounted above the slatted floor in the HG. The farrowings were attended, and the heaters were turned on at birth of first piglet and turned off 12 h after. Birth time, time to leave zone 1, time to first contact with udder and time to first...

Direct conversion of infrared radiant energy for space power applications

Science.gov (United States)

Finke, R. C.

1982-01-01

A proposed technology to convert the earth radiant energy (infrared albedo) for spacecraft power is presented. The resultant system would eliminate energy storage requirements and simplify the spacecraft design. The design and performance of a infrared rectenna is discussed.

Energy efficiency and indoor thermal perception. A comparative study between radiant panel and portable convective heaters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali, Ahmed Hamza H.; Morsy, Mahmoud Gaber [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516 (Egypt)

2010-11-15

This study investigates experimentally the thermal perception of indoor environment for evaluating the ability of radiant panel heaters to produce thermal comfort for space occupants as well as the energy consumption in comparison with conventional portable natural convective heaters. The thermal perception results show that, compared with conventional convection heater, a radiantly heated office room maintains a lower ambient air temperature while providing equal levels of thermal perception on the thermal dummy head as the convective heater and saves up to 39.1% of the energy consumption per day. However, for human subjects' vote experiments, the results show that for an environmentally controlled test room at outdoor environment temperatures of 0C and 5C, using two radiant panel heaters with a total capacity of 580 W leads to a better comfort sensation than the conventional portable natural convective heater with a 670 W capacity, with an energy saving of about 13.4%. In addition, for an outdoor environment temperature of 10C, using one radiant panel heater with a capacity of 290 W leads to a better comfort sensation than the conventional convection heater with a 670 W capacity, with an energy saving of about 56.7%. From the analytical results, it is found that distributing the radiant panel heater inside the office room, one on the wall facing the window and the other on the wall close to the window, provides the best operative temperature distribution within the room.

Radiant zone heated particulate filter

Science.gov (United States)

Gonze, Eugene V [Pinckney, MI

2011-12-27

A system includes a particulate matter (PM) filter including an upstream end for receiving exhaust gas and a downstream end. A radiant zoned heater includes N zones, where N is an integer greater than one, wherein each of the N zones includes M sub-zones, where M is an integer greater than or equal to one. A control module selectively activates at least a selected one of the N zones to initiate regeneration in downstream portions of the PM filter from the one of the N zones, restricts exhaust gas flow in a portion of the PM filter that corresponds to the selected one of the N zones, and deactivates non-selected ones of the N zones.

16 CFR Figure 4 to Subpart A of... - Flooring Radiant Panel Tester Schematic Low Flux End, Elevation

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flooring Radiant Panel Tester Schematic Low Flux End, Elevation 4 Figure 4 to Subpart A of Part 1209 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY... Standard Pt. 1209, Subpt. A, Fig. 4 Figure 4 to Subpart A of Part 1209—Flooring Radiant Panel Tester...

Applicability of meteor radiant determination methods depending on orbit type. I. High-eccentric orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Svoren, J.; Neslusan, L.; Porubcan, V.

1993-07-01

It is evident that there is no uniform method of calculating meteor radiants which would yield reliable results for all types of cometary orbits. In the present paper an analysis of this problem is presented, together with recommended methods for various types of orbits. Some additional methods resulting from mathematical modelling are presented and discussed together with Porter's, Steel-Baggaley's and Hasegawa's methods. In order to be able to compare how suitable the application of the individual radiant determination methods is, it is necessary to determine the accuracy with which they approximate real meteor orbits. To verify the accuracy with which the orbit of a meteoroid with at least one node at 1 AU fits the original orbit of the parent body, we applied the Southworth-Hawkins D-criterion (Southworth, R.B., Hawkins, G.S.: 1963, Smithson. Contr. Astrophys 7, 261). D0.2 the fit is rather poor and the change of orbit unrealistic. The optimal methods with the smallest values of D for given types of orbits are shown in two series of six plots. The new method of rotation around the line of apsides we propose is very appropriate in the region of small inclinations. There is no doubt that Hasegawa's omega-adjustment method (Hasegawa, I.: 1990, Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 42, 175) has the widest application. A comparison of the theoretical radiants with the observed radiants of seven known meteor showers is also presented.

''Super-radiant'' states in intermediate energy nuclear physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auerbach, N.

1994-01-01

A ''super-radiant'' state emerges when, under certain conditions, one or a few ''internal'' states acquire a large collective decay width due to the coupling to one or a few ''external'' decay channels. The rest of the internal states are ''stripped'' of their decay width and become long lived quasistationary states. The essentials of such mechanism and its possible role in intermediate energy nuclear physics are discussed in this work

Common Perceived Barriers and Facilitators for Reducing Sedentary Behaviour among Office Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nooijen, Carla F J; Kallings, Lena V; Blom, Victoria; Ekblom, Örjan; Forsell, Yvonne; Ekblom, Maria M

2018-04-18

Qualitative studies identified barriers and facilitators associated with work-related sedentary behaviour. The objective of this study was to determine common perceived barriers and facilitators among office workers, assess subgroup differences, and describe sedentary behaviour. From two Swedish companies, 547 office workers (41 years (IQR = 35–48), 65% women, 66% highly educated) completed questionnaires on perceived barriers and facilitators, for which subgroup differences in age, gender, education, and workplace sedentary behaviour were assessed. Sedentary behaviour was measured using inclinometers ( n = 311). The most frequently reported barrier was sitting is a habit (67%), which was reported more among women than men (Χ² = 5.14, p = 0.03) and more among highly sedentary office workers (Χ² = 9.26, p < 0.01). The two other most reported barriers were that standing is uncomfortable (29%) and standing is tiring (24%). Facilitators with the most support were the introduction of either standing- or walking-meetings (respectively 33% and 29%) and more possibilities or reminders for breaks (31%). The proportion spent sedentary was 64% at the workplace, 61% on working days, and 57% on non-working days. This study provides a detailed understanding of office workers’ ideas about sitting and means to reduce sitting. We advise to include the supported facilitators and individualized support in interventions to work towards more effective strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour.

Radiant heat testing of the H1224A shipping/storage container

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harding, D.C.; Bobbe, J.G.; Stenberg, D.R.; Arviso, M.

1994-05-01

H1224A weapons containers have been used for years by the Departments of Energy and Defense to transport and store W78 warhead midsections. Although designed to protect the midsections only from low-energy impacts, a recent transportation risk assessment effort has identified a need to evaluate the container`s ability to protect weapons in more severe accident environments. Four radiant heat tests were performed: two each on an H1224A container (with a Mk12a Mod 6c mass mock-up midsection inside) and two on a low-cost simulated H1224A container (with a hollow Mk12 aeroshell midsections inside). For each unit tested, temperatures were recorded at numerous points throughout the container and midsection during a 4-hour 121{degrees}C (250{degrees}F) and 30-minute 1010{degrees}C (1850{degrees}F) radiant environment. Measured peak temperatures experienced by the inner walls of the midsections as a result of exposure to the high-temperature radiant environment ranged from 650{degrees} C to 980{degrees} C (1200{degrees} F to 1800{degrees}F) for the H1224A container and 770 {degrees} to 990 {degrees}C (1420{degrees} F to 1810{degrees}F) for the simulated container. The majority of both containers were completely destroyed during the high-temperature test. Temperature profiles will be used to benchmark analytical models and predict warhead midsection temperatures over a wide range of the thermal accident conditions.

Reducing Barriers To The Use of High-Efficiency Lighting Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peter Morante

2005-12-31

With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute completed the four-year research project, Reducing Barriers to the Use of High-Efficiency Lighting Systems. The initial objectives were: (1) identifying barriers to widespread penetration of lighting controls in commercial/industrial (C/I) applications that employ fluorescent lamp technologies, and (2) making recommendations to overcome these barriers. The addition of a fourth year expanded the original project objectives to include an examination of the impact on fluorescent lamps from dimming utilizing different lamp electrode heating and dimming ratios. The scope of the project was narrowed to identify barriers to the penetration of lighting controls into commercial-industrial (C/I) applications that employ fluorescent lamp technologies, and to recommend means for overcoming these barriers. Working with lighting manufacturers, specifiers, and installers, the project identified technological and marketing barriers to the widespread use of lighting controls, specifically automatic-off controls, occupancy sensors, photosensors, dimming systems, communication protocols and load-shedding ballasts. The primary barriers identified include cost effectiveness of lighting controls to the building owner, lack of standard communication protocols to allow different part of the control system to communicate effectively, and installation and commissioning issues. Overcoming the identified barriers requires lighting control products on the market to achieve three main goals: (1) Achieve sufficient functionality to meet the key requirements of their main market. (2) Allow significant cost reduction compared to current market standard systems. Cost should consider: hardware capital cost including wiring, design time required by the specifier and the control system manufacturer, installation time required by the electrician, and commissioning time and

Evaluating the Performance of a Surface Barrier on Reducing Soil-Water Flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Z. F.; Strickland, Christopher E.; Field, Jim G.; Parker, Danny L.; Clayton, Ray E.

2012-08-31

One of the most common effective techniques for contaminant remediation in the vadose zone is to use a surface barrier to reduce or eliminate soil-water flow to reduce the contaminant flux to the underlying groundwater. Confirming the reduction of the soil-water flux rate is challenging because of the difficulty of determining the very low soil-water flux beneath the barrier. We propose a hydraulic-conductivity factor, fK, as a conservative indicator for quantifying the reduction of soil-water flow. The factor can be calculated using the measured soil-water content or pressure but does not require the knowledge of the saturated hydraulic conductivity or the hydraulic gradient. The formulas were tested by comparing with changes in hydraulic conductivity, K, from a drainage experiment. The pressure-based formula was further applied to evaluate the performance of the interim surface barrier at T Tank Farm on Hanford Site. Three years after barrier emplacement, the hydraulic conductivity decreased by a factor between 3.8 and 13.0 at the 1-, 2- and 5-m depths. The difference between the conductivity-reduction factor and the flux-rate-reduction factor, fq, was quantified with a numerical simulation. With the calculated fK, the numerically determined fK/fq ratio, and the assumed pre-barrier soil-water flux rate of 100 mm yr-1, the estimated soil-water flux rate 3 years after barrier emplacement was no more than 8.5 mm yr-1 at or above the 5-m depth.

Influence of increment thickness on radiant energy and microhardness of bulk-fill resin composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Karacolak, Gamze; Turkun, L Sebnem; Boyacioglu, Hayal; Ferracane, Jack L

2018-03-30

Determining the energy transferred at the bottom of eleven bulk-fill resin composites, comparing top and bottom microhardness's and evaluating the correlation between microhardness and radiant energy were aimed. Samples were placed over the bottom sensor of a visible light transmission spectrophotometer and polymerized for 20 s. The bottom and top Knoop microhardness were measured. Paired t-test and correlation analysis were used for statistics (p≤0.05). In all groups, the bottom radiant energy decreased significantly with increasing thickness. For groups of Aura 2 mm, X-tra Fil 2 and 4 mm, SDR 2 and 4 mm, X-tra Base 2 mm no significant difference was found between top and bottom microhardness. For the bottom levels of Aura, X-tra Fil, Filtek Bulk-Fill Posterior, SDR, X-tra Base groups no significant difference was found between the microhardness's of 2 and 4 mm thicknesses. For X-tra Fil, Tetric Evo Ceram Bulk-Fill, Filtek Bulk-Fill Flowable and Z100 groups radiant energy affected positively the microhardness.

Reducing heat loss from the energy absorber of a solar collector

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Bei Tse; Rabl, Ari

1976-01-01

A device is provided for reducing convective heat loss in a cylindrical radiant energy collector. It includes a curved reflective wall in the shape of the arc of a circle positioned on the opposite side of the exit aperture from the reflective side walls of the collector. Radiant energy exiting the exit aperture is directed by the curved wall onto an energy absorber such that the portion of the absorber upon which the energy is directed faces downward to reduce convective heat loss from the absorber.

Energy flow and thermal comfort in buildings: Comparison of radiant and air-based heating & cooling systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le Dréau, Jérôme

is based on both radiation and convection. This thesis focuses on characterizing the heat transfer from the terminal towards the space and on the parameters influencing the effectiveness of terminals. Therefore the comfort conditions and energy consumption of four types of terminals (active chilled beam...... losses, and an air-based terminal might be more energy-efficient than a radiant terminal (in terms of delivered energy). Regarding comfort, a similar global level has been observed for the radiant and air-based terminals in both numerical and experimental investigations. But the different terminals did...... not achieve the same uniformity in space. The active chilled beam theoretically achieves the most uniform comfort conditions (when disregarding the risk of draught), followed by the radiant ceiling. The least uniform conditions were obtained with the cooled floor due to large differences between the sitting...

Energy flow and thermal comfort in buildings: Comparison of radiant and air-based heating & cooling systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le Dréau, Jérôme

Heating and cooling terminals can be classified in two main categories: convective terminals (e.g air conditioning, active chilled beam, fan coil) and radiant terminals. The two terminals have different modes of heat transfer: the first one is mainly based on convection, whereas the second one...... is based on both radiation and convection. This thesis focuses on characterizing the heat transfer from the terminal towards the space and on the parameters influencing the effectiveness of terminals. Therefore the comfort conditions and energy consumption of four types of terminals (active chilled beam...... losses, and an air-based terminal might be more energy-efficient than a radiant terminal (in terms of delivered energy). Regarding comfort, a similar global level has been observed for the radiant and air-based terminals in both numerical and experimental investigations. But the different terminals did...

Analysis of excimer laser radiant exposure effect toward corneal ablation volume at LASIK procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Adiati, Rima Fitria; Rini Rizki, Artha Bona; Kusumawardhani, Apriani; Setijono, Heru; Rahmadiansah, Andi

2016-11-01

LASIK (Laser Asissted In Situ Interlamelar Keratomilieusis) is a technique for correcting refractive disorders of the eye such as myopia and astigmatism using an excimer laser. This procedure use photoablation technique to decompose corneal tissues. Although preferred due to its efficiency, permanency, and accuracy, the inappropriate amount radiant exposure often cause side effects like under-over correction, irregular astigmatism and problems on surrounding tissues. In this study, the radiant exposure effect toward corneal ablation volume has been modelled through several processes. Data collecting results is laser data specifications with 193 nm wavelength, beam diameter of 0.065 - 0.65 cm, and fluence of 160 mJ/cm2. For the medical data, the myopia-astigmatism value, cornea size, corneal ablation thickness, and flap data are taken. The first modelling step is determining the laser diameter between 0.065 - 0.65 cm with 0.45 cm increment. The energy, power, and intensity of laser determined from laser beam area. Number of pulse and total energy is calculated before the radiant exposure of laser is obtained. Next is to determine the parameters influence the ablation volume. Regression method used to create the equation, and then the spot size is substituted to the model. The validation used is statistic correlation method to both experimental data and theory. By the model created, it is expected that any potential complications can be prevented during LASIK procedures. The recommendations can give the users clearer picture to determine the appropriate amount of radiant exposure with the corneal ablation volume necessary.

Towards a uniform specification of light therapy devices for the treatment of affective disorders and use for non-image forming effects: Radiant flux.

Science.gov (United States)

Aarts, M P J; Rosemann, A L P

2018-08-01

For treating affective disorders like SAD, light therapy is used although the underlying mechanism explaining this success remains unclear. To accelerate the research on defining the light characteristics responsible for inducing a specific effect a uniform manner for specifying the irradiance at the eye should be defined. This allows a genuine comparison between light-affect studies. An important factor impacting the irradiance at the eye are the radiant characteristics of the used light therapy device. In this study the radiant fluxes of five different light therapy devices were measured. The values were weighted against the spectral sensitivity of the five photopigments present in the human eye. A measurement was taken every five minutes to control for a potential stabilizing effect. The results show that all five devices show large differences in radiant flux. The devices equipped with blue LED lights have a much lower spectral radiant flux than the devices equipped with a fluorescent light source or a white LED. The devices with fluorescent lamps needed 30 min to stabilize to a constant radiant flux. In this study only five devices were measured. Radiant flux is just the first step to identify uniform specifications for light therapy devices. It is recommended to provide all five α-opic radiant fluxes. Preferably, the devices should come with a spectral power distribution of the radiant flux. For the devices equipped with a fluorescent lamp it is recommended to provide information on the stabilization time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improvement of life and NO{sub x} emission of radiant tube heating system by elastic-plastic creep analysis; Dansosei kuripu kaiseki ni yoru hosha dennetsukan kanetsu shisutemu no jumyo to NO{sub x} haishutsuryo no kaizen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakagawa, Tsuguhiko; Nuta, Kunihiro [Kawasaki Steel Corp., Okayama, (Japan). Mizushima Warks

1999-03-10

The radiant tube heating system has been widely applied to the furnaces which require isolation of the heating atmosphere from the combustion atmosphere. However, the conventional system has a short life and it is difficult to reduce NO{sub x} emission when it is used at a high furnace temperature under high combustion load, because the fuel is burned in a small space. In order to solve this problem, we have studied the cause of radiant tube life depends on the uniformity of the temperature distribution along the radiant tube. We have developed a new burner using a two-stage combustion method with exhaust gas self-recirculation. As a result, the file of the new system has been increased by a factor of two or more, and NO{sub x} emission has been reduced by 20 % from previous levels. This paper presents an outline of the elastic-plastic creep analysis and the new burner, and describes the effect of its use on system life. (author)

Mapping temperature and radiant geothermal heat flux anomalies in the Yellowstone geothermal system using ASTER thermal infrared data

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughan, R. Greg; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Keszthelyi, Laszlo P.; Jaworowski, Cheryl; Heasler, Henry

2012-01-01

The purpose of this work was to use satellite-based thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing data to measure, map, and monitor geothermal activity within the Yellowstone geothermal area to help meet the missions of both the U.S. Geological Survey Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and the Yellowstone National Park Geology Program. Specifically, the goals were to: 1) address the challenges of remotely characterizing the spatially and temporally dynamic thermal features in Yellowstone by using nighttime TIR data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and 2) estimate the temperature, geothermal radiant emittance, and radiant geothermal heat flux (GHF) for Yellowstone’s thermal areas (both Park wide and for individual thermal areas). ASTER TIR data (90-m pixels) acquired at night during January and February, 2010, were used to estimate surface temperature, radiant emittance, and radiant GHF from all of Yellowstone’s thermal features, produce thermal anomaly maps, and update field-based maps of thermal areas. A background subtraction technique was used to isolate the geothermal component of TIR radiance from thermal radiance due to insolation. A lower limit for the Yellowstone’s total radiant GHF was established at ~2.0 GW, which is ~30-45% of the heat flux estimated through geochemical (Cl-flux) methods. Additionally, about 5 km2 was added to the geodatabase of mapped thermal areas. This work provides a framework for future satellite-based thermal monitoring at Yellowstone as well as exploration of other volcanic / geothermal systems on a global scale.

Investigations of thermal barrier coatings of turbine parts using gas flame heating

Science.gov (United States)

Lepeshkin, A. R.; Bichkov, N. G.; Ilinskaja, O. I.; Nazarov, V. V.

2017-09-01

The development of methods for the calculated and experimental investigations thermal barrier coatings and thermal state of gas-turbine engine parts with a thermal barrier coatings is actual work. The gas flame heating was demonstrated to be effectively used during investigations of a thermal ceramic barrier coatings and thermal state of such gas-turbine engine parts with a TBC as the cooled turbine blades and vanes and combustion liner components. The gas-flame heating is considered to be preferable when investigating the gas-turbine engine parts with a TBC in the special cases when both the convective and radiant components of thermal flow are of great importance. The small-size rig with gas-flame flow made it possible to conduct the comparison investigations with the purpose of evaluating the efficiency of thermal protection of the ceramic deposited thermal barrier coatings on APS and EB techniques. The developed design-experiment method was introduced in bench tests of turbine blades and combustion liner components of gas turbine engines.

Schottky barrier enhancement on n-InP solar cell applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Thomas; Leistiko, Otto

1994-01-01

It is demonstrated that the Schottky barrier height on n-type InP can be enhanced to values close to the energy bandgap (1.35 eV) by employing a AuZnCr metallization. The process is simple and requires only mild and fast annealing sequences with temperatures not exceeding 500°C. Also, no critical...... epitaxial growth step of junctions is needed, making the process fairly cheap. Thus, prospects for an efficient and simple solar cell device structure for space application purposes based on highly radiant-resistant InP are greatly improved...

Radiant non-catalytic recuperative reformer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khinkis, Mark J.; Kozlov, Aleksandr P.

2017-10-31

A radiant, non-catalytic recuperative reformer has a flue gas flow path for conducting hot exhaust gas from a thermal process and a reforming mixture flow path for conducting a reforming mixture. At least a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned adjacent to the flue gas flow path to permit heat transfer from the hot exhaust gas to the reforming mixture. The reforming mixture flow path contains substantially no material commonly used as a catalyst for reforming hydrocarbon fuel (e.g., nickel oxide, platinum group elements or rhenium), but instead the reforming mixture is reformed into a higher calorific fuel via reactions due to the heat transfer and residence time. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the reforming mixture flow path is positioned outside of flue gas flow path for a relatively large residence time.

Radiant heating tests of several liquid metal heat-pipe sandwich panels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camarda, C.J.; Basiulis, A.

1983-08-01

Integral heat pipe sandwich panels, which synergistically combine the thermal efficiency of heat pipes and the structural efficiency of honeycomb sandwich construction, were conceived as a means of alleviating thermal stress problems in the Langley Scramjet Engine. Test panels which utilized two different wickable honeycomb cores, facesheets with screen mesh sintered to the internal surfaces, and a liquid metal working fluid (either sodium or potassium) were tested by radiant heating at various heat load levels. The heat pipe panels reduced maximum temperature differences by 31 percent with sodium working fluid and 45 percent with potassium working fluid. Results indicate that a heat pipe sandwich panel is a potential, simple solution to the engine thermal stress problem. Other interesting applications of the concept include: cold plates for electronic component and circuit card cooling, radiators for large space platforms, low distortion large area structures (e.g., space antennas) and laser mirrors

A METHOD FOR EVALUATION OF NON-UNIFORM RADIANT-CONVECTIVE LOAD ON HUMAN BODY DURING MENTAL WORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenka Prokšová Zuská

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to develop a documentation for the amendment of the microclimatic part of the Czech Government Regulation, particularly in a non-uniform radiant-convective load evaluation. Changes in regulation were made based on experimental data obtained on a group of experimental individuals in a climatic chamber. One of the objectives of the climatic chamber experiments was to evaluate whether there was a possibility to use an alternative method, which utilizes a new value – stereotemperature, for the assessment. A group of 24 women was exposed to a non-uniform radiant-convective load in a climatic chamber for 1 hour during their computer work. Measurements were divided according to the globe temperature into 3 stages. The physical parameters of air were continuously measured: the air temperature, globe temperature, air velocity, radiant temperature, relative humidity, stereotemperature and physiological parameters. Thermal sensations of experimental subjects were expressed in the seven-point scale according to EN ISO 7730. The thermal sensation correlated very well with the difference of stereotemperature and the globe temperature. The stereotemperature correlated very well with the radiant temperature. In this work, the composed equations were used to develop the limit values for the thermal stress evaluation in the uniform and non-uniform thermal environment at workplaces. It is possible to determine how the body of an exposed person perceives the non-uniform climatic conditions in the indoor environment, by adding the stereotemperature to government regulations.

Dynamic behavior of radiant cooling system based on capillary tubes in walls made of high performance concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikeska, Tomás; Svendsen, Svend

2015-01-01

elements made of high performance concrete. The influence of the radiant cooling system on the indoor climate of the test room in terms of the air, surface and operative temperatures and velocities was investigated.The results show that the temperature of the room air can be kept in a comfortable range...... using cooling water for the radiant cooling system with a temperature only about 4K lower than the temperature of the room air. The relatively high speed reaction of the designed system is a result of the slim construction of the sandwich wall elements made of high performance concrete. (C) 2015...... the small amount of fresh air required by standards to provide a healthy indoor environment.This paper reports on experimental analyses evaluating the dynamic behavior of a test room equipped with a radiant cooling system composed of plastic capillary tubes integrated into the inner layer of sandwich wall...

Solar radiation and cooling load calculation for radiant systems: Definition and evaluation of the Direct Solar Load

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Causone, Francesco; Corgnati, Stefano P.; Filippi, Marco

2010-01-01

The study of the influence of solar radiation on the built environment is a basic issue in building physics and currently it is extremely important because glazed envelopes are widely used in contemporary architecture. In the present study, the removal of solar heat gains by radiant cooling systems...... is investigated. Particular attention is given to the portion of solar radiation converted to cooling load, without taking part in thermal absorption phenomena due to the thermal mass of the room. This specific component of the cooling load is defined as the Direct Solar Load. A simplified procedure to correctly...... calculate the magnitude of the Direct Solar Load in cooling load calculations is proposed and it is implemented with the Heat Balance method and the Radiant Time Series method. The F ratio of the solar heat gains directly converted to cooling load, in the case of a low thermal mass radiant ceiling...

Gelatinous soil barrier for reducing contaminant emissions at waste-disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opitz, B.E.; Martin, W.J.; Sherwood, D.R.

1982-09-01

The milling of uranium ore produces large quantities of waste (mill tailings) that are being deposited in earthen pits or repositories. These wastes, which remain potentially hazardous for long time periods, may reach the biosphere at levels greater than those allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For example, the leachates associated with these wastes contain numerous radionuclides and toxic trace metals at levels 10 2 to 10 4 greater than allowable for drinking water based on EPA Primary Drinking Water Standards. As a result, technologies must be developed to ensure that such wastes will not reach the biosphere at hazardous levels. Under sponsorship of the Department of Energy's Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Program (UMTRAP), Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has investigated the use of engineered barriers for use as liners and covers for waste containment. Results of these investigations have led to the development of a low permeable, multilayer earthen barrier that effectively reduces contaminant loss from waste disposal sites. The multilayer earth barrier was developed as an alternative to clay liner or cover schemes for use in areas where clays were not locally available and must be shipped to the disposal site. The barrier layer is comprised of 90% locally available materials whose liner or cover properties are enhanced by the addition of a gelatinous precipitate which entrains moisture into the cover's air-filled pore spaces, blocking the pathways through which gas would otherwise diffuse into the atmosphere or through which moisture would migrate into the ground. In field verification tests, the earthen seal reduced radon gas emissions by 95 to 99% over prior release rates with measured permeabilities on the order of 10 - 9 cm/s

Morteros acumuladores con parafinas microencapsuladas para el aprovechamiento de la energía solar en suelos radiantes

OpenAIRE

Zetola Vargas, Vicente Andrés

2013-01-01

Esta Tesis plantea la pregunta de si el uso de morteros con parafinas microencapsuladas combinado con colectores solares térmicos puede reducir el consumo de energías convencionales, en un sistema tradicional de suelo radiante. Se pretende contribuir al conocimiento acerca del efecto que produce en el edificio, el calor latente acumulado en suelos radiantes, utilizando morteros de cemento Portland con material de cambio de fase (PCM), en conjunto con la energía solar. Para cumplir con este pr...

Use of local convective and radiant cooling at warm environment: effect on thermal comfort and perceived air quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Duszyk, Marcin; Krejcirikova, Barbora

2012-01-01

The effect of four local cooling devices (convective, radiant and combined) on thermal comfort and perceived air quality reported by 24 subjects at 28 ˚C and 50% RH was studied. The devices studied were: (1) desk cooling fan, (2) personalized ventilation providing clean air, (3) two radiant panels...... and (4) two radiant panels with one panel equipped with small fans. A reference condition without cooling was tested as well. The response of the subjects to the exposed conditions was collected by computerized questionnaires. The cooling devices significantly (pthermal comfort...... compared to without cooling. The acceptability of the thermal environment was similar for all cooling devices. The acceptability of air movement and PAQ increased when the local cooling methods were used. The best results were achieved with personalized ventilation and cooling fan. The improvement in PAQ...

Thermal environment in simulated offices with convective and radiant cooling systems under cooling (summer) mode of operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustakallio, Panu; Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov; Kostov, Kalin

2016-01-01

The thermal environment in a double office room and in a six-person meeting room obtained with chilled beam (CB), chilled beam with radiant panel (CBR), chilled ceiling with ceiling installed mixing ventilation (CCMV) and four desk partition-mounted local radiant cooling panels with mixing...... calculated. Manikin-based equivalent temperature (MBET) was determined by using two thermal manikins to identify the impact of the local thermal conditions generated by the studied systems on occupants' thermal perception. The results revealed that the differences in the thermal conditions achieved...

Experimental and numerical analysis of air and radiant cooling systems in offices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Corgnati, S. P.; Perino, M.; Fracastoro, G. V.

2009-01-01

This paper analyses office cooling systems based on all air mixing ventilation systems alone or coupled with radiant ceiling panels. This last solution may be effectively applied to retrofit all air systems that are no longer able to maintain a suitable thermal comfort in the indoor environment, ...

Radiant heat transfers in turbojet engines. Two applications, three levels of modeling; Transferts radiatifs dans les foyers de turboreacteurs. Deux applications, trois niveaux de modelisation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultz, J L; Desaulty, M [SNECMA, Centre de Villaroche, 77 - Moissy-Cramayel (France); Taine, J [Ecole Centrale de Paris, Laboratoire EM2C. CNRS, 92 - Chatenay-Malabry (France)

1997-12-31

Several applications linked with the dimensioning of turbojet engines require the use of modeling of radiant heat transfers. Two different applications are presented in this study: the modeling of heat transfers in the main combustion chamber, and modeling of the infrared signature of the post-combustion chamber of a military engine. In the first application, two types of radiant heat transfer modeling are presented: a global modeling based on empirical considerations and used in rapid pre-dimensioning methods, and a modeling based on a grey gases concept and combined to a ray shooting type technique allowing the determination of local radiant heat flux values. In the second application, a specific modeling of the radiant heat flux is used in the framework of a ray shooting method. Each model represents a different level of successive approximations of the radiant heat transfer adapted to flow specificities and to the performance requested. (J.S.) 16 refs.

Radiant heat transfers in turbojet engines. Two applications, three levels of modeling; Transferts radiatifs dans les foyers de turboreacteurs. Deux applications, trois niveaux de modelisation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultz, J.L.; Desaulty, M. [SNECMA, Centre de Villaroche, 77 - Moissy-Cramayel (France); Taine, J. [Ecole Centrale de Paris, Laboratoire EM2C. CNRS, 92 - Chatenay-Malabry (France)

1996-12-31

Several applications linked with the dimensioning of turbojet engines require the use of modeling of radiant heat transfers. Two different applications are presented in this study: the modeling of heat transfers in the main combustion chamber, and modeling of the infrared signature of the post-combustion chamber of a military engine. In the first application, two types of radiant heat transfer modeling are presented: a global modeling based on empirical considerations and used in rapid pre-dimensioning methods, and a modeling based on a grey gases concept and combined to a ray shooting type technique allowing the determination of local radiant heat flux values. In the second application, a specific modeling of the radiant heat flux is used in the framework of a ray shooting method. Each model represents a different level of successive approximations of the radiant heat transfer adapted to flow specificities and to the performance requested. (J.S.) 16 refs.

Barriers to Using Nonpharmacologic Approaches and Reducing Opioid Use in Primary Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannitrapani, Karleen F; Ahluwalia, Sangeeta C; McCaa, Matthew; Pisciotta, Maura; Dobscha, Steven; Lorenz, Karl A

2017-10-20

Opioid prescribing for chronic pain, including the potential for over-reliance and misuse, is a public health concern. In the context of Veterans Administration (VA) primary care team-based pain management, we aimed to understand providers' perceptions of barriers to reducing opioid use and improving the use of nonpharmacologic pain management therapies (NPTs) for chronic pain. A semistructured interview elucidated provider experiences with assessing and managing pain. Emergent themes were mapped to known dimensions of VA primary care access. Informants included 60 primary care providers, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, clerks, psychologists, and social workers at two VA Medical Centers. Nine multidisciplinary focus groups. Provider perceptions of barriers to reducing opioids and improving use of NPTs for patients with chronic pain clustered around availability and access. Barriers to NPT access included the following subthemes: geographical (patient distance from service), financial (out-of-pocket cost to patient), temporal (treatment time delays), cultural (belief that NPTs increased provider workload, perception of insufficient training on NPTs, perceptions of patient resistance to change, confrontation avoidance, and insufficient leadership support), and digital (measure used for pain assessment, older patients hesitant to use technology, providers overwhelmed by information). Decreasing reliance on opioids for chronic pain requires a commitment to local availability and provider-facing strategies that increase efficacy in prescribing NPTs. Policies and interventions for decreasing utilization of opioids and increasing use of NPTs should comprehensively consider access barriers. 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Barriers to reducing carbon emissions in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandler, W.W.

1991-01-01

The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe accounted for 27% of global carbon emissions in 1986. Although the recent opening of the former planned economies offers numerous opportunities to improve energy use efficiency in these regions and reduce their energy-related carbon emissions, various barriers hinder changes in Eastern European energy use. These barriers include the following: lack of incentives; insufficient infrastructure; scarce human resources; and heavy reliance on low quality fuels. Energy intensity in these countries far surpasses the estimated energy intensity in the United States and Western Europe. However, substantial potential exists for improving the efficiency of energy use in these regions

Reducing Barriers to Care in the Office-Based Health Care Setting for Children With Autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Bultas, Margaret W; McMillin, Stephen Edward; Zand, Debra H

2016-01-01

The purpose of this survey-design research study was to evaluate the usefulness of a researcher-developed tool designed to improve office-based health care services and to assess the barriers and resources affecting office-based health care services for children with autism spectrum disorder. Fifty-four health care providers (HCPs) and 59 parents participated in the study. HCPs reported child behaviors, communication, and fears as barriers to providing care, whereas parents reported child behavior, sensory issues, and feelings of a disconnect with the HCP as barriers. HCPs identified the parent as a key resource. Parent-identified resources included provider adaptations to the patient, including slowing down the delivery of care and environmental adaptations to the office. In addition, both HCPs and parents indicated that the researcher-developed tool would be useful in reducing barriers during the HCE. Reducing barriers and improving health care interactions during delivery of care for children with autism spectrum disorder has the potential to improve health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Where the Solar system meets the solar neighbourhood: patterns in the distribution of radiants of observed hyperbolic minor bodies

Science.gov (United States)

de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl; Aarseth, Sverre J.

2018-05-01

Observed hyperbolic minor bodies might have an interstellar origin, but they can be natives of the Solar system as well. Fly-bys with the known planets or the Sun may result in the hyperbolic ejection of an originally bound minor body; in addition, members of the Oort cloud could be forced to follow inbound hyperbolic paths as a result of secular perturbations induced by the Galactic disc or, less frequently, due to impulsive interactions with passing stars. These four processes must leave distinctive signatures in the distribution of radiants of observed hyperbolic objects, both in terms of coordinates and velocity. Here, we perform a systematic numerical exploration of the past orbital evolution of known hyperbolic minor bodies using a full N-body approach and statistical analyses to study their radiants. Our results confirm the theoretical expectations that strong anisotropies are present in the data. We also identify a statistically significant overdensity of high-speed radiants towards the constellation of Gemini that could be due to the closest and most recent known fly-by of a star to the Solar system, that of the so-called Scholz's star. In addition to and besides 1I/2017 U1 (`Oumuamua), we single out eight candidate interstellar comets based on their radiants' velocities.

Management of Sodium-reduced Meals at Worksite Cafeterias: Perceptions, Practices, Barriers, and Needs among Food Service Personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jounghee; Park, Sohyun

2016-04-01

The sodium content of meals provided at worksite cafeterias is greater than the sodium content of restaurant meals and home meals. The objective of this study was to assess the relationships between sodium-reduction practices, barriers, and perceptions among food service personnel. We implemented a cross-sectional study by collecting data on perceptions, practices, barriers, and needs regarding sodium-reduced meals at 17 worksite cafeterias in South Korea. We implemented Chi-square tests and analysis of variance for statistical analysis. For post hoc testing, we used Bonferroni tests; when variances were unequal, we used Dunnett T3 tests. This study involved 104 individuals employed at the worksite cafeterias, comprised of 35 men and 69 women. Most of the participants had relatively high levels of perception regarding the importance of sodium reduction (very important, 51.0%; moderately important, 27.9%). Sodium reduction practices were higher, but perceived barriers appeared to be lower in participants with high-level perception of sodium-reduced meal provision. The results of the needs assessment revealed that the participants wanted to have more active education programs targeting the general population. The biggest barriers to providing sodium-reduced meals were use of processed foods and limited methods of sodium-reduced cooking in worksite cafeterias. To make the provision of sodium-reduced meals at worksite cafeterias more successful and sustainable, we suggest implementing more active education programs targeting the general population, developing sodium-reduced cooking methods, and developing sodium-reduced processed foods.

Reducing barriers associated with delivering health care services to migratory agricultural workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmalzried, Hans D; Fallon, L Fleming

2012-01-01

Between one and two million migratory agricultural workers (MAWs), primarily from Mexico and Central America, leave their homes each year to plant, cultivate, harvest and pack fruits, vegetables, and nuts in the USA. While in the USA, most lack health insurance, a permanent residence, and a regular healthcare provider. Publications over the past two decades in the USA have reported that a majority of MAWs encounter barriers to receiving medical services. Migratory agricultural workers experience high rates of occupational illness and injury. Poor access to medical care continues to exacerbate health problems among members of this population related to their working environments. In most studies concerning healthcare access issues for this population, researchers collected their information from healthcare service providers; rarely have they included input from migratory agricultural workers. This study was different in that opinions about healthcare access issues were collected directly from MAWs. The primary purpose of this study was to describe issues related to barriers associated with the delivery of healthcare services to migratory agricultural workers. A secondary purpose was to suggest strategies for reducing these barriers. In this study, data from focus group sessions were used to develop a survey questionnaire. Four certified bilingual interpreters were trained to administer the questionnaire. A total of 157 usable questionnaires were returned from MAWs living in employer-provided camps in Northwest Ohio. The statistical analyses were primarily descriptive. The most significant barriers hampering access to medical services among the 157 respondents were cost (n=113; 72.0%), crop demands (n=102; 65.0%), the lack of an interpreter (n=98; 62.4%), travel distance (n=88; 56.1%) and transportation (n=82; 52.2%). Approximately half (n=82; 52.2%) said that they had access to transportation for traveling to a medical clinic. As a group, respondents were willing to

Finite-elements modeling of radiant heat transfers between mobile surfaces; Modelisation par elements finis de transferts radiatifs entre surfaces mobiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daurelle, J V; Cadene, V; Occelli, R [Universite de Provence, 13 - Marseille (France)

1997-12-31

In the numerical modeling of thermal industrial problems, radiant heat transfers remain difficult to take into account and require important computer memory and long computing time. These difficulties are enhanced when radiant heat transfers are coupled with finite-elements diffusive heat transfers because finite-elements architecture is complex and requires a lot of memory. In the case of radiant heat transfers along mobile boundaries, the methods must be optimized. The model described in this paper concerns the radiant heat transfers between diffuse grey surfaces. These transfers are coupled with conduction transfers in the limits of the diffusive opaque domain. 2-D and 3-D geometries are analyzed and two configurations of mobile boundaries are considered. In the first configuration, the boundary follows the deformation of the mesh, while in the second, the boundary moves along the fixed mesh. Matter displacement is taken into account in the term of transport of the energy equation, and an appropriate variation of the thermophysical properties of the transition elements between the opaque and transparent media is used. After a description of the introduction of radiative limit conditions in a finite-elements thermal model, the original methods used to optimize calculation time are explained. Two examples of application illustrate the approach used. The first concerns the modeling of radiant heat transfers between fuel rods during a reactor cooling accident, and the second concerns the study of heat transfers inside the air-gap of an electric motor. The method of identification of the mobile surface on the fixed mesh is described. (J.S.) 12 refs.

Finite-elements modeling of radiant heat transfers between mobile surfaces; Modelisation par elements finis de transferts radiatifs entre surfaces mobiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daurelle, J.V.; Cadene, V.; Occelli, R. [Universite de Provence, 13 - Marseille (France)

1996-12-31

In the numerical modeling of thermal industrial problems, radiant heat transfers remain difficult to take into account and require important computer memory and long computing time. These difficulties are enhanced when radiant heat transfers are coupled with finite-elements diffusive heat transfers because finite-elements architecture is complex and requires a lot of memory. In the case of radiant heat transfers along mobile boundaries, the methods must be optimized. The model described in this paper concerns the radiant heat transfers between diffuse grey surfaces. These transfers are coupled with conduction transfers in the limits of the diffusive opaque domain. 2-D and 3-D geometries are analyzed and two configurations of mobile boundaries are considered. In the first configuration, the boundary follows the deformation of the mesh, while in the second, the boundary moves along the fixed mesh. Matter displacement is taken into account in the term of transport of the energy equation, and an appropriate variation of the thermophysical properties of the transition elements between the opaque and transparent media is used. After a description of the introduction of radiative limit conditions in a finite-elements thermal model, the original methods used to optimize calculation time are explained. Two examples of application illustrate the approach used. The first concerns the modeling of radiant heat transfers between fuel rods during a reactor cooling accident, and the second concerns the study of heat transfers inside the air-gap of an electric motor. The method of identification of the mobile surface on the fixed mesh is described. (J.S.) 12 refs.

Solar ultraviolet and the occupational radiant exposure of Queensland school teachers: A comparative study between teaching classifications and behavior patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Downs, Nathan J; Harrison, Simone L; Chavez, Daniel R Garzon; Parisi, Alfio V

2016-05-01

Classroom teachers located in Queensland, Australia are exposed to high levels of ambient solar ultraviolet as part of the occupational requirement to provide supervision of children during lunch and break times. We investigated the relationship between periods of outdoor occupational radiant exposure and available ambient solar radiation across different teaching classifications and schools relative to the daily occupational solar ultraviolet radiation (HICNIRP) protection standard of 30J/m(2). Self-reported daily sun exposure habits (n=480) and personal radiant exposures were monitored using calibrated polysulphone dosimeters (n=474) in 57 teaching staff from 6 different schools located in tropical north and southern Queensland. Daily radiant exposure patterns among teaching groups were compared to the ambient UV-Index. Personal sun exposures were stratified among teaching classifications, school location, school ownership (government vs non-government), and type (primary vs secondary). Median daily radiant exposures were 15J/m(2) and 5J/m(2)HICNIRP for schools located in northern and southern Queensland respectively. Of the 474 analyzed dosimeter-days, 23.0% were found to exceed the solar radiation protection standard, with the highest prevalence found among physical education teachers (57.4% dosimeter-days), followed by teacher aides (22.6% dosimeter-days) and classroom teachers (18.1% dosimeter-days). In Queensland, peak outdoor exposure times of teaching staff correspond with periods of extreme UV-Index. The daily occupational HICNIRP radiant exposure standard was exceeded in all schools and in all teaching classifications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiant energy during infrared neural stimulation at the target structure

Science.gov (United States)

Richter, Claus-Peter; Rajguru, Suhrud; Stafford, Ryan; Stock, Stuart R.

2013-03-01

Infrared neural stimulation (INS) describes a method, by which an infrared laser is used to stimulate neurons. The major benefit of INS over stimulating neurons with electrical current is its spatial selectivity. To translate the technique into a clinical application it is important to know the energy required to stimulate the neural structure. With this study we provide measurements of the radiant exposure, at the target structure that is required to stimulate the auditory neurons. Flat polished fibers were inserted into scala tympani so that the spiral ganglion was in front of the optical fiber. Angle polished fibers were inserted along scala tympani, and rotating the beveled surface of the fiber allowed the radiation beam to be directed perpendicular to the spiral ganglion. The radiant exposure for stimulation at the modiolus for flat and angle polished fibers averaged 6.78+/-2.15 mJ/cm2. With the angle polished fibers, a 90º change in the orientation of the optical beam from an orientation that resulted in an INS-evoked maximum response, resulted in a 50% drop in the response amplitude. When the orientation of the beam was changed by 180º, such that it was directed opposite to the orientation with the maxima, minimum response amplitude was observed.

Maximizing competition : reducing barriers for new players

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandler, H.; Cramer, D.; McLeese, R.; Singer, J.

2003-01-01

This session included highlights from four guest speakers who commented on ways to reduce barriers to competition in Ontario's electric power industry. Topics of discussion included intertie transaction failures, the lack of overall investment in the market, the government's inaction which is preventing investment, the continued underwriting of Ontario Power Generation's activities by the government which discourages investment in the private sector, and indecisiveness regarding policy on coal plants. It was emphasized that investors need to know for certain that they can get a reasonable rate of return on their investments, that the market will be transparent and there will be no shift in policy. The need to promote new, efficient power generation by means of nuclear, coal, natural gas, and hydro energy was also emphasized. Charts depicting total energy production by source were presented for 2001 with projections to 2012. figs

Performance analysis on solar-water compound source heat pump for radiant floor heating system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

曲世林; 马飞; 仇安兵

2009-01-01

A solar-water compound source heat pump for radiant floor heating (SWHP-RFH) experimental system was introduced and analyzed. The SWHP-RFH system mainly consists of 11.44 m2 vacuum tube solar collector,1 000 L water tank assisted 3 kW electrical heater,a water source heat pump,the radiant floor heating system with cross-linked polyethylene (PE-X) of diameter 20 mm,temperature controller and solar testing system. The SWHP-RFH system was tested from December to February during the heating season in Beijing,China under different operation situations. The test parameters include the outdoor air temperature,solar radiation intensity,indoor air temperature,radiation floor average surface temperature,average surface temperature of the building envelope,the inlet and outlet temperatures of solar collector,the temperature of water tank,the heat medium temperatures of heat pump condenser side and evaporator side,and the power consumption includes the water source heat pump system,the solar source heat pump system,the auxiliary heater and the radiant floor heating systems etc. The experimental results were used to calculate the collector efficiency,heat pump dynamic coefficient of performance (COP),total energy consumption and seasonal heating performance during the heating season. The results indicate that the performance of the compound source heat pump system is better than that of the air source heat pump system. Furthermore,some methods are suggested to improve the thermal performance of each component and the whole SWHP-RFH system.

Integrated thermal infrared imaging and Structure-from-Motion photogrametry to map apparent temperature and radiant hydrothermal heat flux at Mammoth Mountain, CA USA

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Aaron; George Hilley,; Lewicki, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

This work presents a method to create high-resolution (cm-scale) orthorectified and georeferenced maps of apparent surface temperature and radiant hydrothermal heat flux and estimate the radiant hydrothermal heat emission rate from a study area. A ground-based thermal infrared (TIR) camera was used to collect (1) a set of overlapping and offset visible imagery around the study area during the daytime and (2) time series of co-located visible and TIR imagery at one or more sites within the study area from pre-dawn to daytime. Daytime visible imagery was processed using the Structure-from-Motion photogrammetric method to create a digital elevation model onto which pre-dawn TIR imagery was orthorectified and georeferenced. Three-dimensional maps of apparent surface temperature and radiant hydrothermal heat flux were then visualized and analyzed from various computer platforms (e.g., Google Earth, ArcGIS). We demonstrate this method at the Mammoth Mountain fumarole area on Mammoth Mountain, CA. Time-averaged apparent surface temperatures and radiant hydrothermal heat fluxes were observed up to 73.7 oC and 450 W m-2, respectively, while the estimated radiant hydrothermal heat emission rate from the area was 1.54 kW. Results should provide a basis for monitoring potential volcanic unrest and mitigating hydrothermal heat-related hazards on the volcano.

Posttraumatic stress and emotion dysregulation: Relationships with smoking to reduce negative affect and barriers to smoking cessation.

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Nicole A; Oglesby, Mary E; Raines, Amanda M; Zvolensky, Michael J; Schmidt, Norman B

2015-08-01

Many cigarette smokers have experienced a traumatic event, and elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are associated with increased smoking levels. Previous research has found that elevated PTSS are associated with smoking to cope with negative affect, and it has been posited that perceptions of being unable to cope with the consequences of smoking cessation interfere with smoking cessation in this population. However, the mechanism of the relationship between PTSS and these smoking maintenance factors (i.e., smoking to reduce negative affect and barriers to cessation) has not been established. Emotion dysregulation is one potential mechanism as it is associated with PTSS as well as addictive behavior aimed at avoiding and reducing negative emotional states. We cross-sectionally tested the hypotheses that 1) PTSS and emotion dysregulation would be incrementally associated with smoking to reduce negative affect and barriers to cessation, and 2) that emotion dysregulation would mediate the relationships between PTSS, smoking to reduce negative affect, and barriers to cessation among a community sample of trauma-exposed individuals presenting for smoking cessation treatment (N=315). Results demonstrated that elevated PTSS were associated with increased smoking to reduce negative affect and barriers to cessation, and that emotion dysregulation mediated these relationships. These findings provide evidence of a mechanism between PTSS and psychological smoking maintenance factors, and suggest that emotion dysregulation may be a useful target for smoking cessation interventions among trauma-exposed individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cooling load calculation by the radiant time series method - effect of solar radiation models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Alexandre M.S. [Universidade Estadual de Maringa (UEM), PR (Brazil)], E-mail: amscosta@uem.br

2010-07-01

In this work was analyzed numerically the effect of three different models for solar radiation on the cooling load calculated by the radiant time series' method. The solar radiation models implemented were clear sky, isotropic sky and anisotropic sky. The radiant time series' method (RTS) was proposed by ASHRAE (2001) for replacing the classical methods of cooling load calculation, such as TETD/TA. The method is based on computing the effect of space thermal energy storage on the instantaneous cooling load. The computing is carried out by splitting the heat gain components in convective and radiant parts. Following the radiant part is transformed using time series, which coefficients are a function of the construction type and heat gain (solar or non-solar). The transformed result is added to the convective part, giving the instantaneous cooling load. The method was applied for investigate the influence for an example room. The location used was - 23 degree S and 51 degree W and the day was 21 of January, a typical summer day in the southern hemisphere. The room was composed of two vertical walls with windows exposed to outdoors with azimuth angles equals to west and east directions. The output of the different models of solar radiation for the two walls in terms of direct and diffuse components as well heat gains were investigated. It was verified that the clear sky exhibited the less conservative (higher values) for the direct component of solar radiation, with the opposite trend for the diffuse component. For the heat gain, the clear sky gives the higher values, three times higher for the peek hours than the other models. Both isotropic and anisotropic models predicted similar magnitude for the heat gain. The same behavior was also verified for the cooling load. The effect of room thermal inertia was decreasing the cooling load during the peak hours. On the other hand the higher thermal inertia values are the greater for the non peak hours. The effect

Control characteristics and heating performance analysis of automatic thermostatic valves for radiant slab heating system in residential apartments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, Byung-Cheon [Department of Building Equipment System Engineering, Kyungwon University, Seongnam City (Korea); Song, Jae-Yeob [Graduate School, Building Equipment System Engineering, Kyungwon University, Seongnam City (Korea)

2010-04-15

Computer simulations and experiments are carried out to research the control characteristics and heating performances for a radiant slab heating system with automatic thermostatic valves in residential apartments. An electrical equivalent R-C circuit is applied to analyze the unsteady heat transfer in the house. In addition, the radiant heat transfer between slabs, ceilings and walls in the room is evaluated by enclosure analysis method. Results of heating performance and control characteristics were determined from control methods such as automatic thermostatic valves, room air temperature-sensing method, water-temperature-sensing method, proportional control method, and On-Off control method. (author)

Finite-element model evaluation of barrier configurations to reduce infiltration into waste-disposal structures: preliminary results and design considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, A.H.; Phillips, S.J.; Adams, M.R.

1982-09-01

Barriers to reduce infiltration into waste burial disposal structures (trenches, pits, etc.) may be required to provide adequate waste confinement. The preliminary engineering design of these barriers should consider interrelated barrier performance factors. This paper summarizes preliminary computer simulation activities to further engineering barrier design efforts. Several barrier configurations were conceived and evaluated. Models were simulated for each barrier configuration using a finite element computer code. Results of this preliminary evaluation indicate that barrier configurations, depending on their morphology and materials, may significantly influence infiltration, flux, drainage, and storage of water through and within waste disposal structures. 9 figures

Application of roof radiant burners in large pusher-type furnaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Varga

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the application of roof flat-flame burners in the pusher-type steel slab reheating furnaces, after furnace reconstruction and replacement of conventional torch burners, with the objective to increase the efficiency of radiative heat transfer from the refractory roof to the charge. Based on observations and on measurements of the construction and process parameters under operating conditions, the advantages and disadvantages of indirectly oriented radiant heat transfer are analysed in relation to the heat transfer in classically fired furnaces.

Calculation codes for radiant heat transfers; Les codes de calcul de rayonnement thermique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-12-31

This document reports on 12 papers about computerized simulation and modeling of radiant heat transfers and fluid flows in various industrial and domestic situations: space heating, metal industry (furnaces, boilers..), aerospace industry (turbojet engines, combustion chambers) etc.. This workshop was organized by the ``radiation`` section of the French society of thermal engineers. (J.S.)

Calculation codes for radiant heat transfers; Les codes de calcul de rayonnement thermique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-31

This document reports on 12 papers about computerized simulation and modeling of radiant heat transfers and fluid flows in various industrial and domestic situations: space heating, metal industry (furnaces, boilers..), aerospace industry (turbojet engines, combustion chambers) etc.. This workshop was organized by the ``radiation`` section of the French society of thermal engineers. (J.S.)

