Station blackout at nuclear power plants: Radiological implications for nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, C.S.

1986-12-01

Recent work on station blackout is reviewed its radiological implications for a nuclear war scenario is explored. The major conclusion is that the effects of radiation from many nuclear weapon detonations in a nuclear war would swamp those from possible reactor accidents that result from station blackout

Design Provisions for Withstanding Station Blackout at Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

International operating experience has shown that the loss of off-site power supply concurrent with a turbine trip and unavailability of the standby alternating current power system is a credible event. Lessons learned from the past and recent station blackout events, as well as the analysis of the safety margins performed as part of the ‘stress tests’ conducted on European nuclear power plants in response to the Fukushima Daiichi accident, have identified the station blackout event as a limiting case for most nuclear power plants. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and consequential tsunami which occurred in Fukushima, Japan, in March 2011, led to a common cause failure of on-site alternating current electrical power supply systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as well as the off-site power grid. In addition, the resultant flooding caused the loss of direct current power supply, which further exacerbated an already critical situation at the plant. The loss of electrical power resulted in the meltdown of the core in three reactors on the site and severely restricted heat removal from the spent fuel pools for an extended period of time. The plant was left without essential instrumentation and controls, and this made accident management very challenging for the plant operators. The operators attempted to bring and maintain the reactors in a safe state without information on the vital plant parameters until the power supply was eventually restored after several days. Although the Fukushima Daiichi accident progressed well beyond the expected consequences of a station blackout, which is the complete loss of all alternating current power supplies, many of the lessons learned from the accident are valid. A failure of the plant power supply system such as the one that occurred at Fukushima Daiichi represents a design extension condition that requires management with predesigned contingency planning and operator training. The extended loss of all power at a

Mitigating reentry radio blackout by using a traveling magnetic field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Zhou

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A hypersonic flight or a reentry vehicle is surrounded by a plasma layer that prevents electromagnetic wave transmission, which results in radio blackout. The magnetic-window method is considered a promising means to mitigate reentry communication blackout. However, the real application of this method is limited because of the need for strong magnetic fields. To reduce the required magnetic field strength, a novel method that applies a traveling magnetic field (TMF is proposed in this study. A mathematical model based on magneto-hydrodynamic theory is adopted to analyze the effect of TMF on plasma. The mitigating effects of the TMF on the blackout of typical frequency bands, including L-, S-, and C-bands, are demonstrated. Results indicate that a significant reduction of plasma density occurs in the magnetic-window region by applying a TMF, and the reduction ratio is positively correlated with the velocity of the TMF. The required traveling velocities for eliminating the blackout of the Global Positioning System (GPS and the typical telemetry system are also discussed. Compared with the constant magnetic-window method, the TMF method needs lower magnetic field strength and is easier to realize in the engineering field.

Mitigating reentry radio blackout by using a traveling magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hui; Li, Xiaoping; Xie, Kai; Liu, Yanming; Yu, Yuanyuan

2017-10-01

A hypersonic flight or a reentry vehicle is surrounded by a plasma layer that prevents electromagnetic wave transmission, which results in radio blackout. The magnetic-window method is considered a promising means to mitigate reentry communication blackout. However, the real application of this method is limited because of the need for strong magnetic fields. To reduce the required magnetic field strength, a novel method that applies a traveling magnetic field (TMF) is proposed in this study. A mathematical model based on magneto-hydrodynamic theory is adopted to analyze the effect of TMF on plasma. The mitigating effects of the TMF on the blackout of typical frequency bands, including L-, S-, and C-bands, are demonstrated. Results indicate that a significant reduction of plasma density occurs in the magnetic-window region by applying a TMF, and the reduction ratio is positively correlated with the velocity of the TMF. The required traveling velocities for eliminating the blackout of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the typical telemetry system are also discussed. Compared with the constant magnetic-window method, the TMF method needs lower magnetic field strength and is easier to realize in the engineering field.

Impact assessment of the 1977 New York City blackout. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corwin, J. L.; Miles, W. T.

1978-07-01

This study was commissioned by the Division of Electric Energy Systems (EES), Department of Energy (DOE) shortly after the July 13, 1977 New York City Blackout. The objectives were two-fold: to assess the availability and collect, where practical, data pertaining to a wide variety of impacts occurring as a result of the blackout; and to broadly define a framework to assess the value of electric power reliability from consideration of the blackout and its effects on individuals, businesses, and institutions. The impacts were complex and included both economic and social costs. In order to systematically classify the most significant of these impacts and provide guidance for data collection, impact classification schemes were developed. Major economic impact categories examined are business; government; utilities (Consolidated Edison); insurance industry; public health services; and other public services. Impacts were classified as either direct or indirect depending upon whether the impact was due to a cessation of electricity or a response to that cessation. The principal economic costs of the blackout are shown. Social impacts, i.e., the changes in social activities and adaptations to these changes were particularly significant in New York due to its unique demographic and geographic characteristics. The looting and arson that accompanied the blackout set aside the NYC experience from other similar power failures. (MCW)

Reactor coolant pump shaft seal stability during station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhodes, D.B.; Hill, R.C.; Wensel, R.G.

1987-05-01

Results are presented from an investigation into the behavior of Reactor Coolant Pump shaft seals during a potential station blackout (loss of all ac power) at a nuclear power plant. The investigation assumes loss of cooling to the seals and focuses on the effect of high temperature on polymer seals located in the shaft seal assemblies, and the identification of parameters having the most influence on overall hydraulic seal performance. Predicted seal failure thresholds are presented for a range of station blackout conditions and shaft seal geometries

Reactor coolant pump shaft seal stability during station blackout

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rhodes, D B; Hill, R C; Wensel, R G

1987-05-01

Results are presented from an investigation into the behavior of Reactor Coolant Pump shaft seals during a potential station blackout (loss of all ac power) at a nuclear power plant. The investigation assumes loss of cooling to the seals and focuses on the effect of high temperature on polymer seals located in the shaft seal assemblies, and the identification of parameters having the most influence on overall hydraulic seal performance. Predicted seal failure thresholds are presented for a range of station blackout conditions and shaft seal geometries.

Blackouts as a Moderator of Young Adult Veteran Response to Personalized Normative Feedback for Heavy Drinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Mary Beth; DiBello, Angelo M; Carey, Kate B; Pedersen, Eric R

2018-06-01

Blackouts-or periods of alcohol-induced amnesia for all or part of a drinking event-have been identified as independent predictors of alcohol-related harm that may be used to identify individuals who would benefit from intervention. However, little is known about the prevalence and impact of blackouts among Veterans. This study examined blackouts as a moderator of young adult veteran response to a brief, online personalized normative feedback (PNF) intervention for heavy drinking. Veterans scoring ≥3/4 (women/men) on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test completed a baseline and 1-month assessment as part of a larger intervention trial (N = 571; 83% male; age M = 28.9, SD = 3.3). Participants were randomized to alcohol PNF (n = 285) or a video game attention control (n = 286). Hierarchical regression was used to examine the interaction between intervention condition and blackouts on alcohol-related outcomes at 1-month follow-up. At baseline, 26% of participants reported loss of memory for drinking events in the past 30 days. The interaction between condition and blackouts was significant, such that PNF participants who had experienced blackouts at baseline reported greater decreases in drinking quantity at 1 month than those who had not, and only PNF participants who had experienced baseline blackouts reported a decrease in alcohol problems at follow-up. PNF appears to be particularly effective for individuals who have experienced alcohol-induced blackout, perhaps because blackouts prime them for feedback on their alcohol use. While other negative consequences may also prime individuals for behavior change, blackouts are posited as a particularly useful screening tool because they are prevalent among young adults, have a strong association with alcohol-related harm, and are assessed in widely used clinical measures. Copyright © 2018 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Blackout cloth for dormancy induction

Science.gov (United States)

Tom Jopson

2007-01-01

The use of blackout cloth to create long night photoperiods for the induction of dormancy in certain conifer species has been an established practice for a long time. Its use was suggested by Tinus and McDonald (1979) as an effective technique, and the practice has been commonly used in Canadian forest nurseries for a number of years. Cal-Forest Nursery installed its...

Toward quantification of the uncertainty in estimating frequency of critical station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodgers, Shawn; Betancourt, Coral; Kee, Ernie; Nelson, Paul; Rodi, Paul

2011-01-01

A formal statement of the critical station blackout problem is provided, and a solution given, up to evaluation of an n-dimensional 'non recovery integral' n =number of trains (parallel backup sources of electrical power). Several approaches that have been developed in the industry to estimate probability of critical station blackout are shown to be interpretable as special cases of such integrals. Computational results, for a simple model problem, suggest there is yet a very substantial over conservatism in current state-of-the-art techniques for estimating probability of critical station blackout. Research issues associated to possibly meeting this need via computational evaluation of the non recovery integral are discussed. (author)

Learning from the blackouts. Transmission system security in competitive electricity markets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none

2005-07-01

Electricity market reform has fundamentally changed the environment for maintaining reliable and secure power supplies. Growing inter-regional trade has placed new demands on transmission systems, creating a more integrated and dynamic network environment with new real-time challenges for reliable and secure transmission system operation. Despite these fundamental changes, system operating rules and practices remain largely unchanged. The major blackouts of 2003 and 2004 raised searching questions about the appropriateness of these arrangements. Management of system security needs to be transformed to maintain reliable electricity services in this more dynamic operating environment. These challenges raise fundamental issues for policymakers. This publication presents case studies drawn from recent large-scale blackouts in Europe, North America, and Australia. It concludes that a comprehensive, integrated policy response is required to avoid preventable large-scale blackouts in the future.

Alcohol-induced blackout as a criminal defense or mitigating factor: an evidence-based review and admissibility as scientific evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Pressman, Mark R; Caudill, David S

2013-07-01

Alcohol-related amnesia--alcohol blackout--is a common claim of criminal defendants. The generally held belief is that during an alcohol blackout, other cognitive functioning is severely impaired or absent. The presentation of alcohol blackout as scientific evidence in court requires that the science meets legal reliability standards (Frye, FRE702/Daubert). To determine whether "alcohol blackout" meets these standards, an evidence-based analysis of published scientific studies was conducted. A total of 26 empirical studies were identified including nine in which an alcohol blackout was induced and directly observed. No objective or scientific method to verify the presence of an alcoholic blackout while it is occurring or to confirm its presence retrospectively was identified. Only short-term memory is impaired and other cognitive functions--planning, attention, and social skills--are not impaired. Alcoholic blackouts would not appear to meet standards for scientific evidence and should not be admissible. © 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Reactor coolant pump shaft seal behavior during blackout conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mings, W.J.

1985-01-01

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has classified the problem of reactor coolant pump seal failures as an unresolved safety issue. This decision was made in large part due to experimental results obtained from a research program developed to study shaft seal performance during station blackout and reported in this paper. Testing and analysis indicated a potential for pump seal failure under postulated blackout conditions leading to a loss of primary coolant with a concomitant danger of core uncovery. The work to date has not answered all the concerns regarding shaft seal failure but it has helped scope the problem and focus future research needed to completely resolve this issue

Control and prediction for blackouts caused by frequency collapse in smart grids.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chengwei; Grebogi, Celso; Baptista, Murilo S

2016-09-01

The electric power system is one of the cornerstones of modern society. One of its most serious malfunctions is the blackout, a catastrophic event that may disrupt a substantial portion of the system, playing havoc to human life and causing great economic losses. Thus, understanding the mechanisms leading to blackouts and creating a reliable and resilient power grid has been a major issue, attracting the attention of scientists, engineers, and stakeholders. In this paper, we study the blackout problem in power grids by considering a practical phase-oscillator model. This model allows one to simultaneously consider different types of power sources (e.g., traditional AC power plants and renewable power sources connected by DC/AC inverters) and different types of loads (e.g., consumers connected to distribution networks and consumers directly connected to power plants). We propose two new control strategies based on our model, one for traditional power grids and another one for smart grids. The control strategies show the efficient function of the fast-response energy storage systems in preventing and predicting blackouts in smart grids. This work provides innovative ideas which help us to build up a robuster and more economic smart power system.

Estimation of station blackout frequency in FBTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senthil Kumar, C.; John Arul, A.; Anandapadmanaban, B.; Marimuthu, S.; Singh, Om Pal

2002-01-01

Full text: In this paper, station blackout (SBO) frequency is computed as a function of blackout duration based on available data in FBTR. The frequency of loss of offsite power (LOSP) at FBTR is found to be 5.2/year. The data on the LOSP and failure data on feeders and transformers at FBTR are used to arrive at the frequency of LOSP as a function of down time for single feeder and double feeder cases. The non-recovery probability of offsite power failure with time is well represented by exponential distribution for times less than 2 h and Weibull distribution beyond 2 h. The unavailability of onsite emergency power supply was evaluated using Markov method and fault tree method and is 1.0E-2 and 3.34E-3 respectively. Using the above data and the non-recovery probability of DG, frequency of SBO at FBTR with single feeder and double feeder cases, for different time durations were evaluated. It is found that the frequency of station blackout at FBTR with double feeder computed using Markov method is ∼10 -4 /yr for 11 h and 10 -5 /yr for 19 h duration. With one feeder out of service the SBO frequency is more by a factor 5. Sensitivity study done with respect to DG repair time and common cause failure indicate that the results in the magnitude of SBO could be uncertain by a factor of ten. The uncertainty is less for shorter SBO duration and more for longer SBO duration

Implications of Extension of Station Blackout Cooping Capability on Nuclear Power Plant Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkanovski, Andrija

2015-01-01

The safety of the nuclear power plant depends on the availability of the continuous and reliable sources of electrical energy during all modes of operation of the plant. The station blackout corresponds to a total loss of all alternate current (AC) power as a result of complete failure of both offsite and on-site AC power sources. The electricity for the essential systems during station blackout is provided from the batteries installed in the nuclear power plant. The results of the probabilistic safety assessment show that station blackout is one of the main and frequently the dominant contributor to the core damage frequency. Results of the analysis of the implications of the strengthening of the SBO mitigation capability on safety of the NPP will be presented. The assessment is done with state-of-art deterministic and probabilistic methods and tolls with application on reference models of nuclear power plants. The safety analysis is done on reference model of the nuclear power plant. Obtained results show large decrease of the core damage frequency with strengthening of the station blackout mitigation capability. The time extension of blackout coping capability results in the delay of the core heat up for at least the extension time interval. Availability and operation of the steam driven auxiliary feedwater system maintains core integrity up to 72 h after the successful shutdown, even in the presence of the reactor coolant pumps seal leakage. The largest weighted decrease of the core damage frequency considering the costs for the modification is obtained for the modification resulting in extension of the station blackout coping capability. The importance of the common cause failures of the emergency diesel generators for the obtained decrease of the core damage frequency and overall safety of the plant is identified in the obtained results. (authors)

Acute alcohol effects on narrative recall and contextual memory: an examination of fragmentary blackouts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wetherill, Reagan R; Fromme, Kim

2011-08-01

The present study examined the effects of alcohol consumption on narrative recall and contextual memory among individuals with and without a history of fragmentary blackouts in an attempt to better understand why some individuals experience alcohol-induced memory impairments whereas others do not, even at comparable blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Standardized beverage (alcohol and no alcohol) administration procedures and neuropsychological assessments measured narrative recall and context memory performance before and after alcohol consumption in individuals with (n=44) and without (n=44) a history of fragmentary blackouts. Findings indicate that acute alcohol intoxication led to impairments in free recall, but not next-day cued recall. Further, participants showed similar memory performance when sober, but individuals who consumed alcohol and had a positive history of fragmentary blackouts showed greater contextual memory impairments than those who had not previously experienced a fragmentary blackout. Thus, it appears that some individuals may have an inherent vulnerability to alcohol-induced memory impairments due to alcohol's effects on contextual memory processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety aspects of station blackout at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-03-01

The principal focus of this report is on existing light water reactor nuclear power plants. However, many of the considerations discussed herein can be equally applied to new plants, i.e. those not yet in construction. This report is organized to provide a description of design and procedural factors which safety assessments and reviews of operating experience have shown to be important. These are divided into the off-site power system, the on-site AC power systems and alternate (or nearby) sources of power. The latter may be used in the unlikely event that both normal off-site and on-site sources fail. It must be emphasized that first priority should be placed on designing and maintaining high reliability of both the off-site and on-site AC power systems. This basic concept also applies to the capabilities for restoring power sources which failed and making use of all available alternative and nearby power sources during an emergency, to restore AC power in a prompt manner. Discussions on these aspects are provided in chapters 2 and 3 of this report. Because the expected event frequency and associated confidence in such estimations of station blackout are uncertain, preparations should be made to deal with a station blackout. The nature of those preparations, whether they be optimizing emergency procedures to use existing equipment, modifying this equipment to enhance capabilities, or adding new components or systems to cope with station blackout, must be made in light of plant-specific assessments and regulatory safety philosophies/requirements. Discussions on these matters are provided in chapter 4. General and specific conclusions and recommendations are provided in chapter 5. Appendix A provides a description of several case studies on station blackout and loss of off-site power. Abstracts of papers and presentations are provided in Appendix B with authors and affiliations identified to facilitate personal contact. The References and Bibliography contain a

Accident Analysis of Chinese CPR1000 in Response to Station Blackout

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Juyoul [FNC Technology Co., Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Cilliers, Anthonie [North-West University, Potchefstroom (South Africa)

2016-10-15

Stress tests required evaluation of the consequences of loss of safety functions from any initiating event (e.g., earthquake or flooding) causing loss of electrical power, including station blackout (SBO). The SBO scenario involves a loss of offsite power, failure of the redundant emergency diesel generators, failure of alternate current (AC) power restoration and the eventual degradation of the reactor coolant pump (RCP) seals resulting in a long term loss of coolant. Using PCTRAN/CPR1000, this study analyses the station blackout on a Chinese CPR1000 which is the most representative type reactor in terms of number of reactors, operating period, power capacity and geological distance from Korean Peninsula. Both the physical effects of the accidents as well as the releases of radioisotopes are calculated and discussed. Station blackout simulation was conducted in this study. The resulting effects seen are consistent with other stress test station blackout tests used utilizing licensed simulation codes. An exact comparison is however not possible as the plants on which the simulations was done vary greatly and the limitations of availability to Chinese FSAR. PCTRAN/CPR1000 is an extremely useful simulation package that provides engineers and scientists very accurate feedback to how a nuclear power plant would react as a whole under various plant conditions. It is able to do this extremely fast as well. As a training tool PCTRAN/CPR1000 provides hands-on experience with many of the primary plant operations and develops an intuitive understanding of the plant.

Comparison of static model and dynamic model for the evaluation of station blackout sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kwang-Nam; Kang, Sun-Koo; Hong, Sung-Yull.

1992-01-01

Station blackout is one of major contributors to the core damage frequency (CDF) in many PSA studies. Since station blackout sequence exhibits dynamic features, accurate calculation of CDF for the station blackout sequence is not possible with event tree/fault tree (ET/FT) method. Although the integral method can determine accurate CDF, it is time consuming and is difficult to evaluate various alternative AC source configuration and sensitivities. In this study, a comparison is made between static model and dynamic model and a new methodology which combines static model and dynamic model is provided for the accurate quantification of CDF and evaluation of improvement alternatives. Results of several case studies show that accurate calculation of CDF is possible by introducing equivalent mission time. (author)

Thermohydraulic status and component behavior in the PWR during the selected meltdown scenario station blackout (SBO); Thermohydraulisches Verhalten und Komponentenverhalten eines DWR bei ausgewaehltem Kernschmelzszenarium infolge Station Blackout (SBO). Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Band, Sebastian; Blaesius, Christoph; Scheuerer, Martina; Steinroetter, Thomas

2017-09-15

The report on the thermohydraulic status and component behavior in the PWR during the selected meltdown scenario station blackout (SBO) includes the following issues: status of science and technology on this topic, analysis of a high-pressure meltdown scenario using ATHLET-CD for a German PWR starting from the initiating event station blackout, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analyses of the pressurizer coolant loop in a generic German PWR, evaluation of the thermohydraulic steam generator behavior and its effect on the involved primary circuit components.

Comparative analysis of station blackout accident progression in typical PWR, BWR, and PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Soo Young; Ahn, Kwang Il

2012-01-01

Since the crisis at the Fukushima plants, severe accident progression during a station blackout accident in nuclear power plants is recognized as a very important area for accident management and emergency planning. The purpose of this study is to investigate the comparative characteristics of anticipated severe accident progression among the three typical types of nuclear reactors. A station blackout scenario, where all off-site power is lost and the diesel generators fail, is simulated as an initiating event of a severe accident sequence. In this study a comparative analysis was performed for typical pressurized water reactor (PWR), boiling water reactor (BWR), and pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR). The study includes the summarization of design differences that would impact severe accident progressions, thermal hydraulic/severe accident phenomenological analysis during a station blackout initiated-severe accident; and an investigation of the core damage process, both within the reactor vessel before it fails and in the containment afterwards, and the resultant impact on the containment.

Reactor coolant pump shaft seal behavior during station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kittmer, C.A.; Wensel, R.G.; Rhodes, D.B.; Metcalfe, R.; Cotnam, B.M.; Gentili, H.; Mings, W.J.

1985-04-01

A testing program designed to provide fundamental information pertaining to the behavior of reactor coolant pump (RCP) shaft seals during a postulated nuclear power plant station blackout has been completed. One seal assembly, utilizing both hydrodynamic and hydrostatic types of seals, was modeled and tested. Extrusion tests were conducted to determine if seal materials could withstand predicted temperatures and pressures. A taper-face seal model was tested for seal stability under conditions when leaking water flashes to steam across the seal face. Test information was then used as the basis for a station blackout analysis. Test results indicate a potential problem with an elastomer material used for O-rings by a pump vendor; that vendor is considering a change in material specification. Test results also indicate a need for further research on the generic issue of RCP seal integrity and its possible consideration for designation as an unresolved safety issue

Station blackout core damage frequency in an advanced nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, Luiz Sergio de

2004-01-01

Even though nuclear reactors are provided with protection systems so that they can be automatically shut down in the event of a station blackout, the consequences of this event can be severe. This is because many safety systems that are needed for removing residual heat from the core and for maintaining containment integrity, in the majority of the nuclear power plants, are AC dependent. In order to minimize core damage frequency, advanced reactor concepts are being developed with safety systems that use natural forces. This work shows an improvement in the safety of a small nuclear power reactor provided by a passive core residual heat removal system. Station blackout core melt frequencies, with and without this system, are both calculated. The results are also compared with available data in the literature. (author)

Evaluating the effect of a campus-wide social norms marketing intervention on alcohol-use perceptions, consumption, and blackouts.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jinni; Hancock, Linda; Wattenmaker McGann, Amanda; Alshagra, Mariam; Ericson, Rhianna; Niazi, Zackaria; Dick, Danielle M; Adkins, Amy

2018-04-01

To evaluate the effect of a campus-wide social norms marketing intervention on alcohol-use perceptions, consumption, and blackouts at a large, urban, public university. 4,172 college students (1,208 freshmen, 1,159 sophomores, 953 juniors, and 852 seniors) who completed surveys in Spring 2015 for the Spit for Science Study, a longitudinal study of students' substance use and emotional health. Participants were e-mailed an online survey that queried campaign readership, perception of peer alcohol use, alcohol consumption, frequency of consumption, and frequency of blackouts. Associations between variables were evaluated using path analysis. We found that campaign readership was associated with more accurate perceptions of peer alcohol use, which, in turn, was associated with self-reported lower number of drinks per sitting and experiencing fewer blackouts. This evaluation supports the use of social norms marketing as a population-level intervention to correct alcohol-use misperceptions and reduce blackouts.

Probabilistic assessment of the Juragua NPP response under Station Blackout conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valhuerdi Debesa, C.; Vilaragut Llanes, J.J.

1996-01-01

Assessment of the NPP response under SBO (station Blackout) conditions is a current safety issue of special interest, In the case of Juragua NPP, the safety assessment related to this topic is very important, taking into account the peculiarities of the Cuban Electro energetic System: small and long island, without possibilities of conexion beyond its borders and under the incidence of tropical phenomena In this papers a preliminary evaluation is presented of the potential incidence of Station Blackout conditions for Juragua NPP. the importance of this sort of events for the safety of the plant is evaluated, the factors which condition it are identified and measures for its prevention or recovering the normal situation if such an event takes place are proposed

Station blackout with reactor coolant pump seal leakage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evinay, A.

1993-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) amended its regulations in 10CFR50 with the addition of a new section, 50.63, open-quotes Loss of All Alternating Current Power.close quotes The objective of these requirements is to ensure that all nuclear plants have the capability to withstand a station blackout (SBO) and maintain adequate reactor core cooling and containment integrity for a specified period of time. The NRC also issued Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.155, open-quotes Station Blackout,close quotes to provide guidance for meeting the requirements of 10CFR50.63. Concurrent with RG-1.155, the Nuclear Utility Management and Resources Council (NUMARC) has developed NUMARC 87-00 to address SBO-coping duration and capabilities at light water reactors. Licensees are required to submit a topical report based on NUMARC 87-00 guidelines, to demonstrate compliance with the SBO rule. One of the key compliance criteria is the ability of the plant to maintain adequate reactor coolant system (RCS) inventory to ensure core cooling for the required coping duration, assuming a leak rate of 25 gal/min per reactor coolant pump (RCP) seal in addition to technical specification (TS) leak rate

Cognitive Blackouts in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Dementia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georg Adler

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Cognitive blackouts, e.g. moments of amnesia, disorientation, or perplexity may be an early sign of incipient Alzheimer’s dementia (AD. A short questionnaire, the checklist for cognitive blackouts (CCB, was evaluated cross-sectionally in users of a memory clinic. Methods: The CCB was performed in 130 subjects, who further underwent a neuropsychological and clinical examination. Subjective memory impairment and depressive symptoms were assessed. Differences in the CCB score between diagnostic groups and relationships with cognitive performance, depression, and subjective memory impairment were analyzed. Results: The CCB score was increased in mild cognitive impairment of the amnestic type or mild AD and correctly predicted 69.2% of the respective subjects. It was negatively correlated with cognitive performance, positively correlated with depressive symptoms, and substantially increased in subjects who estimated their memory poorer than that of other persons of their age. Discussion: The CCB may be a helpful screening tool for the early recognition of AD.

The AP1000R nuclear power plant innovative features for extended station blackout mitigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vereb, F.; Winters, J.; Schulz, T.; Cummins, E.; Oriani, L.

2012-01-01

Station Blackout (SBO) is defined as 'a condition wherein a nuclear power plant sustains a loss of all offsite electric power system concurrent with turbine trip and unavailability of all onsite emergency alternating current (AC) power system. Station blackout does not include the loss of available AC power to buses fed by station batteries through inverters or by alternate AC sources as defined in this section, nor does it assume a concurrent single failure or design basis accident...' in accordance with Reference 1. In this paper, the innovative features of the AP1000 plant design are described with their operation in the scenario of an extended station blackout event. General operation of the passive safety systems are described as well as the unique features which allow the AP1000 plant to cope for at least 7 days during station blackout. Points of emphasis will include: - Passive safety system operation during SBO - 'Fail-safe' nature of key passive safety system valves; automatically places the valve in a conservatively safe alignment even in case of multiple failures in all power supply systems, including normal AC and battery backup - Passive Spent Fuel Pool cooling and makeup water supply during SBO - Robustness of AP1000 plant due to the location of key systems, structures and components required for Safe Shutdown - Diverse means of supplying makeup water to the Passive Containment Cooling System (PCS) and the Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) through use of an engineered, safety-related piping interface and portable equipment, as well as with permanently installed onsite ancillary equipment. (authors)

Europe's electrical vulnerability geography : historical interpretations of the 2006 'European blackout'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vleuten, van der E.B.A.; Lagendijk, V.C.

2009-01-01

The so-called "European Blackout" of 4 November 2006 counts as a key example of present day transnational infrastructure vulnerability and an important reference in current debates on transnational electricity infrastructure governance. This is best examplified by the debate itself, where proponents

Transnational infrastructure vulnerability : the historical shaping of the 2006 European 'blackout'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vleuten, van der E.B.A.; Lagendijk, V.C.

2010-01-01

The "European Blackout" of 4 November 2006 is a key reference in current debates on transnational electricity infrastructure vulnerability and governance. Several commentators have observed that to understand what happened, one must look at history. Our paper answers this call and demonstrates how

Investigation of plasma–surface interaction effects on pulsed electrostatic manipulation for reentry blackout alleviation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnamoorthy, S; Close, S

2017-01-01

The reentry blackout phenomenon affects most spacecraft entering a dense planetary atmosphere from space, due to the presence of a plasma layer that surrounds the spacecraft. This plasma layer is created by ionization of ambient air due to shock and frictional heating, and in some cases is further enhanced due to contamination by ablation products. This layer causes a strong attenuation of incoming and outgoing electromagnetic waves including those used for command and control, communication and telemetry over a period referred to as the ‘blackout period’. The blackout period may last up to several minutes and is a major contributor to the landing error ellipse at best, and a serious safety hazard in the worst case, especially in the context of human spaceflight. In this work, we present a possible method for alleviation of reentry blackout using electronegative DC pulses applied from insulated electrodes on the reentry vehicle’s surface. We study the reentry plasma’s interaction with a DC pulse using a particle-in-cell (PIC) model. Detailed models of plasma–insulator interaction are included in our simulations. The absorption and scattering of ions and electrons at the plasma–dielectric interface are taken into account. Secondary emission from the insulating surface is also considered, and its implications on various design issues is studied. Furthermore, we explore the effect of changing the applied voltage and the impact of surface physics on the creation and stabilization of communication windows. The primary aim of this analysis is to examine the possibility of restoring L- and S-band communication from the spacecraft to a ground station. Our results provide insight into the effect of key design variables on the response of the plasma to the applied voltage pulse. Simulations show the creation of pockets where electron density in the plasma layer is reduced three orders of magnitude or more in the vicinity of the electrodes. These pockets extend to

Regulatory analysis for the resolution of Unresolved Safety Issue A-44, Station Blackout. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubin, A.M.

1986-01-01

''Station Blackout'' is the complete loss of alternating current (ac) electric power to the essential and nonessential buses in a nuclear power plant; it results when both offsite power and the onsite emergency ac power systems are unavailable. Because many safety systems required for reactor core decay heat removal and containment heat removal depend on ac power, the consequences of a station blackout could be severe. Because of the concern about the frequency of loss of offsite power, the number of failures of emergency diesel generators, and the potentially severe consequences of a loss of all ac power, ''Station Blackout'' was designated as Unresolved Safety Issue (USI) A-44. This report presents the regulatory analysis for USI A-44. It includes: (1) a summary of the issue, (2) the proposed technical resolution, (3) alternative resolutions considered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff, (4) an assessment of the benefits and costs of the recommended resolution, (5) the decision rationale, and (6) the relationship between USI A-44 and other NRC programs and requirements

The AP1000{sup R} nuclear power plant innovative features for extended station blackout mitigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vereb, F.; Winters, J.; Schulz, T.; Cummins, E.; Oriani, L. [Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, 1000 Westinghouse Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (United States)

2012-07-01

Station Blackout (SBO) is defined as 'a condition wherein a nuclear power plant sustains a loss of all offsite electric power system concurrent with turbine trip and unavailability of all onsite emergency alternating current (AC) power system. Station blackout does not include the loss of available AC power to buses fed by station batteries through inverters or by alternate AC sources as defined in this section, nor does it assume a concurrent single failure or design basis accident...' in accordance with Reference 1. In this paper, the innovative features of the AP1000 plant design are described with their operation in the scenario of an extended station blackout event. General operation of the passive safety systems are described as well as the unique features which allow the AP1000 plant to cope for at least 7 days during station blackout. Points of emphasis will include: - Passive safety system operation during SBO - 'Fail-safe' nature of key passive safety system valves; automatically places the valve in a conservatively safe alignment even in case of multiple failures in all power supply systems, including normal AC and battery backup - Passive Spent Fuel Pool cooling and makeup water supply during SBO - Robustness of AP1000 plant due to the location of key systems, structures and components required for Safe Shutdown - Diverse means of supplying makeup water to the Passive Containment Cooling System (PCS) and the Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) through use of an engineered, safety-related piping interface and portable equipment, as well as with permanently installed onsite ancillary equipment. (authors)

Pressurized-water-reactor station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobbe, C.A.

1983-01-01

The purpose of the Severe Accident Sequence Analysis (SASA) Program was to investigate accident scenarios beyond the design basis. The primary objective of SASA was to analyze nuclear plant transients that could lead to partial or total core melt and evaluate potential mitigating actions. The following summarizes the pressurized water reactor (PWR) SASA effort at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The INEL is presently evaluating Unresolved Safety Issue A-44 - Station Blackout from initiation of the transient to core uncovery. The balance of the analysis from core uncovery until fission product release is being performed at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL). The current analyses involve the Bellefonte Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS), a Babcock and Wilcox (B and W) 205 Fuel Assembly (205-FA) raised loop design to be operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority

Station blackout calculations for Peach Bottom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodge, S.A.

1985-01-01

A calculational procedure for the Station Blackout Severe Accident Sequence at Browns Ferry Unit One has been repeated with plant-specific application to one of the Peach Bottom Units. The only changes required in code input are with regard to the primary continment concrete, the existence of sprays in the secondary containment, and the size of the refueling bay. Combustible gas mole fractions in the secondary containment of each plant during the accident sequence are determined. It is demonstrated why the current state-of-the-art corium/concrete interaction code is inadequate for application to the study of Severe Accident Sequences in plants with the BWR MK I or MK II containment design

Review of Leading Approaches for Mitigating Hypersonic Vehicle Communications Blackout and a Method of Ceramic Particulate Injection Via Cathode Spot Arcs for Blackout Mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Gillman, Eric D.; Foster, John E.; Blankson, Isaiah M.

2010-01-01

Vehicles flying at hypersonic velocities within the atmosphere become enveloped in a "plasma sheath" that prevents radio communication, telemetry, and most importantly, GPS signal reception for navigation. This radio "blackout" period has been a problem since the dawn of the manned space program and was an especially significant hindrance during the days of the Apollo missions. An appropriate mitigation method must allow for spacecraft to ground control and ground control to spacecraft communications through the reentry plasma sheath. Many mitigation techniques have been proposed, including but not limited to, aerodynamic shaping, magnetic windows, and liquid injection. The research performed on these mitigation techniques over the years will be reviewed and summarized, along with the advantages and obstacles that each technique will need to overcome to be practically implemented. A unique approach for mitigating the blackout communications problem is presented herein along with research results associated with this method. The novel method involves the injection of ceramic metal-oxide particulate into a simulated reentry plasma to quench the reentry plasma. Injection of the solid ceramic particulates is achieved by entrainment within induced, energetic cathode spot flows.

Analysis of a station blackout transient at the Kori units 3/4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang, Young Seok; Kim, Hho Jung

1992-01-01

A transient analysis of station blackout accident is performed to evaluate the plant specific capability to cope with the accident at the Kori Units 3/4. The RELAP5/MOD3/5m5 code and full three loop modelling scheme are used in the calculation. The leak flow from reactor coolant system due to a failure of reactor coolant pump seal following the accident is assumed to be 25 gpm and the turbine driven aux feedwater unavailable. As a result, it is found that no core uncovery occurs in the plant until 7100 sec following a station blackout, the steam generator has a decay heat removal capability until 3100 sec, and the natural circulation over the reactor coolant loop until the complete loop seal voiding are observed. And the Nuclear Plant Analyzer is used and found to be effective in improving the phenomenological understanding on the accident

Emergency makeup of nuclear steam generators in blackout conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korolev, A.V.; Derevyanko, O.V.

2014-01-01

The paper describes an original solution for using steam energy to organize makeup of NPP steam generators in blackout conditions. The proposed solution combines a disk friction turbine and an axial turbine in a single housing to provide a high overall technical effect enabling the replenishment of nuclear steam generators with steam using the pump turbine drive assembly. The application of the design is analyzed and its efficiency and feasibility are shown

Application of a steam injector for passive emergency core cooling during a station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinze, D.; Behnke, L.; Schulenberg, T.

2012-01-01

One of the basic protection targets of reactor safety is the safe heat removal during normal operation but also following shut-down. Since the reactor accident in Fukushima an optimization of the plant robustness in case of beyond-design accident is performed. Special attention is given to the increase of time available for starting appropriate measures for emergency core cooling in case of a station blackout. The state-of the art in engineering and research is presented. Investigations on the applicability of a steam injector for passive emergency core cooling during a station blackout in BWR-type reactors have progressed, experiments on dynamic behavior of the injector are described. A precise design with respect to the thermal hydraulic boundary conditions has been performed.

Station blackout and public confidence: a cautionary tale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cave, L.

1990-01-01

The recent ''station blackout'' (ie loss of on-site and off-site AC power) incidents at the Vogtle PWR in the US and Hinkley Point B AGR in the Uk have led to further public concern about the safety of nuclear power, even though in each case the actual increase in the chance of an accident leading to a release of radioactivity to the environment was negligible. The industry may be wise to invest precautionary measures to reduce the frequency of such incidents and to increase public confidence. (author)

Station blackout transient at the Browns Ferry Unit 1 Plant: a severe accident sequence analysis (SASA) program study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, R.R.

1982-01-01

Operating plant transients are of great interest for many reasons, not the least of which is the potential for a mild transient to degenerate to a severe transient yielding core damage. Using the Browns Ferry (BF) Unit-1 plant as a basis of study, the station blackout sequence was investigated by the Severe Accident Sequence Analysis (SASA) Program in support of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Unresolved Safety Issue A-44: Station Blackout. A station blackout transient occurs when the plant's AC power from a comemrcial power grid is lost and cannot be restored by the diesel generators. Under normal operating conditions, f a loss of offsite power (LOSP) occurs [i.e., a complete severance of the BF plants from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power grid], the eight diesel generators at the three BF units would quickly start and power the emergency AC buses. Of the eight diesel generators, only six are needed to safely shut down all three units. Examination of BF-specific data show that LOSP frequency is low at Unit 1. The station blackout frequency is even lower (5.7 x 10 - 4 events per year) and hinges on whether the diesel generators start. The frequency of diesel generator failure is dictated in large measure by the emergency equipment cooling water (EECW) system that cools the diesel generators

PSB-VVER experimental and analytical investigation of station blackout accident in VVER-1000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lipatov, I.A.; Kapustin, A.V.; Nikonov, S.M.; Rovnov, A.A.; Basov, A.V. [Electrogorsk Research and Engineering Centre (EREC), Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Elkin, I.V. [NSI RRC, Kurchatov Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2007-07-01

In November 2003, an experiment simulating station blackout accident was carried out in the PSB-VVER integral test facility at the Electrogorsk Research and Engineering Centre (Russia). The purpose of the experiment was to provide missing data for code validation as well as to investigate the VVER thermohydraulics in the blackout conditions. The experiment covers a wide range of phenomena relating not only to transients but also to small break loss-of-coolant accidents. The data gained in the test has been used to assess the RELAP5/MOD3.3 code. In this paper, a special attention has been paid to the code assessment regarding the mixture level and entrainment in steam generator secondary side. The analysis of the recorded transient has shown that the calculation of the heat transfer on the secondary side of steam generators is very sensitive to the steam generator nodalization. (authors)

An electromagnetic method for removing the communication blackout with a space vehicle upon re-entry into the atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jianjun; Jin, Ke; Kou, Yong; Hu, Ruifeng; Zheng, Xiaojing

2017-03-01

When a hypersonic vehicle travels in the Earth and Mars atmosphere, the surface of the vehicle is surrounded by a plasma layer, which is an envelope of ionized air, created from the compression and heat of the atmosphere by the shock wave. The vehicles will lose contact with ground stations known as the reentry communication blackout. Based on the magnetohydrodynamic framework and electromagnetic wave propagation theory, an analytical model is proposed to describe the effect of the effectiveness of electromagnetic mitigation scheme on removing the reentry communication blackout. C and Global Positioning System (GPS) bands, two commonly used radio bands for communication, are taken as the cases to discuss the effectiveness of the electromagnetic field mitigation scheme. The results show that the electron density near the antenna of vehicles can be reduced by the electromagnetic field, and the required external magnetic field strength is far below the one in the magnetic window method. The directions of the external electric field and magnetic field have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the mitigation scheme. Furthermore, the effect of electron collisions on the required applied electromagnetic field is discussed, and the result indicates that electron collisions are a key factor to analyze the electromagnetic mitigation scheme. Finally, the feasible regions of the applied electromagnetic field for eliminating blackout are given. These investigations could have a significant benefit on the design and optimization of electromagnetic mitigation scheme for the blackout problem.

Case study on the use of PSA methods: Station blackout risk at Millstone Unit 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

In Westinghouse pressurized water reactors, severe accidents sequences resulting from station blackout have been recognized to be significant contributors to risk of core damage and public consequences. To properly quantify the risk of station blackout it is necessary to consider all possible types of core damage scenarios. Having obtained an accurate representation of the types of core damage scenarios involved specific areas of vulnerability can be pinpointed for further improvement. In performing this analysis it was decided to use time dependent probabilistic safety assessment method to provide a more realistic treatment of time dependent failure and recovery. Overview of the analysis, calculation procedures and methods, interpretation of the results are discussed. Peer review process is described. 13 refs, 19 figs

High-Tech, Low-Tech, No-Tech: Communications Strategies During Blackouts

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-01

straight-line “ derecho ”1 windstorms hit the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In the National Capital Region (NCR), many residents lost...flooding (Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1997), rolling blackouts (California, 2001), multi-state power outage (Ohio and seven other 1 “ Derecho ” is a...flawlessly throughout the 2012 “super- derecho ”20 storm event.21 During its 2012 typhoon, the government of the Philippines used Twitter to

Test study on safety features of station blackout accident for nuclear main pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiajie; Wang Dezhong; Zhang Jige; Liu Junsheng; Yang Zhe

2009-01-01

The theoretical and experimental studies of reactor coolant pump accidents encountered nation-wide and world-wide were described. To investigate the transient hydrodynamic performance of reactor coolant pump (RCP) during the period of rotational inertia in the station blackout accident, some theoretical and experimental studies were carried out, and the analysis of the test results was presented. The experiment parameters, conditions and test methods were introduced. The flow-rate, rotate speed and vibrations were analyzed emphatically. The quadruplicate polynomial curve equation was used to simulate the flow-rate,rotate speed along with time. The test results indicate that the flow-rate and rotator speed decrease rapidly at the very beginning of cut power and the test results accord with the regulation of safety standard. The vibrant displacement of bearing seat is intensified at the moment of lose power, but after a certain period rotor shaft libration changes. The test and analysis results help to understand the hydrodynamic performance of nuclear primary pump under lost of power accident, and provide the basic reference for safety evaluation. (authors)

Patterns of Practice in Palliative Radiotherapy for Painful Bone Metastases: Impact of a Regional Rapid Access Clinic on Access to Care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jackson S.Y.; Kerba, Marc; Wong, Rebecca K.S.; Mckimmon, Erin; Eigl, Bernhard; Hagen, Neil A.

2010-01-01

Purpose: External beam radiotherapy (RT) is commonly indicated for the palliation of symptomatic bone metastases, but there is evidence of underutilization of this treatment modality in palliative care for cancer populations. This study was conducted to investigate factors that influenced the use of palliative RT services at a regional comprehensive cancer center. Methods and Materials: A cohort of patients with radiographically confirmed bone metastases and first-time users of palliative RT between 2003 and 2005 was retrospectively reviewed from the time of initial diagnosis of bone metastases to death or last follow-up. Type of radiation treatment service provider used (rapid access or routine access) and patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors were analyzed for their influences on the number of treatment courses given over the duration of disease. Results: A total of 887 patients received 1,354 courses of palliative RT for bone metastases at a median interval of 4.0 months between courses. Thirty-three percent of patients required more than one RT course. Increased age and travel distance reduced the likelihood and number of treatment courses, while service through a rapid access clinic was independently associated with an increase in subsequent use of palliative RT. Conclusions: A rapid access service model for palliative RT facilitated access to RT. Travel distance and other factors remained substantial barriers to use of palliative RT services. The pattern of practice suggests an unmet need for symptom control in patients with bone metastases.

Observing power blackouts from space - A disaster related study

Science.gov (United States)

Aubrecht, C.; Elvidge, C. D.; Ziskin, D.; Baugh, K. E.; Tuttle, B.; Erwin, E.; Kerle, N.

2009-04-01

In case of emergency disaster managers worldwide require immediate information on affected areas and estimations of the number of affected people. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, wind and ice storms often involve failures in the electrical power generation system and grid. Near real time identification of power blackouts gives a first impression of the area affected by the event (Elvidge et al. 2007), which can subsequently be linked to population estimations. Power blackouts disrupt societal activities and compound the difficulties associated with search and rescue, clean up, and the provision of food and other supplies following a disastrous event. Locations and spatial extents of power blackouts are key considerations in planning and execution of the primary disaster missions of emergency management organizations. To date only one satellite data source has been used successfully for the detection of power blackouts. Operated by NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) the U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) offers a unique capability to observe lights present at the Earth's surface at night. Including a pair of visible and thermal spectral bands and originally designed to detect moonlit clouds, this sensor enables mapping of lights from cities and towns, gas flares and offshore platforms, fires, and heavily lit fishing boats. The low light imaging of the OLS is accomplished using a photomultiplier tube (PMT) which intensifies the visible band signal at night. With 14 orbits collected per day and a 3.000 km swath width, each OLS is capable of collecting a complete set of images of the Earth every 24 hours. NGDC runs the long-term archive for OLS data with the digital version extending back to 1992. OLS data is received by NGDC in near real time (1-2 hours from acquisition) and subscription based services for the near real time data are provided for users all over the

The 4 november 2006 blackout: an outage of 'technical' democracy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leteurtrois, J.P.

2007-01-01

With its power plants and exportation of electricity to neighboring lands, France imagined that it was sheltered from blackouts. But in the autumn of 2006, five million French households were deprived of electricity due to an error by a German operator. What to think of this? The internationalization of the electricity market, though useful to consumers, should not mean deregulation or the relinquishment of rules and regulations to power companies. Supervision of the grid must be reinforced on behalf of all European users of electricity. (author)

Uncertainties in source term estimates for a station blackout accident in a BWR with Mark I containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, M.; Cazzoli, E.; Liu, Y.; Davis, R.; Nourbakhsh, H.; Schmidt, E.; Unwin, S.; Khatib-Rahbar, M.

1988-01-01

In this paper, attention is limited to a single accident progression sequence, namly a station blackout accident in a BWR with a Mark I containment building. Identified as an important accident in the draft version of NUREG-1150 a station blackout involves loss of both off-site power and dc power resulting in failure of the diesels to start and in the unavailability of the high pressure injection and core isolation cooling systems. This paper illustrates the calculated uncertainties (Probability Density Functions) associated with the radiological releases into the environment for the nine fission product groups at 10 hours following the initiation of core-concrete interactions. Also shown are the results ofthe STCP base case simulation. 5 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

Design Provisions for Station Blackout at Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duchac, Alexander

2015-01-01

A station blackout (SBO) is generally known as 'a plant condition with complete loss of all alternating current (AC) power from off-site sources, from the main generator and from standby AC power sources important to safety to the essential and nonessential switchgear buses. Direct current (DC) power supplies and un-interruptible AC power supplies may be available as long as batteries can supply the loads. Alternate AC power supplies are available'. A draft Safety Guide DS 430 'Design of Electrical Power Systems for Nuclear Power Plants' provides recommendations regarding the implementation of Specific Safety Requirements: Design: Requirement 68 for emergency power systems. The Safety Guide outlines several design measures which are possible as a means of increasing the capability of the electrical power systems to cope with a station blackout, without providing detailed implementation guidance. A committee of international experts and advisors from numerous countries is currently working on an IAEA Technical Document (TECDOC) whose objective is to provide a common international technical basis from which the various criteria for SBO events need to be established, to support operation under design basis and design extension conditions (DEC) at nuclear power plants, to document in a comprehensive manner, all relevant aspects of SBO events at NPPs, and to outline critical issues which reflect the lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident. This paper discusses the commonly encountered difficulties associated with establishing the SBO criteria, shares the best practices, and current strategies used in the design and implementation of SBO provisions and outline the structure of the IAEA's SBO TECDOC under development. (author)

Sinister synergies : how competition for unregulated profit causes blackouts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, J.

2005-01-01

This white paper examined the effects of deregulation on electricity system reliability and demonstrated that the pursuit of unregulated profit has increased blackout risk. It was suggested that although deregulation works well in some areas, experts, studies and experience have shown that the deregulation of the electricity system has failed. The make-up of the electricity system was discussed, as well as the importance of the system to security, safety, health and economic well-being. It was suggested that higher costs and the need for greater profits have pushed deregulated power producers to cut costs drastically and to invest where high, short-term returns are more likely, rather than focusing on reasonable long-term returns with reasonable cost savings and reliability. In addition, the complexity of deregulated electricity markets has afforded participants many opportunities to manipulate and cut corners to increase profits. It was suggested that higher costs and the need for higher profits have combined with deregulated market conditions to provide motives and opportunities for a culture of bad behavior. This has cost consumers billions of dollars and resulted in increased blackout risk. It was noted that there have also been significant cut-backs in training, maintenance and rehabilitation, as well as in research. There has been a large increase in the complexity of deregulated systems because of increased numbers of participants, transactions and relationships, which has led to the introduction of new systems without appropriate testing, pilot projects, risk management, gradual implementation and backup procedures. It was concluded that an independent investigation should be carried out, and that a major study is needed to examine deregulated environments. 31 refs

The Fukushima Accident: A Station Blackout and the Consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schäfer, F.; Tusheva, P.; Kliem, S.

2012-01-01

Lessons learned from Fukushima: • Underestimation of the role of the natural hazards • Insufficient protection of the emergency power and service water systems • Protection of fuel assembly storage pools insufficient • Safety review for Station Blackout and seismic evaluation needed • Diverse power supply systems, diverse sources for water delivery • Role of passive safety systems, they must work in a real passive manner and without electricity to open valves • Backup systems for reactor parameters monitoring • Revision of Severe Accident Management Guidelines and countermeasures for specific “rare” events • Early/late phase operators’ actions / Effectiveness of the operators’ actions

Extended blackout mitigation strategy for PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prošek, Andrej; Volkanovski, Andrija

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Equipment for mitigation of the extended blackout is investigated. • Analysis is done with deterministic safety analysis methods. • Strategy to prevent core heatup and not overfill steam generator is proposed. • Six types of reactor coolant system loss scenarios are investigated. • Pump flowrates and available start time to feed steam generators is determined. - Abstract: The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant demonstrated the vulnerability of the plants on the loss of electrical power and loss of the ultimate heat sink events. A set of measures are proposed and currently implemented in response of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Those measures include diverse and flexible mitigation strategies that increase the defence-in-depth for beyond-design-basis scenarios. Mitigation strategies are based on the utilization of the portable equipment to provide power and water to the nuclear power plants in order to maintain or restore key safety functions. The verification of the proposed measures with the plant specific safety analyses is endorsed in the mitigation strategies. This paper investigates utilization of the turbine driven auxiliary feedwater pump (TD-AFW) or portable water injection pump for the mitigation of the event of loss of all alternate current sources and batteries (extended station blackout). Methodology for assessment of the required pump injection flow rate with the application of the standard deterministic safety analysis code is developed and presented. The required injection rate to the steam generators is calculated from the cumulative water mass injected by the turbine driven auxiliary feedwater pump in the analysed scenarios, when desired normal level is maintained automatically. The developed methodology allows assessment of the required injections rates of pump, TD-AFW or portable, for different plant configurations and number of flow rate changes. The methodology is applied

Extended blackout mitigation strategy for PWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prošek, Andrej, E-mail: andrej.prosek@ijs.si; Volkanovski, Andrija, E-mail: andrija.volkanovski@ijs.si

2015-12-15

Highlights: • Equipment for mitigation of the extended blackout is investigated. • Analysis is done with deterministic safety analysis methods. • Strategy to prevent core heatup and not overfill steam generator is proposed. • Six types of reactor coolant system loss scenarios are investigated. • Pump flowrates and available start time to feed steam generators is determined. - Abstract: The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant demonstrated the vulnerability of the plants on the loss of electrical power and loss of the ultimate heat sink events. A set of measures are proposed and currently implemented in response of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Those measures include diverse and flexible mitigation strategies that increase the defence-in-depth for beyond-design-basis scenarios. Mitigation strategies are based on the utilization of the portable equipment to provide power and water to the nuclear power plants in order to maintain or restore key safety functions. The verification of the proposed measures with the plant specific safety analyses is endorsed in the mitigation strategies. This paper investigates utilization of the turbine driven auxiliary feedwater pump (TD-AFW) or portable water injection pump for the mitigation of the event of loss of all alternate current sources and batteries (extended station blackout). Methodology for assessment of the required pump injection flow rate with the application of the standard deterministic safety analysis code is developed and presented. The required injection rate to the steam generators is calculated from the cumulative water mass injected by the turbine driven auxiliary feedwater pump in the analysed scenarios, when desired normal level is maintained automatically. The developed methodology allows assessment of the required injections rates of pump, TD-AFW or portable, for different plant configurations and number of flow rate changes. The methodology is applied

Evaluation of Station Blackout accidents at nuclear power plants. Technical findings related to Unresolved Safety Issue A-44. Draft report for comment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baranowsky, P.W.

1985-05-01

''Station Blackout,'' which is the complete loss of alternating current (ac) electrical power in a nuclear power plant, has been designated as Unresolved Safety Issue A-44. Because many safety systems required for reactor core decay heat removal and containment heat removal depend on ac power, the consequences of a station blackout could be severe. This report documents the findings of technical studies performed as part of the program to resolve this issue. The important factors analyzed include: the frequency of loss of offsite power; the probability that emergency or onsite ac power supplies would be unavailable; the capability and reliability of decay heat removal systems independent of ac power; and the likelihood that offsite power would be restored before systems that cannot operate for extended periods without ac power fail, thus resulting in core damage. This report also addresses effects of different designs, locations, and operational features on the estimated frequency of core damage resulting from station blackout events

Silencing Boko Haram: Mobile Phone Blackout and Counterinsurgency in Nigeria’s Northeast region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In the summer of 2013, the Nigerian military, as part of its counterinsurgency operations against Boko Haram insurgents, shut down GSM mobile telephony in three northeast states – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. This article explores the rationale, impact and citizens’ opinion of the mobile phone blackout. It draws on focus group discussions with local opinion leaders and in-depth personal interviews with military and security insiders, as well as data of Boko Haram incidences before, during and after the blackout from military sources and conflict databases. It argues that, although the mobile phone shutdown was ‘successful’ from a military- tactical point of view, it angered citizens and engendered negative opinions toward the state and new emergency policies. While citizens developed various coping and circumventing strategies, Boko Haram evolved from an open network model of insurgency to a closed centralized system, shifting the center of its operations to the Sambisa Forest. This fundamentally changed the dynamics of the conflict. The shutdown demonstrated, among others, that while ICTs serve various desirable purposes for developing states, they will be jettisoned when their use challenges the state’s legitimacy and raison d'être, but not without consequences.

Interpreting transnational infrastructure vulnerability: European blackout and the historical dynamics of transnational electricity governance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vleuten, Erik van der; Lagendijk, Vincent

2010-01-01

Recent transnational blackouts exposed two radically opposed interpretations of Europe's electricity infrastructure, which inform recent and ongoing negotiations on transnational electricity governance. To EU policy makers such blackouts revealed the fragility of Europe's power grids and the need of a more centralized form of governance, thus legitimizing recent EU interventions. Yet to power sector spokespersons, these events confirmed the reliability of transnational power grids and the traditional decentralized governance model: the disturbances were quickly contained and repaired. This paper inquires the historic legacies at work in these conflicting interpretations and associated transnational governance preferences. It traces the power sector's interpretation to its building of a secure transnational power grid from the 1950s through the era of neoliberalization. Next it places the EU interpretation and associated policy measures against the historical record of EU attempts at transnational infrastructure governance. Uncovering the historical roots and embedding of both interpretations, we conclude that their divergence is of a surprisingly recent date and relates to the current era of security thinking. Finally we recommend transnational, interpretative, and historical analysis to the field of critical infrastructure studies.

Comparison of the MAAP4 code with the station blackout simulation in the IIST facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert E Henry; Christopher E Henry; Chan Y Paik; George M Hauser

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP) is an integral system model to assess challenges to the reactor core, Reactor Coolant System (RCS) and containment for accident conditions. MAAP4 is the current version used by the MAAP Users Group to assess the responses to a spectrum of accident conditions. Benchmarking of the MAAP code with integral system experiments has been a continuing effort by MAAP developers and users. Several of these have been configured into dynamic benchmarks and are included in Volume III (Benchmarking) of the MAAP4 Users Manual (EPRI, 2004). One such integral experiment is the INER integral system test (IIST) constructed at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in Taiwan. This experimental facility is a reduced height, reduced pressure representation of a 3-loop PWR and has been used to examine several different types of accident sequences. One of these is a station blackout simulation with loss of auxiliary feedwater at the time that the transient is initiated. This is an important integral experiment to be compared with the MAAP4 code models. A parameter file (those values representing the system design and boundary experimental conditions) has been developed for the IIST facility and an input deck has been configured to represent a station blackout sequence with instantaneous loss of auxiliary feedwater. Of importance in this benchmark is (a) the rate at which the secondary side inventory is depleted, (b) the depletion of water within the reactor pressure vessel and (c) the time at which the top of the reactor core is uncovered. Comparisons have been made with these three different intervals and there is good agreement between the timing of these events for the MAAP4 benchmark. This is important since this reference sequence represents a set of boundary conditions that is continually with subsequent analyses being perturbations on this type of accident sequence. The good agreement between MAAP4 and

An adaptive reentry guidance method considering the influence of blackout zone

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yu; Yao, Jianyao; Qu, Xiangju

2018-01-01

Reentry guidance has been researched as a popular topic because it is critical for a successful flight. In view that the existing guidance methods do not take into account the accumulated navigation error of Inertial Navigation System (INS) in the blackout zone, in this paper, an adaptive reentry guidance method is proposed to obtain the optimal reentry trajectory quickly with the target of minimum aerodynamic heating rate. The terminal error in position and attitude can be also reduced with the proposed method. In this method, the whole reentry guidance task is divided into two phases, i.e., the trajectory updating phase and the trajectory planning phase. In the first phase, the idea of model predictive control (MPC) is used, and the receding optimization procedure ensures the optimal trajectory in the next few seconds. In the trajectory planning phase, after the vehicle has flown out of the blackout zone, the optimal reentry trajectory is obtained by online planning to adapt to the navigation information. An effective swarm intelligence algorithm, i.e. pigeon inspired optimization (PIO) algorithm, is applied to obtain the optimal reentry trajectory in both of the two phases. Compared to the trajectory updating method, the proposed method can reduce the terminal error by about 30% considering both the position and attitude, especially, the terminal error of height has almost been eliminated. Besides, the PIO algorithm performs better than the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm both in the trajectory updating phase and the trajectory planning phases.

