Development and evaluation of a novel high-throughput image-based fluorescent neutralization test for detection of Zika virus infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Koishi, Andrea Cristine; Suzukawa, Andréia Akemi; Zanluca, Camila; Camacho, Daria Elena; Comach, Guillermo; Duarte Dos Santos, Claudia Nunes

2018-03-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arbovirus belonging to the genus flavivirus that comprises other important public health viruses, such as dengue (DENV) and yellow fever (YFV). In general, ZIKV infection is a self-limiting disease, however cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome and congenital brain abnormalities in newborn infants have been reported. Diagnosing ZIKV infection remains a challenge, as viral RNA detection is only applicable until a few days after the onset of symptoms. After that, serological tests must be applied, and, as expected, high cross-reactivity between ZIKV and other flavivirus serology is observed. Plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) is indicated to confirm positive samples for being more specific, however it is laborious intensive and time consuming, representing a major bottleneck for patient diagnosis. To overcome this limitation, we developed a high-throughput image-based fluorescent neutralization test for ZIKV infection by serological detection. Using 226 human specimens, we showed that the new test presented higher throughput than traditional PRNT, maintaining the correlation between results. Furthermore, when tested with dengue virus samples, it showed 50.53% less cross reactivity than MAC-ELISA. This fluorescent neutralization test could be used for clinical diagnosis confirmation of ZIKV infection, as well as for vaccine clinical trials and seroprevalence studies.

Data acquisition system for medium power neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stewart, C.R. Jr.; Francis, J.E. Jr.; Hammons, C.E.; Dagenhart, W.K.

1978-06-01

The Medium Power Neutral Beam Test Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was constructed in order to develop, test, and condition powerful neutral beam lines for the Princeton Large Torus experiment at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The data acquisition system for the test stand monitors source performance, beam characteristics, and power deposition profiles to determine if the beam line is operating up to its design specifications. The speed of the computer system is utilized to provide near-real-time analysis of experimental data. Analysis of the data is presented as numerical tabulation and graphic display

Testing the Neutral Theory of Biodiversity with Human Microbiome Datasets

OpenAIRE

Li, Lianwei; Ma, Zhanshan (Sam)

2016-01-01

The human microbiome project (HMP) has made it possible to test important ecological theories for arguably the most important ecosystem to human health?the human microbiome. Existing limited number of studies have reported conflicting evidence in the case of the neutral theory; the present study aims to comprehensively test the neutral theory with extensive HMP datasets covering all five major body sites inhabited by the human microbiome. Utilizing 7437 datasets of bacterial community samples...

TFTR neutral-beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turitzin, N.M.; Newman, R.A.

1981-11-01

TFTR Neutral Beam System will have thirteen discharge ion sources, each with its own power supply. Twelve of these will be utilized for supplemental heating of the TFTR tokamak plasma, while the thirteenth will be dedicated to an off-machine test chamber for source development and/or conditioning. A test installation for one source was set up using prototype equipment to discover and correct possible deficiencies, and to properly coordinate the equipment. This test facility represents the first opportunity for assembling an integrated system of hardware supplied by diverse vendors, each of whom designed and built his equipment to performance specifications. For the installation and coordination of the different portions of the total system, particular attention was given to personnel safety and safe equipment operation. This paper discusses various system components, their characteristics, interconnection and control. Results of the recently initiated test phase will be reported at a later date

Significant advantages of sulfur-doped graphene in neutral media as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction comparing with Pt/C

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Xinxin; Zhang, Jiaona; Huang, Tinglin

2018-02-01

Sulfur-doped graphene (SDG) has been found to be an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction. However, previous studies on the catalytic activity of SDG have been mainly confined to O2-saturated alkaline media which is a typical alkaline fuel cell environment. Air-cathode microbial fuel cells (ACMFCs), as a novel energy conversion and wastewater treatment technology, use the oxygen from air as cathodic reactant in neutral media with low concentration of O2. Thus, it is meaningful to explore the catalytic performance of SDG in such ACMFC environment. The result showed that in ACMFC environment, the peak current density of SDG in CV test was surprisingly 4.5 times higher than that of Pt/C, indicating a much stronger catalytic activity of SDG. Moreover, SDG exhibited a stronger tolerance against the crossover of glucose (a typical anodic fuel in ACMFC) and better stability than Pt/C in neutral media.

Final design of the neutral beam lines for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pittenger, L.C.; Valby, L.E.; Stone, R.R.; Pedrotti, L.R.; Denhoy, B.; Yoard, R.

1979-01-01

Final design of the neutral beam lines for TFTR has been completed. A prototype has been assembled at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and is undergoing testing as part of the Neutral Beam System Test Facility (NBSTF). The final neutral beam line (NBL) configuration differs in several details from that previously reported upon; certain components have been added; and testing of the cryopump system has led to some design simplification. It is these developments which are reported herein

Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor neutral beam injection system vacuum chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pedrotti, L.R.

1977-01-01

Most of the components of the Neutral Beam Lines of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) will be enclosed in a 50 cubic meter box-shaped vacuum chamber. The chamber will have a number of unorthodox features to accomodate both neutral beam and TFTR requirements. The design constraints, and the resulting chamber design, are presented

Are "Market Neutral" Hedge Funds Really Market Neutral?

OpenAIRE

Andrew J. Patton

2009-01-01

Using a variety of different definitions of "neutrality," this study presents significant evidence against the neutrality to market risk of hedge funds in a range of style categories. I generalize standard definitions of "market neutrality," and propose five different neutrality concepts. I suggest statistical tests for each neutrality concept, and apply these tests to a database of monthly returns on 1423 hedge funds from five style categories. For the "market neutral" style, approximately o...

EPICS - MDSplus integration in the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchetta, Adriano; Manduchi, Gabriele; Barbalace, Antonio; Soppelsa, Anton; Taliercio, Cesare

2011-01-01

SPIDER, the ITER-size ion-source test bed in the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility, is a fusion device requiring a complex central system to provide control and data acquisition, referred to as CODAS. The CODAS software architecture will rely on EPICS and MDSplus, two open-source, collaborative software frameworks, targeted at control and data acquisition, respectively. EPICS has been selected as ITER CODAC middleware and, as the final deliverable of the Neutral Beam Test Facility is the procurement of the ITER Heating Neutral Beam Injector, we decided to adopt this ITER technology. MDSplus is a software package for data management, supporting advanced concepts, such as platform and underlying hardware independence, self description data, and data driven model. The combined use of EPICS and MDSplus is not new in fusion, but their level of integration will be new in SPIDER, achieved by a more refined data access layer. The paper presents the integration software to use effectively EPICS and MDSplus, including the definition of appropriate EPICS records to interact with MDSplus. The MDSplus and EPICS archive concepts are also compared on the basis of performance tests and data streaming is investigated by ad-hoc measurements.

Fault detection and protection system for neutral beam generators on the Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility (NBETF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

deVries, G.J.; Chesley, K.L.; Owren, H.M.

1983-12-01

Neutral beam sources, their power supplies and instrumentation can be damaged from high voltage sparkdown or from overheating due to excessive currents. The Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility (NBETF) in Berkeley has protective electronic hardware that senses a condition outside a safe operating range and generates a response to terminate such a fault condition. A description of this system is presented in this paper. 8 references, 2 figures, 2 tables

The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility towards SPIDER operation

Science.gov (United States)

Toigo, V.; Dal Bello, S.; Gaio, E.; Luchetta, A.; Pasqualotto, R.; Zaccaria, P.; Bigi, M.; Chitarin, G.; Marcuzzi, D.; Pomaro, N.; Serianni, G.; Agostinetti, P.; Agostini, M.; Antoni, V.; Aprile, D.; Baltador, C.; Barbisan, M.; Battistella, M.; Boldrin, M.; Brombin, M.; Dalla Palma, M.; De Lorenzi, A.; Delogu, R.; De Muri, M.; Fellin, F.; Ferro, A.; Gambetta, G.; Grando, L.; Jain, P.; Maistrello, A.; Manduchi, G.; Marconato, N.; Pavei, M.; Peruzzo, S.; Pilan, N.; Pimazzoni, A.; Piovan, R.; Recchia, M.; Rizzolo, A.; Sartori, E.; Siragusa, M.; Spada, E.; Spagnolo, S.; Spolaore, M.; Taliercio, C.; Valente, M.; Veltri, P.; Zamengo, A.; Zaniol, B.; Zanotto, L.; Zaupa, M.; Boilson, D.; Graceffa, J.; Svensson, L.; Schunke, B.; Decamps, H.; Urbani, M.; Kushwah, M.; Chareyre, J.; Singh, M.; Bonicelli, T.; Agarici, G.; Garbuglia, A.; Masiello, A.; Paolucci, F.; Simon, M.; Bailly-Maitre, L.; Bragulat, E.; Gomez, G.; Gutierrez, D.; Mico, G.; Moreno, J.-F.; Pilard, V.; Chakraborty, A.; Baruah, U.; Rotti, C.; Patel, H.; Nagaraju, M. V.; Singh, N. P.; Patel, A.; Dhola, H.; Raval, B.; Fantz, U.; Fröschle, M.; Heinemann, B.; Kraus, W.; Nocentini, R.; Riedl, R.; Schiesko, L.; Wimmer, C.; Wünderlich, D.; Cavenago, M.; Croci, G.; Gorini, G.; Rebai, M.; Muraro, A.; Tardocchi, M.; Hemsworth, R.

2017-08-01

SPIDER is one of two projects of the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility under construction in Padova, Italy, at the Consorzio RFX premises. It will have a 100 keV beam source with a full-size prototype of the radiofrequency ion source for the ITER neutral beam injector (NBI) and also, similar to the ITER diagnostic neutral beam, it is designed to operate with a pulse length of up to 3600 s, featuring an ITER-like magnetic filter field configuration (for high extraction of negative ions) and caesium oven (for high production of negative ions) layout as well as a wide set of diagnostics. These features will allow a reproduction of the ion source operation in ITER, which cannot be done in any other existing test facility. SPIDER realization is well advanced and the first operation is expected at the beginning of 2018, with the mission of achieving the ITER heating and diagnostic NBI ion source requirements and of improving its performance in terms of reliability and availability. This paper mainly focuses on the preparation of the first SPIDER operations—integration and testing of SPIDER components, completion and implementation of diagnostics and control and formulation of operation and research plan, based on a staged strategy.

Reduction effect of neutral density on the excitation of turbulent drift waves in a linear magnetized plasma with flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saitou, Y.; Yonesu, A.; Shinohara, S.; Ignatenko, M. V.; Kasuya, N.; Kawaguchi, M.; Terasaka, K.; Nishijima, T.; Nagashima, Y.; Kawai, Y.; Yagi, M.; Itoh, S.-I.; Azumi, M.; Itoh, K.

2007-01-01

The importance of reducing the neutral density to reach strong drift wave turbulence is clarified from the results of the extended magnetohydrodynamics and Monte Carlo simulations in a linear magnetized plasma. An upper bound of the neutral density relating to the ion-neutral collision frequency for the excitation of drift wave instability is shown, and the necessary flow velocity to excite this instability is also estimated from the neutral distributions. Measurements of the Mach number and the electron density distributions using Mach probe in the large mirror device (LMD) of Kyushu University [S. Shinohara et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 37, 1015 (1995)] are reported as well. The obtained results show a controllability of the neutral density and provide the basis for neutral density reduction and a possibility to excite strong drift wave turbulence in the LMD

Improvement of activated carbons as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral solutions by ammonia gas treatment and their performance in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Watson, Valerie J.

2013-11-01

Commercially available activated carbon (AC) powders from different precursor materials (peat, coconut shell, coal, and hardwood) were treated with ammonia gas at 700 C to improve their performance as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral pH solutions used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The ammonia treated ACs exhibited better catalytic performance in rotating ring-disk electrode tests than their untreated precursors, with the bituminous based AC most improved, with an onset potential of Eonset = 0.12 V (untreated, Eonset = 0.08 V) and n = 3.9 electrons transferred in oxygen reduction (untreated, n = 3.6), and the hardwood based AC (treated, E onset = 0.03 V, n = 3.3; untreated, Eonset = -0.04 V, n = 3.0). Ammonia treatment decreased oxygen content by 29-58%, increased nitrogen content to 1.8 atomic %, and increased the basicity of the bituminous, peat, and hardwood ACs. The treated coal based AC cathodes had higher maximum power densities in MFCs (2450 ± 40 mW m-2) than the other AC cathodes or a Pt/C cathode (2100 ± 1 mW m-2). These results show that reduced oxygen abundance and increased nitrogen functionalities on the AC surface can increase catalytic performance for oxygen reduction in neutral media. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

COLLISIONLESS SHOCKS IN A PARTIALLY IONIZED MEDIUM. I. NEUTRAL RETURN FLUX AND ITS EFFECTS ON ACCELERATION OF TEST PARTICLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blasi, P.; Morlino, G.; Bandiera, R.; Amato, E. [INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi, 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Caprioli, D. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)

2012-08-20

A collisionless shock may be strongly modified by the presence of neutral atoms through the processes of charge exchange between ions and neutrals and ionization of the latter. These two processes lead to exchange of energy and momentum between charged and neutral particles both upstream and downstream of the shock. In particular, neutrals that suffer a charge exchange downstream with shock-heated ions generate high-velocity neutrals that have a finite probability of returning upstream. These neutrals might then deposit heat in the upstream plasma through ionization and charge exchange, thereby reducing the fluid Mach number. A consequence of this phenomenon, which we refer to as the neutral return flux, is a reduction of the shock compression factor and the formation of a shock precursor upstream. The scale length of the precursor is determined by the ionization and charge-exchange interaction lengths of fast neutrals moving toward upstream infinity. In the case of a shock propagating in the interstellar medium, the effects of ion-neutral interactions are especially important for shock velocities <3000 km s{sup -1}. Such propagation velocities are common among shocks associated with supernova remnants, the primary candidate sources for the acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays. We then investigate the effects of the return flux of neutrals on the spectrum of test particles accelerated at the shock. We find that, for shocks slower than {approx}3000 km s{sup -1}, the particle energy spectrum steepens appreciably with respect to the naive expectation for a strong shock, namely, {proportional_to}E{sup -2}.

Sustaining neutral beam power supply system for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckard, R.D.; Wilson, J.H.; Van Ness, H.W.

1980-01-01

In late August 1978, a fixed price procurement contract for $25,000,000 was awarded to Aydin Energy Division, Palo Alto, California, for the design, manufacture, installation and acceptance testing of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) Sustaining Neutral Beam Power Supply System (SNBPSS). This system of 24 power supply sets will provide the conditioned power for the 24 neutral beam source modules. Each set will provide the accel potential the arc power, the filament power, and the suppressor power for its associated neutral beam source module. The design and development of the SNBPSS has progressed through the final design phase and is now in production. Testing of the major sub-assembly power supply is proceeding at Aydin and the final acceptance testing of the first two power supplies at LLNL is expected to be completed this year

Demography-adjusted tests of neutrality based on genome-wide SNP data

KAUST Repository

Rafajlović, Marina

2014-08-01

Tests of the neutral evolution hypothesis are usually built on the standard model which assumes that mutations are neutral and the population size remains constant over time. However, it is unclear how such tests are affected if the last assumption is dropped. Here, we extend the unifying framework for tests based on the site frequency spectrum, introduced by Achaz and Ferretti, to populations of varying size. Key ingredients are the first two moments of the site frequency spectrum. We show how these moments can be computed analytically if a population has experienced two instantaneous size changes in the past. We apply our method to data from ten human populations gathered in the 1000 genomes project, estimate their demographies and define demography-adjusted versions of Tajima\\'s D, Fay & Wu\\'s H, and Zeng\\'s E. Our results show that demography-adjusted test statistics facilitate the direct comparison between populations and that most of the differences among populations seen in the original unadjusted tests can be explained by their underlying demographies. Upon carrying out whole-genome screens for deviations from neutrality, we identify candidate regions of recent positive selection. We provide track files with values of the adjusted and unadjusted tests for upload to the UCSC genome browser. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

Magnetic analysis of the magnetic field reduction system of the ITER neutral beam injector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrera, Germán, E-mail: german.barrera@ciemat.es [CIEMAT, Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión, Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Ahedo, Begoña; Alonso, Javier; Ríos, Luis [CIEMAT, Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión, Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Chareyre, Julien; El-Ouazzani, Anass [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Agarici, Gilbert [Fusion for Energy, Josep Pla 2, Torres Diagonal Litoral B3, 07/08, 08019 Barcelona (Spain)

2015-10-15

The neutral beam system for ITER consists of two heating and current drive neutral beam injectors (HNB) and a diagnostic neutral beam (DNB) injector. The proposed physical plant layout allows a possible third HNB injector to be installed later. For the correct operation of the beam, the ion source and the ion path until it is neutralized must operate under a very low magnetic field environment. To prevent the stray ITER field from penetrating inside those mentioned critical areas, a magnetic field reduction system (MFRS) will envelop the beam vessels and the high voltage transmission lines to ion source. This system comprises the passive magnetic shield (PMS), a box like assembly of thick low carbon steel plates, and the Active Correction and Compensation Coils (ACCC), a set of coils carrying a current which depends on the tokamak stray field. This paper describes the magnetic model and analysis results presented at the PMS and ACCC preliminary design review held in ITER organization in April 2013. The paper focuses on the magnetic model description and on the description of the analysis results. The iterative process for obtaining optimized currents in the coils is presented. The set of coils currents chosen among the many possible solutions, the magnetic field results in the interest regions and the fulfillment of the magnetic field requirements are described.

An Indian test facility to characterise diagnostic neutral beam for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, M.J.; Bandyopadhyay, M.; Rotti, C.; Singh, N.P.; Shah, Sejal; Bansal, G.; Gahlaut, A.; Soni, J.; Lakdawala, H.; Waghela, Harshad; Ahmed, I.; Roopesh, G.; Baruah, U.K.; Chakraborty, A.K.

2011-01-01

The diagnostic neutral beam (DNB) line shall be used to diagnose the He ash content in the D-T phase of the ITER machine using the charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS). Implementation of a successful DNB at ITER requires several challenges related to the production, neutralization and transport of the neutral beam over path lengths of 20.665 m, to be overcome. The delivery is aided if the above effects are tested prior to onsite commissioning. As DNB is a procurement package for INDIA, an ITER approved Indian test facility, INTF, is under construction at Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), India and is envisaged to be operational in 2015. The timeline for this facility is synchronized with the RADI, ELISE (IPP, Garching), SPIDER (RFX, Padova) in a manner that best utilization of configurational inputs available from them are incorporated in the design. This paper describes the facility in detail and discusses the experiments planned to optimise the beam transmission and testing of the beam line components using various diagnostics.

A neutral sampling formula for multiple samples and an `exact' test of neutrality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Etienne, R.S.

2007-01-01

As the utility of the neutral theory of biodiversity is increasingly being recognized, there is also an increasing need for proper tools to evaluate the relative importance of neutral processes (dispersal limitation and stochasticity). One of the key features of neutral theory is its close link to

A neutral sampling formula for multiple samples and an 'exact' test of neutrality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Etienne, Rampal S.

As the utility of the neutral theory of biodiversity is increasingly being recognized, there is also an increasing need for proper tools to evaluate the relative importance of neutral processes (dispersal limitation and stochasticity). One of the key features of neutral theory is its close link to

Sustaining neutral beam power supply system for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckard, R.D.; Van Ness, H.W.

1979-01-01

A fixed-price procurement contract for $24.9 million was awarded to Aydin Energy Division, Palo Alto, CA, for the design, manufacture, installation, and acceptance testing of the sustaining neutral beam power supply system (SNBPSS). This system is scheduled for completion in early 1981 and will provide the conditioned power for the 24 neutral beam source modules. Each of the 24 power supply sets will provide the accel potential of 80 kV at 88 A, the arc power, the filament power, and the suppressor power for its associated neutral beam source module

The ITER neutral beam test facility: Designs of the general infrastructure, cryosystem and cooling plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cordier, J.J.; Hemsworth, R.; Chantant, M.; Gravil, B.; Henry, D.; Sabathier, F.; Doceul, L.; Thomas, E.; Houtte, D. van; Zaccaria, P.; Antoni, V.; Bello, S. Dal; Marcuzzi, D.; Antipenkov, A.; Day, C.; Dremel, M.; Mondino, P.L.

2005-01-01

The CEA Association is involved, in close collaboration with ENEA, FZK, IPP and UKAEA European Associations, in the first ITER neutral beam (NB) injector and the ITER neutral beam test facility design (EFDA task ref. TW3-THHN-IITF1). A total power of about 50 MW will have to be removed in steady state on the neutral beam test facility (NBTF). The main purpose of this task is to make progress with the detailed design of the first ITER NB injector and to start the conceptual design of the ITER NBTF. The general infrastructure layout of a generic site for the NBTF includes the test facility itself equipped with a dedicated beamline vessel [P.L. Zaccaria, et al., Maintenance schemes for the ITER neutral beam test facility, this conference] and integration studies of associated auxiliaries such as cooling plant, cryoplant and forepumping system

Test-particle motion in Einstein's unified field theory. I. General theory and application to neutral test particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, C.R.

1985-01-01

We develop a method for finding the exact equations of structure and motion of multipole test particles in Einstein's unified field theory: the theory of the nonsymmetric field. The method is also applicable to Einstein's gravitational theory. Particles are represented by singularities in the field. The method is covariant at each step of the analysis. We also apply the method and find both in Einstein's unified field theory and in Einstein's gravitational theory the equations of structure and motion of neutral pole-dipole test particles possessing no electromagnetic multipole moments. In the case of Einstein's gravitational theory the results are the well-known equations of structure and motion of a neutral pole-dipole test particle in a given background gravitational field. In the case of Einstein's unified field theory the results are the same, providing we identify a certain symmetric second-rank tensor field appearing in Einstein's theory with the metric and gravitational field. We therefore discover not only the equations of structure and motion of a neutral test particle in Einstein's unified field theory, but we also discover what field in Einstein's theory plays the role of metric and gravitational field

The PRIMA Test Facility: SPIDER and MITICA test-beds for ITER neutral beam injectors

Science.gov (United States)

Toigo, V.; Piovan, R.; Dal Bello, S.; Gaio, E.; Luchetta, A.; Pasqualotto, R.; Zaccaria, P.; Bigi, M.; Chitarin, G.; Marcuzzi, D.; Pomaro, N.; Serianni, G.; Agostinetti, P.; Agostini, M.; Antoni, V.; Aprile, D.; Baltador, C.; Barbisan, M.; Battistella, M.; Boldrin, M.; Brombin, M.; Dalla Palma, M.; De Lorenzi, A.; Delogu, R.; De Muri, M.; Fellin, F.; Ferro, A.; Fiorentin, A.; Gambetta, G.; Gnesotto, F.; Grando, L.; Jain, P.; Maistrello, A.; Manduchi, G.; Marconato, N.; Moresco, M.; Ocello, E.; Pavei, M.; Peruzzo, S.; Pilan, N.; Pimazzoni, A.; Recchia, M.; Rizzolo, A.; Rostagni, G.; Sartori, E.; Siragusa, M.; Sonato, P.; Sottocornola, A.; Spada, E.; Spagnolo, S.; Spolaore, M.; Taliercio, C.; Valente, M.; Veltri, P.; Zamengo, A.; Zaniol, B.; Zanotto, L.; Zaupa, M.; Boilson, D.; Graceffa, J.; Svensson, L.; Schunke, B.; Decamps, H.; Urbani, M.; Kushwah, M.; Chareyre, J.; Singh, M.; Bonicelli, T.; Agarici, G.; Garbuglia, A.; Masiello, A.; Paolucci, F.; Simon, M.; Bailly-Maitre, L.; Bragulat, E.; Gomez, G.; Gutierrez, D.; Mico, G.; Moreno, J.-F.; Pilard, V.; Kashiwagi, M.; Hanada, M.; Tobari, H.; Watanabe, K.; Maejima, T.; Kojima, A.; Umeda, N.; Yamanaka, H.; Chakraborty, A.; Baruah, U.; Rotti, C.; Patel, H.; Nagaraju, M. V.; Singh, N. P.; Patel, A.; Dhola, H.; Raval, B.; Fantz, U.; Heinemann, B.; Kraus, W.; Hanke, S.; Hauer, V.; Ochoa, S.; Blatchford, P.; Chuilon, B.; Xue, Y.; De Esch, H. P. L.; Hemsworth, R.; Croci, G.; Gorini, G.; Rebai, M.; Muraro, A.; Tardocchi, M.; Cavenago, M.; D'Arienzo, M.; Sandri, S.; Tonti, A.

2017-08-01

The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF), called PRIMA (Padova Research on ITER Megavolt Accelerator), is hosted in Padova, Italy and includes two experiments: MITICA, the full-scale prototype of the ITER heating neutral beam injector, and SPIDER, the full-size radio frequency negative-ions source. The NBTF realization and the exploitation of SPIDER and MITICA have been recognized as necessary to make the future operation of the ITER heating neutral beam injectors efficient and reliable, fundamental to the achievement of thermonuclear-relevant plasma parameters in ITER. This paper reports on design and R&D carried out to construct PRIMA, SPIDER and MITICA, and highlights the huge progress made in just a few years, from the signature of the agreement for the NBTF realization in 2011, up to now—when the buildings and relevant infrastructures have been completed, SPIDER is entering the integrated commissioning phase and the procurements of several MITICA components are at a well advanced stage.

The control of powerful neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theil, E.; Jacobson, V.

1986-01-01

While significant progress has been made in the development of neutral beams for the heating and sustaining of plasmas in large fusion experiments, the control of such devices has largely been a matter of hardware interlocks and operator experience. The need for computer-assisted control becomes more evident, however, with the initiation of multi-beamline experiments. This paper describes a software system that incorporates simple mathematical models coupled to Kalman filters for control of the high power (6 to 8 MW) beams currently under development at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility. Among the principal features of the system are: reduction of a large number of operator variables to just a few (usually one or two); the ability to describe most of the major neutral beams in use and under development; a foundation resting on statistical data analysis and control system principles rather than rules-of-thumb

Decomposing the Site Frequency Spectrum: The Impact of Tree Topology on Neutrality Tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferretti, Luca; Ledda, Alice; Wiehe, Thomas; Achaz, Guillaume; Ramos-Onsins, Sebastian E

2017-09-01

We investigate the dependence of the site frequency spectrum on the topological structure of genealogical trees. We show that basic population genetic statistics, for instance, estimators of θ or neutrality tests such as Tajima's D , can be decomposed into components of waiting times between coalescent events and of tree topology. Our results clarify the relative impact of the two components on these statistics. We provide a rigorous interpretation of positive or negative values of an important class of neutrality tests in terms of the underlying tree shape. In particular, we show that values of Tajima's D and Fay and Wu's H depend in a direct way on a peculiar measure of tree balance, which is mostly determined by the root balance of the tree. We present a new test for selection in the same class as Fay and Wu's H and discuss its interpretation and power. Finally, we determine the trees corresponding to extreme expected values of these neutrality tests and present formulas for these extreme values as a function of sample size and number of segregating sites. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Assaying Cellular Viability Using the Neutral Red Uptake Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Ates, Gamze; Vanhaecke, Tamara; Rogiers, Vera; Rodrigues, Robim M

2017-01-01

The neutral red uptake assay is a cell viability assay that allows in vitro quantification of xenobiotic-induced cytotoxicity. The assay relies on the ability of living cells to incorporate and bind neutral red, a weak cationic dye, in lysosomes. As such, cytotoxicity is expressed as a concentration-dependent reduction of the uptake of neutral red after exposure to the xenobiotic under investigation. The neutral red uptake assay is mainly used for hazard assessment in in vitro toxicology applications. This method has also been introduced in regulatory recommendations as part of 3T3-NRU-phototoxicity-assay, which was regulatory accepted in all EU member states in 2000 and in the OECD member states in 2004 as a test guideline (TG 432). The present protocol describes the neutral red uptake assay using the human hepatoma cell line HepG2, which is often employed as an alternative in vitro model for human hepatocytes. As an example, the cytotoxicity of acetaminophen and acetyl salicylic acid is assessed.

Facility for the testing of the TFTR prototype neutral beam injector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haughian, J.M.

1977-07-01

The design of the prototype neutral beam injection system for TFTR is nearing completion at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. This paper describes some of the features of the facility at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory where this prototype will be assembled and tested.

Facility for the testing of the TFTR prototype neutral beam injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haughian, J.M.

1977-07-01

The design of the prototype neutral beam injection system for TFTR is nearing completion at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. This paper describes some of the features of the facility at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory where this prototype will be assembled and tested

Tests of μ-e universality for weak neutral currents at PEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cline, D.B.; Resvanis, L.K.

1988-01-01

Two techniques are proposed to test the universality of the μ/minus/e weak neutral current interaction of large Q 2 . Both techniques require large statistics and some degree of longitudinal e + ,e/sup minus/ polarization but are otherwise feasible at PEP

Design of multi-megawatt actively cooled beam dumps for the Neutral-Beam Engineering Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paterson, J.A.; Koehler, G.; Wells, R.P.

1981-10-01

The Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility will test Neutral Beam Sources up to 170 keV, 65 Amps, with 30 second beam-on times. For this application actively cooled beam dumps for both the neutral and ionized particles will be required. The dumps will be able to dissipate a wide range of power density profiles by utilizing a standard modular panel design which is incorporated into a moveable support structure. The thermal hydraulic design of the panels permit the dissipation of 2 kW/cm 2 anywhere on the panel surface. The water requirements of the dumps are optimized by restricting the flow to panel sections where the heat flux falls short of the design value. The mechanical design of the beam-dump structures is described along with tests performed on a prototype panel. The prototype tests were performed on two different panel designs, one manufactured by Mc Donnell Douglas (MDAC) the other by United Technologies (UT). The dissipation capabilities of the panels were tested at the critical regions to verify their use in the beam dump assemblies

Neutralizing Activity of Broadly Neutralizing Anti-HIV-1 Antibodies against Clade B Clinical Isolates Produced in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Yehuda Z; Lorenzi, Julio C C; Seaman, Michael S; Nogueira, Lilian; Schoofs, Till; Krassnig, Lisa; Butler, Allison; Millard, Katrina; Fitzsimons, Tomas; Daniell, Xiaoju; Dizon, Juan P; Shimeliovich, Irina; Montefiori, David C; Caskey, Marina; Nussenzweig, Michel C

2018-03-01

HIV-1 epidemic. Antibodies with exceptional neutralizing activity against HIV-1 may provide several advantages to traditional HIV drugs, including an improved side-effect profile, a reduced dosing frequency, and immune enhancement. The activity of these antibodies has been established in vitro by utilizing HIV-1 Env-pseudotyped viruses derived from circulating viruses but produced in 293T cells by pairing Env proteins with a backbone vector. We tested PBMC-produced circulating viruses against five anti-HIV-1 antibodies currently in clinical development. We found that the activity of these antibodies against PBMC isolates is significantly less than that against 293T Env-pseudotyped viruses. This decline varied among the antibodies tested, with some demonstrating moderate reductions in activity and others showing an almost 100-fold reduction. As the development of these antibodies progresses, it will be critical to determine how the results of different in vitro tests correspond to performance in the clinic. Copyright © 2018 Cohen et al.

Improvement of activated carbons as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral solutions by ammonia gas treatment and their performance in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Watson, Valerie J.; Nieto Delgado, Cesar; Logan, Bruce E.

2013-01-01

Commercially available activated carbon (AC) powders from different precursor materials (peat, coconut shell, coal, and hardwood) were treated with ammonia gas at 700 C to improve their performance as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral p

Tandem mirror experiment-upgrade neutral beam test stand: a powerful tool for development and quality assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hibbs, S.M.; Kane, R.J.; Kerr, R.G.; Poulsen, P.

1983-01-01

During construction of the Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U), we assembled a test stand to develop electronics for the neutral beam system. In the first six months of test stand use we operated a few neutral beam injector modules and directed considerable effort toward improving the electronic system. As system development progressed, our focus turned toward improving the injector modules themselves. The test stand has proved to be the largest single contributor to the successful operation of neutral beams on TMX-U, primarily because it provides quality assurance andd development capability in conjunction with the scheduled activities of the main experiment. This support falls into five major categories: (1) electronics development, (2) operator training, (3) injector module testing and characterization, (4) injector module improvements, and (5) physics improvements (through areas affected by injector operation). Normal day-to-day operation of the test stand comes under the third category, testing and characterization, and comprises our final quality assurance activity for newly assembled or repaired modules before they are installed on TMX-U

Design, fabrication and operation of the mechanical systems for the Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paterson, J.A.; Biagi, L.A.; Fong, M.; Koehler, G.W.; Low, W.; Purgalis, P.; Wells, R.P.

1983-12-01

The Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility (NBETF) at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) is a National Test Facility used to develop long pulse Neutral Beam Sources. The Facility will test sources up to 120 keV, 50 A, with 30 s beam-on times with a 10% duty factor. For this application, an actively cooled beam dump is required and one has been constructed capable of dissipating a wide range of power density profiles. The flexibility of the design is achieved by utilizing a standard modular panel design which is incorporated into a moveable support structure comprised of eight separately controllable manipulator assemblies. A unique neutralizer design has been installed into the NBETF beamline. This is a gun-drilled moveable brazed assembly which provides continuous armoring of the beamline near the source. The unit penetrates the source mounting valve during operation and retracts to permit the valve to close as needed. The beamline is also equpped with many beam scraper plates of differing detail design and dissipation capabilities

Proceedings: Instrumentation and control test reduction workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

Instrumentation and control (I ampersand C) surveillance and testing is a significant contributor to operations and management costs. Several techniques to eliminate or reduce manual testing requirements could reduce costs while improving plant safety and performance. I ampersand C test reduction was the subject of this 1991 workshop. The workshop covered test elimination, test reduction, test automation, and relevant standards and benefits. The conclusions of the workshop were the following: More utility information sharing is important. There is a significant amount of information available throughout the industry, but it is not available in a concise, useable form. An I ampersand C utility users group is needed to address items such as instrument calibration reduction, set-point methodologies, and other current I ampersand C issues. The workshop was well received. The timing is right to initiate actions to reduce testing

Comparing fire spread algorithms using equivalence testing and neutral landscape models

Science.gov (United States)

Brian R. Miranda; Brian R. Sturtevant; Jian Yang; Eric J. Gustafson

2009-01-01

We demonstrate a method to evaluate the degree to which a meta-model approximates spatial disturbance processes represented by a more detailed model across a range of landscape conditions, using neutral landscapes and equivalence testing. We illustrate this approach by comparing burn patterns produced by a relatively simple fire spread algorithm with those generated by...

Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade neutral beam test stand: A powerful tool for development and quality assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hibbs, S.M.; Kane, R.J.; Kerr, R.G.; Poulsen, P.

1983-01-01

During construction of the Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U), a test stand was assembled to develop electronics for the neutral beam system. In the first six months of test stand use the authors operated a few neutral beam injector modules and directed considerable effort toward improving the electronic system. As system development progressed, the focus turned toward improving the injector modules themselves. The test stand has proved to be the largest single contributor to the successful operation of neutral beams on TMX-U, primarily because it provides quality assurance and development capability in conjunction with the scheduled activities of the main experiment. This support falls into five major categories: (1) electronics development, (2) operator training, (3) injector module testing and characterization, (4) injector module improvements, and (5) physics improvements (through areas affected by injector operation). Normal day-to-day operation of the test stand comes under the third category, testing and characterization, and comprises the final quality assurance activity for newly assembled or repaired modules before they are installed on TMX-U. They have also used the test stand to perform a series of physics experiments, including: reducing gas flow through valve and arc chamber characterization, reducing impurities by titanium gettering, and reducing streaming gas using apertures and collisional gas dynamics

Gas utilization in TFTR [Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor] neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamperschroer, J.H.; Gammel, G.M.; Kugel, H.W.; Grisham, L.R.; Stevenson, T.N.; von Halle, A.; Williams, M.D.

1987-08-01

Measurements of gas utilization in a test TFTR neutral beam injector have been performed to study the feasibility of running tritium neutral beams with existing ion sources. Gas consumption is limited by the restriction of 50,000 curies of T 2 allowed on site. It was found that the gas efficiency of the present long-pulse ion sources is higher than it was with previous short-pulse sources. Gas efficiencies were studied over the range of 35 to 55%. At the high end of this range the neutral fraction of the beam fell below that predicted by room temperature molecular gas flow. This is consistent with observations made on the JET injectors, where it has been attributed to beam heating of the neutralizer gas and a concomitant increase in conductance. It was found that a working gas isotope exchange from H 2 to D 2 could be accomplished on the first beam shot after changing the gas supply, without any intermediate preconditioning. The mechanism believed responsible for this phenomenon is heating of the plasma generator walls by the arc and a resulting thermal desorption of all previously adsorbed and implanted gas. Finally, it was observed that an ion source conditioned to 120 kV operation could produce a beam pulse after a waiting period of fourteen hours by preceding the beam extraction with several hi-pot/filament warm-up pulses, without any gas consumption. 18 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs

Radiometric cytolysis inhibition assay, a new rapid test for neutralizing antibodies to intact and trypsin-cleaved poliovirus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hovi, T.; Roivainen, M.

1989-01-01

We have developed a new rapid test, the radiometric cytolysis inhibition assay (RACINA), for the determination of neutralizing poliovirus antibodies. HeLa cells prelabeled with 51 Cr, [ 3 H]leucine, or, preferentially, with [ 3 H]uridine are used as sensitive quantitative indicators of residual infectious virus. Both suspensions and monolayer cultures of the indicator cells can be used. Neutralization of a fraction of a high-titer virus preparation can be scored after the first replication cycle at 8 to 10 h. By lowering the incubation temperature to 30 degree C, the completion of the cytolysis due to the first replication cycle of poliovirus was delayed beyond 21 h. This makes it possible to use the RACINA, unlike the standard microneutralization assay, for measuring antibodies to trypsin-cleaved polioviruses. The RACINA was found to be as sensitive as and more reproducible than the standard microneutralization assay in the measurement of neutralizing poliovirus antibodies. The RACINA is a rapid and reliable test for neutralizing antibodies and in principle it may be applicable for quantitation of neutralizing antibodies to other cytolytic agents as well

Electrochemical Reduction of Oxygen on Anthraquinone/Carbon Nanotubes Nanohybrid Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode in Neutral Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Gong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The electrochemical behaviors of monohydroxy-anthraquinone/multiwall carbon nanotubes (MHAQ/MWCNTs nanohybrid modified glassy carbon (MHAQ/MWCNTs/GC electrodes in neutral medium were investigated; also reported was their application in the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR. The resulting MHAQ/MWCNTs nanohybrid was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM and transmission electron microscope (TEM. It was found that the ORR at the MHAQ/MWCNTs/GC electrode occurs irreversibly at a potential about 214 mV less negative than at a bare GC electrode in pH 7.0 buffer solution. Cyclic voltammetric and rotating disk electrode (RDE techniques indicated that the MHAQ/MWCNTs nanohybrid has high electrocatalytic activity for the two-electron reduction of oxygen in the studied potential range. The kinetic parameters of ORR at the MHAQ/MWCNTs nanohybrid modified GC electrode were also determined by RDE and EIS techniques.

An investigation of the statistical power of neutrality tests based on comparative and population genetic data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhai, Weiwei; Nielsen, Rasmus; Slatkin, Montgomery

2009-01-01

In this report, we investigate the statistical power of several tests of selective neutrality based on patterns of genetic diversity within and between species. The goal is to compare tests based solely on population genetic data with tests using comparative data or a combination of comparative...... and population genetic data. We show that in the presence of repeated selective sweeps on relatively neutral background, tests based on the d(N)/d(S) ratios in comparative data almost always have more power to detect selection than tests based on population genetic data, even if the overall level of divergence...... selection. The Hudson-Kreitman-Aguadé test is the most powerful test for detecting positive selection among the population genetic tests investigated, whereas McDonald-Kreitman test typically has more power to detect negative selection. We discuss our findings in the light of the discordant results obtained...

Gas utilization in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamperschroer, J.H.; Gammel, G.M.; Kugel, H.W.; Grisham, L.R.; Stevenson, T.N.; von Halle, A.; Williams, M.D.; Jones, T.T.C.

1989-01-01

Measurements of gas utilization were performed using hydrogen and deuterium beams in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) neutral beam test beamline to study the feasibility of operating tritium beams with existing ion sources under conditions of minimal tritium consumption. (i) It was found that the fraction of gas molecules introduced into the TFTR long-pulse ion sources that are converted to extracted ions (i.e., the ion source gas efficiency) was higher than with previous short-pulse sources. Gas efficiencies were studied over the range 33%--55%, and its effect on neutralization of the extracted ions was studied. At the high end of the gas efficiency range, the neutral fraction of the beam fell below that predicted from room-temperature molecular gas flow (similar to observations at the Joint European Torus). (ii) Beam isotope change studies were performed. No extracted hydrogen ions were observed in the first deuterium beam following a working gas change from H 2 to D 2 . There was no arc conditioning or gas injection preceding the first beam extraction attempt. (iii) Experiments were also performed to determine the reliability of ion source operation during the long waiting periods between pulses that are anticipated during tritium operation. It was found that an ion source conditioned to 120 kV could produce a clean beam pulse after a waiting period of 14 h by preceding the beam extraction with several acceleration voltage/filament warm-up pulses. It can be concluded that the operation of up to six ion sources on tritium gas should be compatible with on-site inventory restrictions established for D--T, Q = 1 experiments on TFTR

Concepts for the magnetic design of the MITICA neutral beam test facility ion accelerator.

Science.gov (United States)

Chitarin, G; Agostinetti, P; Marconato, N; Marcuzzi, D; Sartori, E; Serianni, G; Sonato, P

2012-02-01

The megavolt ITER injector concept advancement neutral injector test facility will be constituted by a RF-driven negative ion source and by an electrostatic Accelerator, designed to produce a negative Ion with a specific energy up to 1 MeV. The beam is then neutralized in order to obtain a focused 17 MW neutral beam. The magnetic configuration inside the accelerator is of crucial importance for the achievement of a good beam efficiency, with the early deflection of the co-extracted and stripped electrons, and also of the required beam optic quality, with the correction of undesired ion beamlet deflections. Several alternative magnetic design concepts have been considered, comparing in detail the magnetic and beam optics simulation results, evidencing the advantages and drawbacks of each solution both from the physics and engineering point of view.

Strip reduction testing of lubricants developed during ENFORM project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gazvoda, S.; Andreasen, Jan Lasson; Olsson, David Dam

Strip reduction testing of lubricants developed during ENFORM project. Experiments were conducted with the strip reduction test [1] in order to classify experimental lubricants, developed during concerned project. One reference lubricant was used during testing....

Mutual Coupling Reduction for UWB MIMO Antennas with a Wideband Neutralization Line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Shuai; Pedersen, Gert F.

2016-01-01

A wideband neutralization line is proposed to reduce the mutual coupling of a compact ultrawideband (UWB) MIMO antenna. With the introduced decoupling method, the designed UWB MIMO antenna covers the band of 3.1-5 GHz with an isolation of higher than 22 dB. The proposed wideband neutralization line...

Automated image-based assay for evaluation of HIV neutralization and cell-to-cell fusion inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheik-Khalil, Enas; Bray, Mark-Anthony; Özkaya Şahin, Gülsen; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Jansson, Marianne; Carpenter, Anne E; Fenyö, Eva Maria

2014-08-30

Standardized techniques to detect HIV-neutralizing antibody responses are of great importance in the search for an HIV vaccine. Here, we present a high-throughput, high-content automated plaque reduction (APR) assay based on automated microscopy and image analysis that allows evaluation of neutralization and inhibition of cell-cell fusion within the same assay. Neutralization of virus particles is measured as a reduction in the number of fluorescent plaques, and inhibition of cell-cell fusion as a reduction in plaque area. We found neutralization strength to be a significant factor in the ability of virus to form syncytia. Further, we introduce the inhibitory concentration of plaque area reduction (ICpar) as an additional measure of antiviral activity, i.e. fusion inhibition. We present an automated image based high-throughput, high-content HIV plaque reduction assay. This allows, for the first time, simultaneous evaluation of neutralization and inhibition of cell-cell fusion within the same assay, by quantifying the reduction in number of plaques and mean plaque area, respectively. Inhibition of cell-to-cell fusion requires higher quantities of inhibitory reagent than inhibition of virus neutralization.

Detailed design of the RF source for the 1 MV neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcuzzi, D.; Palma, M. Dalla; Pavei, M.; Heinemann, B.; Kraus, W.; Riedl, R.

2009-01-01

In the framework of the EU activities for the development of the Neutral Beam Injector for ITER, the detailed design of the Radio Frequency (RF) driven negative ion source to be installed in the 1 MV ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF) has been carried out. Results coming from ongoing R and D on IPP test beds [A. Staebler et al., Development of a RF-Driven Ion Source for the ITER NBI System, this conference] and the design of the new ELISE facility [B. Heinemann et al., Design of the Half-Size ITER Neutral Beam Source Test Facility ELISE, this conference] brought several modifications to the solution based on the previous design. An assessment was carried out regarding the Back-Streaming positive Ions (BSI+) that impinge on the back plates of the ion source and cause high and localized heat loads. This led to the redesign of most heated components to increase cooling, and to different choices for the plasma facing materials to reduce the effects of sputtering. The design of the electric circuit, gas supply and the other auxiliary systems has been optimized. Integration with other components of the beam source has been revised, with regards to the interfaces with the supporting structure, the plasma grid and the flexible connections. In the paper the design will be presented in detail, as well as the results of the analyses performed for the thermo-mechanical verification of the components.

Cross-neutralization between three mumps viruses & mapping of haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN epitopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunil R Vaidya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: The reports from the countries where mumps vaccine is given as routine immunization suggest differences in mumps virus neutralizing antibody titres when tested with vaccine and wild type viruses. Such reports are unavailable from countries like India where mumps vaccine is not included in routine immunization. We, therefore, undertook this study to understand the cross-neutralization activity of Indian mumps viruses. Methods: By using commercial mumps IgG enzyme immunoassay (EIA and a rapid focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT, a panel of serum samples was tested. The panel consisted of 14 acute and 14 convalescent serum samples collected during a mumps outbreak and 18 archived serum samples. Two wild types (genotypes C and G and Leningrad-Zagreb vaccine strain (genotype N were used for the challenge experiments and FRNT titres were determined and further compared. The HN protein sequence of three mumps viruses was analyzed for the presence of key epitopes. Results: All serum samples effectively neutralized mumps virus wild types and a vaccine strain. However, significantly lower FRNT titres were noted to wild types than to vaccine strain (P<0.05. The comparison between EIA and FRNT results revealed 95.6 per cent agreement. No amino acid changes were seen in the epitopes in the Indian wild type strains. All potential N-linked glycosylation sites were observed in Indian strains. Interpretation & conclusions:Good cross-neutralization activity was observed for three mumps virus strains, however, higher level of FRNT titres was detected for mumps virus vaccine strain compared to Indian wild type isolates.

Cross-neutralization between three mumps viruses & mapping of haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) epitopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidya, Sunil R; Dvivedi, Garima M; Jadhav, Santoshkumar M

2016-01-01

The reports from the countries where mumps vaccine is given as routine immunization suggest differences in mumps virus neutralizing antibody titres when tested with vaccine and wild type viruses. Such reports are unavailable from countries like India where mumps vaccine is not included in routine immunization. We, therefore, undertook this study to understand the cross-neutralization activity of Indian mumps viruses. By using commercial mumps IgG enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a rapid focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT), a panel of serum samples was tested. The panel consisted of 14 acute and 14 convalescent serum samples collected during a mumps outbreak and 18 archived serum samples. Two wild types (genotypes C and G) and Leningrad-Zagreb vaccine strain (genotype N) were used for the challenge experiments and FRNT titres were determined and further compared. The HN protein sequence of three mumps viruses was analyzed for the presence of key epitopes. All serum samples effectively neutralized mumps virus wild types and a vaccine strain. However, significantly lower FRNT titres were noted to wild types than to vaccine strain (P<0.05). The comparison between EIA and FRNT results revealed 95.6 per cent agreement. No amino acid changes were seen in the epitopes in the Indian wild type strains. All potential N-linked glycosylation sites were observed in Indian strains. Good cross-neutralization activity was observed for three mumps virus strains, however, higher level of FRNT titres was detected for mumps virus vaccine strain compared to Indian wild type isolates.

Neutralizer Hollow Cathode Simulations and Comparisons with Ground Test Data

Science.gov (United States)

Mikellides, Ioannis G.; Snyder, John S.; Goebel, Dan M.; Katz, Ira; Herman, Daniel A.

2009-01-01

The fidelity of electric propulsion physics-based models depends largely on the validity of their predictions over a range of operating conditions and geometries. In general, increased complexity of the physics requires more extensive comparisons with laboratory data to identify the region(s) that lie outside the validity of the model assumptions and to quantify the uncertainties within its range of application. This paper presents numerical simulations of neutralizer hollow cathodes at various operating conditions and orifice sizes. The simulations were performed using a two-dimensional axisymmetric model that solves numerically a relatively extensive system of conservation laws for the partially ionized gas in these devices. A summary of the comparisons between simulation results and Langmuir probe measurements is provided. The model has also been employed to provide insight into recent ground test observations of the neutralizer cathode in NEXT. It is found that a likely cause of the observed keeper voltage drop is cathode orifice erosion. However, due to the small magnitude of this change, is approx. 0.5 V (less than 5% of the beginning-of-life value) over 10 khrs, and in light of the large uncertainties of the cathode material sputtering yield at low ion energies, other causes cannot be excluded. Preliminary simulations to understand transition to plume mode suggest that in the range of 3-5 sccm the existing 2-D model reproduces fairly well the rise of the keeper voltage in the NEXT neutralizer as observed in the laboratory. At lower flow rates the simulation produces oscillations in the keeper current and voltage that require prohibitively small time-steps to resolve with the existing algorithms.

BEAMS3D Neutral Beam Injection Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazerson, Samuel

2014-04-14

With the advent of applied 3D fi elds in Tokamaks and modern high performance stellarators, a need has arisen to address non-axisymmetric effects on neutral beam heating and fueling. We report on the development of a fully 3D neutral beam injection (NBI) model, BEAMS3D, which addresses this need by coupling 3D equilibria to a guiding center code capable of modeling neutral and charged particle trajectories across the separatrix and into the plasma core. Ionization, neutralization, charge-exchange, viscous velocity reduction, and pitch angle scattering are modeled with the ADAS atomic physics database [1]. Benchmark calculations are presented to validate the collisionless particle orbits, neutral beam injection model, frictional drag, and pitch angle scattering effects. A calculation of neutral beam heating in the NCSX device is performed, highlighting the capability of the code to handle 3D magnetic fields.

Using computer graphics to analyze the placement of neutral-beam injectors for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horvath, J.A.

1977-01-01

To optimize the neutral-beam current incident on the fusion plasma and limit the heat load on exposed surfaces of the Mirror Fusion Test Facility magnet coils, impingement of the neutral beams on the magnet structure must be minimized. Also, placement of the neutral-beam injectors must comply with specifications for neutral-current heating of the plasma and should allow maximum flexibility to accommodate alternative beam aiming patterns without significant hardware replacement or experiment down-time. Injector placements and aimings are analyzed by means of the Structural Analysis Movie Post Processor (SAMPP), a general-purpose graphics code for the display of three-dimensional finite-element models. SAMPP is used to visually assemble, disassemble, or cut away sections of the complex three-dimensional apparatus, which is represented by an assemblage of 8-node solid finite elements. The resulting picture is used to detect and quantify interactions between the structure and the neutral-particle beams

Rapid evolution of troglomorphic characters suggests selection rather than neutral mutation as a driver of eye reduction in cave crabs.

Science.gov (United States)

Klaus, Sebastian; Mendoza, José C E; Liew, Jia Huan; Plath, Martin; Meier, Rudolf; Yeo, Darren C J

2013-04-23

This study asked whether reductive traits in cave organisms evolve at a slower pace (suggesting neutral evolution under relaxed selection) than constructive changes, which are likely to evolve under directional selection. We investigated 11 subterranean and seven surface populations of Sundathelphusa freshwater crabs on Bohol Island, Philippines, and examined constructive traits associated with improved food finding in darkness (increased leg and setae length) and reductive traits (reduced cornea size and eyestalk length). All changes occurred rapidly, given that the age of the most recent common ancestor was estimated to be 722-271 ka based on three mitochondrial markers. In order to quantify the speed of character change, we correlated the degree of morphological change with genetic distances between surface and subterranean individuals. The temporal pattern of character change following the transition to subterranean life was indistinguishable for constructive and reductive traits, characterized by an immediate onset and rapid evolutionary change. We propose that the evolution of these reductive traits-just like constructive traits-is most likely driven by strong directional selection.

Track reconstruction in discrete detectors by neutral networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glazov, A A; Kisel` , I V; Konotopskaya, E V; Neskoromnyj, V N; Ososkov, G A

1993-12-31

On the basis of applying neutral networks to the track recognition problem the investigations are made according to the specific properties of such discrete detectors as multiwire proportional chambers. These investigations result in the modification of the so-called rotor model in a neutral neural network. The energy function of a network in this modification contains only one cost term. This speeds up calculations considerably. The reduction of the energy function is done by the neuron selection with the help of simplegeometrical and energetical criteria. Besides, the cellular automata were applied to preliminary selection of data that made it possible to create an initial network configuration with the energy closer to its global minimum. The algorithm was tested on 10{sup 4} real three-prong events obtained from the ARES-spectrometer. The results are satisfactory including the noise robustness and good resolution of nearby going tracks. 12 refs.; 10 figs.

Track reconstruction in discrete detectors by neutral networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glazov, A.A.; Kisel', I.V.; Konotopskaya, E.V.; Neskoromnyj, V.N.; Ososkov, G.A.