Effect of radiant heat transfer on the performance of high temperature heat exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Yasuo; Hijikata, Kunio; Yamada, Yukio

1975-01-01

The development of high temperature gas-cooled reactors is motivated by the consideration of the application of nuclear heat for industrial uses or direct steelmaking and chemical processes. For these purposes, reliable and efficient heat exchangers should be developed. This report analyzes the effect of radiant heat transfer on the performance of high temperature heat exchangers. The heat transfer model is as follows: the channel composed with two parallel adiabatic walls is divided with one parallel plate between the walls. Non-radiative fluid flows in the two separated channels in opposite direction. Heat transfer equations for this system were obtained, and these equations were solved by some approximate method and numerical analysis. The effect of radiation on heat transfer became larger as the radiant heat transfer between two walls was larger. In the heat exchangers of counter flow type, the thermal efficiency is controlled with three parameters, namely radiation-convection parameter, Stanton number and temperature difference. The thermal efficiency was larger with the increase of these parameters. (Iwase, T.)

Non-uniform velocity profile mechanism for flame stabilization in a porous radiant burner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Catapan, R.C.; Costa, M. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Oliveira, A.A.M. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Universitario Professor Joao David Ferreira Lima, 88040-900 Florianopolis, SC (Brazil)

2011-01-15

Industrial processes where the heating of large surfaces is required lead to the possibility of using large surface porous radiant burners. This causes additional temperature uniformity problems, since it is increasingly difficult to evenly distribute the reactant mixture over a large burner surface while retaining its stability and keeping low pollutant emissions. In order to allow for larger surface area burners, a non-uniform velocity profile mechanism for flame stabilization in a porous radiant burner using a single large injection hole is proposed and analyzed for a double-layered burner operating in open and closed hot (laboratory-scale furnace, with temperature-controlled, isothermal walls) environments. In both environments, local mean temperatures within the porous medium have been measured. For lower reactant flow rate and ambient temperature the flame shape is conical and anchored at the rim of the injection hole. As the volumetric flow rate or furnace temperature is raised, the flame undergoes a transition to a plane flame stabilized near the external burner surface. However, the stability range envelope remains the same in both regimes. (author)

Radiant-and-plasma technology for coal processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Messerle

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Radiant-and-plasma technology for coal processing is presented in the article. Thermodynamic computation and experiments on plasma processing of bituminous coal preliminary electron-beam activated were fulfilled in comparison with plasma processing of the coal. Positive influence of the preliminary electron-beam activation of coal on synthesis gas yield was found. Experiments were carried out in the plasma gasifier of 100 kW power. As a result of the measurements of material and heat balance of the process gave the following integral indicators: weight-average temperature of 2200-2300 K, and carbon gasification degree of 82,4-83,2%. Synthesis gas yield at thermochemical preparation of raw coal dust for burning was 24,5% and in the case of electron-beam activation of coal synthesis gas yield reached 36,4%, which is 48% higher.

Radiant science, dark politics: a memoir of the nuclear age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamen, M.D.

1985-01-01

The reviewer describes Radiant Science, Dark Politics: A Memoir of the Nuclear Age in contrast to a memoir by James R. Killian, Jr., a contemporary of Kamen. Kamen, co-discoverer of carbon-14 and a valued member of the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory, was fired in 1944 and blackballed as a security risk. Rehabilitated by the end of the war, his continued fight against political injustice through the McCarthy era colors the book and, for the reviewer, makes it self-serving. Kamen's later scientific work reflected his desire to work alone rather than in collaboration

Barriers to reducing climate enhanced disaster risks in Least Developed Country-Small Islands through anticipatory adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natasha Kuruppu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Small Island Developing States (SIDS classified as Least Developed Countries (LDCs are particularly vulnerable to the projected impacts of climate change. Given their particular vulnerabilities, climate adaptation investments are being made through both national and international efforts to build the capacity of various sectors and communities to reduce climate risks and associated disasters. Despite these efforts, reducing climate risks is not free of various challenges and barriers. This paper aims to synthesise a set of critical socio-economic barriers present at various spatial scales that are specific to Least Developed Country SIDS. It also aims to identify the processes that give rise to these barriers. Drawing on theories from natural hazards, a systematic literature review method was adopted to identify and organise the set of barriers by focussing on both academic papers and grey literature. The data revealed a notable lack of studies on adaptation within African and Caribbean LDC-SIDS. In general, there was a paucity of academic as well as grey literature being produced by authors from LDC-SIDS to challenge existing discourses related to adaptation barriers. The most common barriers identified included those related to governance, technical, cognitive and cultural. Three key findings can be drawn from this study in relation to formal adaptation initiatives. Firstly, the lack of focus on the adaptive capacity needs of Local Government or Island Councils and communities was a key barrier to ensure success of adaptation interventions. Secondly, international adaptation funding modalities did little to address root causes of vulnerability or support system transformations. These funds were geared at supporting sectoral level adaptation initiatives for vulnerable natural resource sectors such as water, biodiversity and coastal zones. Thirdly, there is a need to recognise the significance of cultural knowledge and practices in shaping

Barriers to reducing climate enhanced disaster risks in Least Developed Country-Small Islands through anticipatory adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Kuruppu, N.; Willie, R.

2015-12-01

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) classified as Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are particularly vulnerable to the projected impacts of climate change. Given their particular vulnerabilities, climate adaptation investments are being made through both national and international efforts to build the capacity of various sectors and communities to reduce climate risks and associated disasters. Despite these efforts, reducing climate risks is not free of various challenges and barriers. This paper aims to synthesise a set of critical socio-economic barriers present at various spatial scales that are specific to Least Developed Country SIDS. It also aims to identify the processes that give rise to these barriers. Drawing on theories from natural hazards, a systematic literature review method was adopted to identify and organise the set of barriers by focussing both on academic papers and grey literature. The data revealed a notable lack of studies on adaptation within African and Caribbean LDC-SIDS. In general, there was a paucity of academic as well as grey literature being produced by authors from LDC-SIDS to challenge existing discourses related to adaptation barriers. The most common barriers identified included those related to governance, technical, cognitive and cultural. Three key findings can be drawn from this study in relation to formal adaptation initiatives. Firstly, the lack of focus on the adaptive capacity needs of Local Government or Island Councils and communities was a key barrier to ensuring success of adaptation interventions. Secondly, international adaptation funding modalities did little to address root causes of vulnerability or support system transformations. These funds were geared at supporting sectoral level adaptation initiatives for vulnerable natural resource sectors such as water, biodiversity and coastal zones. Thirdly, there is a need to recognise the significance of cultural knowledge and practices in shaping adaptive choices of

Effects of Floor Covering Resistance of a Radiant Floor on System Energy and Exergy Performances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kazanci, Ongun Berk; Shukuya, Masanori; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2016-01-01

Floor covering resistance (material and thickness) can be influenced by subjective choices (architectural design, interior design, texture, etc.) with significant effects on the performance of a radiant heating and cooling system. To study the effects of floor covering resistance on system...... performance, a water-based radiant floor heating and cooling system (dry, wooden construction) was considered to be coupled to an air-to-water heat pump, and the effects of varying floor covering resistances (0.05 m2K/W, 0.09 m2K/W and 0.15 m2K/W) on system performance were analyzed in terms of energy...... and exergy. In order to achieve the same heating and cooling outputs, higher average water temperatures are required in the heating mode (and lower temperatures in the cooling mode) with increasing floor covering resistance. These temperature requirements decrease the heat pump’s performance (lower...

Study of thermosiphon and radiant panel passive heating systems for metal buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biehl, F.A.; Schnurr, N.M.; Wray, W.O.

1983-01-01

A study of passive-heating systems appropriate for use on metal buildings is being conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory, Port Hueneme, California. The systems selected for study were chosen on the basis of their appropriateness for retrofit applications, although they are also suitable for new construction: simple radiant panels that communicate directly with the building interior and a backflow thermosiphon that provides heat indirectly.

Newborns' temperature submitted to radiant heat and to the Top Maternal device at birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque, Rosemeire Sartori de; Mariani, Corintio; Bersusa, Ana Aparecida Sanches; Dias, Vanessa Macedo; Silva, Maria Izabel Mota da

2016-08-08

to compare the axillar temperatures of newborns that are put immediately after birth in skin-to-skin contact under the Top Maternal device, as compared to those in a radiant heat crib. comparatives observational study of the case-control type about temperature of 60 babies born at the Obstetric Center and Normal Delivery Center of a public hospital of the municipality of Sao Paulo, being them: 29 receiving assistance in heated crib and 31 in skin-to skin contact, shielded by a cotton tissue placed on mother's thorax, called Top Maternal. the temperature of the babies of the skin-to-skin contact group presented higher values in a larger share of the time measures verified, as compared to those that were placed in radiant heat crib, independently from the place of birth. Differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. the study contributes to generate new knowledge, supporting the idea of keeping babies with their mothers immediately after birth protected with the Maternal Top, without harming their wellbeing, as it keeps the axillar temperature in recommendable levels. comparar a temperatura axilar dos recém-nascidos acomodados - imediatamente após o nascimento - em contato pele a pele, sob o Top Maternal, em berço de calor radiante. estudo comparativo observacional do tipo Caso-Controle sobre a temperatura de 60 bebês nascidos no Centro Obstétrico e Centro de Parto Normal de um hospital público do município de São Paulo, sendo: 29 assistidos em berço aquecido e 31 em contato pele a pele, protegidos por uma malha de algodão colocada sobre o tórax da mãe, denominada Top Maternal. a temperatura dos bebês do grupo de contato pele a pele teve maior valor na maioria dos tempos verificados comparada à dos que foram colocados em berço de calor radiante, independentemente do local de nascimento. A diferença entre os grupos não foi estatisticamente significante. o estudo contribui com a geração de um novo conhecimento que sustenta a

High-temperature process heat reactor with solid coolant and radiant heat exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alekseev, A.M.; Bulkin, Yu.M.; Vasil'ev, S.I.

1984-01-01

The high temperature graphite reactor with the solid coolant in which heat transfer is realized by radiant heat exchange is described. Neutron-physical and thermal-technological features of the reactor are considered. The reactor vessel is made of sheet carbon steel in the form of a sealed rectangular annular box. The moderator is a set of graphite blocks mounted as rows of arched laying Between the moderator rows the solid coolant annular layings made of graphite blocks with high temperature nuclear fuel in the form of coated microparticles are placed. The coolant layings are mounted onto ring movable platforms, the continuous rotation of which is realizod by special electric drives. Each part of the graphite coolant laying consecutively passes through the reactor core neutron cut-off zones and technological zone. In the core the graphite is heated up to the temperature of 1350 deg C sufficient for effective radiant heat transfer. In the neutron cut-off zone the chain reaction and further graphite heating are stopped. In the technological zone the graphite transfers the accumulated heat to the walls of technological channels in which the working medium moves. The described reactor is supposed to be used in nuclear-chemical complex for ammonia production by the method of methane steam catalytic conversion

Optimal design approach for heating irregular-shaped objects in three-dimensional radiant furnaces using a hybrid genetic algorithm-artificial neural network method

Science.gov (United States)

Darvishvand, Leila; Kamkari, Babak; Kowsary, Farshad

2018-03-01

In this article, a new hybrid method based on the combination of the genetic algorithm (GA) and artificial neural network (ANN) is developed to optimize the design of three-dimensional (3-D) radiant furnaces. A 3-D irregular shape design body (DB) heated inside a 3-D radiant furnace is considered as a case study. The uniform thermal conditions on the DB surfaces are obtained by minimizing an objective function. An ANN is developed to predict the objective function value which is trained through the data produced by applying the Monte Carlo method. The trained ANN is used in conjunction with the GA to find the optimal design variables. The results show that the computational time using the GA-ANN approach is significantly less than that of the conventional method. It is concluded that the integration of the ANN with GA is an efficient technique for optimization of the radiant furnaces.

Radiant coolers - Theory, flight histories, design comparisons and future applications

Science.gov (United States)

Donohoe, M. J.; Sherman, A.; Hickman, D. E.

1975-01-01

Radiant coolers have been developed for application to the cooling of infrared detectors aboard NASA earth observation systems and as part of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. The prime design constraints for these coolers are the location of the cooler aboard the satellite and the satellite orbit. Flight data from several coolers indicates that, in general, design temperatures are achieved. However, potential problems relative to the contamination of cold surfaces are also revealed by the data. A comparison among the various cooler designs and flight performances indicates design improvements that can minimize the contamination problem in the future.

Reducing Barriers to Career Entry for Latinos: An Examination of Pathways into Social Work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony De Jesús

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Demand for bilingual/bicultural social work practitioners presents a mutually beneficial opportunity for the social work profession and Latinos who are increasingly in positions to be employed as social workers (Acevedo, González, Santiago, & Vargas-Ramos, 2007; Ortíz-Hendricks, 2007. Uneven academic preparation, limited access to information about college, high tuition/opportunity costs and family obligations are among the barriers to higher education for Latinos (Arbona & Nora, 2007; Hurtado & Ponjuan, 2005; Ortíz et al., 2007. Using comparative methods, this article describes career pathway program models that address obstacles to successful entry into social work careers. These models also demonstrate the potential to reduce barriers to degree completion and career entry for Latinos. Salient program components include reduced tuition and tuition assistance, transportation assistance, child care, support in strengthening oral and written English skills, and access to networks of employers (Takahashi & Melendez, 2004. Implications for social work and social work education are also discussed.

Thermal Texture Selection and Correction for Building Facade Inspection Based on Thermal Radiant Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, D.; Jarzabek-Rychard, M.; Schneider, D.; Maas, H.-G.

2018-05-01

An automatic building façade thermal texture mapping approach, using uncooled thermal camera data, is proposed in this paper. First, a shutter-less radiometric thermal camera calibration method is implemented to remove the large offset deviations caused by changing ambient environment. Then, a 3D façade model is generated from a RGB image sequence using structure-from-motion (SfM) techniques. Subsequently, for each triangle in the 3D model, the optimal texture is selected by taking into consideration local image scale, object incident angle, image viewing angle as well as occlusions. Afterwards, the selected textures can be further corrected using thermal radiant characteristics. Finally, the Gauss filter outperforms the voted texture strategy at the seams smoothing and thus for instance helping to reduce the false alarm rate in façade thermal leakages detection. Our approach is evaluated on a building row façade located at Dresden, Germany.

Acceptability of psychological treatment to Chinese- and Caucasian-Australians: Internet treatment reduces barriers but face-to-face care is preferred.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Isabella; Sharpe, Louise; Li, Stephen; Hunt, Caroline

2015-01-01

Internet treatments have the potential to improve access, especially for cultural groups who face considerable treatment barriers. This study explored the perceived barriers and likelihood of using Internet and face-to-face treatments for depression among Chinese and Caucasian Australian participants. Three-hundred ninety-five (289 Chinese, 106 Caucasian) primary care patients completed a questionnaire about depression history, previous help-seeking, perceived barriers to Internet and face-to-face treatment, and likelihood of using either treatment for depressive symptoms. Internet treatment reduced perceived barriers (including stigma, lack of motivation, concerns of bringing up upsetting feelings, time constraints, transport difficulties, and cost) for both groups to a similar degree, except for time constraints. There were heightened concerns about the helpfulness, suitability, and confidentiality of Internet treatments. Chinese participants and individuals with a probable depression history reported increased perceived barriers across treatments. Both Chinese and Caucasian groups preferred face-to-face treatment across depression severity. However, when age was controlled, there were no significant concerns about Internet treatment, and face-to-face treatment was only preferred for severe depression. Only 12 % of the entire sample refused to try Internet treatment for depression. Endorsement of perceived Internet treatment barriers (including concerns of bringing up upsetting feelings, that treatment would be unhelpful or unsuitable, lack of motivation, cost, cultural sensitivity, and confidentiality) reduced the likelihood to try Internet treatments. Internet treatment reduced perceived treatment barriers across groups, with encouraging support for Internet treatment as an acceptable form of receiving help. Negative concerns about Internet treatment need to be addressed to encourage use.

Reducing the Schottky barrier between few-layer MoTe2 and gold

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Dianyu; Wang, Qixing; Han, Cheng; Jiang, Jizhou; Zheng, Yujie; Chen, Wei; Zhang, Wenjing; Thye Shen Wee, Andrew

2017-12-01

Schottky barriers greatly influence the performance of optoelectronic devices. Schottky barriers can be reduced by harnessing the polymorphism of 2D metal transition dichalcogenides, since both semiconducting and metallic phases exist. However, high energy, high temperature or chemicals are normally required for phase transformation, or the processes are complex. In this work, stable low-resistance contacts between few layer MoTe2 flakes and gold electrodes are achieved by a simple thermal annealing treatment at low temperature (200-400 °C). The resulting Schottky barrier height of the annealed MoTe2/Au interface is low (~23 meV). A new Raman A g mode of the 1T‧ metallic phase of MoTe2 on gold electrode is observed, indicating that the low-resistance contact is due to the phase transition of 2H-MoTe2. The gold substrate plays an important role in the transformation, and a higher gold surface roughness increases the transformation rate. With this method, the mobility and ON-state current of the MoTe2 transistor increase by ~3-4 orders of magnitude, the photocurrent of vertically stacked graphene/MoTe2/Au device increases ~300%, and the response time decreases by ~20%.

Barriers and motivators to reducing secondhand smoke exposure in African American families of head start children: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoehn, Jessica L; Riekert, Kristin A; Borrelli, Belinda; Rand, Cynthia S; Eakin, Michelle N

2016-08-01

To identify barriers and motivators for reducing secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) for families of African-American, low-income, urban children. Audiotaped intervention sessions of 52 African-American caregivers of Head Start children who reported being a smoker and/or had at least one smoker in the home were randomly sampled from a larger trial examining the effectiveness of a motivational-interviewing intervention in reducing child's SHSe. Counseling sessions were qualitatively coded to identify barriers and motivators to implementing a home smoking ban or quitting smoking. African-American families identified several themes that were either or both barriers and motivators for SHSe reduction, including: asking others not to smoke, other family living in the home, neighborhood safety, absence of childcare, cost/availability of cessation tools, physician support and prevention of health problems. Urban, low-income African-American families face numerous barriers to reducing SHSe. Families were able to identify many motivators for reducing SHSe, suggesting an awareness of the importance for SHSe reduction but uncertainty in their confidence to change behaviors. Counseling should include tailoring to be most effective in supporting health behavior change. Greater emphasis on motivators is needed, such as low-cost/free cessation tools, engagement from physicians and greater involvement of extended family members. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Barriers to optimizing investments in the built environment to reduce youth obesity: policy-maker perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Jill L; MacKay, Kathryn C; Manuel, Patricia M; McHugh, Tara-Leigh F

2010-01-01

To identify factors which limit the ability of local governments to make appropriate investments in the built environment to promote youth health and reduce obesity outcomes in Atlantic Canada. Policy-makers and professionals participated in focus groups to discuss the receptiveness of local governments to introducing health considerations into decision-making. Seven facilitated focus groups involved 44 participants from Atlantic Canada. Thematic discourse analysis of the meeting transcripts identified systemic barriers to creating a built environment that fosters health for youth aged 12-15 years. Participants consistently identified four categories of barriers. Financial barriers limit the capacities of local government to build, maintain and operate appropriate facilities. Legacy issues mean that communities inherit a built environment designed to facilitate car use, with inadequate zoning authority to control fast food outlets, and without the means to determine where schools are built or how they are used. Governance barriers derive from government departments with distinct and competing mandates, with a professional structure that privileges engineering, and with funding programs that encourage competition between municipalities. Cultural factors and values affect outcomes: people have adapted to car-oriented living; poverty reduces options for many families; parental fears limit children's mobility; youth receive limited priority in built environment investments. Participants indicated that health issues have increasing profile within local government, making this an opportune time to discuss strategies for optimizing investments in the built environment. The focus group method can foster mutual learning among professionals within government in ways that could advance health promotion.

The use of geochemical barriers for reducing contaminants emanating from uranium mill tailings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groffman, A.R.; Longmire, P.; Mukhopadhyay, B.; Downs, W.

1991-01-01

A problem facing the Department of Energy's Uranium Mill Tailings Remediation Action (UMTRA) Project is the contamination of local ground water by leachate emanating form the tailings piles. These fluids have a low pH and contain heavy metals and trace elements such as arsenic, molybdenum, nitrate, selenium, and uranium. In order to meet ground water standards low hydraulic conductivity covers are installed over the tailings embankment. in some cases it may be necessary to install a geochemical barrier down gradient from the tailings embankment in order to remove the hazardous constituents. By using geochemical barriers to reduce undesirable species form a contaminant plume, fluids emanating form beneath a repository can in effect be scrubbed before entering the water table. Materials containing adsorbing clays, iron oxyhydroxides and zeolites, and reducing materials such as coal and peat, are being used effectively to attenuate contaminants form uranium mill tailings. Experiments to directly determine attenuation capacities of selected buffer/adsorption materials were conducted in the laboratory. Batch leach tests were conducted in lieu of column tests when the hydraulic conductivity of materials was too low to use in columns and shales

Solar hybrid cooling system for high-tech offices in subtropical climate - Radiant cooling by absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fong, K.F.; Chow, T.T.; Lee, C.K.; Lin, Z.; Chan, L.S.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A solar hybrid cooling system is proposed for high-tech offices in subtropical climate. → An integration of radiant cooling, absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification. → Year-round cooling and energy performances were evaluated through dynamic simulation. → Its annual primary energy consumption was lower than conventional system up to 36.5%. → The passive chilled beams were more energy-efficient than the active chilled beams. - Abstract: A solar hybrid cooling design is proposed for high cooling load demand in hot and humid climate. For the typical building cooling load, the system can handle the zone cooling load (mainly sensible) by radiant cooling with the chilled water from absorption refrigeration, while the ventilation load (largely latent) by desiccant dehumidification. This hybrid system utilizes solar energy for driving the absorption chiller and regenerating the desiccant wheel. Since a high chilled water temperature generated from the absorption chiller is not effective to handle the required latent load, desiccant dehumidification is therefore involved. It is an integration of radiant cooling, absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification, which are powered up by solar energy. In this study, the application potential of the solar hybrid cooling system was evaluated for the high-tech offices in the subtropical climate through dynamic simulation. The high-tech offices are featured with relatively high internal sensible heat gains due to the intensive office electric equipment. The key performance indicators included the solar fraction and the primary energy consumption. Comparative study was also carried out for the solar hybrid cooling system using two common types of chilled ceilings, the passive chilled beams and active chilled beams. It was found that the solar hybrid cooling system was technically feasible for the applications of relatively higher cooling load demand. The annual primary energy

Assessing the accuracy of globe thermometer method in predicting outdoor mean radiant temperature under Malaysia tropical microclimate

Science.gov (United States)

Khrit, N. G.; Alghoul, M. A.; Sopian, K.; Lahimer, A. A.; Elayeb, O. K.

2017-11-01

Assessing outdoor human thermal comfort and urban climate quality require experimental investigation of microclimatic conditions and their variations in open urban spaces. For this, it is essential to provide quantitative information on air temperature, humidity, wind velocity and mean radiant temperature. These parameters can be quantified directly except mean radiant temperature (Tmrt). The most accurate method to quantify Tmrt is integral radiation measurements (3-D shortwave and long-wave) which require using expensive radiometer instruments. To overcome this limitation the well-known globe thermometer method was suggested to calculate Tmrt. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using indoor globe thermometer method in predicting outdoor mean radiant temperature under Malaysia tropical microclimate. Globe thermometer method using small and large sizes of black-painted copper globes (50mm, 150mm) were used to estimate Tmrt and compare it with the reference Tmrt estimated by integral radiation method. The results revealed that the globe thermometer method considerably overestimated Tmrt during the middle of the day and slightly underestimated it in the morning and late evening. The difference between the two methods was obvious when the amount of incoming solar radiation was high. The results also showed that the effect of globe size on the estimated Tmrt is mostly small. Though, the estimated Tmrt by the small globe showed a relatively large amount of scattering caused by rapid changes in radiation and wind speed.

Grantee Spotlight: Marvella Ford, Ph.D. - Reducing Barriers to Surgical Cancer Care among African Am

Science.gov (United States)

Drs. Marvella E. Ford and Nestor F. Esnaola were awarded a five-year NIH/NIMHD R01 grant to evaluate a patient navigation intervention to reduce barriers to surgical cancer care and improving surgical resection rates in African Americans with lung cancer.

Motivators and Barriers to Reducing Sedentary Behavior Among Overweight and Obese Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood-Hickman, Mikael Anne; Renz, Anne; Rosenberg, Dori E

2016-08-01

To explore individual, social, environmental, and program-related motivators, barriers, and impacts of sedentary behavior (SB) reduction among a group of overweight and obese older adults aged 60 and older. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 24 participants following a SB reduction intervention. Transcripts from these interviews were iteratively coded by a team, and key themes were defined and refined guided by the social-ecological framework. Motivators included the desire to improve health, newly acquired awareness of SB, the ease of incorporating SB reduction into current lifestyle, an adaptable environment, and the use of reminders. Barriers included existing health conditions, enjoyment of sedentary activities, unadaptable environments, fatigue, and difficulty understanding SB reduction as distinct from physical activity (PA). Participants reported impacts on physical and mental health and changes in awareness, exercise, and daily activity. Although in many ways motivators and barriers to reducing SB are similar to those of PA, SB interventions have special considerations and may ultimately be easier for some individuals to incorporate into their lifestyle. © The Author 2015. 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.

Everolimus in advanced, progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional neuroendocrine tumors: RADIANT-4 lung subgroup analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazio, Nicola; Buzzoni, Roberto; Delle Fave, Gianfranco; Tesselaar, Margot E; Wolin, Edward; Van Cutsem, Eric; Tomassetti, Paola; Strosberg, Jonathan; Voi, Maurizio; Bubuteishvili-Pacaud, Lida; Ridolfi, Antonia; Herbst, Fabian; Tomasek, Jiri; Singh, Simron; Pavel, Marianne; Kulke, Matthew H; Valle, Juan W; Yao, James C

2018-01-01

In the phase III RADIANT-4 study, everolimus improved median progression-free survival (PFS) by 7.1 months in patients with advanced, progressive, well-differentiated (grade 1 or grade 2), non-functional lung or gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) vs placebo (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.67; P < .00001). This exploratory analysis reports the outcomes of the subgroup of patients with lung NETs. In RADIANT-4, patients were randomized (2:1) to everolimus 10 mg/d or placebo, both with best supportive care. This is a post hoc analysis of the lung subgroup with PFS, by central radiology review, as the primary endpoint; secondary endpoints included objective response rate and safety measures. Ninety of the 302 patients enrolled in the study had primary lung NET (everolimus, n = 63; placebo, n = 27). Median PFS (95% CI) by central review was 9.2 (6.8-10.9) months in the everolimus arm vs 3.6 (1.9-5.1) months in the placebo arm (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.28-0.88). More patients who received everolimus (58%) experienced tumor shrinkage compared with placebo (13%). Most frequently reported (≥5% incidence) grade 3-4 drug-related adverse events (everolimus vs. placebo) included stomatitis (11% vs. 0%), hyperglycemia (10% vs. 0%), and any infections (8% vs. 0%). In patients with advanced, progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional lung NET, treatment with everolimus was associated with a median PFS improvement of 5.6 months, with a safety profile similar to that of the overall RADIANT-4 cohort. These results support the use of everolimus in patients with advanced, non-functional lung NET. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (no. NCT01524783). © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Experimental study including subjective evaluations of mixing and displacement ventilation combined with radiant floor heating/cooling system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krajcik, Michal; Tomasi, Roberta; Simone, Angela

2013-01-01

Sixteen subjects evaluated the indoor environment in four experiments with different combinations of ventilation systems and radiant heating/cooling systems. In the first two tests, the simulated residential room was equipped either by a mixing ventilation system supplying warm air for space heat...

Barriers associated with reduced physical activity in COPD patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Amorim, Priscila Batista; Stelmach, Rafael; Carvalho, Celso Ricardo Fernandes; Fernandes, Frederico Leon Arrabal; Carvalho-Pinto, Regina Maria; Cukier, Alberto

2014-10-01

To evaluate the ability of COPD patients to perform activities of daily living (ADL); to identify barriers that prevent these individuals from performing ADL; and to correlate those barriers with dyspnea severity, six-minute walk test (6MWT), and an ADL limitation score. In COPD patients and healthy, age-matched controls, the number of steps, the distance walked, and walking time were recorded with a triaxial accelerometer, for seven consecutive days. A questionnaire regarding perceived barriers and the London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL) scale were used in order to identify the factors that prevent the performance of ADL. The severity of dyspnea was assessed with two scales, whereas submaximal exercise capacity was determined on the basis of the 6MWT. We evaluated 40 COPD patients and 40 controls. In comparison with the control values, the mean walk time was significantly shorter for COPD patients (68.5 ± 25.8 min/day vs. 105.2 ± 49.4 min/day; p barriers to performing ADL were lack of infrastructure, social influences, and lack of willpower. The 6MWT distance correlated with the results obtained with the accelerometer but not with the LCADL scale results. Patients with COPD are less active than are healthy adults of a comparable age. Physical inactivity and the barriers to performing ADL have immediate implications for clinical practice, calling for early intervention measures.

Study on coal char ignition by radiant heat flux.

Science.gov (United States)

Korotkikh, A. G.; Slyusarskiy, K. V.

2017-11-01

The study on coal char ignition by CO2-continuous laser was carried out. The coal char samples of T-grade bituminous coal and 2B-grade lignite were studied via CO2-laser ignition setup. Ignition delay times were determined at ambient condition in heat flux density range 90-200 W/cm2. The average ignition delay time value for lignite samples were 2 times lower while this difference is larger in high heat flux region and lower in low heat flux region. The kinetic constants for overall oxidation reaction were determined using analytic solution of simplified one-dimensional heat transfer equation with radiant heat transfer boundary condition. The activation energy for lignite char was found to be less than it is for bituminous coal char by approximately 20 %.

Failure Investigation of Radiant Platen Superheater Tube of Thermal Power Plant Boiler

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, D.; Ray, S.; Mandal, A.; Roy, H.

2015-04-01

This paper highlights a case study of typical premature failure of a radiant platen superheater tube of 210 MW thermal power plant boiler. Visual examination, dimensional measurement and chemical analysis, are conducted as part of the investigations. Apart from these, metallographic analysis and fractography are also conducted to ascertain the probable cause of failure. Finally it has been concluded that the premature failure of the super heater tube can be attributed to localized creep at high temperature. The corrective actions has also been suggested to avoid this type of failure in near future.

Radiative heat exchange of a meteor body in the approximation of radiant heat conduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilyugin, N.N.; Chernova, T.A.

1986-01-01

The problem of the thermal and dynamic destruction of large meteor bodies moving in planetary atmospheres is fundamental for the clarification of optical observations and anomalous phenomena in the atmosphere, the determination of the physicochemical properties of meteoroids, and the explanation of the fall of remnants of large meteorites. Therefore, it is important to calculate the coefficient of radiant heat exchange (which is the determining factor under these conditions) for large meteor bodies as they move with hypersonic velocities in an atmosphere. The solution of this problem enables one to find the ablation of a meteorite during its aerodynamic heating and to determine the initial conditions for the solution of problems of the breakup of large bodies and their subsequent motion and ablation. Hypersonic flow of an inviscid gas stream over an axisymmetric blunt body is analyzed with allowance for radiative transfer in a thick-thin approximation. The gas-dynamic problem of the flow of an optically thick gas over a large body is solved by the method of asymptotic joined expansions, using a hypersonic approximation and local self-similarity. An equation is obtained for the coefficient of radiant heat exchange and the peculiarities of such heat exchange for meteor bodies of large size are noted

The Super-Radiant Mechanism and the Widths of Compound Nuclear States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auerbach, N

2012-01-01

In the introduction I will present the theory of the super-radiant mechanism as applied to various phenomena. I will then discuss the statistics of resonance widths in a many-body Fermi system with open decay channels. Depending on the strength of the coupling to the continuum such systems show deviations from the standard Porter-Thomas distribution. The deviations result from the process of increasing interaction of the intrinsic states through the common decay channels. In the limit of very strong coupling this leads to super-radiance. The results I will present are important for the understanding of recent experimental data concerning the width distribution of compound neutron resonances in nuclei.

Numerical analysis of diffuse ceiling ventilation and its integration with a radiant ceiling system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Chen; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Chen, Qingyan

2017-01-01

A novel system combining diffuse ceiling ventilation and radiant ceiling was proposed recently, with the aim of providing energy efficient and comfort environment to office buildings. Designing of such a system is challenging because of complex interactions between the two subsystems and a large ......-uniformity air distribution and further led to the draught problem in the occupied zone. This system was recommended to apply in the small offices instead of large, open spaces....

Methods of total spectral radiant flux realization at VNIIOFI

Science.gov (United States)

Ivashin, Evgeniy; Lalek, Jan; Rybczyński, Andrzej; Ogarev, Sergey; Khlevnoy, Boris; Dobroserdov, Dmitry; Sapritsky, Victor

2018-02-01

VNIIOFI carries out works on realization of independent methods for realization of the total spectral radiant flux (TSRF) of incoherent optical radiation sources - reference high-temperature blackbodies (BB), halogen lamps, and LED with quasi-Lambert spatial distribution of radiance. The paper describes three schemes for measuring facilities using photometers, spectroradiometers and computer-controlled high class goniometer. The paper describes different approaches for TSRF realization at the VNIIOFI National radiometric standard on the basis of high-temperature BB and LED sources, and gonio-spectroradiometer. Further, they are planned to be compared, and the use of fixed-point cells (in particular, based on the high-temperature δ(MoC)-C metal-carbon eutectic with a phase transition temperature of 2583 °C corresponding to the metrological optical “source-A”) as an option instead of the BB is considered in order to enhance calibration accuracy.

Effects of radiant exposure and wavelength spectrum of light-curing units on chemical and physical properties of resin cements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano Fonseca Lima

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Objectives In this study, we evaluated the influence of different radiant exposures provided by single-peak and polywave light-curing units (LCUs on the degree of conversion (DC and the mechanical properties of resin cements. Materials and Methods Six experimental groups were established for each cement (RelyX ARC, 3M ESPE; LuxaCore Dual, Ivoclar Vivadent; Variolink, DMG, according to the different radiant exposures (5, 10, and 20 J/cm2 and two LCUs (single-peak and polywave. The specimens were made (7 mm in length × 2 mm in width × 1 mm in height using silicone molds. After 24 hours of preparation, DC measurement was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The same specimens were used for the evaluation of mechanical properties (flexural strength, FS; elastic modulus, E by a three-point bending test. Data were assessed for normality, after which two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test were performed. Results No properties of the Variolink cement were influenced by any of the considered experimental conditions. In the case of the RelyX ARC cement, DC was higher when polywave LCU was used; FS and E were not influenced by the conditions evaluated. The LuxaCore cement showed greater sensitivity to the different protocols. Conclusions On the basis of these results, both the spectrum of light emitted and the radiant exposure used could affect the properties of resin cements. However, the influence was material-dependent.

Barriers associated with reduced physical activity in COPD patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila Batista Amorim

2014-10-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of COPD patients to perform activities of daily living (ADL; to identify barriers that prevent these individuals from performing ADL; and to correlate those barriers with dyspnea severity, six-minute walk test (6MWT, and an ADL limitation score. METHODS: In COPD patients and healthy, age-matched controls, the number of steps, the distance walked, and walking time were recorded with a triaxial accelerometer, for seven consecutive days. A questionnaire regarding perceived barriers and the London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL scale were used in order to identify the factors that prevent the performance of ADL. The severity of dyspnea was assessed with two scales, whereas submaximal exercise capacity was determined on the basis of the 6MWT. RESULTS: We evaluated 40 COPD patients and 40 controls. In comparison with the control values, the mean walk time was significantly shorter for COPD patients (68.5 ± 25.8 min/day vs. 105.2 ± 49.4 min/day; p < 0.001, as was the distance walked (3.9 ± 1.9 km/day vs. 6.4 ± 3.2 km/day; p < 0.001. The COPD patients also walked fewer steps/day. The most common self-reported barriers to performing ADL were lack of infrastructure, social influences, and lack of willpower. The 6MWT distance correlated with the results obtained with the accelerometer but not with the LCADL scale results. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD are less active than are healthy adults of a comparable age. Physical inactivity and the barriers to performing ADL have immediate implications for clinical practice, calling for early intervention measures.

Investigating the extent to which mobile phones reduce Knowledge Transfer barriers in Student Project Teams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Kyobe

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Group learning plays a key role in the transfer of knowledge. In institutions of learning, it enhances students’ understanding, critical thinking, integration of knowledge and knowledge sharing. However, the transfer of knowledge in group projects is often impeded by factors such as time and budget constraints, individual and social barriers, and a lack of motivation.Institutions of learning are increasingly adopting information and communication technologies (e.g. mobile technologies to provide solutions to the challenges facing them. Whilst the integration of the mobile context and technologies in learning environment has been encouraged over the years, and indeed many students today can use mobile phones, the effectiveness of these technologies in reducing impediments to knowledge transfer in group learning has not been investigated.This study investigated the extent to which mobile phones reduce the barriers to knowledge transfer in project groups. The impediments examined include the nature of knowledge, social barriers, lack of time and lack of motivation. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect and analyse the data. The sample consisted of 85 students engaged in group projects in the departments of Information Systems, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Engineering.The results show that mobile phones reduce all four knowledge transfer barriers investigated in the project groups. We found no significant difference in the nature of knowledge shared by teams with weak and strong ties. This suggests that teams with weak social ties who normally experience difficulty sharing complex (tacit knowledge can easily do so with the aid of mobile facilities. In addition, frequent users of mobile phones were motivated to share explicit knowledge with their peers whilst those who often work with tacit knowledge could convert it to explicit form and share it with others. Mobile features like short messaging

Barriers to Beta-Blocker Use and Up-Titration Among Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Levitan, Emily B; Van Dyke, Melissa K; Loop, Matthew Shane; O'Beirne, Ronan; Safford, Monika M

2017-12-01

For patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), guidelines recommend use of beta-blockers with gradual up-titration. However, many patients with HFrEF do not use beta-blockers and up-titration is rare. Our purpose was to identify and rank barriers to beta-blocker use and up-titration from the perspective of primary care physicians. We conducted 4 moderated, structured group discussions among 19 primary care physicians using the nominal group technique; 16 participants also completed a survey. Participants generated lists of barriers to beta-blocker use and up-titration among patients with HFrEF. Each participant had six votes with three votes assigned to the item ranked most important, two to the second most important item, and one to the third most important item. Investigators characterized items into themes. The percentage of available votes was calculated for each theme. Fifteen of 16 participating primary care physicians who completed the survey reported that management of beta-blockers was their responsibility. Treatment/side effects, particularly hypotension, were identified as the most important barrier for beta-blocker use (72% of available votes) followed by polypharmacy (11%), healthcare system barriers (10%), and comorbidities (6%). Barriers to up-titration included treatment/side effects (49% of available votes), patient communication/buy-in (21%), polypharmacy (13%), and healthcare system barriers (8%). Many barriers to guideline concordant use of beta-blockers among patients with HFrEF identified by primary care providers are not readily modifiable. Addressing these barriers may require development, testing, and dissemination of protocols for beta-blocker initiation and up-titration that are safe and appropriate in primary care.

Reduced spread of Campylobacter jejuni in broiler chickens by stimulating the bird's natural barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moen, B; Rudi, K; Svihus, B; Skånseng, B

2012-11-01

We have tested the effect of feed structure and feeding regime to prevent the spread of the zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter jejuni in broiler chicken flocks. Birds were offered two types of feed, control diet and a diet supplemented with 15% oat/barley hulls for structure. In addition, the birds were either fed ad libitum or intermittent. One bird in each treatment group was infected with a three-strain-mix of Camp. jejuni, and the spread of Camp. jejuni within the group was investigated. Feed structure increased the gizzard weight, delayed the spread of Camp. jejuni within the group and reduced the relative amount of Camp. jejuni in the caecum compared with the control diet. Our results show that stimulating the bird's natural barriers is a novel and promising intervention strategy to reduce the spread of Camp. jejuni in chicken flocks. Preventing Camp. jejuni in broiler chicken flocks is essential to ensure food safety because this bacterium is transferred to chicken carcasses during the slaughter process and readily survive in unprocessed poultry products. We have evaluated a novel approach for stimulation of the bird's natural barriers in the upper digestive tract with promising results. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Numerical Simulation of the Thermal Process in a W-Shape Radiant Tube Burner

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi; Li, Jiyong; Zhang, Lifeng; Ling, Haitao; Li, Yanlong

2014-07-01

In the current work, three-dimensional mathematical models were developed for the heat transfer and combustion in a W-shape radiant tube burner (RTB) and were solved using Fluent software (ANSYS Inc., Canonsburg, PA). The standard k- ɛ model, nonpremixed combustion model, and the discrete ordinate model were used for the modeling of turbulence, combustion, and radiant heat transfer, respectively. In addition, the NO x postprocessor was used for the prediction of the NO emission. A corresponding experiment was performed for the validation of mathematical models. The details of fluid flow, heat transfer, and combustion in the RTB were investigated. Moreover, the effect of the air/fuel ratio (A/F) and air staging on the performance of RTB was studied with the reference indexes including heat efficiency, maximum temperature difference on shell wall, and NO emission at the outlet. The results indicated that a low speed zone formed in the vicinity of the combustion chamber outlet, and there were two relative high-temperature zones in the RTB, one in combustion chamber that favored the flame stability and the other from the main flame in the RTB. The maximum temperature difference was 95.48 K. As the A/F increased, the temperature increased first and then decreased. As the ratio of the primary to secondary air increased, the recirculation zone at the outlet of combustion chamber shrank gradually to disappear, and the flame length was longer and the temperature in flame decreased correspondingly.

Radiant heat transfer during the natural evaporation from free surfaces exposed to solar radiation; Transferencia de calor radiante durante a evaporacao natural em superficies livres expostas a radiacao solar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teixeira, C O.M. [Universidade Federal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia; Hackenberg, C M [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Escola de Quimica

1985-12-31

In this work a conductive-convective-radiant model which includes phase change behavior, is developed in order to determine the rate of evaporation from free surface exposed to solar radiation and consequently the most important parameters, and their effects, on the design of salt solutions concentrating natural evaporation reservoirs may be analysed. The numerical solutions of the resulting of system of equations are shown to represent very well the experimental results measured on evaporation chambers specially built for daily operations. The thermal effect of spectrally selective surfaces as coating agents for the reservoir is also analysed. (author). 11 refs., 8 figs

Diffusion barriers of Al2O3 to reduce the bondcoat-oxidation of MCrAlY alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt-Thomas, K.G.; Dietl, U.

1992-01-01

Under operating conditions in gas turbines plasma sprayed MCrAlY bondcoats (M = Co and/or Ni) for thermal barrier coatings are exposed to a strong oxidation attack. One possibility to reduce bondcoat oxidation is the application of diffusion barriers. Onto the bondcoat, diffusion barriers of Al 2 O 3 are deposited by CVD, PVD and plasma pulse process. The oxidation behaviour of these coating systems were examined at a temperature of 1273 K for times up to 250 hours. The CVD and PVD Al 2 O 3 - coated specimens show compared to the uncoated specimens smaller oxidation rates. The porous Al 2 O 3 coatings, produced by plasma pulse process are not fit for oxidation protection of the bondcoat. There is hope for further improvement of the oxidation resistance by optimizing the CVD- and PVD-process parameters. (orig.) [de

Comparison of radiant and convective cooling of office room: effect of workstation layout

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Rezgals, Lauris

2014-01-01

and compared. The room was furnished with two workstations, two laptops and two thermal manikins resembling occupants. Two heat load levels, design (65 W/m2) and usual (39 W/m2), were generated by adding heat from warm panels simulating solar radiation. Two set-ups were studied: occupants sitting......The impact of heat source location (room layout) on the thermal environment generated in a double office room with four cooling ventilation systems - overhead ventilation, chilled ceiling with overhead ventilation, active chilled beam and active chilled beam with radiant panels was measured...

Investigating the extent to which mobile phones reduce Knowledge Transfer barriers in Student Project Teams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Kyobe

2011-10-01

Institutions of learning are increasingly adopting information and communication technologies (e.g. mobile technologies to provide solutions to the challenges facing them. Whilst the integration of the mobile context and technologies in learning environment has been encouraged over the years, and indeed many students today can use mobile phones, the effectiveness of these technologies in reducing impediments to knowledge transfer in group learning has not been investigated. This study investigated the extent to which mobile phones reduce the barriers to knowledge transfer in project groups. The impediments examined include the nature of knowledge, social barriers, lack of time and lack of motivation. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect and analyse the data. The sample consisted of 85 students engaged in group projects in the departments of Information Systems, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Engineering. The results show that mobile phones reduce all four knowledge transfer barriers investigated in the project groups. We found no significant difference in the nature of knowledge shared by teams with weak and strong ties. This suggests that teams with weak social ties who normally experience difficulty sharing complex (tacit knowledge can easily do so with the aid of mobile facilities. In addition, frequent users of mobile phones were motivated to share explicit knowledge with their peers whilst those who often work with tacit knowledge could convert it to explicit form and share it with others. Mobile features like short messaging service and multimedia messaging service (SMS & MMS or what some people refer to as ‘texting’, and email were mainly used to share knowledge and were perceived to reduce knowledge transfer time more than voice facilities. Our findings indicate that most students do not utilise the affordances of mobile phones for tacit knowledge transfer. Sharing of tacit knowledge needs to be encouraged

Effects of blue diode laser (445 nm) and LED (430-480 nm) radiant heat treatments on dental glass ionomer restoratives

Science.gov (United States)

Dionysopoulos, Dimitrios; Tolidis, Kosmas; Strakas, Dimitrios; Gerasimou, Paris; Sfeikos, Thrasyvoulos; Gutknecht, Norbert

2018-02-01

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of two radiant heat treatments on water sorption, solubility and surface roughness of three conventional glass ionomer cements by using a blue diode laser (445 nm) and a light emitting diode (LED) unit (430-480 nm). Thirty disk-shaped specimens were prepared for each tested GIC (Equia Fil, Ketac Universal Aplicap and Riva Self Cure). The experimental groups (n = 10) of the study were as follows: Group 1 was the control group, in Group 2 the specimens were irradiated for 60 s at the top surface using a LED light-curing unit and in Group 3 the specimens were irradiated for 60 s at the top surface using a blue light diode laser. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc tests at a level of significance of a = 0.05. Radiant heat treatments with both laser and LED devices significantly decreased water sorption and solubility (p tested GICs. Blue diode laser treatment was seemed to be more effective compared to LED treatment for some of the tested materials. There were no changes in surface roughness of the GICs after the treatments (p > 0.05). Among the tested materials there were differences in water sorption and solubility (p 0.05). The use of the blue diode laser for this radiant heat treatment was harmless for the surface of the tested GICs and may be advantageous for the longevity of their restorations.

Radiant Ceiling Panels Combined with Localized Methods for Improved Thermal Comfort of Both Patient and Medical Staff in Patient Room

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mori, Sakura; Barova, Mariya; Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov

2012-01-01

The objectives were to identify whether ceiling installed radiant heating panels can provide thermal comfort to the occupants in a patient room, and to determine a method for optimal thermal environment to both patient and medical staff simultaneously. The experiments were performed in a climate...... mattress were used to provide local heating for the patient. The effects of the methods were identified by comparing the manikin based equivalent temperatures. The optimal thermal comfort level for both patient and medical staff would obtained when two conventional cotton blankets were used with extra...... chamber resembling a single-bed patient room under convective air conditioning alone or combined with the ceiling installed radiant heating panels. Two thermal manikins simulated a patient lying in the bed and a doctor standing next to the patient. Conventional cotton blanket, electric blanket, electric...

Radiant{trademark} Liquid Radioisotope Intravascular Radiation Therapy System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eigler, N.; Whiting, J.; Chernomorsky, A.; Jackson, J.; Knapp, F.F., Jr.; Litvack, F.

1998-01-16

RADIANT{trademark} is manufactured by United States Surgical Corporation, Vascular Therapies Division, (formerly Progressive Angioplasty Systems). The system comprises a liquid {beta}-radiation source, a shielded isolation/transfer device (ISAT), modified over-the-wire or rapid exchange delivery balloons, and accessory kits. The liquid {beta}-source is Rhenium-188 in the form of sodium perrhenate (NaReO{sub 4}), Rhenium-188 is primarily a {beta}-emitter with a physical half-life of 17.0 hours. The maximum energy of the {beta}-particles is 2.1 MeV. The source is produced daily in the nuclear pharmacy hot lab by eluting a Tungsten-188/Rhenium-188 generator manufactured by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Using anion exchange columns and Millipore filters the effluent is concentrated to approximately 100 mCi/ml, calibrated, and loaded into the (ISAT) which is subsequently transported to the cardiac catheterization laboratory. The delivery catheters are modified Champion{trademark} over-the-wire, and TNT{trademark} rapid exchange stent delivery balloons. These balloons have thickened polyethylene walls to augment puncture resistance; dual radio-opaque markers and specially configured connectors.

Excreted/secreted Trichuris suis products reduce barrier function and suppress inflammatory cytokine production of intestinal epithelial cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hiemstra, I. H.; Klaver, E. J.; Vrijland, K.

2014-01-01

The administration of helminths is considered a promising strategy for the treatment of autoimmune diseases due to their immunomodulatory properties. Currently, the application of the helminth Trichuris suis as a treatment for Crohn's disease is being studied in large multi-center clinical trials....... The intestinal epithelium forms an efficient barrier between the intestinal lumen containing the microbial flora and helminths, and dendritic cells (DCs) present in the lamina propria that determine the TH response. Here, we investigated how excreted/secreted (E/S) products of T. suis affect the barrier function...... of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in order to reach the DCs and modulate the immune response. We show that T. suis E/S products reduce the barrier function and the expression of the tight junction proteins EMP-1 and claudin-4 in IEC CMT93/69 monolayers in a glycan-dependent manner. This resulted...

Estimating the Economic Effects of Reducing Non-Tariff Barriers in the EEU

OpenAIRE

Vinokurov, Evgeny; Demidenko, Mikhail; Pelipas, Igor; Tochitskaya, Irina; Shymanovich, Gleb; Lipin, Andrey; Movchan, Veronika

2015-01-01

The report provides the first comprehensive assessment of the effects of non-tariff barriers on mutual trade in the EEU and gives recommendations as to how to remove them. It is based on a poll of 530 Russian, Kazakh and Belarusian exporters. In the research non-tariff barriers are divided into two groups. The first group includes non-tariff barriers such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, quotas, prohibitions, and quantitative controls. The second group comp...

The effect of urban geometry on mean radiant temperature under future climate change: a study of three European cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Kevin Ka-Lun; Lindberg, Fredrik; Rayner, David; Thorsson, Sofia

2015-07-01

Future anthropogenic climate change is likely to increase the air temperature (T(a)) across Europe and increase the frequency, duration and magnitude of severe heat stress events. Heat stress events are generally associated with clear-sky conditions and high T(a), which give rise to high radiant heat load, i.e. mean radiant temperature (T(mrt)). In urban environments, T mrt is strongly influenced by urban geometry. The present study examines the effect of urban geometry on daytime heat stress in three European cities (Gothenburg in Sweden, Frankfurt in Germany and Porto in Portugal) under present and future climates, using T(mrt) as an indicator of heat stress. It is found that severe heat stress occurs in all three cities. Similar maximum daytime T(mrt) is found in open areas in all three cities despite of the latitudinal differences in average daytime T(mrt). In contrast, dense urban structures like narrow street canyons are able to mitigate heat stress in the summer, without causing substantial changes in T(mrt) in the winter. Although the T(mrt) averages are similar for the north-south and east-west street canyons in each city, the number of hours when T(mrt) exceeds the threshold values of 55.5 and 59.4 °C-used as indicators of moderate and severe heat stress-in the north-south canyons is much higher than that in the east-west canyons. Using statistically downscaled data from a regional climate model, it is found that the study sites were generally warmer in the future scenario, especially Porto, which would further exacerbate heat stress in urban areas. However, a decrease in solar radiation in Gothenburg and Frankfurt reduces T(mrt) in the spring, while the reduction in T(mrt) is somewhat offset by increasing T(a) in other seasons. It suggests that changes in the T(mrt) under the future scenario are dominated by variations in T(a). Nonetheless, the intra-urban differences remain relatively stable in the future. These findings suggest that dense urban

Reducing financial barriers to vaccinating children and adolescents in the USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Bednarczyk, Robert A; Birkhead, Guthrie S

2011-02-01

To increase awareness of the financial barriers to childhood and adolescent vaccination, recent steps taken to mitigate these barriers, and remaining gaps following passage of Federal healthcare reform legislation. Financial barriers to vaccination remain, even with the safety net of the Vaccines for Children Program. Newly recommended vaccines have substantially increased the cost to fully vaccinate a child up to age 18 years, and the combination of these cost burdens and inadequate reimbursement, in both the private and public sectors, has led some physicians to seriously consider stopping vaccination services. Up to 20% of privately insured children or adolescents have coverage that does not fully cover all costs of immunization, potentially leading to fragmented and inadequate preventive care. Federal healthcare reform legislation, as currently constituted, may not fully address all financing gaps, and the extent to which financial barriers to immunization services remain will need to be evaluated as the legislation is implemented. Recent National Vaccine Advisory Committee recommendations need to be considered to address financial barriers to immunization.

The Influence of a Radiant Panel System with Integrated Phase Change Material on Energy Use and Thermal Indoor Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lin Flemming; Bourdakis, Eleftherios; Kazanci, Ongun Berk

2018-01-01

This study examined the effect on energy use and thermal comfort when combining microencapsulated phase change material (PCM) with radiant ceiling panels in a two-person office. The performance of the system was studied during the cooling season in the climates of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Rome...

