Model reduction for the dynamics and control of large structural systems via neutral network processing direct numerical optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Becus, Georges A.; Chan, Alistair K.

1993-01-01

Three neural network processing approaches in a direct numerical optimization model reduction scheme are proposed and investigated. Large structural systems, such as large space structures, offer new challenges to both structural dynamicists and control engineers. One such challenge is that of dimensionality. Indeed these distributed parameter systems can be modeled either by infinite dimensional mathematical models (typically partial differential equations) or by high dimensional discrete models (typically finite element models) often exhibiting thousands of vibrational modes usually closely spaced and with little, if any, damping. Clearly, some form of model reduction is in order, especially for the control engineer who can actively control but a few of the modes using system identification based on a limited number of sensors. Inasmuch as the amount of 'control spillover' (in which the control inputs excite the neglected dynamics) and/or 'observation spillover' (where neglected dynamics affect system identification) is to a large extent determined by the choice of particular reduced model (RM), the way in which this model reduction is carried out is often critical.

A large-scale study of the ultrawideband microwave dielectric properties of normal breast tissue obtained from reduction surgeries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazebnik, Mariya; McCartney, Leah; Popovic, Dijana; Watkins, Cynthia B; Lindstrom, Mary J; Harter, Josephine; Sewall, Sarah; Magliocco, Anthony; Booske, John H; Okoniewski, Michal; Hagness, Susan C

2007-05-21

The efficacy of emerging microwave breast cancer detection and treatment techniques will depend, in part, on the dielectric properties of normal breast tissue. However, knowledge of these properties at microwave frequencies has been limited due to gaps and discrepancies in previously reported small-scale studies. To address these issues, we experimentally characterized the wideband microwave-frequency dielectric properties of a large number of normal breast tissue samples obtained from breast reduction surgeries at the University of Wisconsin and University of Calgary hospitals. The dielectric spectroscopy measurements were conducted from 0.5 to 20 GHz using a precision open-ended coaxial probe. The tissue composition within the probe's sensing region was quantified in terms of percentages of adipose, fibroconnective and glandular tissues. We fit a one-pole Cole-Cole model to the complex permittivity data set obtained for each sample and determined median Cole-Cole parameters for three groups of normal breast tissues, categorized by adipose tissue content (0-30%, 31-84% and 85-100%). Our analysis of the dielectric properties data for 354 tissue samples reveals that there is a large variation in the dielectric properties of normal breast tissue due to substantial tissue heterogeneity. We observed no statistically significant difference between the within-patient and between-patient variability in the dielectric properties.

A large-scale study of the ultrawideband microwave dielectric properties of normal breast tissue obtained from reduction surgeries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazebnik, Mariya; McCartney, Leah; Popovic, Dijana; Watkins, Cynthia B; Lindstrom, Mary J; Harter, Josephine; Sewall, Sarah; Magliocco, Anthony; Booske, John H; Okoniewski, Michal; Hagness, Susan C

2007-01-01

The efficacy of emerging microwave breast cancer detection and treatment techniques will depend, in part, on the dielectric properties of normal breast tissue. However, knowledge of these properties at microwave frequencies has been limited due to gaps and discrepancies in previously reported small-scale studies. To address these issues, we experimentally characterized the wideband microwave-frequency dielectric properties of a large number of normal breast tissue samples obtained from breast reduction surgeries at University of Wisconsin and University of Calgary hospitals. The dielectric spectroscopy measurements were conducted from 0.5 to 20 GHz using a precision open-ended coaxial probe. The tissue composition within the probe's sensing region was quantified in terms of percentages of adipose, fibroconnective and glandular tissues. We fit a one-pole Cole-Cole model to the complex permittivity data set obtained for each sample and determined median Cole-Cole parameters for three groups of normal breast tissues, categorized by adipose tissue content (0-30%, 31-84% and 85-100%). Our analysis of the dielectric properties data for 354 tissue samples reveals that there is a large variation in the dielectric properties of normal breast tissue due to substantial tissue heterogeneity. We observed no statistically significant difference between the within-patient and between-patient variability in the dielectric properties

Development and Validation of Chemical Kinetic Mechanism Reduction Scheme for Large-Scale Mechanisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poon, Hiew Mun; Ng, Hoon Kiat; Gan, Suyin

2014-01-01

This work is an extension to a previously reported work on chemical kinetic mechanism reduction scheme for large-scale mechanisms. Here, Perfectly Stirred Reactor (PSR) was added as a criterion of data source for mechanism reduction instead of using only auto-ignition condition. As a result......) simulations were performed to study the spray combustion phenomena within a constant volume bomb. Both non-reacting and reacting conditions were applied in this study. Liquid and vapor penetration lengths were replicated for non-reacting diesel spray. For reacting diesel spray, both ignition delay and lift......-off length were simulated. The simulation results were then compared to the experimental data of Sandia National Laboratories and No. 2 Diesel Fuel (D2) was designated as the reference fuel. Both liquid and vapor penetrations for non-reacting condition were well-matched, while ignition delay was advanced...

Tax Policy Trends: Republicans Reveal Proposed Tax Overhaul

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip Bazel

2017-10-01

Full Text Available REPUBLICANS REVEAL PROPOSED TAX OVERHAUL The White House and Congressional Republicans have revealed their much-anticipated proposal for reform of the U.S. personal and corporate tax systems. The proposal titled, “UNIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR FIXING OUR BROKEN TAX CODE” outlines a number of central policy changes, which will significantly alter the U.S. corporate tax system. The proposal includes a top federal marginal rate reduction for the sole proprietorships, partnerships and S corporation—small business equivalents— from 39.6% to 25% (state income tax rates would no longer be deductible. Large corporations would also see a meaningful federal rate reduction given the proposed drop in the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 20%. Additionally, the proposal includes a generous temporary measure intended to stimulate investment, full capital expensing for machinery with a partial limitation of interest deductions.

The role of wind field induced flow velocities in destratification and hypoxia reduction at Meiling Bay of large shallow Lake Taihu, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalil, Abdul; Li, Yiping; Du, Wei; Wang, Wencai; Wang, Jianwei; Gao, Xiaomeng; Khan, Hafiz Osama Sarwar; Pan, Baozhu; Acharya, Kumud

2018-01-01

Wind induced flow velocity patterns and associated thermal destratification can drive to hypoxia reduction in large shallow lakes. The effects of wind induced hydrodynamic changes on destratification and hypoxia reduction were investigated at the Meiling bay (N 31° 22' 56.4″, E 120° 9' 38.3″) of Lake Taihu, China. Vertical flow velocity profile analysis showed surface flow velocities consistency with the wind field and lower flow velocity profiles were also consistent (but with delay response time) when the wind speed was higher than 6.2 m/s. Wind field and temperature found the control parameters for hypoxia reduction and for water quality conditions at the surface and bottom profiles of lake. The critical temperature for hypoxia reduction at the surface and the bottom profile was ≤24.1C° (below which hypoxic conditions were found reduced). Strong prevailing wind field (onshore wind directions ESE, SE, SSE and E, wind speed ranges of 2.4-9.1 m/s) reduced the temperature (22C° to 24.1C°) caused reduction of hypoxia at the near surface with a rise in water levels whereas, low to medium prevailing wind field did not supported destratification which increased temperature resulting in increased hypoxia. Non-prevailing wind directions (offshore) were not found supportive for the reduction of hypoxia in study area due to less variable wind field. Daytime wind field found more variable (as compared to night time) which increased the thermal destratification during daytime and found supportive for destratification and hypoxia reduction. The second order exponential correlation found between surface temperature and Chlorophyll-a (R 2 : 0.2858, Adjusted R-square: 0.2144 RMSE: 4.395), Dissolved Oxygen (R 2 : 0.596, Adjusted R-square: 0.5942, RMSE: 0.3042) concentrations. The findings of the present study reveal the driving mechanism of wind induced thermal destratification and hypoxic conditions, which may further help to evaluate the wind role in eutrophication

Dose reduction factors from a radioactive cloud for large buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grand, J. le; Roux, Y.

1986-01-01

A set of complex and accurate computer codes has been established to determine the transport of photons emitted from a radioactive cloud through various media. The geometrical and physical description of large buildings with various numbers of floors and rooms can be done by the user. The codes can calculate, in any room or apartment, the characteristics of the photon fields (photon flux, energy flux and distribution, direction distribution) and whole-body absorbed dose rates in a phantom standing or lying on the floor. The dose reduction factor is then the quotient of the mean absorbed dose rate in the apartment to the absorbed dose rate in the phantom standing on the ground outdoors. Applications to several modern multistorey buildings are presented. The results show the influence of various parameters such as density and composition of building materials, the fraction of the external building surface containing apertures and initial photon energy. (author)

Mixed Models and Reduction Techniques for Large-Rotation, Nonlinear Analysis of Shells of Revolution with Application to Tires

Science.gov (United States)

Noor, A. K.; Andersen, C. M.; Tanner, J. A.

1984-01-01

An effective computational strategy is presented for the large-rotation, nonlinear axisymmetric analysis of shells of revolution. The three key elements of the computational strategy are: (1) use of mixed finite-element models with discontinuous stress resultants at the element interfaces; (2) substantial reduction in the total number of degrees of freedom through the use of a multiple-parameter reduction technique; and (3) reduction in the size of the analysis model through the decomposition of asymmetric loads into symmetric and antisymmetric components coupled with the use of the multiple-parameter reduction technique. The potential of the proposed computational strategy is discussed. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the high accuracy of the mixed models developed and to show the potential of using the proposed computational strategy for the analysis of tires.

Large Reduction of Hot Spot Temperature in Graphene Electronic Devices with Heat-Spreading Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, David; Poudel, Nirakar; Park, Saungeun; Akinwande, Deji; Cronin, Stephen B; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Yao, Zhen; Shi, Li

2018-04-04

Scanning thermal microscopy measurements reveal a significant thermal benefit of including a high thermal conductivity hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heat-spreading layer between graphene and either a SiO 2 /Si substrate or a 100 μm thick Corning flexible Willow glass (WG) substrate. At the same power density, an 80 nm thick h-BN layer on the silicon substrate can yield a factor of 2.2 reduction of the hot spot temperature, whereas a 35 nm thick h-BN layer on the WG substrate is sufficient to obtain a factor of 4.1 reduction. The larger effect of the h-BN heat spreader on WG than on SiO 2 /Si is attributed to a smaller effective heat transfer coefficient per unit area for three-dimensional heat conduction into the thick, low-thermal conductivity WG substrate than for one-dimensional heat conduction through the thin oxide layer on silicon. Consequently, the h-BN lateral heat-spreading length is much larger on WG than on SiO 2 /Si, resulting in a larger degree of temperature reduction.

Risk reduction by filtered venting in PWR large dry-containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gazzillo, F.; Kastenberg, W.E.

1984-01-01

The potential risk reduction associated with a Filtered-Vented Containment System is evaluated. A low-volume venting strategy has been considered and data referring to the Zion power plant, along with the results of the Zion Probabilistic Safety Study, have been used. An estimate of the reduction factor is first made for a single core melt accident sequence whose containment failure mode is late overpressure. The result, interpreted as a reduction factor applicable to the release category associated with containment late overpressure is then used for the estimation of the overall risk reduction factor. In particular, the case of internal and external risk for the Zion power plant are considered. Because the contribution from seismic events dominates the overall risk, the importance of different assumptions for seismic fragility is also assessed. Finally an uncertainty analysis of the risk reduction factor for a single accident sequence is performed. An estimate is also obtained on the level of confidence with which certain required values of risk reduction can be achieved. (orig.)

Metatranscriptomics reveals the molecular mechanism of large granule formation in granular anammox reactor

KAUST Repository

Bagchi, Samik

2016-06-20

Granules enriched with anammox bacteria are essential in enhancing the treatment of ammonia-rich wastewater, but little is known about how anammox bacteria grow and multiply inside granules. Here, we combined metatranscriptomics, quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to study the changes in community composition, metabolic gene content and gene expression in a granular anammox reactor with the objective of understanding the molecular mechanism of anammox growth and multiplication that led to formation of large granules. Size distribution analysis revealed the spatial distribution of granules in which large granules having higher abundance of anammox bacteria (genus Brocadia) dominated the bottom biomass. Metatranscriptomics analysis detected all the essential transcripts for anammox metabolism. During the later stage of reactor operation, higher expression of ammonia and nitrite transport proteins and key metabolic enzymes mainly in the bottom large granules facilitated anammox bacteria activity. The high activity resulted in higher growth and multiplication of anammox bacteria and expanded the size of the granules. This conceptual model for large granule formation proposed here may assist in the future design of anammox processes for mainstream wastewater treatment.

Efficient reduction and modularization for large fault trees stored by pages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Shanqi; Wang, Jin; Wang, Jiaqun; Wang, Fang; Hu, Liqin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • New fault tree pre-processing methods used in RiskA are presented. • Including the fault tree paging storage, simplification and modularization. • For getting MCS for fault trees containing more than 10,000 gates and events. • Reduce computer resources needs (RAM) and improve computation speed. - Abstract: Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), an indispensable tool used in Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), has been used throughout the commercial nuclear power industry for safety and reliability analyses. However, large fault tree analysis, such as those used in nuclear power plant requires significant computer resources, which makes the analysis of PRA model inefficient and time consuming. This paper describes a fault tree pre-processing method used in the reliability and probabilistic safety assessment program RiskA that is capable of generating minimal cutsets for fault trees containing more than 10,000 gates and basic events. The novel feature of this method is not only that Boolean reduction rules are used but also that a new objective of simplification is proposed. Moreover, since the method aims to find more fault tree modules by the linear-time algorithm, it can optimize fault tree modularization, which further reduces the computational time of large fault tree analysis.

Multilevel compression of random walks on networks reveals hierarchical organization in large integrated systems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Rosvall

Full Text Available To comprehend the hierarchical organization of large integrated systems, we introduce the hierarchical map equation, which reveals multilevel structures in networks. In this information-theoretic approach, we exploit the duality between compression and pattern detection; by compressing a description of a random walker as a proxy for real flow on a network, we find regularities in the network that induce this system-wide flow. Finding the shortest multilevel description of the random walker therefore gives us the best hierarchical clustering of the network--the optimal number of levels and modular partition at each level--with respect to the dynamics on the network. With a novel search algorithm, we extract and illustrate the rich multilevel organization of several large social and biological networks. For example, from the global air traffic network we uncover countries and continents, and from the pattern of scientific communication we reveal more than 100 scientific fields organized in four major disciplines: life sciences, physical sciences, ecology and earth sciences, and social sciences. In general, we find shallow hierarchical structures in globally interconnected systems, such as neural networks, and rich multilevel organizations in systems with highly separated regions, such as road networks.

Large scale aggregate microarray analysis reveals three distinct molecular subclasses of human preeclampsia.

Science.gov (United States)

Leavey, Katherine; Bainbridge, Shannon A; Cox, Brian J

2015-01-01

Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening hypertensive pathology of pregnancy affecting 3-5% of all pregnancies. To date, PE has no cure, early detection markers, or effective treatments short of the removal of what is thought to be the causative organ, the placenta, which may necessitate a preterm delivery. Additionally, numerous small placental microarray studies attempting to identify "PE-specific" genes have yielded inconsistent results. We therefore hypothesize that preeclampsia is a multifactorial disease encompassing several pathology subclasses, and that large cohort placental gene expression analysis will reveal these groups. To address our hypothesis, we utilized known bioinformatic methods to aggregate 7 microarray data sets across multiple platforms in order to generate a large data set of 173 patient samples, including 77 with preeclampsia. Unsupervised clustering of these patient samples revealed three distinct molecular subclasses of PE. This included a "canonical" PE subclass demonstrating elevated expression of known PE markers and genes associated with poor oxygenation and increased secretion, as well as two other subclasses potentially representing a poor maternal response to pregnancy and an immunological presentation of preeclampsia. Our analysis sheds new light on the heterogeneity of PE patients, and offers up additional avenues for future investigation. Hopefully, our subclassification of preeclampsia based on molecular diversity will finally lead to the development of robust diagnostics and patient-based treatments for this disorder.

Large behavioral variability of motile E. coli revealed in 3D spatial exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa-Morales, N.; Darnige, T.; Martinez, V.; Douarche, C.; Soto, R.; Lindner, A.; Clement, E.

2017-11-01

Bacterial motility determines the spatio-temporal structure of microbial communities, controls infection spreading and the microbiota organization in guts or in soils. Quantitative modeling of chemotaxis and statistical descriptions of active bacterial suspensions currently rely on the classical vision of a run-and-tumble strategy exploited by bacteria to explore their environment. Here we report a large behavioral variability of wild-type E. coli, revealed in their three-dimensional trajectories. We found a broad distribution of run times for individual cells, in stark contrast with the accepted vision of a single characteristic time. We relate our results to the slow fluctuations of a signaling protein which triggers the switching of the flagellar motor reversal responsible for tumbles. We demonstrate that such a large distribution of run times introduces measurement biases in most practical situations. These results reconcile a notorious conundrum between observations of run times and motor switching statistics. Our study implies that the statistical modeling of transport properties and of the chemotactic response of bacterial populations need to be profoundly revised to correctly account for the large variability of motility features.

Evaluation of photonuclear reaction cross-sections using the reduction method for large systematic uncertainties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varlamov, V.V.; Efimkin, N.G.; Ishkhanov, B.S.; Sapunenko, V.V.

1994-12-01

The authors describe a method based on the reduction method for the evaluation of photonuclear reaction cross-sections obtained under conditions where there are large systematic uncertainties (different instrumental functions, calibration and normalization errors). The evaluation method involves using the actual instrumental function (photon spectrum) of each individual experiment to reduce the data to a representation generated by an instrumental function of better quality. The objective is to find the most reasonably achievable monoenergetic representation of the information on the reaction cross-section derived from the results of various experiments and to take into account the calibration and normalization errors in these experiments. The method was used to obtain the evaluated total photoneutron reaction cross-section (γ,xn) for a large number of nuclei. Data obtained for 16 O and 208 Pb are presented. (author). 36 refs, 6 figs, 4 tabs

The improvement of CO2 emission reduction policies based on system dynamics method in traditional industrial region with large CO2 emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Fujia; Dong, Suocheng; Li, Zehong; Li, Yu; Li, Shantong; Wan, Yongkun

2012-01-01

Some traditional industrial regions are characterized by high industrial proportion and large CO 2 emission. They are facing dual pressures of maintaining economic growth and largely reducing CO 2 emission. From the perspective of study of typological region, taking the typical traditional industrial region—Liaoning Province of China as a case, this study establishes a system dynamics model named EECP and dynamically simulates CO 2 emission trends under different conditions. Simulation results indicate, compared to the condition without CO 2 emission reduction policies, CO 2 emission intensity under the condition of implementing CO 2 emission reduction policies of “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” is decreased by 11% from 2009 to 2030, but the economic cost is high, making the policies implementation faces resistance. Then some improved policies are offered and proved by EECP model that they can reduce CO 2 emission intensity after 2021 and decrease the negative influence to GDP, realizing the improvement objects of reducing CO 2 emission and simultaneously keeping a higher economy growth speed. The improved policies can provide reference for making and improving CO 2 emission reduction policies in other traditional industrial regions with large CO 2 emission. Simultaneously, EECP model can provide decision-makers with reference and help for similar study of energy policy. - Highlights: ► We build EECP model for CO 2 emission reduction study in traditional industry region. ► By the model, we simulate CO 2 emission trend and improve emission reduction policy. ► By improvement, both CO 2 emission intensity and economic cost can be largely reduced. ► Besides CO 2 emission is reduced effectively, higher GDP increment speed is kept. ► EECP model can be widely used for making and improving regional energy policies.

High-Frequency Observations of Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Reveal Under-Ice Convection in a Large Lake

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bernard; Young, Joelle; Brown, Laura; Wells, Mathew

2017-12-01

Detailed observations of thermal structure over an entire winter in a large lake reveal the presence of large (10-20 m) overturns under the ice, driven by diurnal solar heating. Convection can occur in the early winter, but the most vigorous convection occurred near the end of winter. Both periods are when our lake ice model suggest thinner ice that would have been transparent. This under-ice convection led to a deepening of the mixed layer over time, consistent with previous short-term studies. During periods of vigorous convection under the ice at the end of winter, the dissolved oxygen had become supersaturated from the surface to 23 m below the surface, suggesting abundant algal growth. Analysis of our high-frequency observations over the entire winter of 2015 using the Thorpe-scale method quantified the scale of mixing. Furthermore, it revealed that changes in oxygen concentrations are closely related to the intensity of mixing.

Lateral frontal cortex volume reduction in Tourette syndrome revealed by VBM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wittfoth Matthias

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Structural changes have been found predominantly in the frontal cortex and in the striatum in children and adolescents with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS. The influence of comorbid symptomatology is unclear. Here we sought to address the question of gray matter abnormalities in GTS patients with co-morbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD using voxel-based morphometry (VBM in twenty-nine adult actually unmedicated GTS patients and twenty-five healthy control subjects. Results In GTS we detected a cluster of decreased gray matter volume in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, but no regions demonstrating volume increases. By comparing subgroups of GTS with comorbid ADHD to the subgroup with comorbid OCD, we found a left-sided amygdalar volume increase. Conclusions From our results it is suggested that the left IFG may constitute a common underlying structural correlate of GTS with co-morbid OCD/ADHD. A volume reduction in this brain region that has been previously identified as a key region in OCD and was associated with the active inhibition of attentional processes may reflect the failure to control behavior. Amygdala volume increase is discussed on the background of a linkage of this structure with ADHD symptomatology. Correlations with clinical data revealed gray matter volume changes in specific brain areas that have been described in these conditions each.

Load reduction test method of similarity theory and BP neural networks of large cranes

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ruigang; Duan, Zhibin; Lu, Yi; Wang, Lei; Xu, Gening

2016-01-01

Static load tests are an important means of supervising and detecting a crane's lift capacity. Due to space restrictions, however, there are difficulties and potential danger when testing large bridge cranes. To solve the loading problems of large-tonnage cranes during testing, an equivalency test is proposed based on the similarity theory and BP neural networks. The maximum stress and displacement of a large bridge crane is tested in small loads, combined with the training neural network of a similar structure crane through stress and displacement data which is collected by a physics simulation progressively loaded to a static load test load within the material scope of work. The maximum stress and displacement of a crane under a static load test load can be predicted through the relationship of stress, displacement, and load. By measuring the stress and displacement of small tonnage weights, the stress and displacement of large loads can be predicted, such as the maximum load capacity, which is 1.25 times the rated capacity. Experimental study shows that the load reduction test method can reflect the lift capacity of large bridge cranes. The load shedding predictive analysis for Sanxia 1200 t bridge crane test data indicates that when the load is 1.25 times the rated lifting capacity, the predicted displacement and actual displacement error is zero. The method solves the problem that lifting capacities are difficult to obtain and testing accidents are easily possible when 1.25 times related weight loads are tested for large tonnage cranes.

Nulling Data Reduction and On-Sky Performance of the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Defrere, D.; Hinz, P. M.; Mennesson, B.; Hoffman, W. F.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Skemer, A. J.; Bailey, V.; Danchi, W. C.; Downy, E. C.; Durney, O.;

Dam risk reduction study for a number of large tailings dams in Ontario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verma, N. [AMEC Earth and Environmental Ltd., Mississauga, ON (Canada); Small, A. [AMEC Earth and Environmental Ltd., Fredericton, NB (Canada); Martin, T. [AMEC Earth and Environmental, Burnaby, BC (Canada); Cacciotti, D. [AMEC Earth and Environmental Ltd., Sudbury, ON (Canada); Ross, T. [Vale Inco Ltd., Sudbury, ON (Canada)

2009-07-01

This paper discussed a risk reduction study conducted for 10 large tailings dams located at a central tailings facility in Ontario. Located near large industrial and urban developments, the tailings dams were built using an upstream method of construction that did not involve beach compaction or the provision of under-drainage. The study provided a historical background for the dam and presented results from investigations and instrumentation data. The methods used to develop the dam configurations were discussed, and remedial measures and risk assessment measures used on the dams were reviewed. The aim of the study was to address key sources of risk, which include the presence of high pore pressures and hydraulic gradients; the potential for liquefaction; slope instability; and the potential for overtopping. A borehole investigation was conducted and piezocone probes were used to obtain continuous data and determine soil and groundwater conditions. The study identified that the lower portion of the dam slopes were of concern. Erosion gullies could lead to larger scale failures, and elevated pore pressures could lead to the risk of seepage breakouts. It was concluded that remedial measures are now being conducted to ensure slope stability. 6 refs., 1 tab., 6 figs.

Aerosol pH buffering in the southeastern US: Fine particles remain highly acidic despite large reductions in sulfate

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, R. J.; Guo, H.; Russell, A. G.; Nenes, A.

2015-12-01

pH is a critical aerosol property that impacts many atmospheric processes, including biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation, gas-particle phase partitioning, and mineral dust or redox metal mobilization. Particle pH has also been linked to adverse health effects. Using a comprehensive data set from the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) as the basis for thermodynamic modeling, we have shown that particles are currently highly acidic in the southeastern US, with pH between 0 and 2. Sulfate and ammonium are the main acid-base components that determine particle pH in this region, however they have different sources and their concentrations are changing. Over 15 years of network data show that sulfur dioxide emission reductions have resulted in a roughly 70 percent decrease in sulfate, whereas ammonia emissions, mainly link to agricultural activities, have been largely steady, as have gas phase ammonia concentrations. This has led to the view that particles are becoming more neutralized. However, sensitivity analysis, based on thermodynamic modeling, to changing sulfate concentrations indicates that particles have remained highly acidic over the past decade, despite the large reductions in sulfate. Furthermore, anticipated continued reductions of sulfate and relatively constant ammonia emissions into the future will not significantly change particle pH until sulfate drops to clean continental background levels. The result reshapes our expectation of future particle pH and implies that atmospheric processes and adverse health effects linked to particle acidity will remain unchanged for some time into the future.

Large-Batch Reduction of Molybdenum Trioxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiggans, Jr, James O. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lowden, Richard Andrew [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Menchhofer, Paul A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Nunn, Stephen D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bryan, Chris [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-12-01

Unconverted, isotopically-enriched molybdenum metal must be recovered from the spent radiopharmaceutical solution used in NorthStar’s Technetium-99m generator and reused. The recycle process begins by recovering the metal from the aqueous potassium molybdate (K₂MoO₄) solutions as molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) employing a process developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The MoO₃ powder is subsequently reduced to molybdenum metal powder which can be blended with new powder and further processed into a flowable form to be used to produce target disks for irradiation. The molybdenum oxide reduction process has been examined and scaled to produce kilogram quantities of metal powder suitable for processing into a useable form employing spray drying or similar technique and ultimately used for target fabrication.

Micrometeorological Measurements Reveal Large Nitrous Oxide Losses during Spring Thaw in Alberta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas K. Flesch

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Agricultural soils in Canada have been observed to emit a large pulse of nitrous oxide (N2O gas during the spring thaw, representing a large percentage of the annual emissions. We report on three years of spring thaw N2O flux measurements taken at three Alberta agricultural sites: a crop production site (Crop, cattle winter-feeding site (WF, and a cattle winter-grazing site (WG. Soil fluxes were calculated with a micrometeorological technique based on the vertical gradient in N2O concentration above each site measured with an open-path (line-averaging FTIR gas detector. The Crop and WG sites showed a clear N2O emission pulse lasting 10 to 25 days after thawing began. During this pulse there was a strong diurnal cycle in emissions that paralleled the cycle in near-surface soil temperature. The emission pulse was less pronounced at the WF site. The average spring thaw losses (over 25 to 31 days were 5.3 (Crop, 7.0 (WF, and 8.0 (WG kg N2O-N ha−1, representing 1 to 3.5% of the annual nitrogen input to the sites. These large losses are higher than found in most previous western Canadian studies, and generally higher than the annual losses estimated from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Canadian National Inventory Report calculations. The high N2O losses may be explained by high soil nitrate levels which promoted rapid denitrification during thawing. The application of a high resolution (temporal micrometeorological technique was critical to revealing these losses.

NULLING DATA REDUCTION AND ON-SKY PERFORMANCE OF THE LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE INTERFEROMETER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Defrère, D.; Hinz, P. M.; Hoffmann, W. F.; Skemer, A. J.; Bailey, V.; Downey, E. C.; Durney, O.; Grenz, P.; McMahon, T. J.; Montoya, M.; Spalding, E.; Vaz, A.; Arbo, P.; Brusa, G. [Steward Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Mennesson, B. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 (United States); Millan-Gabet, R. [NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, 770 South Wilson Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Danchi, W. C. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Hill, J. M. [Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Absil, O. [Institut d’Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, 19c Allée du Six Août, B-4000 Sart Tilman (Belgium); Bailey, H., E-mail: ddefrere@email.arizona.edu [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, 1541 E, University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); and others

2016-06-20

The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) is a versatile instrument designed for high angular resolution and high-contrast infrared imaging (1.5–13 μ m). In this paper, we focus on the mid-infrared (8–13 μ m) nulling mode and present its theory of operation, data reduction, and on-sky performance as of the end of the commissioning phase in 2015 March. With an interferometric baseline of 14.4 m, the LBTI nuller is specifically tuned to resolve the habitable zone of nearby main-sequence stars, where warm exozodiacal dust emission peaks. Measuring the exozodi luminosity function of nearby main-sequence stars is a key milestone to prepare for future exo-Earth direct imaging instruments. Thanks to recent progress in wavefront control and phase stabilization, as well as in data reduction techniques, the LBTI demonstrated in 2015 February a calibrated null accuracy of 0.05% over a 3 hr long observing sequence on the bright nearby A3V star β Leo. This is equivalent to an exozodiacal disk density of 15–30 zodi for a Sun-like star located at 10 pc, depending on the adopted disk model. This result sets a new record for high-contrast mid-infrared interferometric imaging and opens a new window on the study of planetary systems.

Dual dimensionality reduction reveals independent encoding of motor features in a muscle synergy for insect flight control.

Science.gov (United States)

Sponberg, Simon; Daniel, Thomas L; Fairhall, Adrienne L

2015-04-01

What are the features of movement encoded by changing motor commands? Do motor commands encode movement independently or can they be represented in a reduced set of signals (i.e. synergies)? Motor encoding poses a computational and practical challenge because many muscles typically drive movement, and simultaneous electrophysiology recordings of all motor commands are typically not available. Moreover, during a single locomotor period (a stride or wingstroke) the variation in movement may have high dimensionality, even if only a few discrete signals activate the muscles. Here, we apply the method of partial least squares (PLS) to extract the encoded features of movement based on the cross-covariance of motor signals and movement. PLS simultaneously decomposes both datasets and identifies only the variation in movement that relates to the specific muscles of interest. We use this approach to explore how the main downstroke flight muscles of an insect, the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, encode torque during yaw turns. We simultaneously record muscle activity and turning torque in tethered flying moths experiencing wide-field visual stimuli. We ask whether this pair of muscles acts as a muscle synergy (a single linear combination of activity) consistent with their hypothesized function of producing a left-right power differential. Alternatively, each muscle might individually encode variation in movement. We show that PLS feature analysis produces an efficient reduction of dimensionality in torque variation within a wingstroke. At first, the two muscles appear to behave as a synergy when we consider only their wingstroke-averaged torque. However, when we consider the PLS features, the muscles reveal independent encoding of torque. Using these features we can predictably reconstruct the variation in torque corresponding to changes in muscle activation. PLS-based feature analysis provides a general two-sided dimensionality reduction that reveals encoding in high dimensional

Dual dimensionality reduction reveals independent encoding of motor features in a muscle synergy for insect flight control.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Sponberg

2015-04-01

Full Text Available What are the features of movement encoded by changing motor commands? Do motor commands encode movement independently or can they be represented in a reduced set of signals (i.e. synergies? Motor encoding poses a computational and practical challenge because many muscles typically drive movement, and simultaneous electrophysiology recordings of all motor commands are typically not available. Moreover, during a single locomotor period (a stride or wingstroke the variation in movement may have high dimensionality, even if only a few discrete signals activate the muscles. Here, we apply the method of partial least squares (PLS to extract the encoded features of movement based on the cross-covariance of motor signals and movement. PLS simultaneously decomposes both datasets and identifies only the variation in movement that relates to the specific muscles of interest. We use this approach to explore how the main downstroke flight muscles of an insect, the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, encode torque during yaw turns. We simultaneously record muscle activity and turning torque in tethered flying moths experiencing wide-field visual stimuli. We ask whether this pair of muscles acts as a muscle synergy (a single linear combination of activity consistent with their hypothesized function of producing a left-right power differential. Alternatively, each muscle might individually encode variation in movement. We show that PLS feature analysis produces an efficient reduction of dimensionality in torque variation within a wingstroke. At first, the two muscles appear to behave as a synergy when we consider only their wingstroke-averaged torque. However, when we consider the PLS features, the muscles reveal independent encoding of torque. Using these features we can predictably reconstruct the variation in torque corresponding to changes in muscle activation. PLS-based feature analysis provides a general two-sided dimensionality reduction that reveals encoding in

Dual Dimensionality Reduction Reveals Independent Encoding of Motor Features in a Muscle Synergy for Insect Flight Control

Science.gov (United States)

Sponberg, Simon; Daniel, Thomas L.; Fairhall, Adrienne L.

2015-01-01

What are the features of movement encoded by changing motor commands? Do motor commands encode movement independently or can they be represented in a reduced set of signals (i.e. synergies)? Motor encoding poses a computational and practical challenge because many muscles typically drive movement, and simultaneous electrophysiology recordings of all motor commands are typically not available. Moreover, during a single locomotor period (a stride or wingstroke) the variation in movement may have high dimensionality, even if only a few discrete signals activate the muscles. Here, we apply the method of partial least squares (PLS) to extract the encoded features of movement based on the cross-covariance of motor signals and movement. PLS simultaneously decomposes both datasets and identifies only the variation in movement that relates to the specific muscles of interest. We use this approach to explore how the main downstroke flight muscles of an insect, the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, encode torque during yaw turns. We simultaneously record muscle activity and turning torque in tethered flying moths experiencing wide-field visual stimuli. We ask whether this pair of muscles acts as a muscle synergy (a single linear combination of activity) consistent with their hypothesized function of producing a left-right power differential. Alternatively, each muscle might individually encode variation in movement. We show that PLS feature analysis produces an efficient reduction of dimensionality in torque variation within a wingstroke. At first, the two muscles appear to behave as a synergy when we consider only their wingstroke-averaged torque. However, when we consider the PLS features, the muscles reveal independent encoding of torque. Using these features we can predictably reconstruct the variation in torque corresponding to changes in muscle activation. PLS-based feature analysis provides a general two-sided dimensionality reduction that reveals encoding in high dimensional

Final report LDRD project 105816 : model reduction of large dynamic systems with localized nonlinearities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehoucq, Richard B.; Segalman, Daniel Joseph; Hetmaniuk, Ulrich L. (University of Washington, Seattle, WA); Dohrmann, Clark R.

2009-10-01

Advanced computing hardware and software written to exploit massively parallel architectures greatly facilitate the computation of extremely large problems. On the other hand, these tools, though enabling higher fidelity models, have often resulted in much longer run-times and turn-around-times in providing answers to engineering problems. The impediments include smaller elements and consequently smaller time steps, much larger systems of equations to solve, and the inclusion of nonlinearities that had been ignored in days when lower fidelity models were the norm. The research effort reported focuses on the accelerating the analysis process for structural dynamics though combinations of model reduction and mitigation of some factors that lead to over-meshing.

Methods of Model Reduction for Large-Scale Biological Systems: A Survey of Current Methods and Trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Snowden, Thomas J; van der Graaf, Piet H; Tindall, Marcus J

2017-07-01

Complex models of biochemical reaction systems have become increasingly common in the systems biology literature. The complexity of such models can present a number of obstacles for their practical use, often making problems difficult to intuit or computationally intractable. Methods of model reduction can be employed to alleviate the issue of complexity by seeking to eliminate those portions of a reaction network that have little or no effect upon the outcomes of interest, hence yielding simplified systems that retain an accurate predictive capacity. This review paper seeks to provide a brief overview of a range of such methods and their application in the context of biochemical reaction network models. To achieve this, we provide a brief mathematical account of the main methods including timescale exploitation approaches, reduction via sensitivity analysis, optimisation methods, lumping, and singular value decomposition-based approaches. Methods are reviewed in the context of large-scale systems biology type models, and future areas of research are briefly discussed.

Mechanism of porcine liver xanthine oxidoreductase mediated N-oxide reduction of cyadox as revealed by docking and mutagenesis studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chigang Chen

Full Text Available Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR is a cytoplasmic molybdenum-containing oxidoreductase, catalyzing both endogenous purines and exogenous compounds. It is suggested that XOR in porcine hepatocytes catalyzes the N-oxide reduction of quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxides (QdNOs. To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying this metabolism, the cDNA of porcine XOR was cloned and heterologously expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells. The bovine XOR, showing sequence identity of 91% to porcine XOR, was employed as template for homology modeling. By docking cyadox, a representative compound of QdNOs, into porcine XOR model, eight amino acid residues, Gly47, Asn352, Ser360, Arg427, Asp430, Asp431, Ser1227 and Lys1230, were located at distances of less than 4Å to cyadox. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to analyze their catalytic functions. Compared with wild type porcine XOR, G47A, S360P, D431A, S1227A, and K1230A displayed altered kinetic parameters in cyadox reduction, similarly to that in xanthine oxidation, indicating these mutations influenced electron-donating process of xanthine before subsequent electron transfer to cyadox to fulfill the N-oxide reduction. Differently, R427E and D430H, both located in the 424-434 loop, exhibited a much lower K(m and a decreased V(max respectively in cyadox reduction. Arg427 may be related to the substrate binding of porcine XOR to cyadox, and Asp430 is suggested to be involved in the transfer of electron to cyadox. This study initially reveals the possible catalytic mechanism of porcine XOR in cyadox metabolism, providing with novel insights into the structure-function relationship of XOR in the reduction of exogenous di-N-oxides.