Characterization of weakly ionized argon flows for radio blackout mitigation experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Steffens, L.; Koch, U.; Esser, B.; Gülhan, A.

2017-06-01

For reproducing the so-called E × B communication blackout mitigation scheme inside the L2K arc heated facility of the DLR in weakly ionized argon §ows, a §at plate model has been equipped with a superconducting magnet, electrodes, and a setup comprising microwave plasma transmission spectroscopy (MPTS). A thorough characterization of the weakly ionized argon §ow has been performed including the use of microwave interferometry (MWI), Langmuir probe measurements, Pitot probe pro¦les, and spectroscopic methods like diode laser absorption spectroscopy (DLAS) and emission spectroscopy.

PWR station blackout transient simulation in the INER integral system test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, T.J.; Lee, C.H.; Hong, W.T.; Chang, Y.H.

2004-01-01

Station blackout transient (or TMLB' scenario) in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) was simulated using the INER Integral System Test Facility (IIST) which is a 1/400 volumetrically-scaled reduce-height and reduce-pressure (RHRP) simulator of a Westinghouse three-loop PWR. Long-term thermal-hydraulic responses including the secondary boil-off and the subsequent primary saturation, pressurization and core uncovery were simulated based on the assumptions of no offsite and onsite power, feedwater and operator actions. The results indicate that two-phase discharge is the major depletion mode since it covers 81.3% of the total amount of the coolant inventory loss. The primary coolant inventory has experienced significant re-distribution during a station blackout transient. The decided parameter to avoid the core overheating is not the total amount of the coolant inventory remained in the primary core cooling system but only the part of coolant left in the pressure vessel. The sequence of significant events during transient for the IIST were also compared with those of the ROSA-IV large-scale test facility (LSTF), which is a 1/48 volumetrically-scaled full-height and full-pressure (FHFP) simulator of a PWR. The comparison indicates that the sequence and timing of these events during TMLB' transient studied in the RHRP IIST facility are generally consistent with those of the FHFP LSTF. (author)

Modelling of blackout sequence at Atucha-1 using the MARCH3 code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baron, J.; Bastianelli, B.

1997-01-01

This paper presents the modelling of a complete blackout at the Atucha-1 NPP as preliminary phase for a Level II safety probabilistic analysis. The MARCH3 code of the STCP (Source Term Code Package) is used, based on a plant model made in accordance with particularities of the plant design. The analysis covers all the severe accident phases. The results allow to view the time sequence of the events, and provide the basis for source term studies. (author). 6 refs., 2 figs

Acute Alcohol Effects on Narrative Recall and Contextual Memory: An Examination of Fragmentary Blackouts

OpenAIRE

Wetherill, Reagan R.; Fromme, Kim

2011-01-01

The present study examined the effects of alcohol consumption on narrative recall and contextual memory among individuals with and without a history of fragmentary blackouts in an attempt to better understand why some individuals experience alcohol-induced memory impairments whereas others do not, even at comparable blood alcohol concentrations (BACs). Standardized beverage (alcohol, no alcohol) administration procedures and neuropsychological assessments measured narrative recall and context...

Binge Drinking and the Young Brain: A Mini Review of the Neurobiological Underpinnings of Alcohol-Induced Blackout

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel F. Hermens

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Binge drinking has significant effects on memory, particularly with regards to the transfer of information to long-term storage. Partial or complete blocking of memory formation is known as blackout. Youth represents a critical period in brain development that is particularly vulnerable to alcohol misuse. Animal models show that the adolescent brain is more vulnerable to the acute and chronic effects of alcohol compared with the adult brain. This mini-review addresses the neurobiological underpinnings of binge drinking and associated memory loss (blackout in the adolescent and young adult period. Although the extent to which there are pre-existing versus alcohol-induced neurobiological changes remains unclear, it is likely that repetitive binge drinking in youth has detrimental effects on cognitive and social functioning. Given its role in learning and memory, the hippocampus is a critical region with neuroimaging research showing notable changes in this structure associated with alcohol misuse in young people. There is a great need for earlier identification of biological markers associated with alcohol-related brain damage. As a means to assess in vivo neurochemistry, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS has emerged as a particularly promising technique since changes in neurometabolites often precede gross structural changes. Thus, the current paper addresses how MRS biomarkers of neurotransmission (glutamate, GABA and oxidative stress (indexed by depleted glutathione in the hippocampal region of young binge drinkers may underlie propensity for blackouts and other memory impairments. MRS biomarkers may have particular utility in determining the acute versus longer-term effects of binge drinking in young people.

Probabilistic assessment of Juragua Nuclear Power Plant response under station blackout conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valhuerdi, C.; Vilaragut, J.J.; Perdomo, M.; Torres, A.

1995-01-01

The preliminary results concerning the response of station blackout are shown in this paper. These results have been obtained in the framework of initiator lass of external electrical supply as a aport of the revision o of the current probabilistic safety analysis. The work is also based on the results reported in the thermohydraulic calculations of VVER 440 plants responses under these conditions and the experience of this type of notified incidents. Finally, a comparative analysis with the results obtained for other reactor technologies is presented

Transfer Effect Ratio of Loosely Coupled Coils for Wireless Power through CB Wall under Station Blackout(SBO)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Kil Mo; Hong, Seong Wan; Song, Jin Ho; Baek, Won Pil; Cheon, Sang Hoon

2016-01-01

Instrumentations have had the bad situation like a station blackout(SBO) as the severe accident in nuclear power plants. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in wireless power transfer technology, In particular, significant processing has been charted for inductively coupled systems. In this paper, we introduce some new method as transfer effect ratio of loosely coupled coils for wireless power through the CB(Container Building) wall as an alternative method under a station blackout of severe accident conditions in nuclear power plants. As an equivalent circuit model that can describe wireless energy transfer systems via coupled magnetic resonances for the CB thickness wall. The solution shows that the transmission efficiency can be decreased simply by adjusting the spacing between the power and the sending coils or between the receiving and the load coils. The system design can be calculated the frequency characteristics, and then an equivalent circuit model was developed from the node equation and established in an electric design automation tool

Transfer Effect Ratio of Loosely Coupled Coils for Wireless Power through CB Wall under Station Blackout(SBO)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koo, Kil Mo; Hong, Seong Wan; Song, Jin Ho; Baek, Won Pil [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cheon, Sang Hoon [ETRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Instrumentations have had the bad situation like a station blackout(SBO) as the severe accident in nuclear power plants. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in wireless power transfer technology, In particular, significant processing has been charted for inductively coupled systems. In this paper, we introduce some new method as transfer effect ratio of loosely coupled coils for wireless power through the CB(Container Building) wall as an alternative method under a station blackout of severe accident conditions in nuclear power plants. As an equivalent circuit model that can describe wireless energy transfer systems via coupled magnetic resonances for the CB thickness wall. The solution shows that the transmission efficiency can be decreased simply by adjusting the spacing between the power and the sending coils or between the receiving and the load coils. The system design can be calculated the frequency characteristics, and then an equivalent circuit model was developed from the node equation and established in an electric design automation tool.

Thermohydraulic and safety analysis on China advanced research reactor under station blackout accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Wenxi; Qiu Suizheng; Su Guanghui; Jia Dounan; Liu Xingmin; Zhang Jianwei

2007-01-01

A thermohydraulic and safety analysis code-TSACC has been developed using Fortran90 language to evaluate the transient thermohydraulic behavior of the China advanced research reactor (CARR) under station blackout accident (SBA). For the development of TSACC, a series of corresponding mathematical and physical models were applied. Point reactor neutron kinetics model was adopted for solving the reactor power. All possible flow and heat transfer conditions under station blackout accident were considered and the optional correlations were supplied. The usual finite difference method was abandoned and the integral technique was adopted to evaluate the temperature field of the plate type fuel elements. A new simple and convenient equation was proposed for the resolution of the transient behaviors of the main pump instead of the complicated four-quadrant model. Gear method and Adams method were adopted alternately for a better solution to the stiff differential equations describing the dynamic behavior of the CARR. The computational result of TSACC showed the adequacy of the safety margin of CARR under SBA. For the purpose of Verification and Validation (V and V), the simulated results of TSACC were compared with those of RELAP5/MOD3 and a good agreement was obtained. The adoption of modular programming techniques enables TASCC to be applied to other reactors by easily modifying the corresponding function modules

Blackout risk prevention in a smart grid based flexible optimal strategy using Grey Wolf-pattern search algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahdad, Belkacem; Srairi, K.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A generalized optimal security power system planning strategy for blackout risk prevention is proposed. • A Grey Wolf Optimizer dynamically coordinated with Pattern Search algorithm is proposed. • A useful optimized database dynamically generated considering margin loading stability under severe faults. • The robustness and feasibility of the proposed strategy is validated in the standard IEEE 30 Bus system. • The proposed planning strategy will be useful for power system protection coordination and control. - Abstract: Developing a flexible and reliable power system planning strategy under critical situations is of great importance to experts and industrials to minimize the probability of blackouts occurrence. This paper introduces the first stage of this practical strategy by the application of Grey Wolf Optimizer coordinated with pattern search algorithm for solving the security smart grid power system management under critical situations. The main objective of this proposed planning strategy is to prevent the practical power system against blackout due to the apparition of faults in generating units or important transmission lines. At the first stage the system is pushed to its margin stability limit, the critical loads shedding are selected using voltage stability index. In the second stage the generator control variables, the reactive power of shunt and dynamic compensators are adjusted in coordination with minimization the active and reactive power at critical loads to maintain the system at security state to ensure service continuity. The feasibility and efficiency of the proposed strategy is applied to IEEE 30-Bus test system. Results are promising and prove the practical efficiency of the proposed strategy to ensure system security under critical situations

Analysis of Radio Frequency Blackout for a Blunt-Body Capsule in Atmospheric Reentry Missions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuke Takahashi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A numerical analysis of electromagnetic waves around the atmospheric reentry demonstrator (ARD of the European Space Agency (ESA in an atmospheric reentry mission was conducted. During the ARD mission, which involves a 70% scaled-down configuration capsule of the Apollo command module, radio frequency blackout and strong plasma attenuation of radio waves in communications with data relay satellites and air planes were observed. The electromagnetic interference was caused by highly dense plasma derived from a strong shock wave generated in front of the capsule because of orbital speed during reentry. In this study, the physical properties of the plasma flow in the shock layer and wake region of the ESA ARD were obtained using a computational fluid dynamics technique. Then, electromagnetic waves were expressed using a frequency-dependent finite-difference time-domain method using the plasma properties. The analysis model was validated based on experimental flight data. A comparison of the measured and predicted results showed good agreement. The distribution of charged particles around the ESA ARD and the complicated behavior of electromagnetic waves, with attenuation and reflection, are clarified in detail. It is suggested that the analysis model could be an effective tool for investigating radio frequency blackout and plasma attenuation in radio wave communication.

Advanced validation of CFD-FDTD combined method using highly applicable solver for reentry blackout prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Yusuke

2016-01-01

An analysis model of plasma flow and electromagnetic waves around a reentry vehicle for radio frequency blackout prediction during aerodynamic heating was developed in this study. The model was validated based on experimental results from the radio attenuation measurement program. The plasma flow properties, such as electron number density, in the shock layer and wake region were obtained using a newly developed unstructured grid solver that incorporated real gas effect models and could treat thermochemically non-equilibrium flow. To predict the electromagnetic waves in plasma, a frequency-dependent finite-difference time-domain method was used. Moreover, the complicated behaviour of electromagnetic waves in the plasma layer during atmospheric reentry was clarified at several altitudes. The prediction performance of the combined model was evaluated with profiles and peak values of the electron number density in the plasma layer. In addition, to validate the models, the signal losses measured during communication with the reentry vehicle were directly compared with the predicted results. Based on the study, it was suggested that the present analysis model accurately predicts the radio frequency blackout and plasma attenuation of electromagnetic waves in plasma in communication. (paper)

Investigation of station blackout scenario in VVER440/v230 with RELAP5 computer code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gencheva, Rositsa Veselinova, E-mail: roseh@mail.bg; Stefanova, Antoaneta Emilova, E-mail: antoanet@inrne.bas.bg; Groudev, Pavlin Petkov, E-mail: pavlinpg@inrne.bas.bg

2015-12-15

Highlights: • We have modeled SBO in VVER440. • RELAP5/MOD3 computer code has been used. • Base case calculation has been done. • Fail case calculation has been done. • Operator and alternative operator actions have been investigated. - Abstract: During the development of symptom-based emergency operating procedures (SB-EOPs) for VVER440/v230 units at Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) a number of analyses have been performed using the RELAP5/MOD3 (Carlson et al., 1990). Some of them investigate the response of VVER440/v230 during the station blackout (SBO). The main purpose of the analyses presented in this paper is to identify the behavior of important VVER440 parameters in case of total station blackout. The RELAP5/MOD3 has been used to simulate the SBO in VVER440 NPP model (Fletcher and Schultz, 1995). This model was developed at the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (INRNE-BAS), Sofia, for analyses of operational occurrences, abnormal events and design based scenarios. The model provides a significant analytical capability for specialists working in the field of NPP safety.

Investigation of accident management procedures related to loss of feedwater and station blackout in PSB-VVER integral test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bucalossi, A. [EC JRC, (JRC F.5) PO Box 2, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands); Del Nevo, A., E-mail: alessandro.delnevo@enea.it [ENEA, C.R. Brasimone, 40032 Camugnano (Italy); Moretti, F.; D' Auria, F. [GRNSPG, Universita di Pisa, via Diotisalvi 2, 56100 Pisa (Italy); Elkin, I.V.; Melikhov, O.I. [Electrogorsk Research and Engineering Centre, Electrogorsk, Moscow Region (Russian Federation)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Four integral test facility experiments related to VVER-1000 reactor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TH response of the VVER-1000 primary system following total loss of feedwater and station blackout scenarios. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Accident management procedures in case of total loss of feedwater and station blackout. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Experimental data represent an improvement of existing database for TH code validation. - Abstract: VVER 1000 reactors have some unique and specific features (e.g. large primary and secondary side fluid inventory, horizontal steam generators, core design) that require dedicated experimental and analytical analyses in order to assess the performance of safety systems and the effectiveness of possible accident management strategies. The European Commission funded project 'TACIS 2.03/97', Part A, provided valuable experimental data from the large-scale (1:300) PSB-VVER test facility, investigating accident management procedures in VVER-1000 reactor. A test matrix was developed at University of Pisa (responsible of the project) with the objective of obtaining the experimental data not covered by the OECD VVER validation matrix and with main focus on accident management procedures. Scenarios related to total loss of feed water and station blackout are investigated by means of four experiments accounting for different countermeasures, based on secondary cooling strategies and primary feed and bleed procedures. The transients are analyzed thoroughly focusing on the identification of phenomena that will challenge the code models during the simulations.

Analysis of hot leg natural circulation under station blackout severe accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Jian; Cao Xuewu

2007-01-01

Under severe accidents, natural circulation flows are important to influence the accident progression and result in a pressurized water reactor (PWR). In a station blackout accident with no recovery of steam generator (SG) auxiliary feedwater (TMLB' severe accident scenario), the hot leg countercurrent natural circulation flow is analyzed by using a severe-accident code, to better understand its potential impacts on the creep-rupture timing among the surge line, the hot leg; and SG tubes. The results show that the natural circulation may delay the failure time of the hot leg. The recirculation ratio and the hot mixing factor are also calculated and discussed. (authors)

Analysis of Peach Bottom station blackout with MELCOR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dingman, S.E.; Cole, R.K.; Haskin, F.E.; Summers, R.M.; Webb, S.W.

1987-01-01

A demonstration analysis of station blackout at Peach Bottom has been performed using MELCOR and the results have been compared with those from MARCON 2.1B and the Source Term Code Package (STCP). MELCOR predicts greater in-vessel hydrogen production, earlier melting and core collapse, but later debris discharge than MARCON 2.1B. The drywell fails at vessel breach in MELCOR, but failure is delayed about an hour in MARCON 2.1B. These differences are mainly due to the MELCOR models for candling during melting, in-core axial conduction, and continued oxidation and heat transfer from core debris following lower head dryout. Three sensitivity calculations have been performed with MELCOR to address uncertainties regarding modeling of the core-concrete interactions. The timing of events and the gas and radionuclide release rates are somewhat different in the base case and the three sensitivity cases, but the final conditions and total releases are similar

Evaluating the Effect of a Campus-Wide Social Norms Marketing Intervention on Alcohol-Use Perceptions, Consumption, and Blackouts

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jinni; Hancock, Linda; Wattenmaker McGann, Amanda; Alshagra, Mariam; Ericson, Rhianna; Niazi, Zackaria; Dick, Danielle M.; Adkins, Amy

2018-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a campus-wide social norms marketing intervention on alcohol-use perceptions, consumption, and blackouts at a large, urban, public university. Participants: 4,172 college students (1,208 freshmen, 1,159 sophomores, 953 juniors, and 852 seniors) who completed surveys in Spring 2015 for the Spit for Science…

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for the simulation of a station blackout scenario in the Jules Horowitz Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghione, Alberto; Noel, Brigitte; Vinai, Paolo; Demazière, Christophe

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A station blackout scenario in the Jules Horowitz Reactor is analyzed using CATHARE. • Input and model uncertainties relevant to the transient, are considered. • A statistical methodology for the propagation of the uncertainties is applied. • No safety criteria are exceeded and sufficiently large safety margins are estimated. • The most influential uncertainties are determined with a sensitivity analysis. - Abstract: An uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for the simulation of a station blackout scenario in the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) is presented. The JHR is a new material testing reactor under construction at CEA on the Cadarache site, France. The thermal-hydraulic system code CATHARE is applied to investigate the response of the reactor system to the scenario. The uncertainty and sensitivity study was based on a statistical methodology for code uncertainty propagation, and the ‘Uncertainty and Sensitivity’ platform URANIE was used. Accordingly, the input uncertainties relevant to the transient, were identified, quantified, and propagated to the code output. The results show that the safety criteria are not exceeded and sufficiently large safety margins exist. In addition, the most influential input uncertainties on the safety parameters were found by making use of a sensitivity analysis.

A novel rapid access testicular cancer clinic: prospective evaluation after one year.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, K; Davis, N F; Elamin, S; Ahern, P; Brady, C M; Sweeney, P

2016-02-01

Our institution has recently developed a rapid access outpatient clinic to investigate men with testicular lumps and/or pain suspicious for testicular cancer (TCa). To present our experience after 12 months. All referrals to the rapid access testicular clinic (RATC) clinic were prospectively analysed from 01/01/2013 to 01/01/2014. The primary outcome variable was incidence of TCa in the referred patient cohort. Secondary outcome variables were waiting times prior to clinical review and waiting times prior to radical orchidectomy in patients diagnosed with TCa. Seventy-four new patients were referred to the RATC during the 1-year period and the mean age was 34 (range 15-81 years). TCa was the most common diagnosis and was found in 18 (25 %) patients. Patients diagnosed with TCa underwent radical orchidectomy, a median of 3 (range 1-5) days after their initial GP referral. Patients requiring surgical intervention for benign scrotal pathology underwent their procedure a median of 32 (range 3-61) days after their initial referral. Of the 18 patients diagnosed with TCa, 9 (50 %) were diagnosed with a seminomatous germ cell tumour on histopathology. The RATC is a new initiative in Ireland that provides expedient and definitive treatment of patients with newly diagnosed TCa. Early treatment will ultimately improve long-term prognosis in this patient cohort.

Blackout sequence modeling for Atucha-I with MARCH3 code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baron, J.; Bastianelli, B.

1997-01-01

The modeling of a blackout sequence in Atucha I nuclear power plant is presented in this paper, as a preliminary phase for a level II probabilistic safety assessment. Such sequence is analyzed with the code MARCH3 from STCP (Source Term Code Package), based on a specific model developed for Atucha, that takes into accounts it peculiarities. The analysis includes all the severe accident phases, from the initial transient (loss of heat sink), loss of coolant through the safety valves, core uncovered, heatup, metal-water reaction, melting and relocation, heatup and failure of the pressure vessel, core-concrete interaction in the reactor cavity, heatup and failure of the containment building (multi-compartmented) due to quasi-static overpressurization. The results obtained permit to visualize the time sequence of these events, as well as provide the basis for source term studies. (author) [es

Real-time stability in power systems techniques for early detection of the risk of blackout

CERN Document Server

Savulescu, Savu

2014-01-01

This pioneering volume has been updated and enriched to reflect the state-of-the-art in blackout prediction and prevention. It documents and explains background and algorithmic aspects of the most successful steady-state, transient and voltage stability solutions available today in real-time. It also describes new, cutting-edge stability applications of synchrophasor technology, and captures industry acceptance of metrics and visualization tools that quantify and monitor the distance to instability. Expert contributors review a broad spectrum of additionally available techniques, such as traje

Demonstration of fully coupled simplified extended station black-out accident simulation with RELAP-7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Haihua [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Zhang, Hongbin [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Zou, Ling [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Anders, David [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Martineau, Richard [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-10-01

The RELAP-7 code is the next generation nuclear reactor system safety analysis code being developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The RELAP-7 code develop-ment effort started in October of 2011 and by the end of the second development year, a number of physical components with simplified two phase flow capability have been de-veloped to support the simplified boiling water reactor (BWR) extended station blackout (SBO) analyses. The demonstration case includes the major components for the primary system of a BWR, as well as the safety system components for the safety relief valve (SRV), the reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) system, and the wet well. Three scenar-ios for the SBO simulations have been considered. Since RELAP-7 is not a severe acci-dent analysis code, the simulation stops when fuel clad temperature reaches damage point. Scenario I represents an extreme station blackout accident without any external cooling and cooling water injection. The system pressure is controlled by automatically releasing steam through SRVs. Scenario II includes the RCIC system but without SRV. The RCIC system is fully coupled with the reactor primary system and all the major components are dynamically simulated. The third scenario includes both the RCIC system and the SRV to provide a more realistic simulation. This paper will describe the major models and dis-cuss the results for the three scenarios. The RELAP-7 simulations for the three simplified SBO scenarios show the importance of dynamically simulating the SRVs, the RCIC sys-tem, and the wet well system to the reactor safety during extended SBO accidents.

Cooling methods of station blackout scenario for LWR plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-08-15

The objective of this study is to analyze the cooling method of station blackout scenario for both the BWR and PWR plants by RELAP5 code and to check the validity of the cooling method proposed by the utilities. In the BWR plant cooling scenario, the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System (RCIC), which is operated with high pressure steam from the reactor, injects cooling water into the reactor to keep the core water level. The steam generated in the core is released into the suppression pool at containment vessel to condense. To restrict the containment vessel pressure rising, the ventilation from the wet-well is operated. The scenario is analyzed by RELAP5 code. In the PWR plant scenario, the primary pressure is decreased by the turbine-driven auxiliary feed water system operated with secondary side steam of the steam generators (SGs). And the core cooling is kept by the natural circulation flow at the primary loop. From the RELAP5 code analysis, it was shown that the primary system cooling was practicable by using the turbine-driven auxiliary feed water system. (author)

Cooling methods of station blackout scenario for LWR plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

The objective of this study is to analyze the cooling method of station blackout scenario for both the BWR and PWR plants by RELAP5 code and to check the validity of the cooling method proposed by the utilities. In the BWR plant cooling scenario, the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System (RCIC), which is operated with high pressure steam from the reactor, injects cooling water into the reactor to keep the core water level. The steam generated in the core is released into the suppression pool at containment vessel to condense. To restrict the containment vessel pressure rising, the ventilation from the wet-well is operated. The scenario is analyzed by RELAP5 and CONTEMPT-LT code. In the PWR plant scenario, the primary pressure is decreased by the turbine-driven auxiliary feed water system operated with secondary side steam of the steam generators (SGs). And the core cooling is kept by the natural circulation flow at the primary loop. The analytical method of un-uniform flow behavior among the SG U-tubes, which affects the natural circulation flow rate, is developed. (author)

Assessing health systems for type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa: developing a 'Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Courten Maximilian

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In order to improve the health of people with Type 1 diabetes in developing countries, a clear analysis of the constraints to insulin access and diabetes care is needed. We developed a Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access, comprising a series of questionnaires as well as a protocol for the gathering of other data through site visits, discussions, and document reviews. Methods The Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access draws on the principles of Rapid Assessment Protocols which have been developed and implemented in several different areas. This protocol was adapted through a thorough literature review on diabetes, chronic condition management and medicine supply in developing countries. A visit to three countries in sub-Saharan Africa and meetings with different experts in the field of diabetes helped refine the questionnaires. Following the development of the questionnaires these were tested with various people familiar with diabetes and/or healthcare in developing countries. The Protocol was piloted in Mozambique then refined and had two further iterations in Zambia and Mali. Translations of questionnaires were made into local languages when necessary, with back translation to ensure precision. Results In each country the protocol was implemented in 3 areas – the capital city, a large urban centre and a predominantly rural area and their respective surroundings. Interviews were carried out by local teams trained on how to use the tool. Data was then collected and entered into a database for analysis. Conclusion The Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access was developed to provide a situational analysis of Type 1 diabetes, in order to make recommendations to the national Ministries of Health and Diabetes Associations. It provided valuable information on patients' access to insulin, syringes, monitoring and care. It was thus able to sketch a picture of the health care system with regards to its ability to

The blackout of 2003 and its connection to open access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delgado, J.

2005-01-01

This white paper discussed the implications of deregulation and policy implementation in the electric power industry, as well recommending changes for greater security and reliability. There have been significant benefits from the introduction of competition in the wholesale electricity market. However, the attempt to reorganize a very complicated industry without ensuring an adequate set of balances between risks and rewards has had mixed results. Reliability problems and threats have not increased as a result of policies, they have increased as a result of the ways in which policies have been implemented. It was suggested that transmission owner-operators are accountable for system security, and have the means to make the system secure in real time. However, North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), regional councils, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and regional transmission organizations all have a role in system reliability. State regulators and the general public must hold utility owner-operators accountable. It was suggested that there must be a logical and clear allocation of reliability functions among the participants in the electricity network. Costs and responsibilities must be allocated equitably among all participants in and users of the electric system. In addition, sharing and implementation of best practices was recommended, as well as the participation of CEOs in the boards of NERC and in regional reliability councils. It was also suggested that executives in charge of utility operations should be certified to ensure a full awareness of reliability rules. It was recommended that utilities bear responsibility for implementing energy policies at the federal and state levels, including open access and competition. It was concluded that significant transmission construction is needed to support economic development and competitive regional wholesale markets

Analysis of station blackout accidents for the Bellefonte pressurized water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasser, R.D.; Bieniarz, P.P.; Tills, J.L.

1986-09-01

An analysis has been performed for the Bellefonte PWR Unit 1 to determine the containment loading and the radiological releases into the environment from a station blackout accident. A number of issues have been addressed in this analysis which include the effects of direct heating on containment loading, and the effects of fission product heating and natural convection on releases from the primary system. The results indicate that direct heating which involves more than about 50% of the core can fail the Bellefonte containment, but natural convection in the RCS may lead to overheating and failure of the primary system piping before core slump, thus, eliminating or mitigating direct heating. Releases from the primary system are significantly increased before vessel breach due to natural circulation and after vessel breach due to reevolution of retained fission products by fission product heating of RCS structures

MELCOR simulation of long-term station blackout at Peach Bottom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madni, I.K.

1990-01-01

This paper presents the results from MELCOR (Version 1.8BC) calculations of the Long-Term Station Blackout Accident Sequence, with failure to depressurize the reactor vessel, at the Peach Bottom (BWR Mark I) plant, and presents comparisons with Source Term Code Package (STCP) calculations of the same sequence. This sequence assumes that batteries are available for six hours following loss of all power to the plant. Following battery failure, the reactor coolant system (RCS) inventory is boiled off through the relief valves by continued decay heat generation. This leads to core uncovery, heatup, clad oxidation, core degradation, relocation, and, eventually, vessel failure at high pressure. STCP has calculated the transient out to 13.5 hours after core uncovery. The results include the timing of key events, pressure and temperature response in the reactor vessel and containment, hydrogen production, and the release of source terms to the environment. 12 refs., 23 figs., 3 tabs

Assessing health systems for type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa: developing a 'Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access'

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beran, David; Yudkin, John S; de Courten, Maximilian

2006-01-01

In order to improve the health of people with Type 1 diabetes in developing countries, a clear analysis of the constraints to insulin access and diabetes care is needed. We developed a Rapid Assessment Protocol for Insulin Access, comprising a series of questionnaires as well as a protocol...... for the gathering of other data through site visits, discussions, and document reviews....

Analyses of natural circulation during a Surry station blackout using SCDAP/RELAP5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayless, P.D.

1988-10-01

The effects of reactor coolant system natural circulation on the response of the Surry nuclear power plant during a station blackout transient were investigated. A TMLB' sequence (loss of all ac power, immediate loss of auxillary feedwater) was simulated from transient initiation until after fuel rod relocation had begun. Integral analyses of the system thermal-hydraulics and the core damage behavior were performed using the SCDAP/RELAP5 computer code and several different models of the plant. Three scoping calculations were performed in which the complexity of the plant model was progressively increased to determine the overall effects of in-vessel and hot leg natural circulation flows on the plant response. The natural circulation flows extended the transient, slowing the core heatup and delaying core damage by transferring energy from the core to structures in the upper plenum and coolant loops. Increased temperatures in the ex-core structures indicated that they may fail, however. Nine sensitivity calculations were then performed to investigate the effects of modeling uncertainties on the multidimensional natural circulation flows and the system response. Creep rupture failure of the pressurizer surge line was predicted to occur in eight of the calculations, with the hot leg failing in the ninth. The failure time was fairly insensitive to the parameters varied. The failures occurred near the time that fuel rod relocation began, well before failure of the reactor vessel would be expected. A calculation was also performed in which creep rupture failure of the surge line was modeled. The subsequent blowdown led to rapid accumulator injection and quenching of the entire core. 18 refs., 105 figs., 17 tabs

Resonant interaction of electromagnetic wave with plasma layer and overcoming the radiocommunication blackout problem

Science.gov (United States)

Bogatskaya, A. V.; Klenov, N. V.; Tereshonok, M. V.; Adjemov, S. S.; Popov, A. M.

2018-05-01

We present an analysis of the possibility of penetrating electromagnetic waves through opaque media using an optical-mechanical analogy. As an example, we consider the plasma sheath surrounding the vehicle as a potential barrier and analyze the overcoming of radiocommunication blackout problem. The idea is to embed a «resonator» between the surface on the vehicle and plasma sheath which is supposed to provide an effective tunneling of the signal to the receiving antenna. We discuss the peculiarities of optical mechanical analogy applicability and analyze the radio frequency wave tunneling regime in detail. The cases of normal and oblique incidence of radiofrequency waves on the vehicle surface are studied.

The Threshold of the State: Civil Defence, the Blackout and the Home in Second World War Britain.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenhalgh, James

2017-06-01

This article reconsiders the way that the British state extended its control of the home during the Second World War, using the implementation of air raid precautions and the blackout as a lens through which to view the state's developing attitudes to domestic space. Presented here is not the familiar story of pitch-dark, dangerous streets or altered cityscapes of fear and destruction; instead, by examining personal testimony the article inverts traditional treatments of the blackout to look at the interior of dwellings, demonstrating how the realities of total warfare impinged upon the psychological elements that constituted the home. What emerges not only expands historical understandings of the wartime experience of civilians, it also shows civil defence measures as highly visible points on an often antagonistic trajectory of state interactions with citizens concerning the privacy and security of the dwelling in the modern city. The requirements of civil defence, I argue, were not merely the product of exceptional wartime circumstances, but symptomatic of long-standing attempts to open up dwellings to state scrutiny. These attempts had both a significant pre-war lineage and, crucially, implications beyond the end of the war in private homes and on social housing estates. © The Author [2017]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Main considerations for modelling a station blackout scenario with trace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Querol, Andrea; Turégano, Jara; Lorduy, María; Gallardo, Sergio; Verdú, Gumersindo

2017-01-01

In the nuclear safety field, the thermal hydraulic phenomena that take place during an accident in a nuclear power plant is of special importance. One of the most studied accidents is the Station BlackOut (SBO). The aim of the present work is the analysis of the PKL integral test facility nodalization using the thermal-hydraulic code TRACE5 to reproduce a SBO accidental scenario. The PKL facility reproduces the main components of the primary and secondary systems of its reference nuclear power plant (Philippsburg II). The results obtained with different nodalization have been compared: 3D vessel vs 1D vessel, Steam Generator (SG) modelling using PIPE or TEE components and pressurizer modelling with PIPE or PRIZER components. Both vessel nodalization (1D vessel and 3D vessel) reproduce the physical phenomena of the experiment. However, there are significant discrepancies between them. The appropriate modelling of the SG is also relevant in the results. Regarding the other nodalization (PIPE or TEE components for SG and PIPE or PRIZER components for pressurizer), do not produce relevant differences in the results. (author)

Main considerations for modelling a station blackout scenario with trace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Querol, Andrea; Turégano, Jara; Lorduy, María; Gallardo, Sergio; Verdú, Gumersindo, E-mail: anquevi@upv.es, E-mail: jaturna@upv.es, E-mail: maloral@upv.es, E-mail: sergalbe@iqn.upv.es, E-mail: gverdu@iqn.upv.es [Instituto Universitario de Seguridad Industrial, Radiofísica y Medioambiental (ISIRYM), Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain)

2017-07-01

In the nuclear safety field, the thermal hydraulic phenomena that take place during an accident in a nuclear power plant is of special importance. One of the most studied accidents is the Station BlackOut (SBO). The aim of the present work is the analysis of the PKL integral test facility nodalization using the thermal-hydraulic code TRACE5 to reproduce a SBO accidental scenario. The PKL facility reproduces the main components of the primary and secondary systems of its reference nuclear power plant (Philippsburg II). The results obtained with different nodalization have been compared: 3D vessel vs 1D vessel, Steam Generator (SG) modelling using PIPE or TEE components and pressurizer modelling with PIPE or PRIZER components. Both vessel nodalization (1D vessel and 3D vessel) reproduce the physical phenomena of the experiment. However, there are significant discrepancies between them. The appropriate modelling of the SG is also relevant in the results. Regarding the other nodalization (PIPE or TEE components for SG and PIPE or PRIZER components for pressurizer), do not produce relevant differences in the results. (author)

Economic simplified boiling water reactor (ESBWR) response to an extended station blackout/ loss of all AC power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrett, A.J.; Marquino, W.

2013-01-01

U.S. federal regulations require light water cooled nuclear power plants to cope with Station Blackout for a predetermined amount of time based on design factors for the plant. U.S. regulations define Station Blackout (SBO) as a loss of the offsite electric power system concurrent with turbine trip and unavailability of the onsite emergency AC power system. According to U.S. regulations, typically the coping period for an SBO is 4 hours and can be as long as 16 hours for currently operating BWR plants. Being able to cope with an SBO and loss of all AC power is required by international regulators as well. The U.S. licensing basis for the ESBWR is a coping period of 72 hours for an SBO based on U.S. NRC requirements for passive safety plants. In the event of an extended SBO (viz., greater than 72 hours), the ESBWR response shows that the design is able to cope with the event for at least 7 days without AC electrical power or operator action. ESBWR is a Generation III+ reactor design with an array of passive safety systems. The ESBWR primary success path for mitigation of an SBO event is the Isolation Condenser System (ICS). The ICS is a passive, closed loop, safety system that initiates automatically on a loss of power. Upon Station Blackout or loss of all AC power, the ICS begins removing decay heat from the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) by (i) condensing the steam into water in heat exchangers located in pools of water above the containment, and (ii) transferring the decay heat to the atmosphere. The condensed water is then returned by gravity to cool the reactor again. The ICS alone is capable of maintaining the ESBWR in a safe shutdown condition after an SBO for an extended period. The fuel remains covered throughout the SBO event. The ICS is able to remove decay heat from the RPV for at least 7 days and maintains the reactor in a safe shutdown condition. The water level in the RPV remains well above the top of active fuel for the duration of the SBO event

Anemia management: development of a rapid-access anemia and intravenous iron service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radia D

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Deepti Radia,1 Ibrahim Momoh,2 Richard Dillon,1 Yvonne Francis,1 Laura Cameron,1 Toni-Lee Fagg,1 Hannah Overland,1 Susan Robinson,1 Claire N Harrison11Haematology Department, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; 2Bupa Home Healthcare, Harlow, UKAbstract: This article describes the initiation and evolution of the Rapid-Access Anemia Clinic (RAAC at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London, UK. This clinic was set up to provide diagnosis and treatment, and to coordinate investigative procedures, where necessary, into the underlying causes of anemia. Initially piloted with anemic preoperative orthopedic patients, the clinic now treats a wide range of conditions, deriving from both internal and external referrals. Treatment includes dietary advice, supplementation with iron, vitamin B12 and folate, and blood transfusion. Most patients at the RAAC need iron replacement, the majority of which require intravenous (IV iron. Therefore the first-line IV iron-administration protocol is carefully considered to ensure viability of the service and patient satisfaction. Four IV irons available in the UK are discussed, with explanation of the benefits and drawbacks of each product and the reasoning behind the IV iron choice at different stages of the RAAC's development. Costs to the service, affected by IV iron price and administration regimen, are considered, as well as the product's contraindications. Finally, the authors reflect on the success of the RAAC and how it has improved patients' quality-of-treatment experience, in addition to benefiting the hospital and National Health Service in achieving specific health-care mandates and directives. Drawing from the authors' experiences, recommendations are given to assist others in setting up and providing a successful rapid-access anemia service or similar facility.Keywords: hemoglobin, iron deficiency, ferric carboxymaltose, iron sucrose, iron dextran, iron isomaltoside

Relap5 Analysis of Processes in Reactor Cooling Circuit and Reactor Cavity in Case of Station Blackout in RBMK-1500

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaliatka, A.

2007-01-01

Ignalina NPP is equipped with channel-type boiling-water graphite-moderated reactor RBMK-1500. Results of the level-1 probabilistic safety assessment of the Ignalina NPP have shown that in topography of the risk, the transients with failure of long-term core cooling other than LOCA are the main contributors to the core damage frequency. The total loss of off-site power with a failure to start any diesel generator, that is station blackout, is the event which could lead to the loss of long-term core cooling. Such accident could lead to multiple ruptures of fuel channels with severe consequences and should be analyzed in order to estimate the timing of the key events and the possibilities for accident management. This paper presents the results of the analysis of station blackout at Ignalina NPP. Analysis was performed using thermal-hydraulic state-of-the-art RELAP5/MOD3.2 code. The response of reactor cooling system and the processes in the reactor cavity and its venting system in case of a few fuel-channel ruptures due to overheating were demonstrated. The possible measures for prevention of the development of this beyond design basis accident (BDBA) to a severe accident are discussed

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Station Blackout Caused by External Flooding Using the RISMC Toolkit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Curtis [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Mandelli, Diego [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Prescott, Steven [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Alfonsi, Andrea [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Rabiti, Cristian [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Cogliati, Joshua [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Kinoshita, Robert [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-08-01

The existing fleet of nuclear power plants is in the process of extending its lifetime and increasing the power generated from these plants via power uprates. In order to evaluate the impact of these factors on the safety of the plant, the Risk Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) project aims to provide insight to decision makers through a series of simulations of the plant dynamics for different initial conditions (e.g., probabilistic analysis and uncertainty quantification). This report focuses, in particular, on the application of a RISMC detailed demonstration case study for an emergent issue using the RAVEN and RELAP-7 tools. This case study looks at the impact of a couple of challenges to a hypothetical pressurized water reactor, including: (1) a power uprate, (2) a potential loss of off-site power followed by the possible loss of all diesel generators (i.e., a station black-out event), (3) and earthquake induces station-blackout, and (4) a potential earthquake induced tsunami flood. The analysis is performed by using a set of codes: a thermal-hydraulic code (RELAP-7), a flooding simulation tool (NEUTRINO) and a stochastic analysis tool (RAVEN) – these are currently under development at the Idaho National Laboratory.

An improved synthesis of pentacene: rapid access to a benchmark organic semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Pramanik, Chandrani; Miller, Glen P

2012-04-20

Pentacene is an organic semiconductor used in a variety of thin-film organic electronic devices. Although at least six separate syntheses of pentacene are known (two from dihydropentacenes, two from 6,13-pentacenedione and two from 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene), none is ideal and several utilize elevated temperatures that may facilitate the oxidation of pentacene as it is produced. Here, we present a fast (-2 min of reaction time), simple, high-yielding (≥ 90%), low temperature synthesis of pentacene from readily available 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene. Further, we discuss the mechanism of this highly efficient reaction. With this improved synthesis, researchers gain rapid, affordable access to high purity pentacene in excellent yield and without the need for a time consuming sublimation.

The Rising Frequency of IT Blackouts Indicates the Increasing Relevance of IT Emergency Concepts to Ensure Patient Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Sax, Ulrich; Lipprandt, M; Röhrig, R

2016-11-10

As many medical workflows depend vastly on IT support, great demands are placed on the availability and accuracy of the applications involved. The cases of IT failure through ransomware at the beginning of 2016 are impressive examples of the dependence of clinical processes on IT. Although IT risk management attempts to reduce the risk of IT blackouts, the probability of partial/total data loss, or even worse, data falsification, is not zero. The objective of this paper is to present the state of the art with respect to strategies, processes, and governance to deal with the failure of IT systems. This article is conducted as a narrative review. Worst case scenarios are needed, dealing with methods as to how to survive the downtime of clinical systems, for example through alternative workflows. These workflows have to be trained regularly. We categorize the most important types of IT system failure, assess the usefulness of classic counter measures, and state that most risk management approaches fall short on exactly this matter. To ensure that continuous, evidence-based improvements to the recommendations for IT emergency concepts are made, it is essential that IT blackouts and IT disasters are reported, analyzed, and critically discussed. This requires changing from a culture of shame and blame to one of error and safety in healthcare IT. This change is finding its way into other disciplines in medicine. In addition, systematically planned and analyzed simulations of IT disaster may assist in IT emergency concept development.

Plant habitability assessment for Point Lepreau Generating Station during a severe accident resulting from station blackout conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullin, D.

2015-01-01

In response to the CNSC Fukushima Action Plan, the CANDU Owners Group (COG) developed a methodology for assessing nuclear power plant habitability under Joint Project 4426 and to determine if any improvement actions are necessary to provide a high degree of assurance that a severe accident can be managed from a human and organizational performance perspective. NB Power has applied the methodology considering a station black-out scenario (representative case), and assessed the effects of non-radiological hazards and radiological hazards in the context of operator dose relative to emergency dose limits. The paper will discuss the overall methodology, findings and recommendations. (author)

Plant habitability assessment for Point Lepreau Generating Station during a severe accident resulting from station blackout conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mullin, D., E-mail: dmullin@nbpower.com [New Brunswick Power Corporation, Point Lepreau Generating Station, Lepreau, NB (Canada)

2015-07-01

In response to the CNSC Fukushima Action Plan, the CANDU Owners Group (COG) developed a methodology for assessing nuclear power plant habitability under Joint Project 4426 and to determine if any improvement actions are necessary to provide a high degree of assurance that a severe accident can be managed from a human and organizational performance perspective. NB Power has applied the methodology considering a station black-out scenario (representative case), and assessed the effects of non-radiological hazards and radiological hazards in the context of operator dose relative to emergency dose limits. The paper will discuss the overall methodology, findings and recommendations. (author)

An Improved Synthesis of Pentacene: Rapid Access to a Benchmark Organic Semiconductor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glen P. Miller

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Pentacene is an organic semiconductor used in a variety of thin-film organic electronic devices. Although at least six separate syntheses of pentacene are known (two from dihydropentacenes, two from 6,13-pentacenedione and two from 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene, none is ideal and several utilize elevated temperatures that may facilitate the oxidation of pentacene as it is produced. Here, we present a fast (~2 min of reaction time, simple, high-yielding (≥90%, low temperature synthesis of pentacene from readily available 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene. Further, we discuss the mechanism of this highly efficient reaction. With this improved synthesis, researchers gain rapid, affordable access to high purity pentacene in excellent yield and without the need for a time consuming sublimation.

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor Station Blackout caused by external flooding using the RISMC toolkit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

The existing fleet of nuclear power plants is in the process of extending its lifetime and increasing the power generated from these plants via power uprates. In order to evaluate the impacts of these two factors on the safety of the plant, the Risk Informed Safety Margin Characterization project aims to provide insights to decision makers through a series of simulations of the plant dynamics for different initial conditions (e.g., probabilistic analysis and uncertainty quantification). This paper focuses on the impacts of power uprate on the safety margin of a boiling water reactor for a flooding induced station black-out event. Analysis is performed by using a combination of thermal-hydraulic codes and a stochastic analysis tool currently under development at the Idaho National Laboratory, i.e. RAVEN. We employed both classical statistical tools, i.e. Monte-Carlo, and more advanced machine learning based algorithms to perform uncertainty quantification in order to quantify changes in system performance and limitations as a consequence of power uprate. Results obtained give a detailed investigation of the issues associated with a plant power uprate including the effects of station black-out accident scenarios. We were able to quantify how the timing of specific events was impacted by a higher nominal reactor core power. Such safety insights can provide useful information to the decision makers to perform risk informed margins management.

Station Blackout Analysis of HTGR-Type Experimental Power Reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Syarip; Zuhdi, Aliq; Falah, Sabilul

2018-01-01

The National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia has decided to build an experimental power reactor of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) type located at Puspiptek Complex. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate a small modular nuclear power plant that can be operated safely. One of the reactor safety characteristics is the reliability of the reactor to the station blackout (SBO) event. The event was observed due to relatively high disturbance frequency of electricity network in Indonesia. The PCTRAN-HTR functional simulator code was used to observe fuel and coolant temperature, and coolant pressure during the SBO event. The reactor simulated at 10 MW for 7200 s then the SBO occurred for 1-3 minutes. The analysis result shows that the reactor power decreases automatically as the temperature increase during SBO accident without operator’s active action. The fuel temperature increased by 36.57 °C every minute during SBO and the power decreased by 0.069 MW every °C fuel temperature rise at the condition of anticipated transient without reactor scram. Whilst, the maximum coolant (helium) temperature and pressure are 1004 °C and 9.2 MPa respectively. The maximum fuel temperature is 1282 °C, this value still far below the fuel temperature limiting condition i.e. 1600 °C, its mean that the HTGR has a very good inherent safety system.

Extended Station Blackout Analysis for VVER-1000 MWe Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaikwad, A. J.; Rao, R. S.; Lakshmanan, S. P.; Gupta, A., E-mail: avinashg@aerb.gov.in [Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Mumbai (India)

2014-10-15

Post Fukushima, the plant behaviour for an extended station black-out (ESBO) scenario with only passive system availability for about 7 days has become imperative. Thermal hydraulic analysis of ESBO with the availability of passive heat removal system (PHRS), passive first stage and second stage hydro accumulators were carried out to demonstrate the design capabilities. Two different cases having primary leak rates of 2.2 tons/hr and 6.6 tons/hr were analyzed to study sustenance of natural circulation. For the study, out of 4 PHRS trains, one PHRS train was assumed to be in failure mode. The objective here is to predict the core cooling capability for a period of 7 days under ESBO conditions with the available water inventories from first and second stage hydroaccumulators only. Over simplified energy balance studies cannot ascertain sustenance of natural circulation in the primary system, steam generators (SGs) and PHRS. The analysis was carried out by using system thermal hydraulic safety code RELAP5/SCDAP/MOD 3.4. It is inferred that the inventory in the first stage accumulators and second stage accumulators compensate the leak and decay heat is removed effectively with the help of passive heat removal systems. It is also observed that even after 7 days of ESBO a large inventory is still available in the second stage accumulators and the primary system remains subcooled. (author)

Out of the Blackout and into the Light: How the Arts Survived Pinochet’s Dictatorship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Thorrington Cronovich

2014-06-01

This article shows how various artists segued out of the cultural blackout of the late seventies and into a phase of surprising artistic production during the military regime in Chile. At a time when political parties were banned and public gatherings considered illegal, Chileans found alternative ways to oppose the military government. In this climate, I argue that artistic expression took on political meaning. The fact that the “No” Campaign of 1988 was able to oust the dictator with an optimistic message of joy and hope, attests to the point that Chileans were able to shed their fears and change their outlook. Throughout the decade, the arts—innovations in poetry, music, theater, narrative and the audiovisual media—had offered people a much-needed forum for expression.

Optical code division multiple access secure communications systems with rapid reconfigurable polarization shift key user code

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Kaiqiang; Wu, Chongqing; Sheng, Xinzhi; Shang, Chao; Liu, Lanlan; Wang, Jian

2015-09-01

An optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) secure communications system scheme with rapid reconfigurable polarization shift key (Pol-SK) bipolar user code is proposed and demonstrated. Compared to fix code OCDMA, by constantly changing the user code, the performance of anti-eavesdropping is greatly improved. The Pol-SK OCDMA experiment with a 10 Gchip/s user code and a 1.25 Gb/s user data of payload has been realized, which means this scheme has better tolerance and could be easily realized.

Contributions of the restructuring of the electric power industry to the August 14, 2003 blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casazza, J.; Delea, F.; Loehr, G.

2005-01-01

A review of the roles of industry and government in the 2003 blackout was presented. This white paper was prepared by a group of engineers with high level experience in the electric power industry who are concerned that deregulation of the industry has led to a significant decrease in reliability. It was noted that post-blackout reviews have focused on technical failures instead of examining the responsibilities and failures of the National Electric Reliability Council (NERC). Deficiencies in the analytical capabilities of control centres were discussed, as well as issues concerning communication protocols and training. Deregulation and the concomitant restructuring of the electric power industry has led to a shift from long term optimization, inter-system coordination and reliability towards dependence on immediate profits. In addition, there have been significant reductions in personnel at electric power organizations and companies, as well as increasing complexity in operations. Increased complexity has resulted in a dilution of management responsibility, as well as over-reliance on markets to solve scientifically complex problems. There have also been cutbacks in training and research. The functional separation of generation and transmission within companies has contributed to the diffusion of best technical knowledge. Many private utilities have divested their generation resources in response to regulatory pressures. The entrance of merchant power plants in the power system has led to the establishment of new market areas that are inconsistent with the boundaries of responsible operating entities. It was concluded that all these changes have created a more complicated and compartmentalized industry structure. Decisions are now made by a large number of entities, most of which are competitors and each of which has more interest in profit than in bulk power system reliability. Procedural rules established between and among the various parties are no longer

Analysis of core uncovery time in Kuosheng station blackout transient with MELCOR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, S.J.; Chien, C.S.

1996-01-01

The MELCOR code, developed by the Sandia National Laboratories, is capable of simulating severe accident phenomena of nuclear power plants. Core uncovery time is an important parameter in the probabilistic risk assessment. However, many MELCOR users do not generate the initial conditions in a station blackout (SBO) transient analysis. Thus, achieving reliable core uncovery time is difficult. The core uncovery time for the Kuosheng nuclear power plant during an SBO transient is analyzed. First, full-power steady-state conditions are generated with the application of a developed self-initialization algorithm. Then the response of the SBO transient up to core uncovery is simulated. The effects of key parameters including the initialization process and the reactor feed pump (RFP) coastdown time on the core uncovery time are analyzed. The initialization process is the most important parameter that affects the core uncovery time. Because SBO transient analysis, the correct initial conditions must be generated to achieve a reliable core uncovery time. The core uncovery time is also sensitive to the RFP coastdown time. A correct time constant is required

Rapid Access Ice Drill: A New Tool for Exploration of the Deep Antarctic Ice Sheets and Subglacial Geology

Science.gov (United States)

Goodge, J. W.; Severinghaus, J. P.

2014-12-01

The Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) will penetrate the Antarctic ice sheets in order to core through deep ice, the glacial bed, and into bedrock below. This new technology will provide a critical first look at the interface between major ice caps and their subglacial geology. Currently in construction, RAID is a mobile drilling system capable of making several long boreholes in a single field season in Antarctica. RAID is interdisciplinary and will allow access to polar paleoclimate records in ice >1 Ma, direct observation at the base of the ice sheets, and recovery of rock cores from the ice-covered East Antarctic craton. RAID uses a diamond rock-coring system as in mineral exploration. Threaded drill-pipe with hardened metal bits will cut through ice using reverse circulation of Estisol for pressure-compensation, maintenance of temperature, and removal of ice cuttings. Near the bottom of the ice sheet, a wireline bottom-hole assembly will enable diamond coring of ice, the glacial bed, and bedrock below. Once complete, boreholes will be kept open with fluid, capped, and made available for future down-hole measurement of thermal gradient, heat flow, ice chronology, and ice deformation. RAID will also sample for extremophile microorganisms. RAID is designed to penetrate up to 3,300 meters of ice and take sample cores in less than 200 hours. This rapid performance will allow completion of a borehole in about 10 days before moving to the next drilling site. RAID is unique because it can provide fast borehole access through thick ice; take short ice cores for paleoclimate study; sample the glacial bed to determine ice-flow conditions; take cores of subglacial bedrock for age dating and crustal history; and create boreholes for use as an observatory in the ice sheets. Together, the rapid drilling capability and mobility of the drilling system, along with ice-penetrating imaging methods, will provide a unique 3D picture of the interior Antarctic ice sheets.

Outcomes of patients presenting to a dedicated rapid access lung cancer clinic.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Dunican, E

2012-02-01

We examined the outcomes of the first 500 patients referred to a dedicated Rapid Access Lung Cancer Clinic. A total of 206 patients (41.2%) were diagnosed with a thoracic malignancy; 179 had primary lung cancer and 27 had secondary or other thoracic cancers. Pulmonary nodules requiring ongoing surveillance were found in a further 79 patients (15.8%). Of those patients found to have primary lung cancer, 24 (13.4%) had Small Cell and 145 (81%) had Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. In patients with Non small cell tumours, 26 (21.1%) were stage 1, 14 (11.4%) stage II, 37 (30.1%) stage III and 46 (37.4%) stage IV at diagnosis. For the 129 patients (72%) in whom the thoracic MDT recommended active treatment, primary therapy was surgical resection in 44 (24.6%), combined chemoradiation in 31 patients (17.3%), chemotherapy alone in 39 (21.8%) and radiation in 15 (8.4%).

Can the complex networks help us in the resolution of the problem of power outages (blackouts) in Brazil?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, Paulo Alexandre de; Souza, Thaianne Lopes de [Universidade Federal de Goias (UFG), Catalao, GO (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Full text. What the Brazilian soccer championship, Hollywood actors, the network of the Internet, the spread of viruses and electric distribution network have in common? Until less than two decade ago, the answer would be 'nothing' or 'almost nothing'. However, the answer today to this same question is 'all' or 'almost all'. The answer to these questions and more can be found through a sub-area of statistical physics | called science of complex networks that has been used to approach and study the most diverse natural and non-natural systems, such as systems/social networks, information, technological or biological. In this work we study the distribution network of electric power in Brazil (DEEB), from a perspective of complex networks, where we associate stations and/or substations with a network of vertices and the links between the vertices we associate with the transmission lines. We are doing too a comparative study with the best-known models of complex networks, such as Erdoes-Renyi, Configuration Model and Barabasi-Albert, and then we compare with results obtained in real electrical distribution networks. Based on this information, we do a comparative analysis using the following variables: connectivity distribution, diameter, clustering coefficient, which are frequently used in studies of complex networks. We emphasize that the main objective of this study is to analyze the robustness of the network DEEB, and then propose alternatives for network connectivity, which may contribute to the increase of robustness in maintenance projects and/or expansion of the network, in other words our goal is to make the network to proof the blackouts or improve the endurance the network against the blackouts. For this purpose, we use information from the structural properties of networks, computer modeling and simulation. (author)

Development and qualification of a thermal-hydraulic nodalization for modeling station blackout accident in PSB-VVER test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saghafi, Mahdi [Department of Energy Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Avenue, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghofrani, Mohammad Bagher, E-mail: ghofrani@sharif.edu [Department of Energy Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Avenue, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); D’Auria, Francesco [San Piero a Grado Nuclear Research Group (GRNSPG), University of Pisa, Via Livornese 1291, San Piero a Grado, Pisa (Italy)

2016-07-15

Highlights: • A thermal-hydraulic nodalization for PSB-VVER test facility has been developed. • Station blackout accident is modeled with the developed nodalization in MELCOR code. • The developed nodalization is qualified at both steady state and transient levels. • MELCOR predictions are qualitatively and quantitatively in acceptable range. • Fast Fourier Transform Base Method is used to quantify accuracy of code predictions. - Abstract: This paper deals with the development of a qualified thermal-hydraulic nodalization for modeling Station Black-Out (SBO) accident in PSB-VVER Integral Test Facility (ITF). This study has been performed in the framework of a research project, aiming to develop an appropriate accident management support tool for Bushehr nuclear power plant. In this regard, a nodalization has been developed for thermal-hydraulic modeling of the PSB-VVER ITF by MELCOR integrated code. The nodalization is qualitatively and quantitatively qualified at both steady-state and transient levels. The accuracy of the MELCOR predictions is quantified in the transient level using the Fast Fourier Transform Base Method (FFTBM). FFTBM provides an integral representation for quantification of the code accuracy in the frequency domain. It was observed that MELCOR predictions are qualitatively and quantitatively in the acceptable range. In addition, the influence of different nodalizations on MELCOR predictions was evaluated and quantified using FFTBM by developing 8 sensitivity cases with different numbers of control volumes and heat structures in the core region and steam generator U-tubes. The most appropriate case, which provided results with minimum deviations from the experimental data, was then considered as the qualified nodalization for analysis of SBO accident in the PSB-VVER ITF. This qualified nodalization can be used for modeling of VVER-1000 nuclear power plants when performing SBO accident analysis by MELCOR code.