Radiant recuperator modelling and design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knežević Suzana D.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recuperators are frequently used in glass production and metallurgical processes to preheat combustion air by heat exchange with high temperature flue gases. Mass and energy balances of a 15 m high, concurrent radiant recuperator used in a glass fiber production process are given. The balances are used: for validation of a cell modeling method that predicts the performance of different recuperator designs, and for finding a simple solution to improve the existing recuperator. Three possible solutions are analyzed: to use the existing recuperator as a countercurrent one, to add an extra cylinder over the existing construction, and to make a system that consists of a central pipe and two concentric annular ducts. In the latter, two air streams flow in opposite directions, whereas air in the inner annular passage flows concurrently or countercurrently to flue gases. Compared with the concurrent recuperator, the countercurrent has only one drawback: the interface temperature is higher at the bottom. The advantages are: lower interface temperature at the top where the material is under maximal load, higher efficiency, and smaller pressure drop. Both concurrent and countercurrent double pipe-in-pipe systems are only slightly more efficient than pure concurrent and countercurrent recuperators, respectively. Their advantages are smaller interface temperatures whereas the disadvantages are their costs and pressure drops. To implement these solutions, the average velocities should be: for flue gas around 5 m/s, for air in the first passage less than 2 m/s, and for air in the second passage more than 25 m/s. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. EE 33027

Comparison of indoor air distribution and thermal environment for different combinations of radiant heating systems with mechanical ventilation systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Xiaozhou; Fang, Lei; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2018-01-01

A hybrid system with a radiant heating system and a mechanical ventilation system, which is regarded as an advanced heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, has been applied in many modern buildings worldwide. To date, almost no studies focused on comparative analysis of the indoor...... air distribution and the thermal environment for all combinations of radiant heating systems with mechanical ventilation systems. Therefore, in this article, the indoor air distribution and the thermal environment were comparatively analyzed in a room with floor heating (FH) or ceiling heating (CH......) and mixing ventilation (MV) or displacement ventilation (DV) when the supply air temperature ranged from 15.0°C to 19.0°C. The results showed that the temperature effectiveness values were 1.05–1.16 and 0.95–1.02 for MV+ FH and MV+ CH, respectively, and they were 0.78–0.91 and 0.51–0.67 for DV + FH and DV...

Results from radiant treatment in no Hodgkin's lymphomas of adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alert, J.; Rodriguez, E.; Mesa, E.; Diaz, C.

1982-01-01

From 1973 to 1979, at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, Havana City, 91 adults were irradiated because they underwent no Hodgkin's lymphomas at Stage I (located) and Stage II (regional extension) to whom radiant treatment was the basic therapeutic selection, with single or multiple fields and dose ranging between 3 500 and 4 000 rads-tumor, and some of them at Stage III, where primary treatment was chemotherapy. Present survival for all of them after 3 and 5 years is 55.7% and 54.7%, with 84.4% for patients at Stage I, 55.8% and 52.4% for Stage II and 33.8% for Stage III. Survival was similar for both sexes; in the same way ganglionar processes and those of extraganglionar localization presented no significant survival differences. Only to 7 patients (7.7%) modular forms were diagnosed. (author)

Free of pollution gas - an utopia or attainable goal? Gas radiant burner with a small capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofbauer, P.; Bornscheuer, W.

1993-01-01

The firm Viessmann has developed a gas radiant burner for boiler capacities up to 100 kN combusting gas with extremely low pollutant emissions. This is possible since from the reaction zone a considerable part of the combustion heat is delivered through radiation by means of a glowing special steel structure. The theoretical fundamentals are explained by means of considerations regarding the equilibrium and a reaction kinetic numerical model. (orig.) [de

Solar–terrestrial radiant-energy regimes and temperature anomalies of natural and artificial turfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jim, C.Y.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Solar and terrestrial radian energy regimes affect temperature response of sports turfs. • Adjacent natural and artificial turfs were monitored with replications on sunny days. • Artificial turf has meager albedo, low specific heat and moisture to augment warming. • Artificial turf surface and substrate reach 70 °C but cool down effectively at night. • Artificial turf may induce heat stress on athletes in hot summer afternoon. - Abstract: Artificial turf can develop unusually high surface temperature on hot sunny days. Solar and terrestrial radiant energy regimes as key determinants of thermal performance deserve detailed investigation. This study evaluated six components of the radiant-energy environment of a natural turf (NT) and a contiguous artificial turf (AT) sports fields in Hong Kong: direct solar, reflected solar, net solar, sky thermal, ground thermal, and net thermal. Temperature was monitored at five positions: air at 150 cm, 50 cm and 15 cm height, turf surface, and substrate. The experiment included four replications, namely two summer sunny days, and two duplicated instrument sets at each turf site. The two sites reacted very differently to the same intense daily sum of solar radiation input of 23.70 MW m −2 with 9 h of bright sunshine (>120 W m −2 ), and daily sum of sky thermal radiation input of 38.59 MW m −2 . The maximum direct solar radiation reached 976.1 W m −2 at 1245 h. NT albedo of 0.23 vis-à-vis AT of merely 0.073, and higher moisture content and specific heat of NT materials, presented critical differences. The hydrophobic and generally dry plastic (polyethylene) pile-fibers and black rubber-granule infill materials have low specific heat. Intense incoming shortwave and longwave radiation absorbed readily by AT materials raised turf surface temperature to 70.2 °C and substrate 69.3 °C, in comparison with <40 °C at NT. A cascading warming effect was triggered, beginning with low albedo, high net solar

The effects of radiant cooling versus convective cooling on human eye tear film stability and blinking rate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nygaard, Linette; Uth, Simon C.; Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov

2014-01-01

The effect of indoor temperature, radiant and convective cooling on tear film stability and eye blink frequency was examined. 24 human subjects were exposed to the non-uniform environment generated by localised chilled beam and a chilled ceiling combined with overhead mixing ventilation. The subj......The effect of indoor temperature, radiant and convective cooling on tear film stability and eye blink frequency was examined. 24 human subjects were exposed to the non-uniform environment generated by localised chilled beam and a chilled ceiling combined with overhead mixing ventilation....... The subjects participated in four two-hour experiments. The room air temperature was kept at 26 °C or 28 °C. Tear film samples were collected after 30 min of acclimatisation and at the end of the exposures. Eye blinking frequency was analysed for the first and last 15 min of each exposure. The tear film...... stability decreased as the temperature increased. The highest number of subjects with unchanged or improved tear film quality was observed with the localised chilled beam at 26 °C. A trend was found between subjects who reported eye irritation and had a bad tear film quality....

Sensitivity analysis of the thermal performance of radiant and convective terminals for cooling buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le Dréau, J.; Heiselberg, P.

2014-01-01

Heating and cooling terminals can be classified in two main categories: convective terminals (e.g. active chilled beam, air conditioning) and radiant terminals. The mode of heat transfer of the two emitters is different: the first one is mainly based on convection, whereas the second one is based...... conducted to determine the parameters influencing their thermal performance the most. The air change rate, the outdoor temperature and the air temperature stratification have the largest effect on the cooling need (maintaining a constant operative temperature). For air change rates higher than 0.5 ACH...

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German brewing sector. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J; Boede, U; Ostertag, K; Radgen, P

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German brewing sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of five case studies of energy management in German breweries. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project. The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the brewing sector may be improved. The results of the study for the brewing sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the brewing sector - Case studies of energy management in the German brewing sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German brewing sector; - The role of energy service companies in the brewing sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German brewing sector. Executive Summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J.; Boede, U.; Ostertag, K.; Radgen, P.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German brewing sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of five case studies of energy management in German breweries. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project. The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the brewing sector may be improved. The results of the study for the brewing sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the brewing sector; - Case studies of energy management in the German brewing sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German brewing sector; - The role of energy service companies in the brewing sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Antiseptic barrier cap effective in reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Voor In 't Holt, Anne F; Helder, Onno K; Vos, Margreet C; Schafthuizen, Laura; Sülz, Sandra; van den Hoogen, Agnes; Ista, Erwin

2017-04-01

Microorganisms can intraluminally access a central venous catheter via the catheter hub. The catheter hub should be appropriately disinfected to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). However, compliance with the time-consuming manual disinfection process is low. An alternative is the use of an antiseptic barrier cap, which cleans the catheter hub by continuous passive disinfection. To compare the effects of antiseptic barrier cap use and manual disinfection on the incidence of CLABSIs. Systematic review and meta-analysis. We systematically searched Embase, Medline Ovid, Web-of-science, CINAHL EBSCO, Cochrane Library, PubMed Publisher and Google Scholar until May 10, 2016. The primary outcome, reduction in CLABSIs per 1000 catheter-days, expressed as an incidence rate ratio (IRR), was analyzed with a random effects meta-analysis. Studies were included if 1) conducted in a hospital setting, 2) used antiseptic barrier caps on hubs of central lines with access to the bloodstream and 3) reported the number of CLABSIs per 1000 catheter-days when using the barrier cap and when using manual disinfection. A total of 1537 articles were identified as potentially relevant and after exclusion of duplicates, 953 articles were screened based on title and abstract; 18 articles were read full text. Eventually, nine studies were included in the systematic review, and seven of these nine in the random effects meta-analysis. The pooled IRR showed that use of the antiseptic barrier cap was effective in reducing CLABSIs (IRR=0.59, 95% CI=0.45-0.77, Pantiseptic barrier cap is associated with a lower incidence CLABSIs and is an intervention worth adding to central-line maintenance bundles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solar radiation, phytoplankton pigments and the radiant heating of the equatorial Pacific warm pool

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, David A.; Ohlmann, J. Carter; Washburn, Libe; Bidigare, Robert R.; Nosse, Craig T.; Fields, Erik; Zhou, Yimei

1995-01-01

Recent optical, physical, and biological oceanographic observations are used to assess the magnitude and variability of the penetrating flux of solar radiation through the mixed layer of the warm water pool (WWP) of the western equatorial Pacific Ocean. Typical values for the penetrative solar flux at the climatological mean mixed layer depth for the WWP (30 m) are approx. 23 W/sq m and are a large fraction of the climatological mean net air-sea heat flux (approx. 40 W/sq m). The penetrating solar flux can vary significantly on synoptic timescales. Following a sustained westerly wind burst in situ solar fluxes were reduced in response to a near tripling of mixed layer phytoplankton pigment concentrations. This results in a reduction in the penetrative flux at depth (5.6 W/sq m at 30 m) and corresponds to a biogeochemically mediated increase in the mixed layer radiant heating rate of 0.13 C per month. These observations demonstrate a significant role of biogeochemical processes on WWP thermal climate. We speculate that this biogeochemically mediated feedback process may play an important role in enhancing the rate at which the WWP climate system returns to normal conditions following a westerly wind burst event.

Coupling of a discrete ordinate 3-D radiant heat transfer model with the PHOENICS fluid mechanics software; Couplage d`un modele radiatif tridimensionnel aux ordonnees discretes au logiciel de mecanique des fluides phoenics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muller, J [IRSID, Institut de Recherches Siderurgie, 57 - Maizieres-les-Metz (France)

1997-12-31

Radiant heat transfer is the main solution retained in many iron and steel metallurgy installations (re-heating and annealing furnaces etc..). Today, it has become important to dispose of performing radiant heat transfer models in heat transfer and fluid mechanics simulation softwares, and well adapted to multidimensional industrial problems. This work presents the discrete ordinate radiant heat transfer model developed at the IRSID (the French institute of research in iron and steel metallurgy) and coupled with the PHOENICS heat transfer-fluid mechanics software. Three modeling approaches are presented concerning the radiative properties of gases (H{sub 2}O-CO{sub 2}). A ``weighted grey gases sum`` model gives satisfactory results for several 1-D validation cases. (J.S.) 20 refs.

Coupling of a discrete ordinate 3-D radiant heat transfer model with the PHOENICS fluid mechanics software; Couplage d`un modele radiatif tridimensionnel aux ordonnees discretes au logiciel de mecanique des fluides phoenics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muller, J. [IRSID, Institut de Recherches Siderurgie, 57 - Maizieres-les-Metz (France)

1996-12-31

Radiant heat transfer is the main solution retained in many iron and steel metallurgy installations (re-heating and annealing furnaces etc..). Today, it has become important to dispose of performing radiant heat transfer models in heat transfer and fluid mechanics simulation softwares, and well adapted to multidimensional industrial problems. This work presents the discrete ordinate radiant heat transfer model developed at the IRSID (the French institute of research in iron and steel metallurgy) and coupled with the PHOENICS heat transfer-fluid mechanics software. Three modeling approaches are presented concerning the radiative properties of gases (H{sub 2}O-CO{sub 2}). A ``weighted grey gases sum`` model gives satisfactory results for several 1-D validation cases. (J.S.) 20 refs.

Smart Control of Air Climatization System in Function on the Values of Mean Local Radiant Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Cannistraro

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The hygrothermal comfort indoor conditions are defined as: those environmental conditions in which an individual exposed, expresses a state of satisfaction. These conditions cannot always be achieved anywhere in an optimal way and economically; in some cases they can be obtained only in work environments specific areas. This could be explained because of air conditioning systems designing is generally performed both on the basis of the fundamental parameters’ average values, such as temperature, velocity and relative humidity (Ta, va e φa and derived parameters such as operating temperature and mean radiant one (Top eTmr. However, in some specific cases - large open-spaces or in case of radiating surfaces - the descriptors defining indoor comfort conditions, based on average values, do not provide the optimum values required during the air conditioning systems design phase. This is largely due to the variability of real environmental parameters values compared to the average ones taken as input in the calculation. The results obtained in previous scientific papers on the thermal comfort have been the driving element of this work. It offers a simple, original and clever way of thinking about the new domotic systems for air conditioning, based on the “local mean radiant temperature.” This is a very important parameter when one wants to analyze comfort in environments characterized by the presence of radiating surfaces, as will be seen hereinafter. In order to take into account the effects of radiative exchanges in the open-space workplace, where any occupant may find themselves in different temperature and humidity conditions, this paper proposes an action on the domotic climate control, with ducts and vents air distribution placed in different zones. Comparisons were performed between the parameters values representing the punctual thermal comfort, with the Predicted Mean Vote PMV, in an environment marked by radiating surfaces (i

Proposing policy mechanisms to reduce barriers to the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This poses the question as to what developing countries such as Namibia can do to ensure energy supply, especially by focusing on readily available resources such as wind and the sun. The study firstly identifies the non-technical barriers to the implementation of renewable energy solutions by using a qualitative ...

Three dimensional modelling and numerical analysis of super-radiant harmonic emission in FEL (optical klystron)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gover, A.; Friedman, A.; Luccio, A.

1986-09-01

A full 3-D Analysis of super-radiant (bunched electron) free electron harmonic radiation is presented. A generalized form of the FEL pendulum equation was derived and numerically solved. Both spectral and phasor formulation were developed to treat the radiation in the time domain. In space the radiation field is expanded in terms of either a set of free space discrete modes or plane waves. The numerical solutions reveal some new distinctly 3-D effects to which we provide a physical explanation. 12 refs., 9 figs., 5 tabs

Experimental research on the indoor temperature and humidity fields in radiant ceiling air-conditioning system under natural ventilation

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Tao; Xiang, Yutong; Wang, Yonghong

2017-05-01

In this paper, the indoor temperature and humidity fields of the air in a metal ceiling radiant panel air conditioning system with fresh air under natural ventilation were researched. The temperature and humidity distributions at different height and different position were compared. Through the computation analysis of partial pressure of water vapor, the self-recovery characteristics of humidity after the natural ventilation was discussed.

Depression Care for the Elderly: Reducing Barriers to Evidence Based Practice

OpenAIRE

Ell, Kathleen

2006-01-01

This paper provides an overview of five key bodies of evidence identifying: 1) Characteristics of depression among older adults - its prevalence, risk factors and illness course, and impact on functional status, mortality, use of health services, and health care costs; 2) Effective Interventions, including pharmacologic, psychotherapies, care management, and combined intervention models; 3) Known Barriers to depression care including patient, provider and service system barriers; 4) Effective...

Full Scale Measurements and CFD Investigations of a Wall Radiant Cooling System Based on Plastic Capillary Tubes in Thin Concrete Walls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikeska, Tomás; Fan, Jianhua; Svendsen, Svend

2017-01-01

Densely occupied spaces such as classrooms can very often have problems with overheating. It can be difficult to cool such spaces by means of a ventilation system without creating draughts and causing discomfort for occupants. The use of a wall radiant cooling system is a suitable option for spaces...

Ignition of Cellulosic Paper at Low Radiant Fluxes

Science.gov (United States)

White, K. Alan

1996-01-01

The ignition of cellulosic paper by low level thermal radiation is investigated. Past work on radiative ignition of paper is briefly reviewed. No experimental study has been reported for radiative ignition of paper at irradiances below 10 Watts/sq.cm. An experimental study of radiative ignition of paper at these low irradiances is reported. Experimental parameters investigated and discussed include radiant power levels incident on the sample, the method of applying the radiation (focussed vs. diffuse Gaussian source), the presence and relative position of a separate pilot ignition source, and the effects of natural convection (buoyancy) on the ignition process in a normal gravity environment. It is observed that the incident radiative flux (in W/sq.cm) has the greatest influence on ignition time. For a given flux level, a focussed Gaussian source is found to be advantageous to a more diffuse, lower amplitude, thermal source. The precise positioning of a pilot igniter relative to gravity and to the fuel sample affects the ignition process, but the precise effects are not fully understood. Ignition was more readily achieved and sustained with a horizontal fuel sample, indicating the buoyancy plays a role in the ignition process of cellulosic paper. Smoldering combustion of doped paper samples was briefly investigated, and results are discussed.

The ability of different thermal aids to reduce hypothermia in neonatal piglets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Lene Juul; Larsen, Mona Lilian Vestbjerg; Malmkvist, Jens

2016-01-01

We investigated whether hypothermia in newborn piglets could be reduced by applying different thermal aids. The experiment was performed on 150 newborn piglets from 24 sows. Right after birth, the piglets were moved to a wire mesh cage for the first 2 h of life where they experienced 1 of 7...... floor (RadiantC; n = 22) or a slatted floor (RadiantSlat; n = 18); and provision of straw on a solid floor (Straw; n = 8). Piglets’ rectal temperature was measured both continuously and manually every 10 min for the first 2 h after birth using a thermal sensor inserted in the rectum of the piglets...... were analyzed. All statistical analyses were performed using a mixed model. All thermal aids/heat solutions resulted in a less steep drop in rectal temperature, a faster recovery, and, for the smaller piglets, also a greater average rectal temperature (except for built-in floor heating) and less time...

Efficacy of a barrier gel for reducing the development of plaque, calculus, and gingivitis in cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellows, Jan; Carithers, Douglas S; Gross, Sheila J

2012-01-01

[corrected] premolar teeth), was significantly (P calculus, gingivitis, or gingival bleeding in this study. In cats with a history of developing plaque, application of the barrier gel dental product following dental cleaning reduced plaque deposition (P < 0.05) compared with control cats.

Disseny de calefacció amb terra radiant d'una casa a l'horta de Lleida mitjançant energia geotèrmica

OpenAIRE

Fillat Sobrino, Jordi

2008-01-01

S'ha realitzat el disseny de calefacció d'una vivenda mitjançant energia geotèrmica de baixa temperatura, amb un bescanviador vertical de 80 m de profunditat. El sistema de calefacció és de terra radiant en forma d'espiral.

Perceived air quality, thermal comfort, and SBS symptoms at low air temperature and increased radiant temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toftum, Jørn; Reimann, Gregers Peter; Foldbjerg, P.

2002-01-01

source present at the low temperature. To maintain overall thermal neutrality, the low air temperature was partly compensated for by individually controlled radiant heating, and partly by allowing subjects to modify clothing insulation. A reduction of the air temperature from 23 deg.C to 18 deg.......C suggested an improvement of the perceived air quality, while no systematic effect on symptom intensity was observed. The overall indoor environment was evaluated equally acceptable at both temperatures due to local thermal discomfort at the low air temperature....

Pollutant emissions reduction and performance optimization of an industrial radiant tube burner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scribano, Gianfranco; Solero, Giulio; Coghe, Aldo [Dipartimento di Energetica, Politecnico di Milano, via La Masa, 34, 20156 Milano (Italy)

2006-07-15

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation performed upon a single-ended self-recuperative radiant tube burner fuelled by natural gas in the non-premixed mode, which is used in the steel industry for surface treatment. The main goal of the research activity was a systematic investigation of the burner aimed to find the best operating conditions in terms of optimum equivalence ratio, thermal power and lower pollutant emissions. The analysis, which focused on the main parameters influencing the thermal efficiency and pollutant emissions at the exhaust (NO{sub x} and CO), has been carried out for different operating conditions of the burner: input thermal powers from 12.8 up to 18kW and equivalence ratio from 0.5 (very lean flame) to 0.95 (quasi-stoichiometric condition). To significantly reduce pollutant emissions ensuring at the same time the thermal requirements of the heating process, it has been developed a new burner configuration, in which a fraction of the exhaust gases recirculates in the main combustion region through a variable gap between the burner efflux and the inner flame tube. This internal recirculation mechanism (exhaust gases recirculation, EGR) has been favoured through the addition of a pre-combustion chamber terminated by a converging nozzle acting as a mixing/ejector to promote exhaust gas entrainment into the flame tube. The most important result of this solution was a decrease of NO{sub x} emissions at the exhaust of the order of 50% with respect to the original burner geometry, for a wide range of thermal power and equivalence ratio. (author)

Consumer attitudes, barriers, and meal satisfaction associated with sodium-reduced meal intake at worksite cafeterias.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jounghee; Park, Sohyun

2015-12-01

Targeting consumers who consume lunches at their worksite cafeterias would be a valuable approach to reduce sodium intake in South Korea. To assess the relationships between socio-demographic factors, consumer satisfaction, attitudes, barriers and the frequency of sodium-reduced meal intake. We implemented a cross-sectional research, analyzing data from 738 consumers aged 18 years or older (327 males and 411 females) at 17 worksite cafeterias in South Korea. We used the ordinary least squares regression analysis to determine the factors related to overall satisfaction with sodium-reduced meal. General linear models with LSD tests were employed to examine the variables that differed by the frequency of sodium-reduced meal intake. Most subjects always or usually consumed the sodium-reduced meal (49%), followed by sometimes (34%) and rarely or never (18%). Diverse menus, taste and belief in the helpfulness of the sodium-reduced meal significantly increased overall satisfaction with the sodium-reduced diet (P < 0.05). We found importance of needs in the following order: 1) 'menu diversity' (4.01 points), 2) 'active promotion' (3.97 points), 3) 'display of nutrition labels in a visible location' (3.96 points), 4) 'improvement of taste' (3.88 points), and 5) 'education of sodium-reduction self-care behaviors' (3.82 points). Dietitians could lead consumers to choose sodium-reduced meals by improving their taste and providing diverse menus for the sodium-reduced meals at worksite cafeterias.

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German mechanical engineering sector. Executive summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J.; Boede, U.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German mechanical engineering (ME) sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of four case studies of energy management in German companies in the ME sector. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project. The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the ME sector may be improved. The results of the study for the ME sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the mechanical engineering sector; - Case studies of energy management in the German mechanical engineering sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German mechanical engineering sector; - The role of energy service companies in the mechanical engineering sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education sector. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J.; Boede, U.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education (HE) sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of six case studies of energy management in German universities. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project (Sorrell et al., 2000). The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the sector may be improved. The results of the study for the higher education sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the higher education sector; - Case studies of energy management in the German higher education sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German higher education sector; - The role of energy service companies in the higher education sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education sector. Executive summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J.; Boede, U.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German higher education (HE) sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of six case studies of energy management in German universities. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project (Sorrell et al., 2000). The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the sector may be improved. The results of the study for the higher education sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the higher education sector; - Case studies of energy management in the German higher education sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German higher education sector; - The role of energy service companies in the higher education sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German mechanical engineering sector. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schleich, J.; Boede, U.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research into barriers to energy efficiency in the German mechanical engineering (ME) sector. It is one of nine such reports in the BARRIERS project. The report contains description and analysis of four case studies of energy management in German companies in the ME sector. The results are analysed using the theoretical framework developed for the BARRIERS project. The report also provides brief recommendations on how these barriers to the rational use of energy (RUE) may be overcome and how energy efficiency within the ME sector may be improved. The results of the study for the ME sector in Germany are summarised in this executive summary under the following headings: - Characterising the mechanical engineering sector; - Case studies of energy management in the German mechanical engineering sector; - Evidence of barriers in the German mechanical engineering sector; - The role of energy service companies in the mechanical engineering sector; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Levelling The Playing Field: Reducing Barriers To Mentoring For Women Protégés In The South African Organisational Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Stone

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the impediments to effective mentoring faced by women protégés at two South African organisations. The purposive sampling method was used to identify female employees who had participated as protégés in a mentoring relationship (N=17. Qualitative methods were used to collect and analyse data on the respondents’ experiences of the mentoring relationship. The findings indicated numerous barriers to mentoring for women. A basic taxonomy of recommendations for reducing these barriers in the workplace is recommended.

Barriers and Motivators to Reducing Secondhand Smoke Exposure in African American Families of Head Start Children: A Qualitative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hoehn, Jessica L.; Riekert, Kristin A.; Borrelli, Belinda; Rand, Cynthia S.; Eakin, Michelle N.

2016-01-01

Objective: To identify barriers and motivators for reducing secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) for families of African-American, low-income, urban children. Method: Audiotaped intervention sessions of 52 African-American caregivers of Head Start children who reported being a smoker and/or had at least one smoker in the home were randomly sampled…

The effects of mixing air distribution and heat load arrangement on the performance of ceiling radiant panels under cooling mode of operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustakallio, Panu; Kosonen, Risto; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2016-01-01

arrangement and air distribution generated in a room by linear slot diffuser, radial multi-nozzle diffuser and radial swirl induction unit on the cooling power of radiant panels was compared. The impact on the thermal environment was also studied. Measurements were carried out without and with supply air...

Numerical Modeling of Conjugate Thermogravitational Convection in a Closed System with a Radiant Energy Source in Conditions of Convective-Radiative Heat Exchange at the External Boundary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nee Alexander

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mathematical modeling of conjugate natural convection in a closed rectangular cavity with a radiant energy source in conditions of convective-radiative heat exchange at the external boundary was conducted. The radiant energy distribution was set by the Lambert’s law. Conduction and convection processes analysis showed that the air masses flow pattern is modified slightly over the time. The temperature increases in the gas cavity, despite the heat removal from the one of the external boundary. According to the results of the integral heat transfer analysis were established that the average Nusselt number (Nuav increasing occurs up to τ = 200 (dimensionless time. Further Nuav has changed insignificantly due to the temperature field equalization near the interfaces “gas – wall”.

Design of engineered sorbent barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, E.O.; Freeman, H.D.

1988-01-01

A sorbent barrier uses sorbent material such as activated carbon or natural zeolites to prevent the migration of radionuclides from a low-level waste site to the aquifer. The sorbent barrier retards the movement of radioactive contaminants, thereby providing time for the radionuclides to decay. Sorbent barriers can be a simple, effective, and inexpensive method for reducing the migration of radionuclides to the environment. Designing a sorbent barrier consists of using soil and sorbent material properties and site conditions as input to a model which will determine the necessary sorbent barrier thickness to meet contaminant limits. The paper covers the following areas: techniques for measuring sorption properties of barrier materials and underlying soils, use of a radionuclide transport model to determine the required barrier thickness and performance under a variety of site conditions, and cost estimates for applying the barrier

Transport barriers in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldas, I L; Szezech, J D Jr; Kroetz, T; Marcus, F A; Roberto, M; Viana, R L; Lopes, S R

2012-01-01

We discuss the creation of transport barriers in magnetically confined plasmas with non monotonic equilibrium radial profiles. These barriers reduce the transport in the shearless region (i.e., where the twist condition does not hold). For the chaotic motion of particles in an equilibrium electric field with a nonmonotonic radial profile, perturbed by electrostatic waves, we show that a nontwist transport barrier can be created in the plasma by modifying the electric field radial profile. We also show non twist barriers in chaotic magnetic field line transport in the plasma near to the tokamak wall with resonant modes due to electric currents in external coils.

Reducing Barriers to the use of the Intrauterine Contraceptive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Most are based on psychological, moral and religious prejudices. These should not be allowed to interfere with the provision of LARC methods of contraception. There are also acceptor barriers which can be modified by providing education about the method. The use of the IUD as a LARC method is increasing in many ...

Design of engineered sorbent barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, E.O.; Freeman, H.D.

1988-08-01

A sorbent barrier uses sorbent material such as activated carbon or natural zeolites to prevent the migration of radionuclides from a low-level waste site to the aquifer. The sorbent barrier retards the movement of radioactive contaminants, thereby providing time for the radionuclides to decay. Sorbent barriers can be a simple, effective, and inexpensive method for reducing the migration of radionuclides to the environment. Designing a sorbent barrier consists of using soil and sorbent material properties and site conditions as input to a model which will determine the necessary sorbent barrier thickness to meet contaminant limits. The paper will cover the following areas: techniques for measuring sorption properties of barrier materials and underlying soils, use of a radionuclide transport model to determine the required barrier thickness and performance under a variety of site conditions, and cost estimates for applying the barrier. 8 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

Experimental investigation of the influence of the air jet trajectory on convective heat transfer in buildings equipped with air-based and radiant cooling systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le Dreau, Jerome; Heiselberg, Per; Jensen, Rasmus Lund

2015-01-01

-state and dynamic conditions. With the air-based cooling system, a dependency of the convective heat transfer on the air jet trajectory has been observed. New correlations have been developed, introducing a modified Archimedes number to account for the air flow pattern. The accuracy of the new correlations has been...... evaluated to±15%. Besides the study with an air-based cooling system, the convective heat transfer with a radiant cooling system has also been investigated. The convective flow at the activated surface is mainly driven by natural convection. For other surfaces, the complexity of the flow and the large......The complexity and diversity of airflow in buildings make the accurate definition of convective heat transfer coefficients (CHTCs) difficult. In a full-scale test facility, the convective heat transfer of two cooling systems (active chilled beam and radiant wall) has been investigated under steady...

Evaluation of Various Retrofitting Concepts of Building Envelope for Offices Equipped with Large Radiant Ceiling Panels by Dynamic Simulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabina Jordan

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In order to achieve significant savings in energy and an improved level of thermal comfort in retrofitted existing buildings, specific retrofitting concepts that combine new technologies and design need to be developed and implemented. Large radiant surfaces systems are now among the most promising future technologies to be used both in retrofitted and in new low-energy buildings. These kinds of systems have been the topic of several studies dealing with thermal comfort and energy utilization, but some specific issues concerning their possible use in various concepts for retrofitting are still poorly understood. In the present paper, some results of dynamic simulations, with the transient system simulation tool (TRNSYS model, of the retrofitted offices equipped with radiant ceiling panels are presented and thoroughly analysed. Based on a precise comparison of the results of these simulations with actual measurements in the offices, certain input data for the model were added, so that the model was consequently validated. The model was then applied to the evaluation of various concepts of building envelopes for office retrofitting. By means of dynamic simulations of indoor environment it was possible to determine the benefits and limitations of individual retrofitting concepts. Some specific parameters, which are relevant to these concepts, were also identified.

Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES), a Review: Past, Present and Future

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, G. L.; Priestley, K. J.; Loeb, N. G.; Wielicki, B. A.; Charlock, T. P.; Minnis, P.; Doelling, D. R.; Rutan, D. A.

2011-01-01

The Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES) project s objectives are to measure the reflected solar radiance (shortwave) and Earth-emitted (longwave) radiances and from these measurements to compute the shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and the surface and radiation divergence within the atmosphere. The fluxes at TOA are to be retrieved to an accuracy of 2%. Improved bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) have been developed to compute the fluxes at TOA from the measured radiances with errors reduced from ERBE by a factor of two or more. Instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft provide sampling at four local times. In order to further reduce temporal sampling errors, data are used from the geostationary meteorological satellites to account for changes of scenes between observations by the CERES radiometers. A validation protocol including in-flight calibrations and comparisons of measurements has reduced the instrument errors to less than 1%. The data are processed through three editions. The first edition provides a timely flow of data to investigators and the third edition provides data products as accurate as possible with resources available. A suite of cloud properties retrieved from the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) by the CERES team is used to identify the cloud properties for each pixel in order to select the BRDF for each pixel so as to compute radiation fluxes from radiances. Also, the cloud information is used to compute radiation at the surface and through the atmosphere and to facilitate study of the relationship between clouds and the radiation budget. The data products from CERES include, in addition to the reflected solar radiation and Earth emitted radiation fluxes at TOA, the upward and downward shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes at the surface and at various levels in the atmosphere. Also at the surface the photosynthetically active radiation

Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Data Products for Climate Research

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Seiji; Loeb, Norman G.; Rutan, David A.; Rose, Fred G.

2015-01-01

NASA's Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) project integrates CERES, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and geostationary satellite observations to provide top-of-atmosphere (TOA) irradiances derived from broadband radiance observations by CERES instruments. It also uses snow cover and sea ice extent retrieved from microwave instruments as well as thermodynamic variables from reanalysis. In addition, these variables are used for surface and atmospheric irradiance computations. The CERES project provides TOA, surface, and atmospheric irradiances in various spatial and temporal resolutions. These data sets are for climate research and evaluation of climate models. Long-term observations are required to understand how the Earth system responds to radiative forcing. A simple model is used to estimate the time to detect trends in TOA reflected shortwave and emitted longwave irradiances.

Design and construction of a regenerative radiant tube burner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henao, Diego Alberto; Cano C, Carlos Andres; Amell Arrieta, Andres A.

2002-01-01

The technological development of the gas industry in Colombia, aiming at efficient and safe use of the natural gas, requires the assimilation and adaptation of new generation, technologies for this purpose in this article results are presented on the design, construction and characterization of a prototype of a burner of regenerative radiant robe with a thermal power of 9,94 kW and a factor of air 1,05. This system takes advantage of the high exit temperature of the combustion smokes, after they go trough a metallic robe where they transfer the heat by radiation, to heat a ceramic channel that has the capacity to absorbing a part of the heat of the smokes and then transferring them to a current of cold air. The benefits of air heating are a saving in fuel, compared with other processes that don't incorporate the recovery of heat from the combustion gases. In this work it was possible to probe a methodology for the design of this type of burners and to reach maximum temperatures of heating of combustion air of 377,9 centigrade degrees, using a material available in the national market, whose regenerative properties should be studied in depth

Use of extremity insulation during whole body hyperthermia to reduce temperature nonuniformity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thrall, D.E.; Page, R.L.

1987-01-01

The author previously documented during whole body hyperthermia in dogs using a radiant heating device that temperature at superficial sites, including tibial bone marrow, falls below systemic arterial temperature during the plateau phase of heating. This may be due to direct heat loss to the environment. Sites where temperature is lower than systemic arterial temperature during the plateau phase may become sanctuary sites where tumor deposits are spared because they do not receive the prescribed thermal dose. In an attempt to decrease temperature nonuniformity and increase thermal dose delivered to such superficial sites, extremity insulation has been employed during whole body hyperthermia in dogs. The author measured temperature at cutaneous and subcutaneous sites and within tibial bone marrow in insulated and noninsulated extremities of dogs undergoing whole body hyperthermia in the radiant heating device. The author found that extremity insulation is effective in reducing extremity temperature nonuniformity. Specific results are presented. Extremity insulation may be necessary during whole body hyperthermia to assure that extremity tumor deposits receive a thermal dose similar to that prescribed for the entire body

Influencia del tiempo de explotación del Láser de CO2 y la cantidad de ventiladores del Sistema de Enfriamiento sobre la estabilidad del flujo radiante a la salida del Sistema Láser SYNRAD 48-2. // The Influences of the time of exploitation of the Laser o

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Ramirez Chi

2002-09-01

Full Text Available En el diseño de un Sistema Láser para ser utilizado con fines médicos, un aspecto a tener en cuenta por su importancia es lagarantía de lograr un Sistema de Ventilación que implique mantener estable el flujo radiante de láser a la salida del equipodurante el período de explotación. En el Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas (CENIC se han hechoinvestigaciones en estos equipos de Sistemas Láser con el objetivo de determinar en que medida influyen la cantidad deventiladores dispuestos sobre el flujo radiante del láser a la salida del equipo de Láser de CO2 y el tiempo de explotacióndel equipo sobre la estabilidad del flujo radiante del láser de salida. Mediante la modelación, la simulación, el Diseño deExperimento y métodos estadísticos se determinó que el tiempo de explotación del equipo durante cada intervenciónmédica y la cantidad de ventiladores implican una influencia significativa sobre la estabilidad del flujo radiante de salida.Esta investigación se llevó a cabo en el equipo de Láser de CO2 SYNRAD 48-2 y se empleó en la misma el programa decomputación para el Diseño de Experimentos Statgrafics-Plus.Palabras claves: Láser, flujo radiante.____________________________________________________________________AbstractIn the design of a Laser System/s to be used with ends doctors, an aspect to keep in mind for its importance is the guaranteeof achieving a System of Ventilation that implies to maintain stable the radiant flow of exit of the Laser during the periodof exploitation. In the CENIC investigations have been made in these Laser System/s with the objective of determining inthat measured they influence the quantity of willing fans about the radiant flow of exit of the Laser of CO2 and the time ofexploitation of the Laser about the stability of the radiant flow of exit. By means of the modelación, the simulation, theDesign of Experiment and statistical methods were determined that the time of

A critical examination of the validity of simplified models for radiant heat transfer analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Toor, J. S.; Viskanta, R.

1972-01-01

Examination of the directional effects of the simplified models by comparing the experimental data with the predictions based on simple and more detailed models for the radiation characteristics of surfaces. Analytical results indicate that the constant property diffuse and specular models do not yield the upper and lower bounds on local radiant heat flux. In general, the constant property specular analysis yields higher values of irradiation than the constant property diffuse analysis. A diffuse surface in the enclosure appears to destroy the effect of specularity of the other surfaces. Semigray and gray analyses predict the irradiation reasonably well provided that the directional properties and the specularity of the surfaces are taken into account. The uniform and nonuniform radiosity diffuse models are in satisfactory agreement with each other.

Engineered barriers: current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, A.; Marsh, G.P.

1988-01-01

This report summarises the current state of research relevant to assessing the performance of engineered barriers made of steel and concrete in radioactive waste repositories. The objective of these barriers is to contain the radionuclides within them by providing both physical and chemical impediment to their release. The physical barriers are of most value for highly soluble isotopes with relatively short half-lives (eg 137 Cs), since they can provide containment until a large fraction of the activity has decayed. In addition they can facilitate retrievability for some period after disposal. The chemical barriers operate by beneficial conditioning of the near field groundwater and providing sites for sorption of radionuclides. Both of these reduce the aqueous concentration of radionuclides in the near field. (author)

General Relativistic Radiant Shock Waves in the Post-Quasistatic Approximation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

H, Jorge A Rueda [Centro de Fisica Fundamental, Universidad de Los Andes, Merida 5101, Venezuela Escuela de Fisica, Universidad Industrial de Santander, A.A. 678, Bucaramanga (Colombia); Nunez, L A [Centro de Fisica Fundamental, Universidad de Los Andes, Merida 5101, Venezuela Centro Nacional de Calculo Cientifico, Universidad de Los Andes, CeCalCULA, Corporacion Parque Tecnologico de Merida, Merida 5101, Venezuela (Venezuela)

2007-05-15

An evolution of radiant shock wave front is considered in the framework of a recently presented method to study self-gravitating relativistic spheres, whose rationale becomes intelligible and finds full justification within the context of a suitable definition of the post-quasistatic approximation. The spherical matter configuration is divided into two regions by the shock and each side of the interface having a different equation of state and anisotropic phase. In order to simulate dissipation effects due to the transfer of photons and/or neutrinos within the matter configuration, we introduce the flux factor, the variable Eddington factor and a closure relation between them. As we expected the strong of the shock increases the speed of the fluid to relativistic ones and for some critical values is larger than light speed. In addition, we find that energy conditions are very sensible to the anisotropy, specially the strong energy condition. As a special feature of the model, we find that the contribution of the matter and radiation to the radial pressure are the same order of magnitude as in the mant as in the core, moreover, in the core radiation pressure is larger than matter pressure.

General Relativistic Radiant Shock Waves in the Post-Quasistatic Approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

H, Jorge A Rueda; Nunez, L A

2007-01-01

An evolution of radiant shock wave front is considered in the framework of a recently presented method to study self-gravitating relativistic spheres, whose rationale becomes intelligible and finds full justification within the context of a suitable definition of the post-quasistatic approximation. The spherical matter configuration is divided into two regions by the shock and each side of the interface having a different equation of state and anisotropic phase. In order to simulate dissipation effects due to the transfer of photons and/or neutrinos within the matter configuration, we introduce the flux factor, the variable Eddington factor and a closure relation between them. As we expected the strong of the shock increases the speed of the fluid to relativistic ones and for some critical values is larger than light speed. In addition, we find that energy conditions are very sensible to the anisotropy, specially the strong energy condition. As a special feature of the model, we find that the contribution of the matter and radiation to the radial pressure are the same order of magnitude as in the mant as in the core, moreover, in the core radiation pressure is larger than matter pressure

Smart Houses

Science.gov (United States)

1987-01-01

GWS takes plans for a new home and subjects them to intensive computerized analysis that does 10,000 calculations relative to expected heat loss and heat gain, then provides specifications designed specifically for each structure as to heating, cooling, ventilation and insulation. As construction progresses, GWS inspects the work of the electrical, plumbing and insulation contractors and installs its own Smart House Radiant Barrier. On completion of the home, GWS technicians use a machine that creates a vacuum in the house and enables computer calculation of the air exchanged, a measure of energy efficiency. Key factor is the radiant barrier, borrowed from the Apollo program. This is an adaptation of a highly effective aluminized heat shield as a radiation barrier holding in or keeping out heat, cold air and water vapor.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the commercial and industrial sectors in British Columbia: Technical/economic potential, market barriers, and strategies for success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudreau, K.

2000-05-01

According to current forecasts, greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption by the commercial and industrial sector will increase from 11,000 kilotonnes to 16,000 kilotons between 1990 and 2015. During the same period electricity generated in British Columbia from fossil fuel combustion will have increased from five per cent to 26 per cent. Therefore, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions it will be imperative to find ways of significantly reducing the consumption of electricity, natural gas and petroleum products in both the commercial and industrial sectors. Increased application of energy conservation practices, energy efficiency improvements, fuel switching and the increased use of renewable energy sources come to mind as the most appropriate strategies to be considered, despite formidable barriers to implementation. Despite the existence of barriers, some progress is being made as indicated by codes and standards, financial incentives, educational and public awareness campaigns, and research and development programs. This report examines the barriers, the measures that have already been implemented to combat greenhouse gas emissions and the economic and environmental benefits that will accrue from these and other measures currently under development. The beneficial impact of increased investment in greenhouse gas emission reduction technologies on employment is emphasized. 24 refs., tabs., figs

Motivators and barriers of tamoxifen use as risk-reducing medication amongst women at increased breast cancer risk: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Meiser, B; Wong, W K T; Peate, M; Julian-Reynier, C; Kirk, J; Mitchell, G

2017-01-01

Selective estrogen receptor modulators, such as tamoxifen, reduce breast cancer risk by up to 50% in women at increased risk for breast cancer. Despite tamoxifen's well-established efficacy, many studies show that most women are not taking up tamoxifen. This systematic literature review aimed to identify the motivators and barriers to tamoxifen use 's amongst high-risk women. Using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase plus reviewing reference lists of relevant articles published between 1995 and 2016, 31 studies (published in 35 articles) were identified, which addressed high-risk women's decisions about risk-reducing medication to prevent breast cancer and were peer-reviewed primary clinical studies. A range of factors were identified as motivators of, and barriers to, tamoxifen uptake including: perceived risk, breast-cancer-related anxiety, health professional recommendation, perceived drug effectiveness, concerns about side-effects, knowledge and access to information about side-effects, beliefs about the role of risk-reducing medication, provision of a biomarker, preference for other forms of breast cancer risk reduction, previous treatment experience, concerns about randomization in clinical trial protocols and finally altruism. Results indicate that the decision for high-risk women regarding tamoxifen use or non-use as a risk-reducing medication is not straightforward. Support of women making this decision is essential and needs to encompass the full range of factors, both informational and psychological.

Field applications of a radon barrier to reduce indoor airborne progeny

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Culot, M.V.J.; Olson, H.G.; Schiager, K.J.

1978-01-01

The use of uranium mill tailings in the foundations of dwellings has resulted in indoor radon progeny concentrations and gamma exposures in excess of levels presently allowed for the general public. An account is given of the applications of an epoxy coating on the indoor faces of the concrete foundations of three buildings in Grand Junction, Colorado. Epoxy barriers were shown to be effective for preventing radon influx into structures. Gamma exposure rates must be analyzed to ensure that buildup behind the barrier will not introduce an unacceptable gamma exposure level. The use of a sealant is especially economical in situations where structural integrity may be jeopardized by physical removal of uranium mill tailings. (author)

Protective barrier development: Overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wing, N.R.; Gee, G.W.

1990-01-01

Protective barrier and warning marker systems are being developed to isolate wastes disposed of near the earth's surface at the Hanford Site. The barrier is designed to function in an arid to semiarid climate, to limit infiltration and percolation of water through the waste zone to near-zero, to be maintenance free, and to last up to 10,000 yr. Natural materials (e.g., fine soil, sand, gravel, riprap, clay, asphalt) have been selected to optimize barrier performance and longevity and to create an integrated structure with redundant features. These materials isolate wastes by limiting water drainage; reducing the likelihood of plant, animal, and human intrusion; controlling emission of noxious gases; and minimizing erosion. Westinghouse Hanford Company and Pacific Northwest Laboratory efforts to assess the performance of various barrier and marker designs will be discussed

Direct evaluation of reflector effects on radiant flux from InGaN-based light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Masui, Hisashi; Fellows, Natalie N.; Sato, Hitoshi; Asamizu, Hirokuni; Nakamura, Shuji; Denbaars, Steven P.

2007-08-01

A metal layer formed on the backside of InGaN/sapphire-based light-emitting diodes deteriorates the inherent optical power output. An experimental approach of a suspended die is employed to study the effects of such metal layers via a direct comparison in radiant flux from a discrete die with and without a reflector. A sphere package that employs no reflector is proposed and fabricated. Light extraction of the sphere design is discussed; a light source in the sphere package would not have to be either an ideal point or placed at the center of the sphere, due to a finite critical angle at the sphere/air interface.

Dietary Virgin Olive Oil Reduces Blood Brain Barrier Permeability, Brain Edema, and Brain Injury in Rats Subjected to Ischemia-Reperfusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Mohagheghi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Recent studies suggest that dietary virgin olive oil (VOO reduces hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in rat brain slices. We sought to extend these observations in an in vivo study of rat cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Four groups, each consisting of 18 Wistar rats, were studied. One group (control received saline, while three treatment groups received oral VOO (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mL/kg/day, respectively. After 30 days, blood lipid profiles were determined, before a 60-min period of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO. After 24-h reperfusion, neurological deficit scores, infarct volume, brain edema, and blood brain barrier permeability were each assessed in subgroups of six animals drawn from each main group. VOO reduced the LDL/HDL ratio in doses of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mL/kg/day in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05, and offered cerebroprotection from ischemia-reperfusion. For controls vs. doses of 0.25 vs. 0.5 vs. 0.75 mL/kg/day, attenuated corrected infarct volumes were 207.82 ± 34.29 vs. 206.41 ± 26.23 vs. 124.21 ± 14.73 vs. 108.46 ± 31.63 mm3; brain water content of the infarcted hemisphere was 82 ±± 0.25 vs. 81.5 ± 0.56 vs. 80.5 ± 0.22 vs. 80.5 ± 0.34%; and blood brain barrier permeability of the infarcted hemisphere was 11.31 ± 2.67 vs. 9.21 ± 2.28 vs. 5.83 ± 1.6 vs. 4.43 ± 0.93 µg/g tissue (p < 0.05 for measures in doses 0.5 and 0.75 mL/kg/day vs. controls. Oral administration of VOO reduces infarct volume, brain edema, blood brain barrier permeability, and improves neurologic deficit scores after transient MCAO in rats.

Development and demonstration of a gas-fired recuperative confined radiant burner (deliverable 42/43). Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-06-01

The objective of the project was to develop and demonstrate an innovative, efficient, low-pollutant, recuperative gas-fired IR-system (infrared radiation) for industrial processes (hereafter referred to as the CONRAD-system). The CONRAD-system is confined, so flue gases from the combustion can be kept separated from the product. The gas/air mixture to the burner is preheated by means of the flue gas, which increases the radiant efficiency of the CONRAD-system significantly over traditional gas-fired IR burners. During the first phase of the project, the CONRAD-system was designed and developed. The conducted work included a survey on suitable burner materials, modelling of the burner system, basic design of burner construction, control etc., experimental characterisation of several preprototypes and detailed design of the internal heat exchanger in the burner. The result is a cost effective burner system with a documented radiant efficiency up to 66% and low emissions (NO{sub x} and CO) all in accordance with the criteria of success set up at the start of the project. In the second phase of the project, the burner system was established and tested in laboratory and in four selected industrial applications: 1) Drying of coatings on sand cores in the automotive industry. 2) Baking of bread/cake. 3) General purpose painting/powder curing process 4. Curing of powder paint on wood components. The results from the preliminary tests Overe used to optimise the CONRAD-system, before it was applied in the industrial processes and demonstrated. However, the optimised burners manufactured for demonstration suffered from different 'infant failures', which made the installation in an industrial environment very cumbersome, and even impossible in the food industry and the automotive industry. In the latter cases realistic laboratory tests Overe carried out and the established know how reported for use when the burner problems are overcome.(au)

Systems study on engineered barriers: barrier performance analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stula, R.T.; Albert, T.E.; Kirstein, B.E.; Lester, D.H.

1980-09-01

A performance assessment model for multiple barrier packages containing unreprocessed spent fuel has been modified and applied to several package designs. The objective of the study was to develop information to be used in programmatic decision making concerning engineered barrier package design and development. The assessment model, BARIER, was developed in previous tasks of the System Study on Engineered Barriers (SSEB). The new version discussed in this report contains a refined and expanded corrosion rate data base which includes pitting, crack growth, and graphitization as well as bulk corrosion. Corrosion rates for oxic and anoxic conditions at each of the two temperature ranges are supplied. Other improvements include a rigorous treatment of radionuclide release after package failure which includes resistance of damaged barriers and backfill, refined temperature calculations that account for convection and radiation, a subroutine to calculate nuclear gamma radiation field at each barrier surface, refined stress calculations with reduced conservatism and various coding improvements to improve running time and core usage. This report also contains discussion of alternative scenarios to the assumed flooded repository as well as the impact of water exclusion backfills. The model was used to assess post repository closure performance for several designs which were all variation of basic designs from the Spent Unreprocessed Fuel (SURF) program. Many designs were found to delay the onset of leaching by at least a few hundreds of years in all geologic media. Long delay times for radionuclide release were found for packages with a few inches of sorption backfill. Release of uranium, plutonium, and americium was assessed

Systems study on engineered barriers: barrier performance analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stula, R.T.; Albert, T.E.; Kirstein, B.E.; Lester, D.H.

1980-09-01

A performance assessment model for multiple barrier packages containing unreprocessed spent fuel has been modified and applied to several package designs. The objective of the study was to develop information to be used in programmatic decision making concerning engineered barrier package design and development. The assessment model, BARIER, was developed in previous tasks of the System Study on Engineered Barriers (SSEB). The new version discussed in this report contains a refined and expanded corrosion rate data base which includes pitting, crack growth, and graphitization as well as bulk corrosion. Corrosion rates for oxic and anoxic conditions at each of the two temperature ranges are supplied. Other improvements include a rigorous treatment of radionuclide release after package failure which includes resistance of damaged barriers and backfill, refined temperature calculations that account for convection and radiation, a subroutine to calculate nuclear gamma radiation field at each barrier surface, refined stress calculations with reduced conservatism and various coding improvements to improve running time and core usage. This report also contains discussion of alternative scenarios to the assumed flooded repository as well as the impact of water exclusion backfills. The model was used to assess post repository closure performance for several designs which were all variation of basic designs from the Spent Unreprocessed Fuel (SURF) program. Many designs were found to delay the onset of leaching by at least a few hundreds of years in all geologic media. Long delay times for radionuclide release were found for packages with a few inches of sorption backfill. Release of uranium, plutonium, and americium was assessed.

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German energy service companies sector. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koewener, D.; Schleich, J.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research conducted in the German energy service sector to assess to what extent energy service companies (ESCOs) can help overcome the barriers to energy in the higher education, brewing and mechanical engineering sectors. This report complements the sector for Germany within the BARRIERS project (Sorrell et al., 2000; Schleich/Boede 2000a; Schleich/Boede 2000b; Schleich et al., 2000). The report characterises the German energy service sector, contains a description and analysis of four case studies in the energy service sector, identifies the main barriers and chances for ESCOs in the higher education, brewery and mechanical engineering sectors, and concludes with brief recommendations on how these barriers may be overcome. The results of the study are summarised here under the following headings: Characterising the energy service sector in Germany; - Case studies of energy service companies in Germany; - The role of ESCOs in the case-study sectors; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Biochar for reducing GHG emissions in Norway: opportunities and barriers to implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasse, Daniel; O'Toole, Adam; Joner, Erik; Borgen, Signe

2017-04-01

Norway has ratified the Paris Agreement with a target nationally determined contribution (NDC) of 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with the land sector (AFOLU) expected to contribute to this effort. Increased C sequestration in soil, as argued by the 4 per 1000 initiative, can provide C negative solutions towards reaching this goal. However, Norway has only 3% of its land surface that is cultivated, and management options are fairly limited because the major part is already under managed grasslands, which are assumed to be close to C saturation. By contrast, the country has ample forest resources, allowing Norway to report 25 Mt CO2-eq per year of net CO2 uptake by forest. In addition, the forest industry generates large amounts of unused residues, both at the processing plants but also left decaying on the forest floor. Because of the unique characteristics of the Norwegian land sector, the Norwegian Environment Agency reported as early as 2010 that biochar production for soil C storage had the largest potential for reducing GHG emissions through land-use measures. Although straw is a potential feedstock, the larger quantities of forest residues are a prime candidate for this purpose, as exemplified by our first experimental facility at a production farm, which is using wood chips as feedstock for biochar production. The highly controlled and subsidised Norwegian agriculture might offer a unique test case for implementing incentives that would support farmers for biochar-based C sequestration. However, multiple barriers remain, which mostly revolve around the complexity of finding the right implementation scheme (including price setting) in a changing landscape of competition for biomass (with e.g. bioethanol and direct combustion), methods of verification and variable co-benefits to the farmer. Here we will present some of these schemes, from on-farm biochar production to factories for biochar-compound fertilizers, and discuss barriers and

Field tests on human tolerance to (LNG) fire radiant heat exposure, and attenuation effects of clothing and other objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj, Phani K.