Genome sequence of Thermofilum pendens reveals an exceptional loss of biosynthetic pathways without genome reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kyrpides, Nikos; Anderson, Iain; Rodriguez, Jason; Susanti, Dwi; Porat, Iris; Reich, Claudia; Ulrich, Luke E.; Elkins, James G.; Mavromatis, Kostas; Lykidis, Athanasios; Kim, Edwin; Thompson, Linda S.; Nolan, Matt; Land, Miriam; Copeland, Alex; Lapidus, Alla; Lucas, Susan; Detter, Chris; Zhulin, Igor B.; Olsen, Gary J.; Whitman, William; Mukhopadhyay, Biswarup; Bristow, James; Kyrpides, Nikos

2008-01-01

We report the complete genome of Thermofilum pendens, a deep-branching, hyperthermophilic member of the order Thermoproteales within the archaeal kingdom Crenarchaeota. T. pendens is a sulfur-dependent, anaerobic heterotroph isolated from a solfatara in Iceland. It is an extracellular commensal, requiring an extract of Thermoproteus tenax for growth, and the genome sequence reveals that biosynthetic pathways for purines, most amino acids, and most cofactors are absent. In fact T. pendens has fewer biosynthetic enzymes than obligate intracellular parasites, although it does not display other features common among obligate parasites and thus does not appear to be in the process of becoming a parasite. It appears that T. pendens has adapted to life in an environment rich in nutrients. T. pendens was known to utilize peptides as an energy source, but the genome reveals substantial ability to grow on carbohydrates. T. pendens is the first crenarchaeote and only the second archaeon found to have a transporter of the phosphotransferase system. In addition to fermentation, T. pendens may gain energy from sulfur reduction with hydrogen and formate as electron donors. It may also be capable of sulfur-independent growth on formate with formate hydrogenlyase. Additional novel features are the presence of a monomethylamine:corrinoid methyltransferase, the first time this enzyme has been found outside of Methanosarcinales, and a presenilin-related protein. Predicted highly expressed proteins do not include housekeeping genes, and instead include ABC transporters for carbohydrates and peptides, and CRISPR-associated proteins.

Analysis of 16S libraries of mouse gastrointestinal microflora reveals a large new group of mouse intestinal bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salzman, NH; de Jong, H; Paterson, Y; Harmsen, HJM; Welling, GW; Bos, NA

2002-01-01

Total genomic DNA from samples of intact mouse small intestine, large intestine, caecum and faeces was used as template for PCR amplification of 16S rRNA gene sequences with conserved bacterial primers. Phylogenetic analysis of the amplification products revealed 40 unique 16S rDNA sequences. Of

High performance platinum single atom electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing; Jiao, Menggai; Lu, Lanlu; Barkholtz, Heather M.; Li, Yuping; Wang, Ying; Jiang, Luhua; Wu, Zhijian; Liu, Di-Jia; Zhuang, Lin; Ma, Chao; Zeng, Jie; Zhang, Bingsen; Su, Dangsheng; Song, Ping; Xing, Wei; Xu, Weilin; Wang, Ying; Jiang, Zheng; Sun, Gongquan

2017-07-01

For the large-scale sustainable implementation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells in vehicles, high-performance electrocatalysts with low platinum consumption are desirable for use as cathode material during the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. Here we report a carbon black-supported cost-effective, efficient and durable platinum single-atom electrocatalyst with carbon monoxide/methanol tolerance for the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction. The acidic single-cell with such a catalyst as cathode delivers high performance, with power density up to 680 mW cm-2 at 80 °C with a low platinum loading of 0.09 mgPt cm-2, corresponding to a platinum utilization of 0.13 gPt kW-1 in the fuel cell. Good fuel cell durability is also observed. Theoretical calculations reveal that the main effective sites on such platinum single-atom electrocatalysts are single-pyridinic-nitrogen-atom-anchored single-platinum-atom centres, which are tolerant to carbon monoxide/methanol, but highly active for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Large-scale exact diagonalizations reveal low-momentum scales of nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Forssén, C.; Carlsson, B. D.; Johansson, H. T.; Sääf, D.; Bansal, A.; Hagen, G.; Papenbrock, T.

2018-03-01

Ab initio methods aim to solve the nuclear many-body problem with controlled approximations. Virtually exact numerical solutions for realistic interactions can only be obtained for certain special cases such as few-nucleon systems. Here we extend the reach of exact diagonalization methods to handle model spaces with dimension exceeding 1010 on a single compute node. This allows us to perform no-core shell model (NCSM) calculations for 6Li in model spaces up to Nmax=22 and to reveal the 4He+d halo structure of this nucleus. Still, the use of a finite harmonic-oscillator basis implies truncations in both infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) length scales. These truncations impose finite-size corrections on observables computed in this basis. We perform IR extrapolations of energies and radii computed in the NCSM and with the coupled-cluster method at several fixed UV cutoffs. It is shown that this strategy enables information gain also from data that is not fully UV converged. IR extrapolations improve the accuracy of relevant bound-state observables for a range of UV cutoffs, thus making them profitable tools. We relate the momentum scale that governs the exponential IR convergence to the threshold energy for the first open decay channel. Using large-scale NCSM calculations we numerically verify this small-momentum scale of finite nuclei.

Analysis of 16S libraries of mouse gastrointestinal microflora reveals a large new group of mouse intestinal bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Salzman, Nita H; de Jong, Hendrik; Paterson, Yvonne; Harmsen, Hermie J M; Welling, Gjalt W; Bos, Nicolaas A

2002-11-01

Total genomic DNA from samples of intact mouse small intestine, large intestine, caecum and faeces was used as template for PCR amplification of 16S rRNA gene sequences with conserved bacterial primers. Phylogenetic analysis of the amplification products revealed 40 unique 16S rDNA sequences. Of these sequences, 25% (10/40) corresponded to described intestinal organisms of the mouse, including Lactobacillus spp., Helicobacter spp., segmented filamentous bacteria and members of the altered Schaedler flora (ASF360, ASF361, ASF502 and ASF519); 75% (30/40) represented novel sequences. A large number (11/40) of the novel sequences revealed a new operational taxonomic unit (OTU) belonging to the Cytophaga-Flavobacter-Bacteroides phylum, which the authors named 'mouse intestinal bacteria'. 16S rRNA probes were developed for this new OTU. Upon analysis of the novel sequences, eight were found to cluster within the Eubacterium rectale-Clostridium coccoides group and three clustered within the Bacteroides group. One of the novel sequences was distantly related to Verrucomicrobium spinosum and one was distantly related to Bacillus mycoides. Oligonucleotide probes specific for the 16S rRNA of these novel clones were generated. Using a combination of four previously described and four newly designed probes, approximately 80% of bacteria recovered from the murine large intestine and 71% of bacteria recovered from the murine caecum could be identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Metabolomic Analyses of Leishmania Reveal Multiple Species Differences and Large Differences in Amino Acid Metabolism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gareth D Westrop

Full Text Available Comparative genomic analyses of Leishmania species have revealed relatively minor heterogeneity amongst recognised housekeeping genes and yet the species cause distinct infections and pathogenesis in their mammalian hosts. To gain greater information on the biochemical variation between species, and insights into possible metabolic mechanisms underpinning visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, we have undertaken in this study a comparative analysis of the metabolomes of promastigotes of L. donovani, L. major and L. mexicana. The analysis revealed 64 metabolites with confirmed identity differing 3-fold or more between the cell extracts of species, with 161 putatively identified metabolites differing similarly. Analysis of the media from cultures revealed an at least 3-fold difference in use or excretion of 43 metabolites of confirmed identity and 87 putatively identified metabolites that differed to a similar extent. Strikingly large differences were detected in their extent of amino acid use and metabolism, especially for tryptophan, aspartate, arginine and proline. Major pathways of tryptophan and arginine catabolism were shown to be to indole-3-lactate and arginic acid, respectively, which were excreted. The data presented provide clear evidence on the value of global metabolomic analyses in detecting species-specific metabolic features, thus application of this technology should be a major contributor to gaining greater understanding of how pathogens are adapted to infecting their hosts.

Simulation of multivariate stationary stochastic processes using dimension-reduction representation methods

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhangjun; Liu, Zenghui; Peng, Yongbo

2018-03-01

In view of the Fourier-Stieltjes integral formula of multivariate stationary stochastic processes, a unified formulation accommodating spectral representation method (SRM) and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is deduced. By introducing random functions as constraints correlating the orthogonal random variables involved in the unified formulation, the dimension-reduction spectral representation method (DR-SRM) and the dimension-reduction proper orthogonal decomposition (DR-POD) are addressed. The proposed schemes are capable of representing the multivariate stationary stochastic process with a few elementary random variables, bypassing the challenges of high-dimensional random variables inherent in the conventional Monte Carlo methods. In order to accelerate the numerical simulation, the technique of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is integrated with the proposed schemes. For illustrative purposes, the simulation of horizontal wind velocity field along the deck of a large-span bridge is proceeded using the proposed methods containing 2 and 3 elementary random variables. Numerical simulation reveals the usefulness of the dimension-reduction representation methods.

Convenient Reduction of Carbonyl Compounds to their ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NICO

Alcohols and their derivatives occupy an important position in organic synthesis. ... review also reveals that the reduction of carbonyl compounds ..... 1 H.B. Ji and Y.B. She, Green Oxidation and Reduction, China Petrochemi- cal Press, Beijing ...

Revealing the Origin of Activity in Nitrogen-Doped Nanocarbons towards Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Junyuan; Kan, Yuhe; Huang, Rui; Zhang, Bingsen; Wang, Bolun; Wu, Kuang-Hsu; Lin, Yangming; Sun, Xiaoyan; Li, Qingfeng; Centi, Gabriele; Su, Dangsheng

2016-05-23

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are functionalized with nitrogen atoms for reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2 ). The investigation explores the origin of the catalyst's activity and the role of nitrogen chemical states therein. The catalysts show excellent performances, with about 90 % current efficiency for CO formation and stability over 60 hours. The Tafel analyses and density functional theory calculations suggest that the reduction of CO2 proceeds through an initial rate-determining transfer of one electron to CO2 , which leads to the formation of carbon dioxide radical anion (CO2 (.-) ). The initial reduction barrier is too high on pristine CNTs, resulting in a very high overpotentials at which the hydrogen evolution reaction dominates over CO2 reduction. The doped nitrogen atoms stabilize the radical anion, thereby lowering the initial reduction barrier and improving the intrinsic activity. The most efficient nitrogen chemical state for this reaction is quaternary nitrogen, followed by pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Large-Scale Cognitive GWAS Meta-Analysis Reveals Tissue-Specific Neural Expression and Potential Nootropic Drug Targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Max Lam

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Here, we present a large (n = 107,207 genome-wide association study (GWAS of general cognitive ability (“g”, further enhanced by combining results with a large-scale GWAS of educational attainment. We identified 70 independent genomic loci associated with general cognitive ability. Results showed significant enrichment for genes causing Mendelian disorders with an intellectual disability phenotype. Competitive pathway analysis implicated the biological processes of neurogenesis and synaptic regulation, as well as the gene targets of two pharmacologic agents: cinnarizine, a T-type calcium channel blocker, and LY97241, a potassium channel inhibitor. Transcriptome-wide and epigenome-wide analysis revealed that the implicated loci were enriched for genes expressed across all brain regions (most strongly in the cerebellum. Enrichment was exclusive to genes expressed in neurons but not oligodendrocytes or astrocytes. Finally, we report genetic correlations between cognitive ability and disparate phenotypes including psychiatric disorders, several autoimmune disorders, longevity, and maternal age at first birth.

Biochemistry of Catabolic Reductive Dehalogenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fincker, Maeva; Spormann, Alfred M

2017-06-20

A wide range of phylogenetically diverse microorganisms couple the reductive dehalogenation of organohalides to energy conservation. Key enzymes of such anaerobic catabolic pathways are corrinoid and Fe-S cluster-containing, membrane-associated reductive dehalogenases. These enzymes catalyze the reductive elimination of a halide and constitute the terminal reductases of a short electron transfer chain. Enzymatic and physiological studies revealed the existence of quinone-dependent and quinone-independent reductive dehalogenases that are distinguishable at the amino acid sequence level, implying different modes of energy conservation in the respective microorganisms. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about catabolic reductive dehalogenases and the electron transfer chain they are part of. We review reaction mechanisms and the role of the corrinoid and Fe-S cluster cofactors and discuss physiological implications.

Breaking Computational Barriers: Real-time Analysis and Optimization with Large-scale Nonlinear Models via Model Reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlberg, Kevin Thomas [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Quantitative Modeling and Analysis; Drohmann, Martin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Quantitative Modeling and Analysis; Tuminaro, Raymond S. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Computational Mathematics; Boggs, Paul T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Quantitative Modeling and Analysis; Ray, Jaideep [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Quantitative Modeling and Analysis; van Bloemen Waanders, Bart Gustaaf [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Optimization and Uncertainty Estimation

2014-10-01

Model reduction for dynamical systems is a promising approach for reducing the computational cost of large-scale physics-based simulations to enable high-fidelity models to be used in many- query (e.g., Bayesian inference) and near-real-time (e.g., fast-turnaround simulation) contexts. While model reduction works well for specialized problems such as linear time-invariant systems, it is much more difficult to obtain accurate, stable, and efficient reduced-order models (ROMs) for systems with general nonlinearities. This report describes several advances that enable nonlinear reduced-order models (ROMs) to be deployed in a variety of time-critical settings. First, we present an error bound for the Gauss-Newton with Approximated Tensors (GNAT) nonlinear model reduction technique. This bound allows the state-space error for the GNAT method to be quantified when applied with the backward Euler time-integration scheme. Second, we present a methodology for preserving classical Lagrangian structure in nonlinear model reduction. This technique guarantees that important properties--such as energy conservation and symplectic time-evolution maps--are preserved when performing model reduction for models described by a Lagrangian formalism (e.g., molecular dynamics, structural dynamics). Third, we present a novel technique for decreasing the temporal complexity --defined as the number of Newton-like iterations performed over the course of the simulation--by exploiting time-domain data. Fourth, we describe a novel method for refining projection-based reduced-order models a posteriori using a goal-oriented framework similar to mesh-adaptive h -refinement in finite elements. The technique allows the ROM to generate arbitrarily accurate solutions, thereby providing the ROM with a 'failsafe' mechanism in the event of insufficient training data. Finally, we present the reduced-order model error surrogate (ROMES) method for statistically quantifying reduced- order

Large Negative Linear Compressibility in InH(BDC)₂ from Framework Hinging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Qingxin; Wang, Kai; Zou, Bo

2017-11-08

Materials with negative linear compressibility (NLC) counterintuitively expand along one specific direction coupled to the volume reduction when compressed uniformly. NLC with a large value is desired for compression and materials science. However, NLC is generally smaller than -20 TPa -1 . High-pressure X-ray diffraction experiments reveal that the β-quartz-like InH(BDC) 2 generates an extreme NLC (-62.4 TPa -1 ) by framework hinging. InH(BDC) 2 is much safer and lower-cost than Au + /Ag + and CN - -containing materials that dominated the fields of large NLC. This work reconfirms that a negative thermal expansion flexible framework could likely exhibit large NLC. Moreover, a large NLC could be anticipated to arise from β-quartz-like or related frameworks composed of rigid linear ligands and flexible framework angles.

Reductions in Perceived Injustice are Associated With Reductions in Disability and Depressive Symptoms After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Yakobov, Esther; Scott, Whitney; Stanish, William D; Tanzer, Michael; Dunbar, Michael; Richardson, Glen; Sullivan, Michael J L

2018-05-01

Perceptions of injustice have been associated with problematic recovery outcomes in individuals with a wide range of debilitating pain conditions. It has been suggested that, in patients with chronic pain, perceptions of injustice might arise in response to experiences characterized by illness-related pain severity, depressive symptoms, and disability. If symptoms severity and disability are important contributors to perceived injustice (PI), it follows that interventions that yield reductions in symptom severity and disability should also contribute to reductions in perceptions of injustice. The present study examined the relative contributions of postsurgical reductions in pain severity, depressive symptoms, and disability to the prediction of reductions in perceptions of injustice. The study sample consisted of 110 individuals (69 women and 41 men) with osteoarthritis of the knee scheduled for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients completed measures of perceived injustice, depressive symptoms, pain, and disability at their presurgical evaluation, and at 1-year follow-up. The results revealed that reductions in depressive symptoms and disability, but not pain severity, were correlated with reductions in perceived injustice. Regression analyses revealed that reductions in disability and reductions in depressive symptoms contributed modest but significant unique variance to the prediction of postsurgical reductions in perceived injustice. The present findings are consistent with current conceptualizations of injustice appraisals that propose a central role for symptom severity and disability as determinants of perceptions of injustice in patients with persistent pain. The results suggest that the inclusion of psychosocial interventions that target depressive symptoms and perceived injustice might augment the impact of rehabilitation programs made available for individuals recovering from TKA.

Wind speed reductions by large-scale wind turbine deployments lower turbine efficiencies and set low wind power potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Lee; Kleidon, Axel

2017-04-01

Wind turbines generate electricity by removing kinetic energy from the atmosphere. Large numbers of wind turbines are likely to reduce wind speeds, which lowers estimates of electricity generation from what would be presumed from unaffected conditions. Here, we test how well wind power potentials that account for this effect can be estimated without explicitly simulating atmospheric dynamics. We first use simulations with an atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) that explicitly simulates the effects of wind turbines to derive wind power limits (GCM estimate), and compare them to a simple approach derived from the climatological conditions without turbines [vertical kinetic energy (VKE) estimate]. On land, we find strong agreement between the VKE and GCM estimates with respect to electricity generation rates (0.32 and 0.37 We m-2) and wind speed reductions by 42 and 44%. Over ocean, the GCM estimate is about twice the VKE estimate (0.59 and 0.29 We m-2) and yet with comparable wind speed reductions (50 and 42%). We then show that this bias can be corrected by modifying the downward momentum flux to the surface. Thus, large-scale limits to wind power can be derived from climatological conditions without explicitly simulating atmospheric dynamics. Consistent with the GCM simulations, the approach estimates that only comparatively few land areas are suitable to generate more than 1 We m-2 of electricity and that larger deployment scales are likely to reduce the expected electricity generation rate of each turbine. We conclude that these atmospheric effects are relevant for planning the future expansion of wind power.

Determinants of National Fire Plan Fuels Treatment Expenditures: A Revealed Preference Analysis for Northern New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, Curt; Grimsrud, Kristine; Berrens, Robert P.

2009-10-01

The accumulation of fire fuels in forests throughout the world contributes significantly to the severity of wildfires. To combat the threat of wildfire, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), US federal land management agencies have implemented a number of forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction programs. In the spirit of revealed preference analyses, the objective of this study is to investigate the pattern and determinants of National Fire Plan (NFP) expenditures for fuel reduction treatments in northern New Mexico (USA). Estimation results from a set of Generalized Estimating Equations models are mixed with respect to risk reduction hypotheses, and also raise issues regarding how risk reduction should be defined for a region characterized by both pockets of urban sprawl into the WUI and large areas of chronic rural poverty. Program preferences for project funding under the federal Collaborative Forest Restoration Program in New Mexico are shown to be distinctly different (e.g., exhibiting greater concern for social equity) than for other NFP-funded projects.

Bubble-induced skin-friction drag reduction and the abrupt transition to air-layer drag reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Elbing, Brian R.; Winkel, Eric S.; Lay, Keary A.; Ceccio, Steven L.; Dowling, David R.; Perlin, Marc

To investigate the phenomena of skin-friction drag reduction in a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) at large scales and high Reynolds numbers, a set of experiments has been conducted at the US Navy's William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC). Drag reduction was achieved by injecting gas (air) from a line source through the wall of a nearly zero-pressure-gradient TBL that formed on a flat-plate test model that was either hydraulically smooth or fully rough. Two distinct drag-reduction phenomena were investigated; bubble drag reduction (BDR) and air-layer drag reduction (ALDR).The streamwise distribution of skin-friction drag reduction was monitored with six skin-friction balances at downstream-distance-based Reynolds numbers to 220 million and at test speeds to 20.0msinitial zone1. These results indicated that there are three distinct regions associated with drag reduction with air injection: Region I, BDR; Region II, transition between BDR and ALDR; and Region III, ALDR. In addition, once ALDR was established: friction drag reduction in excess of 80% was observed over the entire smooth model for speeds to 15.3ms1 with the surface fully roughened (though approximately 50% greater volumetric air flux was required); and ALDR was sensitive to the inflow conditions. The sensitivity to the inflow conditions can be mitigated by employing a small faired step (10mm height in the experiment) that helps to create a fixed separation line.

Greenhouse gas reduction benefits and costs of a large-scale transition to hydrogen in the USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougherty, William; Kartha, Sivan; Lazarus, Michael; Fencl, Amanda; Rajan, Chella; Bailie, Alison; Runkle, Benjamin

2009-01-01

Hydrogen is an energy carrier able to be produced from domestic, zero-carbon sources and consumed by zero-pollution devices. A transition to a hydrogen-based economy could therefore potentially respond to climate, air quality, and energy security concerns. In a hydrogen economy, both mobile and stationary energy needs could be met through the reaction of hydrogen (H 2 ) with oxygen (O 2 ). This study applies a full fuel cycle approach to quantify the energy, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and cost implications associated with a large transition to hydrogen in the United States. It explores a national and four metropolitan area transitions in two contrasting policy contexts: a 'business-as-usual' (BAU) context with continued reliance on fossil fuels, and a 'GHG-constrained' context with policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A transition in either policy context faces serious challenges, foremost among them from the highly inertial investments over the past century or so in technology and infrastructure based on petroleum, natural gas, and coal. A hydrogen transition in the USA could contribute to an effective response to climate change by helping to achieve deep reductions in GHG emissions by mid-century across all sectors of the economy; however, these reductions depend on the use of hydrogen to exploit clean, zero-carbon energy supply options. (author)

Greenhouse gas reduction benefits and costs of a large-scale transition to hydrogen in the USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dougherty, William; Kartha, Sivan; Lazarus, Michael; Fencl, Amanda [Stockholm Environment Institute - US Center, 11 Curtis Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143 (United States); Rajan, Chella [Indian Institute of Technology Madras, I.I.T. Post Office, Chennai 600 036 (India); Bailie, Alison [The Pembina Institute, 200, 608 - 7th Street, S.W. Calgary, AB (Canada); Runkle, Benjamin [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2009-01-15

Hydrogen is an energy carrier able to be produced from domestic, zero-carbon sources and consumed by zero-pollution devices. A transition to a hydrogen-based economy could therefore potentially respond to climate, air quality, and energy security concerns. In a hydrogen economy, both mobile and stationary energy needs could be met through the reaction of hydrogen (H{sub 2}) with oxygen (O{sub 2}). This study applies a full fuel cycle approach to quantify the energy, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and cost implications associated with a large transition to hydrogen in the United States. It explores a national and four metropolitan area transitions in two contrasting policy contexts: a 'business-as-usual' (BAU) context with continued reliance on fossil fuels, and a 'GHG-constrained' context with policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A transition in either policy context faces serious challenges, foremost among them from the highly inertial investments over the past century or so in technology and infrastructure based on petroleum, natural gas, and coal. A hydrogen transition in the USA could contribute to an effective response to climate change by helping to achieve deep reductions in GHG emissions by mid-century across all sectors of the economy; however, these reductions depend on the use of hydrogen to exploit clean, zero-carbon energy supply options. (author)

Repetition of large stress drop earthquakes on Wairarapa fault, New Zealand, revealed by LiDAR data

Science.gov (United States)

Delor, E.; Manighetti, I.; Garambois, S.; Beaupretre, S.; Vitard, C.

2013-12-01

We have acquired high-resolution LiDAR topographic data over most of the onland trace of the 120 km-long Wairarapa strike-slip fault, New Zealand. The Wairarapa fault broke in a large earthquake in 1855, and this historical earthquake is suggested to have produced up to 18 m of lateral slip at the ground surface. This would make this earthquake a remarkable event having produced a stress drop much higher than commonly observed on other earthquakes worldwide. The LiDAR data allowed us examining the ground surface morphology along the fault at statistical analysis of the cumulative offsets per segment reveals that the alluvial morphology has well recorded, at every step along the fault, no more than a few (3-6), well distinct cumulative slips, all lower than 80 m. Plotted along the entire fault, the statistically defined cumulative slip values document four, fairly continuous slip profiles that we attribute to the four most recent large earthquakes on the Wairarapa fault. The four slip profiles have a roughly triangular and asymmetric envelope shape that is similar to the coseismic slip distributions described for most large earthquakes worldwide. The four slip profiles have their maximum slip at the same place, in the northeastern third of the fault trace. The maximum slips vary from one event to another in the range 7-15 m; the most recent 1855 earthquake produced a maximum coseismic slip of 15 × 2 m at the ground surface. Our results thus confirm that the Wairarapa fault breaks in remarkably large stress drop earthquakes. Those repeating large earthquakes share both similar (rupture length, slip-length distribution, location of maximum slip) and distinct (maximum slip amplitudes) characteristics. Furthermore, the seismic behavior of the Wairarapa fault is markedly different from that of nearby large strike-slip faults (Wellington, Hope). The reasons for those differences in rupture behavior might reside in the intrinsic properties of the broken faults, especially

Revealing the large extra dimension effective interaction at an e+e- collider with polarized beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pankov, A. A.; Tsytrinov, A. V.; Paver, N.

2007-01-01

Several types of new physics scenarios are represented by contactlike effective interactions. An example is the exchange of nonstandard quanta of very large mass scales, beyond the kinematical limit for direct production set by the available collider energy. This kind of interactions can be revealed only through deviations of observables from the standard model predictions. If such deviations were observed, the relevant source should be identified among the possible models that could explain them. Here, we assess the expected 'identification reach' on the ADD model of gravity in large compactified extra dimensions, against the compositeness-inspired four-fermion contact interaction. As basic observables we take the differential cross sections for fermion-pair production at a 0.5-1 TeV electron-positron linear collider with both beams longitudinally polarized. For the four-fermion contact interaction, we assume a general linear combination of the individual models with definite chiralities, with arbitrary coupling constants. In this sense, the estimated identification reach on the ADD model can be considered as 'model independent'. In the analysis, we give estimates also for the expected ''discovery reaches'' on the various scenarios. We emphasize the substantial role of beams polarization in enhancing the sensitivity to the contactlike interactions under consideration

Microbial reductive dehalogenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohn, W W; Tiedje, J M

1992-01-01

A wide variety of compounds can be biodegraded via reductive removal of halogen substituents. This process can degrade toxic pollutants, some of which are not known to be biodegraded by any other means. Reductive dehalogenation of aromatic compounds has been found primarily in undefined, syntrophic anaerobic communities. We discuss ecological and physiological principles which appear to be important in these communities and evaluate how widely applicable these principles are. Anaerobic communities that catalyze reductive dehalogenation appear to differ in many respects. A large number of pure cultures which catalyze reductive dehalogenation of aliphatic compounds are known, in contrast to only a few organisms which catalyze reductive dehalogenation of aromatic compounds. Desulfomonile tiedjei DCB-1 is an anaerobe which dehalogenates aromatic compounds and is physiologically and morphologically unusual in a number of respects, including the ability to exploit reductive dehalogenation for energy metabolism. When possible, we use D. tiedjei as a model to understand dehalogenating organisms in the above-mentioned undefined systems. Aerobes use reductive dehalogenation for substrates which are resistant to known mechanisms of oxidative attack. Reductive dehalogenation, especially of aliphatic compounds, has recently been found in cell-free systems. These systems give us an insight into how and why microorganisms catalyze this activity. In some cases transition metal complexes serve as catalysts, whereas in other cases, particularly with aromatic substrates, the catalysts appear to be enzymes. Images PMID:1406492

Biogenic non-crystalline U(IV) revealed as major component in uranium ore deposits

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharyya, Amrita; Campbell, Kate M.; Kelly, Shelly D.; Roebbert, Yvonne; Weyer, Stefan; Bernier-Latmani, Rizlan; Borch, Thomas

2017-06-01

Historically, it is believed that crystalline uraninite, produced via the abiotic reduction of hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) is the dominant reduced U species formed in low-temperature uranium roll-front ore deposits. Here we show that non-crystalline U(IV) generated through biologically mediated U(VI) reduction is the predominant U(IV) species in an undisturbed U roll-front ore deposit in Wyoming, USA. Characterization of U species revealed that the majority (~58-89%) of U is bound as U(IV) to C-containing organic functional groups or inorganic carbonate, while uraninite and U(VI) represent only minor components. The uranium deposit exhibited mostly 238U-enriched isotope signatures, consistent with largely biotic reduction of U(VI) to U(IV). This finding implies that biogenic processes are more important to uranium ore genesis than previously understood. The predominance of a relatively labile form of U(IV) also provides an opportunity for a more economical and environmentally benign mining process, as well as the design of more effective post-mining restoration strategies and human health-risk assessment.

Nanoscale reduction of graphene oxide thin films and its characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzoni, M; Giugni, A; Di Fabrizio, E; Pérez-Murano, Francesc; Mescola, A; Torre, B

2015-07-17

In this paper, we report on a method to reduce thin films of graphene oxide (GO) to a spatial resolution better than 100 nm over several tens of micrometers by means of an electrochemical scanning probe based lithography. In situ tip-current measurements show that an edged drop in electrical resistance characterizes the reduced areas, and that the reduction process is, to a good approximation, proportional to the applied bias between the onset voltage and the saturation thresholds. An atomic force microscope (AFM) quantifies the drop of the surface height for the reduced profile due to the loss of oxygen. Complementarily, lateral force microscopy reveals a homogeneous friction coefficient of the reduced regions that is remarkably lower than that of native graphene oxide, confirming a chemical change in the patterned region. Micro Raman spectroscopy, which provides access to insights into the chemical process, allows one to quantify the restoration and de-oxidation of the graphitic network driven by the electrochemical reduction and to determine characteristic length scales. It also confirms the homogeneity of the process over wide areas. The results shown were obtained from accurate analysis of the shift, intensity and width of Raman peaks for the main vibrational bands of GO and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) mapped over large areas. Concerning multilayered GO thin films obtained by drop-casting we have demonstrated an unprecedented lateral resolution in ambient conditions as well as an improved control, characterization and understanding of the reduction process occurring in GO randomly folded multilayers, useful for large-scale processing of graphene-based material.

The reduction corporoplasty: the answer to the improbable urologic question "can you make my penis smaller?".

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Daniel R; Manimala, Neil J; Rafiei, Arash; Hakky, Tariq S; Yang, Chris; Carrion, Rafael

2015-03-01

Aneurysmal dilatation of the corpora cavernosa can occur because of recurrent priapism in the setting of sickle cell disease. We present the first case of a successful implementation of the reduction corporoplasty technique for treatment of a phallus that was "too large for intercourse." We describe the presentation of a 17-year-old male with a history of sickle cell disease with a phallus "too large for intercourse." Patient reported normal erectile function and response with masturbation but also reported inability to penetrate his partner due to the enlarged and disfigured morphology. He had three priapismic episodes since the age of 10 that progressively led to an aneurysmal morphologic deformity of his phallus. Evaluation included a magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed true aneurysmal dilatation of bilateral corpora cavernosa in the middle and distal portions, and diffusely hyperplastic tunica. The main outcome measure is the successful management of phallic disfiguration. Reduction corporoplasty was performed, and the patient reported intact erectile function without aneurysmal recurrence. Patients with significant corporal aneurysmal defects secondary to recurrent priapism can be successfully managed with reduction corporoplasty. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Transcriptome Analysis of Three Sheep Intestinal Regions reveals Key Pathways and Hub Regulatory Genes of Large Intestinal Lipid Metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Tianle; Wang, Guizhi; Ji, Zhibin; Liu, Zhaohua; Hou, Lei; Wang, Jin; Wang, Jianmin

2017-07-13

The large intestine, also known as the hindgut, is an important part of the animal digestive system. Recent studies on digestive system development in ruminants have focused on the rumen and the small intestine, but the molecular mechanisms underlying sheep large intestine metabolism remain poorly understood. To identify genes related to intestinal metabolism and to reveal molecular regulation mechanisms, we sequenced and compared the transcriptomes of mucosal epithelial tissues among the cecum, proximal colon and duodenum. A total of 4,221 transcripts from 3,254 genes were identified as differentially expressed transcripts. Between the large intestine and duodenum, differentially expressed transcripts were found to be significantly enriched in 6 metabolism-related pathways, among which PPAR signaling was identified as a key pathway. Three genes, CPT1A, LPL and PCK1, were identified as higher expression hub genes in the large intestine. Between the cecum and colon, differentially expressed transcripts were significantly enriched in 5 lipid metabolism related pathways, and CEPT1 and MBOAT1 were identified as hub genes. This study provides important information regarding the molecular mechanisms of intestinal metabolism in sheep and may provide a basis for further study.

mTORC1-independent reduction of retinal protein synthesis in type 1 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fort, Patrice E; Losiewicz, Mandy K; Pennathur, Subramaniam; Jefferson, Leonard S; Kimball, Scot R; Abcouwer, Steven F; Gardner, Thomas W

2014-09-01

Poorly controlled diabetes has long been known as a catabolic disorder with profound loss of muscle and fat body mass resulting from a simultaneous reduction in protein synthesis and enhanced protein degradation. By contrast, retinal structure is largely maintained during diabetes despite reduced Akt activity and increased rate of cell death. Therefore, we hypothesized that retinal protein turnover is regulated differently than in other insulin-sensitive tissues, such as skeletal muscle. Ins2(Akita) diabetic mice and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats exhibited marked reductions in retinal protein synthesis matched by a concomitant reduction in retinal protein degradation associated with preserved retinal mass and protein content. The reduction in protein synthesis depended on both hyperglycemia and insulin deficiency, but protein degradation was only reversed by normalization of hyperglycemia. The reduction in protein synthesis was associated with diminished protein translation efficiency but, surprisingly, not with reduced activity of the mTORC1/S6K1/4E-BP1 pathway. Instead, diabetes induced a specific reduction of mTORC2 complex activity. These findings reveal distinctive responses of diabetes-induced retinal protein turnover compared with muscle and liver that may provide a new means to ameliorate diabetic retinopathy. © 2014 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

Integration of community structure data reveals observable effects below sediment guideline thresholds in a large estuary

KAUST Repository

Tremblay, Louis A.

2017-04-07

The sustainable management of estuarine and coastal ecosystems requires robust frameworks due to the presence of multiple physical and chemical stressors. In this study, we assessed whether ecological health decline, based on community structure composition changes along a pollution gradient, occurred at levels below guideline threshold values for copper, zinc and lead. Canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) was used to characterise benthic communities along a metal contamination gradient. The analysis revealed changes in benthic community distribution at levels below the individual guideline values for the three metals. These results suggest that field-based measures of ecological health analysed with multivariate tools can provide additional information to single metal guideline threshold values to monitor large systems exposed to multiple stressors.

Considerations in reviewing the waste volume reduction program in a large utility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohout, R.; Calzolari, L.M.

1987-01-01

A program is underway at Ontario Hydro to establish a desirable future scheme for central processing/volume reduction of solid radioactive Low-Level Wastes (LLW) prior to their placement into the centralized storage, and in the future into a disposal facility. The approach being investigated is to furnish the current Waste Volume Reduction Facility (WVRF) with state-of-art processes, reclassify the waste categories and segregate the wastes such that each volume reduction (VR) process is then applied where it would be most effective. The ''optimized'' approach is then compared with other, specific schemes, which basically differ in that each scheme omits one of the major VR processes, thus allowing the next most effective process to take over its role. Each scheme is assessed quantitatively from the viewpoint of cost and VR effectiveness, and qualitatively from the viewpoint of resultant waste form. The economic assessments take into consideration the long term (20 year) impact of selected VR schemes on the overall waste management cost, including construction and operation of the storage facility. This paper highlights the overall study, includes the major results, and identifies aspects that need to be addressed in the selection of a desirable combination of VR processes in absence of knowledge of future waste disposal costs

A State-of-the-Art Report on Technologies of Volume Reduction and Self-Disposal for Large Metal Wastes including the Steam Generator of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kune Woo; Choi, W. K.; Kim, G. Y.

2009-06-01

This report focuses on technologies of volume reduction and self-disposal for large metal wastes including the steam generator of nuclear power plants. This report consists of the cases of treatments and foreign and domestic technologies for steam generator replacement

Dose reduction by ploughing down gamma-active isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roed, J.