Benchmarking Simulation of Long Term Station Blackout Events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sung Kyum; Lee, John C.; Fynan, Douglas A.; Lee, John C.

2013-01-01

The importance of passive cooling systems has emerged since the SBO events. Turbine-driven auxiliary feedwater (TD-AFW) system is the only passive cooling system for steam generators (SGs) in current PWRs. During SBO events, all alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) are interrupted and then the water levels of steam generators become high. In this case, turbine blades could be degraded and cannot cool down the SGs anymore. To prevent this kind of degradations, improved TD-AFW system should be installed for current PWRs, especially OPR 1000 plants. A long-term station blackout (LTSBO) scenario based on the improved TD-AFW system has been benchmarked as a reference input file. The following task is a safety analysis in order to find some important parameters causing the peak cladding temperature (PCT) to vary. This task has been initiated with the benchmarked input deck applying to the State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses (SOARCA) Report. The point of the improved TD-AFW is to control the water level of the SG by using the auxiliary battery charged by a generator connected with the auxiliary turbine. However, this battery also could be disconnected from the generator. To analyze the uncertainties of the failure of the auxiliary battery, the simulation for the time-dependent failure of the TD-AFW has been performed. In addition to the cases simulated in the paper, some valves (e. g., pressurizer safety valve), available during SBO events in the paper, could be important parameters to assess uncertainties in PCTs estimated. The results for these parameters will be included in a future study in addition to the results for the leakage of the RCP seals. After the simulation of several transient cases, alternating conditional expectation (ACE) algorithm will be used to derive functional relationships between the PCT and several system parameters

Case Study of Multi-Unit Risk: Multi-Unit Station Black-Out

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Kyemin; Jang, Seung-cheol [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Heo, Gyunyoung [Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

After Fukushima Daiichi Accident, importance and public concern for Multi-Unit Risk (MUR) or Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) have been increased. Most of nuclear power plant sites in the world have more than two units. These sites have been facing the problems of MUR or accident such as Fukushima. In case of South Korea, there are generally more than four units on the same site and even more than ten units are also expected. In other words, sites in South Korea also have been facing same problems. Considering number of units on the same site, potential of these problems may be larger than other countries. The purpose of this paper is to perform case study based on another paper submitted in the conference. MUR is depended on various site features such as design, shared systems/structures, layout, environmental condition, and so on. Considering various dependencies, we assessed Multi-Unit Station Black-out (MSBO) accident based on Hanul Unit 3 and 4 model. In this paper, case study for multi-unit risk or PSA had been performed. Our result was incomplete to assess total multi-unit risk because of two challenging issues. First, economic impact had not been evaluated to estimate multi-unit risk. Second, large uncertainties were included in our result because of various assumptions. These issues must be resolved in the future.

Case Study of Multi-Unit Risk: Multi-Unit Station Black-Out

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Kyemin; Jang, Seung-cheol; Heo, Gyunyoung

2015-01-01

After Fukushima Daiichi Accident, importance and public concern for Multi-Unit Risk (MUR) or Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) have been increased. Most of nuclear power plant sites in the world have more than two units. These sites have been facing the problems of MUR or accident such as Fukushima. In case of South Korea, there are generally more than four units on the same site and even more than ten units are also expected. In other words, sites in South Korea also have been facing same problems. Considering number of units on the same site, potential of these problems may be larger than other countries. The purpose of this paper is to perform case study based on another paper submitted in the conference. MUR is depended on various site features such as design, shared systems/structures, layout, environmental condition, and so on. Considering various dependencies, we assessed Multi-Unit Station Black-out (MSBO) accident based on Hanul Unit 3 and 4 model. In this paper, case study for multi-unit risk or PSA had been performed. Our result was incomplete to assess total multi-unit risk because of two challenging issues. First, economic impact had not been evaluated to estimate multi-unit risk. Second, large uncertainties were included in our result because of various assumptions. These issues must be resolved in the future

Analysis of economics and safety to cope with station blackout in PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al Shehhi, Ahmed Saeed; Chang, Soon Heung; Kim, Sang Ho; Kang, Hyun Gook

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Proposed framework covers all aspects of very complicated decision making. • We addressed the various options against SBO. • Emergency water supply through the steam generator hookup was considered. • Optimal testing interval of EDG was determined in various design options. • Effect of risk aversion factor on decision making was quantitatively illustrated. - Abstract: Design and operation options that can reduce both the initiating event frequency and the accident mitigation probability were addressed in an integrated framework to cope with station blackout. The safety, engineering cost, water delivery cost and testing/maintenance cost of each option were quantitatively evaluated to calculate the cost variation and to find an optimal point in the reference reactor, OPR1000. Design variables that represent additional emergency water supply, diverse emergency diesel generator, and surveillance test period modification were investigated. Based on these design variables, we applied the developed formula to quantify cost items, which were presented as changes of the economics and the safety. A case study was provided to illustrate the change of the total cost. Different risk aversion factors that represent different attitudes of the public were also investigated. The result shows that the costs and benefits of various complicated options can be effectively addressed with the proposed risk-informed decision making framework

The integrity of NSSS and containment during extended station blackout for Kuosheng BWR plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, Keng-Hsien; Yuann, Yng-Ruey; Lin, Ansheng [Atomic Energy Council, Taoyuan City, Taiwan (China). Inst. of Nuclear Energy Research

2017-11-15

The Fukushima Daiichi accident occurring on March 11, 2011, reveals that Station Blackout (SBO) may last longer than 8 h. However, the original design may not have sufficient capacity to cope with a SBO for more than 8 h. In view of this, Taiwan Power Company has initiated several enhancements to mitigate the severity of the extended SBO. Based on the improved plant configuration, a SBO coping analysis is performed in this study to assess whether the Kuosheng BWR plant has sufficient capability to cope with SBO for 24 h with respect to maintaining the integrity of the reactor core and containment. The analyses in the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) and the containment are based on the RETRAN-3D and GOTHIC models, respectively. The flow conditions calculated by RETRAN-3D during the event are retrieved and input to the GOTHIC containment model to determine the containment pressure and temperature response. These boundary conditions include SRV flow rate, SRV flow enthalpy, and total reactor coolant system leakage flow rate.

The integrity of NSSS and containment during extended station blackout for Kuosheng BWR plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Keng-Hsien; Yuann, Yng-Ruey; Lin, Ansheng

2017-01-01

The Fukushima Daiichi accident occurring on March 11, 2011, reveals that Station Blackout (SBO) may last longer than 8 h. However, the original design may not have sufficient capacity to cope with a SBO for more than 8 h. In view of this, Taiwan Power Company has initiated several enhancements to mitigate the severity of the extended SBO. Based on the improved plant configuration, a SBO coping analysis is performed in this study to assess whether the Kuosheng BWR plant has sufficient capability to cope with SBO for 24 h with respect to maintaining the integrity of the reactor core and containment. The analyses in the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) and the containment are based on the RETRAN-3D and GOTHIC models, respectively. The flow conditions calculated by RETRAN-3D during the event are retrieved and input to the GOTHIC containment model to determine the containment pressure and temperature response. These boundary conditions include SRV flow rate, SRV flow enthalpy, and total reactor coolant system leakage flow rate.

Web Accessibility and Guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, Simon; Yesilada, Yeliz

Access to, and movement around, complex online environments, of which the World Wide Web (Web) is the most popular example, has long been considered an important and major issue in the Web design and usability field. The commonly used slang phrase ‘surfing the Web’ implies rapid and free access, pointing to its importance among designers and users alike. It has also been long established that this potentially complex and difficult access is further complicated, and becomes neither rapid nor free, if the user is disabled. There are millions of people who have disabilities that affect their use of the Web. Web accessibility aims to help these people to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with, as well as contribute to, the Web, and thereby the society in general. This accessibility is, in part, facilitated by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) currently moving from version one to two. These guidelines are intended to encourage designers to make sure their sites conform to specifications, and in that conformance enable the assistive technologies of disabled users to better interact with the page content. In this way, it was hoped that accessibility could be supported. While this is in part true, guidelines do not solve all problems and the new WCAG version two guidelines are surrounded by controversy and intrigue. This chapter aims to establish the published literature related to Web accessibility and Web accessibility guidelines, and discuss limitations of the current guidelines and future directions.

Preliminary Evaluations of CSPACE for a Station Blackout Transient in APR1400

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, T. B.; Lee, D. K.; Lee, H. S.; Lee, G. W.; Choi, T. S. [KEPCO, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, R. J.; Kim, D. H. [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

This paper discusses the preliminary results of the simulated station blackout (SBO) transients using the CSPACE code and presents the information pertinent to the related safety issues. CSPACE is a merged program of a master processer of Safety and Performance Analysis Code (SPACE) for nuclear power plants and a child processer of Core Meltdown Progression Accident Simulation Software (COMPASS) generated as a dynamic-link library (DLL) codes. It has been developed to predict the best-estimate transient in the pressurized water reactor (PWR) for severe accidents. SPACE and COMPASS codes take charge of the thermal-hydraulic response of PWRs and the analysis of the severe accident progression in a vessel, respectively. The initial phase is estimated starting from time zero when the loss of off-site and on-site powers occurs simultaneously. Shortly after the RCS pressure initially falls and rises slightly due to the effects of the reactor and turbine trips, the RCS pressure declines in response to the cooling provided by heat removed to the SGs. During the period of the primary heat-up and boil-off, the RCS pressure increase is limited by two cycles of the POSRV. The RCS fluid mass is lost through the pressurizer POSRV and then the core uncovers and superheated steam flows out from the RV into the coolant loops starting at 5513.0 seconds.

Simulation with the MELCOR code of two severe accident sequences, Station Blackout and Small Break LOCA, for the Atucha I nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valle Cepero, Reinaldo

2004-01-01

The results of the PSA-I applied to the Atucha I nuclear power plant (CNA I) determine the accidental sequences with the most influence related to the probability of the core reactor damage. Among those sequences are include, the Station Blackout and lost of primary coolant, combine with the failure of the emergency injection systems by pipe breaks of diameters between DN100 - DN25 or equivalent areas, Small LOCA. This paper has the objective to model and analyze the behavior of the primary circuit and the pressure vessel during the evolution of those two accidental sequences. It presented a detailed analysis of the main phenomena that occur from the initial moment of the accident to the failure moment of the pressure vessel and the melt material fall to the reactor cavity. Two sequences were taken into account, considering the main phenomena (core uncover, heating, fuel element oxidation, hydrogen generation, degradation and relocation of the melt material, failure of the support structures, etc.) and the time of occurrence, of those events will be different, if it is considered that both sequences will be developed in different scenarios. One case is an accident with the primary circuit to a high pressure (Station Blackout scenario) and the other with a early primary circuit depressurization due to the lost of primary coolant. For this work the MELCOR 1.8.5 code was used and it allows within a unified framework to modeling an extensive spectrum of phenomenology associated with the severe accidents. (author)

Lexical semantic access and letter access are involved in different aspects of reading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Mads

). In this subset sample, both letter access and lexical access accounted for unique variance in reading fluency. The pattern of effects for lexical access did not change by controlling for serial rapid naming (RAN). Conclusions: The results suggest that letter access and lexical access are important for different......Purpose: This study investigated the effects of lexical access speed and letter access speed on reading fluency and reading comprehension. We hypothesized that 1) letter access speed would correlate with reading fluency but not comprehension, while 2) lexical access speed would influence reading...... comprehension. For readers who are struggling with recoding, most of the reading effort is probably tied up with recoding, leaving little to be explained by lexical access. Therefore we expected that 3) lexical access speed would primarily predict reading fluency for readers who were no longer struggling...

Electric Energy Access in Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Taheruzzaman

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper represents the overall electrical energy profile and access in Bangladesh. In the recent past Bangladesh has been experiencing shortage of electricity, and about 42 % of population no access to the electricity. The electricity consumption has rapidly increased over last decade. The demand and consumption will intensify in the remote future as overall development and future growth. To set “vision 2021” of Bangladesh; government of Bangladesh has devoted to ensuring access of affordable and reliable electricity for all by 2021. In the modern time, energy is the vital ingredient for socioeconomic growth in the developing country i.e., alleviating poverty. Along with electricity access in Bangladesh strived to become middle income country by 2021. Bangladesh has experienced that energy consumption inclines to increase rapidly when per capita income researches between US$ 1,000 and US$ 10,000, and a country’s

Emergent transformation games: exploring social innovation agency and activation through the case of the Belgian electricity blackout threat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonno Pel

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The persistence of current societal problems has given rise to a quest for transformative social innovations. As social innovation actors seek to become change makers, it has been suggested that they need to play into impactful macrodevelopments or "game-changers". Here, we aim to deepen the understanding of the social innovation agency in these transformation games. We analyze assumptions about the game metaphor, invoking insights from actor-network theory. The very emergence of transformation games is identified as a crucial but easily overlooked issue. As explored through the recent electricity blackout threat in Belgium, some current transformation games are populated with largely passive players. This illustrative case demonstrates that socially innovative agency cannot be presupposed. In some transformation games, the crucial game-changing effect is to start the game by activating the players.

Rapid Access to β-Trifluoromethyl-Substituted Ketones: Harnessing Inductive Effects in Wacker-Type Oxidations of Internal Alkenes

KAUST Repository

Lerch, Michael M.; Morandi, Bill; Wickens, Zachary K.; Grubbs, Robert H.

2014-01-01

We present a practical trifluoromethyl-directed Wacker-type oxidation of internal alkenes that enables rapid access to β-trifluoromethyl-substituted ketones. Allylic trifluoromethyl-substituted alkenes bearing a wide range of functional groups can be oxidized in high yield and regioselectivity. The distance dependence of the regioselectivity was established by systematic variation of the number of methylene units between the double bond and the trifluoromethyl group. The regioselectivity enforced by traditional directing groups could even be reversed by introduction of a competing trifluoromethyl group. Besides being a new powerful synthetic method to prepare fluorinated molecules, this work directly probes the role of inductive effects on nucleopalladation events. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rapid Access to β-Trifluoromethyl-Substituted Ketones: Harnessing Inductive Effects in Wacker-Type Oxidations of Internal Alkenes

KAUST Repository

Lerch, Michael M.

2014-07-18

We present a practical trifluoromethyl-directed Wacker-type oxidation of internal alkenes that enables rapid access to β-trifluoromethyl-substituted ketones. Allylic trifluoromethyl-substituted alkenes bearing a wide range of functional groups can be oxidized in high yield and regioselectivity. The distance dependence of the regioselectivity was established by systematic variation of the number of methylene units between the double bond and the trifluoromethyl group. The regioselectivity enforced by traditional directing groups could even be reversed by introduction of a competing trifluoromethyl group. Besides being a new powerful synthetic method to prepare fluorinated molecules, this work directly probes the role of inductive effects on nucleopalladation events. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mitigating fuel handling situations during station blackout in TAPP-3 and

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chugh, V.K.; Roy, Shibaji; Gupta, H.; Inder Jit

2002-01-01

Full text: On power refueling is one of the important features of PHWRs. fuelling machine (FM) Head becomes part of the reactor pressure boundary during refueling operations. Hot irradiated (spent) fuel bundles are received in the FM Head from the Reactor and transferred to spent fuel storage bay (SFSB). These bundles pass through various fuel handling (FH) Equipment under submerged condition except during the dry transfer operation. Situations of station blackout (SBO) i.e. postulated simultaneous failure of Class III and Class IV electric power, could persist for a long period, during on-reactor or off-reactor FH operations, with the spent fuel bundles being any where in the system between the reactor and SFSB. The cooling provisions for the spent fuel bundles vary depending upon the stage of operation. During SBO, it becomes difficult to maintain cooling to these fuel bundles due to the limited availability of Class II power and instrument air. However, cooling is essential, to ensure the safety of the bundles. As discussed in the paper, safety of these fuel bundles in the system and/or for those lying in the liner tube region of the reactor end fitting is ensured, during SBO, by resorting to passive means like stay-put, gravity- fill, D 2 O-steaming etc. for cooling the bundles. Various scenarios have been identified for cooling provisions of the bundles in the system. The paper also describes consequences like loss of D 2 O inventory, rise in ambient temperature and pressure and tritium build-up in Reactor Building, emanating from these cooling schemes

A portable backup power supply to assure extended decay heat removal during natural phenomena-induced station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proctor, L.D.; Merryman, L.D.; Sallee, W.E.

1989-01-01

The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) is a light water cooled and moderated flux-trap type research reactor located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Coolant circulation following reactor shutdown is provided by the primary coolant pumps. DC-powered pony motors drive these pumps at a reduced flow rate following shutdown of the normal ac-powered motors. Forced circulation decay heat removal is required for several hours to preclude core damage following shutdown. Recent analyses identified a potential vulnerability due to a natural phenomena-induced station blackout. Neither the offsire power supply nor the onsite emergency diesel generators are designed to withstand the effects of seismic events or tornadoes. It could not be assured that the capacity of the dedicated batteries provided as a backup power supply for the primary coolant pump pony motors is adequate to provide forced circulation cooling for the required time following such events. A portable backup power supply added to the plant to address this potential vulnerability is described

Study of a Station Blackout Event in the PWR Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ching-Hui Wu; Tsu-Jen Lin; Tsu-Mu Kao

2002-01-01

On March 18, 2001, a PWR nuclear power plant located in the Southern Taiwan occurred a Station Blackout (SBO) event. Monsoon seawater mist caused the instability of offsite power grids. High salt-contained mist caused offsite power supply to the nuclear power plant very unstable, and forced the plant to be shutdown. Around 24 hours later, when both units in the plant were shutdown, several inadequate high cycles of bus transfer between 345 kV and 161 kV startup transformers degraded the emergency 4.16 kV switchgears. Then, in the Train-A switchgear room of Unit 1 occurred a fire explosion, when the degraded switchgear was hot shorted at the in-coming 345 kV breaker. Inadequate configuration arrangement of the offsite power supply to the emergency 4.16 kV switchgears led to loss of offsite power (LOOP) events to both units in the plant. Both emergency diesel generators (EDG) of Unit 1 could not be in service in time, but those of Unit 2 were running well. The SBO event of Unit 1 lasted for about two hours till the fifth EDG (DG-5) was lined-up to the Train-B switchgear. This study investigated the scenario of the SBO event and evaluated a risk profile for the SBO period. Guidelines in the SBO event, suggested by probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) procedures were also reviewed. Many related topics such as the re-configuration of offsite power supply, the addition of isolation breakers of the emergency 4.16 kV switchgears, the betterment of DG-5 lineup design, and enhancement of the reliability of offsite power supply to the PWR plant, etc., will be in further studies. (authors)

Investigation of a Station Blackout Scenario with the ATLAS Test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yeon Sik; Yu, Xin Guo; Kang, Kyoung Ho; Park, Hyun Sik; Cho, Seok; Min, Kyeong Ho; Choi, Nam Hyeon; Kim, Bok Deuk; Park, Jong Gook; Choi, Ki Yong

2012-01-01

KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) has been operating an integral effect test facility, ATLAS (Advanced Thermal-Hydraulic Test Loop for Accident Simulation), for accident simulations pertaining to the OPR1000 (Optimized Power Reactor, 1000MWe) and the APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor, 1400MWe) which are in operation and under construction in Korea, respectively. After the Fukushima accidents due to the combination of an earthquake followed by a tsunami in east Japan on March 11, 2011, the concept of boundary between the design basis and beyond-design basis accidents became obscure. One scenario is the station blackout (SBO), which is defined as 'the loss of all alternating current (AC) power in a nuclear power plant' by the USNRC 10CFR50 Section 50.63, which has adopted a new safety regulation for the SBO in June of 1988. In any case the SBO that occurred in Fukushima seemed to go beyond the definition of the current SBO scenario. In the mean time, numerous researches has been conducted on the safety concern of the SBO for existing and advanced nuclear power plants worldwide. From the internal review of an SBO scenario, it was concluded that the understanding of the thermo-hydraulic phenomena occurred within the reactor coolant system is a prerequisite although seemed to be quite a simple sequence of events. This was the motivation of an SBO test using the ATLAS facility. For the understanding of the physical phenomena within the primary system, an SBO was assumed with simple intial and boundary conditions, e.g. start of an SBO at time zero, no diesel and AC powers, no auxiliary feedwater pumps (motor-driven and turbine driven) etc. In this paper, overview of the SBO test results was described including a result of analytical calculations simulating the SBO test using the MARS code

Station Blackout Analysis for a 3-Loop Westinghouse PWR Reactor Using Trace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sahlamy, N.M.

2017-01-01

One of the main concerns in the area of severe accidents in nuclear reactors is that of station blackout (SBO). The loss of offsite electrical power concurrent with the unavailability of the onsite emergency alternating current (AC) power system can result in loss of decay heat removal capability, leading to a potential core damage which may lead to undesirable consequences to the public and the environment. To cope with an SBO, nuclear reactors are provided with protection systems that automatically shut down the reactor, and with safety systems to remove the core residual heat. This paper provides a best estimate assessment of the SBO scenario in a 3-loop Westinghouse PWR reactor. The evaluation is performed using TRACE, a best estimate computer code for thermal-hydraulic calculations. Two sets of scenarios for SBO analyses are discussed in the current work. The first scenario is the short term SBO where it is assumed that in addition to the loss of AC power, there is no DC power; i.e., no batteries are available. In the second scenario, a long term SBO is considered. For this scenario, DC batteries are available for four hours. The aim of the current SBO analyses for the 3-loop pressurized water reactor presented in this paper is to focus on the effect of the availability of a DC power source to delay the time to core uncovers and heatup

Utilities must leverage existing resources and upgrade technology to avoid future blackouts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masiello, R.

2004-01-01

The blackout of August 14, 2003 is used as the incentive to examine transmission grid reliability, expose its deficiencies in terms of technology, standards and processes used to manage reliability, and to make recommendations for leveraging existing resources and upgrading both the technology and procedures to avoid similar breakdowns in the future. It is recommended that in the area of monitoring transmission grid reliability utilities should borrow a page from the Enterprise Risk Management Practices of the financial industry by adopting a system which looks beyond the first 'credible' contingency (the current system) and examine many more 'incredible' contingencies, and underlying events that can trigger multiple contingencies, and plan for them in their operations. Utility companies are also urged to upgrade their energy management systems (EMS) technology to be able to deal with the kinds of severely depressed voltages and overloaded circuits that many grids experience today. Investment in new capabilities in control rooms, more and better communications will be essential. EMS algorithms and models must be upgraded to operate under a broader spectrum of grid conditions and to simulate the once-in-a-lifetime outage scenarios that most operators believe could never strike their utility. Expert opinion strongly suggests that as part of this process of upgrading, contingency analysis should shift from the 'N-1' model of the present to a stochastic model that considers a wider range of possible events in a probabilistic framework

Utilities must leverage existing resources and upgrade technology to avoid future blackouts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masiello, R. [KEMA Inc. Burlington, MA (United States)

2004-06-01

The blackout of August 14, 2003 is used as the incentive to examine transmission grid reliability, expose its deficiencies in terms of technology, standards and processes used to manage reliability, and to make recommendations for leveraging existing resources and upgrading both the technology and procedures to avoid similar breakdowns in the future. It is recommended that in the area of monitoring transmission grid reliability utilities should borrow a page from the Enterprise Risk Management Practices of the financial industry by adopting a system which looks beyond the first 'credible' contingency (the current system) and examine many more 'incredible' contingencies, and underlying events that can trigger multiple contingencies, and plan for them in their operations. Utility companies are also urged to upgrade their energy management systems (EMS) technology to be able to deal with the kinds of severely depressed voltages and overloaded circuits that many grids experience today. Investment in new capabilities in control rooms, more and better communications will be essential. EMS algorithms and models must be upgraded to operate under a broader spectrum of grid conditions and to simulate the once-in-a-lifetime outage scenarios that most operators believe could never strike their utility. Expert opinion strongly suggests that as part of this process of upgrading, contingency analysis should shift from the 'N-1' model of the present to a stochastic model that considers a wider range of possible events in a probabilistic framework.

SalanderMaps: A rapid overview about felt earthquakes through data mining of web-accesses

Science.gov (United States)

Kradolfer, Urs

2013-04-01

While seismological observatories detect and locate earthquakes based on measurements of the ground motion, they neither know a priori whether an earthquake has been felt by the public nor is it known, where it has been felt. Such information is usually gathered by evaluating feedback reported by the public through on-line forms on the web. However, after a felt earthquake in Switzerland, many people visit the webpages of the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at the ETH Zurich and each such visit leaves traces in the logfiles on our web-servers. Data mining techniques, applied to these logfiles and mining publicly available data bases on the internet open possibilities to obtain previously unknown information about our virtual visitors. In order to provide precise information to authorities and the media, it would be desirable to rapidly know from which locations these web-accesses origin. The method 'Salander' (Seismic Activitiy Linked to Area codes - Nimble Detection of Earthquake Rumbles) will be introduced and it will be explained, how the IP-addresses (each computer or router directly connected to the internet has a unique IP-address; an example would be 129.132.53.5) of a sufficient amount of our virtual visitors were linked to their geographical area. This allows us to unprecedentedly quickly know whether and where an earthquake was felt in Switzerland. It will also be explained, why the method Salander is superior to commercial so-called geolocation products. The corresponding products of the Salander method, animated SalanderMaps, which are routinely generated after each earthquake with a magnitude of M>2 in Switzerland (http://www.seismo.ethz.ch/prod/salandermaps/, available after March 2013), demonstrate how the wavefield of earthquakes propagates through Switzerland and where it was felt. Often, such information is available within less than 60 seconds after origin time, and we always get a clear picture within already five minutes after origin time

Comparison of oxide- and metal-core behavior during CRBRP [Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant] station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polkinghorne, S.T.; Atkinson, S.A.

1986-01-01

A resurrected concept that could significantly improve the inherently safe response of Liquid-Metal cooled Reactors (LMRs) during severe undercooling transients is the use of metallic fuel. Analytical studies have been reported on for the transient behavior of metal-fuel cores in innovative, inherently safe LMR designs. This paper reports on an analysis done, instead, for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) design with the only innovative change being the incorporation of a metal-fuel core. The SSC-L code was used to simulate a protected station blackout accident in the CRBRP with a 943 MWt Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) metal-fuel core. The results, compared with those for the oxide-fueled CRBRP, show that the margin to boiling is greater for the IFR core. However, the cooldown transient is more severe due to the faster thermal response time of metallic fuel. Some additional calculations to assess possible LMR design improvements (reduced primary system pressure losses, extended flow coastdown) are also discussed. 8 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs

Swiss Solutions for Providing Electrical Power in Cases of Long-Term Black-Out of the Grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altkind, Franz; Schmid, Daniel

2015-01-01

A better understanding of nuclear power plant electrical system robustness and defence-in-depth may be derived from comparing design and operating practices in member countries. In pursuing this goal, the current paper will focus on Switzerland. It will present in general the protective measures implemented in the Swiss nuclear power plants to ensure power supply, which comply with the 'Defence-in-depth' principle by means of several layers of protection. In particular it will present the measures taken in case of a total station blackout. The different layers supplying electricity may be summed up as follows. The first layer consists of the external main grid, which the plant generators feed into. The second layer is the auxiliary power supply when the power plant is in island mode in case of a failure of the main grid. A third layer is provided by the external reserve grid in case of both a failure of the external main grid and of the auxiliary power supply in island mode. As a fourth layer there exists an emergency electrical power supply. This is supplied either from an emergency diesel generator or a direct feed from a hydroelectric power plant. In the fifth layer, the special emergency electrical power supply from bunkered emergency diesel generators power the special emergency safety system and is activated upon the loss of all external feeds. A sixth layer consists of accident management equipment. Since the Fukushima event, the sixth layer has been reinforced and a seventh layer with off-site accident management equipment has been newly added. The Swiss nuclear safety regulator has analysed the accident. It reviewed the Swiss plants' protection against earthquakes as well as flooding and demanded increased precautionary measures from the Swiss operators in the hypothetical case of a total station blackout, when all the first five layers of supply would fail. In the immediate, a centralized storage with severe accident management equipment

The universal access handbook

CERN Document Server

Stephanidis, Constantine

2009-01-01

In recent years, the field of Universal Access has made significant progress in consolidating theoretical approaches, scientific methods and technologies, as well as in exploring new application domains. Increasingly, professionals in this rapidly maturing area require a comprehensive and multidisciplinary resource that addresses current principles, methods, and tools. Written by leading international authorities from academic, research, and industrial organizations and nonmarket institutions, The Universal Access Handbook covers the unfolding scientific, methodological, technological, and pol

Source term analysis in severe accident induced by large break loss of coolant accident coincident with ship blackout for ship reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yanzhao; Zhang Fan; Zhao Xinwen; Zheng Yingfeng

2013-01-01

Using MELCOR code, the accident analysis model was established for a ship reactor. The behaviors of radioactive fission products were analyzed in the case of severe accident induced by large break loss of coolant accident coincident with ship blackout. The research mainly focused on the behaviors of release, transport, retention and the final distribution of inert gas and CsI. The results show that 83.12% of inert gas releases from the core, and the most of inert gas exists in the containment. About 83.08% of CsI release from the core, 72.66% of which is detained in the debris and the primary system, and 27.34% releases into the containment. The results can give a reference for the evaluation of cabin dose and nuclear emergency management. (authors)

Assessment of the potential for high-pressure melt ejection resulting from a Surry station blackout transient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knudson, D.L.; Dobbe, C.A.

1993-11-01

Containment integrity could be challenged by direct heating associated with a high pressure melt ejection (HPME) of core materials following reactor vessel breach during certain severe accidents. Intentional reactor coolant system (RCS) depressurization, where operators latch pressurizer relief valves open, has been proposed as an accident management strategy to reduce risks by mitigating the severity of HPME. However, decay heat levels, valve capacities, and other plant-specific characteristics determine whether the required operator action will be effective. Without operator action, natural circulation flows could heat ex-vessel RCS pressure boundaries (surge line and hot leg piping, steam generator tubes, etc.) to the point of failure before vessel breach, providing an alternate mechanism for RCS depressurization and HPME mitigation. This report contains an assessment of the potential for HPME during a Surry station blackout transient without operator action and without recovery. The assessment included a detailed transient analysis using the SCDAP/RELAP5/MOD3 computer code to calculate the plant response with and without hot leg countercurrent natural circulation, with and without reactor coolant pump seal leakage, and with variations on selected core damage progression parameters. RCS depressurization-related probabilities were also evaluated, primarily based on the code results

Station blackout with failure of wired shutdown system for AHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, A.; Contractor, A.D.; Chatterjee, B.; Kumar, Rajesh

2015-01-01

Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is a vertical pressure tube type boiling light water cooled and heavy water moderated reactor. This reactor has several advance safety features. One of the important passive design features of this reactor is that the heat removal is achieved through natural circulation of primary coolant at all power level without primary coolant pumps. Station blackout (SBO) scenario has become very important in aftermath of Fukushima event. The existing reactor has to demonstrate that design features are sufficient to mitigate the scenario whereas the new reactor design are adding specific features to tackle such scenario for prolonged period. The present study demonstrates the design features of AHWR to mitigate the SBO scenario along with failure of wired shutdown system. SBO event leads to feed water pump trip and loss of condenser vacuum which in turn results into loss of feed water and turbine trip on low condenser vacuum signal. Stoppage of steam flow to the turbine and bypass to the condenser lead to bottling up of the system, causing MHT pressure to rise. In the absence of reactor scram, the pressure continues to rise. Isolation Condenser (IC) valve starts opening at a pressure of 7.65 MPa. The pressure continues to rise as IC system is designed for decay heat removal and reactor power is brought down to decay power level through Passive Poison Injection System (PPIS) when the pressure reaches 8.4 MPa. The analysis shows that the event do not lead to undesirable clad surface temperature rise due to reactor trip by PPIS and decay heat removal for prolonged time by IC system. Thermal hydraulic response of different parameters like pressure, temperatures, and flows in MHT system is analyzed for this scenario. Pressure during transient is found to be well below the system pressure criteria of 110% of design pressure. This analysis highlights the design robustness of AHWR. (author)

Long-Term Station Blackout Accident Analyses of a PWR with RELAP5/MOD3.3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrej Prošek

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Stress tests performed in Europe after accident at Fukushima Daiichi also required evaluation of the consequences of loss of safety functions due to station blackout (SBO. Long-term SBO in a pressurized water reactor (PWR leads to severe accident sequences, assuming that existing plant means (systems, equipment, and procedures are used for accident mitigation. Therefore the main objective was to study the accident management strategies for SBO scenarios (with different reactor coolant pumps (RCPs leaks assumed to delay the time before core uncovers and significantly heats up. The most important strategies assumed were primary side depressurization and additional makeup water to reactor coolant system (RCS. For simulations of long term SBO scenarios, including early stages of severe accident sequences, the best estimate RELAP5/MOD3.3 and the verified input model of Krško two-loop PWR were used. The results suggest that for the expected magnitude of RCPs seal leak, the core uncovery during the first seven days could be prevented by using the turbine-driven auxiliary feedwater pump and manually depressurizing the RCS through the secondary side. For larger RCPs seal leaks, in general this is not the case. Nevertheless, the core uncovery can be significantly delayed by increasing RCS depressurization.

Artificial intelligence applications of fast optical memory access

Science.gov (United States)

Henshaw, P. D.; Todtenkopf, A. B.

The operating principles and performance of rapid laser beam-steering (LBS) techniques are reviewed and illustrated with diagrams; their applicability to fast optical-memory (disk) access is evaluated; and the implications of fast access for the design of expert systems are discussed. LBS methods examined include analog deflection (source motion, wavefront tilt, and phased arrays), digital deflection (polarization modulation, reflectivity modulation, interferometric switching, and waveguide deflection), and photorefractive LBS. The disk-access problem is considered, and typical LBS requirements are listed as 38,000 beam positions, rotational latency 25 ms, one-sector rotation time 1.5 ms, and intersector space 87 microsec. The value of rapid access for increasing the power of expert systems (by permitting better organization of blocks of information) is illustrated by summarizing the learning process of the MVP-FORTH system (Park, 1983).

A Flexible Visualization Tool for Rapid Access to EFIT Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ruirui; Xiao Bingjia; Luo Zhengping

2014-01-01

This paper introduces the design and implementation of an interactive tool, the EASTViewer, for the visualization of plasma equilibrium reconstruction results for EAST (the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak). Aimed at the operating system independently, Python, when combined with the PyGTK toolkit, is used as the programming language. Using modular design, the EASTViewer provides a unified interface with great flexibility. It is easy to access numerous data sources either from local data files or an MDSplus tree, and with the pre-defined configuration files, it can be extended to other tokamaks. The EASTViewer has been used as the major tool to visualize equilibrium data since the second EAST campaign in 2008, and it has been verified that the EASTViewer features a user-friendly interface, and has easy access to numerous data sources and cross-platforms. (fusion engineering)

A Study of the Impact of Peak Demand on Increasing Vulnerability of Cascading Failures to Extreme Contingency Events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vyakaranam, Bharat GNVSR; Vallem, Mallikarjuna R.; Nguyen, Tony B.; Samaan, Nader A.; Berscheid, Alan P.; Makarov, Yuri V.; Diao, Ruisheng

2017-10-02

The vulnerability of large power systems to cascading failures and major blackouts has become evident since the Northeast blackout in 1965. Based on analyses of the series of cascading blackouts in the past decade, the research community realized the urgent need to develop better methods, tools, and practices for performing cascading-outage analysis and for evaluating mitigations that are easily accessible by utility planning engineers. PNNL has developed the Dynamic Contingency Analysis Tool (DCAT) as an open-platform and publicly available methodology to help develop applications that aim to improve the capabilities of power planning engineers to assess the impact and likelihood of extreme contingencies and potential cascading events across their systems and interconnections. DCAT analysis will help identify potential vulnerabilities and allow study of mitigation solutions to reduce the risk of cascading outages in technically sound and effective ways. Using the DCAT capability, we examined the impacts of various load conditions to identify situations in which the power grid may encounter cascading outages that could lead to potential blackouts. This paper describes the usefulness of the DCAT tool and how it helps to understand potential impacts of load demand on cascading failures on the power system.

Next generation sequencing provides rapid access to the genome of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the causal agent of wheat stripe rust.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dario Cantu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The wheat stripe rust fungus (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, PST is responsible for significant yield losses in wheat production worldwide. In spite of its economic importance, the PST genomic sequence is not currently available. Fortunately Next Generation Sequencing (NGS has radically improved sequencing speed and efficiency with a great reduction in costs compared to traditional sequencing technologies. We used Illumina sequencing to rapidly access the genomic sequence of the highly virulent PST race 130 (PST-130. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We obtained nearly 80 million high quality paired-end reads (>50x coverage that were assembled into 29,178 contigs (64.8 Mb, which provide an estimated coverage of at least 88% of the PST genes and are available through GenBank. Extensive micro-synteny with the Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (PGTG genome and high sequence similarity with annotated PGTG genes support the quality of the PST-130 contigs. We characterized the transposable elements present in the PST-130 contigs and using an ab initio gene prediction program we identified and tentatively annotated 22,815 putative coding sequences. We provide examples on the use of comparative approaches to improve gene annotation for both PST and PGTG and to identify candidate effectors. Finally, the assembled contigs provided an inventory of PST repetitive elements, which were annotated and deposited in Repbase. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The assembly of the PST-130 genome and the predicted proteins provide useful resources to rapidly identify and clone PST genes and their regulatory regions. Although the automatic gene prediction has limitations, we show that a comparative genomics approach using multiple rust species can greatly improve the quality of gene annotation in these species. The PST-130 sequence will also be useful for comparative studies within PST as more races are sequenced. This study illustrates the power of NGS for

Assessment of the potential for HPME during a station blackout in the Surry and Zion PWRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knudson, D.L.; Bayless, P.D.; Dobbe, C.A.; Odar, F.

1994-01-01

The integrity of a PWR (pressurized water reactor) containment structure could be challenged by direct heating associated with a HPME (high pressure melt ejection) of core materials following reactor vessel lower head breach during certain severe accidents. Structural failure resulting from direct containment heating is a contributor to the risk of operating a PWR. Intentional RCS (reactor coolant system) depressurization, where operators latch pressurizer relief valves open, has been proposed as an accident management strategy to reduce those risks by mitigating the severity of the HPME. However, decay heat levels, valve capacities, and other plant-specific characteristics determine whether the required operator action will be effective. Without operator action, natural circulation flows could heat ex-vessel RCS pressure boundaries (surge line and hot leg piping, steam generator tubes, etc.) to the point of failure before failure of the lower head providing an unintentional mechanism for depressurization and HPME mitigation. This paper summarizes an assessment of RCS depressurization with respect to the potential for HPME during a station blackout in the Surry and Zion PWRs. The assessment included a detailed transient analysis using the SCDAP/RELAP5/MOD3 computer code and an evaluation of RCS depressurization-related probabilities primarily based on the code results

The Safety Assessment of OPR-1000 for Station Blackout Applying Combined Deterministic and Probabilistic Procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Dong Gu; Ahn, Seung-Hoon; Cho, Dae-Hyung [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

This is termed station blackout (SBO). However, it does not generally include the loss of available AC power to safety buses fed by station batteries through inverters or by alternate AC sources. Historically, risk analysis results have indicated that SBO was a significant contributor to overall core damage frequency. In this study, the safety assessment of OPR-1000 nuclear power plant for SBO accident, which is a typical beyond design basis accident and important contributor to overall plant risk, is performed by applying the combined deterministic and probabilistic procedure (CDPP). In addition, discussions are made for reevaluation of SBO risk at OPR-1000 by eliminating excessive conservatism in existing PSA. The safety assessment of OPR-1000 for SBO accident, which is a typical BDBA and significant contributor to overall plant risk, was performed by applying the combined deterministic and probabilistic procedure. However, the reference analysis showed that the CDF and CCDP did not meet the acceptable risk, and it was confirmed that the SBO risk should be reevaluated. By estimating the offsite power restoration time appropriately, the SBO risk was reevaluated, and it was finally confirmed that current OPR-1000 system lies in the acceptable risk against the SBO. In addition, it was demonstrated that the proposed CDPP is applicable to safety assessment of BDBAs in nuclear power plants without significant erosion of the safety margin.

Modeling and analysis of selected organization for economic cooperation and development PKL-3 station blackout experiments using TRACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roman Mukin

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A series of tests dedicated to station blackout (SBO accident scenarios have been recently performed at the Primärkreislauf-Versuchsanlage (primary coolant loop test facility; PKL facility in the framework of the OECD/NEA PKL-3 project. These investigations address current safety issues related to beyond design basis accident transients with significant core heat up. This work presents a detailed analysis using the best estimate thermal–hydraulic code TRACE (v5.0 Patch4 of different SBO scenarios conducted at the PKL facility; failures of high- and low-pressure safety injection systems together with steam generator (SG feedwater supply are considered, thus calling for adequate accident management actions and timely implementation of alternative emergency cooling procedures to prevent core meltdown. The presented analysis evaluates the capability of the applied TRACE model of the PKL facility to correctly capture the sequences of events in the different SBO scenarios, namely the SBO tests H2.1, H2.2 run 1 and H2.2 run 2, including symmetric or asymmetric secondary side depressurization, primary side depressurization, accumulator (ACC injection in the cold legs and secondary side feeding with mobile pump and/or primary side emergency core coolant injection from the fuel pool cooling pump. This study is focused specifically on the prediction of the core exit temperature, which drives the execution of the most relevant accident management actions. This work presents, in particular, the key improvements made to the TRACE model that helped to improve the code predictions, including the modeling of dynamical heat losses, the nodalization of SGs' heat exchanger tubes and the ACCs. Another relevant aspect of this work is to evaluate how well the model simulations of the three different scenarios qualitatively and quantitatively capture the trends and results exhibited by the actual experiments. For instance, how the number of SGs considered for

“Basically... porn is everywhere”: a rapid evidence assessment on the effects that access and exposure to pornography has on children and young people

OpenAIRE

Horvath, M.; Alys, L.; Massey, K.; Pina, A.; Scally, M.; Adler, J.

2013-01-01

This Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was commissioned by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) as part of its Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Gangs and Groups (CSEGG). It was conducted by a consortium led by Middlesex University, to explore the effects that exposure and access to pornography have on children and young people. The CSEGG Inquiry was launched in October 2011 to better understand the scale, scope, extent and nature of child sexual exploitation in gangs and gro...

Consciousness: physiological dependence on rapid memory access.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Arthur J

2009-01-01

Consciousness develops from birth during the early months as the senses and other nervous system functions mature sufficiently to receive, process and store information. Among these is the ascending reticular activating (arousal) system in the brain stem that is responsible for wakefulness and was proposed by Penfield and Jasper more than 50 years ago as the "controlling mechanism for states of consciousness". This concept has remained the most advanced physiological interpretation of consciousness although recent developments offer greater insights into its nature. The ascending arousal system is the source of activation of the thalamocortical and cortical mechanisms for sensory input and facilitates the rapid matching of sensory input and the binding of memory during cognitive processing. Nonetheless, it is proposed that memory is the critical element through which our connection with the world exists without which, despite a fully functional arousal system, consciousness as we know it could not exist. Evidence is presented in support of this concept in addition to the physiological difficulties that must be resolved if consciousness is to be understood.

Lightning rod ionizing natural ionca - Ionic electrode active trimetallictriac of grounding - Definitive and total solution against 'blackouts' and electrical faults generated by atmospheric charges (lightning)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cabareda, Luis

2010-09-15

The Natural Ionizing System of Electrical Protection conformed by: Lightning Rod Ionizing Natural Ionca and Ionic Electrode Active Trimetallic Triac of Grounding offers Total Protection, Maximum Security and Zero Risk to Clinics, Hospitals, Integral Diagnostic Center, avoiding ''the burning'' of Electronics Cards; Refineries, Tanks and Stations of Fuel Provision; Electrical Substations, Towers and Transmission Lines with transformer protection, motors, elevators, A/C, mechanicals stairs, portable and cooling equipment, electrical plants, others. This New High Technology is the solution to the paradigm of Benjamin Franklin and it's the mechanism to end the 'Blackouts' that produces so many damages and losses throughout the world.

Empowering Learners with Mobile Open-Access Learning Initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Michael, Ed.; Wake, Donna, Ed.

2017-01-01

Education has been progressing at a rapid pace ever since educators have been able to harness the power of mobile technology. Open-access learning techniques provide more students with the opportunity to engage in educational opportunities that may have been previously restricted. "Empowering Learners with Mobile Open-Access Learning…

Development of the stationary state and simulation of an accident severe stage type station blackout with the MELCOR code version 1.8.6 for the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mugica R, C. A.; Godinez S, V.

2011-11-01

Considering the events happened since the 11 March of 2011, in Japan, where an earthquake of 9.1 grades Ritcher of intensity and a later tsunami impacted in an important way the operation of a nuclear power plant located in the Fukushima, Japan; damaging and disabling their cooling systems and injection of emergency water due to the total loss of electric power (commonly denominated Station Blackout), is eminent the analysis of this stage type that took to the nuclear power plant to conditions of damage to the core and explosions generation by hydrogen concentrations in the reactor building. In this work an analysis of a stage type station blackout is presented, using the model of the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde starting of the stationary state. The analysis is carried out using the MELCOR code (Methods for Estimation of Leakages and Consequences of Releases) version 1.8.6 whose purpose is to model the accidents progression for light water reactors. The obtained results are qualitatively similar to the events observed in the Fukushima nuclear power plant even though limitations exist to achieve a precise simulation of the events happened in Japan, such as the information flow of the chronology of the operator actions, as well as of the characteristic design of the power plant, volumes in cavities and rooms, water/cooling inventories, interconnected systems and their own emergency procedures or guides for the administration of severe accidents among others. (Author)

Development of the APR1400 model for countercurrent natural circulation in hot leg and steam generator under station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sang Gil; Kim, Han Chul

2012-01-01

In order to analyze severe accident phenomena, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) made a MELCOR model for APR1400 to examine natural circulation and creep rupture failure in the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) under station blackout (SBO). In this study, we are trying to advance the former model to describe natural circulation more accurately. After Fukushima accident, the concerns of severe accident management, assuring the heat removal capability, has risen for the case when the SBO is happened and there are no more electric powers to cool down decay heat. Under SBO there are three kinds of natural circulation which can delay the core heatup. One is in vessel natural circulation in the upper plenum of reactor vessel and the second is countercurrent natural circulation in hot leg through steam generator tubes and the last is full loop natural circulation when the reactor coolant pump loop seal is cleared and reactor coolant pump sealing is damaged by high temperature and high pressure. Among them this study focuses on the countercurrent natural circulation model using MELCOR1.8.6

Open Access in Turkey and Comparison with Other Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bülent Karasözen

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The number of open access journals and institutional repositories, as a product of open access movement has grown rapidly in recent years. Open access research articles remove the barriers in accessing scientific research results and accelerate the communication among the scientist worldwide. In many countries the number of institutional archives and open access journal are increasing. In this article, the recent developments in open access journals, institutional repositories and open courseware in Turkey are summarized and compared with some countries. A sample mandatory institutional repository policy document is given with some suggestion for establishing open access in Turkey.

Perilous terra incognita--open-access journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Balon, Richard

2014-04-01

The author focuses on a new rapidly spreading practice of publication in open-access journals. The pros and cons of open-access journals are discussed. Publishing in these journals may be cost prohibitive for educators and junior faculty members. Some authors may be lured by the ease of publishing in open-access journals (and their, at times, inflated self-description, e.g., "international", "scientific"), and their possibly valuable contributions will escape the attention of Academic Psychiatry readership in the vast sea of open-access journals. The readership may be flooded with a large number of low-quality articles (maybe not even properly peer-reviewed) from open-access journals. It may take some time to sort out what is and what is not relevant and useful. Open-access publishing represents a problematic and controversial practice and may be associated with a conflict of interest for the editors and publishers of these journals.

Comparative study of the hydrogen generation during short term station blackout (STSBO) in a BWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polo-Labarrios, M.A.; Espinosa-Paredes, G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Comparative study of generation in a simulated STSBO severe accident. • MELCOR and SCDAP/RELAP5 codes were used to understanding the main phenomena. • Both codes present similar thermal-hydraulic behavior for pressure and boil off. • SCDAP/RELAP5 predicts 15.8% lower hydrogen production than MELCOR. - Abstract: The aim of this work is the comparative study of hydrogen generation and the associated parameters in a simulated severe accident of a short-term station blackout (STSBO) in a typical BWR-5 with Mark-II containment. MELCOR (v.1.8.6) and SCDAP/RELAP5 (Mod.3.4) codes were used to understand the main phenomena in the STSBO event through the results comparison obtained from simulations with these codes. Due that the simulation scope of SCDAP/RELAP5 is limited to failure of the vessel pressure boundary, the comparison was focused on in-vessel severe accident phenomena; with a special interest in the vessel pressure, boil of cooling, core temperature, and hydrogen generation. The results show that at the beginning of the scenario, both codes present similar thermal-hydraulic behavior for pressure and boil off of cooling, but during the relocation, the pressure and boil off, present differences in timing and order of magnitude. Both codes predict in similar time the beginning of melting material drop to the lower head. As far as the hydrogen production rate, SCDAP/RELAP5 predicts 15.8% lower production than MELCOR

RELAP5/MOD3.3 Analyses of Core Heatup Prevention Strategy During Extended Station Blackout in PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prosek, A.

2016-01-01

The accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant demonstrated the vulnerability of the plants on the loss of electrical power for several days, so called extended station blackout (SBO). A set of measures have been proposed and implemented in response of the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. The purpose of the study was to investigate the application of the deterministic safety analysis for core heatup prevention strategy of the extended SBO in pressurized water reactor, lasting 72 h. The prevention strategy selected was water injection into steam generators using turbine driven auxiliary feedwater pump (TD-AFW) or portable water injection pump. Method for assessment of the necessary pump injection flowrate is developed and presented. The necessary injection flowrate to the steam generators is determined from the calculated cumulative water mass injected by the turbine driven auxiliary feedwater pump in the analysed scenarios, when desired normal level is maintained automatically. The developed method allows assessment of the necessary injection flowrates of pump, TD-AFW or portable, for different plant configurations and number of flowrate changes. The RELAP5/MOD3.3 Patch04 computer code and input model of a two-loop pressurized water reactor is used for analyses, assuming different injection start times, flowrates and reactor coolant system losses. Three different reactor coolant system (RCS) coolant loss pathways, with corresponding leakage rate, can be expected in the pressurized water reactor (PWR) during the extended SBO: normal system leakage, reactor coolant pump seal leakage, and RCS coolant loss through letdown relief valve unless automatically isolated or until isolation is procedurally directed. Depressurization of RCS was also considered. In total, six types of RCS coolant loss scenarios were considered. Two cases were defined regarding the operation of the emergency diesel generators. Different delays of the pump

49 CFR 37.59 - Differences in accessibility completion dates.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... accessible path from common elements of the station to portions of the facility directly serving the rail... both rapid and commuter rail systems), accessibility to the following elements of the station shall be achieved by the earlier of the completion dates involved: (a) Common elements of the station; (b) Portions...

Technology for People, Not Disabilities: Ensuring Access and Inclusion

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Alan; Ferri, Beth A.

2012-01-01

The potential of technology to connect people and provide access to education, commerce, employment and entertainment has never been greater or more rapidly changing. Communication technologies and new media promise to "revolutionize our lives" by breaking down barriers and expanding access for disabled people. Yet, it is also true that technology…

Rapid Prototyping in Orthopaedic Surgery: A User's Guide

OpenAIRE

Frame, Mark; Huntley, James S.

2012-01-01

Rapid prototyping (RP) is applicable to orthopaedic problems involving three dimensions, particularly fractures, deformities, and reconstruction. In the past, RP has been hampered by cost and difficulties accessing the appropriate expertise. Here we outline the history of rapid prototyping and furthermore a process using open-source software to produce a high fidelity physical model from CT data. This greatly mitigates the expense associated with the technique, allowing surgeons to produce pr...

What Remains on Your Mind After You Are Done?: Flexible Regulation of Knowledge Accessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Hedberg, Per H.; Higgins, E. Tory

2011-01-01

The accessibility of stored knowledge has been found to decline over time after activation without further stimulation. A special case is goal pursuit; goal-related knowledge remains accessible until goal completion, and then its accessibility declines rapidly. We hypothesized that after goal completion the decline in accessibility of goal-related knowledge would be especially rapid for strong promotion-focused individuals because their motivation to eagerly advance beyond the status quo would make accessibility of this knowledge an irrelevant detriment. We hypothesized an opposite effect for strongly prevention-predominant individuals because their motivation to vigilantly maintain a satisfactory state would make accessibility of this knowledge continually relevant. The results of two studies supported both these predicted moderators of accessibility change. Indeed, we found that for strongly prevention-predominant participants, knowledge accessibility actually increased over time after goal completion. We discuss how even basic cognitive mechanisms, like changes in accessibility, can be affected by general motivational concerns. PMID:21765541

Analysis of fuel handling system for fuel bundle safety during station blackout in 500 MWe PHWR unit of India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madhuresh, R.; Nagarajan, R.; Jit, I.; Sanatkumar, A.

1996-01-01

Situations of Station Blackout (SBO) i.e. postulated concurrent unavailability of Class Ill and Class IV power, could arise for a long period, while on-power refuelling or other fuel handling operations are in progress with the hot irradiated fuel bundles being anywhere in the system from the Reactor Building to the Spent Fuel Storage Bay. The cooling provisions for these fuel bundles are diverse and specific to the various stages of fuel handling operations and are either on Class Ill or on Class II power with particular requirements of instrument air. Therefore, during SBO, due to the limited availability of Class II power and instrument air, it becomes difficult to maintain cooling to these fuel bundles. However, some minimal cooling is essential, to ensure the safety of the bundles. As discussed in the paper, safety of these fuel bundles in the system and/or for those lying in the liner tube region of the reactor end fitting is ensured, during SBO, by resorting to passive means like 'stay-put', 'gravity- fill', 'D 2 0- steaming' etc. for cooling the bundles. The paper also describes various consequences emanating from these cooling schemes. (author). 6 refs., 2 tabs., 8 figs

The challenges of rapid urbanization on sustainable development of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The challenges of rapid urbanization on sustainable development of Nyanya, Federal Capital ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... unaffordable health care facilities, poor environmental health and traffic congestion on the ...

A restricted access material for rapid analysis of [11C]-labeled radiopharmaceuticals and their metabolites in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillings, Nic

2009-01-01

Introduction: Analysis of the radioactive components in plasma taken during positron emission tomography (PET) measurements is often vital for the correct quantification of the PET data. The described high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed to provide a fast, sensitive and robust method for the measurement of plasma samples from PET studies using [ 11 C]-labeled radiopharmaceuticals. Methods: Unadulterated plasma samples were analyzed directly, following a simple filtration, by the use of a small extraction column, containing a restricted access material, combined with a monolithic analysis column in a column-switching HPLC system. Results: Up to 4 ml of plasma was analyzed by this method within 4.5-7 min in a fully automated process. Because of the rapid analysis, a large number of samples could be analyzed during a 90-min PET scan. The extraction column could be used for analysis of up to 500 ml of plasma before replacement was required. Conclusions: The described method is fast and robust and the large sample volumes allow for accurate determination of the radioactive components in plasma even at 90 min after injection of a [ 11 C]-labeled radiopharmaceutical.

A randomized trial of motivational interviewing and facilitated contraceptive access to prevent rapid repeat pregnancy among adolescent mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Jack; Lutz, Robyn; Osuagwu, Ngozi; Rotz, Dana; Goesling, Brian

2017-10-01

Most interventions designed to reduce teen pregnancy rates have not focused on pregnant and/or parenting adolescents. Therefore, a large randomized controlled trial was conducted regarding a motivational interviewing program entitled Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy in a low-income sample of adolescent mothers. This program recommended monthly sessions between a participant and a registered nurse over 18 months. This program also featured facilitated birth control access through transportation assistance and a part-time contraceptive clinic. The impact of this program on rapid repeat pregnancies at 18 months after enrollment was evaluated. Five hundred ninety-eight adolescent females were enrolled from 7 obstetrics-gynecology clinics and 5 postpartum units of a large hospital system in a Midwestern city. Each participant was enrolled at least 28 weeks pregnant or less than 9 weeks postpartum. Each participant was randomized to either the Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy intervention or a usual-care control condition. Intervention participants averaged 4.5 hours of assistance. Participants were contacted by blinded research staff at 6 and 18 months to complete self-report surveys. Differences in outcomes between the intervention and control groups were assessed using ordinary least-squares regression. There was an 18.1% absolute reduction in self-reported repeat pregnancy in the intervention group relative to the control group (20.5% vs 38.6%%; P Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy program represents one of the few evidence-based interventions to reduce rapid repeat teen pregnancy. This relatively brief intervention may be a viable alternative to more time-intensive programs that adolescent mothers may be unable or unwilling to receive. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Policy principles for expanding financial access: report of the CGD task force on access to financial services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Claessens, S.; Honohan, P.; Rojas-Suarez, L.

2009-01-01

Despite the rapid growth in finance worldwide over the past quarter-century — now interrupted by the global financial crisis — many low-income households and small firms remain excluded from access to many financial services, especially in developing countries. While traditionally seen by many

Designing a Secure E-commerce with Credential Purpose-based Access Control

OpenAIRE

Norjihan Abdul Ghani; Harihodin Selamat; Zailani Mohamed Sidek

2014-01-01

The rapid growth of e-commerce has created a great opportunities for both businesses and end users. The essential e-commerce process is required for the successful operation and management of e-commerce activities. One of the processes is access control and security. E-commerce must establish a secure access between the parties in an e-commerce transaction by authenticating users, authorizing access, and enforcing security features. The e-commerce application must authorize access to only tho...

Electrical Power System Design and Station Blackout (SBO) Management in Indian Fast Breeder Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vijaya, N. M.; Theivarajan, N.; Madhusoodanan, K.