2008-01-01

A series of field tests exposing mannequins clothed with civilian clothing to a 3 m x 3 m square liquefied natural gas (LNG) pool fire was conducted. Both single layer clothing and double layer clothing were used. The radiant heat flux incident outside the clothing and incident on the skin covered by clothing were measured using wide-angle radiometers, for durations of 100-200 s (per test). The levels of heat flux incident on the clothing were close to 5 kW/m 2 . The magnitude of the radiant heat attenuation factor (AF) across the thickness was determined. AF varies between 2 and higher for cotton and polyester clothing (thickness 0.286-1.347 mm); AF value of 6 was measured for 1.347 mm thickness. Single sheet newspaper held about 5 cm in front of mannequins and exposed to incident flux of 5 kW/m 2 resulted in AF of 5, and AF of 8 with double sheets. AF decreases linearly with increasing heat flux values and linearly increases with thickness. The author exposed himself, in normal civilian clothing (of full sleeve cotton/polyester shirt and jean pants), to radiant heat from a LNG fire. The exposure was for several tens of seconds to heat flux levels ranging from 3.5 kW/m 2 to 5 + kW/m 2 (exposure times from 25 s to 97 s at average heat flux values in the 4 kW/m 2 and 5 kW/m 2 range). Occasionally, he was exposed to (as high as) 7 kW/m 2 for durations of several seconds. He did not suffer any unbearable or even severe pain nor did he experience blisters or burns or any other injury on the unprotected skin of his body. The incident heat fluxes on the author were measured by a hand-held radiometer (with digital display) as well as by strapped on wide-angle radiometers connected to a computer. He could withstand the US regulatory criterion of 5 kW/m 2 (for 30 s) without suffering any damage or burns. Temperature measured on author's skin covered by clothing did not rise above the normal body temperature even after 200 s of exposure to 4 kW/m 2 average heat flux

Fuzzy barrier distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piasecki, E.

2009-01-01

Heavy-ion collisions often produce a fusion barrier distribution with structures displaying a fingerprint of couplings to highly collective excitations [1]. Basically the same distribution can be obtained from large-angle quasi-elastic scattering, though here the role of the many weak direct-reaction channels is unclear. For 2 0N e + 9 0Z r we have observed the barrier structures expected for the highly deformed neon projectile, but for 2 0N e + 9 2Z r we find completely smooth distribution (see Fig.1). We find that transfer channels in these systems are of similar strength but single particle excitations are significantly stronger in the latter case. They apparently reduce the 'resolving power' of the quasi-elastic channel, what leads to smeared out, or 'fuzzy' barrier distribution. This is the first case when such a phenomenon has been observed.(author)

An experimental study about effect of far infrared radiant ceramics on efficient methane fermentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, A.; Yamazaki, M.; Oida, A.

2003-01-01

Methane fermentation, well known as one of the methods for organic wastes treatment, has been used as an energy production process in order to produce a gaseous fuel. But methane fermentation has some problems to be solved about gas production rate and volatile solids reduction efficiency. Simple methods to improve these problems are needed. In this study, we focused on far infrared radiant ceramics as a stimulating substance to activate methanogenic bacteria. Firstly, through the experiment of one batch fermentation, it was confirmed that the ceramics in the fermenter caused increase of total gas production. Next, even through the experiment of continuous fermentation, same stimulating effect was confirmed. It was considered that this effect was caused not only by a function of bio-contactor of the ceramics but also by far infrared radiation from ceramics. (author)

Transport Barriers in Bootstrap Driven Tokamaks

Science.gov (United States)

Staebler, Gary

2017-10-01

Maximizing the bootstrap current in a tokamak, so that it drives a high fraction of the total current, reduces the external power required to drive current by other means. Improved energy confinement, relative to empirical scaling laws, enables a reactor to more fully take advantage of the bootstrap driven tokamak. Experiments have demonstrated improved energy confinement due to the spontaneous formation of an internal transport barrier in high bootstrap fraction discharges. Gyrokinetic analysis, and quasilinear predictive modeling, demonstrates that the observed transport barrier is due to the suppression of turbulence primarily due to the large Shafranov shift. ExB velocity shear does not play a significant role in the transport barrier due to the high safety factor. It will be shown, that the Shafranov shift can produce a bifurcation to improved confinement in regions of positive magnetic shear or a continuous reduction in transport for weak or negative magnetic shear. Operation at high safety factor lowers the pressure gradient threshold for the Shafranov shift driven barrier formation. The ion energy transport is reduced to neoclassical and electron energy and particle transport is reduced, but still turbulent, within the barrier. Deeper into the plasma, very large levels of electron transport are observed. The observed electron temperature profile is shown to be close to the threshold for the electron temperature gradient (ETG) mode. A large ETG driven energy transport is qualitatively consistent with recent multi-scale gyrokinetic simulations showing that reducing the ion scale turbulence can lead to large increase in the electron scale transport. A new saturation model for the quasilinear TGLF transport code, that fits these multi-scale gyrokinetic simulations, can match the data if the impact of zonal flow mixing on the ETG modes is reduced at high safety factor. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under DE-FG02-95ER54309 and DE-FC02

Combining Nitrilotriacetic Acid and Permeable Barriers for Enhanced Phytoextraction of Heavy Metals from Municipal Solid Waste Compost by and Reduced Metal Leaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Shulan; Jia, Lina; Duo, Lian

2016-05-01

Phytoextraction has the potential to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil, and chelants can be used to improve the capabilities of phytoextraction. However, environmentally persistent chelants can cause metal leaching and groundwater pollution. A column experiment was conducted to evaluate the viability of biodegradable nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) to increase the uptake of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cu, and Zn) by L. in municipal solid waste (MSW) compost and to evaluate the effect of two permeable barrier materials, bone meal and crab shell, on metal leaching. The application of NTA significantly increased the concentrations and uptake of heavy metals in . The enhancement was more pronounced at higher dosages of NTA. In the 15 mmol kg NTA treatment using a crab shell barrier, the Cr and Ni concentrations in the plant shoots increased by approximately 8- and 10-fold, respectively, relative to the control. However, the addition of NTA also caused significant heavy metal leaching from the MSW compost. Bone meal and crab shell barriers positioned between the compost and the subsoil were effective in preventing metal leaching down through the soil profile by the retention of metals in the barrier. The application of a biodegradable chelant and the use of permeable barriers is a viable form of enhanced phytoextraction to increase the removal of metals and to reduce possible leaching. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Barrier inhomogeneities limited current and 1/f noise transport in GaN based nanoscale Schottky barrier diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Ashutosh; Heilmann, M.; Latzel, Michael; Kapoor, Raman; Sharma, Intu; Göbelt, M.; Christiansen, Silke H.; Kumar, Vikram; Singh, Rajendra

2016-01-01

The electrical behaviour of Schottky barrier diodes realized on vertically standing individual GaN nanorods and array of nanorods is investigated. The Schottky diodes on individual nanorod show highest barrier height in comparison with large area diodes on nanorods array and epitaxial film which is in contrast with previously published work. The discrepancy between the electrical behaviour of nanoscale Schottky diodes and large area diodes is explained using cathodoluminescence measurements, surface potential analysis using Kelvin probe force microscopy and 1ow frequency noise measurements. The noise measurements on large area diodes on nanorods array and epitaxial film suggest the presence of barrier inhomogeneities at the metal/semiconductor interface which deviate the noise spectra from Lorentzian to 1/f type. These barrier inhomogeneities in large area diodes resulted in reduced barrier height whereas due to the limited role of barrier inhomogeneities in individual nanorod based Schottky diode, a higher barrier height is obtained. PMID:27282258

Enershield : energy saving air barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hallihan, D. [Enershield Industries Ltd., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2008-07-01

Enershield Industries is a leader in air barrier technology and provides solution for the Canadian climate. This presentation described the advantages of air barriers and the impact of rising energy costs. An air barrier is used to separate areas of differing environments and makes existing building systems more efficient. This presentation discussed how an air barrier works. It also identified how Enershield Industries calculates energy savings. It described air barrier applications and those who use barrier technology. These include the commercial and industrial sector as well as the personnel and retail sector. Barrier technology can be used for cold storage; vehicle and equipment washes; food processing; and environmental separation. Features and benefits such as the ability to create seal, acoustic insulation, and long term durability were also discussed. Last, the presentation addressed model selection and design criteria issues. Design criteria that were presented included a discussion of acoustic installation, articulating nozzles, scroll cased fans, and structural frame. Other design criteria presented were galvanized frames, telescopic sliders, and off the shelf parts. It was concluded that the ability to reduce energy consumption and enhance employee/client comfort is beneficial to the employer as well as to the employee. figs.

Radiant thinking and the use of the mind map in nurse practitioner education.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Julie R; Anderson, Kelley M; Ellis, Kathryn K

2013-05-01

The concept of radiant thinking, which led to the concept of mind mapping, promotes all aspects of the brain working in synergy, with thought beginning from a central point. The mind map, which is a graphical technique to improve creative thinking and knowledge attainment, utilizes colors, images, codes, and dimensions to amplify and enhance key ideas. This technique augments the visualization of relationships and links between concepts, which aids in information acquisition, data retention, and overall comprehension. Faculty can promote students' use of the technique for brainstorming, organizing ideas, taking notes, learning collaboratively, presenting, and studying. These applications can be used in problem-based learning, developing plans of care, health promotion activities, synthesizing disease processes, and forming differential diagnoses. Mind mapping is a creative way for students to engage in a unique method of learning that can expand memory recall and help create a new environment for processing information. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Visual selective attention with virtual barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Darryl W

2017-07-01

Previous studies have shown that interference effects in the flanker task are reduced when physical barriers (e.g., hands) are placed around rather than below a target flanked by distractors. One explanation of this finding is the referential coding hypothesis, whereby the barriers serve as reference objects for allocating attention. In five experiments, the generality of the referential coding hypothesis was tested by investigating whether interference effects are modulated by the placement of virtual barriers (e.g., parentheses). Modulation of flanker interference was found only when target and distractors differed in size and the virtual barriers were beveled wood-grain objects. Under these conditions and those of previous studies, the author conjectures that an impression of depth was produced when the barriers were around the target, such that the target was perceived to be on a different depth plane than the distractors. Perception of depth in the stimulus display might have led to referential coding of the stimuli in three-dimensional (3-D) space, influencing the allocation of attention beyond the horizontal and vertical dimensions. This 3-D referential coding hypothesis is consistent with research on selective attention in 3-D space that shows flanker interference is reduced when target and distractors are separated in depth.

Engineered barriers: current status 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkinson, A.; Marsh, G.B.

1989-06-01

This report summarises the current state of research relevant to assessing the performance of engineered barriers made of steel and concrete in radioactive waste repositories. The objective of these barriers is to contain substantially the radionuclides within them by providing both physical and chemical impediment to their release. The physical barriers are of most value for highly soluble isotopes with relatively short half-lives (eg 137 Cs), since they can provide a measure of containment until a large fraction of the activity has decayed. In addition they can facilitate retrievability for some period after disposal. The chemical barriers operate by beneficial conditioning of the near field groundwater and providing sites for sorption of radionuclides. Both of these reduce the aqueous concentration of radionuclides in the near field. (author)

Transport barrier in Helical system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida, Katsumi

1998-01-01

Experiments on the transport barrier in Helical plasmas are reviewed. There are two mechanisms of transport improvement, that results in the formation of the transport barrier. One is the improvement of neoclassical transport by reducing the ripple loss with radial electric field, which exist only in helical plasma. The other is the improvement of anomalous transport due to the suppression of fluctuations associated with a radial electric field shear both in tokamak and helical plasma. The formation of the transport barrier can be triggered by the radial electric field shear associated with the transition of the radial electric field (L/H transition or ion-electron root transition) or the peaked density or the optimization of magnetic field shear. The mechanisms of transport barrier formation are also discussed. (author). 60 refs

MENDING THE IN SITU MANIPULATION BARRIER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

PETERSEN, S.W.

2006-02-06

In early 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland and Fluor Hanford requested technical assistance from the DOE Headquarters EM-23 Technical Assistance Program to provide a team of technical experts to develop recommendations for mending the In Situ Redox Manipulation (ISRM) Barrier in the 100-D Area of the Hanford Site in Washington State. To accommodate this request, EM-23 provided support to convene a group of technical experts from industry, a national laboratory, and a DOE site to participate in a 2 1/2-day workshop with the objective of identifying and recommending options to enhance the performance of the 100-D Area reactive barrier and of a planned extension to the northeast. This report provides written documentation of the team's findings and recommendations. In 1995, a plume of dissolved hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], which resulted from operation of the D/DR Reactors at the Hanford site, was discovered along the Columbia River shoreline and in the 100-D Area. Between 1999 and 2003, a reactive barrier using the In Situ Redox Manipulation (ISRM) technology, was installed a distance of 680 meters along the river to reduce the Cr(VI) in the groundwater. The ISRM technology creates a treatment zone within the aquifer by injection of sodium dithionite, a strong reducing agent that scavenges dissolved oxygen (DO) from the aquifer and reduces ferric iron [Fe(III)], related metals, and oxy-ions. The reduction of Fe(III) to ferrous [Fe(II)] iron provides the primary reduction capacity to reduce Cr(VI) to the +3 state, which is less mobile and less toxic. Bench-scale and field-scale treatability tests were initially conducted to demonstrate proof-of principle and to provide data for estimation of barrier longevity. These calculations estimated barrier longevity in excess of twenty years. However, several years after initial and secondary treatment, groundwater in a number of wells has been found to contain elevated chromium (Cr) concentrations

The food contaminant deoxynivalenol, decreases intestinal barrier permeability and reduces claudin expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinton, Philippe; Nougayrede, Jean-Philippe; Del Rio, Juan-Carlos; Moreno, Carolina; Marin, Daniela E.; Ferrier, Laurent; Bracarense, Ana-Paula; Kolf-Clauw, Martine; Oswald, Isabelle P.

2009-01-01

'The gastrointestinal tract represents the first barrier against food contaminants as well as the first target for these toxicants. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that commonly contaminates cereals and causes various toxicological effects. Through consumption of contaminated cereals and cereal products, human and pigs are exposed to this mycotoxin. Using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo approaches, we investigated the effects of DON on the intestinal epithelium. We demonstrated that, in intestinal epithelial cell lines from porcine (IPEC-1) or human (Caco-2) origin, DON decreases trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and increases in a time and dose-dependent manner the paracellular permeability to 4 kDa dextran and to pathogenic Escherichia coli across intestinal cell monolayers. In pig explants treated with DON, we also observed an increased permeability of intestinal tissue. These alterations of barrier function were associated with a specific reduction in the expression of claudins, which was also seen in vivo in the jejunum of piglets exposed to DON-contaminated feed. In conclusion, DON alters claudin expression and decreases the barrier function of the intestinal epithelium. Considering that high levels of DON may be present in food or feed, consumption of DON-contaminated food/feed may induce intestinal damage and has consequences for human and animal health.

Bexarotene reduces blood-brain barrier permeability in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injured rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Xu

Full Text Available Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9 over-expression disrupts the blood-brain barrier (BBB in the ischemic brain. The retinoid X receptor agonist bexarotene suppresses MMP-9 expression in endothelial cells and displays neuroprotective effects. Therefore, we hypothesized that bexarotene may have a beneficial effect on I/R-induced BBB dysfunction.A total of 180 rats were randomized into three groups (n = 60 each: (i a sham-operation group, (ii a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R group, and (iii an I/R+bexarotene group. Brain water content was measured by the dry wet weight method. BBB permeability was analyzed by Evans Blue staining and the magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent Omniscan. MMP-9 mRNA expression, protein expression, and activity were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and gelatin zymography, respectively. Apolipoprotein E (apoE, claudin-5, and occludin expression were analyzed by Western blotting.After 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-I/R, several effects were observed with bexarotene administration: (i brain water content and BBB permeability were significantly reduced; (ii MMP-9 mRNA and protein expression as well as activity were significantly decreased; (iii claudin-5 and occludin expression were significantly increased; and (iv apoE expression was significantly increased.Bexarotene decreases BBB permeability in rats with cerebral I/R injury. This effect may be due in part to bexarotene's upregulation of apoE expression, which has been previously shown to reduce BBB permeability through suppressing MMP-9-mediated degradation of the tight junction proteins claudin-5 and occludin. This work offers insight to aid future development of therapeutic agents for cerebral I/R injury in human patients.

Use of electrical barriers to deter movement of round goby

Science.gov (United States)

Savino, Jacqueline F.; Jude, David J.; Kostich, Melissa J.; Coutant, Charles C.

2001-01-01

An electrical barrier was chosen as a possible means to deter movement of round goby Neogobius melanostomus. Feasibility studies in a 2.1-m donut-shaped tank determined the electrical parameters necessary to inhibit round goby from crossing the 1-m stretch of the benthic, electrical barrier. Increasing electrical pulse duration and voltage increased effectiveness of the barrier in deterring round goby movement through the barrier. Differences in activity of round goby during daytime and nocturnal tests did not change the effectiveness of the barrier. In field verification studies, an electrical barrier was placed between two blocking nets in the Shiawassee River, Michigan. The barrier consisted of a 6-m wide canvas on which were laid four cables carrying the electrical current. Seven experiments were conducted, wherein 25 latex paint-marked round goby were introduced upstream of the electrical barrier and recovered 24 h later upstream, on, and downstream of the barrier. During control studies, round goby moved across the barrier within 20 min from release upstream. With the barrier on and using the prescribed electrical settings shown to inhibit passage in the laboratory, the only marked round goby found below the barrier were dead. At reduced pulse durations, a few round goby (mean one/test) were found alive, but debilitated, below the barrier. The electrical barrier could be incorporated as part of a program in reducing movement of adult round goby through artificial connections between watersheds.

Gliovascular and cytokine interactions modulate brain endothelial barrier in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaitanya, Ganta V; Cromer, Walter E; Wells, Shannon R; Jennings, Merilyn H; Couraud, P Olivier; Romero, Ignacio A; Weksler, Babette; Erdreich-Epstein, Anat; Mathis, J Michael; Minagar, Alireza; Alexander, J Steven

2011-11-23

The glio-vascular unit (G-unit) plays a prominent role in maintaining homeostasis of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and disturbances in cells forming this unit may seriously dysregulate BBB. The direct and indirect effects of cytokines on cellular components of the BBB are not yet unclear. The present study compares the effects of cytokines and cytokine-treated astrocytes on brain endothelial barrier. 3-dimensional transwell co-cultures of brain endothelium and related-barrier forming cells with astrocytes were used to investigate gliovascular barrier responses to cytokines during pathological stresses. Gliovascular barrier was measured using trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER), a sensitive index of in vitro barrier integrity. We found that neither TNF-α, IL-1β or IFN-γ directly reduced barrier in human or mouse brain endothelial cells or ECV-304 barrier (independent of cell viability/metabolism), but found that astrocyte exposure to cytokines in co-culture significantly reduced endothelial (and ECV-304) barrier. These results indicate that the barrier established by human and mouse brain endothelial cells (and other cells) may respond positively to cytokines alone, but that during pathological conditions, cytokines dysregulate the barrier forming cells indirectly through astrocyte activation involving reorganization of junctions, matrix, focal adhesion or release of barrier modulating factors (e.g. oxidants, MMPs). © 2011 Chaitanya et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Everolimus for Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours: A Subgroup Analysis Evaluating Japanese Patients in the RADIANT-3 Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Tetsuhide; Okusaka, Takuji; Ikeda, Masafumi; Igarashi, Hisato; Morizane, Chigusa; Nakachi, Kohei; Tajima, Takeshi; Kasuga, Akio; Fujita, Yoshie; Furuse, Junji

2012-01-01

Objective Everolimus, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin, has recently demonstrated efficacy and safety in a Phase III, double-blind, randomized trial (RADIANT-3) in 410 patients with low- or intermediate-grade advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. Everolimus 10 mg/day provided a 2.4-fold improvement compared with placebo in progression-free survival, representing a 65% risk reduction for progression. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of everolimus in the Japanese subgroup enrolled in the RADIANT-3 study. Methods Subgroup analysis of the Japanese patients was performed comparing efficacy and safety between everolimus 10 mg/day orally (n = 23) and matching placebo (n = 17). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Safety was evaluated on the basis of the incidence of adverse drug reactions. Results Progression-free survival was significantly prolonged with everolimus compared with placebo. The median progression-free survival was 19.45 months (95% confidence interval, 8.31–not available) with everolimus vs 2.83 months (95% confidence interval, 2.46–8.34) with placebo, resulting in an 81% risk reduction in progression (hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.48; P< 0.001). Adverse drug reactions occurred in all 23 (100%) Japanese patients receiving everolimus and in 13 (77%) patients receiving placebo; most were grade 1/2 in severity. The most common adverse drug reactions in the everolimus group were rash (n = 20; 87%), stomatitis (n = 17; 74%), infections (n = 15; 65%), nail disorders (n = 12; 52%), epistaxis (n = 10; 44%) and pneumonitis (n = 10; 44%). Conclusions These results support the use of everolimus as a valuable treatment option for Japanese patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. PMID:22859827

Prediction of radiant heat flux from horizontal propane jet fire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Kuibin; Liu, Jiaoyan; Jiang, Juncheng

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Line source model for the radiant heat flux from horizontal jet fire is proposed. • A review on the difference between horizontal and vertical jet fires is conducted. • Effects of lift-off distance and flame shape are discussed for the line source model. • Line source model gives encouraging results relative to the validity of model system. - Abstract: Jet fires are often reported to occur in process industry with lots of hazardous heat energy released. A line source model describing the flame emissive power and subsequent heat flux radiated from a horizontal propane jet fire is evaluated through a testing against experimental fire data and comparison against other models. By a review on the jet flame behavior, the correlations of the lift-off distance, flame length and radiative fraction are proposed to close the line source model in theory. It is found that the fuel jet direction holds a considerable effect on the flame behavior by comparison between horizontal and vertical jet fires. Results indicate that the lift-off distance and the flame shape influence the model prediction to some extent. Comparison of model predictions against data collected in the near field and predictions from the point source model and multipoint source model gives encouraging results relative to the validity of model system.

High-quality 3D correction of ring and radiant artifacts in flat panel detector-based cone beam volume CT imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Abu Anas, Emran Mohammad; Kim, Jae Gon; Lee, Soo Yeol; Kamrul Hasan, Md

2011-10-01

The use of an x-ray flat panel detector is increasingly becoming popular in 3D cone beam volume CT machines. Due to the deficient semiconductor array manufacturing process, the cone beam projection data are often corrupted by different types of abnormalities, which cause severe ring and radiant artifacts in a cone beam reconstruction image, and as a result, the diagnostic image quality is degraded. In this paper, a novel technique is presented for the correction of error in the 2D cone beam projections due to abnormalities often observed in 2D x-ray flat panel detectors. Template images are derived from the responses of the detector pixels using their statistical properties and then an effective non-causal derivative-based detection algorithm in 2D space is presented for the detection of defective and mis-calibrated detector elements separately. An image inpainting-based 3D correction scheme is proposed for the estimation of responses of defective detector elements, and the responses of the mis-calibrated detector elements are corrected using the normalization technique. For real-time implementation, a simplification of the proposed off-line method is also suggested. Finally, the proposed algorithms are tested using different real cone beam volume CT images and the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methods can effectively remove ring and radiant artifacts from cone beam volume CT images compared to other reported techniques in the literature.

High-quality 3D correction of ring and radiant artifacts in flat panel detector-based cone beam volume CT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anas, Emran Mohammad Abu; Hasan, Md Kamrul; Kim, Jae Gon; Lee, Soo Yeol

2011-01-01

The use of an x-ray flat panel detector is increasingly becoming popular in 3D cone beam volume CT machines. Due to the deficient semiconductor array manufacturing process, the cone beam projection data are often corrupted by different types of abnormalities, which cause severe ring and radiant artifacts in a cone beam reconstruction image, and as a result, the diagnostic image quality is degraded. In this paper, a novel technique is presented for the correction of error in the 2D cone beam projections due to abnormalities often observed in 2D x-ray flat panel detectors. Template images are derived from the responses of the detector pixels using their statistical properties and then an effective non-causal derivative-based detection algorithm in 2D space is presented for the detection of defective and mis-calibrated detector elements separately. An image inpainting-based 3D correction scheme is proposed for the estimation of responses of defective detector elements, and the responses of the mis-calibrated detector elements are corrected using the normalization technique. For real-time implementation, a simplification of the proposed off-line method is also suggested. Finally, the proposed algorithms are tested using different real cone beam volume CT images and the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methods can effectively remove ring and radiant artifacts from cone beam volume CT images compared to other reported techniques in the literature.

Permeability Barrier Generation in the Martian Lithosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Schools, Joe; Montési, Laurent

2015-11-01

Permeability barriers develop when a magma produced in the interior of a planet rises into the cooler lithosphere and crystallizes more rapidly than the lithosphere can deform (Sparks and Parmentier, 1991). Crystallization products may then clog the porous network in which melt is propagating, reducing the permeability to almost zero, i.e., forming a permeability barrier. Subsequent melts cannot cross the barrier. Permeability barriers have been useful to explain variations in crustal thickness at mid-ocean ridges on Earth (Magde et al., 1997; Hebert and Montési, 2011; Montési et al., 2011). We explore here under what conditions permeability barriers may form on Mars.We use the MELTS thermodynamic calculator (Ghiorso and Sack, 1995; Ghiorso et al., 2002; Asimow et al., 2004) in conjunction with estimated Martian mantle compositions (Morgan and Anders, 1979; Wänke and Dreibus, 1994; Lodders and Fegley, 1997; Sanloup et al., 1999; Taylor 2013) to model the formation of permeability barriers in the lithosphere of Mars. In order to represent potential past and present conditions of Mars, we vary the lithospheric thickness, mantle potential temperature (heat flux), oxygen fugacity, and water content.Our results show that permeability layers can develop in the thermal boundary layer of the simulated Martian lithosphere if the mantle potential temperature is higher than ~1500°C. The various Martian mantle compositions yield barriers in the same locations, under matching variable conditions. There is no significant difference in barrier location over the range of accepted Martian oxygen fugacity values. Water content is the most significant influence on barrier development as it reduces the temperature of crystallization, allowing melt to rise further into the lithosphere. Our lower temperature and thicker lithosphere model runs, which are likely the most similar to modern Mars, show no permeability barrier generation. Losing the possibility of having a permeability

Containment wells to form hydraulic barriers along site boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vo, D.; Ramamurthy, A.S.; Qu, J.; Zhao, X.P.

2008-01-01

In the field, aquifer remediation methods include pump and treat procedures based on hydraulic control systems. They are used to reduce the level of residual contamination present in the soil and soil pores of aquifers. Often, physical barriers are erected along the boundaries of the target (aquifer) site to reduce the leakage of the released soil contaminant to the surrounding regions. Physical barriers are expensive to build and dismantle. Alternatively, based on simple hydraulic principles, containment wells or image wells injecting clear water can be designed and built to provide hydraulic barriers along the contaminated site boundaries. For brevity, only one pattern of containment well system that is very effective is presented in detail. The study briefly reports about the method of erecting a hydraulic barrier around a contaminated region based on the simple hydraulic principle of images. During the clean-up period, hydraulic barriers can considerably reduce the leakage of the released contaminant from the target site to surrounding pristine regions. Containment wells facilitate the formation of hydraulic barriers. Hence, they control the movement of contaminants away from the site that is being remedied. However, these wells come into play, only when the pumping operation for cleaning up the site is active. After operation, they can be filled with soil to permit the natural ground water movement. They can also be used as monitoring wells

Overcoming Barriers to Wind Development in Appalachian Coal Country

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brent Bailey; Evan Hansen

2012-10-09

This research project synthesizes existing data and communication from experts to assess barriers to wind development in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky, and makes recommendations where feasible to reduce or eliminate those barriers.

A full-scale experimental set-up for assessing the energy performance of radiant wall and active chilled beam for cooling buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le Dreau, Jerome; Heiselberg, Per; Jensen, Rasmus Lund

2015-01-01

in decreasing the cooling need of the radiant wall compared to the active chilled beam. It has also been observed that the type and repartition of heat load have an influence on the cooling demand. Regarding the comfort level, both terminals met the general requirements, except at high solar heat gains......: overheating has been observed due to the absence of solar shading and the limited cooling capacity of the terminals. No local discomfort has been observed although some segments of the thermal manikin were slightly colder....

Differences in the heat stress associated with white sportswear and being semi-nude in exercising humans under conditions of radiant heat and wind at a wet bulb globe temperature of greater than 28 °C.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuji, Michio; Kume, Masashi; Tuneoka, Hideyuki; Yoshida, Tetsuya

2014-08-01

This study investigated whether wearing common white sportswear can reduce heat stress more than being semi-nude during exercise of different intensities performed under radiant heat and wind conditions, such as a hot summer day. After a 20-min rest period, eight male subjects performed three 20 min sessions of cycling exercise at a load intensity of 20 % or 50 % of their peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) in a room maintained at a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 28.7 ± 0.1 °C using two spot lights and a fan (0.8 m/s airflow). Subjects wore common white sportswear (WS) consisting of a long-sleeved shirt (45 % cotton and 55 % polyester) and short pants (100 % polyester), or only swimming pants (SP) under the semi-nude condition. The mean skin temperature (Tsk) was greater when subjects wore SP than WS under both the 20 % and 50 % exercise conditions. During the 50 % exercise, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and thermal sensation (TS), and the increases in esophageal temperature (ΔTes) and heart rate were significantly higher (Pheat storage (S), calculated from the changes in the mean body temperature (0.9Tes + 0.1 Tsk), was significantly lower in the WS trials than in the SP trials during the 20 min resting period before exercise session. However, S was similar between conditions during the 20 % exercise, but was greater in the WS than in the SP trials during 50 % exercise. These results suggest that, under conditions of radiant heat and wind at a WBGT greater than 28 °C, the heat stress associated with wearing common WS is similar to that of being semi-nude during light exercise, but was greater during moderate exercise, and the storage of body heat can be reduced by wearing WS during rest periods.

Influence on living body by radiant rays produced in low power reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogura, Isao; Nakamura, Katsuichi; Usuyama, Hideo; Usui, Akinori; Hosomi, Takashi; Yoshimura, Yoshinao; Nakai, Takahide; Egashira, Masamichi

1984-01-01

There is possibility of a risk that a living body is irradiated by those for slightly indifference to radiant rays, radiation source or devices of low level dose or dose rate. Accordingly, a low power reactor (UTR-KINKI) was utilized for a observation of influence by radiation of low level dose or dose rate, the rabbits were irradiated in it at output 1 w. The large influence was not expected for the low level dose rate of 1.313 Rad/hr even if they were irradiated for the several hours, but in a part of blood components a slight change was recognized. The change of M pattern in white blood corpuscle number was indicated likewise as irradiation of 500R X-ray, reported from Jacobson and others, by irradiation to about 13 Rads. In addition, lymphocyte number was increased considerably in an early stage. This fact will be useful for a recovery of an injury as mentioned by Lucky. The rabbits of alloxan diabetes mellitus and hepatitis were irradiated in the same way as above, but they scarcely showed the alterations. However, numerous rabbits can't be used in this experiment for the equipment and others. (author)

Identifying barriers to emergency care services.

Science.gov (United States)

Cannoodt, Luk; Mock, Charles; Bucagu, Maurice

2012-01-01

This paper aims to present a review of published evidence of barriers to emergency care, with attention towards both financial and other barriers. With the keywords (financial) accessibility, barriers and emergency care services, citations in PubMed were searched and further selected in the context of the objective of this article. Forty articles, published over a period of 15 years, showed evidence of significant barriers to emergency care. These barriers often tend to persist, despite the fact that the evidence was published many years ago. Several publications stressed the importance of the financial barriers in foregoing or delaying potentially life-saving emergency services, both in poor and rich countries. Other publications report non-financial barriers that prevent patients in need of emergency care (pre-hospital and in-patient care) from seeking care, from arriving in the proper emergency department without undue delay or from receiving proper treatment when they do arrive in these departments. It is clear that timely access to life-saving and disability-preventing emergency care is problematic in many settings. Yet, low-cost measures can likely be taken to significantly reduce these barriers. It is time to make an inventory of these measures and to implement the most cost-effective ones worldwide. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Basking hamsters reduce resting metabolism, body temperature and energy costs during rewarming from torpor.

Science.gov (United States)

Geiser, Fritz; Gasch, Kristina; Bieber, Claudia; Stalder, Gabrielle L; Gerritsmann, Hanno; Ruf, Thomas

2016-07-15

Basking can substantially reduce thermoregulatory energy expenditure of mammals. We tested the hypothesis that the largely white winter fur of hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), originating from Asian steppes, may be related to camouflage to permit sun basking on or near snow. Winter-acclimated hamsters in our study were largely white and had a high proclivity to bask when resting and torpid. Resting hamsters reduced metabolic rate (MR) significantly (>30%) when basking at ambient temperatures (Ta) of ∼15 and 0°C. Interestingly, body temperature (Tb) also was significantly reduced from 34.7±0.6°C (Ta 15°C, not basking) to 30.4±2.0°C (Ta 0°C, basking), which resulted in an extremely low (thermal conductance. Induced torpor (food withheld) during respirometry at Ta 15°C occurred on 83.3±36.0% of days and the minimum torpor MR was 36% of basal MR at an average Tb of 22.0±2.6°C; movement to the basking lamp occurred at Tb50%) during radiant heat-assisted rewarming; however, radiant heat per se without an endogenous contribution by animals did not strongly affect metabolism and Tb during torpor. Our data show that basking substantially modifies thermal energetics in hamsters, with a drop of resting Tb and MR not previously observed and a reduction of rewarming costs. The energy savings afforded by basking in hamsters suggest that this behaviour is of energetic significance not only for mammals living in deserts, where basking is common, but also for P. sungorus and probably other cold-climate mammals. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Facilitators and barriers to implementing a local policy to reduce sodium consumption in the County of Los Angeles government, California, 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Gase, Lauren N; Kuo, Tony; Dunet, Diane O; Simon, Paul A

2011-03-01

This qualitative study explores facilitators and barriers to a proposed food procurement policy that would require food purchasers, distributors, and vendors of food service in the County of Los Angeles government to meet specified nutrition standards, including limits on sodium content. We conducted 30 key informant interviews. Interviewees represented 18 organizations from the County of Los Angeles government departments that purchased, distributed, or sold food; public and private non-County entities that had previously implemented food procurement policies in their organizations; and large organizations that catered food to the County. Study participants reported 3 key facilitators: their organization's authority to impose nutrition standards, their organization's desire to provide nutritious food, and the opportunity to build on existing nutrition policies. Eight key barriers were identified: 1) unique features among food service settings, 2) costs and unavailability of low-sodium foods, 3) complexity of food service arrangements, 4) lack of consumer demand for low-sodium foods, 5) undesirable taste of low-sodium foods, 6) preference for prepackaged products, 7) lack of knowledge and experience in operationalizing sodium standards, and 8) existing multiyear contracts that are difficult to change. Despite perceived barriers, several participants indicated that their organizations have successfully implemented nutritional standards that include limits on sodium. Developing or changing policies for procuring food represents a potentially feasible strategy for reducing sodium consumption in food service venues controlled by the County of Los Angeles. The facilitators and barriers identified here can inform the formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation of sodium reduction policies in other jurisdictions.

Preoperative care of Polypoid exposed mucosal template in bladder exstrophy: the role of high-barrier plastic wraps in reducing inflammation and polyp size.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabetkish, Nastaran; Sabetkish, Shabnam; Kajbafzadeh, Abdol-Mohammad

2018-01-26

To assess the role of high-barrier plastic wrap in reducing the number and size of polyps, as well as decreasing the inflammation and allergic reactions in exstrophy cases, and to compare the results with the application of low-barrier wrap. Eight patients with bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex (BEEC) that had used a low density polyethylene (LDPE) wrap for coverage of the exposed polypoid bladder in preoperative care management were referred. The main complaint of their parents was increase in size and number of polyps. After a period of 2 months using the same wrap and observing the increasing pattern in size of polyps, these patients were recommended to use a high-barrier wrap which is made of polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC), until closure. Patients were monitored for the number and size of polyps before and after the change of barriers. The incidence of para-exstrophy skin infection/inflammation and skin allergy were assessed. Biopsies were taken from the polyps to identify histopathological characteristics of the exposed polyps. The high barrier wrap was applied for a mean ± SD duration of 12±2.1 months. Polyps' size and number decreased after 12 months. No allergic reaction was detected in patients after the usage of PVdC; three patients suffered from low-grade skin allergy when LDPE was applied. Also, pre-malignant changes were observed in none of the patients in histopathological examination after the application of PVdC. Polyps' size and number and skin allergy may significantly decrease with the use of a high-barrier wrap. Certain PVdC wraps with more integrity and less evaporative permeability may be more "exstrophy-friendly". Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.

The optimization of aircraft seat cushion fire-blocking layers. Full Scale: Test description and results

Science.gov (United States)

Schutter, K. J.; Duskin, F. E.

1982-01-01

Full-scale burn tests were conducted on thirteen different seat cushion configurations in a cabin fire simulator. The fire source used was a quartz lamp radiant energy panel with a propane pilot flame. During each test, data were recorded for cushion temperatures, radiant heat flux, rate of weight loss of test specimens, and cabin temperatures. When compared to existing passenger aircraft seat cushions, the test specimens incorporating a fire barrier and those fabricated from advance materials, using improved construction methods, exhibited significantly greater fire resistance.

Prediction of liquid metal alloy radiant properties from measurements of the Hall coefficient and the direct current resistivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Havstad, M.A.; Qiu, T.

1995-04-01

The thermal radiative properties of high temperature solid and liquid metal alloys are particularly useful to research and development efforts in laser cladding and machining, electron beam welding and laser isotope separation. However the cost, complexity, and difficulty of measuring these properties have forced the use of crude estimates from the Hagen-Rubens relation, the Drude relations, or extrapolation from low temperature or otherwise flawed data (e.g., oxidized). The authors have found in this work that published values for the Hall coefficient and the electrical resistivity of liquid metal alloys can provide useful estimates of the reflectance and emittance of some groups of binary liquid metal and high temperature solid alloys. The estimation method computes the Drude free electron parameters, and thence the optical constants and the radiant properties from the dependence of the Hall coefficient and direct current resistivity on alloy composition (the Hall coefficient gives the free electron density and the resistivity gives the average time between collisions). They find that predictions of the radiant properties of molten cerium-copper alloy, which use the measured variations in the Hall coefficient and resistivity (both highly nonlinear) as a function of alloy fraction (rather than linear combinations of the values of the pure elements) yield a good comparison to published measurements of the variation of the normal spectral emittance (a different but also nonlinear function) of cerium-copper alloy at the single wavelength available for comparison, 0.645 μm. The success of the approach in the visible range is particularly notable because one expects a Drude based approach to improve with increasing wavelength from the visible into the infrared. Details of the estimation method, the comparison between the calculation and the measured emittance, and a discussion of what groups of elements may also provide agreement is given

The role of plants on isolation barrier systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Link, S.O.; Downs, J.L.; Waugh, W.J.

1994-11-01

Surface barriers are used to isolate buried wastes from the environment. Most have been built for short-term isolation. The need to isolate radioactive wastes from the environment requires that the functional integrity of a barrier be maintained for thousands of years. Barrier function strongly depends on vegetation. Plants reduce wind and water erosion and minimize drainage, but may transport contaminants if roots extend into buried wastes. Our review of the function of plants on surface barriers focuses on the role of plants across mesic to arid environments and gives special consideration to studies done at Hanford. The Hanford Barrier Development Program was created to design and test an earthen cover system to inhibit water infiltration, plant and animal intrusion, and wind and water erosion, while isolating buried wastes for at least 1000 years. Studies at the Hanford have shown that plants will significantly interact with the barrier. Plants transpire soil water back into the atmosphere. Deep-rooted perennials best recycle water; soil water may drain through the root zone of shallow-rooted annuals. Lysimeter studies indicate that a surface layer of fine soil with deep-rooted plants precludes drainage even with three times normal precipitation. The presence of vegetation greatly reduces water and wind erosion, but deep-rooted plants pose a threat of biointrusion and contaminant transport. The Hanford barrier includes a buried rock layer and asphalt layer to prevent biointrusion

Therapeutic benefits of enhancing permeability barrier for atopic eczema

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Man

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The regulatory role of epidermal permeability barrier function in cutaneous inflammation has been well appreciated. While barrier disruption induces cutaneous inflammation, improvement of permeability barrier function alleviates inflammation. Studies have demonstrated that improvement of epidermal permeability barrier function not only prevents the development of atopic eczema, but also delays the relapse of these diseases. Moreover, enhancing the epidermal permeability barrier also alleviates atopic eczema. Furthermore, co-applications of barrier enhancing products with glucocorticoids can increase the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the adverse effects of glucocorticoids in the treatment of atopic eczema. Therefore, utilization of permeability barrier enhancing products alone or in combination with glucocorticoids could be a valuable approach in the treatment of atopic eczema. In this review, we discuss the benefits of improving the epidermal permeability barrier in the management of atopic eczema.

Barriers to physical activity among working mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dombrowski, Jill J

2011-04-01

Working mothers experience several barriers to physical activity. If these barriers can be identified by occupational health nurses and they can partner with working mothers to reduce these perceived barriers, the health of these workers can be improved and chronic disease risk prevented. The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of self-regulatory efficacy on physical activity among working mothers and to describe specific barriers to physical activity. The Barriers Specific Self-Efficacy Scale (BARSE) and the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS) were used to measure the variables. Self-regulatory efficacy was found to be a strong predictor of physical activity in a diverse sample of working mothers who did not meet current recommendations for physical activity. Occupational health nurses can use these findings to design programs for groups and for counseling individuals. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Perceived exercise barriers are reduced and benefits are improved with lifestyle modification in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Rebecca L; Buckley, Jonathan D; Brinkworth, Grant D

2016-03-09

This study assessed the perceived benefits and barriers to exercise participation in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and monitored changes in response to a lifestyle intervention. Forty-three overweight/obese PCOS women (Age, 30.3(6.2) yrs; BMI, 36.4(5.6) kg/m(2)) were randomised to one of three 20-week lifestyle programs: diet only (DO, n = 13), diet and aerobic exercise (DA, n = 11) and diet and combined aerobic-resistance exercise (DC, n = 19). Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS), weight, aerobic fitness, depression and PCOS specific health-related quality of life were measured. Barriers score was related to depression (r = 0.45, P = 0.002) and aerobic fitness (r = -0.32, P = 0.04), while benefits score was related to aerobic fitness (r = 0.41, P = 0.007). EBBS, benefits and barriers scores improved overtime (P ≤ 0.001). Benefits subscales psychological outlook and social interaction increased (P ≤ 0.001) and life enhancement and preventative health did not change (P ≥ 0.3). Physical performance increased only in DA (P = 0.009). There were no differences between treatments for any of the other subscales (P ≥ 0.2). Barriers subscales exercise milieu, time expenditure and physical exertion reduced (P ≤ 0.003) and family discouragement did not change (P = 0.6). This study demonstrated that lifestyle modification consisting of an energy-restricted diet with or without exercise training improved the perceived benefits from and barriers to exercise. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12606000198527, registered 26 May 2006.

Project Work Plan: Hanford 100-D Area Treatability Demonstration - In Situ Biostimulation for Reducing Barrier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fruchter, Jonathan S.; Truex, Michael J.; Vermeul, Vince R.; Long, Philip E.

2006-05-31

This work plan supports a new, integrated approach to accelerate cleanup of chromium in the Hanford 100 Areas. This new approach will provide supplemental treatment upgradient of the ISRM barrier by directly treating chromium and other oxidizing species in groundwater (i.e., nitrate and dissolved oxygen), thereby increasing the longevity of the ISRM barrier and protecting the ecological receptors and human health at the river boundary.

A comparison of freeway median crash frequency, severity, and barrier strike outcomes by median barrier type.

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Brendan J; Savolainen, Peter T

2018-08-01

Median-crossover crashes are among the most hazardous events that can occur on freeways, often resulting in severe or fatal injuries. The primary countermeasure to reduce the occurrence of such crashes is the installation of a median barrier. When installation of a median barrier is warranted, transportation agencies are faced with the decision among various alternatives including concrete barriers, beam guardrail, or high-tension cable barriers. Each barrier type differs in terms of its deflection characteristics upon impact, the required installation and maintenance costs, and the roadway characteristics (e.g., median width) where installation would be feasible. This study involved an investigation of barrier performance through an in-depth analysis of crash frequency and severity data from freeway segments where high-tension cable, thrie-beam, and concrete median barriers were installed. A comprehensive manual review of crash reports was conducted to identify crashes in which a vehicle left the roadway and encroached into the median. This review also involved an examination of crash outcomes when a barrier strike occurred, which included vehicle containment, penetration, or re-direction onto the travel lanes. The manual review of crash reports provided critical supplementary information through narratives and diagrams not normally available through standard fields on police crash report forms. Statistical models were estimated to identify factors that affect the frequency, severity, and outcomes of median-related crashes, with particular emphases on differences between segments with varying median barrier types. Several roadway-, traffic-, and environmental-related characteristics were found to affect these metrics, with results varying across the different barrier types. The results of this study provide transportation agencies with important guidance as to the in-service performance of various types of median barrier. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Extinction of radiant energy by large atmospheric crystals with different shapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shefer, Olga

2016-01-01

The calculated results of extinction characteristics of visible and infrared radiation for large semi-transparent crystals are obtained by hybrid technique, which is a combination of the geometric optics method and the physical optics method. Energy and polarization characteristics of the radiation extinction in terms of the elements of the extinction matrix for individual large crystals and ensemble of crystals are discussed. Influences of particle shapes, aspect ratios, parameters of size distribution, complex refractive index, orientation of crystals, wavelength, and the polarization state of an incident radiation on the extinction are illustrated. It is shown that the most expressive and stable features of energy and polarization characteristics of the extinction are observed in the midinfrared region, despite the fact that the ice particles significantly absorb the radiant energy of this spectrum. It is demonstrated that the polarized extinction characteristics can reach several tens of percent at IR wavelengths. For the large crystals, the conditions of occurrence of the spectral behavior of the extinction coefficient in the visible, near-IR, and mid-IR wavelength ranges are determined. - Highlights: • Method of physical optics is used at coherent sum of diffracted and refracted fields. • The extinction characteristics in terms of elements of extinction matrix are obtained. • Influence of shapes and sizes of large particles on the extinction is evaluated. • Conditions of occurrence of extinction features are determined.

Reducing the barriers to the uptake of cataract surgical services in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A joint partnership between the Ophthalmology Department, the hospital management and a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) was established to tackle the barriers of awareness, access and high cost of surgery to the uptake of cataract surgery from January 2005. The Ophthalmology Department and ...

A Simulation Study on the Performance of Radiant Ceilings Combined with Free-Hanging Horizontal Sound Absorbers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kazanci, Ongun Berk; Domínguez, L. Marcos; Rage, Niels

2018-01-01

using TABS, most building simulation models assume an uncovered ceiling; however, this might not be the case in practice, due to the use of free-hanging horizontal (or vertical) sound absorbers for the control of room acoustic conditions. The use of sound absorbers will decrease the performance...... of radiant ceiling cooling systems. Therefore, the quantification of the effects during the design phase is important for predicting the resulting thermal indoor environment and for system dimensioning. In this study, a two-person office room equipped with TABS was simulated using a commercially available...... simulation software with a recently developed plug-in that allows simulating the effects of horizontal sound absorbers on the performance of TABS and on the thermal indoor environment. The change in thermal indoor environment and in performance of TABS were quantified, and the simulation results were...

Benefits of barrier fuel on fuel cycle economics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crowther, R.L.; Kunz, C.L.

1988-01-01

Barrier fuel rod cladding was developed to eliminate fuel rod failures from pellet/cladding stress/corrosion interaction and to eliminate the associated need to restrict the rate at which fuel rod power can be increased. The performance of barrier cladding has been demonstrated through extensive testing and through production application to many boiling water reactors (BWRs). Power reactor data have shown that barrier fuel rod cladding has a significant beneficial effect on plant capacity factor and plant operating costs and significantly increases fuel reliability. Independent of the fuel reliability benefit, it is less obvious that barrier fuel has a beneficial effect of fuel cycle costs, since barrier cladding is more costly to fabricate. Evaluations, measurements, and development activities, however, have shown that the fuel cycle cost benefits of barrier fuel are large. This paper is a summary of development activities that have shown that application of barrier fuel significantly reduces BWR fuel cycle costs

Spray particle drift mitigation using field corn (Zea mays L.) as a drift barrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Bruno C; Butts, Thomas R; Rodrigues, Andre O; Golus, Jeffrey A; Schroeder, Kasey; Kruger, Greg R

2018-04-24

Herbicide particle drift reduces application efficacy and can cause severe impacts on nearby vegetation depending on the herbicide mode-of-action, exposure level, and tolerance to the herbicide. A particle drift mitigation effort placing windbreaks or barriers on the field boundaries to reduce off-target movement of spray particles has been utilized in the past. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of field corn (Zea mays L.) at different heights as a particle drift barrier. Applications with a non-air inclusion flat fan nozzle (ER11004) resulted in greater particle drift when compared to an air inclusion nozzle (TTI11004). Eight rows of corn were used as barriers (0.91, 1.22, and 1.98 m height) which reduced the particle drift for both nozzles, especially at shorter downwind distances. Applications with the ER11004 nozzle without corn barriers had 1% of the applied rate (D 99 ) predicted to deposit at 14.8 m downwind, whereas this distance was reduced (up to 7-fold) when applications were performed with corn barriers. The combination of corn drift barriers and nozzle selection (TTI11004) provided satisfactory particle drift reduction when the D 99 estimates were compared to applications with the ER11004 nozzle without corn barriers (up to 10-fold difference). The corn drift barriers were effective in reducing particle drift from applications with the ER11004 and the TTI11004 nozzles (Fine and Ultra Coarse spray classifications, respectively). The corn drift barrier had appropriate porosity and width as the airborne spray was captured within its canopy instead of deflecting up and over it. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Natural and Synthetic Barriers to Immobilize Radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Um, W.

2011-01-01

The experiments of weathering of glass waste form and the reacted sediments with simulated glass leachates show that radionuclide sequestration can be significantly enhanced by promoting the formation of secondary precipitates. In addition, synthetic phosphate-bearing nanoporous material exhibits high stability at temperature and has a very high K d value for U(VI) removal. Both natural and synthetic barrier materials can be used as additional efficient adsorbents for retarding transport of radionuclides for various contaminated waste streams and waste forms present at U. S. Department of Energy clean-up sites and the proposed geologic radioactive waste disposal facility. In the radioactive waste repository facility, natural or synthetic materials are planned to be used as a barrier material to immobilize and retard radionuclide release. The getter material can be used to selectively scavenge the radionuclide of interest from a liquid waste stream and subsequently incorporate the loaded getters in a cementitious or various monolithic waste forms. Also, the getter material is to reduce the release of radionuclides from monolithic waste forms. Also, the getter material is to reduce the release of radionuclides from monolithic waste forms. Also, the getter material is to reduce the release of radionuclides form monolithic waste forms by being emplaced as a backfill barrier material around the wastes or waste form to minimize the potential around the wastes or waste form to minimize the potential hazard of leached radioactive wastes. The barrier material should be highly efficient to sequester radionuclides and possess physical and chemical stability for long-term exposure to severe weathering conditions. Because potential leaching of radionuclides depends on various environmental and weathering conditions of the near-field repository, the barrier materials must be durable and not disintegrate under a range of moisture, temperature, pressure, radiation, Eh, ph. and

The impact of reducing financial barriers on utilisation of a primary health care facility in Rwanda

Science.gov (United States)

Dhillon, Ranu S.; Bonds, Matthew H.; Fraden, Max; Ndahiro, Donald; Ruxin, Josh

2011-01-01

This study investigates the impact of subsidising community-based health insurance (mutuelle) enrolment, removing point-of-service co-payments, and improving service delivery on health facility utilisation rates in Mayange, a sector of rural Rwanda of approximately 25,000 people divided among five ‘imidugudu’ or small villages. While comprehensive service upgrades were introduced in the Mayange Health Centre between April 2006 and February 2007, utilisation rates remained similar to comparison sites. Between February 2007 and April 2007, subsidies for mutuelle enrolment established virtually 100% coverage. Immediately after co-payments were eliminated in February 2007, patient visits levelled at a rate triple the previous value. Regression analyses using data from Mayange and two comparison sites indicate that removing financial barriers resulted in about 0.6 additional annual visits for curative care per capita. Although based on a single local pilot, these findings suggest that in order to achieve improved health outcomes, key short-term objectives include improved service delivery and reduced financial barriers. Based on this pilot, higher utilisation rates may be affected if broader swaths of the population are enrolled in mutuelle and co-payments are eliminated. Health leaders in Rwanda should consider further studies to determine if the impact of eliminating co-payments and increasing subsidies for mutuelle enrolment as seen in Mayange holds at greater levels of scale. Broader studies to better elucidate the impact of enrolment subsidies and co-payment subsidies on utilisation, health outcomes, and costs would also provide policy insights. PMID:21732708

Permanent isolation surface barrier development plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wing, N.R.