1982-12-01

This report discusses the effectiveness and feasibility of various treatments, especially ploughing, for reducing the doses on farmlands that have been contaminated with radioactive isotopes. Experiments have been conducted where contamination has been spread on three 100 m 2 farmland areas that have subsequently been ploughed with a 14-inch moldboard plough. The reduction factor of the dose rate has been found to be around 5, by measuring the rate 1 m above the surface before and after ploughing. The reduction factor for a large area, on the other hand, is calculated to be 3 times as great, or approximately 15. The purpose of the ploughing procedure was to place the contaminated surface in the bottom of the furrow. However, an investigation of the distribution of the contamination in the vertical direction revealed that this ideal distribution was not at all reached. To produce the desired distribution, and reduce doses through ploughing, it is recommended that either a tracer plough or one that is able to place the uppermost layer in the furrow without altering the intermediate layer positions be used. It is suggested that this latter type of plough be developed. (author)

Fabrication of a micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy by electroless reduction with a calcium reductant for electrolytic capacitor applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Yoshida, Masumi; Taguchi, Yoshiaki; Habazaki, Hiroki; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A metallic Ti–Zr alloy was obtained by electroless reduction for capacitor applications. • The reduction mechanisms were studied by SEM, XRD, EPMA, and an oxygen analyzer. • The alloy was obtained by electroless reduction in the presence of excess calcium reductant. • A micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy was successfully obtained. • The alloy has a low oxygen content and a large surface area. -- Abstract: A metallic titanium and zirconium micro-porous alloy for electrolytic capacitor applications was produced by electroless reduction with a calcium reductant in calcium chloride molten salt at 1173 K. Mixed TiO 2 –70 at%ZrO 2 oxides, metallic calcium, and calcium chloride were placed in a titanium crucible and heated under argon atmosphere to reduce the oxides with the calcium reductant. A metallic Ti–Zr alloy was obtained by electroless reduction in the presence of excess calcium reductant and showed a micro-porous morphology due to the sintering of each of the reduced particles during the reduction. The residual oxygen content and surface area of the reduced Ti–Zr alloy decreased over time during the electroless reduction. The element distributions were slightly different at the positions of the alloy and were in the composition range of Ti-69.3 at% to 74.3 at%Zr. A micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy with low oxygen content (0.20 wt%) and large surface area (0.55 m 2 g −1 ) was successfully fabricated by electroless reduction under optimal conditions. The reduction mechanisms of the mixed and pure oxides by the calcium reductant are also discussed

Low-temperature thermal reduction of graphene oxide: In situ correlative structural, thermal desorption, and electrical transport measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Lipatov, Alexey; Guinel, Maxime J.-F.; Muratov, Dmitry S.; Vanyushin, Vladislav O.; Wilson, Peter M.; Kolmakov, Andrei; Sinitskii, Alexander

2018-01-01

Elucidation of the structural transformations in graphene oxide (GO) upon reduction remains an active and important area of research. We report the results of in situ heating experiments, during which electrical, mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements were carried out correlatively. The simultaneous electrical and temperature programmed desorption measurements allowed us to correlate the onset of the increase in the electrical conductivity of GO by five orders of magnitude at about 150 °C with the maxima of the rates of desorption of H2O, CO, and CO2. Interestingly, this large conductivity change happens at an intermediate level of the reduction of GO, which likely corresponds to the point when the graphitic domains become large enough to enable percolative electronic transport. We demonstrate that the gas desorption is intimately related to (i) the changes in the chemical structure of GO detected by XPS and Raman spectroscopy and (ii) the formation of nanoscopic holes in GO sheets revealed by TEM. These in situ observations provide a better understanding of the mechanism of the GO thermal reduction.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DUST MAPPING REVEALS THAT ORION FORMS PART OF A LARGE RING OF DUST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlafly, E. F.; Rix, H.-W.; Martin, N. F.; Green, G.; Finkbeiner, D. P.; Burgett, W. S.; Chambers, K. C.; Kaiser, N.; Morgan, J. S.; Tonry, J. L.; Wainscoat, R. J.; Waters, C.; Draper, P. W.; Metcalfe, N.; Price, P. A.

2015-01-01

The Orion Molecular Complex is the nearest site of ongoing high-mass star formation, making it one of the most extensively studied molecular complexes in the Galaxy. We have developed a new technique for mapping the three-dimensional distribution of dust in the Galaxy using Pan-STARRS1 photometry. We isolate the dust at the distance to Orion using this technique, revealing a large (100 pc, 14° diameter), previously unrecognized ring of dust, which we term the ''Orion dust ring''. The ring includes Orion A and B, and is not coincident with current Hα features. The circular morphology suggests formation as an ancient bubble in the interstellar medium, though we have not been able to conclusively identify the source of the bubble. This hint at the history of Orion may have important consequences for models of high-mass star formation and triggered star formation

Rhythmic speech and stuttering reduction in a syllable-timed language.

Science.gov (United States)

Law, Thomas; Packman, Ann; Onslow, Mark; To, Carol K-S; Tong, Michael C-F; Lee, Kathy Y-S

2018-06-06

Speaking rhythmically, also known as syllable-timed speech (STS), has been known for centuries to be a fluency-inducing condition for people who stutter. Cantonese is a tonal syllable-timed language and it has been shown that, of all languages, Cantonese is the most rhythmic (Mok, 2009). However, it is not known if STS reduces stuttering in Cantonese as it does in English. This is the first study to investigate the effects of STS on stuttering in a syllable-timed language. Nineteen native Cantonese-speaking adults who stutter were engaged in conversational tasks in Cantonese under two conditions: one in their usual speaking style and one using STS. The speakers' percentage syllables stuttered (%SS) and speech rhythmicity were rated. The rhythmicity ratings were used to estimate the extent to which speakers were using STS in the syllable-timed condition. Results revealed a statistically significant reduction in %SS in the STS condition; however, this reduction was not as large as in previous studies in other languages and the amount of stuttering reduction varied across speakers. The rhythmicity ratings showed that some speakers were perceived to be speaking more rhythmically than others and that the perceived rhythmicity correlated positively with reductions in stuttering. The findings were unexpected, as it was anticipated that speakers of a highly rhythmic language such as Cantonese would find STS easy to use and that the consequent reductions in stuttering would be great, even greater perhaps than in a stress-timed language such as English. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Harm reduction in U.S. tobacco control: Constructions in textual news media.

Science.gov (United States)

Eversman, Michael H

2015-06-01

U.S. tobacco control has long emphasized abstinence, yet quitting smoking is hard and cessation rates low. Tobacco harm reduction alternatives espouse substituting cigarettes with safer nicotine and tobacco products. Policy shifts embracing tobacco harm reduction have increased media attention, yet it remains controversial. Discourse theory posits language as fluid, and socially constructed meaning as neither absolute nor neutral, elevating certain views over others while depicting "discursive struggle" between them. While an abstinence-based framework dominates tobacco policy, discourse theory suggests constructions of nicotine and tobacco use can change, for example by positioning tobacco harm reduction more favorably. Textual discourse analysis was used to explore constructions of tobacco harm reduction in 478 (308 original) U.S. textual news media articles spanning 1996-2014. Using keyword database sampling, retrieved articles were analyzed first as discrete recording units and then to identify emergent thematic content. Constructions of tobacco harm reduction shifted over this time, revealing tension among industry and policy interests through competing definitions of tobacco harm reduction, depictions of its underlying science, and accounts of regulatory matters including tobacco industry support for harm reduction and desired marketing and taxation legislation. Heightened salience surrounding tobacco harm reduction and electronic cigarettes suggests their greater acceptance in U.S. tobacco control. Various media depictions construct harm reduction as a temporary means to cessation, and conflict with other constructions of it that place no subjective value on continued "safer" tobacco/nicotine use. Constructions of science largely obscure claims of the veracity of tobacco harm reduction, with conflict surrounding appropriate public health benchmarks for tobacco policy and health risks of nicotine use. Taxation policies and e-cigarette pricing relative to

Automatic reduction of large X-ray fluorescence data-sets applied to XAS and mapping experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin Montoya, Ligia Andrea

2017-02-01

In this thesis two automatic methods for the reduction of large fluorescence data sets are presented. The first method is proposed in the framework of BioXAS experiments. The challenge of this experiment is to deal with samples in ultra dilute concentrations where the signal-to-background ratio is low. The experiment is performed in fluorescence mode X-ray absorption spectroscopy with a 100 pixel high-purity Ge detector. The first step consists on reducing 100 fluorescence spectra into one. In this step, outliers are identified by means of the shot noise. Furthermore, a fitting routine which model includes Gaussian functions for the fluorescence lines and exponentially modified Gaussian (EMG) functions for the scattering lines (with long tails at lower energies) is proposed to extract the line of interest from the fluorescence spectrum. Additionally, the fitting model has an EMG function for each scattering line (elastic and inelastic) at incident energies where they start to be discerned. At these energies, the data reduction is done per detector column to include the angular dependence of scattering. In the second part of this thesis, an automatic method for texts separation on palimpsests is presented. Scanning X-ray fluorescence is performed on the parchment, where a spectrum per scanned point is collected. Within this method, each spectrum is treated as a vector forming a basis which is to be transformed so that the basis vectors are the spectra of each ink. Principal Component Analysis is employed as an initial guess of the seek basis. This basis is further transformed by means of an optimization routine that maximizes the contrast and minimizes the non-negative entries in the spectra. The method is tested on original and self made palimpsests.

Metallothermic reduction of molybdate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, T.K.; Bose, D.K.

1987-01-01

This paper gives a brief account of the investigations conducted so far on metallothermic reduction of high grade molybdenite with particular emphasis on the work carried out in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Based on thermochemical considerations, the paper first introduces a number of metallic reductants suitable for use in metallothermic reduction of molybdenite. Aluminium, sodium and tin are found to be suitable reducing agents and very rightly they have found most applications in the research and development efforts on metallothermic reduction of molybdenite. The reduction with tin was conducted on fairly large scale both in vacuum and hydrogen atmosphere. The reaction was reported to be invariant depending mainly on the reduction temperature and a temperature of the order of 1250deg to 1300degC was required for good metal recovery. In comparison to tin, aluminothermic reduction of molybdenite was studied more extensively and it was conducted in closed bomb, vacuum and also in open atmosphere. In aluminothermic reduction, the influence of amount of reducing agent, amount of heat booster, preheating temperature and charging procedure on these metal yield was studied in detail. The reduction generally yielded massive molybdenum metal contaminated with aluminium as the major impurity element. Efforts were made to purify the reduced metal by arc melting, electron beam melting and molten salt electrorefining. 9 refs. (author)

Nanoscale reduction of graphene oxide thin films and its characterization

KAUST Repository

Lorenzoni, M.

2015-06-29

In this paper, we report on a method to reduce thin films of graphene oxide (GO) to a spatial resolution better than 100 nm over several tens of micrometers by means of an electrochemical scanning probe based lithography. In situ tip-current measurements show that an edged drop in electrical resistance characterizes the reduced areas, and that the reduction process is, to a good approximation, proportional to the applied bias between the onset voltage and the saturation thresholds. An atomic force microscope (AFM) quantifies the drop of the surface height for the reduced profile due to the loss of oxygen. Complementarily, lateral force microscopy reveals a homogeneous friction coefficient of the reduced regions that is remarkably lower than that of native graphene oxide, confirming a chemical change in the patterned region. Micro Raman spectroscopy, which provides access to insights into the chemical process, allows one to quantify the restoration and de-oxidation of the graphitic network driven by the electrochemical reduction and to determine characteristic length scales. It also confirms the homogeneity of the process over wide areas. The results shown were obtained from accurate analysis of the shift, intensity and width of Raman peaks for the main vibrational bands of GO and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) mapped over large areas. Concerning multilayered GO thin films obtained by drop-casting we have demonstrated an unprecedented lateral resolution in ambient conditions as well as an improved control, characterization and understanding of the reduction process occurring in GO randomly folded multilayers, useful for large-scale processing of graphene-based material. © 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Digital radiography of the skeleton using a large-area detector based on amorphous silicon technology: Image quality and potential for dose reduction in comparison with screen-film radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volk, M.; Strotzer, M.; Holzkneckt, N.; Manke, C.; Lenhart, M.; Gmeinwieser, J.; Link, J.; Reiser, M.; Feuerback, S.

2000-01-01

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a large-area, flat-panel X-ray detector (FD), based on caesium-iodide (CsI) and amorphous silicon (a-Si) with respect to skeletal radiography. Conventional images were compared with digital radiographs using identical and reduced radiation doses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty consecutive patients were studied prospectively using conventional screen-film radiography (SFR; detector dose 2.5 μGy). Digital images were taken from the same patients with detector doses of 2.5, 1.25 and 0.625 μGy, respectively. The active-matrix detector had a panel size of 43 x 43 cm, a matrix of 3 x 3K, and a pixel size of 143 μm. All hard copies were presented in a random order to eight independent observers, who rated image quality according to subjective quality criteria. Results were assessed for significance using the Student's t -test (confidence level 95%). RESULTS: A statistically significant preference for digital over conventional images was revealed for all quality criteria, except for over-exposure (detector dose 2.5 μGy). Digital images with a 50% dose showed a small, statistically not significant, inferiority compared with SFR. The FD-technique was significantly inferior to SFR at 75% dose reduction regarding bone cortex and trabecula, contrast and overall impression. No statistically significant differences were found with regard to over- and under-exposure and soft tissue presentation. CONCLUSION: Amorphous silicon-based digital radiography yields good image quality. The potential for dose reduction depends on the clinical query. Volk, M. (2000)

Reducing air pollution from electricity-generating large combustion plants in the European Union. An assessment of potential emission reductions of NO{sub X}, SO{sub 2} and dust

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lodewijks, P.; Pieper, H.; Van Wortswinkel, L. [ETC partner Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) (Belgium); Boyce, B.; Adams, M.; Goossens, E. [EEA, Copenhagen (Denmark)

2013-06-15

An assessment of potential emission reductions of NO{sub X}, SO{sub 2} and dust - This report presents an assessment of the hypothetical emission reduction potential of NO{sub x}, SO{sub 2} and dust from more than 1 500 of Europe's large combustion plants that operated in 2009. Emissions of these air pollutants could be significantly lower if all plants were to meet the emission limit values as set out in European Union legislation. (Author)

A decade of cost-reduction in very large telescopes - The SST as prototype of special-purpose telescopes

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Harlan J.

1989-10-01

Many design and technical innovations over the past ten or fifteen years have reduced the costs of very large telescopes by nearly an order of magnitude over those of classical designs. Still a further order of magnitude reduction is possible if the telescope is specialized for on-axis spectroscopy, giving up especially the luxuries of wide field, multiple focal positions, and access to all the sky at will. The SST (Spectroscopic Survey Telescope) will use eighty-five 1-m circular mirrors mounted in a steel frame composed of hundreds of interlocking tetrahedrons, keeping a fixed elevation angle of 60 deg with rotation only in azimuth. Using an optical fiber it will feed as much light to spectrographs as can be done by a conventional 8-m telescope, yet has a target basic completion cost of only $6 million.

Growth and luminescence characterization of large-scale zinc oxide nanowires

CERN Document Server

Dai, L; Wang, W J; Zhou, T; Hu, B Q

2003-01-01

Large-scale zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires were grown via a simple chemical reaction involving water vapour. Electron microscopy observations reveal that the ZnO nanowires are single crystalline and grow along the c-axis ([001]) direction. Room temperature photoluminescence measurements show a striking blue emission at 466 nm along with two other emissions in the ultraviolet and yellow regions. Annealing treatment of the as-grown ZnO nanowires results in an apparent reduction of the intensity of the blue emission, which indicates that the blue emission might be originating from the oxygen or zinc defects generated in the process of growth of the ZnO nanowires.

Structured approaches to large-scale systems: Variational integrators for interconnected Lagrange-Dirac systems and structured model reduction on Lie groups

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, Helen Frances

This dissertation presents two projects related to the structured integration of large-scale mechanical systems. Structured integration uses the considerable differential geometric structure inherent in mechanical motion to inform the design of numerical integration schemes. This process improves the qualitative properties of simulations and becomes especially valuable as a measure of accuracy over long time simulations in which traditional Gronwall accuracy estimates lose their meaning. Often, structured integration schemes replicate continuous symmetries and their associated conservation laws at the discrete level. Such is the case for variational integrators, which discretely replicate the process of deriving equations of motion from variational principles. This results in the conservation of momenta associated to symmetries in the discrete system and conservation of a symplectic form when applicable. In the case of Lagrange-Dirac systems, variational integrators preserve a discrete analogue of the Dirac structure preserved in the continuous flow. In the first project of this thesis, we extend Dirac variational integrators to accommodate interconnected systems. We hope this work will find use in the fields of control, where a controlled system can be thought of as a "plant" system joined to its controller, and in the approach of very large systems, where modular modeling may prove easier than monolithically modeling the entire system. The second project of the thesis considers a different approach to large systems. Given a detailed model of the full system, can we reduce it to a more computationally efficient model without losing essential geometric structures in the system? Asked without the reference to structure, this is the essential question of the field of model reduction. The answer there has been a resounding yes, with Principal Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) with snapshots rising as one of the most successful methods. Our project builds on previous work

Cytology of DNA Replication Reveals Dynamic Plasticity of Large-Scale Chromatin Fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Xiang; Zhironkina, Oxana A; Cherepanynets, Varvara D; Strelkova, Olga S; Kireev, Igor I; Belmont, Andrew S

2016-09-26

In higher eukaryotic interphase nuclei, the 100- to >1,000-fold linear compaction of chromatin is difficult to reconcile with its function as a template for transcription, replication, and repair. It is challenging to imagine how DNA and RNA polymerases with their associated molecular machinery would move along the DNA template without transient decondensation of observed large-scale chromatin "chromonema" fibers [1]. Transcription or "replication factory" models [2], in which polymerases remain fixed while DNA is reeled through, are similarly difficult to conceptualize without transient decondensation of these chromonema fibers. Here, we show how a dynamic plasticity of chromatin folding within large-scale chromatin fibers allows DNA replication to take place without significant changes in the global large-scale chromatin compaction or shape of these large-scale chromatin fibers. Time-lapse imaging of lac-operator-tagged chromosome regions shows no major change in the overall compaction of these chromosome regions during their DNA replication. Improved pulse-chase labeling of endogenous interphase chromosomes yields a model in which the global compaction and shape of large-Mbp chromatin domains remains largely invariant during DNA replication, with DNA within these domains undergoing significant movements and redistribution as they move into and then out of adjacent replication foci. In contrast to hierarchical folding models, this dynamic plasticity of large-scale chromatin organization explains how localized changes in DNA topology allow DNA replication to take place without an accompanying global unfolding of large-scale chromatin fibers while suggesting a possible mechanism for maintaining epigenetic programming of large-scale chromatin domains throughout DNA replication. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Revealing the Origin of Activity in Nitrogen-Doped Nanocarbons towards Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Junyuan; Kan, Yuhe; Huang, Rui

2016-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are functionalized with nitrogen atoms for reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2). The investigation explores the origin of the catalyst’s activity and the role of nitrogen chemical states therein. The catalysts show excellent performances, with about 90% current efficiency...... for CO formation and stability over 60 hours. The Tafel analyses and density functional theory calculations suggest that the reduction of CO2 proceeds through an initial rate-determining transfer of one electron to CO2, which leads to the formation of carbon dioxide radical anion (CO2C). The initial...

Enzymatic reduction of U(VI) in groundwaters; Reduction enzymatique de U(VI) dans des eaux souterraines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Addelouas, A.; Gong, W. [Center for Radioactive Waste Management, Advanced Materials Laboratory, 1001 University, Albuquerque (United States); Lutze, W.; Nuttall, E. [New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering; Fritz, B.; Crovisier, J.L. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 67 - Strasbourg (France). Centre de Sedimentologie et Geochimie de la Surface

1999-03-01

The use of enzymatic reduction of U(VI) in remediation of groundwater contaminated with U(VI) is receiving considerable attention. Certain strains of bacteria can combine the oxidation of an organic compound to the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV), which precipitates as uraninite. In the present study, we tested the reduction of U(VI) in groundwaters with various origins and compositions. In all groundwaters u(VI) was reduced by sulfate reducing bacteria that had been activated by ethanol and tri-metaphosphate. The reduction rate of U(VI) depends on sulfate concentration in water and the abundance of bacteria in the system. This work shows that bacteria capable of U(VI) reduction are ubiquitous in nature, and suggests the possibility of a large application of the enzymatic reduction of U(VI) for in situ clean up of groundwaters contaminated with uranium. (authors) 12 refs.

Multidimensional scaling for large genomic data sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Henry

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multi-dimensional scaling (MDS is aimed to represent high dimensional data in a low dimensional space with preservation of the similarities between data points. This reduction in dimensionality is crucial for analyzing and revealing the genuine structure hidden in the data. For noisy data, dimension reduction can effectively reduce the effect of noise on the embedded structure. For large data set, dimension reduction can effectively reduce information retrieval complexity. Thus, MDS techniques are used in many applications of data mining and gene network research. However, although there have been a number of studies that applied MDS techniques to genomics research, the number of analyzed data points was restricted by the high computational complexity of MDS. In general, a non-metric MDS method is faster than a metric MDS, but it does not preserve the true relationships. The computational complexity of most metric MDS methods is over O(N2, so that it is difficult to process a data set of a large number of genes N, such as in the case of whole genome microarray data. Results We developed a new rapid metric MDS method with a low computational complexity, making metric MDS applicable for large data sets. Computer simulation showed that the new method of split-and-combine MDS (SC-MDS is fast, accurate and efficient. Our empirical studies using microarray data on the yeast cell cycle showed that the performance of K-means in the reduced dimensional space is similar to or slightly better than that of K-means in the original space, but about three times faster to obtain the clustering results. Our clustering results using SC-MDS are more stable than those in the original space. Hence, the proposed SC-MDS is useful for analyzing whole genome data. Conclusion Our new method reduces the computational complexity from O(N3 to O(N when the dimension of the feature space is far less than the number of genes N, and it successfully

Cognitive-behavioral screening reveals prevalent impairment in a large multicenter ALS cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Jennifer; Factor-Litvak, Pam; Goetz, Raymond; Lomen-Hoerth, Catherine; Nagy, Peter L; Hupf, Jonathan; Singleton, Jessica; Woolley, Susan; Andrews, Howard; Heitzman, Daragh; Bedlack, Richard S; Katz, Jonathan S; Barohn, Richard J; Sorenson, Eric J; Oskarsson, Björn; Fernandes Filho, J Americo M; Kasarskis, Edward J; Mozaffar, Tahseen; Rollins, Yvonne D; Nations, Sharon P; Swenson, Andrea J; Koczon-Jaremko, Boguslawa A; Mitsumoto, Hiroshi

2016-03-01

To characterize the prevalence of cognitive and behavioral symptoms using a cognitive/behavioral screening battery in a large prospective multicenter study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Two hundred seventy-four patients with ALS completed 2 validated cognitive screening tests and 2 validated behavioral interviews with accompanying caregivers. We examined the associations between cognitive and behavioral performance, demographic and clinical data, and C9orf72 mutation data. Based on the ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen cognitive score, 6.5% of the sample scored below the cutoff score for frontotemporal lobar dementia, 54.2% scored in a range consistent with ALS with mild cognitive impairment, and 39.2% scored in the normal range. The ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen behavioral subscale identified 16.5% of the sample scoring below the dementia cutoff score, with an additional 14.1% scoring in the ALS behavioral impairment range, and 69.4% scoring in the normal range. This investigation revealed high levels of cognitive and behavioral impairment in patients with ALS within 18 months of symptom onset, comparable to prior investigations. This investigation illustrates the successful use and scientific value of adding a cognitive-behavioral screening tool in studies of motor neuron diseases, to provide neurologists with an efficient method to measure these common deficits and to understand how they relate to key clinical variables, when extensive neuropsychological examinations are unavailable. These tools, developed specifically for patients with motor impairment, may be particularly useful in patient populations with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease, who are known to have comorbid cognitive decline. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Large thermal conductivity reduction induced by La/O vacancies in the thermoelectric LaCoO3 system.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yang; Li, Fang; Xu, Luxiang; Sui, Yu; Wang, Xianjie; Su, Wenhui; Liu, Xiaoyang

2011-05-16

A series of compact La/O-vacant La(1-x)CoO(3-y) compounds were prepared by a cold high-pressure procedure, and their thermoelectric (TE) properties were investigated. Compared with the ion-substituted hole-type LaCoO(3) systems (e.g., La(1-x)Sr(x)CoO(3)), the thermal conduction of La(1-x)CoO(3-y) is noticeably reduced by the La/O vacancies, whereas the electric transport is less influenced, which results in an efficient ZT enhancement. We demonstrate that the large thermal conductivity reduction originates from the strong point-defect scattering, and La(1-x)CoO(3-y) can be rationalized as a partially filled solid solution: La(1-x)◻(x)CoO(3-y)◻(y), where ◻ denotes a vacancy. Such intrinsic thermal conductivity suppression provides an effective pathway for the design of better TE materials.

Passive technologies for future large-scale photonic integrated circuits on silicon: polarization handling, light non-reciprocity and loss reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daoxin Dai

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Silicon-based large-scale photonic integrated circuits are becoming important, due to the need for higher complexity and lower cost for optical transmitters, receivers and optical buffers. In this paper, passive technologies for large-scale photonic integrated circuits are described, including polarization handling, light non-reciprocity and loss reduction. The design rule for polarization beam splitters based on asymmetrical directional couplers is summarized and several novel designs for ultra-short polarization beam splitters are reviewed. A novel concept for realizing a polarization splitter–rotator is presented with a very simple fabrication process. Realization of silicon-based light non-reciprocity devices (e.g., optical isolator, which is very important for transmitters to avoid sensitivity to reflections, is also demonstrated with the help of magneto-optical material by the bonding technology. Low-loss waveguides are another important technology for large-scale photonic integrated circuits. Ultra-low loss optical waveguides are achieved by designing a Si3N4 core with a very high aspect ratio. The loss is reduced further to <0.1 dB m−1 with an improved fabrication process incorporating a high-quality thermal oxide upper cladding by means of wafer bonding. With the developed ultra-low loss Si3N4 optical waveguides, some devices are also demonstrated, including ultra-high-Q ring resonators, low-loss arrayed-waveguide grating (demultiplexers, and high-extinction-ratio polarizers.

Strategic focus on 3R principles reveals major reductions in the use of animals in pharmaceutical toxicity testing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elin Törnqvist

Full Text Available The principles of the 3Rs, Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, are being increasingly incorporated into legislations, guidelines and practice of animal experiments in order to safeguard animal welfare. In the present study we have studied the systematic application of 3R principles to toxicological research in the pharmaceutical industry, with particular focus on achieving reductions in animal numbers used in regulatory and investigatory in vivo studies. The work also details major factors influencing these reductions including the conception of ideas, cross-departmental working and acceptance into the work process. Data from 36 reduction projects were collected retrospectively from work between 2006 and 2010. Substantial reduction in animal use was achieved by different strategies, including improved study design, method development and project coordination. Major animal savings were shown in both regulatory and investigative safety studies. If a similar (i.e. 53% reduction had been achieved simultaneously within the twelve largest pharmaceutical companies, the equivalent reduction world-wide would be about 150,000 rats annually. The results point at the importance of a strong 3R culture, with scientific engagement, collaboration and a responsive management being vital components. A strong commitment in leadership for the 3R is recommended to be translated into cross-department and inter-profession involvement in projects for innovation, validation and implementation. Synergies between all the three Rs are observed and conclude that in silico-, in vitro- and in vivo-methods all hold the potential for applying the reduction R and should be consequently coordinated at a strategic level.

Interpolation-Based Condensation Model Reduction Part 1: Frequency Window Reduction Method Application to Structural Acoustics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ingel, R

1999-01-01

.... Projection operators are employed for the model reduction or condensation process. Interpolation is then introduced over a user defined frequency window, which can have real and imaginary boundaries and be quite large. Hermitian...

Metaproteomics reveals major microbial players and their biodegradation functions in a large-scale aerobic composting plant

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dongming; Li, Mingxiao; Xi, Beidou; Zhao, Yue; Wei, Zimin; Song, Caihong; Zhu, Chaowei

2015-01-01

Composting is an appropriate management alternative for municipal solid waste; however, our knowledge about the microbial regulation of this process is still scare. We employed metaproteomics to elucidate the main biodegradation pathways in municipal solid waste composting system across the main phases in a large-scale composting plant. The investigation of microbial succession revealed that Bacillales, Actinobacteria and Saccharomyces increased significantly with respect to abundance in composting process. The key microbiologic population for cellulose degradation in different composting stages was different. Fungi were found to be the main producers of cellulase in earlier phase. However, the cellulolytic fungal communities were gradually replaced by a purely bacterial one in active phase, which did not support the concept that the thermophilic fungi are active through the thermophilic phase. The effective decomposition of cellulose required the synergy between bacteria and fungi in the curing phase. PMID:25989417

Synthesis of Fe nanoparticles on polyaniline covered carbon nanotubes for oxygen reduction reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Tian-Hang; Yin, Zhong-Shu; Guo, Jian-Wei; Wang, Cheng

2014-12-01

Fe nanoparticles immobilized on polyaniline-covered carbon nanotube (CNT) surfaces (Fe NPs-PANI/CNT) are prepared by reducing FeCl3 in the mixing solution of aniline and CNT. Significantly, the structure of such composites can be effectively optimized by pretreating FeCl3 with sodium citrate (CA). In the absence of CNTs, we found these two routes have large differences in reduction behaviors and different PANI states with varied conductivities. Therefore, the self-assembly mechanism in the preparation is proposed and the controlled self-assembly manner in the pretreating route is disclosed. Under acid condition, both catalysts demonstrate high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with four-electron pathway, and high electrochemical durability, revealing a promising application in the proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, the high Tafel slopes relating to the surface red-ox couple and porous conductivity are still the main obstacles to improve their ORR dynamic, and more efforts on these aspects are needed to drive non-noble catalyst application in future.

Scalable posterior approximations for large-scale Bayesian inverse problems via likelihood-informed parameter and state reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Tiangang; Marzouk, Youssef; Willcox, Karen

2016-06-01

Two major bottlenecks to the solution of large-scale Bayesian inverse problems are the scaling of posterior sampling algorithms to high-dimensional parameter spaces and the computational cost of forward model evaluations. Yet incomplete or noisy data, the state variation and parameter dependence of the forward model, and correlations in the prior collectively provide useful structure that can be exploited for dimension reduction in this setting-both in the parameter space of the inverse problem and in the state space of the forward model. To this end, we show how to jointly construct low-dimensional subspaces of the parameter space and the state space in order to accelerate the Bayesian solution of the inverse problem. As a byproduct of state dimension reduction, we also show how to identify low-dimensional subspaces of the data in problems with high-dimensional observations. These subspaces enable approximation of the posterior as a product of two factors: (i) a projection of the posterior onto a low-dimensional parameter subspace, wherein the original likelihood is replaced by an approximation involving a reduced model; and (ii) the marginal prior distribution on the high-dimensional complement of the parameter subspace. We present and compare several strategies for constructing these subspaces using only a limited number of forward and adjoint model simulations. The resulting posterior approximations can rapidly be characterized using standard sampling techniques, e.g., Markov chain Monte Carlo. Two numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of our approach: inversion of an integral equation in atmospheric remote sensing, where the data dimension is very high; and the inference of a heterogeneous transmissivity field in a groundwater system, which involves a partial differential equation forward model with high dimensional state and parameters.

Large-volume reduction mammaplasty: the effect of body mass index on postoperative complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamboa-Bobadilla, G Mabel; Killingsworth, Christopher

2007-03-01

Eighty-six women underwent modified inferior pedicled reduction mammaplasty. All were grouped according to body mass index (BMI): 14 in the overweight group, 51 in the obese group, and 21 in the morbidly obese group. The mean ages were 34, 35, and 36, respectively, for the 3 groups and were not statistically different. The mean resection weight in the overweight group was 929 g, 1316 g for the obese group, and 1760 g for the morbidly obese group. Wound healing complications increased with BMI; the overweight, obese, and morbidly obese groups had 21%, 43%, and 71% of complications, respectively. The results were not statistically different. The rate of repeat operations increased proportionally with the BMI to 7%, 8%, and 19%, respectively. Postoperative BMI was measured in 30 patients. Fifty percent of this group had limited preoperative activity secondary to breast enlargement. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 43 months. Forty-seven percent of this group continued to have limited activity after breast reduction with a mean BMI of 37.8 kg/m2. The mean BMI of all women was 37.41 kg/m2 with a total BMI change of -0.4 kg/m2, suggesting that most women do not lose a significant amount of weight after breast reduction. There was no statistical difference in long-term BMI.

Metabolomics reveals reduction of metabolic oxidation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome after pioglitazone-flutamide-metformin polytherapy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Vinaixa

Full Text Available Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is a variable disorder characterized by a broad spectrum of anomalies, including hyperandrogenemia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, body adiposity, low-grade inflammation and increased cardiovascular disease risks. Recently, a new polytherapy consisting of low-dose flutamide, metformin and pioglitazone in combination with an estro-progestagen resulted in the regulation of endocrine clinical markers in young and non-obese PCOS women. However, the metabolic processes involved in this phenotypic amelioration remain unidentified. In this work, we used NMR and MS-based untargeted metabolomics to study serum samples of young non-obese PCOS women prior to and at the end of a 30 months polytherapy receiving low-dose flutamide, metformin and pioglitazone in combination with an estro-progestagen. Our results reveal that the treatment decreased the levels of oxidized LDL particles in serum, as well as downstream metabolic oxidation products of LDL particles such as 9- and 13-HODE, azelaic acid and glutaric acid. In contrast, the radiuses of small dense LDL and large HDL particles were substantially increased after the treatment. Clinical and endocrine-metabolic markers were also monitored, showing that the level of HDL cholesterol was increased after the treatment, whereas the level of androgens and the carotid intima-media thickness were reduced. Significantly, the abundance of azelaic acid and the carotid intima-media thickness resulted in a high degree of correlation. Altogether, our results reveal that this new polytherapy markedly reverts the oxidant status of untreated PCOS women, and potentially improves the pro-atherosclerosis condition in these patients.

Is Recovery of Large-Bodied Zooplankton after Nutrient Loading Reduction Hampered by Climate Warming? A Long-Term Study of Shallow Hypertrophic Lake Søbygaard, Denmark

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Florencia Gutierrez

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Nutrient fluctuations and climate warming can synergistically affect trophic dynamics in lakes, resulting in enhanced symptoms of eutrophication, thereby potentially counteracting restoration measures. We performed a long-term study (23 years of zooplankton in Danish Lake Søbygaard, which is in recovery after nutrient loading reduction, but now faces the effects of climate warming. We hypothesized that the recovery of large-bodied zooplankton after nutrient loading reduction would be hampered by climate warming through indirect effects on fish size structure. We found a shift in macrozooplankton from initial dominance of Daphnia spp. towards Bosmina spp. as well as a decline in the body size of copepods and an increase in the abundance of nauplii. These changes coincided with the increase in small sized fish as a result of rising water temperature. Despite a reduction in body size, the total biomass of cladocerans increased coinciding with a diminished fish catch per unit effort (CPUE, and likely then an overall reduction in the predation on zooplankton. A cascading effect to phytoplankton was evidenced by enhanced zooplankton:phytoplankton and cladoceran:phytoplankton ratios and a decrease in Chl-a:TP and Chl-a:TN ratios. Our results indicate that climate warming, through changes in the size structure of fish community, has major effects on zooplankton size structure. In Lake Søbygaard, the decline in zooplankton size did not prevent, but modulated, the positive cascading effect on phytoplankton through an expected diminished fish CPUE related to nutrient loading reduction.

Enzymatic reduction of U(VI) in groundwaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Addelouas, A.; Gong, W.; Lutze, W.; Nuttall, E.; Fritz, B.; Crovisier, J.L.

1999-01-01

The use of enzymatic reduction of U(VI) in remediation of groundwater contaminated with U(VI) is receiving considerable attention. Certain strains of bacteria can combine the oxidation of an organic compound to the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV), which precipitates as uraninite. In the present study, we tested the reduction of U(VI) in groundwaters with various origins and compositions. In all groundwaters u(VI) was reduced by sulfate reducing bacteria that had been activated by ethanol and tri-metaphosphate. The reduction rate of U(VI) depends on sulfate concentration in water and the abundance of bacteria in the system. This work shows that bacteria capable of U(VI) reduction are ubiquitous in nature, and suggests the possibility of a large application of the enzymatic reduction of U(VI) for in situ clean up of groundwaters contaminated with uranium. (authors)

Chain dynamics and nanoparticle motion in attractive polymer nanocomposites subjected to large deformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Senses, Erkan; Tyagi, Madhusudan; Natarajan, Bharath; Narayanan, Suresh; Faraone, Antonio

2017-11-08

The effect of large deformation on the chain dynamics in attractive polymer nanocomposites was investigated using neutron scattering techniques. Quasi-elastic neutron backscattering measurements reveal a substantial reduction of polymer mobility in the presence of attractive, well-dispersed nanoparticles. In addition, large deformations are observed to cause a further slowing down of the Rouse rates at high particle loadings, where the interparticle spacings are slightly smaller than the chain dimensions, i.e. in the strongly confined state. No noticeable change, however, was observed for a lightly confined system. The reptation tube diameter, measured by neutron spin echo, remained unchanged after shear, suggesting that the level of chain-chain entanglements is not significantly affected. The shear-induced changes in the interparticle bridging reflect the slow nanoparticle motion measured by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. These results provide a first step for understanding how large shear can significantly affect the segmental motion in nanocomposites and open up new opportunities for designing mechanically responsive soft materials.

Large longitude libration of Mercury reveals a molten core.

Science.gov (United States)

Margot, J L; Peale, S J; Jurgens, R F; Slade, M A; Holin, I V

2007-05-04

Observations of radar speckle patterns tied to the rotation of Mercury establish that the planet occupies a Cassini state with obliquity of 2.11 +/- 0.1 arc minutes. The measurements show that the planet exhibits librations in longitude that are forced at the 88-day orbital period, as predicted by theory. The large amplitude of the oscillations, 35.8 +/- 2 arc seconds, together with the Mariner 10 determination of the gravitational harmonic coefficient C22, indicates that the mantle of Mercury is decoupled from a core that is at least partially molten.