1992-01-01

On the basis of applying neutral networks to the track recognition problem the investigations are made according to the specific properties of such discrete detectors as multiwire proportional chambers. These investigations result in the modification of the so-called rotor model in a neutral neural network. The energy function of a network in this modification contains only one cost term. This speeds up calculations considerably. The reduction of the energy function is done by the neuron selection with the help of simplegeometrical and energetical criteria. Besides, the cellular automata were applied to preliminary selection of data that made it possible to create an initial network configuration with the energy closer to its global minimum. The algorithm was tested on 10 4 real three-prong events obtained from the ARES-spectrometer. The results are satisfactory including the noise robustness and good resolution of nearby going tracks. 12 refs.; 10 figs

Status of the realization of the neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toigo, Vanni

2015-01-01

The ITER Neutral Beam Injectors (NBI) are required to deliver 16.5 MW of additional heating power to the plasma, accelerating negative ions up to -1 MV with a beam current of 40A lasting up to 1 hour. Since these outstanding requirements were never achieved all together so far, the realization of a Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF), called PRIMA, currently under construction in Padova, was launched with the aim to test the operation of the NB injector and to study the relevant physical and technological issues, in advance to the implementation in ITER. Two projects are under development: MITICA and SPIDER. MITICA is a full scale prototype of the ITER NB injector; the design is based on a similar scheme and layout, with the same power supply system and also the control and protection systems are being designed according to the ITER rules and constraints. The HV components are procured by JADA; the low voltage ones and the injector are procured by F4E. SPIDER project is an ion source with the same characteristics of the ITER one, specifically addressed to study the issues related to the RF operation; for this reason, the beam energy is limited to 100keV. It can generate both Hydrogen and Deuterium Ions; the design includes provisions to filter electrons and also to allow the use of cesium to attain the high values of current density required. SPIDER is procured by F4E and INDA. The construction of PRIMA buildings and auxiliaries, started in autumn 2008, was completed in summer 2015. SPIDER plant systems procurement is well advanced and some systems are under installation or site acceptance tests. In 2016 integrated commissioning and power supply integrated tests will be performed followed by the beginning of the first experimental phase. MITICA design was completed; many procurement contracts have been signed or will be launched in the next months. Installation activity will start in December 2015 with the installation of the first HV power supply components provided

Integrating supervision, control and data acquisition—The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luchetta, A., E-mail: adriano.luchetta@igi.cnr.it; Manduchi, G.; Taliercio, C.; Breda, M.; Capobianco, R.; Molon, F.; Moressa, M.; Simionato, P.; Zampiva, E.

2016-11-15

Highlights: • The paper describes the experience gained in the integration of different systems for the control and data acquisition system of the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility. • It describes the way the different frameworks have been integrated. • It reports some lessons learnt during system integration. • It reports some authors’ considerations about the development the ITER CODAC. - Abstract: The ITER Neutral Beam (NBI) Test Facility, under construction in Padova, Italy consists in the ITER full scale ion source for the heating neutral beam injector, referred to as SPIDER, and the full size prototype injector, referred to as MITICA. The Control and Data Acquisition System (CODAS) for SPIDER has been developed and is going to be in operation in 2016. The system is composed of four main components: Supervision, Slow Control, Fast Control and Data Acquisition. These components interact with each other to carry out the system operation and, since they represent a common pattern in fusion experiments, software frameworks have been used for each (set of) component. In order to reuse as far as possible the architecture developed for SPIDER, it is important to clearly define the boundaries and the interfaces among the system components so that the implementation of any component can be replaced without affecting the overall architecture. This work reports the experience gained in the development of SPIDER components, highlighting the importance in the definition of generic interfaces among component, showing how the specific solutions have been adapted to such interfaces and suggesting possible approaches for the development of other ITER subsystems.

Integrating supervision, control and data acquisition—The ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchetta, A.; Manduchi, G.; Taliercio, C.; Breda, M.; Capobianco, R.; Molon, F.; Moressa, M.; Simionato, P.; Zampiva, E.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The paper describes the experience gained in the integration of different systems for the control and data acquisition system of the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility. • It describes the way the different frameworks have been integrated. • It reports some lessons learnt during system integration. • It reports some authors’ considerations about the development the ITER CODAC. - Abstract: The ITER Neutral Beam (NBI) Test Facility, under construction in Padova, Italy consists in the ITER full scale ion source for the heating neutral beam injector, referred to as SPIDER, and the full size prototype injector, referred to as MITICA. The Control and Data Acquisition System (CODAS) for SPIDER has been developed and is going to be in operation in 2016. The system is composed of four main components: Supervision, Slow Control, Fast Control and Data Acquisition. These components interact with each other to carry out the system operation and, since they represent a common pattern in fusion experiments, software frameworks have been used for each (set of) component. In order to reuse as far as possible the architecture developed for SPIDER, it is important to clearly define the boundaries and the interfaces among the system components so that the implementation of any component can be replaced without affecting the overall architecture. This work reports the experience gained in the development of SPIDER components, highlighting the importance in the definition of generic interfaces among component, showing how the specific solutions have been adapted to such interfaces and suggesting possible approaches for the development of other ITER subsystems.

Report on the engineering test of the LBL 30 second neutral beam source for the MFTF-B project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vella, M.C.; Pincosy, P.A.; Hauck, C.A.; Pyle, R.V.

1984-08-01

Positive ion based neutral beam development in the US has centered on the long pulse, Advanced Positive Ion Source (APIS). APIS eventually focused on development of 30 second sources for MFTF-B. The Engineering Test was part of competitive testing of the LBL and ORNL long pulse sources carried out for the MFTF-B Project. The test consisted of 500 beam shots with 80 kV, 30 second deuterium, and was carried out on the Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility (NBETF). This report summarizes the results of LBL testing, in which the LBL APIS demonstrated that it would meet the requirements for MFTF-B 30 second sources. In part as a result of this test, the LBL design was found to be suitable as the baseline for a Common Long Pulse Source design for MFTF-B, TFTR, and Doublet Upgrade

Neutron measurements from beam-target reactions at the ELISE neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xufei, X.; Fan, T.; Nocente, M.; Gorini, G.; Bonomo, F.; Franzen, P.; Fröschle, M.; Grosso, G.; Tardocchi, M.; Grünauer, F.; Pasqualotto, R.

2014-01-01

Measurements of 2.5 MeV neutron emission from beam-target reactions performed at the ELISE neutral beam test facility are presented in this paper. The measurements are used to study the penetration of a deuterium beam in a copper dump, based on the observation of the time evolution of the neutron counting rate from beam-target reactions with a liquid scintillation detector. A calculation based on a local mixing model of deuterium deposition in the target up to a concentration of 20% at saturation is used to evaluate the expected neutron yield for comparison with data. The results are of relevance to understand neutron emission associated to beam penetration in a solid target, with applications to diagnostic systems for the SPIDER and MITICA Neutral Beam Injection prototypes

Performance test results of ion beam transport for SST-1 neutral beam injector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jana, M R; Mattoo, S K [Institute for Plasma Research Bhat, Gandhinagar-382428, Gujarat (India); Uhlemann, R, E-mail: mukti@ipr.res.i [Forschungszentrum Juelich, Institute fur Energieforschung IEF-4, Plasmaphysik D-52425 Juelich (Germany)

2010-02-01

A neutral beam injector is built at IPR to heat the plasma of SST-1 and its upgrade. It delivers a maximum beam power of 1.7 MW for 55 kV Hydrogen beam or 80 kV Deuterium beam. At lower beam voltage, the delivered power falls to 500 kW at 30 kV Hydrogen beam which is adequate to heat SST-1 plasma ions to {approx} 1 keV. Process of acceleration of ions to the required beam voltage, conversion of ions to neutrals and removal of un-neutralized ions and the beam diagnostic systems occupy a large space. The consequence is that linear extent of the neutral beam injector is at least a few meters. Also, port access provides a very narrow duct. Even a very good injector design and fabrication practices keep beam divergence at a very low but finite value. The result is beam transport becomes an important issue. Since a wide area beam is constructed by hundreds of beam lets, it becomes essential they be focused in such a way that beam transport loss is minimized. Horizontal and vertical focal lengths are two parameters, in addition to beam divergence, which give a description of the beam transport. We have obtained these two parameters for our injector by using beam transport code; making several hundred simulation runs by varying optical parameters of the beam. The selected parameters set has been translated into the engineering features of the extractor grid set of the ion source. Aperture displacement technique is used to secure the horizontal beam focusing at 5.4 m. Combination of both aperture displacement and inclining of two grid halves to {approx} 17 mrad are secured for vertical beam focusing at 7 m from earth grid of the ion source. The gaps between the design, engineered and performance tested values usually arise due to lack of exercising control over fabrication processes or due to inaccuracies in the assumption made in the model calculations of beam optics and beam transport. This has been the case with several injectors, notably with JET injector. To overcome

Toxicity of binary chemical munition destruction products: methylphosphonic acid, methylphosphinic acid, 2-diisopropylaminoethanol, DF neutralent, and QL neutralent.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Rebecca E; Hafez, Ahmed M; Kremsky, Jonathan N; Bizzigotti, George O

2007-01-01

This paper reports the toxicity and environmental impact of neutralents produced from the hydrolysis of binary chemical agent precursor chemicals DF (methylphosphonic difluoride) and QL (2-[bis(1-methylethyl)amino]ethyl ethyl methylphosphonite). Following a literature review of the neutralent mixtures and constituents, basic toxicity tests were conducted to fill data gaps, including acute oral and dermal median lethal dose assays, the Ames mutagenicity test, and ecotoxicity tests. For methylphosphonic acid (MPA), a major constituent of DF neutralent, the acute oral LD(50) in the Sprague-Dawley rat was measured at 1888 mg/kg, and the Ames test using typical tester strains of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli was negative. The 48-h LC(50) values for pH-adjusted DF neutralent with Daphnia magna and Cyprinodon variegatus were > 2500 mg/L and 1593 mg/L, respectively. The acute oral LD(50) values in the rat for QL neutralent constituents methylphosphinic acid (MP) and 2-diisopropylaminoethanol (KB) were both determined to be 940 mg/kg, and the Ames test was negative for both. Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)-compliant ecotoxicity tests for MP and KB gave 48-h D. magna EC(50) values of 6.8 mg/L and 83 mg/L, respectively. GLP-compliant 96-h C. variegatus assays on MP and KB gave LC(50) values of 73 and 252 mg/L, respectively, and NOEC values of 22 and 108 mg/L. QL neutralent LD(50) values for acute oral and dermal toxicity tests were both > 5000 mg/kg, and the 48-h LD(50) values for D. magna and C. variegatus were 249 and 2500 mg/L, respectively. Using these data, the overall toxicity of the neutralents was assessed.

Energy Conservation Tests of a Coupled Kinetic-kinetic Plasma-neutral Transport Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stotler, D. P.; Chang, C. S.; Ku, S. H.; Lang, J.; Park, G.

2012-08-29

A Monte Carlo neutral transport routine, based on DEGAS2, has been coupled to the guiding center ion-electron-neutral neoclassical PIC code XGC0 to provide a realistic treatment of neutral atoms and molecules in the tokamak edge plasma. The DEGAS2 routine allows detailed atomic physics and plasma-material interaction processes to be incorporated into these simulations. The spatial pro le of the neutral particle source used in the DEGAS2 routine is determined from the uxes of XGC0 ions to the material surfaces. The kinetic-kinetic plasma-neutral transport capability is demonstrated with example pedestal fueling simulations.

Neutral buoyancy testing of architectural and environmental concepts of space vehicle design

Science.gov (United States)

Lenda, J. A.; Rosener, A. A.; Stephenson, M. L.

1972-01-01

Design guidelines are presented that are applicable to providing habitability areas and furniture elements for extended periods in a zero gravity environment. This was accomplished by: (1) analyzing the existing habitability crew area requirements, mobility and restraint aids, cross-cultural design, and establishing a man model for zero gravity; (2) designing specific furniture elements, chair and table, and volumes for a stateroom, office, bathroom, galley, and wardroom; and (3) neutral buoyancy testing and evaluation of these areas.

Prevalence and titers of yellow fever virus neutralizing antibodies in previously vaccinated adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyaji, Karina Takesaki; Avelino-Silva, Vivian Iida; Simões, Marisol; Freire, Marcos da Silva; Medeiros, Carlos Roberto de; Braga, Patrícia Emilia; Neves, Maria Angélica Acalá; Lopes, Marta Heloisa; Kallas, Esper Georges; Sartori, Ana Marli Christovam

2017-04-03

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends one single dose of the Yellow Fever (YF) vaccine based on studies of antibody persistency in healthy adults. We assessed the prevalence and titers of YF virus neutralizing antibodies in previously vaccinated persons aged  60 years, in comparison to younger adults. We also evaluated the correlation between antibody titers and the time since vaccination among participants who received one vaccine dose, and the seropositivity among participants vaccinated prior to or within the past 10 years. previously vaccinated healthy persons aged  18 years were included. YF virus neutralizing antibody titers were determined by means of the 50% Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test. 46 persons aged  60 years and 48 persons aged 18 to 59 years were enrolled. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of YF virus neutralizing antibodies between the two groups (p = 0.263). However, titers were significantly lower in the elderly (p = 0.022). There was no correlation between YF virus neutralizing antibody titers and the time since vaccination. There was no significant difference in seropositivity among participants vaccinated prior to or within the past 10 years. the clinical relevance of the observed difference in YF virus neutralizing antibody titers between the two groups is not clear.

Doublet III neutral beam injector test tank cryopanel design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doll, D.W.; Kamperschroer, J.H.; Arend, P.V.

1980-03-01

A simple condensing cryopanel has been designed for the Doublet III neutral beam test tank with a 320,000 liters per second pumping capacity for hydrogen. This maintains a vacuum in the test tank which simulates the Doublet III vessel, 1.3 x 10 -3 Pa (approx.10 -5 torr). The hydrogen gas load comes from the beam striking the test tank calorimeter and amounts to about 7.2 torr liters per second. The cryopanel is cylindrical shaped with a liquid helium (LHe) surface that pumps through liquid nitrogen (LN) cooled aluminum chevrons located in squirrel-cage fashion around the inside surface of the cylinder. The LHe cooled surface is a smooth cylinder 2.09m in diameter by .69m long with LHe flowing in a approx. 1mm annular space between concentric cylinders. The chevrons which are not blackened are cooled from each end with LN flowing in ring manifolds that serve as the primary cryopanel structure. The LHe is force fed at 55.2 kPa remaining in the liquid phase through the panel. External heat exchanger capability permits use of helium at 3.8 to 4.2 0 K. Normal operating flow rate is 1.4 g/sec for a heat load expected to be 12.2 W total

A novel approach in red mud neutralization using cow dung.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Sucharita; Pal, Bhatu Kumar; Patel, Raj Kishore

2018-05-01

In this study, cow dung was identified as a neutralizing agent for red mud (RM). Present research estimated a significant reduction in pH value of red mud (10 g) from 10.28 to 8.15 and reduction in alkalinity of ~148 mg/L from ~488 mg/L by adding 80 g of cow dung in 40 days of anaerobic condition. XRD results exhibit a high intensity of quartz and found new compound, the calcium carbide. The acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of NRM reduces to ~0.87 from ~1.506 mol H + /kg. Based on the resultant research, present study proposes cow dung as an efficient neutralizing agent for reducing the pH and alkalinity in the red mud.

Reduction of Test Anxiety Through Cognitive Restructuring

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfried, Marvin R.; And Others

1978-01-01

On the basis of questionnaire measures of test anxiety, only those in the rational restructuring condition reported a significant decrease in subjective anxiety when placed in an analogue test-taking situation. Participants in the restructuring condition also reported greater generalized anxiety reduction in social-evaluative situations. (Author)

K Basin Sludge Conditioning Process Testing Partitioning of PCBs in Dissolver Solution After Neutralization/Precipitation (Caustic Adjustment)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, A.J.; Thornton, B.M.; Hoppe, E.W.; Mong, G.M.; Silvers, K.L.; Slate, S.O.

1999-01-01

The purpose of the work described in this report was to gain a better understanding of how PCB congeners present in a simulated K Basin sludge dissolver solution will partition upon neutralization and precipitation (i.e., caustic adjustment). In a previous study (Mong et al. 1998),the entire series of sludge conditioning steps (acid dissolution, filtration, and caustic adjustment) were examined during integrated testing. In the work described here, the caustic adjustment step was isolated to examine the fate of PCBs in more detail within this processing step. For this testing, solutions of dissolver simulant (containing no solids) with a known initial concentration of PCB congeners were neutralized with caustic to generate a clarified supernatant and a settled sludge phase. PCBs were quantified in each phase (including the PCBs associated with the test vessel rinsates), and material balance information was collected

HVPTF-The high voltage laboratory for the ITER Neutral Beam test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Lorenzi, A., E-mail: antonio.delorenzi@igi.cnr.it [Consorzio RFX-Associazione EURATOM-ENEA per la Fusione Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova (Italy); Pilan, N.; Lotto, L.; Fincato, M. [Consorzio RFX-Associazione EURATOM-ENEA per la Fusione Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova (Italy); Pesavento, G.; Gobbo, R. [DIE, Universita di Padova, Via Gradenigo 6A, I-35100 Padova (Italy)

2011-10-15

In the MITICA research program for the construction of the ITER Neutral Beam Injector prototype, a Laboratory for the investigation on high voltage holding in vacuum has been set up. This Laboratory - HVPTF: High Voltage Padova Test Facility - is presently capable of experiments up to 300 kV dc, and planned for the upgrade to 800 kV. The specific mission for this ancillary lab is the support to the electrostatic design and construction of the MITICA accelerator and the development and testing of HV components to be installed inside the MITICA accelerator during its operation. The paper describes the structure of the lab, characterized by a high degree of automation and reports the results of the commissioning at 300 kV and the first results of voltage holding between test electrodes.

HVPTF-The high voltage laboratory for the ITER Neutral Beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Lorenzi, A.; Pilan, N.; Lotto, L.; Fincato, M.; Pesavento, G.; Gobbo, R.

2011-01-01

In the MITICA research program for the construction of the ITER Neutral Beam Injector prototype, a Laboratory for the investigation on high voltage holding in vacuum has been set up. This Laboratory - HVPTF: High Voltage Padova Test Facility - is presently capable of experiments up to 300 kV dc, and planned for the upgrade to 800 kV. The specific mission for this ancillary lab is the support to the electrostatic design and construction of the MITICA accelerator and the development and testing of HV components to be installed inside the MITICA accelerator during its operation. The paper describes the structure of the lab, characterized by a high degree of automation and reports the results of the commissioning at 300 kV and the first results of voltage holding between test electrodes.

Comprehensive analysis of sperm DNA fragmentation by five different assays: TUNEL assay, SCSA, SCD test and alkaline and neutral Comet assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribas-Maynou, J; García-Peiró, A; Fernández-Encinas, A; Abad, C; Amengual, M J; Prada, E; Navarro, J; Benet, J

2013-09-01

Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) is becoming an important test to assess male infertility. Several different tests are available, but no consensus has yet been reached as to which tests are most predictive of infertility. Few publications have reported a comprehensive analysis comparing these methods within the same population. The objective of this study was to analyze the differences between the five most common methodologies, to study their correlations and to establish their cut-off values, sensitivity and specificity in predicting male infertility. We found differences in SDF between fertile donors and infertile patients in TUNEL, SCSA, SCD and alkaline Comet assays, but none with the neutral Comet assay. The alkaline COMET assay was the best in predicting male infertility followed by TUNEL, SCD and SCSA, whereas the neutral COMET assay had no predictive power. For our patient population, threshold values for infertility were 20.05% for TUNEL assay, 18.90% for SCSA, 22.75% for the SCD test, 45.37% for alkaline Comet and 34.37% for neutral Comet. This work establishes in a comprehensive study that the all techniques except neutral Comet are useful to distinguish fertile and infertile men. © 2013 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

Phenomenology of neutral current interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, J.J.

1978-01-01

Neutral-current interactions are discussed within a rather general phenomenological framework without commitment to any particular theoretical model. Three points are kept in mind: what various experiments really measure; the performing of complete experiments to determine the neutral-current couplings; and the testing of models in an objective, emotionally uninvolved manner. The following topics are considered: neutrino-electron scattering, hadronic currents and models, neutrino-induced inclusive hadronic reactions, neutrino-induced exclusive hadronic reactions, and neutral-current phenomena without neutrinos. In conclusion, what has actually been learned about neutral-current interactions is summarized. 9 figures, 2 tables

Stress analysis of neutral beam pivot point bellows for tokamak fusion test reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.J.; Benda, B.J.; Tiong, L.W.

1983-01-01

The neutral beam pivot point bellows serves as an airtight flexible linkage between the torus duct and the neutral beam transition duct in Princeton University's Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor. The bellows considered here is basically rectangular in cross section with rounded corners; a unique shape. Its overall external dimensions are about 28 in. (about 711 mm) X about 35 in. (about 889 mm). The bellows is formed from 18 convolutions and is of the nested ripple type. It is about 11 in. (about 43.3 mm) in length, composed of Inconel 718, and each leaf has a thickness of 0.034 in. (.86 mm). The bellows is subjected to a series of design loading conditions -- vacuum, vacuum + 2 psi (.12 MPa), vacuum + stroke (10,000 cycles), vacuum + temperature increase + extension, extension to a stress of 120 ksi (838 MPa), and a series of rotational loading conditions induced in the bellows by alignment of the neutral beam injector. A stress analysis of the bellows was performed by the finite element method -- locations and magnitude of maximum stresses were calculated for all of the design loading conditions to check with allowable values and help guide placement of strain gauges during proof testing. A typical center convolution and end convolution were analyzed. Loading conditions were separated into symmetric and antisymmetric cases about the planes of symmetry of the cross-section. Iterative linear analyses were performed, i.e. compressive loading conditions led to predicted overlap of the leaves from linear analysis and restraints were added to prevent such overlap. This effect was found to be substantial in stress predicition and necessary to be taken into account. A total of eleven loading conditions and seven models were analyzed. The results showed peak stresses to be within allowable limits and the number of allowable cycles to be greater than the design condition

Test facility for the development of 150-keV, multi-megawatt neutral beam systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haughian, W.; Baker, W.R.; Biagi, L.A.; Hopkins, D.B.

1975-11-01

The next generation of CTR experiments, such as the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR), will require neutral-beam injection systems that produce multi-megawatt, 120-keV deuterium-beam pulses of 0.5-second duration. Since present injection systems are operating in the 10- to 40-keV range, an intensive development effort is in progress to meet a 150-keV requirement. The vacuum system and power supplies that make up a test facility to be used in the development of these injectors are described

Non-process instrumentation surveillance and test reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrell, R.; LeDonne, V.; Donat, T.; Thomson, I.; Sarlitto, M.

1993-12-01

Analysis of operating experience, instrument failure modes, and degraded instrument performance has led to a reduction in Technical Specification surveillance and test requirements for nuclear power plant process instrumentation. These changes have resulted in lower plant operations and maintenance (O ampersand M) labor costs. This report explores the possibility of realizing similar savings by reducing requirements for non-process instrumentation. The project team reviewed generic Technical Specifications for the four major US nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) vendors (Westinghouse, General Electric, Combustion Engineering, and Babcock ampersand Wilcox) to identify nonprocess instrumentation for which surveillance/test requirements could be reduced. The team surveyed 10 utilities to identify specific non-process instrumentation at their plants for which requirements could be reduced. The team evaluated utility analytic approaches used to justify changes in surveillance/test requirements for process equipment to determine their applicability to non-process instrumentation. The report presents a prioritized list of non-process instrumentation systems suitable for surveillance/test requirements reduction. The top three systems in the list are vibration monitors, leak detection monitors, and chemistry monitors. In general, most non-process instrumentation governed by Technical Specification requirements are candidates for requirements reduction. If statistical requirements are somewhat relaxed, the analytic approaches previously used to reduce requirements for process instrumentation can be applied to non-process instrumentation. The report identifies as viable the technical approaches developed and successfully used by Southern California Edison, Arizona Public Service, and Boston Edison

Construction of the facility for the testing of the TFTR Neutral Beam Injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haughian, J.; Lou, K.; Roth, D.

1979-11-01

The prototype for the TFTR Neutral Beam Injection System has been assembled at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboraory, and is presently under test. Some of the construction features of the shielding enclosure, the cryogenic supply system, control and computer area, and the auxiliary vacuum and utility supply system are described. In addition, the paper describes the target chamber, its beam dump and cryopanels, and the duct that connects the target chamber to the injector vessel

Neutral-beam current drive in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devoto, R.S.

1986-01-01

The theory of neutral-beam current drive in tokamaks is reviewed. Experiments are discussed where neutral beams have been used to drive current directly and also indirectly through neoclassical effects. Application of the theory to an experimental test reactor is described. It is shown that neutral beams formed from negative ions accelerated to 500 to 700 keV are needed for this device

Neutral-beam current drive in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devoto, R.S.

1987-01-01

The theory of neutral-beam current drive in tokamaks is reviewed. Experiments are discussed where neutral beams have been used to drive current directly and also indirectly through neoclassical effects. Application of the theory to an experimental test reactor is described. It is shown that neutral beams formed from negative ions accelerated to 500-700 keV are needed for this device

Fast control and data acquisition in the neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchetta, A.; Manduchi, G.; Taliercio, C.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The paper describes the fast control and data acquisition in the ITER neutral beam test facility. • The usage of real time control in ion beam generation and extraction is proposed. • Real time management of breakdowns is described. • The implementation of event-driven data acquisition is reported. - Abstract: Fast control and data acquisition are required in the ion source test bed of the ITER neutral beam test facility, referred to as SPIDER. Fast control will drive the operation of the power supply systems with particular reference to special asynchronous events, such as the breakdowns. These are short-circuits among grids or between grids and vessel that can occur repeatedly during beam operation. They are normal events and, as such, they will be managed by the fast control system. Cycle time associated to such fast control is down to hundreds of microseconds. Fast data acquisition is required when breakdowns occur. Event-driven data acquisition is triggered in real time by fast control at the occurrence of each breakdown. Pre- and post-event samples are acquired, allowing capturing information on transient phenomena in a whole time-window centered on the event. Sampling rate of event-driven data acquisition is up to 5 MS/s. Fast data acquisition may also be independent of breakdowns as in the case of the cavity ring-down spectroscopy where data chunks are acquired at 100 MS/s in bursts of 1.5 ms every 100 ms and are processed in real time to produce derived measurements. The paper after the description of the SPIDER fast control and data acquisition application will report the system design based on commercially available hardware and the MARTe and MDSplus software frameworks. The results obtained by running a full prototype of the fast control and data acquisition system are also reported and discussed. They demonstrate that all SPIDER fast control and data acquisition requirements can be met in the prototype solution

Fast control and data acquisition in the neutral beam test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luchetta, A., E-mail: adriano.luchetta@igi.cnr.it; Manduchi, G.; Taliercio, C.

2014-05-15

Highlights: • The paper describes the fast control and data acquisition in the ITER neutral beam test facility. • The usage of real time control in ion beam generation and extraction is proposed. • Real time management of breakdowns is described. • The implementation of event-driven data acquisition is reported. - Abstract: Fast control and data acquisition are required in the ion source test bed of the ITER neutral beam test facility, referred to as SPIDER. Fast control will drive the operation of the power supply systems with particular reference to special asynchronous events, such as the breakdowns. These are short-circuits among grids or between grids and vessel that can occur repeatedly during beam operation. They are normal events and, as such, they will be managed by the fast control system. Cycle time associated to such fast control is down to hundreds of microseconds. Fast data acquisition is required when breakdowns occur. Event-driven data acquisition is triggered in real time by fast control at the occurrence of each breakdown. Pre- and post-event samples are acquired, allowing capturing information on transient phenomena in a whole time-window centered on the event. Sampling rate of event-driven data acquisition is up to 5 MS/s. Fast data acquisition may also be independent of breakdowns as in the case of the cavity ring-down spectroscopy where data chunks are acquired at 100 MS/s in bursts of 1.5 ms every 100 ms and are processed in real time to produce derived measurements. The paper after the description of the SPIDER fast control and data acquisition application will report the system design based on commercially available hardware and the MARTe and MDSplus software frameworks. The results obtained by running a full prototype of the fast control and data acquisition system are also reported and discussed. They demonstrate that all SPIDER fast control and data acquisition requirements can be met in the prototype solution.

Molecules in the cold environment of a supersonic free-jet beam: from spectroscopy of neutral-neutral interactions to a test of Bell's inequality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koperski, J; Fry, E S

2006-01-01

The supersonic free-jet expansion technique has been used in different fields of research in physics, physical chemistry and chemistry to study vibrational and rotational molecular structures in ground and excited electronic energy states as well as in cold chemistry to study chemical reactions in a unique environment. The supersonic beam technique, as a widely used method in laser spectroscopy of molecules, exploits a source of monokinetic, rotationally and vibrationally cold molecules, that are very weakly bound in their ground electronic states (van der Waals molecules). In experiments at Jagiellonian University the supersonic free-jet beam serves as a source of ground-state van der Waals objects in studies of neutral-neutral interactions between group 12 metal (M = Zn, Cd, Hg) and noble gas (NG) atoms. Recently, the method has been applied as a source of entangled 199 Hg atom pairs in order to test Bell's inequality in an experiment at Texas A and M University

Neutralizing antibodies against flaviviruses, Babanki virus, and Rift Valley fever virus in Ugandan bats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kading, Rebekah C; Kityo, Robert M; Mossel, Eric C; Borland, Erin M; Nakayiki, Teddie; Nalikka, Betty; Nyakarahuka, Luke; Ledermann, Jeremy P; Panella, Nicholas A; Gilbert, Amy T; Crabtree, Mary B; Peterhans, Julian Kerbis; Towner, Jonathan S; Amman, Brian R; Sealy, Tara K; Nichol, Stuart T; Powers, Ann M; Lutwama, Julius J; Miller, Barry R

2018-01-01

Introduction: A number of arboviruses have previously been isolated from naturally-infected East African bats, however the role of bats in arbovirus maintenance is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure history of Ugandan bats to a panel of arboviruses. Materials and methods: Insectivorous and fruit bats were captured from multiple locations throughout Uganda during 2009 and 2011-2013. All serum samples were tested for neutralizing antibodies against West Nile virus (WNV), yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue 2 virus (DENV-2), Zika virus (ZIKV), Babanki virus (BBKV), and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Sera from up to 626 bats were screened for antibodies against each virus. Results and Discussion:  Key findings include the presence of neutralizing antibodies against RVFV in 5/52 (9.6%) of little epauletted fruit bats ( Epomophorus labiatus ) captured from Kawuku and 3/54 (5.6%) Egyptian rousette bats from Kasokero cave. Antibodies reactive to flaviviruses were widespread across bat taxa and sampling locations. Conclusion: The data presented demonstrate the widespread exposure of bats in Uganda to arboviruses, and highlight particular virus-bat associations that warrant further investigation.

The neutral beam test facility cryopumping operation: preliminary analysis and design of the cryogenic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gravil, B.; Henry, D.; Cordier, J.J.; Hemsworth, R.; Van Houtte, D.

2004-01-01

The ITER neutral beam heating and current drive system is to be equipped with a cryosorption cryopump made up of 12 panels connected in parallel, refrigerated by 4.5 K 0.4 MPa supercritical helium. The pump is submitted to a non homogeneous flux of H 2 or D 2 molecules, and the absorbed flux varies from 3 Pa.m -3 .s -1 to 35 Pa.m -3 .s -1 . In the frame of the 'ITER first injector and test facility CSU-EFDA task' (TW3-THHN-IITF1), the ITER reference cryo-system and cryo-plant designs have been assessed and compared to optimised designs devoted to the Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF). The 4.5 K cryo-panel, which has a mass of about 1000 kg, must be periodically regenerated up to 90 K and occasionally to 470 K. The cool-down time after regeneration depends strongly on the refrigeration capacity. Fast regeneration and cool-down of the cryo-panels are not considered a priority for the test facility operation, and an analysis of the consequences of a limited cold power refrigerator on the cooling down time has been carried out and will be discussed. This paper presents a preliminary evaluation of the NBTF cryo-plant and the associated process flow diagram. (authors)

Progress in control and data acquisition for the ITER neutral beam test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luchetta, Adriano, E-mail: adriano.luchetta@igi.cnr.it [Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association, Padova (Italy); Manduchi, Gabriele; Taliercio, Cesare; Soppelsa, Anton [Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association, Padova (Italy); Paolucci, Francesco; Sartori, Filippo [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Barbato, Paolo; Capobianco, Roberto; Breda, Mauro; Molon, Federico; Moressa, Modesto; Polato, Sandro; Simionato, Paola; Zampiva, Enrico [Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association, Padova (Italy)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► An ion source experiment, referred to as SPIDER, is under construction in the ITER neutral beam test facility. ► The progress in designing and testing the SPIDER control and data acquisition system is reported. ► An original approach is proposed in using ITER CODAC and non-ITER CODAC technology. -- Abstract: SPIDER, the ion source test bed in the ITER neutral beam test facility, is under construction and its operation is expected to start in 2014. Control and data acquisition for SPIDER are undergoing final design. SPIDER CODAS, as the control and data acquisition system is referred to, is requested to manage 25 plant units, to acquire 1000 analogue signals with sampling rates ranging from a few S/s to 10 MS/s, to acquire images with up to 100 frames per second, to operate with long pulses lasting up to 1 h, and to sustain 200 MB/s data throughput into the data archive with an annual data storage amount of up to 50 TB. SPIDER CODAS software architecture integrates three open-source software frameworks each addressing specific system requirements. Slow control exploits the synergy among EPICS and Siemens S7 programmable controllers. Data handling is by MDSplus a data-centric framework that is geared towards the collection and organization of scientific data. Diagnostics based on imaging drive the design of data throughput and archive size. Fast control is implemented by using MARTe, a data-driven, object-oriented, real-time environment. The paper will describe in detail the progress of the system hardware and software architecture and will show how the software frameworks interact to provide the functions requested by SPIDER CODAS. The paper will focus on how the performance requirements can be met with the described SPIDER CODAS architecture, describing the progress achieved by carrying out prototyping activities.

Progress in control and data acquisition for the ITER neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchetta, Adriano; Manduchi, Gabriele; Taliercio, Cesare; Soppelsa, Anton; Paolucci, Francesco; Sartori, Filippo; Barbato, Paolo; Capobianco, Roberto; Breda, Mauro; Molon, Federico; Moressa, Modesto; Polato, Sandro; Simionato, Paola; Zampiva, Enrico

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► An ion source experiment, referred to as SPIDER, is under construction in the ITER neutral beam test facility. ► The progress in designing and testing the SPIDER control and data acquisition system is reported. ► An original approach is proposed in using ITER CODAC and non-ITER CODAC technology. -- Abstract: SPIDER, the ion source test bed in the ITER neutral beam test facility, is under construction and its operation is expected to start in 2014. Control and data acquisition for SPIDER are undergoing final design. SPIDER CODAS, as the control and data acquisition system is referred to, is requested to manage 25 plant units, to acquire 1000 analogue signals with sampling rates ranging from a few S/s to 10 MS/s, to acquire images with up to 100 frames per second, to operate with long pulses lasting up to 1 h, and to sustain 200 MB/s data throughput into the data archive with an annual data storage amount of up to 50 TB. SPIDER CODAS software architecture integrates three open-source software frameworks each addressing specific system requirements. Slow control exploits the synergy among EPICS and Siemens S7 programmable controllers. Data handling is by MDSplus a data-centric framework that is geared towards the collection and organization of scientific data. Diagnostics based on imaging drive the design of data throughput and archive size. Fast control is implemented by using MARTe, a data-driven, object-oriented, real-time environment. The paper will describe in detail the progress of the system hardware and software architecture and will show how the software frameworks interact to provide the functions requested by SPIDER CODAS. The paper will focus on how the performance requirements can be met with the described SPIDER CODAS architecture, describing the progress achieved by carrying out prototyping activities

Design and test of-80 kV snubber core assemblies for MFTF sustaining-neutral-beam power supplies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, S.R.; Mayhall, D.J.; Wilson, J.H.; De Vore, K.R.; Ross, R.I.; Sears, R.G.

1981-01-01

Core snubbers, located near the neutral beam source ends of the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) Sustaining Neutral Beam Power Supply System (SNBPSS) source cables, protect the neutral beam source extractor grid wires from overheating and sputtering during internal sparkdowns. The snubbers work by producing an induced counter-emf which limits the fault current and by absorbing the capacitive energy stored on the 80 kV source cables and power supplies. A computer program STACAL was used in snubber magnetic design to choose appropriate tape wound cores to provide 400 Ω resistance and 25 J energy absorption. The cores are mounted horizontally in a dielectric structure. The central source cable bundle passes through the snubber and terminates on three copper buses. Multilam receptacles on the buses connect to the source module jumper cables. Corona rings and shields limit electric field stresses to allow close clearances between snubbers

Preservatives and neutralizing substances in milk: analytical sensitivity of official specific and nonspecific tests, microbial inhibition effect, and residue persistence in milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Livia Cavaletti Corrêa da Silva

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Milk fraud has been a recurring problem in Brazil; thus, it is important to know the effect of most frequently used preservatives and neutralizing substances as well as the detection capability of official tests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the analytical sensitivity of legislation-described tests and nonspecific microbial inhibition tests, and to investigate the effect of such substances on microbial growth inhibition and the persistence of detectable residues after 24/48h of refrigeration. Batches of raw milk, free from any contaminant, were divided into aliquots and mixed with different concentrations of formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine, chlorinated alkaline detergent, or sodium hydroxide. The analytical sensitivity of the official tests was 0.005%, 0.003%, and 0.013% for formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and hypochlorite, respectively. Chlorine and chlorinated alkaline detergent were not detected by regulatory tests. In the tests for neutralizing substances, sodium hydroxide could not be detected when acidity was accurately neutralized. The yogurt culture test gave results similar to those obtained by official tests for the detection of specific substances. Concentrations of 0.05% of formaldehyde, 0.003% of hydrogen peroxide and 0.013% of sodium hypochlorite significantly reduced (P

Neutral-beam development plan, FY 1982-1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-09-01

The following chapters are included: (1) status of BNL negative ion source development, (2) source development program plan, (3) status of beam transport and acceleration, (4) accelerator development program plan, (5) neutralizer concepts, (6) neutralization program plan, (7) neutral beam systems, (8) test facilities, (9) program milestones and time schedules, (10) organization and Grumman participation, and (11) funding tables

Determination of area reduction rate by continuous ball indentation test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, Bin; Guan, Kai Shu; Wu, Sheng Bao

2016-01-01

Rate of area reduction is an important mechanical property to appraise the plasticity of metals, which is always obtained from the uniaxial tensile test. A methodology is proposed to determine the area reduction rate by continuous ball indentation test technique. The continuum damage accumulation theory has been adopted in this work to identify the failure point in the indentation. The corresponding indentation depth of this point can be obtained and used to estimate the area reduction rate. The local strain limit criterion proposed in the ASME VIII-2 2007 alternative rules is also adopted in this research to convert the multiaxial strain of indentation test to uniaxial strain of tensile test. The pile-up and sink-in phenomenon which can affect the result significantly is also discussed in this paper. This method can be useful in engineering practice to evaluate the material degradation under severe working condition due to the non-destructive nature of ball indentation test. In order to validate the method, continuous ball indentation test is performed on ferritic steel 16MnR and ASTM (A193B16), then the results are compared with that got from the traditional uniaxial tensile test.

INTERSTELLAR NEUTRAL HELIUM IN THE HELIOSPHERE FROM IBEX OBSERVATIONS. II. THE WARSAW TEST PARTICLE MODEL (WTPM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sokół, J. M.; Kubiak, M. A.; Bzowski, M.; Swaczyna, P., E-mail: jsokol@cbk.waw.pl [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

2015-10-15

We have developed a refined and optimized version of the Warsaw Test Particle Model of interstellar neutral gas in the heliosphere, specially tailored for analysis of IBEX-Lo observations. The former version of the model was used in the analysis of neutral He observed by IBEX that resulted in an unexpected conclusion that the interstellar neutral He flow vector was different than previously thought and that a new population of neutral He, dubbed the Warm Breeze, exists in the heliosphere. It was also used in the reanalysis of Ulysses observations that confirmed the original findings on the flow vector, but suggested a significantly higher temperature. The present version of the model has two strains targeted for different applications, based on an identical paradigm, but differing in the implementation and in the treatment of ionization losses. We present the model in detail and discuss numerous effects related to the measurement process that potentially modify the resulting flux of ISN He observed by IBEX, and identify those of them that should not be omitted in the simulations to avoid biasing the results. This paper is part of a coordinated series of papers presenting the current state of analysis of IBEX-Lo observations of ISN He. Details of the analysis method are presented by Swaczyna et al. and results of the analysis are presented by Bzowski et al.

Nitrogen-neutrality: a step towards sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Leip, Adrian; Leach, Allison; Musinguzi, Patrick; Tumwesigye, Trust; Olupot, Giregon; Tenywa, John Stephen; Mudiope, Joseph; Hutton, Olivia; Cordovil, Claudia M. d. S.; Bekunda, Mateete; Galloway, James

2014-11-01

We propose a novel indicator measuring one dimension of the sustainability of an entity in modern societies: Nitrogen-neutrality. N-neutrality strives to offset Nr releases an entity exerts on the environment from the release of reactive nitrogen (Nr) to the environment by reducing it and by offsetting the Nr releases elsewhere. N-neutrality also aims to increase awareness about the consequences of unintentional releases of nitrogen to the environment. N-neutrality is composed of two quantified elements: Nr released by an entity (e.g. on the basis of the N footprint) and Nr reduction from management and offset projects (N offset). It includes management strategies to reduce nitrogen losses before they occur (e.g., through energy conservation). Each of those elements faces specific challenges with regard to data availability and conceptual development. Impacts of Nr releases to the environment are manifold, and the impact profile of one unit of Nr release depends strongly on the compound released and the local susceptibility to Nr. As such, N-neutrality is more difficult to conceptualize and calculate than C-neutrality. We developed a workable conceptual framework for N-neutrality which was adapted for the 6th International Nitrogen Conference (N2013, Kampala, November 2013). Total N footprint of the surveyed meals at N2013 was 66 kg N. A total of US 3050 was collected from the participants and used to offset the conference’s N footprint by supporting the UN Millennium Village cluster Ruhiira in South-Western Uganda. The concept needs further development in particular to better incorporate the spatio-temporal variability of impacts and to standardize the methods to quantify the required N offset to neutralize the Nr releases impact. Criteria for compensation projects need to be sharply defined to allow the development of a market for N offset certificates.

Nitrogen-neutrality: a step towards sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leip, Adrian; Leach, Allison; Hutton, Olivia; Galloway, James; Musinguzi, Patrick; Tumwesigye, Trust; Olupot, Giregon; Stephen Tenywa, John; Mudiope, Joseph; Cordovil, Claudia M d S; Bekunda, Mateete

2014-01-01

We propose a novel indicator measuring one dimension of the sustainability of an entity in modern societies: Nitrogen-neutrality. N-neutrality strives to offset Nr releases an entity exerts on the environment from the release of reactive nitrogen (Nr) to the environment by reducing it and by offsetting the Nr releases elsewhere. N-neutrality also aims to increase awareness about the consequences of unintentional releases of nitrogen to the environment. N-neutrality is composed of two quantified elements: Nr released by an entity (e.g. on the basis of the N footprint) and Nr reduction from management and offset projects (N offset). It includes management strategies to reduce nitrogen losses before they occur (e.g., through energy conservation). Each of those elements faces specific challenges with regard to data availability and conceptual development. Impacts of Nr releases to the environment are manifold, and the impact profile of one unit of Nr release depends strongly on the compound released and the local susceptibility to Nr. As such, N-neutrality is more difficult to conceptualize and calculate than C-neutrality. We developed a workable conceptual framework for N-neutrality which was adapted for the 6th International Nitrogen Conference (N2013, Kampala, November 2013). Total N footprint of the surveyed meals at N2013 was 66 kg N. A total of US$ 3050 was collected from the participants and used to offset the conference’s N footprint by supporting the UN Millennium Village cluster Ruhiira in South-Western Uganda. The concept needs further development in particular to better incorporate the spatio-temporal variability of impacts and to standardize the methods to quantify the required N offset to neutralize the Nr releases impact. Criteria for compensation projects need to be sharply defined to allow the development of a market for N offset certificates. (paper)

Mixed deuterium-tritium neutral beam injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruby, L.; Lewis, M.S.

1989-01-01

An alternative mixed beam neutral beam injector (MNBI) for fusion reactors is proposed that eliminates the conventional isotope separation system (ISS) in the fuel cycle. The principal advantage of the alternative system is a capital and operating cost savings in the fuel cycle, as the ISS employs cryogenic distillation at liquid-hydrogen temperatures to effect a separation of hydrogen isotopes and to eliminate a buildup of normal hydrogen in the recycled fuel. Possible additional advantages of the alternative method involve an improvement in overall safety and a reduction of the amount of tritium in the fuel cycle. The alternative heating system uses an electromagnetic separation in the MNBI to limit the buildup of normal hydrogen. Calculations indicate that an MNBI can be reasonably optimized in the case of an upgraded injection system for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

SiMa Cells for a Serotype Specific and Sensitive Cell-Based Neutralization Test for Botulinum Toxin A and E.

Science.gov (United States)

Bak, Nicola; Rajagopal, Shalini; Stickings, Paul; Sesardic, Dorothea

2017-07-20

Botulinum toxins (BoNTs), of which there are seven serotypes, are among the most potent neurotoxins, with serotypes A, B and E causing human botulism. Antitoxins form the first line of treatment for botulism, and functional, highly sensitive in vitro methods for toxin neutralization are needed to replace the current in vivo methods used for determination of antitoxin potency. In this preliminary proof of concept study, we report the development of a neutralization test using the neuroblastoma SiMa cell line. The assay is serotype specific for either BoNT/A or BoNT/E, which both cleave unique sequences on SNAP-25 within SiMa cells. The end point is simple immunodetection of cleaved SNAP-25 from cell lysates with antibodies detecting only the newly exposed sequence on SNAP-25. Neutralizing antibodies prevent the toxin-induced cleavage of SNAP-25. The toxin neutralization assay, with an EC50 of ~2 mIU/mL determined with a standardized reference antiserum, is more sensitive than the mouse bioassays. Relevance was demonstrated with commercial and experimental antitoxins targeting different functional domains, and of known in vivo neutralizing activities. This is the first report describing a simple, specific, in vitro cell-based assay for the detection of neutralizing antibodies against BoNT/A and BoNT/E with a sensitivity exceeding that of the mouse bioassay.

Detection of antibodies against H5 and H7 strains in birds: evaluation of influenza pseudovirus particle neutralization tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofie Wallerström

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Avian influenza viruses circulate in bird populations, and it is important to maintain and uphold our knowledge of the viral strains that are currently of interest in this context. Here, we describe the use of hemagglutinin-pseudotype retroviruses based on highly pathogenic influenza viruses for the screening of avian sera for influenza A antibodies. Our aim was also to determine whether the pseudovirus neutralization tests that we assessed were sensitive and simple to use compared to the traditional methods, including hemagglutination inhibition assays and microneutralization tests. Material and methods: H5 and H7 pseudovirus neutralization tests were evaluated by using serum from infected rabbits. Subsequently, the assays were further investigated using a panel of serum samples from avian species. The panel contained samples that were seropositive for five different hemagglutinin subtypes as well as influenza A seronegative samples. Results and discussion: The results suggest that the pseudovirus neutralization test is an alternative to hemagglutination inhibition assays, as we observed comparable titers to those of both standard microneutralizations assays as well as hemagglutinin inhibition assays. When evaluated by a panel of avian sera, the method also showed its capability to recognize antibodies directed toward low-pathogenic H5 and H7. Hence, we conclude that it is possible to use pseudoviruses based on highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses to screen avian sera for antibodies directed against influenza A subtypes H5 and H7.

The design, fabrication and operation of the mechanical systems for the Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, J.A.; Fong, M.; Koehler, G.W.; Low, W.; Purgalis, P.; Wells, R.P.

1983-01-01

The Neutral Beam Engineering Test Facility (NBETF) at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) is a National Test Facility used to develop long pulse Neutral Beam Sources. The Facility will test sources up to 120 keV, 50 A, with 30 s beam-on times with a 10% duty factor. For this application, an actively cooled beam dump is required and one has been constructed capable of dissipating a wide range of power density profiles. The flexibility of the design is achieved by utilizing a standard modular panel design which is incorporated into a moveable support structure comprised of eight separately controllable manipulator assemblies. The thermal hydraulic design of the panels permits the dissipation of 2 kW/cm 2 anywhere on the panel surface. The cooling water requirements of the actively cooled dump system are provided by the closed loop Primary High Pressure Cooling Water System. To minimize the operating costs of continuously running this high power system, a variable speed hydraulic drive is used for the main pump. During beam pulses, the pump rotates at high speed, then cycles to low speed upon completion of the beam shot. A unique neutralizer design has been installed into the NBETF beamline. This is a gun-drilled moveable brazed assembly which provides continuous armoring of the beamline near the source. The unit penetrates the source mounting valve during operation and retracts to permit the valve to close as needed. The beamline also has an inertially cooled duct calorimeter assembly. This assembly is a moveable hinged matrix of copper plates that can be used as a beam stop up to pulse lengths of 50 ms. The beamline is also equipped with many beam scraper plates of differing detail design and dissipation capabilities

Testing of indoor radon reduction techniques in eastern Pennsylvania: An update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henschel, D.B.; Scott, A.G.

1987-01-01

EPA has installed radon reduction measures in 38 houses in the Reading Prong region of eastern Pennsylvania. All were basement houses with hollow block or poured concrete foundation walls. The reduction approaches tested in most houses involved active soil ventilation, including: suction on the footing drain tile system; suction underneath the concrete slabs, using pipes inserted through the slabs from inside the house; and ventilation of the void network inside hollow block foundation walls. Heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) were tested in three houses. The current results confirm that, for the houses tested here, drain tile suction appears consistently able to provide high radon reductions when a complete loop of drain tile exists, often reducing high-radon houses to 4 pCi/l (148 B1/m 3 ) and less. Sub-slab suction (with pipes through the slab) can also provide high reductions if a sufficient number of suction pipes are located properly. Placement of one or more sub-slab suction pipes near each perimeter wall appears in this testing to aid in treating the major soil gas entry routes, although fewer pipes can sometimes give high reductions if conditions are favorable. For effective radon reduction using any active soil ventilation technique, it is important that major wall and slab openings be closed, and that a fan be employed that is capable of developing adequate static pressure

Maintenance schemes for the ITER neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaccaria, P.; Dal Bello, S.; Marcuzzi, D.; Masiello, A.; Coniglio, A.; Antoni, V.; Cordier, J.J.; Hemsworth, R.; Jones, T.; Di Pietro, E.; Mondino, P.L.

2004-01-01

The ITER neutral beam test facility (NBTF) is planned to be built, after the approval of the ITER construction and the choice of the ITER site, with the agreement of the ITER International Team and of the JA and RF participant teams. The key purpose is to progressively increase the performance of the first ITER injector and to demonstrate its reliability at the maximum operation parameters: power delivered to the plasma 16.5 MW, beam energy 1 MeV, accelerated D - ion current 40 A, pulse length 3600 s. Several interventions for possible modifications and for maintenance are expected during the early operation of the ITER injector in order to optimize the beam generation, aiming and steering. The maintenance scheme and the related design solutions are therefore a very important aspect to be considered for the NBTF design. The paper describes consistently the many interrelated aspects of the design, such as the optimisation of the vessel and cryopump geometry, in order to get a better maintenance flexibility, an easier man access and a larger access for diagnostic and monitoring. (authors)

Manufacturing of neutral beam sources at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baird, E.D.; Duffy, T.J.; Harter, G.A.; Holland, E.D.; Kloos, W.A.; Pastrone, J.A.

1979-01-01

Over 50 neutral beam sources (NBS) of the joint Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL)/Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) design have been manufactured, since 1973, in the LLL Neutral Beam Source Facility. These sources have been used to provide start-up and sustaining neutral beams for LLL mirror fusion experiments, including 2XIIB, TMX, and Beta II. Experimental prototype 20-kV and 80-kV NBS have also been designed, built, and tested for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF)

Neutral and plasma shielding model for pellet ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houlberg, W.A.; Milora, S.L.; Attenberger, S.E.

1987-10-01

The neutral gas shielding model for ablation of frozen hydrogenic pellets is extended to include the effects of an initial Maxwelliam distribution of incident electron energies; a cold plasma shield outside the neutral shield and extended along the magnetic field; energetic neutral beam ions and alpha particles; and self-limiting electron ablation in the collisionless plasma limit. Including the full electron distribution increases ablation, but adding the cold ionized shield reduces ablation; the net effect is a modest reduction in pellet penetration compared with the monoenergetic electron neutral shielding model with no plasma shield. Unlike electrons, fast ions can enter the neutral shield directly without passing through the cold ionized shield because their gyro-orbits are typically larger than the diameter of the cold plasma tube. Fast alpha particles should not enhance the ablation rate unless their population exceeds that expected from local classical thermalization. Fast beam ions, however, may enhance ablation in the plasma periphery if their population is high enough. Self-limiting ablation in the collisionless limit leads to a temporary distortion of the original plasma electron Maxwellian distribution function through preferential depopulation of the higher-energy electrons. 23 refs., 9 figs

DISSOLVED OXYGEN REDUCTION IN THE DIII-D NEUTRAL BEAM ION SOURCE COOLING SYSTEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

YIP, H.; BUSATH, J.; HARRISON, S.

2004-03-01

OAK-B135 Neutral beam ion sources (NBIS) are critical components for the neutral beam injection system supporting the DIII-D tokamak. The NBIS must be cooled with 3028 (ell)/m (800 gpm) of de-ionized and de-oxygenated water to protect the sources from overheating and failure. These ions sources are currently irreplaceable. Since the water cooled molybdenum components will oxidize in water almost instantaneously in the presence of dissolved oxygen (DO), de-oxygenation is extremely important in the NBIS water system. Under normal beam operation the DO level is kept below 5 ppb. However, during weeknights and weekends when neutral beam is not in operation, the average DO level is maintained below 10 ppb by periodic circulation with a 74.6 kW (100 hp) pump, which consumes significant power. Experimental data indicated evidence of continuous oxygen diffusion through non-metallic hoses in the proximity of the NBIS. Because of the intermittent flow of the cooling water, the DO concentration at the ion source(s) could be even higher than measured downstream, and hence the concern of significant localized oxidation/corrosion. A new 3.73 kW (5 hp) auxiliary system, installed in the summer of 2003, is designed to significantly reduce the peak and the time-average DO levels in the water system and to consume only a fraction of the power

Oblique non-neutral solitary Alfven modes in weakly nonlinear pair plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verheest, Frank; Lakhina, G S

2005-01-01

The equal charge-to-mass ratio for both species in pair plasmas induces a decoupling of the linear eigenmodes between waves that are charge neutral or non-neutral, also at oblique propagation with respect to a static magnetic field. While the charge-neutral linear modes have been studied in greater detail, including their weakly and strongly nonlinear counterparts, the non-neutral mode has received less attention. Here the nonlinear evolution of a solitary non-neutral mode at oblique propagation is investigated in an electron-positron plasma. Employing the framework of reductive perturbation analysis, a modified Korteweg-de Vries equation (with cubic nonlinearity) for the lowest-order wave magnetic field is obtained. In the linear approximation, the non-neutral mode has its magnetic component orthogonal to the plane spanned by the directions of wave propagation and of the static magnetic field. The linear polarization is not maintained at higher orders. The results may be relevant to the microstructure in pulsar radiation or to the subpulses

Development of KSTAR Neutral Beam Heating System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, B. H.; Song, W. S.; Yoon, B. J. (and others)

2007-10-15

The prototype components of a neutral beam injection (NBI) system have been developed for the KSTAR, and a capability of the manufactured components has been tested. High power ion source, acceleration power supply, other ion source power supplies, neutralizer, bending magnet for ion beam separation, calorimeter, and cryo-sorption pump have been developed by using the domestic technologies and tested for a neutral beam injection of 8 MW per beamline with a pulse duration of 300 seconds. The developed components have been continuously upgraded to achieve the design requirements. The development technology of high power and long pulse neutral beam injection system has been proved with the achievement of 5.2 MW output for a short pulse length and 1.6 MW output for a pulse length of 300 seconds. Using these development technologies, the domestic NB technology has been stabilized under the development of high power ion source, NB beamline components, high voltage and current power supplies, NB diagnostics, NB system operation and control.