1994-01-01

The exhumation and treatment of wastes may not always be the preferred alternative in the remediation of a waste site. In-place disposal alternatives, under certain circumstances, may be the most desirable alternatives to use in the protection of human health and the environment. The implementation of an in-place disposal alternative will likely require some type of protective covering that will provide long-term isolation of the wastes from the accessible environment. Even if the wastes are exhumed and treated, a long-term barrier may still be needed to adequately dispose of the treated wastes or any remaining waste residuals. Currently, no open-quotes provenclose quotes long-term barrier is available. The Hanford Site Permanent Isolation Surface Barrier Development Program (BDP) was organized to develop the technology needed to provide a long-term surface barrier capability for the Hanford Site. The permanent isolation barrier technology also could be used at other sites. Permanent isolation barriers use engineered layers of natural materials to create an integrated structure with redundant protective features. Drawings of conceptual permanent isolation surface barriers are shown. The natural construction materials (e.g., fine soil, sand, gravel, riprap, asphalt) have been selected to optimize barrier performance and longevity. The objective of current designs is to use natural materials to develop a maintenance-free permanent isolation surface barrier that isolates wastes for a minimum of 1,000 years by limiting water drainage to near-zero amounts; reducing the likelihood of plant, animal, and human intrusion; controlling the exhalation of noxious gases; and minimizing erosion-related problems

Permanent isolation surface barrier development plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wing, N.R.

1994-01-01

The exhumation and treatment of wastes may not always be the preferred alternative in the remediation of a waste site. In-place disposal alternatives, under certain circumstances, may be the most desirable alternatives to use in the protection of human health and the environment. The implementation of an in-place disposal alternative will likely require some type of protective covering that will provide long-term isolation of the wastes from the accessible environment. Even if the wastes are exhumed and treated, a long-term barrier may still be needed to adequately dispose of the treated wastes or any remaining waste residuals. Currently, no {open_quotes}proven{close_quotes} long-term barrier is available. The Hanford Site Permanent Isolation Surface Barrier Development Program (BDP) was organized to develop the technology needed to provide a long-term surface barrier capability for the Hanford Site. The permanent isolation barrier technology also could be used at other sites. Permanent isolation barriers use engineered layers of natural materials to create an integrated structure with redundant protective features. Drawings of conceptual permanent isolation surface barriers are shown. The natural construction materials (e.g., fine soil, sand, gravel, riprap, asphalt) have been selected to optimize barrier performance and longevity. The objective of current designs is to use natural materials to develop a maintenance-free permanent isolation surface barrier that isolates wastes for a minimum of 1,000 years by limiting water drainage to near-zero amounts; reducing the likelihood of plant, animal, and human intrusion; controlling the exhalation of noxious gases; and minimizing erosion-related problems.

Numerical investigation on the convective heat transfer in a spiral coil with radiant heating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đorđević Milan Lj.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to numerically investigate the heat transfer in spiral coil tube in the laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow regimes. The Archimedean spiral coil was exposed to radiant heating and should represent heat absorber of parabolic dish solar concentrator. Specific boundary conditions represent the uniqueness of this study, since the heat flux upon the tube external surfaces varies not only in the circumferential direction, but also in the axial direction. The curvature ratio of spiral coil varies from 0.029 at the flow inlet to 0.234 at the flow outlet, while the heat transfer fluid is water. The 3-D steady-state transport equations were solved using the Reynolds stress turbulence model. Results showed that secondary flows strongly affect the flow and that the heat transfer is strongly asymmetric, with higher values near the outer wall of spiral. Although overall turbulence levels were lower than in a straight pipe, heat transfer rates were larger due to the curvature-induced modifications of the mean flow and temperature fields. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 42006

Analysis of directional radiative behavior and heating efficiency for a gas-fired radiant burner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, B.X.; Lu, Y.P.; Liu, L.H.; Kudo, K.; Tan, H.P.

2005-01-01

For the purpose of energy conservation and uniform heating of object surface, a gas-fired porous radiant burner with a bundle of reflecting tubes is developed. A physical model is developed to simulate the directional radiative behavior of this heating device, in which the Monte Carlo method based on the concept of radiation distribution factor is used to compute the directional radiative behavior. The effects of relating parameters on the directional behavior of radiative heating and the heating efficiency are analyzed. With the increase of the length-to-radius ratio of tube, the radiation heating efficiency decreases, but the radiation energy incident on the object surface is more collimated. The radiation heating efficiency increases with the specular reflectivity. With the increase in length of tube segment with specular reflective surface, the radiation heating efficiency increases, but the extent of concentration and collimation of radiative energy decreases. For real design of the heating device, some trade-offs are needed to balance the radiation heating efficiency and the uniformity of radiative heating of object surface

Development of dielectric barrier discharge for reducing microbial contamination in pepper (Piper nigrum) and sesame (Sesamum indicum Linn.) powder

Science.gov (United States)

Promping, J.; Prakongsil, P.; Picha, R.; Traikool, T.

2017-09-01

This research is designed to determine the efficacy of DBD plasma to reduce the microbial contamination of pepper and sesame powder. The AC high voltage power supply was used with voltages of up to 20 kV and the frequency of 5.5 kHz was applied to the DBD. The gap of DBD electrodes was set at 5 mm. In raw initial samples, the total aerobic count of pepper (Piper nigrum) was found at quite a high level at 5.40 × 105 CFU/g. Coliform bacteria was also found in both the sesame (Sesamum indicum Linn.) powder and pepper (Piper nigrum) powder. Both kinds of samples were treated with plasma for 2, 4, 6 and 10 minutes. Results indicated that plasma treatment at 2-10 minutes reduced the total aerobic count of pepper allowed to achieve the acceptable microbial level for spices. The plasma treatment times in this experiment were also effective in reducing faecal coliform bacteria in both pepper and sesame powders (MPN/g <3) as indicated in the standard. Plasma from dielectric barrier charge can reduce Staphylococcus epidermidis in sesame powder which was artificially contaminated with 3.50 × 102 CFU/g resulting in 0.15-0.5 log cycle reductions of microbial load.

Skin Barrier Function and Allergens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engebretsen, Kristiane Aasen; Thyssen, Jacob Pontoppidan

2016-01-01

The skin is an important barrier protecting us from mechanical insults, microorganisms, chemicals and allergens, but, importantly, also reducing water loss. A common hallmark for many dermatoses is a compromised skin barrier function, and one could suspect an elevated risk of contact sensitization...... and skin barrier status. Psoriasis has traditionally been regarded a Th1-dominated disease, but the discovery of Th17 cells and IL-17 provides new and interesting information regarding the pathogenesis of the disease. Research suggests an inverse relationship between psoriasis and CA, possibly due......) and Th2 (AD) have been proposed as an explanation. Finally, there is convincing evidence that exposure to irritants increases the risk of CS, and patients with ICD are, therefore, at great risk of developing CA. Skin irritation leads to the release of IL-1 and TNF-α, which affects the function of antigen...

Field study plan for alternate barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeman, H.D.; Gee, G.W.; Relyea, J.F.

1989-05-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is providing technical assistance in selecting, designing, evaluating, and demonstrating protective barriers. As part of this technical assistance effort, asphalt, clay, and chemical grout will be evaluated for use as alternate barriers. The purpose of the subsurface layer is to reduce the likelihood that extreme events (i.e., 100-year maximum storms, etc.) will cause significant drainage through the barrier. The tests on alternate barriers will include laboratory and field analysis of the subsurface layer performance. This field test plan outlines the activities required to test and design subsurface moisture barriers. The test plan covers activities completed in FY 1988 and planned through FY 1992 and includes a field-scale test of one or more of the alternate barriers to demonstrate full-scale application techniques and to provide performance data on a larger scale. Tests on asphalt, clay, and chemical grout were initiated in FY 1988 in small (30.5 cm diameter) tube-layer lysimeters. The parameters used for testing the materials were different for each one. The tests had to take into account the differences in material characteristics and response to change in conditions, as well as information provided by previous studies. 33 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

Numerical study of influence of different dispersed components of crystal cloud on transmission of radiant energy

Science.gov (United States)

Shefer, Olga

2017-11-01

The calculated results of the transmission of visible and infrared radiation by an atmosphere layer involving ensembles of large preferentially oriented crystals and spherical particles are presented. To calculate extinction characteristics, the physical optics method and the Mie theory are applied. Among all atmospheric particles, both the small particles that are commensurable with the wavelength of the incident radiation and the large plates and the columns are distinguished by the most pronounced dependence of the transmission on spectra of radiant energy. The work illustrates features of influence of parameters of the particle size distribution, particle aspect ratios, orientation and particle refractive index, also polarization state of the incident radiation on the transmission. The predominant effect of the plates on the wavelength dependence of the transmission is shown. A separated and cooperative contributes of the large plates and the small volume shape particles to the common transmission by medium are considered.

Recent results from TMX-U thermal barrier experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molvik, A.W.; Allen, S.; Barter, J.

1984-01-01

The Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U) device was designed to study plasma confinement in a tandem mirror with thermal barriers. Previously the author reported improved axial confinement with high end-plug potentials, consistent with thermal barrier operation. Now, the existence of thermal barriers in TMX-U confirmed by measuring the axial potential profile. Specifically, measured the change in energy of a 5-keV deuterium neutral beam that is injected nearly parallel to the axis and is ionized between the barrier and the central cell. The authors found that the barrier potential is lower than the central cell potential, as required for a thermal barrier. The peak potential is at least 2.4 keV, as determined from the minimum energy of end loss ions. In addition, radial transport is reduced by the use of floating and electrodes that map to concentric cylinders in the central cell. Sloshing ions continue to be microstable

Monitoring the Vadose Zone Moisture Regime Below a Surface Barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Z. F.; Strickland, C. E.; Field, J. G.

2009-12-01

A 6000 m2 interim surface barrier has been constructed over a portion of the T Tank Farm in the Depart of Energy’s Hanford site. The purpose of using a surface barrier was to reduce or eliminate the infiltration of meteoric precipitation into the contaminated soil zone due to past leaks from Tank T-106 and hence to reduce the rate of movement of the plume. As part of the demonstration effort, vadose zone moisture is being monitored to assess the effectiveness of the barrier on the reduction of soil moisture flow. A vadose zone monitoring system was installed to measure soil water conditions at four horizontal locations (i.e., instrument Nests A, B, C, and D) outside, near the edge of, and beneath the barrier. Each instrument nest consists of a capacitance probe with multiple sensors, multiple heat-dissipation units, and a neutron probe access tube used to measure soil-water content and soil-water pressure. Nest A serves as a control by providing subsurface conditions outside the influence of the surface barrier. Nest B provides subsurface measurements to assess barrier edge effects. Nests C and D are used to assess the impact of the surface barrier on soil-moisture conditions beneath it. Monitoring began in September 2006 and continues to the present. To date, the monitoring system has provided high-quality data. Results show that the soil beneath the barrier has been draining from the shallower depth. The lack of climate-caused seasonal variation of soil water condition beneath the barrier indicates that the surface barrier has minimized water exchange between the soil and the atmosphere.

Mathematical modelling, variational formulation and numerical simulation of the energy transfer process in a gray plate in the presence of a thermal radiant source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gama, R.M.S. da.

1992-05-01

The energy transfer process in a gray, opaque and rigid plate, heated by an external thermal radiant source, is considered. The source is regarded as a spherical black body, with radius a (a → 0) and uniform heat generation, placed above the plate. A mathematical model is constructed, assuming that the heat transfer from/to the plate takes place by thermal radiation. The obtained mathematical model is nonlinear. Is presented a suitable variational principle which is employed for simulating some particular cases. (author)

164 Causes and Architectural Solution to Heat and Non- conducive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nekky Umera

A cool roof, or green roof in addition to a radiant barrier (Ceiling) can help prevent .... Note greenhouse effect where frequencies generated by the sun (a hot object) can penetrate glass, after which they are absorbed within interior building ...

Near-Surface Engineered Environmental Barrier Integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, S.J.; Breckenridge, R.P.

2002-01-01

The INEEL Environmental Systems Research and Analysis (ESRA) program has launched a new R and D project on Near-Surface Engineered Environmental Barrier Integrity to increase knowledge and capabilities for using engineering and ecological components to improve the integrity of near-surface barriers used to confine contaminants from the public and the environment. The knowledge gained and the capabilities built will help verify the adequacy of past remedial decisions and enable improved solutions for future cleanup decisions. The research is planned to (a) improve the knowledge of degradation mechanisms (weathering, biological, geological, chemical, radiological, and catastrophic) in times shorter than service life, (b) improve modeling of barrier degradation dynamics, (c) develop sensor systems to identify degradation prior to failure, and (d) provide a better basis for developing and testing of new barrier systems to increase reliability and reduce the risk of failure. Our project combine s selected exploratory studies (benchtop and field scale), coupled effects accelerated aging testing and the meso-scale, testing of new monitoring concepts, and modeling of dynamic systems. The performance of evapo-transpiration, capillary, and grout-based barriers will be examined

Thermal barrier coatings application in diesel engines

Science.gov (United States)

Fairbanks, J. W.

1995-01-01

Commercial use of thermal barrier coatings in diesel engines began in the mid 70's by Dr. Ingard Kvernes at the Central Institute for Industrial Research in Oslo, Norway. Dr. Kvernes attributed attack on diesel engine valves and piston crowns encountered in marine diesel engines in Norwegian ships as hot-corrosion attributed to a reduced quality of residual fuel. His solution was to coat these components to reduce metal temperature below the threshold of aggressive hot-corrosion and also provide protection. Roy Kamo introduced thermal barrier coatings in his 'Adiabatic Diesel Engine' in the late 70's. Kamo's concept was to eliminate the engine block water cooling system and reduce heat losses. Roy reported significant performance improvements in his thermally insulated engine at the SAE Congress in 1982. Kamo's work stimulates major programs with insulated engines, particularly in Europe. Most of the major diesel engine manufacturers conducted some level of test with insulated combustion chamber components. They initially ran into increased fuel consumption. The German engine consortium had Prof. Woschni of the Technical Institute in Munich. Woschni conducted testing with pistons with air gaps to provide the insulation effects. Woschni indicated the hot walls of the insulated engine created a major increase in heat transfer he refers to as 'convection vive.' Woschni's work was a major factor in the abrupt curtailment of insulated diesel engine work in continental Europe. Ricardo in the UK suggested that combustion should be reoptimized for the hot-wall effects of the insulated combustion chamber and showed under a narrow range of conditions fuel economy could be improved. The Department of Energy has supported thermal barrier coating development for diesel engine applications. In the Clean Diesel - 50 Percent Efficient (CD-50) engine for the year 2000, thermal barrier coatings will be used on piston crowns and possibly other components. The primary purpose of the

Model assessment of protective barrier designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayer, M.J.; Conbere, W.; Heller, P.R.; Gee, G.W.

1985-11-01

A protective barrier is being considered for use at the Hanford site to enhance the isolation of previously disposed radioactive wastes from infiltrating water, and plant and animal intrusion. This study is part of a research and development effort to design barriers and evaluate their performance in preventing drainage. A fine-textured soil (the Composite) was located on the Hanford site in sufficient quantity for use as the top layer of the protective barrier. A number of simulations were performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory to analyze different designs of the barrier using the Composite soil as well as the finer-textured Ritzville silt loam and a slightly coarser soil (Coarse). Design variations included two rainfall rates (16.0 and 30.1 cm/y), the presence of plants, gravel mixed into the surface of the topsoil, an impermeable boundary under the topsoil, and moving the waste form from 10 to 20 m from the barrier edge. The final decision to use barriers for enhanced isolation of previously disposed wastes will be subject to decisions resulting from the completion of the Hanford Defense Waste Environmental Impact Statement, which addresses disposal of Hanford defense high-level and transuranic wastes. The one-dimensional simulation results indicate that each of the three soils, when used as the top layer of the protective barrier, can prevent drainage provided plants are present. Gravel amendments to the upper 30 cm of soil (without plants) reduced evaporation and allowed more water to drain

Tritium permeation barriers for fusion technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perujo, A.; Forcey, K.

1994-01-01

An important issue concerning the safety, feasibility and fueling (i.e., tritium breeding ratio and recovery from the breeding blanket) of a fusion reactor is the possible tritium leakages through the structural materials and in particular through those operating at high temperatures. The control of tritium permeation could be a critical factor in determining the viability of a future fusion power reactor. The formation of tritium permeation barriers to prevent the loss of tritium to the coolant by diffusion though the structural material seems to be the most practical method to minimize such losses. Many authors have discussed the formation of permeation barriers to reduce the leakage of hydrogen isotopes through proposed first wall and structural materials. In general, there are two routes for the formation of such a barrier, namely: the growth of oxide layers (e.g., Cr 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , etc.) or the application of surface coatings. Non-metals are the most promising materials from the point of view of the formation of permeation barriers. Oxides such as Al 2 O 3 or Cr 2 O 3 or carbides such as SiC or TiC have been proposed. Amongst the metals only tungsten or gold are sufficiently less permeable than steel to warrant investigation as candidate materials for permeation barriers. It is of course possible to grow oxide layers on steel directly by heating in the atmosphere or under a variety of conditions (first route above). The direct oxidizing is normally done in an environment of open-quotes wet hydrogenclose quotes to promote the growth of chromia on, for example, nickel steels or ternary oxides on 316L to prevent corrosion. The application of surface layers (second route above), offers a greater range of materials for the formation of permeation barriers. In addition to reducing permeation, such layers should be adhesive, resistant to attack by corrosive breeder materials and should not crack during thermal cycling

Barriers and facilitators to reducing frequent laboratory testing for patients who are stable on warfarin: a mixed methods study of de-implementation in five anticoagulation clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Geoffrey D; Misirliyan, Sevan; Kaatz, Scott; Jackson, Elizabeth A; Haymart, Brian; Kline-Rogers, Eva; Kozlowski, Jay; Krol, Gregory; Froehlich, James B; Sales, Anne

2017-07-14

Patients on chronic warfarin therapy require regular laboratory monitoring to safely manage warfarin. Recent studies have challenged the need for routine monthly blood draws in the most stable warfarin-treated patients, suggesting the safety of less frequent laboratory testing (up to every 12 weeks). De-implementation efforts aim to reduce the use of low-value clinical practices. To explore barriers and facilitators of a de-implementation effort to reduce the use of frequent laboratory tests for patients with stable warfarin management in nurse/pharmacist-run anticoagulation clinics, we performed a mixed-methods study conducted within a state-wide collaborative quality improvement collaborative. Using a mixed-methods approach, we conducted post-implementation semi-structured interviews with a total of eight anticoagulation nurse or pharmacist staff members at five participating clinic sites to assess barriers and facilitators to de-implementing frequent international normalized ratio (INR) laboratory testing among patients with stable warfarin control. Interview guides were based on the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Disease (TICD) framework. Informed by interview themes, a survey was developed and administered to all anticoagulation clinical staff (n = 62) about their self-reported utilization of less frequent INR testing and specific barriers to de-implementing the standard (more frequent) INR testing practice. From the interviews, four themes emerged congruent with TICD domains: (1) staff overestimating their actual use of less frequent INR testing (individual health professional factors), (2) barriers to appropriate patient engagement (incentives and resources), (3) broad support for an electronic medical record flag to identify potentially eligible patients (incentives and resources), and (4) the importance of personalized nurse/pharmacist feedback (individual health professional factors). In the survey (65% response rate), staff report offering less

Lysosomal storage diseases and the blood-brain barrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Begley, David J; Pontikis, Charles C; Scarpa, Maurizio

2008-01-01

The blood-brain barrier becomes a crucial issue in neuronopathic lysosomal storage diseases for three reasons. Firstly, the function of the blood-brain barrier may be compromised in many of the lysosomal storage diseases and this barrier dysfunction may contribute to the neuropathology seen in the diseases and accelerate cell death. Secondly, the substrate reduction therapies, which successfully reduce peripheral lysosomal storage, because of the blood-brain barrier may not have as free an access to brain cells as they do to peripheral cells. And thirdly, enzyme replacement therapy appears to have little access to the central nervous system as the mannose and mannose-6-phosphate receptors involved in their cellular uptake and transport to the lysosome do not appear to be expressed at the adult blood-brain barrier. This review will discuss in detail these issues and their context in the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Endogenous mobility-reducing norms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haagsma, R.; Koning, N.B.J.

2002-01-01

We present a model where a mobility-reducing norm arises in response to adverse economic conditions. Our example is the classical farm problem of low returns. A temporary transition barrier induces cognitive dissonance in farm youths, which they try to reduce by developing a belief that revalues

Parameter optimization through performance analysis of model based control of a batch heat treatment furnace with low NO x radiant tube burner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, Manish Kumar; Mukhopadhyay, Achintya; Sanyal, Dipankar

2005-01-01

A model based control structure for heat treating a 0.5% C steel slab in a batch furnace with low NO x radiant tube burner is designed and tested for performance to yield optimal parameter values using the model developed in the companion paper. Combustion is considered in a highly preheated and product gas diluted mode. Controlled combustion with a proposed arrangement for preheating and diluting the air by recirculating the exhaust gas that can be retrofitted with an existing burner yields satisfactory performance and emission characteristics. Finally, the effect of variable property considerations are presented and critically analyzed

Richards Barrier LA Reference Design Feature Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

N.E. Kramer

1999-01-01

The Richards Barrier is one of the design features of the repository to be considered for the License Application (LA), Richards was a soil scientist who first described the diversion of moisture between two materials with different hydrologic properties. In this report, a Richards Barrier is a special type of backfill with a fine-grained material (such as sand) overlaying a coarse-grained material (such as gravel). Water that enters an emplacement drift will first encounter the fine-grained material and be transported around the coarse-grained material covering the waste package, thus protecting the waste package from contact with most of the groundwater. The objective of this report is to discuss the benefits and liabilities to the repository by the inclusion of a Richards Barrier type backfill in emplacement drifts. The Richards Barrier can act as a barrier to water flow, can reduce the waste package material dissolution rate, limit mobilization of the radionuclides, and can provide structural protection for the waste package. The scope of this report is to: (1) Analyze the behavior of barrier materials following the intrusion of groundwater for influxes of 1 to 300 mm per year. The report will demonstrate diversion of groundwater intrusions into the barrier over an extended time period when seismic activity and consolidation may cause the potential for liquefaction and settlement of the Richards Barrier. (2) Review the thermal effects of the Richards Barrier on material behavior. (3) Analyze the effect of rockfall on the performance of the Richards Barrier and the depth of the barrier required to protect waste packages under the barrier. (4) Review radiological and heating conditions on placement of multiple layers of the barrier. Subsurface Nuclear Safety personnel will perform calculations to determine the radiation reduction-time relationship and shielding capacity of the barrier. (5) Evaluate the effects of ventilation on cooling of emplacement drifts and

Research on the Improvement of a Natural Gas Fired Burner for the CHP Application in a Central Heating Boiler using Radiant Burner Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bieleveld, T.

2010-08-15

minimized and more heat is transferred via radiation. Because the current engine-burner is of the surface burner type, a model for this burner type is established, showing typical burner characteristics. It is investigated how the radiant efficiency can be improved of this porous surface burner type. Using this burner technology, the maximum possible radiant heat flux would lead to an impractically large burner surface area. It is believed that the radiation efficiency of the burner can be greatly enhanced when combustion takes place inside a porous medium. By doing so, high material temperatures can be achieved due to internal radiation and the heat exchanger effect of the burner material downstream of the flame. The theoretical maximum burner performance is therefore investigated for a certain value of optimum temperature, for which the gas temperature and solid temperature are equal. It is found that a submerged flame inside a porous medium greatly enhances radiant efficiency. From previous, mainly experimental work on dual layer submerged combustion, preferable material parameters per layer are found and a suggestion is made for future practical analysis. Because of the high potential of the dual porous layer submerged radiant burner, a model for this type of burner is initiated. For ease of future changes and implementation, as well as to obtain knowledge on this type of burner, model development was performed by its future user, the author of this thesis.

Information barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, J.L.; Wolford, J.

2001-01-01

policy and security reviews. These elements are: Supplier of Integrated Measurement System and Information Barrier; Central Processing Units (CPUs); Non-CPU Equipment; Procedures; Electronic Emanations; Location of Barriers(s); Software, Firmware, CPU Operating Systems; Storage, Authentication, and Disposition of Data and Data Media; Inputs and Outputs. Technical specialists from cooperating parties must be able to prove to their respective policy makers that it is not overly difficult to make measurements of sensitive objects without revealing classified information. Without technical measures to inspect classified nuclear items and materials, it will be extremely difficult to reduce stockpiles in a manner that does not impact the security of Russia and the United States. The importance of successfully developing and implementing effective information barrier methods and procedures can not be overstated. A cooperative program is a good investment in U.S., Russian, and international security and threat reduction. The utility of radiation detection systems to characterize known and unknown quantities of nuclear material is without dispute. Such systems offer a powerful technological tool for warhead dismantlement transparency, and bilateral and international safeguards. There are many examples of their use in the international community today. The problem is the application of such systems with a host country's sensitive nuclear material. If it is one objective of any bilateral or trilateral arrangement to prevent the release of classified nuclear data to the inspecting party when inspecting sensitive materials, then some form of information barrier must be integrated into the measurement system. Through a set of well-defined principles as described above, the protection of such information is not a difficult problem to solve. Perhaps the more difficult problem is providing an inspecting party with confidence, for the case where the host supplies and/or certifies the

Radiant and convective heat transfer for flow of a transparent gas in a short tube with prescribed sinusoidal wall heat flux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

de Lemos, M.J.S.

1982-01-01

The present analysis accounts for radiant and convective heat transfer for a transparent fluid flowing in a short tube with prescribed wall heat flux. The heat flux distribution used was of sine shape with maximum at the middle of the tube. Such a solution is the approximate one for axial power in a nuclear reactor. The solutions for the tube wall and gas bulk temperatures were obtained by successive substitutions for the wall and gas balance energy equations. The results show a decrease of 30% for the maximum wall temperature using black surface (e = 1). In this same case, the increasing in the gas temperature shows a decrease of 58%

InGaP Heterojunction Barrier Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Welser, Roger E. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A new solar cell structure called a heterojunction barrier solar cell is described. As with previously reported quantum-well and quantum-dot solar cell structures, a layer of narrow band-gap material, such as GaAs or indium-rich InGaP, is inserted into the depletion region of a wide band-gap PN junction. Rather than being thin, however, the layer of narrow band-gap material is about 400-430 nm wide and forms a single, ultrawide well in the depletion region. Thin (e.g., 20-50 nm), wide band-gap InGaP barrier layers in the depletion region reduce the diode dark current. Engineering the electric field and barrier profile of the absorber layer, barrier layer, and p-type layer of the PN junction maximizes photogenerated carrier escape. This new twist on nanostructured solar cell design allows the separate optimization of current and voltage to maximize conversion efficiency.

Sprache als Barriere (Language as a Barrier)

Science.gov (United States)

Mattheier, Klaus

1974-01-01

The concept of language barrier has its derivations in the fields of dialectology, sociology and psychology. In contemporary usage however, the concept has two meanings i.e. regional-cultural barrier and socio-cultural barrier. (Text is in German.) (DS)

Physician variation in perceived barriers to personal health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubenfire M

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Adam RB Kosteva1, Brian M Salata1, Sangeetha Mahadevan Krishnan2, Michael Howe3, Alissa Weber3, Melvyn Rubenfire2,3, Elizabeth A Jackson2,31Michigan Cardiovascular Research and Reporting Program, 2Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, 3Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USAObjective: Physicians’ personal health habits are associated with their counseling habits regarding physical activity. We sought to examine physicians’ own barriers to a healthy lifestyle by level of training and gender.Methods: Physicians at a major teaching hospital were surveyed regarding their lifestyle habits and barriers to healthy habits. The frequency of reported barriers was examined by years in practice (trainees vs staff physicians and gender.Results: 183 total responses were received. Over 20% of respondents were overweight. Work schedule was cited as the greatest barrier to regular exercise in 70.5% of respondents. Trainees were more likely to cite time constraints or cost as a barrier to a healthy diet compared to staff physicians. Staff physicians were more likely to report the time to prepare healthy foods as a barrier. For both trainees and staff physicians, time was a barrier to regular exercise. For trainees work schedule was a barrier, while both work schedule and family commitments were top barriers cited by staff physicians. Women were more likely to report family commitments as a barrier than men. Respondents suggested healthier options in vending machines and the hospital cafeteria, healthy recipes, and time and/or facilities for exercise at work as options to help overcome these barriers.Conclusion: Work schedules and family commitments are frequently reported by providers as barriers to healthy lifestyle. Efforts to reduce such barriers may lead to improved health habits among providers.Keywords: diet, exercise, counseling, prevention, gender, barriers, health

Depression Screening and Education: Options to Reduce Barriers to Treatment (DESEO): protocol for an educational intervention study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Katherine; Eghaneyan, Brittany H; Trivedi, Madhukar H

2016-07-29

Barriers to depression treatment among Hispanic populations include persistent stigma, inadequate doctor patient communication (DPC) and resultant sub-optimal use of anti-depressant medications. Stigma is primarily perpetuated due to inadequate disease literacy and cultural factors. Common concerns about depression treatments among Hispanics include fears about the addictive and harmful properties of antidepressants, worries about taking too many pills, and the stigma attached to taking psychotropic medications. The current manuscript presents the study protocol for the Depression Screening and Education: Options to Reduce Barriers to Treatment (DESEO) study funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Grants to Support the Hispanic Health Services Research Grant Program. DESEO will implement universal screening with a self-report depression screening tool (the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)) that is presented through a customized web application and a Depression Education Intervention (DEI) designed to increase disease literacy, and dispel myths about depression and its treatment among Hispanic patients thus reducing stigma and increasing treatment engagement. This project will be conducted at one community health center whose patient population is majority Hispanic. The target enrollment for recruitment is 350 patients over the 24-month study period. A one-group, pretest-posttest design will be used to asses knowledge of depression and its treatment and related stigma before, immediately after, and one month post intervention. Primary care settings often are the gateway to identifying undiagnosed mental health disorders, particularly for people with comorbid physical health conditions. This study is unique in that it aims to examine the specific role of patient education as an intervention to increase engagement in depression treatment. By participating in the DEI, it is expected that patients will have time to understand treatment

Standards for the Protection of Skin Barrier Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Giménez-Arnau, Ana

2016-01-01

The skin is a vital organ, and through our skin we are in close contact with the entire environment. If we lose our skin we lose our life. The barrier function of the skin is mainly driven by the sophisticated epidermis in close relationship with the dermis. The epidermal epithelium is a mechanically, chemically, biologically and immunologically active barrier submitted to continuous turnover. The barrier function of the skin needs to be protected and restored. Its own physiology allows its recovery, but many times this is not sufficient. This chapter is focused on the standards to restore, treat and prevent barrier function disruption. These standards were developed from a scientific, academic and clinical point of view. There is a lack of standardized administrative recommendations. Still, there is a walk to do that will help to reduce the social and economic burden of diseases characterized by an abnormal skin barrier function. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Barriers to Successful Treatment Completion in Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

Science.gov (United States)

McPherson, Paul; Scribano, Philip; Stevens, Jack

2012-01-01

Child sexual abuse (CSA) often requires psychological treatment to address the symptoms of victim trauma. Barriers to entry and completion of counseling services can compromise long-term well-being. An integrated medical and mental health evaluation and treatment model of a child advocacy center (CAC) has the potential to reduce barriers to mental…

Self-reported physical activity in patients on chronic hemodialysis: correlates and barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bossola, Maurizio; Pellu, Valentina; Di Stasio, Enrico; Tazza, Luigi; Giungi, Stefania; Nebiolo, Pier Eugenio

2014-01-01

The knowledge of the barriers that are associated with decreased physical activity (PA) in patients on chronic hemodialysis (PCH) may be of primary importance for the nephrologists. Thus, we aimed to assess the barriers associated with the absent or reduced PA in PCH of a Mediterranean country. Patients were invited to answer the question 'How often do you exercise during your leisure time?'. Also, patients included in the study were asked to answer questions regarding barriers to physical activity lower than desired. We studied 105 patients. Forty (38.1%) patients reported to never exercise, 6 (5.7%) reported to exercise less than once/week, 4 (3.8%) once/week, 23 (21.9%) two to three times/week, 12 (11.4%) four to five times/week and 20 (19%) daily. Overall, 46 (43.8%) patients never exercised or exercised less than once/week ('inactive') and 59 (56.2%) did exercise more often ('active'). At the multivariate analysis, reduced walking ability, fatigue on the non-dialysis days, and shortness of breath were independently and negatively associated with PA. The same results were found when the reduced model of the multivariate logistic backward regression was built introducing in the model also clinical and laboratory variables. In PCH, fatigue on the non-dialysis days, reduced walking ability, and shortness of breath are barriers independently associated to decreased PA. Knowledge about the causes and mechanisms that generate these barriers has to be acquired. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Overcoming barriers to exercise among parents: A social cognitive theory perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Mailey, Emily L.; Phillips, Siobhan M.; Dlugonski, Deirdre; Conroy, David E.

2017-01-01

Parents face numerous barriers to exercise and exhibit high levels of inactivity. Examining theory-based determinants of exercise among parents may inform interventions for this population. The purpose of this study was to test a social-cognitive model of parental exercise participation over a 12-month period. Mothers (n=226) and fathers (n=70) of children exercise, barriers self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and exercise planning at baseline and one year later. Panel analyses were used to test the hypothesized relationships. Barriers self-efficacy was related to exercise directly and indirectly through perceived barriers and prioritization/planning. Prioritization and planning also mediated the relationship between perceived barriers and exercise. These paths remained significant at 12 months. These results suggest efforts to increase exercise in parents should focus on improving confidence to overcome exercise barriers, reducing perceptions of barriers, and helping parents make specific plans for prioritizing and engaging in exercise. PMID:27108160

Reliability enhancement due to in-situ post-oxidation of sputtered MgO barrier in double MgO barrier magnetic tunnel junction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chikako Yoshida

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We have investigated the effects of in-situ post-oxidation (PO of a sputtered MgO barrier in a double-MgO-barrier magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ and found that the short error rate was significantly reduced, the magnetoresistance (MR ratio was increased approximately 18%, and the endurance lifetime was extend. In addition, we found that the distribution of breakdown number (a measure of endurance exhibits trimodal characteristics, which indicates competition between extrinsic and intrinsic failures. This improvement in reliability might be related to the suppression of Fe and Co diffusion to the MgO barrier, as revealed by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS analysis.

Modeling of radiant heat transfers in non-grey gases using the discrete ordinate method in association with a narrow bands statistical model; Modelisation des transferts radiatifs dans des gaz non gris par la methode des ordonnees discretes associee a un modele statistique a bandes etroites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, A.B. de; Delmas, A; Sacadura, J F [Institut National des Sciences Appliquees (INSA), 69 - Villeurbanne (France)

1997-12-31

A formulation based on the use of the discrete ordinate method applied to the integral form of the radiant heat transfer equation is proposed for non-grey gases. The correlations between transmittances are neglected and no explicit wall reflexion is considered. The configuration analyzed consists in a flat layer of non-isothermal steam-nitrogen mixture. Cavity walls are grey with diffuse reflexion and emission. A narrow band statistical model is used to represent the radiative properties of the gas. The distribution of the radiative source term inside the cavity is calculated along two temperature profiles in a uniform steam concentration. Results obtained using this simplified approach are in good agreement with those found in the literature for the same temperature and concentration distributions. This preliminary study seems to indicate that the algorithm based on the integration of radiant heat transfer along the luminance path is less sensitive to de-correlation effects than formulations based on the differential form the the radiant heat transfer. Thus, a more systematic study of the influence of the neglecting of correlations on the integral approach is analyzed in this work. (J.S.) 16 refs.

Modeling of radiant heat transfers in non-grey gases using the discrete ordinate method in association with a narrow bands statistical model; Modelisation des transferts radiatifs dans des gaz non gris par la methode des ordonnees discretes associee a un modele statistique a bandes etroites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, A.B. de; Delmas, A.; Sacadura, J.F. [Institut National des Sciences Appliquees (INSA), 69 - Villeurbanne (France)

1996-12-31

A formulation based on the use of the discrete ordinate method applied to the integral form of the radiant heat transfer equation is proposed for non-grey gases. The correlations between transmittances are neglected and no explicit wall reflexion is considered. The configuration analyzed consists in a flat layer of non-isothermal steam-nitrogen mixture. Cavity walls are grey with diffuse reflexion and emission. A narrow band statistical model is used to represent the radiative properties of the gas. The distribution of the radiative source term inside the cavity is calculated along two temperature profiles in a uniform steam concentration. Results obtained using this simplified approach are in good agreement with those found in the literature for the same temperature and concentration distributions. This preliminary study seems to indicate that the algorithm based on the integration of radiant heat transfer along the luminance path is less sensitive to de-correlation effects than formulations based on the differential form the the radiant heat transfer. Thus, a more systematic study of the influence of the neglecting of correlations on the integral approach is analyzed in this work. (J.S.) 16 refs.

Barrier mechanisms in the Drosophila blood-brain barrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha Jane Hindle

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The invertebrate blood-brain barrier field is growing at a rapid pace and, in recent years, studies have shown a physiologic and molecular complexity that has begun to rival its vertebrate counterpart. Novel mechanisms of paracellular barrier maintenance through GPCR signaling were the first demonstrations of the complex adaptive mechanisms of barrier physiology. Building upon this work, the integrity of the invertebrate blood-brain barrier has recently been shown to require coordinated function of all layers of the compound barrier structure, analogous to signaling between the layers of the vertebrate neurovascular unit. These findings strengthen the notion that many blood-brain barrier mechanisms are conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates, and suggest that novel findings in invertebrate model organisms will have a significant impact on the understanding of vertebrate BBB functions. In this vein, important roles in coordinating localized and systemic signaling to dictate organism development and growth are beginning to show how the blood-brain barrier can govern whole animal physiologies. This includes novel functions of blood-brain barrier gap junctions in orchestrating synchronized neuroblast proliferation, and of blood-brain barrier secreted antagonists of insulin receptor signaling. These advancements and others are pushing the field forward in exciting new directions. In this review, we provide a synopsis of invertebrate blood-brain barrier anatomy and physiology, with a focus on insights from the past 5 years, and highlight important areas for future study.

Crossing the Telemedicine Chasm: Have the U.S. Barriers to Widespread Adoption of Telemedicine Been Significantly Reduced?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia LeRouge

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Barriers have challenged widespread telemedicine adoption by health care organizations for 40 years. These barriers have been technological, financial, and legal and have also involved business strategy and human resources. The article canvasses recent trends—events and activities in each of these areas as well as US health reform activities that might help to break down these barriers. The key to telemedicine success in the future is to view it as an integral part of health care services and not as a stand-alone project. Telemedicine must move from experimental and separate to integrated and equivalent to other health services within health care organizations. Furthermore, telemedicine serves as vital connective tissue for expanding health care organization networks.

Numerical Simulation of the Application of Solar Radiant Systems, Internal Airflow and Occupants’ Presence in the Improvement of Comfort in Winter Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eusébio Z. E. Conceição

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, the use of numerical simulation in the application of solar radiant systems, internal airflow and occupants’ presence in the improvement of comfort in winter conditions is made. The thermal comfort, the local thermal discomfort and the air quality in an occupied chamber space are evaluated. In the experimental measurements, a wood chamber, a desk, two seats, two seated hygro-thermal manikins, a warm radiant floor, a solar radiation simulator and a water solar collector are used. The air velocity and the air temperature fluctuation are experimentally evaluated around 15 human body sections. The chamber surface temperature is experimentally measured. In the numerical simulation, a coupling human thermal comfort (HTC integral model, a computational fluids dynamics (CFD differential model and a building thermal response (BTR integral model are applied. The human thermal comfort level is evaluated by the HTC numerical model. The airflow inside the virtual chamber, using the k-epsilon and RNG turbulence models, is evaluated by the CFD numerical model. The chamber surface and the collector temperatures are evaluated by the BTR numerical model. In the human thermal comfort level, in non-uniform environments, the predicted mean vote (PMV and the predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD people are numerically evaluated; in the local thermal discomfort level the draught risk (DR is experimentally and numerically analyzed; and in the air quality, the carbon dioxide CO2 concentration is numerically calculated. In the validation tests, the experimental and numerical values of the chamber surface temperature, the air temperature, the air velocity, the air turbulence intensity and the DR are presented.

Influence of solid noise barriers on near-road and on-road air quality

Science.gov (United States)

Baldauf, Richard W.; Isakov, Vlad; Deshmukh, Parikshit; Venkatram, Akula; Yang, Bo; Zhang, K. Max

2016-03-01

Public health concerns regarding adverse health effects for populations spending significant amounts of time near high traffic roadways has increased substantially in recent years. Roadside features, including solid noise barriers, have been investigated as potential methods that can be implemented in a relatively short time period to reduce air pollution exposures from nearby traffic. A field study was conducted to determine the influence of noise barriers on both on-road and downwind pollutant concentrations near a large highway in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ultrafine particles, and black carbon were measured using a mobile platform and fixed sites along two limited-access stretches of highway that contained a section of noise barrier and a section with no noise barrier at-grade with the surrounding terrain. Results of the study showed that pollutant concentrations behind the roadside barriers were significantly lower relative to those measured in the absence of barriers. The reductions ranged from 50% within 50 m from the barrier to about 30% as far as 300 m from the barrier. Reductions in pollutant concentrations generally began within the first 50 m of the barrier edge; however, concentrations were highly variable due to vehicle activity behind the barrier and along nearby urban arterial roadways. The concentrations on the highway, upwind of the barrier, varied depending on wind direction. Overall, the on-road concentrations in front of the noise barrier were similar to those measured in the absence of the barrier, contradicting previous modeling results that suggested roadside barriers increase pollutant levels on the road. Thus, this study suggests that noise barriers do reduce potential pollutant exposures for populations downwind of the road, and do not likely increase exposures to traffic-related pollutants for vehicle passengers on the highway.

Effect of a gap opening on the conductance of graphene with magnetic barrier structures

Science.gov (United States)

Esmailpour, Mohammad

2018-04-01

In the present study Klein tunneling in a single-layer gapped graphene was investigated by transfer matrix method under normal magnetic field for one and two magnetic barriers. Calculations show that electron transmission through a magnetic barrier is deflected to positive angles and reduces as the magnitude of magnetic field and especially the energy gap increases. This reduction is even more significant in larger fields so that after reaching a specific value of energy gap, an effective confinement for fermions and suppression of Klein tunneling is reached particularly in normal incidence and the conductance becomes zero. Unlike one barrier, the process of tunneling through two magnetic barriers induces symmetric transmission probability versus the incident angle; even, for lower energy gaps, electron transmission probability increases which in turn reduces total conductance via proper changes in the value of the magnetic field and energy gap. In general, it is concluded that confining electrons in asymmetric transmission through one barrier is conducted better than two barriers.

Performance of engineered barriers for low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taplin, D.; Claridge, F.B.

1987-09-01

Geotechnical Resources Ltd., in association with Komex Consultants Ltd., was retained to collect, synthesize and evaluate the available information on the long term performance of engineered barriers for low-level radioactive wastes disposed in Canada. Literature was researched from Canadian, United States and European sources. A variety of barrier materials were assessed in the study and included natural clays, concrete and cement, metals, bentonite-sand admixes, bitumen and bituminous admixes, soil cement and polymeric membranes. The generalized geological and geotechnical conditions encountered within the soil and rock host media currently under consideration for disposal sites in southern Ontario were also summarized. Both internal barriers, or buffers, to immobilize the waste material and reduce radionuclide mobility, as well as external barriers to limit the migration of contaminants were examined. Microbial activities within the waste forms were analyzed, including cellulose degradation, methanogenesis and bicarbonate and organic reactions. Microbial interactions with the various engineered barrier materials under consideration were also assessed. Finally, the anticipated long term performances of the respective barrier materials under consideration were evaluated, along with the general suitability of the geological host media being proposed for disposal sites

Ocean barrier layers' effect on tropical cyclone intensification.

Science.gov (United States)

Balaguru, Karthik; Chang, Ping; Saravanan, R; Leung, L Ruby; Xu, Zhao; Li, Mingkui; Hsieh, Jen-Shan

2012-09-04

Improving a tropical cyclone's forecast and mitigating its destructive potential requires knowledge of various environmental factors that influence the cyclone's path and intensity. Herein, using a combination of observations and model simulations, we systematically demonstrate that tropical cyclone intensification is significantly affected by salinity-induced barrier layers, which are "quasi-permanent" features in the upper tropical oceans. When tropical cyclones pass over regions with barrier layers, the increased stratification and stability within the layer reduce storm-induced vertical mixing and sea surface temperature cooling. This causes an increase in enthalpy flux from the ocean to the atmosphere and, consequently, an intensification of tropical cyclones. On average, the tropical cyclone intensification rate is nearly 50% higher over regions with barrier layers, compared to regions without. Our finding, which underscores the importance of observing not only the upper-ocean thermal structure but also the salinity structure in deep tropical barrier layer regions, may be a key to more skillful predictions of tropical cyclone intensities through improved ocean state estimates and simulations of barrier layer processes. As the hydrological cycle responds to global warming, any associated changes in the barrier layer distribution must be considered in projecting future tropical cyclone activity.

EVALUATION OF AMENDMENTS FOR MENDING THE INSITU REDOX MANIPULATION (ISRM) BARRIER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

PETERSEN, S.W.

2006-02-07

In May of 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Richland and Fluor Hanford requested technical assistance from DOE Headquarters EM-23 to provide a team of technical experts to evaluate likely chemical/biological amendments for mending the In Situ Redox Manipulation (ISRM) Barrier in the 100-D Area of the Hanford Site. This request was a follow-on to an earlier request for assistance regarding the cause of chromium (Cr) breakthrough and recommendations for mending the barrier (March 2004 workshop). This report provides written documentation of the team's findings and recommendations. In 1995, a plume of dissolved hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] was discovered along the Columbia River shoreline and in the 100-D Area. Between 1999 and 2003, a reactive barrier using the ISRM technology, was installed at a distance of 680 meters along the river to reduce the Cr(VI) in the groundwater. The ISRM technology creates a treatment zone within the aquifer by injection of sodium dithionite, a strong reducing agent that scavenges dissolved oxygen (DO) from the aquifer and reduces ferric iron [Fe(III)], related metals, and oxy-ions. Bench-scale and field-scale treatability tests were conducted to demonstrate proof-of principle and to estimate barrier longevity, calculated to be in excess of twenty years. However, several years after initial and secondary treatment, groundwater in approximately 17 wells has been found to contain elevated Cr concentrations. The March 2004 technical assistance team (TAT) identified potential causes of Cr breakthrough as likely related to physical and chemical heterogeneity within the aquifer (including loss of reductive capacity within preferential flow paths) and the presence of other oxidants (DO and nitrate) significantly affecting the reductive capacity of the treated aquifer. These aquifer characteristics may limit the ability of alternative amendments to extend the reducing capacity of the barrier. A 2001 Bechtel Hanford report and

Atomistic modeling of the structural components of the blood-brain barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Glukhova, O. E.; Grishina, O. A.; Slepchenkov, M. M.

2015-03-01

Blood-brain barrier, which is a barrage system between the brain and blood vessels, plays a key role in the "isolation" of the brain of unnecessary information, and reduce the "noise" in the interneuron communication. It is known that the barrier function of the BBB strictly depends on the initial state of the organism and changes significantly with age and, especially in developing the "vascular accidents". Disclosure mechanisms of regulation of the barrier function will develop new ways to deliver neurotrophic drugs to the brain in the newborn. The aim of this work is the construction of atomistic models of structural components of the blood-brain barrier to reveal the mechanisms of regulation of the barrier function.

Energy to the Edge (E2E) Equipment Assessment U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-01

84 Contents Energy to the Edge • U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force 1.0 Executive Summary Executive Summary U.S. Army... audiovisual equipment. • Once radiant barrier liner is inserted, the process of subsequent setups • Cables for lighting and outlets are located...behind the internal barrier • The shelter comes with organic audiovisual equipment. b. • • This shelter has a different setup and tear down process

A tunable acoustic barrier based on periodic arrays of subwavelength slits

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Constanza Rubio

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The most usual method to reduce undesirable enviromental noise levels during its transmission is the use of acoustic barriers. A novel type of acoustic barrier based on sound transmission through subwavelength slits is presented. This system consists of two rows of periodic repetition of vertical rigid pickets separated by a slit of subwavelength width and with a misalignment between them. Here, both the experimental and the numerical analyses are presented. The acoustic barrier proposed can be easily built and is frequency tunable. The results demonstrated that the proposed barrier can be tuned to mitigate a band noise without excesive barrier thickness. The use of this system as an environmental acoustic barrier has certain advantages with regard to the ones currently used both from the constructive and the acoustical point of view.

A tunable acoustic barrier based on periodic arrays of subwavelength slits

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio, Constanza; Uris, Antonio; Candelas, Pilar; Belmar, Francisco; Gomez-Lozano, Vicente

2015-05-01

The most usual method to reduce undesirable enviromental noise levels during its transmission is the use of acoustic barriers. A novel type of acoustic barrier based on sound transmission through subwavelength slits is presented. This system consists of two rows of periodic repetition of vertical rigid pickets separated by a slit of subwavelength width and with a misalignment between them. Here, both the experimental and the numerical analyses are presented. The acoustic barrier proposed can be easily built and is frequency tunable. The results demonstrated that the proposed barrier can be tuned to mitigate a band noise without excesive barrier thickness. The use of this system as an environmental acoustic barrier has certain advantages with regard to the ones currently used both from the constructive and the acoustical point of view.

A framework for understanding semi-permeable barrier effects on migratory ungulates

Science.gov (United States)

Sawyer, Hall; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Middleton, Arthur D.; Morrison, Thomas A.; Nielson, Ryan M.; Wyckoff, Teal B.

2013-01-01

1. Impermeable barriers to migration can greatly constrain the set of possible routes and ranges used by migrating animals. For ungulates, however, many forms of development are semi-permeable, and making informed management decisions about their potential impacts to the persistence of migration routes is difficult because our knowledge of how semi-permeable barriers affect migratory behaviour and function is limited. 2. Here, we propose a general framework to advance the understanding of barrier effects on ungulate migration by emphasizing the need to (i) quantify potential barriers in terms that allow behavioural thresholds to be considered, (ii) identify and measure behavioural responses to semi-permeable barriers and (iii) consider the functional attributes of the migratory landscape (e.g. stopovers) and how the benefits of migration might be reduced by behavioural changes. 3. We used global position system (GPS) data collected from two subpopulations of mule deer Odocoileus hemionus to evaluate how different levels of gas development influenced migratory behaviour, including movement rates and stopover use at the individual level, and intensity of use and width of migration route at the population level. We then characterized the functional landscape of migration routes as either stopover habitat or movement corridors and examined how the observed behavioural changes affected the functionality of the migration route in terms of stopover use. 4. We found migratory behaviour to vary with development intensity. Our results suggest that mule deer can migrate through moderate levels of development without any noticeable effects on migratory behaviour. However, in areas with more intensive development, animals often detoured from established routes, increased their rate of movement and reduced stopover use, while the overall use and width of migration routes decreased. 5. Synthesis and applications. In contrast to impermeable barriers that impede animal movement

Radiant Energy Measurements from a Scaled Jet Engine Axisymmetric Exhaust Nozzle for a Baseline Code Validation Case

Science.gov (United States)

Baumeister, Joseph F.

1994-01-01

A non-flowing, electrically heated test rig was developed to verify computer codes that calculate radiant energy propagation from nozzle geometries that represent aircraft propulsion nozzle systems. Since there are a variety of analysis tools used to evaluate thermal radiation propagation from partially enclosed nozzle surfaces, an experimental benchmark test case was developed for code comparison. This paper briefly describes the nozzle test rig and the developed analytical nozzle geometry used to compare the experimental and predicted thermal radiation results. A major objective of this effort was to make available the experimental results and the analytical model in a format to facilitate conversion to existing computer code formats. For code validation purposes this nozzle geometry represents one validation case for one set of analysis conditions. Since each computer code has advantages and disadvantages based on scope, requirements, and desired accuracy, the usefulness of this single nozzle baseline validation case can be limited for some code comparisons.

Membrane barriers for radon gas flow restrictions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archibald, J.F.

1984-08-01

Research was performed to assess the feasibility of barrier membrane substances, for use within mining or associated high risk environments, in restricting the diffusion transport of radon gas quantities. Specific tests were conducted to determine permeability parameters of a variety of membrane materials with reference to radon flow capabilities. Tests were conducted both within laboratory and in-situ emanation environments where concentrations and diffusion flows of radon gas were known to exist. Equilibrium radon gas concentrations were monitored in initially radon-free chambers adjacent to gas sources, but separated by specified membrane substances. Membrane barrier effectiveness was demonstrated to result in reduced emanation concentrations of radon gas within the sampling chamber atmosphere. Minimum gas concentrations were evidenced where the barrier membrane material was shown to exhibit lowest radon permeability characteristics

CONTRIBUTION OF QUADRATIC RESIDUE DIFFUSERS TO EFFICIENCY OF TILTED PROFILE PARALLEL HIGHWAY NOISE BARRIERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. R. Monazzam ، P. Nassiri

2009-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of an investigation on the acoustic performance of tilted profile parallel barriers with quadratic residue diffuser (QRD tops and faces. A 2D boundary element method (BEM is used to predict the barrier insertion loss. The results of rigid and with absorptive coverage are also calculated for comparisons. Using QRD on the top surface and faces of all tilted profile parallel barrier models introduced here is found to improve the efficiency of barriers compared with rigid equivalent parallel barrier at the examined receiver positions. Applying a QRD with frequency design of 400 Hz on 5 degrees tilted parallel barrier improves the overall performance of its equivalent rigid barrier by 1.8 dB(A. Increase in the treated surfaces with reactive elements shifts the effective performance toward lower frequencies. It is found that by tilting the barriers from 0 to 10 degrees in parallel set up, the degradation effects in parallel barriers is reduced but the absorption effect of fibrous materials and also diffusivity of the quadratic residue diffuser is reduced significantly. In this case all the designed barriers have better performance with 10 degrees tilting in parallel set up. The most economic traffic noise parallel barrier which produces significantly high performance, is achieved by covering the top surface of the barrier closed to the receiver by just a QRD with frequency design of 400 Hz and tilting angle of 10 degrees. The average A-weighted insertion loss in this barrier is predicted to be 16.3 dB (A.