Millennial-scale faunal record reveals differential resilience of European large mammals to human impacts across the Holocene.

Science.gov (United States)

Crees, Jennifer J; Carbone, Chris; Sommer, Robert S; Benecke, Norbert; Turvey, Samuel T

2016-03-30

The use of short-term indicators for understanding patterns and processes of biodiversity loss can mask longer-term faunal responses to human pressures. We use an extensive database of approximately 18,700 mammalian zooarchaeological records for the last 11,700 years across Europe to reconstruct spatio-temporal dynamics of Holocene range change for 15 large-bodied mammal species. European mammals experienced protracted, non-congruent range losses, with significant declines starting in some species approximately 3000 years ago and continuing to the present, and with the timing, duration and magnitude of declines varying individually between species. Some European mammals became globally extinct during the Holocene, whereas others experienced limited or no significant range change. These findings demonstrate the relatively early onset of prehistoric human impacts on postglacial biodiversity, and mirror species-specific patterns of mammalian extinction during the Late Pleistocene. Herbivores experienced significantly greater declines than carnivores, revealing an important historical extinction filter that informs our understanding of relative resilience and vulnerability to human pressures for different taxa. We highlight the importance of large-scale, long-term datasets for understanding complex protracted extinction processes, although the dynamic pattern of progressive faunal depletion of European mammal assemblages across the Holocene challenges easy identification of 'static' past baselines to inform current-day environmental management and restoration. © 2016 The Author(s).

Large-scale Granger causality analysis on resting-state functional MRI

Science.gov (United States)

D'Souza, Adora M.; Abidin, Anas Zainul; Leistritz, Lutz; Wismüller, Axel

2016-03-01

We demonstrate an approach to measure the information flow between each pair of time series in resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data of the human brain and subsequently recover its underlying network structure. By integrating dimensionality reduction into predictive time series modeling, large-scale Granger Causality (lsGC) analysis method can reveal directed information flow suggestive of causal influence at an individual voxel level, unlike other multivariate approaches. This method quantifies the influence each voxel time series has on every other voxel time series in a multivariate sense and hence contains information about the underlying dynamics of the whole system, which can be used to reveal functionally connected networks within the brain. To identify such networks, we perform non-metric network clustering, such as accomplished by the Louvain method. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach to recover the motor and visual cortex from resting state human brain fMRI data and compare it with the network recovered from a visuomotor stimulation experiment, where the similarity is measured by the Dice Coefficient (DC). The best DC obtained was 0.59 implying a strong agreement between the two networks. In addition, we thoroughly study the effect of dimensionality reduction in lsGC analysis on network recovery. We conclude that our approach is capable of detecting causal influence between time series in a multivariate sense, which can be used to segment functionally connected networks in the resting-state fMRI.

Welfare Effects of Tariff Reduction Formulas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guldager, Jan G.; Schröder, Philipp J.H.

WTO negotiations rely on tariff reduction formulas. It has been argued that formula approaches are of increasing importance in trade talks, because of the large number of countries involved, the wider dispersion in initial tariffs (e.g. tariff peaks) and gaps between bound and applied tariff rate....... No single formula dominates for all conditions. The ranking of the three tools depends on the degree of product differentiation in the industry, and the achieved reduction in the average tariff....

Enhanced electrocatalytic CO2 reduction via field-induced reagent concentration

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Min; Pang, Yuanjie; Zhang, Bo; de Luna, Phil; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Xu, Jixian; Zheng, Xueli; Dinh, Cao Thang; Fan, Fengjia; Cao, Changhong; de Arquer, F. Pelayo García; Safaei, Tina Saberi; Mepham, Adam; Klinkova, Anna; Kumacheva, Eugenia; Filleter, Tobin; Sinton, David; Kelley, Shana O.; Sargent, Edward H.

2016-09-01

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO) is the first step in the synthesis of more complex carbon-based fuels and feedstocks using renewable electricity. Unfortunately, the reaction suffers from slow kinetics owing to the low local concentration of CO2 surrounding typical CO2 reduction reaction catalysts. Alkali metal cations are known to overcome this limitation through non-covalent interactions with adsorbed reagent species, but the effect is restricted by the solubility of relevant salts. Large applied electrode potentials can also enhance CO2 adsorption, but this comes at the cost of increased hydrogen (H2) evolution. Here we report that nanostructured electrodes produce, at low applied overpotentials, local high electric fields that concentrate electrolyte cations, which in turn leads to a high local concentration of CO2 close to the active CO2 reduction reaction surface. Simulations reveal tenfold higher electric fields associated with metallic nanometre-sized tips compared to quasi-planar electrode regions, and measurements using gold nanoneedles confirm a field-induced reagent concentration that enables the CO2 reduction reaction to proceed with a geometric current density for CO of 22 milliamperes per square centimetre at -0.35 volts (overpotential of 0.24 volts). This performance surpasses by an order of magnitude the performance of the best gold nanorods, nanoparticles and oxide-derived noble metal catalysts. Similarly designed palladium nanoneedle electrocatalysts produce formate with a Faradaic efficiency of more than 90 per cent and an unprecedented geometric current density for formate of 10 milliamperes per square centimetre at -0.2 volts, demonstrating the wider applicability of the field-induced reagent concentration concept.

Spatiotemporal seismic velocity change in the Earth's subsurface associated with large earthquake: contribution of strong ground motion and crustal deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Sawazaki, K.

2016-12-01

It is well known that seismic velocity of the subsurface medium changes after a large earthquake. The cause of the velocity change is roughly attributed to strong ground motion (dynamic strain change), crustal deformation (static strain change), and fracturing around the fault zone. Several studies have revealed that the velocity reduction down to several percent concentrates at the depths shallower than several hundred meters. The amount of velocity reduction correlates well with the intensity of strong ground motion, which indicates that the strong motion is the primary cause of the velocity reduction. Although some studies have proposed contributions of coseismic static strain change and fracturing around fault zone to the velocity change, separation of their contributions from the site-related velocity change is usually difficult. Velocity recovery after a large earthquake is also widely observed. The recovery process is generally proportional to logarithm of the lapse time, which is similar to the behavior of "slow dynamics" recognized in laboratory experiments. The time scale of the recovery is usually months to years in field observations, while it is several hours in laboratory experiments. Although the factor that controls the recovery speed is not well understood, cumulative strain change due to post-seismic deformation, migration of underground water, mechanical and chemical reactions on the crack surface could be the candidate. In this study, I summarize several observations that revealed spatiotemporal distribution of seismic velocity change due to large earthquakes; especially I focus on the case of the M9.0 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Combining seismograms of Hi-net (high-sensitivity) and KiK-net (strong motion), geodetic records of GEONET and the seafloor GPS/Acoustic ranging, I investigate contribution of the strong ground motion and crustal deformation to the velocity change associated with the Tohoku earthquake, and propose a gross view of

Dinosaurs reveal the geographical signature of an evolutionary radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donovan, Ciara; Meade, Andrew; Venditti, Chris

2018-03-01

Dinosaurs dominated terrestrial ecosystems across the globe for over 100 million years and provide a classic example of an evolutionary radiation. However, little is known about how these animals radiated geographically to become globally distributed. Here, we use a biogeographical model to reconstruct the dinosaurs' ancestral locations, revealing the spatial mechanisms that underpinned this 170-million-year-long radiation. We find that dinosaurs spread rapidly initially, followed by a significant continuous and gradual reduction in their speed of movement towards the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary (66 million years ago). This suggests that the predominant mode of dinosaur speciation changed through time with speciation originally largely driven by geographical isolation-when dinosaurs speciated more, they moved further. This was gradually replaced by increasing levels of sympatric speciation (species taking advantage of ecological opportunities within their existing environment) as terrestrial space became a limiting factor. Our results uncover the geographical signature of an evolutionary radiation.

Puzzle Imaging: Using Large-Scale Dimensionality Reduction Algorithms for Localization.

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser, Joshua I; Zamft, Bradley M; Church, George M; Kording, Konrad P

2015-01-01

Current high-resolution imaging techniques require an intact sample that preserves spatial relationships. We here present a novel approach, "puzzle imaging," that allows imaging a spatially scrambled sample. This technique takes many spatially disordered samples, and then pieces them back together using local properties embedded within the sample. We show that puzzle imaging can efficiently produce high-resolution images using dimensionality reduction algorithms. We demonstrate the theoretical capabilities of puzzle imaging in three biological scenarios, showing that (1) relatively precise 3-dimensional brain imaging is possible; (2) the physical structure of a neural network can often be recovered based only on the neural connectivity matrix; and (3) a chemical map could be reproduced using bacteria with chemosensitive DNA and conjugative transfer. The ability to reconstruct scrambled images promises to enable imaging based on DNA sequencing of homogenized tissue samples.

Los Alamos transuranic waste size reduction facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briesmeister, A.; Harper, J.; Reich, B.; Warren, J.L.

1982-01-01

To facilitate disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste, Los Alamos National Laboratory designed and constructed the Size Reduction Facility (SRF) during the period 1977 to 1981. This report summarizes the engineering development, installation, and early test operations of the SRF. The facility incorporates a large stainless steel enclosure fitted with remote handling and cutting equipment to obtain an estimated 4:1 volume reduction of gloveboxes and other bulky metallic wastes

Los Alamos transuranic waste size reduction facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briesmeister, A.; Harper, J.; Reich, B.; Warren, J.L.

1982-01-01

A transuranic (TRU) Waste Size Reduction Facility (SRF) was designed and constructed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory during the period of 1977 to 1981. This paper summarizes the engineering development, installation, and early test operations of the SRF. The facility incorporates a large stainless steel enclosure fitted with remote handling and cutting equipment to obtain an estimated 4:1 volume reduction of gloveboxes and other bulky metallic wastes

Suspension Hydrogen Reduction of Iron Oxide Concentrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

H.Y. Sohn

2008-03-31

The objective of the project is to develop a new ironmaking technology based on hydrogen and fine iron oxide concentrates in a suspension reduction process. The ultimate objective of the new technology is to replace the blast furnace and to drastically reduce CO2 emissions in the steel industry. The goals of this phase of development are; the performance of detailed material and energy balances, thermochemical and equilibrium calculations for sulfur and phosphorus impurities, the determination of the complete kinetics of hydrogen reduction and bench-scale testing of the suspension reduction process using a large laboratory flash reactor.

Reduction of very large reaction mechanisms using methods based on simulation error minimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagy, Tibor; Turanyi, Tamas [Institute of Chemistry, Eoetvoes University (ELTE), P.O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary)

2009-02-15

A new species reduction method called the Simulation Error Minimization Connectivity Method (SEM-CM) was developed. According to the SEM-CM algorithm, a mechanism building procedure is started from the important species. Strongly connected sets of species, identified on the basis of the normalized Jacobian, are added and several consistent mechanisms are produced. The combustion model is simulated with each of these mechanisms and the mechanism causing the smallest error (i.e. deviation from the model that uses the full mechanism), considering the important species only, is selected. Then, in several steps other strongly connected sets of species are added, the size of the mechanism is gradually increased and the procedure is terminated when the error becomes smaller than the required threshold. A new method for the elimination of redundant reactions is also presented, which is called the Principal Component Analysis of Matrix F with Simulation Error Minimization (SEM-PCAF). According to this method, several reduced mechanisms are produced by using various PCAF thresholds. The reduced mechanism having the least CPU time requirement among the ones having almost the smallest error is selected. Application of SEM-CM and SEM-PCAF together provides a very efficient way to eliminate redundant species and reactions from large mechanisms. The suggested approach was tested on a mechanism containing 6874 irreversible reactions of 345 species that describes methane partial oxidation to high conversion. The aim is to accurately reproduce the concentration-time profiles of 12 major species with less than 5% error at the conditions of an industrial application. The reduced mechanism consists of 246 reactions of 47 species and its simulation is 116 times faster than using the full mechanism. The SEM-CM was found to be more effective than the classic Connectivity Method, and also than the DRG, two-stage DRG, DRGASA, basic DRGEP and extended DRGEP methods. (author)

Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium Using Sorbaria sorbifolia Aqueous Leaf Extract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shashi Prabha Dubey

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Aqueous plant leaves extract (PLE of an abundant shrub, Sorbaria sorbifolia, was explored for the reduction of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI, to trivalent chromium, Cr(III. The effect of contact time, pH, PLE quantity, ionic strength, hardness, temperature and effective initial Cr(VI ion concentration were tested; Cr(VI reduction followed the pseudo-first order rate kinetics and maximum reduction was observed at pH 2. Significantly, Cr(VI reduction efficacies varied from 97 to 66% over the pH range of 2 to 10, which bodes well for PLE to be used for the reduction of Cr(VI also at a higher pH. PLE-mediated Cr(VI reduction displays considerable efficiency at various ionic strengths; however, hardness strongly affects the reduction ability. Higher temperature significantly enhances the Cr(VI reduction. This study reveals the potential use of PLE as a green reducing agent in aqueous extract for the efficient reduction of Cr(VI to Cr(III.

Orbital diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with combined variable immunodeficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Vishal S; Jagadeesh, Deepa; Fernandez, James M; Hsi, Eric D; Singh, Arun D

2017-10-01

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency manifesting as a reduction in the level of total immunoglobulin (Ig) G, a reduction in the level of either IgA or IgM, poor response to polysaccharide vaccine, and usually frequent infections. The association of CVID with an increased risk of malignancy, specifically lymphoma, is well known. A 63-year-old female with a past medical history significant for CVID presented with a 1-month history of dull, left eye pain with proptosis, hypoglobus, and left upper lid fullness without a discrete palpable mass. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbits revealed a diffuse infiltrating orbital mass superonasally with extension into the superior rectus muscle, medial rectus muscle, and optic nerve up to the orbital apex and ethmoid sinus. A superonasal orbital biopsy with a caruncular approach was performed and demonstrated a sparse lymphoid infiltrate that was suggestive for a large B-cell neoplasm. Positron emission tomography (PET) scan demonstrated a hypermetabolic right lymph node, anterior to the right submandibular gland, which was biopsied and histopathology confirmed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Our patient achieved a very good response to chemotherapy with minimal residual disease on PET scan at the end of treatment. She attained a complete remission after radiation therapy. In conclusion, patients with new orbital and adnexa masses in the setting of a primary immunodeficiency can have an aggressive malignancy such as DLBCL and early diagnosis and systemic treatment carries a good prognosis.

Analysis of Drag Reduction Methods and Mechanisms of Turbulent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gu Yunqing

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Turbulent flow is a difficult issue in fluid dynamics, the rules of which have not been totally revealed up to now. Fluid in turbulent state will result in a greater frictional force, which must consume great energy. Therefore, it is not only an important influence in saving energy and improving energy utilization rate but also an extensive application prospect in many fields, such as ship domain and aerospace. Firstly, bionic drag reduction technology is reviewed and is a hot research issue now, the drag reduction mechanism of body surface structure is analyzed, such as sharks, earthworms, and dolphins. Besides, we make a thorough study of drag reduction characteristics and mechanisms of microgrooved surface and compliant wall. Then, the relevant drag reduction technologies and mechanisms are discussed, focusing on the microbubbles, the vibrant flexible wall, the coating, the polymer drag reduction additives, superhydrophobic surface, jet surface, traveling wave surface drag reduction, and the composite drag reduction methods. Finally, applications and advancements of the drag reduction technology in turbulence are prospected.

Torque measurements reveal large process differences between materials during high solid enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Palmqvist Benny

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A common trend in the research on 2nd generation bioethanol is the focus on intensifying the process and increasing the concentration of water insoluble solids (WIS throughout the process. However, increasing the WIS content is not without problems. For example, the viscosity of pretreated lignocellulosic materials is known to increase drastically with increasing WIS content. Further, at elevated viscosities, problems arise related to poor mixing of the material, such as poor distribution of the enzymes and/or difficulties with temperature and pH control, which results in possible yield reduction. Achieving good mixing is unfortunately not without cost, since the power requirements needed to operate the impeller at high viscosities can be substantial. This highly important scale-up problem can easily be overlooked. Results In this work, we monitor the impeller torque (and hence power input in a stirred tank reactor throughout high solid enzymatic hydrolysis (Arundo donax and spruce. Two different process modes were evaluated, where either the impeller speed or the impeller power input was kept constant. Results from hydrolysis experiments at a fixed impeller speed of 10 rpm show that a very rapid decrease in impeller torque is experienced during hydrolysis of pretreated arundo (i.e. it loses its fiber network strength, whereas the fiber strength is retained for a longer time within the spruce material. This translates into a relatively low, rather WIS independent, energy input for arundo whereas the stirring power demand for spruce is substantially larger and quite WIS dependent. By operating the impeller at a constant power input (instead of a constant impeller speed it is shown that power input greatly affects the glucose yield of pretreated spruce whereas the hydrolysis of arundo seems unaffected. Conclusions The results clearly highlight the large differences between the arundo and spruce materials, both in terms of

Large-proportional shrunken bio-replication of shark skin based on UV-curing shrinkage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Huawei; Che, Da; Zhang, Xin; Yue, Yue; Zhang, Deyuan

2015-01-01

The shark skin effect has attracted worldwide attention because of its superior drag reduction. As the product of natural selection, the maximum drag reduction of shark skin is found in its normal living environment. Large-proportional shrinkage of shark skin morphology is greatly anticipated for its adaptation to faster fluid flow. One novel approach, large-proportional shrunken bio-replication, is proposed as a method to adjust the optimal drag reduction region of shark skin based on the shrinkage of UV-cured material. The shark skin is taken as a replica template to allow large-proportional shrinking in the drag reduction morphology by taking advantage of the shrinkage of UV-curable material. The accuracy of the large-proportional shrunken bio-replication approach is verified by a comparison between original and shrunken bio-replicated shark skin, which shows that the shrinking ratio can reach 23% and the bio-replication accuracy is higher than 95%. In addition, the translation of the optimum drag reduction peak of natural surface function to various applications and environments is proved by drag reduction experiments. (technical note)

Role reductants in dilute chemical decontamination formulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranganathan, S. [Univ. of New Brunswick (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Srinivasan, M.P.; Narasimhan, S.V. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, Mumbai (India). Water and Steam Chemistry Lab.; Raghavan, P.S. [Madras Christian Coll., Chennai (India); Gopalan, R. [Madras Christian Coll., Chennai (India). Dept. of Chemistry

2004-10-01

Iron(III) oxides are the major corrosion products formed in boiling water reactors. The iron(III) oxides are of two types, namely hematite ({alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and maghemite ({gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}). The dissolution of these oxides is in no way simple because of the labile nature of the Fe(III)-O bond towards the chelants. The leaching of metal ions is partially controlled by reductive dissolution. In order to understand the role of the reductant, it is essential to study the dissolution behaviour of a system like Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, which does not contain any Fe{sup 2+} in the crystal lattice. The present study was carried out with {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and dilute chemical decontamination (DCD) formulations containing ascorbic acid and citric acid with the addition of Fe(II)-L as a reductant. The chelants used for the dissolution process were nitrilotriacetic acid, 2,6-pyridinedicorboxylic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} was chosen since the earlier studies revealed that the dissolution kinetics of {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} is slow and it is difficult to dissolve even by strong complexing agents, whereas {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} dissolution is comparatively easier. This is due to the structural difference between these two oxides. The studies also revealed that the dissolution was partly influenced by the nature of the chelating agents but mainly controlled by the power of the reductants used in the formulation. The dissolution behaviour of {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} under various experimental conditions is discussed and compared with that of magnetite in order to arrive at a suitable mechanism for the dissolution of iron oxides and emphasize the role of reductants in DCD formulations. (orig.)

Justice policy reform for high-risk juveniles: using science to achieve large-scale crime reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Skeem, Jennifer L; Scott, Elizabeth; Mulvey, Edward P

2014-01-01

After a distinctly punitive era, a period of remarkable reform in juvenile crime regulation has begun. Practical urgency has fueled interest in both crime reduction and research on the prediction and malleability of criminal behavior. In this rapidly changing context, high-risk juveniles--the small proportion of the population where crime becomes concentrated--present a conundrum. Research indicates that these are precisely the individuals to treat intensively to maximize crime reduction, but there are both real and imagined barriers to doing so. Mitigation principles (during early adolescence, ages 10-13) and institutional placement or criminal court processing (during mid-late adolescence, ages 14-18) can prevent these juveniles from receiving interventions that would best protect public safety. In this review, we synthesize relevant research to help resolve this challenge in a manner that is consistent with the law's core principles. In our view, early adolescence offers unique opportunities for risk reduction that could (with modifications) be realized in the juvenile justice system in cooperation with other social institutions.

Interferometric crosstalk reduction by phase scrambling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tafur Monroy, I.; Tangdiongga, E.; Jonker, R.J.W.; Waardt, de H.

2000-01-01

Interferometric crosstalk, arising from the detection of undesired signals at the same nominal wavelength, may introduce large power penalties and bit-error rate (BER) floor significantly restricting the scalability of optical networks. In this paper, interferometric crosstalk reduction in optical

Speckle reduction methods in laser-based picture projectors

Science.gov (United States)

Akram, M. Nadeem; Chen, Xuyuan

2016-02-01

Laser sources have been promised for many years to be better light sources as compared to traditional lamps or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for projectors, which enable projectors having wide colour gamut for vivid image, super brightness and high contrast for the best picture quality, long lifetime for maintain free operation, mercury free, and low power consumption for green environment. A major technology obstacle in using lasers for projection has been the speckle noise caused by to the coherent nature of the lasers. For speckle reduction, current state of the art solutions apply moving parts with large physical space demand. Solutions beyond the state of the art need to be developed such as integrated optical components, hybrid MOEMS devices, and active phase modulators for compact speckle reduction. In this article, major methods reported in the literature for the speckle reduction in laser projectors are presented and explained. With the advancement in semiconductor lasers with largely reduced cost for the red, green and the blue primary colours, and the developed methods for their speckle reduction, it is hoped that the lasers will be widely utilized in different projector applications in the near future.

Snubber reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, D.E.; Singh, A.K.

1986-01-01

Many safety-related piping systems in nuclear power plants have been oversupported. Since snubbers make up a large percentage of the pipe supports or restraints used in a plant, a plant's snubber population is much larger than required to adequately restrain the piping. This has resulted in operating problems and unnecessary expenses for maintenance and inservice inspections (ISIs) of snubbers. This paper presents an overview of snubber reduction, including: the incentives for removing snubbers, a historical perspective on how piping became oversupported, why it is possible to remove snubbers, and the costs and benefits of doing so

Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Signe; Würtzen, Hanne; Steding-Jessen, Marianne

2013-01-01

The prevalence of sleep disturbance is high among cancer patients, and the sleep problems tend to last for years after the end of treatment. As part of a large randomized controlled clinical trial (the MICA trial, NCT00990977) of the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on psycholo......The prevalence of sleep disturbance is high among cancer patients, and the sleep problems tend to last for years after the end of treatment. As part of a large randomized controlled clinical trial (the MICA trial, NCT00990977) of the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR...

Fe-Ti-O based catalyst for large-chiral-angle single-walled carbon nanotube growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

He, Maoshuai; Zhang, Lili; Jiang, Hua

2016-01-01

Catalyst selection is very crucial for controlled growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Here we introduce a well-designed Fe-Ti-O solid solution for SWNT growth with a high preference to large chiral angles. The Fe-Ti-O catalyst was prepared by combining Ti layer deposition onto premade...... Fe nanoparticles with subsequent high-temperature air calcination, which favours the formation of a homogeneous Fe-Ti-O solid solution. Using CO as the carbon feedstock, chemical vapour deposition growth of SWNTs at 800 °C was demonstrated on the Fe-Ti-O catalyst. Nanobeam electron diffraction...... characterization on a number of individual SWNTs revealed that more than 94% of SWNTs have chiral angles larger than 15°. In situ environmental transmission electron microscopy study was carried out to reveal the catalyst dynamics upon reduction. Our results identify that the phase segregation through reducing Fe...

Complexity Reduction in Large Quantum Systems: Fragment Identification and Population Analysis via a Local Optimized Minimal Basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohr, Stephan; Masella, Michel; Ratcliff, Laura E.; Genovese, Luigi

2017-01-01

We present, within Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory calculations, a quantitative method to identify and assess the partitioning of a large quantum mechanical system into fragments. We then introduce a simple and efficient formalism (which can be written as generalization of other well-known population analyses) to extract, from first principles, electrostatic multipoles for these fragments. The corresponding fragment multipoles can in this way be seen as reliable (pseudo-) observables. By applying our formalism within the code BigDFT, we show that the usage of a minimal set of in-situ optimized basis functions is of utmost importance for having at the same time a proper fragment definition and an accurate description of the electronic structure. With this approach it becomes possible to simplify the modeling of environmental fragments by a set of multipoles, without notable loss of precision in the description of the active quantum mechanical region. Furthermore, this leads to a considerable reduction of the degrees of freedom by an effective coarsegraining approach, eventually also paving the way towards efficient QM/QM and QM/MM methods coupling together different levels of accuracy.

Outage reduction of Hamaoka NPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hida, Shigeru; Anma, Minoru

1999-01-01

In the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, we have worked on the outage reduction since 1993. In those days, the outage length in Hamaoka was 80 days or more, and was largely far apart from excellent results of European and American plants about the 30days. A concrete strategy to achieve the reduction process is the extension of working hours, the changing work schedule control unit for every hour, the equipment improvements, and the improvements of work environments, etc. We executed them one by one reflecting results. As a result, we achieved the outage for 57 days in 1995. Starting from this, we acquired the further outage reduction one by one and achieved the outage for 38 days in 1997 while maintaining safety and reliability of the plant. We advance these strategies further and we will aim at the achievement of the 30·35 days outage in the future. (author)

The Role of Logistics in Practical Levelized Cost of Energy Reduction Implementation and Government Sponsored Cost Reduction Studies: Day and Night in Offshore Wind Operations and Maintenance Logistics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Thomas; Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Jensen, Christian Munk

2017-01-01

This paper reveals that logistics make up at least 17% of annual operational expenditure costs for offshore wind farms. Annual operational expenditure is found to vary by a factor of 9.5, making its share of levelized cost of energy for offshore wind range from 13% to 57%. These are key findings...... contrast to the shore-based office personnel who develop studies directing cost reduction efforts. This paper details the company motivation to join industry-wide cost reduction initiatives. A business case for offshore wind operations and maintenance logistics yielding 1% savings in levelized cost...... of a 20-month research project targeting cost reduction initiatives for offshore wind systems. The findings reveal that cost-out measures are difficult to implement due to cultural differences. Implementation efforts are rendered by personnel located offshore in a harsh sea environment which is in stark...

LDRD report nonlinear model reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segalman, D.; Heinstein, M.

1997-09-01

The very general problem of model reduction of nonlinear systems was made tractable by focusing on the very large subclass consisting of linear subsystems connected by nonlinear interfaces. Such problems constitute a large part of the nonlinear structural problems encountered in addressing the Sandia missions. A synthesis approach to this class of problems was developed consisting of: detailed modeling of the interface mechanics; collapsing the interface simulation results into simple nonlinear interface models; constructing system models by assembling model approximations of the linear subsystems and the nonlinear interface models. These system models, though nonlinear, would have very few degrees of freedom. A paradigm problem, that of machine tool vibration, was selected for application of the reduction approach outlined above. Research results achieved along the way as well as the overall modeling of a specific machine tool have been very encouraging. In order to confirm the interface models resulting from simulation, it was necessary to develop techniques to deduce interface mechanics from experimental data collected from the overall nonlinear structure. A program to develop such techniques was also pursued with good success.

Dynamic model reduction: An overview of available techniques with application to power systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đukić Savo D.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper summarises the model reduction techniques used for the reduction of large-scale linear and nonlinear dynamic models, described by the differential and algebraic equations that are commonly used in control theory. The groups of methods discussed in this paper for reduction of the linear dynamic model are based on singular perturbation analysis, modal analysis, singular value decomposition, moment matching and methods based on a combination of singular value decomposition and moment matching. Among the nonlinear dynamic model reduction methods, proper orthogonal decomposition, the trajectory piecewise linear method, balancing-based methods, reduction by optimising system matrices and projection from a linearised model, are described. Part of the paper is devoted to the techniques commonly used for reduction (equivalencing of large-scale power systems, which are based on coherency, synchrony, singular perturbation analysis, modal analysis and identification. Two (most interesting of the described techniques are applied to the reduction of the commonly used New England 10-generator, 39-bus test power system.

Effects of combined dimension reduction and tabulation on the simulations of a turbulent premixed flame using a large-eddy simulation/probability density function method

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jeonglae; Pope, Stephen B.

2014-05-01

A turbulent lean-premixed propane-air flame stabilised by a triangular cylinder as a flame-holder is simulated to assess the accuracy and computational efficiency of combined dimension reduction and tabulation of chemistry. The computational condition matches the Volvo rig experiments. For the reactive simulation, the Lagrangian Large-Eddy Simulation/Probability Density Function (LES/PDF) formulation is used. A novel two-way coupling approach between LES and PDF is applied to obtain resolved density to reduce its statistical fluctuations. Composition mixing is evaluated by the modified Interaction-by-Exchange with the Mean (IEM) model. A baseline case uses In Situ Adaptive Tabulation (ISAT) to calculate chemical reactions efficiently. Its results demonstrate good agreement with the experimental measurements in turbulence statistics, temperature, and minor species mass fractions. For dimension reduction, 11 and 16 represented species are chosen and a variant of Rate Controlled Constrained Equilibrium (RCCE) is applied in conjunction with ISAT to each case. All the quantities in the comparison are indistinguishable from the baseline results using ISAT only. The combined use of RCCE/ISAT reduces the computational time for chemical reaction by more than 50%. However, for the current turbulent premixed flame, chemical reaction takes only a minor portion of the overall computational cost, in contrast to non-premixed flame simulations using LES/PDF, presumably due to the restricted manifold of purely premixed flame in the composition space. Instead, composition mixing is the major contributor to cost reduction since the mean-drift term, which is computationally expensive, is computed for the reduced representation. Overall, a reduction of more than 15% in the computational cost is obtained.

Subspace-Based Noise Reduction for Speech Signals via Diagonal and Triangular Matrix Decompositions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Per Christian; Jensen, Søren Holdt

We survey the definitions and use of rank-revealing matrix decompositions in single-channel noise reduction algorithms for speech signals. Our algorithms are based on the rank-reduction paradigm and, in particular, signal subspace techniques. The focus is on practical working algorithms, using both...... diagonal (eigenvalue and singular value) decompositions and rank-revealing triangular decompositions (ULV, URV, VSV, ULLV and ULLIV). In addition we show how the subspace-based algorithms can be evaluated and compared by means of simple FIR filter interpretations. The algorithms are illustrated...... with working Matlab code and applications in speech processing....

New insights into the reduction systems of plastidial thioredoxins point out the unique properties of thioredoxin z from Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohrer, Anne-Sophie; Massot, Vincent; Innocenti, Gilles; Reichheld, Jean-Philippe; Issakidis-Bourguet, Emmanuelle; Vanacker, Hélène

2012-11-01

In plants, thioredoxins (TRX) constitute a large protein disulphide oxidoreductase family comprising 10 plastidial members in Arabidopsis thaliana and subdivided in five types. The f- and m-types regulate enzymes involved mainly in carbon metabolism whereas the x, y, and z types have an antioxidant function. The reduction of TRXm and f in chloroplasts is performed in the light by ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase (FTR) that uses photosynthetically reduced ferredoxin (Fd) as a reductant. The reduction system of Arabidopsis TRXx, y, and z has never been demonstrated. Recently, a gene encoding an atypical plastidial NADPH-dependent TRX reductase (NTRC) was found. In the present study, gene expression analysis revealed that both reductases are expressed in all organs of Arabidopsis and could potentially serve as electron donors to plastidial TRX. This ability was tested in vitro either with purified NTRC in presence of NADPH or with a light-driven reconstituted system comprising thylakoids and purified Fd and FTR. The results demonstrate that FTR reduces the x and y TRX isoforms but not the recently identified TRXz. Moreover, the results show that NTRC cannot be an efficient alternative reducing system, neither for TRXz nor for the other plastidial TRX. The data reveal that TRXf, m, x, and y, known as redox regulators in the chloroplast, have also the ability to reduce TRXz in vitro. Overall, the present study points out the unique properties of TRXz among plastidial TRX.

Applications of the reduction method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmermann, W.

1987-01-01

A renoramalizable model of quantum field theory involving several independent coupling parameters, λ 0 , ..., λ n and a normalization mass K is considered. If the model involves massive particles a formulation of the renormalization group should be used in which the β-functions are independent of the masses. The aim of the reduction method is to reduce the model to a description in terms of a single coupling parameter. Although the reduction method does not work for the gauge couplings it leads to reasonable mass constraints if applied to the Yukawa and the Higgs couplings. The underlying idea is that - whatever the fundamental interaction if going to be - eventually there is only one coupling which determines all parameters of the standard model. However, one should be skeptical about numerical results in the standard model. For the standard model is only an effective theory, its β-functions are only approximate and change on their lowest order coefficients may have large effects on the reduction solutions

REDUCTION CAPACITY OF SALTSTONE AND SALTSTONE COMPONENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberts, K.; Kaplan, D.

2009-11-30

The duration that saltstone retains its ability to immobilize some key radionuclides, such as technetium (Tc), plutonium (Pu), and neptunium (Np), depends on its capacity to maintain a low redox status (or low oxidation state). The reduction capacity is a measure of the mass of reductants present in the saltstone; the reductants are the active ingredients that immobilize Tc, Pu, and Np. Once reductants are exhausted, the saltstone loses its ability to immobilize these radionuclides. The reduction capacity values reported here are based on the Ce(IV)/Fe(II) system. The Portland cement (198 {micro}eq/g) and especially the fly ash (299 {micro}eq/g) had a measurable amount of reduction capacity, but the blast furnace slag (820 {micro}eq/g) not surprisingly accounted for most of the reduction capacity. The blast furnace slag contains ferrous iron and sulfides which are strong reducing and precipitating species for a large number of solids. Three saltstone samples containing 45% slag or one sample containing 90% slag had essentially the same reduction capacity as pure slag. There appears to be some critical concentration between 10% and 45% slag in the Saltstone formulation that is needed to create the maximum reduction capacity. Values from this work supported those previously reported, namely that the reduction capacity of SRS saltstone is about 820 {micro}eq/g; this value is recommended for estimating the longevity that the Saltstone Disposal Facility will retain its ability to immobilize radionuclides.

GREENER CHEMICAL PROCESS DESIGN ALTERNATIVES ARE REVEALED USING THE WASTE REDUCTION DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM (WAR DSS)

Science.gov (United States)

The Waste Reduction Decision Support System (WAR DSS) is a Java-based software product providing comprehensive modeling of potential adverse environmental impacts (PEI) predicted to result from newly designed or redesigned chemical manufacturing processes. The purpose of this so...

Fault-Tolerant NDE Data Reduction Framework, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A distributed fault tolerant nondestructive evaluation (NDE) data reduction framework is proposed in which large NDE datasets are mapped to thousands to millions of...

Effects of Borax on the Reduction of Pre-oxidized Panzhihua Ilmenite

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yufeng; Zheng, Fuqiang; Jiang, Tao; Chen, Feng; Wang, Shuai; Qiu, Guanzhou

2018-01-01

The effects of borax (sodium borate) on the enhancement reduction of pre-oxidized Panzhihua ilmenite were investigated. The effects of borax on the mineral phase transformation, microstructures, crystal cell parameter, melting point and Mg distribution were studied to reveal the mechanism of enhancement reduction. Under the constant reduction conditions, the borax could reduce the reduction activation energy of pre-oxidized ilmenite. The reduction kinetics analysis indicated that the reduction rate was controlled by interfacial chemical reaction. The reduction activation energy of the pre-oxidized ilmenite with 4% borax was 80.263 kJ/mol, which was 28.585 kJ/mol less than that of the pre-oxidized ilmenite without borax. Borax could eliminate the migration of Mg into the reduced particle center. The crystal cell parameter of the reduced product was increased by adding borax. Borax could improve the growth of dendritic crystals in the pre-oxidized ilmenite.

Self-propagating solar light reduction of graphite oxide in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Todorova, N.; Giannakopoulou, T.; Boukos, N.; Vermisoglou, E. [Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR “Demokritos”, 153 41 Attikis (Greece); Lekakou, C. [Division of Mechanical, Medical, and Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford (United Kingdom); Trapalis, C., E-mail: c.trapalis@inn.demokritos.gr [Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR “Demokritos”, 153 41 Attikis (Greece)

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Graphite oxide was partially reduced by solar light irradiation in water media. • No addition of catalysts nor reductive agent were used for the reduction. • Specific capacitance increased stepwise with increase of irradiation time. • Self-propagating reduction of graphene oxide by solar light is suggested. - Abstract: Graphite Oxide (GtO) is commonly used as an intermediate material for preparation of graphene in the form of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Being a semiconductor with tunable band gap rGO is often coupled with various photocatalysts to enhance their visible light activity. The behavior of such rGO-based composites could be affected after prolonged exposure to solar light. In the present work, the alteration of the GtO properties under solar light irradiation is investigated. Water dispersions of GtO manufactured by oxidation of natural graphite via Hummers method were irradiated into solar light simulator for different periods of time without addition of catalysts or reductive agent. The FT-IR analysis of the treated dispersions revealed gradual reduction of the GtO with the increase of the irradiation time. The XRD, FT-IR and XPS analyses of the obtained solid materials confirmed the transition of GtO to rGO under solar light irradiation. The reduction of the GtO was also manifested by the CV measurements that revealed stepwise increase of the specific capacitance connected with the restoration of the sp{sup 2} domains. Photothermal self-propagating reduction of graphene oxide in aqueous media under solar light irradiation is suggested as a possible mechanism. The self-photoreduction of GtO utilizing solar light provides a green, sustainable route towards preparation of reduced graphene oxide. However, the instability of the GtO and partially reduced GO under irradiation should be considered when choosing the field of its application.