Modeling neutralization kinetics of HIV by broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies in genital secretions coating the cervicovaginal mucosa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott A McKinley

Full Text Available Eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAb in cervicovaginal mucus (CVM represents a promising "first line of defense" strategy to reduce vaginal HIV transmission. However, it remains unclear what levels of bnAb must be present in CVM to effectively reduce infection. We approached this complex question by modeling the dynamic tally of bnAb coverage on HIV. This analysis introduces a critical, timescale-dependent competition: to protect, bnAb must accumulate at sufficient stoichiometry to neutralize HIV faster than virions penetrate CVM and reach target cells. We developed a model that incorporates concentrations and diffusivities of HIV and bnAb in semen and CVM, kinetic rates for binding (kon and unbinding (koff of select bnAb, and physiologically relevant thicknesses of CVM and semen layers. Comprehensive model simulations lead to robust conclusions about neutralization kinetics in CVM. First, due to the limited time virions in semen need to penetrate CVM, substantially greater bnAb concentrations than in vitro estimates must be present in CVM to neutralize HIV. Second, the model predicts that bnAb with more rapid kon, almost independent of koff, should offer greater neutralization potency in vivo. These findings suggest the fastest arriving virions at target cells present the greatest likelihood of infection. It also implies the marked improvements in in vitro neutralization potency of many recently discovered bnAb may not translate to comparable reduction in the bnAb dose needed to confer protection against initial vaginal infections. Our modeling framework offers a valuable tool to gaining quantitative insights into the dynamics of mucosal immunity against HIV and other infectious diseases.

Modeling neutralization kinetics of HIV by broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies in genital secretions coating the cervicovaginal mucosa.

Science.gov (United States)

McKinley, Scott A; Chen, Alex; Shi, Feng; Wang, Simi; Mucha, Peter J; Forest, M Gregory; Lai, Samuel K

2014-01-01

Eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAb) in cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) represents a promising "first line of defense" strategy to reduce vaginal HIV transmission. However, it remains unclear what levels of bnAb must be present in CVM to effectively reduce infection. We approached this complex question by modeling the dynamic tally of bnAb coverage on HIV. This analysis introduces a critical, timescale-dependent competition: to protect, bnAb must accumulate at sufficient stoichiometry to neutralize HIV faster than virions penetrate CVM and reach target cells. We developed a model that incorporates concentrations and diffusivities of HIV and bnAb in semen and CVM, kinetic rates for binding (kon) and unbinding (koff) of select bnAb, and physiologically relevant thicknesses of CVM and semen layers. Comprehensive model simulations lead to robust conclusions about neutralization kinetics in CVM. First, due to the limited time virions in semen need to penetrate CVM, substantially greater bnAb concentrations than in vitro estimates must be present in CVM to neutralize HIV. Second, the model predicts that bnAb with more rapid kon, almost independent of koff, should offer greater neutralization potency in vivo. These findings suggest the fastest arriving virions at target cells present the greatest likelihood of infection. It also implies the marked improvements in in vitro neutralization potency of many recently discovered bnAb may not translate to comparable reduction in the bnAb dose needed to confer protection against initial vaginal infections. Our modeling framework offers a valuable tool to gaining quantitative insights into the dynamics of mucosal immunity against HIV and other infectious diseases.

Control and data acquisition of the ITER full-scale ion source for the neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchetta, Adriano; Manduchi, Gabriele; Taliercio, Cesare; Paolucci, Francesco; Sartori, Filippo; Svensson, Lennart; Labate, Carmelo Vincenzo; Breda, Mauro; Capobianco, Roberto; Molon, Federico; Moressa, Modesto; Simionato, Paola; Zampiva, Enrico; Barbato, Paolo; Polato, Sandro

2015-01-01

Highlights: • This paper describes the requirements and architecture of the control and data acquisition system of the ITER full-ion source experiment in the neutral beam test facility. • The system architecture integrates various popular software frameworks. • Slow control is based on the EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) framework. • Fast control is based on the MARTe (Multi-threaded Application Real-Time executor) framework. • Data acquisition is based on the MDSplus framework. - Abstract: The neutral beam test facility, which is under construction in Padova, Italy, is developing the ITER full-scale ion source for the ITER heating neutral beam injectors, referred to as the SPIDER experiment, and the full-size prototype injector, referred to as MITICA. The SPIDER control and data acquisition system (CODAS) has been developed and its construction will start in 2014. Slow control and data acquisition will be based on the ITER CODAC core system software suite that has been designed to facilitate the integration of ITER plant systems with CODAC. Fast control and data acquisition will use solutions specific to the test facility, as the corresponding concepts are not ready-to-use in the ITER design. The ITER hardware catalog for fast control has been taken into consideration. The software development will be based on the integration of MDSplus and MARTe, two framework software packages that are well known in the fusion community, targeting data organization and fast real-time control, respectively. The paper revises the system requirements and the system design and shows the results already achieved in terms of system integration. In addition, the paper will report the experience in the usage of different cooperating software frameworks and in the integration of industrial procured plant systems.

Control and data acquisition of the ITER full-scale ion source for the neutral beam test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luchetta, Adriano, E-mail: adriano.luchetta@igi.cnr.it [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy); Manduchi, Gabriele; Taliercio, Cesare [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy); Paolucci, Francesco; Sartori, Filippo [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Svensson, Lennart [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90046 St. Paul Lez Durance (France); Labate, Carmelo Vincenzo [Association ENEA-CREATE, Department of Engineering, University of Naples “Parthenope” (Italy); Breda, Mauro; Capobianco, Roberto; Molon, Federico; Moressa, Modesto; Simionato, Paola; Zampiva, Enrico; Barbato, Paolo; Polato, Sandro [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • This paper describes the requirements and architecture of the control and data acquisition system of the ITER full-ion source experiment in the neutral beam test facility. • The system architecture integrates various popular software frameworks. • Slow control is based on the EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) framework. • Fast control is based on the MARTe (Multi-threaded Application Real-Time executor) framework. • Data acquisition is based on the MDSplus framework. - Abstract: The neutral beam test facility, which is under construction in Padova, Italy, is developing the ITER full-scale ion source for the ITER heating neutral beam injectors, referred to as the SPIDER experiment, and the full-size prototype injector, referred to as MITICA. The SPIDER control and data acquisition system (CODAS) has been developed and its construction will start in 2014. Slow control and data acquisition will be based on the ITER CODAC core system software suite that has been designed to facilitate the integration of ITER plant systems with CODAC. Fast control and data acquisition will use solutions specific to the test facility, as the corresponding concepts are not ready-to-use in the ITER design. The ITER hardware catalog for fast control has been taken into consideration. The software development will be based on the integration of MDSplus and MARTe, two framework software packages that are well known in the fusion community, targeting data organization and fast real-time control, respectively. The paper revises the system requirements and the system design and shows the results already achieved in terms of system integration. In addition, the paper will report the experience in the usage of different cooperating software frameworks and in the integration of industrial procured plant systems.

Modeling Secondary Neutral Helium in the Heliosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Müller, Hans-Reinhard; Möbius, Eberhard; Wood, Brian E.

2016-01-01

An accurate, analytic heliospheric neutral test-particle code for helium atoms from the interstellar medium (ISM) is coupled to global heliospheric models dominated by hydrogen and protons from the solar wind and the ISM. This coupling enables the forward-calculation of secondary helium neutrals from first principles. Secondaries are produced predominantly in the outer heliosheath, upwind of the heliopause, by charge exchange of helium ions with neutral atoms. The forward model integrates the secondary production terms along neutral trajectories and calculates the combined neutral helium phase space density in the innermost heliosphere where it can be related to in-situ observations. The phase space density of the secondary component is lower than that of primary neutral helium, but its presence can change the analysis of primaries and the ISM, and can yield valuable insight into the characteristics of the plasma in the outer heliosheath. (paper)

Determination of low tetanus or diphtheria antitoxin titers in sera by a toxin neutralization assay and a modified toxin-binding inhibition test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.H. Sonobe

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A method for the screening of tetanus and diphtheria antibodies in serum using anatoxin (inactivated toxin instead of toxin was developed as an alternative to the in vivo toxin neutralization assay based on the toxin-binding inhibition test (TOBI test. In this study, the serum titers (values between 1.0 and 19.5 IU measured by a modified TOBI test (Modi-TOBI test and toxin neutralization assays were correlated (P < 0.0001. Titers of tetanus or diphtheria antibodies were evaluated in serum samples from guinea pigs immunized with tetanus toxoid, diphtheria-tetanus or triple vaccine. For the Modi-TOBI test, after blocking the microtiter plates, standard tetanus or diphtheria antitoxin and different concentrations of guinea pig sera were incubated with the respective anatoxin. Twelve hours later, these samples were transferred to a plate previously coated with tetanus or diphtheria antitoxin to bind the remaining anatoxin. The anatoxin was then detected using a peroxidase-labeled tetanus or diphtheria antitoxin. Serum titers were calculated using a linear regression plot of the results for the corresponding standard antitoxin. For the toxin neutralization assay, L+/10/50 doses of either toxin combined with different concentrations of serum samples were inoculated into mice for anti-tetanus detection, or in guinea pigs for anti-diphtheria detection. Both assays were suitable for determining wide ranges of antitoxin levels. The linear regression plots showed high correlation coefficients for tetanus (r² = 0.95, P < 0.0001 and for diphtheria (r² = 0.93, P < 0.0001 between the in vitro and the in vivo assays. The standardized method is appropriate for evaluating titers of neutralizing antibodies, thus permitting the in vitro control of serum antitoxin levels.

Preliminary experiments on energy recovery on a neutral beam injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fumelli, M.

1977-06-01

Energy recovery tests performed on an injector of energetic neutral atoms in which the ion source is operated at the ground potential and the neutralizer is biased at the high energy potential corresponding to the desired neutral beam energy, are presented. The operation of the suppressor grid is studied in two different experiments. These tests underline the problems to be solved for an efficient recovery of the energy of the unneutralized beam fraction

Canine distemper virus neutralization activity is low in human serum and it is sensitive to an amino acid substitution in the hemagglutinin protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xinsheng; Wallace, Olivia L; Domi, Arban; Wright, Kevin J; Driscoll, Jonathan; Anzala, Omu; Sanders, Eduard J; Kamali, Anatoli; Karita, Etienne; Allen, Susan; Fast, Pat; Gilmour, Jill; Price, Matt A; Parks, Christopher L

2015-08-01

Serum was analyzed from 146 healthy adult volunteers in eastern Africa to evaluate measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb) prevalence and potency. MV plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) results indicated that all sera were positive for MV nAbs. Furthermore, the 50% neutralizing dose (ND50) for the majority of sera corresponded to antibody titers induced by MV vaccination. CDV nAbs titers were low and generally were detected in sera with high MV nAb titers. A mutant CDV was generated that was less sensitive to neutralization by human serum. The mutant virus genome had 10 nucleotide substitutions, which coded for single amino acid substitutions in the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin (H) glycoproteins and two substitutions in the large polymerase (L) protein. The H substitution occurred in a conserved region involved in receptor interactions among morbilliviruses, implying that this region is a target for cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cellular impedance measurement as a new tool for poxvirus titration, antibody neutralization testing and evaluation of antiviral substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witkowski, Peter T.; Schuenadel, Livia; Wiethaus, Julia; Bourquain, Daniel R.; Kurth, Andreas; Nitsche, Andreas

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Real-time data acquisition by RT-CES requires low operative effort. → Time to result is reduced by using RT-CES instead of conventional methods. → RT-CES enables quantification of virus titers in unknown samples. → RT-CES is a useful tool for high-throughput characterization of antiviral agents. → An RT-CES-based virus neutralization test was established. -- Abstract: Impedance-based biosensing known as real-time cell electronic sensing (RT-CES) belongs to an emerging technology for analyzing the status of cells in vitro. In the present study protocols were developed for an RT-CES-based system (xCELLigence TM , Roche Applied Science, ACEA Biosciences Inc.) to supplement conventional techniques in pox virology. First, proliferation of cells susceptible to orthopoxviruses was monitored. For virus titration cells were infected with vaccinia virus and cell status, represented by the dimensionless impedance-based cell index (CI), was monitored. A virus-dose dependent decrease in electrical impedance could be shown. Calculation of calibration curves at a suitable CI covering a dynamic range of 4 log enabled the quantification of virus titers in unknown samples. Similarly, antiviral effects could be determined as shown for anti-poxviral agents ST-246 and Cidofovir. Published values for the in vitro concentration that inhibited virus replication by 50% (IC 50 ) could be confirmed while cytotoxicity in effective concentrations was excluded in long-term incubation experiments. Finally, an RT-CES-based virus neutralization test was established. Various poxvirus-specific antibodies were examined for their neutralizing activity and a calculation mode for the neutralizing antibody titer was introduced. In summary, the presented RT-CES-based methods outmatch end-point assays by observing the cell population throughout the entire experiment while workload and time to result are reduced.

Reduction of ion thermal diffusivity associated with the transition of the radial electric field in neutral-beam-heated plasmas in the large helical device.

Science.gov (United States)

Ida, K; Funaba, H; Kado, S; Narihara, K; Tanaka, K; Takeiri, Y; Nakamura, Y; Ohyabu, N; Yamazaki, K; Yokoyama, M; Murakami, S; Ashikawa, N; deVries, P C; Emoto, M; Goto, M; Idei, H; Ikeda, K; Inagaki, S; Inoue, N; Isobe, M; Itoh, K; Kaneko, O; Kawahata, K; Khlopenkov, K; Komori, A; Kubo, S; Kumazawa, R; Liang, Y; Masuzaki, S; Minami, T; Miyazawa, J; Morisaki, T; Morita, S; Mutoh, T; Muto, S; Nagayama, Y; Nakanishi, H; Nishimura, K; Noda, N; Notake, T; Kobuchi, T; Ohdachi, S; Ohkubo, K; Oka, Y; Osakabe, M; Ozaki, T; Pavlichenko, R O; Peterson, B J; Sagara, A; Saito, K; Sakakibara, S; Sakamoto, R; Sanuki, H; Sasao, H; Sasao, M; Sato, K; Sato, M; Seki, T; Shimozuma, T; Shoji, M; Suzuki, H; Sudo, S; Tamura, N; Toi, K; Tokuzawa, T; Torii, Y; Tsumori, K; Yamamoto, T; Yamada, H; Yamada, I; Yamaguchi, S; Yamamoto, S; Yoshimura, Y; Watanabe, K Y; Watari, T; Hamada, Y; Motojima, O; Fujiwara, M

2001-06-04

Recent large helical device experiments revealed that the transition from ion root to electron root occurred for the first time in neutral-beam-heated discharges, where no nonthermal electrons exist. The measured values of the radial electric field were found to be in qualitative agreement with those estimated by neoclassical theory. A clear reduction of ion thermal diffusivity was observed after the mode transition from ion root to electron root as predicted by neoclassical theory when the neoclassical ion loss is more dominant than the anomalous ion loss.

Progress in the realization of the PRIMA neutral beam test facility

Science.gov (United States)

Toigo, V.; Boilson, D.; Bonicelli, T.; Piovan, R.; Hanada, M.; Chakraborty, A.; Agarici, G.; Antoni, V.; Baruah, U.; Bigi, M.; Chitarin, G.; Dal Bello, S.; Decamps, H.; Graceffa, J.; Kashiwagi, M.; Hemsworth, R.; Luchetta, A.; Marcuzzi, D.; Masiello, A.; Paolucci, F.; Pasqualotto, R.; Patel, H.; Pomaro, N.; Rotti, C.; Serianni, G.; Simon, M.; Singh, M.; Singh, N. P.; Svensson, L.; Tobari, H.; Watanabe, K.; Zaccaria, P.; Agostinetti, P.; Agostini, M.; Andreani, R.; Aprile, D.; Bandyopadhyay, M.; Barbisan, M.; Battistella, M.; Bettini, P.; Blatchford, P.; Boldrin, M.; Bonomo, F.; Bragulat, E.; Brombin, M.; Cavenago, M.; Chuilon, B.; Coniglio, A.; Croci, G.; Dalla Palma, M.; D'Arienzo, M.; Dave, R.; De Esch, H. P. L.; De Lorenzi, A.; De Muri, M.; Delogu, R.; Dhola, H.; Fantz, U.; Fellin, F.; Fellin, L.; Ferro, A.; Fiorentin, A.; Fonnesu, N.; Franzen, P.; Fröschle, M.; Gaio, E.; Gambetta, G.; Gomez, G.; Gnesotto, F.; Gorini, G.; Grando, L.; Gupta, V.; Gutierrez, D.; Hanke, S.; Hardie, C.; Heinemann, B.; Kojima, A.; Kraus, W.; Maeshima, T.; Maistrello, A.; Manduchi, G.; Marconato, N.; Mico, G.; Moreno, J. F.; Moresco, M.; Muraro, A.; Muvvala, V.; Nocentini, R.; Ocello, E.; Ochoa, S.; Parmar, D.; Patel, A.; Pavei, M.; Peruzzo, S.; Pilan, N.; Pilard, V.; Recchia, M.; Riedl, R.; Rizzolo, A.; Roopesh, G.; Rostagni, G.; Sandri, S.; Sartori, E.; Sonato, P.; Sottocornola, A.; Spagnolo, S.; Spolaore, M.; Taliercio, C.; Tardocchi, M.; Thakkar, A.; Umeda, N.; Valente, M.; Veltri, P.; Yadav, A.; Yamanaka, H.; Zamengo, A.; Zaniol, B.; Zanotto, L.; Zaupa, M.

2015-08-01

The ITER project requires additional heating by two neutral beam injectors, each accelerating to 1 MV a 40 A beam of negative deuterium ions, to deliver to the plasma a power of about 17 MW for one hour. As these requirements have never been experimentally met, it was recognized as necessary to setup a test facility, PRIMA (Padova Research on ITER Megavolt Accelerator), in Italy, including a full-size negative ion source, SPIDER, and a prototype of the whole ITER injector, MITICA, aiming to develop the heating injectors to be installed in ITER. This realization is made with the main contribution of the European Union, through the Joint Undertaking for ITER (F4E), the ITER Organization and Consorzio RFX which hosts the Test Facility. The Japanese and the Indian ITER Domestic Agencies (JADA and INDA) participate in the PRIMA enterprise; European laboratories, such as IPP-Garching, KIT-Karlsruhe, CCFE-Culham, CEA-Cadarache and others are also cooperating. Presently, the assembly of SPIDER is on-going and the MITICA design is being completed. The paper gives a general overview of the test facility and of the status of development of the MITICA and SPIDER main components at this important stage of the overall development; then it focuses on the latest and most critical issues, regarding both physics and technology, describing the identified solutions.

Negative Charge Neutralization in the Loops and Turns of Outer Membrane Phospholipase A Impacts Folding Hysteresis at Neutral pH.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Sarah K; Fleming, Karen G

2016-11-08

Hysteresis in equilibrium protein folding titrations is an experimental barrier that must be overcome to extract meaningful thermodynamic quantities. Traditional approaches to solving this problem involve testing a spectrum of solution conditions to find ones that achieve path independence. Through this procedure, a specific pH of 3.8 was required to achieve path independence for the water-to-bilayer equilibrium folding of outer membrane protein OmpLA. We hypothesized that the neutralization of negatively charged side chains (Asp and Glu) at pH 3.8 could be the physical basis for path-independent folding at this pH. To test this idea, we engineered variants of OmpLA with Asp → Asn and Glu → Gln mutations to neutralize the negative charges within various regions of the protein and tested for reversible folding at neutral pH. Although not fully resolved, our results show that these mutations in the periplasmic turns and extracellular loops are responsible for 60% of the hysteresis in wild-type folding. Overall, our study suggests that negative charges impact the folding hysteresis in outer membrane proteins and their neutralization may aid in protein engineering applications.

DnaSAM: Software to perform neutrality testing for large datasets with complex null models.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckert, Andrew J; Liechty, John D; Tearse, Brandon R; Pande, Barnaly; Neale, David B

2010-05-01

Patterns of DNA sequence polymorphisms can be used to understand the processes of demography and adaptation within natural populations. High-throughput generation of DNA sequence data has historically been the bottleneck with respect to data processing and experimental inference. Advances in marker technologies have largely solved this problem. Currently, the limiting step is computational, with most molecular population genetic software allowing a gene-by-gene analysis through a graphical user interface. An easy-to-use analysis program that allows both high-throughput processing of multiple sequence alignments along with the flexibility to simulate data under complex demographic scenarios is currently lacking. We introduce a new program, named DnaSAM, which allows high-throughput estimation of DNA sequence diversity and neutrality statistics from experimental data along with the ability to test those statistics via Monte Carlo coalescent simulations. These simulations are conducted using the ms program, which is able to incorporate several genetic parameters (e.g. recombination) and demographic scenarios (e.g. population bottlenecks). The output is a set of diversity and neutrality statistics with associated probability values under a user-specified null model that are stored in easy to manipulate text file. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Neutral evolution and turnover over centuries of English word popularity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruck, D.; Bentley, R.A.; Acerbi, A.; Garnett, P.; Hruschka, D.J.

2017-01-01

Here we test Neutral models against the evolution of English word frequency and vocabulary at the population scale, as recorded in annual word frequencies from three centuries of English language books. Against these data, we test both static and dynamic predictions of two neutral models, including

''Econodump'' design for the Fermilab Direct Neutral Lepton Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childress, S.; Brown, C.; Koizumi, G.; Malensek, A.; Morfin, J.G.; Murphy, T.; Stefanski, R.; Wehman, A.; Lu, B.

1986-08-01

An extensive effort has been directed toward a major redesign of the Fermilab Direct Neutral Lepton Facility (DNLF). The goal has been a very significant cost reduction of the facility, with minimal sacrifice of physics potential. Hence the name ''Econodump'' applied to the redesign effort

Initiatives towards Carbon Neutrality in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karna Dahal

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Carbon neutrality represents one climate strategy adopted by many cities, including the city of Helsinki and the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland. This study examines initiatives adopted by the Helsinki metropolitan area aimed at reducing energy-related carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality through future actions. Various sectorial energy consumption rates per year and carbon emissions from various sectors within the city of Helsinki and the metropolitan area were extracted from an online database and re-calculated (in GWh, MWh/inhabitant and MtCO2e, KtCO2e/inhabitant. We employed a backcasting scenario method to explore the various carbon reduction measures in the Helsinki metropolitan area. About 96% of the emissions produced in the Helsinki metropolitan area are energy-based. District heating represents the primary source of emissions, followed by transportation and electricity consumption, respectively. We also found that accomplishing the carbon reduction strategies of the Helsinki metropolitan area by 2050 remains challenging. Technological advancement for clean and renewable energy sources, smart policies and raising awareness resulting in behavioral changes greatly affect carbon reduction actions. Thus, strong political commitments are also required to formulate and implement stringent climate actions.

Immunogenicity test of tetanus component in adsorbed vaccines by toxin binding inhibition test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Cristina Souza Matos

2002-09-01

Full Text Available Samples from 20 lots of diphtheria-tetanus (adult use dT vaccine and from 20 lots of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP vaccine were used to standardize and validate the in vitro toxin binding inhibition (ToBI test for the immunogenicity test of the tetanus component. The levels of tetanus antitoxin obtained by ToBI test were compared to those obtained using the toxin neutralization (TN test in mice routinely employed to perform the quality control of the tetanus component in adsorbed vaccines. The results ranged from 1.8 to 3.5 IU/ml for dT and 2 to 4 IU/ml for DTP by ToBI test and 1.4 to 3 IU/ml for dT and 1.8 to 3.5 IU/ml for DTP by TN in mice. These results were significantly correlated. From this study, it is concluded that the ToBI test is an alternative to the in vivo neutralization procedure in the immunogenicity test of the tetanus component in adsorbed vaccines. A substantial refinement and a reduction in use of animals can be achieved.

3He neutral current detectors at SNO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, S.R.; Browne, M.C.; Doe, P.J.

1998-01-01

The flux of solar neutrinos measured via charged and neutral current interactions can provide a model independent test of neutrino oscillations. Since the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory uses heavy water as a target, it has a large sensitivity to both interactions. A technique for observing the neutral current breakup of the deuteron using 3 He proportional counters is described

Screening the performance of lubricants for ironing of stainless steel with a strip reduction test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Jan Lasson; Bay, Niels; Andersen, Mette Merete

1997-01-01

A laboratory strip reduction test simulating the tribological conditions of an ironing process is proposed. The test is capable of simulating varying process conditions such as reduction, drawing speed, tool temperature and sliding length. The test makes it possible to quantify the onset of break...... of breakdown of the lubricant film and subsequent galling. Experimental investigations of stainless steel show the influence of varying process conditions and the performance of different lubricants.......A laboratory strip reduction test simulating the tribological conditions of an ironing process is proposed. The test is capable of simulating varying process conditions such as reduction, drawing speed, tool temperature and sliding length. The test makes it possible to quantify the onset...

Neutralizing antibodies against two HIV-1 strains in consecutively collected serum samples: cross neutralization and association to HIV-1 related disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arendrup, M; Nielsen, C M; Hansen, J E

1992-01-01

97 sera collected during a 10-year period from 10 HIV-1 infected individuals were tested for neutralizing capacity against a virus isolate FICPH-22 obtained from a Danish AIDS patient, and the laboratory strain HTLV-IIIB. Three patterns of serum neutralizing activity were demonstrated: (a) patients...... developing high neutralizing activity against both HIV strains; (b) patients developing high neutralizing activity against the Danish virus isolate; and (c) patients developing only low titers of neutralizing antibodies (NA) against both HIV strains. The HTLV-IIIB strain was less sensitive to serum...... neutralization than the FICPH-22 isolate and the appearance of NA against HTLV-IIIB was typically lacking several years behind that against FICPH-22 indicating a broadening of the NA response over time. No difference in clinical outcome was observed comparing patients reaching high titers of NA and patients...

Rare decays of neutral π and eta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poutissou, J.M.

1983-09-01

The decays of the pseudoscalar neutral mesons π degree and eta degree have provided a test of fundamental principles. The main branch, π degree → 2γ, was investigated in the late 60's in the context of current algebra and the decay rate calculated from the singular triangle diagram is in excellent agreement with experiment. Rare leptonic decays of the neutral pseudoscalar mesons are of interest because of the information they reveal about neutral currents or other exotic interactions between leptons and quarks. The author discusses recent information on the π degree → e + e - decay

Blade-Mounted Flap Control for BVI Noise Reduction Proof-of-Concept Test

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Seth; Hassan, Ahmed; Straub, Friedrich; Tadghighi, Hormoz

1995-01-01

This report describes a wind tunnel test of the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems (MDHS) Active Flap Model Rotor at the NASA Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. The test demonstrated that BVI noise reductions and vibration reductions were possible with the use of an active flap. Aerodynamic results supported the acoustic data trends, showing a reduction in the strength of the tip vortex with the deflection of the flap. Acoustic results showed that the flap deployment, depending on the peak deflection angle and azimuthal shift in its deployment schedule, can produce BVI noise reductions as much as 6 dB on the advancing and retreating sides. The noise reduction was accompanied by an increase in low frequency harmonic noise and high frequency broadband noise. A brief assessment of the effect of the flap on vibration showed that significant reductions were possible. The greatest vibration reductions (as much as 76%) were found in the four per rev pitching moment at the hub. Performance improvement cam results were inconclusive, as the improvements were predicted to be smaller than the resolution of the rotor balance.

Quantification of Lyssavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies Using Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Pseudotype Particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Moeschler, Sarah; Locher, Samira; Conzelmann, Karl-Klaus; Krämer, Beate; Zimmer, Gert

2016-09-16

Rabies is a highly fatal zoonotic disease which is primarily caused by rabies virus (RABV) although other members of the genus Lyssavirus can cause rabies as well. As yet, 14 serologically and genetically diverse lyssaviruses have been identified, mostly in bats. To assess the quality of rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin preparations, virus neutralization tests with live RABV are performed in accordance with enhanced biosafety standards. In the present work, a novel neutralization test is presented which takes advantage of a modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) from which the glycoprotein G gene has been deleted and replaced by reporter genes. This single-cycle virus was trans-complemented with RABV envelope glycoprotein. Neutralization of this pseudotype virus with RABV reference serum or immune sera from vaccinated mice showed a strong correlation with the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). Importantly, pseudotype viruses containing the envelope glycoproteins of other lyssaviruses were neutralized by reference serum to a significantly lesser extent or were not neutralized at all. Taken together, a pseudotype virus system has been successfully developed which allows the safe, fast, and sensitive detection of neutralizing antibodies directed against different lyssaviruses.

Quantification of Lyssavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies Using Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Pseudotype Particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Moeschler

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Rabies is a highly fatal zoonotic disease which is primarily caused by rabies virus (RABV although other members of the genus Lyssavirus can cause rabies as well. As yet, 14 serologically and genetically diverse lyssaviruses have been identified, mostly in bats. To assess the quality of rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin preparations, virus neutralization tests with live RABV are performed in accordance with enhanced biosafety standards. In the present work, a novel neutralization test is presented which takes advantage of a modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV from which the glycoprotein G gene has been deleted and replaced by reporter genes. This single-cycle virus was trans-complemented with RABV envelope glycoprotein. Neutralization of this pseudotype virus with RABV reference serum or immune sera from vaccinated mice showed a strong correlation with the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT. Importantly, pseudotype viruses containing the envelope glycoproteins of other lyssaviruses were neutralized by reference serum to a significantly lesser extent or were not neutralized at all. Taken together, a pseudotype virus system has been successfully developed which allows the safe, fast, and sensitive detection of neutralizing antibodies directed against different lyssaviruses.

A Rapid Zika Diagnostic Assay to Measure Neutralizing Antibodies in Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Shan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The potential association of microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities with Zika virus (ZIKV infection during pregnancy underlines the critical need for a rapid and accurate diagnosis. Due to the short duration of ZIKV viremia in infected patients, a serologic assay that detects antibody responses to viral infection plays an essential role in diagnosing patient specimens. The current serologic diagnosis of ZIKV infection relies heavily on the labor-intensive Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT that requires more than one-week turnaround time and represents a major bottleneck for patient diagnosis. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a high-throughput assay for ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV diagnosis that can attain the “gold standard” of the current PRNT assay. The new assay is homogeneous and utilizes luciferase viruses to quantify the neutralizing antibody titers in a 96-well format. Using 91 human specimens, we showed that the reporter diagnostic assay has a higher dynamic range and maintains the relative specificity of the traditional PRNT assay. Besides the improvement of assay throughput, the reporter virus technology has also shortened the turnaround time to less than two days. Collectively, our results suggest that, along with the viral RT-PCR assay, the reporter virus-based serologic assay could be potentially used as the first-line test for clinical diagnosis of ZIKV infection as well as for vaccine clinical trials.

HIV testing is associated with increased knowledge and reductions ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HIV testing is associated with increased knowledge and reductions in sexual risk behaviours among men in Cape Town, South Africa. Lori AJ Scott-Sheldon, Michael P Carey, Kate B Carey, Demetria Cain, Leickness C Simbayi, Vuyelwa Mehlomakhulu, Seth C Kalichman ...

Continuous Strip Reduction Test Simulating Tribological Conditions in Ironing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Üstünyagiz, Esmeray; Nielsen, Chris Valentin; Christiansen, Peter

2017-01-01

materials, surface roughnesses, normal pressure, sliding length, sliding speed, interface temperature and lubrication. This paper proposes a new Strip Reduction Test (SRT) for industrial ironing processes that is capable of replicating the highly severe tribological conditions that are experienced during...

Tests of CPT invariance for neutral flavored meson-antimeson mixing

CERN Document Server

Dass, G V

2002-01-01

We focus on two aspects of CPT invariance in neutral meson-antimeson (M sup 0 anti M sup 0) mixing: (1) tests of CPT invariance, using only the property of ''lack of vacuum regeneration'', which occurs as a part of the well-known Lee-Oehme-Yang (LOY) theory; (2) methods for extracting the CPT-violating mixing parameter theta through explicit calculations by fully using the LOY-type theory. In the latter context, we demonstrate the importance of the C-even vertical stroke M sup 0 anti M sup 0 right angle state. In particular, by measuring the time dependence of opposite-sign dilepton events arising from decays of the C-even and C-odd vertical stroke M sup 0 anti M sup 0 right angle states, theta may be disentangled from the parameters lambda sub + and anti lambda sub - characterizing violations of the DELTA F = DELTA Q rule. Furthermore, these two parameters may also be determined. The same is true if one uses like-sign dilepton events arising from only the C-even vertical stroke M sup 0 anti M sup 0 right ang...

Neutralization of positive particle beams by electron trapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mobley, R.M.; Irani, A.A.; LeMaire, J.L.; Maschke, A.W.

1977-01-01

Initial results are presented of a planned series of experimental tests of positive ion beam neutralization, involving transverse space charge studies of a 720 keV 60mA H + beam in a drift region of 4.6 meters. Two conclusions drawn from the data are: (1) the change in transmission observed is consistent with complete neutralization in the drift pipe for grounded or negative electrodes, and with complete de-neutralization in the case of greater than +240 V electrodes; and (2) background gas ionization cannot be the main source of electrons

Composite Material Testing Data Reduction to Adjust for the Systematic 6-DOF Testing Machine Aberrations

Science.gov (United States)

Athanasios lliopoulos; John G. Michopoulos; John G. C. Hermanson

2012-01-01

This paper describes a data reduction methodology for eliminating the systematic aberrations introduced by the unwanted behavior of a multiaxial testing machine, into the massive amounts of experimental data collected from testing of composite material coupons. The machine in reference is a custom made 6-DoF system called NRL66.3 and developed at the NAval...

An experimental test of CPT conservation in decays of neutral kaons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grazer, G.L.

1988-01-01

We have measured the phase difference Δphi between the complex parameters eta 00 and eta/sub +-/, which describe CP violation in the decays of neutral kaons to neutral and charged pion final states. Three phases are observable in the interference effects which come about from a superposition of short- and long-lived kaons. A non-zero value of Δphi, suggested by a 1979 measurement made by a group at New York University, would imply CPT violation. In a recent experiment at Fermilab, we created K/sub L/-K/sub S/ interference by sending a pure K/sub L/ beam though a regenerator, producing a beam which contained a superposition of both K/sub S/ and K/sub L/. We collected over 14,000 decays of these kaons to π 0 π 0 and about 110,000 to π + π - . The shapes of the proper time spectra for these decays depend on the phases of eta 00 for decays to neutral pions and eta/sub +-/ for decays to charged pions. By comparing these spectra with corresponding distributions obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation, we find that the phase difference phi 00 - phi/sub +-/ = - 0.2 0 +- 9.8 0 (statistics) +- 5.8 0 (systematic). We therefore see no evidence for CPT violation, although within the uncetainty our result is compatible with the NYU measurement. 19 refs., 69 figs., 10 tabs

Field testing of prototype systems for the non-destructive measurement of the neutral temperature of railroad tracks

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Robert; Lanza di Scalea, Francesco; Nucera, Claudio; Fateh, Mahmood; Choros, John

2014-03-01

In both high speed and freight rail systems, the modern construction method is Continuous Welded Rail (CWR). The purpose of the CWR method is to eliminate joints in order to reduce the maintenance costs for both the rails and the rolling stock. However the elimination of the joints increases the risk of rail breakage in cold weather and buckling in hot weather. In order to predict the temperature at which the rail will break or buckle, it is critical to have knowledge of the temperature at which the rail is stress free, namely, the Rail Neutral Temperature (Rail-NT).The University of California at San Diego has developed an innovative technique based on non-linear ultrasonic guided waves, under FRA research and development grants for the non-destructive measurement of the neutral temperature of railroad tracks. Through the licensing of this technology from the UCSD and under the sponsorship of the FRA Office of Research and Development, a field deployable prototype system has been developed and recently field tested at cooperating railroad properties. Three prototype systems have been deployed to the Union Pacific (UP), Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), and AMTRAK railroads for field testing and related data acquisition for a comprehensive evaluation of the system, with respect to both performance and economy of operation. The results from these tests have been very encouraging. Based on the lessons learned from these field tests and the feedback from the railroads, it is planned develop a compact 2nd generation Rail-NT system to foster deployment and furtherance of FRA R&D grant purpose of potential contribution to the agency mission of US railroad safety. In this paper, the results of the field tests with the railroads in summer of 2013 are reported.

Validation of a serum neutralization test for detection of antibodies specific to cyprinid herpesvirus 3 in infected common and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Science.gov (United States)

Cabon, J; Louboutin, L; Castric, J; Bergmann, S; Bovo, G; Matras, M; Haenen, O; Olesen, N J; Morin, T

2017-05-01

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is the aetiological agent of a serious infective, notifiable disease affecting common carp and varieties. In survivors, infection is generally characterized by a subclinical latency phase with restricted viral replication. The CyHV-3 genome is difficult to detect in such carrier fish that represent a potential source of dissemination if viral reactivation occurs. In this study, the analytical and diagnostic performance of an alternative serum neutralization (SN) method based on the detection of CyHV-3-specific antibodies was assessed using 151 serum or plasma samples from healthy and naturally or experimentally CyHV-3-infected carp. French CyHV-3 isolate 07/108b was neutralized efficiently by sera from carp infected with European, American and Taiwanese CyHV-3 isolates, but no neutralization was observed using sera specific to other aquatic herpesviruses. Diagnostic sensitivity, diagnostic specificity and repeatability of 95.9%, 99.0% and 99.3%, respectively, were obtained, as well as a compliance rate of 89.9% in reproducibility testing. Neutralizing antibodies were steadily detected in infected carp subjected to restrictive or permissive temperature variations over more than 25 months post-infection. The results suggest that this non-lethal diagnostic test could be used in the future to improve the epidemiological surveillance and control of CyHV-3 disease. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Simulation of IST Turbomachinery Power-Neutral Tests with the ANL Plant Dynamics Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moisseytsev, A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sienicki, J. J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2016-12-13

The validation of the Plant Dynamics Code (PDC) developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) for the steady-state and transient analysis of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) systems has been continued with new test data from the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (operated by Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation) Integrated System Test (IST). Although data from three runs were provided to ANL, only two of the data sets were analyzed and described in this report. The common feature of these tests is the power-neutral operation of the turbine-compressor shaft, where no external power through the alternator was provided during the tests. Instead, the shaft speed was allowed to change dictated by the power balance between the turbine, the compressor, and the power losses in the shaft. The new test data turned out to be important for code validation for several reasons. First, the power-neutral operation of the shaft allows validation of the shaft dynamics equations in asynchronous mode, when the shaft is disconnected from the grid. Second, the shaft speed control with the compressor recirculation (CR) valve not only allows for testing the code control logic itself, but it also serves as a good test for validation of both the compressor surge control and the turbine bypass control actions, since the effect of the CR action on the loop conditions is similar for both of these controls. Third, the varying compressor-inlet temperature change test allows validation of the transient response of the precooler, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The first transient simulation of the compressor-inlet temperature variation Test 64661 showed a much slower calculated response of the precooler in the calculations than the test data. Further investigation revealed an error in calculating the heat exchanger tube mass for the PDC dynamic equations that resulted in a slower change in the tube wall temperature than measured. The transient calculations for both tests were done in two steps. The

The neural fate of neutral information in emotion-enhanced memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, Sarah; Buratto, Luciano G; Brotherhood, Emilie V; Barnacle, Gemma E; Schaefer, Alexandre

2014-07-01

In this study, we report evidence that neural activity reflecting the encoding of emotionally neutral information in memory is reduced when neutral and emotional stimuli are intermixed during encoding. Specifically, participants studied emotional and neutral pictures organized in mixed lists (in which emotional and neutral pictures were intermixed) or in pure lists (only-neutral or only-emotional pictures) and performed a recall test. To estimate encoding efficiency, we used the Dm effect, measured with event-related potentials. Recall for neutral items was lower in mixed compared to pure lists and posterior Dm activity for neutral items was reduced in mixed lists, whereas it remained robust in pure lists. These findings might be caused by an asymmetrical competition for attentional and working memory resources between emotional and neutral information, which could be a major determinant of emotional memory effects. Copyright © 2014 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Automation of multiple neutral beam injector controls at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollock, G.G.

1977-01-01

The computer control system used on the twelve Neutral Beams of the 2XIIB experiment at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) has evolved over the last three years. It is now in its final form and in regular use. It provides automatic data collection, reduction, and graphics presentation, as well as automatic conditioning, automatic normal operation, and processing of calorimeter data. This paper presents an overview of the capabilities and implementation of the current system, a detailed discussion of the automatic conditioning algorithm, and discusses the future directions for neutral beam automation

Some tests of the basic properties of the neutral weak interaction. II. With massive neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dass, G.V.; Babu, P.R.

1983-01-01

Assuming a general nonderivative point interaction, and Born approximation, the angular distributions for neutrino scatterings by electrons are written, using only simple considerations, allowing all leptons to have nonzero mass. Our distributions have been previously obtained for some special cases, from general considerations by Bell et al., or in the results of explicit calculations. Applications to (i) determination of the Lorentz structure of the neutral weak interaction, and (ii) tests of lepton locality are considered. For illustration, two explicit calculations are given; one of these could hold for heavy lepton production, and the other for scattering of very low energy cosmic neutrinos

Neutral Color Semitransparent Microstructured Perovskite Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Eperon, Giles E.

2014-01-28

Neutral-colored semitransparent solar cells are commercially desired to integrate solar cells into the windows and cladding of buildings and automotive applications. Here, we report the use of morphological control of perovskite thin films to form semitransparent planar heterojunction solar cells with neutral color and comparatively high efficiencies. We take advantage of spontaneous dewetting to create microstructured arrays of perovskite "islands", on a length-scale small enough to appear continuous to the eye yet large enough to enable unattenuated transmission of light between the islands. The islands are thick enough to absorb most visible light, and the combination of completely absorbing and completely transparent regions results in neutral transmission of light. Using these films, we fabricate thin-film solar cells with respectable power conversion efficiencies. Remarkably, we find that such discontinuous films still have good rectification behavior and relatively high open-circuit voltages due to the inherent rectification between the n- and p-type charge collection layers. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ease of "color-tinting" such microstructured perovksite solar cells with no reduction in performance, by incorporation of a dye within the hole transport medium. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Comparison of toxicity neutralization-, ELISA- and PCR tests for typing of Clostridium perfringens and detection of the enterotoxin gene by PCR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Kristian; Ahrens, Peter

1996-01-01

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed for the specific amplification of a part of each of the five Clostridium perfringens toxin genes: alpha (alpha), beta (beta), epsilon (epsilon), iota (iota), and enterotoxin (CPE). While the toxicity neutralization test (TNT) only showed limited...

Canine distemper virus neutralization activity is low in human serum and it is sensitive to an amino acid substitution in the hemagglutinin protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xinsheng; Wallace, Olivia L.; Domi, Arban; Wright, Kevin J.; Driscoll, Jonathan; Anzala, Omu; Sanders, Eduard J.; Kamali, Anatoli; Karita, Etienne; Allen, Susan; Fast, Pat; Gilmour, Jill; Price, Matt A.; Parks, Christopher L.

2015-01-01

Serum was analyzed from 146 healthy adult volunteers in eastern Africa to evaluate measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb) prevalence and potency. MV plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) results indicated that all sera were positive for MV nAbs. Furthermore, the 50% neutralizing dose (ND50) for the majority of sera corresponded to antibody titers induced by MV vaccination. CDV nAbs titers were low and generally were detected in sera with high MV nAb titers. A mutant CDV was generated that was less sensitive to neutralization by human serum. The mutant virus genome had 10 nucleotide substitutions, which coded for single amino acid substitutions in the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin (H) glycoproteins and two substitutions in the large polymerase (L) protein. The H substitution occurred in a conserved region involved in receptor interactions among morbilliviruses, implying that this region is a target for cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. - Highlights: • Screened 146 serum samples for measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb). • MV nAb is prevalent in the sera. • CDV neutralizing activity is generally low or absent and when detected it is present in sera with high MV nAb titers. • A neutralization-resistant CDV mutant was isolated using human serum selection. • A mutation was identified in the receptor-binding region of CDV hemagglutinin protein that confers the neutralization resistance

Canine distemper virus neutralization activity is low in human serum and it is sensitive to an amino acid substitution in the hemagglutinin protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xinsheng, E-mail: xzhang@iavi.org [AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY (United States); Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, State University of New York, Brooklyn, NY (United States); Wallace, Olivia L.; Domi, Arban; Wright, Kevin J.; Driscoll, Jonathan [AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY (United States); Anzala, Omu [Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI)-Institute of Clinical Research, Nairobi (Kenya); Sanders, Eduard J. [Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya & Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington (United Kingdom); Kamali, Anatoli [MRC/UVRI Uganda Virus Research Unit on AIDS, Masaka and Entebbe (Uganda); Karita, Etienne [Projet San Francisco, Kigali (Rwanda); Allen, Susan [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Fast, Pat [Department of Medical Affairs, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, NY, NY (United States); Gilmour, Jill [Human Immunology Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, London (United Kingdom); Price, Matt A. [Department of Medical Affairs, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, NY, NY (United States); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (United States); Parks, Christopher L. [AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY (United States); Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, State University of New York, Brooklyn, NY (United States)

2015-08-15

Serum was analyzed from 146 healthy adult volunteers in eastern Africa to evaluate measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb) prevalence and potency. MV plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) results indicated that all sera were positive for MV nAbs. Furthermore, the 50% neutralizing dose (ND50) for the majority of sera corresponded to antibody titers induced by MV vaccination. CDV nAbs titers were low and generally were detected in sera with high MV nAb titers. A mutant CDV was generated that was less sensitive to neutralization by human serum. The mutant virus genome had 10 nucleotide substitutions, which coded for single amino acid substitutions in the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin (H) glycoproteins and two substitutions in the large polymerase (L) protein. The H substitution occurred in a conserved region involved in receptor interactions among morbilliviruses, implying that this region is a target for cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. - Highlights: • Screened 146 serum samples for measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb). • MV nAb is prevalent in the sera. • CDV neutralizing activity is generally low or absent and when detected it is present in sera with high MV nAb titers. • A neutralization-resistant CDV mutant was isolated using human serum selection. • A mutation was identified in the receptor-binding region of CDV hemagglutinin protein that confers the neutralization resistance.

Extreme late-summer drought causes neutral annual carbon balance in southwestern ponderosa pine forests and grasslands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolb, Thomas; Dore, Sabina; Montes-Helu, Mario

2013-01-01

We assessed the impacts of extreme late-summer drought on carbon balance in a semi-arid forest region in Arizona. To understand drought impacts over extremes of forest cover, we measured net ecosystem production (NEP), gross primary production (GPP), and total ecosystem respiration (TER) with eddy covariance over five years (2006–10) at an undisturbed ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest and at a former forest converted to grassland by intense burning. Drought shifted annual NEP from a weak source of carbon to the atmosphere to a neutral carbon balance at the burned site and from a carbon sink to neutral at the undisturbed site. Carbon fluxes were particularly sensitive to drought in August. Drought shifted August NEP at the undisturbed site from sink to source because the reduction of GPP (70%) exceeded the reduction of TER (35%). At the burned site drought shifted August NEP from weak source to neutral because the reduction of TER (40%) exceeded the reduction of GPP (20%). These results show that the lack of forest recovery after burning and the exposure of undisturbed forests to late-summer drought reduce carbon sink strength and illustrate the high vulnerability of forest carbon sink strength in the southwest US to predicted increases in intense burning and precipitation variability. (letter)

Extreme late-summer drought causes neutral annual carbon balance in southwestern ponderosa pine forests and grasslands

Science.gov (United States)

Kolb, Thomas; Dore, Sabina; Montes-Helu, Mario

2013-03-01

We assessed the impacts of extreme late-summer drought on carbon balance in a semi-arid forest region in Arizona. To understand drought impacts over extremes of forest cover, we measured net ecosystem production (NEP), gross primary production (GPP), and total ecosystem respiration (TER) with eddy covariance over five years (2006-10) at an undisturbed ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest and at a former forest converted to grassland by intense burning. Drought shifted annual NEP from a weak source of carbon to the atmosphere to a neutral carbon balance at the burned site and from a carbon sink to neutral at the undisturbed site. Carbon fluxes were particularly sensitive to drought in August. Drought shifted August NEP at the undisturbed site from sink to source because the reduction of GPP (70%) exceeded the reduction of TER (35%). At the burned site drought shifted August NEP from weak source to neutral because the reduction of TER (40%) exceeded the reduction of GPP (20%). These results show that the lack of forest recovery after burning and the exposure of undisturbed forests to late-summer drought reduce carbon sink strength and illustrate the high vulnerability of forest carbon sink strength in the southwest US to predicted increases in intense burning and precipitation variability.

The net neutrality debate on Twitter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolf J. Schünemann

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The internet has been seen as a medium that empowers individual political actors in relation to established political elites and media gatekeepers. The present article discusses this “net empowerment hypothesis” and tests it empirically by analysing Twitter communication on the regulation of net neutrality. We extracted 503.839 tweets containing #NetNeutrality posted between January and March 2015 and analysed central developments and the network structure of the debate. The empirical results show that traditional actors from media and politics still maintain a central role.

Are Moral Disengagement, Neutralization Techniques, and Self-Serving Cognitive Distortions the Same? Developing a Unified Scale of Moral Neutralization of Aggression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denis Ribeaud

2010-12-01

Full Text Available

Design and development of neutral beam module components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holl, P.M.; Bulmer, R.H.; Dilgard, L.W.; Horvath, J.A.; Molvik, A.W.; Porter, G.D.; Shearer, J.W.; Slack, D.S.; Colonias, J.S.

1979-01-01

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) injection system consists of twenty 20 keV start-up, and twenty-four 80 keV sustaining neutral beam source modules. The neutral beam modules are mounted in four clusters equally spaced around the waist of the vacuum vessel which contains the superconducting magnets. A module is defined here as an assembly consisting of a beam source and the interfacing components between that beam source and the vacuum chamber. Six major interfacing components are the subject of this paper. They are the magnetic shield, the neutralizer duct, the isolation valve, mounting gimbals, aiming bellows and actuators

Comparison of in-house biotin-avidin tetanus IgG enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with gold standard in vivo mouse neutralization test for the detection of low level antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonmez, Cemile; Coplu, Nilay; Gozalan, Aysegul; Akin, Lutfu; Esen, Berrin

2017-06-01

Detection of anti-tetanus antibody levels is necessary for both determination of the immune status of individuals and also for planning preventive measures. ELISA is the preferred test among in vitro tests however it can be affected by the cross reacting antibodies. A previously developed in-house ELISA test was found not reliable for the antibody levels ≤1.0IU/ml. A new method was developed to detect low antibody levels correctly. The aim of the present study was to compare the results of the newly developed in-house biotin-avidin tetanus IgG ELISA test with the in vivo mouse neutralization test, for the antibody levels ≤1.0IU/ml. A total of 54 serum samples with the antibody levels of three different levels, =0.01IU/ml, 0.01-0.1IU/ml, 0.1-1IU/ml, which were detected by in vivo mouse neutralization test were studied by the newly developed in-house biotin-avidin tetanus IgG ELISA test. Test was validated by using five different concentrations (0.01IU/ml, 0.06IU/ml, 0.2IU/ml, 0.5IU/ml, 1.0IU/ml). A statistically significant correlation (r 2 =0.9967 p=0,001) between in vivo mouse neutralization test and in-house biotin-avidin tetanus IgG ELISA test, was observed. For the tested concentrations intra-assay, inter-assay, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and coefficients of variations were determined as ≤15%. In-house biotin-avidin tetanus IgG ELISA test can be an alternative method to in vivo mouse neutralization method for the detection of levels ≤1.0IU/ml. By using in-house biotin-avidin tetanus IgG ELISA test, individuals with non protective levels, will be reliably detected. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Neutralizing Antibody Response in Dogs and Cats Inoculated with Commercial Inactivated Rabies Vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

SHIRAISHI, Rikiya; NISHIMURA, Masaaki; NAKASHIMA, Ryuji; ENTA, Chiho; HIRAYAMA, Norio

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT In Japan, the import quarantine regulation against rabies has required from 2005 that dogs and cats should be inoculated with the rabies vaccine and that the neutralizing antibody titer should be confirmed to be at least 0.5 international units (IU)/ml. The fluorescent antibody virus neutralization (FAVN) test is used as an international standard method for serological testing for rabies. To achieve proper immunization of dogs and cats at the time of import and export, changes in the neutralizing antibody titer after inoculation of the rabies vaccine should be understood in detail. However, few reports have provided this information. In this study, we aimed to determine evaluated, such changes by using sera from experimental dogs and cats inoculated with the rabies vaccine, and we tested samples using the routine FAVN test. In both dogs and cats, proper, regular vaccination enabled the necessary titer of neutralizing antibodies to be maintained in the long term. However, inappropriate timing of blood sampling after vaccination could result in insufficient detected levels of neutralizing antibodies. PMID:24389741

Stability and delay sensitivity of neutral fractional-delay systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qi; Shi, Min; Wang, Zaihua

2016-08-01

This paper generalizes the stability test method via integral estimation for integer-order neutral time-delay systems to neutral fractional-delay systems. The key step in stability test is the calculation of the number of unstable characteristic roots that is described by a definite integral over an interval from zero to a sufficient large upper limit. Algorithms for correctly estimating the upper limits of the integral are given in two concise ways, parameter dependent or independent. A special feature of the proposed method is that it judges the stability of fractional-delay systems simply by using rough integral estimation. Meanwhile, the paper shows that for some neutral fractional-delay systems, the stability is extremely sensitive to the change of time delays. Examples are given for demonstrating the proposed method as well as the delay sensitivity.