2015-01-01

In the nuclear new builds and projects in design stage SBO management measures have significant role. Depending on the onsite and offsite power supply configurations, deterministic SBO duration is established. Design of systems with adequately sized battery capacities for SBO duration, special SBO Diesel Generator Sets, structured load shedding strategy to conserve battery availability to cope with SBO and to monitor the plant safety beyond SBO duration are considered as part of electrical system design now. In the design of PFBR, SBO is given due importance right from conceptual design stage. Both deterministic SBO duration and probabilistic SBO duration versus frequency were established by detailed analysis. Dedicated DC power supply systems and additional SBO DG back-up systems are in place to cope with normal and extended SBO. After the Fukushima event, there is greater requirement to demonstrate plant safety during SBO for a long duration extended over several days. In light of this accident, thermal hydraulic synthesis of PFBR has been carried out to ascertain the capability of the plant to manage a prolonged station blackout event. This has brought out the robustness of the design. Safety design features of PFBR ensure comfortable management of extended SBO. In the design of future FBR projects, current trends in the new nuclear builds and recommendations of international bodies considering Fukushima are duly considered. SBO measures by means of alternate AC power sources, redundant emergency power supply sources with less dependence on other auxiliary systems and dedicated DC power systems are considered to cope with normal and extended SBO beyond design basis. Right from the conceptual design, the system robustness to manage normal and extended SBO will be taken care with the related thermal hydraulic and associated analysis. The paper highlights these SBO management strategies in PFBR and future FBRs. (author)

Investigation of SAM measures during selected MBLOCA sequences along with Station Blackout in a generic Konvoi PWR using ASTECV2.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gómez-García-Toraño, Ignacio; Sánchez Espinoza, Víctor Hugo; Stieglitz, Robert

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Reflooding is investigated for selected MBLOCA sequences in a Konvoi PWR using ASTEC. • After SBO, there is a grace time of 40 min up to the detection of a CET = 650 °C. • Major core damage prevented if reflood is launched at CET = 650 °C with 25-40 kg/s. • Values depend on the time when the plant is struck by Station Blackout. • Vessel failure cannot be prevented if supplied mass flow rates are lower than 10 kg/s. - Abstract: The Fukushima accidents have shown that further improvement of Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMGs) is necessary for the current fleet of Light Water Reactors. The elaboration of SAMGs requires a broad database of deterministic analyses performed with state-of-the art simulation tools. Within this work, the ASTECV2.0 integral severe accident code is used to study the efficiency of core reflooding (as a SAM measure) during postulated Medium Break LOCA (MBLOCA) scenarios in a German Konvoi PWR. In a first step, the progression of selected MBLOCA sequences without SAM measures has been analysed. The sequences postulate a break in the cold leg of the pressurizer loop and the total loss of AC power at a given stage of the accident. Results show the existence of a 40 min grace time up to the detection of a Core Exit Temperature (CET) of 650 °C providing that the AC power has been maintained at least 1 h after SCRAM. In a second step, an extensive analysis on core reflooding has been carried out. The sequences assume that the plant remains in Station Blackout (SBO) and that reflooding occurs at different times with different mobile pumps. The simulations yield the following results: • Reflooding mass flow rates above 60 kg/s have to be supplied as soon as the CET exceeds 650 °C in order to prevent core melting. • Reflooding mass flow rates ranging from 25–40 kg/s at CET = 650 °C mitigate the accident without major core damage depending on when the plant enters in SBO. • Reflooding mass flow rates lower

The Mission Accessibility of Near-Earth Asteroids

Science.gov (United States)

Barbee, Brent W.; Abell, P. A.; Adamo, D. R.; Mazanek, D. D.; Johnson, L. N.; Yeomans, D. K.; Chodas, P. W.; Chamberlin, A. B.; Benner, L. A. M.; Taylor, P.;

Alcohol-related blackouts among college students: impact of low level of response to alcohol, ethnicity, sex, and environmental characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila D. Gonçalves

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: To explore how a genetically-influenced characteristic (the level of response to alcohol [LR], ethnicity, and sex relate to environmental and attitudinal characteristics (peer drinking [PEER], drinking to cope [COPE], and alcohol expectancies [EXPECT] regarding future alcohol-related blackouts (ARBs. Methods: Structural equation models (SEMs were used to evaluate how baseline variables related to ARB patterns in 462 college students over 55 weeks. Data were extracted from a longitudinal study of heavy drinking and its consequences at a U.S. university. Results: In the SEM analysis, female sex and Asian ethnicity directly predicted future ARBs (beta weights 0.10 and -0.11, respectively, while all other variables had indirect impacts on ARBs through alcohol quantities (beta weights ~ 0.23 for European American ethnicity and low LR, 0.21 for cannabis use and COPE, and 0.44 for PEER. Alcohol quantities then related to ARBs with beta = 0.44. The SEM explained 23% of the variance. Conclusion: These data may be useful in identifying college students who are more likely to experience future ARBs over a 1-year period. They enhance our understanding of whether the relationships of predictors to ARBs are direct or mediated through baseline drinking patterns, information that may be useful in prevention strategies for ARBs.

Analysis of fuel handling system for fuel bundle safety during station blackout in 500 MWe PHWR unit of India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madhuresh, R; Nagarajan, R; Jit, I; Sanatkumar, A [Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd., Mumbai (India)

1997-12-31

Situations of Station Blackout (SBO) i.e. postulated concurrent unavailability of Class Ill and Class IV power, could arise for a long period, while on-power refuelling or other fuel handling operations are in progress with the hot irradiated fuel bundles being anywhere in the system from the Reactor Building to the Spent Fuel Storage Bay. The cooling provisions for these fuel bundles are diverse and specific to the various stages of fuel handling operations and are either on Class Ill or on Class II power with particular requirements of instrument air. Therefore, during SBO, due to the limited availability of Class II power and instrument air, it becomes difficult to maintain cooling to these fuel bundles. However, some minimal cooling is essential, to ensure the safety of the bundles. As discussed in the paper, safety of these fuel bundles in the system and/or for those lying in the liner tube region of the reactor end fitting is ensured, during SBO, by resorting to passive means like `stay-put`, `gravity- fill`, `D{sub 2}0- steaming` etc. for cooling the bundles. The paper also describes various consequences emanating from these cooling schemes. (author). 6 refs., 2 tabs., 8 figs.

Preservation of and Permanent Access to Electronic Information Resources

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hodge, Gail

2004-01-01

The rapid growth in the creation and dissemination of electronic information has emphasized the digital environment's speed and ease of dissemination with little regard for its long-term preservation and access...

Construction of a low cost wind energy generator; Construcao de um gerador de energia eolica de baixo custo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almeida, Jonathan Penha de; Almeida, Silvio Carlos Anibal de [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (DEM/EP/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Escola Politecnica. Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica], Emails: jonathan_penha@poli.ufrj.br, silvioa@gmail.com

2010-07-01

This project presents a low cost wind electric power generator constituted of cheap and easy access materials. The necessary materials are presented for it construction and the expected efficiency, having as reference the city of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. The elaboration of the generator was initially developed as alternative energy source during blackout.

Rapid Prototyping in Orthopaedic Surgery: A User's Guide

Science.gov (United States)

Frame, Mark; Huntley, James S.

2012-01-01

Rapid prototyping (RP) is applicable to orthopaedic problems involving three dimensions, particularly fractures, deformities, and reconstruction. In the past, RP has been hampered by cost and difficulties accessing the appropriate expertise. Here we outline the history of rapid prototyping and furthermore a process using open-source software to produce a high fidelity physical model from CT data. This greatly mitigates the expense associated with the technique, allowing surgeons to produce precise models for preoperative planning and procedure rehearsal. We describe the method with an illustrative case. PMID:22666160

Does the public deserve free access to climate system science?

Science.gov (United States)

Grigorov, Ivo

2010-05-01

Some time ago it was the lack of public access to medical research data that really stirred the issue and gave inertia for legislation and a new publishing model that puts tax payer-funded medical research in the hands of those who fund it. In today's age global climate change has become the biggest socio-economic challenge, and the same argument resonates: climate affects us all and the publicly-funded science quantifying it should be freely accessible to all stakeholders beyond academic research. Over the last few years the ‘Open Access' movement to remove as much as possible subscription, and other on-campus barriers to academic research has rapidly gathered pace, but despite significant progress, the climate system sciences are not among the leaders in providing full access to their publications and data. Beyond the ethical argument, there are proven and tangible benefits for the next generation of climate researchers to adapt the way their output is published. Through the means provided by ‘open access', both data and ideas can gain more visibility, use and citations for the authors, but also result in a more rapid exchange of knowledge and ideas, and ultimately progress towards a sought solution. The presentation will aim to stimulate discussion and seek progress on the following questions: Should free access to climate research (& data) be mandatory? What are the career benefits of using ‘open access' for young scientists? What means and methods should, or could, be incorporated into current European graduate training programmes in climate research, and possible ways forward?

Summary of ROSA-4 LSTF first phase test program and station blackout (TMLB) test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasaka, K.; Kukita, Y.; Anoda, Y.

1990-01-01

This paper summarizes major test results obtained at the ROSA-4 Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) during the first phase of the test program. The results from a station blackout (TMLB) test conducted at the end of the first-phase program are described in some detail. The LSTF is an integral test facility being operated by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute for simulation of pressurized water reactor (PWR) thermal-hydraulic responses during small-break loss-of-coolant accidents (SBLOCAs) and operational/abnormal transients. It is a 1/48 volumetrically scaled, full-height, full-pressure simulator of a Westinghouse-type 4-loop PWR. The facility includes two symmetric primary loops each one containing an active inverted-U tube steam generator and an active reactor coolant pump. The loop horizontal legs are sized to conserve the scaled (1/24) volumes as well as the length to the square root of the diameter ratio in order to simulate the two-phase flow regime transitions. The primary objective of the LSTF first-phase program was to define the fundamental PWR thermal-hydraulic responses during SBLOCAs and transients. Most of the tests were conducted with simulated component/operator failures, including unavailability of the high pressure injection system and auxiliary feedwater system, as well as operator failure to take corrective actions. The forty-two first phase tests included twenty-nine SBLOCA tests conducted mainly for cold leg breaks, three abnormal transient tests and ten natural circulation tests. Attempts were made in several of the SBLOCA tests to simulate the plant recovery procedures as well as candidate accident management measures for prevention of high-pressure core melt situation. The natural circulation tests simulated the single-phase and two-phase natural circulation as well as reflux condensation behavior in the primary loops in steady or quasi-steady states

An Introduction to Web Accessibility, Web Standards, and Web Standards Makers

Science.gov (United States)

McHale, Nina

2011-01-01

Librarians and libraries have long been committed to providing equitable access to information. In the past decade and a half, the growth of the Internet and the rapid increase in the number of online library resources and tools have added a new dimension to this core duty of the profession: ensuring accessibility of online resources to users with…

Providing the Public with Online Access to Large Bibliographic Data Bases.

Science.gov (United States)

Firschein, Oscar; Summit, Roger K.

DIALOG, an interactive, computer-based information retrieval language, consists of a series of computer programs designed to make use of direct access memory devices in order to provide the user with a rapid means of identifying records within a specific memory bank. Using the system, a library user can be provided access to sixteen distinct and…

Ballistic representation for kinematic access

Science.gov (United States)

Alfano, Salvatore

2011-01-01

This work uses simple two-body orbital dynamics to initially determine the kinematic access for a ballistic vehicle. Primarily this analysis was developed to assess when a rocket body might conjunct with an orbiting satellite platform. A family of access opportunities can be represented as a volume for a specific rocket relative to its launch platform. Alternately, the opportunities can be represented as a geographical footprint relative to aircraft or satellite position that encompasses all possible launcher locations for a specific rocket. A thrusting rocket is treated as a ballistic vehicle that receives all its energy at launch and follows a coasting trajectory. To do so, the rocket's burnout energy is used to find its equivalent initial velocity for a given launcher's altitude. Three kinematic access solutions are then found that account for spherical Earth rotation. One solution finds the maximum range for an ascent-only trajectory while another solution accommodates a descending trajectory. In addition, the ascent engagement for the descending trajectory is used to depict a rapid access scenario. These preliminary solutions are formulated to address ground-, sea-, or air-launched vehicles.

Location-aware network operation for cloud radio access network

KAUST Repository

Wang, Fanggang; Ruan, Liangzhong; Win, Moe Z.

2017-01-01

One of the major challenges in effectively operating a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) is the excessive overhead signaling and computation load that scale rapidly with the size of the network. In this paper, the exploitation of location

Accessing diabetes care in rural Uganda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jannie; Bahendeka, Silver K.; Bygbjerg, Ib C.

2017-01-01

Non-communicable diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) are increasing rapidly in most Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries like Uganda. Little attention has been given to how patients with T2D try to achieve treatment when the availability of public health care for their disease is limited......, as is the case in most SSA countries. In this paper we focus on the landscape of availability of care and the therapeutic journeys of patients within that landscape. Based on fieldwork in south-western Uganda including 10 case studies, we explore the diabetes treatment options in the area and what it takes...... to access the available treatment. We analyse the resources patients need to use the available treatment options, and demonstrate that the patients’ journeys to access and maintain treatment are facilitated by the knowledge and support of their therapy management groups. Patients access treatment more...

Development of expert system for fault diagnosis and restoration at substations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choo, Jin Boo; Kwon, Tae Won; Yoon, Yong Beum; Park, Sung Taek [Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), Taejon (Korea, Republic of). Research Center; Park, Young Moon; Lee, Heung Jae [Electrical Engineering and Science Research Institute (Korea, Republic of)

1996-12-31

When a fault occurs in power systems, the operators have to make precise judgements on the situation and take appropriate actions rapidly to protect the system and minimize the black-out area. However, the larger and the more complex the power systems become, the more difficult it becomes to expect the effective actions of human operators. Therefore, it is a very important issue to support the operators of the local power systems in the case of various faults. We develop an expert system for fault diagnosis and reconfiguration of local power system. The expert system has a capability of identifying the location and the type of faults, the black-out area, and an appropriate reconfiguration procedure for re-energizing or minimizing the service interruption (author). 35 refs., 45 figs.

Development of expert system for fault diagnosis and restoration at substations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choo, Jin Boo; Kwon, Tae Won; Yoon, Yong Beum; Park, Sung Taek [Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), Taejon (Korea, Republic of). Research Center; Park, Young Moon; Lee, Heung Jae [Electrical Engineering and Science Research Institute (Korea, Republic of)

1995-12-31

When a fault occurs in power systems, the operators have to make precise judgements on the situation and take appropriate actions rapidly to protect the system and minimize the black-out area. However, the larger and the more complex the power systems become, the more difficult it becomes to expect the effective actions of human operators. Therefore, it is a very important issue to support the operators of the local power systems in the case of various faults. We develop an expert system for fault diagnosis and reconfiguration of local power system. The expert system has a capability of identifying the location and the type of faults, the black-out area, and an appropriate reconfiguration procedure for re-energizing or minimizing the service interruption (author). 35 refs., 45 figs.

Policies to Spur Energy Access. Executive Summary; Volume 1, Engaging the Private Sector in Expanding Access to Electricity; Volume 2, Case Studies to Public-Private Models to Finance Decentralized Electricity Access

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walters, Terri [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Rai, Neha [International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London (England); Esterly, Sean [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cox, Sadie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Reber, Tim [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Muzammil, Maliha [Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom); Mahmood, Tasfiq [International Center for Climate Change and Development, Baridhara (Bangladesh); Kaur, Nanki [International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London (England); Tesfaye, Lidya [Echnoserve Consulting (Ethiopia); Mamuye, Simret [Echnoserve Consulting (Ethiopia); Knuckles, James [Univ. of London (England). Cass Business School; Morris, Ellen [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); de Been, Merijn [Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands); Steinbach, Dave [International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London (England); Acharya, Sunil [Digo Bikas Inst. (Nepal); Chhetri, Raju Pandit [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bhushal, Ramesh [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-09-01

Government policy is one of the most important factors in engaging the private sector in providing universal access to electricity. In particular, the private sector is well positioned to provide decentralized electricity products and services. While policy uncertainty and regulatory barriers can keep enterprises and investors from engaging in the market, targeted policies can create opportunities to leverage private investment and skills to expand electricity access. However, creating a sustainable market requires policies beyond traditional electricity regulation. The report reviews the range of policy issues that impact the development and expansion of a market for decentralized electricity services from establishing an enabling policy environment to catalyzing finance, building human capacity, and integrating energy access with development programs. The case studies in this report show that robust policy frameworks--addressing a wide range of market issues--can lead to rapid transformation in energy access. The report highlights examples of these policies in action Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mali, Mexico, and Nepal.

Due diligence in the open-access explosion era: choosing a reputable journal for publication.

Science.gov (United States)

Masten, Yondell; Ashcraft, Alyce

2017-11-15

Faculty are required to publish. Naïve and "in-a-hurry-to-publish" authors seek to publish in journals where manuscripts are rapidly accepted. Others may innocently submit to one of an increasing number of questionable/predatory journals, where predatory is defined as practices of publishing journals for exploitation of author-pays, open-access publication model by charging authors publication fees for publisher profit without provision of expected services (expert peer review, editing, archiving, and indexing published manuscripts) and promising almost instant publication. Authors may intentionally submit manuscripts to predatory journals for rapid publication without concern for journal quality. A brief summary of the open access "movement," suggestions for selecting reputable open access journals, and suggestion for avoiding predatory publishers/journals are described. The purpose is to alert junior and seasoned faculty about predatory publishers included among available open access journal listings. Brief review of open access publication, predatory/questionable journal characteristics, suggestions for selecting reputable open access journals and avoiding predatory publishers/journals are described. Time is required for intentionally performing due diligence in open access journal selection, based on publisher/journal quality, prior to manuscript submission or authors must be able to successfully withdraw manuscripts when submission to a questionable or predatory journal is discovered. © FEMS 2017.

Spin-Label CW Microwave Power Saturation and Rapid Passage with Triangular Non-Adiabatic Rapid Sweep (NARS) and Adiabatic Rapid Passage (ARP) EPR Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Kittell, Aaron W.; Hyde, James S.

2015-01-01

Non-adiabatic rapid passage (NARS) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was introduced by Kittell, A.W., Camenisch, T.G., Ratke, J.J. Sidabras, J.W., Hyde, J.S., 2011 as a general purpose technique to collect the pure absorption response. The technique has been used to improve sensitivity relative to sinusoidal magnetic field modulation, increase the range of inter-spin distances that can be measured under near physiological conditions, and enhance spectral resolution in copper (II) spectra. In the present work, the method is extended to CW microwave power saturation of spin-labeled T4 Lysozyme (T4L). As in the cited papers, rapid triangular sweep of the polarizing magnetic field was superimposed on slow sweep across the spectrum. Adiabatic rapid passage (ARP) effects were encountered in samples undergoing very slow rotational diffusion as the triangular magnetic field sweep rate was increased. The paper reports results of variation of experimental parameters at the interface of adiabatic and non-adiabatic rapid sweep conditions. Comparison of the forward (up) and reverse (down) triangular sweeps is shown to be a good indicator of the presence of rapid passage effects. Spectral turning points can be distinguished from spectral regions between turning points in two ways: differential microwave power saturation and differential passage effects. Oxygen accessibility data are shown under NARS conditions that appear similar to conventional field modulation data. However, the sensitivity is much higher, permitting, in principle, experiments at substantially lower protein concentrations. Spectral displays were obtained that appear sensitive to rotational diffusion in the range of rotational correlation times of 10−3 to 10−7 s in a manner that is analogous to saturation transfer spectroscopy. PMID:25917132

Open Access and repositories beyond green and gold

CERN Document Server

2007-01-01

Access to previous results and their reuse in new research are at the very basis of scientific progress. In the era of e-Science and when the Open Access paradigm is changing scholarly communication, there is an unprecedented need for rapid and effective online access to scientific information. High-Energy Physics (HEP) pioneered innovation in scholarly communication with the invention of the Web, originally a vehicle of scientific information, and with the inception of online preprint repositories, introducing Open Access to preliminary scientific results. With the imminent start-up of the CERN LHC accelerator, one of the flagships of European science, the HEP community urgently needs a new platform for scientific information. A multi-disciplinary collaboration of academies, research laboratories and industrial partners has developed a vision to build such an innovative e-infrastructure: HEPIS (High Energy Physics Information System). HEPIS will integrate present European and American databases and repositor...

Rapid application development by KEKB accelerator operators using EPICS/Python

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, M.; Satoh, Y.; Kitabayashi, T.

2004-01-01

In the KEKB accelerator facility, the control system is constructed based on the framework of EPICS. By using EPICS/Python API, which is originated from KEK, we can develop an EPICS channel access application based on simple Python technology with only a few knowledge of EPICS channel access protocols. The operator's new tuning ideas are quickly implemented to the control system. In this paper, we introduce the EPICS/Python API and report the effectiveness of rapid application development by the KEKB operators using the API. (author)

Glyphosate resistance in Ambrosia trifida: Part 1. Novel rapid cell death response to glyphosate.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Horn, Christopher R; Moretti, Marcelo L; Robertson, Renae R; Segobye, Kabelo; Weller, Stephen C; Young, Bryan G; Johnson, William G; Schulz, Burkhard; Green, Amanda C; Jeffery, Taylor; Lespérance, Mackenzie A; Tardif, François J; Sikkema, Peter H; Hall, J Christopher; McLean, Michael D; Lawton, Mark B; Sammons, R Douglas; Wang, Dafu; Westra, Philip; Gaines, Todd A

2018-05-01

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Ambrosia trifida is now present in the midwestern United States and in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Two distinct GR phenotypes are known, including a rapid response (GR RR) phenotype, which exhibits cell death within hours after treatment, and a non-rapid response (GR NRR) phenotype. The mechanisms of resistance in both GR RR and GR NRR remain unknown. Here, we present a description of the RR phenotype and an investigation of target-site mechanisms on multiple A. trifida accessions. Glyphosate resistance was confirmed in several accessions, and whole-plant levels of resistance ranged from 2.3- to 7.5-fold compared with glyphosate-susceptible (GS) accessions. The two GR phenotypes displayed similar levels of resistance, despite having dramatically different phenotypic responses to glyphosate. Glyphosate resistance was not associated with mutations in EPSPS sequence, increased EPSPS copy number, EPSPS quantity, or EPSPS activity. These encompassing results suggest that resistance to glyphosate in these GR RR A. trifida accessions is not conferred by a target-site resistance mechanism. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

OPERATIONAL SAR DATA PROCESSING IN GIS ENVIRONMENTS FOR RAPID DISASTER MAPPING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Meroni

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Having access to SAR data can be highly important and critical especially for disaster mapping. Updating a GIS with contemporary information from SAR data allows to deliver a reliable set of geospatial information to advance civilian operations, e.g. search and rescue missions. Therefore, we present in this paper the operational processing of SAR data within a GIS environment for rapid disaster mapping. This is exemplified by the November 2010 flash flood in the Veneto region, Italy. A series of COSMO-SkyMed acquisitions was processed in ArcGIS® using a single-sensor, multi-mode, multi-temporal approach. The relevant processing steps were combined using the ArcGIS ModelBuilder to create a new model for rapid disaster mapping in ArcGIS, which can be accessed both via a desktop and a server environment.

Implementation of the Security-Dependability Adaptive Voting Scheme

OpenAIRE

Thomas, Michael Kyle

2011-01-01

As the world moves further into the 21st century, the electricity demand worldwide continues to rapidly grow. The power systems that supply this growing demand continue to be pushed closer to their limits. When those limits are exceeded, system blackouts occur that have massive societal and economical impact. Power system protection relays make up a piece of these limits and can ...

Assessment, authorization and access to medicaid managed mental health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Masland, Mary C; Snowden, Lonnie R; Wallace, Neal T

2007-11-01

Examined were effects on access of managed care assessment and authorization processes in California's 57 county mental health plans. Primary data on managed care implementation were collected from surveys of county plan administrators; secondary data were from Medicaid claims and enrollment files. Using multivariate fixed effects regression, we found that following implementation of managed care, greater access occurred in county plans where assessments and treatment were performed by the same clinician, and where service authorizations were made more rapidly. Lower access occurred in county plans where treating clinicians authorized services themselves. Results confirm the significant effects of managed care processes on outcomes and highlight the importance of system capacity.

Rapid mask prototyping for microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Maisonneuve, B G C; Honegger, T; Cordeiro, J; Lecarme, O; Thiry, T; Fuard, D; Berton, K; Picard, E; Zelsmann, M; Peyrade, D

2016-03-01

With the rise of microfluidics for the past decade, there has come an ever more pressing need for a low-cost and rapid prototyping technology, especially for research and education purposes. In this article, we report a rapid prototyping process of chromed masks for various microfluidic applications. The process takes place out of a clean room, uses a commercially available video-projector, and can be completed in less than half an hour. We quantify the ranges of fields of view and of resolutions accessible through this video-projection system and report the fabrication of critical microfluidic components (junctions, straight channels, and curved channels). To exemplify the process, three common devices are produced using this method: a droplet generation device, a gradient generation device, and a neuro-engineering oriented device. The neuro-engineering oriented device is a compartmentalized microfluidic chip, and therefore, required the production and the precise alignment of two different masks.

Evaluation of steam generator U-tube integrity during PWR station blackout with secondary system depressurization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidaka, Akihide; Asaka, Hideaki; Sugimoto, Jun; Ueno, Shingo; Yoshino, Takehito

1999-12-01

In PWR severe accidents such as station blackout, the integrity of steam generator U-tube would be threatened early at the transient among the pipes of primary system. This is due to the hot leg countercurrent natural circulation (CCNC) flow which delivers the decay heat of the core to the structures of primary system if the core temperature increases after the secondary system depressurization. From a view point of accident mitigation, this steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) is not preferable because it results in the direct release of primary coolant including fission products (FP) to the environment. Recent SCDAP/RELAP5 analyses by USNRC showed that the creep failure of pressurizer surge line which results in release of the coolant into containment would occur earlier than SGTR during the secondary system depressurization. However, the analyses did not consider the decay heat from deposited FP on the steam generator U-tube surface. In order to investigate the effect of decay heat on the steam generator U-tube integrity, the hot leg CCNC flow model used in the USNRC's calculation was, at first, validated through the analysis for JAERI's LSTF experiment. The CCNC model reproduced well the thermohydraulics observed in the LSTF experiment and thus the model is mostly reliable. An analytical study was then performed with SCDAP/RELAP5 for TMLB' sequence of Surry plant with and without secondary system depressurization. The decay heat from deposited FP was calculated by JAERI's FP aerosol behavior analysis code, ART. The ART analysis showed that relatively large amount of FPs may deposit on steam generator U-tube inlet mainly by thermophoresis. The SCDAP/RELAP5 analyses considering the FP decay heat predicted small safety margin for steam generator U-tube integrity during secondary system depressurization. Considering associated uncertainties in the analyses, the potential for SGTR cannot be ignored. Accordingly, this should be considered in the evaluation of merits

Rrsm: The European Rapid Raw Strong-Motion Database

Science.gov (United States)

Cauzzi, C.; Clinton, J. F.; Sleeman, R.; Domingo Ballesta, J.; Kaestli, P.; Galanis, O.

2014-12-01

We introduce the European Rapid Raw Strong-Motion database (RRSM), a Europe-wide system that provides parameterised strong motion information, as well as access to waveform data, within minutes of the occurrence of strong earthquakes. The RRSM significantly differs from traditional earthquake strong motion dissemination in Europe, which has focused on providing reviewed, processed strong motion parameters, typically with significant delays. As the RRSM provides rapid open access to raw waveform data and metadata and does not rely on external manual waveform processing, RRSM information is tailored to seismologists and strong-motion data analysts, earthquake and geotechnical engineers, international earthquake response agencies and the educated general public. Access to the RRSM database is via a portal at http://www.orfeus-eu.org/rrsm/ that allows users to query earthquake information, peak ground motion parameters and amplitudes of spectral response; and to select and download earthquake waveforms. All information is available within minutes of any earthquake with magnitude ≥ 3.5 occurring in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Waveform processing and database population are performed using the waveform processing module scwfparam, which is integrated in SeisComP3 (SC3; http://www.seiscomp3.org/). Earthquake information is provided by the EMSC (http://www.emsc-csem.org/) and all the seismic waveform data is accessed at the European Integrated waveform Data Archive (EIDA) at ORFEUS (http://www.orfeus-eu.org/index.html), where all on-scale data is used in the fully automated processing. As the EIDA community is continually growing, the already significant number of strong motion stations is also increasing and the importance of this product is expected to also increase. Real-time RRSM processing started in June 2014, while past events have been processed in order to provide a complete database back to 2005.

Improving governance, voice and access to justice in Ghana's ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

In Ghana, many urban residents have yet to reap the benefit of the country's democratic stability and recent economic growth. About 40% of the urban population is trapped in poorly planned, overcrowded informal settlements with unsanitary conditions and low access to basic services. Rapid population growth and ...

The rapid access palliative radiotherapy program: blueprint for initiation of a one-stop multidisciplinary bone metastases clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairchild, A; Pituskin, E; Rose, B; Ghosh, S; Dutka, J; Driga, A; Tachynski, P; Borschneck, J; Gagnon, L; Macdonnell, S; Middleton, J; Thavone, K; Carstairs, S; Brent, D; Severin, D

2009-02-01

Radiotherapy (RT) for palliation of pain due to bone metastases (BM) is effective but underutilized likely due to the traditional practice of separate clinic visits for consultation, treatment planning, and RT delivery. However, recent evidence proves one RT treatment is as effective as multiple for analgesia, enabling investigation of an alternative model of RT delivery, the rapid access palliative radiotherapy program (RAPRP). Prior to the start of the program, needs assessment was performed to determine the composition of the optimal team. Screening tools were implemented to streamline holistic, multidisciplinary assessment. An advertising strategy, treatment and research protocols, and mechanisms for patient feedback were established. After RAPRP implementation, patient outcomes such as symptom relief were tracked. Eighty-six patients with painful BM were referred over the 25-week pilot. Median age was 69.9 years; 64% had prostate cancer, and median performance status was 70. Patient-rated pain was on average 6.1/10 at baseline, improving to 2.6/10 by week 4 post-RT. On average, 6.2 symptoms were reported (baseline) compared to 5.2 (week 4). Team members assessed 10-100% of patients and were successful in stabilizing or improving all symptoms in >75% contacted at week 4. One hundred percent of patients surveyed were satisfied with their experience. Early needs assessment was advantageous in determining the optimal team and methods of assessment for our 'one-stop' BM clinic. This approach was successful in improving pain and other symptoms, and the convenience of seeing multiple providers on 1 day was appreciated by the patients.

AP1000 station blackout study with and without depressurization using RELAP5/SCDAPSIM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trivedi, A.K. [Nuclear Engineering and Technology Program, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India); Allison, C. [Innovative Systems Software Idaho Falls, ID 83406 (United States); Khanna, A., E-mail: akhanna@iitk.ac.in [Nuclear Engineering and Technology Program, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India); Munshi, P. [Nuclear Engineering and Technology Program, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India)

2016-10-15

Highlights: • A representative RELAP5/SCDAPSIM model of AP1000 has been developed. • Core is modeled using SCDAP. • A SBO for the AP1000 has been simulated for high pressure (no depressurization) and low pressure (depressurization). • Significant differences in the damage progression have been observed for the two cases. • Results also reinforced the fact that surge line fails before vessel failure in case of high pressure scenario. - Abstract: Severe accidents like TMI-2, Chernobyl, Fukushima made it inevitable to analyze station blackout (SBO) for all the old as well as new designs although it is not a regulatory requirement in most of the countries. For such improbable accidents, a SBO for the AP1000 using RELAP5/SCDAPSIM has been simulated. Many improvements have been made in fuel damage progression models of SCDAP after the Fukushima accident which are now being tested for the new reactor designs. AP1000 is a 2-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) with all the emergency core cooling systems based on natural circulation. Its core design is very similar to 3-loop PWR with 157 fuel assemblies. The primary circuit pumps, pressurizer and steam generators (with necessary secondary side) are modeled using RELAP5. The core has been divided into 20 axial nodes and 6 radial rings; the corresponding six groups of assemblies have been modeled as six pipe components with proportionate flow area. Fuel assemblies are modeled using SCDAP fuel and control components. SCDAP has 2d-heat conduction and radiative heat transfer, oxidation and complete severe fuel damage progression models. The final input deck achieved all the steady state thermal hydraulic conditions comparable to the design control document of AP1000. To quantify the core behavior, under unavailability of all safety systems, various time profiles for SBO simulations @ high pressure and low pressure have been compared. This analysis has been performed for 102% (3468 MWt) of the rated core power. The

Properties of the particles emitted at mid-rapidity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lefort, T.; Cussol, D; Peter, J.; Bocage, F.; Bougault, R.; Brou, R.; Colin, J; Durand, D.; Genouin-Duhamel, E.; Gulminelli, F.; Lecolley, J.F.; Le Neindre, N.; Lopez, O.; Louvel, M.; Nguyen, A.D.; Steckmeyer, J. C.; Tamain, B.; Vient, E.

1997-01-01

Mid-rapidity emission studies allow the access at the very first instances of collision between two nuclei. Its study as a function of the energy of incident projectile permits to follow the evolution of the phenomena in the entrance channel from the lowest energies where these phenomena are essentially collective up to high energies where they are essentially governed by nucleon-nucleon collisions. The first method called the 'method E' consists in evaluating first the contribution of the quasi-projectile to the rapidity distribution and then to subtract it from the total spectrum to obtain the contribution from the mid-rapidity particles. For light particles the mid-rapidity emissions have a spectrum extended up to rapidities close to that of the quasi-projectile. This method under-estimates the contribution due to mid-rapidity. The second method called the 'method M' consists in determining directly the contribution from the mid-rapidity particles supposing that their rapidity spectrum is homothetic to the triton spectrum. This method over-estimates the contribution of mid-rapidity particles to the measure where the rapidity spectrum of the evaporated particles may extend up to Y nn , the rapidity of the nucleon-nucleon frame. The relative proportion of the particles coming from mid-rapidity emissions as a function of the experimental impact parameter and incident energy for the system Ar+Ni is shown. Also, results concerning the energy spectrum of light particles emitted at mid-rapidity as a function of the excitation energy of quasi-projectile are shown for the same system. Conclusions concerning the mid-rapidity emission are the following: the amount of particles depends essentially on the geometric overlap between the projectile and the target; these particles are issued out of a zone richer in neutrons than the total system; the energy per nucleon stored in this zone is independent of the violence of collision what indicates a production process essentially

Rapidity dependence of strangeness enhancement factor at FAIR energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, Kalyan; Bhattacharjee, B.

2014-01-01

Strange particles are produced only at the time of collisions and thus expected to carry important information of collision dynamics. Strangeness enhancement is considered to be one of the traditional signatures of formation of Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP). Due to the limitation of the detector acceptance, the past and ongoing heavy ion experiments could measure the strangeness enhancement at midrapidity only. But the future heavy ion experiment CBM at FAIR will have the access to the entire forward rapidity hemisphere and thus the experimental determination of rapidity dependent strangeness enhancement is a possibility. In this work, an attempt has therefore been made to study the rapidity dependent strangeness enhancement at FAIR energies with the help of a string based hadronic model (UrQMD). A sum of 93 million minimum biased UrQMD events have been used for the present analysis

Interactive Rapid Dose Assessment Model (IRDAM): user's guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poeton, R.W.; Moeller, M.P.; Laughlin, G.J.; Desrosiers, A.E.

1983-05-01

As part of the continuing emphasis on emergency preparedness the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) sponsored the development of a rapid dose assessment system by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). This system, the Interactive Rapid Dose Assessment Model (IRDAM) is a micro-computer based program for rapidly assessing the radiological impact of accidents at nuclear power plants. This User's Guide provides instruction in the setup and operation of the equipment necessary to run IRDAM. Instructions are also given on how to load the magnetic disks and access the interactive part of the program. Two other companion volumes to this one provide additional information on IRDAM. Reactor Accident Assessment Methods (NUREG/CR-3012, Volume 2) describes the technical bases for IRDAM including methods, models and assumptions used in calculations. Scenarios for Comparing Dose Assessment Models (NUREG/CR-3012, Volume 3) provides the results of calculations made by IRDAM and other models for specific accident scenarios

Pyrimidine dimers in Drosophila chromatin become increasingly accessible after irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, P.V.; Boyd, J.B.

1987-01-01

A prokaryotic DNA-repair enzyme has been utilized as a probe for changes in the accessibility of pyrimidine dimers in Drosophila chromatin following UV irradiation. The results demonstrate a rapid cellular response to physiologically relevant doses of radiation which results in at least a 40% increase in accessible dimers. This increase occurs in two incision-deficient mutants which indicates that the excision-repair process, at or beyond the incision step, is not required or responsible for the increase. In the absence of excision the increase in accessibility persists for a least 2 days following irradiation. The observed increase in accessibility is inhibited by both novobiocin and coumermycin. These inhibitors do not inhibit the initial rate of incision, but do reduce dimer excision measured over more extended periods. A pre-incision process is proposed which actively exposes DNA lesions to excision repair. A fraction of the genome is postulated to be accessible without the intervention of that process. (Auth.)

Power Outage - 16 October

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

At 19:03 last night, a fire in an 18kV circuit breaker in building 212 led to a blackout on the Meyrin site. The CERN fire brigade rapidly brought the fire under control and power was restored by 22:25. Many CERN systems were affected and have been brought back in to service overnight, this work will continue through the day.

49 CFR 37.79 - Purchase or lease of new rail vehicles by public entities operating rapid or light rail systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... entities operating rapid or light rail systems. 37.79 Section 37.79 Transportation Office of the Secretary... operating rapid or light rail systems. Each public entity operating a rapid or light rail system making a... system shall ensure that the vehicle is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities...

Mobile authentication and access: any time, any place, any device?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Williams

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The move from IP-based authentication to that of federated access has seen the sector support single sign-on to web-based resources, but the simplified user experience is at risk due to the rapid growth of mobile platforms and increasing variety of accompanying access methods for such devices. The user authentication experience on mobile devices is often further complicated by the poor discovery and delivery design of websites. While the introduction of tools such as Raptor permit accurate tracking of usage statistics via the UK Access Management Federation, the variety of mobile authentication methods such as native apps on devices and device paring pose additional challenges to librarians trying to gather a complete picture of resource use within their institution. In this article we examine the access challenges posed by the explosion of mobile device use.

Low-cost access to development and manufacturing of photonic integrated circuits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, M.K.

2014-01-01

Generic photonic integration technology is rapidly gaining popularity. It applies the methodology that is so successful in microelectronics (CMOS technology) to the domain of photonics: providing lowcost access to highly standardized high-performance processes that support integration in a single

Rapid synthesis of polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol analogs via dearomative conjunctive allylic annulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Grenning, Alexander J; Boyce, Jonathan H; Porco, John A

2014-08-20

Polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) are structurally complex natural products with promising biological activities. Herein, we present a biosynthesis-inspired, diversity-oriented synthesis approach for rapid construction of PPAP analogs via double decarboxylative allylation (DcA) of acylphloroglucinol scaffolds to access allyl-desoxyhumulones followed by dearomative conjunctive allylic alkylation (DCAA).

Using Motion Planning to Determine the Existence of an Accessible Route in a CAD Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Xiaoshan; Han, Charles S.; Law, Kincho H.

2010-01-01

We describe an algorithm based on motion-planning techniques to determine the existence of an accessible route through a facility for a wheeled mobility device. The algorithm is based on LaValle's work on rapidly exploring random trees and is enhanced to take into consideration the particularities of the accessible route domain. Specifically, the…

Benthic data from rapid assessment transects, 2001-2004, in the Hawaiian Islands (NODC Accession 0002464)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset consists of CRAMP Rapid Assessment Transect surveys taken in 2001-2004 and includes quantitative estimates of substrate type and species. The types and...

Future Trends in Vascular Access Creation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shenoy, Surendra

2017-01-01

Delivery of a prescribed dialysis dose, which is critical for longevity on hemodialysis, is directly dependent on vascular access (VA). However, VA is fraught with high failure rates and has room for innovation. Arteriovenous fistula (AVF), considered the 'best choice', has a high 'failure to mature' rate. Arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) are considered when patients are poor candidates for or have failed AVF, but have a high incidence of infections and thrombosis. Due to associated morbidity and mortality from complications, central venous catheters are considered only as 'bridging short-term access' when there is an urgent need for dialysis. The observation from current data that there is a significant center effect in the rate of AVF maturation supports investigation to identify factors that contribute to success in high-performing centers that create AVF and establish 'best practice' approaches to improve outcomes. Biocompatible AVG constructs that promote rapid tissue incorporation withstand needle punctures due to better integrity and can improve current AVG outcomes. Stenosis in the 'access circuit' is a major cause for short- and long-term permanent access failure. While the pathology of stenosis development is well understood, factors responsible for this problem are poorly studied. Increased flow in the access circuit likely plays a major role in the development of such stenosis. Investigation into understanding the hemodynamics of this flow may help identify etiology and stenosis sites perhaps even prior to the event, thus providing potential targets to mitigate the stenotic response. In summary, this chapter reflects on the shortcomings of current access modalities and discusses potential avenues to improve VA outcomes in the future. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

An investigation of an open-access model for scaling up methadone maintenance treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Madden, Lynn M; Farnum, Scott O; Eggert, Kathryn F; Quanbeck, Andrew R; Freeman, Robert M; Ball, Samuel A; Schottenfeld, Richard S; Shi, Julia M; Savage, Mary Ellen; Barry, Declan T

2018-02-17

To examine retrospectively patient and programmatic outcomes following the development and implementation of an 'open-access' model in which prospective patients were enrolled rapidly in methadone maintenance treatment, irrespective of ability to pay, and provided real-time access to multiple voluntary treatment options. Medical and administrative records were abstracted to compare data for 1 year before and 9 years after initiating the implementation of an open-access treatment model in May 2007. Methadone maintenance treatment center in Connecticut, USA. Individuals with opioid use disorder entering treatment between July 2006 and June 2015. In June 2015, 64% (n = 2594) of the sample were men and 80% (n = 3133) reported that they were white. The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment-informed open-access treatment model uses process improvement strategies to improve treatment access and capacity. Census, waiting time, retention, non-medical opioid use, patient mortality and financial sustainability (net income and state-block grants as proportions of revenue). In the 9 years following the initial implementation of the open-access model, patient census increased by 183% from 1431 to 4051, and average waiting-time days decreased from 21 to 0.3 (same day) without apparent deleterious effects on rates of retention, non-medical opioid use or mortality. Between fiscal years (FY) 06 and FY 15, net operating margin rose from 2 to 10%, while state-block grant revenues declined 14% and the proportion of total revenue from state-block grant revenue decreased from 49 to 24%. An open-access model for rapid enrolment of people with opioid use disorder in methadone treatment appears to improve treatment access, capacity, and financial sustainability without evidence of deleterious effects on treatment outcomes. © 2018 Society for the Study of Addiction.

A Global Comparative Evaluation of Commercial Immunochromatographic Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Visceral Leishmaniasis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cunningham, Jane; Hasker, Epco; Das, Pradeep; El Safi, Sayda; Goto, Hiro; Mondal, Dinesh; Mbuchi, Margaret; Mukhtar, Maowia; Rabello, Ana; Rijal, Suman; Sundar, Shyam; Wasunna, Monique; Adams, Emily; Menten, Joris; Peeling, Rosanna; Boelaert, Marleen; Khanal, Basudha; Das, Murari; Oliveira, Edward; de Assis, Tália Machado; Costa, Dorcas Lamounier; Bhaskar, Khondaker Rifathassan; Huda, M. Mamun; Hassan, Mukidul; Abdoun, Asim Osman; Awad, Aymen; Osman, Mohamed; Prajapati, Dinesh Kumar; Gidwani, Kamlesh; Tiwary, Puja; Paniago, Anamaria Mello Miranda; Sanchez, Maria Carmen Arroyo; Celeste, Beatriz Julieta; Jacquet, Diane; Magiri, Charles; Muia, A.; Kesusu, J.; Ageed, Al Farazdag; Galal, Nuha; Osman, Osman Salih; Gupta, A. K.; Bimal, Afrad S.; Das, V. N. R.

2012-01-01

Background. Poor access to diagnosis stymies control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Antibody-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) can be performed in peripheral health settings. However, there are many brands available and published reports of variable accuracy. Methods. Commercial VL RDTs

Sci-Hub provides access to nearly all scholarly literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Himmelstein, Daniel S; Romero, Ariel Rodriguez; Levernier, Jacob G; Munro, Thomas Anthony; McLaughlin, Stephen Reid; Greshake Tzovaras, Bastian; Greene, Casey S

2018-03-01

The website Sci-Hub enables users to download PDF versions of scholarly articles, including many articles that are paywalled at their journal's site. Sci-Hub has grown rapidly since its creation in 2011, but the extent of its coverage has been unclear. Here we report that, as of March 2017, Sci-Hub's database contains 68.9% of the 81.6 million scholarly articles registered with Crossref and 85.1% of articles published in toll access journals. We find that coverage varies by discipline and publisher, and that Sci-Hub preferentially covers popular, paywalled content. For toll access articles, we find that Sci-Hub provides greater coverage than the University of Pennsylvania, a major research university in the United States. Green open access to toll access articles via licit services, on the other hand, remains quite limited. Our interactive browser at https://greenelab.github.io/scihub allows users to explore these findings in more detail. For the first time, nearly all scholarly literature is available gratis to anyone with an Internet connection, suggesting the toll access business model may become unsustainable. © 2018, Himmelstein et al.

Assessment of a potential rapid condensation induced water hammer in a passive auxiliary feedwater system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jo, Jong Chull; Shin, Byung Soo; Do, Kyu Sik [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Moody, Frederick J. [General Electric (Retired), CA (United States)

2012-10-15

A passive auxiliary feedwater system (PAFS) which is incorporated in the APR+ system is a kind of closed natural circulation loop. The PAFS has no operating functions during normal plant operation, but it has a dedicated safety function of the residual heat removal following initiating events, including the unlikely event of the most limiting single failure occurring coincident with a loss of offsite power, when the feedwater system becomes inoperable or unavailable. Even in the unlikely event of a station blackout, the isolation valves can be opened either by DC power or manual operation and then the PAFS can also provide adequate condensate to the steam generator (SG). The PAFS piping in the vicinity of each of the two SGs is designed to minimize the potential for destructive water hammer during start up operation by setting the stroke time for full close or full open of the condensate isolation valves upon receipt of a passive auxiliary feedwater actuation signal. The temperature of the stagnant condensate water and its surrounding tubes and piping during the reactor normal operation modes may fall to the ambient temperature. A possible concern is the introduction of saturated steam into the PAFS recirculation pipe downstream of the PCHX in the beginning of the PAFS operation. Although the steam introduction rate is expected to be slow, a rapid condensation rate is expected due to the initial cold surrounding temperature in the pipe, which could result in a localized pressure reduction and the propagation of decompression and velocity disturbances into the condensate water leg, which might cause the sudden closure of check valves and associated water hammer. Thus, it is requisite for the licensing review of the PAFS design to confirm if destructive water hammers will not be produced due to such rapid condensation induced decompressions in the system. This paper addresses an assessment of the potential local decompressions which could result from the steam

Area-Based Partnerships in Rural Poland: The Post-Accession Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Furmankiewicz, Marek; Thompson, Nicola; Zielinska, Marta

2010-01-01

The paper examines the characteristics of area-based partnerships in rural Poland. It is based on the study of partnerships created after the accession to the European Union in 2004. Partnership structures have been rapidly adopted in rural Poland due to opportunities provided by the LEADER+ Pilot Programme. However, the research showed that…

Rapid prototyping model for percutaneous nephrolithotomy training.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruyère, Franck; Leroux, Cecile; Brunereau, Laurent; Lermusiaux, Patrick

2008-01-01

Rapid prototyping is a technique used for creating computer images in three dimensions more efficiently than classic techniques. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a popular method to remove kidney stones; however, broader use by the urologic community has been hampered by the morbidity associated with needle puncture to gain access to the renal calix (bleeding, pneumothorax, hydrothorax, inadvertent colon injury). A training model to improve technique and understanding of renal anatomy could improve complications related to renal puncture; however, no model currently exists for resident training. We created a training model using the rapid prototyping technique based on abdominal CT images of a patient scheduled to undergo PCNL. This allowed our staff and residents to train on the model before performing the operation. This model allowed anticipation of particular difficulties inherent to the patient's anatomy. After training, the procedure proceeded without complication, and the patient was discharged at postoperative day 1 without problems. We hypothesize that rapid prototyping could be useful for resident education, allowing the creation of numerous models for research and surgical training. In addition, we anticipate that experienced urologists could find this technique helpful in preparation for difficult PCNL operations.

An application-layer based centralized information access control for VPN

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

OUYANG Kai; ZHOU Jing-li; XIA Tao; YU Sheng-sheng

2006-01-01

With the rapid development of Virtual Private Network (VPN), many companies and organizations use VPN to implement their private communication. Traditionally, VPN uses security protocols to protect the confidentiality of data, the message integrity and the endpoint authentication. One core technique of VPN is tunneling, by which clients can access the internal servers traversing VPN. However, the tunneling technique also introduces a concealed security hole. It is possible that ifone vicious user can establish tunneling by the VPN server, he can compromise the internal servers behind the VPN server. So this paper presents a novel Application-layer based Centralized Information Access Control (ACIAC) for VPN to solve this problem.To implement an efficient, flexible and multi-decision access control model, we present two key techniques to ACIAC-the centralized management mechanism and the stream-based access control. Firstly, we implement the information center and the constraints/events center for ACIAC. By the two centers, we can provide an abstract access control mechanism, and the material access control can be decided dynamically by the ACIAC's constraint/event mechanism. Then we logically classify the VPN communication traffic into the access stream and the data stream so that we can tightly couple the features of VPN communication with the access control model. We also provide the design of our ACIAC prototype in this paper.

Rapid assessment of disability in the Philippines: understanding prevalence, well-being, and access to the community for people with disabilities to inform the W-DARE project.

Science.gov (United States)

Marella, Manjula; Devine, Alexandra; Armecin, Graeme Ferdinand; Zayas, Jerome; Marco, Ma Jesusa; Vaughan, Cathy

2016-01-01

International recognition that people with disabilities were excluded from the Millennium Development Goals has led to better inclusion of people with disabilities in the recently agreed Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) 2015-2030. Given the current global agenda for disability inclusion, it is crucial to increase the understanding of the situation of people with disabilities in the Philippines. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of disability and compare the well-being and access to the community between people with and without disabilities. A population-based survey was undertaken in District 2 of Quezon City and in Ligao City. 60 clusters of 50 people aged 18 years and older were selected with probability proportion to size sampling from both locations. The Rapid Assessment of Disability (RAD) survey was used to identify people with disabilities based on their responses to activity limitations. The levels of well-being and access to the community for people with disabilities were compared with controls matched by age, gender, and cluster. Information on barriers to accessing the community was also collected. The prevalence of disability was 6.8 (95 % CI: 5.9, 7.9) and 13.6 % (95 % CI: 11.4, 16.2) in Quezon City and Ligao City respectively. Psychological distress was the most commonly reported condition in both locations, although it was often reported with a co-morbid condition related to sensory, physical, cognitive, and communication difficulties. The prevalence of disability was associated with age and no schooling, but not associated with poverty. People with disabilities had significantly lower well-being scores and reduced access to health services, work, rehabilitation, education, government social welfare, and disaster management than people without disability. Having a disability and negative family attitudes were reported as barriers for people with disabilities participating in work, community meetings, religious

Development of Early Warning Methods for Electric Power Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jóhannsson, Hjörtur

This thesis concerns the development of methods that can provide, in realtime, an early warning for an emerging blackout in electric power systems. The blackout in E-Denmark and S-Sweden on September 23, 2003 is the main motivation for the method development. The blackout was caused by occurrence...

Open access to scientific articles: a review of benefits and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Björk, Bo-Christer

2017-03-01

The Internet has fundamentally changed the publishing of scholarly peer reviewed journals, and the way readers find and access articles. Digital access is nowadays the norm, in particular for researchers. The Internet has enabled a totally new business model, Open Access (OA), in which an article is openly available in full text for anyone with Internet access. This article reviews the different options to achieve this, whether by journals changing their revenue structures from subscription to publishing charges, or authors utilizing a number of options for posting OA versions of article manuscripts in repositories. It also discusses the regrettable emergence of "predatory" publishers, who spam academics, and make money by promising them rapid publication with only the semblance of peer review. The situation is further discussed from the viewpoints of different stakeholders, including academics as authors and readers, practicing physicians and the general public.

Rapid learning: a breakthrough agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Etheredge, Lynn M

2014-07-01

A "rapid-learning health system" was proposed in a 2007 thematic issue of Health Affairs. The system was envisioned as one that uses evidence-based medicine to quickly determine the best possible treatments for patients. It does so by drawing on electronic health records and the power of big data to access large volumes of information from a variety of sources at high speed. The foundation for a rapid-learning health system was laid during 2007-13 by workshops, policy papers, large public investments in databases and research programs, and developing learning systems. Challenges now include implementing a new clinical research system with several hundred million patients, modernizing clinical trials and registries, devising and funding research on national priorities, and analyzing genetic and other factors that influence diseases and responses to treatment. Next steps also should aim to improve comparative effectiveness research; build on investments in health information technology to standardize handling of genetic information and support information exchange through apps and software modules; and develop new tools, data, and information for clinical decision support. Further advances will require commitment, leadership, and public-private and global collaboration. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Barriers and facilitators to intraosseous access in adult resuscitations when peripheral intravenous access is not achievable.

Science.gov (United States)

James Cheung, Warren; Rosenberg, Hans; Vaillancourt, Christian

2014-03-01

Studies suggest that intraosseous (IO) access is underutilized in adult resuscitations, despite recommendations from advanced trauma and cardiac life support guidelines. The objective was to determine factors associated with IO access use by physicians during adult resuscitations when intravenous (IV) access is not immediately achievable. This study was an online survey among physicians purposefully recruited from various clinical care areas at three teaching hospitals. Questions were generated from the qualitative results of 20 iterative interviews, verified for internal validity, and piloted. The interview guide was based on the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which elicits salient attitudes, social influences, and control beliefs that potentially influence intention to use IO access. Recruitment took place in September 2012 until reaching more than 100% of the required sample size (n = 200). Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha, and the effect of TPB constructs and specific beliefs were assessed with regression analyses. For the 205 respondents, the mean age was 35 years (range = 20 to 66 years), and 53.3% were male. Participants' departmental affiliations were 50.3% emergency medicine (EM), 16.9% internal medicine, 14.9% anesthesia, 10.8% general surgery, and 7.2% critical care. Residents comprised 60.7% of the sample, and 39.3% were attending physicians. Median intention to use IO access when IV is not immediately achievable was 4.67 (interquartile range [IQR] = 4 to 5) out of 5 (5 highest) and predicted by the following TPB constructs: attitudes (AdjCoefficients = 0.504; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.334 to 0.673), social influences (AdjCoefficients = 0.285; 95% CI = 0.172 to 0.398), and control beliefs (AdjCoefficients 0.217; 95% CI = 0.113 to 0.320). Physicians were more likely to use IO access if they believed that it provided rapid vascular access for delivering large volumes of fluids, could prevent delays in

An end-to-end secure patient information access card system.

Science.gov (United States)

Alkhateeb, A; Singer, H; Yakami, M; Takahashi, T

2000-03-01

The rapid development of the Internet and the increasing interest in Internet-based solutions has promoted the idea of creating Internet-based health information applications. This will force a change in the role of IC cards in healthcare card systems from a data carrier to an access key medium. At the Medical Informatics Department of Kyoto University Hospital we are developing a smart card patient information project where patient databases are accessed via the Internet. Strong end-to-end data encryption is performed via Secure Socket Layers, transparent to transmit patient information. The smart card is playing the crucial role of access key to the database: user authentication is performed internally without ever revealing the actual key. For easy acceptance by healthcare professionals, the user interface is integrated as a plug-in for two familiar Web browsers, Netscape Navigator and MS Internet Explorer.

A novel IPTV program multiplex access system to EPON

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xian; Liu, Deming; He, Wei; Lu, Xi

2007-11-01

With the rapid development of high speed networks, such as Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON), traffic patterns in access networks have evolved from traditional text-oriented service to the mixed text-, voice- and video- based services, leading to so called "Triple Play". For supporting IPTV service in EPON access network infrastructure, in this article we propose a novel IPTV program multiplex access system to EPON, which enables multiple IPTV program source servers to seamlessly access to IPTV service access port of optical line terminal (OLT) in EPON. There are two multiplex schemes, namely static multiplex scheme and dynamic multiplex scheme, in implementing the program multiplexing. Static multiplex scheme is to multiplex all the IPTV programs and forward them to the OLT, regardless of the need of end-users. While dynamic multiplex scheme can dynamically multiplex and forward IPTV programs according to what the end-users actually demand and those watched by no end-user would not be multiplexed. By comparing these two schemes, a reduced traffic of EPON can be achieved by using dynamic multiplex scheme, especially when most end-users are watching the same few IPTV programs. Both schemes are implemented in our system, with their hardware and software designs described.

Marginalized Student Access to Technology Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtcu, Wanda M.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a teacher can disrupt an established curriculum that continues the cycle of inequity of access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum by students in alternative education. For this paper, I will focus on the technology components of the STEM curriculum. Technology in the United States, if not the world economy, is developing at a rapid pace. Many areas of day to day living, from applying for a job to checking one's bank account online, involve a component of science and technology. The 'gap' in technology education is emphasized between the 'haves and have-nots', which is delineated along socio-economic lines. Marginalized students in alternative education programs use this equipment for little else than remedial programs and credit recovery. This level of inequity further widens in alternative education programs and affects the achievement of marginalized students in credit recovery or alternative education classes instead of participation technology classes. For the purposes of this paper I focus on how can I decrease the inequity of student access to 21st century technology education in an alternative education program by addressing the established curriculum of the program and modifying structural barriers of marginalized student access to a technology focused curriculum.

Emergency diesel generator reliability program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serkiz, A.W.