On the wind speed reduction in the center of large clusters of wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Sten Tronæs

1992-01-01

of the wind speed assuming the wind turbines effectively act as roughness elements. The model makes use of similarities to so-called canopy flows, where the surface drag and the drag on individual obstacles are added to form the total drag. Results are compared with existing models for reduction of efficiency...

Landscape planning for agricultural nonpoint source pollution reduction III: Assessing phosphorus and sediment reduction potential

Science.gov (United States)

Diebel, M.W.; Maxted, J.T.; Robertson, Dale M.; Han, S.; Vander Zanden, M. J.

2009-01-01

Riparian buffers have the potential to improve stream water quality in agricultural landscapes. This potential may vary in response to landscape characteristics such as soils, topography, land use, and human activities, including legacies of historical land management. We built a predictive model to estimate the sediment and phosphorus load reduction that should be achievable following the implementation of riparian buffers; then we estimated load reduction potential for a set of 1598 watersheds (average 54 km2) in Wisconsin. Our results indicate that land cover is generally the most important driver of constituent loads in Wisconsin streams, but its influence varies among pollutants and according to the scale at which it is measured. Physiographic (drainage density) variation also influenced sediment and phosphorus loads. The effect of historical land use on present-day channel erosion and variation in soil texture are the most important sources of phosphorus and sediment that riparian buffers cannot attenuate. However, in most watersheds, a large proportion (approximately 70%) of these pollutants can be eliminated from streams with buffers. Cumulative frequency distributions of load reduction potential indicate that targeting pollution reduction in the highest 10% of Wisconsin watersheds would reduce total phosphorus and sediment loads in the entire state by approximately 20%. These results support our approach of geographically targeting nonpoint source pollution reduction at multiple scales, including the watershed scale. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Spinels as cathodes for the electrochemical reduction of O2 and NO

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Vibe Louise Ernlund; Find, D.; Lilliedal, M.

2007-01-01

the largest difference in activity between reduction of oxygen and the reduction of nitric oxide, the activity being highest for the reduction of nitric oxide. The material is probably not stable when polarised cathodically. However it seems that the electrode material can be regenerated upon oxidation. NiFe2......Spinels were synthesised and investigated as electro-catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen and nitric oxide using cyclic voltammetry and cone shaped electrodes. The following four spinels were investigated; CoFe2O4, NiFe2O4, CuFe2O4 and Co3O4. The composition CuFe2O4 revealed......O4 is also more active for the reduction of nitric oxide than for the reduction of oxygen, whereas the cobalt containing spinels have a higher activity for the reduction of oxygen than for the reduction of nitric oxide....

Autozygosity mapping of a large consanguineous Pakistani family reveals a novel non-syndromic autosomal recessive mental retardation locus on 11p15-tel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehman, Shoaib ur; Baig, Shahid Mahmood; Eiberg, Hans

2011-01-01

done in all sampled individuals in the family. The nuclear central loop in the five generation family showed homozygosity for a 6-Mb telomeric region on 11p15, whereas all other linkage regions were excluded by calculation of logarithm of odds (LOD) for the SNP microarray data. A maximum LOD score of Z......Autosomal recessive inherited mental retardation is an extremely heterogeneous disease and accounts for approximately 25% of all non-syndromic mental retardation cases. Autozygosity mapping of a large consanguineous Pakistani family revealed a novel locus for non-syndromic autosomal recessive...

The Role of Logistics in Practical Levelized Cost of Energy Reduction Implementation and Government Sponsored Cost Reduction Studies: Day and Night in Offshore Wind Operations and Maintenance Logistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Poulsen

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper reveals that logistics make up at least 17% of annual operational expenditure costs for offshore wind farms. Annual operational expenditure is found to vary by a factor of 9.5, making its share of levelized cost of energy for offshore wind range from 13% to 57%. These are key findings of a 20-month research project targeting cost reduction initiatives for offshore wind systems. The findings reveal that cost-out measures are difficult to implement due to cultural differences. Implementation efforts are rendered by personnel located offshore in a harsh sea environment which is in stark contrast to the shore-based office personnel who develop studies directing cost reduction efforts. This paper details the company motivation to join industry-wide cost reduction initiatives. A business case for offshore wind operations and maintenance logistics yielding 1% savings in levelized cost of energy is included on how to expand working hours from daytime to also work at night.

Subspace-Based Noise Reduction for Speech Signals via Diagonal and Triangular Matrix Decompositions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Per Christian; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2007-01-01

We survey the definitions and use of rank-revealing matrix decompositions in single-channel noise reduction algorithms for speech signals. Our algorithms are based on the rank-reduction paradigm and, in particular, signal subspace techniques. The focus is on practical working algorithms, using both...... with working Matlab code and applications in speech processing....

Systematic Evaluation of Protein Reduction and Alkylation Reveals Massive Unspecific Side Effects by Iodine-containing Reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Torsten; Winter, Dominic

2017-07-01

Reduction and alkylation of cysteine residues is part of virtually any proteomics workflow. Despite its frequent use, up to date no systematic investigation of the impact of different conditions on the outcome of proteomics studies has been performed. In this study, we compared common reduction reagents (dithiothreitol, tris-(2-carboxyethyl)-phosphine, and β-mercaptoethanol) and alkylation reagents (iodoacetamide, iodoacetic acid, acrylamide, and chloroacetamide). Using in-gel digests as well as SAX fractionated in-solution digests of cytosolic fractions of HeLa cells, we evaluated 13 different reduction and alkylation conditions resulting in considerably varying identification rates. We observed strong differences in offsite alkylation reactions at 7 amino acids as well as at the peptide N terminus, identifying single and double adducts of all reagents. Using dimethyl labeling, mass tolerant searches, and synthetic peptide experiments, we identified alkylation of methionine residues by iodine-containing alkylation reagents as one of the major factors for the differences. We observed differences of more than 9-fold in numbers of identified methionine-containing peptide spectral matches for in-gel digested samples between iodine- and noniodine-containing alkylation reagents. This was because of formation of carbamidomethylated and carboxymethylated methionine side chains and a resulting prominent neutral loss during ESI ionization or in MS/MS fragmentation, strongly decreasing identification rates of methionine-containing peptides. We achieved best results with acrylamide as alkylation reagent, whereas the highest numbers of peptide spectral matches were obtained when reducing with dithiothreitol and β-mercaptoethanol for the in-solution and the in-gel digested samples, respectively. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Structural Understanding of the Glutathione-dependent Reduction Mechanism of Glutathionyl-Hydroquinone Reductases*

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Abigail R.; Hayes, Robert P.; Xun, Luying; Kang, ChulHee

2012-01-01

Glutathionyl-hydroquinone reductases (GS- HQRs) are a newly identified group of glutathione transferases, and they are widely distributed in bacteria, halobacteria, fungi, and plants. GS-HQRs catalyze glutathione (GSH)-dependent reduction of glutathionyl-hydroquinones (GS-hydroquinones) to hydroquinones. GS-hydroquinones can be spontaneously formed from benzoquinones reacting with reduced GSH via Michael addition, and GS-HQRs convert the conjugates to hydroquinones. In this report we have determined the structures of two bacterial GS-HQRs, PcpF of Sphingobium chlorophenolicum and YqjG of Escherichia coli. The two structures and the previously reported structure of a fungal GS-HQR shared many features and displayed complete conservation for all the critical residues. Furthermore, we obtained the binary complex structures with GS-menadione, which in its reduced form, GS-menadiol, is a substrate. The structure revealed a large H-site that could accommodate various substituted hydroquinones and a hydrogen network of three Tyr residues that could provide the proton for reductive deglutathionylation. Mutation of the Tyr residues and the position of two GSH molecules confirmed the proposed mechanism of GS-HQRs. The conservation of GS-HQRs across bacteria, halobacteria, fungi, and plants potentiates the physiological role of these enzymes in quinone metabolism. PMID:22955277

Hexavalent chromium reduction by bacterial consortia and pure strains from an alkaline industrial effluent.

Science.gov (United States)

Piñón-Castillo, H A; Brito, E M S; Goñi-Urriza, M; Guyoneaud, R; Duran, R; Nevarez-Moorillon, G V; Gutiérrez-Corona, J F; Caretta, C A; Reyna-López, G E

2010-12-01

To characterize the bacterial consortia and isolates selected for their role in hexavalent chromium removal by adsorption and reduction. Bacterial consortia from industrial wastes revealed significant Cr(VI) removal after 15 days when incubated in medium M9 at pH 6·5 and 8·0. The results suggested chromium reduction. The bacterial consortia diversity (T-RFLP based on 16S rRNA gene) indicated a highest number of operational taxonomic units in an alkaline carbonate medium mimicking in situ conditions. However, incubations under such conditions revealed low Cr(VI) removal. Genomic libraries were obtained for the consortia exhibiting optimal Cr(VI) removal (M9 medium at pH 6·5 and 8·0). They revealed the dominance of 16S rRNA gene sequences related to the genera Pseudomonas/Stenotrophomonas or Enterobacter/Halomonas, respectively. Isolates related to Pseudomonas fluorescens and Enterobacter aerogenes were efficient in Cr(VI) reduction and adsorption to the biomass. Cr(VI) reduction was better at neutral pH rather than under in situ conditions (alkaline pH with carbonate). Isolated strains exhibited significant capacity for Cr(VI) reduction and adsorption. Bacterial communities from chromium-contaminated industrial wastes as well as isolates were able to remove Cr(VI). The results suggest a good potential for bioremediation of industrial wastes when optimal conditions are applied. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology. No claim to Mexican Government works.

Abundant carbon substrates drive extremely high sulfate reduction rates and methane fluxes in Prairie Pothole Wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalcin Martins, Paula; Hoyt, David W; Bansal, Sheel; Mills, Christopher T; Tfaily, Malak; Tangen, Brian A; Finocchiaro, Raymond G; Johnston, Michael D; McAdams, Brandon C; Solensky, Matthew J; Smith, Garrett J; Chin, Yu-Ping; Wilkins, Michael J

2017-08-01

Inland waters are increasingly recognized as critical sites of methane emissions to the atmosphere, but the biogeochemical reactions driving such fluxes are less well understood. The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is one of the largest wetland complexes in the world, containing millions of small, shallow wetlands. The sediment pore waters of PPR wetlands contain some of the highest concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfur species ever recorded in terrestrial aquatic environments. Using a suite of geochemical and microbiological analyses, we measured the impact of sedimentary carbon and sulfur transformations in these wetlands on methane fluxes to the atmosphere. This research represents the first study of coupled geochemistry and microbiology within the PPR and demonstrates how the conversion of abundant labile DOC pools into methane results in some of the highest fluxes of this greenhouse gas to the atmosphere ever reported. Abundant DOC and sulfate additionally supported some of the highest sulfate reduction rates ever measured in terrestrial aquatic environments, which we infer to account for a large fraction of carbon mineralization in this system. Methane accumulations in zones of active sulfate reduction may be due to either the transport of free methane gas from deeper locations or the co-occurrence of methanogenesis and sulfate reduction. If both respiratory processes are concurrent, any competitive inhibition of methanogenesis by sulfate-reducing bacteria may be lessened by the presence of large labile DOC pools that yield noncompetitive substrates such as methanol. Our results reveal some of the underlying mechanisms that make PPR wetlands biogeochemical hotspots, which ultimately leads to their critical, but poorly recognized role in regional greenhouse gas emissions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Abundant carbon substrates drive extremely high sulfate reduction rates and methane fluxes in Prairie Pothole Wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalcin Martins, Paula [Microbiology Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210 USA; Hoyt, David W. [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Richland WA 99350 USA; Bansal, Sheel [United States Geological Survey - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown ND 58401 USA; Mills, Christopher T. [United States Geological Survey, Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center, Building 20, Denver Federal Center Denver CO 80225 USA; Tfaily, Malak [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Richland WA 99350 USA; Tangen, Brian A. [United States Geological Survey - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown ND 58401 USA; Finocchiaro, Raymond G. [United States Geological Survey - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown ND 58401 USA; Johnston, Michael D. [School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210 USA; McAdams, Brandon C. [School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210 USA; Solensky, Matthew J. [United States Geological Survey - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown ND 58401 USA; Smith, Garrett J. [Microbiology Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210 USA; Chin, Yu-Ping [School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210 USA; Wilkins, Michael J. [Microbiology Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210 USA; School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210 USA

2017-02-23

Inland waters are increasingly recognized as critical sites of methane emissions to the atmosphere, but the biogeochemical reactions driving such fluxes are less well understood. The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is one of the largest wetland complexes in the world, containing millions of small, shallow wetlands. The sediment pore waters of PPR wetlands contain some of the highest concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfur species ever recorded in terrestrial aquatic environments. Using a suite of geochemical and microbiological analyses we measured the impact of sedimentary carbon and sulfur transformations in these wetlands on methane fluxes to the atmosphere. This research represents the first study of coupled geochemistry and microbiology within the PPR, and demonstrates how the conversion of abundant labile DOC pools into methane results in some of the highest fluxes of this greenhouse gas to the atmosphere ever reported. Abundant DOC and sulfate additionally supported some of the highest sulfate reduction rates ever measured in terrestrial aquatic environments, which we infer to account for a large fraction of carbon mineralization in this system. Methane accumulations in zones of active sulfate reduction may be due to either the transport of free methane gas from deeper locations, or the co-occurrence of methanogenesis and sulfate reduction. If both respiratory processes are concurrent, any competitive inhibition of methanogenesis by sulfate-reducing bacteria may be lessened by the presence of large labile DOC pools that yield non-competitive substrates such as methanol. Our results reveal some of the underlying mechanisms that make PPR wetlands biogeochemical hotspots, which ultimately leads to their critical, but poorly recognized role in regional greenhouse gas emissions.

Application research on big data in energy conservation and emission reduction of transportation industry

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Bingdong; Chen, Jing; Wang, Mei; Yao, Jingjing

2017-06-01

In the context of big data age, the energy conservation and emission reduction of transportation is a natural big data industry. The planning, management, decision-making of energy conservation and emission reduction of transportation and other aspects should be supported by the analysis and forecasting of large amounts of data. Now, with the development of information technology, such as intelligent city, sensor road and so on, information collection technology in the direction of the Internet of things gradually become popular. The 3G/4G network transmission technology develop rapidly, and a large number of energy conservation and emission reduction of transportation data is growing into a series with different ways. The government not only should be able to make good use of big data to solve the problem of energy conservation and emission reduction of transportation, but also to explore and use a large amount of data behind the hidden value. Based on the analysis of the basic characteristics and application technology of energy conservation and emission reduction of transportation data, this paper carries out its application research in energy conservation and emission reduction of transportation industry, so as to provide theoretical basis and reference value for low carbon management.

Effects space velocity and gas velocity on DeNOx catalyst with HC reductant; HC tenka NOx kangen shokubai no kukan sokudo oyobi gas ryusoku no eikyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niimura, K.; Tsujimura, K.

1995-04-20

Discussions were given on the hydrocarbon added reduction catalyst method to reduce NOx in diesel engine exhaust gas. An experiment was carried out with actual exhaust gas from a diesel engine by using a copper ion exchanged zeolite catalyst that has been coated on a honeycomb type substrate, and using propylene as a reductant. When the catalyst volume was changed with the exhaust gas space velocity kept constant, the NOx conversion ratio decreased as the catalyst length is decreased, and the activity shifted to the lower temperature side. The NOx reduction efficiency increased if the faster the gas flow velocity. On the other hand, if the gas flow velocity is slow, the NOx reduction can be carried out with relatively small amount of the reductant. When the catalyst volume was changed with the passing gas amount kept constant, the NOx conversion ratio decreased largely if the catalyst length is decreased. Further, the NOx reduction characteristics shift to the higher temperature side. In the catalyst length direction, the NOx reduction activity shows a relatively uniform action. However, a detailed observation reveals that the reaction heat in the catalyst is transmitted to the wake improving the activity, hence the further down the flow, the NOx conversion ratio gets higher in efficiency. 5 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Photochemical reduction of uranyl ion by acetonitrile and propionitrile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brar, A.S.; Chander, R.; Sandhu, S.S.

1979-01-01

The photochemical reduction of uranyl ion by acetonitrile, propionitrile, benzonitrile, phenylacetonitrile, cyanoacetic acid and malononitrile in aqueous or aq. acetone medium using radiations >= 400 nm from a medium pressure mercury vapour lamp has been investigated. Except acetonitrile and propionitrile all other nitriles fail to bring about the reduction of uranyl ion. The reduction with aceto- and propionitriles has been found to obey pseudo-first order kinetics. The magnitude of rate of reduction with propionitrile is higher than that with acetonitrile. The pseudo-first order rate constants and quenching constant have been calculated from the kinetic data. It has been found that physical and chemical quenching compete with each other. The plot of reciprocal of quantum yield versus reciprocal (nitrile) is linear with a small intercept on the ordinate axis. Absorption spectra of uranyl ion in pure water, in the presence of acid and in the presence of acid+nitrile reveal that there is no ground state interaction between uranyl ion and the nitrile. A mechanism of photochemical reduction of uranyl ion based on α-hydrogen abstraction from the nitrile has been proposed. (auth.)

Unusual inferior dislocation of shoulder: reduction by two-step maneuver: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patro Dilip K

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Dislocation of the shoulder is the commonest of all large joint dislocations. Inferior dislocation constitutes 0.5% of all shoulder dislocations. It characteristically presents with overhead abduction of the arm, the humerus being parallel to the spine of scapula. We present an unusual case of recurrent luxatio erecta in which the arm transformed later into an adducted position resembling the more common anterior shoulder dislocation. Such a case has not been described before in English literature. Closed reduction by the two-step maneuver was successful with a single attempt. MRI revealed posterior labral tear and a Hill-Sachs variant lesion on the superolateral aspect of humeral head. Immobilisation in a chest-arm bandage followed by physiotherapy yielded excellent results. The case is first of its kind; the unusual mechanism, unique radiological findings and alternate method of treatment are discussed.

Synthesis of carbon nanorods by reduction of carbon bisulfide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lou Zhengsong; He Minglong; Zhao Dejian; Li Zhongchun; Shang Tongming

2010-01-01

Research highlights: Our manuscript is a concise preliminary account of original and of significant research, which illuminates carbon nanorods and variously shaped Y-junction carbon nanorods are successfully fabricated on a large scale through a carbon bisulfide thermal reduction process. Various shaped Y-junction carbon nanorods can be used as studying the electronic and transport properties of the nano-meter carbon material. - Abstract: Carbon nanorods are synthesized at large scale by the reduction of carbon bisulfide at 600 o C. Moreover, novel Y-junction carbon nanorods are detected in the samples. The X-ray power diffraction pattern indicates that the products are hexagonal graphite. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and N 2 physisorption studies show that carbon nanorods predominate in the product. Based on the supercritical carbon bisulfide system, the possible growth mechanism of the carbon nanorods was discussed. This method provides a simple and cheap route to large-scale synthesis of carbon nanorods.

Large Scale Anthropogenic Reduction of Forest Cover in Last Glacial Maximum Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Jed O; Pfeiffer, Mirjam; Kolen, Jan C A; Davis, Basil A S

2016-01-01

Reconstructions of the vegetation of Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are an enigma. Pollen-based analyses have suggested that Europe was largely covered by steppe and tundra, and forests persisted only in small refugia. Climate-vegetation model simulations on the other hand have consistently suggested that broad areas of Europe would have been suitable for forest, even in the depths of the last glaciation. Here we reconcile models with data by demonstrating that the highly mobile groups of hunter-gatherers that inhabited Europe at the LGM could have substantially reduced forest cover through the ignition of wildfires. Similar to hunter-gatherers of the more recent past, Upper Paleolithic humans were masters of the use of fire, and preferred inhabiting semi-open landscapes to facilitate foraging, hunting and travel. Incorporating human agency into a dynamic vegetation-fire model and simulating forest cover shows that even small increases in wildfire frequency over natural background levels resulted in large changes in the forested area of Europe, in part because trees were already stressed by low atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the cold, dry, and highly variable climate. Our results suggest that the impact of humans on the glacial landscape of Europe may be one of the earliest large-scale anthropogenic modifications of the earth system.

When soils become sediments: Large-scale storage of soils in sandpits and lakes and the impact of reduction kinetics on heavy metals and arsenic release to groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Vink, Jos P M; van Zomeren, Andre; Dijkstra, Joris J; Comans, Rob N J

2017-08-01

Simulating the storage of aerobic soils under water, the chemical speciation of heavy metals and arsenic was studied over a long-term reduction period. Time-dynamic and redox-discrete measurements in reactors were used to study geochemical changes. Large kinetic differences in the net-complexation quantities of heavy metals with sulfides was observed, and elevated pore water concentrations remained for a prolonged period (>1 year) specifically for As, B, Ba, Co, Mo, and Ni. Arsenic is associated to the iron phases as a co-precipitate or sorbed fraction to Fe-(hydr)oxides, and it is being released into solution as a consequence of the reduction of iron. The composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in reducing pore water was monitored, and relative contributions of fulvic, humic and hydrophylic compounds were measured via analytical batch procedures. Quantitative and qualitative shifts in organic compounds occur during reduction; DOM increased up to a factor 10, while fulvic acids become dominant over humic acids which disappear altogether as reduction progresses. Both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions increase and may even become the dominant fraction. Reactive amorphous and crystalline iron phases, as well as dissolved FeII/FeIII speciation, were measured and used as input for the geochemical model to improve predictions for risk assessment to suboxic and anaerobic environments. The release of arsenic is related to readily reducible iron fractions that may be identified by 1 mM CaCl 2 extraction procedure. Including DOM concentration shifts and compositional changes during reduction significantly improved model simulations, enabling the prediction of peak concentrations and identification of soils with increased emission risk. Practical methods are suggested to facilitate the practice of environmentally acceptable soil storage under water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pattern transfer on large samples using a sub-aperture reactive ion beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miessler, Andre; Mill, Agnes; Gerlach, Juergen W.; Arnold, Thomas [Leibniz-Institut fuer Oberflaechenmodifizierung (IOM), Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany)

2011-07-01

In comparison to sole Ar ion beam sputtering Reactive Ion Beam Etching (RIBE) reveals the main advantage of increasing the selectivity for different kind of materials due to chemical contributions during the material removal. Therefore RIBE is qualified to be an excellent candidate for pattern transfer applications. The goal of the present study is to apply a sub-aperture reactive ion beam for pattern transfer on large fused silica samples. Concerning this matter, the etching behavior in the ion beam periphery plays a decisive role. Using CF{sub 4} as reactive gas, XPS measurements of the modified surface exposes impurities like Ni, Fe and Cr, which belongs to chemically eroded material of the plasma pot as well as an accumulation of carbon (up to 40 atomic percent) in the beam periphery, respectively. The substitution of CF{sub 4} by NF{sub 3} as reactive gas reveals a lot of benefits: more stable ion beam conditions in combination with a reduction of the beam size down to a diameter of 5 mm and a reduced amount of the Ni, Fe and Cr contaminations. However, a layer formation of silicon nitride handicaps the chemical contribution of the etching process. These negative side effects influence the transfer of trench structures on quartz by changing the selectivity due to altered chemical reaction of the modified resist layer. Concerning this we investigate the pattern transfer on large fused silica plates using NF{sub 3}-sub-aperture RIBE.

Electrocatalytic Alloys for CO2 Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jingfu; Johnson, Noah J J; Huang, Aoxue; Berlinguette, Curtis P

2018-01-10

Electrochemically reducing CO 2 using renewable energy is a contemporary global challenge that will only be met with electrocatalysts capable of efficiently converting CO 2 into fuels and chemicals with high selectivity. Although many different metals and morphologies have been tested for CO 2 electrocatalysis over the last several decades, relatively limited attention has been committed to the study of alloys for this application. Alloying is a promising method to tailor the geometric and electric environments of active sites. The parameter space for discovering new alloys for CO 2 electrocatalysis is particularly large because of the myriad products that can be formed during CO 2 reduction. In this Minireview, mixed-metal electrocatalyst compositions that have been evaluated for CO 2 reduction are summarized. A distillation of the structure-property relationships gleaned from this survey are intended to help in the construction of guidelines for discovering new classes of alloys for the CO 2 reduction reaction. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Measurement of MOSFET LF Noise Under Large Signal RF Excitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wel, A.P.; Klumperink, Eric A.M.; Nauta, Bram

A new measurement technique is presented that allows measurement of MOSFET LF noise under large signal RF excitation. Measurements indicate that MOSFETS exhibit a reduction in LF noise when they are cycled from inversion to accummulation and that this reduction does not depend on the frequency of

Participation in mindfulness-based stress reduction is not associated with reductions in emotional eating or uncontrolled eating.

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney, David J; Milton, Meredith L; Malte, Carol A; McDermott, Kelly A; Martinez, Michelle; Simpson, Tracy L

2012-06-01

The adverse health effects and increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States make interventions for obesity a priority in health research. Diet-focused interventions generally do not result in lasting reductions in weight. Behavioral interventions that increase awareness of eating cues and satiety have been postulated to result in healthier eating habits. We hypothesized that participation in a program called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) would positively influence the eating behaviors and nutritional intake of participants through changes in emotional eating (EE), uncontrolled eating (UE), and type and quantity of food consumed. Forty-eight veterans at a large urban Veterans Administration medical center were assessed before MBSR, after MBSR, and 4 months later. For all participants (N = 48), MBSR participation was not associated with significant changes in EE or UE. In addition, there were no significant differences in the intake of energy, fat, sugar, fruit, or vegetables at either follow-up time point as compared with baseline. Enhanced mindfulness skills and reduced depressive symptoms were seen over time with medium to large effect sizes. Changes in mindfulness skills were significantly and negatively correlated with changes in EE and UE over time. Overall, there was no evidence that participation in MBSR was associated with beneficial changes in eating through reductions in disinhibited eating or significant changes in dietary intake. Randomized studies are needed to further define the relationship between mindfulness program participation and eating behaviors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Identification of mine rescue equipment reduction gears technical condition

Science.gov (United States)

Gerike, B. L.; Klishin, V. I.; Kuzin, E. G.

2017-09-01

The article presents the reasons for adopting intelligent service of mine belt conveyer drives concerning evaluation of their technical condition based on the diagnostic techniques instead of regular preventative maintenance. The article reveals the diagnostic results of belt conveyer drive reduction gears condition taking into account the parameters of lubricating oil, vibration and temperature. Usage of a complex approach to evaluate technical conditions allows reliability of the forecast to be improved, which makes it possible not only to prevent accidental breakdowns and eliminate unscheduled downtime, but also to bring sufficient economic benefits through reduction of the term and scope of work during overhauls.

Economical benzene emission reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuetz, R.

1999-01-01

Benzene has been classified as a toxic compound under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This has prompted the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB) to introduce specific reporting and monitoring guidelines for the oil and gas industry regarding excessive benzene emissions. Glycol dehydration units have been determined to be the major single source of benzene emissions causing air and soil pollution. DualTank Corp. has designed a condensation and storage tank unit to enhance emission reduction, odour elimination and liquid recovery from dehydration units. Their newly designed combined tank unit consists of a large, uninsulated surface area for cooling, and an excessive internal volume for increased retention time. The first prototype was installed in December 1998 at an Enerplus Resources Site. The system provides excellent benzene emission reduction and the elimination of odours and visual plumes. Effective January 1, 1999, the petroleum and natural gas industry must either clean up excessive emissions voluntarily or face government imposed regulations, facility shutdowns and/or fines. 1 fig

Stereoselective Reduction of Imines with Trichlorosilane Using Solid-Supported Chiral Picolinamides

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Sílvia D. Fernandes

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The stereoselective reduction of imines with trichlorosilane catalyzed by chiral Lewis bases is a well-established procedure for the synthesis of enantio-enriched amines. Five supported cinchona-based picolinamides have been prepared and their activity tested in a model reaction. The comparison of different supporting materials revealed that polystyrene gave better results than silica in terms of stereoselectivity. The applicability of the solid-supported catalyst of choice to the reduction of different imines was also demonstrated. Additionally, for the first time, a catalytic reactor containing a polymer-immobilized chiral picolinamide has been employed for the stereoselective reduction of imines with trichlorosilane under continuous flow conditions.

Revealing the cluster of slow transients behind a large slow slip event.

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, William B; Rousset, Baptiste; Lasserre, Cécile; Campillo, Michel

2018-05-01

Capable of reaching similar magnitudes to large megathrust earthquakes [ M w (moment magnitude) > 7], slow slip events play a major role in accommodating tectonic motion on plate boundaries through predominantly aseismic rupture. We demonstrate here that large slow slip events are a cluster of short-duration slow transients. Using a dense catalog of low-frequency earthquakes as a guide, we investigate the M w 7.5 slow slip event that occurred in 2006 along the subduction interface 40 km beneath Guerrero, Mexico. We show that while the long-period surface displacement, as recorded by Global Positioning System, suggests a 6-month duration, the motion in the direction of tectonic release only sporadically occurs over 55 days, and its surface signature is attenuated by rapid relocking of the plate interface. Our proposed description of slow slip as a cluster of slow transients forces us to re-evaluate our understanding of the physics and scaling of slow earthquakes.

Large Scale Anthropogenic Reduction of Forest Cover in Last Glacial Maximum Europe.

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Jed O Kaplan

Full Text Available Reconstructions of the vegetation of Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM are an enigma. Pollen-based analyses have suggested that Europe was largely covered by steppe and tundra, and forests persisted only in small refugia. Climate-vegetation model simulations on the other hand have consistently suggested that broad areas of Europe would have been suitable for forest, even in the depths of the last glaciation. Here we reconcile models with data by demonstrating that the highly mobile groups of hunter-gatherers that inhabited Europe at the LGM could have substantially reduced forest cover through the ignition of wildfires. Similar to hunter-gatherers of the more recent past, Upper Paleolithic humans were masters of the use of fire, and preferred inhabiting semi-open landscapes to facilitate foraging, hunting and travel. Incorporating human agency into a dynamic vegetation-fire model and simulating forest cover shows that even small increases in wildfire frequency over natural background levels resulted in large changes in the forested area of Europe, in part because trees were already stressed by low atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the cold, dry, and highly variable climate. Our results suggest that the impact of humans on the glacial landscape of Europe may be one of the earliest large-scale anthropogenic modifications of the earth system.

Metagenome reveals potential microbial degradation of hydrocarbon coupled with sulfate reduction in an oil-immersed chimney from Guaymas Basin

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Ying eHe

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimneys contain a high diversity of microorganisms, yet the metabolic activity and the ecological functions of the microbial communities remain largely unexplored. In this study, a metagenomic approach was applied to characterize the metabolic potential in a Guaymas hydrothermal vent chimney and to conduct comparative genomic analysis among a variety of environments with sequenced metagenomes. Complete clustering of functional gene categories with a comparative metagenomic approach showed that this Guaymas chimney metagenome was clustered most closely with a chimney metagenome from Juan de Fuca. All chimney samples were enriched with genes involved in recombination and repair, chemotaxis and flagellar assembly, highlighting their roles in coping with the fluctuating extreme deep-sea environments. A high proportion of transposases was observed in all the metagenomes from deep-sea chimneys, supporting the previous hypothesis that horizontal gene transfer may be common in the deep-sea vent chimney biosphere. In the Guaymas chimney metagenome, thermophilic sulfate reducing microorganisms including bacteria and archaea were found predominant, and genes coding for the degradation of refractory organic compounds such as cellulose, lipid, pullullan, as well as a few hydrocarbons including toluene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene were identified. Therefore, this oil-immersed chimney supported a thermophilic microbial community capable of oxidizing a range of hydrocarbons that served as electron donors for sulphate reduction under anaerobic conditions.

Discussion: “Model reduction of large-scale discrete plants with specified frequency-domain balanced structure”

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaker, Hamid Reza; Wisniewski, Rafal

2009-01-01

This work presents a commentary of the article published by A. Zadegan and A. Zilouchian (2005, ASME J. Dyn. Syst. Meas., Control, 127, pp. 486-498). We show their order reduction method is not always true and may lead to inaccurate results and is therefore erroneous. A framework for solving the ...

Iron oxide reduction in methane-rich deep Baltic Sea sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egger, Matthias; Hagens, Mathilde; Sapart, Celia J.

2017-01-01

/L transition. Our results reveal a complex interplay between production, oxidation and transport of methane showing that besides organoclastic Fe reduction, oxidation of downward migrating methane with Fe oxides may also explain the elevated concentrations of dissolved ferrous Fe in deep Baltic Sea sediments...... profiles and numerical modeling, we propose that a potential coupling between Fe oxide reduction and methane oxidation likely affects deep Fe cycling and related biogeochemical processes, such as burial of phosphorus, in systems subject to changes in organic matter loading or bottom water salinity....

Nitrogen-doped graphene prepared by a transfer doping approach for the oxygen reduction reaction application

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Zaiyong; Zheng, Ruiping; Peng, Hongliang; Liang, Huagen; Liao, Shijun

2014-01-01

Well defined nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) is prepared by a transfer doping approach, in which the graphene oxide (GO) is deoxidized and nitrogen doped by the vaporized polyaniline, and the GO is prepared by a thermal expansion method from graphite oxide. The content of doped nitrogen in the doped graphene is high up to 6.25 at% by the results of elements analysis, and oxygen content is lowered to 5.17 at%. As a non-precious metal cathode electrocatalyst, the NG catalyst exhibits excellent activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction, as well as excellent tolerance toward methanol. In 0.1 M KOH solution, its onset potential, half-wave potential and limiting current density for the oxygen reduction reaction reach 0.98 V (vs. RHE), 0.87 V (vs. RHE) and 5.38 mA cm-2, respectively, which are comparable to those of commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. The well defined graphene structure of the catalyst is revealed clearly by HRTEM and Raman spectra. It is suggested that the nitrogen-doping and large surface area of the NG sheets give the main contribution to the high ORR catalytic activity.

Financial Sector Development, Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction: New Evidence from Nigeria

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Muhammad Yusuf DANDUME

2014-12-01

Full Text Available There is a common view that a well developed financial system will usher economic growth and further reduce the level of poverty. In late years the automaticity of this relationship in poor states such as Nigeria has been an area of considerable argument. This study attempts to examine this presuppose causal relationship between financial sector development, economic growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria. The study uses Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL and Toda and Yamamoto No causality test, using a time series data covering the period of 1970-2011. The study includes poverty into the ongoing competing finance growth nexus hypothesis, in order to ascertain whether the poor segment of the Nigerian society have access to financial resources and also fully participate in the economic growth process in the country. Empirical results of the study reveal that financial sector development does not cause poverty reduction. This implies, increased in the supply of loan able funds due to financial sector development is not enough to ensure poverty reduction. Certain measures are important. Therefore, the results reveal, that economic growth causes financial sector growth. Implies that economic growth lead and financial sector follow. This implies that for financial sector development, economic growth is necessary, even though not sufficient for poverty reduction.

Waste reduction through consumer education. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrison, E.Z.

1996-05-01

The Waste Reduction through Consumer Education research project was conducted to determine how environmental educational strategies influence purchasing behavior in the supermarket. The objectives were to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate consumer education strategies for waste reduction. The amount of waste generated by packaging size and form, with an adjustment for local recyclability of waste, was determined for 14 product categories identified as having more waste generating and less waste generating product choices (a total of 484 products). Using supermarket scan data and shopper identification numbers, the research tracked the purchases of shoppers in groups receiving different education treatments for 9 months. Statistical tests applied to the purchase data assessed patterns of change between the groups by treatment period. Analysis of the data revealed few meaningful statistical differences between study groups or changes in behavior over time. Findings suggest that broad brush consumer education about waste reduction is not effective in changing purchasing behaviors in the short term. However, it may help create a general awareness of the issues surrounding excess packaging and consumer responsibility. The study concludes that the answer to waste reduction in the future may be a combination of voluntary initiatives by manufacturers and retailers, governmental intervention, and better-informed consumers.

Possible Factors Promoting Car Evacuation in the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami Revealed by Analysing a Large-Scale Questionnaire Survey in Kesennuma City

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Fumiyasu Makinoshima

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Excessive car evacuation can cause severe traffic jams that can lead to large numbers of casualties during tsunami disasters. Investigating the possible factors that lead to unnecessary car evacuation can ensure smoother tsunami evacuations and mitigate casualty damages in future tsunami events. In this study, we quantitatively investigated the possible factors that promote car evacuation, including both necessary and unnecessary usages, by statistically analysing a large amount of data on actual tsunami evacuation behaviours surveyed in Kesennuma, where devastating damage occurred during the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami. A straightforward statistical analysis revealed a high percentage of car evacuations (approx. 50%; however, this fraction includes a high number of unnecessary usage events that were distinguished based on mode choice reasons. In addition, a binary logistic regression was conducted to quantitatively evaluate the effects of several factors and to identify the dominant factor that affected evacuation mode choice. The regression results suggested that the evacuation distance was the dominant factor for choosing car evacuation relative to other factors, such as age and sex. The cross-validation test of the regression model demonstrated that the considered factors were useful for decision making and the prediction of evacuation mode choice in the target area.