Boundary asymptotics for a non-neutral electrochemistry model with small Debye length

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chiun-Chang; Ryham, Rolf J.

2018-04-01

This article addresses the boundary asymptotics of the electrostatic potential in non-neutral electrochemistry models with small Debye length in bounded domains. Under standard physical assumptions motivated by non-electroneutral phenomena in oxidation-reduction reactions, we show that the electrostatic potential asymptotically blows up at boundary points with respect to the bulk reference potential as the scaled Debye length tends to zero. The analysis gives a lower bound for the blow-up rate with respect to the model parameters. Moreover, the maximum potential difference over any compact subset of the physical domain vanishes exponentially in the zero-Debye-length limit. The results mathematically confirm the physical description that electrolyte solutions are electrically neutral in the bulk and are strongly electrically non-neutral near charged surfaces.

Climate Neutral Campus Key Terms and Definitions | Climate Neutral Research

Science.gov (United States)

Campuses | NREL Neutral Campus Key Terms and Definitions Climate Neutral Campus Key Terms and Definitions The term climate neutral evolved along with net zero and a number of other "green" and accuracy in these areas lets research campuses know exactly how close they are to climate

Latitudinal phytoplankton distribution and the neutral theory of biodiversity

KAUST Repository

Chust, Guillem

2012-11-16

Recent studies have suggested that global diatom distributions are not limited by dispersal, in the case of both extant species and fossil species, but rather that environmental filtering explains their spatial patterns. Hubbell\\'s neutral theory of biodiversity provides a framework in which to test these alternatives. Our aim is to test whether the structure of marine phytoplankton (diatoms, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores) assemblages across the Atlantic agrees with neutral theory predictions. We asked: (1) whether intersite variance in phytoplankton diversity is explained predominantly by dispersal limitation or by environmental conditions; and (2) whether species abundance distributions are consistent with those expected by the neutral model. Location: Meridional transect of the Atlantic (50° N-50° S). Methods: We estimated the relative contributions of environmental factors and geographic distance to phytoplankton composition using similarity matrices, Mantel tests and variation partitioning of the species composition based upon canonical ordination methods. We compared the species abundance distribution of phytoplankton with the neutral model using Etienne\\'s maximum-likelihood inference method. Results: Phytoplankton communities are slightly more determined by niche segregation (24%), than by dispersal limitation and ecological drift (17%). In 60% of communities, the assumption of neutrality in species\\' abundance distributions could not be rejected. In tropical zones, where oceanic gyres enclose large stable water masses, most communities showed low species immigration rates; in contrast, we infer that communities in temperate areas, out of oligotrophic gyres, have higher rates of species immigration. Conclusions: Phytoplankton community structure is consistent with partial niche assembly and partial dispersal and drift assembly (neutral processes). The role of dispersal limitation is almost as important as habitat filtering, a fact that has been

Comparison between the Counter Immunoelectrophoresis Test and Mouse Neutralization Test for the Detection of Antibodies against Rabies Virus in Dog Sera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luzia Helena Queiroz da Silva

2002-03-01

Full Text Available The detection of rabies antibodies is extremely valuable for epidemiological studies, determination of immune status in man, animals, and for the diagnosis of the disease. Several serological procedures have been described for this purpose. The present study reports a comparison between counterimmunoelectrophoresis test (CIET and mouse neutralization test (MNT in the detection of antibodies against rabies virus from 212 serum samples of vaccinated dogs. The agreement between both techniques was 79.7% and a significative association was demonstrated. The correlation coefficients between MNT and the CIET titers was determined considering 88 samples showing positive results in both techniques [CIET = 2 and MNT = 5 (0.13 IU/ml] and resulted r² = 0.7926 (p < 0.001. The performance of CIET system was technically simple, cheap and rapid, and thereby it could be useful for serological monitoring of dog vaccination campaigns as well as for individual analysis.

Effect of stigma reduction intervention strategies on HIV test uptake in low- and middle-income countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thapa, Subash; Hannes, Karin; Cargo, Margaret

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Several stigma reduction intervention strategies have been developed and tested for effectiveness in terms of increasing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test uptake. These strategies have been more effective in some contexts and less effective in others. Individual factors......, such as lack of knowledge and fear of disclosure, and social-contextual factors, such as poverty and illiteracy, might influence the effect of stigma reduction intervention strategies on HIV test uptake in low- and middle-income countries. So far, it is not clearly known how the stigma reduction intervention...... strategies interact with these contextual factors to increase HIV test uptake. Therefore, we will conduct a review that will synthesize existing studies on stigma reduction intervention strategies to increase HIV test uptake to better understand the mechanisms underlying this process in low- and middle...

Global warming and social innovation. The challenge of a climate-neutral society

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kok, M.T.J.; Vermeulen, W.J.V.; Faaij, A.P.C.; De Jager, D. (eds.)

2002-07-01

After the introductory Chapter 1 Chapter 2 presents two long-term visions of a climate-neutral energy system in The Netherlands. It looks at the window of opportunity and shows that there are a number of technically feasible ways to realize drastic emission reductions. At the same time, it is well known that climate change is a tough problem to deal with and that the results of current policies have been relatively meagre. In Chapter 3 a number of dilemmas that play a role in current climate-change policies is identified. The dilemmas are elaborated in the light of desired long-term developments. Both Chapters 2 and 3 illustrate a sharp contrast between the problematic current situation and the substantial targets that need to be achieved over time. The question is how to realize trend breaks and orchestrate the transition towards a climate-neutral societal. In Chapter 4 the governance of technological change and innovation is discussed. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 form the basis on which the authors of the subsequent chapters have written their analysis about the transition towards a climate-neutral society. As a whole, the book provides the reader with an analysis of prospects of long-term climate policies, short-term issues, the societal trend breaks needed to realize substantive emission reductions and possible ways to realize these trend breaks. Chapter 5 analyses households, behaviour and consumption patterns. It assesses future opportunities for drastic changes that would lead to more environmentally sound energy consumption by households and discusses constraints to changes in behaviour. In Chapter 6, the role of local authorities in the transition to a climate-neutral society is discussed. Chapter 7 takes the perspective of materials management as a breakthrough technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In Chapter 8, the contribution that information and communication technology (ICT) (as another breakthrough technology) can make to the transition is

Charge-exchange and fusion reaction measurements during compression experiments with neutral beam heating in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaita, R.; Heidbrink, W.W.; Hammett, G.W.

1986-04-01

Adiabatic toroidal compression experiments were performed in conjunction with high power neutral beam injection in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). Acceleration of beam ions to energies nearly twice the injection energy was measured with a charge-exchange neutral particle analyzer. Measurements were also made of 2.5 MeV neutrons and 15 MeV protons produced in fusion reactions between the deuterium beam ions and the thermal deuterium and 3 He ions, respectively. When the plasma was compressed, the d(d,n) 3 He fusion reaction rate increased a factor of five, and the 3 He(d,p) 4 He rate by a factor of twenty. These data were simulated with a bounce-averaged Fokker-Planck program, which assumed conservation of angular momentum and magnetic moment during compression. The results indicate that the beam ion acceleration was consistent with adiabatic scaling

A direct test of time-reversal symmetry in the neutral K meson system with KS → πℓν and KL → 3π0 at KLOE-2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gajos Aleksander

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Quantum entanglement of K and B mesons allows for a direct experimental test of time-reversal symmetry independent of CP violation. The T symmetry can be probed by exchange of initial and final states in the reversible transitions between flavor and CP- definite states of the mesons which are only connected by the T conjugation. While such a test was successfully performed by the BaBar experiment with neutral B mesons, the KLOE-2 detector can probe T -violation in the neutral kaons system by investigating the process with KS → π±l∓νl and KL → 3π0 decays. Analysis of the latter is facilitated by a novel reconstruction method for the vertex of KL → 3π0 decay which only involves neutral particles. Details of this new vertex reconstruction technique are presented as well as prospects for conducting the direct T symmetry test at the KLOE-2 experiment.

A novel, colorimetric neutralization assay for measuring antibodies to influenza viruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehtoranta, Liisa; Villberg, Anja; Santanen, Riitta; Ziegler, Thedi

2009-08-01

A colorimetric cell proliferation assay for measuring neutralizing antibodies to influenza viruses in human sera is described. Following a 90-min incubation, the serum-virus mixture was transferred to Madin-Darby canine kidney cells cultured in 96-well plates. After further incubation for three days, a tetrazolium salt was added to the wells. Cellular mitochondrial dehydrogenases cleave the tetrazolium salt to formazan, and the resulting color change is read by a spectrophotometer. The absorbance values correlate directly to the number of viable cells in the assay well and thus also to the neutralizing activity of influenza-specific antibodies present in the serum. With the few hands-on manipulations required, this assay allows simultaneous testing of a considerable number of sera, offers opportunities for automation, and is suitable for use under biosafety level-3 conditions. The test was used to study the antibody response after the administration of seasonal, inactivated, trivalent influenza vaccine. Antibody titers determined by the neutralization test in pre- and post-vaccination serum pairs were compared with those obtained by the hemagglutination inhibition assay. The neutralization test yielded higher pre- and post-vaccination titers and a larger number of significant increases in post-vaccination antibody titer than the hemagglutination inhibition test. This new test format could serve as a valuable laboratory tool for influenza vaccine studies.

Neutrality Versus Materiality: A Thermodynamic Theory of Neutral Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rémi Tailleux

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a theory for constructing quasi-neutral density variables γ directly in thermodynamic space is formulated, which is based on minimising the absolute value of a purely thermodynamic quantity J n . Physically, J n has a dual dynamic/thermodynamic interpretation as the quantity controlling the energy cost of adiabatic and isohaline parcel exchanges on material surfaces, as well as the dependence of in-situ density on spiciness, in a description of water masses based on γ, spiciness and pressure. Mathematically, minimising | J n | in thermodynamic space is showed to be equivalent to maximising neutrality in physical space. The physics of epineutral dispersion is also reviewed and discussed. It is argued, in particular, that epineutral dispersion is best understood as the aggregate effect of many individual non-neutral stirring events (being understood here as adiabatic and isohaline events with non-zero buoyancy, so that it is only the net displacement aggregated over many events that is approximately neutral. This new view resolves an apparent paradox between the focus in neutral density theory on zero-buoyancy motions and the overwhelming evidence that lateral dispersion in the ocean is primarily caused by non-zero buoyancy processes such as tides, residual currents and sheared internal waves. The efficiency by which a physical process contributes to lateral dispersion can be characterised by its energy signature, with those processes releasing available potential energy (negative energy cost being more efficient than purely neutral processes with zero energy cost. The latter mechanism occurs in the wedge of instability, and its source of energy is the coupling between baroclinicity, thermobaricity, and density compensated temperature/salinity anomalies. Such a mechanism, which can only exist in a salty ocean, is speculated to be important for dissipating spiciness anomalies and neutral helicity. The paper also discusses potential

Neutral helium beam probe

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Rezwanul

1999-10-01

This article discusses the development of a code where diagnostic neutral helium beam can be used as a probe. The code solves numerically the evolution of the population densities of helium atoms at their several different energy levels as the beam propagates through the plasma. The collisional radiative model has been utilized in this numerical calculation. The spatial dependence of the metastable states of neutral helium atom, as obtained in this numerical analysis, offers a possible diagnostic tool for tokamak plasma. The spatial evolution for several hypothetical plasma conditions was tested. Simulation routines were also run with the plasma parameters (density and temperature profiles) similar to a shot in the Princeton beta experiment modified (PBX-M) tokamak and a shot in Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor tokamak. A comparison between the simulation result and the experimentally obtained data (for each of these two shots) is presented. A good correlation in such comparisons for a number of such shots can establish the accurateness and usefulness of this probe. The result can possibly be extended for other plasma machines and for various plasma conditions in those machines.

Industrialization and production of neutral beam ion sources for MFTF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynch, W.S.

1981-01-01

The existing LLNL designs of the 20 and 80kV deuterium fueled Neutral Beam Ion Source Modules (NBSM) have been industrialized and are being produced successfully for the MFTF. Industrialization includes value engineering, production engineering, cost reduction, fixturing, facilitation and procurement of components. Production assembly, inspection and testing is being performed in a large electronics manufacturing plant. Decades of experience in high voltage, high vacuum power tubes is being applied to the procedures and processes. Independent quality and reliability assurance criteria are being utilized. Scheduling of the various engineering, procurement and manufacturing task is performed by the use of a Critical Path Method (CPM) computer code, Innovative, computerized grid alignment methods were also designed and installed specifically for this project. New jointing and cleaning techniques were devised for the NBSMs. Traceability and cost control are also utilized

CFD Modeling of Non-Neutral Atmospheric Boundary Layer Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koblitz, Tilman

model results. A method is developed how to simulate the time-dependant non-neutral ABL flow over complex terrain: a precursor simulation is used to specify unsteady inlet boundary conditions on complex terrain domains. The advantage of the developed RANS model framework is its general applicability...... characteristics of neutral and non-neutral ABL flow. The developed ABL model significantly improves the predicted flow fields over both flat and complex terrain, when compared against neutral models and measurements....... cost than e.g. using large-eddy simulations. The developed ABL model is successfully validated using a range of different test cases with increasing complexity. Data from several large scale field campaigns, wind tunnel experiments, and previous numerical simulations is presented and compared against...

Heavy Neutral Beam Probe for edge plasma analysis in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The Heavy Neutral Beam Probe project presented in this document is part of an international collaboration in magnetic confinement fusion energy research sponsored by the US Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research (Confinement Systems Division) and the Centre Canadian de Fusion Magnetique. The overall objective of the effort is to apply a neutral particle beam to the study of edge plasma dynamics in discharges on the Tokamak de Varennes facility in Montreal, Canada. To achieve this goal, a research and development project was started in December, 1990 to produce the necessary hardware to make such measurements and meet the scheduling requirements of the program. At present, satisfactory progress has been achieved. The ion gun is fully operational with the neutralizer in the final assembly stage in preparation for testing. The beam diagnostics have been completed and mounted in the computer automated test stand. The analyzer design and detailed trajectory calculations are nearing completion to allow for the vacuum interface construction. The CAMAC based data acquisition system hardware was integrated into the test stand. Part of this hardware is a component of the Tokamak de Varennes' contribution to the collaboration. Next steps on the critical path include the beginning of the neutralization tests and the start of the analyzer construction. Anticipated installation of the diagnostic on the tokamak is Spring 1992

Modeling of the lithium based neutralizer for ITER neutral beam injector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dure, F., E-mail: franck.dure@u-psud.fr [LPGP, Laboratoire de Physique des Gaz et Plasmas, CNRS-Universite Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Lifschitz, A.; Bretagne, J.; Maynard, G. [LPGP, Laboratoire de Physique des Gaz et Plasmas, CNRS-Universite Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Simonin, A. [IRFM, Institut de Recherche sur la Fusion Magnetique, CEA Cadarache, 13108 Saint-Paul lez Durance (France); Minea, T. [LPGP, Laboratoire de Physique des Gaz et Plasmas, CNRS-Universite Paris Sud, Orsay (France)

2012-04-04

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We compare different lithium based neutraliser configurations to the deuterium one. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We study characteristics of the secondary plasma and the propagation of the 1 MeV beam. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Using lithium increases the neutralisation effiency keeping correct beam focusing. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Using lithium also reduces the backstreaming effect in direction of the ion source. - Abstract: To achieve thermonuclear temperatures necessary to produce fusion reactions in the ITER Tokamak, additional heating systems are required. One of the main method to heat the plasma ions in ITER will be the injection of energetic neutrals (NBI). In the neutral beam injector, negative ions (D{sup -}) are electrostatically accelerated to 1 MeV, and then stripped of their extra electron via collisions with a target gas, in a structure known as neutralizer. In the current ITER specification, the target gas is deuterium. It has been recently proposed to use lithium vapor instead of deuterium as target gas in the neutralizer. This would allow to reduce the gas load in the NBI vessel and to improve the neutralization efficiency. A Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo code has been developed to study the transport of the beams and the plasma formation in the neutralizer. A comparison between Li and D{sub 2} based neutralizers made with this code is presented here, as well as a parametric study on the geometry of the Li based neutralizer. Results demonstrate the feasibility of a Li based neutralizer, and its advantages with respect to the deuterium based one.

Shielding calculations for the TFTR neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santoro, R.T.; Lillie, R.A.; Alsmiller, R.G. Jr.; Barnes, J.M.

1979-07-01

Two-dimensional discrete ordinates calculations have been performed to determine the location and thickness of concrete shielding around the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) neutral beam injectors. Two sets of calculations were performed: one to determine the dose equivalent rate on the roof and walls of the test cell building when no injectors are present, and one to determine the contribution to the dose equivalent rate at these locations from radiation streaming through the injection duct. Shielding the side and rear of the neutral beam injector with 0.305 and 0.61 m of concrete, respectively, and lining the inside of the test cell wall with an additional layer of concrete having a thickness of 0.305 m and a height above the axis of deuteron injection of 3.10 m are sufficient to maintain the biological dose equivalent rate outside the test cell to approx. 1 mrem/DT pulse

Performance of the PDX neutral beam wall armor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugel, H.W.; Eubank, H.P.; Kozub, T.A.; Williams, M.D.

1985-02-01

The PDX wall armor was designed to function as an inner wall thermal armor, a neutral beam diagnostic, and a large area inner toroidal plasma limiter. In this paper we discuss its thermal performance as wall armor during two years of PDX neutral beam heating experiments. During this period it provided sufficient inner wall protection to permit perpendicular heating injections into normal and disruptive plasmas as well as injections in the absence of plasma involving special experiments, calibrations, and tests important for the optimization and development of the PDX neutral beam injection system. Many of the design constraints and performance issues encountered in this work are relevant to the design of larger fusion devices

Neutral Community Dynamics and the Evolution of Species Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Coelho, Marco Túlio P; Rangel, Thiago F

2018-04-01

A contemporary goal in ecology is to determine the ecological and evolutionary processes that generate recurring structural patterns in mutualistic networks. One of the great challenges is testing the capacity of neutral processes to replicate observed patterns in ecological networks, since the original formulation of the neutral theory lacks trophic interactions. Here, we develop a stochastic-simulation neutral model adding trophic interactions to the neutral theory of biodiversity. Without invoking ecological differences among individuals of different species, and assuming that ecological interactions emerge randomly, we demonstrate that a spatially explicit multitrophic neutral model is able to capture the recurrent structural patterns of mutualistic networks (i.e., degree distribution, connectance, nestedness, and phylogenetic signal of species interactions). Nonrandom species distribution, caused by probabilistic events of migration and speciation, create nonrandom network patterns. These findings have broad implications for the interpretation of niche-based processes as drivers of ecological networks, as well as for the integration of network structures with demographic stochasticity.

A comparison of in vitro tests and a faecal egg count reduction test in detecting anthelmintic resistance in horse strongyles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Craven, J.; Bjørn, H.; Barnes, E.H.

1999-01-01

This study reports a comparison between faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), egg hatch assay (EHA) and larval development assay (LDA) for detecting anthelmintic resistance in equine strongyles. Resistance to benzimidazoles was demonstrated in 33 of 42 (79%) farms tested by FECRT and in 32 (62......%) of the 52 farms tested by EHA. As the reference strain used was not fully susceptible to benzimidazoles it was not possible to determine the level of resistance by LDA. Pyrantel resistance was indicated on three of 15 farms by faecal egg count reduction. Resistance was also indicated by LDA for one...

Advanced metal artifact reduction MRI of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty implants: compressed sensing acceleration enables the time-neutral use of SEMAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritz, Jan; Thawait, Gaurav K.; Fritz, Benjamin; Raithel, Esther; Nittka, Mathias; Gilson, Wesley D.; Mont, Michael A.

2016-01-01

Compressed sensing (CS) acceleration has been theorized for slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), but has not been shown to be feasible. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that CS-SEMAC is feasible for MRI of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implants. Following prospective institutional review board approval, 22 subjects with metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implants underwent 1.5 T MRI. We compared CS-SEMAC prototype, high-bandwidth TSE, and SEMAC sequences with acquisition times of 4-5, 4-5 and 10-12 min, respectively. Outcome measures included bone-implant interfaces, image quality, periprosthetic structures, artifact size, and signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios (SNR and CNR). Using Friedman, repeated measures analysis of variances, and Cohen's weighted kappa tests, Bonferroni-corrected p-values of 0.005 and less were considered statistically significant. There was no statistical difference of outcomes measures of SEMAC and CS-SEMAC images. Visibility of implant-bone interfaces and pseudocapsule as well as fat suppression and metal reduction were ''adequate'' to ''good'' on CS-SEMAC and ''non-diagnostic'' to ''adequate'' on high-BW TSE (p < 0.001, respectively). SEMAC and CS-SEMAC showed mild blur and ripple artifacts. The metal artifact size was 63 % larger for high-BW TSE as compared to SEMAC and CS-SEMAC (p < 0.0001, respectively). CNRs were sufficiently high and statistically similar, with the exception of CNR of fluid and muscle and CNR of fluid and tendon, which were higher on intermediate-weighted high-BW TSE (p < 0.005, respectively). Compressed sensing acceleration enables the time-neutral use of SEMAC for MRI of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implants when compared to high-BW TSE and image quality similar to conventional SEMAC. (orig.)

Advanced metal artifact reduction MRI of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty implants: compressed sensing acceleration enables the time-neutral use of SEMAC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fritz, Jan; Thawait, Gaurav K. [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Baltimore, MD (United States); Fritz, Benjamin [University of Freiburg, Department of Radiology, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany); Raithel, Esther; Nittka, Mathias [Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (Germany); Gilson, Wesley D. [Siemens Healthcare USA, Inc., Baltimore, MD (United States); Mont, Michael A. [Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Cleveland, OH (United States)

2016-10-15

Compressed sensing (CS) acceleration has been theorized for slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), but has not been shown to be feasible. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that CS-SEMAC is feasible for MRI of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implants. Following prospective institutional review board approval, 22 subjects with metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implants underwent 1.5 T MRI. We compared CS-SEMAC prototype, high-bandwidth TSE, and SEMAC sequences with acquisition times of 4-5, 4-5 and 10-12 min, respectively. Outcome measures included bone-implant interfaces, image quality, periprosthetic structures, artifact size, and signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios (SNR and CNR). Using Friedman, repeated measures analysis of variances, and Cohen's weighted kappa tests, Bonferroni-corrected p-values of 0.005 and less were considered statistically significant. There was no statistical difference of outcomes measures of SEMAC and CS-SEMAC images. Visibility of implant-bone interfaces and pseudocapsule as well as fat suppression and metal reduction were ''adequate'' to ''good'' on CS-SEMAC and ''non-diagnostic'' to ''adequate'' on high-BW TSE (p < 0.001, respectively). SEMAC and CS-SEMAC showed mild blur and ripple artifacts. The metal artifact size was 63 % larger for high-BW TSE as compared to SEMAC and CS-SEMAC (p < 0.0001, respectively). CNRs were sufficiently high and statistically similar, with the exception of CNR of fluid and muscle and CNR of fluid and tendon, which were higher on intermediate-weighted high-BW TSE (p < 0.005, respectively). Compressed sensing acceleration enables the time-neutral use of SEMAC for MRI of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implants when compared to high-BW TSE and image quality similar to conventional SEMAC. (orig.)

Neutral beams for mirrors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink, J.H.

1983-01-01

An important demonstration of negative ion technology is proposed for FY92 in the MFTF-α+T, an upgrade of the Mirror Fusion Test Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This facility calls for 200-keV negative ions to form neutral beams that generate sloshing ions in the reactor end plugs. Three different beam lines are considered for this application. Their advantages and disadvantages are discussed

Naturally selected hepatitis C virus polymorphisms confer broad neutralizing antibody resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Justin R; Wasilewski, Lisa N; Snider, Anna E; El-Diwany, Ramy; Osburn, William O; Keck, Zhenyong; Foung, Steven K H; Ray, Stuart C

2015-01-01

For hepatitis C virus (HCV) and other highly variable viruses, broadly neutralizing mAbs are an important guide for vaccine development. The development of resistance to anti-HCV mAbs is poorly understood, in part due to a lack of neutralization testing against diverse, representative panels of HCV variants. Here, we developed a neutralization panel expressing diverse, naturally occurring HCV envelopes (E1E2s) and used this panel to characterize neutralizing breadth and resistance mechanisms of 18 previously described broadly neutralizing anti-HCV human mAbs. The observed mAb resistance could not be attributed to polymorphisms in E1E2 at known mAb-binding residues. Additionally, hierarchical clustering analysis of neutralization resistance patterns revealed relationships between mAbs that were not predicted by prior epitope mapping, identifying 3 distinct neutralization clusters. Using this clustering analysis and envelope sequence data, we identified polymorphisms in E2 that confer resistance to multiple broadly neutralizing mAbs. These polymorphisms, which are not at mAb contact residues, also conferred resistance to neutralization by plasma from HCV-infected subjects. Together, our method of neutralization clustering with sequence analysis reveals that polymorphisms at noncontact residues may be a major immune evasion mechanism for HCV, facilitating viral persistence and presenting a challenge for HCV vaccine development.

Study of neutral particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartel, W.; Bulos, F.; Eisner, A.

1975-01-01

The range of physics problems for which a detector emphasizing neutrals is most suitable is discussed. The primary goals are the all neutrals cross section, sigma/sub o/ (e + e - → neutrals), the characterization of the neutral energy in multi-hadronic events, the search for monoenergetic photons, and good sensitivity in the difficult region of low energy photons. Those features of multi-hadronic events which are most relevant to a neutral detector were calculated using a jet model with parameters extrapolated from SPEAR energies. These distributions are presented and discussed

Toxic emissions and devaluated CO2-neutrality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Czeskleba-Dupont, Rolf

Environmental, energy and climate policies need fresh reflections. In order to evaluate toxics reduction policies the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is mandatory. Denmark's function as lead country for dioxin research in the context of the OSPAR Convention is contrasted...... with a climate policy whose goals of CO2-reduction were made operational by green-wash. Arguments are given for the devaluation of CO2- neutrality in case of burning wood. Alternative practices as storing C in high quality wood products and/or leaving wood in the forest are recommended. A counter......-productive effect of dioxin formation in the cooling phase of wood burning appliances has been registered akin to de-novo-synthesis in municipal solid waste incinerators. Researchers, regulators and the public are, however, still preoccupied by notions of oven design and operation parameters, assuming that dioxin...

Component design description of the neutral beam injectors for PLT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, R.L.; Baer, M.B.; Dagenhart, W.K.; Haselton, H.H.; Mann, T.L.; Queen, C.C.; Stirling, W.L.; Whitfield, P.W.

1977-01-01

Plasma heating by injection of high energy neutrals is one of the experiments to be carried out on Princeton Large Torus (PLT). A four unit neutral beam injection system has been designed, built and tested which should inject a total of 3 MW of neutrals into PLT with a 200 millisecond pulse length. A typical system unit is described where the major components are identified. The following discussion describes each of these items along with some details of the design and fabrication problems encountered. Some early design considerations addressed the problems of separation and dumping of residual ions from the neutral beam, calorimetry of the neutrals with incident fuxes of 25 KW/cm 2 , and pumping speeds of several hundred thousand liters per second for hydrogen gas. Solutions were found for these problems while also resolving the complex dilemma of interfacing four large systems to a tokamak

Dose reduction in spiral CT angiography of thoracic outlet syndrome by anatomically adapted tube current modulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mastora, I.; Remy-Jardin, M.; Remy, J.; Suess, C.; Scherf, C.; Guillot, J.P.

2001-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate dose reduction in spiral CT angiography of the thoracic outlet by on-line tube-current control. Prospectively, 114 patients undergoing spiral CT angiography of the subclavian artery for thoracic outlet arterial syndromes were evaluated with and without tube-current modulation at the same session (scanning parameters for the two successive angiograms, one in the neutral position and one after the postural maneuver): 140 kV; 206 mA; scan time 0.75 s; collimation 3 mm; pitch = (1). The dose reduction system was applied in the neutral position in the first 92 consecutive patients and after postural maneuver in the remaining 22 consecutive patients. Dose reduction and image quality were analyzed in the overall study group (group 1; n = 114). The influence of the arm position was assessed in 44 of the 114 patients (group 2), matched by the transverse diameter of the upper thorax. The mean dose reduction was 33 % in group 1 (range 22-40 %) and 34 % in group 2 (range 26-40 %). In group 2 the only difference in image quality was a significantly higher frequency of graininess on low-dose scans compared with reference scans whatever the patient's arm position, graded as minimal in 38 of the 44 patients (86 %). When the low-dose technique was applied after postural maneuver in group 2: (a) the mean dose reduction was significantly higher (35 vs 32 % in the neutral position; p = 0.006); (b) graininess was less frequent (82 vs 91 % in the neutral position); and (c) the percentage of graininess graded as minimal was significantly higher (83 vs 70 % in the neutral position; p = 0.2027). On-line tube-current modulation enables dose reduction on high-quality, diagnostic spiral CT angiograms of the thoracic outlet and should be applied during data acquisition in the neutral position and after postural maneuver for optimal use. (orig.)

Dose reduction in spiral CT angiography of thoracic outlet syndrome by anatomically adapted tube current modulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mastora, I.; Remy-Jardin, M.; Remy, J. [Dept. of Radiology, University Center Hospital Calmette, Lille (France); Medical Research Group, Lille (France); Suess, C.; Scherf, C. [Siemens Medical Systems, Forcheim (Germany); Guillot, J.P. [Dept. of Radiology, University Center Hospital Calmette, Lille (France)

2001-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate dose reduction in spiral CT angiography of the thoracic outlet by on-line tube-current control. Prospectively, 114 patients undergoing spiral CT angiography of the subclavian artery for thoracic outlet arterial syndromes were evaluated with and without tube-current modulation at the same session (scanning parameters for the two successive angiograms, one in the neutral position and one after the postural maneuver): 140 kV; 206 mA; scan time 0.75 s; collimation 3 mm; pitch = (1). The dose reduction system was applied in the neutral position in the first 92 consecutive patients and after postural maneuver in the remaining 22 consecutive patients. Dose reduction and image quality were analyzed in the overall study group (group 1; n = 114). The influence of the arm position was assessed in 44 of the 114 patients (group 2), matched by the transverse diameter of the upper thorax. The mean dose reduction was 33 % in group 1 (range 22-40 %) and 34 % in group 2 (range 26-40 %). In group 2 the only difference in image quality was a significantly higher frequency of graininess on low-dose scans compared with reference scans whatever the patient's arm position, graded as minimal in 38 of the 44 patients (86 %). When the low-dose technique was applied after postural maneuver in group 2: (a) the mean dose reduction was significantly higher (35 vs 32 % in the neutral position; p = 0.006); (b) graininess was less frequent (82 vs 91 % in the neutral position); and (c) the percentage of graininess graded as minimal was significantly higher (83 vs 70 % in the neutral position; p = 0.2027). On-line tube-current modulation enables dose reduction on high-quality, diagnostic spiral CT angiograms of the thoracic outlet and should be applied during data acquisition in the neutral position and after postural maneuver for optimal use. (orig.)

Dose reduction for snubber inspection and testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrison, G.M.; Cotton, S.R.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that Health physics staff members at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station have implemented several dose reduction methods for snubber inspection, testing and changeout. These methods include construction maps to permit easy location of snubbers in the drywell, painting azimuth numbers on the inside drywell wall and biological shield wall to coincide with the maps, requiring pre-job briefings for quality inspectors and craft support personnel, using job history files for work planning, using experienced inspectors and craft personnel whenever possible, designating certain craft personnel solely for snubber work, and cutting out stuck snubber pins rather than attempting intact removal. The total dose for snubber-related tasks has been significantly reduced using these methods

Neutral beam monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink, J.H.

1979-01-01

A neutral beam generated by passing accelerated ions through a walled cell containing a low energy neutral gas, such that charge exchange partially neutralizes the high energy beam, is monitored by detecting the current flowing through the cell wall produced by low energy ions which drift to the wall after the charge exchange. By segmenting the wall into radial and longitudinal segments various beam conditions are identified. (U.K.)

Bunched beam neutralization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gammel, G.M.; Maschke, A.W.; Mobley, R.M.

1979-01-01

One of the steps involved in producing an intense ion beam from conventional accelerators for Heavy Ion Fusion (HIF) is beam bunching. To maintain space charge neutralized transport, neutralization must occur more quickly as the beam bunches. It has been demonstrated at BNL that a 60 mA proton beam from a 750 kV Cockcroft--Walton can be neutralized within a microsecond. The special problem in HIF is that the neutralization must occur in a time scale of nanoseconds. To study neutralization on a faster time scale, a 40 mA, 450 kV proton beam was bunched at 16 MHz. A biased Faraday cup sampled the bunched beam at the position where maximum bunching was nominally expected, about 2.5 meters from the buncher. Part of the drift region, about 1.8 meters, was occupied by a series of Gabor lenses. In addition to enhancing beam transport by transverse focussing, the background cloud of electrons in the lenses provided an extra degree of neutralization. With no lens, the best bunch factor was at least 20. Bunch factor is defined here as the ratio of the distance between bunches to the FWHM bunch length. With the lens, it was hoped that the increased plasma frequency would decrease the neutralization time and cause an increase in the bunch factor. In fact, with the lens, the instantaneous current increased about three times, but the bunch factor dropped to about 10. Even with the lens, the FWHM of the bunches at the position of maximum bunching was still comparable to or less than the oscillation period of the surrounding electron plasma. Thus, the electron density in the lens must increase before neutralization could be effective in this case, or bunching should be done at a lower frequency

Neutralization of antibody-enhanced dengue infection by VIS513, a pan serotype reactive monoclonal antibody targeting domain III of the dengue E protein

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Luke N.; Ong, Li Ching; Rowley, Kirk J.; Winnett, Alexander; Tan, Hwee Cheng; Hobbie, Sven; Shriver, Zachary; Babcock, Gregory J.; Alonso, Sylvie; Ooi, Eng Eong

2018-01-01

Dengue virus (DENV) infection imposes enormous health and economic burden worldwide with no approved treatment. Several small molecules, including lovastatin, celgosivir, balapiravir and chloroquine have been tested for potential anti-dengue activity in clinical trials; none of these have demonstrated a protective effect. Recently, based on identification and characterization of cross-serotype neutralizing antibodies, there is increasing attention on the potential for dengue immunotherapy. Here, we tested the ability of VIS513, an engineered cross-neutralizing humanized antibody targeting the DENV E protein domain III, to overcome antibody-enhanced infection and high but brief viremia, which are commonly encountered in dengue patients, in various in vitro and in vivo models. We observed that VIS513 efficiently neutralizes DENV at clinically relevant viral loads or in the presence of enhancing levels of DENV immune sera. Single therapeutic administration of VIS513 in mouse models of primary infection or lethal secondary antibody-enhanced infection, reduces DENV titers and protects from lethal infection. Finally, VIS513 administration does not readily lead to resistance, either in cell culture systems or in animal models of dengue infection. The findings suggest that rapid viral reduction during acute DENV infection with a monoclonal antibody is feasible. PMID:29425203

Induction of human immunodeficiency virus neutralizing antibodies using fusion complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zipeto, Donato; Matucci, Andrea; Ripamonti, Chiara; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Rossolillo, Paola; Turci, Marco; Sartoris, Silvia; Tridente, Giuseppe; Bertazzoni, Umberto

2006-05-01

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infects cells by membrane fusion that is mediated by the envelope proteins gp120/gp41 and the cellular receptors CD4 and CCR5. During this process, some conserved viral epitopes are temporarily exposed and may induce a neutralizing antibody response when fixed in the fusogenic conformation. These transient structures are conserved and may be effective antigens for use in an anti-HIV-1 vaccine. In this study we tested different conditions of preparation of fusion complexes inducing neutralizing antibodies against both R5 and X4 tropic HIV-1 strains. Cell lines expressing HIV-1 gp120/gp41 and CD4-CCR5 were prepared and conditions for producing fusion complexes were tested. Complexes produced at different temperature and fixative combinations were used to immunize mice. Results indicated that (a) fusion complexes prepared at either 21 degrees C, 30 degrees C or 37 degrees C were immunogenic and induced neutralizing antibodies against both R5 and X4 HIV-1 heterologous isolates; (b) after extensive purification of antibodies there was no cytotoxic effect; (c) complexes prepared at 37 degrees C were more immunogenic and induced higher titers of neutralizing antibodies than complexes prepared at either 21 degrees C or 30 degrees C; (d) the fixative used did not affect the titer of neutralizing antibodies except for glutaraldehyde which was ineffective; (e) the neutralizing activity was retained after CD4-CCR5 antibody removal. The production of higher titers of neutralizing antibody with fusion complexes prepared at 37 degrees C, as compared to lower temperatures, may be related to the induction of antibodies against many different conformation intermediates that subsequently act synergistically at different steps in the fusion process.

Tests of alternative reductants in the second uranium purification cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, M.C.

1980-05-01

Miniature mixer-settler tests of the second uranium purification cycle show that plutonium cannot be removed by hydroxylamine-hydrazine (NH 2 OH-N 2 H 4 ) because the acidity is too high, or by 2,5-di-t-pentylhydroquinone because HNO 3 oxidizes the hydroquinone. Plutonium can be removed satisfactorily when U(IV)-hydrazine is used as the reductant

Initial operation and performance of the PDX neutral-beam injection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugel, H.W.; Eubank, H.P.; Kozub, T.A.; Rossmassler, J.E.; Schilling, G.; van Halle, A.; Williams, M.D.

1982-01-01

In 1981, the joint ORNL/PPPL PDX neutral beam heating project succeeded in reliably injecting 7.2 MW of D 0 into the PDX plasma, at nearly perpendicular angles, and achieved ion temperatures up to 6.5 keV. The expeditious achievement of this result was due to the thorough conditioning and qualification of the PDX neutral beam ion sources at ORNL prior to delivery coupled with several field design changes and improvements in the injection system made at PPPL as a result of neutral beam operating experience with the PLT tokamak. It has been found that the operation of high power neutral beam injection systems in a tokamak-neutral beam environment requires procedures and performance different from those required for development operation on test stands. In this paper, we review the installatin of the PDX neutral beam injection system, and its operation and performance during the initial high power plasma heating experiments with the PDX tokamak

Group Systematic Desensitization Versus Covert Positive Reinforcement in the Reduction of Test Anxiety

Science.gov (United States)

Kostka, Marion P.; Galassi, John P.

1974-01-01

The study compared modified versions of systematic desensitization and covert positive reinforcement to a no-treatment control condition in the reduction of test anxiety. On an anagrams performance test, the covert reinforcement and control groups were superior to the desensitization group. (Author)

Natural selection constrains neutral diversity across a wide range of species.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbett-Detig, Russell B; Hartl, Daniel L; Sackton, Timothy B

2015-04-01

The neutral theory of molecular evolution predicts that the amount of neutral polymorphisms within a species will increase proportionally with the census population size (Nc). However, this prediction has not been borne out in practice: while the range of Nc spans many orders of magnitude, levels of genetic diversity within species fall in a comparatively narrow range. Although theoretical arguments have invoked the increased efficacy of natural selection in larger populations to explain this discrepancy, few direct empirical tests of this hypothesis have been conducted. In this work, we provide a direct test of this hypothesis using population genomic data from a wide range of taxonomically diverse species. To do this, we relied on the fact that the impact of natural selection on linked neutral diversity depends on the local recombinational environment. In regions of relatively low recombination, selected variants affect more neutral sites through linkage, and the resulting correlation between recombination and polymorphism allows a quantitative assessment of the magnitude of the impact of selection on linked neutral diversity. By comparing whole genome polymorphism data and genetic maps using a coalescent modeling framework, we estimate the degree to which natural selection reduces linked neutral diversity for 40 species of obligately sexual eukaryotes. We then show that the magnitude of the impact of natural selection is positively correlated with Nc, based on body size and species range as proxies for census population size. These results demonstrate that natural selection removes more variation at linked neutral sites in species with large Nc than those with small Nc and provides direct empirical evidence that natural selection constrains levels of neutral genetic diversity across many species. This implies that natural selection may provide an explanation for this longstanding paradox of population genetics.

Reduction of sources of error and simplification of the Carbon-14 urea breath test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellon, M.S.

1997-01-01

Full text: Carbon-14 urea breath testing is established in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The aim of this study was to investigate possible further simplification and identification of error sources in the 14 C urea kit extensively used at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Thirty six patients with validated H. pylon status were tested with breath samples taken at 10,15, and 20 min. Using the single sample value at 15 min, there was no change in the diagnostic category. Reduction or errors in analysis depends on attention to the following details: Stability of absorption solution, (now > 2 months), compatibility of scintillation cocktail/absorption solution. (with particular regard to photoluminescence and chemiluminescence), reduction in chemical quenching (moisture reduction), understanding counting hardware and relevance, and appropriate response to deviation in quality assurance. With this experience, we are confident of the performance and reliability of the RAPID-14 urea breath test kit now available commercially

Seeking a Valid Gold Standard for an Innovative, Dialect-Neutral Language Test

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Barbara Zurer; Jackson, Janice E.; Wu, Haotian

2014-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors explored alternative gold standards to validate an innovative, dialect-neutral language assessment. Method: Participants were 78 African American children, ages 5;0 (years;months) to 6;11. Twenty participants had previously been identified as having language impairment. The Diagnostic Evaluation of Language…

Status of CP and CPT violation in the neutral kaon system

CERN Document Server

Ruf, T

1996-01-01

A phenomenological description of the neutral-kaon system is presented without assuming \\CPT\\ conservation. The experimental methods and the underlying assumptions used to determine parameters of the neutral-kaon system (\\CP-violating and non \\CP-violating ones) are discussed. The experimental results are combined to test \\CPT\\ conservation with as little prejudice as possible.

Neutral Red versus MTT assay of cell viability in the presence of copper compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez Perez, Mariela; Fourcade, Lyvia; Mateescu, Mircea Alexandru; Paquin, Joanne

2017-10-15

Copper is essential for numerous physiological functions, and copper compounds may display therapeutic as well as cytotoxic effects. The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay is a standard test largely used in cytotoxicity studies. This report shows that low micromolar levels of copper compounds such as Cu(II)Urea 2 , Cu(II)Ser 2 and CuCl 2 can interfere with the MTT assay making improper the detection of formazan product of MTT reduction. Comparatively, the Neutral Red assay appears to be sensitive and showing no interference with these compounds. The lactate dehydrogenase alternative assay cannot be used because of inhibitory effect of these copper compounds on the enzyme activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alternate Reductant Cold Cap Evaluation Furnace Phase II Testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, F. C. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Stone, M. E. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Miller, D. H. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2014-09-03

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) conducted a Systems Engineering Evaluation (SEE) to determine the optimum alternate reductant flowsheet for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Specifically, two proposed flowsheets (nitric–formic–glycolic and nitric–formic–sugar) were evaluated based upon results from preliminary testing. Comparison of the two flowsheets among evaluation criteria indicated a preference towards the nitric–formic–glycolic flowsheet. Further research and development of this flowsheet eliminated the formic acid, and as a result, the nitric–glycolic flowsheet was recommended for further testing. Based on the development of a roadmap for the nitric–glycolic acid flowsheet, Waste Solidification Engineering (WS-E) issued a Technical Task Request (TTR) to address flammability issues that may impact the implementation of this flowsheet. Melter testing was requested in order to define the DWPF flammability envelope for the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Cold Cap Evaluation Furnace (CEF), a 1/12^th scale DWPF melter, was selected by the SRR Alternate Reductant project team as the melter platform for this testing. The overall scope was divided into the following sub-tasks as discussed in the Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP): Phase I - A nitric–formic acid flowsheet melter test (unbubbled) to baseline the CEF cold cap and vapor space data to the benchmark melter flammability models; Phase II - A nitric–glycolic acid flowsheet melter test (unbubbled and bubbled) to: Define new cold cap reactions and global kinetic parameters in support of the melter flammability model development; Quantify off-gas surging potential of the feed; Characterize off-gas condensate for complete organic and inorganic carbon species. After charging the CEF with cullet from Phase I CEF testing, the melter was slurry-fed with glycolic flowsheet based SB6-Frit 418 melter feed at 36% waste

Understanding of Neutral Gas Transport in the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak Divertor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stotler, D.P.; Pitcher, C.S.; Boswell, C.J.; LaBombard, B.; Terry, J.L.; Elder, J.D.; Lisgo, S.

2002-01-01

A series of experiments on the effect of divertor baffling on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak provides stringent tests on models of neutral gas transport in and around the divertor region. One attractive feature of these experiments is that a trial description of the background plasma can be constructed from experimental measurements using a simple model, allowing the neutral gas transport to be studied with a stand-alone code. The neutral-ion and neutral-neutral elastic scattering processes recently added to the DEGAS 2 Monte Carlo neutral transport code permit the neutral gas flow rates between the divertor and main chamber to be simulated more realistically than before. Nonetheless, the simulated neutral pressures are too low and the deuterium Balmer-alpha emission profiles differ qualitatively from those measured, indicating an incomplete understanding of the physical processes involved in the experiment. Some potential explanations are examined and opportunities for future exploration a re highlighted. Improvements to atomic and surface physics data and models will play a role in the latter

Near neutrality: leading edge of the neutral theory of molecular evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Austin L

2008-01-01

The nearly neutral theory represents a development of Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution that makes testable predictions that go beyond a mere null model. Recent evidence has strongly supported several of these predictions, including the prediction that slightly deleterious variants will accumulate in a species that has undergone a severe bottleneck or in cases where recombination is reduced or absent. Because bottlenecks often occur in speciation and slightly deleterious mutations in coding regions will usually be nonsynonymous, we should expect that the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous fixed differences between species should often exceed the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous polymorphisms within species. Many data support this prediction, although they have often been wrongly interpreted as evidence for positive Darwinian selection. The use of conceptually flawed tests for positive selection has become widespread in recent years, seriously harming the quest for an understanding of genome evolution. When properly analyzed, many (probably most) claimed cases of positive selection will turn out to involve the fixation of slightly deleterious mutations by genetic drift in bottlenecked populations. Slightly deleterious variants are a transient feature of evolution in the long term, but they have substantially affected contemporary species, including our own.

Prototype ion source for JT-60 neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiba, M.

1981-01-01

A prototype ion source for JT-60 neutral beam injectors has been fabricated and tested. Here, we review the construction of the prototype ion source and report the experimental results about the source characteristics that has been obtained at this time. The prototype ion source is now installed at the prototype unit of JT-60 neutral beam injection units and the demonstration of the performances of the ion source and the prototype unit has just started

EL4 cell-based colorimetric toxin neutralization activity assays for determination of neutralizing anti-ricin antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsey, Changhong Y; Brown, J Edward; Torabazar, Nahid R; Smith, Leonard A

2013-01-01

A recombinant ricin toxin A-chain 1-33/44-198 vaccine (RVEc), developed at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases as a vaccine candidate, is under investigation in a phase 1 clinical study. To effectively evaluate the immunogenicity of this ricin vaccine and to eliminate the use of radioactive material, an EL4 cell-based colorimetric toxin neutralization activity (TNA) assay using a CellTiter 96 AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay Reagent has been developed, optimized, and applied in the vaccine efficacy studies. The TNA assay measures the protective neutralizing anti-ricin antibodies in animal sera by determining the cell viability after ricin exposure in the assay system and comparing it to a purified mouse polyclonal antiricin IgG standard curve. The standard curve of the anti-ricin TNA assay closely fits a four-parameter logistic regression model. The unknown test sample concentration was expressed as microg/mL, but not the 50% effective concentration (EC50), which was determined by most TNA assays. The neutralizing endpoint titers, not the 50% effective dilution (ED50), of human specimens were measured with the TNA assay in support of the clinical study of the RVEc vaccine. The optimal amount of ricin toxin, EL4 cells, and concentration of standards used in the assay system was established to minimize false-negative and false-positive results of serum specimens from the nonclinical and clinical studies of RVEc. The testing conditions were adjusted to optimize assay performance. The colorimetric TNA assay replaced a radioactive TNA assay previously used in the ricin vaccine studies.

A proactive alarm reduction method and its human factors validation test for a main control room for SMART

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Gwi-sook; Suh, Sang-moon; Kim, Sa-kil; Suh, Yong-suk; Park, Je-yun

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A proactive alarm reduction method improves effectiveness on the alarm reduction. ► The method suppresses alarms based on the ECA rules and facts for the alarm reduction under an alarm flood situation. ► The alarm reduction logics are supplemented to a high hit ratio of the reduction logics during on-line operations. ► The method is validated by human factors validation test based on regulatory requirements. -- Abstract: Conventional alarm systems tend to overwhelm operators during a transient because of a large number of nearly simultaneous annunciator activations with varying degrees of relevance to operator tasks. Thus alarm processing techniques have developed to support operators in coping with the volume of alarms, to identify which alarms are significant, and to reduce the need for operators to infer the plant conditions. This paper proposes a proactive alarm reduction method for SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) whereby based on the contents of the past operating effects alarm reduction is carried out during the next transient. We designed and implemented the proactive alarm reduction system and constructed the environment for the human factors validation test. Also, eight subjects actually working in a nuclear power plant (NPP) tested the practical effectiveness of the proposed proactive alarm reduction method according to the procedure of human factors validation test under a dynamic simulation of a partial scope for an NPP.

Quantum-chemical studies on the favored and rare tautomers of neutral and redox adenine.

Science.gov (United States)

Raczyńska, Ewa D; Makowski, Mariusz; Zientara-Rytter, Katarzyna; Kolczyńska, Katarzyna; Stępniewski, Tomasz M; Hallmann, Małgorzata

2013-02-21

All possible twenty-three prototropic tautomers of neutral and redox adenine (nine amine and fourteen imine forms, including geometric isomerism of the exo ═NH group) were examined in vacuo {DFT(B3LYP)/6-311+G(d,p)}. The NH → NH conversions as well as those usually omitted, NH → CH and CH → CH, were considered. An interesting change of the tautomeric preference occurs when proceeding from neutral to reduced adenine. One-electron reduction favors the nonaromatic amine C8H-N10H tautomer. This tautomeric preference is similar to that (C2H) for reduced imidazole. Water molecules (PCM model) seem to not change this trend. They influence solely the relative energies. The DFT vertical detachment energy in the gas phase is positive for each tautomer, e.g., 0.03 eV for N9H-N10H and 1.84 eV for C8H-N10H. The DFT adiabatic electron affinity for the favored process, neutral N9H-N10H → reduced C8H-N10H (ground states), is equal to 0.18 eV at 0 K (ZPE included). One-electron oxidation does not change the tautomeric preference in the gas phase. The aromatic amine N9H-N10H tautomer is favored for the oxidized molecule similarly as for the neutral one. The DFT adiabatic ionization potential for the favored process, neutral N9H-N10H → oxidized N9H-N10H (ground states), is equal to 8.12 eV at 0 K (ZPE included). Water molecules (PCM model) seem to influence solely the composition of the tautomeric mixture and the relative energies. They change the energies of the oxidation and reduction processes by ca. 2 eV.

Consumer Ethical Decision Making: Intensity, Self-Consciousness and Neutralization Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed Afzal Moshadi Shah

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of moral intensity on self-conscious emotions and neutralization techniques in the context of ethical decision making among consumers. A sample of 388 shopping mall retail consumers was recruited through self-administered survey technique. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, correlation was carried out in SPSS whereas the measurement model and structural relationships were estimated using AMOS. Results indicate that moral intensity positively influences consumer’s self-consciousness, neutralization techniques and behavioural intention. Self-consciousness negatively influence consumer’s defence mechanism i.e. neutralization techniques. Neither self-consciousness nor neutralization techniques is found to have an impact on consumers’ behavioural intention. Only self-consciousness is found to complementary mediate the relationship of moral intensity and neutralization. The limitations associated with field survey and crosssectional research design are inevitable. The study offers some relevant practical implications for government, marketing professionals and academia. The study is among the pioneer studies that theoretically links and empirically examines Issue Contingent Model, theory of neutralization and self-consciousness. The study develops and tested an Urdu language version of the questionnaire for retail consumers.

Novel neutralized-beam intense neutron source for fusion technology development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osher, J.E.; Perkins, L.J.

1983-01-01

We describe a neutralized-beam intense neutron source (NBINS) as a relevant application of fusion technology for the type of high-current ion sources and neutral beamlines now being developed for heating and fueling of magnetic-fusion-energy confinement systems. This near-term application would support parallel development of highly reliable steady-state higher-voltage neutral D 0 and T 0 beams and provide a relatively inexpensive source of fusion neutrons for materials testing at up to reactor-like wall conditions. Beam-target examples described incude a 50-A mixed D-T total (ions plus neutrals) space-charge-neutralized beam at 120 keV incident on a liquid Li drive-in target, or a 50-A T 0 + T + space-charge-neutralized beam incident on either a LiD or gas D 2 target with calculated 14-MeV neutron yields of 2 x 10 15 /s, 7 x 10 15 /s, or 1.6 x 10 16 /s, respectively. The severe local heat loading on the target surface is expected to limit the allowed beam focus and minimum target size to greater than or equal to 25 cm 2

Serum neutralization as a differential serological test for classical swine fever virus and other pestivirus infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paredes J.C.M.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Serum neutralization tests (SN were performed against classical swine fever virus (CSFV, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV and border disease virus (BDV on samples of swine serum collected for screening of antibodies to CSFV, in order to determine the SN value as a differential serological test. Ninety-nine sera out of a sample of 16,664 were positive for antibodies to pestiviruses in an ELISA test which did not distinguish antibodies to different pestiviruses. When submitted to SN, 81 sera were positive for CSFV antibodies only. In 17 sera, crossreactive antibodies to either CSFV, BVDV or BDV were detected. In most of these sera (13 out of 17 the differences between SN titres against the three viruses were not sufficient to estimate which was the most likely antibody-inducing virus. It was concluded that, for the SN to be useful in such differentiation, it is essential to examine a sample which must include a representative number of sera from the same farm where suspect animals were detected. When isolated serum samples are examined, such as those obtained with the sampling strategy adopted here, the SN may give rise to inconclusive results.

Cryosorption of helium on argon frost in Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor neutral beamlines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamperschroer, J.H.; Cropper, M.B.; Dylla, H.F.; Garzotto, V.; Dudek, L.E.; Grisham, L.R.; Martin, G.D.; O'Connor, T.E.; Stevenson, T.N.; von Halle, A.; Williams, M.D.; Kim, J.