1989-01-01

The need for an emergency diesel generator (EDG) reliability program has been established by 10 CFR Part 50, Section 50.63, Loss of All Alternating Current Power, which requires that utilities assess their station blackout duration and recovery capability. EDGs are the principal emergency ac power sources for coping with a station blackout. Regulatory Guide 1.155, Station Blackout, identifies a need for (1) an EDG reliability equal to or greater than 0.95, and (2) an EDG reliability program to monitor and maintain the required levels. The resolution of Generic Safety Issue (GSI) B-56 embodies the identification of a suitable EDG reliability program structure, revision of pertinent regulatory guides and Tech Specs, and development of an Inspection Module. Resolution of B-56 is coupled to the resolution of Unresolved Safety Issue (USI) A-44, Station Blackout, which resulted in the station blackout rule, 10 CFR 50.63 and Regulatory Guide 1.155, Station Blackout. This paper discusses the principal elements of an EDG reliability program developed for resolving GSI B-56 and related matters

An examination of within-session responding following access to reinforcing stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Rispoli, Mandy; O'Reilly, Mark; Lang, Russell; Machalicek, Wendy; Kang, Soyeon; Davis, Tonya; Neely, Leslie

2016-01-01

Previous research has shown tangibly maintained challenging behavior can be temporarily decreased by providing presession access to the relevant tangible. However, the duration of this beneficial effect is unknown. We measured the subsequent duration of behavior reduction effects following presession access during extended classroom observation sessions by analyzing within-session patterns of responding in three children with autism. An alternating treatments design was used to analyze within- and across-session responding following presession access and presession restriction conditions. The cumulative frequency of challenging behavior was higher following the presession restriction condition for all participants and lower following presession access. Within-session analysis revealed the same basic pattern of responding across participants. Specifically, the first half of the sessions contained very little, if any, challenging behavior; however, after 60 min, the rate of challenging behavior began to increase rapidly for two of the three participants. Results are discussed in terms of implications for practitioners, satiation, habituation, and behavioral contrast. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food (In)Security in Rapidly Urbanising, Low-Income Contexts

OpenAIRE

Cecilia Tacoli

2017-01-01

Urbanisation in low and middle-income nations presents both opportunities and immense challenges. As urban centres grow rapidly, inadequate housing and the lack of basic infrastructure and services affect a large and growing proportion of their population. There is also a growing body of evidence on urban poverty and its links with environmental hazards. There is, however, limited knowledge of how these challenges affect the ways in which poor urban residents gain access to food and secure he...

A STRONGLY COUPLED REACTOR CORE ISOLATION COOLING SYSTEM MODEL FOR EXTENDED STATION BLACK-OUT ANALYSES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Haihua [Idaho National Laboratory; Zhang, Hongbin [Idaho National Laboratory; Zou, Ling [Idaho National Laboratory; Martineau, Richard Charles [Idaho National Laboratory

2015-03-01

The reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) system in a boiling water reactor (BWR) provides makeup cooling water to the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) when the main steam lines are isolated and the normal supply of water to the reactor vessel is lost. The RCIC system operates independently of AC power, service air, or external cooling water systems. The only required external energy source is from the battery to maintain the logic circuits to control the opening and/or closure of valves in the RCIC systems in order to control the RPV water level by shutting down the RCIC pump to avoid overfilling the RPV and flooding the steam line to the RCIC turbine. It is generally considered in almost all the existing station black-out accidents (SBO) analyses that loss of the DC power would result in overfilling the steam line and allowing liquid water to flow into the RCIC turbine, where it is assumed that the turbine would then be disabled. This behavior, however, was not observed in the Fukushima Daiichi accidents, where the Unit 2 RCIC functioned without DC power for nearly three days. Therefore, more detailed mechanistic models for RCIC system components are needed to understand the extended SBO for BWRs. As part of the effort to develop the next generation reactor system safety analysis code RELAP-7, we have developed a strongly coupled RCIC system model, which consists of a turbine model, a pump model, a check valve model, a wet well model, and their coupling models. Unlike the traditional SBO simulations where mass flow rates are typically given in the input file through time dependent functions, the real mass flow rates through the turbine and the pump loops in our model are dynamically calculated according to conservation laws and turbine/pump operation curves. A simplified SBO demonstration RELAP-7 model with this RCIC model has been successfully developed. The demonstration model includes the major components for the primary system of a BWR, as well as the safety

Eight new genomes and synthetic controls increase the accessibility of rapid melt-MAMA SNP typing of Coxiella burnetii.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edvin Karlsson

Full Text Available The case rate of Q fever in Europe has increased dramatically in recent years, mainly because of an epidemic in the Netherlands in 2009. Consequently, there is a need for more extensive genetic characterization of the disease agent Coxiella burnetii in order to better understand the epidemiology and spread of this disease. Genome reference data are essential for this purpose, but only thirteen genome sequences are currently available. Current methods for typing C. burnetii are criticized for having problems in comparing results across laboratories, require the use of genomic control DNA, and/or rely on markers in highly variable regions. We developed in this work a method for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP typing of C. burnetii isolates and tissue samples based on new assays targeting ten phylogenetically stable synonymous canonical SNPs (canSNPs. These canSNPs represent previously known phylogenetic branches and were here identified from sequence comparisons of twenty-one C. burnetii genomes, eight of which were sequenced in this work. Importantly, synthetic control templates were developed, to make the method useful to laboratories lacking genomic control DNA. An analysis of twenty-one C. burnetii genomes confirmed that the species exhibits high sequence identity. Most of its SNPs (7,493/7,559 shared by >1 genome follow a clonal inheritance pattern and are therefore stable phylogenetic typing markers. The assays were validated using twenty-six genetically diverse C. burnetii isolates and three tissue samples from small ruminants infected during the epidemic in the Netherlands. Each sample was assigned to a clade. Synthetic controls (vector and PCR amplified gave identical results compared to the corresponding genomic controls and are viable alternatives to genomic DNA. The results from the described method indicate that it could be useful for cheap and rapid disease source tracking at non-specialized laboratories, which requires accurate

Understanding the response of commercial and institutional organizations to the California energy crisis. A report to the California Energy Commission - Sylvia Bender, Project Manager

OpenAIRE

Lutzenhiser, Loren; Janda, Kathryn; Kunkle, Rick; Payne, Christopher

2002-01-01

Beginning in the summer of 2000, California experienced serious energy supply problems, sharp increases in wholesale (and retail) electricity and natural gas prices, and isolated blackouts. In response to the rapidly worsening electricity situation in California in late 2000, the state set, as an initial goal, the reduction of the state's peak demand for the summer of 2001 by 5,000 megawatts. To meet this goal, the governor and legislature took a variety of steps to enhance supply, enco...

Evaluation of ultrasound-guided vascular access in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamberlin, Scott C; Sullivan, Lauren A; Morley, Paul S; Boscan, Pedro

2013-01-01

To describe the technique and determine the feasibility, success rate, perceived difficulty, and time to vascular access using ultrasound guidance for jugular vein catheterization in a cardiac arrest dog model. Prospective descriptive study. University teaching hospital. Nine Walker hounds. A total of 27 jugular catheterizations were performed postcardiac arrest using ultrasound guidance. Catheterizations were recorded based on the order in which they were performed and presence/absence of a hematoma around the vein. Time (minutes) until successful vascular access and perceived difficulty in achieving vascular access (scale of 1 = easy to 10 = difficult) were recorded for each catheterization. Mean time to vascular access was 1.9 minutes (95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.4 min) for catheterizations without hematoma, versus 4.3 minutes (1.8-10.1 min) for catheterizations with hematoma (P = 0.1). Median perceived difficulty was 2 of 10 (range 1-7) for catheterizations without hematoma, versus 2 of 10 (range 1-8) for catheterizations with hematoma (P = 0.3). A learning curve was evaluated by comparing mean time to vascular access and perceived difficulty in initial versus subsequent catheterizations. Mean time to vascular access was 2.5 minutes (1.0-6.4 min) in the initial 13 catheterizations versus 3.3 minutes (1.5-7.5 min) in the subsequent 14 catheterizations (P = 0.6). Median perceived difficulty in the first 13 catheterizations (3, range 1-8) was significantly greater (P = 0.049) than median perceived difficulty in the subsequent 14 catheterizations (2, range 1-6). Ultrasound-guided jugular catheterization is associated with a learning curve but is successful in obtaining rapid vascular access in dogs. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm the utility of this technique in a clinical setting. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2013.

Frequent inaccuracies in ABCD(2) scoring in non-stroke specialists' referrals to a daily Rapid Access Stroke Prevention service.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bradley, David

2013-09-15

The \\'accuracy\\' of age, blood pressure, clinical features, duration and diabetes (ABCD(2)) scoring by non-stroke specialists referring patients to a daily Rapid Access Stroke Prevention (RASP) service is unclear, as is the accuracy of ABCD(2) scoring by trainee residents. In this prospective study, referrals were classified as \\'confirmed TIAs\\' if the stroke specialist confirmed a clinical diagnosis of possible, probable or definite TIA, and \\'non-TIAs\\' if patients had a TIA mimic or completed stroke. ABCD(2) scores from referring physicians were compared with scores by experienced stroke specialists and neurology\\/geriatric medicine residents at a daily RASP clinic; inter-observer agreement was examined. Data from 101 referrals were analysed (mean age=60.0years, 58% male). The median interval between referral and clinic assessment was 1day. Of 101 referrals, 52 (52%) were \\'non-TIAs\\': 45 (86%) of 52 were \\'TIA mimics\\' and 7 (14%) of 52 were completed strokes. There was only \\'fair\\' agreement in total ABCD(2) scoring between referring physicians and stroke specialists (κ=0.37). Agreement was \\'excellent\\' between residents and stroke specialists (κ=0.91). Twenty of 29 patients scored as \\'moderate to high risk\\' (score 4-6) by stroke specialists were scored \\'low risk\\' (score 0-3) by referring physicians. ABCD(2) scoring by referring doctors is frequently inaccurate, with a tendency to underestimate stroke risk. These findings emphasise the importance of urgent specialist assessment of suspected TIA patients, and that ABCD(2) scores by non-stroke specialists cannot be relied upon in isolation to risk-stratify patients. Inter-observer agreement in ABCD(2) scoring was \\'excellent\\' between residents and stroke specialists, indicating short-term training may improve accuracy.

Reasoning with alternative explanations in physics: The cognitive accessibility rule

Science.gov (United States)

Heckler, Andrew F.; Bogdan, Abigail M.

2018-06-01

A critical component of scientific reasoning is the consideration of alternative explanations. Recognizing that decades of cognitive psychology research have demonstrated that relative cognitive accessibility, or "what comes to mind," strongly affects how people reason in a given context, we articulate a simple "cognitive accessibility rule", namely that alternative explanations are considered less frequently when an explanation with relatively high accessibility is offered first. In a series of four experiments, we test the cognitive accessibility rule in the context of consideration of alternative explanations for six physical scenarios commonly found in introductory physics curricula. First, we administer free recall and recognition tasks to operationally establish and distinguish between the relative accessibility and availability of common explanations for the physical scenarios. Then, we offer either high or low accessibility explanations for the physical scenarios and determine the extent to which students consider alternatives to the given explanations. We find two main results consistent across algebra- and calculus-based university level introductory physics students for multiple answer formats. First, we find evidence that, at least for some contexts, most explanatory factors are cognitively available to students but not cognitively accessible. Second, we empirically verify the cognitive accessibility rule and demonstrate that the rule is strongly predictive, accounting for up to 70% of the variance of the average student consideration of alternative explanations across scenarios. Overall, we find that cognitive accessibility can help to explain biases in the consideration of alternatives in reasoning about simple physical scenarios, and these findings lend support to the growing number of science education studies demonstrating that tasks relevant to science education curricula often involve rapid, automatic, and potentially predictable processes and

Rapid Prototyping Modules for Remote Engineering Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karsten Henke

2008-07-01

Full Text Available This contribution describes the concept and implementation for an integration of microcontroller and FPGA based Rapid Prototyping modules into a Remote Lab system. This implementation enables a Web-based access to electro-mechanical models. A student uploads a source file implementation to the Remote Lab server in order to test an implementation directly within a hardware environment. The Remote Lab server offers the interfaces to integrate specific project and hardware plug-ins. These plug-ins access a hardware specific software environment to automatically compile and program the resulting firmware. To stimulate this design, the Remote Lab server exchanges digital signals via a serial interface. To allow the student to compare architectures of different designs using the same hardware model, a specific controller (using the Remote Lab interface can be selected. For this, an IP-based multiplexer provides the control connection between the respective controller and the hardware model. In our contribution we would like to give examples of such a complex design task and how the students can use different tools during several design steps.

Transportation Accessibility and Location Choice of Japanese-Funded Electronic Information Manufacturing Firms in Shanghai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haining Jiang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of globalization, information communication and transportation, it is argued that the effect of transportation accessibility in the location choice of manufacturing firms has diminished. However, comprehensive and systematic research on the impact of transportation accessibility on firm location choice in cities remains scarce. Taking Shanghai as the research area, this paper uses a catalog of Japanese-funded electronic information manufacturing firms to explore the influence of transportation accessibility on their location choice. The paper first describes firm distribution using the nuclear density estimation method. The Poisson regression model is then used to estimate the significance of transportation accessibility in influencing firm location. The empirical results show that most of the firms are concentrated in the inner suburbs of Shanghai, with only a small number in the outer suburban areas. The spatial coupling relationship between firm distribution and transportation accessibility is significant. These firms tend to choose areas with good accessibility to transportation infrastructure, and, in particular, the effect of airport accessibility is significant. Compared with the joint venture enterprises, wholly-owned Japanese enterprises are more inclined to be in areas with better transportation accessibility.

An uncertainty analysis of the hydrogen source term for a station blackout accident in Sequoyah using MELCOR 1.8.5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gauntt, Randall O.; Bixler, Nathan E.; Wagner, Kenneth Charles.

2014-03-01

A methodology for using the MELCOR code with the Latin Hypercube Sampling method was developed to estimate uncertainty in various predicted quantities such as hydrogen generation or release of fission products under severe accident conditions. In this case, the emphasis was on estimating the range of hydrogen sources in station blackout conditions in the Sequoyah Ice Condenser plant, taking into account uncertainties in the modeled physics known to affect hydrogen generation. The method uses user-specified likelihood distributions for uncertain model parameters, which may include uncertainties of a stochastic nature, to produce a collection of code calculations, or realizations, characterizing the range of possible outcomes. Forty MELCOR code realizations of Sequoyah were conducted that included 10 uncertain parameters, producing a range of in-vessel hydrogen quantities. The range of total hydrogen produced was approximately 583kg 131kg. Sensitivity analyses revealed expected trends with respected to the parameters of greatest importance, however, considerable scatter in results when plotted against any of the uncertain parameters was observed, with no parameter manifesting dominant effects on hydrogen generation. It is concluded that, with respect to the physics parameters investigated, in order to further reduce predicted hydrogen uncertainty, it would be necessary to reduce all physics parameter uncertainties similarly, bearing in mind that some parameters are inherently uncertain within a range. It is suspected that some residual uncertainty associated with modeling complex, coupled and synergistic phenomena, is an inherent aspect of complex systems and cannot be reduced to point value estimates. The probabilistic analyses such as the one demonstrated in this work are important to properly characterize response of complex systems such as severe accident progression in nuclear power plants.

The safety assessment of OPR-1000 nuclear power plant for station blackout accident applying the combined deterministic and probabilistic procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Dong Gu, E-mail: littlewing@kins.re.kr [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, 62 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-338 (Korea, Republic of); Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Soon Heung [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-15

Highlights: • The combined deterministic and probabilistic procedure (CDPP) was proposed for safety assessment of the BDBAs. • The safety assessment of OPR-1000 nuclear power plant for SBO accident is performed by applying the CDPP. • By estimating the offsite power restoration time appropriately, the SBO risk is reevaluated. • It is concluded that the CDPP is applicable to safety assessment of BDBAs without significant erosion of the safety margin. - Abstract: Station blackout (SBO) is a typical beyond design basis accident (BDBA) and significant contributor to overall plant risk. The risk analysis of SBO could be important basis of rulemaking, accident mitigation strategy, etc. Recently, studies on the integrated approach of deterministic and probabilistic method for nuclear safety in nuclear power plants have been done, and among them, the combined deterministic and probabilistic procedure (CDPP) was proposed for safety assessment of the BDBAs. In the CDPP, the conditional exceedance probability obtained by the best estimate plus uncertainty method acts as go-between deterministic and probabilistic safety assessments, resulting in more reliable values of core damage frequency and conditional core damage probability. In this study, the safety assessment of OPR-1000 nuclear power plant for SBO accident was performed by applying the CDPP. It was confirmed that the SBO risk should be reevaluated by eliminating excessive conservatism in existing probabilistic safety assessment to meet the targeted core damage frequency and conditional core damage probability. By estimating the offsite power restoration time appropriately, the SBO risk was reevaluated, and it was finally confirmed that current OPR-1000 system lies in the acceptable risk against the SBO. In addition, it is concluded that the CDPP is applicable to safety assessment of BDBAs in nuclear power plants without significant erosion of the safety margin.

Pacific Islands Coral Reef Ecosystems Division (CRED) Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) algae species lists (NODC Accession 0010352)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Quadrats were sampled along consecutively placed transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at sites in American Pacific Islands: CRED REA...

The welfare effects of restricting off-highway vehicle access to public lands

Science.gov (United States)

Paul M. Jakus; John E. Keith; Lu Liu; Dale Blahna

2010-01-01

Off-highway vehicle (OHV) use is a rapidly growing outdoor activity that results in a host of environmental and management problems. Federal agencies have been directed to develop travel management plans to improve recreation experiences, reduce social conflicts, and diminish environmental impacts of OHVs. We examine the effect of land access restrictions on the...

Integration of electric vehicles with optimum sized storage for grid connected photo-voltaic system

OpenAIRE

Sulabh Sachan

2017-01-01

The necessity of energy storage by means of battery/EV is exceedingly expected in event of energy blackouts. Different advantages incorporate sparing the cash in purchasing top time power and support the grid when grid power is deficit against the load demand. In this paper, ideal size of energy storage in a grid associated photovoltaic (PV) framework is proposed. The methodology of energy flow choice is produced with the appraisal on accessibility of PV yield control and the load demand. The...

Open-access databases as unprecedented resources and drivers of cultural change in fisheries science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McManamay, Ryan A [ORNL; Utz, Ryan [National Ecological Observatory Network

2014-01-01

Open-access databases with utility in fisheries science have grown exponentially in quantity and scope over the past decade, with profound impacts to our discipline. The management, distillation, and sharing of an exponentially growing stream of open-access data represents several fundamental challenges in fisheries science. Many of the currently available open-access resources may not be universally known among fisheries scientists. We therefore introduce many national- and global-scale open-access databases with applications in fisheries science and provide an example of how they can be harnessed to perform valuable analyses without additional field efforts. We also discuss how the development, maintenance, and utilization of open-access data are likely to pose technical, financial, and educational challenges to fisheries scientists. Such cultural implications that will coincide with the rapidly increasing availability of free data should compel the American Fisheries Society to actively address these problems now to help ease the forthcoming cultural transition.

A Rapid Prototyping Environment for Wireless Communication Embedded Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryan A. Jones

2003-05-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a rapid prototyping methodology which overcomes important barriers in the design and implementation of digital signal processing (DSP algorithms and systems on embedded hardware platforms, such as cellular phones. This paper describes rapid prototyping in terms of a simulation/prototype bridge and in terms of appropriate language design. The simulation/prototype bridge combines the strengths of simulation and of prototyping, allowing the designer to develop and evaluate next-generation communications systems, partly in simulation on a host computer and partly as a prototype on embedded hardware. Appropriate language design allows designers to express a communications system as a block diagram, in which each block represents an algorithm specified by a set of equations. Software tools developed for this paper implement both concepts, and have been successfully used in the development of a next-generation code division multiple access (CDMA cellular wireless communications system.

Accessible Knowledge - Knowledge on Accessibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkeby, Inge Mette

2015-01-01

Although serious efforts are made internationally and nationally, it is a slow process to make our physical environment accessible. In the actual design process, architects play a major role. But what kinds of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, do practicing architects make use of when...... designing accessible environments? The answer to the question is crucially important since it affects how knowledge is distributed and how accessibility can be ensured. In order to get first-hand knowledge about the design process and the sources from which they gain knowledge, 11 qualitative interviews...... were conducted with architects with experience of designing for accessibility. The analysis draws on two theoretical distinctions. The first is research-based knowledge versus knowledge used by architects. The second is context-independent knowledge versus context-dependent knowledge. The practitioners...

Evaluating accessibility to Bangkok Metro Systems using multi-dimensional criteria across user groups

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duangporn Prasertsubpakij

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Metro systems act as fast and efficient transport systems for many modern metropolises; however, enhancing higher usage of such systems often conflicts with providing suitable accessibility options. The traditional approach of metro accessibility studies seems to be an ineffective measure to gage sustainable access in which the equal rights of all users are taken into account. Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR transportation has increasingly relied on the role of two mass rapid transport systems publicly called “BTS Skytrain” and “MRT Subway”, due to limited availability of land and massive road congestion; however, access to such transit arguably treats some vulnerable groups, especially women, the elderly and disabled people unfairly. This study constructs a multi-dimensional assessment of accessibility considerations to scrutinize how user groups access metro services based on BMR empirical case. 600 individual passengers at various stations were asked to rate the questionnaire that simultaneously considers accessibility aspects of spatial, feeder connectivity, temporal, comfort/safety, psychosocial and other dimensions. It was interestingly found by user disaggregated accessibility model that the lower the accessibility perceptions—related uncomfortable and unsafe environment conditions, the greater the equitable access to services, as illustrated by MRT — Hua Lumphong and MRT — Petchaburi stations. The study suggests that, to balance the access priorities of groups on services, policy actions should emphasize acceptably safe access for individuals, cost efficient feeder services connecting the metro lines, socioeconomic influences and time allocation. Insightful discussions on integrated approach balancing different dimensions of accessibility and recommendations would contribute to accessibility-based knowledge and potential propensity to use the public transits towards transport sustainability.

Using QR codes to enable quick access to information in acute cancer care.

Science.gov (United States)

Upton, Joanne; Olsson-Brown, Anna; Marshall, Ernie; Sacco, Joseph

2017-05-25

Quick access to toxicity management information ensures timely access to steroids/immunosuppressive treatment for cancer patients experiencing immune-related adverse events, thus reducing length of hospital stays or avoiding hospital admission entirely. This article discusses a project to add a QR (quick response) code to a patient-held immunotherapy alert card. As QR code generation is free and the immunotherapy clinical management algorithms were already publicly available through the trust's clinical network website, the costs of integrating a QR code into the alert card, after printing, were low, while the potential benefits are numerous. Patient-held alert cards are widely used for patients receiving anti-cancer treatment, and this established standard of care has been modified to enable rapid access of information through the incorporation of a QR code.

Gardening in the desert: a spatial optimization approach to locating gardens in rapidly expanding urban environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Mack, Elizabeth A; Tong, Daoqin; Credit, Kevin

2017-10-16

Food access is a global issue, and for this reason, a wealth of studies are dedicated to understanding the location of food deserts and the benefits of urban gardens. However, few studies have linked these two strands of research together to analyze whether urban gardening activity may be a step forward in addressing issues of access for food desert residents. The Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area is used as a case to demonstrate the utility of spatial optimization models for siting urban gardens near food deserts and on vacant land. The locations of urban gardens are derived from a list obtained from the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension office at the University of Arizona which were geo located and aggregated to Census tracts. Census tracts were then assigned to one of three categories: tracts that contain a garden, tracts that are immediately adjacent to a tract with a garden, and all other non-garden/non-adjacent census tracts. Analysis of variance is first used to ascertain whether there are statistical differences in the demographic, socio-economic, and land use profiles of these three categories of tracts. A maximal covering spatial optimization model is then used to identify potential locations for future gardening activities. A constraint of these models is that gardens be located on vacant land, which is a growing problem in rapidly urbanizing environments worldwide. The spatial analysis of garden locations reveals that they are centrally located in tracts with good food access. Thus, the current distribution of gardens does not provide an alternative food source to occupants of food deserts. The maximal covering spatial optimization model reveals that gardens could be sited in alternative locations to better serve food desert residents. In fact, 53 gardens may be located to cover 96.4% of all food deserts. This is an improvement over the current distribution of gardens where 68 active garden sites provide coverage to a scant 8.4% of food desert

The “jaundice hotline” for the rapid assessment of patients with jaundice

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Jonathan; Hussaini, Hyder; McGovern, Dermot; Farrow, Richard; Maskell, Giles; Dalton, Harry

2002-01-01

Problem Patients with jaundice require rapid diagnosis and treatment, yet such patients are often subject to delay. Design An open referral, rapid access jaundice clinic was established by reorganisation of existing services and without the need for significant extra resources. Background and setting A large general hospital in a largely rural and geographically isolated area. Key measures for improvement Waiting times for referral, consultation, diagnosis, and treatment, length of stay in hospital, and general practitioners' and patients' satisfaction with the service. Strategies for change Referrals were made through a 24 hour telephone answering machine and fax line. Initial assessment of patients was carried out by junior staff as part of their working week. Dedicated ultrasonography appointments were made available. Effects of change Of 107 patients seen in the first year of the service, 62 had biliary obstruction. The mean time between referral and consultation was 2.5 days. Patients who went on to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography waited 5.7 days on average. The mean length of stay in hospital in the 69 patients who were admitted was 6.1 days, compared with 11.5 days in 1996, as shown by audit data. Nearly all the 36 general practices (95%) and the 30 consecutive patients (97%) that were surveyed rated the service as above average or excellent. Lessons learnt An open referral, rapid access service for patients with jaundice can shorten time to diagnosis and treatment and length of stay in hospital. These improvements can occur through the reorganisation of existing services and with minimal extra cost. PMID:12142314

75 FR 43747 - Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-26

... intercity rail) will be revised and updated at a future date. DATES: Comments must be received by November... systems (e.g., rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, and intercity rail) will be revised and updated at a... traveling in large accessible transit vehicles,'' 32 Medical Engineering & Physics 230-236 (2010). T303.8.1...

A USER－DEPENDENT PERFECT－SCHEDULING MULTIPLE ACCESS PROTOCOL FOR VOICE－DATA INTEGRATION IN WIRELESS NETWORKDS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2002-01-01

A novel Multiple Access Control(MAC) protocol-User-dependent Perfect-scheduling Multiple Access(UPMA) protocol,which supports joint transmission of voice and data packets,is proposed.By this protocol,the bandwidth can be allocated dynamically to the uplink and downlink traffic with on-demand assignment and the transmission of Mobile Terminals(MTs) can be perfectly scheduled by means of polling.Meanwhile.a unique frame stucture is designed to guarantee Quality of Service(QoS) in voice traffic supporting.An effective colision resolution algorthm is also proposed to guarantee rapid channel access for activated MTs.Finally,performance of UPMA protocol is evaluated by simulation and compared with MPRMA protocol.Simulation results show that UPMA protocol has better performance.

A USER-DEPENDENT PERFECT-SCHEDULING MULTIPLE ACCESS PROTOCOL FOR VOICE-DATA INTEGRATION IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhou Yajian; Li Jiandong; Liu Kai

2002-01-01

A novel Multiple Access Control (MAC) protocol - User-dependent Perfect-scheduling Multiple Access (UPMA) protocol, which supports joint transmission of voice and data packets,is proposed. By this protocol, the bandwidth can be allocated dynamically to the uplink and downlink traffic with on-demand assignment and the transmission of Mobile Terminals (MTs)can be perfectly scheduled by means of polling. Meanwhile, a unique frame structure is designed to guarantee Quality of Service (QoS) in voice traffic supporting. An effective collision resolution algorithm is also proposed to guarantee rapid channel access for activated MTs. Finally, performance of UPMA protocol is evaluated by simulation and compared with MPRMA protocol.Simulation results show that UPMA protocol has better performance.

Food (In)Security in Rapidly Urbanising, Low-Income Contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Tacoli, Cecilia

2017-12-11

Urbanisation in low and middle-income nations presents both opportunities and immense challenges. As urban centres grow rapidly, inadequate housing and the lack of basic infrastructure and services affect a large and growing proportion of their population. There is also a growing body of evidence on urban poverty and its links with environmental hazards. There is, however, limited knowledge of how these challenges affect the ways in which poor urban residents gain access to food and secure healthy and nutritious diets. With some important exceptions, current discussions on food security continue to focus on production, with limited attention to consumption. Moreover, urban consumers are typically treated as a homogenous group and access to food markets is assumed to be sufficient. This paper describes how, for the urban poor in low and middle-income countries, food affordability and utilisation are shaped by the income and non-income dimensions of poverty that include the urban space.

Food (InSecurity in Rapidly Urbanising, Low-Income Contexts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cecilia Tacoli

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Urbanisation in low and middle-income nations presents both opportunities and immense challenges. As urban centres grow rapidly, inadequate housing and the lack of basic infrastructure and services affect a large and growing proportion of their population. There is also a growing body of evidence on urban poverty and its links with environmental hazards. There is, however, limited knowledge of how these challenges affect the ways in which poor urban residents gain access to food and secure healthy and nutritious diets. With some important exceptions, current discussions on food security continue to focus on production, with limited attention to consumption. Moreover, urban consumers are typically treated as a homogenous group and access to food markets is assumed to be sufficient. This paper describes how, for the urban poor in low and middle-income countries, food affordability and utilisation are shaped by the income and non-income dimensions of poverty that include the urban space.

MacroEvoLution: A New Method for the Rapid Generation of Novel Scaffold-Diverse Macrocyclic Libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Saupe, Jörn; Kunz, Oliver; Haustedt, Lars Ole; Jakupovic, Sven; Mang, Christian

2017-09-04

Macrocycles are a structural class bearing great promise for future challenges in medicinal chemistry. Nevertheless, there are few flexible approaches for the rapid generation of structurally diverse macrocyclic compound collections. Here, an efficient method for the generation of novel macrocyclic peptide-based scaffolds is reported. The process, named here as "MacroEvoLution", is based on a cyclization screening approach that gives reliable access to novel macrocyclic architectures. Classification of building blocks into specific pools ensures that scaffolds with orthogonally addressable functionalities are generated, which can easily be used for the generation of structurally diverse compound libraries. The method grants rapid access to novel scaffolds with scalable synthesis (multi gram scale) and the introduction of further diversity at a late stage. Despite being developed for peptidic systems, the approach can easily be extended for the synthesis of systems with a decreased peptidic character. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Evidence supporting broader access to safe legal abortion.

Science.gov (United States)

Faúndes, Anibal; Shah, Iqbal H

2015-10-01

Unsafe abortion continues to be a major cause of maternal death; it accounts for 14.5% of all maternal deaths globally and almost all of these deaths occur in countries with restrictive abortion laws. A strong body of accumulated evidence shows that the simple means to drastically reduce unsafe abortion-related maternal deaths and morbidity is to make abortion legal and institutional termination of pregnancy broadly accessible. Despite this evidence, abortion is denied even when the legal condition for abortion is met. The present article aims to contribute to a better understanding that one can be in favor of greater access to safe abortion services, while at the same time not be "in favor of abortion," by reviewing the evidence that indicates that criminalization of abortion only increases mortality and morbidity without decreasing the incidence of induced abortion, and that decriminalization rapidly reduces abortion-related mortality and does not increase abortion rates. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

A DNA 'barcode blitz': rapid digitization and sequencing of a natural history collection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hebert, Paul D N; Dewaard, Jeremy R; Zakharov, Evgeny V; Prosser, Sean W J; Sones, Jayme E; McKeown, Jaclyn T A; Mantle, Beth; La Salle, John

2013-01-01

DNA barcoding protocols require the linkage of each sequence record to a voucher specimen that has, whenever possible, been authoritatively identified. Natural history collections would seem an ideal resource for barcode library construction, but they have never seen large-scale analysis because of concerns linked to DNA degradation. The present study examines the strength of this barrier, carrying out a comprehensive analysis of moth and butterfly (Lepidoptera) species in the Australian National Insect Collection. Protocols were developed that enabled tissue samples, specimen data, and images to be assembled rapidly. Using these methods, a five-person team processed 41,650 specimens representing 12,699 species in 14 weeks. Subsequent molecular analysis took about six months, reflecting the need for multiple rounds of PCR as sequence recovery was impacted by age, body size, and collection protocols. Despite these variables and the fact that specimens averaged 30.4 years old, barcode records were obtained from 86% of the species. In fact, one or more barcode compliant sequences (>487 bp) were recovered from virtually all species represented by five or more individuals, even when the youngest was 50 years old. By assembling specimen images, distributional data, and DNA barcode sequences on a web-accessible informatics platform, this study has greatly advanced accessibility to information on thousands of species. Moreover, much of the specimen data became publically accessible within days of its acquisition, while most sequence results saw release within three months. As such, this study reveals the speed with which DNA barcode workflows can mobilize biodiversity data, often providing the first web-accessible information for a species. These results further suggest that existing collections can enable the rapid development of a comprehensive DNA barcode library for the most diverse compartment of terrestrial biodiversity - insects.

Rapid Alterations in Perirenal Adipose Tissue Transcriptomic Networks with Cessation of Voluntary Running.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory N Ruegsegger

Full Text Available In maturing rats, the growth of abdominal fat is attenuated by voluntary wheel running. After the cessation of running by wheel locking, a rapid increase in adipose tissue growth to a size that is similar to rats that have never run (i.e. catch-up growth has been previously reported by our lab. In contrast, diet-induced increases in adiposity have a slower onset with relatively delayed transcriptomic responses. The purpose of the present study was to identify molecular pathways associated with the rapid increase in adipose tissue after ending 6 wks of voluntary running at the time of puberty. Age-matched, male Wistar rats were given access to running wheels from 4 to 10 weeks of age. From the 10th to 11th week of age, one group of rats had continued wheel access, while the other group had one week of wheel locking. Perirenal adipose tissue was extracted, RNA sequencing was performed, and bioinformatics analyses were executed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA. IPA was chosen to assist in the understanding of complex 'omics data by integrating data into networks and pathways. Wheel locked rats gained significantly more fat mass and significantly increased body fat percentage between weeks 10-11 despite having decreased food intake, as compared to rats with continued wheel access. IPA identified 646 known transcripts differentially expressed (p < 0.05 between continued wheel access and wheel locking. In wheel locked rats, IPA revealed enrichment of transcripts for the following functions: extracellular matrix, macrophage infiltration, immunity, and pro-inflammatory. These findings suggest that increases in visceral adipose tissue that accompanies the cessation of pubertal physical activity are associated with the alteration of multiple pathways, some of which may potentiate the development of pubertal obesity and obesity-associated systemic low-grade inflammation that occurs later in life.

'Predatory' open access: a longitudinal study of article volumes and market characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Cenyu; Björk, Bo-Christer

2015-10-01

A negative consequence of the rapid growth of scholarly open access publishing funded by article processing charges is the emergence of publishers and journals with highly questionable marketing and peer review practices. These so-called predatory publishers are causing unfounded negative publicity for open access publishing in general. Reports about this branch of e-business have so far mainly concentrated on exposing lacking peer review and scandals involving publishers and journals. There is a lack of comprehensive studies about several aspects of this phenomenon, including extent and regional distribution. After an initial scan of all predatory publishers and journals included in the so-called Beall's list, a sample of 613 journals was constructed using a stratified sampling method from the total of over 11,000 journals identified. Information about the subject field, country of publisher, article processing charge and article volumes published between 2010 and 2014 were manually collected from the journal websites. For a subset of journals, individual articles were sampled in order to study the country affiliation of authors and the publication delays. Over the studied period, predatory journals have rapidly increased their publication volumes from 53,000 in 2010 to an estimated 420,000 articles in 2014, published by around 8,000 active journals. Early on, publishers with more than 100 journals dominated the market, but since 2012 publishers in the 10-99 journal size category have captured the largest market share. The regional distribution of both the publisher's country and authorship is highly skewed, in particular Asia and Africa contributed three quarters of authors. Authors paid an average article processing charge of 178 USD per article for articles typically published within 2 to 3 months of submission. Despite a total number of journals and publishing volumes comparable to respectable (indexed by the Directory of Open Access Journals) open access

The Increasing Incidence of Thyroid Cancer: The Influence of Access to Care

Science.gov (United States)

Sikora, Andrew G.; Tosteson, Tor D.

2013-01-01

Background The rapidly rising incidence of papillary thyroid cancer may be due to overdiagnosis of a reservoir of subclinical disease. To conclude that overdiagnosis is occurring, evidence for an association between access to health care and the incidence of cancer is necessary. Methods We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to examine U.S. papillary thyroid cancer incidence trends in Medicare-age and non–Medicare-age cohorts over three decades. We performed an ecologic analysis across 497 U.S. counties, examining the association of nine county-level socioeconomic markers of health care access and the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer. Results Papillary thyroid cancer incidence is rising most rapidly in Americans over age 65 years (annual percentage change, 8.8%), who have broad health insurance coverage through Medicare. Among those under 65, in whom health insurance coverage is not universal, the rate of increase has been slower (annual percentage change, 6.4%). Over three decades, the mortality rate from thyroid cancer has not changed. Across U.S. counties, incidence ranged widely, from 0 to 29.7 per 100,000. County papillary thyroid cancer incidence was significantly correlated with all nine sociodemographic markers of health care access: it was positively correlated with rates of college education, white-collar employment, and family income; and negatively correlated with the percentage of residents who were uninsured, in poverty, unemployed, of nonwhite ethnicity, non-English speaking, and lacking high school education. Conclusion Markers for higher levels of health care access, both sociodemographic and age-based, are associated with higher papillary thyroid cancer incidence rates. More papillary thyroid cancers are diagnosed among populations with wider access to healthcare. Despite the threefold increase in incidence over three decades, the mortality rate remains unchanged. Together with the large subclinical reservoir of

Pathways to achieve universal household access to modern energy by 2030

Science.gov (United States)

Pachauri, Shonali; van Ruijven, Bas J.; Nagai, Yu; Riahi, Keywan; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Brew-Hammond, Abeeku; Nakicenovic, Nebojsa

2013-06-01

A lack of access to modern energy impacts health and welfare and impedes development for billions of people. Growing concern about these impacts has mobilized the international community to set new targets for universal modern energy access. However, analyses exploring pathways to achieve these targets and quantifying the potential costs and benefits are limited. Here, we use two modelling frameworks to analyse investments and consequences of achieving total rural electrification and universal access to clean-combusting cooking fuels and stoves by 2030. Our analysis indicates that these targets can be achieved with additional investment of US200565-86 billion per year until 2030 combined with dedicated policies. Only a combination of policies that lowers costs for modern cooking fuels and stoves, along with more rapid electrification, can enable the realization of these goals. Our results demonstrate the critical importance of accounting for varying demands and affordability across heterogeneous household groups in both analysis and policy setting. While the investments required are significant, improved access to modern cooking fuels alone can avert between 0.6 and 1.8 million premature deaths annually in 2030 and enhance wellbeing substantially.

Pathways to achieve universal household access to modern energy by 2030

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pachauri, Shonali; Nagai, Yu; Riahi, Keywan; Nakicenovic, Nebojsa; Van Ruijven, Bas J; Van Vuuren, Detlef P; Brew-Hammond, Abeeku

2013-01-01

A lack of access to modern energy impacts health and welfare and impedes development for billions of people. Growing concern about these impacts has mobilized the international community to set new targets for universal modern energy access. However, analyses exploring pathways to achieve these targets and quantifying the potential costs and benefits are limited. Here, we use two modelling frameworks to analyse investments and consequences of achieving total rural electrification and universal access to clean-combusting cooking fuels and stoves by 2030. Our analysis indicates that these targets can be achieved with additional investment of US$ 2005 65–86 billion per year until 2030 combined with dedicated policies. Only a combination of policies that lowers costs for modern cooking fuels and stoves, along with more rapid electrification, can enable the realization of these goals. Our results demonstrate the critical importance of accounting for varying demands and affordability across heterogeneous household groups in both analysis and policy setting. While the investments required are significant, improved access to modern cooking fuels alone can avert between 0.6 and 1.8 million premature deaths annually in 2030 and enhance wellbeing substantially. (letter)

Physiological genomics of response to soil drying in diverse Arabidopsis accessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Des Marais, David L; McKay, John K; Richards, James H; Sen, Saunak; Wayne, Tierney; Juenger, Thomas E

2012-03-01

Arabidopsis thaliana, like many species, is characterized by abundant genetic variation. This variation is rapidly being cataloged at the sequence level, but careful dissection of genetic variation in whole-organism responses to stresses encountered in the natural environment are lacking; this functional variation can be exploited as a natural mutant screen to determine gene function. Here, we document physiological and transcriptomic response to soil drying in 17 natural accessions of Arabidopsis. By imposing ecologically realistic stress conditions, we found that acclimation in Arabidopsis involved a strong signature of increased investment in photosynthesis, carbohydrate turnover, and root growth. Our results extend previous work in the Columbia accession suggesting that abscisic acid signaling pathways play an important role in drought stress response. We also identified several mechanisms, including an increase in leaf nitrogen concentration and upregulation of two-component signaling relays, that were common to most natural accessions but had not been identified in studies using only the Columbia accession. Principal component analysis reveals strong correlations between suites of genes and specific physiological responses to stress. The functional variants we identified may represent adaptive mutations in natural habitats and useful variants for agronomic improvement of crop species.

Imaging findings and referral outcomes of rapid assessment stroke clinics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Widjaja, E.; Manuel, D.; Hodgson, T.J.; Connolly, D.J.A.; Coley, S.C.; Romanowski, C.A.J.; Gaines, P.; Cleveland, T.; Thomas, S.; Griffiths, P.D.; Doyle, C.; Venables, G.S.

2005-01-01

AIM: A rapid assessment stroke clinic (RASC) was established to provide a rapid diagnostic service to individuals with suspected transient cerebral or ocular ischaemia or recovered non-hospitalized strokes. In this report we review imaging findings and clinical outcomes of patients proceeding to the carotid surgery programme. METHODS: Between October 2000 and December 2002, 1339 people attended the RASC. The findings of head CT and carotid Doppler ultrasound of the 1320 patients who underwent brain and carotid imaging were reviewed, and the number subsequently proceeding to carotid angiography and intervention was reported. RESULTS: CT head scans were normal in 57% of cases; 38% demonstrated ischaemia or infarction; and 3% yielded incidental or other significant findings not related to ischaemia. On screening with carotid Doppler ultrasound, 7.5% showed greater than 50% stenosis on the symptomatic side. A total of 83 patients (6.2%) proceeded to cerebral angiography and 65 (4.8%) underwent carotid endarterectomy or endovascular repair. CONCLUSION: Rapid-access neurovascular clinics are efficient in selecting patients for carotid intervention, but this is at a cost and the number of potential strokes prevented is small. Alternative management pathways based on immediate medical treatment need to be evaluated

Access Request Trustworthiness in Weighted Access Control Framework

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG Lun-wei; LIAO Xiang-ke; WANG Huai-min

2005-01-01

Weighted factor is given to access control policies to express the importance of policy and its effect on access control decision. According to this weighted access control framework, a trustworthiness model for access request is also given. In this model, we give the measure of trustworthiness factor to access request, by using some idea of uncertainty reasoning of expert system, present and prove the parallel propagation formula of request trustworthiness factor among multiple policies, and get the final trustworthiness factor to decide whether authorizing. In this model, authorization decision is given according to the calculation of request trustworthiness factor, which is more understandable, more suitable for real requirement and more powerful for security enhancement than traditional methods. Meanwhile the finer access control granularity is another advantage.

Alcohol-Related Blackouts, Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences, and Motivations for Drinking Reported by Newly Matriculating Transgender College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Tupler, Larry A; Zapp, Daniel; DeJong, William; Ali, Maryam; O'Rourke, Sarah; Looney, John; Swartzwelder, H Scott

2017-05-01

Many transgender college students struggle with identity formation and other emotional, social, and developmental challenges associated with emerging adulthood. A potential maladaptive coping strategy employed by such students is heavy drinking. Prior literature has suggested greater consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences (ARCs) in transgender students compared with their cisgender peers, but little is known about their differing experiences with alcohol-related blackouts (ARBs). We examined the level of alcohol consumption, the frequency of ARBs and other ARCs, and motivations for drinking reported by the largest sample of transgender college students to date. A Web survey from an alcohol-prevention program, AlcoholEdu for College™, assessed student demographics and drinking-related behaviors, experiences, and motivations of newly matriculating first-year college students. A self-reported drinking calendar was used to examine each of the following measures over the previous 14 days: number of drinking days, total number of drinks, and maximum number of drinks on any single day. A 7-point Likert scale was used to measure ARCs, ARBs, and drinking motivations. Transgender students of both sexes were compared with their cisgender peers. A total of 989 of 422,906 students (0.2%) identified as transgender. Over a 14-day period, transgender compared with cisgender students were more likely to consume alcohol over more days, more total drinks, and a greater number of maximum drinks on a single day. Transgender students (36%) were more likely to report an ARB than cisgender students (25%) as well as more negative academic, confrontation-related, social, and sexual ARCs. Transgender respondents more often cited stress reduction, social anxiety, self-esteem issues, and the inherent properties of alcohol as motivations for drinking. For nearly all measures, higher values were yielded by male-to-female than female-to-male transgender students. Transgender

Rapid access to information resources in clinical biochemistry: medical applications of Personal Digital Assistants (PDA).

Science.gov (United States)

Serdar, Muhittin A; Turan, Mustafa; Cihan, Murat

2008-06-01

Laboratory specialists currently need to access scientific-based information at anytime and anywhere. A considerable period of time and too much effort are required to access this information through existing accumulated data. Personal digital assistants (PDA) are supposed to provide an effective solution with commercial software for this problem. In this study, 11 commercial software products (UpToDate, ePocrates, Inforetrive, Pepid, eMedicine, FIRST Consult, and 5 laboratory e-books released by Skyscape and/or Isilo) were selected and the benefits of their use were evaluated by seven laboratory specialists. The assessment of the software was performed based on the number of the tests included, the software content of detailed information for each test-like process, method, interpretation of results, reference ranges, critical values, interferences, equations, pathophysiology, supplementary technical details such as sample collection principles, and additional information such as linked references, evidence-based data, test cost, etc. In terms of technique, the following items are considered: the amount of memory required to run the software, the graphical user interface, which is a user-friendly instrument, and the frequency of new and/or up-date releases. There is still no perfect program, as we have anticipated. Interpretation of laboratory results may require software with an integrated program. However, methodological data are mostly not included in the software evaluated. It seems that these shortcomings will be fixed in the near future, and PDAs and relevant medical applications will also become indispensable for all physicians including laboratory specialists in the field of training/education and in patient care.

Cognitive Self-Scheduled Mechanism for Access Control in Noisy Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Manzano

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Within the challenging environment of intelligent transportation systems (ITS, networked control systems such as platooning guidance of autonomous vehicles require innovative mechanisms to provide real-time communications. Although several proposals are currently under discussion, the design of a rapid, efficient, flexible, and reliable medium access control mechanism which meets the specific constraints of such real-time communications applications remains unsolved in this highly dynamic environment. However, cognitive radio (CR combines the capacity to sense the radio spectrum with the flexibility to adapt to transmission parameters in order to maximize system performance and has thus become an effective approach for the design of dynamic spectrum access (DSA mechanisms. This paper presents the enhanced noncooperative cognitive division multiple access (ENCCMA proposal combining time division multiple access (TDMA and frequency division multiple access (FDMA schemes with CR techniques to obtain a mechanism fulfilling the requirements of real-time communications. The analysis presented here considers the IEEE WAVE and 802.11p as reference standards; however, the proposed medium access control (MAC mechanism can be adapted to operate on the physical layer of different standards. The mechanism also offers the advantage of avoiding signaling, thus enhancing system autonomy as well as behavior in adverse scenarios.

The Restoration Rapid Assessment Tool: An Access/Visual Basic application

Science.gov (United States)

Hiebert, Ron; Larson, D.L.; Thomas, K.; Tancreto, N.; Haines, D.; Richey, A.; Dow, T.; Drees, L.

2009-01-01

Managers of parks and natural areas are increasingly faced with difficult decisions concerning restoration of disturbed lands. Financial and workforce resources often limit these restoration efforts, and rarely can a manager afford to address all concerns within the region of interest. With limited resources, managers and scientists have to decide which areas will be targeted for restoration and the restoration treatments to use in these areas. A broad range of approaches are used to make such decisions, from well-researched expert opinions (Cipollini et al. 2005) to gut feeling, with variable degrees of input from site visits, data collection, and data analysis used to support the decision. A standardized approach including an analytical assessment of site characteristics based on the best information available, with a written or electronic record of all the steps taken along the way, would make comparisons among a group of sites easier and lend credibility through use of common, documented criteria at all sites. In response to these concerns, we have developed the Restoration Rapid Assessment Tool (RRAT). RRAT is based on field observations of key indicators of site degradation, stressors influencing the site, value of the site with respect to larger management objectives, likelihood of achieving the management goals, and logistical constraints to restoration. The purpose of RRAT is not to make restoration decisions or prescribe methods, but rather to ensure that a basic set of pertinent issues are considered for each site and to facilitate comparisons among sites. Several concepts have been central to the development of RRAT. First, the management goal (also known as desired future condition) of any site under evaluation should be defined before the field evaluation begins. Second, the evaluation should be based upon readily observable indicators so as to avoid cumbersome field methods. Third, the ease with which site stressors can be ameliorated must be

Rapid deuterium exchange-in time for probing conformational change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dharmasiri, K.; Smith, D.L.

1995-01-01

Isotopic exchange of protein backbone amide hydrogens has been used extensively as a sensitive probe of protein structure. One of the salient features of hydrogen exchange is the vast range of exchange rates in one protein. Isotopic exchange methods have been used to study the structural features including protein folding and unfolding (1), functionally different forms of proteins (2), protein-protein complexation (3), and protein stability parameter. Many backbone amide protons that are surface accessible and are not involved in hydrogen bonding undergo rapid deuterium exchange. In order to study, fast exchanging amide protons, fast exchange-in times are necessary

Models of the solvent-accessible surface of biopolymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, R.E.

1996-09-01

Many biopolymers such as proteins, DNA, and RNA have been studied because they have important biomedical roles and may be good targets for therapeutic action in treating diseases. This report describes how plastic models of the solvent-accessible surface of biopolymers were made. Computer files containing sets of triangles were calculated, then used on a stereolithography machine to make the models. Small (2 in.) models were made to test whether the computer calculations were done correctly. Also, files of the type (.stl) required by any ISO 9001 rapid prototyping machine were written onto a CD-ROM for distribution to American companies.

Household electricity access, availability and human well-being: Evidence from India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Sohail; Mathai, Manu V.; Parayil, Govindan

2014-01-01

According to the 2011 Census of India, over 31% of India's 1.2 billion people lived in nearly 8000 towns and cities; the remaining 830 million people lived in over 638,000 villages. About 55% of rural households and 93% of urban households had access to electricity. The 2005 Indian Human Development Survey showed that on average, electricity availability (hours of supply per day) in rural and urban households were 14 and 19 h, respectively (Desai et al., 2007). Using nationally representative data from Indian Human Development Survey, this study estimated the impact of electricity access and availability on two attributes of human well-being, viz. education and health attainment. It found a significant positive relationship between electricity availability and well-being in rural and urban households. Electricity accessibility, revealed a significant positive relationship only for rural households. The paper concludes with implications for electricity policy and infrastructure choices. - Graphical abstract: Impact of electricity security on the attributes of human well-being. - Highlights: • Nexus between well-being, and electricity access and availability is quantified. • Electricity access is positively associated with well-being in rural but not urban. • Electricity availability negatively associates with morbidity and absenteeism. • Electricity security as human well-being enabler seeks nuanced policy attention. • Decentralized rapidly deployable modular technologies and microgrids are advocated

A FMM-FFT accelerated hybrid volume surface integral equation solver for electromagnetic analysis of re-entry space vehicles

KAUST Repository

Yü cel, Abdulkadir C.; Gomez, Luis J.; Liu, Yang; Bagci, Hakan; Michielssen, Eric

2014-01-01

Space vehicles that re-enter the atmosphere often experience communication blackout. The blackout occurs when the vehicle becomes engulfed in plasma produced by interactions between the vehicle surface and the atmosphere. The plasma often

Rapidly Moving Divertor Plates In A Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zweben, S.

2011-01-01

It may be possible to replace conventional actively cooled tokamak divertor plates with a set of rapidly moving, passively cooled divertor plates on rails. These plates would absorb the plasma heat flux with their thermal inertia for ∼10-30 sec, and would then be removed from the vessel for processing. When outside the tokamak, these plates could be cooled, cleaned, recoated, inspected, and then returned to the vessel in an automated loop. This scheme could provide nearoptimal divertor surfaces at all times, and avoid the need to stop machine operation for repair of damaged or eroded plates. We describe various possible divertor plate designs and access geometries, and discuss an initial design for a movable and removable divertor module for NSTX-U.

The challenges and possibilities of public access defibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ringh, M; Hollenberg, J; Palsgaard-Moeller, T; Svensson, L; Rosenqvist, M; Lippert, F K; Wissenberg, M; Malta Hansen, C; Claesson, A; Viereck, S; Zijlstra, J A; Koster, R W; Herlitz, J; Blom, M T; Kramer-Johansen, J; Tan, H L; Beesems, S G; Hulleman, M; Olasveengen, T M; Folke, F

2018-03-01

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major health problem that affects approximately four hundred and thousand patients annually in the United States alone. It is a major challenge for the emergency medical system as decreased survival rates are directly proportional to the time delay from collapse to defibrillation. Historically, defibrillation has only been performed by physicians and in-hospital. With the development of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), rapid defibrillation by nonmedical professionals and subsequently by trained or untrained lay bystanders has become possible. Much hope has been put to the concept of Public Access Defibrillation with a massive dissemination of public available AEDs throughout most Western countries. Accordingly, current guidelines recommend that AEDs should be deployed in places with a high likelihood of OHCA. Despite these efforts, AED use is in most settings anecdotal with little effect on overall OHCA survival. The major reasons for low use of public AEDs are that most OHCAs take place outside high incidence sites of cardiac arrest and that most OHCAs take place in residential settings, currently defined as not suitable for Public Access Defibrillation. However, the use of new technology for identification and recruitment of lay bystanders and nearby AEDs to the scene of the cardiac arrest as well as new methods for strategic AED placement redefines and challenges the current concept and definitions of Public Access Defibrillation. Existing evidence of Public Access Defibrillation and knowledge gaps and future directions to improve outcomes for OHCA are discussed. In addition, a new definition of the different levels of Public Access Defibrillation is offered as well as new strategies for increasing AED use in the society. © 2018 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Trends in Access to Israeli Higher Education 1981-96: From a Privilege to a Right.

Science.gov (United States)

Guri-Rosenblit, Sarah

1996-01-01

Discusses trends in Israeli higher education over the last 15 years, focusing on the interrelations between secondary and higher education, access to universities, the rapid growth of the Open University of Israel, the upgrading of non-university postsecondary education, the under-representation of Sephardic Jewish and non-Jewish students, and…

Web accessibility standards and disability: developing critical perspectives on accessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewthwaite, Sarah

2014-01-01

Currently, dominant web accessibility standards do not respect disability as a complex and culturally contingent interaction; recognizing that disability is a variable, contrary and political power relation, rather than a biological limit. Against this background there is clear scope to broaden the ways in which accessibility standards are understood, developed and applied. Commentary. The values that shape and are shaped by legislation promote universal, statistical and automated approaches to web accessibility. This results in web accessibility standards conveying powerful norms fixing the relationship between technology and disability, irrespective of geographical, social, technological or cultural diversity. Web accessibility standards are designed to enact universal principles; however, they express partial and biopolitical understandings of the relation between disability and technology. These values can be limiting, and potentially counter-productive, for example, for the majority of disabled people in the "Global South" where different contexts constitute different disabilities and different experiences of web access. To create more robust, accessible outcomes for disabled people, research and standards practice should diversify to embrace more interactional accounts of disability in different settings. Implications for Rehabilitation Creating accessible experiences is an essential aspect of rehabilitation. Web standards promote universal accessibility as a property of an online resource or service. This undervalues the importance of the user's intentions, expertize, their context, and the complex social and cultural nature of disability. Standardized, universal approaches to web accessibility may lead to counterproductive outcomes for disabled people whose impairments and circumstances do not meet Western disability and accessibility norms. Accessible experiences for rehabilitation can be enhanced through an additional focus on holistic approaches to

Comparison of Radial Access, Guided Femoral Access, and Non-Guided Femoral Access Among Women Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Koshy, Linda M; Aberle, Laura H; Krucoff, Mitchell W; Hess, Connie N; Mazzaferri, Ernest; Jolly, Sanjit S; Jacobs, Alice; Gibson, C Michael; Mehran, Roxana; Gilchrist, Ian C; Rao, Sunil V

2018-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the association between radial access, guided femoral access, and non-guided femoral access on postprocedural bleeding and vascular complications after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Bleeding events and major vascular complications after PCI are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. While the radial approach has been shown to be superior to the femoral approach in reducing bleeding and vascular complications, whether the use of micropuncture, fluoroscopy, or ultrasound mitigates these differences is unknown. We conducted a post hoc analysis of women in the SAFE-PCI for Women trial who underwent PCI and had the access method identified (n = 643). The primary endpoint of postprocedure bleeding or vascular complications occurring within 72 hours or at discharge was adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee and was compared based on three categories of access technique: radial, guided femoral (fluoroscopy, micropuncture, ultrasound), or non-guided femoral (none of the aforementioned). Differences between the groups were determined using multivariate logistic regression using radial access as the reference. Of the PCI population, 330 underwent radial access, 228 underwent guided femoral access, and 85 underwent non-guided femoral access. There was a statistically significant lower incidence of the primary endpoint with radial access vs non-guided femoral access; however, there was no significant difference between radial approach and femoral access guided by fluoroscopy, micropuncture, or ultrasound. This post hoc analysis demonstrates that while radial access is safer than non-guided femoral access, guided femoral access appears to be associated with similar bleeding events or vascular complications as radial access.

A restricted access material for rapid analysis of [(11)C]-labeled radiopharmaceuticals and their metabolites in plasma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gillings, N.

2009-01-01

, combined with a monolithic analysis column in a column-switching HPLC system. RESULTS: Up to 4 ml of plasma was analyzed by this method within 4.5-7 min in a fully automated process. Because of the rapid analysis, a large number of samples could be analyzed during a 90-min PET scan. The extraction column...

Enterprise wide transparent information access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, J.