Applying Fibre-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing to Near-surface Temperature Dynamics of Broadacre Cereals During Radiant Frost Events.

Science.gov (United States)

Stutsel, B.; Callow, J. N.

2017-12-01

Radiant frost events, particularly those during the reproductive stage of winter cereal growth, cost growers millions of dollars in lost yield. Whilst synoptic drivers of frost and factors influencing temperature variation at the landscape scale are relatively well understood, there is a lack of knowledge surrounding small-scale temperature dynamics within paddocks and plot trials. Other work has also suggested a potential significant temperature gradient (several degrees) vertically from ground to canopy, but this is poorly constrained experimentally. Subtle changes in temperature are important as frost damage generally occurs in a very narrow temperature range (-2 to -5°C). Once a variety's damage threshold is reached, a 1°C difference in minimum temperature can increase damage from 10 to 90%. This study applies Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) using fibre optics to understand how minimum temperature evolves during a radiant frost. DTS assesses the difference in attenuation of Raman scattering of a light pulse travelling along a fibre optic cable to measure temperature. A bend insensitive multimode fibre was deployed in a double ended duplex configuration as a "fence" run through four times of sowing at a trial site in the Western Australian Wheatbelt. The fibre optic fence was 160m long and 800mm tall with the fibre optic cable spaced 100mm apart vertically, and calibrated in ambient water ( 10 to 15oC) and a chilled glycol ( -8 to-10 oC) baths. The temperature measurements had a spatial resolution of 0.65m and temporal resolution of 60s, providing 2,215 measurements every minute. The results of this study inform our understanding of the subtle temperature changes from the soil to canopy, providing new insight into how to place traditional temperature loggers to monitor frost damage. It also addresses questions of within-trial temperature variability, and provides an example of how novel techniques such as DTS can be used to improve the way temperature

Air Leakage Rates in Typical Air Barrier Assemblies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hun, Diana E. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Atchley, Jerald Allen [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Childs, Phillip W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-11-01

Estimates for 2010 indicate that infiltration in residential buildings was responsible for 2.85 quads of energy (DOE 2014), which is about 3% of the total energy consumed in the US. One of the mechanisms being implemented to reduce this energy penalty is the use of air barriers as part of the building envelope. These technologies decrease airflow through major leakage sites such as oriented strand board (OSB) joints, and gaps around penetrations (e.g., windows, doors, pipes, electrical outlets) as indicated by Hun et al. (2014). However, most air barrier materials do not properly address leakage spots such as wall-to-roof joints and wall-to-foundation joints because these are difficult to seal, and because air barrier manufacturers usually do not provide adequate instructions for these locations. The present study focuses on characterizing typical air leakage sites in wall assemblies with air barrier materials.

Control of Internal Transport Barriers in Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Panta, Soma; Newman, David; Sanchez, Raul; Terry, Paul

2016-10-01

In magnetic confinement fusion devices the best performance often involves some sort of transport barriers to reduce the energy and particle flow from core to edge. Those barriers create gradients in the temperature and density profiles. If gradients in the profiles are too steep that can lead to instabilities and the system collapses. Control of these barriers is therefore an important challenge for fusion devices (burning plasmas). In this work we focus on the dynamics of internal transport barriers. Using a simple 7 field transport model, extensively used for barrier dynamics and control studies, we explore the use of RF heating to control the local gradients and therefore the growth rates and shearing rates for barrier initiation and control in self-heated fusion plasmas. Ion channel barriers can be formed in self-heated plasmas with some NBI heating but electron channel barriers are very sensitive. They can be formed in self-heated plasmas with additional auxiliary heating i.e. NBI and radio-frequency(RF). Using RF heating on both electrons and ions at proper locations, electron channel barriers along with ion channel barriers can be formed and removed demonstrating a control technique. Investigating the role of pellet injection in controlling the barriers is our next goal. Work supported by DOE Grant DE-FG02-04ER54741.

Students' benefits and barriers to mental health help-seeking

Science.gov (United States)

Vidourek, Rebecca A.; King, Keith A.; Nabors, Laura A.; Merianos, Ashley L.

2014-01-01

Stigma is recognized as a potential barrier to seeking help for a mental health disorder. The present study assessed college students' perceived benefits and barriers to obtaining mental health treatment and stigma-related attitudes via a four-page survey. A total of 682 students at one Midwestern university participated in the study. Findings indicated that females perceived a greater number of benefits to having participated in mental health services and held significantly lower stigma-related attitudes than did males. Students who had ever received mental health services reported significantly more barriers to treatment than did students who had never received services. Health professionals should target students with educational programs about positive outcomes related to receiving mental health services and work with treatment centers to reduce barriers for receiving services. PMID:25750831

Evolution of arbitrary moments of radiant intensity distribution for partially coherent general beams in atmospheric turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Dan, Youquan; Xu, Yonggen

2018-04-01

The evolution law of arbitrary order moments of the Wigner distribution function, which can be applied to the different spatial power spectra, is obtained for partially coherent general beams propagating in atmospheric turbulence using the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle. A coupling coefficient of radiant intensity distribution (RID) in turbulence is introduced. Analytical expressions of the evolution of the first five-order moments, kurtosis parameter, coupling coefficient of RID for general beams in turbulence are derived, and the formulas are applied to Airy beams. Results show that there exist two types for general beams in turbulence. A larger value of kurtosis parameter for Airy beams also reveals that coupling effect due to turbulence is stronger. Both theoretical analysis and numerical results show that the maximum value of kurtosis parameter for an Airy beam in turbulence is independent of turbulence strength parameter and is only determined by inner scale of turbulence. Relative angular spread, kurtosis and coupling coefficient are less influenced by turbulence for Airy beams with a smaller decay factor and a smaller initial width of the first lobe.

Barrier penetration effects on thermopower in semiconductor quantum wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaidya, R. G.; Sankeshwar, N. S.; Mulimani, B. G.

2014-01-01

Finite confinement effects, due to the penetration of the electron wavefunction into the barriers of a square well potential, on the low–temperature acoustic-phonon-limited thermopower (TP) of 2DEG are investigated. The 2DEG is considered to be scattered by acoustic phonons via screened deformation potential and piezoelectric couplings. Incorporating the barrier penetration effects, the dependences of diffusion TP and phonon drag TP on barrier height are studied. An expression for phonon drag TP is obtained. Numerical calculations of temperature dependences of mobility and TP for a 10 nm InN/In x Ga 1−x N quantum well for different values of x show that the magnitude and behavior of TP are altered. A decrease in the barrier height from 500 meV by a factor of 5, enhances the mobility by 34% and reduces the TP by 58% at 20 K. Results are compared with those of infinite barrier approximation

A new integrating sphere design for spectral radiant flux determination of light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Hanselaer, P.; Keppens, A.; Forment, S.; Ryckaert, W. R.; Deconinck, G.

2009-09-01

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is developing very quickly and may be considered an alternative for traditional light sources. However, at this moment, manufacturers and end users of LEDs are facing a rather basic but major problem. The lack of standardization regarding optical and electrical characterization of LEDs appears to compromise a successful implementation. In particular, numbers quoted for the luminous flux, and consequently for the efficacy of LEDs, are very sensitive data because they are used to impress and push the LED market. In this paper, the most was made of the typical hemispherical radiation of high-power LEDs to increase the accuracy of the flux determination using a custom-made integrating sphere. Recently developed measurement techniques such as the use of an external spectral irradiance standard and an optimized spectral irradiance detection head are combined with a very particular port geometry and a minimized baffle area. This results in a uniform spatial response distribution function (SRDF), which guarantees an accurate radiant and luminous flux determination, irrespective of the spatial intensity distribution of the LED package or luminaire. The effect of the directional response of the detector head on the SRDF has been explored. Measurements on LED devices with and without external optics are presented, illustrating the possibilities of the measurement setup.

A new integrating sphere design for spectral radiant flux determination of light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanselaer, P; Keppens, A; Forment, S; Ryckaert, W R; Deconinck, G

2009-01-01

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is developing very quickly and may be considered an alternative for traditional light sources. However, at this moment, manufacturers and end users of LEDs are facing a rather basic but major problem. The lack of standardization regarding optical and electrical characterization of LEDs appears to compromise a successful implementation. In particular, numbers quoted for the luminous flux, and consequently for the efficacy of LEDs, are very sensitive data because they are used to impress and push the LED market. In this paper, the most was made of the typical hemispherical radiation of high-power LEDs to increase the accuracy of the flux determination using a custom-made integrating sphere. Recently developed measurement techniques such as the use of an external spectral irradiance standard and an optimized spectral irradiance detection head are combined with a very particular port geometry and a minimized baffle area. This results in a uniform spatial response distribution function (SRDF), which guarantees an accurate radiant and luminous flux determination, irrespective of the spatial intensity distribution of the LED package or luminaire. The effect of the directional response of the detector head on the SRDF has been explored. Measurements on LED devices with and without external optics are presented, illustrating the possibilities of the measurement setup

Crossing the Telemedicine Chasm: Have the U.S. Barriers to Widespread Adoption of Telemedicine Been Significantly Reduced? †

Science.gov (United States)

LeRouge, Cynthia; Garfield, Monica J.

2013-01-01

Barriers have challenged widespread telemedicine adoption by health care organizations for 40 years. These barriers have been technological, financial, and legal and have also involved business strategy and human resources. The article canvasses recent trends—events and activities in each of these areas as well as US health reform activities that might help to break down these barriers. The key to telemedicine success in the future is to view it as an integral part of health care services and not as a stand-alone project. Telemedicine must move from experimental and separate to integrated and equivalent to other health services within health care organizations. Furthermore, telemedicine serves as vital connective tissue for expanding health care organization networks. PMID:24287864

Overcoming barriers to exercise among parents: a social cognitive theory perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Mailey, Emily L; Phillips, Siobhan M; Dlugonski, Deirdre; Conroy, David E

2016-08-01

Parents face numerous barriers to exercise and exhibit high levels of inactivity. Examining theory-based determinants of exercise among parents may inform interventions for this population. The purpose of this study was to test a social-cognitive model of parental exercise participation over a 12-month period. Mothers (n = 226) and fathers (n = 70) of children self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and exercise planning at baseline and 1 year later. Panel analyses were used to test the hypothesized relationships. Barriers self-efficacy was related to exercise directly and indirectly through perceived barriers and prioritization/planning. Prioritization and planning also mediated the relationship between perceived barriers and exercise. These paths remained significant at 12 months. These results suggest efforts to increase exercise in parents should focus on improving confidence to overcome exercise barriers, reducing perceptions of barriers, and helping parents make specific plans for prioritizing and engaging in exercise.

Social barriers to pathogen transmission in wild animal populations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loehle, C.

1995-03-01

Diseases and pathogens are receiving increasing recognition as sources of mortality in animal populations. Immune system strength is clearly important in fending off pathogen attack. Physical barriers to pathogen entry are also important. Various individual behaviors are efficacious in reducing contact with diseases and pests. This paper focuses on a fourth mode of defense: social barriers to transmission. Various social behaviors have pathogen transmission consequences. Selective pressures on these social behaviors may therefore exist. Effects on pathogen transmission of mating strategies, social avoidance, group size, group isolation, and other behaviors are explored. It is concluded that many of these behaviors may have been affected by selection pressures to reduce transmission of pathogens. 84 refs., 1 tab.

Reduced permeation of 14C-sucrose, 3H-mannitol and 3H-inulin across blood-brain barrier in nephrectomized rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preston, E.; Haas, N.; Allen, M.

1984-01-01

Experiments were carried out to determine if changes in the concentration-time profile of a blood-borne radiotracer such as 14 C-sucrose would spuriously alter measurements of its permeation across the blood-brain barrier (permeability-area product, PA) based on a 2-compartment (plasma/brain) simple diffusion model. Anesthetized rats which were bilaterally nephrectomized and given a standard intravenous bolus injection of 14 C-sucrose, 3 H-mannitol or 3 H-inulin exhibited an elevated plasma tracer concentration compared to control animals. However, tracer concentration measured in brain parenchyma after 30 min was not proportionally elevated, and PA calculated from the ratio, parenchymal tracer concentration: plasma concentration-time integral, was significantly reduced below control values. In control rats, distortion and elevation of the plasma 14 C-sucrose profile by continuous intravenous infusion did not result in lowered PA values. This suggested that the lowering of PA by nephrectomy reflected reduced cerebrovascular permeability or area or other cerebral influence rather than a deficiency in the 2-compartment model for PA measurement

Method and apparatus for measuring on-line failure of turbine thermal barrier coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Zombo, Paul J.; Lemieux, Dennis; Diatzikis, Evangelos

2010-04-06

A method of remotely monitoring the radiant energy (6) emitted from a turbine component such as a turbine blade (1) having a low-reflective surface coating (3) which may be undergoing potential degradation is used to determine whether erosion, spallation, delamination, or the like, of the coating (3) is occurring.

Contribution of diffuser surfaces to efficiency of tilted T shape parallel highway noise barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Javid Rouzi

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Background and aimsThe paper presents the results of an investigation on the acoustic  performance of tilted profile parallel barriers with quadratic residue diffuser tops and faces.MethodsA2D boundary element method (BEM is used to predict the barrier insertion loss. The results of rigid and with absorptive coverage are also calculated for comparisons. Using QRD on the top surface and faces of all tilted profile parallel barrier models introduced here is found to  improve the efficiency of barriers compared with rigid equivalent parallel barrier at the examined  receiver positions.Results Applying a QRD with frequency design of 400 Hz on 5 degrees tilted parallel barrier  improves the overall performance of its equivalent rigid barrier by 1.8 dB(A. Increase the treated surfaces with reactive elements shifts the effective performance toward lower frequencies. It is  found that by tilting the barriers from 0 to 10 degrees in parallel set up, the degradation effects in  parallel barriers is reduced but the absorption effect of fibrous materials and also diffusivity of thequadratic residue diffuser is reduced significantly. In this case all the designed barriers have better  performance with 10 degrees tilting in parallel set up.ConclusionThe most economic traffic noise parallel barrier, which produces significantly  high performance, is achieved by covering the top surface of the barrier closed to the receiver by  just a QRD with frequency design of 400 Hz and tilting angle of 10 degrees. The average Aweighted  insertion loss in this barrier is predicted to be 16.3 dB (A.

Bridging the Barriers: Knowledge Connections, Productivity, and Capital Accumulation

OpenAIRE

R. Quentin Grafton; Tom Kompas; P. Dorian Owen

2004-01-01

The paper explains the large differences in cross-country productivity performance by modeling and testing the effects of social barriers to communication on productivity and capital accumulation. In an optimal growth model, social barriers to communication that impede the formation of knowledge connections are shown to reduce both transitory and steady-state levels of total factor productivity (TFP), per capita consumption, and reproducible capital. A ‘bridging’ parameter in the growth model...

Field evaluation of vegetation and noise barriers for mitigation of near-freeway air pollution under variable wind conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eon S.; Ranasinghe, Dilhara R.; Ahangar, Faraz Enayati; Amini, Seyedmorteza; Mara, Steven; Choi, Wonsik; Paulson, Suzanne; Zhu, Yifang

2018-02-01

Traffic-related air pollutants are a significant public health concern, particularly near freeways. Previous studies have suggested either soundwall or vegetation barriers might reduce the near-freeway air pollution. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a combination of both soundwall and vegetation barrier for reducing ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter ≤ 100 nm) and PM2.5 (diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) concentrations. Concurrent data collection was carried out at both upwind and downwind fixed locations approximately 10-15 m away from the edge of two major freeways in California. This study observed that the reduction of UFP and PM2.5 was generally greater with the combination barrier than with either soundwall or vegetation alone. Since there were no non-barrier sites at the study locations, the reductions reported here are all in relative terms. The soundwall barrier was more effective for reducing PM2.5 (25-53%) than UFPs (0-5%), and was most effective (51-53% for PM2.5) when the wind speed ranged between 1 and 2 m/s. Under the same range of wind speed, the vegetation barrier had little effect (0-5%) on reducing PM2.5; but was effective at reducing UFP (up to 50%). For both types of roadside barrier, decreasing wind speed resulted in greater net reduction of UFPs (i.e., total number particle concentrations; inversely proportional). This trend was observed, however, only within specific particle size ranges (i.e., diameter pollution mitigation.

Spin-polarized inelastic tunneling through insulating barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Y; Tran, M; Jaffrès, H; Seneor, P; Deranlot, C; Petroff, F; George, J-M; Lépine, B; Ababou, S; Jézéquel, G

2009-05-01

Spin-conserving hopping transport through chains of localized states has been evidenced by taking benefit of the high degree of spin-polarization of CoFeB-MgO-CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions. In particular, our data show that relatively thick MgO barriers doped with boron favor the activation of spin-conserving inelastic channels through a chain of three localized states and leading to reduced magnetoresistance effects. We propose an extension of the Glazman-Matveev theory to the case of ferromagnetic reservoirs to account for spin-polarized inelastic tunneling through nonmagnetic localized states embedded in an insulating barrier.

Engineered surface barriers for waste disposal sites: lysimeter facility design and construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, S.J.; Ruben, M.S.; Kirkham, R.R.

1988-01-01

A facility to evaluate performance of engineered surface carriers for confinement of buried wastes has been designed, constructed, and operations initiated. The Field Lysimeter Test Facility is located at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. The facility consists of 18 one-dimensional drainage and weighing lysimeters used to evaluate 7 replicated barrier treatments. Distinct layers of natural earth materials were used to construct layered soil and rock barriers in each lysimeter. These barrier designs are capable in principal of significantly reducing or precluding infiltration of meteoric water through barriers into underlying contaminated zones. This paper summarizes salient facility design and construction features used in testing of the Hanford Site's engineered surface barriers

Improved Metallography Of Thermal-Barrier Coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Brindley, William J.; Leonhardt, Todd A.

1991-01-01

New technique for preparation of metallographic samples makes interpretation of images of pores and microcracks more reliable. Involves use of vacuum epoxy infiltration and interference-film coating to reduce uncertainty. Developed for inspection of plasma-sprayed ceramic thermal-barrier coatings on metals but applicable to other porous, translucent materials, including many important ceramics.

Barriers to treatment for older adults seeking psychological therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wuthrich, Viviana M; Frei, Jacqueline

2015-07-01

Older adults with mental health disorders underutilize mental health services more than other adults. While there are well known general barriers to help seeking across the population, specific barriers for older adults include difficulties with transportation, beliefs that it is normal to be anxious and depressed in old age, and beliefs by referrers that psychological therapy is less likely to be effective. This study examined barriers related to identifying the need for help, seeking help and participating in therapy in a clinical population of older adults. Sixty older adults (aged 60-79 years) with comorbid anxiety and unipolar mood disorders completed barriers to treatment questionnaires before and after psychological group treatment, as well as measures of cognitive ability, anxiety, depression, and quality of life at baseline. The greatest barriers to help seeking related to difficulties identifying the need for help, with 50% of the sample reporting their belief that their symptoms were normal as a major barrier. Other major barriers identified were related to: self-reliance, cost of treatment, and fear of medication replicating previous findings. The main barriers reported for difficulties in continuing therapy included not finding therapy helpful, cost of treatment, and thinking that the therapist did not understand their issues. The main barriers identified related to issues with identifying the need to seek help. More attention is needed to educate older adults and professionals about the need for, and effectiveness of, psychological therapies for older adults with anxiety and depression to reduce this barrier to help seeking.

Perceived Barriers and Support Strategies for Reducing Sodium Intake in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: a Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Meuleman, Yvette; Ten Brinke, Lucia; Kwakernaak, Arjan J; Vogt, Liffert; Rotmans, Joris I; Bos, Willem Jan W; van der Boog, Paul J M; Navis, Gerjan; van Montfrans, Gert A; Hoekstra, Tiny; Dekker, Friedo W; van Dijk, Sandra

2015-08-01

Reducing sodium intake can prevent cardiovascular complications and further decline of kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease. However, the vast majority of patients fail to reach an adequate sodium intake, and little is known about why they do not succeed. This study aims to identify perceived barriers and support strategies for reducing sodium intake among both patients with chronic kidney disease and health-care professionals. A purposive sample of 25 patients and 23 health-care professionals from 4 Dutch medical centers attended 8 focus groups. Transcripts were analyzed thematically and afterwards organized according to the phases of behavior change of self-regulation theory. Multiple themes emerged across different phases of behavior change, including the patients' lack of practical knowledge and intrinsic motivation, the maladaptive illness perceptions and refusal skills, the lack of social support and feedback regarding disease progression and sodium intake, and the availability of low-sodium foods. The results indicate the need for the implementation of support strategies that target specific needs of patients across the whole process of changing and maintaining a low-sodium diet. Special attention should be paid to supporting patients to set sodium-related goals, strengthening intrinsic motivation, providing comprehensive and practical information (e.g., about hidden salt in products), increasing social support, stimulating the self-monitoring of sodium intake and disease progression, and building a supportive patient-professional relationship that encompasses shared decision making and coaching. Moreover, global programs should be implemented to reduce sodium levels in processed foods, introduce sodium-related product labels, and increase consumer awareness.

OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNATIONAL, NATURAL BARRIERS THRUST OVERVIEW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

B. Bodvarsson; Y. Tsang

2006-01-01

The Natural Barriers Thrust supports scientific studies of the natural system at the proposed repository site of Yucca Mountain. It stresses the realistic representation of the natural system with respect to processes and parameters, by means of laboratory, field, and modeling studies. It has the objectives to demonstrate that the natural barriers can make large contributions to repository performance, supporting the multiple-barrier concept for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste; and to reduce the overall cost of repository development by elimination of unnecessary engineered components, given the demonstrated natural barriers performance. In this overview we enumerate the research projects within the Natural Barriers Thrust grouped under five elements: (1) Drift Seepage, (2) In-drift Environment, (3) Drift Shadow, (4) Unsaturated Zone Flow and Transport, and (5) Saturated Zone Flow and Transport. The long-term strategic plan of the Natural Barriers Thrust and some key results are also briefly described

Smart parking barrier

KAUST Repository

Alharbi, Abdulrazaq M.

2016-05-06

Various methods and systems are provided for smart parking barriers. In one example, among others, a smart parking barrier system includes a movable parking barrier located at one end of a parking space, a barrier drive configured to control positioning of the movable parking barrier, and a parking controller configured to initiate movement of the parking barrier, via the barrier drive. The movable parking barrier can be positioned between a first position that restricts access to the parking space and a second position that allows access to the parking space. The parking controller can initiate movement of the movable parking barrier in response to a positive identification of an individual allowed to use the parking space. The parking controller can identify the individual through, e.g., a RFID tag, a mobile device (e.g., a remote control, smartphone, tablet, etc.), an access card, biometric information, or other appropriate identifier.

Barriers to care for women with breast cancer symptoms in rural Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Steiness, Heather Story; Villegas-Gold, Michelle; Parveen, Homaira; Ferdousy, Tahmina; Ginsburg, Ophira

2018-05-01

Breast cancer survival rates in lower-income countries like Bangladesh are approximately 50%, versus over 80% in high income countries. Anecdotal reports suggest that, beyond economic and health system barriers, sociocultural factors may influence a woman's care-seeking behavior and resultant early stage diagnoses. To understand these barriers, we conducted 63 interviews (43 women with breast cancer symptoms and 20 men) in Khulna, Bangladesh. We identified socio-cultural barriers like neglect and indifference toward women, women's lack of power to use resources, and reduced support from family due to stigma. Interventions must address these barriers and improve the status of women in Bangladesh.

Design and construction of a deep slurry trench barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deming, P.W.

1997-01-01

A 24 m (80 ft) deep slurry trench surrounding a former chromium manufacturing facility on the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland was constructed in 1995 to contain groundwater and site Soils, and to reduce the volume of groundwater extracted to maintain an inward gradient. In 1992, an embankment made of crushed stone was constructed in the Patapsco River to make land for barrier construction outboard of the bulkheads, and to protect the barrier. Stability of the slurry-supported trench excavation in the embankment required construction from an elevated work platform. An extended reach backhoe was used to excavate the deep slurry trench and to clean the trench bottom. Soil-Bentonite backfill was prepared at a central mixing area and transported by truck to the perimeter barrier. A synthetic membrane was inserted partially into the backfill for connection to a multimedia cap, and for redundancy and erosion control in the tidal zone. Hydraulic testing of the aquitard contained by the barrier demonstrated excellent performance of the barrier and bottom closure. Detailed definition of subsurface conditions and the closure stratum was necessary for the design and successful construction of the barrier, and is recommended for comparable slurry trench construction projects

Alpha-Tocopherol Reduces Brain Edema and Protects Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity following Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Haghnejad Azar, Adel; Oryan, Shahrbanoo; Bohlooli, Shahab; Panahpour, Hamdollah

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the neuroprotective effects of α-tocopherol against edema formation and disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) following transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 major groups (n = 32 in each), namely the sham, and control and α-tocopherol-treated (30 mg/kg) ischemic groups. Transient focal cerebral ischemia (90 min) was induced by occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. At the end of the 24-hour reperfusion period, the animals were randomly selected and used for 4 investigations (n = 8) in each of the 3 main groups: (a) assessment of neurological score and measurement of infarct size, (b) detection of brain edema formation by the wet/dry method, (c) evaluation of BBB permeability using the Evans blue (EB) extravasation technique, and (d) assessment of the malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography methods. Induction of cerebral ischemia in the control group produced extensive brain edema (brain water content 83.8 ± 0.11%) and EB leakage into brain parenchyma (14.58 ± 1.29 µg/g) in conjunction with reduced GSH and elevated MDA levels (5.86 ± 0.31 mmol/mg and 63.57 ± 5.42 nmol/mg, respectively). Treatment with α-tocopherol significantly lowered brain edema formation and reduced EB leakage compared with the control group (p < 0.001, 80.1 ± 0.32% and 6.66 ± 0.87 µg/g, respectively). Meanwhile, treatment with α-tocopherol retained tissue GSH levels and led to a lower MDA level (p < 0.01, 10.17 ± 0.83 mmol/mg, and p < 0.001, 26.84 ± 4.79 nmol/mg, respectively). Treatment with α-tocopherol reduced ischemic edema formation and produced protective effects on BBB function following ischemic stroke occurrence. This effect could be through increasing antioxidant activity. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chaotic correlations in barrier billiards with arbitrary barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osbaldestin, A H; Adamson, L N C

2013-01-01

We study autocorrelation functions in symmetric barrier billiards for golden mean trajectories with arbitrary barriers. Renormalization analysis reveals the presence of a chaotic invariant set and thus that, for a typical barrier, there are chaotic correlations. The chaotic renormalization set is the analogue of the so-called orchid that arises in a generalized Harper equation. (paper)

A Novel Wound Retractor Combining Continuous Irrigation and Barrier Protection Reduces Incisional Contamination in Colorectal Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Papaconstantinou, Harry T; Ricciardi, Rocco; Margolin, David A; Bergamaschi, Roberto; Moesinger, Robert C; Lichliter, Warren E; Birnbaum, Elisa H

2018-03-09

Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a persistent and morbid problem in colorectal surgery. Key to its pathogenesis is the degree of intraoperative bacterial contamination at the surgical site. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel wound retractor at reducing bacterial contamination. A prospective multicenter pilot study utilizing a novel wound retractor combining continuous irrigation and barrier protection was conducted in patients undergoing elective colorectal resections. Culture swabs were collected from the incision edge prior to device placement and from the exposed and protected incision edge prior to device removal. The primary and secondary endpoints were the rate of enteric and overall bacterial contamination on the exposed incision edge as compared to the protected incision edge, respectively. The safety endpoint was the absence of serious device-related adverse events. A total of 86 patients were eligible for analysis. The novel wound retractor was associated with a 66% reduction in overall bacterial contamination at the protected incision edge compared to the exposed incision edge (11.9 vs. 34.5%, P contamination (9.5% vs. 33.3%, P contamination. Improved methods to counteract wound contamination represent a promising strategy for SSI prevention (NCT 02413879).

Clusterin Seals the Ocular Surface Barrier in Mouse Dry Eye.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauskar, Aditi; Mack, Wendy J; Mauris, Jerome; Argüeso, Pablo; Heur, Martin; Nagel, Barbara A; Kolar, Grant R; Gleave, Martin E; Nakamura, Takahiro; Kinoshita, Shigeru; Moradian-Oldak, Janet; Panjwani, Noorjahan; Pflugfelder, Stephen C; Wilson, Mark R; Fini, M Elizabeth; Jeong, Shinwu

2015-01-01

Dry eye is a common disorder caused by inadequate hydration of the ocular surface that results in disruption of barrier function. The homeostatic protein clusterin (CLU) is prominent at fluid-tissue interfaces throughout the body. CLU levels are reduced at the ocular surface in human inflammatory disorders that manifest as severe dry eye, as well as in a preclinical mouse model for desiccating stress that mimics dry eye. Using this mouse model, we show here that CLU prevents and ameliorates ocular surface barrier disruption by a remarkable sealing mechanism dependent on attainment of a critical all-or-none concentration. When the CLU level drops below the critical all-or-none threshold, the barrier becomes vulnerable to desiccating stress. CLU binds selectively to the ocular surface subjected to desiccating stress in vivo, and in vitro to the galectin LGALS3, a key barrier component. Positioned in this way, CLU not only physically seals the ocular surface barrier, but it also protects the barrier cells and prevents further damage to barrier structure. These findings define a fundamentally new mechanism for ocular surface protection and suggest CLU as a biotherapeutic for dry eye.

Clusterin Seals the Ocular Surface Barrier in Mouse Dry Eye.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditi Bauskar

Full Text Available Dry eye is a common disorder caused by inadequate hydration of the ocular surface that results in disruption of barrier function. The homeostatic protein clusterin (CLU is prominent at fluid-tissue interfaces throughout the body. CLU levels are reduced at the ocular surface in human inflammatory disorders that manifest as severe dry eye, as well as in a preclinical mouse model for desiccating stress that mimics dry eye. Using this mouse model, we show here that CLU prevents and ameliorates ocular surface barrier disruption by a remarkable sealing mechanism dependent on attainment of a critical all-or-none concentration. When the CLU level drops below the critical all-or-none threshold, the barrier becomes vulnerable to desiccating stress. CLU binds selectively to the ocular surface subjected to desiccating stress in vivo, and in vitro to the galectin LGALS3, a key barrier component. Positioned in this way, CLU not only physically seals the ocular surface barrier, but it also protects the barrier cells and prevents further damage to barrier structure. These findings define a fundamentally new mechanism for ocular surface protection and suggest CLU as a biotherapeutic for dry eye.

Implementation of a Non-Metallic Barrier in an Electric Motor

Science.gov (United States)

M?Sadoques, George; Carra, Michael; Beringer, Woody

2012-01-01

Electric motors that run in pure oxygen must be sealed, or "canned," for safety reasons to prevent the oxygen from entering into the electrical portion of the motor. The current canning process involves designing a metallic barrier around the rotor to provide the separation. This metallic barrier reduces the motor efficiency as speed is increased. In higher-speed electric motors, efficiency is greatly improved if a very thin, nonmetallic barrier can be utilized. The barrier thickness needs to be approximately 0.025-in. (.0.6-mm) thick and can be made of a brittle material such as glass. The motors, however, designed for space applications are typically subject to high-vibration environments. A fragile, non-metallic barrier can be utilized in a motor assembly if held in place by a set of standard rubber O-ring seals. The O-rings provide the necessary sealing to keep oxygen away from the electrical portion of the motor and also isolate the fragile barrier from the harsh motor vibration environment. The compliance of the rubber O-rings gently constrains the fragile barrier and isolates it from the harsh external motor environment. The use of a non-metallic barrier greatly improves motor performance, especially at higher speeds, while isolating the electronics from the working fluid with an inert liner.

Opportunities and barriers for international bioenergy trade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Junginger, Martin; Dam, Jinke van; Zarrilli, Simonetta; Ali Mohamed, Fatin; Marchal, Didier; Faaij, Andre

2011-01-01

Recently, the international trade of various bioenergy commodities has grown rapidly, yet this growth is also hampered by some barriers. The aim of this paper is to obtain an overview of what market actors currently perceive as major opportunities and barriers for the development of international bioenergy trade. The work focuses on three bioenergy commodities: bioethanol, biodiesel and wood pellets. Data were collected through an internet-based questionnaire. The majority of the 141 respondents had an industrial background. Geographically, two-thirds were from (mainly Western) Europe, with other minor contributions from all other continents. Results show that import tariffs and the implementation of sustainability certification systems are perceived as (potentially) major barriers for the trade of bioethanol and biodiesel, while logistics are seen mainly as an obstacle for wood pellets. Development of technical standards was deemed more as an opportunity than a barrier for all commodities. Most important drivers were high fossil fuel prices and climate change mitigation policies. Concluding, to overcome some of the barriers, specific actions will be required by market parties and policy makers. Import tariffs for biofuels could be reduced or abolished, linked to multinational trade agreements and harmonization (including provisions on technical standards and sustainability requirements). - Research highlights: → We analyze main barriers for global trade of wood pellets, ethanol and biodiesel. → Import tariffs can be a major barrier for liquid biofuels trade. → Implementation of sustainability certification systems may hamper biofuels trade. → Logistics are seen mainly as an obstacle for the trade of wood pellets. → Development of technical standards are deemed an opportunity for bioenergy trade.

Smart parking barrier

KAUST Repository

Alharbi, Abdulrazaq M.

2016-01-01

positioning of the movable parking barrier, and a parking controller configured to initiate movement of the parking barrier, via the barrier drive. The movable parking barrier can be positioned between a first position that restricts access to the parking

Controlling the spin-torque efficiency with ferroelectric barriers

KAUST Repository

Useinov, A.; Chshiev, M.; Manchon, Aurelien

2015-01-01

Nonequilibrium spin-dependent transport in magnetic tunnel junctions comprising a ferroelectric barrier is theoretically investigated. The exact solutions of the free electron Schrödinger equation for electron tunneling in the presence of interfacial screening are obtained by combining Bessel and Airy functions. We demonstrate that the spin transfer torque efficiency, and more generally the bias dependence of tunneling magneto- and electroresistance, can be controlled by switching the ferroelectric polarization of the barrier. In particular, the critical voltage at which the in-plane torque changes sign can be strongly enhanced or reduced depending on the direction of the ferroelectric polarization of the barrier. This effect provides a supplementary way to electrically control the current-driven dynamic states of the magnetization and related magnetic noise in spin transfer devices.

Controlling the spin-torque efficiency with ferroelectric barriers

KAUST Repository

Useinov, A.

2015-02-11

Nonequilibrium spin-dependent transport in magnetic tunnel junctions comprising a ferroelectric barrier is theoretically investigated. The exact solutions of the free electron Schrödinger equation for electron tunneling in the presence of interfacial screening are obtained by combining Bessel and Airy functions. We demonstrate that the spin transfer torque efficiency, and more generally the bias dependence of tunneling magneto- and electroresistance, can be controlled by switching the ferroelectric polarization of the barrier. In particular, the critical voltage at which the in-plane torque changes sign can be strongly enhanced or reduced depending on the direction of the ferroelectric polarization of the barrier. This effect provides a supplementary way to electrically control the current-driven dynamic states of the magnetization and related magnetic noise in spin transfer devices.

Protection against malevolent use of vehicles at Nuclear Power Plants. Vehicle barrier system selection guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nebuda, D.T.

1994-08-01

This manual provides a simplified procedure for selecting land vehicle barriers that will stop the design basis vehicle threat adopted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Proper selection and construction of vehicle barriers should prevent intrusion of the design basis vehicle. In addition, vital safety related equipment should survive a design basis vehicle bomb attack when vehicle barriers are properly selected, sited, and constructed. This manual addresses passive vehicle barriers, active vehicle barriers, and site design features that can be used to reduce vehicle impact velocity

Development of tensiometric barriers for containment and remediation at waste sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomson, B.M.; Stormont, J.C.; Morris, C.E.

1996-01-01

This report describes a concept in which dry air is injected into an unsaturated formation to reduce the soil moisture content, referred to here as a tensiometric (or sometimes dry) barrier. The objective is to reduce the hydraulic conductivity of the unsaturated media to the point where liquid phase transport becomes negligible, thereby achieving containment. The concept could be applied in subsurface formations to provide containment from a leaking facility, or it could be incorporated into a cover design to provide redundancy for a capillary barrier. The air injection process could in principle be coupled with a vacuum extraction system to recover soil vapors, which would then provide a remediation process that would be appropriate if volatile organic compounds were present. Work to date has consisted of a combined theoretical, laboratory, and field research investigation. The objective of this research was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the tensiometric barrier concept by identifying the parameters which determine its effectiveness. Based on the results obtained for the experimental and theoretical studies, feasibility analyses were prepared as a modification for a landfill cover design to prevent infiltration from atmospheric precipitation and for potential application of tensiometric barriers to achieve subsurface containment of mobile pollutants and removal of volatile constituents. These analyses considered the technical as well as the economic aspects of the tensiometric barrier concept, and found that a properly designed and operated tensiometric barrier is competitive with conventional containment methods. In addition, they benefit from being able to recover from failure by circulating additional dry air through the formation to re-establish the barrier phenomena. (author) 10 figs., 4 tabs., 17 refs

Energy efficiency barriers in commercial and industrial firms in Ukraine: An empirical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hochman, Gal; Timilsina, Govinda R.

2017-01-01

Improvement in energy efficiency is one of the main options to reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. However, large-scale deployment of energy-efficient technologies is constrained by several factors. Employing a survey of 509 industrial and commercial firms throughout Ukraine and a generalized ordered logit model, we quantified the economic, behavioral, and institutional barriers that may impede the deployment of energy-efficient technologies. Our analysis shows that behavioral barriers resulted from lack of information, knowledge, and awareness are major impediments to the adoption of energy-efficient technologies in Ukraine, and that financial barriers may further impede investments in these technologies especially for small firms. This suggests that carefully targeted information provisions and energy audits will enhance Ukrainian firms' investments in energy-efficient technologies to save energy consumption, improve productivity, and reduce carbon emissions from the productive sectors. - Highlights: • Employing a survey of 509 industrial and commercial firms throughout Ukraine • A generalized ordered logit model is used in the analysis. • The paper quantifies the economic, behavioral, and institutional barriers to energy-efficient technologies. • Behavioral barriers are major impediments to the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. • Financial barriers may further impede investments in these technologies especially for small firms.

Fingolimod promotes blood-nerve barrier properties in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishihara, Hideaki; Maeda, Toshihiko; Sano, Yasuteru; Ueno, Maho; Okamoto, Nana; Takeshita, Yukio; Shimizu, Fumitaka; Koga, Michiaki; Kanda, Takashi

2018-04-01

The main effect of fingolimod is thought to be functional antagonism of lymphocytic S1P1 receptors and the prevention of lymphocyte egress from lymphoid tissues, thereby reducing lymphocyte infiltration into the nervous system. However, a growing number of reports suggest that fingolimod also has a direct effect on several cell types in the nervous system. Although we previously reported that fingolimod enhances blood-brain barrier (BBB) functions, there have been no investigations regarding the blood-nerve barrier (BNB). In this study, we examine how fingolimod affects the BNB. An immortalized human peripheral nerve microvascular endothelial cell line (HPnMEC) was used to evaluate BNB barrier properties. We examined tight junction proteins and barrier functions of HPnMECs in conditioned medium with or without fingolimod-phosphate and blood sera from patients with typical chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Incubation with fingolimod-phosphate increased levels of claudin-5 mRNA and protein as well as TEER values in HPnMECs. Conversely, typical CIDP sera decreased claudin-5 mRNA/protein levels and TEER values in HPnMECs; however, pretreatment with fingolimod-phosphate inhibited the effects of the typical CIDP sera. Fingolimod-phosphate directly modifies the BNB and enhances barrier properties. This mechanism may be a viable therapeutic target for CIDP, and fingolimod may be useful in patients with typical CIDP who have severe barrier disruption.

Report to Congress: Coastal Barrier Resources System with recommendations as required by Section 10 of Public Law 97-348, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The U.S. shoreline bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico contains one of the longest and best defined chains of coastal barriers in the world. In recognition of the fact, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) (16 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) was enacted in October 1982. The Act established the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) consisting of 186 coastal barrier units along 670 mi of shoreline on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. The philosophy behind the CBRA is that the risk associated with new development in these areas should be borne by those who choose to live and work along the coast, and not by all American taxpayers. By restricting Federal expenditures and financial assistance on specific undeveloped coastal barriers, the Federal Government can minimize the loss of human life, reduce the wasteful expenditure of Federal revenues, and reduce the damage to fish and wildlife and other natural resources that can accompany development of these fragile areas. Section 10 of the CBRA directs the Department of the Interior to study the CBRS and prepare for Congress a report which includes recommendations for changes in the CBRS based on an evaluation of management alternatives that would foster conservation of the natural resources of the CBRS

Tight junction proteins contribute to barrier properties in human pleura.

Science.gov (United States)

Markov, Alexander G; Voronkova, Maria A; Volgin, George N; Yablonsky, Piotr K; Fromm, Michael; Amasheh, Salah

2011-03-15

The permeability of pleural mesothelium helps to control the volume and composition of the liquid lubricating pleural surfaces. Information on pleural barrier function in health and disease, however, is scarce. Tissue specimens of human pleura were mounted in Ussing chambers for measurement of transmesothelial resistance. Expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins was studied by Western blots and immune fluorescence confocal microscopy. Both visceral and parietal pleura showed barrier properties represented by transmesothelial resistance. Occludin, claudin-1, -3, -5, and -7, were detected in visceral pleura. In parietal pleura, the same TJ proteins were detected, except claudin-7. In tissues from patients with pleural inflammation these tightening claudins were decreased and in visceral pleura claudin-2, a paracellular channel former, became apparent. We report that barrier function in human pleura coincides with expression of claudins known to be key determinants of epithelial barrier properties. In inflamed tissue, claudin expression indicates a reduced barrier function. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Homoepitaxial graphene tunnel barriers for spin transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam L. Friedman

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Tunnel barriers are key elements for both charge-and spin-based electronics, offering devices with reduced power consumption and new paradigms for information processing. Such devices require mating dissimilar materials, raising issues of heteroepitaxy, interface stability, and electronic states that severely complicate fabrication and compromise performance. Graphene is the perfect tunnel barrier. It is an insulator out-of-plane, possesses a defect-free, linear habit, and is impervious to interdiffusion. Nonetheless, true tunneling between two stacked graphene layers is not possible in environmental conditions usable for electronics applications. However, two stacked graphene layers can be decoupled using chemical functionalization. Here, we demonstrate that hydrogenation or fluorination of graphene can be used to create a tunnel barrier. We demonstrate successful tunneling by measuring non-linear IV curves and a weakly temperature dependent zero-bias resistance. We demonstrate lateral transport of spin currents in non-local spin-valve structures, and determine spin lifetimes with the non-local Hanle effect. We compare the results for hydrogenated and fluorinated tunnel and we discuss the possibility that ferromagnetic moments in the hydrogenated graphene tunnel barrier affect the spin transport of our devices.

Homoepitaxial graphene tunnel barriers for spin transport

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Adam L.; van't Erve, Olaf M. J.; Robinson, Jeremy T.; Whitener, Keith E.; Jonker, Berend T.

2016-05-01

Tunnel barriers are key elements for both charge-and spin-based electronics, offering devices with reduced power consumption and new paradigms for information processing. Such devices require mating dissimilar materials, raising issues of heteroepitaxy, interface stability, and electronic states that severely complicate fabrication and compromise performance. Graphene is the perfect tunnel barrier. It is an insulator out-of-plane, possesses a defect-free, linear habit, and is impervious to interdiffusion. Nonetheless, true tunneling between two stacked graphene layers is not possible in environmental conditions usable for electronics applications. However, two stacked graphene layers can be decoupled using chemical functionalization. Here, we demonstrate that hydrogenation or fluorination of graphene can be used to create a tunnel barrier. We demonstrate successful tunneling by measuring non-linear IV curves and a weakly temperature dependent zero-bias resistance. We demonstrate lateral transport of spin currents in non-local spin-valve structures, and determine spin lifetimes with the non-local Hanle effect. We compare the results for hydrogenated and fluorinated tunnel and we discuss the possibility that ferromagnetic moments in the hydrogenated graphene tunnel barrier affect the spin transport of our devices.

Modelling and Simulation of the Radiant Field in an Annular Heterogeneous Photoreactor Using a Four-Flux Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Alvarado-Rolon

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on modeling and simulating the absorption and scattering of radiation in a photocatalytic annular reactor. To achieve so, a model based on four fluxes (FFM of radiation in cylindrical coordinates to describe the radiant field is assessed. This model allows calculating the local volumetric rate energy absorption (LVREA profiles when the reaction space of the reactors is not a thin film. The obtained results were compared to radiation experimental data from other authors and with the results obtained by discrete ordinate method (DOM carried out with the Heat Transfer Module of Comsol Multiphysics® 4.4. The FFM showed a good agreement with the results of Monte Carlo method (MC and the six-flux model (SFM. Through this model, the LVREA is obtained, which is an important parameter to establish the reaction rate equation. In this study, the photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde was carried out, and the kinetic equation for this process was obtained. To perform the simulation, the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics v. 4.4 was employed.

Barrier-relevant crash modification factors and average costs of crashes on arterial roads in Indiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Yaotian; Tarko, Andrew P

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to develop crash modification factors (CMFs) and estimate the average crash costs applicable to a wide range of road-barrier scenarios that involved three types of road barriers (concrete barriers, W-beam guardrails, and high-tension cable barriers) to produce a suitable basis for comparing barrier-oriented design alternatives and road improvements. The intention was to perform the most comprehensive and in-depth analysis allowed by the cross-sectional method and the crash data available in Indiana. To accomplish this objective and to use the available data efficiently, the effects of barrier were estimated on the frequency of barrier-relevant (BR) crashes, the types of harmful events and their occurrence during a BR crash, and the severity of BR crash outcomes. The harmful events component added depth to the analysis by connecting the crash onset with its outcome. Further improvement of the analysis was accomplished by considering the crash outcome severity of all the individuals involved in a crash and not just drivers, utilizing hospital data, and pairing the observations with and without road barriers along same or similar road segments to better control the unobserved heterogeneity. This study confirmed that the total number of BR crashes tended to be higher where medians had installed barriers, mainly due to collisions with barriers and, in some cases, with other vehicles after redirecting vehicles back to traffic. These undesirable effects of barriers were surpassed by the positive results of reducing cross-median crashes, rollover events, and collisions with roadside hazards. The average cost of a crash (unit cost) was reduced by 50% with cable barriers installed in medians wider than 50ft. A similar effect was concluded for concrete barriers and guardrails installed in medians narrower than 50ft. The studied roadside guardrails also reduced the unit cost by 20%-30%. Median cable barriers were found to be the most effective

Barriers to global health development: An international quantitative survey.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bahr Weiss

Full Text Available Global health's goal of reducing low-and-middle-income country versus high-income country health disparities faces complex challenges. Although there have been discussions of barriers, there has not been a broad-based, quantitative survey of such barriers.432 global health professionals were invited via email to participate in an online survey, with 268 (62% participating. The survey assessed participants' (A demographic and global health background, (B perceptions regarding 66 barriers' seriousness, (C detailed ratings of barriers designated most serious, (D potential solutions.Thirty-four (of 66 barriers were seen as moderately or more serious, highlighting the widespread, significant challenges global health development faces. Perceived barrier seriousness differed significantly across domains: Resource Limitations mean = 2.47 (0-4 Likert scale, Priority Selection mean = 2.20, Corruption, Lack of Competence mean = 1.87, Social and Cultural Barriers mean = 1.68. Some system-level predictors showed significant but relatively limited relations. For instance, for Global Health Domain, HIV and Mental Health had higher levels of perceived Social and Cultural Barriers than other GH Domains. Individual-level global health experience predictors had small but significant effects, with seriousness of (a Corruption, Lack of Competence, and (b Priority Selection barriers positively correlated with respondents' level of LMIC-oriented (e.g., weeks/year spent in LMIC but Academic Global Health Achievement (e.g., number of global health publications negatively correlated with overall barrier seriousness.That comparatively few system-level predictors (e.g., Organization Type were significant suggests these barriers may be relatively fundamental at the system-level. Individual-level and system-level effects do have policy implications; e.g., Priority Selection barriers were among the most serious, yet effects on seriousness of how LMIC-oriented a professional

Development of dry barriers for containment and remediation at waste sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomson, B.M.; Morris, C.E.; Ankeny, M.D.

1994-01-01

This paper describes a concept in which dry air is injected into an unsaturated formation to reduce the soil moisture content, referred to here as a dry (or sometimes tensiometric) barrier. The objective is to reduce the hydraulic conductivity of the unsaturated media to the point where liquid phase transport becomes negligible, thereby achieving containment. The concept could be applied in subsurface formations to provide containment from a leaking facility, or it could be incorporated into a cover design to provide redundancy for a capillary barrier. The air injection process could in principle be coupled with a vacuum extraction system to recover soil vapors, which would then provide a remediation process that would be appropriate if volatile organic compounds were present. Work to date has consisted of a combined theoretical, laboratory, and field research investigation. The objective of this research was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the dry barrier concept by identifying the parameters which determine its effectiveness. Based on the results obtained for the experimental and theoretical studies, feasibility analyses were prepared for as a modification for a landfill cover design to prevent infiltration from atmospheric precipitation and for potential application of dry barriers to achieve subsurface containment and removal of volatile constituents. These analyses considered the technical as well as the economic aspects of the dry barrier concept

Stability of barrier buckets with zero RF-barrier separations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ng, K.Y.; /Fermilab

2005-03-01

A barrier bucket with very small separation between the rf barriers (relative to the barrier widths) or even zero separation has its synchrotron tune decreasing rather slowly from a large value towards the boundary of the bucket. As a result, large area at the bucket edges can become unstable under the modulation of rf voltage and/or rf phase. In addition, chaotic regions may form near the bucket center and extend outward under increasing modulation. Application is made to those barrier buckets used in the process of momentum mining at the Fermilab Recycler Ring.

Transport barriers with and without shear flows in a magnetized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinell, Julio J.

2014-01-01

Different ways of producing a transport barrier in a toroidal magnetized plasma are discussed and the properties of the barriers are analyzed. The first mechanism is associated with the presence of a sheared plasma flow that is present in a limited region of the plasma, which creates a zonal flow. In contrast to the usual paradigm stating that the sheared flow reduces the turbulence correlation length and leads to suppression of the fluctuation driven transport in the region of highest shear, it is shown that from the perspective of chaotic transport of plasma particles in the fluctuation fields, the transport barrier is formed in the region of zero shear and it can be destroyed when the fluctuation level is high enough. It is also shown that finite gyroradius effects modify the dynamics and introduces new conditions for barrier formation. The second mechanism considers a method in which radio-frequency waves injected into the plasma can stabilize the drift waves and therefore the anomalous transport is reduced, creating a barrier. This process does not involve the presence of sheared flows and depends only on the effect of the RF wave field on the drift waves. The stabilizing effect in this case is due to the nonlinear ponderomotive force which acts in a way that offsets the pressure gradient destabilization. Finally, a mechanism based on the ponderomotive force of RF waves is described which produces poloidal plasma rotation around the resonant surface due to the asymmetry of induced transport; it creates a transport barrier by shear flow stabilization of turbulence

Dependence of calculus retropulsion dynamics on fiber size and radiant exposure during Ho:YAG lithotripsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ho; Ryan, Robert T; Kim, Jeehyun; Choi, Bernard; Arakeri, Navanit V; Teichman, Joel M H; Welch, A J

2004-08-01

During pulsed laser lithotripsy, the calculus is subject to a strong recoil momentum which moves the calculus away from laser delivery and prolongs the operation. This study was designed to quantify the recoil momentum during Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy. The correlation among crater shape, debris trajectory, laser-induced bubble and recoil momentum was investigated. Calculus phantoms made from plaster of Paris were ablated with free running Ho:YAG lasers. The dynamics of recoil action of a calculus phantom was monitored by a high-speed video camera and the laser ablation craters were examined with Optical Coherent Tomography (OCT). Higher radiant exposure resulted in larger ablation volume (mass) which increased the recoil momentum. Smaller fibers produced narrow craters with a steep contoured geometry and decreased recoil momentum compared to larger fibers. In the presence of water, recoil motion of the phantom deviated from that of phantom in air. Under certain conditions, we observed the phantom rocking towards the fiber after the laser pulse. The shape of the crater is one of the major contributing factors to the diminished recoil momentum of smaller fibers. The re-entrance flow of water induced by the bubble collapse is considered to be the cause of the rocking of the phantom.