1990-01-01

Helium pumping on argon frost has been investigated on Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) neutral beam injectors and shown to be viable for limited helium beam operation. Maximum pumping speeds are ∼25% less than those measured for pumping of deuterium. Helium pumping efficiency is low, >20 argon atoms are required to pump each helium atom. Adsorption isotherms are exponential and exhibit a twofold increase in adsorption capacity as the cryopanel temperature is reduced from 4.3 K to 3.7 K. Pumping speed was found to be independent of cryopanel temperature over the temperature range studied. After pumping a total of 2000 Torr l of helium, the beamline base pressure rose to 2x10 -5 Torr from an initial value of 10 -8 Torr. Accompanying this three order of magnitude increase in pressure was a modest 40% decrease in pumping speed. The introduction of 168 Torr l of deuterium prior to helium injection reduced the pumping speed by a factor of two with no decrease in adsorption capacity

Neutralized transport experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, P.K.; Yu, S.S.; Eylon, S.; Henestroza, E.; Anders, A.; Gilson, E.P.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Greenway, W.G.; Logan, B.G.; Waldron, W.L.; Shuman, D.B.; Vanecek, D.L.; Welch, D.R.; Rose, D.V.; Thoma, C.; Davidson, R.C.; Efthimion, P.C.; Kaganovich, I.; Sefkow, A.B.; Sharp, W.M.

2005-01-01

Experimental details on providing active neutralization of high brightness ion beam have been demonstrated for Heavy Ion Fusion program. A K + beam was extracted from a variable-perveance injector and transported through 2.4 m long quadrupole lattice for final focusing. Neutralization was provided by a localized cathode arc plasma plug and a RF volume plasma system. Effects of beam perveance, emittance, convergence focusing angle, and axial focusing position on neutralization have been investigated. Good agreement has been observed with theory and experiment throughout the study

HIV-1 binding and neutralizing antibodies of injecting drug users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.P. Ouverney

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have demonstrated a stronger seroreactivity against some synthetic peptides responsible for inducing neutralizing antibodies in injecting drug users (IDU compared to that of individuals sexually infected with HIV-1 (S, but the effectiveness in terms of the neutralizing ability of these antibodies has not been evaluated. Our objective was to study the humoral immune response of IDU by determining the specificity of their antibodies and the presence of neutralizing antibodies. The neutralization capacity against the HIV-1 isolate MN (genotype B, the primary HIV-1 isolate 95BRRJ021 (genotype F, and the seroreactivity with peptides known to induce neutralizing antibodies, from the V2 and V3 loops of different HIV-1 subtypes, were analyzed. Seroreactivity indicates that IDU plasma are more likely to recognize a broader range of peptides than S plasma, with significantly higher titers, especially of V3 peptides. Similar neutralization frequencies of the MN isolate were observed in plasma of the IDU (16/47 and S (20/60 groups in the 1:10 dilution. The neutralization of the 95BRRJ021 isolate was more frequently observed for plasma from the S group (15/23 than from the IDU group (15/47, P = 0.0108. No correlation between neutralization and seroreactivity with the peptides tested was observed. These results suggest that an important factor responsible for the extensive and broad humoral immune response observed in IDU is their infection route. There was very little difference in neutralizing antibody response between the IDU and S groups despite their differences in seroreactivity and health status.

Neutral atom traps of radioactives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behr, J.A.

2003-01-01

Neutral atoms trapped with modern laser cooling techniques offer the promise of improving several broad classes of experiments with radioactive isotopes. In nuclear β decay, neutrino spectroscopy from beta-recoil coincidences, along with highly polarized samples, enable experiments to search for non-Standard Model interactions, test whether parity symmetry is maximally violated, and search for new sources of time reversal violation. Ongoing efforts at TRIUMF, Los Alamos and Berkeley will be highlighted. The traps also offer bright sources for Doppler-free spectroscopy, particularly in high-Z atoms where precision measurements could measure the strength of weak neutral nucleon-nucleon and electron-nucleon interactions. Physics with francium atoms has been vigorously pursued at Stony Brook. Several facilities plan work with radioactive atom traps; concrete plans and efforts at KVI Groningen and Legnaro will be among those summarized. Contributions to the multidisciplinary field of trace analysis will be left up to other presenters

Neutral atom traps of radioactives

CERN Document Server

Behr, J A

2003-01-01

Neutral atoms trapped with modern laser cooling techniques offer the promise of improving several broad classes of experiments with radioactive isotopes. In nuclear beta decay, neutrino spectroscopy from beta-recoil coincidences, along with highly polarized samples, enable experiments to search for non-Standard Model interactions, test whether parity symmetry is maximally violated, and search for new sources of time reversal violation. Ongoing efforts at TRIUMF, Los Alamos and Berkeley will be highlighted. The traps also offer bright sources for Doppler-free spectroscopy, particularly in high-Z atoms where precision measurements could measure the strength of weak neutral nucleon-nucleon and electron-nucleon interactions. Physics with francium atoms has been vigorously pursued at Stony Brook. Several facilities plan work with radioactive atom traps; concrete plans and efforts at KVI Groningen and Legnaro will be among those summarized. Contributions to the multidisciplinary field of trace analysis will be left...

Search for neutral leptons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perl, M.L.

1984-12-01

At present we know of three kinds of neutral leptons: the electron neutrino, the muon neutrino, and the tau neutrino. This paper reviews the search for additional neutral leptons. The method and significance of a search depends upon the model used for the neutral lepton being sought. Some models for the properties and decay modes of proposed neutral leptons are described. Past and present searches are reviewed. The limits obtained by some completed searches are given, and the methods of searches in progress are described. Future searches are discussed. 41 references

Neutral currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paschos, E.A.

1977-01-01

It is stated that over the past few years considerable progress has been made in the field of weak interactions. The existence of neutral currents involving leptons and hadrons has been established and some of the questions concerning their detailed structure have been answered. This imposes constraints on the gauge theories and has eliminated large classes of models. New questions have also been raised, one of which concerns the conservation laws obeyed by neutral currents. The wide range of investigations is impressive and is expected to continue with new results from particle, nuclear, and atomic physics. Headings include - various aspects of a gauge theory (choice of group, the symmetry breaking scheme, representation assignments for fermion fields); space-time structure; isospin structure; leptonic neutral currents; and atomic experiments. (U.K.)

Efficient neutralization of primary isolates by the plasma from HIV-1 infected Indian children.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, S S; Chaudhary, Alok Kumar; Lodha, Rakesh; Kabra, S K; Vajpayee, Madhu; Hazarika, Anjali; Bagga, Barun; Luthra, Kalpana

2011-10-01

We tested the plasma of 51 HIV-1-infected children (23 naïve and 28 ART treated) for neutralization against five primary isolates (PIs) generated from adult Indian HIV-1-infected patients. The plasma exhibited neutralization potential with significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers in ART-treated children than naïve children against three out of five PIs (pIndian children.

In-vacuum sensors for the beamline components of the ITER neutral beam test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalla Palma, M., E-mail: mauro.dallapalma@igi.cnr.it; Pasqualotto, R.; Spagnolo, S.; Spolaore, M. [Consorzio RFX, Padova 35127 (Italy); Sartori, E. [Consorzio RFX, Padova 35127 (Italy); Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova 35122 (Italy); Veltri, P. [Consorzio RFX, Padova 35127 (Italy); INFN-LNL, Legnaro (PD) 35020 (Italy)

2016-11-15

Embedded sensors have been designed for installation on the components of the MITICA beamline, the prototype ITER neutral beam injector (Megavolt ITER Injector and Concept Advancement), to derive characteristics of the particle beam and to monitor the component conditions during operation for protection and thermal control. Along the beamline, the components interacting with the particle beam are the neutralizer, the residual ion dump, and the calorimeter. The design and the positioning of sensors on each component have been developed considering the expected beam-surface interaction including non-ideal and off-normal conditions. The arrangement of the following instrumentation is presented: thermal sensors, strain gages, electrostatic probes including secondary emission detectors, grounding shunt for electrical currents, and accelerometers.

Disruption Neutral Point Experiment on Alcator C-Mod

Science.gov (United States)

Granetz, R. S.; Nakamura, Y.

2000-10-01

Disruptions of single-null elongated plasmas generally result in loss of vertical position control, leading to a current quench occurring at the top or bottom of the machine, with all the attendant problems of halo and eddy currents flowing in divertor structures. On JT-60U, it has been found that if the plasma is operated with its magnetic axis at a particular height, called the neutral point, the initial vertical drift after a thermal quench is significantly slower than usual, and sometimes can even be arrested, thereby avoiding a current quench in the divertor region entirely. In an ongoing collaboration between MIT and JAERI, the neutral point concept is being tested in Alcator C-Mod, which has a significantly higher plasma elongation than JT-60U (1.65 vs 1.3). Calculations using TSC predict a neutral point at z~=+1 cm above the midplane (a=22 cm). The existence of a neutral point has now been experimentally confirmed, albeit at a height of z=+2.7 cm. The plasma has remained vertically stable for up to 9 ms after the disruption thermal quench, which in principle, is long enough for the PF control system to respond, if programmed appropriately. In addition, the physics of the neutral point stability on C-Mod appears to be somewhat different than that on JT-60U.

The 3T3 neutral red uptake phototoxicity test: practical experience and implications for phototoxicity testing--the report of an ECVAM-EFPIA workshop.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceridono, Mara; Tellner, Pär; Bauer, Daniel; Barroso, João; Alépée, Nathalie; Corvi, Raffaella; De Smedt, Ann; Fellows, Mick D; Gibbs, Neil K; Heisler, Eckhard; Jacobs, Abigail; Jirova, Dagmar; Jones, David; Kandárová, Helena; Kasper, Peter; Akunda, Jacqueline Kinyamu; Krul, Cyrille; Learn, Douglas; Liebsch, Manfred; Lynch, Anthony M; Muster, Wolfgang; Nakamura, Kazuichi; Nash, J Frank; Pfannenbecker, Uwe; Phillips, Gareth; Robles, Catherine; Rogiers, Vera; Van De Water, Femke; Liminga, Ulla Wändel; Vohr, Hans-Werner; Wattrelos, Olivier; Woods, Julie; Zuang, Valérie; Kreysa, Joachim; Wilcox, Phil

2012-08-01

This is the report from the "ECVAM-EFPIA workshop on 3T3 NRU Phototoxicity Test: Practical Experience and Implications for Phototoxicity Testing", jointly organized by ECVAM and EFPIA and held on the 25-27 October 2010 in Somma Lombardo, Italy. The European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) was established in 1991 within the European Commission Joint Research, based on a Communication from the European Commission (1991). The main objective of ECVAM is to promote the scientific and regulatory acceptance of alternative methods which are of importance to the biosciences and which reduce, refine and replace the use of laboratory animals. The European Federation of Pharmaceuticals Industries and Association (EFPIA) represent the pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. Through its direct membership of 31 national associations and 40 leading pharmaceutical companies, EFPIA is the voice on the EU scene of 2200 companies committed to researching, developing and bringing to patients new medicines that improve health and the quality of life around the world. The workshop, co-chaired by Joachim Kreysa (ECVAM) and Phil Wilcox (GSK, EFPIA) involved thirty-five experts from academia, regulatory authorities and industry, invited to contribute with their experiences in the field of phototoxicology. The main objectives of the workshop were: -to present 'in use' experience of the pharmaceutical industry with the 3T3 Neutral Red Uptake Phototoxicity Test (3T3 NRU-PT), -to discuss why it differs from the results in the original validation exercise, -to discuss technical issues and consider ways to improve the usability of the 3T3 NRU-PT for (non-topical) pharmaceuticals, e.g., by modifying the threshold of chemical light absorption to trigger photo-toxicological testing, and by modifying technical aspects of the assay, or adjusting the criteria used to classify a positive response. During the workshop, the assay methodology was reviewed by comparing the OECD

Soluble HIV-1 envelope immunogens derived from an elite neutralizer elicit cross-reactive V1V2 antibodies and low potency neutralizing antibodies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Carbonetti

Full Text Available We evaluated four gp140 Envelope protein vaccine immunogens that were derived from an elite neutralizer, subject VC10042, whose plasma was able to potently neutralize a wide array of genetically distinct HIV-1 isolates. We sought to determine whether soluble Envelope proteins derived from the viruses circulating in VC10042 could be used as immunogens to elicit similar neutralizing antibody responses by vaccination. Each gp140 was tested in its trimeric and monomeric forms, and we evaluated two gp140 trimer vaccine regimens in which adjuvant was supplied at all four immunizations or at only the first two immunizations. Interestingly, all four Envelope immunogens elicited high titers of cross-reactive antibodies that recognize the variable regions V1V2 and are potentially similar to antibodies linked with a reduced risk of HIV-1 acquisition in the RV144 vaccine trial. Two of the four immunogens elicited neutralizing antibody responses that neutralized a wide array of HIV-1 isolates from across genetic clades, but those responses were of very low potency. There were no significant differences in the responses elicited by trimers or monomers, nor was there a significant difference between the two adjuvant regimens. Our study identified two promising Envelope immunogens that elicited anti-V1V2 antibodies and broad, but low potency, neutralizing antibody responses.

Development of the ion source for PDX neutral beam injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menon, M.M.; Tsai, C.C.; Gardner, W.L.; Barber, G.C.; Haselton, H.H.; Ponte, N.S.; Ryan, P.M.; Schechter, D.E.; Stirling, W.L.; Whealton, J.H.

1979-01-01

The paper describes the development of the ion source for neutral beam injection heating of PDX plasma. After a brief description of the plasma generator, the performance characteristics of the source, with different types of grids, are described. Based on test stand results it is concluded that at least two different versions of the source should be able to meet and even exceed the neutral power and energy requirements expected out of PDX injectors

Covalent modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with neutral red for the fabrication of an amperometric hydrogen peroxide sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeykumari, D R Shobha; Narayanan, S Sriman

2007-01-01

The nanoscale dimensions, graphitic surface chemistry and electronic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) make them an ideal candidate for chemical and biochemical sensing. In this paper we explore a covalent chemical strategy for functionalization of MWNTs with neutral red through carbodiimide coupling between the primary amine of neutral red and carboxyl groups of the carbon nanotubes. The construction of an amperometric sensor was achieved by abrasive immobilization of the functionalized MWNTs on a paraffin impregnated graphite electrode followed by a coating of a thin film of nafion. The neutral red functionalized MWNTs were characterized by spectroscopic and electroanalytical methods. From the voltammetric studies, MWNTs were found to exhibit a higher accessible surface area in electrochemical reactions. The modified electrode exhibited stable electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide reduction in a wide potential range. A significant decrease in overvoltage for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, as well as a dramatic increase in the peak currents in comparison with a bare graphite electrode were observed. Such an ability of neutral red functionalized carbon nanotubes to promote the hydrogen peroxide electron transfer reaction with a short response time (<4 s) and long-term stability, a low detection limit, an extended linear concentration range and a high sensitivity suggest great promise for dehydrogenase and oxidase based amperometric biosensors

Covalent modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with neutral red for the fabrication of an amperometric hydrogen peroxide sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeykumari, D R Shobha; Narayanan, S Sriman [Department of Analytical Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai-600 025 (India)

2007-03-28

The nanoscale dimensions, graphitic surface chemistry and electronic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) make them an ideal candidate for chemical and biochemical sensing. In this paper we explore a covalent chemical strategy for functionalization of MWNTs with neutral red through carbodiimide coupling between the primary amine of neutral red and carboxyl groups of the carbon nanotubes. The construction of an amperometric sensor was achieved by abrasive immobilization of the functionalized MWNTs on a paraffin impregnated graphite electrode followed by a coating of a thin film of nafion. The neutral red functionalized MWNTs were characterized by spectroscopic and electroanalytical methods. From the voltammetric studies, MWNTs were found to exhibit a higher accessible surface area in electrochemical reactions. The modified electrode exhibited stable electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide reduction in a wide potential range. A significant decrease in overvoltage for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, as well as a dramatic increase in the peak currents in comparison with a bare graphite electrode were observed. Such an ability of neutral red functionalized carbon nanotubes to promote the hydrogen peroxide electron transfer reaction with a short response time (<4 s) and long-term stability, a low detection limit, an extended linear concentration range and a high sensitivity suggest great promise for dehydrogenase and oxidase based amperometric biosensors.

Design analysis and performance test of reduction furnace of kernel U3O8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moch Setyadji; Triyono; Dedy Husnurrofiq

2015-01-01

High Temperature Reactor (HTR) with coated particle fuel is a future reactor (generation IV) because it is not only having high efficiency but also release no fission product into the environment. It has a passive safety principles and negative reactivity. Coated particle fuel for high temperature reactor is made through Sol-Gel process followed by aging, drying, calcination, reduction, sintering and coating process. Research of design analysis of heating system, electrical system, and insulation systems continued construction and performance test of reduction furnace has been done. The aim of this research was to obtain a reduction furnace with adequate performance that can be used to reduce the kernel of U 3 O 8 into UO 2 . The results of the performance test of the reduction furnace showed that heating zones 1-3 can generate heat to a temperature of 900°C with operation time 144 minutes and heat rate of 5.979°C/min. The coefficient of convection in the outer wall of fireproof stone having 7 cm thick was around 30 W/m 2 C. UO 2 kernel resulting from the reduction process has a diameter of between 0.850 to 0.992 mm and qualify as feed sintering process. (author)

Plasma neutralizer for H- beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossman, M.W.

1977-01-01

Neutralization of H - beams by a hydrogen plasma is discussed. Optimum target thickness and maximum neutralization efficiency as a function of the fraction of the hydrogen target gas ionized is calculated for different H - beam energies. Also, the variation of neutralization efficiency with respect to target thickness for different H - beam energies is computed. The dispersion of the neutralized beam by a magnetic field for different energies and different values of B . z is found. Finally, a type of plasma jet is proposed, which may be suitable for a compact H - neutralizer

Testing of residual monomer content reduction possibility on acrilic resins quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kostić Milena

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Poly (methyl methacrylate (PMMA is material widely used in dentistry. Despite the various methods used to initiate the polymerization of acrylic resins, the conversion of monomer to polymer is not complete thus leaving some unreacted methyl methacrylate (MMA, known as residual monomer (RM, in denture structure. RM in dental acrylic resins has deleterious effects on their mechanical properties and their biocompatibility. The objective of the work was to test the residual monomer reduction possibility by applying the appropriate postpolymerization treatment as well as to determine the effects of this reduction on pressure yields stress and surface structure characteristics of the acrylic resins. Postpolymerization treatments and water storage induced reduction of RM amount in cold-polymerized acrylic resins improved their mechanical properties and the homogenized surface structure. After the polymerization of heat-polymerized acrylic resins the post-polymerization treatments for improving the quality of this material type are not necessary.

Maintaining a technology-neutral approach to hydrogen production process development through conceptual design of the next generation nuclear plant - HTR2008-58191

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, M. W.; Park, C. V.

2008-01-01

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) charges the Dept. of Energy (DOE) with developing and demonstrating the technical and economic feasibility of using high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology for the production of electricity and/or hydrogen. The design, construction and demonstration of this technology in an HTGR proto-type reactor are termed the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project. Currently, parallel development of three hydrogen production processes will continue until a single process technology is recommended for final demonstration in the NGNP - a technology neutral approach. This analysis compares the technology neutral approach to acceleration of the hydrogen process down-selection at the completion of the NGNP conceptual design to improve integration of the hydrogen process development and NGNP Project schedule. The accelerated schedule activities are based on completing evaluations and achieving technology readiness levels (TRLs) identified in NGNP systems engineering and technology road-maps. The cost impact of accelerating the schedule and risk reduction strategies was also evaluated. The NGNP Project intends to design and construct a component test facility (CTF) to support testing and demonstration of HTGR technologies, including those for hydrogen production. The demonstrations will support scheduled design and licensing activities, leading to subsequent construction and operation of the NGNP. Demonstrations in the CTF are expected to start about two years earlier than similarly scaled hydrogen demonstrations planned in the technology neutral baseline. The schedule evaluation assumed that hydrogen process testing would be performed in the CTF and synchronized the progression of hydrogen process development with CTF availability. (authors)

Charge-exchange neutral hydrogen measurements in TFTR using Pd-MOS microsensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastasz, R.; Kilpatrick, S.J.; Ruzic, D.N.

1991-06-01

An array of Pd-metal-oxide semiconductor (Pd-MOS) diodes has been used to monitor the fluence and energy of charge-exchange neutral hydrogen isotopes striking the wall of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). The array was positioned 4 cm behind the graphite-tiled wall at the toroidal midplane and exposed to several hundred plasma discharges. Hydrogen isotopes striking the Pd-MOS diodes were detected by measuring the leakage current, which is affected by the presence of these species at the Pd/SiO 2 interface. It was found that the midplane flux strongly increased for neutral-beam heated plasmas and correlated with co-injected neutral beam power. The majority of the neutral flux was <50 eV in energy but its energy distribution extended to above 500 eV. 20 refs., 4 figs

Fixations of the HIV-1 env gene refute neutralism: New evidence for pan-selective evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Y Valenzuela

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We examined 103 nucleotide sequences of the HIV-1 env gene, sampled from 35 countries and tested: I the random (neutral distribution of the number of nucleotide changes; II the proportion of bases at molecular equilibrium; III the neutral expected homogeneity of the distribution of new fxated bases; IV the hypothesis of the neighbor infuence on the mutation rates in a site. The expected random number of fxations per site was estimated by Bose-Einstein statistics, and the expected frequencies of bases by matrices of mutation-fxation rates. The homogeneity of new fxations was analyzed using χ2 and trinomial tests for homogeneity. Fixations of the central base in trinucleotides were used to test the neighbor infuence on base substitutions. Neither the number of fxations nor the frequencies of bases ftted the expected neutral distribution. There was a highly signifcant heterogeneity in the distribution of new fxations, and several sites showed more transversions than transitions, showing that each nucleotide site has its own pattern of change. These three independent results make the neutral theory, the nearly neutral and the neighbor infuence hypotheses untenable and indicate that evolution of env is rather highly selective.

Drag reduction in channel flow using nonlinear control

Science.gov (United States)

Keefe, Laurence R.

1993-01-01

Two nonlinear control schemes have been applied to the problem of drag reduction in channel flow. Both schemes have been tested using numerical simulations at a mass flux Reynolds numbers of 4408, utilizing 2D nonlinear neutral modes for goal dynamics. The OGY-method, which requires feedback, reduces drag to 60-80 percent of the turbulent value at the same Reynolds number, and employs forcing only within a thin region near the wall. The H-method, or model-based control, fails to achieve any drag reduction when starting from a fully turbulent initial condition, but shows potential for suppressing or retarding laminar-to-turbulent transition by imposing instead a transition to a low drag, nonlinear traveling wave solution to the Navier-Stokes equation. The drag in this state corresponds to that achieved by the OGY-method. Model-based control requires no feedback, but in experiments to date has required the forcing be imposed within a thicker layer than the OGY-method. Control energy expenditures in both methods are small, representing less than 0.1 percent of the uncontrolled flow's energy.

Changes in EEG spectral power on perception of neutral and emotional words in patients with schizophrenia, their relatives, and healthy subjects from the general population.

Science.gov (United States)

Alfimova, M V; Uvarova, L G

2008-06-01

EEG correlates of impairments in the processing of emotiogenic information which might reflect a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia were sought by studying the dynamics of EEG rhythm powers on presentation of neutral and emotional words in 36 patients with schizophrenia, 50 of their unaffected first-degree relatives, and 47 healthy subjects without any inherited predisposition to psychoses. In controls, passive hearing of neutral words produced minimal changes in cortical rhythms, predominantly in the form of increases in the power levels of slow and fast waves, while perception of emotional words was accompanied by generalized reductions in the power of the alpha and beta(1) rhythms and regionally specific suppression of theta and beta(2) activity. Patients and their relatives demonstrated reductions in power of alpha and beta(1) activity, with an increase in delta power on hearing both groups of words. Thus, differences in responses to neutral and emotional words in patients and their relatives were weaker, because of increased reactions to neutral words. These results may identify EEG reflections of pathology of involuntary attention, which is familial and, evidently, inherited in nature. No reduction in reactions to emotiogenic stimuli was seen in patients' families.

Functional Capacity Evaluation in Upper Limb Reduction Deficiency and Amputation : Development and Pilot Testing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Postema, S G; Bongers, R M; Reneman, M F; van der Sluis, C K

Purpose To develop and pilot test a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) for individuals with upper limb absence (ULA) due to reduction deficiency or amputation, and to examine the relationship between FCE results and presence of musculoskeletal complaints (MSC). Method Five tests (overhead lifting,

Neutralization escape mutants define a dominant immunogenic neutralization site on hepatitis A virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stapleton, J.T.; Lemon, S.M.

1987-01-01

Hepatitis A virus is an hepatotrophic human picornavirus which demonstrates little antigenic variability. To topologically map immunogenic sites on hepatitis A virus which elicit neutralizing antibodies, eight neutralizing monoclonal antibodies were evaluated in competition immunoassays employing radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies and HM-175 virus. Whereas two antibodies (K3-4C8 and K3-2F2) bound to intimately overlapping epitopes, the epitope bound by a third antibody (B5-B3) was distinctly different as evidenced by a lack of competition between antibodies for binding to the virus. The other five antibodies variably blocked the binding of both K3-4C8-K3-2F2 and B5-B3, suggesting that these epitopes are closely spaced and perhaps part of a single neutralization immunogenic site. Several combinations of monoclonal antibodies blocked the binding of polyclonal human convalescent antibody by greater than 96%, indicating that the neutralization epitopes bound by these antibodies are immunodominant in humans. Spontaneously arising HM-175 mutants were selected for resistance to monoclonal antibody-mediated neutralization. Neutralization resistance was associated with reduced antibody binding. These results suggest that hepatitis A virus may differ from poliovirus in possessing a single, dominant neutralization immunogenic site and therefore may be a better candidate for synthetic peptide or antiidiotype vaccine development

Performance Comparison between Neutralization Tailings and Flotation Tailings Used for Backfill Mix and Mechanism Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Han

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A comparison test of different tailings used for underground backfill was conducted, using neutralized tailings from BIOX and flotation tailings of Jinfeng Mine. Laboratory comparison test results show that, with neutralized tailings, when the cement dosage is at 19%, backfill UCS after 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days are 105%–163%, 80%–102%, and 33%–43%, respectively, which are higher than those of flotation tailings. When the cement dosage is at 12%, backfill UCS after 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days are 58%–77%, 50%–60%, and 28%–51%, respectively, which are higher than those of flotation tailings. Slurry fluidity of neutralized tailings is lower than that of flotation tailings, while, in these two tailings, the difference of slump and diffusivity values is less than 6%, which is not a significant difference in slurry fluidity. The reason for neutralized tailings showing higher UCS is as follows: during backfill curing, neutralization tailings produce abundant crystals of CaSO4·2H2O in interlaced structure which helps in combining aggregates closely; CaSO4·2H2O hydrates with C3A C4AF contained in the cement and forms clavate cement bacillus which works as a micro reinforcing steel bar. The test proved that neutralized tailings are more optimal for backfilling.

Increased Effectiveness of Microbiological Verification by Concentration-Dependent Neutralization of Sanitizers Used in Poultry Slaughter and Fabrication Allowing Salmonella enterica Survival

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra H. Mohammad

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Sanitizer neutralizers can assist foodborne pathogen detection during routine testing by counteracting sanitizer residues carried over into fluids collected and tested from food samples. This study tested sanitizer-matched neutralizers applied at increasing concentrations to facilitate Salmonella enterica survival following exposure to cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC or peracetic acid (PAA, identifying minimum required concentrations of neutralizers to facilitate pathogen survival. Salmonella isolates were individually inoculated into a non-selective medium followed immediately by CPC (0.1 to 0.8% v/v or PAA (0.0125 to 0.2% v/v application, followed by neutralizers application. CPC was neutralized by lecithin and polysorbate 80, each supplemented into buffered peptone water (BPW at 0.125 to 2.0X its respective content in Dey-Engley (D/E neutralizing buffer. PAA was neutralized in BPW supplemented with disodium phosphate, potassium monophosphate, and sodium thiosulfate, each at 0.25 to 3.0X its respective concentration in BPW (phosphates or D/E buffer (thiosulfate. Addition of neutralizers at 1X their respective concentrations in D/E buffer was required to allow Salmonella growth at the maximum CPC concentration (0.8%, while 2X neutralizer addition was required for Salmonella growth at the maximum PAA level (0.2%. Sanitizer neutralizers can assist pathogen survival and detection during routine food product testing.

Maximum entropy algorithm and its implementation for the neutral beam profile measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Wook; Cho, Gyu Seong [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Yong Sub [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1998-12-31

A tomography algorithm to maximize the entropy of image using Lagrangian multiplier technique and conjugate gradient method has been designed for the measurement of 2D spatial distribution of intense neutral beams of KSTAR NBI (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research Neutral Beam Injector), which is now being designed. A possible detection system was assumed and a numerical simulation has been implemented to test the reconstruction quality of given beam profiles. This algorithm has the good applicability for sparse projection data and thus, can be used for the neutral beam tomography. 8 refs., 3 figs. (Author)

Maximum entropy algorithm and its implementation for the neutral beam profile measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Wook; Cho, Gyu Seong [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Yong Sub [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-31

A tomography algorithm to maximize the entropy of image using Lagrangian multiplier technique and conjugate gradient method has been designed for the measurement of 2D spatial distribution of intense neutral beams of KSTAR NBI (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research Neutral Beam Injector), which is now being designed. A possible detection system was assumed and a numerical simulation has been implemented to test the reconstruction quality of given beam profiles. This algorithm has the good applicability for sparse projection data and thus, can be used for the neutral beam tomography. 8 refs., 3 figs. (Author)

对硫糖铝制酸力检查方法的改进建议%Improvement of Acid-neutralizing Capacity Test for Sucralfate

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王丽; 申兰慧; 陈国清

2012-01-01

Objective: To improve the acid-neutralizing capacity test for sucralfate and sucralfate tablets. Methods: Combined with the pharmacopeia standard of the acid-neutralizing rate of sucrelfate, the effects of the time and speed of vibration, methods of end-point indication on the acid-neutralizing capacity test were discussed. Results: The vibration time was shorten to 20 min at the speed of 150r·min-1. And the potentiometric method was recommended to indicate the end-point. Conclusion: This modified method is accurate, reliable and can control the quality of this product more effectively.%目的:改进硫糖铝的制酸力检查法.方法:结合硫糖铝制酸速度的研究,探讨《中国药典》2010年版硫糖铝制酸力检查的振摇时间、振摇频率和终点指示方式对检测结果的影响.结果:将原标准硫酸铝制酸力检查的振摇时间缩短为20 min,振摇频率改为150次/min,且用电位法指示终点.结论:改进后的方法准确、可靠,可更有效地控制产品质量.

On neutral plasma oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shadwick, B.A.; Morrison, P.J.

1993-06-01

We examine the conditions for the existence of spectrally stable neutral modes in a Vlasov-Poisson plasma and show that for stable equilibria of systems that have unbounded spatial domain, the only possible neutral modes are those with phase velocities that correspond to stationary inflection points of the equilibrium distribution function. It is seen that these neutral modes can possess positive or negative free energy

On neutral plasma oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shadwick, B.A.; Texas Univ., Austin; Morrison, P.J.; Texas Univ., Austin

1994-01-01

We examine the conditions for the existence of spectrally stable neutral modes in a Vlasov-Poisson plasma and show that for stable equilibria of systems that have unbounded spatial domain, the only possible neutral modes are those with phase velocities that correspond to stationary inflection points of the equilibrium distribution function. It is seen that these neutral modes can posses positive or negative free energy. (orig.)

Automated Facial Coding Software Outperforms People in Recognizing Neutral Faces as Neutral from Standardized Datasets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter eLewinski

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Little is known about people’s accuracy of recognizing neutral faces as neutral. In this paper, I demonstrate the importance of knowing how well people recognize neutral faces. I contrasted human recognition scores of 100 typical, neutral front-up facial images with scores of an arguably objective judge – automated facial coding (AFC software. I hypothesized that the software would outperform humans in recognizing neutral faces because of the inherently objective nature of computer algorithms. Results confirmed this hypothesis. I provided the first-ever evidence that computer software (90% was more accurate in recognizing neutral faces than people were (59%. I posited two theoretical mechanisms, i.e. smile-as-a-baseline and false recognition of emotion, as possible explanations for my findings.

Detecting the neutral top-pion at e+e- colliders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xuelei; Yang Yueling; Li Bingzhong

2004-01-01

We investigate some processes of the associated production of a neutral top-pion Π t 0 with a pair of fermions (e + e - →ff-barΠ t 0 ) in the context of top-color-assisted technicolor (TC2) theory in the future e + e - colliders. The studies show that the largest cross sections of the processes e + e - →f ' f ' Π t 0 (f ' =u,d,c,s,μ,τ) could only reach the level of 0.01 fb; we can hardly detect a neutral top-pion through these processes. For the processes e + e - →e + e - Π t 0 , e + e - →tt-barΠ t 0 , and e + e - →bb-barΠ t 0 , the cross sections of these processes are at the level of a few fb for the favorable parameters, and a few tens, even hundreds, of neutral top-pion events can be produced at future e + e - colliders each year through these processes. With the clean background of the flavor-changing tc-bar channel, the top-pion events can possibly be detected at the planned high luminosity e + e - colliders. Therefore, such neutral top-pion production processes provide a useful way to detect a neutral top-pion and test the TC2 model directly

Neutral-current effects in the decay psi → μ+μ-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isgur, N.

1975-01-01

We calculate the angular distribution and polarization of muon pairs from the decay of a psi particle produced in e + e - collisions. We show, among other things, that weak neutral-current effects do not produce a forward--backward asymmetry but do give the muons a net helicity which is a sensitive test of both neutral current theories and models of the psi particles. The possibility of measuring the resulting net helicity in the near future is briefly discussed

First observations of partially neutralized and quasineutral plasmas in the Columbia Non-neutral Torus

Science.gov (United States)

Sarasola, Xabier; Brenner, Paul; Hahn, Michael; Pedersen, Thomas

2009-11-01

The Columbia Non-neutral Torus (CNT) is the first stellarator devoted to the study of pure electron, partially neutralized and positron-electron plasmas. To date, CNT usually operates with electron rich plasmas (with negligible ion density) [1], but a stellarator can also confine plasmas of arbitrary degree of neutralization. In CNT the accumulation of ions alters the equilibrium of electron plasmas and a global instability has been observed when the ion fraction exceeds 10 %. A characterization of this instability is presented in [2], analyzing its parameter dependence and spatial structure (non- resonant with rational surfaces). A new set of experiments is currently underway studying plasmas of arbitrary degree of neutralization, ranging from pure electron to quasineutral plasmas. Basic observations show that the plasma potential decouples from emitter bias when we increase the degree of the neutralization of our plasmas. Partially neutralized plasmas are also characterized by multiple mode behavior with dominant modes between 20 and 200 kHz. When the plasma becomes quasineutral, it reverts to single mode behavior. The first results on partially neutralized plasmas confined on magnetic surfaces will be presented. [1] J. Kremer, PRL 97, (2006) 095003 [2] Q. Marksteiner, PRL 100 (2008) 065002

Standard test method for measurement of oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of soil

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2009-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure and related test equipment for measuring oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of soil samples removed from the ground. 1.2 The procedure in Section 9 is appropriate for field and laboratory measurements. 1.3 Accurate measurement of oxidation-reduction potential aids in the analysis of soil corrosivity and its impact on buried metallic structure corrosion rates. 1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Design of the 'half-size' ITER neutral beam source for the test facility ELISE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinemann, B.; Falter, H.; Fantz, U.; Franzen, P.; Froeschle, M.; Gutser, R.; Kraus, W.; Nocentini, R.; Riedl, R.; Speth, E.; Staebler, A.; Wuenderlich, D.; Agostinetti, P.; Jiang, T.

2009-01-01

In 2007 the radio frequency driven negative hydrogen ion source developed at IPP in Garching was chosen by the ITER board as the new reference source for the ITER neutral beam system. In order to support the design and the commissioning and operating phases of the ITER test facilities ISTF and NBTF in Padua, IPP is presently constructing a new test facility ELISE (Extraction from a Large Ion Source Experiment). ELISE will be operated with the so-called 'half-size ITER source' which is an intermediate step between the present small IPP RF sources (1/8 ITER size) and the full size ITER source. The source will have approximately the width but only half the height of the ITER source. The modular concept with 4 drivers will allow an easy extrapolation to the full ITER size with 8 drivers. Pulsed beam extraction and acceleration up to 60 kV (corresponding to pre-acceleration voltage of SINGAP) is foreseen. The aim of the design of the ELISE source and extraction system was to be as close as possible to the ITER design; it has however some modifications allowing a better diagnostic access as well as more flexibility for exploring open questions. Therefore one major difference compared to the source of ITER, NBTF or ISTF is the possible operation in air. Specific requirements for RF sources as found on IPP test facilities BATMAN and MANITU are implemented [A. Staebler, et al., Development of a RF-driven ion source for the ITER NBI system, SOFT Conference 2008, Fusion Engineering and Design, 84 (2009) 265-268].

Efficient electrochemical water oxidation in neutral and near-neutral systems by nanoscale silver-oxide catalyst

KAUST Repository

Joya, Khurram Saleem; Ahmad, Zahoor; Joya, Yasir Faheem; Garcia Esparza, Angel T.; de Groot, Huub

2016-01-01

In electrocatalytic water splitting systems pursuing for renewable energy using sun light, developing robust, stable and easy accessible materials operating under mild chemical conditions is pivotal. We present here unique nano-particulate type silver-oxide (AgOx-NP) based robust and highly stable electrocatalyst for efficient water oxidation. The AgOx-NP is generated in situ in a HCO3–/CO2 system under benign conditions. Mircographs show that they exhibit nanoscale box type squared nano-bipyramidal configuration. The oxygen generation is initiated at low overpotential, and a sustained O2 evolution current density of > 1.1 mA cm–2 is achieved during prolonged-period water electrolysis. The AgOx-NP electrocatalyst performs exceptionally well in metal-ions free neutral or near-neutral carbonate, phosphate and borate buffers relative to recently reported Co-oxide and Ni-oxide based heterogeneous electrocatalysts, which are unstable in metal-ions free electrolyte and tend to degrade with time and lose catalytic performance during long-term experimental tests.

Efficient electrochemical water oxidation in neutral and near-neutral systems by nanoscale silver-oxide catalyst

KAUST Repository

Joya, Khurram Saleem

2016-07-19

In electrocatalytic water splitting systems pursuing for renewable energy using sun light, developing robust, stable and easy accessible materials operating under mild chemical conditions is pivotal. We present here unique nano-particulate type silver-oxide (AgOx-NP) based robust and highly stable electrocatalyst for efficient water oxidation. The AgOx-NP is generated in situ in a HCO3–/CO2 system under benign conditions. Mircographs show that they exhibit nanoscale box type squared nano-bipyramidal configuration. The oxygen generation is initiated at low overpotential, and a sustained O2 evolution current density of > 1.1 mA cm–2 is achieved during prolonged-period water electrolysis. The AgOx-NP electrocatalyst performs exceptionally well in metal-ions free neutral or near-neutral carbonate, phosphate and borate buffers relative to recently reported Co-oxide and Ni-oxide based heterogeneous electrocatalysts, which are unstable in metal-ions free electrolyte and tend to degrade with time and lose catalytic performance during long-term experimental tests.

The earthing system of the PRIMA Neutral Beam Test Facility based on the Mesh Common Bonding Network topology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomaro, Nicola; Boldrin, Marco; Lazzaro, Gabriele

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We designed a high performance earthing system for the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility. • The system is based on the Mesh Common Bonded Network topology. • Careful bonding of all metallic structures allowed to obtain a well meshed system. • Special care was dedicated to improve EMC performance of critical areas like control rooms. • The facility experimental results will be representative also of the ITER situation. - Abstract: PRIMA is a large experimental facility under realization in Padova, aimed at developing and testing the Neutral Beam Injectors for ITER. The operation of these devices involves high RF power and voltage up to 1 MV. Frequent and high voltage electrical breakdowns inside the beam sources occur regularly. The presence of a distributed carefully optimized earthing system is of paramount importance to achieve a satisfying disturbances immunity for equipment and diagnostics. The paper describes the design and the realization of the earthing system of the PRIMA facility, which is based on the MESH-Common Bonding Network (MESH-CBN) topology, as recommended by IEC and IEEE standards for installations with high levels of Electromagnetic Interferences (EMI). The principles of the MESH-CBN approach were adapted to the PRIMA layout, which is composed by several buildings, that are independent for seismic and architectural reasons, but are linked by many electrical conduits and hydraulic pipelines. The availability of huge foundations, with a large number of poles and pillars, was taken into account; building parts dedicated to host control rooms and sensitive equipment were treated with particular care. Moreover, the lightning protection system was integrated and harmonized with the earthing system.

The earthing system of the PRIMA Neutral Beam Test Facility based on the Mesh Common Bonding Network topology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pomaro, Nicola, E-mail: nicola.pomaro@igi.cnr.it; Boldrin, Marco; Lazzaro, Gabriele

2015-10-15

Highlights: • We designed a high performance earthing system for the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility. • The system is based on the Mesh Common Bonded Network topology. • Careful bonding of all metallic structures allowed to obtain a well meshed system. • Special care was dedicated to improve EMC performance of critical areas like control rooms. • The facility experimental results will be representative also of the ITER situation. - Abstract: PRIMA is a large experimental facility under realization in Padova, aimed at developing and testing the Neutral Beam Injectors for ITER. The operation of these devices involves high RF power and voltage up to 1 MV. Frequent and high voltage electrical breakdowns inside the beam sources occur regularly. The presence of a distributed carefully optimized earthing system is of paramount importance to achieve a satisfying disturbances immunity for equipment and diagnostics. The paper describes the design and the realization of the earthing system of the PRIMA facility, which is based on the MESH-Common Bonding Network (MESH-CBN) topology, as recommended by IEC and IEEE standards for installations with high levels of Electromagnetic Interferences (EMI). The principles of the MESH-CBN approach were adapted to the PRIMA layout, which is composed by several buildings, that are independent for seismic and architectural reasons, but are linked by many electrical conduits and hydraulic pipelines. The availability of huge foundations, with a large number of poles and pillars, was taken into account; building parts dedicated to host control rooms and sensitive equipment were treated with particular care. Moreover, the lightning protection system was integrated and harmonized with the earthing system.

Prevalence of measles neutralizing antibody in children under 15 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The immune status of children under 15 years in the Southwestern region of Nigeria against measles virus was determined using the neutralization test with a view to assessing the herd immunity to the virus in these communities. A total of 256 serum samples collected from children were tested by the beta method of ...

Plasma/Neutral-Beam Etching Apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, William; Cohen, Samuel; Cuthbertson, John; Manos, Dennis; Motley, Robert

1989-01-01

Energies of neutral particles controllable. Apparatus developed to produce intense beams of reactant atoms for simulating low-Earth-orbit oxygen erosion, for studying beam-gas collisions, and for etching semiconductor substrates. Neutral beam formed by neutralization and reflection of accelerated plasma on metal plate. Plasma ejected from coaxial plasma gun toward neutralizing plate, where turned into beam of atoms or molecules and aimed at substrate to be etched.

Neutral theory and the species abundance distribution: recent developments and prospects for unifying niche and neutral perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Thomas J; Whittaker, Robert J

2014-01-01

Published in 2001, The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography (UNTB) emphasizes the importance of stochastic processes in ecological community structure, and has challenged the traditional niche-based view of ecology. While neutral models have since been applied to a broad range of ecological and macroecological phenomena, the majority of research relating to neutral theory has focused exclusively on the species abundance distribution (SAD). Here, we synthesize the large body of work on neutral theory in the context of the species abundance distribution, with a particular focus on integrating ideas from neutral theory with traditional niche theory. First, we summarize the basic tenets of neutral theory; both in general and in the context of SADs. Second, we explore the issues associated with neutral theory and the SAD, such as complications with fitting and model comparison, the underlying assumptions of neutral models, and the difficultly of linking pattern to process. Third, we highlight the advances in understanding of SADs that have resulted from neutral theory and models. Finally, we focus consideration on recent developments aimed at unifying neutral- and niche-based approaches to ecology, with a particular emphasis on what this means for SAD theory, embracing, for instance, ideas of emergent neutrality and stochastic niche theory. We put forward the argument that the prospect of the unification of niche and neutral perspectives represents one of the most promising future avenues of neutral theory research. PMID:25360266

Neutral theory and the species abundance distribution: recent developments and prospects for unifying niche and neutral perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Thomas J; Whittaker, Robert J

2014-06-01

Published in 2001, The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography (UNTB) emphasizes the importance of stochastic processes in ecological community structure, and has challenged the traditional niche-based view of ecology. While neutral models have since been applied to a broad range of ecological and macroecological phenomena, the majority of research relating to neutral theory has focused exclusively on the species abundance distribution (SAD). Here, we synthesize the large body of work on neutral theory in the context of the species abundance distribution, with a particular focus on integrating ideas from neutral theory with traditional niche theory. First, we summarize the basic tenets of neutral theory; both in general and in the context of SADs. Second, we explore the issues associated with neutral theory and the SAD, such as complications with fitting and model comparison, the underlying assumptions of neutral models, and the difficultly of linking pattern to process. Third, we highlight the advances in understanding of SADs that have resulted from neutral theory and models. Finally, we focus consideration on recent developments aimed at unifying neutral- and niche-based approaches to ecology, with a particular emphasis on what this means for SAD theory, embracing, for instance, ideas of emergent neutrality and stochastic niche theory. We put forward the argument that the prospect of the unification of niche and neutral perspectives represents one of the most promising future avenues of neutral theory research.

Preliminary experiments on energy recovery on a neutral beam injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fumelli, M.

1977-06-01

Experimental tests of energy recovery are made on an injector of energetic neutral atoms in which the ion source (the circular periplasmatron) is operated at the ground potential and the neutralizer is biased at the high negative potential corresponding to the desired neutral beam energy. To prevent the acceleration of the neutralizer plasma electrons toward the collector of the decelerated ions (the recovery electrode), a potential barrier is created by means of a negatively biased long cylindrical grid (called the suppressor grid) surrounding the beam. For a given negative potential (relative to the neutralizer) applied to this grid a plasma sheath develops at the periphery of the beam. At the entry of the grid the width of this sheath is generally much smaller than the beam radius. However, the ions are deflected by the electric field of the sheath outward through the grid. The ion density in the sheath is thus decreasing as the beam propagates and the result is a sheath-widening process which in turn causes more ions to be deflected. If the suppressor grid is sufficiently long the sheath will eventually fill the whole section of the beam, the potential on the axis will fall below the neutralizer potential and stop the electrons. Concurrently, most of the ions are deflected out of the suppressor. These ions can be decelerated and collected outside the region where the neutral beam propagates. A drawing of such a system is shown

Fast Neutral Pressure Gauges in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raman, R.; Kugel, H.W.; Gernhardt, R.; Provost, T.; Jarboe, T.R.; Soukhanovskii, V.

2004-01-01

Successful operation in NSTX of two prototype fast-response micro ionization gauges during plasma operations has motivated us to install five gauges at different toroidal and poloidal locations to measure the edge neutral pressure and its dependence on the type of discharge (L-mode, H-mode, CHI) and the fueling method and location. The edge neutral pressure is also used as an input to the transport analysis codes TRANSP and DEGAS-2. The modified PDX-type Penning gauges are well suited for pressure measurements in the NSTX divertor where the toroidal field is relatively high. Behind the NSTX outer divertor plates where the field is lower, an unshielded fast ion gauge of a new design has been installed. This gauge was developed after laboratory testing of several different designs in a vacuum chamber with applied magnetic fields

On plasma-neutral gas interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkataramani, N.; Mattoo, S.K.

1980-01-01

The importance of plasma-neutral gas interaction layer has been emphasized by pointing out its application to a wide variety of physical phenomena. The interaction of a magnetised plasma stream penetrating a neutral gas cloud is discussed in the light of Alfven's critical velocity and Varma's threshold velocity on the ionising interaction. Interaction of a moving magnetised plasma with a stationary neutral gas has been studied and described. The device comprises of a plasma gun and an interaction region where neutral gas cloud is injected. The interaction region is provided with a transverse magnetic field of upto 1000 G. Several diagnostics deployed at the interaction region to make measurements on the macroscopic parameters of plasma and neutral gas are described. The parameters of discharge circuits are measured with high current and voltage probes. An interaction between a magnetised plasma stream and a neutral gas cloud is demonstrated. It is shown that this interaction does not have Varma's threshold on their relative velocity. The Alfven's critical velocity phenomenon is shown to depend on the integrated column neutral gas density that a plasma stream encounters while penetrating through it and not on the neutral gas density in the range of 10 17 -10 21 m -3 . (auth.)

Consistency checks in beam emission modeling for neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punyapu, Bharathi; Vattipalle, Prahlad; Sharma, Sanjeev Kumar; Baruah, Ujjwal Kumar; Crowley, Brendan

2015-01-01

In positive neutral beam systems, the beam parameters such as ion species fractions, power fractions and beam divergence are routinely measured using Doppler shifted beam emission spectrum. The accuracy with which these parameters are estimated depend on the accuracy of the atomic modeling involved in these estimations. In this work, an effective procedure to check the consistency of the beam emission modeling in neutral beam injectors is proposed. As a first consistency check, at a constant beam voltage and current, the intensity of the beam emission spectrum is measured by varying the pressure in the neutralizer. Then, the scaling of measured intensity of un-shifted (target) and Doppler shifted intensities (projectile) of the beam emission spectrum at these pressure values are studied. If the un-shifted component scales with pressure, then the intensity of this component will be used as a second consistency check on the beam emission modeling. As a further check, the modeled beam fractions and emission cross sections of projectile and target are used to predict the intensity of the un-shifted component and then compared with the value of measured target intensity. An agreement between the predicted and measured target intensities provide the degree of discrepancy in the beam emission modeling. In order to test this methodology, a systematic analysis of Doppler shift spectroscopy data obtained on the JET neutral beam test stand data was carried out

Is an inequality-neutral flat tax reform really neutral?

OpenAIRE

Juan Prieto Rodríguez; Juan Gabriel Rodríguez; Rafael Salas

2004-01-01

. Let us assume a revenue- and inequality-neutral flat tax reform shifting from a graduated-rate tax. Is this reform really neutral in terms of the income distribution? Traditionally, there has been a bias toward the inequality analysis, forgetting other relevant aspects of the income distribution. This kind of reforms implies a set of composite transfers, both progressive and regressive, even though inequality remains unchanged. This paper shows that polarization is a useful tool for charact...

Uptake of neutral alpha- and beta-amino acids by human proximal tubular cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jessen, H; Røigaard, H; Jacobsen, Christian

1996-01-01

experiments revealed that all the neutral amino acids tested reduced the uptake of AIB, whereas there was no effect of taurine, L-aspartic acid, and L-arginine. By contrast, the influx of beta-alanine was only drastically reduced by beta-amino acids, whereas the inhibition by neutral alpha-amino acids...

The effects of dissociation on information processing for analogue trauma and neutral stimuli: a laboratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Shira A; Beck, J Gayle

2012-01-01

This study investigated the effects of high and low levels of dissociation on information processing for analogue trauma and neutral stimuli. Fifty-four undergraduate females who reported high and low levels of trait dissociation were presented with two films, one depicting traumatic events, the other containing neutral material. Participants completed a divided attention task (yielding a proxy measure of attention), as well as explicit memory (free-recall) and implicit memory (word-stem completion) tasks for both films. Results indicated that the high DES group showed less attention and had poorer recall for the analogue trauma stimuli, relative to the neutral stimuli and the low DES group. These findings suggest that high levels of trait dissociation are associated with reductions in attention and memory for analogue trauma stimuli, relative to neutral stimuli and relative to low trait dissociation. Implications for the role of cognitive factors in the etiology of negative post-trauma responses are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Reduction of animal experiments in experimental drug testing].

Science.gov (United States)

Behrensdorf-Nicol, H; Krämer, B

2014-10-01

In order to ensure the quality of biomedical products, an experimental test for every single manufactured batch is required for many products. Especially in vaccine testing, animal experiments are traditionally used for this purpose. For example, efficacy is often determined via challenge experiments in laboratory animals. Safety tests of vaccine batches are also mostly performed using laboratory animals. However, many animal experiments have clear inherent disadvantages (low accuracy, questionable transferability to humans, unclear significance). Furthermore, for ethical reasons and animal welfare aspects animal experiments are also seen very critical by the public. Therefore, there is a strong trend towards replacing animal experiments with methods in which no animals are used ("replacement"). If a replacement is not possible, the required animal experiments should be improved in order to minimize the number of animals necessary ("reduction") and to reduce pain and suffering caused by the experiment to a minimum ("refinement"). This "3R concept" is meanwhile firmly established in legislature. In recent years many mandatory animal experiments have been replaced by alternative in vitro methods or improved according to the 3R principles; numerous alternative methods are currently under development. Nevertheless, the process from the development of a new method to its legal implementation takes a long time. Therefore, supplementary regulatory measures to facilitate validation and acceptance of new alternative methods could contribute to a faster and more consequent implementation of the 3R concept in the testing of biomedical products.

Research and development at the Marshall Space Flight Center Neutral Buoyancy Simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Kulpa, Vygantas P.

1987-01-01

The Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS), a facility designed to imitate zero-gravity conditions, was used to test the Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity (EASE) and the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS). Neutral Buoyancy Simulator applications and operations; early space structure research; development of the EASE/ACCESS experiments; and improvement of NBS simulation are summarized.

Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) is an astronaut training facility and neutral buoyancy pool operated by NASA and located at the Sonny Carter Training Facility,...

Effects of large rate coefficients for ion-polar neutral reactions on chemical models of dense interstellar clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbst, E.; Leung, C.M.; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY)

1986-01-01

Pseudo-time-dependent models of the gas phase chemistry of dense interstellar clouds have been run with large rate coefficients for reactions between ions and polar neutral species, as advocated by Adams, Smith, and Clary. The higher rate coefficients normally lead to a reduction in both the peak and steady state abundances of polar neutrals, which can be as large as an order of magnitude but is more often smaller. Other differences between the results of these models and previous results are also discussed. 38 references

A rule-based computer control system for PBX-M neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, K.T.; Kozub, T.A.; Kugel, H.W.