Mining nutrigenetics patterns related to obesity: use of parallel multifactor dimensionality reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Karayianni, Katerina N; Grimaldi, Keith A; Nikita, Konstantina S; Valavanis, Ioannis K

2015-01-01

This paper aims to enlighten the complex etiology beneath obesity by analysing data from a large nutrigenetics study, in which nutritional and genetic factors associated with obesity were recorded for around two thousand individuals. In our previous work, these data have been analysed using artificial neural network methods, which identified optimised subsets of factors to predict one's obesity status. These methods did not reveal though how the selected factors interact with each other in the obtained predictive models. For that reason, parallel Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (pMDR) was used here to further analyse the pre-selected subsets of nutrigenetic factors. Within pMDR, predictive models using up to eight factors were constructed, further reducing the input dimensionality, while rules describing the interactive effects of the selected factors were derived. In this way, it was possible to identify specific genetic variations and their interactive effects with particular nutritional factors, which are now under further study.

Acute morbidity reduction using 3DCRT for prostate carcinoma; a randomised phase III study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koper, P.; Putten, W. van; Stroom, J.; Korevaar, G.; Heijmen, B.; Wijnmaalen, A.; Jansen, P.; Hanssens, P.; Griep, C.; Krol, A.; Samson, M.; Levendag, P.

1997-01-01

Purpose: A randomised phase III toxicity study (conventional vs conformal radiotherapy) was performed for prostatic carcinoma to study the effects on the (acute) morbidity of intestinal/rectosigmoid and bladder. The observed toxicity was compared with Dose Volume Histograms to reveal possible volume (reduction) effects. Methods: In the phase III study 266 T1-4 N0M0 prostate cancer patients were entered. Patients were randomised for conventional and conformal radiotherapy (total dose 66 Gy, minimum PTV dose 95% ICRU and a CTV-PTV margin of 10 mm in both study arms). The GTV was limited to the prostate only in T1 tumors. In all other patients the GTV was defined to be prostate and seminal vesicles for the complete treatment course. The CTV-PTV margin (10mm) was created by a automated program to ensure the minimum prescribed margin. The rectosigmoid was defined to be the rectum including the sigmoid within the Treatment Volume (ICRU). Acute toxicity was evaluated using the EORTC/RTOG morbidity score and weekly quality of life questionnaires. The radiation technique comparison was done by Dose volume Histogram analysis using the Area Under The Curve (AUC) for different dose levels. In this preliminary DVH analysis we present the data for the first 100 patients. Results: Patient and tumor characteristics were evenly distributed between both study groups. The maximum toxicity is reached at 75% of the tumordose (TD) (rectal grade I 59% grade II 26%, bladder grade I 48%, grade II 16% and grade III 1% [catheter for urinary retention]). Comparing both study arms there seems to be a reduction in intestinal morbidity (grade II and higher resp. 32% vs 19% p=0.02). Further analysis revealed a marked reduction in medication for anal symptoms; this accounts for a large part of the significant difference in intestinal toxicity (grade II conventional vs conformal rectosigmoid 18% vs 14% and anal 16% vs 8%). For bladder morbidity no difference for mobidity higher than grade I is

Specific anion effects on copper surface through electrochemical treatment: Enhanced photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction activity of derived nanostructures induced by chaotropic anions

Science.gov (United States)

Navaee, Aso; Salimi, Abdollah

2018-05-01

Copper derivatives are the most prominent CO2 reduction electrocatalyst. Herein, the metallic copper has been electrochemically treated with some of common ionic salts such as N3bar, HPO2bar, S2bar, Fbar, Clbar, Brbar and Ibar based on the dissolution of a metallic working electrode in an aqueous solution to derive the surface roughness incorporated with nanostructures. Diverse surface morphology can be obtained when the ionic radii of anions are changed. Surface study reveals various roughness shapes based on the size and polarity of the anions, where the ions with higher ionic radii have higher impact on the Cu surface. In comparison, polyatomic oxyanion such as HPO2bar even with large ionic radii do not have enough strength to create the surface roughness than that of oxygen-free anions with large ionic radii. The photoelectrochemical behavior of the modified surfaces toward CO2 reduction is studied at a wide potential window in bicarbonate aqueous solution. Based on our investigations, treated surfaces by Ibar, Clbar and S2bargive a more surface roughness, while Ibar and N3bar offer higher catalytic activity toward CO2 reduction due to possible complexing ability of these anions with Cu cations, followed by formation of the co-catalyst semiconductor and facilitate electron transfer. This methodology can be applied to investigate the effect of ions on transition metals along with obtaining different surface morphologies tailored to different applications.

Exact model reduction of combinatorial reaction networks

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Fey Dirk

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Receptors and scaffold proteins usually possess a high number of distinct binding domains inducing the formation of large multiprotein signaling complexes. Due to combinatorial reasons the number of distinguishable species grows exponentially with the number of binding domains and can easily reach several millions. Even by including only a limited number of components and binding domains the resulting models are very large and hardly manageable. A novel model reduction technique allows the significant reduction and modularization of these models. Results We introduce methods that extend and complete the already introduced approach. For instance, we provide techniques to handle the formation of multi-scaffold complexes as well as receptor dimerization. Furthermore, we discuss a new modeling approach that allows the direct generation of exactly reduced model structures. The developed methods are used to reduce a model of EGF and insulin receptor crosstalk comprising 5,182 ordinary differential equations (ODEs to a model with 87 ODEs. Conclusion The methods, presented in this contribution, significantly enhance the available methods to exactly reduce models of combinatorial reaction networks.

Simultaneous Fe(III) reduction and ammonia oxidation process in Anammox sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiang; Huang, Yong; Liu, Heng-Wei; Wu, Chuan; Bi, Wei; Yuan, Yi; Liu, Xin

2018-02-01

In recent years, there have been a number of reports on the phenomenon in which ferric iron (Fe(III)) is reduced to ferrous iron [Fe(II)] in anaerobic environments, accompanied by simultaneous oxidation of ammonia to NO 2 - , NO 3 - , or N 2. However, studies on the relevant reaction characteristics and mechanisms are rare. Recently, in research on the effect of Fe(III) on the activity of Anammox sludge, excess ammonia oxidization has also been found. Hence, in the present study, Fe(III) was used to serve as the electron acceptor instead of NO 2 - , and the feasibility and characteristics of Anammox coupled to Fe(III) reduction (termed Feammox) were investigated. After 160days of cultivation, the conversion rate of ammonia in the reactor was above 80%, accompanied by the production of a large amount of NO 3 - and a small amount of NO 2 - . The total nitrogen removal rate was up to 71.8%. Furthermore, quantities of Fe(II) were detected in the sludge fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and denaturated gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses further revealed that in the sludge, some Anammox bacteria were retained, and some microbes were enriched during the acclimatization process. We thus deduced that in Anammox sludge, Fe(III) reduction takes place together with ammonia oxidation to NO 2 - and NO 3 - along with the Anammox process. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluating two model reduction approaches for large scale hedonic models sensitive to omitted variables and multicollinearity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panduro, Toke Emil; Thorsen, Bo Jellesmark

2014-01-01

Hedonic models in environmental valuation studies have grown in terms of number of transactions and number of explanatory variables. We focus on the practical challenge of model reduction, when aiming for reliable parsimonious models, sensitive to omitted variable bias and multicollinearity. We...

Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jiabin; Salihi, Elif Caliskan; Šiller, Lidija

2017-01-01

There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. - Highlights: • An environmentally friendly route was reported for the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). • Alanine could reduce GO to rGO (reduced graphene oxide) without using any stabilizer or alcaline medium. • Characterization studies confirmed the successful deoxygenation of GO.

Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jiabin [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Salihi, Elif Caliskan, E-mail: caliskanelif@gmail.com [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Marmara University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, 34668 Istanbul (Turkey); Šiller, Lidija [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

2017-03-01

There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. - Highlights: • An environmentally friendly route was reported for the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). • Alanine could reduce GO to rGO (reduced graphene oxide) without using any stabilizer or alcaline medium. • Characterization studies confirmed the successful deoxygenation of GO.

On the energy economics of air lubrication drag reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simo A. Mäkiharju

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Air lubrication techniques for frictional drag reduction on ships have been proposed by numerous researchers since the 19th century. However, these techniques have not been widely adopted as questions persist about their drag reduction performance beyond the laboratory, as well as energy and economic cost-benefit. This paper draws on data from the literature to consider the suitability of air lubrication for large ocean going and U.S. Great Lakes ships, by establishing the basic energy economic calculations and presenting results for a hypothetical air lubricated ship. All the assumptions made in the course of the analysis are clearly stated so that they can be refined when considering application of air lubrication to a specific ship. The analysis suggests that, if successfully implemented, both air layer and partial cavity drag reduction could lead to net energy savings of 10 to 20%, with corresponding reductions in emissions.

Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiabin; Salihi, Elif Caliskan; Šiller, Lidija

2017-03-01

There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Folate-containing reduction-sensitive lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles for targeted delivery of doxorubicin.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bo; Yu, Ping; Cui, Can; Wu, Ming; Zhang, Yang; Liu, Lei; Wang, Cai-Xia; Zhuo, Ren-Xi; Huang, Shi-Wen

2015-04-01

The development and evaluation of folate-targeted and reduction-triggered biodegradable nanoparticles are introduced to the research on targeted delivery of doxorubicin (DOX). This type of folate-targeted lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (FLPNPs) is comprised of a poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) core, a soybean lecithin monolayer, a monomethoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-S-S-hexadecyl (mPEG-S-S-C16) reduction-sensitive shell, and a folic acid-targeted ligand. FLPNPs exhibited high size stability but fast disassembly in a simulated cancer cell reductive environment. The experiments on the release process in vitro revealed that as a reduction-sensitive drug delivery system, FLPNPs released DOX faster in the presence of 10 mM dithiothreitol (DTT). Results from flow cytometry, confocal image and in vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed that FLPNPs further enhanced cell uptake and generated higher cytotoxicity against human epidermoid carcinoma in the oral cavity than non-targeted redox-sensitive and targeted redox-insensitive controls. Furthermore, in vivo animal experiments demonstrated that systemic administration of DOX-loaded FLPNPs remarkably reduced tumor growth. Experiments on biodistribution of DOX-loaded FLPNPs showed that an increasing amount of DOX accumulated in the tumor. Therefore, FLPNPs formulations have proved to be a stable, controllable and targeted anticancer drug delivery system.

Large-scale expression analysis reveals distinct microRNA profiles at different stages of human neurodevelopment.

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Brandon Smith

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs predicted to regulate one third of protein coding genes via mRNA targeting. In conjunction with key transcription factors, such as the repressor REST (RE1 silencing transcription factor, miRNAs play crucial roles in neurogenesis, which requires a highly orchestrated program of gene expression to ensure the appropriate development and function of diverse neural cell types. Whilst previous studies have highlighted select groups of miRNAs during neural development, there remains a need for amenable models in which miRNA expression and function can be analyzed over the duration of neurogenesis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We performed large-scale expression profiling of miRNAs in human NTera2/D1 (NT2 cells during retinoic acid (RA-induced transition from progenitors to fully differentiated neural phenotypes. Our results revealed dynamic changes of miRNA patterns, resulting in distinct miRNA subsets that could be linked to specific neurodevelopmental stages. Moreover, the cell-type specific miRNA subsets were very similar in NT2-derived differentiated cells and human primary neurons and astrocytes. Further analysis identified miRNAs as putative regulators of REST, as well as candidate miRNAs targeted by REST. Finally, we confirmed the existence of two predicted miRNAs; pred-MIR191 and pred-MIR222 associated with SLAIN1 and FOXP2, respectively, and provided some evidence of their potential co-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, we demonstrate that regulation of miRNAs occurs in precise patterns indicative of their roles in cell fate commitment, progenitor expansion and differentiation into neurons and glia. Furthermore, the similarity between our NT2 system and primary human cells suggests their roles in molecular pathways critical for human in vivo neurogenesis.

Mediastinal Mature Teratoma Revealed by Empyema

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Mohammed Raoufi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Teratomas are germ cell tumors, manifested with a great variety of clinical features; the most common extragonadal site is the anterior mediastinum. In this case, we report the patient with a large mature mediastinal teratoma with several components of ectodermal and endothermal epithelium. A 24-year-old female patient presented with history of persistent chest pain and progressively aggravating dyspnea for the previous 3 months. A chest X-ray showed a large opacity of the entire left hemithorax. Transcutaneous needle aspiration revealed a purulent fluid. The tube thoracostomy was introduced and the effusion was evacuated. Some weeks later, patient was seen in emergency for persistent cough and lateral chest pain. CT scan revealed a mass of the left hemithorax. The mass showed heterogeneous density, without compressing mediastinum great vessels and left hilar structures. Lipase value was elevated in needle aspiration. The patient underwent a total resection of the mediastinum mass via a left posterolateral thoracotomy. Microscopy revealed a mature teratoma with cystic structures. The patient subsequently made a full recovery. This case provide benign mediastinal teratoma with total atelectasis of left lung and elevated lipase value in needle transcutaneous aspiration; this event is explained by pancreatic component in the cystic tumor. Total removal of the tumor is adequate treatment for this type of teratoma and the prognosis is excellent.

Large-area imaging reveals biologically driven non-random spatial patterns of corals at a remote reef

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Clinton B.; Eynaud, Yoan; Williams, Gareth J.; Pedersen, Nicole E.; Zgliczynski, Brian J.; Gleason, Arthur C. R.; Smith, Jennifer E.; Sandin, Stuart A.

2017-12-01

For sessile organisms such as reef-building corals, differences in the degree of dispersion of individuals across a landscape may result from important differences in life-history strategies or may reflect patterns of habitat availability. Descriptions of spatial patterns can thus be useful not only for the identification of key biological and physical mechanisms structuring an ecosystem, but also by providing the data necessary to generate and test ecological theory. Here, we used an in situ imaging technique to create large-area photomosaics of 16 plots at Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific, each covering 100 m2 of benthic habitat. We mapped the location of 44,008 coral colonies and identified each to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Using metrics of spatial dispersion, we tested for departures from spatial randomness. We also used targeted model fitting to explore candidate processes leading to differences in spatial patterns among taxa. Most taxa were clustered and the degree of clustering varied by taxon. A small number of taxa did not significantly depart from randomness and none revealed evidence of spatial uniformity. Importantly, taxa that readily fragment or tolerate stress through partial mortality were more clustered. With little exception, clustering patterns were consistent with models of fragmentation and dispersal limitation. In some taxa, dispersion was linearly related to abundance, suggesting density dependence of spatial patterning. The spatial patterns of stony corals are non-random and reflect fundamental life-history characteristics of the taxa, suggesting that the reef landscape may, in many cases, have important elements of spatial predictability.

Reduction of reabsorption effects in scintillators by employing solutes with large Stokes shifts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrah, L.A.; Renschler, C.L.

1986-01-01

A radiation or high energy particle responsive system is described useful as a scintillator, and comprising, a first component which interacts with the radiation or high energy particle to emit photons in a certain first wavelength range; and at least one additional solute component which absorbs the photons in the first wavelength range and thereupon emits photons in another wavelength range higher than the first range; the improvement wherein at least one of the components absorbs substantially no photons in the wavelength range in which it emits photons, due to large Stokes shift caused by an excited states intramolecular rearrangement, with the proviso that the component having a large Stokes shift is not methyl salicylate or salicyclic acid

Recycle operations as a methodology for radioactive waste volume reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, G.A.

1985-01-01

The costs for packaging, transportation and burial of low-level radioactive metallic waste have become so expensive that an alternate method of decontamination for volume reduction prior to disposal can now be justified. The operation of a large-scale centralized recycle center for decontamination of selected low level radioactive waste has been proven to be an effective method for waste volume reduction and for retrieving valuable materials for unlimited use. The centralized recycle center concept allows application of state-of-the-art decontamination technology resulting in a reduction in utility disposal costs and a reduction in overall net amount of material being buried. Examples of specific decontamination process activities at the centralized facility will be reviewed along with a discussion of the economic impact of decontamination for recycling and volume reduction. Based on almost two years of operation of a centralized decontamination facility, a demonstrated capability exists. The concept has been cost effective and proves that valuable resources can be recycled

Tuning the thickness of electrochemically grafted layers in large area molecular junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fluteau, T.; Bessis, C.; Barraud, C., E-mail: clement.barraud@univ-paris-diderot.fr; Della Rocca, M. L.; Lafarge, P. [Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, MPQ, UMR 7162, CNRS, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France); Martin, P.; Lacroix, J.-C. [Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, ITODYS, UMR 7086, CNRS, 15 rue J.-A. de Baïf, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France)

2014-09-21

We have investigated the thickness, the surface roughness, and the transport properties of oligo(1-(2-bisthienyl)benzene) (BTB) thin films grafted on evaporated Au electrodes, thanks to a diazonium-based electro-reduction process. The thickness of the organic film is tuned by varying the number of electrochemical cycles during the growth process. Atomic force microscopy measurements reveal the evolution of the thickness in the range of 2–27 nm. Its variation displays a linear dependence with the number of cycles followed by a saturation attributed to the insulating behavior of the organic films. Both ultrathin (2 nm) and thin (12 and 27 nm) large area BTB-based junctions have then been fabricated using standard CMOS processes and finally electrically characterized. The electronic responses are fully consistent with a tunneling barrier in case of ultrathin BTB film whereas a pronounced rectifying behavior is reported for thicker molecular films.

LOFT data reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, N.L.

1975-08-01

The Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) Facility is an experimental facility built around a ''scaled'' version of a large pressurized water reactor (LPWR). LOFT will be used to run loss-of-coolant experiments (LOCEs) and to acquire the necessary data required ''to evaluate the adequacy and improve the analytical methods currently used to predict the loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) response of LPWRs'' and ''to identify and investigate any unexpected event(s) or threshold(s) in the response of either the plant or the engineered safety features and develop analytical techniques that adequately describe and account for the unexpected behavior(s)''. During the LOCE this required data will be acquired and recorded in both analog and digital modes. Subsequent to the test the analog data will also be converted to the raw digital mode. This raw digital data will be converted to the desired engineering units using the LOFT Data Reduction System. This system is implemented on the IBM 360/75 and is a part of a commercially available data processing program called MAC/RAN III. The theory of reducing LOFT data to engineering units and the application of the MAC/ RAN III system to accomplish this reduction is given. (auth)

Influence of Calcium on Microbial Reduction of Solid Phase Uranium (VI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Chongxuan; Jeon, Byong-Hun; Zachara, John M.; Wang, Zheming

2007-01-01

The effect of calcium on microbial reduction of a solid phase U(VI), sodium boltwoodite (NaUO2SiO3OH · 1.5H2O), was evaluated in a culture of a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium (DMRB), Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1. Batch experiments were performed in a non-growth bicarbonate medium with lactate as electron donor at pH 7 buffered with PIPES. Calcium increased both the rate and extent of Na-boltwoodite dissolution by increasing its solubility through the formation of a ternary aqueous calcium-uranyl-carbonate species. The ternary species, however, decreased the rates of microbial reduction of aqueous U(VI). Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that microbial reduction of solid phase U(VI) is a sequentially coupled process of Na-boltwoodite dissolution, U(VI) aqueous speciation, and microbial reduction of dissolved U(VI) to U(IV) that accumulated on bacterial surfaces/periplasm. The overall rates of microbial reduction of solid phase U(VI) can be described by the coupled rates of dissolution and microbial reduction that were both influenced by calcium. The results demonstrated that dissolved U(VI) concentration during microbial reduction was a complex function of solid phase U(VI) dissolution kinetics, aqueous U(VI) speciation, and microbial activity

Large-Scale Phosphoproteomics Reveals Shp-2 Phosphatase-Dependent Regulators of Pdgf Receptor Signaling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Batth, Tanveer S; Papetti, Moreno; Pfeiffer, Anamarija

2018-01-01

Despite its low cellular abundance, phosphotyrosine (pTyr) regulates numerous cell signaling pathways in health and disease. We applied comprehensive phosphoproteomics to unravel differential regulators of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-initiated signaling networks upon activation by Pdgf-ββ, Fgf-2...... of Pdgfr pTyr signaling. Application of a recently introduced allosteric Shp-2 inhibitor revealed global regulation of the Pdgf-dependent tyrosine phosphoproteome, which significantly impaired cell migration. In addition, we present a list of hundreds of Shp-2-dependent targets and putative substrates...

Large revealing similarity in multihadron production in nuclear and particle collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Aditya Nath; Sahoo, Raghunath; Sarkisyan, Edward K.G.; Sakharov, Alexander S.; )

2016-01-01

The dependencies of charged particle pseudorapidity density and transverse energy pseudorapidity density at midrapidity as well as of charged particle total multiplicity on the collision energy and on the number of nucleon participants, or centrality, measured in nucleus-nucleus collisions are studied in the energy range spanning a few GeV to a few TeV per nucleon. The model in which the multiparticle production is driven by the dissipating effective energy of participants is considered. The model extends the earlier proposed approach, combining the constituent quark picture together with Landau relativistic hydrodynamics shown to interrelate the measurements from different types of collisions. Within this model, the dependence of the charged particle pseudorapidity density and transverse energy pseudorapidity density at midrapidity on the number of participants in heavy-ion collisions are found to be well described in terms of the effective energy defined as a centrality-dependent fraction of the collision energy. For both variables the effective energy approach reveals a similarity in the energy dependence obtained for the most central collisions and centrality data in the entire available energy range

Scale up of nutrition and health programs in Ethiopia and their overlap with reductions in child stunting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wirth, James P; Matji, Joan; Woodruff, Bradley A; Chamois, Sylvie; Getahun, Zewditu; White, Jessica M; Rohner, Fabian

2017-04-01

The prevalence of stunting in Sub-Saharan Africa has changed little since 2000, and the number of stunted children has increased. In contrast, Ethiopia is an example where the national stunting prevalence and number of stunted children have decreased consistently. We compare regional differences and temporal patterns in stunting with large-scale program coverage to identify where and when programs may have led to reductions in stunting. Data from three national demographic and health surveys and population statistics illustrate, at the regional level, where and when the prevalence and number of stunted children changed since 2000. Reports from large-scale nutrition and health programs were used to identify ecologic associations between geographic program coverage and reductions in stunting. From 2000 to 2005, the decline in the national stunting prevalence was mainly a result of reductions in Oromiya, SNNP and Tigray. Few nutrition programs had high coverage during this time, and economic growth may have contributed to stunting reduction by increasing household wealth and investments in sanitation. From 2005 to 2011, declines in stunting prevalence in Amhara, SNNP, Somali and Oromiya were largely responsible for national reductions. Numerous programs were implemented at scale and could have plausibly improved stunting. While ecologic relationships suggest that economic growth and large-scale programs may have contributed to the reduction in stunting in Ethiopia, stunting did not decrease in all regions despite increased program coverage expansion of the health system. Additional impact evaluations are needed identify the most effective programs to accelerate the reduction in the prevalence and number of stunted children. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Large-x dependence of νW2 in the generalized vector-dominance model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Argyres, E.N.; Lam, C.S.

1977-01-01

It is well known that the usual generalized vector-meson-dominance (GVMD) model gives too large a contribution to νW 2 for large x. Various heuristic modifications, for example making use of the t/sub min/ effect, have been proposed in order to achieve a reduction of this contribution. In this paper we examine within the GVMD context whether such reductions can rigorously be achieved. This is done utilizing a potential as well as a relativistic eikonal model. We find that whereas a reduction equivalent to that of t/sub min/ can be arranged in vector-meson photoproduction, the same is not true for virtual-photon Compton scattering in such diagonal models. The reason for this difference is discussed in detail. Finally we show that the desired reduction can be obtained if nondiagonal vector-meson scattering terms are properly taken into account

Genome-scale data reveal that endemic Poecilia populations from small sulphidic springs display no evidence of inbreeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Anthony P; Greenway, Ryan; Morgan, Samuel; Quackenbush, Corey R; Giordani, Luca; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Tobler, Michael; Kelley, Joanna L

2017-10-01

Populations with limited ranges can be highly vulnerable to changes in their environment and are, thus, of high conservation concern. Populations that experience human-induced range reductions are often highly inbred and lack genetic diversity, but it is unknown whether this is also the case for populations with naturally small ranges. The fishes Poecilia sulphuraria (listed as critically endangered) and Poecilia thermalis, which are endemic to small hydrogen sulphide-rich springs in southern Mexico, are examples of such populations with inherently small habitats. We used geometric morphometrics and population genetics to quantify phenotypic and genetic variation within and among two populations of P. sulphuraria and one population of P. thermalis. Principal component analyses revealed phenotypic and genetic differences among the populations. Evidence for inbreeding was low compared to populations that have undergone habitat reduction. The genetic data were also used to infer the demographic history of these populations to obtain estimates for effective population sizes and migration rates. Effective population sizes were large given the small habitats of these populations. Our results imply that these three endemic extremophile populations should each be considered separately for conservation purposes. Additionally, this study suggests that populations in naturally small habitats may have lower rates of inbreeding and higher genetic diversity than expected, and therefore may be better equipped to handle environmental perturbations than anticipated. We caution, however, that the inferred lack of inbreeding and the large effective population sizes could potentially be a result of colonization by genetically diverse ancestors. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Camelid genomes reveal evolution and adaptation to desert environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Huiguang; Guang, Xuanmin; Al-Fageeh, Mohamed B; Cao, Junwei; Pan, Shengkai; Zhou, Huanmin; Zhang, Li; Abutarboush, Mohammed H; Xing, Yanping; Xie, Zhiyuan; Alshanqeeti, Ali S; Zhang, Yanru; Yao, Qiulin; Al-Shomrani, Badr M; Zhang, Dong; Li, Jiang; Manee, Manee M; Yang, Zili; Yang, Linfeng; Liu, Yiyi; Zhang, Jilin; Altammami, Musaad A; Wang, Shenyuan; Yu, Lili; Zhang, Wenbin; Liu, Sanyang; Ba, La; Liu, Chunxia; Yang, Xukui; Meng, Fanhua; Wang, Shaowei; Li, Lu; Li, Erli; Li, Xueqiong; Wu, Kaifeng; Zhang, Shu; Wang, Junyi; Yin, Ye; Yang, Huanming; Al-Swailem, Abdulaziz M; Wang, Jun

2014-10-21

Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and alpaca (Vicugna pacos) are economically important livestock. Although the Bactrian camel and dromedary are large, typically arid-desert-adapted mammals, alpacas are adapted to plateaus. Here we present high-quality genome sequences of these three species. Our analysis reveals the demographic history of these species since the Tortonian Stage of the Miocene and uncovers a striking correlation between large fluctuations in population size and geological time boundaries. Comparative genomic analysis reveals complex features related to desert adaptations, including fat and water metabolism, stress responses to heat, aridity, intense ultraviolet radiation and choking dust. Transcriptomic analysis of Bactrian camels further reveals unique osmoregulation, osmoprotection and compensatory mechanisms for water reservation underpinned by high blood glucose levels. We hypothesize that these physiological mechanisms represent kidney evolutionary adaptations to the desert environment. This study advances our understanding of camelid evolution and the adaptation of camels to arid-desert environments.

Fast Reduction Method in Dominance-Based Information Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yan; Zhou, Qinghua; Wen, Yongchuan

2018-01-01

In real world applications, there are often some data with continuous values or preference-ordered values. Rough sets based on dominance relations can effectively deal with these kinds of data. Attribute reduction can be done in the framework of dominance-relation based approach to better extract decision rules. However, the computational cost of the dominance classes greatly affects the efficiency of attribute reduction and rule extraction. This paper presents an efficient method of computing dominance classes, and further compares it with traditional method with increasing attributes and samples. Experiments on UCI data sets show that the proposed algorithm obviously improves the efficiency of the traditional method, especially for large-scale data.

A large study reveals no Association between APOE and Parkinson’s disease

Science.gov (United States)

Federoff, Monica; Jimenez-Rolando, Belen; Nalls, Michael A; Singleton, Andrew B

2012-01-01

Background Research focusing on the role of APOE in Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been largely inconclusive, creating a broad discrepancy in association studies. Objective To elucidate the role of APOE alleles in PD risk by studying a large sample size and controlling for population substructure. Patients and Methods In total, 3465 case and control samples were genotyped, obtained from the NINDS Neurogenetics repository. Results No significant differences in ε4 dosages exist between PD cases and controls. The frequency of ε4 carriers differed slightly between cases and controls at 24% (580/2412) and 26% (270/1053), respectively. Likewise, mean dosages of APOE ε2 were not significantly different between cases and controls. APOE ε2 carriers were observed at a frequency of 13.6% (329/2412) among cases and 15% (158/1053) among controls. Logistic regression models evaluating PD as possibly associated with ε4 or ε2 carrier status and allele dosages yielded no significant results. The mean MMSE score among all PD cases was 28.35 (SD = 2.58) and memory loss was reported in only 11.9% (105/879) of cases. Linear regression models comparing MMSE scores as predicted by ε4 or ε2 carrier status and allele dosages were not significant. Conclusions There is no association between APOE epsilon alleles and Parkinson’s disease. PMID:22349451

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

Comparison of Amount of Primary Tooth Reduction Required for Anterior and Posterior Zirconia and Stainless Steel Crowns.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Larkin; Wells, Martha H; Harris, Edward F; Lou, Jennifer

2016-01-01

To determine if aggressiveness of primary tooth preparation varied among different brands of zirconia and stainless steel (SSC) crowns. One hundred primary typodont teeth were divided into five groups (10 posterior and 10 anterior) and assigned to: Cheng Crowns (CC); EZ Pedo (EZP); Kinder Krowns (KKZ); NuSmile (NSZ); and SSC. Teeth were prepared, and assigned crowns were fitted. Teeth were weighed prior to and after preparation. Weight changes served as a surrogate measure of tooth reduction. Analysis of variance showed a significant difference in tooth reduction among brand/type for both the anterior and posterior. Tukey's honest significant difference test (HSD), when applied to anterior data, revealed that SSCs required significantly less tooth removal compared to the composite of the four zirconia brands, which showed no significant difference among them. Tukey's HSD test, applied to posterior data, revealed that CC required significantly greater removal of crown structure, while EZP, KKZ, and NSZ were statistically equivalent, and SSCs required significantly less removal. Zirconia crowns required more tooth reduction than stainless steel crowns for primary anterior and posterior teeth. Tooth reduction for anterior zirconia crowns was equivalent among brands. For posterior teeth, reduction for three brands (EZ Pedo, Kinder Krowns, NuSmile) did not differ, while Cheng Crowns required more reduction.

A perspective on cost-effectiveness of greenhouse gas reduction solutions in water distribution systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendrickson, Thomas P; Horvath, Arpad

2014-01-01

Water distribution systems (WDSs) face great challenges as aging infrastructures require significant investments in rehabilitation, replacement, and expansion. Reducing environmental impacts as WDSs develop is essential for utility managers and policy makers. This study quantifies the existing greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of common WDS elements using life-cycle assessment (LCA) while identifying the greatest opportunities for emission reduction. This study addresses oversights of the related literature, which fails to capture several WDS elements and to provide detailed life-cycle inventories. The life-cycle inventory results for a US case study utility reveal that 81% of GHGs are from pumping energy, where a large portion of these emissions are a result of distribution leaks, which account for 270 billion l of water losses daily in the United States. Pipe replacement scheduling is analyzed from an environmental perspective where, through incorporating leak impacts, a tool reveals that optimal replacement is no more than 20 years, which is in contrast to the US average of 200 years. Carbon abatement costs (CACs) are calculated for different leak reduction scenarios for the case utility that range from −$130 to $35 t −1  CO 2(eq) . Including life-cycle modeling in evaluating pipe materials identified polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and cement-lined ductile iron (DICL) as the Pareto efficient options, however; utilizing PVC presents human health risks. The model developed for the case utility is applied to California and Texas to determine the CACs of reducing leaks to 5% of distributed water. For California, annual GHG savings from reducing leaks alone (3.4 million tons of CO 2(eq) ) are found to exceed California Air Resources Board’s estimate for energy efficiency improvements in the state’s water infrastructure. (paper)

Systems Perturbation Analysis of a Large-Scale Signal Transduction Model Reveals Potentially Influential Candidates for Cancer Therapeutics

Science.gov (United States)

Puniya, Bhanwar Lal; Allen, Laura; Hochfelder, Colleen; Majumder, Mahbubul; Helikar, Tomáš

2016-01-01

Dysregulation in signal transduction pathways can lead to a variety of complex disorders, including cancer. Computational approaches such as network analysis are important tools to understand system dynamics as well as to identify critical components that could be further explored as therapeutic targets. Here, we performed perturbation analysis of a large-scale signal transduction model in extracellular environments that stimulate cell death, growth, motility, and quiescence. Each of the model’s components was perturbed under both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations. Using 1,300 simulations under both types of perturbations across various extracellular conditions, we identified the most and least influential components based on the magnitude of their influence on the rest of the system. Based on the premise that the most influential components might serve as better drug targets, we characterized them for biological functions, housekeeping genes, essential genes, and druggable proteins. The most influential components under all environmental conditions were enriched with several biological processes. The inositol pathway was found as most influential under inactivating perturbations, whereas the kinase and small lung cancer pathways were identified as the most influential under activating perturbations. The most influential components were enriched with essential genes and druggable proteins. Moreover, known cancer drug targets were also classified in influential components based on the affected components in the network. Additionally, the systemic perturbation analysis of the model revealed a network motif of most influential components which affect each other. Furthermore, our analysis predicted novel combinations of cancer drug targets with various effects on other most influential components. We found that the combinatorial perturbation consisting of PI3K inactivation and overactivation of IP3R1 can lead to increased activity levels of apoptosis

A review on idling reduction strategies to improve fuel economy and reduce exhaust emissions of transport vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shancita, I.; Masjuki, H.H.; Kalam, M.A.; Rizwanul Fattah, I.M.; Rashed, M.M.; Rashedul, H.K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Introduce various idling reduction technologies for transport vehicles. • Exhibit their energy use, advantages, disadvantages to understand their capability. • Conduct critical review to improve fuel economy and exhaust emissions. • Suggest better technology according to their performance ability. - Abstract: To achieve reductions in vehicle idling, strategies and actions must be taken to minimize the time spent by drivers idling their engines. A number of benefits can be obtained in limiting the idling time. These benefits include savings in fuel use and maintenance costs, vehicle life extension, and reduction in exhaust emissions. The main objective of idling reduction (IR) devices is to reduce the amount of energy wasted by idling trucks, rail locomotives, and automobiles. During idling, gasoline vehicles emit a minimum amount of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and negligible particulate matter (PM). However, generally a large amount of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) are produced from these vehicles. Gasoline vehicles consume far more fuel at an hourly rate than their diesel counterparts during idling. Higher NOx and comparatively larger PM are produced by diesel vehicles than gasoline vehicles on the average during idling. Auxiliary power unit (APU), direct-fired heaters, fuel cells, thermal storage system, truck stop electrification, battery-based systems, engine idle management (shutdown) systems, electrical (shore power) solutions, cab comfort system, and hybridization are some of the available IR technologies whose performances for reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions have been compared. This paper analyzes the availability and capability of most efficient technologies to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions from diesel and gasoline vehicles by comparing the findings of previous studies. The analysis reveals that among all the options direct fired heaters, APUs and electrified parking spaces exhibit better

Disaster risk reduction capacity assessment for precarious settlements in Guatemala City.

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Scott B; Green, Rebekah A; Svekla, Walter

2012-07-01

This study presents findings of an institutional capacity analysis of urban disaster risk reduction for informal settlements in the Guatemala Metropolitan Region. It uses a resource access perspective of vulnerability, actor-network theory, and qualitative data collection. The analysis reveals that there is interest in disaster risk reduction for the informal settlements; however, there is little in the way of direct financial or oversight relationships between informal settlement residents and all other actors. Respondents observed that informal settlements would probably remain inhabited; thus, there is a need for disaster risk reduction within these settlements. Disaster risk reduction capacity for informal settlements exists and can be further leveraged, as long as steps are taken to ensure appropriate access to and control of resources and oversight. Further, the nascent institutional arrangements should be strengthened through increased communication and coordination between actors, a decentralization of oversight and financial relationships, and mediation of identified resource conflicts. © 2012 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2012.

Volume independence in large Nc QCD-like gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovtun, Pavel; Uensal, Mithat; Yaffe, Laurence G.

2007-01-01

Volume independence in large N c gauge theories may be viewed as a generalized orbifold equivalence. The reduction to zero volume (or Eguchi-Kawai reduction) is a special case of this equivalence. So is temperature independence in confining phases. A natural generalization concerns volume independence in 'theory space' of quiver gauge theories. In pure Yang-Mills theory, the failure of volume independence for sufficiently small volumes (at weak coupling) due to spontaneous breaking of center symmetry, together with its validity above a critical size, nicely illustrate the symmetry realization conditions which are both necessary and sufficient for large N c orbifold equivalence. The existence of a minimal size below which volume independence fails also applies to Yang-Mills theory with antisymmetric representation fermions [QCD(AS)]. However, in Yang-Mills theory with adjoint representation fermions [QCD(Adj)], endowed with periodic boundary conditions, volume independence remains valid down to arbitrarily small size. In sufficiently large volumes, QCD(Adj) and QCD(AS) have a large N c ''orientifold'' equivalence, provided charge conjugation symmetry is unbroken in the latter theory. Therefore, via a combined orbifold-orientifold mapping, a well-defined large N c equivalence exists between QCD(AS) in large, or infinite, volume and QCD(Adj) in arbitrarily small volume. Since asymptotically free gauge theories, such as QCD(Adj), are much easier to study (analytically or numerically) in small volume, this equivalence should allow greater understanding of large N c QCD in infinite volume

Model reduction for circuit simulation

CERN Document Server

Hinze, Michael; Maten, E Jan W Ter

2011-01-01

Simulation based on mathematical models plays a major role in computer aided design of integrated circuits (ICs). Decreasing structure sizes, increasing packing densities and driving frequencies require the use of refined mathematical models, and to take into account secondary, parasitic effects. This leads to very high dimensional problems which nowadays require simulation times too large for the short time-to-market demands in industry. Modern Model Order Reduction (MOR) techniques present a way out of this dilemma in providing surrogate models which keep the main characteristics of the devi

Structural Analysis of Insulin Minisatellite Alleles Reveals Unusually Large Differences in Diversity between Africans and Non-Africans

Science.gov (United States)

Stead, John D. H.; Jeffreys, Alec J.