1995-05-01

The information management needs of the Department of Energy (DOE) represents a fertile domain for the development of highly sophisticated yet intuitive enterprise-wide computing solutions. These solutions must support business operations, research agendas, technology development efforts, decision support, and other application areas with a user base ranging from technical staff to the highest levels of management. One area of primary interest is in the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Branch of DOE. In this arena, the issue of tracking and managing nuclear waste related to the long legacy of prior defense production and research programs is one of high visibility and great concern. The Tank Waste Information Network System (TWINS) application has been created by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the DOE to assist in managing and accessing the information related to this mission. The TWINS solution addresses many of the technical issues faced by other efforts to provide integrated information access to a wide variety of stakeholders. TWINS provides secure transparent access to distributed heterogeneous multimedia information sources from around the DOE complex. The users interact with the information through a consistent user interface that presents the desired data in a common format regardless of the structure of the source information. The solutions developed by the TWINS project represent an integration of several technologies and products that can be applied to other mission areas within DOE and other government agencies. These solutions are now being applied to public and private sector problem domains as well. The successful integration and inter-operation of both commercial and custom modules into a flexible and extensible information architecture will help ensure that new problems facing DOE and other clients can be addressed more rapidly in the future by re-use of existing tools and techniques proven viable through the TWINS efforts

A Novel Method for Intraoral Access to the Superior Head of the Human Lateral Pterygoid Muscle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleli Tôrres Oliveira

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The uncoordinated activity of the superior and inferior parts of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM has been suggested to be one of the causes of temporomandibular joint (TMJ disc displacement. A therapy for this muscle disorder is the injection of botulinum toxin (BTX, of the LPM. However, there is a potential risk of side effects with the injection guide methods currently available. In addition, they do not permit appropriate differentiation between the two bellies of the muscle. Herein, a novel method is presented to provide intraoral access to the superior head of the human LPM with maximal control and minimal hazards. Methods. Computational tomography along with digital imaging software programs and rapid prototyping techniques were used to create a rapid prototyped guide to orient BTX injections in the superior LPM. Results. The method proved to be feasible and reliable. Furthermore, when tested in one volunteer it allowed precise access to the upper head of LPM, without producing side effects. Conclusions. The prototyped guide presented in this paper is a novel tool that provides intraoral access to the superior head of the LPM. Further studies will be necessary to test the efficacy and validate this method in a larger cohort of subjects.

Broadband Access

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Broadband Access. Worldwide market for broadband access $30 Billion! Over 200 million broadband subscribers worldwide! Various Competing Broadband access. Digital Subscriber line; Wireless; Optical Fiber.

Mental health in the island nations of the Western Pacific: a rapid review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Ernest; Thusanth, Sneha; McCalman, Janya; Gopalkrishnan, Narayan

2015-12-01

The aim of the study was to identify mental-health-relevant literature accessible to policy makers and healthcare workers in the island nations of the Western Pacific. Material collated to support the inaugural Leadership in Mental Health: Island Nations course held in Cairns in May 2015 was used as the basis of a "rapid review". The rapid review considered 303 documents identified by a search carried out using James Cook University's OneSearch, Google Scholar, and the authors' knowledge. Search terms included mental health and the like, and terms with Pacific and current Pacific island country names. Findings were classified by region/country, year of release/publication, mental health issue addressed, peer-reviewed or grey literature, and type of study. Almost half of the findings had been released in the previous five years. However, only 36% were peer-reviewed publications and only 3.6% of the findings were intervention studies. There is limited easily accessible documentation to confidently direct practice or policies regarding which strategies are likely to be effective in responding to the high rates of mental ill-health experienced in the Pacific island nations, or to plan for increases as a consequence of rapid social and demographic changes that are transforming Pacific island societies. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Preferensi Konsumen Terhadap Transportasi Publik (Studi Kasus Bus Rapid Transit (BRT Kota Semarang

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ichwinsyah Azali

2018-01-01

Abstract Semarang as the capital city of Central Java Province has a population density of 4.269 per square kilometer in 2015. Due to high population density, communities’ mobility will also be increasing. Government arranged the policy related to traffic and public transportation in the Law Number 22 Year 2009 article 158 paragraph 1, the government of Semarang City has guaranteed the availability of road-based transportation in Urban Areas by providing public transportation namely Bus Rapid Transit (BRT Trans Semarang. This research aims to analyze communities’ preference in terms of price, convenience, reliability, accessibility, and safety toward the possibility of BRT and Non BRT transportation modes selection. This research uses 100 respondents by Purposive Sampling. Binary Logistic Regression model is applied to determine the effect of independent variable towards dependent variable of BRT and Non BRT transportation modes selection. The result of this research indicated that BRT and Non BRT transportation modes selection in Semarang City are dominated by 82 respondents of BRT users and 18 respondents of Non BRT users. BRT and Non BRT transportation modes selection are affected by the factor of price, convenience, reliability, accessibility, and safety. Keywords: Modes selection, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT Trans Semarang, Principal Component Analysis, Binary Logistic Regression.

Accessing the SEED genome databases via Web services API: tools for programmers.

Science.gov (United States)

Disz, Terry; Akhter, Sajia; Cuevas, Daniel; Olson, Robert; Overbeek, Ross; Vonstein, Veronika; Stevens, Rick; Edwards, Robert A

2010-06-14

The SEED integrates many publicly available genome sequences into a single resource. The database contains accurate and up-to-date annotations based on the subsystems concept that leverages clustering between genomes and other clues to accurately and efficiently annotate microbial genomes. The backend is used as the foundation for many genome annotation tools, such as the Rapid Annotation using Subsystems Technology (RAST) server for whole genome annotation, the metagenomics RAST server for random community genome annotations, and the annotation clearinghouse for exchanging annotations from different resources. In addition to a web user interface, the SEED also provides Web services based API for programmatic access to the data in the SEED, allowing the development of third-party tools and mash-ups. The currently exposed Web services encompass over forty different methods for accessing data related to microbial genome annotations. The Web services provide comprehensive access to the database back end, allowing any programmer access to the most consistent and accurate genome annotations available. The Web services are deployed using a platform independent service-oriented approach that allows the user to choose the most suitable programming platform for their application. Example code demonstrate that Web services can be used to access the SEED using common bioinformatics programming languages such as Perl, Python, and Java. We present a novel approach to access the SEED database. Using Web services, a robust API for access to genomics data is provided, without requiring large volume downloads all at once. The API ensures timely access to the most current datasets available, including the new genomes as soon as they come online.

ASCERTAINMENT OF ELECTRIC-SUPPLY SCHEMES RELIABILITY FOR THE ATOMIC POWER PLANT AUXILIARIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. L. Starzhinskij

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper completes ascertainment of electrical-supply scheme reliability for the auxiliaries of a nuclear power plant. Thereat the author considers the system behavior during the block normal operation, carrying out current maintenance, and capital repairs in combination with initiating events. The initiating events for reactors include complete blackout, i.e. the loss of outside power supply (normal and reserve; emergency switching one of the working turbogenerators; momentary dumping the normal rating to the level of auxiliaries with seating the cutout valve of one turbo-generator. The combination of any initiating event with the repairing mode in case of one of the system elements failure should not lead to blackout occurrence of more than one system of the reliable power supply. This requirement rests content with the help of the reliable power supply system self-dependence (electrical and functional and the emergency power-supply operational autonomy (diesel generator and accumulator batteries.The reliability indicators of the power supply system for the nuclear power plant auxiliaries are the conditional probabilities of conjoined blackout of one, two, and three sections of the reliable power supply conditional upon an initiating event emerging and the blackout of one, two, and three reliable power-supply sections under the normal operational mode. Furthermore, they also are the blackout periodicity of one and conjointly two, three, and four sections of normal operation under the block normal operational mode. It is established that the blackout of one bus section of normal operation and one section of reliable power-supply system of the auxiliaries that does not lead to complete blackout of the plant auxiliaries may occur once in three years. The probability of simultaneous power failure of two or three normal-operation sections and of two reliable power-supply sections during the power plant service life is unlikely.

Structural violence and simplified paternalistic ideas of patient empowerment decreases health care access, quality & outcome for ethnic minority patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sodemann, Morten

Increasing complexity of health care organization, rapid hyperspecialization of medical care, lack of ’patient literacy’ and pressure on patients to take over responsibility, challenges political dreams of equal access to patient centered high quality secure care....

Influence of magnetic window for mitigating on antenna performance in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Xiaojun; Zhao Qing; Zheng Ling; Tang Jianming; Chen Yuxu; Liu Shuzhang

2013-01-01

The communication blackout caused by the plasma sheath around a hypersonic vehicle flying in atmosphere is a problem to aerospace vehicles. When a vehicle enters the communication blackout phase, it loses all communication including GPS signals, data telemetry, and voice communication. The communication blackout becomes an even more critical issue with development of re-entry vehicles missions. During such missions, the communication loss caused by radio blackout introduces significant problems related to the vehicle's safety. This paper analyzes the interaction of electromagnetic waves with plasma in an external magnetic field in theory. The external magnetic field can improve the transmission of electromagnetic waves in plasma from the theoretical analysis. The magnetic window antenna which is designed by integrating the permanent magnet and the helical antenna is proposed. The performance of the helical antenna and magnetic window antenna in plasma is studied. The simulation results show that using the magnetic window antenna can weaken the influence on the antenna performance in plasma. The magnetic window antenna makes it possible for electromagnetic waves to spread in plasma. This provides another way to solve the problem of spacecraft re-entry blackout. (authors)

Major power system failures (Europe, USA) and deregulation of electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merlin, A.

2004-01-01

The year 2003 was marked by several electric power blackouts which affected major power systems in the world, and gave rise to many opinions about possible links with developments brought by the opening of the electricity markets. At first the paper presents the outages experienced by North America or August 14 and by Switzerland and Italy on September 28, 2003. Feedback on previous electric power blackouts makes possible to find out already known lessons, then to bring out how the latest blackouts may reveal similarities or differences towards developments brought by the opening of the electricity markets occurred ire the last ten years. Finally, seen from the transmission system operator of a european country within the context of continued institutional developments, the paper points out significant items which must be considered to prevent possible further blackouts. (author)

Meth mouth severity in response to drug-use patterns and dental access in methamphetamine users.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Ronni E; Morisky, Donald E; Silverstein, Steven J

2013-06-01

Meth mouth is the rapid development of tooth decay in methamphetamine users. Our study questioned whether drug-use patterns and dental care access are risk factors affecting the severity of meth mouth. Participants received dental examinations, and the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) were counted and used to measure meth mouth severity.

Shining India?: Assessing and addressing the risks from an unsustainable trajectory of climate, water, food, energy and income inequity

Science.gov (United States)

Lall, U.

2012-12-01

Climate and demographics are primary drivers of regional resource sustainability. In today's global economy, increasing trade has provided a mechanism to alleviate regional stresses. However, increasing regional income promotes consumption, aggravating regional and global resource pressures. South Asia, has the highest population density at a sub-continent scale. Given its monsoonal climate, and high intensity of agriculture it faces perhaps the most severe population weighted water stress in the world. Rapidly declining groundwater tables and the associated high energy use for pumping for irrigated agriculture translate into unsustainable energy imports and expenditure that contributed to the two largest blackouts in global history in summer 2012. Access to water has been progressively declining for both rural and urban populations for the last 3 decades. The increasing energy imports and poor grid reliability translate into limits to the growth of manufacturing and exports of goods and services. The growing income inequity within the population and across national borders, and the impacts of floods and droughts on access to water, food and energy collectively suggest a very high risk for social unrest and a conflict flashpoint. I present a scenario analysis that establishes this case for the emergence of internal and external strife in the region as an outcome of the current resource and natural disaster management policies in the region. Prospects for strategic policy changes for water and energy management and the design of a food procurement and distribution system that could lead to a better future are discussed.

Comparison of MELCOR modeling techniques and effects of vessel water injection on a low-pressure, short-term, station blackout at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carbajo, J.J.

1995-06-01

A fully qualified, best-estimate MELCOR deck has been prepared for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station and has been run using MELCOR 1.8.3 (1.8 PN) for a low-pressure, short-term, station blackout severe accident. The same severe accident sequence has been run with the same MELCOR version for the same plant using the deck prepared during the NUREG-1150 study. A third run was also completed with the best-estimate deck but without the Lower Plenum Debris Bed (BH) Package to model the lower plenum. The results from the three runs have been compared, and substantial differences have been found. The timing of important events is shorter, and the calculated source terms are in most cases larger for the NUREG-1150 deck results. However, some of the source terms calculated by the NUREG-1150 deck are not conservative when compared to the best-estimate deck results. These results identified some deficiencies in the NUREG-1150 model of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. Injection recovery sequences have also been simulated by injecting water into the vessel after core relocation started. This marks the first use of the new BH Package of MELCOR to investigate the effects of water addition to a lower plenum debris bed. The calculated results indicate that vessel failure can be prevented by injecting water at a sufficiently early stage. No pressure spikes in the vessel were predicted during the water injection. The MELCOR code has proven to be a useful tool for severe accident management strategies

Two-port access versus four-port access laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Won-Kyu; Kim, Jang-Kew; Yang, Jung-Bo; Ko, Young-Bok; Nam, Sang-Lyun; Lee, Ki-Hwan

2014-09-01

This study was conducted to compare the surgical outcomes between two-port access and four-port access laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. Four hundred and eighty nine patients who had received two-port access laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy (n=175) and four-port access laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy (n=314) in Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2009 to August 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. The data were compared between the bilaterality of the cysts and cyst diameter of less than 6 cm and 6 cm or more. There were no significant differences in patient's age, parity, body weight, body mass index and history of previous surgery between the two-port and four-port access laparoscopy group. Bilaterality of ovarian cysts was more in fourport access laparoscopy group (13.7% vs. 32.5%, P=0.000). There were no significant differences in operation time, hemoglobin change, hospital stay, adhesiolysis, transfusion, and insertion of hemo-vac between the two-port and four-port access laparoscopy group for size matched compare. However additional analgesics were more in four-port access laparoscopy group for unilateral ovarian cystectomy. Two-port access laparoscopic surgery was feasible and safe for unilateral and bilateral ovarian cystectomy compare with four-port access laparoscopic surgery.

Improving Security in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Environment by Controlling Access

OpenAIRE

Muhammad, M.A.; Zadeh, P.B.; Ayesh, Aladdin, 1972-

2017-01-01

With the rapid increase in smartphones and tablets, Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) has simplified computing by introducing the use of personally owned devices. These devices can be utilised in accessing business enterprise contents and networks. The effectiveness of BYOD offers several business benefits like employee job satisfaction, increased job efficiency and flexibility. However, allowing employees to bring their own devices could lead to a plethora of security issues; like data theft, un...

Rapid shallow breathing

Science.gov (United States)

Tachypnea; Breathing - rapid and shallow; Fast shallow breathing; Respiratory rate - rapid and shallow ... Shallow, rapid breathing has many possible medical causes, including: Asthma Blood clot in an artery in the ...

Hawaii Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP): Benthic Data from Rapid Assessment Transects 2001-2004 (NODC Accession 0002464)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset consists of CRAMP Rapid Assessment Transect surveys taken in 2001-2004 and includes quantitative estimates of substrate type and species. The types and...

Hawaii Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP): Benthic Data from Rapid Assessment Transects Maui 2006 (NODC Accession 0039383)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset consists of CRAMP Rapid Assessment Transect surveys taken in 2006 and includes quantitative estimates of substrate type and species. In 2006, there were...

Acesso rápido à via aérea Rapid airway access

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sérgio L. Amantéa

2003-11-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: O artigo visa rever os passos da obtenção de uma via aérea segura no atendimento da criança criticamente enferma. FONTES DOS DADOS: Revisão de artigos a partir da busca na base de dados Medline até abril de 2003, utilizando os unitermos intubação, crianças e sedação. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: O comprometimento da via aérea é incomum, porém quando ocorre, depende de profissionais treinados para a rápida obtenção da via aérea, de maneira segura, precoce e sem causar prejuízos para tais pacientes. O método preconizado para tal abordagem é a seqüência rápida de intubação que além de preparação, utiliza sedação e bloqueador neuromuscular. Observamos que não é possível a aplicação de um protocolo único de intubação, pois depende da indicação e condições do paciente. Definimos doses das medicações mais utilizadas em nosso meio, pois acreditamos que pouco se conhece do real efeito de drogas sedativas e analgésicas. Na maioria das situações, a associação de um analgésico opióide (fentanil na dose de 5 a 10 µg/kg e um sedativo (midazolam 0,5 mg/kg e um bloqueador neuromuscular são suficientes para a intubação traqueal. CONCLUSÕES: Treinamento, conhecimento, habilidade na obtenção da via aérea são fundamentais para o intensivista pediátrico e são vitais para o adequado atendimento de crianças gravemente enfermas. Apresentamos um texto objetivo e dinâmico, visando a oferecer subsídios para a geração de protocolos a serem implementados de acordo com facilidades e dificuldades de cada serviço.OBJECTIVE: To review the steps involved in safe airway management in critically ill children. SOURCES OF DATA: Review of articles selected through Medline until April 2003 using the following key words: intubation, children, sedation. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS: Airway compromise is rare, but whenever it occurs, the situation depends on professionals trained to carry out safe, early, and rapid airway

Rapid improvement teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Alemi, F; Moore, S; Headrick, L; Neuhauser, D; Hekelman, F; Kizys, N

1998-03-01

Suggestions, most of which are supported by empirical studies, are provided on how total quality management (TQM) teams can be used to bring about faster organizationwide improvements. Ideas are offered on how to identify the right problem, have rapid meetings, plan rapidly, collect data rapidly, and make rapid whole-system changes. Suggestions for identifying the right problem include (1) postpone benchmarking when problems are obvious, (2) define the problem in terms of customer experience so as not to blame employees nor embed a solution in the problem statement, (3) communicate with the rest of the organization from the start, (4) state the problem from different perspectives, and (5) break large problems into smaller units. Suggestions for having rapid meetings include (1) choose a nonparticipating facilitator to expedite meetings, (2) meet with each team member before the team meeting, (3) postpone evaluation of ideas, and (4) rethink conclusions of a meeting before acting on them. Suggestions for rapid planning include reducing time spent on flowcharting by focusing on the future, not the present. Suggestions for rapid data collection include (1) sample patients for surveys, (2) rely on numerical estimates by process owners, and (3) plan for rapid data collection. Suggestions for rapid organizationwide implementation include (1) change membership on cross-functional teams, (2) get outside perspectives, (3) use unfolding storyboards, and (4) go beyond self-interest to motivate lasting change in the organization. Additional empirical investigations of time saved as a consequence of the strategies provided are needed. If organizations solve their problems rapidly, fewer unresolved problems may remain.

Early access to lexical-level phonological representations of Mandarin word-forms : evidence from auditory N1 habituation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yue, Jinxing; Alter, Kai; Howard, David; Bastiaanse, Roelien

2017-01-01

An auditory habituation design was used to investigate whether lexical-level phonological representations in the brain can be rapidly accessed after the onset of a spoken word. We studied the N1 component of the auditory event-related electrical potential, and measured the amplitude decrements of N1

Branch-and-Bound algorithm applied to uncertainty quantification of a Boiling Water Reactor Station Blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, Joseph; Tokuhiro, Akira; Hiromoto, Robert; Tu, Lei

2015-01-01

state. Dynamic PRA (DPRA) methods provide a more rigorous analysis of complex dynamic systems. Unfortunately DPRA methods introduce issues associated with combinatorial explosion of states. This paper presents a methodology to address combinatorial explosion using a Branch-and-Bound algorithm applied to Dynamic Event Trees (DET), which utilize LENDIT (L – Length, E – Energy, N – Number, D – Distribution, I – Information, and T – Time) as well as a set theory to describe system, state, resource, and response (S2R2) sets to create bounding functions for the DET. The optimization of the DET in identifying high probability failure branches is extended to create a Phenomenological Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) methodology to evaluate modeling parameters important to safety of those failure branches that have a high probability of failure. The PIRT can then be used as a tool to identify and evaluate the need for experimental validation of models that have the potential to reduce risk. In order to demonstrate this methodology, a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Station Blackout (SBO) case study is presented.

Branch-and-Bound algorithm applied to uncertainty quantification of a Boiling Water Reactor Station Blackout

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, Joseph, E-mail: joseph.nielsen@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, 1955 N. Fremont Avenue, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83402 (United States); University of Idaho, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering Program, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83402-1575 (United States); Tokuhiro, Akira [University of Idaho, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering Program, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83402-1575 (United States); Hiromoto, Robert [University of Idaho, Department of Computer Science, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83402-1575 (United States); Tu, Lei [University of Idaho, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering Program, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, ID 83402-1575 (United States)

2015-12-15

state. Dynamic PRA (DPRA) methods provide a more rigorous analysis of complex dynamic systems. Unfortunately DPRA methods introduce issues associated with combinatorial explosion of states. This paper presents a methodology to address combinatorial explosion using a Branch-and-Bound algorithm applied to Dynamic Event Trees (DET), which utilize LENDIT (L – Length, E – Energy, N – Number, D – Distribution, I – Information, and T – Time) as well as a set theory to describe system, state, resource, and response (S2R2) sets to create bounding functions for the DET. The optimization of the DET in identifying high probability failure branches is extended to create a Phenomenological Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) methodology to evaluate modeling parameters important to safety of those failure branches that have a high probability of failure. The PIRT can then be used as a tool to identify and evaluate the need for experimental validation of models that have the potential to reduce risk. In order to demonstrate this methodology, a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) Station Blackout (SBO) case study is presented.

Open access

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valkenburg, P.M.

2015-01-01

Open access week Van 19 tot en met 25 oktober 2015 vond wereldwijd de Open Access Week plaats. Tijdens deze week werden er over de hele wereld evenementen georganiseerd waar open access een rol speelt. Ook in Nederland zijn er diverse symposia, workshops en debatten georganiseerd zoals het debat in

Open Access @ DTU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ekstrøm, Jeannette

Open Access is high on the agenda in Denmark and internationally. Denmark has announced a national strategy for Open Access that aims to achieve Open Access to 80% in 2017 and 100% in 2022 to peer review research articles. All public Danish funders as well as H2020 requires that all peer review...... articles that is an outcome of their funding will be Open Access. Uploading your full texts (your final author manuscript after review ) to DTU Orbit is a fundamental part of providing Open Access to your research. We are here to answer all your questions with regards to Open Access and related topics...... such as copyright, DTU Orbit, Open Access journals, APCs, Vouchers etc....

The Rapid Ice Sheet Change Observatory (RISCO)

Science.gov (United States)

Morin, P.; Howat, I. M.; Ahn, Y.; Porter, C.; McFadden, E. M.

2010-12-01

The recent expansion of observational capacity from space has revealed dramatic, rapid changes in the Earth’s ice cover. These discoveries have fundamentally altered how scientists view ice-sheet change. Instead of just slow changes in snow accumulation and melting over centuries or millennia, important changes can occur in sudden events lasting only months, weeks, or even a single day. Our understanding of these short time- and space-scale processes, which hold important implications for future global sea level rise, has been impeded by the low temporal and spatial resolution, delayed sensor tasking, incomplete coverage, inaccessibility and/or high cost of data available to investigators. New cross-agency partnerships and data access policies provide the opportunity to dramatically improve the resolution of ice sheet observations by an order of magnitude, from timescales of months and distances of 10’s of meters, to days and meters or less. Advances in image processing technology also enable application of currently under-utilized datasets. The infrastructure for systematically gathering, processing, analyzing and distributing these data does not currently exist. Here we present the development of a multi-institutional, multi-platform observatory for rapid ice change with the ultimate objective of helping to elucidate the relevant timescales and processes of ice sheet dynamics and response to climate change. The Rapid Ice Sheet Observatory (RISCO) gathers observations of short time- and space-scale Cryosphere events and makes them easily accessible to investigators, media and general public. As opposed to existing data centers, which are structured to archive and distribute diverse types of raw data to end users with the specialized software and skills to analyze them, RISCO focuses on three types of geo-referenced raster (image) data products in a format immediately viewable with commonly available software. These three products are (1) sequences of images

Mars Atmospheric Entry Integrated Navigation with Partial Intermittent Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai-shan Lou

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Signal degradation suffered by the vehicle is a combination brownout and blackout during Mars atmospheric entry. The communications brownout means that signal fades and blackout means that the signal is lost completely. The communications brownout and blackout periods are analyzed and predicted with an altitude and velocity profiles. In the brownout period, the range measurements between the vehicle and the orbiters are modeled as intermittent measurements with the radio signal arrival probabilities, which are distributed as a Rayleigh distribution of the electron number density around the entry vehicle. A new integrated navigation strategy during the Mars atmospheric entry phase is proposed to consider the probabilities of the radio measurements in the communications brownout and blackout periods under the IMU/beacon scenario based on the information filter with intermittent measurements. Numerical navigation simulations are designed to show the performance of the proposed navigation strategy under the integrated navigation scenario.

Recommendations for Mass Spectrometry Data Quality Metrics for Open Access Data (Corollary to the Amsterdam Principles)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Apffel, James; Baker, Mark

2012-01-01

Policies supporting the rapid and open sharing of proteomic data are being implemented by the leading journals in the field. The proteomics community is taking steps to ensure that data are made publicly accessible and are of high quality, a challenging task that requires the development...... of such methods for open access proteomics data. The stakeholders at the workshop enumerated the key principles underlying a framework for data quality assessment in mass spectrometry data that will meet the needs of the research community, journals, funding agencies, and data repositories. Attendees discussed....... This workshop report explores the historic precedents, key discussions, and necessary next steps to enhance the quality of open access data. By agreement, this article is published simultaneously in the Journal of Proteome Research, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, Proteomics, and Proteomics Clinical...

Recommendations for Mass Spectrometry Data Quality Metrics for Open Access Data (Corollary to the Amsterdam Principles)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Apffel, James; Baker, Mark

2011-01-01

Policies supporting the rapid and open sharing of proteomic data are being implemented by the leading journals in the field. The proteomics community is taking steps to ensure that data are made publicly accessible and are of high quality, a challenging task that requires the development...... of such methods for open access proteomics data. The stakeholders at the workshop enumerated the key principles underlying a framework for data quality assessment in mass spectrometry data that will meet the needs of the research community, journals, funding agencies, and data repositories. Attendees discussed....... This workshop report explores the historic precedents, key discussions, and necessary next steps to enhance the quality of open access data. By agreement, this article is published simultaneously in the Journal of Proteome Research, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, Proteomics, and Proteomics Clinical...

NICE recommendations for the assessment of stable chest pain: assessing the early economic and service impact in the rapid-access chest pain service.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashrafi, Reza; Raga, Santosh; Abdool, Ali; Disney, Andrew; Wong, Peter; Davis, Gershan K

2013-05-01

In 2010, guidelines published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) suggested a change in the way patients with stable chest pain of suspected cardiac origin were investigated. These guidelines removed exercise treadmill testing from routine use and introduced cardiac CT to regular use. To investigate whether these guidelines had improved our service provision by reducing the number of further investigations required to make a diagnosis, and to see if our costs had increased now that the less expensive exercise treadmill tests were not recommended. Clinic letters were used to assess patients pretest likelihood of coronary artery disease for two six-month cohorts of consecutive patients seen in the rapid access chest pain clinic (January-June 2010 and July-December 2011) using NICE published methodology, and to ascertain which investigations patients had. Using NICE modelled costs, we generated comparative hypothetical costs for each cohort and an average cost per patient. In the January-June 2010 cohort, 435 patients with chest pain were seen, and in July-December 2011, 334 patients were seen. In the pre-NICE guidelines cohort, 23% of patients required two investigations as compared with 11.4% in the post-NICE guidelines cohort, with no patient requiring three investigations as compared with 3% in the original cohort. There was no significant increase in costs per patient in the post-NICE guidance group. Implementing NICE guidance reduced the number of investigations needed per patient, and did not prove more expensive for our department in the short term.

Historical and contemporary cultural ecosystem service values in the rapidly urbanizing city state of Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiagarajah, Jharyathri; Wong, Shermaine K M; Richards, Daniel R; Friess, Daniel A

2015-11-01

Cultural ecosystem services are a function of people and place, so may change as a location transitions from rural to urban. Singapore has undergone rapid urbanization after its independence in 1965, with a concomitant decline in natural habitat extent and accessibility. Using coastal mangrove forests as a case study habitat, changing cultural values were explored with a novel array of techniques, including qualitative archival analysis (photographs, oral histories), current sources (publically uploaded social media photographs), and surveys of (a) the general public and (b) visitors to publically accessible mangroves. Cultural value changed through time, with a significant transition from intrinsic, intrapersonal values (spiritual, cultural heritage) to instrumental, interpersonal values (recreation, education). Additionally, cultural value varied between different mangroves depending on their public accessibility, and the evolving degree of human interaction with the ecosystem as urban development occured. Cultural values change as development transitions, though mangroves still play an important cultural role in a heavily urbanized environment.

Passive Optical Access Networks: State of the Art and Future Evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tommaso Muciaccia

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the very last years, optical access networks are growing very rapidly, from both the network operators and the research interests points of view. Fiber To The Home (FTTH is already a reality in plenty of real contexts and there has been a further stimulus to the proposal of new solutions and the investigation of new possibilities, in order to optimize network performance and reduce capital and operational expenditure. A complete and systematic overview of passive optical access networks is presented in this paper, concerning both the hot research topics and the main operative issues about the design guidelines and the deployment of Passive Optical Networks (PON architectures, nowadays the most commonly implemented approach to realize optical fiber links in the access networks. A comparison of advantages and disadvantages of different multiplexing techniques is discussed, with specific reference to WDM-based networks, almost universally considered as the enabling technology for future proof bandwidth requirements. An exhaustive summary is also given about the-state-of-the-art of modulation and encoding techniques recently proposed by the scientific community, as well as the open challenges (such as colorless and coolerless ONUs for telecom companies and international standardization compliance.

Acceptability of rapid oral fluid HIV testing among male injection drug users in Taiwan, 1997 and 2007.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Shu-Yu; Morisky, Donald E; Yeh, Ching-Ying; Twu, Shiing-Jer; Peng, Eugene Yu-Chang; Malow, Robert M

2011-04-01

Rapid oral fluid HIV testing (rapid oral testing) is in the process of being adapted in Taiwan and elsewhere given its advantages over prior HIV testing methods. To guide this process, we examined the acceptability of rapid oral testing at two time points (i.e., 1997 and 2007) among one of the highest risk populations, male injection drug users (IDUs). For this purpose, an anonymous self-administered survey was completed by HIV-negative IDUs involved in the criminal justice system in 1997 (N (1)=137 parolees) and 2007 (N (2)=106 prisoners). A social marketing model helped guide the design of our questionnaire to assess the acceptability of rapid oral testing. This included assessing a new product, across four marketing dimensions: product, price, promotion, and place. Results revealed that in both 1997 and 2007, over 90% indicated that rapid oral testing would be highly acceptable, particularly if the cost was under US$6, and that a pharmacy would be the most appropriate and accessible venue for selling the rapid oral testing kits. The vast majority of survey respondents believed that the cost of rapid oral testing should be federally subsidized and that television and newspaper advertisements would be the most effective media to advertise for rapid oral testing. Both the 1997 and 2007 surveys suggested that rapid oral HIV testing would be particularly accepted in Taiwan by IDUs after release from the criminal justice system.

Tsunami Rapid Assessment Using High Resolution Images and Field Surveys: the 2010 , Central Chile, and the 2011, Tohoku Tsunamis

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez-Herrera, M.; Navarrete-Pacheco, J.; Lagos, M.; Arcas, D.

2013-12-01

Recent extreme tsunamis have shown their major socioeconomic impact and imprint in the coastal landscape. Extensive destruction, erosion, sediment transport and deposition resculpted coastal landscape within few minutes along hundreds of kilometers of the Central Chile, in 2010, and the Northeast coast of Japan, in 2011. In the central coast of Chile, we performed a post-tsunami survey a week after the tsunami due to access restrictions. Our observations focus on the inundation and geomorphic effects of the 2010 tsunami and included an air reconnaissance flight, analysis of pre- and post-event low fly air-photographs and Google Earth satellite images, together with ground reconnaissance and mapping in the field, including topographic transects, during a period of 13 days. Eyewitness accounts enabled us to confirm our observations on effects produced by the tsunami along ~ 500km along the coastline landscape in central Chile For the Tohoku case study, we assessed in a day tsunami inundation distances and runup heights using satellite data (very high resolution satellite images from the GeoEye1 satellite and from the DigitalGlobe worldview through the Google crisis response project, SRTM and ASTER GDEM) of the Tohoku region, Northeast Japan. Field survey data by Japanese, other international scientists and us validated our results. The rapid assessment of damage using high-resolution images has proven to be an excellent tool neccessary for effcient postsunami surveys as well as for rapid assessment of areas with access restrictions. All countries, in particular those with less access to technology and infrastructure, can benefit from the use of freely available satellite imagery and DEMs for an initial, pre-field survey, rapid estimate of inundated areas, distances and runup, tsunami effects in the coastal geomorphology and for assisting in hazard management and mitigation after a natural disaster. These data provide unprecedented opportunities for rapid assessment

Access Denied! Contrasting Data Access in the United States and Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grogan Samuel

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The ability of an Internet user to access data collected about himself as a result of his online activity is a key privacy safeguard. Online, data access has been overshadowed by other protections such as notice and choice. This paper describes attitudes about data access. 873 US and Irish Internet users participated in a survey designed to examine views on data access to information held by online companies and data brokers. We observed low levels of awareness of access mechanisms along with a high desire for access in both participant groups. We tested three proposed access systems in keeping with industry programs and regulatory proposals. User response was positive. We conclude that access remains an important privacy protection that is inadequately manifested in practice. Our study provides insight for lawmakers and policymakers, as well as computer scientists who implement these systems.

Accessing diabetes care in rural Uganda: Economic and social resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Jannie; Bahendeka, Silver K; Bygbjerg, Ib C; Meyrowitsch, Dan W; Whyte, Susan R

2017-07-01

Non-communicable diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) are increasing rapidly in most Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries like Uganda. Little attention has been given to how patients with T2D try to achieve treatment when the availability of public health care for their disease is limited, as is the case in most SSA countries. In this paper we focus on the landscape of availability of care and the therapeutic journeys of patients within that landscape. Based on fieldwork in south-western Uganda including 10 case studies, we explore the diabetes treatment options in the area and what it takes to access the available treatment. We analyse the resources patients need to use the available treatment options, and demonstrate that the patients' journeys to access and maintain treatment are facilitated by the knowledge and support of their therapy management groups. Patients access treatment more effectively, if they and their family have money, useful social relations, and knowledge, together with the capacity to communicate with health staff. Patients coming from households with high socio-economic status (SES) are more likely to have all of these resources, while for patients with low or medium SES, lack of economic resources increases the importance of connections within the health system.

Toward a strategy of patient-centered access to primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Leonard L; Beckham, Dan; Dettman, Amy; Mead, Robert

2014-10-01

Patient-centered access (PCA) to primary care services is rapidly becoming an imperative for efficiently delivering high-quality health care to patients. To enhance their PCA-related efforts, some medical practices and health systems have begun to use various tactics, including team-based care, satellite clinics, same-day and group appointments, greater use of physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and remote access to health services. However, few organizations are addressing the PCA imperative comprehensively by integrating these various tactics to develop an overall PCA management strategy. Successful integration means taking into account the changing competitive and reimbursement landscape in primary care, conducting an evidence-based assessment of the barriers and benefits of PCA implementation, and attending to the particular needs of the institution engaged in this important effort. This article provides a blueprint for creating a multifaceted but coordinated PCA strategy-one aimed squarely at making patient access a centerpiece of how health care is delivered. The case of a Wisconsin-based health system is used as an illustrative example of how other institutions might begin to conceive their fledgling PCA strategies without proposing it as a one-size-fits-all model. Copyright © 2014 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Policy Considerations for Enhancing Student Access and Persistence in a World in Which Tuition Keeps Rising

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrenberg, Ronald G.

2007-01-01

The United States no longer leads the world in college completion rates. Inequality in college access rates by income have barely narrowed over the last 25 to 30 years and inequality in college completion rates have narrowed even less. The groups in the population that are growing the most rapidly are those that have historically been…

Mobile work: Ergonomics in a rapidly changing work environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Honan, Meg

2015-01-01

Places of work have been completely transformed by innovations in mobile work tools and ever-present access to internet data. This article characterizes use patterns and provides preliminary considerations for productive and comfortable use of common mobile devices. Two surveys described trends in mobile work. In the first, ergonomics professionals who oversee programs reported common mobile devices, their users and what data is accessed. The second, an end user survey, explored common activities performed on mobile devices, duration of use and locations where mobile work is common. The survey results provide a baseline data point for the status of mobile work in early 2014. Research indicates that additional risks have been introduced to the neck, thumbs and hands when using mobile devices. Possible trends regarding device use and work locations emerge. Intervention studies provide some direction for the practitioner. Practical strategies are outlined to reduce exposure intensity and duration. Contemporary mobile work presents tremendous change and opportunity for ergonomists and researchers to keep pace with fitting the changing models of work to the person. Continued research is needed on current mobile device use patterns to better understand ergonomic risk exposure in this rapidly changing realm.

A Case Report of Dissociative Neurosis (Depersonalization Disorder) in an Adolescent Treated with Family Therapy and Behavior Modification.

Science.gov (United States)

Dollinger, Stephen J.

1983-01-01

Describes the use of behavioral procedures as part of systems-oriented family therapy for the treatment of an adolescent girl's functional blackouts. Treatment successfully eliminated blackouts without directly addressing clear psychosexual issues. Discusses the case in terms of conceptualizing etiology and treatments and advocates working with…

The trade-off between accuracy and accessibility of syphilis screening assays.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter W Smit

Full Text Available The availability of rapid and sensitive methods to diagnose syphilis facilitates screening of pregnant women, which is one of the most cost-effective health interventions available. We have evaluated two screening methods in Tanzania: an enzyme immunoassay (EIA, and a point-of-care test (POCT. We evaluated the performance of each test against the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA as the reference method, and the accessibility of testing in a rural district of Tanzania. The POCT was performed in the clinic on whole blood, while the other assays were performed on plasma in the laboratory. Samples were also tested by the rapid plasma Reagin (RPR test. With TPPA as reference assay, the sensitivity and specificity of EIA were 95.3% and 97.8%, and of the POCT were 59.6% and 99.4% respectively. The sensitivity of the POCT and EIA for active syphilis cases (TPPA positive and RPR titer ≥ 1/8 were 82% and 100% respectively. Only 15% of antenatal clinic attenders in this district visited a health facility with a laboratory capable of performing the EIA. Although it is less sensitive than EIA, its greater accessibility, and the fact that treatment can be given on the same day, means that the use of POCT would result in a higher proportion of women with syphilis receiving treatment than with the EIA in this district of Tanzania.

What Automaticity Deficit? Activation of Lexical Information by Readers with Dyslexia in a Rapid Automatized Naming Stroop-Switch Task

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Manon W.; Snowling, Margaret J.; Moll, Kristina

2016-01-01

Reading fluency is often predicted by rapid automatized naming (RAN) speed, which as the name implies, measures the automaticity with which familiar stimuli (e.g., letters) can be retrieved and named. Readers with dyslexia are considered to have less "automatized" access to lexical information, reflected in longer RAN times compared with…

Accessibility and sensory experiences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryhl, Camilla

2010-01-01

and accessibility. Sensory accessibility accommodates aspects of a sensory disability and describes architectural design requirements needed to ensure access to architectural experiences. In the context of architecture accessibility has become a design concept of its own. It is generally described as ensuring...... physical access to the built environment by accommodating physical disabilities. While the existing concept of accessibility ensures the physical access of everyone to a given space, sensory accessibility ensures the choice of everyone to stay and be able to participate and experience....

Usability and Accessibility of eBay by Screen Reader

Science.gov (United States)

Buzzi, Maria Claudia; Buzzi, Marina; Leporini, Barbara; Akhter, Fahim

The evolution of Information and Communication Technology and the rapid growth of the Internet have fuelled a great diffusion of eCommerce websites. Usually these sites have complex layouts crowded with active elements, and thus are difficult to navigate via screen reader. Interactive environments should be properly designed and delivered to everyone, including the blind, who usually use screen readers to interact with their computers. In this paper we investigate the interaction of blind users with eBay, a popular eCommerce website, and discuss how using the W3C Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) suite could improve the user experience when navigating via screen reader.

Reducing the risk of cyber threats in utilities through log management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patnaik, A. [ArcSight, Cupertino, CA (United States)

2010-01-15

Electrical blackouts caused by terrorists hacking into targeted control systems have already occurred in Brazil. A patchwork of security tools is needed to reduce potential threats. The continuous collection and analysis of data is also needed to detect cyber threats. The real time correlation of logs across all systems, applications and users is needed to ensure the reliability and security of the power grid. Solutions must also integrate well with identity management sources in order to prevent remote access account hijacking. Effective log management can be used to detect threats and reduce the risk of power outages. 1 fig.

Rapid improvements in emotion regulation predict intensive treatment outcome for patients with bulimia nervosa and purging disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Danielle E; Trottier, Kathryn; Olmsted, Marion P

2017-10-01

Rapid and substantial behavior change (RSBC) early in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for eating disorders is the strongest known predictor of treatment outcome. Rapid change in other clinically relevant variables may also be important. This study examined whether rapid change in emotion regulation predicted treatment outcomes, beyond the effects of RSBC. Participants were diagnosed with bulimia nervosa or purging disorder (N = 104) and completed ≥6 weeks of CBT-based intensive treatment. Hierarchical regression models were used to test whether rapid change in emotion regulation variables predicted posttreatment outcomes, defined in three ways: (a) binge/purge abstinence; (b) cognitive eating disorder psychopathology; and (c) depression symptoms. Baseline psychopathology and emotion regulation difficulties and RSBC were controlled for. After controlling for baseline variables and RSBC, rapid improvement in access to emotion regulation strategies made significant unique contributions to the prediction of posttreatment binge/purge abstinence, cognitive psychopathology of eating disorders, and depression symptoms. Individuals with eating disorders who rapidly improve their belief that they can effectively modulate negative emotions are more likely to achieve a variety of good treatment outcomes. This supports the formal inclusion of emotion regulation skills early in CBT, and encouraging patient beliefs that these strategies are helpful. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Email based remote access and surveillance system for smart home infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pooshkar Rajiv

2016-09-01

Full Text Available With the rapid rise of Internet of Things in public domain, people expect fast, reliable and on-demand home security via the Internet. However, existing remote home surveillance systems place a very rigid constraint on authentication and require customized hardware and software. In this paper we have proposed an ingenious and reliable internet based, home access system for smart homes that can be easily deployed on generic hardware. The proposed architecture uses popular email service providers to notify and update the user about the home access. It sends an email to the owner with the attached picture of the person who is at the door. It also incorporates a protected mechanism to give access of the door to a remote user by responding to that email. It essentially means that we can view and give access to the person at our door via sending and receiving an email. Furthermore, an image processing based mechanism has also been incorporated to provide access without email, to few selected personnel who are trusted by the owner. It works by capturing and comparing the visitor's image with the stored images in the database. Perceptual hashing or fingerprint matching algorithm is used for comparison purposes. Similarity percentage based on hamming distance was evaluated, and the similarity threshold for providing access was set. The simulations were performed in rigorous environment. The efficiency of the hashing algorithm was found to be 97% at the similarity threshold of 95%. The results validate that the average latency is only 155 ms with low standard deviation. The CPU utilization remained quite low with a minimum value of 10 MHz and a maximum value of 30 MHz when the payload size of the sent mail was increased to 1500 kB. Thus, the proposed system can be used for developing a larger low power infrastructure.

The new concept of ureteral access sheath with guidewire disengagement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breda, Alberto; Emiliani, Esteban; Millán, Felix

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate the new Flexor©Parallel™ Rapid Release™ (Cook(®), Bloomington, IN, USA) access sheath (UAS) which allows the use of a single wire to serve as both safety and working guide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June and September 2014, adult patients from five European...... by the surgeons on a scale from very bad to very good. RESULTS: In total, 134 UASs were used in 67 male and 67 female patients. Fifty percent of ureters (67 patients) were pre-stented. Ninety percent of the procedures were therapeutic. The overall successful insertion rate was 94 %. Pre-stenting status...

Accessing Specific Peptide Recognition by Combinatorial Chemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Ming

Molecular recognition is at the basis of all processes for life, and plays a central role in many biological processes, such as protein folding, the structural organization of cells and organelles, signal transduction, and the immune response. Hence, my PhD project is entitled “Accessing Specific...... Peptide Recognition by Combinatorial Chemistry”. Molecular recognition is a specific interaction between two or more molecules through noncovalent bonding, such as hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, van der Waals forces, π−π, hydrophobic, or electrostatic interactions. The association involves kinetic....... Combinatorial chemistry was invented in 1980s based on observation of functional aspects of the adaptive immune system. It was employed for drug development and optimization in conjunction with high-throughput synthesis and screening. (chapter 2) Combinatorial chemistry is able to rapidly produce many thousands...

Quality of Recovery Evaluation of the Protection Schemes for Fiber-Wireless Access Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Minglei; Chai, Zhicheng; Le, Zichun

2016-03-01

With the rapid development of fiber-wireless (FiWi) access network, the protection schemes have got more and more attention due to the risk of huge data loss when failures occur. However, there are few studies on the performance evaluation of the FiWi protection schemes by the unified evaluation criterion. In this paper, quality of recovery (QoR) method was adopted to evaluate the performance of three typical protection schemes (MPMC scheme, OBOF scheme and RPMF scheme) against the segment-level failure in FiWi access network. The QoR models of the three schemes were derived in terms of availability, quality of backup path, recovery time and redundancy. To compare the performance of the three protection schemes comprehensively, five different classes of network services such as emergency service, prioritized elastic service, conversational service, etc. were utilized by means of assigning different QoR weights. Simulation results showed that, for the most service cases, RPMF scheme was proved to be the best solution to enhance the survivability when planning the FiWi access network.

Optical Access Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan

2005-06-01

Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the economic viability of many potential high-bandwidth applications. In recent years, optical access networks have been receiving tremendous attention from both academia and industry. A large number of research activities have been carried out or

Public Access and Open Access: Is There a Difference? | Poster

Science.gov (United States)

By Robin Meckley, Contributing Writer, and Tracie Frederick, Guest Writer Open access and public access—are they different concepts or are they the same? What do they mean for the researchers at NCI at Frederick? “Open-access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes it possible is the Internet and the consent of the author or copyright-holder,” according to an open access website maintained by Peter Suber, director, Harvard Open Access Project.

Moving toward a universally accessible web: Web accessibility and education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, Serhat

2017-12-08

The World Wide Web is an extremely powerful source of information, inspiration, ideas, and opportunities. As such, it has become an integral part of daily life for a great majority of people. Yet, for a significant number of others, the internet offers only limited value due to the existence of barriers which make accessing the Web difficult, if not impossible. This article illustrates some of the reasons that achieving equality of access to the online world of education is so critical, explores the current status of Web accessibility, discusses evaluative tools and methods that can help identify accessibility issues in educational websites, and provides practical recommendations and guidelines for resolving some of the obstacles that currently hinder the achievability of the goal of universal Web access.

Network Layer Protocol Activation for Packet Data Access in UMTS WCDMA Laboratory Network

OpenAIRE

Lakkisto, Erkka

2011-01-01

The purpose of this Bachelor’s Thesis was to set up the UMTS WCDMA network in the laboratory environment of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and to study the network layer protocol activation for packet data access. The development of 3G technology has been very rapid and it can be considered as one of the main technologies in telecommunication. Implementing the laboratory network in Metropolia enables teaching and researching of the modern network technology. Labora...

Dispersed trading and the prevention of market failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Porter, David C.; Tanggaard, Carsten; Weaver, Daniel G.

2008-01-01

With augmented demands on power grids resulting in longer and larger blackouts combined with heightened concerns of terrorist attacks, trading institutions and policy makers have widened their search for systems that avoid market failure during these disturbing events. We provide insight...... into this issue by examining trading behaviour at the Copenhagen Stock Exchange during a major blackout. We find that although market quality declined, markets remained functional and some price discovery occurred during the blackout period suggesting that the NOREX structure of interlinked trading systems...... combined with widely dispersed trading locations may be a viable means of protection against market failure during massive power disruptions or terrorist attacks....

Access Customized Forms

OpenAIRE

Cosma Emil; Jeflea Victor

2010-01-01

By using Word, Excel or PowerPoint one can automate routine operations using the VBA language (Visual Basic for Applications). This language is also used in Access, allowing access to data stored in tables or queries. Thus, Access and VBA resources can be used together. Access is designed for programming forms and reports (among other things), so there won’t be found any of the VBA editor’s specific forms.

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory: Quick Access to Data and Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Cornwell, Carl; Roberts, D. Aaron; McGuire, Robert E.

2006-01-01

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO; see http://vspo.gsfc.nasa.gov) has grown to provide a way to find and access about 375 data products and services from over 100 spacecraft/observatories in space and solar physics. The datasets are mainly chosen to be the most requested, and include most of the publicly available data products from operating NASA Heliophysics spacecraft as well as from solar observatories measuring across the frequency spectrum. Service links include a "quick orbits" page that uses SSCWeb Web Services to provide a rapid answer to questions such as "What spacecraft were in orbit in July 1992?" and "Where were Geotail, Cluster, and Polar on 2 June 2001?" These queries are linked back to the data search page. The VSPO interface provides many ways of looking for data based on terms used in a registry of resources using the SPASE Data Model that will be the standard for Heliophysics Virtual Observatories. VSPO itself is accessible via an API that allows other applications to use it as a Web Service; this has been implemented in one instance using the ViSBARD visualization program. The VSPO will become part of the Space Physics Data Facility, and will continue to expand its access to data. A challenge for all VOs will be to provide uniform access to data at the variable level, and we will be addressing this question in a number of ways.

Subxyphoid access of the normal pericardium: a novel drug delivery technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Laham, R J; Simons, M; Hung, D

1999-05-01

The pericardial space may potentially serve as a drug delivery reservoir that might be used to deliver therapeutic substances to the heart. This study describes a novel delivery technique that enables safe and rapid percutaneous subxyphoid access of the normal pericardium in a large animal model (49 Yorkshire pigs). An epidural introducer needle (Tuohy-17) is advanced gently under fluoroscopic guidance with a continuous positive pressure of 20-30 mm Hg (achieved by saline infusion using an intraflow system). The positive pressure is intended to push the right ventricle (with a lower pressure) away from the needle's path. Entry of the pericardial space is suspected after an increase in the saline flow through the intraflow system. Access to the pericardial space is confirmed by the injection of 1 ml of diluted contrast under fluoroscopy. A soft floppy-tip 0.025" guidewire is then advanced to the pericardial space and the needle is exchanged for an infusion catheter. Access of the pericardial space was achieved in all animals without any adverse events and without any hemodynamic compromise even with the delivery of fluid volumes as large as 50 ml. Histologic examination in 15 animals 4 weeks after pericardial access did not reveal any delivery-related myocardial damage. The safety, ease, and absence of hemodynamic compromise make this technique a potentially useful method for intrapericardial drug delivery and a good alternative to standard pericardiocentesis in patients with small pericardial effusions at higher risk for complications.

Fostering Distance Training Programme (DTP) Students' Access to Semester Examination Results via SMS at University of Rwanda-College of Education

Science.gov (United States)

Nizeyimana, Gerard; Yonah, Zaipuna O.; Nduwingoma, Mathias

2015-01-01

This paper presents a situation analysis and implementation of Distance Training Programme (DTP) Semester Examination Results Access (SERA) through Short Message Service (SMS) available anytime and anywhere. "Texting" or SMS mobile phone messaging is rapidly increasing communication in business and community service. The prompting…

Open access

CERN Document Server

Suber, Peter

2012-01-01

The Internet lets us share perfect copies of our work with a worldwide audience at virtually no cost. We take advantage of this revolutionary opportunity when we make our work "open access": digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. Open access is made possible by the Internet and copyright-holder consent, and many authors, musicians, filmmakers, and other creators who depend on royalties are understandably unwilling to give their consent. But for 350 years, scholars have written peer-reviewed journal articles for impact, not for money, and are free to consent to open access without losing revenue. In this concise introduction, Peter Suber tells us what open access is and isn't, how it benefits authors and readers of research, how we pay for it, how it avoids copyright problems, how it has moved from the periphery to the mainstream, and what its future may hold. Distilling a decade of Suber's influential writing and thinking about open access, this is the indispe...

Similarity searching and scaffold hopping in synthetically accessible combinatorial chemistry spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Boehm, Markus; Wu, Tong-Ying; Claussen, Holger; Lemmen, Christian

2008-04-24

Large collections of combinatorial libraries are an integral element in today's pharmaceutical industry. It is of great interest to perform similarity searches against all virtual compounds that are synthetically accessible by any such library. Here we describe the successful application of a new software tool CoLibri on 358 combinatorial libraries based on validated reaction protocols to create a single chemistry space containing over 10 (12) possible products. Similarity searching with FTrees-FS allows the systematic exploration of this space without the need to enumerate all product structures. The search result is a set of virtual hits which are synthetically accessible by one or more of the existing reaction protocols. Grouping these virtual hits by their synthetic protocols allows the rapid design and synthesis of multiple follow-up libraries. Such library ideas support hit-to-lead design efforts for tasks like follow-up from high-throughput screening hits or scaffold hopping from one hit to another attractive series.

Facilitating consumer access to health information.

Science.gov (United States)

Snowdon, Anne; Schnarr, Karin; Alessi, Charles

2014-01-01

The lead paper from Zelmer and Hagens details the substantive evolution occurring in health information technologies that has the potential to transform the relationship between consumers, health practitioners and health systems. In this commentary, the authors suggest that Canada is experiencing a shift in consumer behaviour toward a desire to actively manage one's health and wellness that is being facilitated through the advent of health applications on mobile and online technologies platforms. The result is that Canadians are now able to create personalized health solutions based on their individual health values and goals. However, before Canadians are able to derive a personal health benefit from these rapid changes in information technology, they require and are increasingly demanding greater real-time access to their own health information to better inform decision-making, as well as interoperability between their personal health tracking systems and those of their health practitioner team.

Open access phone triage for veterans with suspected malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegert, Charles Jeff; Fisichella, Piero Marco; Moseley, Jennifer M; Shoni, Melina; Lebenthal, Abraham

2017-01-01

Phone triaging patients with suspected malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) within the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) system offers a model for rapid, expert guided evaluation for patients with rare and treatable diseases within a national integrated healthcare system. To assess feasibility of national open access telephone triage using evidence-based treatment recommendations for patients with MPM, measure timelines of the triage and referral process and record the impact on "intent to treat" for patients using our service. A retrospective study. The main outcome measures were: (1) ability to perform long distance phone triage, (2) to assess the speed of access to a mesothelioma surgical specialist for patients throughout the entire VHA, and (3) to determine if access to a specialist would alter the plan of care. Sixty veterans were screened by our phone triage program, 38 traveled an average of 997 miles to VA Boston Healthcare system. On average, 14 d elapsed from initial phone contact until the patient was physically evaluated in our general thoracic clinic in Boston. The treatment plan was altered for 71% of patients evaluated at VA Boston Healthcare system based on 2012 International Mesothelioma Interest Group guidelines. Our initial experience demonstrates that in-network centralized care for Veterans with MPM is feasible within the VHA. National open access phone triage improves access to expert surgical advice and can be delivered in a timely manner for Veterans using our service. Guideline-based treatment recommendations ("intent to treat") changed the therapeutic course for the majority of patients who used our service. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From spatial to social accessibility: How socio-economic factors can affect accessibility?

OpenAIRE

Mercier , Aurélie

2016-01-01

The concept of accessibility cannot only focus on " spatial accessibility " measurement but has to integer a " social accessibility " level to take into account individual inequalities and socioeconomic disparities to access to urban opportunities. In this context, this contribution focuses on socioeconomic disparities integration on accessibility measurement, considering the Lyon case study. The paper is divided into three parts The first part aims to present a method for integrating the soc...

Accessibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brooks, Anthony Lewis

2017-01-01

This contribution is timely as it addresses accessibility in regards system hardware and software aligned with introduction of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) and adjoined game industry waiver that comes into force January 2017. This is an act created...... by the USA Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase the access of persons with disabilities to modern communications, and for other purposes. The act impacts advanced communications services and products including text messaging; e-mail; instant messaging; video communications; browsers; game...... platforms; and games software. However, the CVAA has no legal status in the EU. This text succinctly introduces and questions implications, impact, and wider adoption. By presenting the full CVAA and game industry waiver the text targets to motivate discussions and further publications on the subject...