1987-01-01

The Princeton Beta Experiment (PBX) neutral beams have been routinely operated under automatic computer control. A major upgrade of the computer configuration was undertaken to coincide with the PBX machine modification. The primary tasks included in the computer control system are data acquisition, waveform reduction, automatic control and data storage. The portion of the system which will remain intact is the rule-based approach to automatic control. Increased computational and storage capability will allow the expansion of the knowledge base previously used. The hardware configuration supported by the PBX Neutral Beam (XNB) software includes a dedicated Microvax with five CAMAC crates and four process controllers. The control algorithms are rule-based and goal-driven. The automatic control system raises ion source electrical parameters to selected energy goals and maintains these levels until new goals are requested or faults are detected

JET neutral beam duct Optical Interlock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ash, A.D.; Jones, T.T.C.; Surrey, E.; Ćirić, D.; Hall, S.I.; Young, D.; Afzal, M.; Hackett, L.; Day, I.E.; King, R.

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Optical Interlocks were installed on the JET NBI system as part of the EP2 upgrade. • The system protects the JET tokamak and NBI systems from thermal load damage. • Balmer-α beam emission is used to monitor the neutral beam-line pressure. • We demonstrate an improved trip delay of 2 ms compared to 50 ms before EP2. - Abstract: The JET Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) system is the most powerful neutral beam plasma heating system currently operating. Optical Interlocks were installed on the beam lines in 2011 for the JET Enhancement Project 2 (EP2), when the heating power was increased from 23 MW to 34 MW. JET NBI has two beam lines. Each has eight positive ion injectors operating in deuterium at 80 kV–125 kV (accelerator voltage) and up to 65 A (beam current). Heating power is delivered through two ducts where the central power density can be more than 100 MW/m{sup 2}. In order to deliver this safely, the beam line pressure should be below 2 × 10{sup −5} mbar otherwise the power load on the duct from the re-ionised fraction of the beam is excessive. The new Optical Interlock monitors the duct pressure by measuring the Balmer-α beam emission (656 nm). This is proportional to the instantaneous beam flux and the duct pressure. Light is collected from a diagnostic window and focused into 1-mm diameter fibres. The Doppler shifted signal is selected using an angle-tuned interference filter. The light is measured by a photo-multiplier module with a logarithmic amplifier. The interlock activation time of 2 ms is sufficient to protect the system from a fully re-ionised beam—a significant improvement on the previous interlock. The dynamic range is sufficient to see bremsstrahlung emission from JET plasma and not saturate during plasma disruptions. For high neutron flux operations the optical fibres within the biological shield can be annealed to 350 °C. A self-test is possible by illuminating the diagnostic window with a test lamp and measuring

Neutral currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aubert, B.

1994-11-01

The evidence for the existence of weak neutral current has been a very controverted topics in the early 1970's, as well as the muon did in the 1930's. The history is very rich considering the evolution of the experimental techniques in high energy particle physics. The history of the discovery and the study of weak neutral current is reviewed. Later the quest of the intermediate vector boson continues with the decision of the community to build a large proton antiproton collider. (K.A.). 14 refs., 1 fig

Lifetime of rho meson in correlation with magnetic-dimensional reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawaguchi, Mamiya [Nagoya University, Department of Physics, Nagoya (Japan); Matsuzaki, Shinya [Nagoya University, Department of Physics, Nagoya (Japan); Nagoya University, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya (Japan)

2017-04-15

It is naively expected that in a strong magnetic configuration, the Landau quantization ceases the neutral rho meson to decay to the charged pion pair, so the neutral rho meson will be long-lived. To closely access this naive observation, we explicitly compute the charged pion loop in the magnetic field at the one-loop level, to evaluate the magnetic dependence of the lifetime for the neutral rho meson as well as its mass. Due to the dimensional reduction induced by the magnetic field (violation of the Lorentz invariance), the polarization (spin s{sub z} = 0, ±1) modes of the rho meson, as well as the corresponding pole mass and width, are decomposed in a nontrivial manner compared to the vacuum case. To see the significance of the reduction effect, we simply take the lowest Landau level approximation to analyze the spin-dependent rho masses and widths. We find that the ''fate'' of the rho meson may be more complicated because of the magnetic-dimensional reduction: as the magnetic field increases, the rho width for the spin s{sub z} = 0 starts to develop, reaches a peak, then vanishes at the critical magnetic field to which the folklore refers. On the other side, the decay rates of the other rhos for s{sub z} = ±1 monotonically increase as the magnetic field develops. The correlation between the polarization dependence and the Landau level truncation is also addressed. (orig.)

Intermediate energy semileptonic probes of the hadronic neutral current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musolf, M.J.; Donnelly, T.W.; Dubach, J.; Beise, E.J.; Maryland Univ., College Park, MD

1993-06-01

The present status and future prospects of intermediate-energy semileptonic neutral current studies are reviewed. Possibilities for using parity-violating electron scattering from nucleons and nuclei to study hadron structure and nuclear dynamics are emphasized, with particular attention paid to probes of strangeness content in the nucleon. Connections are drawn between such studies and tests of the electroweak gauge theory using electron or neutrino scattering. Outstanding theoretical issues in the interpretation of semileptonic neutral current measurements are highlighted and the prospects for undertaking parity-violating electron or neutrino scattering experiments in the near future are surveyed

Multisample matrix-assisted laser desorption source for molecular beams of neutral peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lupulescu, C.; Abd El Rahim, M.; Antoine, R.; Barbaire, M.; Broyer, M.; Dagany, X.; Maurelli, J.; Rayane, D.; Dugourd, Ph.

2006-01-01

We developed and tested a multisample laser desorption source for producing stable molecular beams of neutral peptides. Our apparatus is based on matrix-assisted laser desorption technique. The source consists of 96 different targets which may be scanned by a software control procedure. Examples of molecular beams of neutral peptides are presented, as well as the influence of the different source parameters on the jet

Simultaneous temperature measurement of ionospheric plasma and neutral atmosphere with K-10-11 rocket

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murasato, Yukio; Kaneko, Osamu; Sasaki, Susumu; Kawashima, Nobuki; Kibune, Tadashi.

1976-01-01

Ion temperature and neutral atmospheric temperature in lower ionospheric layer were measured by the ''Shadow Method'', which has been developed and improved by the authors. The principle of the method, which utilizes the fact that the shadow due to the reduction of density of medium behind on obstacle depends upon the flow velocity and the temperature of the medium, is briefly explained together with the apparatus used for the measurement. A pair of the Langmuir probes with the interval of 44 mm was used for the measurement of ion temperature. For the measurement of the neutral atmospheric temperature, its density was measured with the ionization gauge. The measuring system was mounted on the K-10-11 rocket, and launched from KSC at 2 p.m., September 24, 1975. Although the rocket itself reached its highest altitude of 196 km, the temperature measurement was performed between the altitude of 80 km and 140 km. The measured temperatures of ions, neutral atmosphere, and electrons are presented as the functions of altitude. It is confirmed that the temperatures of ions and neutral atmosphere are lower than that of electrons in that range of altitude. (Aoki, K.)

Long plasma source for heavy ion beam charge neutralization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efthimion, Philip C.; Gilson, Erik P.; Grisham, Larry; Davidson, Ronald C.; Grant Logan, Larry B.; Seidl, Peter A.; Waldron, William

2009-01-01

Plasmas are a source of unbound electrons for charge neutralizing intense heavy ion beams to focus them to a small spot size and compress their axial length. The plasma source should operate at low neutral pressures and without strong externally applied fields. To produce long plasma columns, sources based upon ferroelectric ceramics with large dielectric coefficients have been developed. The source utilizes the ferroelectric ceramic BaTiO 3 to form metal plasma. The drift tube inner surface of the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment (NDCX) is covered with ceramic material. High voltage (∼8 kV) is applied between the drift tube and the front surface of the ceramics. A BaTiO 3 source comprised of five 20-cm-long sources has been tested and characterized, producing relatively uniform plasma in the 5x10 10 cm -3 density range. The source was integrated into the NDCX device for charge neutralization and beam compression experiments, and yielded current compression ratios ∼120. Present research is developing multi-meter-long and higher density sources to support beam compression experiments for high-energy-density physics applications.

Identification of intrinsic catalytic activity for electrochemical reduction of water molecules to generate hydrogen

KAUST Repository

Shinagawa, Tatsuya

2015-01-01

Insufficient hydronium ion activities at near-neutral pH and under unbuffered conditions induce diffusion-limited currents for hydrogen evolution, followed by a reaction with water molecules to generate hydrogen at elevated potentials. The observed constant current behaviors at near neutral pH reflect the intrinsic electrocatalytic reactivity of the metal electrodes for water reduction. This journal is © the Owner Societies.

Lack of protection following passive transfer of polyclonal highly functional low-dose non-neutralizing antibodies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Sophie Dugast

Full Text Available Recent immune correlates analysis from the RV144 vaccine trial has renewed interest in the role of non-neutralizing antibodies in mediating protection from infection. While neutralizing antibodies have proven difficult to induce through vaccination, extra-neutralizing antibodies, such as those that mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC, are associated with long-term control of infection. However, while several non-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies have been tested for their protective efficacy in vivo, no studies to date have tested the protective activity of naturally produced polyclonal antibodies from individuals harboring potent ADCC activity. Because ADCC-inducing antibodies are highly enriched in elite controllers (EC, we passively transferred highly functional non-neutralizing polyclonal antibodies, purified from an EC, to assess the potential impact of polyclonal non-neutralizing antibodies on a stringent SHIV-SF162P3 challenge in rhesus monkeys. Passive transfer of a low-dose of ADCC inducing antibodies did not protect from infection following SHIV-SF162P3 challenge. Passively administered antibody titers and gp120-specific, but not gp41-specific, ADCC and antibody induced phagocytosis (ADCP were detected in the majority of the monkeys, but did not correlate with post infection viral control. Thus these data raise the possibility that gp120-specific ADCC activity alone may not be sufficient to control viremia post infection but that other specificities or Fc-effector profiles, alone or in combination, may have an impact on viral control and should be tested in future passive transfer experiments.

Settling velocity of quasi-neutrally-buoyant inertial particles

Science.gov (United States)

Martins Afonso, Marco; Gama, Sílvio M. A.

2018-02-01

We investigate the sedimentation properties of quasi-neutrally buoyant inertial particles carried by incompressible zero-mean fluid flows. We obtain generic formulae for the terminal velocity in generic space-and-time periodic (or steady) flows, along with further information for flows endowed with some degree of spatial symmetry such as odd parity in the vertical direction. These expressions consist in space-time integrals of auxiliary quantities that satisfy partial differential equations of the advection-diffusion-reaction type, which can be solved at least numerically, since our scheme implies a huge reduction of the problem dimensionality from the full phase space to the classical physical space. xml:lang="fr"

Molecular clock on a neutral network.

Science.gov (United States)

Raval, Alpan

2007-09-28

The number of fixed mutations accumulated in an evolving population often displays a variance that is significantly larger than the mean (the overdispersed molecular clock). By examining a generic evolutionary process on a neutral network of high-fitness genotypes, we establish a formalism for computing all cumulants of the full probability distribution of accumulated mutations in terms of graph properties of the neutral network, and use the formalism to prove overdispersion of the molecular clock. We further show that significant overdispersion arises naturally in evolution when the neutral network is highly sparse, exhibits large global fluctuations in neutrality, and small local fluctuations in neutrality. The results are also relevant for elucidating aspects of neutral network topology from empirical measurements of the substitution process.

The Application of Normal Stress Reduction Function in Tilt Tests for Different Block Shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong Hyun; Gratchev, Ivan; Hein, Maw; Balasubramaniam, Arumugam

2016-08-01

This paper focuses on the influence of the shapes of rock cores, which control the sliding or toppling behaviours in tilt tests for the estimation of rock joint roughness coefficients (JRC). When the JRC values are estimated by performing tilt tests, the values are directly proportional to the basic friction of the rock material and the applied normal stress on the sliding planes. Normal stress obviously varies with the shape of the sliding block, and the basic friction angle is also affected by the sample shapes in tilt tests. In this study, the shapes of core blocks are classified into three representative shapes and those are created using plaster. Using the various shaped artificial cores, a set of tilt tests is carried out to identify the shape influences on the normal stress and the basic friction angle in tilt tests. The test results propose a normal stress reduction function to estimate the normal stress for tilt tests according to the sample shapes based on Barton's empirical equation. The proposed normal stress reduction functions are verified by tilt tests using artificial plaster joints and real rock joint sets. The plaster joint sets are well matched and cast in detailed printed moulds using a 3D printing technique. With the application of the functions, the obtained JRC values from the tilt tests using the plaster samples and the natural rock samples are distributed within a reasonable JRC range when compared with the measured values.

Operating characteristics of a new ion source for KSTAR neutral beam injection system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae-Seong; Jeong, Seung Ho; Chang, Doo-Hee; Lee, Kwang Won; In, Sang-Ryul

2014-02-01

A new positive ion source for the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research neutral beam injection (KSTAR NBI-1) system was designed, fabricated, and assembled in 2011. The characteristics of the arc discharge and beam extraction were investigated using hydrogen and helium gas to find the optimum operating parameters of the arc power, filament voltage, gas pressure, extracting voltage, accelerating voltage, and decelerating voltage at the neutral beam test stand at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in 2012. Based on the optimum operating condition, the new ion source was then conditioned, and performance tests were primarily finished. The accelerator system with enlarged apertures can extract a maximum 65 A ion beam with a beam energy of 100 keV. The arc efficiency and optimum beam perveance, at which the beam divergence is at a minimum, are estimated to be 1.0 A/kW and 2.5 uP, respectively. The beam extraction tests show that the design goal of delivering a 2 MW deuterium neutral beam into the KSTAR Tokamak plasma is achievable.

Tailings neutralization and other alternatives for immobilizing toxic materials in tailings. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opitz, B.E.; Sherwood, D.R.; Dodson, M.E.; Serne, R.J.

1985-09-01

This document, ''Tailing Neutralization and Other Alternatives for Immobilizing Toxic Materials in Tailings,'' is the final report in a series of six. It summarizes research completed since the beginning of the project. Three subtasks are included: Subtask A - Neutralization Methods Selection; Subtask B - Laboratory Analysis; and Subtask C - Field Testing. Subtask A reviews treatment processes from other industries to evaluate whether current waste technology from other fields is applicable to the uranium industry. This task also identifies several reagents that were tested for their effectiveness in treating acidic tailings and tailings solution in order to immobilize the contaminants associated with the acid waste. Subtask B describes the laboratory batch and column treatment studies performed on solid waste tailings and tailings solutions over the course of the project. The evaluation of several reagents identified in Subtask A was based on three criteria: (1) treated effluent water quality; (2) neutralized sludge handling and hydraulic properties; and (3) reagent costs and acid neutralizing efficiency. Subtask C presents a field demonstration plan that will evaluate the effectiveness, costs, and benefits of neutralizing acidic uranium mill tailings solution to reduce the potential leaching of toxic trace metals, radionuclides, and macro ions from a tailings impoundment. Details of the related research can be found in the documents listed in the ''Previous Documents in Series.'' 43 refs., 9 figs., 46 tabs

Is a neutral expression also a neutral stimulus? A study with functional magnetic resonance.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvajal, Fernando; Rubio, Sandra; Serrano, Juan M; Ríos-Lago, Marcos; Alvarez-Linera, Juan; Pacheco, Lara; Martín, Pilar

2013-08-01

Although neutral faces do not initially convey an explicit emotional message, it has been found that individuals tend to assign them an affective content. Moreover, previous research has shown that affective judgments are mediated by the task they have to perform. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in 21 healthy participants, we focus this study on the cerebral activity patterns triggered by neutral and emotional faces in two different tasks (social or gender judgments). Results obtained, using conjunction analyses, indicated that viewing both emotional and neutral faces evokes activity in several similar brain areas indicating a common neural substrate. Moreover, neutral faces specifically elicit activation of cerebellum, frontal and temporal areas, while emotional faces involve the cuneus, anterior cingulated gyrus, medial orbitofrontal cortex, posterior superior temporal gyrus, precentral/postcentral gyrus and insula. The task selected was also found to influence brain activity, in that the social task recruited frontal areas while the gender task involved the posterior cingulated, inferior parietal lobule and middle temporal gyrus to a greater extent. Specifically, in the social task viewing neutral faces was associated with longer reaction times and increased activity of left dorsolateral frontal cortex compared with viewing facial expressions of emotions. In contrast, in the same task emotional expressions distinctively activated the left amygdale. The results are discussed taking into consideration the fact that, like other facial expressions, neutral expressions are usually assigned some emotional significance. However, neutral faces evoke a greater activation of circuits probably involved in more elaborate cognitive processing.

Framework for Testing the Effectiveness of Bat and Eagle Impact-Reduction Strategies at Wind Energy Projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinclair, Karin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); DeGeorge, Elise [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-04-13

The objectives of this framework are to facilitate the study design and execution to test the effectiveness of bat and eagle impact-reduction strategies at wind energy sites. Through scientific field research, the wind industry and its partners can help determine if certain strategies are ready for operational deployment or require further development. This framework should be considered a living document to be improved upon as fatality-reduction technologies advance from the initial concepts to proven readiness (through project- and technology-specific testing) and as scientific field methods improve.

Violation of Bell's inequality in neutral kaons system

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We show by general considerations that it is not possible to test violation of the existing versions of Bell's inequality in entangled neutral kaons system using experimentally accessible thin regenerators. We point out the loophole in the recent argument (A Bramon and M Nowakowski, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1 (1999)) that ...

Violation of Bell's inequality in neutral kaons system

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. We show by general considerations that it is not possible to test violation of the existing versions of Bell's inequality in entangled neutral kaons system using experimentally accessible thin regenerators. We point out the loophole in the recent argument (A Bramon and M Nowakowski,. Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1 (1999)) ...

ALTERNATE REDUCTANT COLD CAP EVALUATION FURNACE PHASE I TESTING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, F.; Miller, D.; Zamecnik, J.; Lambert, D.

2014-04-22

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) conducted a Systems Engineering Evaluation (SEE) to determine the optimum alternate reductant flowsheet for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Specifically, two proposed flowsheets (nitric–formic–glycolic and nitric–formic–sugar) were evaluated based upon results from preliminary testing. Comparison of the two flowsheets among evaluation criteria indicated a preference towards the nitric–formic–glycolic flowsheet. Further evaluation of this flowsheet eliminated the formic acid1, and as a result, the nitric–glycolic flowsheet was recommended for further testing. Based on the development of a roadmap for the nitric–glycolic acid flowsheet, Waste Solidification Engineering (WS-E) issued a Technical Task Request (TTR) to address flammability issues that may impact the implementation of this flowsheet. Melter testing was requested in order to define the DWPF flammability envelope for the nitric glycolic acid flowsheet. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Cold Cap Evaluation Furnace (CEF), a 1/12th scale DWPF melter, was selected by the SRR Alternate Reductant project team as the melter platform for this testing. The overall scope was divided into the following sub-tasks as discussed in the Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP): Phase I - A nitric–formic acid flowsheet melter test (unbubbled) to baseline the Cold Cap Evaluation Furnace (CEF) cold cap and vapor space data to the benchmark melter flammability models Phase II - A nitric–glycolic acid flowsheet melter test (unbubbled and bubbled) to: o Define new cold cap reactions and global kinetic parameters for the melter flammability models o Quantify off-gas surging potential of the feed o Characterize off-gas condensate for complete organic and inorganic carbon species Prior to startup, a number of improvements and modifications were made to the CEF, including addition of cameras, vessel support temperature measurement, and a heating

Unconditional conservatism in Brazilian public companies and tax neutrality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Pinhata Sanches do Vale

2017-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Law n. 11,638/2007 legitimized the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS adoption process in Brazil and introduced an accounting system detached from tax purposes in the country. This law aims to reduce the influence of tax law on accounting standards and improve the quality of financial reporting, as IFRS are considered to be higher quality standards. International literature shows a reduction in earnings quality in environments where accounting and tax rules are strongly linked. Moreover, the influence of tax legislation on financial accounting is seen to encourage unconditional conservatism, a bias with no advantages for financial market efficiency. Thus, tax neutrality is expected to provide a more favorable institutional environment for quality financial reporting by detaching corporate accounting from tax accounting. In light of the above, this study aims to verify whether the advent of tax neutrality influences unconditional conservatism in Brazilian public companies. The methodology used involves panel data regressions. The sample consists of non-financial publicly-traded companies with information published in Economática® covering 2002 to 2014. The results show differences in the relationship between taxation and financial reporting between firms that are subject to different levels of monitoring in the Brazilian stock market. Evidence of unconditional conservatism is only found in companies that are subject to greater market monitoring. In this group, it is observed that taxation does not induce unconditional conservatism in reported earnings, which is expected in a tax neutrality context.

The electrical neutrality of atoms and of bulk matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unnikrishnan, C.S.; Gillies, G.T.

2004-01-01

The equality of the charges of the electron and the proton, and the charge neutrality of the neutron are of great significance in the fundamental theory of particles. This equality suggests a deep symmetry between leptons and quarks that is not yet revealed in other experiments. The electrical neutrality of bulk matter is a direct result of this characteristic of the fundamental charges, with important consequences for precise tests of fundamental physical laws and for electrical metrology. The question is of interest also in cosmology. In this paper, we discuss the experimental evidence for the equality of the fundamental electrical charges, its implications and the possibility of improved experiments. (authors)

ORNL positive ion neutral beam program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whealton, J.H.; Haselton, H.H.; Barber, G.C.

1978-01-01

The neutral beam group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has constructed neutral beam generators for the ORMAK and PLT devices, is presently constructing neutral beam devices for the ISX and PDX devices, and is contemplating the construction of neutral beam systems for the advanced TNS device. These neutral beam devices stem from the pioneering work on ion sources of G. G. Kelley and O. B. Morgan. We describe the ion sources under development at this Laboratory, the beam optics exhibited by these sources, as well as some theoretical considerations, and finally the remainder of the beamline design

Acceptance test procedure for K basins dose reduction project clean and coat equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Creed, R.F.

1996-01-01

This document is the Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) for the clean and coat equipment designed by Oceaneering Hanford, Inc. under purchase order MDK-XVC-406988 for use in the 105 K East Basin. The ATP provides the guidelines and criteria to test the equipment's ability to clean and coat the concrete perimeter, divider walls, and dummy elevator pit above the existing water level. This equipment was designed and built in support of the Spent Nuclear Fuel, Dose Reduction Project. The ATP will be performed at the 305 test facility in the 300 Area at Hanford. The test results will be documented in WHC-SD-SNF-ATR-020

Solid-phase reductive amination for glycomic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Kuan; Zhu, He; Xiao, Cong; Liu, Ding; Edmunds, Garrett; Wen, Liuqing; Ma, Cheng; Li, Jing; Wang, Peng George

2017-04-15

Reductive amination is an indispensable method for glycomic analysis, as it tremendously facilitates glycan characterization and quantification by coupling functional tags at the reducing ends of glycans. However, traditional in-solution derivatization based approach for the preparation of reductively aminated glycans is quite tedious and time-consuming. Here, a simpler and more efficient strategy termed solid-phase reductive amination was investigated. The general concept underlying this new approach is to streamline glycan extraction, derivatization, and purification on non-porous graphitized carbon sorbents. Neutral and sialylated standard glycans were utilized to test the feasibility of the solid-phase method. As results, almost complete labeling of those glycans with four common labels of aniline, 2-aminobenzamide (2-AB), 2-aminobenzoic acid (2-AA) and 2-amino-N-(2-aminoethyl)-benzamide (AEAB) was obtained, and negligible desialylation occurred during sample preparation. The labeled glycans derived from glycoproteins showed excellent reproducibility in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. Direct comparisons based on fluorescent absorbance and relative quantification using isotopic labeling demonstrated that the solid-phase strategy enabled 20-30% increase in sample recovery. In short, the solid-phase strategy is simple, reproducible, efficient, and sensitive for glycan analysis. This method was also successfully applied for N-glycan profiling of HEK 293 cells with MALDI-TOF MS, showing its attractive application in the high-throughput analysis of mammalian glycome. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Heparin removal by ecteola-cellulose pre-treatment enables the use of plasma samples for accurate measurement of anti-Yellow fever virus neutralizing antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Campi-Azevedo, Ana Carolina; Peruhype-Magalhães, Vanessa; Coelho-Dos-Reis, Jordana Grazziela; Costa-Pereira, Christiane; Yamamura, Anna Yoshida; Lima, Sheila Maria Barbosa de; Simões, Marisol; Campos, Fernanda Magalhães Freire; de Castro Zacche Tonini, Aline; Lemos, Elenice Moreira; Brum, Ricardo Cristiano; de Noronha, Tatiana Guimarães; Freire, Marcos Silva; Maia, Maria de Lourdes Sousa; Camacho, Luiz Antônio Bastos; Rios, Maria; Chancey, Caren; Romano, Alessandro; Domingues, Carla Magda; Teixeira-Carvalho, Andréa; Martins-Filho, Olindo Assis

2017-09-01

Technological innovations in vaccinology have recently contributed to bring about novel insights for the vaccine-induced immune response. While the current protocols that use peripheral blood samples may provide abundant data, a range of distinct components of whole blood samples are required and the different anticoagulant systems employed may impair some properties of the biological sample and interfere with functional assays. Although the interference of heparin in functional assays for viral neutralizing antibodies such as the functional plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT), considered the gold-standard method to assess and monitor the protective immunity induced by the Yellow fever virus (YFV) vaccine, has been well characterized, the development of pre-analytical treatments is still required for the establishment of optimized protocols. The present study intended to optimize and evaluate the performance of pre-analytical treatment of heparin-collected blood samples with ecteola-cellulose (ECT) to provide accurate measurement of anti-YFV neutralizing antibodies, by PRNT. The study was designed in three steps, including: I. Problem statement; II. Pre-analytical steps; III. Analytical steps. Data confirmed the interference of heparin on PRNT reactivity in a dose-responsive fashion. Distinct sets of conditions for ECT pre-treatment were tested to optimize the heparin removal. The optimized protocol was pre-validated to determine the effectiveness of heparin plasma:ECT treatment to restore the PRNT titers as compared to serum samples. The validation and comparative performance was carried out by using a large range of serum vs heparin plasma:ECT 1:2 paired samples obtained from unvaccinated and 17DD-YFV primary vaccinated subjects. Altogether, the findings support the use of heparin plasma:ECT samples for accurate measurement of anti-YFV neutralizing antibodies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lack of Durable Cross-Neutralizing Antibodies Against Zika Virus from Dengue Virus Infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Matthew H; McGowan, Eileen; Jadi, Ramesh; Young, Ellen; Lopez, Cesar A; Baric, Ralph S; Lazear, Helen M; de Silva, Aravinda M

2017-05-01

Cross-reactive antibodies elicited by dengue virus (DENV) infection might affect Zika virus infection and confound serologic tests. Recent data demonstrate neutralization of Zika virus by monoclonal antibodies or human serum collected early after DENV infection. Whether this finding is true in late DENV convalescence (>6 months after infection) is unknown. We studied late convalescent serum samples from persons with prior DENV or Zika virus exposure. Despite extensive cross-reactivity in IgG binding, Zika virus neutralization was not observed among primary DENV infections. We observed low-frequency (23%) Zika virus cross-neutralization in repeat DENV infections. DENV-immune persons who had Zika virus as a secondary infection had distinct populations of antibodies that neutralized DENVs and Zika virus, as shown by DENV-reactive antibody depletion experiments. These data suggest that most DENV infections do not induce durable, high-level Zika virus cross-neutralizing antibodies. Zika virus-specific antibody populations develop after Zika virus infection irrespective of prior DENV immunity.

Method of active charge and current neutralization of intense ion beams for ICF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guiragossian, Z.G.T.; Orthel, J.L.; Lemons, D.S.; Thode, L.E.

1981-01-01

Methods of generating the beam neutralization electrons with required properties are given in the context of a Light Ion Fusion Experiment (LIFE) designed accelerator. Recently derived envelope equations for neutralized and ballistically focused intense ion beams are applied to the LIFE geometry in which 10 MeV He + multiple beamlets coalesce and undergo 45:1 radial compression while beam pulses experience a 20:1 axial compression in the propagation range of 10 m. Both active and auto-neutralization methods are examined and found to produce initial electron temperatures consistent with the requirement of the envelope equation for both radial and axial adiabatic beam pulse compressions. The stability of neutralized beam propagation is also examined concerning the Pierce type electrostatic instability and for the case of LIFE beams it is found to have insignificant effect. A scaled experimental setup is presented which can serve to perform near term tests on the ballistically focused propagation of neutralized light ion beams

Does dual-tasking neutralize emotional memory and reduce conditioned responses?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Engelhard, I.M.; Krypotos, A.M.; Leer, A.; van Dis, E.A.M.

2016-01-01

This experiment tested whether dual-tasking (i.e., recalling the emotional memory while performing a visuospatial dual-task) neutralizes emotional memory, thereby decreasing conditioned responses. Undergraduates completed a differential conditioning paradigm with pictures of food items as

The ion source development for neutral injection heating at JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirakata, H.; Itoh, T.; Kondoh, U.; Matsuda, S.; Ohara, Y.; Ohga, T.; Shibata, T.; Sugawara, T.; Tanaka, S.

1976-01-01

The neutral beam research and development effort at JAERI has been mainly concentrated on design, construction and testing of ion sources needed for present and planned heating experiments. Fundamental characteristics of the ion sources developed are described

Spontaneous modification of carbon surface with neutral red from its diazonium salts for bioelectrochemical systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Kun; Chen, Xin; Freguia, Stefano; Donose, Bogdan C

2013-09-15

This study introduces a novel and simple method to covalently graft neutral red (NR) onto carbon surfaces based on spontaneous reduction of in situ generated NR diazonium salts. Immobilization of neutral red on carbon surface was achieved by immersing carbon electrodes in NR-NaNO2-HCl solution. The functionalized electrodes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), atomic force microscope (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results demonstrated that NR attached in this way retains high electrochemical activity and proved that NR was covalently bound to the carbon surface via the pathway of reduction of aryl diazonium salts. The NR-modified electrodes showed a good stability when stored in PBS solution in the dark. The current output of an acetate-oxidising microbial bioanode made of NR-modified graphite felts were 3.63±0.36 times higher than the unmodified electrodes, which indicates that covalently bound NR can act as electron transfer mediator to facilitate electron transfer from bacteria to electrodes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of strip-reduction-test in hte evaluation of lubricants developed in Enform project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Jan Lasson; Olsson, David Dam; Gazvoda, S.

2001-01-01

The performance of three different lubricants in relation to sheet metal forming of steel, Zinc coated steel and stainless steel is investigated in the present paper. A strip reduction test simulating can wall ironing is used. The test was originally developed for determining the limits...... of lubrication in forming of stainless steel by quantification of the degree of galling. The present results show that the test methodology to some extend can be used in testing of lubricants for Zinc coated steels whereas the lubricant performance in forming of steel is more complicated to quantify since...

Identification of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant odors in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamath, Vidyulata; Turetsky, Bruce I; Moberg, Paul J

2011-05-15

Recent work on odor hedonics in schizophrenia has indicated that patients display abnormalities in hedonic judgments of odors in comparison to healthy comparison participants. In the current study, identification accuracy for pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant odors in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls was examined. Thirty-three schizophrenia patients (63% male) and thirty-one healthy volunteers (65% male) were recruited. The groups were well matched on age, sex, and smoking status. Participants were administered the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, which was subsequently divided into 16 pleasant, 15 neutral, and 9 unpleasant items. Analysis of identification z-scores for pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant odors revealed a significant diagnosis by valence interaction. Post-hoc analysis revealed that schizophrenia participants made more identification errors on pleasant and neutral odors compared to healthy controls, with no differences observed for unpleasant odors. No effect was seen for sex. The findings from the current investigation suggest that odor identification accuracy in patients is influenced by odor valence. This pattern of results parallels a growing body of literature indicating that patients display aberrant pleasantness ratings for pleasant odors and highlights the need for additional research on the influence of odor valence on olfactory identification performance in individuals with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a negative ion-based neutral beam injector in Novosibirsk.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, A A; Abdrashitov, G F; Anashin, V V; Belchenko, Yu I; Burdakov, A V; Davydenko, V I; Deichuli, P P; Dimov, G I; Dranichnikov, A N; Kapitonov, V A; Kolmogorov, V V; Kondakov, A A; Sanin, A L; Shikhovtsev, I V; Stupishin, N V; Sorokin, A V; Popov, S S; Tiunov, M A; Belov, V P; Gorbovsky, A I; Kobets, V V; Binderbauer, M; Putvinski, S; Smirnov, A; Sevier, L

2014-02-01

A 1000 keV, 5 MW, 1000 s neutral beam injector based on negative ions is being developed in the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk in collaboration with Tri Alpha Energy, Inc. The innovative design of the injector features the spatially separated ion source and an electrostatic accelerator. Plasma or photon neutralizer and energy recuperation of the remaining ion species is employed in the injector to provide an overall energy efficiency of the system as high as 80%. A test stand for the beam acceleration is now under construction. A prototype of the negative ion beam source has been fabricated and installed at the test stand. The prototype ion source is designed to produce 120 keV, 1.5 A beam.

Verification test for radiation reduction effect and material integrity on PWR primary system by zinc injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakami, H.; Nagata, T.; Yamada, M. [Nuclear Power Engineering Corp. (Japan); Kasahara, K.; Tsuruta, T.; Nishimura, T. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan); Ishigure, K. [Saitama Inst. of Tech. (Japan)

2002-07-01

Zinc injection is known to be an effective method for the reduction of radiation source in the primary water system of a PWR. There is a need to verify the effect of Zn injection operation on radiation source reduction and materials integrity of PWR primary circuit. In order to confirm the effectiveness of Zn injection, verification test as a national program sponsored by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) was started in 1995 for 7-year program, and will be finished by the end of March in 2002. This program consists of irradiation test and material integrity test. Irradiation test as an In-Pile-Test managed by AEAT Plc(UK) was performed using the LVR-15 reactor of NRI Rez in Check Republic. Furthermore, Out-of-Pile-Test using film adding unit was also performed to obtain supplemental data for In-Pile-Test at Takasago Engineering Laboratory of NUPEC. Material Integrity test was planned to perform constant load test, constant strain test and corrosion test at the same time using large scale Loop and slow strain extension rate testing (SSRT) at Takasago Engineering Laboratory of NUPEC. In this paper, the results of the verification test for Zinc program at present are discussed. (authors)

Polypyrrole/Co-tetraphenylporphyrin modified carbon fibre paper as a fuel cell electrocatalyst of oxygen reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Weimin; Chen, Jun; Wagner, Pawel; Wallace, Gordon G. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW 2522 (Australia); Swiegers, Gerhard F. [CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, Bag 10, Clayton VIC 3169 (Australia)

2008-04-15

A thin-layer of polypyrrole (PPy) film, immobilized with neutral 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinato cobalt (II) (Co-TPP), was successfully and uniformly deposited onto mesoporous carbon fibre paper (CFP) via vapor-phase polymerization. The resulting PPy/Co-TPP-modified carbon fibre paper (PPy/Co-TPP-CFP) electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, SEM and EDX-ray mapping. Its electrochemical stability and long-term electrocatalytic performance were investigated in a half-fuel cell testing system. The electrode displayed significant electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction at 0.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), with notable long-term stability. (author)

Flotation mechanisms of molybdenite fines by neutral oils

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Qing-quan; Gu, Guo-hua; Wang, Hui; Liu, You-cai; Fu, Jian-gang; Wang, Chong-qing

2018-01-01

The flotation mechanisms of molybdenite fines by neutral oils were investigated through microflotation test, turbidity measurements, infrared spectroscopy, and interfacial interaction calculations. The results of the flotation test show that at pH 2-11, the floatability of molybdenite fines in the presence of transformer oil is markedly better than that in the presence of kerosene and diesel oil. The addition of transformer oil, which enhances the floatability of molybdenite fines, promotes the aggregation of molybdenite particles. Fourier transform infrared measurements illustrate that physical interaction dominates the adsorption mechanism of neutral oil on molybdenite. Interfacial interaction calculations indicate that hydrophobic attraction is the crucial force that acts among the oil collector, water, and molybdenite. Strong hydrophobic attraction between the oily collector and water provides the strong dispersion capability of the collector in water. Furthermore, the dispersion capability of the collector, not the interaction strength between the oily collectors and molybdenite, has a highly significant role in the flotation system of molybdenite fines. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism of molybdenite flotation.

Gas cell neutralizers (Fundamental principles)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuehrer, B.

1985-06-01

Neutralizing an ion-beam of the size and energy levels involved in the neutral-particle-beam program represents a considerable extension of the state-of-the-art of neutralizer technology. Many different mediums (e.g., solid, liquid, gas, plasma, photons) can be used to strip the hydrogen ion of its extra electron. A large, multidisciplinary R and D effort will no doubt be required to sort out all of the ''pros and cons'' of these various techniques. The purpose of this particular presentation is to discuss some basic configurations and fundamental principles of the gas type of neutralizer cell. Particular emphasis is placed on the ''Gasdynamic Free-Jet'' neutralizer since this configuration has the potential of being much shorter than other type of gas cells (in the beam direction) and it could operate in nearly a continuous mode (CW) if necessary. These were important considerations in the ATSU design which is discussed in some detail in the second presentation entitled ''ATSU Point Design''

Design data for calculating neutral beam penetration into Z/sub eff/ > 1 plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, R.E.; Berkner, K.H.; Graham, W.G.; Pyle, R.V.; Schlachter, A.S.; Stearns, J.W.

1978-01-01

Impurities such as C, N, O, Fe, and Mo in a confined plasma reduce the penetration of the energetic neutral deuterium or hydrogen beam injected for heating or fueling the plasma, thus affecting the energy- and fuel-deposition profiles. New calculations, confirmed by recent experimental results, show that previous estimates of the reduction of neutral beam penetration due to impurities in the plasma were overly pessimistic. Until recently, the cross sections used to calculate beam attenuation had been assumed to be q 2 times the cross section for H + + H obtained from the Born approximation, where q is the charge state of the ion. This led to very large cross sections for large values of q, and thus to very stringent requirements on the acceptable level of impurity ions in the plasma

A Carbon-Neutral California: Social Ecology and Prospects for 2050 GHG Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen M. Wheeler

2017-10-01

Full Text Available How might a large jurisdiction approach carbon neutrality by 2050, and what initiatives might increase the chances of success? This article explores these questions using California as a case study. Current trends as well as multiple modeling studies show that existing policy directions for the state will not be sufficient. Additional initiatives appear needed to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles, reduce driving, reach 100 percent renewable electricity, convert existing buildings to zero-net-carbon status, change diet, and reduce consumption. The state’s social ecology does not currently support such changes. Consequently, planners and other professionals need to consider strategic actions to change social ecology as well as climate policy. Potential steps to do this include raising the price of carbon; revising the state’s tax system so as to increase public sector capacity; developing a stronger framework of incentives, mandates, and technical support between levels of government; and expanding educational and social marketing programs aimed at behavior change. A main implication of this analysis is that in many contexts worldwide sustainability planners should consider action on both policy and social ecology levels to maximize chances of success.

New Modulation Strategy to Balance the Neutral-Point Voltage for Three-Level Neutral-Clamped Inverter Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Choi, Uimin; Lee, June-Seok; Lee, Kyo-Beum

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a new modulation strategy that balances the neutral-point voltage for three-level neutral-clamped inverter systems. The proposed modulation replaces the P-type or N-type small switching states with other switching states that do not affect the neutral-point voltage. The zero...... and medium switching states are employed to help the neutral-point voltage balancing. This method little bit increases the switching events and output total harmonic distortion. However, this method has a strong balancing ability at all regions. Further, it is very simple to implement in both space vector...

How Objective a Neutral Word Is? A Neutrosophic Approach for the Objectivity Degrees of Neutral Words

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela Colhon

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In the latest studies concerning the sentiment polarity of words, the authors mostly consider the positive and negative constructions, without paying too much attention to the neutral words, which can have, in fact, significant sentiment degrees. More precisely, not all the neutral words have zero positivity or negativity scores, some of them having quite important nonzero scores for these polarities. At this moment, in the literature, a word is considered neutral if its positive and negative scores are equal, which implies two possibilities: (1 zero positive and negative scores; (2 nonzero, but equal positive and negative scores. It is obvious that these cases represent two different categories of neutral words that must be treated separately by a sentiment analysis task. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study about the neutral words applied to English as is developed with the aid of SentiWordNet 3.0: the publicly available lexical resource for opinion mining. We designed our study in order to provide an accurate classification of the so-called “neutral words” described in terms of sentiment scores and using measures from neutrosophy theory. The intended scope is to fill the gap concerning the neutrality aspect by giving precise measurements for the words’ objectivity.

Neutral-beam-heating applications and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menon, M.M.

1981-01-01

The technique of heating the plasma in magnetically confined fusion devices by the injection of intense beams of neutral atoms is described. The basic principles governing the physics of neutral beam heating and considerations involved in determining the injection energy, power, and pulse length required for a fusion reactor are discussed. The pertinent experimental results from various fusion devices are surveyed to illustrate the efficacy of this technique. The second part of the paper is devoted to the technology of producing the neutral beams. A state-of-the-art account o the development of neutral injectors is presented, and the prospects for utilizing neutral injection to heat the plasma in a fusion reactor are examined

Neutral-point current modeling and control for Neutral-Point Clamped three-level converter drive with small DC-link capacitors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maheshwari, Ram Krishan; Munk-Nielsen, Stig; Busquets-Monge, Sergio

2011-01-01

A Neutral-Point-Clamped (NPC) three-level inverter with small DC-link capacitors is presented in this paper. This inverter requires zero average neutral-point current for stable neutral-point potential. A simple carrier based modulation strategy is proposed for achieving zero average neutral...... drive with only 14 μF DC-link capacitors. A fast and stable performance of the neutral-point voltage controller is achieved and verified by experiments....

Synthesis of amino ester-embedded benzimidazoles: a one-pot sequential protocol under metal-free neutral conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Priyabrata; Bodhak, Chandan; Pramanik, Animesh

2017-02-01

A one-pot three-component protocol has been developed for the synthesis of amino ester-embedded benzimidazoles under metal-free neutral conditions. Sequentially, the methodology involves coupling of an amino ester with 1-fluoro-2-nitrobenzene, reduction of the coupled nitroarene by sodium dithionite, and cyclization of the corresponding diamine with an aldehyde.

Further Examination of the Vibratory Loads Reduction Results from the NASA/ARMY/MIT Active Twist Rotor Test

Science.gov (United States)

Wilbur, Matthew L.; Yeager, William T., Jr.; Sekula, Martin K.

2002-01-01

The vibration reduction capabilities of a model rotor system utilizing controlled, strain-induced blade twisting are examined. The model rotor blades, which utilize piezoelectric active fiber composite actuators, were tested in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel using open-loop control to determine the effect of active-twist on rotor vibratory loads. The results of this testing have been encouraging, and have demonstrated that active-twist rotor designs offer the potential for significant load reductions in future helicopter rotor systems. Active twist control was found to use less than 1% of the power necessary to operate the rotor system and had a pronounced effect on both rotating- and fixed-system loads, offering reductions in individual harmonic loads of up to 100%. A review of the vibration reduction results obtained is presented, which includes a limited set of comparisons with results generated using the second-generation version of the Comprehensive Analytical Model of Rotorcraft Aerodynamics and Dynamics (CAMRAD II) rotorcraft comprehensive analysis.

Particle reflection and TFTR neutral beam diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamperschroer, J.H.; Grisham, L.R.; Kugel, H.W.; O'Connor, T.E.; Newman, R.A.; Stevenson, T.N.; von Halle, A.; Williams, M.D.

1992-04-01

Determination of two critical neutral beam parameters, power and divergence, are affected by the reflection of a fraction of the incident energy from the surface of the measuring calorimeter. On the TFTR Neutral Beam Test Stand, greater than 30% of the incident power directed at the target chamber calorimeter was unaccounted for. Most of this loss is believed due to reflection from the surface of the flat calorimeter, which was struck at a near grazing incidence (12 degrees). Beamline calorimeters, of a ''V''-shape design, while retaining the beam power, also suffer from reflection effects. Reflection, in this latter case, artificially peaks the power toward the apex of the ''V'', complicating the fitting technique, and increasing the power density on axis by 10 to 20%; an effect of import to future beamline designers. Agreement is found between measured and expected divergence values, even with 24% of the incident energy reflected

Net neutrality and audiovisual services

OpenAIRE

van Eijk, N.; Nikoltchev, S.

2011-01-01

Net neutrality is high on the European agenda. New regulations for the communication sector provide a legal framework for net neutrality and need to be implemented on both a European and a national level. The key element is not just about blocking or slowing down traffic across communication networks: the control over the distribution of audiovisual services constitutes a vital part of the problem. In this contribution, the phenomenon of net neutrality is described first. Next, the European a...

Conceptual design of the neutral beamline for TPX long pulse operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, K.E.; Dahlgren, F.; Fan, H.M.; Grisham, L.R.; Hammersand, F.G.; Kamperschroer, J.H.; Lontai, L.M.; Oldaker, M.E.; Rogoff, P.

1993-01-01

The Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) will require a minimum of 8.0 megawatts of Neutral Beam beating power to be injected into the plasma for pulse lengths up to one thousand (1000) seconds to meet the experimental objectives. The Neutral Beam Injection System (NBIS) for initial operation on TPX will consist of one neutral beamline (NBL) with three Ion sources. Provisions will be made for a total of three NBLs. The NBIS will provide S.S MW of 120 keV D 0 and 2.S MW of partial-energy D 0 at 60 keV and 40 keV. The system also provides for measuring the neutral beam power, limits excess cold gas from entering the torus, and provides independent power, control, and protection for each individual ion source and accelerating structure. The Neutral Beam/Torus Connecting Duct (NB/TCD) includes a vacuum valve, an electrical insulating break, alignment bellows, vacuum seals, internal energy absorbing protective elements, beam diagnostics and bakeout capability. The NBL support structure will support the NBL, which will weigh approximately 80 tons at the proper elevation and withstand a seismic event. The NBIS currently operational on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is restricted to injection pulse lengths of two (2) seconds by the limited capability of various energy absorbers. This paper describes the modifications and improvements which will be implemented for the TFTR Neutral Beamlines and the NB/TCD to satisfy the TPX requirements

Electromagnetic trapping of neutral atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalf, H.J.

1986-01-01

Cooling and trapping of neutral atoms is a new branch of applied physics that has potential for application in many areas. The authors present an introduction to laser cooling and magnetic trapping. Some basic ideas and fundamental limitations are discussed, and the first successful experiments are reviewed. Trapping a neutral object depends on the interaction between an inhomogeneous electromagnetic field and a multiple moment that results in the exchange of kinetic for potential energy. In neutral atom traps, the potential energy must be stored as internal atomic energy, resulting in two immediate and extremely important consequences. First, the atomic energy levels will necessarily shift as the atoms move in the trap, and, second, practical traps for ground state neutral atoms atr necessarily very shallow compared to thermal energy. This small depth also dictates stringent vacuum requirements because a trapped atom cannot survive a single collision with a thermal energy background gas molecule. Neutral trapping, therefore, depends on substantial cooling of a thermal atomic sample and is inextricably connected with the cooling process

Maximum Neutral Buoyancy Depth of Juvenile Chinook Salmon: Implications for Survival during Hydroturbine Passage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pflugrath, Brett D.; Brown, Richard S.; Carlson, Thomas J.

2012-03-01

This study investigated the maximum depth at which juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha can acclimate by attaining neutral buoyancy. Depth of neutral buoyancy is dependent upon the volume of gas within the swim bladder, which greatly influences the occurrence of injuries to fish passing through hydroturbines. We used two methods to obtain maximum swim bladder volumes that were transformed into depth estimations - the increased excess mass test (IEMT) and the swim bladder rupture test (SBRT). In the IEMT, weights were surgically added to the fishes exterior, requiring the fish to increase swim bladder volume in order to remain neutrally buoyant. SBRT entailed removing and artificially increasing swim bladder volume through decompression. From these tests, we estimate the maximum acclimation depth for juvenile Chinook salmon is a median of 6.7m (range = 4.6-11.6 m). These findings have important implications to survival estimates, studies using tags, hydropower operations, and survival of juvenile salmon that pass through large Kaplan turbines typical of those found within the Columbia and Snake River hydropower system.

Plasma neutralizers for H- or D- beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berkner, K.H.; Pyle, R.V.; Savas, S.E.; Stalder, K.R.

1980-10-01

Plasma neutralizers can produce higher conversion efficiencies than are obtainable with gas neutralizers for the production of high-energy neutral beams from negative hydrogen ions. Little attention has been paid to experimental neutralizer studies because of the more critical problems connected with the development of negative-ion sources. With the prospect of accelerating ampere dc beams from extrapolatable ion sources some time next year, we are re-examining plasma neutralizers. Some basic considerations, two introductory experiments, and a next-step experiment are described

Selection of Clostridium spp. in biological sand filters neutralizing synthetic acid mine drainage.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramond, Jean-Baptiste; Welz, Pamela J; Le Roes-Hill, Marilize; Tuffin, Marla I; Burton, Stephanie G; Cowan, Don A

2014-03-01

In this study, three biological sand filter (BSF) were contaminated with a synthetic iron- [1500 mg L⁻¹ Fe(II), 500 mg L⁻¹ Fe(III)] and sulphate-rich (6000 mg L⁻¹ SO₄²⁻) acid mine drainage (AMD) (pH = 2), for 24 days, to assess the remediation capacity and the evolution of autochthonous bacterial communities (monitored by T-RFLP and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries). To stimulate BSF bioremediation involving sulphate-reducing bacteria, a readily degradable carbon source (glucose, 8000 mg L⁻¹) was incorporated into the influent AMD. Complete neutralization and average removal efficiencies of 81.5 (±5.6)%, 95.8 (±1.2)% and 32.8 (±14.0)% for Fe(II), Fe(III) and sulphate were observed, respectively. Our results suggest that microbial iron reduction and sulphate reduction associated with iron precipitation were the main processes contributing to AMD neutralization. The effect of AMD on BSF sediment bacterial communities was highly reproducible. There was a decrease in diversity, and notably a single dominant operational taxonomic unit (OTU), closely related to Clostridium beijerinckii, which represented up to 65% of the total community at the end of the study period. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Neutral Beam Injector Upgrade for NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, T.; McCormack, B.; Loesser, G.D.; Kalish, M.; Ramakrishnan, S.; Grisham, L.; Edwards, J.; Cropper, M.; Rossi, G.; Halle, A. von; Williams, M.

2002-01-01

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) capability with a Neutral Beam Injector (NBI) capable of 80 kiloelectronvolt (keV), 5 Megawatt (MW), 5 second operation. This 5.95 million dollar upgrade reused a previous generation injector and equipment for technical, cost, and schedule reasons to obtain these specifications while retaining a legacy capability of 120 keV neutral particle beam delivery for shorter pulse lengths for possible future NSTX experiments. Concerns with NBI injection included power deposition in the plasma, aiming angles from the fixed NBI fan array, density profiles and beam shine through, orbit losses of beam particles, and protection of the vacuum vessel wall against beam impingement. The upgrade made use of the beamline and cryo panels from the Neutral Beam Test Stand facility, existing power supplies and controls, beamline components and equipment not contaminated by tritium during DT [deuterium-tritium] experiments, and a liquid Helium refrigerator plant to power and cryogenically pump a beamline and three ion sources. All of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) ion sources had been contaminated with tritium, so a refurbishment effort was undertaken on selected TFTR sources to rid the three sources destined for the NSTX NBI of as much tritium as possible. An interconnecting duct was fabricated using some spare and some new components to attach the beamline to the NSTX vacuum vessel. Internal vacuum vessel armor using carbon tiles was added to protect the stainless steel vacuum vessel from beam impingement in the absence of plasma and interlock failure. To date, the NBI has operated to 80 keV and 5 MW and has injected requested power levels into NSTX plasmas with good initial results, including high beta and strong heating characteristics at full rated plasma current

Ion-beam Plasma Neutralization Interaction Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Igor D. Kaganovich; Edward Startsev; S. Klasky; Ronald C. Davidson

2002-04-09

Neutralization of the ion beam charge and current is an important scientific issue for many practical applications. The process of ion beam charge and current neutralization is complex because the excitation of nonlinear plasma waves may occur. Computer simulation images of plasma neutralization of the ion beam pulse are presented.

Ion-beam Plasma Neutralization Interaction Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igor D. Kaganovich; Edward Startsev; S. Klasky; Ronald C. Davidson

2002-04-01

Neutralization of the ion beam charge and current is an important scientific issue for many practical applications. The process of ion beam charge and current neutralization is complex because the excitation of nonlinear plasma waves may occur. Computer simulation images of plasma neutralization of the ion beam pulse are presented

Performance Comparison between Neutralization Tailings and Flotation Tailings Used for Backfill Mix and Mechanism Analysis

OpenAIRE

Han, Bin; Sun, Wei; Yu, Shaofeng; Liu, Chao; Yao, Song; Wu, Jianxun

2016-01-01

A comparison test of different tailings used for underground backfill was conducted, using neutralized tailings from BIOX and flotation tailings of Jinfeng Mine. Laboratory comparison test results show that, with neutralized tailings, when the cement dosage is at 19%, backfill UCS after 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days are 105%–163%, 80%–102%, and 33%–43%, respectively, which are higher than those of flotation tailings. When the cement dosage is at 12%, backfill UCS after 7 days, 14 days, and 28 ...

Non-locality versus entanglement in the neutral kaon system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ableitinger, A.; Bertlmann, R.A.; Durstberger, K.; Hiesmayr, B.C.; Krammer, P.

2006-01-01

Full text: Particle physics has become an interesting testing ground for fundamental questions of quantum mechanics (QM). The entangled massive meson-antimeson systems are specially suitable as they offer a unique laboratory to test various aspects of particle physics (CP violation, CPT violation, . . . ) as well to test foundations of QM (local realistic theories versus QM, Bell inequalities, decoherence effects, quantum marking and erasure concepts, . . . ). For the neutral kaon system we show that nonlocality detected by the violation of a Bell inequality and entanglement are indeed different concepts. (author)

Neutral forces acting on intragenomic variability shape the Escherichia coli regulatory network topology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruths, Troy; Nakhleh, Luay

2013-05-07

Cis-regulatory networks (CRNs) play a central role in cellular decision making. Like every other biological system, CRNs undergo evolution, which shapes their properties by a combination of adaptive and nonadaptive evolutionary forces. Teasing apart these forces is an important step toward functional analyses of the different components of CRNs, designing regulatory perturbation experiments, and constructing synthetic networks. Although tests of neutrality and selection based on molecular sequence data exist, no such tests are currently available based on CRNs. In this work, we present a unique genotype model of CRNs that is grounded in a genomic context and demonstrate its use in identifying portions of the CRN with properties explainable by neutral evolutionary forces at the system, subsystem, and operon levels. We leverage our model against experimentally derived data from Escherichia coli. The results of this analysis show statistically significant and substantial neutral trends in properties previously identified as adaptive in origin--degree distribution, clustering coefficient, and motifs--within the E. coli CRN. Our model captures the tightly coupled genome-interactome of an organism and enables analyses of how evolutionary events acting at the genome level, such as mutation, and at the population level, such as genetic drift, give rise to neutral patterns that we can quantify in CRNs.