2002-01-01

The insulin minisatellite (INS VNTR) associates with susceptibility to a variety of diseases. We have developed a high-resolution system for analyzing variant repeat distributions applicable to all known minisatellite alleles, irrespective of size, which allows lineages of related alleles to be identified. This system has previously revealed extremely low structural diversity in the minisatellite among northern Europeans from the United Kingdom, with all alleles belonging to one of only three highly diverged lineages called “I,” “IIIA,” and “IIIB.” To explore the origins of this remarkably limited lineage diversity, we have characterized an additional 780 alleles from three non-African and three African populations. In total, 22 highly diverged lineages were identified, with structural intermediates absent from extant populations, suggesting a bottleneck within the ancestry of all humans. The difference between levels of diversity in Africans and non-Africans is unusually large, with all 22 lineages identified in Africa compared with only three lineages seen not only in the United Kingdom but also in the other non-African populations. We also find evidence for overrepresentation of lineage I chromosomes in non-Africans. These data are consistent with a common out-of-Africa origin and an unusually tight bottleneck within the ancestry of all non-African populations, possibly combined with differential and positive selection for lineage I alleles in non-Africans. The important implications of these data for future disease-association studies are discussed. PMID:12404181

Reynolds number dependence of drag reduction by rodlike polymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amarouchene, Y.; Bonn, D.; Kellay, H.; Lo, T.-S.; L'vov, V.S.; Procaccia, I.

2008-01-01

We present experimental and theoretical results addressing the Reynolds number (Re) dependence of drag reduction by sufficiently large concentrations of rodlike polymers in turbulent wall-bounded flows. It is shown that when Re is small the drag is enhanced. On the other hand, when Re increases, the

External caps: An approach to stress reduction in balloons

Science.gov (United States)

Hazlewood, K. H.

Recent findings of the catastrophic balloon failures investigation in the U.S.A. indicate that very large gross inflations, in balloons using present design philosophy, over-stress currently available materials. External caps are proposed as an economic approach to reducting those stresses to an acceptable level.

The challenge of meeting Canada's greenhouse gas reduction targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, Larry; Chaudhry, Nikhil

2011-01-01

In 2007, the Government of Canada announced its medium- and long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction plan entitled Turning the Corner, proposed emission cuts of 20% below 2006 levels by 2020 and 60-70% below 2006 levels by 2050. A report from a Canadian government advisory organization, the National Round Table on Environment and Economy (NRTEE), Achieving 2050: A carbon pricing policy for Canada, recommended 'fast and deep' energy pathways to emissions reduction through large-scale electrification of Canada's economy by relying on a major expansion of hydroelectricity, adoption of carbon capture and storage for coal and natural gas, and increasing the use of nuclear. This paper examines the likelihood of the pathways being met by considering the report's proposed energy systems, their associated energy sources, and the magnitude of the changes. It shows that the pathways assume some combination of technological advances, access to secure energy supplies, or rapid installation in order to meet both the 2020 and 2050 targets. This analysis suggests that NRTEE's projections are optimistic and unlikely to be achieved. The analysis described in this paper can be applied to other countries to better understand and develop strategies that can help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. - Research highlights: → An analysis of a Canadian government advisory organization's GHG reduction plans. → Hydroelectricity and wind development is overly optimistic. → Declining coal and natural gas supplies and lack of CO 2 storage may hamper CCS. → Changing precipitation patterns may limit nuclear and hydroelectricity. → Bioenergy and energy reduction policies largely ignored despite their promise.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy study on the thermal and hydrazine reduction of graphene oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Xianqing; Wang, Yu; Zheng, Huiyuan; Wu, Ziyu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • XAS study of GO and reduced GO was performed. • Detailed evolution of the electronic structures and chemical bonding of GO was revealed. • A new efficient route for the reduction of GO is proposed. - Abstract: X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was applied to systemically investigate the deoxygenation of graphene oxide (GO) via annealing and hydrazine treatment. Detailed evolution of the electronic structures and chemical bonding of GO was presented. The enhanced intensity of π * resonance and the appearance of splitting σ * resonance in C K-edge XAS spectra suggest high extents of recoveries of π-conjugation upon reduction using thermal annealing or hydrazine. Experimental results revealed that the carboxyl as well as epoxide and hydroxyl groups on the surface of GO were thermally reduced first, followed by the more difficult removal of carbonyl and cyclic ether groups at higher temperatures. The hydrazine reduction could remove epoxide, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups effectively, whereas the carbonyl groups were partially reduced with the incorporation of nitrogen species simultaneously. The residual oxygen functional groups on hydrazine-reduced GO could be further removed after modest thermal annealing. It was proposed that a combination of both types of reductions would give the best deoxygenation efficiency for the production of graphene

Resolvent-based feedback control for turbulent friction drag reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Kawagoe, Aika; Nakashima, Satoshi; Luhar, Mitul; Fukagata, Koji

2017-11-01

Suboptimal control for turbulent friction drag reduction has been studied extensively. Nakashima et al. (accepted) extended resolvent analysis to suboptimal control, and for the control where the streamwise wall shear stress is used as an input (Case ST), they revealed the control effect across spectral space is mixed: there are regions of drag increase as well as reduction. This suggests that control performance may be improved if the control is applied for selective wavelengths, or if a new law is designed to suppress the spectral region leading to drag increase. In the present study, we first assess the effect of suboptimal control for selective wavelengths via DNS. The friction Reynolds number is set at 180. For Case ST, resolvent analysis predicts drag reduction at long streamwise wavelengths. DNS with control applied only for this spectral region, however, did not result in drag reduction. Then, we seek an effective control law using resolvent analysis and propose a new law. DNS results for this law are consistent with predictions from resolvent analysis, and about 10% drag reduction is attained. Further, we discuss how this law reduces the drag from a dynamical and theoretical point of view. This work was supported through Grant-in-Aid for Scientic Research (C) (No. 25420129) by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Induction melting for volume reduction of metallic TRU wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westsik, J.H. Jr.; Montgomery, D.R.; Katayama, Y.B.; Ross, W.A.

1986-01-01

Volume reduction of metallic transuranic wastes offers economic and safety incentives for treatment of wastes generated at a hypothetical commercial fuel reprocessing facility. Induction melting has been identified as the preferred process for volume reduction of spent fuel hulls, fuel assembly hardware, and failed equipment from a reprocessing plant. Bench-scale melting of Zircaloy and stainless steel mixtures has been successfully conducted in a graphite crucible inside a large vacuum chamber. A low-melting-temperature alloy forms that has demonstrated excellent leach resistance. The alloy can be used to encapsulate other metallic wastes that cannot be melted using the existing equipment design

Drag reduction mechanism by microbubble injection within a channel boundary layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling Zhen; Hassan, Y.

2005-01-01

In this study, the drag reduction due to microbubble injection in the boundary layer of a fully developed turbulent channel flow was investigated. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) techniques were taken. The effects of the presence of microbubbles in the boundary layer were assessed. A drag reduction of 38.4% was obtained with void fraction of 4.9%. The algorithms of wavelet auto-correlation maps were applied to the PIV velocity field measurement. Modifications in the wavelet auto-correlation maps due to the presence of microbubbles were studied and compared in three-dimensions. By using 3-D plotting routines and the wavelet auto-correlation maps, it can be deduced from this study that the microbubble injection within the boundary layer increases the turbulent energy of the streamwise velocity components of the large scale (large eddy size, low frequency) range and decreases the energy of the small scale (small eddy size, high frequency) range. The wavelet auto-correlation maps of the normal velocities indicate that the microbubble presence decrease the turbulent energy of normal velocity components for both the large scale (large eddy size, low frequency) and the small scale (small eddy size, high frequency) ranges. (authors)

Emergency planning zone reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, C.

2002-01-01

This paper describes the process used by a large industrial Department of Energy (DOE) site to communicate changing hazards to its stakeholders and install the confidence necessary to implement the resulting emergency planning changes. Over the last decade as the sites missions have shifted from full-scale production to a greater emphasis on environmental restoration and waste management, the off-site threat from its operations has substantially decreased. The challenge was to clearly communicate the reduced hazards, install confidence in the technical analysis that documented the hazard reduction, and obtain stakeholder buy-in on the path forward to change the emergency management program. The most significant change to the emergency management program was the proposed reduction of the sites Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). As the EPZ is defined as an area for which planning is needed to protect the public in the event of an accident, the process became politically challenging. An overview of how the site initially approached this problem and then learned to more substantially involve the state and local emergency preparedness agencies and the local Citizens Advisory Board will be presented. (author)

The Effect of Carbonaceous Reductant Selection on Chromite Pre-reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Kleynhans, E. L. J.; Beukes, J. P.; Van Zyl, P. G.; Bunt, J. R.; Nkosi, N. S. B.; Venter, M.

2017-04-01

Ferrochrome (FeCr) production is an energy-intensive process. Currently, the pelletized chromite pre-reduction process, also referred to as solid-state reduction of chromite, is most likely the FeCr production process with the lowest specific electricity consumption, i.e., MWh/t FeCr produced. In this study, the effects of carbonaceous reductant selection on chromite pre-reduction and cured pellet strength were investigated. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to evaluate the effect of reductant characteristics on the aforementioned two parameters. This yielded mathematical solutions that can be used by FeCr producers to select reductants more optimally in future. Additionally, the results indicated that hydrogen (H)- (24 pct) and volatile content (45.8 pct) were the most significant contributors for predicting variance in pre-reduction and compressive strength, respectively. The role of H within this context is postulated to be linked to the ability of a reductant to release H that can induce reduction. Therefore, contrary to the current operational selection criteria, the authors believe that thermally untreated reductants ( e.g., anthracite, as opposed to coke or char), with volatile contents close to the currently applied specification (to ensure pellet strength), would be optimal, since it would maximize H content that would enhance pre-reduction.

Regional reductions in sleep electroencephalography power in obstructive sleep apnea: a high-density EEG study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Stephanie G; Riedner, Brady A; Smith, Richard F; Ferrarelli, Fabio; Tononi, Giulio; Davidson, Richard J; Benca, Ruth M

2014-02-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with significant alterations in neuronal integrity resulting from either hypoxemia and/or sleep loss. A large body of imaging research supports reductions in gray matter volume, alterations in white matter integrity and resting state activity, and functional abnormalities in response to cognitive challenge in various brain regions in patients with OSA. In this study, we used high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG), a functional imaging tool that could potentially be used during routine clinical care, to examine the regional distribution of neural activity in a non-clinical sample of untreated men and women with moderate/severe OSA. Sleep was recorded with 256-channel EEG in relatively healthy subjects with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 10, as well as age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched controls selected from a research population initially recruited for a study on sleep and meditation. Sleep laboratory. Nine subjects with AHI > 10 and nine matched controls. N/A. Topographic analysis of hdEEG data revealed a broadband reduction in EEG power in a circumscribed region overlying the parietal cortex in OSA subjects. This parietal reduction in neural activity was present, to some extent, across all frequency bands in all stages and episodes of nonrapid eye movement sleep. This investigation suggests that regional deficits in electroencephalography (EEG) power generation may be a useful clinical marker for neural disruption in obstructive sleep apnea, and that high-density EEG may have the sensitivity to detect pathological cortical changes early in the disease process.

Coupling and reduction of the HAWC equations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nim, E.

2001-01-01

This report contains a description of a general method for coupling and reduction of the so-called HAWC equations, which constitute the basis equations of motion of the aeroelastic model HAWC used widely by research institutes and industrial companies formore than the ten years. The principal aim....... In addition, the method enables the reduction of the number of degrees of freedom of the structure in order to increase the calculation efficiency and improve thecondition of the system.......This report contains a description of a general method for coupling and reduction of the so-called HAWC equations, which constitute the basis equations of motion of the aeroelastic model HAWC used widely by research institutes and industrial companies formore than the ten years. The principal aim...... of the work has been to enable the modelling wind turbines with large displacements of the blades in order to predict phenomena caused by geometric non-linear effects. However, the method can also be applied tomodel the nacelle/shaft structure of a turbine more detailed than the present HAWC model...

Hole quality and burr reduction in drilling aluminium sheets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pilny, Lukas; De Chiffre, Leonardo; Piska, Miroslav

2011-01-01

Optimization of the metal drilling process requires creation of minimum amount of burrs and uniform appearance of the drilled holes. In this paper, an experimental investigation was performed on 2 mm sheets of wrought aluminium alloy Al99.7Mg0.5Cu-H24, using 1.6 and 2 mm diameter drills. Cutting...... data, clamping conditions, and drill geometry were varied in order to optimize the process and reach the desired quality. The results revealed possible reduction of burr occurrence on both the entry and exit side of the sheet, requiring no additional deburring. The demand on the uniform appearance...... of drilled holes was fulfilled as well as high productivity achieved. Such optimized process results in a noticeable production cost reduction....

Hole quality and burr reduction in drilling aluminium sheets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pilny, Lukas; De Chiffre, Leonardo; Piska, Miroslav

2012-01-01

Optimization of the metal drilling process requires creation of minimum amount of burrs and uniform appearance of the drilled holes. In this paper, an experimental investigation was performed on 2 mm sheets of wrought aluminium alloy Al99.7Mg0.5Cu-H24, using 1.6 and 2 mm diameter drills. Cutting...... data, clamping conditions, and drill geometry were varied in order to optimize the process and reach the desired quality. The results revealed possible reduction of burr occurrence on both the entry and exit side of the sheet, requiring no additional deburring. The demand on the uniform appearance...... of drilled holes was fulfilled as well as high productivity achieved. Such optimized process results in a noticeable production cost reduction....

Experimental study of drag reduction in flumes and spillway tunnels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-kui Wang

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Experiments in an open flume model and spillway tunnel model were carried out using drag reduction techniques. Two drag reduction techniques were adopted in the experiments: polymer addition and coating. The drag reduction effect of a polyacrylamide (PAM solution and dimethyl silicone oil coating were studied in the flume model experiments, and the results were analyzed. Experiments were then carried out with a model of the Xiluodu Hydropower Station, the second largest dam in China. In order to reduce the resistance, the spillway tunnels were internally coated with dimethyl silicone oil. This is the first time that these drag reduction techniques have been applied to so large a hydraulic model. The experimental results show that the coating technique can effectively increase flood discharge. The outlet velocity and the jet trajectory distance are also increased, which enhances the energy dissipation of the spillway tunnel.

Use of a large-scale rainfall simulator reveals novel insights into stemflow generation

Science.gov (United States)

Levia, D. F., Jr.; Iida, S. I.; Nanko, K.; Sun, X.; Shinohara, Y.; Sakai, N.

2017-12-01

Detailed knowledge of stemflow generation and its effects on both hydrological and biogoechemical cycling is important to achieve a holistic understanding of forest ecosystems. Field studies and a smaller set of experiments performed under laboratory conditions have increased our process-based knowledge of stemflow production. Building upon these earlier works, a large-scale rainfall simulator was employed to deepen our understanding of stemflow generation processes. The use of the large-scale rainfall simulator provides a unique opportunity to examine a range of rainfall intensities under constant conditions that are difficult under natural conditions due to the variable nature of rainfall intensities in the field. Stemflow generation and production was examined for three species- Cryptomeria japonica D. Don (Japanese cedar), Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl. (Japanese cypress), Zelkova serrata Thunb. (Japanese zelkova)- under both leafed and leafless conditions at several different rainfall intensities (15, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 100 mm h-1) using a large-scale rainfall simulator in National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (Tsukuba, Japan). Stemflow production and rates and funneling ratios were examined in relation to both rainfall intensity and canopy structure. Preliminary results indicate a dynamic and complex response of the funneling ratios of individual trees to different rainfall intensities among the species examined. This is partly the result of different canopy structures, hydrophobicity of vegetative surfaces, and differential wet-up processes across species and rainfall intensities. This presentation delves into these differences and attempts to distill them into generalizable patterns, which can advance our theories of stemflow generation processes and ultimately permit better stewardship of forest resources. ________________ Funding note: This research was supported by JSPS Invitation Fellowship for Research in

Illusory motion reveals velocity matching, not foveation, drives smooth pursuit of large objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Zheng; Watamaniuk, Scott N J; Heinen, Stephen J

2017-10-01

When small objects move in a scene, we keep them foveated with smooth pursuit eye movements. Although large objects such as people and animals are common, it is nonetheless unknown how we pursue them since they cannot be foveated. It might be that the brain calculates an object's centroid, and then centers the eyes on it during pursuit as a foveation mechanism might. Alternatively, the brain merely matches the velocity by motion integration. We test these alternatives with an illusory motion stimulus that translates at a speed different from its retinal motion. The stimulus was a Gabor array that translated at a fixed velocity, with component Gabors that drifted with motion consistent or inconsistent with the translation. Velocity matching predicts different pursuit behaviors across drift conditions, while centroid matching predicts no difference. We also tested whether pursuit can segregate and ignore irrelevant local drifts when motion and centroid information are consistent by surrounding the Gabors with solid frames. Finally, observers judged the global translational speed of the Gabors to determine whether smooth pursuit and motion perception share mechanisms. We found that consistent Gabor motion enhanced pursuit gain while inconsistent, opposite motion diminished it, drawing the eyes away from the center of the stimulus and supporting a motion-based pursuit drive. Catch-up saccades tended to counter the position offset, directing the eyes opposite to the deviation caused by the pursuit gain change. Surrounding the Gabors with visible frames canceled both the gain increase and the compensatory saccades. Perceived speed was modulated analogous to pursuit gain. The results suggest that smooth pursuit of large stimuli depends on the magnitude of integrated retinal motion information, not its retinal location, and that the position system might be unnecessary for generating smooth velocity to large pursuit targets.

Seed-mediated co-reduction in a large lattice mismatch system: synthesis of Pd-Cu nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunz, Meredith R; McClain, Sophia M; Chen, Dennis P; Koczkur, Kallum M; Weiner, Rebecca G; Skrabalak, Sara E

2017-06-08

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) are of interest for applications in catalysis, electronics, chemical sensing, and more. Their utility is dictated by their composition and physical parameters such as particle size, particle shape, and overall architecture (e.g., hollow vs. solid). Interestingly, the addition of a second metal to create bimetallic NPs adds multifunctionality, with new emergent properties common. However, synthesizing structurally defined bimetallic NPs remains a great challenge. One synthetic pathway to architecturally controlled bimetallic NPs is seed-mediated co-reduction (SMCR) in which two metal precursors are simultaneously co-reduced to deposit metal onto shape-controlled metal seeds, which direct the overgrowth. Previously demonstrated in a Au-Pd system, here SMCR is applied to a system with a larger lattice mismatch between the depositing metals: Pd and Cu (7% mismatch for Pd-Cu vs. 4% for Au-Pd). Through manipulation of precursor reduction kinetics, the morphology and bimetallic distribution of the resultant NPs can be tuned to achieve eight-branched Pd-Cu heterostructures with Cu localized at the tips of the Pd nanocubes as well as branched Pd-Cu alloyed nanostructures and polyhedra. Significantly, the symmetry of the seeds can be transferred to the final nanostructures. This study expands our understanding of SMCR as a route to structurally defined bimetallic nanostructures and the synthesis of multicomponent nanomaterials more generally.

Measurement of the Low Frequency Noise of MOSFETs under Large Signal RF Excitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wel, A.P.; Klumperink, Eric A.M.; Nauta, Bram

2002-01-01

A measurement technique [1] is presented that allows measurement of MOSFET low frequency (LF) noise under large signal RF (Radio Frequency) excitation. Measurements indicate that MOSFETS exhibit a reduction in LF noise when they are cycled from inversion to accummulation and that this reduction does

System of the advanced volume reduction facilities for LLW at JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higuchi, Hidekazu; Monma, Toshiyuki; Nakashio, Nobuyuki; Kozawa, Kazushige; Touhei, Toshio; Sudou, Tomoyuki; Mitsuda, Motoyuki; Kurosawa, Shigenobu; Henmi, Kou; Ishikawa, Joji; Kato, Mitsugu; Sato, Motoaki

2005-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) constructed the Advanced Volume Reduction Facilities (AVRF), in which volume reduction techniques are applied and achieved high volume reduction ratio, homogenization and stabilization by means of melting or super compaction processes for low level solid wastes. It will be able to produce waste packages for final disposal and to reduce the amount of the wastes by operating the AVRF. The AVRF consist of the Waste Size Reduction and Storage Facilities (WSRSF) and the Waste Volume Reduction Facilities (WVRF); the former have cutting installations for large size wastes and the latter have melting units and a super compactor. Cutting installations in the WSRSF have been operating since June 1999. Radioactive wastes treated so far amount to 600 m 3 and the volume reduction ratio is from 1/2 to 1/3. The WVRF have been operating with non-radioactive wastes since February 2003 for the training and the homogeneity investigation in the melting processes. The operation with radioactive wastes will start in FY2005. (author)

5th Drag Reduction in Engineering Flows Meeting

CERN Document Server

1991-01-01

The European Drag Reduction Meeting has been held on 15th and 16th November 1990 in London. This was the fifth of the annual European meetings on drag reduction in engineering flows. The main objective of this meeting was to discuss up-to-date results of drag reduction research carried out in Europe. The organiser has adopted the philosophy of discussing the yesterday's results rather than the last year's results. No written material has therefore been requested for the meeting. It was only after the meeting the submission of papers was requested to the participants, from which 16 papers were selected for this proceedings volume. The meeting has attracted a record number of participants with a total of 52 researchers from seven European countries, U. K. , France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and U. S. S. R. as well as from Japan, Canada and Australia. The subjects covered in this proceedings volume include riblets, LEBUs (Large Eddy Break-Up device), surface roughness, compliant surfaces and p...

Black women, work, stress, and perceived discrimination: the focused support group model as an intervention for stress reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Mays, V M

1995-01-01

This exploratory study examined the use of two components (small and large groups) of a community-based intervention, the Focused Support Group (FSG) model, to alleviate employment-related stressors in Black women. Participants were assigned to small groups based on occupational status. Groups met for five weekly 3-hr sessions in didactic or small- and large-group formats. Two evaluations following the didactic session and the small and large group sessions elicited information on satisfaction with each of the formats, self-reported change in stress, awareness of interpersonal and sociopolitical issues affecting Black women in the labor force, assessing support networks, and usefulness of specific discussion topics to stress reduction. Results indicated the usefulness of the small- and large-group formats in reduction of self-reported stress and increases in personal and professional sources of support. Discussions on race and sex discrimination in the workplace were effective in overall stress reduction. The study highlights labor force participation as a potential source of stress for Black women, and supports the development of culture- and gender-appropriate community interventions as viable and cost-effective methods for stress reduction.

Socio-economic and Engineering Assessments of Renewable Energy Cost Reduction Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Seel, Joachim

Germany, especially for customer acquisition, installation labor, and profit/overhead costs, but also for expenses related to permitting, interconnection, and inspection procedures. Additional costs occur in the United States due to state and local sales taxes, smaller average system sizes, and longer project-development times. To reduce the identified additional costs of residential PV systems, the United States could introduce policies that enable a robust and lasting market while minimizing market fragmentation. Regularly declining incentives offering a transparent and certain value proposition might help accelerate PV cost reductions in the United States. Performance analysis of large-scale solar installations in the United States: This paper presents the first known use of multi-variate regression techniques to statistically explore empirical variation in utility-scale PV project performance across the United States. Among a sample of 128 utility-scale PV projects totaling 3,201 MWAC, net capacity factors in 2014 varied by more than a factor of two. Regression models developed for this analysis find that just three highly significant independent variables can explain 92% of this project-level variation. Adding the commercial operation year as a fourth independent variable and three interactive variables improves the model further and reveals interesting relationships. Taken together, the empirical data and statistical modeling results presented in this paper can provide a useful indication of the level of performance that solar project developers and investors can expect from various project configurations in different regions of the United States. Moreover, the tight relationship between fitted and actual capacity factors should instill confidence among investors that the utility-scale projects in this sample have largely performed as predicted by our models, with no significant outliers to date. Holistic assessment of future cost reduction opportunities of wind

Photochemical reduction of uranyl ion with amides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brar, A.S.; Chander, R.; Sandhu, S.S.

1981-01-01

The photochemical reduction of uranyl ion by formamide, acetamide, propionamide, butyramide, iso butyramids, n-methylformamide, N, N-dimethylformamide and N, N-diethylformamide in aqueous medium using radiation >= 380 nm from a medium pressure mercury vapour lamp has been investigated. The reduction with the said amides has been found to obey pseudo first order kinetics. The magnitude of the rate of reduction for the simple amides has been found to follow the following order formamide > isobutyramide approx. butyramide > propionamide > acetamide while the rate order for N-alkylformamides compared with that of the formamide has been found to be formamide > N-methylformamide > N,N-diethylformamide approx. N,N-dimethylformamide. The pseudo first order rate constants and quenching constants have been found from the kinetic data. It has been found that physical and chemical quenching compete with each other. Plots of reciprocal of quantum yields versus reciprocal [amide] have been found to be linear with intercepts on the ordinate axis. Absorption spectra of uranyl ion in doubly distilled water, in the presence of acid and in the presence of acid and amide reveal that there is no ground state interaction between uranyl ion and the amide. A mechanism of photoreduction of uranyl ion with amides has been proposed. (author)

Experimental investigation on emission reduction in neem oil biodiesel using selective catalytic reduction and catalytic converter techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Viswanathan, Karthickeyan

2018-05-01

In the present study, non-edible seed oil namely raw neem oil was converted into biodiesel using transesterification process. In the experimentation, two biodiesel blends were prepared namely B25 (25% neem oil methyl ester with 75% of diesel) and B50 (50% neem oil methyl ester with 50% diesel). Urea-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technique with catalytic converter (CC) was fixed in the exhaust tail pipe of the engine for the reduction of engine exhaust emissions. Initially, the engine was operated with diesel as a working fluid and followed by refilling of biodiesel blends B25 and B50 to obtain the baseline readings without SCR and CC. Then, the same procedure was repeated with SCR and CC technique for emission reduction measurement in diesel, B25 and B50 sample. The experimental results revealed that the B25 blend showed higher break thermal efficiency (BTE) and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) with lower break-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) than B50 blend at all loads. On comparing with biodiesel blends, diesel experiences increased BTE of 31.9% with reduced BSFC of 0.29 kg/kWh at full load. A notable emission reduction was noticed for all test fuels in SCR and CC setup. At full load, B25 showed lower carbon monoxide (CO) of 0.09% volume, hydrocarbon (HC) of 24 ppm, and smoke of 14 HSU and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) of 735 ppm than diesel and B50 in SCR and CC setup. On the whole, the engine with SCR and CC setup showed better performance and emission characteristics than standard engine operation.

Model Reduction in Dynamic Finite Element Analysis of Lightweight Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flodén, Ola; Persson, Kent; Sjöström, Anders

2012-01-01

models may be created by assembling models of floor and wall structures into large models of complete buildings. When assembling the floor and wall models, the number of degrees of freedom quickly increases to exceed the limits of computer capacity, at least in a reasonable amount of computational time...... Hz. Three different methods of model reduction were investigated; Guyan reduction, component mode synthesis and a third approach where a new finite element model was created with structural elements. Eigenvalue and steady-state analyses were performed in order to compare the errors...

Impact of agricultural emission reductions on fine-particulate matter and public health

Science.gov (United States)

Pozzer, Andrea; Tsimpidi, Alexandra P.; Karydis, Vlassis A.; de Meij, Alexander; Lelieveld, Jos

2017-10-01

A global chemistry-climate model has been used to study the impacts of pollutants released by agriculture on fine-particulate matter (PM2.5), with a focus on Europe, North America, East and South Asia. Simulations reveal that a relatively strong reduction in PM2.5 levels can be achieved by decreasing agricultural emissions, notably of ammonia (NH3) released from fertilizer use and animal husbandry. The absolute impact on PM2.5 reduction is strongest in East Asia, even for small emission decreases. Conversely, over Europe and North America, aerosol formation is not immediately limited by the availability of ammonia. Nevertheless, reduction of NH3 can also substantially decrease PM2.5 concentrations over the latter regions, especially when emissions are abated systematically. Our results document how reduction of agricultural emissions decreases aerosol pH due to the depletion of aerosol ammonium, which affects particle liquid phase and heterogeneous chemistry. Further, it is shown that a 50 % reduction of agricultural emissions could prevent the mortality attributable to air pollution by ˜ 250 000 people yr-1 worldwide, amounting to reductions of 30, 19, 8 and 3 % over North America, Europe, East and South Asia, respectively. A theoretical 100 % reduction could even reduce the number of deaths globally by about 800 000 per year.

Characterization of the corrinoid iron-sulfur protein tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase of Dehalobacter restrictus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maillard, J.; Schumacher, W.; Vazquez, F.; Regeard, C.; Hagen, W.R.; Holliger, C.

2003-01-01

The membrane-bound tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase (PCE-RDase) (PceA; EC 1.97.1.8), the terminal component of the respiratory chain of Dehalobacter restrictus, was purified 25-fold to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a

The reduction of MoO3 at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoeni, W.; Gai, P.L.; Hirsch, P.B.

1977-01-01

New observations of the surface defects generated in MoO 3 on reduction in H 2 in situ in a high voltage electron microscope have revealed an error in the previous interpretation (Thoni and Hirsch, Phil. Mag.; 33:639 (1976)). The defects are now shown to be partial screw dislocations, with Burgers vector 1/2 , which accommodate the misfit between the reduced surface layer and the underlying matrix. (author)

Large Multinodular Toxic Goiter: Is Surgery Always Necessary?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Negro

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Patients suffering from multinodular toxic goiter (MNTG are candidates to thyroidectomy or radioiodine 131I (131I therapy. Thyroidectomy may be preferable especially when the volume of hyperfunctioning tissue is so large that a single administration of 131I is unlikely to cure the patient in terms of nodule’s volume reduction and thyroid function. We describe the case of a 71-year-old man suffering from thyrotoxic state for the presence of two large hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. As the patient refused surgery, at first we administered 600 MBq dose of 131I, which was unable to solve hyperthyroidism and local compressive symptoms. Then, before administering another 131I dose, the patient underwent a laser ablation treatment (LAT in both nodules. After a significant shrinkage due to LAT, the patient received 400 MBq 131I. This procedure was able to definitely cure hyperthyroidism, to induce a significant reduction of nodules’ volume, and to render the patient asymptomatic for compressive symptoms. This case demonstrates that 131I preceded by LAT represents a valid alternative strategy to surgery, even in the presence of two large coexistent hot nodules.

Gender differences of brain glucose metabolic networks revealed by FDG-PET: evidence from a large cohort of 400 young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yuxiao; Xu, Qiang; Li, Kai; Zhu, Hong; Qi, Rongfeng; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming

2013-01-01

Gender differences of the human brain are an important issue in neuroscience research. In recent years, an increasing amount of evidence has been gathered from noninvasive neuroimaging studies supporting a sexual dimorphism of the human brain. However, there is a lack of imaging studies on gender differences of brain metabolic networks based on a large population sample. FDG PET data of 400 right-handed, healthy subjects, including 200 females (age: 25:45 years, mean age ± SD: 40.9 ± 3.9 years) and 200 age-matched males were obtained and analyzed in the present study. We first investigated the regional differences of brain glucose metabolism between genders using a voxel-based two-sample t-test analysis. Subsequently, we investigated the gender differences of the metabolic networks. Sixteen metabolic covariance networks using seed-based correlation were analyzed. Seven regions showing significant regional metabolic differences between genders, and nine regions conventionally used in the resting-state network studies were selected as regions-of-interest. Permutation tests were used for comparing within- and between-network connectivity between genders. Compared with the males, females showed higher metabolism in the posterior part and lower metabolism in the anterior part of the brain. Moreover, there were widely distributed patterns of the metabolic networks in the human brain. In addition, significant gender differences within and between brain glucose metabolic networks were revealed in the present study. This study provides solid data that reveal gender differences in regional brain glucose metabolism and brain glucose metabolic networks. These observations might contribute to the better understanding of the gender differences in human brain functions, and suggest that gender should be included as a covariate when designing experiments and explaining results of brain glucose metabolic networks in the control and experimental individuals or patients.

The Reduction of Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex Gray Matter Volume Correlates with Loss of Economic Rationality in Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Hui-Kuan; Tymula, Agnieszka; Glimcher, Paul

2017-12-06

The population of people above 65 years old continues to grow, and there is mounting evidence that as humans age they are more likely to make errors. However, the specific effect of neuroanatomical aging on the efficiency of economic decision-making is poorly understood. We used whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis to determine where reduction of gray matter volume in healthy female and male adults over the age of 65 years correlates with a classic measure of economic irrationality: violations of the Generalized Axiom of Revealed Preference. All participants were functionally normal with Mini-Mental State Examination scores ranging between 26 and 30. While our elders showed the previously reported decline in rationality compared with younger subjects, chronological age per se did not correlate with rationality measures within our population of elders. Instead, reduction of gray matter density in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex correlates tightly with irrational behavior. Interestingly, using a large fMRI sample and meta-analytic tool with Neurosynth, we found that this brain area shows strong coactivation patterns with nearly all of the value-associated regions identified in previous studies. These findings point toward a neuroanatomic locus for economic rationality in the aging brain and highlight the importance of understanding both anatomy and function in the study of aging, cognition, and decision-making. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Age is a crucial factor in decision-making, with older individuals making more errors in choices. Using whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis, we found that reduction of gray matter density in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex correlates with economic irrationality: reduced gray matter volume in this area correlates with the frequency and severity of violations of the Generalized Axiom of Revealed Preference. Furthermore, this brain area strongly coactivates with other reward-associated regions identified with Neurosynth

Nitrogen-doped diamond electrode shows high performance for electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Qing; Liu, Yanming; Chen, Shuo; Quan, Xie; Yu, Hongtao

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A metal-free nitrogen-doped diamond electrode was synthesized. • The electrode exhibits high electrocatalytic activity for nitrobenzene reduction. • The electrode exhibits high selectivity for reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline. • High energy efficiency was obtained compared with graphite electrode. -- Abstract: Effective electrode materials are critical to electrochemical reduction, which is a promising method to pre-treat anti-oxidative and bio-refractory wastewater. Herein, nitrogen-doped diamond (NDD) electrodes that possess superior electrocatalytic properties for reduction were fabricated by microwave-plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology. Nitrobenzene (NB) was chosen as the probe compound to investigate the material's electro-reduction activity. The effects of potential, electrolyte concentration and pH on NB reduction and aniline (AN) formation efficiencies were studied. NDD exhibited high electrocatalytic activity and selectivity for reduction of NB to AN. The NB removal efficiency and AN formation efficiency were 96.5% and 88.4% under optimal conditions, respectively; these values were 1.13 and 3.38 times higher than those of graphite electrodes. Coulombic efficiencies for NB removal and AN formation were 27.7% and 26.1%, respectively; these values were 4.70 and 16.6 times higher than those of graphite electrodes under identical conditions. LC–MS analysis revealed that the dominant reduction pathway on the NDD electrode was NB to phenylhydroxylamine (PHA) to AN

A 2-wk reduction of ambulatory activity attenuates peripheral insulin sensitivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krogh-Madsen, Rikke; Thyfault, John P; Broholm, Christa

2010-01-01

decreased after step reduction, with a post hoc analysis revealing the most pronounced effect after 4 h of insulin infusion. In addition, the 2-wk period induced a 7% decline in VO2 max (ml/min; cardiovascular fitness). Lean mass of legs, but not arms and trunk, decreased concurrently. Taken together, one...... possible biological cause for the public health problem of Type 2 diabetes has been identified. Reduced ambulatory activity for 2 wk in healthy, nonexercising young men significantly reduced peripheral insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness, and lean leg mass........ A reduced number of daily steps induced a significant reduction of 17% in the glucose infusion rate (GIR) during the clamp. This reduction was due to a decline in peripheral insulin sensitivity with no effect on hepatic endogenous glucose production. The insulin-stimulated ratio of pAktthr308/total Akt...

A two-week reduction of ambulatory activity attenuates peripheral insulin sensitivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krogh-Madsen, Rikke; Thyfault, John P; Broholm, Christa

2009-01-01

after step reduction, with a post hoc analysis revealing the most pronounced effect after 4 h of insulin infusion. In addition, the two-week period induced a 7% decline in VO2max (ml/min; cardiovascular fitness). Lean mass of legs, but not arms and truck, decreased concurrently. Taken together, one...... possible biological cause for the public health problem of type 2 diabetes has been identified. Reduced ambulatory activity for two weeks in healthy, non-exercising young men significantly reduced peripheral insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness, and lean leg mass. Key words: Inactivity, Insulin...... number of daily steps induced a significant reduction of 17% in the glucose infusion rate (GIR) during the clamp. This reduction was due to a decline in peripheral insulin sensitivity with no effect on hepatic endogenous glucose production. The insulin-stimulated ratio of pAkt(thr308)/total Akt decreased...

Investigation on large-area fabrication of vivid shark skin with superior surface functions

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huawei; Zhang, Xin; Ma, Lingxi; Che, Da; Zhang, Deyuan; Sudarshan, T. S.