It is not the barriers, but the disorganised learning that holds us backexclamation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsson, Hans (FourFact AB (Sweden)); Wene, Clas-Otto (Wenergy AB (Sweden))

2011-07-01

Since the first oil-crisis many studies examined the barriers preventing energy efficiency opportunities to be fully realised and exploited. There are several typologies and many attempts to quantify the impediment that the barriers constitute. These studies mostly end with recommendations on how these barriers should be eradicated, or at least lowered. Numerous policies have been based on the barrier concept and designed with measures to reduce those barriers. And still, very little improvement has happened. There are, however, alternatives to explain the problems and to design the solutions. This paper gives an overview of the most commonly-mentioned barriers, explains why they are insufficient as a concept, and indicates a different foundation for policymaking in behavioural economics. It also advocates focused deployment programmes that make use of technology learning

Graphene-based stretchable and transparent moisture barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Won, Sejeong; Van Lam, Do; Lee, Jin Young; Jung, Hyun-June; Hur, Min; Kim, Kwang-Seop; Lee, Hak-Joo; Kim, Jae-Hyun

2018-03-01

We propose an alumina-deposited double-layer graphene (2LG) as a transparent, scalable, and stretchable barrier against moisture; this barrier is indispensable for foldable or stretchable organic displays and electronics. Both the barrier property and stretchability were significantly enhanced through the introduction of 2LG between alumina and a polymeric substrate. 2LG with negligible polymeric residues was coated on the polymeric substrate via a scalable dry transfer method in a roll-to-roll manner; an alumina layer was deposited on the graphene via atomic layer deposition. The effect of the graphene layer on crack generation in the alumina layer was systematically studied under external strain using an in situ micro-tensile tester, and correlations between the deformation-induced defects and water vapor transmission rate were quantitatively analyzed. The enhanced stretchability of alumina-deposited 2LG originated from the interlayer sliding between the graphene layers, which resulted in the crack density of the alumina layer being reduced under external strain.

Field testing of asphalt-emulsion radon-barrier system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartley, J.N.; Freeman, H.D.; Baker, E.G.; Elmore, M.R.; Nelson, D.A.; Voss, C.F.; Koehmstedt, P.L.

1981-09-01

Three years of laboratory and field testing have demonstrated that asphalt emulsion seals are effective radon diffusion barriers. Both laboratory and field tests in 1979, 1980 and 1981 have shown that an asphalt emulsion seal can reduce radon fluxes by greater than 99.9%. The effective diffusion coefficient for the various asphalt emulsion admix seals averages about 10 -6 cm 2 /s. The 1981 joint field test is a culmination of all the technology developed to date for asphalt emulsion radon barrier systems. Preliminary results of this field test and the results of the 1980 field test are presented. 18 figures, 6 tables

Non-statutory barriers and incentives to stakeholder participation in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Non-statutory barriers and incentives to stakeholder participation in reducing water pollution: A South African case study. ... were found to be the major impediments preventing staff at government agencies and parastatals from motivating other ...

Determination of the thickness of Al2O3 barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchanan, J.D.R.; Hase, T.P.A.; Tanner, B.K.; Hughes, N.D.; Hicken, R.J.

2002-01-01

The barrier thickness in magnetic spin-dependent tunnel junctions with Al 2 O 3 barriers has been measured using grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity and by fitting the tunneling current to the Simmons model. We have studied the effect of glow discharge oxidation time on the barrier structure, revealing a substantial increase in Al 2 O 3 thickness with oxidation. The greater thickness of barrier measured using grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity compared with that obtained by fitting current density-voltage to the Simmons electron tunneling model suggests that electron tunneling is localized to specific regions across the barrier, where the thickness is reduced by fluctuations due to nonconformal roughness

Desmoglein 2 regulates the intestinal epithelial barrier via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.

Science.gov (United States)

Ungewiß, Hanna; Vielmuth, Franziska; Suzuki, Shintaro T; Maiser, Andreas; Harz, Hartmann; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Kugelmann, Daniela; Schlegel, Nicolas; Waschke, Jens

2017-07-24

Intestinal epithelial barrier properties are maintained by a junctional complex consisting of tight junctions (TJ), adherens junctions (AJ) and desmosomes. Desmoglein 2 (Dsg2), an adhesion molecule of desmosomes and the only Dsg isoform expressed in enterocytes, is required for epithelial barrier properties and may contribute to barrier defects in Crohn's disease. Here, we identified extradesmosomal Dsg2 on the surface of polarized enterocytes by Triton extraction, confocal microscopy, SIM and STED. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed Dsg2-specific binding events along the cell border on the surface of enterocytes with a mean unbinding force of around 30pN. Binding events were blocked by an inhibitory antibody targeting Dsg2 which under same conditions activated p38MAPK but did not reduce cell cohesion. In enterocytes deficient for Dsg2, p38MAPK activity was reduced and both barrier integrity and reformation were impaired. Dsc2 rescue did not restore p38MAPK activity indicating that Dsg2 is required. Accordingly, direct activation of p38MAPK in Dsg2-deficient cells enhanced barrier reformation demonstrating that Dsg2-mediated activation of p38MAPK is crucial for barrier function. Collectively, our data show that Dsg2, beside its adhesion function, regulates intestinal barrier function via p38MAPK signalling. This is in contrast to keratinocytes and points towards tissue-specific signalling functions of desmosomal cadherins.

Safety- barrier diagrams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duijm, Nijs Jan

2008-01-01

Safety-barrier diagrams and the related so-called 'bow-tie' diagrams have become popular methods in risk analysis. This paper describes the syntax and principles for constructing consistent and valid safety-barrier diagrams. The relation of safety-barrier diagrams to other methods such as fault...... trees and Bayesian networks is discussed. A simple method for quantification of safety-barrier diagrams is proposed. It is concluded that safety-barrier diagrams provide a useful framework for an electronic data structure that integrates information from risk analysis with operational safety management....

Safety-barrier diagrams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duijm, Nijs Jan

2007-01-01

Safety-barrier diagrams and the related so-called "bow-tie" diagrams have become popular methods in risk analysis. This paper describes the syntax and principles for constructing consistent and valid safety-barrier diagrams. The relation with other methods such as fault trees and Bayesian networks...... are discussed. A simple method for quantification of safety-barrier diagrams is proposed, including situations where safety barriers depend on shared common elements. It is concluded that safety-barrier diagrams provide a useful framework for an electronic data structure that integrates information from risk...... analysis with operational safety management....

Vulnerability of multiple-barrier systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lind, N.C.

1996-01-01

'Vulnerability' is defined as the ratio of the probability of failure of a damaged system to the probability of failure of the undamaged system. This definition applies to all engineered systems and can be specialized to particular system types. Some disastrous failures (e.g., Chernobyl) have shown that systems can be highly vulnerable. open-quotes Defense in depthclose quotes is a powerful design principle, reducing vulnerability when the consequences of failure can be catastrophic. In the nuclear industry, defense in depth is widely used in radiation protection, reactor control, and shutdown systems. A multiple-barrier system is a simple example of a system that has defense in depth. The idea is that the system is not vulnerable. It cannot fail if one barrier fails because there is another to take its place. This idea is untenable in waste management, but a quantified vulnerability of a system can help owners, designers, and regulators decide how much defense in depth is desirable or enough. Many multiple-barrier systems can be modeled as systems of components physically in a series, each individually able to prevent failure. Components typically have bimodal distributions of the service time to failure, as illustrated by an example of application to a hypothetical nuclear fuel waste repository

Novel Simple Insulin Delivery Device Reduces Barriers to Insulin Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes

Science.gov (United States)

Hermanns, Norbert; Lilly, Leslie C.; Mader, Julia K.; Aberer, Felix; Ribitsch, Anja; Kojzar, Harald; Warner, Jay; Pieber, Thomas R.

2015-01-01

Background: The PaQ® insulin delivery system is a simple-to-use patch-on device that provides preset basal rates and bolus insulin on demand. In addition to feasibility of use, safety, and efficacy (reported elsewhere), this study analyzed the impact of PaQ on patient-reported outcomes, including barriers to insulin treatment, diabetes-related distress, and attitudes toward insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes on a stable multiple daily injection (MDI) regimen. Methods: This single-center, open-label, single-arm study comprised three 2-week periods: baseline (MDI), transition from MDI to PaQ, and PaQ treatment. Validated questionnaires were administered during the baseline and PaQ treatment periods: Barriers to Insulin Treatment questionnaire (BIT), Insulin Treatment Appraisal Scale (ITAS), and Problem Areas in Diabetes scale (PAID). Results: Eighteen patients (age 59 ± 5 years, diabetes duration 15 ± 7 years, 21% female, HbA1c 7.7 ± 0.7%) completed the questionnaires. There was a strong, significant effect of PaQ use in mean BIT total scores (difference [D] = −5.4 ± 0.7.7, P = .01, effect size [d] = 0.70). Patients perceived less stigmatization by insulin injection (D = −2.2 ± 6.2, P = .18, d = 0.35), increased positive outcome (D = 1.9 ± 6.6, P = .17, d = 0.29), and less fear of injections (1.3 ± 4.8, P = .55, d = 0.28). Mean change in ITAS scores after PaQ device use showed a nonsignificant improvement of 1.71 ± 5.63 but moderate effect size (d = 0.30, P = .14). No increase in PAID scores was seen. Conclusions: The results and moderate to large effects sizes suggest that PaQ device use has beneficial and clinically relevant effects to overcoming barriers to and negative appraisal of insulin treatment, without increasing other diabetes-related distress. PMID:25670847

Spatial repellents on strips of camouflage netting reduce mosquito collections in a field environment

Science.gov (United States)

Barrier treatments can be effective in reducing host seeking mosquito vectors and provide an additional layer of passive defense, reducing disease risk. Devices designed to release spatial repellents or direct application of spatial repellents to artificial surfaces can serve as efficient barriers r...

Vehicle barrier systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sena, P.A.

1986-01-01

The ground vehicle is one of the most effective tools available to an adversary force. Vehicles can be used to penetrate many types of perimeter barriers, transport equipment and personnel rapidly over long distances, and deliver large amounts of explosives directly to facilities in suicide missions. The function of a vehicle barrier system is to detain or disable a defined threat vehicle at a selected distance from a protected facility. Numerous facilities are installing, or planning to install, vehicle barrier systems and many of these facilities are requesting guidance to do so adequately. Therefore, vehicle barriers are being evaluated to determine their stopping capabilities so that systems can be designed that are both balanced and capable of providing a desired degree of protection. Equally important, many of the considerations that should be taken into account when establishing a vehicle barrier system have been identified. These considerations which pertain to site preparation, barrier selection, system integration and operation, and vehicle/barrier interaction, are discussed in this paper

Surface stability test plan for protective barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ligotke, M.W.

1989-01-01

Natural-material protective barriers for long-term isolation of buried waste have been identified as integral components of a plan to isolate a number of Hanford defense waste sites. Standards currently being developed for internal and external barrier performance will mandate a barrier surface layer that is resistant to the eolian erosion processes of wind erosion (deflation) and windborne particle deposition (formation of sand dunes). Thus, experiments are needed to measure rates of eolian erosion processes impacting those surfaces under different surface and climatological conditions. Data from these studies will provide information for use in the evaluation of selected surface layers as a means of providing stable cover over waste sites throughout the design life span of protective barriers. The multi-year test plan described in this plan is directed at understanding processes of wind erosion and windborne particle deposition, providing measurements of erosion rates for models, and suggesting construction materials and methods for reducing the effect of long-term eolian erosion on the barrier. Specifically, this plan describes possible methods to measure rates of eolian erosion, including field and laboratory procedure. Advantages and disadvantages of laboratory (wind tunnel) tests are discussed, and continued wind tunnel tests are recommended for wind erosion studies. A comparison between field and wind tunnel erosive forces is discussed. Plans for testing surfaces are described. Guidance is also presented for studying the processes controlling sand dune and blowout formation. 24 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs

Reflective Packaging

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

The aluminized polymer film used in spacecraft as a radiation barrier to protect both astronauts and delicate instruments has led to a number of spinoff applications. Among them are aluminized shipping bags, food cart covers and medical bags. Radiant Technologies purchases component materials and assembles a barrier made of layers of aluminized foil. The packaging reflects outside heat away from the product inside the container. The company is developing new aluminized lines, express mailers, large shipping bags, gel packs and insulated panels for the building industry.

Can Social Capital Networks Assist Re-entry Felons to Overcome Barriers to Re-entry and Reduce Recidivism?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Earl Smith

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Based on interviews with 25 reentry felons, this article examines the impact that social capital plays in successful reentry; specifically with securing stable housing and employment. We found that access to social capital allowed those with the lowest probability for success—African American men with felony convictions—to secure both stable employment and housing and thus avoid engaging in illegitimate behavior that leads to recidivism. The findings suggest that even for those individuals reentering society with the most strikes against them (as noted by researchers such as Pager and Travis, access to the resource rich social capital networks provided by reentry programs can allow these individuals to overcome the barriers to reentry and find stable jobs and secure housing. Our findings suggest that more research be done on the impact of social capital embedded in reentry programs and that referrals be made to these types of programs and funding be provided for those that demonstrate the ability to significantly reduce recidivism. As Putman has noted, "Just as a screwdriver (physical capital or a college education (human capital can increase productivity (both individual and collective, so do social contacts affect the productivity of individuals and groups."

Differences in the heat stress associated with white sportswear and being semi-nude in exercising humans under conditions of radiant heat and wind at a wet bulb globe temperature of greater than 28 °C

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuji, Michio; Kume, Masashi; Tuneoka, Hideyuki; Yoshida, Tetsuya

2014-08-01

This study investigated whether wearing common white sportswear can reduce heat stress more than being semi-nude during exercise of different intensities performed under radiant heat and wind conditions, such as a hot summer day. After a 20-min rest period, eight male subjects performed three 20 min sessions of cycling exercise at a load intensity of 20 % or 50 % of their peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) in a room maintained at a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 28.7 ± 0.1 °C using two spot lights and a fan (0.8 m/s airflow). Subjects wore common white sportswear (WS) consisting of a long-sleeved shirt (45 % cotton and 55 % polyester) and short pants (100 % polyester), or only swimming pants (SP) under the semi-nude condition. The mean skin temperature was greater when subjects wore SP than WS under both the 20 % and 50 % exercise conditions. During the 50 % exercise, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and thermal sensation (TS), and the increases in esophageal temperature (ΔTes) and heart rate were significantly higher ( P < 0.001-0.05), or tended to be higher ( P < 0.07), in the WS than SP trials at the end of the third 20-min exercise session. The total sweat loss ( m sw,tot) was also significantly higher in the WS than in the SP trials ( P < 0.05). However, during the 20 % exercise, the m sw,tot during exercise, and the ΔTes, RPE and TS at the end of the second and third sessions of exercise did not differ significant between conditions. The heat storage (S), calculated from the changes in the mean body temperature (0.9Tes + 0.1 ), was significantly lower in the WS trials than in the SP trials during the 20 min resting period before exercise session. However, S was similar between conditions during the 20 % exercise, but was greater in the WS than in the SP trials during 50 % exercise. These results suggest that, under conditions of radiant heat and wind at a WBGT greater than 28 °C, the heat stress associated with wearing common WS is similar to that

Fibronectin changes in eosinophilic meningitis with blood-CSF barrier disruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Shyu, Ling-Yuh; Hu, Ming-E; Chou, Chun-Hui; Chen, Ke-Min; Chiu, Ping-Sung; Lai, Shih-Chan

2015-01-01

Fibronectin, which is present at relatively low levels in healthy central nervous systems (CNS), shows increased levels in meningitis. In this study, fibronectin processing was correlated with the increased permeability of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier as well as with the formation of eosinophil infiltrates in angiostrongyliasis meningitis. The immunohistochemistry results show matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is localized in the choroid plexus epithelium. Coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated fibronectin strongly binds MMP-9. Furthermore, treatment with the MMP-9 inhibitor GM6001 significantly inhibited fibronectin processing, reduced the blood-CSF barrier permeability, and decreased the eosinophil counts. The decreased fibronectin processing in CSF implies decreased cellular invasion of the subarachnoid space across the blood-CSF barrier. Therefore, increased fibronectin processing may be associated with barrier disruption and participate in the extravasation and migration of eosinophils into the CNS during experimental parasitic infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal Height Calculation and Modelling of Noise Barrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raimondas Grubliauskas

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Transport is one of the main sources of noise having a particularly strong negative impact on the environment. In the city, one of the best methods to reduce the spread of noise in residential areas is a noise barrier. The article presents noise reduction barrier adaptation with empirical formulas calculating and modelling noise distribution. The simulation of noise dispersion has been performed applying the CadnaA program that allows modelling the noise levels of various developments under changing conditions. Calculation and simulation is obtained by assessing the level of noise reduction using the same variables. The investigation results are presented as noise distribution isolines. The selection of a different height of noise barriers are the results calculated at the heights of 1, 4 and 15 meters. The level of noise reduction at the maximum overlap of data, calculation and simulation has reached about 10%.Article in Lithuanian

Detection and Tracking of Road Barrier Based on Radar and Vision Sensor Fusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taeryun Kim

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The detection and tracking algorithms of road barrier including tunnel and guardrail are proposed to enhance performance and reliability for driver assistance systems. Although the road barrier is one of the key features to determine a safe drivable area, it may be recognized incorrectly due to performance degradation of commercial sensors such as radar and monocular camera. Two frequent cases among many challenging problems are considered with the commercial sensors. The first case is that few tracks of radar to road barrier are detected due to material type of road barrier. The second one is inaccuracy of relative lateral position by radar, thus resulting in large variance of distance between a vehicle and road barrier. To overcome the problems, the detection and estimation algorithms of tracks corresponding to road barrier are proposed. Then, the tracking algorithm based on a probabilistic data association filter (PDAF is used to reduce variation of lateral distance between vehicle and road barrier. Finally, the proposed algorithms are validated via field test data and their performance is compared with that of road barrier measured by lidar.

Reliability and Validity of a Treatment Barriers Scale for Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Possemato, Kyle; Funderburk, Jennifer; Spinola, Suzanne; Hutchison, Dezarie; Maisto, Stephen A; Lantinga, Larry J; Oslin, David W

2016-01-01

Few studies have measured addiction-specific barriers to treatment. A measurement of barriers with psychometric support that has been tested in diverse samples and that assesses multiple components of addiction treatment barriers is needed to inform providers and treatment programs. This paper aims to provide an initial psychometric investigation of a measure of barriers to seeking addictions treatment. Data were collected from 196 Veterans Affairs primary care patients with Alcohol Use Disorder that participated in a randomized clinical trial. A Principal Components Analysis revealed that the 32-item Treatment Barriers Scale (TBS) can be reduced to 14 items, measuring 4 factors: stigma, dislike of the treatment process, alcohol problem identification, and logistical concerns. Acceptable internal consistent reliability (α = .64-.76) and excellent precision of alpha (α = 0.001-0.009) was found for each subscale. Support for the measure's concurrent validity was found, for example, participants who reported more motivation to reduce their drinking perceived significantly fewer barriers to care. Support for the measure's predictive validity was also found, including that more barriers were related to future drinking among all participants and less mental health and addictions treatment visits among participants in one treatment condition. Conclusions/ Importance: Our results provide initial support for the utility of the TBS-14 among primary care patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. Use of the TBS-14 could enable healthcare providers to better understand patient-specific treatment barriers, provide corrective information on treatment misconceptions, and inform individualized treatment plans that increase patient engagement in addiction services.

"[Drinking is] Like a Rule That You Can't Break": Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Reduce Alcohol Use and Improve Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence Among People Living with HIV and Alcohol Use Disorder in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Hershow, Rebecca B; Zuskov, Diana S; Vu Tuyet Mai, Nguyen; Chander, Geetanjali; Hutton, Heidi E; Latkin, Carl; Vuong, Nguyen Duc; Sripaipan, Teerada; Lancaster, Kathryn E; Ha, Tran Viet; Go, Vivian F

2018-03-14

Alcohol use, a highly normative behavior in Vietnam that is associated with high rates of HIV infection and lower antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence, has been largely overlooked by HIV prevention efforts. Using the risk environment framework, this qualitative study aims to explore the perceived microenvironmental (community-level) and endogenous (individual-level) barriers and facilitators to alcohol reduction among people living with HIV (PLHIV) with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in Vietnam. From June-July 2014, semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty PLHIV (18 men; 12 women) recruited from an outpatient ART clinic in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam. All participants had scores of ≥8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and ten of the 30 participants were currently using injection drugs. Interviews were transcribed, translated, and analyzed to identify perceived barriers and facilitators to alcohol reduction. Most participants reported a spike in alcohol consumption at the time of HIV diagnosis. Most perceived barriers existed at the microenvironmental level, including perceived inability to refuse alcohol in the context of community-level social norms and lack of alcohol treatment programs. Two commonly mentioned endogenous barriers were compensatory behaviors when reducing injection drug use and using alcohol as a coping strategy for HIV-related sadness. Those who were able to successfully reduce alcohol use and adhere to ART reported having social support to buffer community-level social pressure and cope with sadness. It may be effective to introduce targeted alcohol reduction interventions in health care centers to address individual risk practices and microenvironmental social norms.

The spectral optical properties and relative radiant heating contribution of dissolved and particulate matter in the surface waters across the Fram Strait

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pavlov, A.K.; Granskog, M.A.; Stedmon, Colin

autumns of 2009 and 2010 comprehensive observations were performed on transects along 79 N across the Fram Strait. Samples for chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and particulate absorption were collected and analyzed together with distribution of temperature and salinity in surface waters (0......-100 m). Large spatial variations in the distribution of CDOM and particulate matter as well as in their relative contributions to total absorption were apparent, with high contrast between waters of Arctic and Atlantic origin. In addition, estimates of underwater light profiles and radiant heating rate...... (RHR) of the upper layer were obtained using a simplistic exponential RHR model. This is one of the first detailed overviews of sea water optical properties across the northern Fram Strait, and might have potential implications for biological, biogeochemical and physical processes in the region...

Combustion of Methanol Droplets in Air-Diluent Environments with Reduced and Normal Gravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Shaw

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Reduced and normal gravity combustion experiments were performed with fiber-supported methanol droplets with initial diameters in the 1 mm size range. Experiments were performed with air-diluent mixtures at about 0.101 MPa and 298 K, where carbon dioxide, helium, or xenon was separately used as the diluent gas. Results indicate that ambient gas transport properties play an important role in determining flammability and combustion behaviors including burning rates and radiant heat output histories of the droplets. Droplets would burn with significantly higher mole fractions of xenon than helium or carbon dioxide. In reduced gravity, droplets would burn steadily with a xenon mole fraction of 0.50 but would not burn steadily if helium or carbon dioxide mole fractions were 0.50. Comparison with previous experimental data shows that ignitability and combustion characteristics of droplets are influenced by the fuel type and also the gravitational level. Burning rates were about 40% to 70% higher in normal gravity than in reduced gravity. Methanol droplets also had burning rates that were typically larger than 1-propanol burning rates by about 20% in reduced gravity. In normal gravity, however, burning rate differences between the two fuels were significantly smaller.

Barriers to fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berriman, A.C.; Butt, R.D.; Dasgupta, M.; Hinde, D.J.; Morton, C.R.; Newton, J.O.

1999-01-01

The fusion barrier is formed by the combination of the repulsive Coulomb and attractive nuclear forces. Recent research at the Australian National University has shown that when heavy nuclei collide, instead of a single fusion barrier, there is a set of fusion barriers. These arise due to intrinsic properties of the interacting nuclei such deformation, rotations and vibrations. Thus the range of barrier energies depends on the properties of both nuclei. The transfer of matter between nuclei, forming a neck, can also affect the fusion process. High precision data have been used to determine fusion barrier distributions for many nuclear reactions, leading to new insights into the fusion process

Extremal surface barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelhardt, Netta; Wall, Aron C.

2014-01-01

We present a generic condition for Lorentzian manifolds to have a barrier that limits the reach of boundary-anchored extremal surfaces of arbitrary dimension. We show that any surface with nonpositive extrinsic curvature is a barrier, in the sense that extremal surfaces cannot be continuously deformed past it. Furthermore, the outermost barrier surface has nonnegative extrinsic curvature. Under certain conditions, we show that the existence of trapped surfaces implies a barrier, and conversely. In the context of AdS/CFT, these barriers imply that it is impossible to reconstruct the entire bulk using extremal surfaces. We comment on the implications for the firewall controversy

Mercury Oxidation via Catalytic Barrier Filters Phase II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wayne Seames; Michael Mann; Darrin Muggli; Jason Hrdlicka; Carol Horabik

2007-09-30

In 2004, the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory awarded the University of North Dakota a Phase II University Coal Research grant to explore the feasibility of using barrier filters coated with a catalyst to oxidize elemental mercury in coal combustion flue gas streams. Oxidized mercury is substantially easier to remove than elemental mercury. If successful, this technique has the potential to substantially reduce mercury control costs for those installations that already utilize baghouse barrier filters for particulate removal. Completed in 2004, Phase I of this project successfully met its objectives of screening and assessing the possible feasibility of using catalyst coated barrier filters for the oxidation of vapor phase elemental mercury in coal combustion generated flue gas streams. Completed in September 2007, Phase II of this project successfully met its three objectives. First, an effective coating method for a catalytic barrier filter was found. Second, the effects of a simulated flue gas on the catalysts in a bench-scale reactor were determined. Finally, the performance of the best catalyst was assessed using real flue gas generated by a 19 kW research combustor firing each of three separate coal types.

Mathematical Modeling of Radiant Heat Transfer in Mirror Systems Considering Deep Reflecting Surface Defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Leonov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available When designing large-sized mirror concentrating systems (MCS for high-temperature solar power plants, one must have at disposal reasonably reliable and economical methods and tools, making it possible to analyze its characteristics, to predict them depending on the operation conditions and accordingly to choose the most suitable system for the solution of particular task.Experimental determination of MCS characteristics requires complicated and expensive experimentation, having significant limitations on interpretation of the results, as well as limitations imposed due to the size of the structure. Therefore it is of particular interest to develop a mathematical model capable of estimating power characteristics of MCS considering the influence of operating conditions, design features, roughness and other surface defects.For efficient solution of the tasks the model must ensure simulation of solar radiant flux as well as simulation of geometrical and optical characteristics of reflection surface and their interaction. In this connection a statistical mathematical model of radiation heat exchange based on use of Monte Carlo methods and Finite Element Method was developed and realized in the software complex, making it possible to determine main characteristics of the MCS.In this paper the main attention is given to definition of MCS radiation characteristics with account for deep reflecting surface defects (cavities, craters. Deep cavities are not typical for MCS, but their occurrence is possible during operation as a result of erosion or any physical damage. For example, for space technology it is primarily micrometeorite erosion.

Cervical cancer screening and psychosocial barriers perceived by patients. A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bukowska-Durawa, Alicja; Luszczynska, Aleksandra

2014-01-01

This study aimed at integrating research discussing the role of perceived psychosocial barriers in cervical cancer screening (CCS) uptake. In particular, we analyzed the evidence for the associations between CCS uptake and perceived psychosocial barriers and frequency of psychosocial barriers identified by women. A systematic search of peer-reviewed papers published until 2011 in 8 databases yielded 48 original studies, analyzing data obtained from 155 954 women. The majority of studies (k = 43) applied correlational design, while 5 had experimental design. Experimental research indicated a positive effect of 75% of psychosocial interventions targeting barriers. The interventions resulted in a significant increase of CCS uptake. Overall 100% of correlational studies indicated that perceiving lower levels of barriers significantly predicted higher CCS uptake. 53 psychosocial barriers were listed in at least 2 original correlational studies: 9.5% of barriers were related to CCS facilities/environment, 67.9% dealt with personal characteristics of the patient, and 22.6% addressed social factors. As many as 35.9% of perceived barriers referred to negative emotions related to CCS examination procedures and collecting CCS results, whereas 25.7% of barriers referred to prior contacts with health professionals. Leaflets or discussion on psychosocial barriers between patients and health professionals involved in CCS might increase CCS uptake and thus reduce cervical cancer mortality rates. Communication skills training for health professionals conducting CCS might focus on the most frequently reported barriers, referring to emotions related to CCS examination and collecting CCS results.

Multilayer moisture barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Pankow, Joel W; Jorgensen, Gary J; Terwilliger, Kent M; Glick, Stephen H; Isomaki, Nora; Harkonen, Kari; Turkulainen, Tommy

2015-04-21

A moisture barrier, device or product having a moisture barrier or a method of fabricating a moisture barrier having at least a polymer layer, and interfacial layer, and a barrier layer. The polymer layer may be fabricated from any suitable polymer including, but not limited to, fluoropolymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), or ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). The interfacial layer may be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). In embodiments featuring an ALD interfacial layer, the deposited interfacial substance may be, but is not limited to, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, AlSiO.sub.x, TiO.sub.2, and an Al.sub.2O.sub.3/TiO.sub.2 laminate. The barrier layer associated with the interfacial layer may be deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The barrier layer may be a SiO.sub.xN.sub.y film.

Considering the use of polyethylene vapour barriers in temperate climates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawton, M.D. [Morrison Hershfield Ltd., Vancouver, BC (Canada); Brown, W.C. [Morrison Hershfield Ltd., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2003-07-01

Most building envelope assemblies in Canada must include a vapour barrier in order to comply with Canadian building codes. The installation of sheet polyethylene between the studs and the interior sheathing has been the most common method because it provides more diffusion resistance than necessary to control condensation within a building envelope assembly. It has been suggested that the presence of a polyethylene vapour barrier on the warm-in-winter side of the insulation may actually cause moisture problems because a very low permeance material increases average moisture levels. This paper examined the theory that a vapour barrier at this location restricts drying of moisture that enters the building from outside. Pacific coastal regions of Canada and the United States were presented as examples. Other ways that a polyethylene vapour barrier affects wall performance were also presented. The advanced hygrothermal model HygIRC, developed by Canada's National Research Council, was used to simulate the performance of a wall assembly. Results indicate that eliminating the low permeance polyethylene vapour barrier does not necessarily reduce the risk of moisture problems. Removal of the vapour barrier may have some negative effects, such as increased risk of periodic moisture accumulation and mold growth on paper-faced gypsum board. 7 refs., 2 tabs., 7 figs.

Modeling of mean radiant temperature based on comparison of airborne remote sensing data with surface measured data

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Cheng; Chen, Chih-Yu; Matzarakis, Andreas; Liu, Jin-King; Lin, Tzu-Ping

2016-06-01

Assessment of outdoor thermal comfort is becoming increasingly important due to the urban heat island effect, which strongly affects the urban thermal environment. The mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) quantifies the effect of the radiation environment on humans, but it can only be estimated based on influencing parameters and factors. Knowledge of Tmrt is important for quantifying the heat load on human beings, especially during heat waves. This study estimates Tmrt using several methods, which are based on climatic data from a traditional weather station, microscale ground surface measurements, land surface temperature (LST) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data measured using airborne devices. Analytical results reveal that the best means of estimating Tmrt combines information about LST and surface elevation information with meteorological data from the closest weather station. The application in this method can eliminate the inconvenience of executing a wide range ground surface measurement, the insufficient resolution of satellite data and the incomplete data of current urban built environments. This method can be used to map a whole city to identify hot spots, and can be contributed to understanding human biometeorological conditions quickly and accurately.

Cementitious Barriers Partnership Accomplishments And Relevance To The DOE Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burns, H.; Langton, C.; Flach, G.; Kosson, D.

2010-01-01

The Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) was initiated to reduce risk and uncertainties in the performance assessments that directly impact U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) environmental cleanup and closure programs. The CBP is supported by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) and has been specifically addressing the following critical EM program needs: (i) the long-term performance of cementitious barriers and materials in nuclear waste disposal facilities and (ii) increased understanding of contaminant transport behavior within cementitious barrier systems to support the development and deployment of adequate closure technologies. To accomplish this, the CBP has two initiatives: (1) an experimental initiative to increase understanding of changes in cementitious materials over long times (> 1000 years) over changing conditions and (2) a modeling initiative to enhance and integrate a set of computational tools validated by laboratory and field experimental data to improve understanding and prediction of the long-term performance of cementitious barriers and waste forms used in nuclear applications. In FY10, the CBP developed the initial phase of an integrated modeling tool that would serve as a screening tool which could help in making decisions concerning disposal and tank closure. The CBP experimental programs are underway to validate this tool and provide increased understanding of how CM changes over time and under changing conditions. These initial CBP products that will eventually be enhanced are anticipated to reduce the uncertainties of current methodologies for assessing cementitious barrier performance and increase the consistency and transparency of the DOE assessment process. These tools have application to low activity waste forms, high level waste tank closure, D and D and entombment of major nuclear facilities, landfill waste acceptance criteria, and in-situ grouting and immobilization of vadose zone contamination. This paper

Herbicides: A new threat to the Great Barrier Reef

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, Stephen E.; Brodie, Jon E.; Bainbridge, Zoe T.; Rohde, Ken W.; Davis, Aaron M.; Masters, Bronwyn L.; Maughan, Mirjam; Devlin, Michelle J.; Mueller, Jochen F.; Schaffelke, Britta

2009-01-01

The runoff of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) from agricultural lands is a key concern for the health of the iconic Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Relatively low levels of herbicide residues can reduce the productivity of marine plants and corals. However, the risk of these residues to Great Barrier Reef ecosystems has been poorly quantified due to a lack of large-scale datasets. Here we present results of a study tracing pesticide residues from rivers and creeks in three catchment regions to the adjacent marine environment. Several pesticides (mainly herbicides) were detected in both freshwater and coastal marine waters and were attributed to specific land uses in the catchment. Elevated herbicide concentrations were particularly associated with sugar cane cultivation in the adjacent catchment. We demonstrate that herbicides reach the Great Barrier Reef lagoon and may disturb sensitive marine ecosystems already affected by other pressures such as climate change. - Herbicide residues have been detected in Great Barrier Reef catchment waterways and river water plumes which may affect marine ecosystems.

Surface pre-treatment for barrier coatings on polyethylene terephthalate

Science.gov (United States)

Bahre, H.; Bahroun, K.; Behm, H.; Steves, S.; Awakowicz, P.; Böke, M.; Hopmann, Ch; Winter, J.

2013-02-01

Polymers have favourable properties such as light weight, flexibility and transparency. Consequently, this makes them suitable for food packaging, organic light-emitting diodes and flexible solar cells. Nonetheless, raw plastics do not possess sufficient barrier functionality against oxygen and water vapour, which is of paramount importance for most applications. A widespread solution is to deposit thin silicon oxide layers using plasma processes. However, silicon oxide layers do not always fulfil the requirements concerning adhesion and barrier performance when deposited on films. Thus, plasma pre-treatment is often necessary. To analyse the influence of a plasma-based pre-treatment on barrier performance, different plasma pre-treatments on three reactor setups were applied to a very smooth polyethylene terephthalate film before depositing a silicon oxide barrier layer. In this paper, the influence of oxygen and argon plasma pre-treatments towards the barrier performance is discussed examining the chemical and topological change of the film. It was observed that a short one-to-ten-second plasma treatment can reduce the oxygen transmission rate by a factor of five. The surface chemistry and the surface topography change significantly for these short treatment times, leading to an increased surface energy. The surface roughness rises slowly due to the development of small spots in the nanometre range. For very long treatment times, surface roughness of the order of the barrier layer's thickness results in a complete loss of barrier properties. During plasma pre-treatment, the trade-off between surface activation and roughening of the surface has to be carefully considered.

Surface pre-treatment for barrier coatings on polyethylene terephthalate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahre, H; Böke, M; Winter, J; Bahroun, K; Behm, H; Hopmann, Ch; Steves, S; Awakowicz, P

2013-01-01

Polymers have favourable properties such as light weight, flexibility and transparency. Consequently, this makes them suitable for food packaging, organic light-emitting diodes and flexible solar cells. Nonetheless, raw plastics do not possess sufficient barrier functionality against oxygen and water vapour, which is of paramount importance for most applications. A widespread solution is to deposit thin silicon oxide layers using plasma processes. However, silicon oxide layers do not always fulfil the requirements concerning adhesion and barrier performance when deposited on films. Thus, plasma pre-treatment is often necessary. To analyse the influence of a plasma-based pre-treatment on barrier performance, different plasma pre-treatments on three reactor setups were applied to a very smooth polyethylene terephthalate film before depositing a silicon oxide barrier layer. In this paper, the influence of oxygen and argon plasma pre-treatments towards the barrier performance is discussed examining the chemical and topological change of the film. It was observed that a short one-to-ten-second plasma treatment can reduce the oxygen transmission rate by a factor of five. The surface chemistry and the surface topography change significantly for these short treatment times, leading to an increased surface energy. The surface roughness rises slowly due to the development of small spots in the nanometre range. For very long treatment times, surface roughness of the order of the barrier layer's thickness results in a complete loss of barrier properties. During plasma pre-treatment, the trade-off between surface activation and roughening of the surface has to be carefully considered. (paper)

Placing barrier-island transgression in a blue-carbon context

Science.gov (United States)

Theuerkauf, Ethan J.; Rodriguez, Antonio B.

2017-07-01

Backbarrier saltmarshes are considered carbon sinks; however, barrier island transgression and the associated processes of erosion and overwash are typically not included in coastal carbon budgets. Here, we present a carbon-budget model for transgressive barrier islands that includes a dynamic carbon-storage term, driven by backbarrier-marsh width, and a carbon-export term, driven by ocean and backbarrier shoreline erosion. To examine the impacts of storms, human disturbances and the backbarrier setting of a transgressive barrier island on carbon budgets and reservoirs, the model was applied to sites at Core Banks and Onslow Beach, NC, USA. Results show that shoreline erosion and burial of backbarrier marsh from washover deposition and dredge-spoil disposal temporarily transitioned each site into a net exporter (source) of carbon. The magnitude of the carbon reservoir was linked to the backbarrier setting of an island. Carbon reservoirs of study sites separated from the mainland by only backbarrier marsh (no lagoon) decreased for over a decade because carbon storage could not keep pace with erosion. With progressive narrowing of the backbarrier marsh, these barriers will begin to function more persistently as carbon sources until the reservoir is depleted at the point where the barrier welds with the mainland. Undeveloped barrier islands with wide lagoons are carbon sources briefly during erosive periods; however, at century time scales are net carbon importers (sinks) because new marsh habitat can form during barrier rollover. Human development on backbarrier saltmarsh serves to reduce the carbon storage capacity and can hasten the transition of an island from a sink to a source.

BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE ELDERLY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Matias

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The population awareness of the physical exercise’s benefits is widely diffused. These benefits are particularly important in the elderly because, with increasing age, there is a decline of the musculoskeletal system and the maximum oxygen consumption which reduces the functional fitness of the elderly and can often lead to a significant decline in the quality of life. Despite this awareness, a large part of the population remains sedentary. It is important to know what the barriers are, so they can be circumvented in order to increase the engagement of the elderly population in existing physical activity programs.Objectives: This study aims to identify some of the personal, behavioral and environmental barriers that prevent older adults to be physically active.

THERMAL PROPERTIES OF TRANSPARENT BARRIER MODIFIED WITH ORGANIC PCMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał MUSIAŁ

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy sources are increasingly often applied in civil engineering as a mean to reduce buildings energy demand for heating. One of the ways to reduce HVAC energy demand is to limit heat transfer and excessive solar gain through building's glazed barriers. Preliminary results of the research conducted on organic PCM-modified transparent barrier are presented in this paper. Multiple publications concerning PCMs application in structural materials have recently appeared. Most of them are focused on modification of structure of non-transparent sections of buildings' envelope. Augmenting a glazed barrier with PCMs increases its heat capacity and thermal resistance. The most important feature of the assembly is the thermal buffer, a product of PCM's considerable value of specific latent heat. Research were conducted on a triple-pane transparent rectangular barrier, that constituted one of the faces of cubic chamber. Internal volume of the chamber was 1m3. The applied PCM was a mixture of saturated and non-saturated hydrocarbons. The described assembly was subjected to temperature and radiation that occur in Poland during winter. Glazing temperature, melted/total PCM ratio were measured, as well as energy demand for keeping internal temperature at constant level. Measurements were made in steady states, for various PCM layer thickness. The influence of the modification on energy demand was determined, along with the most effective and rational thickness of PCM layer to be applied. Conducted research enabled to develop a basis for further investigation of PCMs application in civil engineering.

Compliance with barrier precautions during paediatric trauma resuscitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelleher, Deirdre C; Carter, Elizabeth A; Waterhouse, Lauren J; Burd, Randall S

2013-03-01

Barrier precautions protect patients and providers from blood-borne pathogens. Although barrier precaution compliance has been shown to be low among adult trauma teams, it has not been evaluated during paediatric resuscitations in which perceived risk of disease transmission may be low. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with compliance with barrier precautions during paediatric trauma resuscitations. Video recordings of resuscitations performed on injured children (compliance with an established policy requiring gowns and gloves. Depending on activation level, trauma team members included up to six physicians, four nurses, and a respiratory therapist. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the effect of team role, resuscitation factors, and injury mechanism on barrier precaution compliance. Over twelve weeks, 1138 trauma team members participated in 128 resuscitations (4.7% penetrating injuries, 9.4% highest level activations). Compliance with barrier precautions was 81.3%, with higher compliance seen among roles primarily at the bedside compared to positions not primarily at the bedside (90.7% vs. 65.1%, pcompliance, while surgical attendings (20.8%) had the lowest (prole, increased compliance was observed during resuscitations of patients with penetrating injuries (OR=3.97 [95% CI: 1.35-11.70], p=0.01), during resuscitations triaged to the highest activation level (OR=2.61 [95% CI: 1.34-5.10], p=0.005), and among team members present before patient arrival (OR=4.14 [95% CI: 2.29-7.39], pCompliance with barrier precautions varies by trauma team role. Team members have higher compliance when treating children with penetrating and high acuity injuries and when arriving before the patient. Interventions integrating barrier precautions into the workflow of team members are needed to reduce this variability and improve compliance with universal precautions during paediatric trauma resuscitations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier

Safety barriers on oil and gas platforms. Means to prevent hydrocarbon releases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sklet, Snorre

2005-12-15

/operational safety barriers are considered. The initiating events are divided into five main categories; (1) human and operational errors, (2) technical failures, (3) process upsets, (4) external events, and (5) latent failures from design. The development of the hydrocarbon release scenarios has generated new knowledge about causal factors of hydrocarbon releases and safety barriers introduced to prevent the releases. Collectively, the release scenarios cover the most frequent initiating events and the most important safety barriers introduced to prevent hydrocarbon releases. BORA-Release is a new method for qualitative and quantitative risk analysis of the hydrocarbon release frequency on oil and gas platforms. BORA-Release combines use of barrier block diagrams/event trees, fault trees, and risk influence diagrams in order to analyse the risk of hydrocarbon release from a set of hydrocarbon release scenarios. Use of BORA-Release makes it possible to analyse the effect on the hydrocarbon release frequency of safety barriers introduced to prevent hydrocarbon releases. Further, BORA-Release may be used to analyse the effect on the barrier performance of platform specific conditions of technical, human, operational, and organisational risk influencing factors. Thus, BORA-Release may improve today's quantitative risk analyses on two weak points; i) analysis of causal factors of the initiating event hydrocarbon release (loss of containment), and ii) analysis of the effect on the risk of human and organisational factors. The main focus of this thesis is safety barriers introduced to prevent hydrocarbon releases on offshore oil and gas production platforms. Thus, the results are primarily useful for the oil and gas industry in their effort to control and reduce the risk of hydrocarbon releases. The Norwegian oil and gas industry can use the results in their work to fulfil the requirements to safety barriers and risk analyses from the Petroleum Safety Authority. However, the concepts

TMX-U thermal-barrier experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonen, T.C.; Allen, S.L.; Barter, J.D.

1988-01-01

This review of thermal-barrier experiments in the Tandem Mirror Experiment Upgrade (TMX-U) describes our progress at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in plasma confinement and central-cell heating. Thermal barriers in TMX-U improved axial confinement by two orders of magnitude over a limited range of densities, compared with confinement in single-cell mirrors at the same ion temperature. Our study shows that central-cell radial nonambipolar confinement scales as neoclassical theory and can be eliminated by floating the end walls. Radial ambipolar losses can also be measured and reduced. The electron energy balance is improved in tandem mirrors to near classical, resulting in T/sub e/ up to 0.28 keV. Electron cyclotron heating (ECH) efficiencies up to 42 percent, with low levels of electron microinstability, were achieved when hot electrons in the thermal barrier were heated to average betas as large as 15 percent. The hot-electron distribution is measured from X rays and is modeled by a Fokker-Planck code that includes heating from cavity radio-frequency (RF) fields. Neutral-beam injection in the central cell created average ion betas up to 5 percent with radial profiles of hot ions that are modeled accurately by a radial Fokker-Planck code. Gas fueling between two fundamental ion cyclotron heating (ICH) resonances resulted in symmetrical heating of passing ions toward both ends

Local food in Iceland: identifying behavioral barriers to increased production and consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Ósk Halldórsdóttir, Þórhildur; Nicholas, Kimberly A.

2016-11-01

Increased production and consumption of local food may reduce the negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of industrialized and globalized food production. Here we examined potential barriers to increasing production and consumption of food produced in Iceland. First, we developed a new framework to address the behaviors of production and consumption simultaneously, to comprehensively analyze their potential barriers. We examined structural barriers by estimating the food production capacity of Iceland, and cultural and personal barriers through survey data on cultural norms and purchasing behavior from Matís, a research and development company. We found no structural barriers preventing Iceland from increasing production of local cereals, which would compliment current local production of meat and dairy and reduce reliance on imports, currently at 50% of the daily caloric intake. However, if food production became entirely local without changing the current mix of crops grown, there would be a 50% reduction in diversity (from 50 to 25 items in eight out of ten food categories). We did not identify any cultural barriers, as survey results demonstrated that consumers hold generally positive worldviews towards local food, with 88% satisfied with local food they had purchased. More than two-thirds of consumers regarded supporting the local farmer and considerations such as environmentally friendly production, fewer food miles, lower carbon footprint as important. However, they rated the local food they have access to as lower in meeting sustainability criteria, showing that they make justifications for not choosing local food in practice. This is a personal barrier to increased consumption of local food, and implies that marketing strategies and general knowledge connected to local food in Iceland might be improved. Although the results apply to the case of Iceland, the method of identifying behavioral barriers to change is applicable to other countries

Utilization of d-PTFE Barriers for Post-Extraction Bone Regeneration in Preparation for Dental Implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenstein, Gary; Carpentieri, Joseph R

2015-01-01

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) can be used to restore a defective alveolar ridge after extractions before or in combination with implant placement. It may also be employed after extractions to reduce crestal bone resorption and maximize bone fill of sockets. Resorbable or nonresorbable barriers (eg, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene [e-PTFE]) can be used when performing GBR procedures, but they need to be completely submerged to attain optimal results. Dense polytetrafluoroethylene (d-PTFE) is a type of nonresorbable barrier that circumvents the necessity to attain primary closure after placement of bone grafts, thereby reducing patient morbidity. This article addresses topics pertaining to d-PTFE utilization, including characteristics and advantages of d-PTFE barriers, time needed for osteoid tissue to become impervious to penetration by flap connective tissue, relevant clinical studies, and limitations of available data. Clinical photographs and radiographs of successfully treated cases are presented to illustrate the efficacy of d-PTFE barriers in regenerating defective bony plates after extractions.

Barriers to Electronic Health Record Adoption: a Systematic Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, Clemens Scott; Kristof, Caitlin; Jones, Beau; Mitchell, Erica; Martinez, Angelica

2016-12-01

Federal efforts and local initiatives to increase adoption and use of electronic health records (EHRs) continue, particularly since the enactment of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Roughly one in four hospitals not adopted even a basic EHR system. A review of the barriers may help in understanding the factors deterring certain healthcare organizations from implementation. We wanted to assemble an updated and comprehensive list of adoption barriers of EHR systems in the United States. Authors searched CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, and accepted only articles relevant to our primary objective. Reviewers independently assessed the works highlighted by our search and selected several for review. Through multiple consensus meetings, authors tapered articles to a final selection most germane to the topic (n = 27). Each article was thoroughly examined by multiple authors in order to achieve greater validity. Authors identified 39 barriers to EHR adoption within the literature selected for the review. These barriers appeared 125 times in the literature; the most frequently mentioned barriers were regarding cost, technical concerns, technical support, and resistance to change. Despite federal and local incentives, the initial cost of adopting an EHR is a common existing barrier. The other most commonly mentioned barriers include technical support, technical concerns, and maintenance/ongoing costs. Policy makers should consider incentives that continue to reduce implementation cost, possibly aimed more directly at organizations that are known to have lower adoption rates, such as small hospitals in rural areas.

Fragmentation reduces regional-scale spatial genetic structure in a wind-pollinated tree because genetic barriers are removed.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rong; Compton, Stephen G; Shi, Yi-Su; Chen, Xiao-Yong

2012-09-01

Gene flow strongly influences the regional genetic structuring of plant populations. Seed and pollen dispersal patterns can respond differently to the increased isolation resulting from habitat fragmentation, with unpredictable consequences for gene flow and population structuring. In a recently fragmented landscape we compared the pre- and post-fragmentation genetic structure of populations of a tree species where pollen and seed dispersal respond differentially to forest fragmentation generated by flooding. Castanopsis sclerophylla is wind-pollinated, with seeds that are dispersed by gravity and rodents. Using microsatellites, we found no significant difference in genetic diversity between pre- and post-fragmentation cohorts. Significant genetic structure was observed in pre-fragmentation cohorts, due to an unknown genetic barrier that had isolated one small population. Among post-fragmentation cohorts this genetic barrier had disappeared and genetic structure was significantly weakened. The strengths of genetic structuring were at a similar level in both cohorts, suggesting that overall gene flow of C. sclerophylla has been unchanged by fragmentation at the regional scale. Fragmentation has blocked seed dispersal among habitats, but this appears to have been compensated for by enhanced pollen dispersal, as indicated by the disappearance of a genetic barrier, probably as a result of increased wind speeds and easier pollen movement over water. Extensive pollen flow can counteract some negative effects of fragmentation and assist the long-term persistence of small remnant populations.

Intestinal infection with Giardia spp. reduces epithelial barrier function in a myosin light chain kinase-dependent fashion.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Kevin G-E; Meddings, Jonathon B; Kirk, David R; Lees-Miller, Susan P; Buret, André G

2002-10-01

Giardiasis causes malabsorptive diarrhea, and symptoms can be present in the absence of any significant morphologic injury to the intestinal mucosa. The effects of giardiasis on epithelial permeability in vivo remain unknown, and the role of T cells and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in altered intestinal barrier function is unclear. This study was conducted to determine whether Giardia spp. alters intestinal permeability in vivo, to assess whether these abnormalities are dependent on T cells, and to assess the role of MLCK in altered epithelial barrier function. Immunocompetent and isogenic athymic mice were inoculated with axenic Giardia muris trophozoites or sterile vehicle (control), then assessed for trophozoite colonization and gastrointestinal permeability. Mechanistic studies using nontransformed human duodenal epithelial monolayers (SCBN) determined the effects of Giardia on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, transepithelial fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran fluxes, cytoskeletal F-actin, tight junctional zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and MLCK. Giardia infection caused a significant increase in small intestinal, but not gastric or colonic, permeability that correlated with trophozoite colonization in both immunocompetent and athymic mice. In vitro, Giardia increased permeability and phosphorylation of MLC and reorganized F-actin and ZO-1. These alterations were abolished with an MLCK inhibitor. Disruption of small intestinal barrier function is T cell independent, disappears on parasite clearance, and correlates with reorganization of cytoskeletal F-actin and tight junctional ZO-1 in an MLCK-dependent fashion.

Current-induced changes of migration energy barriers in graphene and carbon nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Obodo, J. T.; Rungger, I.; Sanvito, S.; Schwingenschlögl, U.

2016-05-01

An electron current can move atoms in a nanoscale device with important consequences for the device operation and breakdown. We perform first principles calculations aimed at evaluating the possibility of changing the energy barriers for atom migration in carbon-based systems. In particular, we consider the migration of adatoms and defects in graphene and carbon nanotubes. Although the current-induced forces are large for both the systems, in graphene the force component along the migration path is small and therefore the barrier height is little affected by the current flow. In contrast, the same barrier is significantly reduced in carbon nanotubes as the current increases. Our work also provides a real-system numerical demonstration that current-induced forces within density functional theory are non-conservative.An electron current can move atoms in a nanoscale device with important consequences for the device operation and breakdown. We perform first principles calculations aimed at evaluating the possibility of changing the energy barriers for atom migration in carbon-based systems. In particular, we consider the migration of adatoms and defects in graphene and carbon nanotubes. Although the current-induced forces are large for both the systems, in graphene the force component along the migration path is small and therefore the barrier height is little affected by the current flow. In contrast, the same barrier is significantly reduced in carbon nanotubes as the current increases. Our work also provides a real-system numerical demonstration that current-induced forces within density functional theory are non-conservative. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/C6NR00534A

Highly Controlled Synthesis and Super-Radiant Photoluminescence of Plasmonic Cube-in-Cube Nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jeong-Eun; Kim, Sungi; Son, Jiwoong; Lee, Yeonhee; Nam, Jwa-Min

2016-12-14

The plasmonic properties of metal nanostructures have been heavily utilized for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), but the direct photoluminescence (PL) from plasmonic metal nanostructures, especially with plasmonic coupling, has not been widely used as much as SERS and MEF due to the lack of understanding of the PL mechanism, relatively weak signals, and the poor availability of the synthetic methods for the nanostructures with strong PL signals. The direct PL from metal nanostructures is beneficial if these issues can be addressed because it does not exhibit photoblinking or photobleaching, does not require dye-labeling, and can be employed as a highly reliable optical signal that directly depends on nanostructure morphology. Herein, we designed and synthesized plasmonic cube-in-cube (CiC) nanoparticles (NPs) with a controllable interior nanogap in a high yield from Au nanocubes (AuNCs). In synthesizing the CiC NPs, we developed a galvanic void formation (GVF) process, composed of replacement/reduction and void formation steps. We unraveled the super-radiant character of the plasmonic coupling-induced plasmon mode which can result in highly enhanced PL intensity and long-lasting PL, and the PL mechanisms of these structures were analyzed and matched with the plasmon hybridization model. Importantly, the PL intensity and quantum yield (QY) of CiC NPs are 31 times and 16 times higher than those of AuNCs, respectively, which have shown the highest PL intensity and QY reported for metallic nanostructures. Finally, we confirmed the long-term photostability of the PL signal, and the signal remained stable for at least 1 h under continuous illumination.