Ferroelectric plasma source for heavy ion beam space charge neutralization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efthimion, Philip C.; Gilson, Erik P.; Davidson, Ronald C.; Grisham, Larry; Grant Logan, B.; Seidl, Peter A.; Waldron, William; Yu, Simon S.

2007-01-01

Plasmas are a source of unbound electrons for charge neutralizing intense heavy ion beams to allow them to focus to a small spot size and compress their axial pulse length. The plasma source should be able to operate at low neutral pressures and without strong externally applied electric or magnetic fields. To produce 1 m-long plasma columns, sources based upon ferroelectric ceramics with large dielectric coefficients are being developed. The sources utilize the ferroelectric ceramic BaTiO 3 to form metal plasma. The drift tube inner surface of the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment (NDCX) will be covered with ceramic material, and high voltage (∼7 kV) will be applied between the drift tube and the front surface of the ceramics. A prototype ferroelectric source, 20 cm in length, has produced plasma densities of 5x10 11 cm -3 . It was integrated into the Neutralized Transport Experiment (NTX), and successfully charge neutralized the K + ion beam. A 1 m-long source comprised of five 20-cm-long sources has been tested. Simply connecting the five sources in parallel to a single pulse forming network power supply yielded non-uniform performance due to the time-dependent nature of the load that each of the five plasma sources experiences. Other circuit combinations have been considered, including powering each source by its own supply. The 1-m-long source has now been successfully characterized, producing relatively uniform plasma over the 1 m length of the source in the mid-10 10 cm -3 density range. This source will be integrated into the NDCX device for charge neutralization and beam compression experiments

Emotion processing for arousal and neutral content in Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Satler, Corina; Uribe, Carlos; Conde, Carlos; Da-Silva, Sergio Leme; Tomaz, Carlos

2010-02-01

Objective. To assess the ability of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients to perceive emotional information and to assign subjective emotional rating scores to audiovisual presentations. Materials and Methods. 24 subjects (14 with AD, matched to controls for age and educational levels) were studied. After neuropsychological assessment, they watched a Neutral story and then a story with Emotional content. Results. Recall scores for both stories were significantly lower in AD (Neutral and Emotional: P = .001). CG assigned different emotional scores for each version of the test, P = .001, while ratings of AD did not differ, P = .32. Linear regression analyses determined the best predictors of emotional rating and recognition memory for each group among neuropsychological tests battery. Conclusions. AD patients show changes in emotional processing on declarative memory and a preserved ability to express emotions in face of arousal content. The present findings suggest that these impairments are due to general cognitive decline.

Comparison of agglutinating and neutralizing antibodies to serovar hardjo in sows immunized with two commercial whole culture polivalent anti-leptospira bacterins

Science.gov (United States)

Soto, Francisco Rafael Martins; Pinheiro, Sônia Regina; Morais, Zenaide Maria; Gonçales, Amane Paldês; de Azevedo, Sérgio Santos; Bernardi, Fernanda; Camargo, Sebastião Rodrigues; Vasconcellos, Silvio Arruda

2008-01-01

It was performed the comparison of the intensity and duration of agglutinating and neutralizing antibodies to serovar Hardjo in swines vaccinated with two commercial anti-leptospira bacterins. Sows no reactive to 24 Leptospira sp serovars in the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) were divided in three groups: Group A (n=08): received two vaccine A doses with 30 days interval, Group B (n=08) two vaccine B doses with 30 days interval and Group C (n=08): control no vaccinated against leptospirosis.Blood samples were collected each 30 days during six months following the first vaccination. The sera were tested by MAT and growth inhibition test (GIT) to serovar Hardjo in order to evaluate respectively agglutinating and neutralizing antibodies. It was found that neutralizing antibodies persisted for a longer time than the agglutinating ones and that the absence of agglutinating antibodies does not means in the absence of the neutralizing. The peaks of agglutinating antibodies was obtained at least 30 days earlier than that produced by neutralizing. The duration of both kinds of antibodies measured differed between the two bacterines tested. The period for inducing neutralizing antibodies against serovar Hardjo indicated that gilts must be immunized with two doses of whole culture anti-leptospira bacterines applied 30 days each other at least 90 days before the first mating. For the maintenance of hight levels of neutralizing antibodies the revaccinations must be performed every six months after the first vaccination. PMID:24031250

Reaction kinetics of hydrazine neutralization in steam generator wet lay-up solution: Identifying optimal degradation conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schildermans, Kim; Lecocq, Raphael; Girasa, Emmanuel

2012-09-01

During a nuclear power plant outage, hydrazine is used as an oxygen scavenger in the steam generator lay-up solution. However, due to the carcinogenic effects of hydrazine, more stringent discharge limits are or will be imposed in the environmental permits. Hydrazine discharge could even be prohibited. Consequently, hydrazine alternatives or hydrazine degradation before discharge is needed. This paper presents the laboratory tests performed to characterize the reaction kinetics of hydrazine neutralization using bleach or hydrogen peroxide, catalyzed with either copper sulfate (CuSO 4 ) or potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ). The tests are performed on two standard steam generator lay-up solutions based on different pH control agents: ammonia or ethanolamine. Different neutralization conditions are tested by varying temperature, oxidant addition, and catalyst concentration, among others, in order to identify the optimal parameters for hydrazine neutralization in a steam generator wet lay-up solution. (authors)

Improved survival in rhesus macaques immunized with modified vaccinia virus Ankara recombinants expressing simian immunodeficiency virus envelope correlates with reduction in memory CD4+ T-cell loss and higher titers of neutralizing antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Ourmanov, Ilnour; Kuwata, Takeo; Goeken, Robert; Goldstein, Simoy; Iyengar, Ranjani; Buckler-White, Alicia; Lafont, Bernard; Hirsch, Vanessa M

2009-06-01

Previous studies demonstrated that immunization of macaques with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag-Pol and Env recombinants of the attenuated poxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) provided protection from high viremia and AIDS following challenge with a pathogenic strain of SIV. Although all animals became infected, plasma viremia was significantly reduced in animals that received the MVA-SIV recombinant vaccines compared with animals that received nonrecombinant MVA. Most importantly, the reduction in viremia resulted in a significant increase in median and cumulative survival. Continued analysis of these animals over the subsequent 9 years has shown that they maintain a survival advantage, although all but two of the macaques have progressed to AIDS. Importantly, improved survival correlated with preservation of memory CD4(+) T cells in the peripheral blood. The greatest survival advantage was observed in macaques immunized with regimens containing SIV Env, and the titer of neutralizing antibodies to the challenge virus prior to or shortly following challenge correlated with preservation of CD4(+) T cells. These data are consistent with a role for neutralizing antibodies in nonsterilizing protection from high viremia and associated memory CD4(+) T-cell loss.

Global Model of Time-Modulated Electronegative Discharges for Neutral Radical and Electron Temperature Control

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sungjin; Lieberman, M. A.; Lichtenberg, A. J.

2003-10-01

Control and reduction of neutral radical flux/ion flux ratio and electron temperature Te is required for next generation etching in the microelectronics industry. We investigate time-modulated power for these purposes using a volume-averaged (global) oxygen discharge model, We consider pressures of 10-50 mTorr and plasma densities of 10^10-10^11 cm-3. In this regime, the discharge is found to be weakly electronegative. The modulation period and the duty ratio (on-time/period) are varied to determine the optimum conditions for reduction of FR= O-atom flux/ion flux and T_e. Two chambers with different height/diameter ratios (SMART Contract SM99-10051.

Structure of the neutral current coupling in high energy neutrino--nucleon interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merritt, F.S.

1977-01-01

The primary objective of this experiment was to determine the Lorentz structure of the neutral current coupling--that is, to determine what combination of V-A and V+A (or possibly S, P, and T) components make up the neutral coupling. The experiment used the Fermilab narrow band neutrino beam to provide separated neutrino and antineutrino fluxes, each consisting of two energy bands at approximately equal to 55 and approximately equal to 150 GeV. Deep inelastic inclusive neutrino-nucleon interactions of the form ν(anti ν) + N = μ - (μ + ) + hadrons (CC event) ν(anti ν) + N = ν(anti ν) + hadrons (NC event) were observed in an instrumented steel target-calorimeter, which measured the total energy of the hadrons produced in each event. The neutral current coupling was determined by comparing the hadron energy distributions of neutrino and antineutrino neutral current events. An analysis of the charged-current data was carried out in order to determine the background of charged-current events with unobserved muons, and to provide a normalization for the neutral current data. Various parameterizations of the CC interaction were tested, and their effects on the neutral current analysis were studied in detail. The neutral current analysis indicates that, if only vector and axial-vector components exist, then the neutral current coupling lies between V and V-A. A pure scalar coupling is excluded. The data were compared to the Weinberg--Salam theory (extended to semileptonic interactions), and are in very good agreement with its predictions. Comparison of these data to the low energy Gargamelle data indicates consistency with a scaling hypothesis

Cytomegalovirus neutralization by hyperimmune and standard intravenous immunoglobulin preparations.

Science.gov (United States)

Planitzer, Christina B; Saemann, Marcus D; Gajek, Hartwig; Farcet, Maria R; Kreil, Thomas R

2011-08-15

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains one of the most important pathogens after transplantation, potentially leading to CMV disease, allograft dysfunction, acute, and chronic rejection and opportunistic infections. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) preparations with high antibody titers against CMV are a valuable adjunctive prevention and treatment option for clinicians and apart from standard intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), CMV hyperimmune preparations are available. The CMV antibody titer of these preparations is typically determined by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), also used for the selection of high titer plasma donors for the production of the CMV Hyperimmune product. However, CMV ELISA titers do not necessarily correlate with CMV antibody function which is determined by virus neutralization tests. CMV antibody titers were determined by both ELISA and virus neutralization assay and the IgG subclass distribution was compared between a CMV hyperimmune licensed in Europe and standard IVIG preparations. Although the expected high CMV IgG ELISA antibody titers were confirmed for three lots of a CMV hyperimmune preparation, the functionally more relevant CMV neutralizing antibody titers were significantly higher for 31 lots of standard IVIG preparations. Moreover, considerably lower IgG3 levels were found for the CMV hyperimmune preparation compared with standard IVIG preparations. The higher functional CMV neutralization titers of standard IVIG preparations and the better availability of these preparations, suggest that these products could be a valuable alternative to the CMV hyperimmune preparation.

Tax Neutrality on International Capital Investments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gizem KAPUCU

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The tax policies which states follow with regard to developing technology and capital investments with raising mobility due to globalism are need to be discussed in its legal basis. The principle of tax neutrality has the aim of being legal foundation for these policies. According to this, the neutrality principle in taxation of international capital investments is provided with two measures, namely; not effecting the investment decision and not discriminate between investments. In this paper, initially focused on the conceptual framework and the foundations of the tax neutrality principle and later capital export neutrality and capital import neutrality are considered and explained with regard to international capital movements. Moreover, conformity and diversion to the principle of the current situation and regulations in OECD, EU and Turkey are examined.

Brain activation while forming memories of fearful and neutral faces in women and men.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Håkan; Sandblom, Johan; Nyberg, Lars; Herlitz, Agneta; Bäckman, Lars

2007-11-01

Event-related functional MRI (fMRI) was used to assess brain activity during encoding of fearful and neutral faces in 12 women and 12 men. In a subsequent memory analysis, the authors separated successful from unsuccessful encoding of both types of faces, based on whether they were remembered or forgotten in a later recognition memory test. Overall, women and men recruited overlapping neural circuitries. Both sexes activated right-sided medial-temporal regions during successful encoding of fearful faces. Successful encoding of neutral faces was associated with left-sided lateral prefrontal and right-sided superior frontal activation in both sexes. In women, relatively greater encoding related activity for neutral faces was seen in the superior parietal and parahippocampal cortices. By contrast, men activated the left and right superior/middle frontal cortex more than women during successful encoding of the same neutral faces. These findings suggest that women and men use similar neural networks to encode facial information, with only subtle sex differences observed for neutral faces.

Direct Photon and Neutral Mesons Measurements with the ALICE Detector

CERN Document Server

Matyja, Adam

2016-01-01

The ALICE experiment at LHC is dedicated to studies of the Quark– Gluon Plasma (QGP) state, which is going to be created in heavy-ion collisions. Both photons and neutral mesons are excellent probes for QGP formation. Photons are produced during the different stages of the expan- sion of the initial hot matter fireball. They do not interact strongly with the medium and passing through it, they carry information on their emis- sion point. The prompt photons which are formed at the early stage of the collision enable us to test perturbative QCD constraining parton distri- butions and fragmentation functions. Looking into the regime of thermal photons, one can extract the temperature of the medium. The medium- induced energy loss of particles can be investigated via the measurement of neutral meson spectra for different centrality classes as well as via neutral meson–hadron correlations. A decrease of the nuclear modification factor ( R AA ) with centrality of the collision is observed. The suppression of th...

The Net Neutrality Debate: The Basics

Science.gov (United States)

Greenfield, Rich

2006-01-01

Rich Greenfield examines the basics of today's net neutrality debate that is likely to be an ongoing issue for society. Greenfield states the problems inherent in the definition of "net neutrality" used by Common Cause: "Network neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and…

Neutral particle kinetics in fusion devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tendler, M.; Heifetz, D.

1986-05-01

The theory of neutral particle kinetics treats the transport of mass, momentum, and energy in a plasma due to neutral particles which themselves are unaffected by magnetic fields. This transport affects the global power and particle balances in fusion devices, as well as profile control and plasma confinement quality, particle and energy fluxes onto device components, performance of pumping systems, and the design of diagnostics and the interpretation of their measurements. This paper reviews the development of analytic, numerical, and Monte Carlo methods of solving the time-independent Boltzmann equation describing neutral kinetics. These models for neutral particle behavior typically use adaptations of techniques developed originally for computing neutron transport, due to the analogy between the two phenomena, where charge-exchange corresponds to scattering and ionization to absorption. Progress in the field depends on developing multidimensional analytic methods, and obtaining experimental data for the physical processes of wall reflection, the neutral/plasma interaction, and for processes in fusion devices which are directly related to neutral transport, such as H/sub α/ emission rates, plenum pressures, and charge-exchange emission spectra

Neutral particle kinetics in fusion devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tendler, M.; Heifetz, D.

1986-05-01

The theory of neutral particle kinetics treats the transport of mass, momentum, and energy in a plasma due to neutral particles which themselves are unaffected by magnetic fields. This transport affects the global power and particle balances in fusion devices, as well as profile control and plasma confinement quality, particle and energy fluxes onto device components, performance of pumping systems, and the design of diagnostics and the interpretation of their measurements. This paper reviews the development of analytic, numerical, and Monte Carlo methods of solving the time-independent Boltzmann equation describing neutral kinetics. These models for neutral particle behavior typically use adaptations of techniques developed originally for computing neutron transport, due to the analogy between the two phenomena, where charge-exchange corresponds to scattering and ionization to absorption. Progress in the field depends on developing multidimensional analytic methods, and obtaining experimental data for the physical processes of wall reflection, the neutral/plasma interaction, and for processes in fusion devices which are directly related to neutral transport, such as H/sub ..cap alpha../ emission rates, plenum pressures, and charge-exchange emission spectra.

Neutralizing activities of caprine antibodies towards conserved regions of the HCV envelope glycoprotein E2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El-Shenawy Reem

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Anti HCV vaccine is not currently available and the present antiviral therapies fail to cure approximately half of the treated HCV patients. This study was designed to assess the immunogenic properties of genetically conserved peptides derived from the C-terminal region of HVR-1 and test their neutralizing activities in a step towards developing therapeutic and/or prophylactic immunogens against HCV infection. Antibodies were generated by vaccination of goats with synthetic peptides derived from HCV E2. Viral neutralizing capacity of the generated anti E2 antibodies was tested using in vitro assays. Goats immunized with E2 synthetic peptides termed p412 [a.a 412-419], p430 [a.a 430-447] and p517 [a.a 517-531] generated high titers of antibody responses 2 to 4.5 fold higher than comparable titers of antibodies to the same epitopes in chronic HCV patients. In post infection experiments of native HCV into cultured Huh7.5 cells anti p412 and anti p 517 were proven to be neutralizing to HCV genotype 4a from patients' sera (87.5% and 75% respectively. On the contrary anti p430 exhibited weak viral neutralization capacity on the same samples (31.25%. Furthermore Ab mixes containing anti p430 exhibited reduced viral neutralization properties. From these experiments one could predict that neutralization by Abs towards different E2-epitopes varies considerably and success in the enrichment of neutralization epitope-specific antibodies may be accompanied by favorable results in combating HCV infection. Also, E2 conserved peptides p517 and p412 represent potential components of a candidate peptide vaccine against HCV infection.

Reduction of patient doses in X-ray diagnosis using quality control tests on image and equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milu, C.; Tomulescu, V.; Sorescu, Anca; Vladareanu, M.; Olteanu, B.; Enachescu, B.; Zaharia, N.; Lesaru, M.

1997-01-01

In the frame of a research program under the contract with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), several patient dose measurements were performed using thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs) before and after application of Quality Control tests and patient dose reduction methods. The paper evidenced the practical influence factors (like the need of use of high voltage technique) and possibilities for dose reduction keeping the image quality. (authors)

A hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine comprising envelope glycoproteins gpE1/gpE2 derived from a single isolate elicits broad cross-genotype neutralizing antibodies in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Law, John Lok Man; Chen, Chao; Wong, Jason

2013-01-01

of genotype 1a). Cross neutralization was tested in Huh-7.5 human hepatoma cell cultures using infectious recombinant HCV (HCVcc) expressing structural proteins of heterologous HCV strains from all known major genotypes, 1-7. Vaccination induced significant neutralizing antibodies against heterologous HCV...... genotype 1a virus which represents the most common genotype in North America. Of the 16 vaccinees tested, 3 were selected on the basis of strong 1a virus neutralization for testing of broad cross-neutralizing responses. At least 1 vaccinee was shown to elicit broad cross-neutralization against all HCV...

Development of a 1-m plasma source for heavy ion beam charge neutralization

Science.gov (United States)

Efthimion, Philip C.; Gilson, Erik P.; Grisham, Larry; Davidson, Ronald C.; Yu, Simon; Waldron, William; Grant Logan, B.

2005-05-01

Highly ionized plasmas are being employed as a medium for charge neutralizing heavy ion beams in order to focus to a small spot size. Calculations suggest that plasma at a density of 1-100 times the ion beam density and at a length ˜0.1-1 m would be suitable for achieving a high level of charge neutralization. A radio frequency (RF) source was constructed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in support of the joint Neutralized Transport Experiment (NTX) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to study ion beam neutralization. Pulsing the source enabled operation at pressures ˜10 -6 Torr with plasma densities of 10 11 cm -3. Near 100% ionization was achieved. The plasma was 10 cm in length, but future experiments require a source 1 m long. The RF source does not easily scale to the length. Consequently, large-volume plasma sources based upon ferroelectric ceramics are being considered. These sources have the advantage of being able to increase the length of the plasma and operate at low neutral pressures. The source will utilize the ferroelectric ceramic BaTiO 3 to form metal plasma. A 1 m long section of the drift tube inner surface of NTX will be covered with ceramic. A high voltage (˜1-5 kV) is applied between the drift tube and the front surface of the ceramic by placing a wire grid on the front surface. Plasma densities of 10 12 cm -3 and neutral pressures ˜10 -6 Torr are expected. A test stand to produce 20 cm long plasma is being constructed and will be tested before a 1 m long source is developed.

Development of a 1-m plasma source for heavy ion beam charge neutralization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efthimion, Philip C.; Gilson, Erik P.; Grisham, Larry; Davidson, Ronald C.; Yu, Simon; Waldron, William; Grant Logan, B.

2005-01-01

Highly ionized plasmas are being employed as a medium for charge neutralizing heavy ion beams in order to focus to a small spot size. Calculations suggest that plasma at a density of 1-100 times the ion beam density and at a length ∼0.1-1 m would be suitable for achieving a high level of charge neutralization. A radio frequency (RF) source was constructed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in support of the joint Neutralized Transport Experiment (NTX) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to study ion beam neutralization. Pulsing the source enabled operation at pressures ∼10 -6 Torr with plasma densities of 10 11 cm -3 . Near 100% ionization was achieved. The plasma was 10 cm in length, but future experiments require a source 1 m long. The RF source does not easily scale to the length. Consequently, large-volume plasma sources based upon ferroelectric ceramics are being considered. These sources have the advantage of being able to increase the length of the plasma and operate at low neutral pressures. The source will utilize the ferroelectric ceramic BaTiO 3 to form metal plasma. A 1 m long section of the drift tube inner surface of NTX will be covered with ceramic. A high voltage (∼1-5 kV) is applied between the drift tube and the front surface of the ceramic by placing a wire grid on the front surface. Plasma densities of 10 12 cm -3 and neutral pressures ∼10 -6 Torr are expected. A test stand to produce 20 cm long plasma is being constructed and will be tested before a 1 m long source is developed

Neutral beam program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1979-01-01

The structure of the beam injection program for the Doublet-3 device is discussed. The design considerations for the beam line and design parameters for the Doublet-3 ion souce are given. Major components of the neutral beam injector system are discussed in detail. These include the neutralizer, magnetic shielding, reflecting magnets, vacuum system, calorimeter and beam dumps, and drift duct. The planned location of the two-injector system for Doublet-3 is illustrated and site preparation is considered. The status of beamline units 1 and 2 and the future program schedule are discussed

In vitro genotoxicity of neutral red after photo-activation and metabolic activation in the Ames test, the micronucleus test and the comet assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Guérard, Melanie; Zeller, Andreas; Singer, Thomas; Gocke, Elmar

2012-07-04

Neutral red (Nr) is relatively non-toxic and is widely used as indicator dye in many biological test systems. It absorbs visible light and is known to act as a photosensitizer, involving the generation of reactive oxygen species (type-I reaction) and singlet oxygen (type-II reaction). The mutagenicity of Nr was determined in the Ames test (with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1535, TA97, TA98, TA98NR, TA100, and TA102) with and without metabolic activation, and with and without photo-activation on agar plates. Similarly to the situation following metabolic activation, photo-mutagenicity of Nr was seen with all Salmonella strains tested, albeit with different effects between these strains. To our knowledge, Nr is the only photo-mutagen showing such a broad action. Since the effects are also observed in strains not known to be responsive to ROS, this indicates that ROS production is not the sole mode of action that leads to photo-genotoxicity. The reactive species produced by irradiation are short-lived as pre-irradiation of an Nr solution did not produce mutagenic effects when added to the bacteria. In addition, mutagenicity in TA98 following irradiation was stronger than in the nitroreductase-deficient strain TA98NR, indicating that nitro derivatives that are transformed by bacterial nitroreductase to hydroxylamines appear to play a role in the photo-mutagenicity of Nr. Photo-genotoxicity of Nr was further investigated in the comet assay and micronucleus test in L5178Y cells. Concentration-dependent increases in primary DNA damage and in the frequency of micronuclei were observed after irradiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A ring test of in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility: Analytical variability and sample ranking

Science.gov (United States)

In vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (NDFD) is an empirical measurement used to describe fermentability of NDF by rumen microbes. Variability is inherent in assays and affects the precision that can be expected for replicated samples. The study objective was to evaluate variability w...

ALCBEAM - Neutral beam formation and propagation code for beam-based plasma diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Bespamyatnov, I. O.; Rowan, W. L.; Liao, K. T.

2012-03-01

ALCBEAM is a new three-dimensional neutral beam formation and propagation code. It was developed to support the beam-based diagnostics installed on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. The purpose of the code is to provide reliable estimates of the local beam equilibrium parameters: such as beam energy fractions, density profiles and excitation populations. The code effectively unifies the ion beam formation, extraction and neutralization processes with beam attenuation and excitation in plasma and neutral gas and beam stopping by the beam apertures. This paper describes the physical processes interpreted and utilized by the code, along with exploited computational methods. The description is concluded by an example simulation of beam penetration into plasma of Alcator C-Mod. The code is successfully being used in Alcator C-Mod tokamak and expected to be valuable in the support of beam-based diagnostics in most other tokamak environments. Program summaryProgram title: ALCBEAM Catalogue identifier: AEKU_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEKU_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 66 459 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 7 841 051 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: IDL Computer: Workstation, PC Operating system: Linux RAM: 1 GB Classification: 19.2 Nature of problem: Neutral beams are commonly used to heat and/or diagnose high-temperature magnetically-confined laboratory plasmas. An accurate neutral beam characterization is required for beam-based measurements of plasma properties. Beam parameters such as density distribution, energy composition, and atomic excited populations of the beam atoms need to be known. Solution method: A neutral beam is initially formed as an ion beam which is extracted from

Neutral strange particle production in π+/K+p interactions at 250 GeV/c

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholten, A.J.

1988-01-01

This thesis in which a detailed study of K n inclusive production in K + p and π + p interactions at 250 GeV/c is presented, concentrates on neutral strange interaction products and draws some conclusions about the fate of the strange quark. In ch. 2 the experimental setup is described and in ch. 3 the series of computer programs that perform data reduction. Ch. 4 deals with the selectionn of events and neutral kaons. Also the calculations needed to correct for losses and background are described there. In ch. 5 inclusive and semi-inclusive distributions are presented and compared to data obtained in experiments at lower beam energy. In ch. 6 the data are compared with model predictions. In ch. 7 the main conclusions are summarized. (H.W.). 64 refs.; 39 refs.; 19 tabs

Corrosion studies of carbon steel under impinging jets of simulated slurries of neutralized current acid waste (NCAW) and neutralized cladding removal waste (NCRW)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, H.D.; Elmore, M.R.

1992-01-01

Plans for the disposal of radioactive liquid and solid wastes presently stored in double-shell tanks at the Hanford Site call for retrieval and processing of the waste to create forms suitable for permanent disposal. Waste will be retrieved from a tank using a submerged slurry pump in conjunction with one or more rotating slurry jet mixer pumps. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has conducted tests using simulated waste slurries to assess the effects of a impinging slurry jet on the corrosion rate of the tank wall and floor, an action that could potentially compromise the tank's structural integrity. Corrosion processes were investigated on a laboratory scale with a simulated neutralized cladding removal waste (NCRW) slurry and in a subsequent test with simulated neutralized current acid waste (NCAW) slurry. The test slurries simulated the actual NCRW and NCAW both chemically and physically. The tests simulated those conditions expected to exist in the respective double-shell tanks during waste retrieval operations. Results of both tests indicate that, because of the action of the mixer pump slurry jets, the waste retrieval operations proposed for NCAW and NCRW will moderately accelerate corrosion of the tank wall and floor. Based on the corrosion of initially unoxidized test specimens, and the removal of corrosion products from those specimens, the maximum time-averaged corrosion rates of carbon steel in both waste simulants for the length of the test was ∼4 mil/yr. The protective oxide layer that exists in each storage tank is expected to inhibit corrosion of the carbon steel

ORNL neutral-beam program in 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whealton, J.H.

1982-12-01

This report was presented at the ion source workshop held at Culham Laboratory, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1978. Because the proceedings of that conference are unavailable, and because the material in this report is still not to be found elsewhere, it is issued as a laboratory report. The neutral beam group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has constructed neutral beam generators for the ORMAK and PLT devices, is presently constructing neutral beam devices for the ISX and PDX devices, and is contemplating the construction of neutral beam systems for the advanced TNS device. These neutral beam devices stem from the pioneering work on ion sources of G.G. Kelley and O.B. Morgan. We describe the ion sources under development at this laboratory, the beam optics exhibited by these sources, as well as some theoretical considerations, and finally the remainder of the beamline design

Contaminated metallic melt volume reduction testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deichman, J.L.

1981-01-01

Laboratory scale metallic melts (stainless steel) were accomplished in support of Decontamination and Decommissioning's (D and D) contaminated equipment volume reduction and Low-Level Lead Site Waste programs. Six laboratory scale melts made with contaminated stainless steel provided data that radionuclide distribution can be predicted when proper temperature rates and ranges are employed, and that major decontamination occurs with the use of designed slagging materials. Stainless steel bars were contaminated with plutonium, cobalt, cesium and europium. This study was limited to stainless steel, however, further study is desirable to establish data for other metals and alloys. This study represents a positive beginning in defining the feasibility of economical volume reduction or conversion from TRU waste forms to LLW forms for a large portion of approximately 50 thousand tons of contaminated metal waste now being stored at Hanford underground or in deactivated facilities

Coherent and Incoherent Neutral Current Scattering for Supernova Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. C. Divari

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The total cross sections as well as the neutrino event rates are calculated in the neutral current neutrino scattering off 40Ar and 132Xe isotopes at neutrino energies (Ev<100 MeV. The individual contribution coming from coherent and incoherent channels is taking into account. An enhancement of the neutral current component is achieved via the coherent (0gs+→0gs+ channel which is dominant with respect to incoherent (0gs+→Jf one. The response of the above isotopes as a supernova neutrino detection has been considered, assuming a two parameter Fermi-Dirac distribution for the supernova neutrino energy spectra. The calculated total cross sections are tested on a gaseous spherical TPC detector dedicated for supernova neutrino detection.

Hypothesis of linear relaxation and ion mobility in neutral gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naudy, Michel

1980-01-01

The objective of this research thesis is to propose a theory of ion mobility in neutral gases, based on the hypothesis of linear relaxation, in order to obtain simple formula and a good agreement with experiment. The author first presents some generalities on ion mobility such as history and values of interest, and some notions about the way experimental results are obtained, and then theories proposed from 1903 to 1976. He reports two tests. The first one, based on the Boltzmann equation, is based on a method of moments, and requires the use of a computer, but does not give results in good agreement with the experiment. Thus, for the second test, the author used a kinetic equation similar to one used for the study of neutral gas viscosity. This kinetic equation is used for the study of ion mobility in neutral gases, and the author shows that, with a Sutherland potential, a simple formula can be obtained, the results of which can be obtained with a pocket calculator. Moreover, these results are in agreement with experimental values over a portion of the experimental range. In order to reach an agreement over the whole experimental range, a possibility has been to use, in some cases, a more realistic interaction potential. However, a computer was then necessary [fr

Negative Emotional Arousal Impairs Associative Memory Performance for Emotionally Neutral Content in Healthy Participants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Guez

Full Text Available The effect of emotional arousal on memory presents a complex pattern with previous studies reporting conflicting results of both improved and reduced memory performance following arousal manipulations. In this study we further tested the effect of negative emotional arousal (NEA on individual-item recognition and associative recognition of neutral stimuli in healthy participants, and hypothesized that NEA will particularly impair associative memory performance. The current study consists of two experiments; in both, participants studied a list of word-pairs and were then tested for items (items recognition test, and for associations (associative recognition test. In the first experiment, the arousal manipulation was induced by flashing emotionally-negative or neutral pictures between study-pairs while in the second experiment arousal was induced by presenting emotionally-negative or neutral pictures between lists. The results of the two experiments converged and supported an associative memory deficit observed under NEA conditions. We suggest that NEA is associated with an altered ability to bind one stimulus to another as a result of impaired recollection, resulting in poorer associative memory performance. The current study findings may contribute to the understanding of the mechanism underlying memory impairments reported in disorders associated with traumatic stress.

What does brain response to neutral faces tell us about major depression? evidence from machine learning and fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Leticia; Ladouceur, Cecile D; Phillips, Mary L; Brammer, Michael; Mourao-Miranda, Janaina

2013-01-01

A considerable number of previous studies have shown abnormalities in the processing of emotional faces in major depression. Fewer studies, however, have focused specifically on abnormal processing of neutral faces despite evidence that depressed patients are slow and less accurate at recognizing neutral expressions in comparison with healthy controls. The current study aimed to investigate whether this misclassification described behaviourally for neutral faces also occurred when classifying patterns of brain activation to neutral faces for these patients. TWO INDEPENDENT DEPRESSED SAMPLES: (1) Nineteen medication-free patients with depression and 19 healthy volunteers and (2) Eighteen depressed individuals and 18 age and gender-ratio-matched healthy volunteers viewed emotional faces (sad/neutral; happy/neutral) during an fMRI experiment. We used a new pattern recognition framework: first, we trained the classifier to discriminate between two brain states (e.g. viewing happy faces vs. viewing neutral faces) using data only from healthy controls (HC). Second, we tested the classifier using patterns of brain activation of a patient and a healthy control for the same stimuli. Finally, we tested if the classifier's predictions (predictive probabilities) for emotional and neutral face classification were different for healthy controls and depressed patients. Predictive probabilities to patterns of brain activation to neutral faces in both groups of patients were significantly lower in comparison to the healthy controls. This difference was specific to neutral faces. There were no significant differences in predictive probabilities to patterns of brain activation to sad faces (sample 1) and happy faces (samples 2) between depressed patients and healthy controls. Our results suggest that the pattern of brain activation to neutral faces in depressed patients is not consistent with the pattern observed in healthy controls subject to the same stimuli. This difference in

What does brain response to neutral faces tell us about major depression? evidence from machine learning and fMRI.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leticia Oliveira

Full Text Available A considerable number of previous studies have shown abnormalities in the processing of emotional faces in major depression. Fewer studies, however, have focused specifically on abnormal processing of neutral faces despite evidence that depressed patients are slow and less accurate at recognizing neutral expressions in comparison with healthy controls. The current study aimed to investigate whether this misclassification described behaviourally for neutral faces also occurred when classifying patterns of brain activation to neutral faces for these patients.TWO INDEPENDENT DEPRESSED SAMPLES: (1 Nineteen medication-free patients with depression and 19 healthy volunteers and (2 Eighteen depressed individuals and 18 age and gender-ratio-matched healthy volunteers viewed emotional faces (sad/neutral; happy/neutral during an fMRI experiment. We used a new pattern recognition framework: first, we trained the classifier to discriminate between two brain states (e.g. viewing happy faces vs. viewing neutral faces using data only from healthy controls (HC. Second, we tested the classifier using patterns of brain activation of a patient and a healthy control for the same stimuli. Finally, we tested if the classifier's predictions (predictive probabilities for emotional and neutral face classification were different for healthy controls and depressed patients.Predictive probabilities to patterns of brain activation to neutral faces in both groups of patients were significantly lower in comparison to the healthy controls. This difference was specific to neutral faces. There were no significant differences in predictive probabilities to patterns of brain activation to sad faces (sample 1 and happy faces (samples 2 between depressed patients and healthy controls.Our results suggest that the pattern of brain activation to neutral faces in depressed patients is not consistent with the pattern observed in healthy controls subject to the same stimuli. This

Study of the corrosion behavior of magnesium alloy weddings in NaCl solutions by gravimetric tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segarra, J. A.; Calderon, B.; Portoles, A.

2015-07-01

In this article, the corrosion behavior of commercial AZ31 welded plates in aqueous chloride media was investigated by means of gravimetric techniques and Neutral Salt Spray tests (NSS). The AZ31 samples tested were welded using Gas Tugsten Arc Welding (GTAW) and different filler materials. Material microstructures were investigated by optical microscopy to stablish the influence of those microstructures in the corrosion behavior. Gravimetric and NSS tests indicate that the use of more noble filler alloys for the sample welding, preventing the reduction of aluminum content in weld beads, does not imply a better corrosion behavior. (Author)

Cyclic voltammetric study of electro-oxidation of methanol on platinum electrode in acidic and neutral media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.S.A.; Ahmed, R.; Mirza, M.L.

2007-01-01

The electro-oxidation of methanol on electrochemically treated platinum foil was investigated in acidic and neutral media for comparison of cyclic voltammetric characteristics and elucidation of mechanism of electro-oxidation of methanol. The surface area and roughness factor of platinum electrode was calculated. The electro-oxidation of mathanol is an irreversible process giving. anodic peaks in both anodic and cathodic sweep. The characteristic peaks of electrooxidation of methanol appeared at almost the same potential region in both acidic and neutral media. In neutral medium, certain additional cathodic/anodic peaks appeared which were confirmed to arise by the reduction/oxidation of hydrogen ions. The exchange current density and heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant was higher in neutral medium as. compared with acidic medium. The thermodynamic parameters delta H, delta S, and delta G/sub 298/ were calculated. The values of delta H and delta G/sub 298/were positive which indicated that the process of electro-oxidation of methanol is an endothermic and nonspontaneous. The mechanism of electro-oxidation of methanol was same in both acidic and neutral media involving the formation of various adsorbed intermediate species through dissociative adsorption steps leading to the formation of Co adsorbed radicals, which are removed. during interaction with adsorbed hydrous oxides provided by the oxidation of adsorbed water molecules. The higher rate of electro-oxidation of methanol in neutral medium was interpreted in the tight of electrochemical mechanism and was attributed to the presence of comparatively small amount of hydrogen ions only along the surface of working electrode, which are produced during electro-oxidation of methanol. (author)

MERS Coronavirus Neutralizing Antibodies in Camels, Eastern Africa, 1983-1997

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Müller, Marcel A; Corman, Victor Max; Jores, Joerg; Meyer, Benjamin; Younan, Mario; Liljander, Anne; Bosch, Berend-Jan; Lattwein, Erik; Hilali, Mosaad; Musa, Bakri E; Bornstein, Set; Drosten, Christian

2014-01-01

To analyze the distribution of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)-seropositive dromedary camels in eastern Africa, we tested 189 archived serum samples accumulated during the past 30 years. We identified MERS-CoV neutralizing antibodies in 81.0% of samples from the main

Telescope-based cavity for negative ion beam neutralization in future fusion reactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiorucci, Donatella; Hreibi, Ali; Chaibi, Walid

2018-03-01

In future fusion reactors, heating system efficiency is of the utmost importance. Photo-neutralization substantially increases the neutral beam injector (NBI) efficiency with respect to the foreseen system in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) based on a gaseous target. In this paper, we propose a telescope-based configuration to be used in the NBI photo-neutralizer cavity of the demonstration power plant (DEMO) project. This configuration greatly reduces the total length of the cavity, which likely solves overcrowding issues in a fusion reactor environment. Brought to a tabletop experiment, this cavity configuration is tested: a 4 mm beam width is obtained within a ≃1.5  m length cavity. The equivalent cavity g factor is measured to be 0.038(3), thus confirming the cavity stability.

Test Time Reduction for BIST by Parallel Divide-and-Conquer Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Byung Gu; Kim, Dong Wook [Kwangwoon University (Korea)

2000-06-01

BIST(Built-in Self Test) has been considered as the most promising DFT(design-for-test) scheme for the present and future test strategy. The most serious problem in applying BIST(Built-in Self Test) into a large circuit is the excessive increase in test time. This paper is focused on this problem. We proposed a new BIST construction scheme which uses a parallel divide-and-conquer method. The circuit division is performed with respect to some internal nodes called test points. The test points are selected by considering the nodal connectivity of the circuit rather than the testability of each node. The test patterns are generated by only one linear feedback shift register(LFSR) and they are shared by all the divided circuits. Thus, the test for each divided circuit is performed in parallel. Test responses are collected from the test point as well as the primary outputs. Even though the divide-and-conquer scheme is used and test patterns are generated in one LFSR, the proposed scheme does not lose its pseudo-exhaustive property. We proposed a selection procedure to find the test points and it was implemented with C/C{sup ++} language. Several example circuits were applied to this procedure and the results showed that test time was reduced upto 1/2{sup 1}51 but the increase in the hardware overhead or the delay increase was not much high. Because the proposed scheme showed a tendency that the increasing rates in hardware overhead and delay overhead were less than that in test time reduction as the size of circuit increases, it is expected to be used efficiently for large circuits as VLSI and ULSI. (author). 15 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.

Emotion Processing for Arousal and Neutral Content in Alzheimer's Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corina Satler

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To assess the ability of Alzheimer's disease (AD patients to perceive emotional information and to assign subjective emotional rating scores to audiovisual presentations. Materials and Methods. 24 subjects (14 with AD, matched to controls for age and educational levels were studied. After neuropsychological assessment, they watched a Neutral story and then a story with Emotional content. Results. Recall scores for both stories were significantly lower in AD (Neutral and Emotional: P=.001. CG assigned different emotional scores for each version of the test, P=.001, while ratings of AD did not differ, P=.32. Linear regression analyses determined the best predictors of emotional rating and recognition memory for each group among neuropsychological tests battery. Conclusions. AD patients show changes in emotional processing on declarative memory and a preserved ability to express emotions in face of arousal content. The present findings suggest that these impairments are due to general cognitive decline.

Neutral beam in ALVAND IIC tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghrannevisse, M.; Moradshahi, M.; Avakian, M.

1992-01-01

Neutral beams have a wide application in tokamak experiments. It used to heat; fuel; adjust electric potentials in plasmas and diagnose particles densities and momentum distributions. It may be used to sustain currents in tokamaks to extend the pulse length. A 5 KV; 500 mA ion source has been constructed by plasma physics group, AEOI and it used to produce plasma and study the plasma parameters. Recently this ion source has been neutralized and it adapted to a neutral beam source; and it used to heat a cylindrical DC plasma and the plasma of ALVAND IIC Tokamak which is a small research tokamak with a minor radius of 12.6 cm, and a major radius of 45.5 cm. In this paper we report the neutralization of the ion beam and the results obtained by injection of this neutral beam into plasmas. (author) 2 refs., 4 figs

Two-reagent neutralization scheme for controlling the migration of contaminants from a uranium mill tailings disposal pond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodson, M.E.; Opitz, B.E.; Sherwood, D.R.

1984-11-01

Techniques for reducing contaminant migration from tailings liquor impoundments and evaporation ponds are being investigated by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory as part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Uranium Research and Recovery Program. Building upon previous studies investigating single-reagent neutralization, laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of a two-reagent neutralization scheme for the treatment of acidic uranium mill tailings liquors. Acidic tailings liquor, pH 3 neutralization to pH 4.0 followed by continued neutralization with lime to pH 7.3, resulted in the highest solution quality with respect to the Environmental Protection Agency's water quality guidelines. Furthermore, the two-reagent neutralization scheme is the most cost-effective treatment procedure tested to date. 13 references, 1 table

Development of neutral beams for fusion plasma heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haselton, H.H.; Pyle, R.V.

1980-01-01

A state-of-the-art account of neutral beam technology at the LBL/LLNL and ORNL facilities is given with emphasis on positive-ion-based systems. The advances made in the last few years are elaborated and problem areas are identified. The ORNL program has successfully completed the neutral injection systems for PLT, ISX-B, and most recently, PDX and the ISX-B upgrade. All of these are high current (60 to 100 A), medium energy (40 to 50 keV) systems. This program is also engaged in the development of a reactor-grade advanced positive ion system (150 to 200 kV/100 A/5 to 10 s) and a multimegawatt, long pulse (30 s) heating system for ISX-C. In a joint program, LBL and LLNL are developing and testing neutral beam injection systems based on the acceleration of positive ions for application in the 80- to 160-keV range on MFTF-B, D-III, TFTR/TFM, ETF, MNS, etc. A conceptual design of a 160-keV injection system for the German ZEPHYR project is in progress at LBL/LLNL and independently at ORNL. The laboratories are also engaged in the development of negative-ion-based systems for future applications at higher energies

Development of neutral beams for fusion plasma heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haselton, H.H.; Pyle, R.V.

1980-01-01

A state-of-the-art account of neutral beam technology at the LBL/LLNL and ORNL facilities is given with emphasis on positive-ion-based systems. The advances made in the last few years are elaborated and problem areas are identified. The ORNL program has successfully completed the neutral injection systems for PLT, ISX-B, and most recently, PDX and the ISX-B upgrade. All of these are high current (60 to 100 A), medium energy (40 to 50 keV) systems. This program is also engaged in the development of a reactor-grade advanced positive ion system (150 to 200 kV/100 A/5 to 10 s) and a multimegawatt, long pulse (30 s) heating system for ISX-C. In a joint program, LBL and LLNL are developing and testing neutral beam injection systems based on the acceleration of positive ions for application in the 80- to 160-keV range on MFTF-B, D-III, TFTR/TFM, ETF, MNS, etc. A conceptual design of a 160-keV injection system for the German ZEPHYR project is in progress at LBL/LLNL and independently at ORNL. The laboratories are also engaged in the development of negative-ion-based systems for future applications at higher energies.

Investigation of hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction on graphene and nitrogen doped graphene nanoflakes in neutral solution

Science.gov (United States)

Amirfakhri, Seyed Javad; Binny, Dustin; Meunier, Jean-Luc; Berk, Dimitrios

2014-07-01

H2O2 reduction reaction (HPRR) is studied on both graphene (GNF) and nitrogen doped graphene nanoflakes in 0.1 M Na2SO4 solution by rotating disk electrode. The XPS results indicate that N-doped graphene nanoflakes with high nitrogen content, 32 at%N (N-GNF32), are synthesised successfully by an inductively-coupled thermal plasma (ICP) reactor. Pyridinic, pyrrolic and graphitic N species contribute up to 67% of the total nitrogen. Kinetic parameters such as Tafel slope and stoichiometric number suggest that HPRR occurs by the same mechanism on both GNF and N-GNF32. Although nitrogen does not change the mechanism of HPRR, the results indicate that the reaction rate of H2O2 reduction is enhanced on N-GNF32. The exchange current density of H2O2 reduction based on the active surface area of N-GNF32 is (8.3 ± 0.3) × 10-9 A cm-2, which is 6 times higher than the value determined for GNF. The apparent number of electrons involved in the process suggests that H2O2 decomposition competes with H2O2 reduction on both catalysts. Evaluation of the apparent heterogeneous reaction rate constant and the Tafel slope indicate that simultaneous reduction of O2 and H2O2 is negligible on the N-GNF32. On the other hand, the reduction of O2 and H2O2 occurs simultaneously on the GNF surface.

Structural Basis for Differential Neutralization of Ebolaviruses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John M. Dye

2012-04-01

Full Text Available There are five antigenically distinct ebolaviruses that cause hemorrhagic fever in humans or non-human primates (Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Reston virus, Taï Forest virus, and Bundibugyo virus. The small handful of antibodies known to neutralize the ebolaviruses bind to the surface glycoprotein termed GP1,2. Curiously, some antibodies against them are known to neutralize in vitro but not protect in vivo, whereas other antibodies are known to protect animal models in vivo, but not neutralize in vitro. A detailed understanding of what constitutes a neutralizing and/or protective antibody response is critical for development of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we show that paradoxically, a lower affinity antibody with restricted access to its epitope confers better neutralization than a higher affinity antibody against a similar epitope, suggesting that either subtle differences in epitope, or different characteristics of the GP1,2 molecules themselves, confer differential neutralization susceptibility. Here, we also report the crystal structure of trimeric, prefusion GP1,2 from the original 1976 Boniface variant of Sudan virus complexed with 16F6, the first antibody known to neutralize Sudan virus, and compare the structure to that of Sudan virus, variant Gulu. We discuss new structural details of the GP1-GP2 clamp, thermal motion of various regions in GP1,2 across the two viruses visualized, details of differential interaction of the crystallized neutralizing antibodies, and their relevance for virus neutralization.

The merits of neutral theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alonso, D.; Etienne, R.S.; McKane, A.J.

2006-01-01

Hubbell's neutral theory of biodiversity has challenged the classic niche-based view of ecological community structure. Although there have been many attempts to falsify Hubbell's theory, we argue that falsification should not lead to rejection, because there is more to the theory than neutrality

Dynamics of neutral and charged aerosol particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leppae, J.

2012-07-01

Atmospheric aerosol particles have various climate effects and adverse health effects, which both depend on the size and number concentration of the particles. Freshly-formed particles are not large enough to impact neither health nor climate and they are most susceptible to removal by collisions with larger pre-existing particles. Consequently, the knowledge of both the formation and the growth rate of particles are crucially important when assessing the health and climate effects of atmospheric new particle formation. The purpose of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of the dynamics of neutral and charged aerosol particles with a specific interest towards the particle growth rate and processes affecting the aerosol charging state. A new model, Ion-UHMA, which simulates the dynamics of neutral and charged particles, was developed for this purpose. Simple analytical formulae that can be used to estimate the growth rate due to various processes were derived and used to study the effects of charged particles on the growth rate. It was found that the growth rate of a freshly-formed particle population due to condensation and coagulation could be significantly increased when a considerable fraction of the particles are charged. Finally, recent data-analysis methods that have been applied to the aerosol charging states obtained from the measurements were modified for a charge asymmetric framework. The methods were then tested on data obtained from aerosol dynamics simulations. The methods were found to be able to provide reasonable estimates on the growth rate and proportion of particles formed via ion-induced nucleation, provided that the growth rate is high enough and that the charged particles do not grow much more rapidly than the neutral ones. A simple procedure for estimating whether the methods are suitable for analysing data obtained in specific conditions was provided. In this thesis, the dynamics of neutral and charged aerosol particles were studied in

TFTR neutral-beam power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winje, R.A.

1982-10-01

The TFTR Neutral Beam Power System (NBPS) consists of the accelerator grid power supply and the auxiliary power supplies required to operate the TFTR 120-keV ion sources. The current configuration of the NBPS including the 11-MVA accelerator grid power supply and the Arc and Filament power supplies isolated for operation at accelerator grid voltages up to 120 kV, is described. The prototype NBPS has been assembled at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and has been operated. The results of the initial operation and the description and resolution of some of the technical problems encountered during the commissioning tests are presented

TFTR neutral beam power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deitz, A.; Murray, H.; Winje, R.

1977-01-01

The TFTR NB System will be composed of four beam lines, each containing three ion sources presently being developed for TFTR by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories (LBL). The Neutral Beam Power System (NBPS) will provide the necessary power required to operate these Ion Sources in both an experimental or operational mode as well as test mode. This paper describes the technical as well as the administrative/management aspects involved in the development and building of this system. The NBPS will combine the aspects of HV pulse (120 kV) and long pulse width (0.5 sec) together to produce a high power system that is unique in the Electrical Engineering field

Progress of the Hard-wired Instrumentation and Control Works for the Neutral Beam Test Stand at KAERI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Ki Sok

2005-12-15

Progress of the hard-wired instrumentation and control works for the neutral beam test stand(NB-TS) has been existed for the past one year period. Details of the installed arc detector circuit are explained. LN{sub 2} level and temperature control during the cryosorption pumping operation are explained with an emphasis on its control circuit. With an expectation of more accurate and sensitive measurement of temperatures than the thermocouple utilization during the calorimeter operation, PT-100 resistance temperature detector(RTD) utilization is initiated and the results are described. During the ion beam experiment, physical measurements are made with some delayed time than the beam extraction, and thus a delayed trigger pulse generator was fabricated and installed to the system. Underlying principles of the electronic circuits for the interlock implementation and optical signal transmission are introduced. These are basically the application of operational amplifier circuits. A cautious aspect of the SMPS(switch mode power supply) utilization is also give.

Progress of the Hard-wired Instrumentation and Control Works for the Neutral Beam Test Stand at KAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Ki Sok

2005-12-01

Progress of the hard-wired instrumentation and control works for the neutral beam test stand(NB-TS) has been existed for the past one year period. Details of the installed arc detector circuit are explained. LN 2 level and temperature control during the cryosorption pumping operation are explained with an emphasis on its control circuit. With an expectation of more accurate and sensitive measurement of temperatures than the thermocouple utilization during the calorimeter operation, PT-100 resistance temperature detector(RTD) utilization is initiated and the results are described. During the ion beam experiment, physical measurements are made with some delayed time than the beam extraction, and thus a delayed trigger pulse generator was fabricated and installed to the system. Underlying principles of the electronic circuits for the interlock implementation and optical signal transmission are introduced. These are basically the application of operational amplifier circuits. A cautious aspect of the SMPS(switch mode power supply) utilization is also give

A two-reagent neutralization scheme for controlling the migration of contaminants from a uranium mill tailing disposal pond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodson, M.E.; Opitz, B.E.; Sherwood, D.R.

1985-01-01

Techniques for reducing contaminant migration from tailings liquor impoundments and evaporation ponds are being investigated by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory as part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Uranium Research and Recovery Program. Building upon previous studies investigating single-reagent neutralization, laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of a two-reagent neutralization scheme for the treatment of acidic uranium mill tailings liquors. Acidic tailings liquor, pH 3 neutralization to pH 4.0 followed by continued neutralization with lime to pH 7.3, resulted in the highest solution quality with respect to the Environmental Protection Agency's water quality guidelines. Furthermore, the two-reagent neutralization scheme is the most cost-effective treatment procedure tested to date

Neutral evolution of mutational robustness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nimwegen, Erik van; Crutchfield, James P.; Huynen, Martijn

1999-01-01

We introduce and analyze a general model of a population evolving over a network of selectively neutral genotypes. We show that the population s limit distribution on the neutral network is solely determined by the network topology and given by the principal eigenvector of the network

Design of vacuum vessel for Indian Test Facility (INTF) for 100 keV neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, Jaydeep; Yadav, Ashish; Gangadharan, Roopesh; Prasad, Rambilas; Ulahannan, Shino; Rotti, Chandramouli; Bandyopadhyay, Mainak; Chakraborty, Arun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thickness calculation and optimization for the main shell, ducts, Dishends and top lid on the main shell. • Nozzle and flange design for the port openings. • Support structure design for the main shell and ducts. • FEA validation of the INTF vessel for operational, seismic and lifting condition. - Abstract: The Indian Test Facility (INTF) vacuum vessel is designed to install a full-scale test set-up of Diagnostic Neutral Beam (DNB) [1] for the qualification of beam parameters and the behavior of beam-line components prior to installation and operation in ITER. Vacuum vessel is designed in cylindrical shape having length of ∼9 m with diameter of ∼4.5 m and has a detachable top-lid for mounting as well as removal of internal components during installation and maintenance phases. The Vessel has hemispherical dish-ends with large openings for high-voltage bushing on one side and duct on another side. Vessel is provided with openings for hydraulic, cryo, gas-feed and diagnostics. Vessel duct is composed of three segments with length ranges from 3 m to 5 m with diameter of ∼1.5 m and one vessel at the end to house the second calorimeter. The objective of this paper is to present the design and analysis of vacuum vessel, with respect to its functional and operational requirements. The design calculations are done as per ASME-BPVC SectionVIII-Div.1 and subsequently Finite Element Analysis (FEM) method has been adopted to verify the design.