Thermal-hydraulic analysis of NSSS and containment response during extended station blackout for Maanshan PWR plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuann, Yng-Ruey, E-mail: ryyuann@iner.gov.tw; Hsu, Keng-Hsien, E-mail: hardlycampus@iner.gov.tw; Lin, Chin-Tsu, E-mail: jtling@iner.gov.tw

2015-07-15

Highlights: • Calculate NSSS and containment transient response during extended SBO of 24 h. • RELAP5-3D and GOTHIC models are developed for Maanshan PWR plant. • Reactor coolant pump seal leakage is specifically modeled for each loop. • Analyses are performed with and without secondary-side depressurization, respectively. • Considering different total available time for turbine driven auxiliary feedwater system. - Abstract: A thermal-hydraulic analysis has been performed with respect to the response of the nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) and the containment during an extended station blackout (SBO) duration of 24 h in Maanshan PWR plant. Maanshan plant is a Westinghouse three-loop PWR design with rated core thermal power of 2822 MWt. The analyses in the NSSS and the containment are based on the RELAP5-3D and GOTHIC models, respectively. Important design features of the plant in response to SBO are considered in the respective models, e.g., the steam generator PORVs, turbine driven auxiliary feedwater system (TDAFWS), accumulators, reactor coolant pump (RCP) seal design, various heat structures in the containment, etc. In the analysis it is assumed that the shaft seal in each RCP failed due to loss of seal cooling and the RCS fluid flows to the containment directly. Some parameters calculated from the RELPA5-3D model are input to the containment GOTHIC model, including the RCS average temperature and the RCP seal leakage flow and enthalpy. The RCS average temperature is used to drive the sensible heat transfer to the containment. It is found that the severity of the event depends mainly on whether the secondary side is depressurized or not. If the secondary side is depressurized in time (within 1 h after SBO) and the TDAFWS is available greater than 19 h, then the reactor core will be covered with water throughout the SBO duration, which ensures the integrity of the reactor core. On the contrary, if the secondary side is not depressurized, then the RCS

THE APPLICATION OF MAMMOTH FOR A DETAILED TIGHTLY COUPLED FUEL PIN SIMULATION WITH A STATION BLACKOUT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gleicher, Frederick; Ortensi, Javier; DeHart, Mark; Wang, Yaqi; Schunert, Sebastian; Novascone, Stephen; Hales, Jason; Williamson, Rich; Slaughter, Andrew; Permann, Cody; Andrs, David; Martineau, Richard

2016-09-01

Accurate calculation of desired quantities to predict fuel behavior requires the solution of interlinked equations representing different physics. Traditional fuels performance codes often rely on internal empirical models for the pin power density and a simplified boundary condition on the cladding edge. These simplifications are performed because of the difficulty of coupling applications or codes on differing domains and mapping the required data. To demonstrate an approach closer to first principles, the neutronics application Rattlesnake and the thermal hydraulics application RELAP-7 were coupled to the fuels performance application BISON under the master application MAMMOTH. A single fuel pin was modeled based on the dimensions of a Westinghouse 17x17 fuel rod. The simulation consisted of a depletion period of 1343 days, roughly equal to three full operating cycles, followed by a station blackout (SBO) event. The fuel rod was depleted for 1343 days for a near constant total power loading of 65.81 kW. After 1343 days the fission power was reduced to zero (simulating a reactor shut-down). Decay heat calculations provided the time-varying energy source after this time. For this problem, Rattlesnake, BISON, and RELAP-7 are coupled under MAMMOTH in a split operator approach. Each system solves its physics on a separate mesh and, for RELAP-7 and BISON, on only a subset of the full problem domain. Rattlesnake solves the neutronics over the whole domain that includes the fuel, cladding, gaps, water, and top and bottom rod holders. Here BISON is applied to the fuel and cladding with a 2D axi-symmetric domain, and RELAP-7 is applied to the flow of the circular outer water channel with a set of 1D flow equations. The mesh on the Rattlesnake side can either be 3D (for low order transport) or 2D (for diffusion). BISON has a matching ring structure mesh for the fuel so both the power density and local burn up are copied accurately from Rattlesnake. At each depletion time

Optical Access Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan

2005-01-01

Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks Guest Editors Jun Zheng, University of Ottawa Nirwan Ansari, New Jersey Institute of Technology Submission Deadline: 1 June 2005 Background With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the economic viability of many potential high-bandwidth applications. In recent years, optical access networks

Rapid response systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Patrick G; Edelson, Dana P; Churpek, Matthew M

2018-07-01

Rapid response systems are commonly employed by hospitals to identify and respond to deteriorating patients outside of the intensive care unit. Controversy exists about the benefits of rapid response systems. We aimed to review the current state of the rapid response literature, including evolving aspects of afferent (risk detection) and efferent (intervention) arms, outcome measurement, process improvement, and implementation. Articles written in English and published in PubMed. Rapid response systems are heterogeneous, with important differences among afferent and efferent arms. Clinically meaningful outcomes may include unexpected mortality, in-hospital cardiac arrest, length of stay, cost, and processes of care at end of life. Both positive and negative interventional studies have been published, although the two largest randomized trials involving rapid response systems - the Medical Early Response and Intervention Trial (MERIT) and the Effect of a Pediatric Early Warning System on All-Cause Mortality in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients (EPOCH) trial - did not find a mortality benefit with these systems, albeit with important limitations. Advances in monitoring technologies, risk assessment strategies, and behavioral ergonomics may offer opportunities for improvement. Rapid responses may improve some meaningful outcomes, although these findings remain controversial. These systems may also improve care for patients at the end of life. Rapid response systems are expected to continue evolving with novel developments in monitoring technologies, risk prediction informatics, and work in human factors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Degeneration of rapid eye movement sleep circuitry underlies rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Dillon; Peever, John

2017-05-01

During healthy rapid eye movement sleep, skeletal muscles are actively forced into a state of motor paralysis. However, in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder-a relatively common neurological disorder-this natural process is lost. A lack of motor paralysis (atonia) in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder allows individuals to actively move, which at times can be excessive and violent. At first glance this may sound harmless, but it is not because rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder patients frequently injure themselves or the person they sleep with. It is hypothesized that the degeneration or dysfunction of the brain stem circuits that control rapid eye movement sleep paralysis is an underlying cause of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. The link between brain stem degeneration and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder stems from the fact that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder precedes, in the majority (∼80%) of cases, the development of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, which are known to initially cause degeneration in the caudal brain stem structures where rapid eye movement sleep circuits are located. Furthermore, basic science and clinical evidence demonstrate that lesions within the rapid eye movement sleep circuits can induce rapid eye movement sleep-specific motor deficits that are virtually identical to those observed in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. This review examines the evidence that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is caused by synucleinopathic neurodegeneration of the core brain stem circuits that control healthy rapid eye movement sleep and concludes that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is not a separate clinical entity from synucleinopathies but, rather, it is the earliest symptom of these disorders. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and

Demystifying Open Access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mele, Salvatore

2007-01-01

The tenets of Open Access are to grant anyone, anywhere and anytime free access to the results of scientific research. HEP spearheaded the Open Access dissemination of scientific results with the mass mailing of preprints in the pre-WWW era and with the launch of the arXiv preprint system at the dawn of the '90s. The HEP community is now ready for a further push to Open Access while retaining all the advantages of the peer-review system and, at the same time, bring the spiralling cost of journal subscriptions under control. I will present a possible plan for the conversion to Open Access of HEP peer-reviewed journals, through a consortium of HEP funding agencies, laboratories and libraries: SCOAP3 (Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics). SCOAP3 will engage with scientific publishers towards building a sustainable model for Open Access publishing, which is as transparent as possible for HEP authors. The current system in which journals income comes from subscription fees is replaced with a scheme where SCOAP3 compensates publishers for the costs incurred to organise the peer-review service and give Open Access to the final version of articles. SCOAP3 will be funded by all countries active in HEP under a 'fair share' scenario, according to their production of HEP articles. In this talk I will present a short overview of the history of Open Access in HEP, the details of the SCOAP3 model and the outlook for its implementation.

Rapid detection and semi-quantification of IgG-accessible Staphylococcus aureus surface-associated antigens using a multiplex competitive Luminex assay

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hansenova Manaskova, S.; Bikker, F.J.; Veerman, E.C.I.; van Belkum, A.; van Wamel, W.J.B.

2013-01-01

The surface characterization of Staphylococcus aureus is currently labor intensive and time consuming. Therefore, we developed a novel method for the rapid yet comprehensive characterization of S. aureus cell-surface-associated proteins and carbohydrates, based on a competitive Luminex assay. In

Selective Access to Heterocyclic Sulfonamides and Sulfonyl Fluorides via a Parallel Medicinal Chemistry Enabled Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Joseph W; Chenard, Lois; Young, Joseph M

2015-11-09

A sulfur-functionalized aminoacrolein derivative is used for the efficient and selective synthesis of heterocyclic sulfonyl chlorides, sulfonyl fluorides, and sulfonamides. The development of a 3-step parallel medicinal chemistry (PMC) protocol for the synthesis of pyrazole-4-sulfonamides effectively demonstrates the utility of this reagent. This reactivity was expanded to provide rapid access to other heterocyclic sulfonyl fluorides, including pyrimidines and pyridines, whose corresponding sulfonyl chlorides lack suitable chemical stability.

Overview: Routes to Open Access

OpenAIRE

Tullney, Marco; van Wezenbeek, Wilma

2017-01-01

Slides of an overview presentation given at a CESAER workshop on Open Access, February 2nd, 2017, in Brussels Cover major routes to more open access as discussed in the Task Force Open Science of CESAER: (national) open access strategies open access mandates open access incentives open access awareness open access publishing open access infrastructure

Timing of the brain events underlying access to consciousness during the attentional blink.

Science.gov (United States)

Sergent, Claire; Baillet, Sylvain; Dehaene, Stanislas

2005-10-01

In the phenomenon of attentional blink, identical visual stimuli are sometimes fully perceived and sometimes not detected at all. This phenomenon thus provides an optimal situation to study the fate of stimuli not consciously perceived and the differences between conscious and nonconscious processing. We correlated behavioral visibility ratings and recordings of event-related potentials to study the temporal dynamics of access to consciousness. Intact early potentials (P1 and N1) were evoked by unseen words, suggesting that these brain events are not the primary correlates of conscious perception. However, we observed a rapid divergence around 270 ms, after which several brain events were evoked solely by seen words. Thus, we suggest that the transition toward access to consciousness relates to the optional triggering of a late wave of activation that spreads through a distributed network of cortical association areas.

Accessing Electronic Journals.

Science.gov (United States)

McKay, Sharon Cline

1999-01-01

Discusses issues librarians need to consider when providing access to electronic journals. Topics include gateways; index and abstract services; validation and pay-per-view; title selection; integration with OPACs (online public access catalogs)or Web sites; paper availability; ownership versus access; usage restrictions; and services offered…

Rapid formation of complexity in the total synthesis of natural products enabled by oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene building blocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Schindler, Corinna S; Carreira, Erick M

2009-11-01

This critical review showcases examples of rapid formation of complexity in total syntheses starting from 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene derivatives. An overview of methods allowing synthetic access to these building blocks is provided and their application in recently developed synthetic transformations to structurally complex systems is illustrated. In addition, the facile access to a novel oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene derived building block is presented which significantly enlarges the possibilities of previously known chemical transformations and is highlighted in the enantioselective route to the core of the banyaside and suomilide natural products (107 references).

Accessing memory

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Doe Hyun; Muralimanohar, Naveen; Chang, Jichuan; Ranganthan, Parthasarathy

2017-09-26

A disclosed example method involves performing simultaneous data accesses on at least first and second independently selectable logical sub-ranks to access first data via a wide internal data bus in a memory device. The memory device includes a translation buffer chip, memory chips in independently selectable logical sub-ranks, a narrow external data bus to connect the translation buffer chip to a memory controller, and the wide internal data bus between the translation buffer chip and the memory chips. A data access is performed on only the first independently selectable logical sub-rank to access second data via the wide internal data bus. The example method also involves locating a first portion of the first data, a second portion of the first data, and the second data on the narrow external data bus during separate data transfers.

Wireless Access

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Wireless Access. Wireless connect to the Base station. Easy and Convenient access. Costlier as compared to the wired technology. Reliability challenges. We see it as a complementary technology to the DSL.

Transparency of Biobank Access in Canada: An Assessment of Industry Access and the Availability of Information on Access Policies and Resulting Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Shannon G; Axler, Renata E; Lemmens, Trudo

2017-12-01

A key issue impacting public trust in biobanks is how these resources are utilized, including who is given access to biobank data and samples. To assess the conditions under which researchers are given access to Canadian biobanks, we reviewed websites and contacted Canadian biobanks to determine the availability of information on access policies and procedures; research resulting from access biobank data and samples; and conditions on private industry access to biobanks. We also conducted expert interviews with key Canadian stakeholders ( n = 11) to obtain their perspectives on biobank transparency and access policies. Among 21 Canadian biobanks, there was wide variation in the access information made publicly available, and the majority of these allowed access by industry applicants. Biobanks should be governed by the principles of transparency, accountability, and accessibility, and attention must be given to the conditions around the commercialization of biobank-based research.

Efficient Streaming Mass Spatio-Temporal Vehicle Data Access in Urban Sensor Networks Based on Apache Storm.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Lianjie; Chen, Nengcheng; Chen, Zeqiang

2017-04-10

The efficient data access of streaming vehicle data is the foundation of analyzing, using and mining vehicle data in smart cities, which is an approach to understand traffic environments. However, the number of vehicles in urban cities has grown rapidly, reaching hundreds of thousands in number. Accessing the mass streaming data of vehicles is hard and takes a long time due to limited computation capability and backward modes. We propose an efficient streaming spatio-temporal data access based on Apache Storm (ESDAS) to achieve real-time streaming data access and data cleaning. As a popular streaming data processing tool, Apache Storm can be applied to streaming mass data access and real time data cleaning. By designing the Spout/bolt workflow of topology in ESDAS and by developing the speeding bolt and other bolts, Apache Storm can achieve the prospective aim. In our experiments, Taiyuan BeiDou bus location data is selected as the mass spatio-temporal data source. In the experiments, the data access results with different bolts are shown in map form, and the filtered buses' aggregation forms are different. In terms of performance evaluation, the consumption time in ESDAS for ten thousand records per second for a speeding bolt is approximately 300 milliseconds, and that for MongoDB is approximately 1300 milliseconds. The efficiency of ESDAS is approximately three times higher than that of MongoDB.

Efficient Streaming Mass Spatio-Temporal Vehicle Data Access in Urban Sensor Networks Based on Apache Storm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lianjie Zhou

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The efficient data access of streaming vehicle data is the foundation of analyzing, using and mining vehicle data in smart cities, which is an approach to understand traffic environments. However, the number of vehicles in urban cities has grown rapidly, reaching hundreds of thousands in number. Accessing the mass streaming data of vehicles is hard and takes a long time due to limited computation capability and backward modes. We propose an efficient streaming spatio-temporal data access based on Apache Storm (ESDAS to achieve real-time streaming data access and data cleaning. As a popular streaming data processing tool, Apache Storm can be applied to streaming mass data access and real time data cleaning. By designing the Spout/bolt workflow of topology in ESDAS and by developing the speeding bolt and other bolts, Apache Storm can achieve the prospective aim. In our experiments, Taiyuan BeiDou bus location data is selected as the mass spatio-temporal data source. In the experiments, the data access results with different bolts are shown in map form, and the filtered buses’ aggregation forms are different. In terms of performance evaluation, the consumption time in ESDAS for ten thousand records per second for a speeding bolt is approximately 300 milliseconds, and that for MongoDB is approximately 1300 milliseconds. The efficiency of ESDAS is approximately three times higher than that of MongoDB.

Professional Access 2013 programming

CERN Document Server

Hennig, Teresa; Hepworth, George; Yudovich, Dagi (Doug)

2013-01-01

Authoritative and comprehensive coverage for building Access 2013 Solutions Access, the most popular database system in the world, just opened a new frontier in the Cloud. Access 2013 provides significant new features for building robust line-of-business solutions for web, client and integrated environments.  This book was written by a team of Microsoft Access MVPs, with consulting and editing by Access experts, MVPs and members of the Microsoft Access team. It gives you the information and examples to expand your areas of expertise and immediately start to develop and upgrade projects. Exp

Access 2010 Programmer's Reference

CERN Document Server

Hennig, Teresa; Griffith, Geoffrey L

2010-01-01

A comprehensive guide to programming for Access 2010 and 2007. Millions of people use the Access database applications, and hundreds of thousands of developers work with Access daily. Access 2010 brings better integration with SQL Server and enhanced XML support; this Wrox guide shows developers how to take advantage of these and other improvements. With in-depth coverage of VBA, macros, and other programming methods for building Access applications, this book also provides real-world code examples to demonstrate each topic.: Access is the leading database that is used worldwide; While VBA rem

Rapid synthesis of graft copolymers from natural cellulose fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, Vijay Kumar; Thakur, Manju Kumari; Gupta, Raju Kumar

2013-10-15

Cellulose is the most abundant natural polysaccharide polymer, which is used as such or its derivatives in a number of advanced applications, such as in paper, packaging, biosorption, and biomedical. In present communication, in an effort to develop a proficient way to rapidly synthesize poly(methyl acrylate)-graft-cellulose (PMA-g-cellulose) copolymers, rapid graft copolymerization synthesis was carried out under microwave conditions using ferrous ammonium sulfate-potassium per sulfate (FAS-KPS) as redox initiator. Different reaction parameters such as microwave radiation power, ratio of monomer, solvent and initiator concentrations were optimized to get the highest percentage of grafting. Grafting percentage was found to increase with increase in microwave power up to 70%, and maximum 36.73% grafting was obtained after optimization of all parameters. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA/DTG) analysis were used to confirm the graft copolymerization of poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) onto the mercerized cellulose. The grafted cellulosic polymers were subsequently subjected to the evaluation of different physico-chemical properties in order to access their application in everyday life, in a direction toward green environment. The grafted copolymers demonstrated increased chemical resistance, and higher thermal stability. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

JISC Open Access Briefing Paper

OpenAIRE

Swan, Alma

2005-01-01

What Open Access is. What Open Access is not. How is Open Access provided? Open Access archives or repositories. Open Access journals. Why should authors provide Open Access to their work? Further information and resources

Pyoderma gangrenosum: an exceptional complication of venous access device.

Science.gov (United States)

La Marca, Sophie; Toussoun, Gilles; Ho Quoc, Christophe; Sebban, Henry; Delay, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare disease whose precise etiology remains unknown. It causes rapidly developing skin necrosis and can occur after surgery, or after a nonspecific external stimulus. This condition is difficult to diagnose because it often mimics a fulminant infection. We present a case of very significant local presentation of PG after placement of a venous access device. Fifteen days after placement, the patient developed extensive cutaneous ulcers and necrosis in the subclavicular area, which led to the misdiagnosis of infection. The device was removed and the patient was given antibiotics. Because there was no improvement following antibiotic treatment, combined with the worrying and extensive appearance of the skin and extremely intense pain, the diagnosis of PG was made. The patient was immediately treated with high-dose corticosteroids, resulting in rapid improvement of the lesions and relief of pain. PG should be considered in cases of extensive, antibiotic-resistant ulceration and treatment with corticosteroids should be initiated. Clinical improvement is usually dramatic, with almost immediate suppression of the pain and arrest of the lesion's progression. Early treatment is the best guarantee for an effective recovery.

Access 2013 bible

CERN Document Server

Alexander, Michael

2013-01-01

A comprehensive reference to the updated and new features of Access 2013 As the world's most popular database management tool, Access enables you to organize, present, analyze, and share data as well as build powerful database solutions. However, databases can be complex. That's why you need the expert guidance in this comprehensive reference. Access 2013 Bible helps you gain a solid understanding of database purpose, construction, and application so that whether you're new to Access or looking to upgrade to the 2013 version, this well-rounded resource provides you with a th

Pediatric vascular access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donaldson, James S.

2006-01-01

Pediatric interventional radiologists are ideally suited to provide vascular access services to children because of inherent safety advantages and higher success from using image-guided techniques. The performance of vascular access procedures has become routine at many adult interventional radiology practices, but this service is not as widely developed at pediatric institutions. Although interventional radiologists at some children's hospitals offer full-service vascular access, there is little or none at others. Developing and maintaining a pediatric vascular access service is a challenge. Interventionalists skilled in performing such procedures are limited at pediatric institutions, and institutional support from clerical staff, nursing staff, and technologists might not be sufficiently available to fulfill the needs of such a service. There must also be a strong commitment by all members of the team to support such a demanding service. There is a slippery slope of expected services that becomes steeper and steeper as the vascular access service grows. This review is intended primarily as general education for pediatric radiologists learning vascular access techniques. Additionally, the pediatric or adult interventional radiologist seeking to expand services might find helpful tips. The article also provides education for the diagnostic radiologist who routinely interprets radiographs containing vascular access devices. (orig.)

How Rapid is Rapid Prototyping? Analysis of ESPADON Programme Results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian D. Alston

2003-05-01

Full Text Available New methodologies, engineering processes, and support environments are beginning to emerge for embedded signal processing systems. The main objectives are to enable defence industry to field state-of-the-art products in less time and with lower costs, including retrofits and upgrades, based predominately on commercial off the shelf (COTS components and the model-year concept. One of the cornerstones of the new methodologies is the concept of rapid prototyping. This is the ability to rapidly and seamlessly move from functional design to the architectural design to the implementation, through automatic code generation tools, onto real-time COTS test beds. In this paper, we try to quantify the term “rapid” and provide results, the metrics, from two independent benchmarks, a radar and sonar beamforming application subset. The metrics show that the rapid prototyping process may be sixteen times faster than a conventional process.

A Secure and Verifiable Outsourced Access Control Scheme in Fog-Cloud Computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Kai; Wang, Junxiong; Wang, Xin; Li, Hui; Yang, Yintang

2017-07-24

With the rapid development of big data and Internet of things (IOT), the number of networking devices and data volume are increasing dramatically. Fog computing, which extends cloud computing to the edge of the network can effectively solve the bottleneck problems of data transmission and data storage. However, security and privacy challenges are also arising in the fog-cloud computing environment. Ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) can be adopted to realize data access control in fog-cloud computing systems. In this paper, we propose a verifiable outsourced multi-authority access control scheme, named VO-MAACS. In our construction, most encryption and decryption computations are outsourced to fog devices and the computation results can be verified by using our verification method. Meanwhile, to address the revocation issue, we design an efficient user and attribute revocation method for it. Finally, analysis and simulation results show that our scheme is both secure and highly efficient.

U.S. military enlisted accession mental health screening: history and current practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardona, Robert Andrew; Ritchie, Elspeth Cameron

2007-01-01

Through the stimulus of war and concerns about neuropsychiatric disability, the U.S. military developed methods to rapidly screen the mental health of World War I and II draftees. Intelligence testing and brief psychiatric screening expanded the accession physical examination and underwent revision to identify only gross mental health disability. Supplemental psychiatric evaluations and written psychological screening tools were abandoned after postwar assessments; they demonstrated poor predictive power in evaluating recruit service capacity for combat environments. Currently, only three mental health accession tools are used to screen applicants before their entrance into military service, namely, educational achievement, cognitive testing, and a cursory psychiatric evaluation. The Navy and Air Force use a fourth screening measure during entry-level training. Educational attainment with high school graduation has been the strongest predictor of finishing a service term. The purpose of this article is to provide both a historical review and a review of testing efforts.

A Secure and Verifiable Outsourced Access Control Scheme in Fog-Cloud Computing

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Kai; Wang, Junxiong; Wang, Xin; Li, Hui; Yang, Yintang

2017-01-01

With the rapid development of big data and Internet of things (IOT), the number of networking devices and data volume are increasing dramatically. Fog computing, which extends cloud computing to the edge of the network can effectively solve the bottleneck problems of data transmission and data storage. However, security and privacy challenges are also arising in the fog-cloud computing environment. Ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) can be adopted to realize data access control in fog-cloud computing systems. In this paper, we propose a verifiable outsourced multi-authority access control scheme, named VO-MAACS. In our construction, most encryption and decryption computations are outsourced to fog devices and the computation results can be verified by using our verification method. Meanwhile, to address the revocation issue, we design an efficient user and attribute revocation method for it. Finally, analysis and simulation results show that our scheme is both secure and highly efficient. PMID:28737733

Open access

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Dennis Ocholla

The argument that access to information is an instrumental and individual as well as ... and Dean School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA. ... to scholarly publications and can be in any digital format, including text, movies and ... language barriers, censorship, lack of access to the Internet and ...

Morning rapid eye movement sleep naps facilitate broad access to emotional semantic networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Michelle; Nielsen, Tore

2015-03-01

The goal of the study was to assess semantic priming to emotion and nonemotion cue words using a novel measure of associational breadth for participants who either took rapid eye movement (REM) or nonrapid eye movement (NREM) naps or who remained awake; assess relation of priming to REM sleep consolidation and REM sleep inertia effects. The associational breadth task was applied in both a priming condition, where cue-words were signaled to be memorized prior to sleep (primed), and a nonpriming condition, where cue words were not memorized (nonprimed). Cue words were either emotional (positive, negative) or nonemotional. Participants were randomly assigned to either an awake (WAKE) or a sleep condition, which was subsequently split into NREM or REM groups depending on stage at awakening. Hospital-based sleep laboratory. Fifty-eight healthy participants (22 male) ages 18 to 35 y (Mage = 23.3 ± 4.08 y). The REM group scored higher than the NREM or WAKE groups on primed, but not nonprimed emotional cue words; the effect was stronger for positive than for negative cue words. However, REM time and percent correlated negatively with degree of emotional priming. Priming occurred for REM awakenings but not for NREM awakenings, even when the latter sleep episodes contained some REM sleep. Associational breadth may be selectively consolidated during REM sleep for stimuli that have been tagged as important for future memory retrieval. That priming decreased with REM time and was higher only for REM sleep awakenings is consistent with two explanatory REM sleep processes: REM sleep consolidation serving emotional downregulation and REM sleep inertia. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Remote Internet access to advanced analytical facilities: a new approach with Web-based services.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherry, N; Qin, J; Fuller, M Suominen; Xie, Y; Mola, O; Bauer, M; McIntyre, N S; Maxwell, D; Liu, D; Matias, E; Armstrong, C

2012-09-04

Over the past decade, the increasing availability of the World Wide Web has held out the possibility that the efficiency of scientific measurements could be enhanced in cases where experiments were being conducted at distant facilities. Examples of early successes have included X-ray diffraction (XRD) experimental measurements of protein crystal structures at synchrotrons and access to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and NMR facilities by users from institutions that do not possess such advanced capabilities. Experimental control, visual contact, and receipt of results has used some form of X forwarding and/or VNC (virtual network computing) software that transfers the screen image of a server at the experimental site to that of the users' home site. A more recent development is a web services platform called Science Studio that provides teams of scientists with secure links to experiments at one or more advanced research facilities. The software provides a widely distributed team with a set of controls and screens to operate, observe, and record essential parts of the experiment. As well, Science Studio provides high speed network access to computing resources to process the large data sets that are often involved in complex experiments. The simple web browser and the rapid transfer of experimental data to a processing site allow efficient use of the facility and assist decision making during the acquisition of the experimental results. The software provides users with a comprehensive overview and record of all parts of the experimental process. A prototype network is described involving X-ray beamlines at two different synchrotrons and an SEM facility. An online parallel processing facility has been developed that analyzes the data in near-real time using stream processing. Science Studio and can be expanded to include many other analytical applications, providing teams of users with rapid access to processed results along with the means for detailed

Providing India with Internet access anywhere there is electricity - and Canada with commercial opportunity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

Access to high-speed Internet service is booming all over the world but the cost of optic cable installation and other related broadband delivery technology is still too high for many developing countries to afford. A Canada-India R & D group is working on a broadband technology delivered over the power line in order to provide internet access wherever there is electricity. Moreover, the application of such a technology in rural India could also improve the distribution and management of India's national electrical grid, as the risk of electricity theft can be monitored by power assumption tracking. Since the required infrastructure is already in place across the country, this project could be deployed rapidly and in a cost-efficient manner, providing thousands of potential opportunities for rural dwellers as well as for Indian and international companies.

Access 2013 for dummies

CERN Document Server

Ulrich Fuller, Laurie

2013-01-01

The easy guide to Microsoft Access returns with updates on the latest version! Microsoft Access allows you to store, organize, view, analyze, and share data; the new Access 2013 release enables you to build even more powerful, custom database solutions that integrate with the web and enterprise data sources. Access 2013 For Dummies covers all the new features of the latest version of Accessand serves as an ideal reference, combining the latest Access features with the basics of building usable databases. You'll learn how to create an app from the Welcome screen, get support

Pro Access 2010 Development

CERN Document Server

Collins, Mark

2011-01-01

Pro Access 2010 Development is a fundamental resource for developing business applications that take advantage of the features of Access 2010 and the many sources of data available to your business. In this book, you'll learn how to build database applications, create Web-based databases, develop macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) tools for Access applications, integrate Access with SharePoint and other business systems, and much more. Using a practical, hands-on approach, this book will take you through all the facets of developing Access-based solutions, such as data modeling, co

Internet pharmacy: issues of access, quality, costs, and regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Stephanie Y

2003-02-01

Internet pharmacy has been the focus of heightened interest over the past 3 years since the first major Web site was introduced in the United States. This paper addresses issues pertaining to Internet pharmacies that sell prescriptions and other products to consumers at the retail level. The Internet pharmacy industry has shifted rapidly in the short time span. This paper begins with a summary of historical considerations and the shifting organization of Internet pharmacy. The advantages and disadvantages of online pharmacy practice are listed. Issues of access, quality, and cost are described. The challenges in regulation at the state and federal levels are presented. Advice to consumers is offered regarding the use of Internet pharmacy sites for purchasing prescription drug products.

Location-aware network operation for cloud radio access network

KAUST Repository

Wang, Fanggang

2017-06-20

One of the major challenges in effectively operating a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) is the excessive overhead signaling and computation load that scale rapidly with the size of the network. In this paper, the exploitation of location information of the mobile devices is proposed to address this challenge. We consider an approach in which location-assisted channel state information (CSI) acquisition methods are introduced to complement conventional pilot-based CSI acquisition methods and avoid excessive overhead signaling. A low-complexity algorithm is designed to maximize the sum rate. An adaptive algorithm is also proposed to address the uncertainty issue in CSI acquisition. Both theoretical and numerical analyses show that location information provides a new dimension to improve throughput for next-generation massive cooperative networks.

The Impact of eBooks on the Reading Motivation and Reading Skills of Children and Young People: A Rapid Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Picton, Irene

2014-01-01

While ebooks have been around for many years, recent rapid improvements in the versatility and affordability of e-readers and tablets, along with increased access to broadband internet, have lead to a dramatic rise in household ownership of these devices. Between 2012 and 2013, the proportion of children responding to the National Literacy Trust's…

Data access performance through parallelization and vectored access. Some results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furano, F; Hanushevsky, A

2008-01-01

High Energy Physics data processing and analysis applications typically deal with the problem of accessing and processing data at high speed. Recent studies, development and test work have shown that the latencies due to data access can often be hidden by parallelizing them with the data processing, thus giving the ability to have applications which process remote data with a high level of efficiency. Techniques and algorithms able to reach this result have been implemented in the client side of the Scalla/xrootd system, and in this contribution we describe the results of some tests done in order to compare their performance and characteristics. These techniques, if used together with multiple streams data access, can also be effective in allowing to efficiently and transparently deal with data repositories accessible via a Wide Area Network

Rapid penetration into granular media visualizing the fundamental physics of rapid earth penetration

CERN Document Server

Iskander, Magued

2015-01-01

Rapid Penetration into Granular Media: Visualizing the Fundamental Physics of Rapid Earth Penetration introduces readers to the variety of methods and techniques used to visualize, observe, and model the rapid penetration of natural and man-made projectiles into earth materials. It provides seasoned practitioners with a standard reference that showcases the topic's most recent developments in research and application. The text compiles the findings of new research developments on the subject, outlines the fundamental physics of rapid penetration into granular media, and assembles a com

Rapid and accurate processing method for amide proton exchange rate measurement in proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koskela, Harri; Heikkinen, Outi; Kilpelaeinen, Ilkka; Heikkinen, Sami

2007-01-01

Exchange between protein backbone amide hydrogen and water gives relevant information about solvent accessibility and protein secondary structure stability. NMR spectroscopy provides a convenient tool to study these dynamic processes with saturation transfer experiments. Processing of this type of NMR spectra has traditionally required peak integration followed by exponential fitting, which can be tedious with large data sets. We propose here a computer-aided method that applies inverse Laplace transform in the exchange rate measurement. With this approach, the determination of exchange rates can be automated, and reliable results can be acquired rapidly without a need for manual processing

Open Access

Science.gov (United States)

Suber, Peter

2012-01-01

The Internet lets us share perfect copies of our work with a worldwide audience at virtually no cost. We take advantage of this revolutionary opportunity when we make our work "open access": digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. Open access is made possible by the Internet and copyright-holder…

Improving Data Discovery, Access, and Analysis to More Than Three Decades of Oceanographic and Geomorphologic Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Forte, M.; Hesser, T.; Knee, K.; Ingram, I.; Hathaway, K. K.; Brodie, K. L.; Spore, N.; Bird, A.; Fratantonio, R.; Dopsovic, R.; Keith, A.; Gadomski, K.

2016-02-01

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's (USACE ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) Coastal Observations and Analysis Branch (COAB) Measurements Program has a 35-year record of coastal observations. These datasets include oceanographic point source measurements, Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS bathymetry surveys, and remote sensing data from both the Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, NC and from other project and experiment sites around the nation. The data has been used to support a variety of USACE mission areas, including coastal wave model development, beach and bar response, coastal project design, coastal storm surge, and other coastal hazard investigations. Furthermore these data have been widely used by a number of federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and private industries in hundreds of scientific and engineering investigations, publications, conference presentations and model advancement studies. A limiting factor to the use of FRF data has been rapid, reliable access and publicly available metadata for each data type. The addition of web tools, accessible data files, and well-documented metadata will open the door to much future collaboration. With the help of industry partner RPS ASA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District Spatial Data Branch, a Data Integration Framework (DIF) was developed. The DIF represents a combination of processes, standards, people, and tools used to transform disconnected enterprise data into useful, easily accessible information for analysis and reporting. A front-end data portal connects the user to the framework that integrates both oceanographic observation and geomorphology measurements using a combination of ESRI and open-source technology while providing a seamless data discovery, access, and analysis experience to the user. The user interface was built with ESRI's JavaScript API and all project metadata is managed using Geoportal. The geomorphology data is made

Migrants' access to healthcare

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Norredam, Marie

2011-01-01

There are strong pragmatic and moral reasons for receiving societies to address access to healthcare for migrants. Receiving societies have a pragmatic interest in sustaining migrants' health to facilitate integration; they also have a moral obligation to ensure migrants' access to healthcare...... according to international human rights principles. The intention of this thesis is to increase the understanding of migrants' access to healthcare by exploring two study aims: 1) Are there differences in migrants' access to healthcare compared to that of non-migrants? (substudy I and II); and 2) Why...... are there possible differences in migrants' access to healthcare compared to that of non-migrants? (substudy III and IV). The thesis builds on different methodological approaches using both register-based retrospective cohort design, cross-sectional design and survey methods. Two different measures of access were...

Association of State Access Standards With Accessibility to Specialists for Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndumele, Chima D; Cohen, Michael S; Cleary, Paul D

2017-10-01

Medicaid recipients have consistently reported less timely access to specialists than patients with other types of coverage. By 2018, state Medicaid agencies will be required by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to enact time and distance standards for managed care organizations to ensure an adequate supply of specialist physicians for enrollees; however, there have been no published studies of whether these policies have significant effects on access to specialty care. To compare ratings of access to specialists for adult Medicaid and commercial enrollees before and after the implementation of specialty access standards. We used Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data to conduct a quasiexperimental difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of 20 163 nonelderly adult Medicaid managed care (MMC) enrollees and 54 465 commercially insured enrollees in 5 states adopting access standards, and 37 290 MMC enrollees in 5 matched states that previously adopted access standards. Reported access to specialty care in the previous 6 months. Seven thousand six hundred ninety-eight (69%) Medicaid enrollees and 28 423 (75%) commercial enrollees reported that it was always or usually easy to get an appointment with a specialist before the policy implementation (or at baseline) compared with 11 889 (67%) of Medicaid enrollees in states that had previously implemented access standards. Overall, there was no significant improvement in timely access to specialty services for MMC enrollees in the period following implementation of standard(s) (adjusted difference-in-differences, -1.2 percentage points; 95% CI, -2.7 to 0.1), nor was there any impact of access standards on insurance-based disparities in access (0.6 percentage points; 95% CI, -4.3 to 5.4). There was heterogeneity across states, with 1 state that implemented both time and distance standards demonstrating significant improvements in access and reductions in disparities

Factors Important for Rapid Internationalization : A Multiple Case-Study of Born Global Internet-Based Service Firms in Sweden

OpenAIRE

Burman, Anna; Stjernström, Ida

2017-01-01

The evolution of globalization and technology have changed the playground for international business and made it possible for smaller businesses to compete internationally among large and capital intensive companies. Markets become increasingly alike with converging product preferences and changing the world into one large integrated marketplace easily accessible for firms of all sizes. Recent research in the field of International Business has shed light on small firms that rapidly become in...

Trauma center accessibility for road traffic injuries in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagata, Takashi; Takamori, Ayako; Kimura, Yoshinari; Kimura, Akio; Hashizume, Makoto; Nakahara, Shinji

2011-09-30

Rapid economic growth in Vietnam over the last decade has led to an increased frequency of road traffic injury (RTI), which now represents one of the leading causes of death in the nation. Various efforts toward injury prevention have not produced a significant decline in the incidence of RTIs. Our study sought to describe the geographic distribution of RTIs in Hanoi, Vietnam and to evaluate the accessibility of trauma centers to those injured in the city. We performed a cross-sectional study using Hanoi city police reports from 2006 to describe the epidemiology of RTIs occurring in Hanoi city. Additionally, we identified geographic patterns and determined the direct distance from injury sites to trauma centers by applying geographical information system (GIS) software. Factors associated with the accessibility of trauma centers were evaluated by multivariate regression analysis. We mapped 1,271 RTIs in Hanoi city. About 40% of RTIs occurred among people 20-29 years of age. Additionally, 63% of RTIs were motorcycle-associated incidents. Two peak times of injury occurrence were observed: 12 am-4 pm and 8 pm-0 am. "Hot spots" of road traffic injuries/fatalities were identified in the city area and on main highways using Kernel density estimation. Interestingly, RTIs occurring along the two north-south main roads were not within easy access of trauma centers. Further, fatal cases, gender and injury mechanism were significantly associated with the distance between injury location and trauma centers. Geographical patterns of RTIs in Hanoi city differed by gender, time, and injury mechanism; such information may be useful for injury prevention. Specifically, RTIs occurring along the two north-south main roads have lower accessibility to trauma centers, thus an emergency medical service system should be established.

Measurement of Double Longitudinal Spin Asymmetry, ALL, for Inclusive 0̂ Production at Forward Rapidity in PHENIX for √s=200 and 500 GeV

Science.gov (United States)

Wolin, Scott

2010-11-01

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) is the world's only source of polarized proton-proton collisions which provides access at leading order to δ G(x), the gluon contribution to the proton spin. Previously, PHENIX has only been sensitive to truncated moments of δ G over the limited Bjorken-x range of 0.05 Piston Calorimeter (MPC) at forward rapidity, di-hadron measurements with hadrons at both forward and central rapidities are now possible in PHENIX. Two forward hadrons extend the kinematic coverage for gluons down to x˜10-3. Such an asymmetry measurement for di-hadrons and single hadrons at forward rapidity can be used to improve the constraints on δ G(x) at small x. Here, we discuss the status of these measurements at forward rapidity in PHENIX using the MPC.

Fishing Access Areas

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department maintains developed fishing access areas. These sites provide public access to waters in Vermont for shore fishing...

Rapid microwave-assisted synthesis of sub-30nm lipid nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Stuart S; Beckford Vera, Denis R; Benhabbour, S Rahima; Parrott, Matthew C

2017-02-15

Accessing the phase inversion temperature by microwave heating may enable the rapid synthesis of small lipid nanoparticles. Nanoparticle formulations consisted of surfactants Brij 78 and Vitamin E TPGS, and trilaurin, trimyristin, or miglyol 812 as nanoparticle lipid cores. Each formulation was placed in water and heated by microwave irradiation at temperatures ranging from 65°C to 245°C. We observed a phase inversion temperature (PIT) for these formulations based on a dramatic decrease in particle Z-average diameters. Subsequently, nanoparticles were manufactured above and below the PIT and studied for (a) stability toward dilution, (b) stability over time, (c) fabrication as a function of reaction time, and (d) transmittance of lipid nanoparticle dispersions. Lipid-based nanoparticles with distinct sizes down to 20-30nm and low polydispersity could be attained by a simple, one-pot microwave synthesis. This was carried out by accessing the phase inversion temperature using microwave heating. Nanoparticles could be synthesized in just one minute and select compositions demonstrated high stability. The notable stability of these particles may be explained by the combination of van der Waals interactions and steric repulsion. 20-30nm nanoparticles were found to be optically transparent. Published by Elsevier Inc.

ProteoWizard: open source software for rapid proteomics tools development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessner, Darren; Chambers, Matt; Burke, Robert; Agus, David; Mallick, Parag

2008-11-01

The ProteoWizard software project provides a modular and extensible set of open-source, cross-platform tools and libraries. The tools perform proteomics data analyses; the libraries enable rapid tool creation by providing a robust, pluggable development framework that simplifies and unifies data file access, and performs standard proteomics and LCMS dataset computations. The library contains readers and writers of the mzML data format, which has been written using modern C++ techniques and design principles and supports a variety of platforms with native compilers. The software has been specifically released under the Apache v2 license to ensure it can be used in both academic and commercial projects. In addition to the library, we also introduce a rapidly growing set of companion tools whose implementation helps to illustrate the simplicity of developing applications on top of the ProteoWizard library. Cross-platform software that compiles using native compilers (i.e. GCC on Linux, MSVC on Windows and XCode on OSX) is available for download free of charge, at http://proteowizard.sourceforge.net. This website also provides code examples, and documentation. It is our hope the ProteoWizard project will become a standard platform for proteomics development; consequently, code use, contribution and further development are strongly encouraged.

The location of splenic NKT cells favours their rapid activation by blood-borne antigen

Science.gov (United States)

Barral, Patricia; Sánchez-Niño, María Dolores; van Rooijen, Nico; Cerundolo, Vincenzo; Batista, Facundo D

2012-01-01

Natural killer T (NKT) cells play an important role in mounting protective responses to blood-borne infections. However, though the spleen is the largest blood filter in the body, the distribution and dynamics of NKT cells within this organ are not well characterized. Here we show that the majority of NKT cells patrol around the marginal zone (MZ) and red pulp (RP) of the spleen. In response to lipid antigen, these NKT cells become arrested and rapidly produce cytokines, while the small proportion of NKT cells located in the white pulp (WP) exhibit limited activation. Importantly, disruption of the splenic MZ by chemical or genetic approaches results in a severe reduction in NKT cell activation indicating the need of cooperation between both MZ macrophages and dendritic cells for efficient NKT cell responses. Thus, the location of splenic NKT cells in the MZ and RP facilitates their access to blood-borne antigen and enables the rapid initiation of protective immune responses. PMID:22505026

The location of splenic NKT cells favours their rapid activation by blood-borne antigen.

Science.gov (United States)

Barral, Patricia; Sánchez-Niño, María Dolores; van Rooijen, Nico; Cerundolo, Vincenzo; Batista, Facundo D

2012-05-16

Natural killer T (NKT) cells play an important role in mounting protective responses to blood-borne infections. However, though the spleen is the largest blood filter in the body, the distribution and dynamics of NKT cells within this organ are not well characterized. Here we show that the majority of NKT cells patrol around the marginal zone (MZ) and red pulp (RP) of the spleen. In response to lipid antigen, these NKT cells become arrested and rapidly produce cytokines, while the small proportion of NKT cells located in the white pulp (WP) exhibit limited activation. Importantly, disruption of the splenic MZ by chemical or genetic approaches results in a severe reduction in NKT cell activation indicating the need of cooperation between both MZ macrophages and dendritic cells for efficient NKT cell responses. Thus, the location of splenic NKT cells in the MZ and RP facilitates their access to blood-borne antigen and enables the rapid initiation of protective immune responses.

Android Access Control Extension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Baláž

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this work is to analyze and extend security model of mobile devices running on Android OS. Provided security extension is a Linux kernel security module that allows the system administrator to restrict program's capabilities with per-program profiles. Profiles can allow capabilities like network access, raw socket access, and the permission to read, write, or execute files on matching paths. Module supplements the traditional Android capability access control model by providing mandatory access control (MAC based on path. This extension increases security of access to system objects in a device and allows creating security sandboxes per application.

[Introduction of rapid syphilis and HIV testing in prenatal care in Colombia: qualitative analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Ochoa-Manjarrés, María Teresa; Gaitán-Duarte, Hernando Guillermo; Caicedo, Sidia; Gómez, Berta; Pérez, Freddy

2016-12-01

Interpret perceptions of Colombian health professionals concerning factors that obstruct and facilitate the introduction of rapid syphilis and HIV testing in prenatal care services. A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews was carried out. A convenience sample was selected with 37 participants, who included health professionals involved in prenatal care services, programs for pregnant women, clinical laboratories, and directors of health care units or centers, as well as representatives from regional departments and the Ministry of Health. Colombia does not do widespread screening with rapid syphilis and HIV tests in prenatal care. The professionals interviewed stated they did not have prior experience in the use of rapid tests-except for laboratory staff-or in the course of action in response to a positive result. The insurance system hinders access to timely diagnosis and treatment. Health authorities perceive a need to review existing standards, strengthen the first level of care, and promote comprehensive prenatal care starting with contracts between insurers and health service institutional providers. Participants recommended staff training and integration between health-policymaking and academic entities for updating training programs. The market approach and the characteristics of the Colombian health system constitute the main barriers to implementation of rapid testing as a strategy for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis and HIV. Measures identified include making changes in contracts between insurers and health service institutional providers, adapting the timing and duration of prenatal care procedures, and training physicians and nurses involved in prenatal care.

Notified Access: Extending Remote Memory Access Programming Models for Producer-Consumer Synchronization

KAUST Repository

Belli, Roberto; Hoefler, Torsten

2015-01-01

Remote Memory Access (RMA) programming enables direct access to low-level hardware features to achieve high performance for distributed-memory programs. However, the design of RMA programming schemes focuses on the memory access and less on the synchronization. For example, in contemporary RMA programming systems, the widely used producer-consumer pattern can only be implemented inefficiently, incurring in an overhead of an additional round-trip message. We propose Notified Access, a scheme where the target process of an access can receive a completion notification. This scheme enables direct and efficient synchronization with a minimum number of messages. We implement our scheme in an open source MPI-3 RMA library and demonstrate lower overheads (two cache misses) than other point-to-point synchronization mechanisms for each notification. We also evaluate our implementation on three real-world benchmarks, a stencil computation, a tree computation, and a Colicky factorization implemented with tasks. Our scheme always performs better than traditional message passing and other existing RMA synchronization schemes, providing up to 50% speedup on small messages. Our analysis shows that Notified Access is a valuable primitive for any RMA system. Furthermore, we provide guidance for the design of low-level network interfaces to support Notified Access efficiently.

Notified Access: Extending Remote Memory Access Programming Models for Producer-Consumer Synchronization

KAUST Repository

Belli, Roberto

2015-05-01

Remote Memory Access (RMA) programming enables direct access to low-level hardware features to achieve high performance for distributed-memory programs. However, the design of RMA programming schemes focuses on the memory access and less on the synchronization. For example, in contemporary RMA programming systems, the widely used producer-consumer pattern can only be implemented inefficiently, incurring in an overhead of an additional round-trip message. We propose Notified Access, a scheme where the target process of an access can receive a completion notification. This scheme enables direct and efficient synchronization with a minimum number of messages. We implement our scheme in an open source MPI-3 RMA library and demonstrate lower overheads (two cache misses) than other point-to-point synchronization mechanisms for each notification. We also evaluate our implementation on three real-world benchmarks, a stencil computation, a tree computation, and a Colicky factorization implemented with tasks. Our scheme always performs better than traditional message passing and other existing RMA synchronization schemes, providing up to 50% speedup on small messages. Our analysis shows that Notified Access is a valuable primitive for any RMA system. Furthermore, we provide guidance for the design of low-level network interfaces to support Notified Access efficiently.

Strategic Accessibility Competition

OpenAIRE

Bacchiega, Emanuele; Randon, Emanuela; Zirulia, Lorenzo

2010-01-01

We analyze the effect of competition in market-accessibility enhancement among quality-differentiated firms. Firms are located in regions with different ex-ante transport costs to reach the final market. We characterize the equilibrium of the two-stage game in which firms first invest to improve market accessibility and then compete in prices. Efforts in accessibility improvement crucially depend on the interplay between the willingness to pay for the quality premium of the median consumer an...

An empirical model of global spread-f occurrence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singleton, D.G.

1974-09-01

A method of combining models of ionospheric F-layer peak electron density and irregularity incremental electron density into a model of the occurrence probability of the frequency spreading component of spread-F is presented. The predictions of the model are compared with spread-F occurrence data obtained under sunspot maximum conditions. Good agreement is obtained for latitudes less than 70 0 geomagnetic. At higher latitudes, the inclusion of a 'blackout factor' in the model allows it to accurately represent the data and, in so doing, resolves an apparent discrepancy in the occurrence statistics at high latitudes. The blackout factor is ascribed to the effect of polar blackout on the spread-F statistics and/or the lack of a definitve incremental electron density model for irregularities at polar latitudes. Ways of isolating these effects and assessing their relative importance in the blackout factor are discussed. The model, besides providing estimates of spread-F occurrence on a worldwide basis, which will be of value in the engineering of HF and VHF communications, also furnishes a means of further checking the irregularity incremental electron density model on which it is based. (author)

Geosciences: An Open Access Journal on Earth and Planetary Sciences and Their Interdisciplinary Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesus Martinez-Frias

2011-05-01

Full Text Available On behalf of the Editorial Board and the editorial management staff of MDPI, it is my great pleasure to introduce this new journal Geosciences. Geosciences is an international, peer-reviewed open access journal, which publishes original papers, rapid communications, technical notes and review articles, and discussions about all interdisciplinary aspects of the earth and planetary sciences. Geosciences may also include papers presented at scientific conferences (proceedings or articles on a well defined topic assembled by individual editors or organizations/institutions (special publications.

Performance analysis of quantum access network using code division multiple access model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Linxi; Yang Can; He Guangqiang

2017-01-01

A quantum access network has been implemented by frequency division multiple access and time division multiple access, while code division multiple access is limited for its difficulty to realize the orthogonality of the code. Recently, the chaotic phase shifters were proposed to guarantee the orthogonality by different chaotic signals and spread the spectral content of the quantum states. In this letter, we propose to implement the code division multiple access quantum network by using chaotic phase shifters and synchronization. Due to the orthogonality of the different chaotic phase shifter, every pair of users can faithfully transmit quantum information through a common channel and have little crosstalk between different users. Meanwhile, the broadband spectra of chaotic signals efficiently help the quantum states to defend against channel loss and noise. (paper)

Design for Accessibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herriott, Richard

2012-01-01

A report on how nine rail builder, operators and transport designers deal with design for accessibility......A report on how nine rail builder, operators and transport designers deal with design for accessibility...

Review article: Methodology for the 'rapid review' series on musculoskeletal injuries in the emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Strudwick, Kirsten; McPhee, Megan; Bell, Anthony; Martin-Khan, Melinda; Russell, Trevor

2018-02-01

Musculoskeletal injuries are a common presentation to the ED, with significant costs involved in the management of these injuries, variances in care within the ED and associated morbidity. A series of rapid review papers were completed to guide best practice for the assessment and management of common musculoskeletal injuries presenting to the ED. This paper presents the methodology used across the rapid reviews. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, TRIP and the grey literature, including relevant organisational websites, were searched in 2015. The search was repeated consistently for each topic area (injuries of the foot and ankle, knee, hand and wrist, elbow, shoulder, lumbar spine and cervical spine). English-language primary studies, systematic reviews and guidelines that were published in the last 10 years and addressed acute musculoskeletal injury management were considered for inclusion. Data extraction of each included article was conducted, followed by a quality appraisal. The extracted data from each article was synthesised to group similar evidence together. For each rapid review, the evidence has been organised in a way that a clinician can direct their attention to a specific component of the clinical cycle of care in the ED, such as the assessment, diagnostic tests, management and follow-up considerations from ED. The series of rapid reviews are designed to foster evidence-based practice within the ED, targeting the injuries most commonly presenting. The reviews provide clinicians in EDs with rapid access to the best current evidence, which has been synthesised and organised to assist decision-making. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Rural wood consumption patterns of local and immigrant households with differentiated access to resources in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mertens, Charlotte Filt; Bruun, Thilde Bech; Schmidt-Vogt, Dietrich; He, Jun; Neergaard, Andreas de

2015-01-01

In Xishuangbanna, China, rubber production has spread rapidly, resulting in extensive land use changes and an increasing influx of migrant workers who have come to find work on the plantations. These migrant workers have limited access to subsidies and the local collective forest due to the household registration system in China called hukou. To assess how these policy-based restrictions on access affect wood consumption and local communities, a case study was conducted in Manlin village, Xishuangbanna, undertaking a household and weight survey with local and immigrant households. The results show no significant difference in firewood consumption between the subpopulations, despite predominantly more local than immigrant households have access to subsidised alternative energy sources. On the other hand, limited access to the collective forest is found to influence the choice of housing materials and living standards in immigrant households as they cannot access timber or afford brick houses. This paper highlights rural issues connected to the hukou system and suggests that rural energy and resource policies should take the growing population of immigrant workers into consideration in future to expand the reach of the polices to the de facto and not only de jure rural population and thus optimise policy efficiency. - Highlights: • The hukou system directly affects rural wood access and consumption. • Immigrant households have little or no access to timber. • Registration status does not have a significant effect on firewood consumption. • Excluding immigrant households will limit policy outreach and efficiency

Atomic memory access hardware implementations

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Jung Ho; Erez, Mattan; Dally, William J

2015-02-17

Atomic memory access requests are handled using a variety of systems and methods. According to one example method, a data-processing circuit having an address-request generator that issues requests to a common memory implements a method of processing the requests using a memory-access intervention circuit coupled between the generator and the common memory. The method identifies a current atomic-memory access request from a plurality of memory access requests. A data set is stored that corresponds to the current atomic-memory access request in a data storage circuit within the intervention circuit. It is determined whether the current atomic-memory access request corresponds to at least one previously-stored atomic-memory access request. In response to determining correspondence, the current request is implemented by retrieving data from the common memory. The data is modified in response to the current request and at least one other access request in the memory-access intervention circuit.

Vascular access in pediatric patients in the emergency department: types of access, indications, and complications [digest].

Science.gov (United States)

Whitney, Rachel; Langhan, Melissa; Pade, Kathryn H

2017-06-22

Vascular access is a potentially life-saving procedure that is a mainstay of emergency medicine practice. There are a number of challenges associated with obtaining and maintaining vascular access, and the choice of the route of access and equipment used will depend on patient- and provider-specific factors. In this issue, the indications and complications of peripheral intravenous access, intraosseous access, and central venous access are reviewed. Timely and effective assessment and management of difficult-access patients, pain control techniques that can assist vascular access, and contraindications to each type of vascular access are also discussed. [Points & Pearls is a digest of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice].

Forbidden Access

CERN Multimedia

C. Colloca TS/FM

2004-01-01

TS/FM group informs you that, for the replacement of the door of the main entrance at bldg. 500, the access will be closed to the public between 19 and 30 July 2004. Access to the Main Building complex will be assured at any time through both of the side doors and from bldg. 64. For more information, please contact 73273. C. Colloca TS/FM

A remark on accessibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Xinxing; Wang, Jianjun

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Obtain some characteristics of accessibility and Kato’s chaos. • Answer negatively a question in [Li R, Wang H, Zhao Y. Kato’s chaos in duopoly games. Chaos Solit Fract 2016;84:69–72]. • A dynamical system is indecomposable if and only if it is weakly transitive. - Abstract: This note obtains some characteristics of accessibility and Kato’s chaos. Applying these results, an accessible dynamical system whose product system is not accessible is constructed, giving a negative answer to a question in [Li R, Wang H, Zhao Y. Kato’s chaos in duopoly games. Chaos Solit Fract 2016;84:69–72]. Besides, it is proved that every transitive interval self-map is accessible.

Accessibility observations of visually impaired users using the South African National Accessibility Portal

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Coetzee, L

2008-05-01

Full Text Available . Improving web site accessibility has proven to be a challenging task with a myriad of standards, accessibility testing tools and few technical guides for implementation. This paper presents the South African National Accessibility Portal (NAP), which is used...

Recommendations for Mass Spectrometry Data Quality Metrics for Open Access Data (Corollary to the Amsterdam Principles)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Apffel, James; Baker, Mark

2011-01-01

and deployment of methods for measuring and documenting data quality metrics. On September 18, 2010, the United States National Cancer Institute convened the "International Workshop on Proteomic Data Quality Metrics" in Sydney, Australia, to identify and address issues facing the development and use......Policies supporting the rapid and open sharing of proteomic data are being implemented by the leading journals in the field. The proteomics community is taking steps to ensure that data are made publicly accessible and are of high quality, a challenging task that requires the development...... of such methods for open access proteomics data. The stakeholders at the workshop enumerated the key principles underlying a framework for data quality assessment in mass spectrometry data that will meet the needs of the research community, journals, funding agencies, and data repositories. Attendees discussed...

Recommendations for Mass Spectrometry Data Quality Metrics for Open Access Data (Corollary to the Amsterdam Principles)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Apffel, James; Baker, Mark

2012-01-01

and deployment of methods for measuring and documenting data quality metrics. On September 18, 2010, the United States National Cancer Institute convened the "International Workshop on Proteomic Data Quality Metrics" in Sydney, Australia, to identify and address issues facing the development and use......Policies supporting the rapid and open sharing of proteomic data are being implemented by the leading journals in the field. The proteomics community is taking steps to ensure that data are made publicly accessible and are of high quality, a challenging task that requires the development...... of such methods for open access proteomics data. The stakeholders at the workshop enumerated the key principles underlying a framework for data quality assessment in mass spectrometry data that will meet the needs of the research community, journals, funding agencies, and data repositories. Attendees discussed...

Rapid non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging for post appendectomy intra-abdominal abscess in children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Megan H. [Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, MO (United States); Eutsler, Eric P.; Khanna, Geetika [Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Pediatric Radiology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, MO (United States); Sheybani, Elizabeth F. [Mercy Hospital St. Louis, Department of Radiology, St. Louis, MO (United States)

2017-07-15

Acute appendicitis, especially if perforated at presentation, is often complicated by postoperative abscess formation. The detection of a postoperative abscess relies primarily on imaging. This has traditionally been done with contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to accurately detect intra-abdominal abscesses, especially with the use of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). To evaluate our single-center experience with a rapid non-contrast MRI protocol evaluating post-appendectomy abscesses in children with persistent postsurgical symptoms. In this retrospective, institutional review board-approved study, all patients underwent a clinically indicated non-contrast 1.5- or 3-Tesla abdomen/pelvis MRI consisting of single-shot fast spin echo, inversion recovery and DWI sequences. All MRI studies were reviewed by two blinded pediatric radiologists to identify the presence of a drainable fluid collection. Each fluid collection was further characterized as accessible or not accessible for percutaneous or transrectal drainage. Imaging findings were compared to clinical outcome. Seven of the 15 patients had a clinically significant fluid collection, and 5 of these patients were treated with percutaneous drain placement or exploratory laparotomy. The other patients had a phlegmon or a clinically insignificant fluid collection and were discharged home within 48 h. Rapid non-contrast MRI utilizing fluid-sensitive and DWI sequences can be used to identify drainable fluid collections in post-appendectomy patients. This protocol can be used to triage patients between conservative management vs. abscess drainage without oral/intravenous contrast or exposure to ionizing radiation. (orig.)