Long-Term Drainage from the Riprap Side Slope of a Surface Barrier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Zhuanfang

2017-07-01

Surface barriers designed to isolate underground nuclear waste in place are expected to function for at least 1000 years. To achieve this long design life, such barriers need to be protected with side slopes against wind- and water-induced erosion and damage by natural or human activities. However, the side slopes are usually constructed with materials coarser than the barrier. Their hydrological characteristics must be understood so that any drainage from them is considered in the barrier design and will not compromise the barrier function. The Prototype Hanford Barrier, an evapotranspiration-capillary (ETC) barrier, was constructed in 1994 at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state, with a gravel side slope and a riprap side slope. The soil water content in the gravel side slope and drainage from both side slopes have been monitored since the completion of construction. The monitoring results show that under natural precipitation the annual drainage rates from the two types of side slopes were very similar and about 5 times the typical recharge from local soil with natural vegetation and 40 times the barrier design criterion. The higher recharge from the side slopes results in some of the drainage migrating laterally to the region beneath the ETC barrier. This edge effect of the enhanced drainage was evaluated for a period of 1000 years by numerical simulation. The edge effect was quantified by the amount of water across the barrier edges and the affecting distance of the barrier edges. These results indicate that design features can be adjusted to reduce the edge effect when necessary.

Cervical cancer screening and psychosocial barriers perceived by patients. A systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Bukowska-Durawa, Alicja

2014-01-01

Aim of the study This study aimed at integrating research discussing the role of perceived psychosocial barriers in cervical cancer screening (CCS) uptake. In particular, we analyzed the evidence for the associations between CCS uptake and perceived psychosocial barriers and frequency of psychosocial barriers identified by women. Material and methods A systematic search of peer-reviewed papers published until 2011 in 8 databases yielded 48 original studies, analyzing data obtained from 155 954 women. The majority of studies (k = 43) applied correlational design, while 5 had experimental design. Results Experimental research indicated a positive effect of 75% of psychosocial interventions targeting barriers. The interventions resulted in a significant increase of CCS uptake. Overall 100% of correlational studies indicated that perceiving lower levels of barriers significantly predicted higher CCS uptake. 53 psychosocial barriers were listed in at least 2 original correlational studies: 9.5% of barriers were related to CCS facilities/environment, 67.9% dealt with personal characteristics of the patient, and 22.6% addressed social factors. As many as 35.9% of perceived barriers referred to negative emotions related to CCS examination procedures and collecting CCS results, whereas 25.7% of barriers referred to prior contacts with health professionals. Conclusions Leaflets or discussion on psychosocial barriers between patients and health professionals involved in CCS might increase CCS uptake and thus reduce cervical cancer mortality rates. Communication skills training for health professionals conducting CCS might focus on the most frequently reported barriers, referring to emotions related to CCS examination and collecting CCS results. PMID:25520573

Thames barrier (flood protection barriers on the Thames)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilkovic, J.

2005-01-01

In this paper the flood protection barriers on the Thames are presented. The flood protection system on the Thames in 1984 was commissioned. During two decades this barrier was used 54 times against to the high water and 34 times against storm-sewage. There is installed buttress type hydroelectric power plant

Thermal inertia and radiating average Temperature. A brief analysis of some causes of discomfort; Inercia Termica y Temperatura media radiante. Un breve analisis de algunas causas de disconfort

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arroba, M.

2008-07-01

Radiant average temperature in walls is as important as dry air temperature to achieve thermal comfort of users of a local. An excessive discrepancy between these levels, or an asymmetric distribution of the surface temperature of fences, may cause localized thermal discomfort, an effect impossible to compensate by rising dry air temperature. Thermal inertia and its concentration must be properly studied in order to handle this parameters, inside or outside the building, on both sides of the cladding or none depending on the weather, the bio climatic strategies used, heating and air conditioning systems and planned use of the building. (Author)

Xyloglucan, a Plant Polymer with Barrier Protective Properties over the Mucous Membranes: An Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Núria Piqué

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Disruption of the epithelial barrier function has been recently associated with a variety of diseases, mainly at intestinal level, but also affecting the respiratory epithelium and other mucosal barriers. Non-pharmacological approaches such as xyloglucan, with demonstrated protective barrier properties, are proposed as new alternatives for the management of a wide range of diseases, for which mucosal disruption and, particularly, tight junction alterations, is a common characteristic. Xyloglucan, a natural polysaccharide derived from tamarind seeds, possesses a “mucin-like” molecular structure that confers mucoadhesive properties, allowing xyloglucan formulations to act as a barrier capable of reducing bacterial adherence and invasion and to preserve tight junctions and paracellular flux, as observed in different in vitro and in vivo studies. In clinical trials, xyloglucan has been seen to reduce symptoms of gastroenteritis in adults and children, nasal disorders and dry eye syndrome. Similar mucosal protectors containing reticulated proteins have also been useful for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and urinary tract infections. The role of xyloglucan in other disorders with mucosal disruption, such as dermatological or other infectious diseases, deserves further research. In conclusion, xyloglucan, endowed with film-forming protective barrier properties, is a safe non-pharmacological alternative for the management of different diseases, such as gastrointestinal and nasal disorders.

Barriers to the use of hydrotherapy in labor.

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, Mary Ann; Miller, Michael G

2009-01-01

To determine nurses' perceived barriers to the use of hydrotherapy in labor. While effective in relieving pain, reducing anxiety, encouraging relaxation, and promoting a sense of control, hydrotherapy is rarely used during labor. Comparative descriptive survey design. A national convention and perinatal listserves. Intrapartum nurses (N=401) attending a national convention (Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses, 2007; n=225) and members of perinatal listserves (n=176) were recruited. A questionnaire was designed for this study (Nurses' Perception of the Use of Hydrotherapy in Labor). The questionnaire was available in paper format and online. Institutional but not individual characteristics (age, education, and role) were associated with Nurses' Perception of the Use of Hydrotherapy in Labor. Nurses who reported higher epidural rates (r=.45, p=.000) and Cesarean section rates (r=.30, p=.000) reported more barriers. There was no difference in perception of barriers for nurses at hospitals providing different levels of care; there were significant differences when primary care providers were considered. Intrapartum nurses in facilities where certified nurse-midwives do most deliveries reported significantly fewer barriers than nurses who worked in facilities where physicians attended most deliveries (F=6.84, df=2, p=.000). The culture of the birthing unit in which nurses provide care influences perception of barriers to the use of hydrotherapy in labor. Providing hydrotherapy requires a supportive environment, adequate nursing policies and staffing, and collaborative relationships among the health care team.

Artificial barriers prevent genetic recovery of small isolated populations of a low-mobility freshwater fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, R A; Gauffre, B; Pavlova, A; Beheregaray, L B; Kearns, J; Lyon, J; Sasaki, M; Leblois, R; Sgro, C; Sunnucks, P

2018-01-12

Habitat loss and fragmentation often result in small, isolated populations vulnerable to environmental disturbance and loss of genetic diversity. Low genetic diversity can increase extinction risk of small populations by elevating inbreeding and inbreeding depression, and reducing adaptive potential. Due to their linear nature and extensive use by humans, freshwater ecosystems are especially vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. Although the effects of fragmentation on genetic structure have been extensively studied in migratory fishes, they are less understood in low-mobility species. We estimated impacts of instream barriers on genetic structure and diversity of the low-mobility river blackfish (Gadopsis marmoratus) within five streams separated by weirs or dams constructed 45-120 years ago. We found evidence of small-scale (barriers, as expected for a fish with low mobility. Genetic diversity was lower above barriers in small streams only, regardless of barrier age. In particular, one isolated population showed evidence of a recent bottleneck and inbreeding. Differentiation above and below the barrier (F ST  = 0.13) was greatest in this stream, but in other streams did not differ from background levels. Spatially explicit simulations suggest that short-term barrier effects would not be detected with our data set unless effective population sizes were very small (barriers is reduced and requires more genetic markers compared to panmictic populations. We also demonstrate the importance of accounting for natural population genetic structure in fragmentation studies.

Maternal Reading Self-Efficacy Associated with Perceived Barriers to Reading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joyce Lin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Although early reading practices impact a host of child literacy, language, and school outcomes, many parents do not read to their young children. One possible explanation for this lack of early literacy practices is mothers’ feelings about their ability to successfully read to their children. A series of multiple regressions were used to explore whether new mothers’ reading self-efficacy predicted their perceived barriers to reading to their 18-month-old children. Findings suggest that self-efficacy buffers against mother-centered (e.g., too tired, child-centered (e.g., toddler fussy, and structural (e.g., environmental distractions barriers to reading. Given the importance of early literacy and that not all mothers read to their toddlers, increasing reading self-efficacy may offer a way to reduce perceived barriers to early literacy practices.

Making connections: Case studies of interconnection barriers and their impact on distributed power projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alderfer, B.; Eldridge, M.; Starrs, T.

2000-07-25

Distributed power is modular electric generation or storage located close to the point of use. Based on interviews of distributed generation project proponents, this report reviews the barriers that distributed generators of electricity are encountering when attempting to interconnect to the electrical grid. Descriptions of 26 of 65 case studies are included in the report. The survey found and the report describes a wide range of technical, business-practice, and regulatory barriers to interconnection. An action plan for reducing the impact of these barriers is also included.

Barriers to Use of Family Planning Methods Among Heterosexual Mexican Couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, María Luisa Flores; Champion, Jane Dimmitt; Soto, Norma Elva Sáenz; Tovar, Marlene; Dávila, Sandra Paloma Esparza

2017-05-01

Family planning has become increasingly important as a fundamental component of sexual health and as such is offered via public health systems worldwide. Identification of barriers to use of family planning methods among heterosexual couples living in Mexico is indicated to facilitate access to family planning methods. Barriers to family planning methods were assessed among Mexican heterosexual, sexually active males and females of reproductive age, using a modified Spanish version of the Barriers to the Use of Family Planning Methods scale (Cronbach's alpha = .89, subscales ranging from .53 to .87). Participants were recruited via convenience sampling in ambulatory care clinics within a metropolitan area in Central Mexico. Participants included 52 heterosexual couples aged 18-35 years (N = 104). Sociodemographic comparisons by gender identified older age and higher education, income, and numbers of sexual partners among men than women. More men (50%) than women (25%) were currently using family planning methods; however, 80% overall indicated intentions for its use. Overall, male condoms were used and intended for use most often by men than women. Significant gender-specific differences were found, with men (71.15%) reporting no family planning barriers, whereas women (55.66%) reported barriers including low socioeconomic status, medical concerns, and stigma. The modified Spanish translation demonstrated usefulness for measuring barriers to family planning methods use in Mexico among heterosexual males and females of reproductive age. Barriers identified by Mexican women in this study may be addressed to reduce potential barriers to family planning among Mexican populations.

Where to restore ecological connectivity? Detecting barriers and quantifying restoration benefits.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brad H McRae

Full Text Available Landscape connectivity is crucial for many ecological processes, including dispersal, gene flow, demographic rescue, and movement in response to climate change. As a result, governmental and non-governmental organizations are focusing efforts to map and conserve areas that facilitate movement to maintain population connectivity and promote climate adaptation. In contrast, little focus has been placed on identifying barriers-landscape features which impede movement between ecologically important areas-where restoration could most improve connectivity. Yet knowing where barriers most strongly reduce connectivity can complement traditional analyses aimed at mapping best movement routes. We introduce a novel method to detect important barriers and provide example applications. Our method uses GIS neighborhood analyses in conjunction with effective distance analyses to detect barriers that, if removed, would significantly improve connectivity. Applicable in least-cost, circuit-theoretic, and simulation modeling frameworks, the method detects both complete (impermeable barriers and those that impede but do not completely block movement. Barrier mapping complements corridor mapping by broadening the range of connectivity conservation alternatives available to practitioners. The method can help practitioners move beyond maintaining currently important areas to restoring and enhancing connectivity through active barrier removal. It can inform decisions on trade-offs between restoration and protection; for example, purchasing an intact corridor may be substantially more costly than restoring a barrier that blocks an alternative corridor. And it extends the concept of centrality to barriers, highlighting areas that most diminish connectivity across broad networks. Identifying which modeled barriers have the greatest impact can also help prioritize error checking of land cover data and collection of field data to improve connectivity maps. Barrier detection

Barrier island community change: What controls it?

Science.gov (United States)

Dows, B.; Young, D.; Zinnert, J.

2014-12-01

Conversion from grassland to woody dominated communities has been observed globally. In recent decades, this pattern has been observed in coastal communities along the mid-Atlantic U.S. In coastal environments, a suite of biotic and abiotic factors interact as filters to determine plant community structure and distribution. Microclimatic conditions: soil and air temperature, soil moisture and salinity, and light attenuation under grass cover were measured across a grassland-woody encroachment gradient on a Virginia barrier island; to identify the primary factors that mediate this change. Woody establishment was associated with moderately dense (2200 shoots/m2) grass cover, but reduced at high (> 6200 shoots/ m2) and low (Moderately dense grass cover reduced light attenuation (82.50 % reduction) to sufficiently reduce soil temperature thereby limiting soil moisture evaporation. However, high grass density reduced light attenuation (98.7 % reduction) enough to inhibit establishment of woody species; whereas low grass density attenuated much less light (48.7 % reduction) which allowed for greater soil moisture evaporation. Soil salinity was dynamic as rainfall, tidal inundation, and sea spray produce spatiotemporal variation throughout the barrier island landscape. The importance of light and temperature were compounded as they also indirectly affect soil salinity via their affects on soil moisture. Determining how these biotic and abiotic factors relate to sea level rise and climate change will improve understanding coastal community response as global changes proceed. Understanding how community shifts affect ecosystem function and their potential to affect adjacent systems will also improve predictive ability of coastal ecosystem responses.

Exact Sight Distance Determination on Compound Vertical and Horizontal Curves in the Presence of Road Barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiu Liu, PhD, PE, PTOE

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The sight distance (SD on a three-dimensional (3-d compound curve has been studied recently in the absence of obstacles at road sides. Often, physical barriers are installed at road sides or in a roadway median for reducing potential collision severities; these rigid, semi-rigid, or even temporary cushion-type barriers can limit or reduce the driver's sight distance, depending on their horizontal offset distances away from the nearest edge of traveled way (ETW. The closer a barrier to the ETW is, the shorter the driver's sight distance would be. Since most barriers are constructed to prevent running-off road or crossing-median collisions, it is crucial to check whether the installation would reduce the driver's sight distance and potentially cause other traffic collisions such as rear-end or side swipe collisions. In this paper, an exact analytic framework is formulated with derived equations the first time to calculate the sight distance on a 3-d compound curve in the presence of a median barrier, a roadside barrier, or a temporary cushion or barrier used for construction or other maintenance purposes. This framework provides an engineer a handy tool to examine the possible change of SD in the presence of a barrier and choose the required horizontal offset/clearance of a barrier from the nearest traveled way edge to meet certain design criteria or standards. This critical offset distance determined using this framework not only reinforces the importance of having roadside clearance recovery zones on highways but also provides a method to determine its horizontal clearance from a different standpoint. This analytic framework can easily be programmed into an Excel spreadsheet to evaluate the design of a physical barrier and its potential influence on sight distance along a 3-d compound horizontal and vertical curve. Transportation engineers or practitioners may find this design tool handy and useful once the programmed spreadsheet is saved in a

The effect of desiccation on UMTRA Project radon barrier materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-11-01

The proposed US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) groundwater standards (40 CFR 192) require that Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project remedial action designs meet low numerical limits for contaminants contained in water or vapors exiting the disposal cell embankments. To meet the standards, a cover of compacted, fine-grained soil is placed over UMTRA Project embankments. One of the functions of this cover is to limit infiltration into the disposal cell . The hydraulic conductivity of this infiltration barrier must be low in order to reduce the resultant seepage from the base of the cell to the extent necessary to comply with the proposed EPA groundwater standards. Another function of this cover is to limit the emission of radon gas. The air permeability of the cover must be low in order to reduce radon emissions to comply with EPA standards. Fine-grained soils exposed to evaporation will dry. Continued exposure will cause shrinking that, if allowed to continue, will eventually result in the development of cracks. The results of the cracking could be an increase in the hydraulic conductivity and an increase in the air permeability. This could then allow additional infiltration and increased radon emissions. Cracking of the radon barrier has been noted at one UMTRA Project location. The potential for cracking of the radon barrier during construction has been addressed by requiring moistening of previously compacted surfaces prior to placing additional lifts. The efficacy of these treatments has not been verified. The potential for cracking after construction of the cover is completed has also not been examined. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential for cracking of the radon barrier both during construction and after completion of the cover. The effect of shrinkage cracking on the performance of the radon barrier will also be examined

Summary of the presentations at the international workshop on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the developing world: Assessment of benefits, costs and barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathaye, J.; Goldman, N.

1991-06-01

The ''International Workshop on Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions from the Developing World: Assessment of Benefits, Costs and Barriers'' was the second workshop held as part of a project being conducted by the International Energy Studies Group of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, in collaboration with experts from leading institutions across the developing world. The goal of the project is to analyze long-range energy consumption in developing countries and its potential contribution to global climate change. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is supporting this work, the results of which already have made a key contribution to the technical analysis being used as the basis for discussion by the Energy and Industry Sub-group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The main purpose of this workshop was two-fold: (1) to discuss the feasibility of implementing the efficiency improvements and fuel switching measures incorporated into the long-term energy scenarios created for 17 developing countries and (2) to examine the costs and benefits of reducing energy-related carbon dioxide emissions generated by developing countries

Investigating the barriers on media privatization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roghiyeh Jame

2013-01-01

Full Text Available During the past few years, there has been growing interests in reducing cost of products and services among developing countries. Privatization is believed to be one of the most important techniques to increase relative efficiencies of publically held organizations. In this paper, we study important barriers on privatization of television (TV media industry in Iran. The proposed study of this paper designs and distributes a questionnaire using a sample of 234 out of 600 graduate students who were enrolled in media communication studies and examined six hypotheses based on one-side t-student. The survey considers different factors influencing privatization of TV media industry. The results of the investigation indicate that the cost of TV production, short and long-term investment security, people's interest on investing on TV media industry, building appropriate culture, cultural obstacles and economic barriers influence media privatization, significantly.

Investing in Energy Efficiency. Removing the Barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Investing in improving energy efficiency has the clear advantages of reducing energy costs, improving security of supply and mitigating the environmental impacts of energy use. And still, many viable opportunities for higher energy efficiency are not tapped because of the existence of numerous barriers to such investments. These lost opportunities imply costs to the individual energy consumers and to the society as a whole and they are particularly important in economies in transition. This report identifies various types of barriers for making energy efficiency investments (be they of legal, administrative, institutional or financial nature), mainly in buildings, district heating and efficient lighting. The role of various bodies and organisations for the facilitation of energy efficiency investments is analysed, from public authorities and regulators to banks and international financing institutions

Near-barrier heavy-ion fusion (panel discussion)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandenbosch, R.

1991-01-01

We are approaching a semi-quantitative understanding of the role of the coupling of shape and transfer degrees of freedom in the enhancement of near and sub-barrier fusion cross sections, although there remains some debate about the relative importance of the different degrees of freedom. The information content in fusion excitation functions is limited and it is therefore important to obtain additional information such as higher moments of the partial wave distribution. The present status of information obtained with difference probes will be critically discussed. Among the open problems in sub-barrier fusion is the importance of a neck degree of freedom and a concomitant departure of the inertial mass from the reduced mass. A coupled channels description in terms of the asymptotic exit channels may only converge slowly. (author)

Words that make pills easier to swallow: a communication typology to address practical and perceptual barriers to medication intake behavior.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Linn, A.J.; Weert, J.C.M. van; Schouten, B.C.; Smit, E.G.; Bodegraven, A.A. van; Dijk, L. van

2012-01-01

Purpose: The barriers to patients’ successful medication intake behavior could be reduced through tailored communication about these barriers. The aim of this study is therefore (1) to develop a new communication typology to address these barriers to successful medication intake behavior, and (2) to

Words that make pills easier to swallow: a communication typology to address practical and perceptual barriers to medication intake behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Linn, A.J.; van Weert, J.C.M.; Schouten, B.C.; Smit, E.G.; van Bodegraven, A.A.; van Dijk, L.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The barriers to patients’ successful medication intake behavior could be reduced through tailored communication about these barriers. The aim of this study is therefore (1) to develop a new communication typology to address these barriers to successful medication intake behavior, and (2) to

Skin barrier function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2016-01-01

Renowned experts present the latest knowledge Although a very fragile structure, the skin barrier is probably one of the most important organs of the body. Inward/out it is responsible for body integrity and outward/in for keeping microbes, chemicals, and allergens from penetrating the skin. Since...... the role of barrier integrity in atopic dermatitis and the relationship to filaggrin mutations was discovered a decade ago, research focus has been on the skin barrier, and numerous new publications have become available. This book is an interdisciplinary update offering a wide range of information...... on the subject. It covers new basic research on skin markers, including results on filaggrin and on methods for the assessment of the barrier function. Biological variation and aspects of skin barrier function restoration are discussed as well. Further sections are dedicated to clinical implications of skin...

The control of an invasive bivalve, Corbicula fluminea, using gas impermeable benthic barriers in a large natural lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittmann, Marion E; Chandra, Sudeep; Reuter, John E; Schladow, S Geoffrey; Allen, Brant C; Webb, Katie J

2012-06-01

Anoxia can restrict species establishment in aquatic systems and the artificial promotion of these conditions can provide an effective control strategy for invasive molluscs. Low abundances (2-20 m(-2)) of the nonnative bivalve, Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), were first recorded in Lake Tahoe, CA-NV in 2002 and by 2010 nuisance-level population densities (>10,000 m(-2)) were observed. A non-chemical control method using gas impermeable benthic barriers to reduce dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations available to C. fluminea was tested in this ultra-oligotrophic natural lake. In 2009, the impact of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) sheets (9 m(2), n = 6) on C. fluminea beds was tested on 1-7 day intervals over a 56 day period (August-September). At an average water temperature of 18 °C, DO concentrations under these small barriers were reduced to zero after 72 h resulting in 100 % C. fluminea mortality after 28 days. In 2010, a large EPDM barrier (1,950 m(2)) was applied to C. fluminea populations for 120 days (July-November). C. fluminea abundances were reduced over 98 % after barrier removal, and remained significantly reduced (>90 %) 1 year later. Non-target benthic macroinvertebrate abundances were also reduced, with variable taxon-specific recolonization rates. High C. fluminea abundance under anoxic conditions increased the release of ammonium and soluble reactive phosphorus from the sediment substrate; but levels of unionized ammonia were low at 0.004-0.005 mg L(-1). Prolonged exposure to anoxia using benthic barriers can provide an effective short term control strategy for C. fluminea.

Design and performance evaluation of a 1000-year evapotranspiration-capillary surface barrier

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Zhuanfang Fred; Strickland, Christopher E.; Link, Steven O.

2017-02-01

Surface barrier technology is used to isolate radioactive waste and to reduce or eliminate recharge water to the waste zone for 1000 years or longer. However, the design and evaluation of such a barrier is challenging because of the extremely long design life. The Prototype Hanford Barrier (PHB) was designed as a 1000-year barrier with pre-determined design and performance objectives and demonstrated in field from 1994 to present. The barrier was tested to evaluate surface-barrier design and performance at the field scale under conditions of enhanced and natural precipitation and of no vegetation. The monitoring data demonstrate that the barrier satisfied nearly all key objectives. The PHB far exceeded the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act criteria, functioned in Hanford’s semiarid climate, limited drainage to well below the 0.5 mm yr-1 performance criterion, limited runoff, and minimized erosion. Given the two-decade record of successful performance and consideration of all the processes and mechanisms that could degrade the stability and hydrology in the future, the results suggest the PHB is very likely to perform for its 1000-year design life. This conclusion is based on two assumptions: (1) the exposed subgrade receives protection against erosion and (2) institutional controls prevent inadvertent human activity at the barrier. The PHB design can serve as the base for site-specific barriers over waste sites containing underground nuclear waste, uranium mine tailings, and hazardous mine waste.

Strategies to reduce barriers in reporting herbal use to the health-care provider among women of childbearing age in two communities in Ogun state, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florence F Folami

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM has increased tremendously in the past decades. Herbs in this study involved the use of plant products in their raw or cooked forms which have not been subjected to laboratory investigations for their safety and efficacy. Objective: To explore strategies to reduce barriers in reporting herbal use to the health-care provider among childbearing age women in two communities in Ogun state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used to explore strategies to reduce barriers in reporting herbal use to the health-care provider. The study population constitutes childbearing age women that attend two private hospitals and one comprehensive health center in two communities of Ogun state, Nigeria. Out of the 270 patients who were randomly sampled for the study, 250 agreed to participate (response rate: 92.6%. Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.3 years ± 5.5 and 77.6% were married. The majority (69% had used herbal medicines in the last 6 months before seeking medical care, and 66% did not disclose the use of herbal medicines to health-care providers. Conclusion: Health-care professionals should routinely include herbal remedy category in the list of drug history when asking about the patient's drug. This will help identify herbal remedy use and assist to take precautions relating to safety. Patients and traditional birth attendants should be educated through community mobilization and educational programs about alternative medicines particularly herbal. The disclosure of CAM use and its adverse outcomes should be encouraged by health-care professionals.

Barriers and facilitators of cervical cancer screening among women of Hmong origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Dao Moua; Baker, Dian L

2013-05-01

This qualitative study explored the barriers and facilitators of cancer screening among women of Hmong origin. Using a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted focus groups (n=44) with Hmong women who represented four distinct demographic groups among the Hmong community. The participants described sociocultural barriers to screening, which included a lack of accurate knowledge about the causes of cervical cancer, language barriers, stigma, fear, lack of time, and embarrassment. Structural barriers included attitudes and practices of health care providers, lack of insurance, and negative perceptions of services at clinics for the uninsured. Health care providers may require additional training and increased time per visit to provide culturally sensitive care for refugee groups such as the Hmong. Health-related social marketing efforts aimed at improving health literacy may also help to reduce health inequities related to cancer screening among the Hmong.

Investigation of the tunnel magnetoresistance in junctions with a strontium stannate barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Althammer, Matthias; Mishra, Rohan; Borisevich, Albina J.; Singh, Amit Vikam; Keshavarz, Sahar; Yurtisigi, Mehmet Kenan; Leclair, Patrick; Gupta, Arunava

We experimentally investigate the structural, magnetic and electrical transport properties of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 based magnetic tunnel junctions with a SrSnO3 barrier. Our results show that despite the high density of defects in the strontium stannate barrier the observed tunnel magnetoresistance is comparable to tunnel junctions with a better lattice matched SrTiO3 barrier, reaching values of up to 350 % at T = 5 K . Further analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of the junction and the bias voltage dependence of the observed tunnel magnetoresistance show a decrease of the TMR with increasing bias voltage. Our results suggest that by reducing the structural defects in the strontium stannate barrier, even larger TMR ratios might be possible in the future. We gratefully acknowledge financial support via NSF-ECCS Grant No. 1509875.

Utilizing Schottky barriers to suppress short-channel effects in organic transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Anton F.; Zojer, Karin

2017-10-01

Transistors with short channel lengths exhibit profound deviations from the ideally expected behavior. One of the undesired short-channel effects is an enlarged OFF current that is associated with a premature turn on of the transistor. We present an efficient approach to suppress the OFF current, defined as the current at zero gate source bias, in short-channel organic transistors. We employ two-dimensional device simulations based on the drift-diffusion model to demonstrate that intentionally incorporating a Schottky barrier for injection enhances the ON-OFF ratio in both staggered and coplanar transistor architectures. The Schottky barrier is identified to directly counteract the origin of enlarged OFF currents: Short channels promote a drain-induced barrier lowering. The latter permits unhindered injection of charges even at reverse gate-source bias. An additional Schottky barrier hampers injection for such points of operations. We explain how it is possible to find the Schottky barrier of the smallest height necessary to exactly compensate for the premature turn on. This approach offers a substantial enhancement of the ON-OFF ratio. We show that this roots in the fact that such optimal barrier heights offer an excellent compromise between an OFF current diminished by orders of magnitude and an only slightly reduced ON current.

Geophysical characterization of subsurface barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borns, D.J.

1995-08-01

An option for controlling contaminant migration from plumes and buried waste sites is to construct a subsurface barrier of a low-permeability material. The successful application of subsurface barriers requires processes to verify the emplacement and effectiveness of barrier and to monitor the performance of a barrier after emplacement. Non destructive and remote sensing techniques, such as geophysical methods, are possible technologies to address these needs. The changes in mechanical, hydrologic and chemical properties associated with the emplacement of an engineered barrier will affect geophysical properties such a seismic velocity, electrical conductivity, and dielectric constant. Also, the barrier, once emplaced and interacting with the in situ geologic system, may affect the paths along which electrical current flows in the subsurface. These changes in properties and processes facilitate the detection and monitoring of the barrier. The approaches to characterizing and monitoring engineered barriers can be divided between (1) methods that directly image the barrier using the contrasts in physical properties between the barrier and the host soil or rock and (2) methods that reflect flow processes around or through the barrier. For example, seismic methods that delineate the changes in density and stiffness associated with the barrier represents a direct imaging method. Electrical self potential methods and flow probes based on heat flow methods represent techniques that can delineate the flow path or flow processes around and through a barrier

Language Differences as a Barrier to Quality and Safety in Health Care: The Joint Commission Perspective

OpenAIRE

Schyve, Paul M.

2007-01-01

Effective communication with patients is critical to the safety and quality of care. Barriers to this communication include differences in language, cultural differences, and low health literacy. Evidence-based practices that reduce these barriers must be integrated into, rather than just added to, health care work processes.

Evaluation of effect of different disposable infection control barriers on light intensity of light-curing unit and microhardness of composite - An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khode, Rajiv Tarachand; Shenoi, Pratima Ramakrishna; Kubde, Rajesh R; Makade, Chetana S; Wadekar, Kanchan D; Khode, Priyanka Tarachand

2017-01-01

This study evaluated effect of infection control barriers on light intensity (LI) of light-curing unit (LCU) and microhardness of composite. Four different disposable barriers ( n = 30) were tested against the control. LI for each barrier was measured with Lux meter. One hundred and fifty Teflon molds were equally divided into five groups of thirty each. Composite was filled in bulk in these molds and cured without and with barrier. Microhardness was evaluated on top and bottom surface of composite specimen with microhardness testing machine and hardness ratio (HR) was derived. One-way analysis of variance, Tukey's honestly significant difference test, and paired t -test using SPSS version 18 software. All barriers had significantly reduced the baseline LI of LCU ( P glove pieces (LCGP) significantly reduced the microhardness of the composite ( P < 0.05). However, HR determined inadequate curing only with LCGP. Although entire tested barrier significantly reduced the LI; none, except LCGP markedly affected the degree of cure of the composite.

Regulatory barriers to hazardous waste technology innovation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuusinen, T.L.; Siegel, M.R.

1991-02-01

The primary federal regulatory programs that influence the development of new technology for hazardous waste are the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, also commonly known as Superfund). Two important aspects of RCRA that can create barriers to hazardous waste technology innovation are technology-based waste pre-treatment standards and a cumbersome permitting program. By choosing a technology-based approach to the RCRA land disposal restrictions program, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has simultaneously created tremendous demand for the technologies specified in its regulations, while at the same time significantly reduced incentives for technology innovation that might have otherwise existed. Also, the RCRA hazardous waste permitting process can take years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The natural tendency of permit writers to be cautious of unproven (i.e., innovative) technology also can create a barrier to deployment of new technologies. EPA has created several permitting innovations, however, to attempt to mitigate this latter barrier. Understanding the constraints of these permitting innovations can be important to the success of hazardous waste technology development programs. 3 refs

Motivators and barriers for paediatricians discharging patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Turbitt, Erin; Kunin, Marina; Gafforini, Sarah; Freed, Gary L

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to identify motivators and barriers that paediatricians face when discharging patients from outpatient specialty care. A questionnaire was administered to outpatient care paediatricians in Victoria working in one of five speciality public hospital clinics. Questions focused on how important various motivators and barriers were in respondents' decision to discharge a patient from their clinic. Nearly all (91%, n=74) paediatricians invited to participate provided responses. The factor influencing the greatest proportion of paediatricians in their decision to discharge patients back to primary care was the potential that patients may not receive the required care from a GP. The next most highly rated barrier was that it is too complicated to arrange discharge; rated as a very important influence by one-third of paediatricians (33%, n=24). Improvements to the discharge process may encourage more paediatricians to discharge patients back to their GP, therefore freeing up appointment slots. This in turn could reduce waiting times for paediatric outpatient clinics in Victoria. The concern from paediatricians that patients may not receive the required care from a GP warrants attention and should be further investigated.

Vibration behavior of the artificial barrier system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikoshiba, Tadashi; Ogawa, Nobuyuki; Nakamura, Izuru [National Research Inst. for Earth sceince and Disaster Prevention (Japan)

2000-02-01

This study aims at production of a mimic specimen of artificial barrier, experimental elucidation of influence of seismic motion due to a vibration experiment on the artificial barrier system, and establishment of an evaluating method on its long-term behavior. The study has been carried out under a cooperative study of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention and the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. In 1998 fiscal year, an artificial barrier specimen initiated by crosscut road was produced, and their random wave and actual seismic wave vibrations were carried out to acquire their fundamental data. As a result of the both vibrations, it was found that in a Case 2 specimen of which buffer material was swelled by poured water, the material was integrated with a mimic over-pack to vibrate under judgement of eigen-frequency, maximum acceleration ratio, and so forth on the test results. And, in a Case 1 specimen, it was thought that the mimic over-pack showed an extreme non-linear performance (soft spring) because of reducing eigen-frequency with increase of its vibration level. (G.K.)

Vibration behavior of the artificial barrier system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikoshiba, Tadashi; Ogawa, Nobuyuki; Nakamura, Izuru

2000-01-01

This study aims at production of a mimic specimen of artificial barrier, experimental elucidation of influence of seismic motion due to a vibration experiment on the artificial barrier system, and establishment of an evaluating method on its long-term behavior. The study has been carried out under a cooperative study of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention and the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. In 1998 fiscal year, an artificial barrier specimen initiated by crosscut road was produced, and their random wave and actual seismic wave vibrations were carried out to acquire their fundamental data. As a result of the both vibrations, it was found that in a Case 2 specimen of which buffer material was swelled by poured water, the material was integrated with a mimic over-pack to vibrate under judgement of eigen-frequency, maximum acceleration ratio, and so forth on the test results. And, in a Case 1 specimen, it was thought that the mimic over-pack showed an extreme non-linear performance (soft spring) because of reducing eigen-frequency with increase of its vibration level. (G.K.)

Influence of Nitrate on the Hanford 100D Area In Situ Redox Manipulation Barrier Longevity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szecsody, Jim E.; Phillips, Jerry L.; Vermeul, Vince R.; Fruchter, Jonathan S.; Williams, Mark D.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this laboratory study is to determine the influence of nitrate on the Hanford 100D Area in situ redox manipulation (ISRM) barrier longevity. There is a wide spread groundwater plume of 60 mg/L nitrate upgradient of the ISRM barrier with lower nitrate concentrations downgradient, suggestive of nitrate reduction occurring. Batch and 1-D column experiments showed that nitrate is being slowly reduced to nitrite and ammonia. These nitrate reduction reactions are predominantly abiotic, as experiments with and without bactericides present showed no difference in nitrate degradation rates. Nitrogen species transformation rates determined in experiments covered a range of ferrous iron/nitrate ratios such that the data can be used to predict rates in field scale conditions. Field scale reaction rate estimates for 100% reduced sediment (16 C) are: (a) nitrate degradation = 202 ± 50 h (half-life), (b) nitrite production = 850 ± 300 h, and (c) ammonia production = 650 ± 300 h. Calculation of the influence of nitrate reduction on the 100D Area reductive capacity requires consideration of mass balance and reaction rate effects. While dissolved oxygen and chromate reduction rates are rapid and essentially at equilibrium in the aquifer, nitrate transformation reactions are slow (100s of hours). In the limited (20-40 day) residence time in the ISRM barrier, only a portion of the nitrate will be reduced, whereas dissolved oxygen and chromate are reduced to completion. Assuming a groundwater flow rate of 1 ft/day, it is estimated that the ISRM barrier reductive capacity is 160 pore volumes (with no nitrate), and 85 pore volumes if 60 mg/L nitrate is present (i.e., a 47% decrease in the ISRM barrier longevity). Zones with more rapid groundwater flow will be less influenced by nitrate reduction. For example, a zone with a groundwater flow rate of 3 ft/day and 60 mg/L nitrate will have a reductive capacity of 130 pore volumes. Finally, long-term column experiments

Role of Ga vacancies in enhancing the leakage current of GaN Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De-Gang, Zhao; Shuang, Zhang; Wen-Bao, Liu; De-Sheng, Jiang; Jian-Jun, Zhu; Zong-Shun, Liu; Hui, Wang; Shu-Ming, Zhang; Hui, Yang; Xiao-Peng, Hao; Long, Wei

2010-01-01

The leakage current of GaN Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetectors is investigated. It is found that the photodetectors adopting undoped GaN instead of lightly Si-doped GaN as an active layer show a much lower leakage current even when they have a higher dislocation density. It is also found that the density of Ga vacancies in undoped GaN is much lower than in Si-doped GaN. The Ga vacancies may enhance tunneling and reduce effective Schottky barrier height, leading to an increase of leakage current. It suggests that when undoped GaN is used as the active layer, it is necessary to reduce the leakage current of GaN Schottky barrier ultraviolet photodetector. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Adhesion barriers at cesarean delivery: advertising compared with the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Albright, Catherine M; Rouse, Dwight J

2011-07-01

Cesarean delivery, the most common surgery performed in the United States, is complicated by adhesion formation in 24-73% of cases. Because adhesions have potential sequelae, different synthetic adhesion barriers are currently heavily marketed as a means of reducing adhesion formation resultant from cesarean delivery. However, their use for this purpose has been studied in only two small, nonblinded and nonrandomized trials, both of which were underpowered and subject to bias. Neither demonstrated improvement in meaningful clinical outcomes. In the only cost-effectiveness analysis of adhesion barriers to date, the use of synthetic adhesion barriers was cost-effective only when the subsequent rate of small bowel obstruction was at least 2.4%, a rate far higher than that associated with cesarean delivery. In fact, intra-abdominal adhesions from prior cesarean delivery rarely cause maternal harm and have not been demonstrated to adversely affect perinatal outcome. Based on our review of the available literature, we think the use of adhesion barriers at the time of cesarean delivery would be ill-advised at the present time.

Barriers and opportunities: A review of selected successful energy-efficiency programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worrell, Ernst; Price, Lynn

2001-01-01

In industry, barriers may exist at various points in the decision making process, and in the implementation and management of measures to improve energy efficiency. Barriers may take many forms, and are determined by the business environment and include decision-making processes, energy prices, lack of information, a lack of confidence in the information, or high transaction costs for obtaining reliable information, as well as limited capital availability. Other barriers are the ''invisibility'' of energy efficiency measures and the difficulty of quantifying the impacts, and slow diffusion of innovative technology into markets while firms typically under-invest in R and D, despite the high pay-backs. Various programs try to reduce the barriers to improve the uptake of innovative technologies. A wide array of policies has been used and tested in the industrial sector in industrialized countries, with varying success rates. We review some new approaches to industrial energy efficiency improvement in industrialized countries, focusing on voluntary agreements

Homoepitaxial graphene tunnel barriers for spin transport (Presentation Recording)

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Adam L.

2015-09-01

Tunnel barriers are key elements for both charge-and spin-based electronics, offering devices with reduced power consumption and new paradigms for information processing. Such devices require mating dissimilar materials, raising issues of heteroepitaxy, interface stability, and electronic states that severely complicate fabrication and compromise performance. Graphene is the perfect tunnel barrier. It is an insulator out-of-plane, possesses a defect-free, linear habit, and is impervious to interdiffusion. Nonetheless, true tunneling between two stacked graphene layers is not possible in environmental conditions (magnetic field, temperature, etc.) usable for electronics applications. However, two stacked graphene layers can be decoupled using chemical functionalization. Here, we demonstrate homoepitaxial tunnel barrier devices in which graphene serves as both the tunnel barrier and the high mobility transport channel. Beginning with multilayer graphene, we fluorinate or hydrogenate the top layer to decouple it from the bottom layer, so that it serves as a single monolayer tunnel barrier for both charge and spin injection into the lower graphene transport channel. We demonstrate successful tunneling by measuring non-linear IV curves, and a weakly temperature dependent zero bias resistance. We perform lateral transport of spin currents in non-local spin-valve structures and determine spin lifetimes with the non-local Hanle effect to be commensurate with previous studies (~200 ps). However, we also demonstrate the highest spin polarization efficiencies (~45%) yet measured in graphene-based spin devices [1]. [1] A.L. Friedman, et al., Homoepitaxial tunnel barriers with functionalized graphene-on-graphene for charge and spin transport, Nat. Comm. 5, 3161 (2014).

Safety and effectiveness of a polyvinyl alcohol barrier in reducing risks of vascular tissue damage during anterior spinal revision surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffords, Paul; Li, Jinsheng; Panchal, Deepal; Denoziere, Guilhem; Fetterolf, Donald

2012-05-01

This study was conducted as a controlled, prospective investigation to show the safety and efficacy of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) device in a sheep model. To evaluate the ability of a permanent PVA hydrogel barrier to reduce the risk of potential vessel damage during anterior vertebral revision surgery, to provide a nonadhesive barrier at the surgical site, and to create a surgical revision plane of dissection. The development of scar tissue and adhesions presents a significant postoperative problem in spine surgery, where adhesion involvement of overlying structures can cause pain, neurovascular complications, and present a difficult surgical environment during revisions. The devices were implanted onto the ventral surface of exposed lumbar intervertebral discs using an anterolateral approach. One disc separated from the study site was also exposed to serve as a control. Three sheep each were then evaluated with an explant procedure at 30 and 90 days. Extensive sampling was undertaken to evaluate gross anatomic, micropathologic, and biochemical environments and properties of the device. The structural properties and appearance of the device remained intact at both 30 and 90 days. The material remained flexible, hydrophilic, and soft, without visible resorption or decomposition. The material was well tolerated by the animal, with minimal histologic signs of inflammation or rejection. Tissue planes were easily able to be localized by the surgeon attempting to locate the prior surgical site at the time of resection. The PVA vessel shield effectively protected the structures overlying the sheep spine during revision, providing a clear dissection plane for resection at repeat surgery. The overlying structures separated from the previous surgical site with no adhesion, and allowed safe separation of adjacent tissues without the use of sharp dissection.

Diffusive Barrier and Getter Under Waste Packages VA Reference Design Feature Evaluations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacNeil, K.

1999-01-01

This technical document evaluates those aspects of the diffusive barrier and getter features which have the potential for enhancing the performance of the Viability Assessment Reference Design and are also directly related to the key attributes for the repository safety strategy of that design. The effects of advection, hydrodynamic dispersion, and diffusion on the radionuclide migration rates through the diffusive barrier were determined through the application of the one-dimensional, advection/dispersion/diffusion equation. The results showed that because advective flow described by the advection-dispersion equation dominates, the diffusive barrier feature alone would not be effective in retarding migration of radiocuclides. However, if the diffusive barrier were combined with one or more features that reduced the potential for advection, then transport of radionuclides would be dominated by diffusion and their migration from the EBS would be impeded. Apatite was chosen as the getter material used for this report. Two getter configurations were developed, Case 1 and Case 2. As in the evaluation of the diffusive barrier, the effects of advection, hydrodynamic dispersion, and diffusion on the migration of radionuclides through the getter are evaluated. However, in addition to these mechanisms, the one-dimensional advection/dispersion/diffusion model is modified to include the effect of sorption on radionuclide migration rates through the sorptive medium (getter). As a result of sorption, the longitudinal dispersion coefficient, and the average linear velocity are effectively reduced by the retardation factor. The retardation factor is a function of the getter material's dry bulk density, sorption coefficient and moisture content. The results of the evaluation showed that a significant delay in breakthrough through the getter can be achieved if the thickness of the getter barrier is increased

Perceived Barriers to Weight loss Programs for Overweight or Obese Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasrin Sharifi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Background: In order to develop appropriate obesity control and treat¬ment strategies, the key point is to understand the barriers perceived by overweight or obese people in trying to follow weight-loss programs. This study examined perceived barriers to weight-loss programs among over¬weight or obese women.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 204 overweight or obese women aged 31.97± 10.62 yr, were selected randomly from the nutritional counseling centers in 2008 in Tabriz, Iran. The mean BMI was 33.83 ±5.75 kg/ m2. A structured questionnaire including questions on barriers to weight-loss diet and physical activity was filled out for each participant by face-to-face interview. Height and weight measured objectively and demo¬graphic details were obtained. Data analysis carried out using mul¬tiple re¬gression and factor analysis.Results: The most important perceived barriers to weight-loss diets were 'situational barriers', stress, depression, and food craving. High educational level was independent determinant of situational barriers (β=0.329, P=0.048. Employee women had a higher mean score on stress and de¬pres¬sion than students and housewives. Lack of time and exercising lonely were the most important items of "External barriers" and Lack of motiva¬tion was the most important item of "internal barriers" to physical activity. Employ¬ment and being student were highly associated with external bar¬riers (β=1.018, P<0.001 and β=0.541, P= 0.002. Moreover, older women who had low educational level, perceived more internal barriers. Conclusion: Weight reducing strategies should take into account the spe¬cific perceived barriers to weight-loss diets faced by overweight or obese women, particularly situational barriers, stress and depression and food craving; and lack of time and lack of motivation as barriers to physical ac¬tivity.

Barriers to and drivers for UK bioenergy development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, P.W.; Mezzullo, W.G. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY (United Kingdom); Hammond, G.P.; McManus, M.C. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY (United Kingdom); Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment (I.SEE), University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY (United Kingdom)

2011-02-15

Barriers to UK bioenergy development arise from a number of technical, financial, social and other constraints. Likewise, the drivers for using bioenergy are numerous and diverse. A range of these barriers and drivers have been identified through a comprehensive literature and case study review, and then assessed through an online questionnaire, completed by stakeholders from across the UK bioenergy industry: farmers/suppliers, developers/owners of bioenergy projects, primary end-users, and government/policy stakeholders. The results are presented in the form of 'spider web' diagrams. The most critical barriers and drivers relate to economic factors of bioenergy projects. Farmers/suppliers and developers are influenced by production costs and benefits, whilst primary end-users of bioenergy are concerned mainly with the cost of purchasing energy resources. Common drivers for all stakeholders were found to be reducing carbon emissions and the dependency on fossil fuels. In order to satisfy the needs of stakeholders schemes must be both economically attractive and environmentally sustainable for projects to be successful. (author)

Barriers to involvement in physical activities of persons with mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Shor, Ron; Shalev, Anat

2016-03-01

Participating in physical activities could be essential for reducing the multiple risk factors for health problems that persons with severe mental illness (SMI) may suffer. However, people with SMI are significantly less active than the general population. To develop knowledge about factors related to the perceived barriers hindering this population's participation in physical activities and the benefits this participation would have, a study was conducted in Israel with 86 people with mental illness living in community mental health facilities prior to their participation in a health promotion program. A mixed method was implemented and included: a scale designed to measure participants' perceptions of the barriers to and benefits of involvement in physical activities; instruments focusing on bio-psycho-social factors that may affect the level of barriers experienced; and personal interviews. The findings revealed high ranking for accessibility barriers hindering the participation in physical activities. Bio-psycho-social factors stemming from the participants' mental health, such as level of depression, were correlated with higher ranking of accessibility barriers. Bio-psycho-social factors reflecting positive mental health and health, such as positive appraisal of body weight, were correlated with lower ranking of accessibility barriers. Other barriers may include organizational and broader systemic barriers in the mental health facilities where the participants reside. These findings illuminate the need to consider the unique challenges that persons with mental illness may face in any attempt to advance their involvement in physical activity. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER IN A SPIRALLY COILED CORRUGATED TUBE WITH RADIANT HEATING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Đorđević

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Archimedean spiral coil made of a transversely corrugated tube was exposed to radiant heating in order to represent a heat absorber of the parabolic dish solar concentrator. The main advantage of the considered innovative design solution is a coupling effect of the two passive methods for heat transfer enhancement - coiling of the flow channel and changes in surface roughness. The curvature ratio of the spiral coil varies from 0.029 to 0.234, while water and a mixture of propylene glycol and water are used as heat transfer fluids. The unique focus of this study is on specific boundary conditions since the heat flux upon the tube external surfaces varies not only in the circumferential direction, but in the axial direction as well. Instrumentation of the laboratory model of the heat absorber mounted in the radiation field includes measurement of inlet fluid flow rate, pressure drop, inlet and outlet fluid temperature and 35 type K thermocouples welded to the coil surface. A thermal analysis of the experimentally obtained data implies taking into consideration the externally applied radiation field, convective and radiative heat losses, conduction through the tube wall and convection to the internal fluid. The experimental results have shown significant enhancement of the heat transfer rate compared to spirally coiled smooth tubes, up to 240% in the turbulent flow regime.

Mesenchymal stem cells attenuate blood-brain barrier leakage after cerebral ischemia in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhuo; Wang, Liping; Qu, Meijie; Liang, Huaibin; Li, Wanlu; Li, Yongfang; Deng, Lidong; Zhang, Zhijun; Yang, Guo-Yuan

2018-05-03

Ischemic stroke induced matrixmetallo-proteinase-9 (MMP-9) upregulation, which increased blood-brain barrier permeability. Studies demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell therapy protected blood-brain barrier disruption from several cerebrovascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanism was largely unknown. We therefore hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cells reduced blood-brain barrier destruction by inhibiting matrixmetallo-proteinase-9 and it was related to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Adult ICR male mice (n = 118) underwent 90-min middle cerebral artery occlusion and received 2 × 10 5 mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. Neurobehavioral outcome, infarct volume, and blood-brain barrier permeability were measured after ischemia. The relationship between myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and ICAM-1 release was further determined. We found that intracranial injection of mesenchymal stem cells reduced infarct volume and improved behavioral function in experimental stroke models (p mesenchymal stem cell-treated mice compared to the control group following ischemia (p cells and myeloperoxidase activity were decreased in mesenchymal stem cell-treated mice (p mesenchymal stem cell therapy attenuated blood-brain barrier disruption in mice after ischemia. Mesenchymal stem cells attenuated the upward trend of MMP-9 and potentially via downregulating ICAM-1 in endothelial cells. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway may influence MMP-9 expression of neutrophils and resident cells, and ICAM-1 acted as a key factor in the paracrine actions of mesenchymal stem cell.

Mathematical Modeling of the Thermal State of an Isothermal Element with Account of the Radiant Heat Transfer Between Parts of a Spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Alifanov, O. M.; Paleshkin, A. V.; Terent‧ev, V. V.; Firsyuk, S. O.

2016-01-01

A methodological approach to determination of the thermal state at a point on the surface of an isothermal element of a small spacecraft has been developed. A mathematical model of heat transfer between surfaces of intricate geometric configuration has been described. In this model, account was taken of the external field of radiant fluxes and of the differentiated mutual influence of the surfaces. An algorithm for calculation of the distribution of the density of the radiation absorbed by surface elements of the object under study has been proposed. The temperature field on the lateral surface of the spacecraft exposed to sunlight and on its shady side has been calculated. By determining the thermal state of magnetic controls of the orientation system as an example, the authors have assessed the contribution of the radiation coming from the solar-cell panels and from the spacecraft surface.

Research on the application of active sound barriers for the transformer noise abatement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu Sheng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sound barriers are a type of measure most commonly used in the noise abatement of transformers. In the noise abatement project of substations, the design of sound barriers is restrained by the portal frames which are used to hold up outgoing lines from the main transformers, which impacts the noise reduction effect. If active sound barriers are utilized in these places, the noise diffraction of sound barriers can be effectively reduced. At a 110kV Substation, an experiment using a 15-channel active sound barrier has been carried out. The result of the experiment shows that the mean noise reduction value (MNRV of the noise measuring points at the substation boundary are 1.5 dB (A. The effect of the active noise control system is impacted by the layout of the active noise control system, the acoustic environment on site and the spectral characteristic of the target area.

Ethylene vinyl alcohol: a review of barrier properties for packaging shelf stable foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Mokwena, K Khanah; Tang, Juming

2012-01-01

Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) is one of the best known flexible thermoplastic oxygen barrier materials in use today. It is especially important for refrigerated and shelf-stable foods where oxygen deteriorates the quality of packaged products and reduces their shelf life. EVOH accounts for a majority of thermoplastic barrier materials used for rigid or semi-rigid retortable food containers. However. it is of limited use in flexible packages or lid films for rigid trays used for packaging thermally processed shelf-stable low acid foods due to its moisture sensitivity. Nevertheless, current use of other oxygen barrier materials such as polyvinylidene chloride and aluminum foil creates environmental concerns. Innovations in food processing technologies provide opportunities for increased use of EVOH in food packaging. The aim of this review is to give an overview of research on the oxygen barrier properties of EVOH from the perspective of structure-barrier property relationships and the consequences of food processing conditions.