Design of vacuum vessel for Indian Test Facility (INTF) for 100 keV neutral beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joshi, Jaydeep, E-mail: Jaydeep.joshi@iter-india.org [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, A29, GIDC Electronics Estate, Gandhinagar 382016, Gujarat (India); Yadav, Ashish; Gangadharan, Roopesh [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, A29, GIDC Electronics Estate, Gandhinagar 382016, Gujarat (India); Prasad, Rambilas [Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh 273001 (India); Ulahannan, Shino [Airframe Aerodesigns Pvt. Ltd., HAL Airport Exit Road, Old Airport Road, Bengaluru 17 (India); Rotti, Chandramouli; Bandyopadhyay, Mainak; Chakraborty, Arun [ITER-India, Institute for Plasma Research, A29, GIDC Electronics Estate, Gandhinagar 382016, Gujarat (India)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Thickness calculation and optimization for the main shell, ducts, Dishends and top lid on the main shell. • Nozzle and flange design for the port openings. • Support structure design for the main shell and ducts. • FEA validation of the INTF vessel for operational, seismic and lifting condition. - Abstract: The Indian Test Facility (INTF) vacuum vessel is designed to install a full-scale test set-up of Diagnostic Neutral Beam (DNB) [1] for the qualification of beam parameters and the behavior of beam-line components prior to installation and operation in ITER. Vacuum vessel is designed in cylindrical shape having length of ∼9 m with diameter of ∼4.5 m and has a detachable top-lid for mounting as well as removal of internal components during installation and maintenance phases. The Vessel has hemispherical dish-ends with large openings for high-voltage bushing on one side and duct on another side. Vessel is provided with openings for hydraulic, cryo, gas-feed and diagnostics. Vessel duct is composed of three segments with length ranges from 3 m to 5 m with diameter of ∼1.5 m and one vessel at the end to house the second calorimeter. The objective of this paper is to present the design and analysis of vacuum vessel, with respect to its functional and operational requirements. The design calculations are done as per ASME-BPVC SectionVIII-Div.1 and subsequently Finite Element Analysis (FEM) method has been adopted to verify the design.

From the Neutral Theory to a Comprehensive and Multiscale Theory of Ecological Equivalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz, François; Huneman, Philippe

2016-09-01

The neutral theory of biodiversity assumes that coexisting organisms are equally able to survive, reproduce, and disperse (ecological equivalence), but predicts that stochastic fluctuations of these abilities drive diversity dynamics. It predicts remarkably well many biodiversity patterns, although substantial evidence for the role of niche variation across organisms seems contradictory. Here, we discuss this apparent paradox by exploring the meaning and implications of ecological equivalence. We address the question whether neutral theory provides an explanation for biodiversity patterns and acknowledges causal processes. We underline that ecological equivalence, although central to neutral theory, can emerge at local and regional scales from niche-based processes through equalizing and stabilizing mechanisms. Such emerging equivalence corresponds to a weak conception of neutral theory, as opposed to the assumption of strict equivalence at the individual level in strong conception. We show that this duality is related to diverging views on hypothesis testing and modeling in ecology. In addition, the stochastic dynamics exposed in neutral theory are pervasive in ecological systems and, rather than a null hypothesis, ecological equivalence is best understood as a parsimonious baseline to address biodiversity dynamics at multiple scales.

Heavy neutral leptons at FASER

Science.gov (United States)

Kling, Felix; Trojanowski, Sebastian

2018-05-01

We study the prospects for discovering heavy neutral leptons at Forward Search Experiment (FASER), the newly proposed detector at the LHC. Previous studies showed that a relatively small detector with ˜10 m length and ≲1 m2 cross sectional area can probe large unconstrained parts of parameter space for dark photons and dark Higgs bosons. In this work, we show that FASER will also be sensitive to heavy neutral leptons that have mixing angles with the active neutrinos that are up to an order of magnitude lower than current bounds. In particular, this is true for heavy neutral leptons produced dominantly in B -meson decays, in which case FASER's discovery potential is comparable to the proposed SHiP detector. We also illustrate how the search for heavy neutral leptons at FASER will be complementary to ongoing searches in high-pT experiments at the LHC and can shed light on the nature of dark matter and the process of baryogenesis in the early Universe.

The Neutral Interest Rate: Estimates for Chile

OpenAIRE

Rodrigo Fuentes S; Fabián Gredig U.

2008-01-01

To estimate the neutral real interest rate for Chile, we use a variety of methods that can be classified into three categories: those derived from economic theory, the neutral rate implicit in financial assets, and statistical procedures using macroeconomic data. We conclude that the neutral rate is not constant over time, but it is closely related with—though not equivalent to—the potential GDP growth rate. The application of the different methods yields fairly similar results. The neutral r...

A potent human neutralizing antibody Fc-dependently reduces established HBV infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dan; He, Wenhui; Liu, Ximing; Zheng, Sanduo; Qi, Yonghe; Li, Huiyu; Mao, Fengfeng; Liu, Juan; Sun, Yinyan; Pan, Lijing; Du, Kaixin; Ye, Keqiong; Li, Wenhui; Sui, Jianhua

2017-09-26

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem. Currently-available therapies are ineffective in curing chronic HBV infection. HBV and its satellite hepatitis D virus (HDV) infect hepatocytes via binding of the preS1 domain of its large envelope protein to sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP). Here, we developed novel human monoclonal antibodies that block the engagement of preS1 with NTCP and neutralize HBV and HDV with high potency. One antibody, 2H5-A14, functions at picomolar level and exhibited neutralization-activity-mediated prophylactic effects. It also acts therapeutically by eliciting antibody-Fc-dependent immunological effector functions that impose durable suppression of viral infection in HBV-infected mice, resulting in reductions in the levels of the small envelope antigen and viral DNA, with no emergence of escape mutants. Our results illustrate a novel antibody-Fc-dependent approach for HBV treatment and suggest 2H5-A14 as a novel clinical candidate for HBV prevention and treatment of chronic HBV infection.

Neutral particle beam alternative concept for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedgley, D.; Brook, J.; Luzzi, T.; Deutsch, L.

1989-01-01

An analysis of an ITER neutral particle beam system is presented. The analysis covers the neutralizer, ion dumps, pumping, and geometric aspects. The US beam concept for ITER consists of three or four clusters of beamlines delivering approximately 80 MW total of 1.6-MeV deuterium to three or four reactor ports. Each cluster has three self-contained beamlines featuring plasma neutralizers and electrostatic ion dumps. In this study, each of the beamlines has two source assemblies with separate gas neutralizers and magnetic ion dumps. Deuterium is injected into the gas neutralizers by a separate system. Saddle-shaped copper coils augment the tokamak poloidal field to turn the charged particles into the ion dumps. The gas flow from the source, neutralizer, and ion dump is pumped by regenerable cryopanels. The effect of the port between the TF coils and the beam injection angle on the plasma footprint was studied

An experimenter's history of neutral currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sciulli, F.

1979-01-01

The history of the experimental study of neutral currents, defined as the class of weak interactions engaged in by lepton pairs of net zero charge, is traced under the headings; historical motivations, experimental searches, first positive indications, neutral currents corroborated, neutrino experiments on neutral currents and some general experimental comments. It is concluded that the neutral current does exist and predicted on the basis of gauge theory ideas, and though to connect the weak and electromagnetic interactions, its very general experimental properties are quite consistent with those ideas. Among these are flavor conserving complicated isospin structure, complicated V, A structure and a structure which depends on the type (or quantum numbers) of the target. 50 references. (UK)

Affective orientation influences memory for emotional and neutral words.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Seth N; Tokarev, Julian; Estes, Zachary

2012-01-01

Memory is better for emotional words than for neutral words, but the conditions contributing to emotional memory improvement are not entirely understood. Elsewhere, it has been observed that retrieval of a word is easier when its attributes are congruent with a property assessed during an earlier judgment task. The present study examined whether affective assessment of a word matters to its remembrance. Two experiments were run, one in which only valence assessment was performed, and another in which valence assessment was combined with a running recognition for list words. In both experiments, some participants judged whether each word in a randomized list was negative (negative monitoring), and others judged whether each was positive (positive monitoring). We then tested their explicit memory for the words via both free recall and delayed recognition. Both experiments revealed an affective congruence effect, such that negative words were more likely to be recalled and recognized after negative monitoring, whereas positive words likewise benefited from positive monitoring. Memory for neutral words was better after negative monitoring than positive monitoring.Thus, memory for both emotional and neutral words is contingent on one's affective orientation during encoding.

Reduction in Unnecessary Clinical Laboratory Testing Through Utilization Management at a US Government Veterans Affairs Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Konger, Raymond L; Ndekwe, Paul; Jones, Genea; Schmidt, Ronald P; Trey, Marty; Baty, Eric J; Wilhite, Denise; Munshi, Imtiaz A; Sutter, Bradley M; Rao, Maddamsetti; Bashir, Chowdry M

2016-03-01

To implement an electronic laboratory utilization management system (laboratory expert system [LES]) to provide safe and effective reductions in unnecessary clinical laboratory testing. The LES is a set of frequency filter subroutines within the Veterans Affairs hospital and laboratory information system that was formulated by an interdisciplinary medical team. Since implementing the LES, total test volume has decreased by a mean of 11.18% per year compared with our pre-LES test volume. This change was not attributable to fluctuations in outpatient visits or inpatient days of care. Laboratory cost savings were estimated at $151,184 and $163,751 for 2012 and 2013, respectively. A significant portion of these cost savings was attributable to reductions in high-volume, large panel testing. No adverse effects on patient care were reported, and mean length of stay for patients remained unchanged. Electronic laboratory utilization systems can effectively reduce unnecessary laboratory testing without compromising patient care. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Laboratory evaluation of limestone and lime neutralization of acidic uranium mill tailings solution. Progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opitz, B.E.; Dodson, M.E.; Serne, R.J.

1984-02-01

Experiments were conducted to evaluate a two-step neutralization scheme for treatment of acidic uranium mill tailings solutions. Tailings solutions from the Lucky Mc Mill and Exxon Highland Mill, both in Wyoming, were neutralized with limestone, CaCO 3 , to an intermediate pH of 4.0 or 5.0, followed by lime, Ca(OH) 2 , neutralization to pH 7.3. The combination limestone/lime treatment methods, CaCO 3 neutralization to pH 4 followed by neutralization with Ca(OH) 2 to pH 7.3 resulted in the highest quality effluent solution with respect to EPA's water quality guidelines. The combination method is the most cost-effective treatment procedure tested in our studies. Neutralization experiments to evaluate the optimum solution pH for contaminant removal were performed on the same two tailings solutions using only lime Ca(OH) 2 as the neutralizing agent. The data indicate solution neutralization above pH 7.3 does not significantly increase removal of pH dependent contaminants from solution. Column leaching experiments were performed on the neutralized sludge material (the precipitated solid material which forms as the acidic tailings solutions are neutralized to pH 4 or above). The sludges were contacted with laboratory prepared synthetic ground water until several effluent pore volumes were collected. Effluent solutions were analyzed for macro ions, trace metals and radionuclides in an effort to evaluate the long term effectiveness of attenuating contaminants in sludges formed during solution neutralization. Neutralized sludge leaching experiments indicate that Ca, Na, Mg, Se, Cl, and SO 4 are the only constituents which show solution concentrations significantly higher than the synthetic ground water in the early pore volumes of long-term leaching studies

Computational study of the first stage of hypersonic ion beam neutralization: The cross neutralization stage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomot, C.; Dolique, J.M.

1975-01-01

A study is made of the first stage of evolution of a hypersonic ion beam in which thermoelectrons are emitted by a heated grid, known as the neutralizer. Downstream from the neutralizer there appears successively as a sheath a range of periodic and quasi-stationary electric field and a front where the electric field oscillates with the plasma frequency. The sheath is self-regulated. Some electrons are trapped in the periodic and stationary electric field. The characteristics of the periodic, quasi-stationary range correspond to those of both an experimental study and one-dimensional time-independent macroscopic theory. This quasi-stationary regime builds up in a time smaller than ω/subp/e -1 and is studied for a few periods ω/subP//sube/ -1 . The subsequent evolution of this state of nonequilibrium is not investigated. The experimental study has shown that, as for the neutralization of a subsonic ion beam, it leads to a field-free, homogeneous medium: a ''synthesized plasma.'' The importance of the first stage described herein, which may be called the gross neutralization stage, is due to the properties of mean neutrality in the current and in the charge insured by the regulating sheath, properties which will be preseved downstream

Passivation behavior of SUS 304 stainless steel in neutral solutions at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanno, Kazuo; Kato, Koji; Ohnaka, Noriyuki; Okajima, Yoshiaki; Minato, Akira.

1981-01-01

Cyclic voltammograms of SUS 304 stainless steel in various neutral solutions such as Na 2 SO 4 at high temperature were measured, as a successive study to previous report in which effects of temperature and pH on polarization behavior of stainless steel were studied. In this measurement Ag/AgCl reference electrode and platinum counter electrode were used in a static autoclave lined with inconel. Passive films formed in various conditions were analysed by electron diffraction and Auger spectroscopy. Results obtained were compared with anodic behavior of iron, chromium and nickel and with thermodynamical stabilities of their compounds. The main results are summarized as follows. (1) Stainless steel shows such electrochemical behavior as active dissolution, passivation and transpassivation in a deaerated neutral solution at 250 0 C after fully reductive treatment of the specimen. In air-saturated solution, the peak of active dissolution is not observed. In the passive range there are intermediate oxidation and reduction peaks, and it is assumed that dissolved ionic species are oxidized to form oxide of spinel type and higher oxidized state successively at these peaks. (2) Electrochemical behavior of specimens in 0.1 M sulfate, -phosphate and -carbonate solutions are almost the same and rather thick films form in these solutions. On the other hand, specimens are easy to passivate in borate and -nitrate solution, and their passive films are thin. (author)

Net neutrality and audiovisual services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Eijk, N.; Nikoltchev, S.

2011-01-01

Net neutrality is high on the European agenda. New regulations for the communication sector provide a legal framework for net neutrality and need to be implemented on both a European and a national level. The key element is not just about blocking or slowing down traffic across communication

Computerized operation of the DIII-D neutral beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glad, A.S.; Tooker, J.F.

1986-01-01

Operation of the DIII-D neutral beams utilizes computerized control to provide routine tokamak beam heating shots and an effective method for automatic ion source operation. Computerized control reduces operational complexity, thus providing consistent reliability and availability of beams and a significant reduction in the the costs of routine operation. The objectives in implementing computerized control for operation were: (1) to improve operator efficiency for controlling multiple beam lines and increasing beam availability through standard procedures, (2) to provide a simplified scheme that operators and coordinators can construct and maintain, and (3) to provide a single integrated mechanism for both tokamak operation and automatic source conditioning. The years of experience in operating neutral beams at Doublet III provided the data necessary to meet the objectives. The method for computerized control consisted of three integrated functions: (1) a structured command language was implemented to provide the mechanism for automatically sequencing beams, (2) a historical file was constructed from the operational parameters to characterize the ion source, and consists of data from approximately 100,000 beam shots, and (3) procedures were developed integrating the language to the historical file for normal operation and source conditioning. This paper describes the method for sequencing beams automatically, the structure of the historical data file, and the procedures which integrate the historical data with tokamak operation and automatic source conditioning

Neutral-beam aiming and calorimetry for MFTF-B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldner, A.I.; Margolies, D.

1981-01-01

The vessel for the Tandem Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B) will have up to eleven 0.5-s-duration neutral-beam injectors for the initial heating of the MFTF-B plasma. Knowing the exact alignment of the beams and their total power is critical to the performance of the experiment. Using prototype aiming and calorimetry systems on the High Voltage Test Stand (HVTS) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), we hope to prove our ability to obtain an aiming accuracy of +-1 cm at the plasma and a calorimetric accuracy of +-5% of the actual total beam energy

Development of a test method to access the sludge reduction potential of aquatic organisms in activated sludge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buijs, B.R.; Klapwijk, A.; Elissen, H.J.H.; Rulkens, W.H.

2008-01-01

This article shows the development of a quantitative sludge reduction test method, which uses the sludge consuming aquatic worm Lumbriculus variegatus (Oligochaeta, Lumbriculidae). Essential for the test are sufficient oxygen supply and the presence of a non-stirred layer of sludge for burrowing of

Development of the TFTR neutral beam injection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prichard, B.A. Jr.

1978-01-01

The TFTR Neutral Beam Lines are designed to inject 20 MW of 120 keV neutral deuterium atoms into the plasma. This is accomplished using 12 sources, 65 amperes each, mounted in 4 beam lines. The 120 kV sources are being developed by LBL and a prototype beam line which will be tested at Berkeley is being developed as a cooperative effort by LLL and LBL. The implementation of these beam lines has required the development of several associated pieces of hardware. The control and monitoring of the 12 sources will be done via the TFTR computer control system (CICADA) as will other parts of the machine, and software is being developed to condition and operate the sources automatically. The prototype beam line is scheduled to begin operation in the fall of 1978 and all four production beam lines on TFTR in 1982

Energizing and depletion of neutrals by a collisional plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fruchtman, A

2008-01-01

Neutral depletion can significantly affect the steady state of low temperature plasmas. Recent theoretical analyses predicted previously unexpected effects of neutral depletion in both collisional and collisionless regimes. In this paper we address the effect of the energy deposited in the neutral gas by a collisional plasma. The fraction of power deposited in the neutrals is shown to be independent of the amount of power. The first case we address is of a thermalized neutral gas. It is shown that a low heat conductivity of the neutral gas is followed by a high neutral temperature that results in a high neutral depletion even if the plasma pressure is small. In the second case neutrals are accelerated through charge exchange with ions leading to what we call neutral pumping, which is equivalent to ion pumping in a collisionless plasma. Neutral depletion is found in the second case for both a closed system (no net mass flow) and an open system (a finite mass flow). A thruster that employs a collisional plasma and pumped neutrals is compared with the thruster analyzed before that employs collisionless plasma.

Testing of indoor radon reduction techniques in central Ohio houses: Phase 2 (Winter 1988-1989). Final report, September 1988-May 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Findlay, W.O.; Robertson, A.; Scott, A.G.

1990-05-01

The report gives results of tests of developmental indoor radon reduction techniques in nine slab-on-grade and four crawl-space houses near Dayton, Ohio. The slab-on-grade tests indicated that, when there is a good layer of aggregate under the slab, the sub-slab ventilation (SSV) mitigation technique, with only one or two suction pipes, can generally reduce indoor concentrations below 2 pCi/L (86 to 99% reduction). These reductions can be achieved even when: there are forced-air supply ducts under the slab; the slab is large (up to 2600 sq ft); and the foundation walls are hollow block. Operating the SSV system in suction always gave greater reductions than did operating in pressure. The crawl-space tests demonstrated that depressurizing under a plastic liner over the crawl-space floor was able to reduce living-area radon concentrations below 2 pCi/L (81 to 96% reduction). The performance of such sub-liner depressurization gave better reductions than did crawl-space ventilation (blowing air into, or out of, the crawl space). Completely covering the crawl-space floor with plastic sheeting was not always necessary to get adequate performance

Net Neutrality: Media Discourses and Public Perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Quail

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes media and public discourses surrounding net neutrality, with particular attention to public utility philosophy, from a critical perspective. The article suggests that further public education about net neutrality would be beneficial. The first portion of this paper provides a survey of the existing literature surrounding net neutrality, highlighting the contentious debate between market-based and public interest perspectives. In order to contextualize the debate, an overview of public utility philosophy is provided, shedding light on how the Internet can be conceptualized as a public good. Following this discussion, an analysis of mainstream media is presented, exploring how the media represents the issue of net neutrality and whether or not the Internet is discussed through the lens of public utility. To further examine how the net neutrality debate is being addressed, and to see the potential impacts of media discourses on the general public, the results of a focus group are reported and analyzed. Finally, a discussion assesses the implications of the net neutrality debate as presented through media discourses, highlighting the future of net neutrality as an important policy issue.

On implicit abstract neutral nonlinear differential equations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hernández, Eduardo, E-mail: lalohm@ffclrp.usp.br [Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Computação e Matemática, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (Brazil); O’Regan, Donal, E-mail: donal.oregan@nuigalway.ie [National University of Ireland, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics (Ireland)

2016-04-15

In this paper we continue our developments in Hernández and O’Regan (J Funct Anal 261:3457–3481, 2011) on the existence of solutions for abstract neutral differential equations. In particular we extend the results in Hernández and O’Regan (J Funct Anal 261:3457–3481, 2011) for the case of implicit nonlinear neutral equations and we focus on applications to partial “nonlinear” neutral differential equations. Some applications involving partial neutral differential equations are presented.

A Measurement of Coherent Neutral Pion Production in Neutrino Neutral Current Interactions in NOMAD experiment

CERN Document Server

Kullenberg, C T

2009-01-01

We present a study of exclusive neutral pion production in neutrino-nucleus Neutral Current interactions using data from the NOMAD experiment at the CERN SPS. The data correspond to $1.44 \\times 10^6$ muon-neutrino Charged Current interactions in the energy range $2.5 \\leq E_{\

Protection and fault detection for Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory neutral beam sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, D.B.; Baker, W.R.; Berkner, K.H.; Ehlers, K.W.; Honey, V.J.; Lietzke, A.F.; Milnes, K.A.; Owren, H.M.

1979-11-01

Testing of TFTR neutral beam (NB) sources has begun at the LBL Neutral Beam System Test Facility (NBSTF). Operation at 120 kV, 65 A, 0.5 sec should be achieved soon. Because NB sources spark down frequently during conditioning, the main accelerating (accel) power supply must be interrupted within a few microseconds to avoid degrading the voltage holding capability, or even the damaging, of the NB source. A variety of improper magnitudes and/or ratios of voltages, currents, and times can occur and must be recognized as fault conditions in order to initiate a prompt interruption of the accel power supply. This paper discusses in detail the key signals which must be monitored and the manner in which they are processed in fault detector circuitry for safe operation of LBL NB sources. The paper also reviews the more standard interlocks and protective features recommended for these sources

Poly(neutral red) as a NAD{sup +} reduction catalyst and a NADH oxidation catalyst: Towards the development of a rechargeable biobattery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arechederra, Marguerite N.; Addo, Paul K. [Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, 3501 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103 (United States); Minteer, Shelley D., E-mail: minteers@slu.ed [Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, 3501 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103 (United States)

2011-01-01

In this paper, we have established that poly(neutral red), PNR, functions as an electrocatalyst for the reduction and oxidation of NAD{sup +}/NADH in a rechargeable biobattery environment. The reversibility of this catalyst was possible only with the addition of Zn{sup 2+} for complexation to the redox polymer. The zinc ion complexation with the polymer facilitates electron and proton transfer to/from the substrate and the NAD{sup +}/NADH coenzyme without forming covalent bonds between the nicotinamide and the substrate surface. This research presents use of this reversible catalyst in a rechargeable biobattery. The rechargeable battery includes a Prussian blue cathode and a bioanode including NAD{sup +}-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase and zinc complexed PNR. This bioanode was coupled to the cathode with Nafion 212 acting as the ion exchange membrane separator between the two compartments. The biobattery has an open circuit potential of 0.545({+-}0.009) V when first assembled and 0.053({+-}0.005) V when fully discharged. However, when fully charged, the biobattery has an open circuit potential of 1.263({+-}0.051) V, a maximum power density of 16.3({+-}4.03) {mu}W cm{sup -3} and a maximum current density of 221({+-}13.2) {mu}A cm{sup -3}. The efficiency and stability of the biobattery were studied by cycling continuously at a discharging rate of 1 C and the results obtained showed reasonable stability over 50 cycles.

Design of the ITER Neutral Beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hemsworth, R.S.; Feist, J.; Hanada, M.; Heinemann, B.; Inoue, T.; Kuessel, E.; Kulygin, V.; Krylov, A.; Lotte, P.; Miyamoto, K.; Miyamoto, N.; Murdoch, D.; Nagase, A.; Ohara, Y.; Okumura, Y.; Pamela, J.; Panasenkov, A.; Shibata, K.; Tanii, M.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the Neutral Beam Injection system which is presently being designed in Europe, Japan and Russia, with co-ordination by the Joint Central Team of ITER at Naka, Japan. The proposed system consists of three negative ion based neutral injectors, delivering a total of 50 MW of 1 MeV D 0 to the ITER plasma for pulse length of ≥1000 s. The injectors each use a single caesiated volume arc discharge negative ion source, and a multi-grid, multi-aperture accelerator, to produce about 40 A of 1 MeV D - . This will be neutralized in a sub-divided gas neutralizer, which has a conversion efficiency of about 60%. The charged fraction of the beam emerging from the neutralizer is dumped in an electrostatic residual ion dump. A water cooled calorimeter can be moved into the beam path to intercept the neutral beam, allowing commissioning of the injector independent of ITER. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

A regulatory hydrophobic area in the flexible joint region of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, defined with fluorescent activity-neutralizing ligands. Ligand-induced serpin polymerization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egelund, R; Einholm, A P; Pedersen, K E

2001-01-01

by all tested nonfluorescent neutralizers, indicating that all neutralizers bind to a common hydrophobic area preferentially accessible in active PAI-1. Activity neutralization proceeded through two consecutive steps as follows: first step is conversion to forms displaying substrate behavior toward u......PA, and second step is to forms inert to uPA. With some neutralizers, the second step was associated with PAI-1 polymerization. Vitronectin reduced the susceptibility to the neutralizers. Changes in sensitivity to activity neutralization by point mutations were compatible with the various neutralizers having...

Micromotors Spontaneously Neutralize Gastric Acid for pH-Responsive Payload Release.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinxing; Angsantikul, Pavimol; Liu, Wenjuan; Esteban-Fernández de Ávila, Berta; Thamphiwatana, Soracha; Xu, Mingli; Sandraz, Elodie; Wang, Xiaolei; Delezuk, Jorge; Gao, Weiwei; Zhang, Liangfang; Wang, Joseph

2017-02-13

The highly acidic gastric environment creates a physiological barrier for using therapeutic drugs in the stomach. While proton pump inhibitors have been widely used for blocking acid-producing enzymes, this approach can cause various adverse effects. Reported herein is a new microdevice, consisting of magnesium-based micromotors which can autonomously and temporally neutralize gastric acid through efficient chemical propulsion in the gastric fluid by rapidly depleting the localized protons. Coating these micromotors with a cargo-containing pH-responsive polymer layer leads to autonomous release of the encapsulated payload upon gastric-acid neutralization by the motors. Testing in a mouse model demonstrate that these motors can safely and rapidly neutralize gastric acid and simultaneously release payload without causing noticeable acute toxicity or affecting the stomach function, and the normal stomach pH is restored within 24 h post motor administration. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation of graphene/nile blue nanocomposite: Application for oxygen reduction reaction and biosensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shervedani, Reza Karimi; Amini, Akbar

2015-01-01

Highlights: •New nanocomposite is synthesized by electrochemical polymerization of Nile blue and reduction of GO on GCE. •The nanocomposite is characterized by SEM, UV–vis and electrochemical methods. •High electrocatalytic activity was observed for O 2 reduction on GNs-NB nanocomposite. •GCE-GNs-NB poly was tested successfully for immobilization of GOx and detection of glucose. -- Abstract: Nile blue/graphene (NB-GNs) nanocomposite was synthesized for the first time via a green and effective one-step electrochemical method, allowing to reduce graphene oxide (GO) and NB on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) simultaneously and construct GCE-GNs-NB poly composite. The composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical results obtained in the absence of any redox probe, where NB was active, allowed to trace step-by-step addition of the NB-GNs nanocomposite onto the GCE electrode surface, supporting formation of the GCE-GNs-NB poly composite. The electrocatalytic activity of the as-prepared GCE-GNs-NB poly towards O 2 reduction was studied in neutral medium. The results revealed excellent electrocatalytic performance for two-electron reduction of oxygen, suggesting its potential application as metal-free electrocatalysts for O 2 reduction reaction. Application of the GCE-GNs-NB poly in electrochemical biosensing was demonstrated by immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) on the surface of GCE-GNs-NB poly , and then, using it for sensing of glucose. The biosensor exhibited a linear response, from 0.2 to 2.0 mM glucose, with a low detection limit, 2.1 μM, and high sensitivity, 67.0 μA mM −1 cm −2 , obtained by cyclic voltammetry method. The proposed biosensor was successfully tested for determination of glucose in blood serum samples

The ASDEX 100 keV neutral lithium beam diagnostic gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCormick, K.; Kick, M.

1983-04-01

The neutral lithium beam gun intended for measurement of the poloidal magnetic field and of the density gradient in the scrape-off layer of ASDEX is described, and test results over a beam energy range of 27-100 keV are presented. In the gun, lithium ions are extracted from a solid emitter (#betta#-Eurcryptite) in a Pierce-type configuration, accelerated and focused in a two-tube immersion lens, and neutralized in a charge-exchange cell using sodium. The beam can be pulsed from less than one to several seconds, depending on experimental needs. At a distance of 165 cm from the gun the neutral beam equivalent current is typically greater than 1 mA (0.16 mA) for a beam energy of 100 keV (27 keV), the beam FWHM being about 8-9 mm. It is found that to produce a particular beam with a certain ratio must be maintained between the extraction and total beam voltages, this relationship depending in turn on the emitter-extractor separation. The principal features which distinguish the ASDEX gun from that employed on W7a are the greater compactness - all the active elements, i.e. emitter, extractor, lens, deflection plates and neutralizer, are contained with 57 cm - and the vacuum vessel, which simultaneously serves as the magnetic shielding. (orig.)

Weak neutral-current interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnett, R.M.

1978-08-01

The roles of each type of experiment in establishing uniquely the values of the the neutral-current couplings of u and d quarks are analyzed together with their implications for gauge models of the weak and electromagnetic interactions. An analysis of the neutral-current couplings of electrons and of the data based on the assumption that only one Z 0 boson exists is given. Also a model-independent analysis of parity violation experiments is discussed. 85 references

Test of CPT and Lorentz symmetry in entangled neutral kaons with the KLOE experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babusci, D.; Balwierz-Pytko, I.; Bencivenni, G.; Bloise, C.; Bossi, F.; Branchini, P.; Budano, A.; Caldeira Balkeståhl, L.; Capon, G.; Ceradini, F.; Ciambrone, P.; Curciarello, F.; Czerwiński, E.; Danè, E.; De Leo, V.; De Lucia, E.; De Robertis, G.; De Santis, A.; De Simone, P.

2014-01-01

Neutral kaon pairs produced in ϕ decays in anti-symmetric entangled state can be exploited to search for violation of CPT symmetry and Lorentz invariance. We present an analysis of the CP-violating process ϕ→K S K L →π + π − π + π − based on 1.7 fb −1 of data collected by the KLOE experiment at the Frascati ϕ-factory DAΦNE. The data are used to perform a measurement of the CPT-violating parameters Δa μ for neutral kaons in the context of the Standard Model Extension framework. The parameters measured in the reference frame of the fixed stars are: Δa 0 =(−6.0±7.7 stat ±3.1 syst )×10 −18 GeV, Δa X =(0.9±1.5 stat ±0.6 syst )×10 −18 GeV, Δa Y =(−2.0±1.5 stat ±0.5 syst )×10 −18 GeV, Δa Z =(3.1±1.7 stat ±0.5 syst )×10 −18 GeV. These are presently the most precise measurements in the quark sector of the Standard Model Extension.

Transport of neutral atoms and molecules in TFCX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boley, C.D.

1984-09-01

The distribution of neutrals in the proposed reactor TFCX has been modeled by the 3-D Monte Carlo neutral transport code DEGAS, which has been run in conjunction with the 1-1/2-D time-dependent plasma transport code WHIST. The former code contains the best available treatment of neutral-particle physics, including a selection of wall reflection models. The latter code has a comprehensive set of plasma transport coefficients, an MHD equilibrium package, and provision for source terms such as those involving neutrals. It has a simple scrape-off model involving sound-speed flow to the neutralizer plates. The codes are run in iteration, so that the flux-surface averaged particle and energy sources due to interactions with neutrals are consistent with the plasma profiles. The design considered here has a bottom limiter with a pumping plenum. Results are given for the power balance, the mutually consistent plasma and neutral distributions set up in the edge region, the neutral density in the plenum, and the charge-exchange power deposition and erosion along the limiter

Divergence at neutral and non-neutral loci in Drosophila buzzatii populations and their hybrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Ditte Holm; Pertoldi, Cino; Loeschcke, Volker

2008-01-01

The impact of intraspecific hybridisation on fitness and morphological traits depends on the history of natural selection and genetic drift, which may have led to differently coadapted gene-complexes in the parental populations. The divergence at neutral and non-neutral loci between populations can...... populations of Drosophila buzzatii, one between populations from Argentina and the Canary Islands (separated for 200 years), and the other between populations from Argentina and Australia (separated for 80 years). We observed the highest divergence at neutral loci between the Argentinean and Canary Island...

Intense ion beam neutralization using underdense background plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berdanier, William [Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Roy, Prabir K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Kaganovich, Igor [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

2015-01-15

Producing an overdense background plasma for neutralization purposes with a density that is high compared to the beam density is not always experimentally possible. We show that even an underdense background plasma with a small relative density can achieve high neutralization of intense ion beam pulses. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we show that if the total plasma electron charge is not sufficient to neutralize the beam charge, electron emitters are necessary for effective neutralization but are not needed if the plasma volume is so large that the total available charge in the electrons exceeds that of the ion beam. Several regimes of possible underdense/tenuous neutralization plasma densities are investigated with and without electron emitters or dense plasma at periphery regions, including the case of electron emitters without plasma, which does not effectively neutralize the beam. Over 95% neutralization is achieved for even very underdense background plasma with plasma density 1/15th the beam density. We compare results of particle-in-cell simulations with an analytic model of neutralization and find close agreement with the particle-in-cell simulations. Further, we show experimental data from the National Drift Compression experiment-II group that verifies the result that underdense plasma can neutralize intense heavy ion beams effectively.

Money neutrality: Rethinking the myth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Issaoui Fakhri

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Considered as an axiomatic basis of classical, neoclassical, and monetarist theories, the long-run money neutrality assumption does not always seem to be verified. Indeed, in our view, the money, in the sense of M2, can constitute a long-run channel of growth transmission. Thus, this paper examines the long-term relationship among money supply (M2, income (GDP, and prices (CPI. The subprime crisis in 2007 has shown that the demand for money does not only meet motives of transaction, precaution, and speculation but also of fictional or quasi-fictional future demands due to the fact that they are created without real counterparts. The capacity of production systems in developed countries to respond to increases in money supply by creating more wealth, involves the assumption of money neutrality in the long-run. However, in developing countries, the excess of money supply may lead to inflation trends. The present study has confirmed the long-term non-neutrality of money supply in the USA, and its neutrality in Gabon and Morocco.

Controllability Problem of Fractional Neutral Systems: A Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artur Babiarz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The following article presents recent results of controllability problem of dynamical systems in infinite-dimensional space. Generally speaking, we describe selected controllability problems of fractional order systems, including approximate controllability of fractional impulsive partial neutral integrodifferential inclusions with infinite delay in Hilbert spaces, controllability of nonlinear neutral fractional impulsive differential inclusions in Banach space, controllability for a class of fractional neutral integrodifferential equations with unbounded delay, controllability of neutral fractional functional equations with impulses and infinite delay, and controllability for a class of fractional order neutral evolution control systems.

Search for active-sterile neutrino mixing using neutral-current interactions in NOvA

Science.gov (United States)

Adamson, P.; Aliaga, L.; Ambrose, D.; Anfimov, N.; Antoshkin, A.; Arrieta-Diaz, E.; Augsten, K.; Aurisano, A.; Backhouse, C.; Baird, M.; Bambah, B. A.; Bays, K.; Behera, B.; Bending, S.; Bernstein, R.; Bhatnagar, V.; Bhuyan, B.; Bian, J.; Blackburn, T.; Bolshakova, A.; Bromberg, C.; Brown, J.; Brunetti, G.; Buchanan, N.; Butkevich, A.; Bychkov, V.; Campbell, M.; Catano-Mur, E.; Childress, S.; Choudhary, B. C.; Chowdhury, B.; Coan, T. E.; Coelho, J. A. B.; Colo, M.; Cooper, J.; Corwin, L.; Cremonesi, L.; Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Davies, G. S.; Davies, J. P.; Derwent, P. F.; Dharmapalan, R.; Ding, P.; Djurcic, Z.; Dukes, E. C.; Duyang, H.; Edayath, S.; Ehrlich, R.; Feldman, G. J.; Frank, M. J.; Gabrielyan, M.; Gallagher, H. R.; Germani, S.; Ghosh, T.; Giri, A.; Gomes, R. A.; Goodman, M. C.; Grichine, V.; Groh, M.; Group, R.; Grover, D.; Guo, B.; Habig, A.; Hartnell, J.; Hatcher, R.; Hatzikoutelis, A.; Heller, K.; Himmel, A.; Holin, A.; Howard, B.; Hylen, J.; Jediny, F.; Judah, M.; Kafka, G. K.; Kalra, D.; Kasahara, S. M. S.; Kasetti, S.; Keloth, R.; Kolupaeva, L.; Kotelnikov, S.; Kourbanis, I.; Kreymer, A.; Kumar, A.; Kurbanov, S.; Lackey, T.; Lang, K.; Lee, W. M.; Lin, S.; Lokajicek, M.; Lozier, J.; Luchuk, S.; Maan, K.; Magill, S.; Mann, W. A.; Marshak, M. L.; Matera, K.; Matveev, V.; Méndez, D. P.; Messier, M. D.; Meyer, H.; Miao, T.; Miller, W. H.; Mishra, S. R.; Mohanta, R.; Moren, A.; Mualem, L.; Muether, M.; Mufson, S.; Murphy, R.; Musser, J.; Nelson, J. K.; Nichol, R.; Niner, E.; Norman, A.; Nosek, T.; Oksuzian, Y.; Olshevskiy, A.; Olson, T.; Paley, J.; Patterson, R. B.; Pawloski, G.; Pershey, D.; Petrova, O.; Petti, R.; Phan-Budd, S.; Plunkett, R. K.; Poling, R.; Potukuchi, B.; Principato, C.; Psihas, F.; Radovic, A.; Rameika, R. A.; Rebel, B.; Reed, B.; Rocco, D.; Rojas, P.; Ryabov, V.; Sachdev, K.; Sail, P.; Samoylov, O.; Sanchez, M. C.; Schroeter, R.; Sepulveda-Quiroz, J.; Shanahan, P.; Sheshukov, A.; Singh, J.; Singh, J.; Singh, P.; Singh, V.; Smolik, J.; Solomey, N.; Song, E.; Sousa, A.; Soustruznik, K.; Strait, M.; Suter, L.; Talaga, R. L.; Tas, P.; Thayyullathil, R. B.; Thomas, J.; Tian, X.; Tognini, S. C.; Tripathi, J.; Tsaris, A.; Urheim, J.; Vahle, P.; Vasel, J.; Vinton, L.; Vold, A.; Vrba, T.; Wang, B.; Wetstein, M.; Whittington, D.; Wojcicki, S. G.; Wolcott, J.; Yadav, N.; Yang, S.; Zalesak, J.; Zamorano, B.; Zwaska, R.; NOvA Collaboration

2017-10-01

We report results from the first search for sterile neutrinos mixing with active neutrinos through a reduction in the rate of neutral-current interactions over a baseline of 810 km between the NOvA detectors. Analyzing a 14-kton detector equivalent exposure of 6.05 ×1020 protons-on-target in the NuMI beam at Fermilab, we observe 95 neutral-current candidates at the Far Detector compared with 83.5 ±9.7 (stat ) ±9.4 (syst ) events predicted assuming mixing only occurs between active neutrino species. No evidence for νμ→νs transitions is found. Interpreting these results within a 3 +1 model, we place constraints on the mixing angles θ24<20.8 ° and θ34<31.2 ° at the 90% C.L. for 0.05 eV2≤Δ m412≤0.5 eV2 , the range of mass splittings that produce no significant oscillations over the Near Detector baseline.

Method to Minimize the Low-Frequency Neutral-Point Voltage Oscillations With Time-Offset Injection for Neutral-Point-Clamped Inverters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Choi, Ui-Min; Blaabjerg, Frede; Lee, Kyo-Beum

2015-01-01

time of small- and medium-voltage vectors. However, if the power factor is lower, there is a limitation to eliminate neutral-point oscillations. In this case, the proposed method can be improved by changing the switching sequence properly. Additionally, a method for neutral-point voltage balancing......This paper proposes a method to reduce the low-frequency neutral-point voltage oscillations. The neutral-point voltage oscillations are considerably reduced by adding a time offset to the three-phase turn-on times. The proper time offset is simply calculated considering the phase currents and dwell...

Neutrality in mediation: an ambiguous ethical value

OpenAIRE

Bailey, Paul

2014-01-01

Mediator neutrality would appear, by definition, to be a necessary and required ethical principle for all mediators to practice. But what is meant by neutrality in mediation? Is it practically possible to be completely neutral between parties in mediation while at the same time being fair to both of them? This paper attempts to answer these two questions.

ITER neutral beam system US conceptual design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purgalis, P.

1990-09-01

In this document we present the US conceptual design of a neutral beam system for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The design incorporates a barium surface conversion D - source feeding a linear array of accelerator channels. The system uses a dc accelerator with electrostatic quadrupoles for strong focusing. A high voltage power supply that is integrated with the accelerator is presented as an attractive option. A gas neutralizer is used and residual ions exiting the neutralizer are deflected to water-cooled dumps. Cryopanels are located at the accelerator exit to pump excess gas from the source and the neutralizer, and in the ion dump cavity to pump re-neutralized ions and neutralizer gas. All the above components are packaged in compact identical, independent modules which can be removed for remote maintenance. The neutral beam system delivers 75 MW of DO at 1.3 MeV, into three ports with a total of 9 modules arranged in stacks of three modules per port . To increase reliability each module is designed to deliver up to 10 MW; this allows eight modules operating at partial capacity to deliver the required power in the event one module is out of service, and provides 20% excess capacity to improve availability. Radiation protection is provided by shielding and by locating critical components in the source and accelerator 46.5 m from the torus centerline. Neutron shielding in the drift duct and neutralizer provides the added feature of limiting conductance and thus reducing gas flow to and from the torus

Neutralization Assay for Zika and Dengue Viruses by Use of Real-Time-PCR-Based Endpoint Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Heather L; Tran, Thomas; Druce, Julian; Dupont-Rouzeyrol, Myrielle; Catton, Michael

2017-10-01

The global spread and infective complications of Zika virus (ZKV) and dengue virus (DENV) have made them flaviviruses of public health concern. Serological diagnosis can be challenging due to antibody cross-reactivity, particularly in secondary flavivirus infections or when there is a history of flavivirus vaccination. The virus neutralization assay is considered to be the most specific assay for measurement of anti-flavivirus antibodies. This study describes an assay where the neutralization endpoint is measured by real-time PCR, providing results within 72 h. It demonstrated 100% sensitivity (24/24 ZKV and 15/15 DENV) and 100% specificity (11/11 specimens) when testing well-characterized sera. In addition, the assay was able to determine the correct DENV serotype in 91.7% of cases. The high sensitivity and specificity of the real-time PCR neutralization assay makes it suitable to use as a confirmatory test for sera that are reactive in commercial IgM/IgG enzyme immunoassays. Results are objective and the PCR-based measurement of the neutralization endpoint lends itself to automation so that throughput may be increased in times of high demand. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Active ion temperature measurement with heating neutral beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miura, Yukitoshi; Matsuda, Toshiaki; Yamamoto, Shin

1987-03-01

When the heating neutral-beam (hydrogen beam) is injected into a deuterium plasma, the density of neutral particles is increased locally. By using this increased neutral particles, the local ion temperature is measured by the active charge-exchange method. The analyzer is the E//B type mass-separated neutral particle energy analyzer and the measured position is about one third outside of the plasma radius. The deuterium energy spectrum is Maxwellian, and the temperature is increased from 350 eV to 900 eV during heating. Since the local hydrogen to deuterium density concentration and the density of the heating neutral-beam as well as the ion temperature can be obtained good S/N ratio, the usefulness of this method during neutral-beam heating is confirmed by this experiment. (author)

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV Neutralization: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret J. Hosie

2011-10-01

Full Text Available One of the major obstacles that must be overcome in the design of effective lentiviral vaccines is the ability of lentiviruses to evolve in order to escape from neutralizing antibodies. The primary target for neutralizing antibodies is the highly variable viral envelope glycoprotein (Env, a glycoprotein that is essential for viral entry and comprises both variable and conserved regions. As a result of the complex trimeric nature of Env, there is steric hindrance of conserved epitopes required for receptor binding so that these are not accessible to antibodies. Instead, the humoral response is targeted towards decoy immunodominant epitopes on variable domains such as the third hypervariable loop (V3 of Env. For feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV, as well as the related human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1, little is known about the factors that lead to the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies. In cats infected with FIV and patients infected with HIV-1, only rarely are plasma samples found that contain antibodies capable of neutralizing isolates from other clades. In this review we examine the neutralizing response to FIV, comparing and contrasting with the response to HIV. We ask whether broadly neutralizing antibodies are induced by FIV infection and discuss the comparative value of studies of neutralizing antibodies in FIV infection for the development of more effective vaccine strategies against lentiviral infections in general, including HIV-1.

Kinetics of neutralization of Po-218

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, K.D.

1987-01-01

In a well-defined experimental system the neutralization of polonium-218 ions was investigated as a function of the physical and chemical properties of the controlled composition atmosphere. The mobilities of Po + and PoO 2 + are determined by combining experimental results with a computer model of the system. Three neutralization mechanisms were individually studied. The small ion recombination rate has been found to be proportional to the square root of radon concentration. The electron scavenging mechanism is responsible for the neutralization of Po + in NO 2 or H 2 O in nitrogen. When PoO 2 + is formed, the electron transfer mechanism dominates the neutralization process. The electron is transferred to PoO 2 + from molecules with lower ionization potentials. The ionization potential of PoO 2 + is also determined to be 10.44 +/- 0.05 eV

Neutral and Non-Neutral Evolution of Duplicated Genes with Gene Conversion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey A. Fawcett

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Gene conversion is one of the major mutational mechanisms involved in the DNA sequence evolution of duplicated genes. It contributes to create unique patters of DNA polymorphism within species and divergence between species. A typical pattern is so-called concerted evolution, in which the divergence between duplicates is maintained low for a long time because of frequent exchanges of DNA fragments. In addition, gene conversion affects the DNA evolution of duplicates in various ways especially when selection operates. Here, we review theoretical models to understand the evolution of duplicates in both neutral and non-neutral cases. We also explain how these theories contribute to interpreting real polymorphism and divergence data by using some intriguing examples.

Neutral signature Walker-VSI metrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coley, A; McNutt, D; Musoke, N; Brooks, D; Hervik, S

2014-01-01

We will construct explicit examples of four-dimensional neutral signature Walker (but not necessarily degenerate Kundt) spaces for which all of the polynomial scalar curvature invariants vanish. We then investigate the properties of some particular subclasses of Ricci flat spaces. We also briefly describe some four-dimensional neutral signature Einstein spaces for which all of the polynomial scalar curvature invariants are constant. (paper)

Effects of pre-learning stress on memory for neutral, positive and negative words: Different roles of cortisol and autonomic arousal.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwabe, Lars; Bohringer, Andreas; Chatterjee, Monischa; Schachinger, Hartmut

2008-07-01

Stress can have enhancing or impairing effects on memory. Here, we addressed the effect of pre-learning stress on subsequent memory and asked whether neutral and emotionally valent information are differentially affected by specific stress components, autonomic arousal and stress-induced cortisol. Ninety-six healthy men and women underwent either a stressor (modified cold pressor test) or a control warm water exposure. During stress, participants showed comparable autonomic arousal (heart rate, blood pressure), while 60 percent showed an increase of cortisol (responders vs. 40 percent non-responders). Ten minutes after the cold pressor test neutral, positive and negative words were presented. Free recall was tested 1 and 24h later. Overall, positive and negative words were better recalled than neutral words. Stress enhanced the recall of neutral words independently of cortisol response. In contrast, the free recall of negative words was enhanced in cortisol responders in the 1-h but not 24-h test which might suggest different effects of cortisol on consolidation and reconsolidation processes. Recall for positive words was unaffected by stress-induced cortisol. To summarize, (i) pre-learning stress can enhance memory for neutral words independently of cortisol and (ii) stress effects on memory for negative words appear to rely on stress-induced cortisol elevations, the absence of this effect for positive words might be at least partly due to differences in arousal evoked by positive vs. negative words.

Comparação de dois testes de neutralização, utilizados no diagnóstico sorológico do vesiculovírus Piry Comparison of two neutralization test for the use in the Piry serologic vesiculovirus diagnose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Tavares-Neto

1993-10-01

Full Text Available Realizou-se inquérito sorológico para pesquisar anticorpos neutralizantes contra o vesiculovírus Piry, na cidade de Catolândia-Bahia-Brasil. Duas técnicas de vírus-neutralização foram comparadas em cultura das células C6/36, com revelação pelo método imunoenzimático ( TN-C6/36 e em camundongos recém-nascidos (TN-camundongos, que é considerada a prova maior. Em 204 soros, dos 1 .274 colhidos, a concordância das duas técnicas foi de 98,7% (K= 0,9853. Com este resultado do TN-C6/36, que também é mais exeqüível, decidiu-se desenvolver o estudo soro-epidemiológico do vesiculovírus Piry, em Catolândia, baseado nesta nova técnica.A serological survey of Piry was undertaken of the sera of inhabitants of Catolância - Bahia State, Brazil. Serum results obtained by a vesiculovirus neutralization test of C6/36 cells read by ELISA are compared with those obtained by the classic technique, carried out on newbom mice. The agreement between the results was as high as 98.7% of the 204 sera tested and the neutralization test of C6/36 cells was chosen as the most suitable technique for the sero-survey testing.

Fast Neutral Pressure Measurements in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

R. Raman; H.W. Kugel; T. Provost; R. Gernhardt; T.R. Jarboe; M.G. Bell

2002-01-01

Several fast neutral pressure gauges have been installed on NSTX [National Spherical Torus Experiment] to measure the vessel and divertor pressure during inductive and coaxial helicity injected (CHI) plasma operations. Modified, PDX [Poloidal Divertor Experiment]-type Penning gauges have been installed on the upper and lower divertors. Neutral pressure measurements during plasma operations from these and from two shielded fast Micro ion gauges at different toroidal locations on the vessel mid-plane are described. A new unshielded ion gauge, referred to as the In-vessel Neutral Pressure (INP) gauge is under development

Test of CPT and Lorentz symmetry in entangled neutral kaons with the KLOE experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babusci, D. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); Balwierz-Pytko, I. [Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Cracow (Poland); Bencivenni, G.; Bloise, C.; Bossi, F. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); Branchini, P. [INFN Sezione di Roma Tre, Roma (Italy); Budano, A. [Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica dell' Università “Roma Tre”, Roma (Italy); INFN Sezione di Roma Tre, Roma (Italy); Caldeira Balkeståhl, L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden); Capon, G. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); Ceradini, F. [Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica dell' Università “Roma Tre”, Roma (Italy); INFN Sezione di Roma Tre, Roma (Italy); Ciambrone, P. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); Curciarello, F. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra dell' Università di Messina, Messina (Italy); INFN Sezione di Catania, Catania (Italy); Czerwiński, E. [Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Cracow (Poland); Danè, E. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); De Leo, V. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra dell' Università di Messina, Messina (Italy); INFN Sezione di Catania, Catania (Italy); De Lucia, E. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); De Robertis, G. [INFN Sezione di Bari, Bari (Italy); De Santis, A., E-mail: antonio.desantis@roma1.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Università “Sapienza”, Roma (Italy); INFN Sezione di Roma, Roma (Italy); De Simone, P. [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); and others

2014-03-07

Neutral kaon pairs produced in ϕ decays in anti-symmetric entangled state can be exploited to search for violation of CPT symmetry and Lorentz invariance. We present an analysis of the CP-violating process ϕ→K{sub S}K{sub L}→π{sup +}π{sup −}π{sup +}π{sup −} based on 1.7 fb{sup −1} of data collected by the KLOE experiment at the Frascati ϕ-factory DAΦNE. The data are used to perform a measurement of the CPT-violating parameters Δa{sub μ} for neutral kaons in the context of the Standard Model Extension framework. The parameters measured in the reference frame of the fixed stars are: Δa{sub 0}=(−6.0±7.7{sub stat}±3.1{sub syst})×10{sup −18} GeV, Δa{sub X}=(0.9±1.5{sub stat}±0.6{sub syst})×10{sup −18} GeV, Δa{sub Y}=(−2.0±1.5{sub stat}±0.5{sub syst})×10{sup −18} GeV, Δa{sub Z}=(3.1±1.7{sub stat}±0.5{sub syst})×10{sup −18} GeV. These are presently the most precise measurements in the quark sector of the Standard Model Extension.

The effects of electrode materials on the conversion efficiency of a direct converter used in neutral beam injection systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Shunichi; Nagae, Hiroshi; Yano, Hidenobu; Masuda, Mitsuharu; Akazaki, Masanori

1986-01-01

The injection of fast neutral beams into plasmas is thought to be the most promising way for the fusion plasma heating. Fast neutral beams are obtained by injecting fast ions into a neutralizer cell, in which ions are neutralized through charge exchange collisions with the ambient gas. However, the neutralization efficiency in the neutralizer cell is so low that the net power may not be extracted from a fusion reactor unless the energy of the ions being not neutralized in the cell is recovered. The present paper describes some problems associated with the electrostatic direct energy recovery of fast ion beams for this purpose. The titanium and molybdenum were tested as the direct converter electrode materials, and it was found that the conversion efficiency and the conditioning process of the converter electrode depended strongly on the electrode material. The effect of secondary electrons emitted from the electron repeller on the conversion efficiency was also made clear in the present experiments. (author)

Progress in computer-assisted diagnosis and control of neutral beam lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theil, E.; Elischer, V.; Fiddler, J.; Jacobs, N.J.D.; Jacobson, V.; Lawhorn, R.; Uber, D.; Wilner, D.

1981-01-01

This paper discusses the principles that have guided the development of a computerized diagnostic and control system for both the Neutral Beam Systems Test Facility at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and the Doublet III neutral beams at the General Atomic Company. The emphasis is not on the particular details of the implementation, but on general considerations which have influenced the design criteria for the system. Foremost among these are the requirements of an appropriate human interface to the system, and effective use of a relational data base. Examples are used to illustrate how these principles are carried out in practice. A systems view of diagnostic programs is suggested in the light of our experience. (author)

Progress in computer-assisted diagnosis and control of neutral beam lines