Rapid non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging for post appendectomy intra-abdominal abscess in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Megan H.; Eutsler, Eric P.; Khanna, Geetika; Sheybani, Elizabeth F.

2017-01-01

Acute appendicitis, especially if perforated at presentation, is often complicated by postoperative abscess formation. The detection of a postoperative abscess relies primarily on imaging. This has traditionally been done with contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to accurately detect intra-abdominal abscesses, especially with the use of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). To evaluate our single-center experience with a rapid non-contrast MRI protocol evaluating post-appendectomy abscesses in children with persistent postsurgical symptoms. In this retrospective, institutional review board-approved study, all patients underwent a clinically indicated non-contrast 1.5- or 3-Tesla abdomen/pelvis MRI consisting of single-shot fast spin echo, inversion recovery and DWI sequences. All MRI studies were reviewed by two blinded pediatric radiologists to identify the presence of a drainable fluid collection. Each fluid collection was further characterized as accessible or not accessible for percutaneous or transrectal drainage. Imaging findings were compared to clinical outcome. Seven of the 15 patients had a clinically significant fluid collection, and 5 of these patients were treated with percutaneous drain placement or exploratory laparotomy. The other patients had a phlegmon or a clinically insignificant fluid collection and were discharged home within 48 h. Rapid non-contrast MRI utilizing fluid-sensitive and DWI sequences can be used to identify drainable fluid collections in post-appendectomy patients. This protocol can be used to triage patients between conservative management vs. abscess drainage without oral/intravenous contrast or exposure to ionizing radiation. (orig.)

36 CFR 9.32 - Access.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.32 Access. (a) No access on, across or through lands or waters... access is by foot, pack animal, or designated road. Persons using designated roads for access to such a...

Vascular Access in Children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnamurthy, Ganesh; Keller, Marc S.

2011-01-01

Establishment of stable vascular access is one of the essential and most challenging procedures in a pediatric hospital. Many clinical specialties provide vascular service in a pediatric hospital. At the top of the “expert procedural pyramid” is the pediatric interventional radiologist, who is best suited and trained to deliver this service. Growing awareness regarding the safety and high success rate of vascular access using image guidance has led to increased demand from clinicians to provide around-the-clock vascular access service by pediatric interventional radiologists. Hence, the success of a vascular access program, with the pediatric interventional radiologist as the key provider, is challenging, and a coordinated multidisciplinary team effort is essential for success. However, there are few dedicated pediatric interventional radiologists across the globe, and also only a couple of training programs exist for pediatric interventions. This article gives an overview of the technical aspects of pediatric vascular access and provides useful tips for obtaining vascular access in children safely and successfully using image guidance.

Highly Reliable PON Optical Splitters for Optical Access Networks in Outside Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Araki, Noriyuki; Fujimoto, Hisashi

Broadband optical access services are spreading throughout the world, and the number of fiber to the home (FTTH) subscribers is increasing rapidly. Telecom operators are constructing passive optical networks (PONs) to provide optical access services. Externally installed optical splitters for PONs are very important passive devices in optical access networks, and they must provide satisfactory performance as outdoor plant over long periods. Therefore, we calculate the failure rate of optical access networks and assign a failure rate to the optical splitters in optical access networks. The maximum cumulative failure rate of 1 × 8 optical splitters was calculated as 0.025 for an optical access fiber length of 2.1km and a 20-year operating lifetime. We examined planar lightwave circuit (PLC) type optical splitters for use as outside plant in terms of their optical characteristics and environmental reliability. We confirmed that PLC type optical splitters have sufficient optical performance for a PON splitter and sufficient reliability as outside plant in accordance with ITU-T standard values. We estimated the lifetimes of three kinds of PLC type optical splitters by using accelerated aging tests. The estimated failure rate of these splitters installed in optical access networks was below the target value for the cumulative failure rate, and we confirmed that they have sufficient reliability to maintain the quality of the network service. We developed 1 × 8 optical splitter modules with plug and socket type optical connectors and optical fiber cords for optical aerial closures designed for use as outside plant. These technologies make it easy to install optical splitters in an aerial optical closure. The optical splitter modules have sufficient optical performance levels for PONs because the insertion loss at the commercially used wavelengths of 1.31 and 1.55µm is less than the criterion established by ITU-T Recommendation G.671 for optical splitters. We performed a

ARCAS (ACACIA Regional Climate-data Access System) -- a Web Access System for Climate Model Data Access, Visualization and Comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Hakkarinen, C.; Brown, D.; Callahan, J.; hankin, S.; de Koningh, M.; Middleton-Link, D.; Wigley, T.

2001-05-01

A Web-based access system to climate model output data sets for intercomparison and analysis has been produced, using the NOAA-PMEL developed Live Access Server software as host server and Ferret as the data serving and visualization engine. Called ARCAS ("ACACIA Regional Climate-data Access System"), and publicly accessible at http://dataserver.ucar.edu/arcas, the site currently serves climate model outputs from runs of the NCAR Climate System Model for the 21st century, for Business as Usual and Stabilization of Greenhouse Gas Emission scenarios. Users can select, download, and graphically display single variables or comparisons of two variables from either or both of the CSM model runs, averaged for monthly, seasonal, or annual time resolutions. The time length of the averaging period, and the geographical domain for download and display, are fully selectable by the user. A variety of arithmetic operations on the data variables can be computed "on-the-fly", as defined by the user. Expansions of the user-selectable options for defining analysis options, and for accessing other DOD-compatible ("Distributed Ocean Data System-compatible") data sets, residing at locations other than the NCAR hardware server on which ARCAS operates, are planned for this year. These expansions are designed to allow users quick and easy-to-operate web-based access to the largest possible selection of climate model output data sets available throughout the world.

A Decentralized Multi-Agent-Based Approach for Low Voltage Microgrid Restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ebrahim Rokrok

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Although a well-organized power system is less subject to blackouts, the existence of a proper restoration plan is nevertheless still essential. The goal of a restoration plan is to bring the power system back to its normal operating conditions in the shortest time after a blackout occurs and to minimize the impact of the blackout on society. This paper presents a decentralized multi-agent system (MAS-based restoration method for a low voltage (LV microgrid (MG. In the proposed method, the MG local controllers are assigned to the specific agents who interact with each other to achieve a common decision in the restoration procedure. The evaluation of the proposed decentralized technique using a benchmark low-voltage MG network demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed restoration plan.

Access road reclamation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manson, T.; Blok, M.

1997-01-01

A general review of the measures involved in restoring abandoned access road sites in British Columbia was presented. Permits and licences are needed for the use of crown land for roads used by the petroleum and natural gas industry for exploration activities. However, the regulatory framework for road site reclamation is not well developed. The nature of access road reclamation is very site-specific. Some of the issues that are considered for all reclamation projects include slope stability, water control, revegetation, soil rehabilitation, access management and monitoring. The primary objective of reclaiming access road sites is to return the site to conditions that are equal or better than pre-disturbance conditions. Restoration measures must be approved by BC Environment and by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans where federal fisheries responsibilities are involved. 54 refs., 5 tabs., 3 figs

Changes in access to health care in China, 1989-1997.

Science.gov (United States)

Akin, John S; Dow, William H; Lance, Peter M; Loh, Chung-Ping A

2005-03-01

The post-1979 period in China has seen the implementation of reforms that dismantled much of the Maoist era social welfare system and permitted a significant reallocation of society's resources. The result has been rapid but uneven economic development that has profoundly altered the environment within which consumers make health investment decisions. Many studies report significant and apparently non-random reductions in health care utilization during this period. Scholars have tended to focus on the loss of insurance coverage and the growth of fees for services in explaining such reductions. An alternative explanation is growing inequality in access to care. This possibility has not received much research attention. As a result, our understanding of the patterns of changes in health care access, and of the types of populations that have been most adversely affected, has been rather limited. This research examines the distribution of the changes in several indicators of access to health care across communities during the period 1989 to 1997. We find evidence of relatively uneven changes to these indicators. Money charges for routine services increased consistently, though this trend was less pronounced in lower-income communities. Most communities experienced reductions in travel distance to clinics but increases in distance to hospitals. There were major improvements to the quality of care in wealthier rural areas, but not in poorer villages. Wealthier villages experienced less improvement in waiting time and drug availability. These trends appear to be closely associated with changing economic circumstances during the reform era.

Czechoslovak participation in IAEA's experiment with direct access to INIS and AGRIS data bases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanik, Z.

Since June, 1978 Czechoslovakia has been participating in the IAEA terminal network allowing direct access to INIS and AGRIS data bases. A display and a printer from Hungary and a modem of a home make were used for equipping the terminal station. The equipment has been fully proven in operation. The Building is prepared of a home terminal network connected to the IAEA computer for rapid and quality meeting the information needs of Czechoslovak users. The connection is also considered of the projected network to ESA/IRS data bases via IIASA. (Ha)

U.S. Government Open Internet Access to Sub-meter Satellite Data

Science.gov (United States)

Neigh, Christopher S. R> Masek, Jeffery G.; Nickeson, Jaime E.

2012-01-01

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has contracted United States commercial remote sensing companies GeoEye and Digital Globe to provide very high resolution commercial quality satellite imagery to federal/state government agencies and those projects/people who support government interests. Under NextView contract terms, those engaged in official government programs/projects can gain online access to NGA's vast global archive. Additionally, data from vendor's archives of IKONOS-2 (IK-2), OrbView-3 (OB-3), GeoEye-1 (GE-1), QuickBird-1 (QB-1), WorldView-1 (WV-1), and WorldView-2 (WV-2), sensors can also be requested under these agreements. We report here the current extent of this archive, how to gain access, and the applications of these data by Earth science investigators to improve discoverability and community use of these data. Satellite commercial quality imagery (CQI) at very high resolution (source to U.S. federal, state, and local governments for many different purposes. The rapid growth of free global CQI data has been slow to disseminate to NASA Earth Science community and programs such as the Land-Cover Land-Use Change (LCLUC) program which sees potential benefit from unprecedented access. This article evolved from a workshop held on February 23rd, 2012 between representatives from NGA, NASA, and NASA LCLUC Scientists discussion on how to extend this resource to a broader license approved community. Many investigators are unaware of NGA's archive availability or find it difficult to access CQI data from NGA. Results of studies, both quality and breadth, could be improved with CQI data by combining them with other moderate to coarse resolution passive optical Earth observation remote sensing satellites, or with RADAR or LiDAR instruments to better understand Earth system dynamics at the scale of human activities. We provide the evolution of this effort, a guide for qualified user access, and describe current to potential use of these data in

Open access to scientific publications - an analysis of the barriers to change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Professor Bo-Christer Björk

2004-01-01

Full Text Available One of the effects of the Internet is that the dissemination of scientific publications in a few years has migrated to electronic formats. The basic business practices between libraries and publishers for selling and buying the content have, however, not changed much. Scientists have in protest against the high subscription prices of mainstream publishers started Open Access (OA journals and e-print repositories, which distribute scientific information freely. Despite widespread agreement among academics that OA would be the optimal distribution mode for publicly financed research results, OA channels still constitute only a marginal phenomenon in the global scholarly communication system. This paper discusses, in view of the experiences of the last ten years, the many barriers hindering a rapid proliferation of Open Access. The discussion is structured according to the main OA channels; peer-reviewed journals for primary publishing, subject-specific and institutional repositories for secondary parallel publishing. It also discusses the types of barriers, which can be classified as: legal framework, IT-infrastructure, business models, indexing services and standards, academic reward system, marketing and critical mass.

The development of open access journal publishing from 1993 to 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Laakso, Mikael; Welling, Patrik; Bukvova, Helena; Nyman, Linus; Björk, Bo-Christer; Hedlund, Turid

2011-01-01

Open Access (OA) is a model for publishing scholarly peer reviewed journals, made possible by the Internet. The full text of OA journals and articles can be freely read, as the publishing is funded through means other than subscriptions. Empirical research concerning the quantitative development of OA publishing has so far consisted of scattered individual studies providing brief snapshots, using varying methods and data sources. This study adopts a systematic method for studying the development of OA journals from their beginnings in the early 1990s until 2009. Because no comprehensive index of OA articles exists, systematic manual data collection from journal web sites was conducted based on journal-level data extracted from the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Due to the high number of journals registered in the DOAJ, almost 5000 at the time of the study, stratified random sampling was used. A separate sample of verified early pioneer OA journals was also studied. The results show a very rapid growth of OA publishing during the period 1993-2009. During the last year an estimated 191 000 articles were published in 4769 journals. Since the year 2000, the average annual growth rate has been 18% for the number of journals and 30% for the number of articles. This can be contrasted to the reported 3,5% yearly volume increase in journal publishing in general. In 2009 the share of articles in OA journals, of all peer reviewed journal articles, reached 7,7%. Overall, the results document a rapid growth in OA journal publishing over the last fifteen years. Based on the sampling results and qualitative data a division into three distinct periods is suggested: The Pioneering years (1993-1999), the Innovation years (2000-2004), and the Consolidation years (2005-2009).

The rapid use of gender information: evidence of the time course of pronoun resolution from eyetracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, J E; Eisenband, J G; Brown-Schmidt, S; Trueswell, J C

2000-07-14

Eye movements of listeners were monitored to investigate how gender information and accessibility influence the initial processes of pronoun interpretation. Previous studies on this issue have produced mixed results, and several studies have concluded that gender cues are not automatically used during the early processes of pronoun interpretation (e.g. Garnham, A., Oakhill, J. & Cruttenden, H. (1992). The role of implicit causality and gender cue in the interpretation of pronouns. Language and Cognitive Processes, 73 (4), 231-255; Greene, S. B., McKoon, G. & Ratcliff, R. (1992). Pronoun resolution and discourse models. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 182, 266-283). In the two experiments presented here, participants viewed a picture with two familiar cartoon characters of either same or different gender. They listened to a text describing the picture, in which a pronoun referred to either the first, more accessible, character, or the second. (For example, Donald is bringing some mail to ¿Mickey/Minnie¿ while a violent storm is beginning. He's carrying an umbrellaellipsis.) The results of both experiments show rapid use of both gender and accessibility at approximately 200 ms after the pronoun offset.

Improving the Accessibility and Efficiency of Point-of-Care Diagnostics Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Lean and Agile Supply Chain Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuupiel, Desmond; Bawontuo, Vitalis; Mashamba-Thompson, Tivani P

2017-11-29

Access to point-of-care (POC) diagnostics services is essential for ensuring rapid disease diagnosis, management, control, and surveillance. POC testing services can improve access to healthcare especially where healthcare infrastructure is weak and access to quality and timely medical care is a challenge. Improving the accessibility and efficiency of POC diagnostics services, particularly in resource-limited settings, may be a promising route to improving healthcare outcomes. In this review, the accessibility of POC testing is defined as the distance/proximity to the nearest healthcare facility for POC diagnostics service. This review provides an overview of the impact of POC diagnostics on healthcare outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and factors contributing to the accessibility of POC testing services in LMICs, focusing on characteristics of the supply chain management and quality systems management, characteristics of the geographical location, health infrastructure, and an enabling policy framework for POC diagnostics services. Barriers and challenges related to the accessibility of POC diagnostics in LMICs were also discussed. Bearing in mind the reported barriers and challenges as well as the disease epidemiology in LMICs, we propose a lean and agile supply chain management framework for improving the accessibility and efficiency of POC diagnostics services in these settings.

Improving the Accessibility and Efficiency of Point-of-Care Diagnostics Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Lean and Agile Supply Chain Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Desmond Kuupiel

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Access to point-of-care (POC diagnostics services is essential for ensuring rapid disease diagnosis, management, control, and surveillance. POC testing services can improve access to healthcare especially where healthcare infrastructure is weak and access to quality and timely medical care is a challenge. Improving the accessibility and efficiency of POC diagnostics services, particularly in resource-limited settings, may be a promising route to improving healthcare outcomes. In this review, the accessibility of POC testing is defined as the distance/proximity to the nearest healthcare facility for POC diagnostics service. This review provides an overview of the impact of POC diagnostics on healthcare outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs and factors contributing to the accessibility of POC testing services in LMICs, focusing on characteristics of the supply chain management and quality systems management, characteristics of the geographical location, health infrastructure, and an enabling policy framework for POC diagnostics services. Barriers and challenges related to the accessibility of POC diagnostics in LMICs were also discussed. Bearing in mind the reported barriers and challenges as well as the disease epidemiology in LMICs, we propose a lean and agile supply chain management framework for improving the accessibility and efficiency of POC diagnostics services in these settings.

Software Defined Networking for Next Generation Converged Metro-Access Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Ruffini, M.; Slyne, F.; Bluemm, C.; Kitsuwan, N.; McGettrick, S.

2015-12-01

While the concept of Software Defined Networking (SDN) has seen a rapid deployment within the data center community, its adoption in telecommunications network has progressed slowly, although the concept has been swiftly adopted by all major telecoms vendors. This paper presents a control plane architecture for SDN-driven converged metro-access networks, developed through the DISCUS European FP7 project. The SDN-based controller architecture was developed in a testbed implementation targeting two main scenarios: fast feeder fiber protection over dual-homed Passive Optical Networks (PONs) and dynamic service provisioning over a multi-wavelength PON. Implementation details and results of the experiment carried out over the second scenario are reported in the paper, showing the potential of SDN in providing assured on-demand services to end-users.

Digital Scholarship and Open Access

Science.gov (United States)

Losoff, Barbara; Pence, Harry E.

2010-01-01

Open access publications provide scholars with unrestricted access to the "conversation" that is the basis for the advancement of knowledge. The large number of open access journals, archives, and depositories already in existence demonstrates the technical and economic viability of providing unrestricted access to the literature that is the…

Enantioselective Access to Spirocyclic Sultams by Chiral Cp(x) -Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Annulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Manh V; Cramer, Nicolai

2016-02-12

Chiral spirocyclic sultams are a valuable compound class in organic and medicinal chemistry. A rapid entry to this structural motif involves a [3+2] annulation of an N-sulfonyl ketimine and an alkyne. Although the directing-group properties of the imino group for C-H activation have been exploited, the developments of related asymmetric variants have remained very challenging. The use of rhodium(III) complexes equipped with a suitable atropchiral cyclopentadienyl ligand, in conjunction with a carboxylic acid additive, enables an enantioselective and high yielding access to such spirocyclic sultams. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A case study of the Secure Anonymous Information Linkage (SAIL) Gateway: A privacy-protecting remote access system for health-related research and evaluation☆

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kerina H.; Ford, David V.; Jones, Chris; Dsilva, Rohan; Thompson, Simon; Brooks, Caroline J.; Heaven, Martin L.; Thayer, Daniel S.; McNerney, Cynthia L.; Lyons, Ronan A.

2014-01-01

With the current expansion of data linkage research, the challenge is to find the balance between preserving the privacy of person-level data whilst making these data accessible for use to their full potential. We describe a privacy-protecting safe haven and secure remote access system, referred to as the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Gateway. The Gateway provides data users with a familiar Windows interface and their usual toolsets to access approved anonymously-linked datasets for research and evaluation. We outline the principles and operating model of the Gateway, the features provided to users within the secure environment, and how we are approaching the challenges of making data safely accessible to increasing numbers of research users. The Gateway represents a powerful analytical environment and has been designed to be scalable and adaptable to meet the needs of the rapidly growing data linkage community. PMID:24440148

CATACLYSMIC POLARITY SHIFT IS U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY PREPARED FOR THE NEXT GEOMAGNETIC POLE REVERSAL

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

impacts of a long-term electrical blackout would extend for months, possibly leading to food starvation and anarchy in the regions hit hardest by the CME...the 60 million Americans without power would be very vulnerable to starvation .85 Defeating the cascading effects of a total electrical blackout...could be common as the magnetic field weakens, triggering less reliability for critical systems used in war and during peacetime operations. In

Trends in Research and Publication: Science 2.0 and Open Access

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geir Hovland

2009-07-01

Full Text Available This paper considers current trends in academic research and publication, in particular as seen from the control community. The introduction of Web 2.0 applications for scientists and engineers is currently changing the way research is being conducted. In the near future, participants in the research community will be able to share ideas, data and results like never before. They will also be able to manage the rapidly increasing amount of scientific information much more effectively than today through collaborative efforts enabled by the new Internet tools. However, an important premise for such a development is the availability of research material. Many research results are currently shielded behind expensive subscription schemes that impede the sharing of information. At the same time, an increasing amount of research is being published through open access channels with unrestricted availability. Interestingly, recent studies show that such policies contribute to an increased number of citations compared to the pay-based alternatives. In sum, the parallel development of new tools for research collaboration and an increased access to research material may fundamentally transform the way research is going to be conducted in the future.

Open Access von A bis Z

OpenAIRE

Stieg, Kerstin; Pavlovic, Karlo

2012-01-01

The glossary „Open Access from A to Z“ comprises essential key terms on Open Access such as arXiv, The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), Creative Commons (CC), the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR), the EU project Digital Repository Infrastructure Vision for European Research (DRIVER), the Finch Report,...

A Conceptual Framework of Mapping Access to Health Care across EU Countries: The Patient Access Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Souliotis, Kyriakos; Hasardzhiev, Stanimir; Agapidaki, Eirini

Research evidence suggests that access to health care is the key influential factor for improved population health outcomes and health care system sustainability. Although the importance of addressing barriers in access to health care across European countries is well documented, little has been done to improve the situation. This is due to different definitions, approaches and policies, and partly due to persisting disparities in access within and between European countries. To bridge this gap, the Patient Access Partnership (PACT) developed (a) the '5As' definition of access, which details the five critical elements (adequacy, accessibility, affordability, appropriateness, and availability) of access to health care, (b) a multi-stakeholders' approach for mapping access, and (c) a 13-item questionnaire based on the 5As definition in an effort to address these obstacles and to identify best practices. These tools are expected to contribute effectively to addressing access barriers in practice, by suggesting a common framework and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise, in order to improve access to health care between and within European countries. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The personal and health service impact of falls in 85 year olds: cross-sectional findings from the Newcastle 85+ cohort study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Collerton

Full Text Available Falls are common in older people and increase in prevalence with advancing old age. There is limited knowledge about their impact in those aged 85 years and older, the fastest growing age group of the population. We investigated the prevalence and impact of falls, and the overlap between falls, dizziness and blackouts, in a population-based sample of 85 year olds.Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from Newcastle 85+ Cohort Study.Primary care, North-East England.816 men and women aged 85 years.Structured interview with research nurse. Cost-consequence analysis of fall-related healthcare costs.Over 38% (313/816 of participants had fallen at least once in the previous 12 months and of these: 10.6% (33/312 sustained a fracture, 30.1% (94/312 attended an emergency department, and 12.8% (40/312 were admitted to hospital. Only 37.2% (115/309 of fallers had specifically discussed their falls problem with their general practitioner and only 12.7% (39/308 had seen a falls specialist. The average annual healthcare cost per faller was estimated at £202 (inter-quartile range £174-£231 or US$329 ($284-$377. 'Worry about falling' was experienced by 42.0% (128/305 of fallers, 'loss of confidence' by 40.0% (122/305, and 'going out less often' by 25.9% (79/305; each was significantly more common in women, odds ratios (95% confidence interval for women: men of 2.63 (1.45-4.55, 4.00 (2.27-7.14, and 2.86 (1.54-5.56 respectively. Dizziness and blackouts were reported by 40.0% (318/796 and 6.4% (52/808 of participants respectively. There was marked overlap in the report of falls, dizziness and blackouts.Falls in 85 year olds are very common, associated with considerable psychological and physical morbidity, and have high impact on healthcare services. Wider use of fall prevention services is needed. Significant expansion in acute and preventative services is required in view of the rapid growth in this age group.

Social Media Use and Access to Digital Technology in US Young Adults in 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Amanda L; Ilakkuvan, Vinu; Jacobs, Megan A; Graham, Amanda L; Rath, Jessica M

2017-01-01

. Access to all digital devices with Internet was lower in those reporting a lower subjective financial situation; there were also significant differences in access to specific digital devices with Internet by race, ethnicity, and education. Conclusions The high mean number of social media sites used regularly and the substantial overlap in use of multiple social media sites reflect the rapidly changing social media environment. Mobile devices are a primary channel for social media, and our study highlights disparities in access to digital technologies with Internet access among US young adults by race/ethnicity, education, and subjective financial status. Findings from this study may guide the development and implementation of future health interventions for young adults delivered via the Internet or social media sites. PMID:28592394

Open Access Forever -- Or Five Years, Whichever Comes First: Progress on Preserving the Digital Scholarly Record

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2007-01-01

As the migration of scholarly communication from print to digital continues to progress rapidly, and as Open Access to that research literature and related data becomes more common, the challenges of insuring that the scholarly record remain available over time becomes more urgent. There has been good progress on those challenges in recent years, but many problems remain. The current state of the curation and preservation of digital scholarship over its entire lifecycle will be reviewed, and progress on problems of specific interest to scholarly communication will be examined. The difficulty of curating the digital scholarly record and preserving it for future generations has important implications for the movement to make that record more open and accessible to the world, so this a timely topic for those who are interested in the future of scholarly communication. View Mackensie Smith's biography

Open Access Forever - Or Five Years, Whichever Comes First Progress on Preserving the Digital Scholarly Record

CERN Document Server

CERN. Geneva; Bjørnshauge, Lars

2007-01-01

As the migration of scholarly communication from print to digital continues to progress rapidly, and as Open Access to that research literature and related data becomes more common, the challenges of insuring that the scholarly record remain available over time becomes more urgent. There has been good progress on those challenges in recent years, but many problems remain. The current state of the curation and preservation of digital scholarship over its entire lifecycle will be reviewed, and progress on problems of specific interest to scholarly communication will be examined. The difficulty of curating the digital scholarly record and preserving it for future generations has important implications for the movement to make that record more open and accessible to the world, so this a timely topic for those who are interested in the future of scholarly communication.

The role of tablets in accessing information throughout undergraduate medical education in Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Rachel E; Kebaetse, Masego B; Holmes, John H; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Ketshogileng, Dineo; Antwi, Cynthia; Kovarik, Carrie; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2016-04-01

Mobile learning (mLearning) uses wireless networks and mobile devices to expand physician trainees' and healthcare providers' access to and exchange of medical information. Opportunities to increase implementation and expand use of mobile devices to support health care information access and delivery in Africa are vast, but the rapid growth of mLearning has caused project implementation to outpace objective measurement of impact. This study makes a contribution to the existing body of literature regarding mLearning implementation in Africa through its focus on the use of smart devices (tablets) in undergraduate medical education and medical students' perceptions of the effects on their learning environment. The population of this prospective mixed-methods study consisted of 82 undergraduate medical students (45 third year and 37 fourth year) at the University of Botswana Faculty of Medicine. They received tablets in the earliest phase of the mLearning project implementation (between November 2012 and January 2013), when they were in the third and fourth year of their medical training. Usage of the tablets was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively, through both application usage tracking and focus groups. Based on application usage data and coding and analysis of focus group discussions, undergraduate medical students indicated that tablets were useful in their medical education, allowing them continual access to information and opportunities for communication. Participants noted that the primary barrier to use of tablets was the lack of mobile cellular Internet beyond the Wi-Fi zones at the training sites. Moreover, participants offered suggestions for improvements to the implementation process. Even in resource-limited settings where Internet access can be unreliable and intermittent, the adoption of tablets can have benefits to medical education by providing consistent access to extensive and current medical information resources. This study highlights

Enterprise Dynamic Access Control (EDAC)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fernandez, Richard

2005-01-01

.... Resources can represent software applications, web services and even facility access. An effective access control model should be capable of evaluating resource access based on user characteristics and environmentals...

Remote Sensing Open Access Journal: Increasing Impact through Quality Publications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasad S. Thenkabail

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Remote Sensing, an open access journal (http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing has grown at rapid pace since its first publication five years ago, and has acquired a strong reputation. It is a “pathfinder” being the first open access journal in remote sensing. For those academics who were used to waiting a year or two for their peer-reviewed scientific work to be reviewed, revised, edited, and published, Remote Sensing offers a publication time frame that is unheard of (in most cases, less than four months. However, we do this after multiple peer-reviews, multiple revisions, much editorial scrutiny and decision-making, and professional editing by an editorial office before a paper is published online in our tight time frame, bringing a paradigm shift in scientific publication. As a result, there has been a swift increase in submissions of higher and higher quality manuscripts from the best authors and institutes working on Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS, GIScience, and all related geospatial science and technologies from around the world. The purpose of this editorial is to update everyone interested in Remote Sensing on the progress made over the last year, and provide an outline of our vision for the immediate future. [...

Correction to: Biores Open Access 2016;5:137–145

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter H. Moos

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In the 2016 volume of BioResearch Open Access (vol. 5, no. 1; 137–145, the article entitled “Microbiota and Neurological Disorders: A Gut Feeling” by Moos et al. requires a correction. Reference 98 was incorrectly cited in the first paragraph of page 142; this should be reference 194, which was inadvertently omitted from the article. The corrected text and newly added reference are below: The mouth, being an extension of the digestive tract, presents a readily accessible diagnostic site for the early detection of potential unhealthy pathogens resident in the gut. Salivanomics is a rapidly emerging tool in the arsenal of salivary diagnostics.194 Collecting saliva or swabbing the inside cheek of the mouth is noninterventional, making it a highly attractive diagnostic procedure, particularly for infants and young children. It is not unlikely that regular visits to your dentist may soon be as important to your gut as it is to your oral hygiene, white teeth, and a nice smile. 194. Zhang Y, Sun J, Lin CC, et al. The emerging landscape of salivary diagnostics. Periodontol 2000. 2016;70:38–52. The article has been corrected to reflect this change. The authors apologize for this error.

Accessibility of antiretroviral therapy in Ghana: convenience of access.

Science.gov (United States)

Addo-Atuah, Joyce; Gourley, Dick; Gourley, Greta; White-Means, Shelley I; Womeodu, Robin J; Faris, Richard J; Addo, Nii Akwei

2012-01-01

The convenience of accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important for initial access to care and subsequent adherence to ART. We conducted a qualitative study of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and ART healthcare providers in Ghana in 2005. The objective of this study was to explore the participants' perceived convenience of accessing ART by PLWHA in Ghana. The convenience of accessing ART was evaluated from the reported travel and waiting times to receive care, the availability, or otherwise, of special considerations, with respect to the waiting time to receive care, for those PLWHA who were in active employment in the formal sector, the frequency of clinic visits before and after initiating ART, and whether the PLWHA saw the same or different providers at each clinic visit (continuity of care). This qualitative study used in-depth interviews based on Yin's case-study research design to collect data from 20 PLWHA and 24 ART healthcare providers as study participants. • Reported travel time to receive ART services ranged from 2 to 12 h for 30% of the PLWHA. • Waiting time to receive care was from 4 to 9 h. • While known government workers, such as teachers, were attended to earlier in some of the centres, this was not a consistent practice in all the four ART centres studied. • The PLWHA corroborated the providers' description of the procedure for initiating and monitoring ART in Ghana. • PLWHA did not see the same provider every time, but they were assured that this did not compromise the continuity of their care. Our study suggests that convenience of accessing ART is important to both PLWHA and ART healthcare providers, but the participants alluded to other factors, including open provider-patient communication, which might explain the PLWHA's understanding of the constraints under which they were receiving care. The current nation-wide coverage of the ART programme in Ghana, however, calls for the replication of this study to identify

Differential Rapid Screening of Phytochemicals by Leaf Spray Mass Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, Thomas; Graham Cooks, R.

2014-01-01

Ambient ionization can be achieved by generating an electrospray directly from plant tissue ('leaf spray'). The resulting mass spectra are characteristic of ionizable phytochemicals in the plant material. By subtracting the leaf spray spectra recorded from the petals of two hibiscus species H. moscheutos and H. syriacus one gains rapid access to the metabolites that differ most in the two petals. One such compound was identified as the sambubioside of quercitin (or delphinidin) while others are known flavones. Major interest centered on a C 19 H 29 NO 5 compound that occurs only in the large H. moscheutos bloom. Attempts were made to characterize this compound by mass spectrometry alone as a test of such an approach. This showed that the compound is an alkaloid, assigned to the polyhydroxylated pyrrolidine class, and bound via a C 3 hydrocarbon unit to a monoterpene

Facilitating Full-text Access to Biomedical Literature Using Open Access Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hongyu; Hou, Zhen; Li, Jiao

2015-01-01

Open access (OA) resources and local libraries often have their own literature databases, especially in the field of biomedicine. We have developed a method of linking a local library to a biomedical OA resource facilitating researchers' full-text article access. The method uses a model based on vector space to measure similarities between two articles in local library and OA resources. The method achieved an F-score of 99.61%. This method of article linkage and mapping between local library and OA resources is available for use. Through this work, we have improved the full-text access of the biomedical OA resources.

Genetic screening strategy for rapid access to polyether ionophore producers and products in actinomycetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Liu, Ning; Xi, Lijun; Rong, Xiaoying; Ruan, Jisheng; Huang, Ying

2011-05-01

Polyether ionophores are a unique class of polyketides with broad-spectrum activity and outstanding potency for the control of drug-resistant bacteria and parasites, and they are produced exclusively by actinomycetes. A special epoxidase gene encoding a critical tailoring enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds has been found in all five of the complete gene clusters of polyether ionophores published so far. To detect potential producer strains of these antibiotics, a pair of degenerate primers was designed according to the conserved regions of the five known polyether epoxidases. A total of 44 putative polyether epoxidase gene-positive strains were obtained by the PCR-based screening of 1,068 actinomycetes isolated from eight different habitats and 236 reference strains encompassing eight major families of Actinomycetales. The isolates spanned a wide taxonomic diversity based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, and actinomycetes isolated from acidic soils seemed to be a promising source of polyether ionophores. Four genera were detected to contain putative polyether epoxidases, including Micromonospora, which has not previously been reported to produce polyether ionophores. The designed primers also detected putative epoxidase genes from diverse known producer strains that produce polyether ionophores unrelated to the five published gene clusters. Moreover, phylogenetic and chemical analyses showed a strong correlation between the sequence of polyether epoxidases and the structure of encoded polyethers. Thirteen positive isolates were proven to be polyether ionophore producers as expected, and two new analogues were found. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using this epoxidase gene screening strategy to aid the rapid identification of known products and the discovery of unknown polyethers in actinomycetes.

Standards and Access.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Tom

1993-01-01

Argues that easy claims about the relationship between language mastery and academic or economic access (made by both conservative commentators on education and mainstream writing teachers) are false and obscure real social and political boundaries, such as racism, sexism, elitism, and homophobia, that really do prevent access. (SR)

Accessing patient-centered care using the advanced access model.

Science.gov (United States)

Tantau, Catherine

2009-01-01

Waits and delays for healthcare are legendary. These delays are not only frustrating and potentially hazardous for patients and providers but also represent significant cost to office practices. The traditional medical model that defines urgent care versus routine care is a vain and futile attempt to sort demand. This approach is at constant odds with patients' definition of urgency. Trusting patients to determine when and how they want to access care makes sense from a customer service perspective. If approached systematically using the principles of Advanced Access, patient demand patterns can be tracked to forecast demand. These demand patterns become the template for deploying the resources necessary to meet patients' needs. Although not a simple journey, the transformation to Advanced Access provides an entree to patient-centered care where patients can say, "I get exactly the care I want and need, when I want and need it."

Are PDF Documents Accessible?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mireia Ribera Turró

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Adobe PDF is one of the most widely used formats in scientific communications and in administrative documents. In its latest versions it has incorporated structural tags and improvements that increase its level of accessibility. This article reviews the concept of accessibility in the reading of digital documents and evaluates the accessibility of PDF according to the most widely established standards.

Open access and beyond

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Das Chhaya

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Uncensored exchange of scientific results hastens progress. Open Access does not stop at the removal of price and permission barriers; still, censorship and reading disabilities, to name a few, hamper access to information. Here, we invite the scientific community and the public to discuss new methods to distribute, store and manage literature in order to achieve unfettered access to literature.

Better governance, better access: practising responsible data sharing in the METADAC governance infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Murtagh, Madeleine J; Blell, Mwenza T; Butters, Olly W; Cowley, Lorraine; Dove, Edward S; Goodman, Alissa; Griggs, Rebecca L; Hall, Alison; Hallowell, Nina; Kumari, Meena; Mangino, Massimo; Maughan, Barbara; Mills, Melinda C; Minion, Joel T; Murphy, Tom; Prior, Gillian; Suderman, Matthew; Ring, Susan M; Rogers, Nina T; Roberts, Stephanie J; Van der Straeten, Catherine; Viney, Will; Wiltshire, Deborah; Wong, Andrew; Walker, Neil; Burton, Paul R

2018-04-26

Genomic and biosocial research data about individuals is rapidly proliferating, bringing the potential for novel opportunities for data integration and use. The scale, pace and novelty of these applications raise a number of urgent sociotechnical, ethical and legal questions, including optimal methods of data storage, management and access. Although the open science movement advocates unfettered access to research data, many of the UK's longitudinal cohort studies operate systems of managed data access, in which access is governed by legal and ethical agreements between stewards of research datasets and researchers wishing to make use of them. Amongst other things, these agreements aim to respect the reasonable expectations of the research participants who provided data and samples, as expressed in the consent process. Arguably, responsible data management and governance of data and sample use are foundational to the consent process in longitudinal studies and are an important source of trustworthiness in the eyes of those who contribute data to genomic and biosocial research. This paper presents an ethnographic case study exploring the foundational principles of a governance infrastructure for Managing Ethico-social, Technical and Administrative issues in Data ACcess (METADAC), which are operationalised through a committee known as the METADAC Access Committee. METADAC governs access to phenotype, genotype and 'omic' data and samples from five UK longitudinal studies. Using the example of METADAC, we argue that three key structural features are foundational for practising responsible data sharing: independence and transparency; interdisciplinarity; and participant-centric decision-making. We observe that the international research community is proactively working towards optimising the use of research data, integrating/linking these data with routine data generated by health and social care services and other administrative data services to improve the analysis

Simulation and transient analyses of a complete passive heat removal system in a downward cooling pool-type material testing reactor against a complete station blackout and long-term natural convection mode using the RELAP5/3.2 code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hedayat, Afshin [Reactor and Nuclear Safety School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute (NSTRI), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-08-15

In this paper, a complete station blackout (SBO) or complete loss of electrical power supplies is simulated and analyzed in a downward cooling 5-MW pool-type Material Testing Reactor (MTR). The scenario is traced in the absence of active cooling systems and operators. The code nodalization is successfully benchmarked against experimental data of the reactor's operating parameters. The passive heat removal system includes downward water cooling after pump breakdown by the force of gravity (where the coolant streams down to the unfilled portion of the holdup tank), safety flapper opening, flow reversal from a downward to an upward cooling direction, and then the upward free convection heat removal throughout the flapper safety valve, lower plenum, and fuel assemblies. Both short-term and long-term natural core cooling conditions are simulated and investigated using the RELAP5 code. Short-term analyses focus on the safety flapper valve operation and flow reversal mode. Long-term analyses include simulation of both complete SBO and long-term operation of the free convection mode. Results are promising for pool-type MTRs because this allows operators to investigate RELAP code abilities for MTR thermal–hydraulic simulations without any oscillation; moreover, the Tehran Research Reactor is conservatively safe against the complete SBO and long-term free convection operation.

Simulation and transient analyses of a complete passive heat removal system in a downward cooling pool-type material testing reactor against a complete station blackout and long-term natural convection mode using the RELAP5/3.2 code

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afshin Hedayat

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a complete station blackout (SBO or complete loss of electrical power supplies is simulated and analyzed in a downward cooling 5-MW pool-type Material Testing Reactor (MTR. The scenario is traced in the absence of active cooling systems and operators. The code nodalization is successfully benchmarked against experimental data of the reactor's operating parameters. The passive heat removal system includes downward water cooling after pump breakdown by the force of gravity (where the coolant streams down to the unfilled portion of the holdup tank, safety flapper opening, flow reversal from a downward to an upward cooling direction, and then the upward free convection heat removal throughout the flapper safety valve, lower plenum, and fuel assemblies. Both short-term and long-term natural core cooling conditions are simulated and investigated using the RELAP5 code. Short-term analyses focus on the safety flapper valve operation and flow reversal mode. Long-term analyses include simulation of both complete SBO and long-term operation of the free convection mode. Results are promising for pool-type MTRs because this allows operators to investigate RELAP code abilities for MTR thermal–hydraulic simulations without any oscillation; moreover, the Tehran Research Reactor is conservatively safe against the complete SBO and long-term free convection operation.

Framework for rapid assessment and adoption of new vector control tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Vontas, John; Moore, Sarah; Kleinschmidt, Immo; Ranson, Hilary; Lindsay, Steve; Lengeler, Christian; Hamon, Nicholas; McLean, Tom; Hemingway, Janet

2014-04-01

Evidence-informed health policy making is reliant on systematic access to, and appraisal of, the best available research evidence. This review suggests a strategy to improve the speed at which evidence is gathered on new vector control tools (VCTs) using a framework based on measurements of the vectorial capacity of an insect population to transmit disease. We explore links between indicators of VCT efficacy measurable in small-scale experiments that are relevant to entomological and epidemiological parameters measurable only in large-scale proof-of-concept randomised control trials (RCTs). We hypothesise that once RCTs establish links between entomological and epidemiological indicators then rapid evaluation of new products within the same product category may be conducted through smaller scale experiments without repetition of lengthy and expensive RCTs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accessible Geoscience - Digital Fieldwork

Science.gov (United States)

Meara, Rhian

2017-04-01

Accessible Geoscience is a developing field of pedagogic research aimed at widening participation in Geography, Earth and Environmental Science (GEES) subjects. These subjects are often less commonly associated with disabilities, ethnic minorities, low income socio-economic groups and females. While advancements and improvements have been made in the inclusivity of these subject areas in recent years, access and participation of disabled students remains low. While universities are legally obligated to provide reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility, the assumed incompatibility of GEES subjects and disability often deters students from applying to study these courses at a university level. Instead of making reasonable adjustments if and when they are needed, universities should be aiming to develop teaching materials, spaces and opportunities which are accessible to all, which in turn will allow all groups to participate in the GEES subjects. With this in mind, the Swansea Geography Department wish to enhance the accessibility of our undergraduate degree by developing digital field work opportunities. In the first instance, we intend to digitise three afternoon excursions which are run as part of a 1st year undergraduate module. Each of the field trips will be digitized into English- and Welsh-medium formats. In addition, each field trip will be digitized into British Sign Language (BSL) to allow for accessibility for D/deaf and hard of hearing students. Subtitles will also be made available in each version. While the main focus of this work is to provide accessible fieldwork opportunities for students with disabilities, this work also has additional benefits. Students within the Geography Department will be able to revisit the field trips, to revise and complete associated coursework. The use of digitized field work should not replace opportunities for real field work, but its use by the full cohort of students will begin to "normalize" accessible field

Selection, design, qualification, testing, and reliability of emergency diesel generator units used as Class 1E onsite electric power systems at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-04-01

This guide has been prepared for the resolution of Generic Safety Issue B-56, ''Diesel Generator Reliability,'' and is related to Unresolved Safety Issue (USI) A-44, ''Station Blackout.'' The resolution of USI A-44 established a need for an emergency diesel generator (EDG) reliability program that has the capability to achieve and maintain the emergency diesel generator reliability levels in the range of 0.95 per demand or better to cope with station blackout

Initialization, Prediction and Diagnosis of the Rapid Intensification of Tropical Cyclones using the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator, ACCESS

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-12

structure on the evolving storm behaviour. 13 7. Large scale influences on Rapid Intensification and Extratropical Transition: RI and ET...assimilation techniques to better initialize and validate TC structures (including the intense inner core and storm asymmetries) consistent with the large...Without vortex specification, initial conditions usually contain a weak and misplaced circulation. Based on estimates of central pressure and storm size

A case study of the Secure Anonymous Information Linkage (SAIL) Gateway: a privacy-protecting remote access system for health-related research and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kerina H; Ford, David V; Jones, Chris; Dsilva, Rohan; Thompson, Simon; Brooks, Caroline J; Heaven, Martin L; Thayer, Daniel S; McNerney, Cynthia L; Lyons, Ronan A

2014-08-01

With the current expansion of data linkage research, the challenge is to find the balance between preserving the privacy of person-level data whilst making these data accessible for use to their full potential. We describe a privacy-protecting safe haven and secure remote access system, referred to as the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Gateway. The Gateway provides data users with a familiar Windows interface and their usual toolsets to access approved anonymously-linked datasets for research and evaluation. We outline the principles and operating model of the Gateway, the features provided to users within the secure environment, and how we are approaching the challenges of making data safely accessible to increasing numbers of research users. The Gateway represents a powerful analytical environment and has been designed to be scalable and adaptable to meet the needs of the rapidly growing data linkage community. Copyright © 2014 The Aurthors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Racial/ethnic variation in devices used to access patient portals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Eva; Blondon, Katherine; Lyles, Courtney R; Jordan, Luesa; Ralston, James D

2018-01-01

We examined racial/ethnic variation in the devices used by patients to access medical records through an online patient portal. Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. Using data from 318,700 adults enrolled in an integrated delivery system between December 2012 and November 2013, we examined: 1) online patient portal use that directly engages the electronic health record and 2) portal use over desktops/laptops only, mobile devices only, or both device types. The primary covariate was race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, and Asian). Other covariates included age, sex, primary language, and neighborhood-level income and education. Portal use and devices used were assessed with multiple and multinomial logistic models, respectively. From December 2012 to November 2013, 56% of enrollees used the patient portal. Of these portal users, 62% used desktops/laptops only, 6% used mobile devices only, and 32% used both desktops/laptops and mobile devices. Black, Hispanic, and Asian enrollees had significantly lower odds of portal use than whites. Black and Hispanic portal users also were significantly more likely to use mobile devices only (relative risk ratio, 1.73 and 1.44, respectively) and both device types (1.21 and 1.07, respectively) than desktops/laptops only compared with whites. Although racial/ethnic minority enrollees were less likely to access the online patient portal overall, a greater proportion of black and Hispanic users accessed the patient portal with mobile devices than did non-Hispanic white users. The rapid spread of mobile devices among racial/ethnic minorities may help reduce variation in online patient portal use. Mobile device use may represent an opportunity for healthcare organizations to further engage black and Hispanic enrollees in online patient portal use.

The contribution of lexical access speed to RAN and reading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Mads

and reading speed in the older age group was still strong after controlling for general speed of processing, but controlling for confrontation picture naming speed reduced the contribution of RAN to only marginally significant. Conclusions: We conclude that RAN-objects relationship with reading speed......Purpose: The study investigated why and when rapid automatised naming is a predictor of reading. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that (1) RAN-objects predicts reading because it is a measure of lexical (e.g. phonological) access speed, but (2) that RAN only becomes a predictor of reading...... development once a certain level of phonological recoding proficiency has been reached. Method: Forty Danish students without reading difficulties were administered tests of reading speed and accuracy, phoneme awareness, RAN-objects, timed confrontation picture naming, and visio-motor reaction time...

Data bases for rapid response to power reactor problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maskewitz, B.F.

1980-01-01

The urgency of the TMI-2 incident demanded prompt answers to an imperious situation. In responding to these challenging circumstances, both government and industry recognized deficiencies in both availability of essential retrievable data and calculational capabilities designed to respond immediately to actual abnormal events. Each responded by initiating new programs to provide a remedy for the deficiencies and to generally improve all safety measures in the nuclear power industry. Many data bases and information centers offer generic data and other technology resources which are generally useful in support of nuclear safety programs. A few centers can offer rapid access to calculational methods and associated data and more will make an effort to do so. As a beneficial spin-off from the lessons learned from TMI-2, more technical effort and financial resources will be devoted to the prevention of accidents, and to improvement of safety measures in the immediate future and for long term R and D programs by both government and the nuclear power industry

Access Data Analysis Cookbook

CERN Document Server

Bluttman, Ken

2008-01-01

This book offers practical recipes to solve a variety of common problems that users have with extracting Access data and performing calculations on it. Whether you use Access 2007 or an earlier version, this book will teach you new methods to query data, different ways to move data in and out of Access, how to calculate answers to financial and investment issues, how to jump beyond SQL by manipulating data with VBA, and more.

Open Access Monitor - DK

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Michael; Hansen, Lars Asger Juel; Andersen, Dorte

2017-01-01

Open Access Monitor - DK (OAM-DK) is a 2-year DEFF funded [DEFF.2016-0018] national project running in 2017-2018 with the aim of collecting, documenting and administrating Open Access publishing costs. OAM-DK is lead by Copenhagen University Library under the Royal Danish Library with participation...... of all Danish University Libraries. This poster presents the first results of Open Access costs related to 2015 publications at the The University of Copenhagen....

Access French

CERN Document Server

Grosz, Bernard

2014-01-01

Access is the major new language series designed with the needs of today's generation of students firmly in mind. Whether learning for leisure or business purposes or working towards a curriculum qualification, Access French is specially designed for adults of all ages and gives students a thorough grounding in all the skills required to understand, speak, read and write contemporary French from scratch. The coursebook consists of 10 units covering different topic areas, each of which includes Language Focus panels explaining the structures covered and a comprehensive glossary. Learning tips

Rural women and violence situation: access and accessibility limits to the healthcare network.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Marta Cocco da; Silva, Ethel Bastos da; Soares, Joannie Dos Santos Fachinelli; Borth, Luana Cristina; Honnef, Fernanda

2017-07-13

To analyze the access and accessibility to the healthcare network of women dwelling in rural contexts undergoing violence situation, as seen from the professionals' speeches. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study with professionals from the healthcare network services about coping with violence in four municipalities in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul. The information derived from interviews, which have been analyzed by thematic modality. (Lack of) information of women, distance, restricted access to transportation, dependence on the partner and (lack of) attention by professionals to welcome women undergoing violence situation and (non)-articulation of the network are factors that limit the access and, as a consequence, they result in the lack of confrontation of this problem. To bring closer the services which integrate the confrontation network of violence against women and to qualify professionals to welcome these situations are factors that can facilitate the access and adhesion of rural women to the services.

Rainfall and Coconut Accession Explain the Composition and Abundance of the Community of Potential Auchenorrhyncha Phytoplasma Vectors in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Flaviana G; Passos, Eliana M; Diniz, Leandro E C; Farias, Adriano P; Teodoro, Adenir V; Fernandes, Marcelo F; Dollet, Michel

2018-04-05

Coconut plantations are attacked by the lethal yellowing (LY), which is spreading rapidly with extremely destructive effects in several countries. The disease is caused by phytoplasmas that occur in the plant phloem and are transmitted by Haplaxius crudus (Van Duzee) (Auchenorrhyncha: Cixiidae). Owing to their phloem-sap feeding habit, other planthopper species possibly act as vectors. Here, we aimed at assessing the seasonal variation in the Auchenorrhyncha community in six dwarf coconut accessions. Also, we assessed the relative contribution of biotic (coconut accession) and abiotic (rainfall, temperature) in explaining Auchenorrhyncha composition and abundance. The Auchenorrhyncha community was monthly evaluated for 1 yr using yellow sticky traps. Among the most abundant species, Oecleus sp., Balclutha sp., Deltocephalinae sp.2, Deltocephalinae sp.3, Cenchreini sp., Omolicna nigripennis Caldwell (Derbidae), and Cedusa sp. are potential phytoplasma vectors. The composition of the Auchenorrhyncha community differed between dwarf coconut accessions and periods, namely, in March and April (transition from dry to rainy season) and August (transition from rainy to dry season). In these months, Oecleus sp. was predominantly found in the accessions Cameroon Red Dwarf, Malayan Red Dwarf, and Brazilian Red Dwarf Gramame, while Cenchreini sp. and Bolbonota sp. were dominant in the accessions Brazilian Yellow Dwarf Gramame, Malayan Yellow Dwarf, and Brazilian Green Dwarf Jequi. We conclude that dwarf coconut host several Auchenorrhyncha species potential phytoplasma vectors. Furthermore, coconut accessions could be exploited in breeding programs aiming at prevention of LY. However, rainfall followed by accessions mostly explained the composition and abundance of the Auchenorrhyncha community.

Access to destinations : annual accessibility measure for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Region.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-01

This report summarizes previous phases of the Access to Destinations project and applies the techniques developed : over the course of the project to conduct an evaluation of accessibility in the Twin Cities metropolitan region for : 2010. It describ...

Rapid Aminoglycoside NP Test for Rapid Detection of Multiple Aminoglycoside Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordmann, Patrice; Jayol, Aurélie; Dobias, Jan; Poirel, Laurent

2017-04-01

The rapid aminoglycoside NP (Nordmann/Poirel) test was developed to rapidly identify multiple aminoglycoside (AG) resistance in Enterobacteriaceae It is based on the detection of the glucose metabolism related to enterobacterial growth in the presence of a defined concentration of amikacin plus gentamicin. Formation of acid metabolites was evidenced by a color change (orange to yellow) of the red phenol pH indicator. The rapid aminoglycoside NP test was evaluated by using bacterial colonies of 18 AG-resistant isolates producing 16S rRNA methylases, 20 AG-resistant isolates expressing AG-modifying enzymes (acetyl-, adenyl-, and phosphotransferases), and 10 isolates susceptible to AG. Its sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 97%, respectively, compared to the broth dilution method, which was taken as the gold standard for determining aminoglycoside resistance. The test is inexpensive, rapid (<2 h), and implementable worldwide. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Access to potable water and sanitation in Cameroon within the context of Millennium Development Goals (MDGS).

Science.gov (United States)

Ako, Andrew Ako; Shimada, Jun; Eyong, Gloria Eneke Takem; Fantong, Wilson Yetoh

2010-01-01

Cameroon has been fully engaged with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) since their inception in 2000. This paper examines the situation of access to potable water and sanitation in Cameroon within the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), establishes whether Cameroon is on the track of meeting the MDGs in these domains and proposes actions to be taken to bring it closer to these objectives. Based on analyzed data obtained from national surveys, government ministries, national statistical offices, bibliographic research, reports and interviews, it argues that Cameroon will not reach the water and sanitation MGDs. While Cameroon is not yet on track to meet the targets of the MDGs for water and sanitation, it has made notable progress since 1990, much more needs to be done to improve the situation, especially in rural areas. In 2006, 70% of the population had access to safe drinking water and the coverage in urban centres is 88%, significantly better than the 47% in rural areas. However, rapid urbanization has rendered existing infrastructure inadequate with periurban dwellers also lacking access to safe drinking water. Sanitation coverage is also poor. In urban areas only 58% of the population has access to improved sanitation facilities, and the rate in rural areas is 42%. Women and girls shoulder the largest burden in collecting water, 15% of urban and 18% rural populations use improved drinking water sources over 30 minutes away. Cameroon faces the following challenges in reaching the water and sanitation MDGs: poor management and development of the resources, coupled with inadequate political will and commitment for the long term; rapid urbanization; urban and rural poverty and regulation and legislative lapses. The authors propose that: bridging the gap between national water policies and water services; recognizing the role played by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the attainment of MDGs; developing a Council Water Resource Management

Sustainable energy for all. Technical report of task force 1 in support of the objective to achieve universal access to modern energy services by 2030

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birol, Fatih [International Energy Agency, Paris (France); Brew-Hammond, Abeeku [University of Science and Technology (Ghana

2012-04-15

The UN Secretary General established the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in order to guide and support efforts to achieve universal access to modern energy, rapidly increase energy efficiency, and expand the use of renewable energies. Task forces were formed involving prominent energy leaders and experts from business, government, academia and civil society worldwide. The goal of the Task Forces is to inform the implementation of the initiative by identifying challenges and opportunities for achieving its objectives. This report contains the findings of Task Force One which is dedicated to the objective of achieving universal access to modern energy services by 2030. The report shows that universal energy access can be realized by 2030 with strong, focused actions set within a coordinated framework.

Review on CNC-Rapid Prototyping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

M Nafis O Z; Nafrizuan M Y; Munira M A; Kartina J

2012-01-01

This article reviewed developments of Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) technology in rapid prototyping process. Rapid prototyping (RP) can be classified into three major groups; subtractive, additive and virtual. CNC rapid prototyping is grouped under the subtractive category which involves material removal from the workpiece that is larger than the final part. Richard Wysk established the use of CNC machines for rapid prototyping using sets of 2½-D tool paths from various orientations about a rotary axis to machine parts without refixturing. Since then, there are few developments on this process mainly aimed to optimized the operation and increase the process capabilities to stand equal with common additive type of RP. These developments include the integration between machining and deposition process (hybrid RP), adoption of RP to the conventional machine and optimization of the CNC rapid prototyping process based on controlled parameters. The article ended by concluding that the CNC rapid prototyping research area has a vast space for improvement as in the conventional machining processes. Further developments and findings will enhance the usage of this method and minimize the limitation of current approach in building a prototype.

Dilepton distributions at backward rapidities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betemps, M. A.; Ducati, M. B. Gay; Oliveira, E. G. de

2006-01-01

The dilepton production at backward rapidities in pAu and pp collisions at RHIC and LHC energies is investigated in the dipole approach. The results are shown through the nuclear modification ratio R pA considering transverse momentum and rapidity spectra. The dilepton modification ratio presents interesting behavior at the backward rapidities when compared with the already known forward ones, since it is related with the large x kinematical region that is being probed. The rapidity dependence of the nuclear modification ratio in the dilepton production is strongly dependent on the Bjorken x behavior of the nuclear structure function ratio R F 2 =F 2 A /F 2 p . The R pA transverse momentum dependence at backward rapidities is modified due to the large x nuclear effects: at RHIC energies, for instance, the ratio R pA is reduced as p T increases, presenting an opposite behavior when compared with the forward one. It implies that the dilepton production at backward rapidities should carry information of the nuclear effects at large Bjorken x, as well as that it is useful to investigate the p T dependence of the observables in this kinematical regime