2014-10-01

Shark skin has attracted worldwide attention because of its superior drag reduction, antifouling performance induced from its unique surface morphology. Although the vivid shark skin has been fabricated by a bio-replicated micro-imprinting approach in previous studies and superior drag reduction effect has been validated in water tunnel, continuous large-area fabrication is still an obstacle to wide apply. In this paper, one novel bio-replication coating technology is proposed for large-area transfer of shark skin based on rapid UV curable paint. Apart from design of coating system, bio-replication accuracy of surface morphology was validated about 97% by comparison between shark skin template and coating surface morphology. Finally, the drag reduction and anti-fouling function of coating surface were tested in water tunnel and open algae pond respectively. Drag reduction rate of coating surface was validated about 12% higher and anti-fouling was proved to about hundred times ameliorate, all of which are more excellent than simple 2D riblet surface.

Feasibility study on energy saving and reduction of CO2 emissions at Pertamina's Cilacap Refinery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

With an objective of saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emission, a basic survey has been performed on the atmospheric crude oil distillation units and the high vacuum distillation units at Cilacap Refinery in Indonesia. The first site survey in September 2000 has carried out a survey on the situation of the facilities and operation upon obtaining the facility data and operation information from Pertamina. As a result, it was revealed that there is a room of improvement in the heat recovery, whereas a modification design was executed on the improvement proposals on the heat exchanger system. However, the second site survey in November 2000 has revealed that Pertamina had executed in 1998 through 1999 the de-bottlenecking project on the crude oil atmospheric distillation units (two units) and the high vacuum distillation units (two units), by which the capability has been expanded, and the heat recovery rate has been increased. It is not possible to look for extremely large enhancement of the heat recovery rate beyond that point, and the reduction of CO2 emission would also be small. As a result of discussions, the present project was found capable of reducing annually the CO2 emission by 36,500 tons. (NEDO)

Temporal sequencing of throughfall drop generation as revealed by use of a large-scale rainfall simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Nanko, K.; Levia, D. F., Jr.; Iida, S.; SUN, X.; Shinohara, Y.; Sakai, N.

2017-12-01

Scientists have been interested in throughfall drop size and its distribution because of its importance to soil erosion and the forest water balance. An indoor experiment was employed to deepen our understanding of throughfall drop generation processes to promote better management of forested ecosystems. The indoor experiment provides a unique opportunity to examine an array of constant rainfall intensities that are ideal conditions to pick up the effect of changing intensities and not found in the fields. Throughfall drop generation was examined for three species- Cryptomeria japonica D. Don (Japanese cedar), Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl. (Japanese cypress), and Zelkova serrata Thunb. (Japanese zelkova)- under both leafed and leafless conditions in the large-scale rainfall simulator in the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (Tsukuba, Japan) at varying rainfall intensities ranging from15 to 100 mm h-1. Drop size distributions of the applied rainfall and throughfall were measured simultaneously by 20 laser disdrometers. Utilizing the drop size dataset, throughfall was separated into three components: free throughfall, canopy drip, and splash throughfall. The temporal sequencing of the throughfall components were analyzed on a 1-min interval during each experimental run. The throughfall component percentage and drop size of canopy drip differed among tree species and rainfall intensities and by elapsed time from the beginning of the rainfall event. Preliminary analysis revealed that the time differences to produce branch drip as compared to leaf (or needle) drip was partly due to differential canopy wet-up processes and the disappearance of branch drips due to canopy saturation, leading to dissimilar throughfall drop size distributions beneath the various tree species examined. This research was supported by JSPS Invitation Fellowship for Research in Japan (Grant No.: S16088) and JSPS KAKENHI (Grant No.: JP15H05626).

Potential energy savings and CO2 emissions reduction of China's cement industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ke, Jing; Zheng, Nina; Fridley, David; Price, Lynn; Zhou, Nan

2012-01-01

This study analyzes current energy and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission trends in China's cement industry as the basis for modeling different levels of cement production and rates of efficiency improvement and carbon reduction in 2011–2030. Three cement output projections are developed based on analyses of historical production and physical and macroeconomic drivers. For each of these three production projections, energy savings and CO 2 emission reduction potentials are estimated in a best practice scenario and two continuous improvement scenarios relative to a frozen scenario. The results reveal the potential for cumulative final energy savings of 27.1 to 37.5 exajoules and energy-related direct emission reductions of 3.2 to 4.4 gigatonnes in 2011–2030 under the best practice scenarios. The continuous improvement scenarios produce cumulative final energy savings of 6.0 to 18.9 exajoules and reduce CO 2 emissions by 1.0 to 2.4 gigatonnes. This analysis highlights that increasing energy efficiency is the most important policy measure for reducing the cement industry's energy and emissions intensity, given the current state of the industry and the unlikelihood of significant carbon capture and storage before 2030. In addition, policies to reduce total cement production offer the most direct way of reducing total energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. - Highlights: ► This study models output and efficiency improvements in Chinese cement industry from 2011–2030. ► Energy savings and CO 2 emission reductions estimated for 3 scenarios relative to frozen scenario. ► Results reveal cumulative final energy savings potential of 27.1–37.5 EJ and 3.2–4.4 Gt CO 2 reductions. ► Increasing efficiency is the most important policy for reducing cement energy and emissions intensity.

Reduction of the plastidial phosphorylase in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) reveals impact on storage starch structure during growth at low temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Orawetz, Tom; Malinova, Irina; Orzechowski, Slawomir; Fettke, Joerg

2016-03-01

Tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), one of the most important crops, are a prominent example for an efficient production of storage starch. Nevertheless, the synthesis of this storage starch is not completely understood. The plastidial phosphorylase (Pho1; EC 2.4.1.1) catalyzes the reversible transfer of glucosyl residues from glucose-1-phosphate to the non-reducing end of α-glucans with the release of orthophosphate. Thus, the enzyme is in principle able to act during starch synthesis. However, so far under normal growth conditions no alterations in tuber starch metabolism were observed. Based on analyses of other species and also from in vitro experiments with potato tuber slices it was supposed, that Pho1 has a stronger impact on starch metabolism, when plants grow under low temperature conditions. Therefore, we analyzed the starch content, granule size, as well as the internal structure of starch granules isolated from potato plants grown under low temperatures. Besides wild type, transgenic potato plants with a strong reduction in the Pho1 activity were analyzed. No significant alterations in starch content and granule size were detected. In contrast, when plants were cultivated at low temperatures the chain length distributions of the starch granules were altered. Thus, the granules contained more short glucan chains. That was not observed in the transgenic plants, revealing that Pho1 in wild type is involved in the formation of the short glucan chains, at least at low temperatures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Concentrated energy addition for active drag reduction in hypersonic flow regime

Science.gov (United States)

Ashwin Ganesh, M.; John, Bibin

2018-01-01

Numerical optimization of hypersonic drag reduction technique based on concentrated energy addition is presented in this study. A reduction in wave drag is realized through concentrated energy addition in the hypersonic flowfield upstream of the blunt body. For the exhaustive optimization presented in this study, an in-house high precision inviscid flow solver has been developed. Studies focused on the identification of "optimum energy addition location" have revealed the existence of multiple minimum drag points. The wave drag coefficient is observed to drop from 0.85 to 0.45 when 50 Watts of energy is added to an energy bubble of 1 mm radius located at 74.7 mm upstream of the stagnation point. A direct proportionality has been identified between energy bubble size and wave drag coefficient. Dependence of drag coefficient on the upstream added energy magnitude is also revealed. Of the observed multiple minimum drag points, the energy deposition point (EDP) that offers minimum wave drag just after a sharp drop in drag is proposed as the most optimum energy addition location.

Climate Change and Poverty Reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, Simon

2011-08-15

Climate change will make it increasingly difficult to achieve and sustain development goals. This is largely because climate effects on poverty remain poorly understood, and poverty reduction strategies do not adequately support climate resilience. Ensuring effective development in the face of climate change requires action on six fronts: investing in a stronger climate and poverty evidence base; applying the learning about development effectiveness to how we address adaptation needs; supporting nationally derived, integrated policies and programmes; including the climate-vulnerable poor in developing strategies; and identifying how mitigation strategies can also reduce poverty and enable adaptation.

Soil nitrogen mineralisation and organic matter composition revealed by 13C NMR spectroscopy under repeated prescribed burning in eucalypt forests of south-east Queensland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guinto, D. F.; Saffigna, P. G.; Xu, Z. H.; House, A. P. N.; Perera, M. C. S.

1999-01-01

The effects of burning on in situ extractable nitrogen (NH + 4 -N+NO - 3 -N) and net N mineralisation following scheduled fuel reduction burns in repeatedly burnt dry and wet sclerophyll forest sites in south-east Queensland were assessed. In addition, soil organic matter composition in the wet sclerophyll site was assessed by 13 C NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that at the dry sclerophyll site, extractable N and net N mineralisation for 1 year were largely unaffected by burning, while at the wet sclerophyll site, these parameters decreased. 13 C NMR analysis of soil samples from the wet sclerophyll site revealed that there was a significant reduction in the proportion of O-alkyl (alkoxy/carbohydrate) C with increasing burning frequency. Statistically significant effects on the other chemical shift regions were not detected. The ratio of alkyl C to O-alkyl C, a proposed index of organic matter decomposition, increased with increasing burning frequency. A high ratio of alkyl C to O-alkyl C suggests low amounts of carbohydrates relative to waxes and cutins, which could in turn lead to slower mineralisation. The findings are in accord with this hypothesis. There were significant linear relationships between cumulative N mineralisation for 1 year and the proportions of alkyl C and O-alkyl C, and the ratio of alkyl C/O-alkyl C. Thus, in addition to reductions in substrate quantity (low organic C and total N for burnt soils), there was also an alteration of substrate quality as revealed by 13 C NMR spectroscopy which is reflected in low N mineralisation. Copyright (1999) CSIRO Publishing

Efficient Symmetry Reduction and the Use of State Symmetries for Symbolic Model Checking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Appold

2010-06-01

Full Text Available One technique to reduce the state-space explosion problem in temporal logic model checking is symmetry reduction. The combination of symmetry reduction and symbolic model checking by using BDDs suffered a long time from the prohibitively large BDD for the orbit relation. Dynamic symmetry reduction calculates representatives of equivalence classes of states dynamically and thus avoids the construction of the orbit relation. In this paper, we present a new efficient model checking algorithm based on dynamic symmetry reduction. Our experiments show that the algorithm is very fast and allows the verification of larger systems. We additionally implemented the use of state symmetries for symbolic symmetry reduction. To our knowledge we are the first who investigated state symmetries in combination with BDD based symbolic model checking.

Air pollution emission reduction techniques in combustion plants; Technique de reduction des emissions de polluants atmospheriques dans les installations de combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouscaren, R. [CITEPA, Centre Interprofessionnel Technique d`Etudes de la Pollution Atmospherique, 75 - Paris (France)

1996-12-31

Separating techniques offer a large choice between various procedures for air pollution reduction in combustion plants: mechanical, electrical, filtering, hydraulic, chemical, physical, catalytic, thermal and biological processes. Many environment-friendly equipment use such separating techniques, particularly for dust cleaning and fume desulfurizing and more recently for the abatement of volatile organic pollutants or dioxins and furans. These processes are briefly described

Induction melting for volume reduction of metallic TRU wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westsik, J.H. Jr.; Montgomery, D.R.; Katayama, Y.B.; Ross, W.A.

1986-02-01

Volume reduction of metallic transuranic wastes offers economic and safety incentives for treatment of wastes generated at a hypothetical commercial fuel reprocessing facility. Induction melting has been identified as the preferred process for volume reduction of spent fuel hulls, fuel assembly hardware, and failed equipment from a reprocessing plant. Bench-scale melting of Zircaloy and stainless steel mixtures has been successfully conducted in a graphite crucible inside a large vacuum chamber. A low-melting-temperature alloy forms that has demonstrated excellent leach resistance. The alloy can be used to encapsulate other metallic wastes that cannot be melted using the existing equipment design. 18 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

Infinitary Combinatory Reduction Systems: Normalising Reduction Strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ketema, J.; Simonsen, Jakob Grue

2010-01-01

We study normalising reduction strategies for infinitary Combinatory Reduction Systems (iCRSs). We prove that all fair, outermost-fair, and needed-fair strategies are normalising for orthogonal, fully-extended iCRSs. These facts properly generalise a number of results on normalising strategies in

Time varying, multivariate volume data reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahrens, James P [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Fout, Nathaniel [UC DAVIS; Ma, Kwan - Liu [UC DAVIS

2010-01-01

Large-scale supercomputing is revolutionizing the way science is conducted. A growing challenge, however, is understanding the massive quantities of data produced by large-scale simulations. The data, typically time-varying, multivariate, and volumetric, can occupy from hundreds of gigabytes to several terabytes of storage space. Transferring and processing volume data of such sizes is prohibitively expensive and resource intensive. Although it may not be possible to entirely alleviate these problems, data compression should be considered as part of a viable solution, especially when the primary means of data analysis is volume rendering. In this paper we present our study of multivariate compression, which exploits correlations among related variables, for volume rendering. Two configurations for multidimensional compression based on vector quantization are examined. We emphasize quality reconstruction and interactive rendering, which leads us to a solution using graphics hardware to perform on-the-fly decompression during rendering. In this paper we present a solution which addresses the need for data reduction in large supercomputing environments where data resulting from simulations occupies tremendous amounts of storage. Our solution employs a lossy encoding scheme to acrueve data reduction with several options in terms of rate-distortion behavior. We focus on encoding of multiple variables together, with optional compression in space and time. The compressed volumes can be rendered directly with commodity graphics cards at interactive frame rates and rendering quality similar to that of static volume renderers. Compression results using a multivariate time-varying data set indicate that encoding multiple variables results in acceptable performance in the case of spatial and temporal encoding as compared to independent compression of variables. The relative performance of spatial vs. temporal compression is data dependent, although temporal compression has the

The data acquisition and reduction challenge at the Large Hadron Collider.

Science.gov (United States)

Cittolin, Sergio

2012-02-28

The Large Hadron Collider detectors are technological marvels-which resemble, in functionality, three-dimensional digital cameras with 100 Mpixels-capable of observing proton-proton (pp) collisions at the crossing rate of 40 MHz. Data handling limitations at the recording end imply the selection of only one pp event out of each 10(5). The readout and processing of this huge amount of information, along with the selection of the best approximately 200 events every second, is carried out by a trigger and data acquisition system, supplemented by a sophisticated control and monitor system. This paper presents an overview of the challenges that the development of these systems has presented over the past 15 years. It concludes with a short historical perspective, some lessons learnt and a few thoughts on the future.

Small cell experiments for electrolytic reduction of uranium oxides to uranium metal using fluoride salts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, P.A.; Adcock, P.W.; Coroneos, A.C.; Hendrix, D.E.

1994-01-01

Electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide was proposed for the preparation of uranium metal feed for the atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS) process. A laboratory cell of 25-cm ID was operated to obtain additional information in areas important to design and operation of a pilot plant cell. Reproducible test results and useful operating and control procedures were demonstrated. About 20 kg of uranium metal of acceptable purity were prepared. A good supply of dissolved UO 2 feed at the anode is the most important controlling requirement for efficient cell operation. A large fraction of the cell current is nonproductive in that it does not produce a metal product nor consume carbon anodes. All useful test conditions gave some reduction of UF 4 to produce CF 4 in addition to the reduction of UO 2 , but the fraction of metal from the reduction of UF 4 can be decreased by increasing the concentration of dissolved UO 2 . Operation of large continuous cells would probably be limited to current efficiencies of less than 60 pct, and more than 20 pct of the metal would result from the reduction of UF 4

Membrane Protein Properties Revealed through Data-Rich Electrostatics Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcoline, Frank V; Bethel, Neville; Guerriero, Christopher J; Brodsky, Jeffrey L; Grabe, Michael

2015-08-04

The electrostatic properties of membrane proteins often reveal many of their key biophysical characteristics, such as ion channel selectivity and the stability of charged membrane-spanning segments. The Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation is the gold standard for calculating protein electrostatics, and the software APBSmem enables the solution of the PB equation in the presence of a membrane. Here, we describe significant advances to APBSmem, including full automation of system setup, per-residue energy decomposition, incorporation of PDB2PQR, calculation of membrane-induced pKa shifts, calculation of non-polar energies, and command-line scripting for large-scale calculations. We highlight these new features with calculations carried out on a number of membrane proteins, including the recently solved structure of the ion channel TRPV1 and a large survey of 1,614 membrane proteins of known structure. This survey provides a comprehensive list of residues with large electrostatic penalties for being embedded in the membrane, potentially revealing interesting functional information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progress on Footprint Reduction at the Hanford Site - 12406

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKenney, Dale E. [CH2M HILL, Plateau Remediation Company, Richland, Washington 99352 (United States); Seeley, Paul [Cenibark International, Inc., Richland, Washington 99352 (United States); Farabee, Al [U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Richland, Washington 99352 (United States)

2012-07-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) continues to reduce the footprint of legacy sites throughout the EM complex. Footprint reduction is being accomplished by focusing cleanup activities on decontamination and demolition of excess contaminated facilities, soil and groundwater remediation, and solid waste disposition. All of these initiatives are being accomplished with established technologies in proven regulatory frameworks. Ultimately, completion of these environmental cleanup activities will reduce the monitoring and maintenance costs associated with managing large federal facilities, allowing EM to place more focus on other high priority cleanup efforts and facilitate a successful transition to land-term stewardship of these sites. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) investment, the Department's cleanup footprint has been reduced by 45 percent to date, from 2411 km{sup 2} (931 mi{sup 2}) to 1336 km{sup 2} (516 mi{sup 2}s). With this significant progress on footprint reduction, the Department is on track towards their goal to reduce its overall footprint by approximately 90 percent by 2015. In addition, some areas cleaned up may become available for alternate uses (i.e. recreation, conservation, preservation, industrialization or development). Much of the work to reduce the complex's footprint occurred at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Hanford Site in Washington, but cleanup continues across the complex. Footprint reduction is progressing well at the Hanford Site, supported predominantly through ARRA investment. To date, 994 km{sup 2} (384 mi{sup 2}) (65%) of footprint reduction have been achieved at Hanford, with a goal to achieve a 90% reduction by Fiscal Year 2015. The DOE EM and DOE Richland Operations Office, continue to make great progress to reduce the legacy footprint of the Hanford Site. Footprint reduction is being accomplished by focusing cleanup activities on

Electrochemical characterization of glassy carbon electrode modified with 1,10-phenanthroline groups by two pathways: reduction of the corresponding diazonium ions and reduction of phenanthroline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shul, Galyna; Weissmann, Martin; Bélanger, Daniel

2015-01-01

The electrochemical behaviour of 1,10-phenanthroline molecules immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode surface by electrochemical reduction of the corresponding in-situ generated diazonium ions in an aqueous solution was investigated. Firstly, the derivatization of glassy carbon electrode was confirmed by the presence of the barrier effect in the solution of a redox probe. Secondly, atomic force microscopy measurements revealed the deposition of thin (< 2 nm) uniform 1,10-phenanthroline film on the surface of pyrolyzed photoresist film electrode. Thirdly, the initially electrochemically inactive grafted organic film became electroactive after being subjected to electrochemical reduction and oxidation. Fourthly, the electrochemical behaviour of phenanthroline modified electrode by electrochemical reduction of the corresponding diazonium cations was found to be similar to that of electrode modified by electrochemical reduction of only phenanthroline dissolved in an aqueous acid solution. Finally, cyclic voltammetry experiments using various methyl substituted phenanthroline derivatives provided direct evidence that functional groups responsible for the film electroactivity are formed at 5 or/and 6 positions of grafted phenanthroline molecules. On the other hand, a phenanthroline derivative having these positions blocked by methyl groups can also display electroactivity with position 7 being most likely involved in the observed redox process

A Scalable Permutation Approach Reveals Replication and Preservation Patterns of Network Modules in Large Datasets.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Scott C; Watts, Stephen; Fearnley, Liam G; Holt, Kathryn E; Abraham, Gad; Inouye, Michael

2016-07-01

Network modules-topologically distinct groups of edges and nodes-that are preserved across datasets can reveal common features of organisms, tissues, cell types, and molecules. Many statistics to identify such modules have been developed, but testing their significance requires heuristics. Here, we demonstrate that current methods for assessing module preservation are systematically biased and produce skewed p values. We introduce NetRep, a rapid and computationally efficient method that uses a permutation approach to score module preservation without assuming data are normally distributed. NetRep produces unbiased p values and can distinguish between true and false positives during multiple hypothesis testing. We use NetRep to quantify preservation of gene coexpression modules across murine brain, liver, adipose, and muscle tissues. Complex patterns of multi-tissue preservation were revealed, including a liver-derived housekeeping module that displayed adipose- and muscle-specific association with body weight. Finally, we demonstrate the broader applicability of NetRep by quantifying preservation of bacterial networks in gut microbiota between men and women. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction on nitrogen-containing multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vikkisk, Merilin; Kruusenberg, Ivar; Joost, Urmas; Shulga, Eugene; Tammeveski, Kaido

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Pyrolysis in the presence of urea was used for nitrogen doping of carbon nanotubes. ► N-doped carbon nanotubes were used as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. ► N-doped carbon material showed a high catalytic activity for ORR in alkaline media. ► N-containing CNT material is an attractive cathode catalyst for alkaline membrane fuel cells. - Abstract: The electrochemical reduction of oxygen was studied on nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotube (NCNT) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrodes employing the rotating disk electrode (RDE) method. Nitrogen doping was achieved by simple pyrolysis of the carbon nanotube material in the presence of urea. The surface morphology and composition of the NCNT samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The SEM images revealed a rather uniform distribution of NCNTs on the GC electrode substrate. The XPS analysis showed a successful doping of carbon nanotubes with nitrogen species. The RDE results revealed that in alkaline solution the N-doped nanotube materials showed a remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction. At low overpotentials the reduction of oxygen followed a two-electron pathway on undoped carbon nanotube modified GC electrodes, whereas on NCNT/GC electrodes a four-electron pathway of O 2 reduction predominated. The results obtained are significant for the development of nitrogen-doped carbon-based cathodes for alkaline membrane fuel cells.

Reduction of a thin chromium oxide film on Inconel surface upon treatment with hydrogen plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vesel, Alenka, E-mail: alenka.vesel@guest.arnes.si [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Mozetic, Miran [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Balat-Pichelin, Marianne [PROMES-CNRS Laboratory, 7 Rue du four solaire, 66120 Font Romeu Odeillo (France)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Oxidized Inconel alloy was exposed to hydrogen at temperatures up to 1500 K. • Oxide reduction in hydrogen plasma started at approximately 1300 K. • AES depth profiling revealed complete reduction of oxides in plasma. • Oxides were not reduced, if the sample was heated just in hydrogen atmosphere. • Surface of reduced Inconel preserved the same composition as the bulk material. - Abstract: Inconel samples with a surface oxide film composed of solely chromium oxide with a thickness of approximately 700 nm were exposed to low-pressure hydrogen plasma at elevated temperatures to determine the suitable parameters for reduction of the oxide film. The hydrogen pressure during treatment was set to 60 Pa. Plasma was created by a surfaguide microwave discharge in a quartz glass tube to allow for a high dissociation fraction of hydrogen molecules. Auger electron depth profiling (AES) was used to determine the decay of the oxygen in the surface film and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to measure structural modifications. During hydrogen plasma treatment, the oxidized Inconel samples were heated to elevated temperatures. The reduction of the oxide film started at temperatures of approximately 1300 K (considering the emissivity of 0.85) and the oxide was reduced in about 10 s of treatment as revealed by AES. The XRD showed sharper substrate peaks after the reduction. Samples treated in hydrogen atmosphere under the same conditions have not been reduced up to approximately 1500 K indicating usefulness of plasma treatment.

Electrochemical reduction of dilute chromate solutions on carbon felt electrodes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frenzel, Ines; Frenzel, I.; Holdik, Hans; Barmashenko, Vladimir; Stamatialis, Dimitrios; Wessling, Matthias

2006-01-01

Carbon felt is a potential material for electrochemical reduction of chromates. Very dilute solutions may be efficiently treated due to its large specific surface area and high porosity. In this work, the up-scaling of this technology is investigated using a new type of separated cell and

Probabilistic interpretation of the reduction criterion for entanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhengmin; Luo, Shunlong

2007-01-01

Inspired by the idea of conditional probabilities, we introduce a variant of conditional density operators. But unlike the conditional probabilities which are bounded by 1, the conditional density operators may have eigenvalues exceeding 1 for entangled states. This has the consequence that although any bivariate classical probability distribution has a natural separable decomposition in terms of conditional probabilities, we do not have a quantum analogue of this separable decomposition in general. The 'nonclassical' eigenvalues of conditional density operators are indications of entanglement. The resulting separability criterion turns out to be equivalent to the reduction criterion introduced by Horodecki [Phys. Rev. A 59, 4206 (1999)] and Cerf et al. [Phys. Rev. A 60, 898 (1999)]. This supplies an intuitive probabilistic interpretation for the reduction criterion. The conditional density operators are also used to define a form of quantum conditional entropy which provides an alternative mechanism to reveal quantum discord

Stockholm CHP potential - An opportunity for CO2 reductions?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danestig, Maria; Gebremehdin, Alemayehu; Karlsson, Bjoern

2007-01-01

The potential for combined heat and power (CHP) generation in Stockholm is large and a total heat demand of about 10 TWh/year can be met in a renewed large district heating system. This model of the Stockholm district heating system shows that CHP generation can increase from 8% in 2004 to 15.5% of the total electricity generation in Sweden. Increased electricity costs in recent years have awakened an interest to invest in new electricity generation. Since renewable alternatives are favoured by green certificates, bio-fuelled CHP is most profitable at low electricity prices. Since heat demand in the district heating network sets the limit for possible electricity generation, a CHP alternative with a high electricity to heat ratio will be more profitable at when electricity prices are high. The efficient energy use in CHP has the potential to contribute to reductions in carbon dioxide emissions in Europe, when they are required and the European electricity market is working perfectly. The potential in Stockholm exceeds Sweden's undertakings under the Kyoto protocol and national reduction goals. (author)

HIV Care Providers’ Role Legitimacy as Supporters of Their Patients’ Alcohol Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Shiela M.; Munoz-Plaza, Corrine; Tiburcio, Nelson J.; Maisto, Stephen A.; Conigliaro, Joseph; Gwadz, Marya; Lunievicz, Joseph; Norman, Robert

2009-01-01

Although HIV care providers are strategically situated to support their patients’ alcohol reduction efforts, many do not do so, sometimes failing to view this support as consistent with their roles. Using data collected from 112 HIV providers in 7 hospital-based HIV Care Centers in the NYC metropolitan area, this paper examines the correlates of providers’ role legitimacy as patients’ alcohol reduction supporters. Results indicate that providers (1) responsible for a very large number of patients and (2) those with limited confidence in their own ability to give this assistance, but high confidence in their program's ability to do so, were less likely to have a high level of role legitimacy as patients’ alcohol reduction supporters. Findings suggest the types of providers to target for alcohol reduction support training. PMID:20556238

Chemistry of plutonium revealed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connick, R.E.

1992-01-01

In 1941 one goal of the Manhattan Project was to unravel the chemistry of the synthetic element plutonium as rapidly as possible. In this paper the work carried out at Berkeley from the spring of 1942 to the summer of 1945 is described briefly. The aqueous chemistry of plutonium is quite remarkable. Important insights were obtained from tracer experiments, but the full complexity was not revealed until macroscopic amounts (milligrams) became available. Because processes for separation from fission products were based on aqueous solutions, such solution chemistry was emphasized, particularly precipitation and oxidation-reduction behavior. The latter turned out to be unusually intricate when it was discovered that two more oxidation states existed in aqueous solution than had previously been suspected. Further, an equilibrium was rapidly established among the four aqueous oxidation states, while at the same time any three were not in equilibrium. These and other observations made while doing a crash study of a previously unknown element are reported

Islam and harm reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamarulzaman, A; Saifuddeen, S M

2010-03-01

Although drugs are haram and therefore prohibited in Islam, illicit drug use is widespread in many Islamic countries throughout the world. In the last several years increased prevalence of this problem has been observed in many of these countries which has in turn led to increasing injecting drug use driven HIV/AIDS epidemic across the Islamic world. Whilst some countries have recently responded to the threat through the implementation of harm reduction programmes, many others have been slow to respond. In Islam, The Quran and the Prophetic traditions or the Sunnah are the central sources of references for the laws and principles that guide the Muslims' way of life and by which policies and guidelines for responses including that of contemporary social and health problems can be derived. The preservation and protection of the dignity of man, and steering mankind away from harm and destruction are central to the teachings of Islam. When viewed through the Islamic principles of the preservation and protection of the faith, life, intellect, progeny and wealth, harm reduction programmes are permissible and in fact provide a practical solution to a problem that could result in far greater damage to the society at large if left unaddressed. Copyright (c) 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The impact of electrochemical reduction potentials on the electrocatalytic activity of graphene oxide toward the oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toh, Shaw Yong; Loh, Kee Shyuan; Kamarudin, Siti Kartom; Daud, Wan Ramli Wan

2016-01-01

We report the synthesis of graphene via the electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). In this study, GO nanosheets from aqueous dispersion were pre-assembled on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode and then electrochemically reduced in 1 M KOH under various constant reduction potentials in the range of −0.6 V to −1.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy analyses revealed that the graphitic structure was substantially restored in the resulting electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO). The ERGO electrodes exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an alkaline medium compared with the initial GO electrode. Of the ERGO electrodes produced at various cathodic potentials, the ERGO-1.2 V electrode, which was produced at a reduction potential of −1.2 V, demonstrated the best catalytic activity toward the ORR in an alkaline medium. The ORR on GO and ERGO electrodes was shown to proceed via a two-electron mechanism at low overpotentials. The agreement between the spectroscopy results and electrochemical measurements provide strong evidence that the enhanced ORR catalytic activity is mainly attributed to the restoration of GO’s graphitic structure. Furthermore, the ERGO-1.2 V electrode showed excellent tolerance to the methanol poisoning effect compared with a Pt/C catalyst electrode.

Illumina MiSeq Phylogenetic Amplicon Sequencing Shows a Large Reduction of an Uncharacterised Succinivibrionaceae and an Increase of the Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii Clade in Feed Restricted Cattle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Sean McCabe

Full Text Available Periodic feed restriction is used in cattle production to reduce feed costs. When normal feed levels are resumed, cattle catch up to a normal weight by an acceleration of normal growth rate, known as compensatory growth, which is not yet fully understood. Illumina Miseq Phylogenetic marker amplicon sequencing of DNA extracted from rumen contents of 55 bulls showed that restriction of feed (70% concentrate, 30% grass silage for 125 days, to levels that caused a 60% reduction of growth rate, resulted in a large increase of relative abundance of Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii clade (designated as OTU-M7, and a large reduction of an uncharacterised Succinivibrionaceae species (designated as OTU-S3004. There was a strong negative Spearman correlation (ρ = -0.72, P = <1x10(-20 between relative abundances of OTU-3004 and OTU-M7 in the liquid rumen fraction. There was also a significant increase in acetate:propionate ratio (A:P in feed restricted animals that showed a negative Spearman correlation (ρ = -0.69, P = <1x10(-20 with the relative abundance of OTU-S3004 in the rumen liquid fraction but not the solid fraction, and a strong positive Spearman correlation with OTU-M7 in the rumen liquid (ρ = 0.74, P = <1x10(-20 and solid (ρ = 0.69, P = <1x10(-20 fractions. Reduced A:P ratios in the rumen are associated with increased feed efficiency and reduced production of methane which has a global warming potential (GWP 100 years of 28. Succinivibrionaceae growth in the rumen was previously suggested to reduce methane emissions as some members of this family utilise hydrogen, which is also utilised by methanogens for methanogenesis, to generate succinate which is converted to propionate. Relative abundance of OTU-S3004 showed a positive Spearman correlation with propionate (ρ = 0.41, P = <0.01 but not acetate in the liquid rumen fraction.

The Casual Nexus of Banking Sector Development and Poverty Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gazi Salah Uddin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to investigate the inter-temporal causal relationship between banking sector development and poverty reduction in Bangladesh from 1976 to 2010. We have applied new methods using modern time series econometrics techniques based on simulations that are robust to the violation of statistical assumptions, especially when the sample size is small, as is the case in this paper. The results reveal that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between banking sector development and poverty reduction in the case of Bangladesh. Surprisingly, poverty reduction appears to be a long-term forcing variable to the explanation of Bangladesh’s banking sector development. There is bidirectional causality between these variables. The diagnostic tests show that the underlying desirable assumptions are fulfilled. Time series data on poverty in many developing countries, particularly in Bangladesh, is scant and inadequate. The empirical results of this study will help policy makers determine whether poverty reduction in Bangladesh is a spur to financial sector development. This implies that, in the long term, Bangladeshi policy makers can influence the reduction of poverty through financial sector development. Although several attempts have been made to investigate the relationship between financial development and growth, this paper is the first of its kind to empirically examine the causal relationship between poverty and the development of the banking sector in Bangladesh.

A general reduction method for one-loop N-point integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinrich, G.; Binoth, T.

2000-01-01

In order to calculate cross sections with a large number of particles/jets in the final state at next-to-leading order, one has to reduce the occurring scalar and tensor one-loop integrals to a small set of known integrals. In massless theories, this reduction procedure is complicated by the presence of infrared divergences. Working in n = 4 - 2ε dimensions, it will be outlined how to achieve such a reduction for diagrams with an arbitrary number of external legs. As a result, any integral with more than four propagators and generic 4-dimensional external momenta can be reduced to box integrals

Fast algorithm for exploring and compressing of large hyperspectral images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kucheryavskiy, Sergey

2011-01-01

A new method for calculation of latent variable space for exploratory analysis and dimension reduction of large hyperspectral images is proposed. The method is based on significant downsampling of image pixels with preservation of pixels’ structure in feature (variable) space. To achieve this, in...... can be used first of all for fast compression of large data arrays with principal component analysis or similar projection techniques....

Impact of agricultural emission reductions on fine-particulate matter and public health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Pozzer

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A global chemistry-climate model has been used to study the impacts of pollutants released by agriculture on fine-particulate matter (PM2.5, with a focus on Europe, North America, East and South Asia. Simulations reveal that a relatively strong reduction in PM2.5 levels can be achieved by decreasing agricultural emissions, notably of ammonia (NH3 released from fertilizer use and animal husbandry. The absolute impact on PM2.5 reduction is strongest in East Asia, even for small emission decreases. Conversely, over Europe and North America, aerosol formation is not immediately limited by the availability of ammonia. Nevertheless, reduction of NH3 can also substantially decrease PM2.5 concentrations over the latter regions, especially when emissions are abated systematically. Our results document how reduction of agricultural emissions decreases aerosol pH due to the depletion of aerosol ammonium, which affects particle liquid phase and heterogeneous chemistry. Further, it is shown that a 50 % reduction of agricultural emissions could prevent the mortality attributable to air pollution by  ∼ 250 000 people yr−1 worldwide, amounting to reductions of 30, 19, 8 and 3 % over North America, Europe, East and South Asia, respectively. A theoretical 100 % reduction could even reduce the number of deaths globally by about 800 000 per year.

Particle characteristics and reduction behavior of synthetic magnetite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramadan, Wegdan [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21511 (Egypt); Zaki, Mohamed I., E-mail: mizaki@link.net [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519 (Egypt); Fouad, Nasr E.; Mekhemer, Gamal A.H. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519 (Egypt)

2014-04-15

Two samples (S1 and S2) of magnetite were synthesized, using two different methods, and characterized by means of X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy, N{sub 2} sorptiometry and electron microscopy. Particles of sample-S1 were found to be loosely agglomerated, micro-sized spheroids (200–350 nm) composed almost solely of highly aggregated (fused) crystallites (size averaged at 35 nm) of cubic-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}. In contrast, particles of sample-S2 were strongly agglomerated, nano-sized spheroids (25–30 nm) composed of slightly aggregated crystallites (size averaged at 11 nm) of cubic-Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and noncrystalline domains made-up of FeO(OH) species. Temperature-programed reduction (TPR) profiles obtained for the two samples were similar in monitoring two peaks at >450 °C assignable to a two-step reduction of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} (→FeO→Fe), but different in monitoring a peak at<450 °C only for the reduction of FeO(OH) (→Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) contained in sample-S2. However, curve fitting analysis of the TPR profiles and molecular stoichiometry calculations based on amounts of hydrogen consumed revealed that the two-step reduction of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} is not straightforward. That is by resolving two consecutive pathways for each step and, hence, nonstoichiometric intermediate products whose composition was found to be critically controlled by the composition of the reducing gas atmosphere (5 or 80% H{sub 2}/N{sub 2}) and characteristics of the starting sample particles (chemical and phase composition, and, but to lesser extents, the agglomeration and average size). - Highlights: • Nano or micro, pure Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles are H{sub 2}-reduced in two steps (→FeO→Fe) at >450 °C. • FeO(OH)-impure particles exhibit a third reduction step (FeO(OH)→Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) at <450 °C. • FeO disproportion and related autocatalytic effects complicate the reduction course. • Consequently, each of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4

Reduction redux.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Lawrence

2018-04-01

Putnam's criticisms of the identity theory attack a straw man. Fodor's criticisms of reduction attack a straw man. Properly interpreted, Nagel offered a conception of reduction that captures everything a physicalist could want. I update Nagel, introducing the idea of overlap, and show why multiple realization poses no challenge to reduction so construed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large-area OLED lightings and their applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J W; Shin, D C; Park, S H

2011-01-01

In this paper, we review the key issues related to the fabrication of large-area organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) for lighting applications. We discuss the origin of a short-circuit problem, luminance non-uniformity, hot spot, efficiency reduction (power loss), and heat generation and present the way of suppressing them. We also introduce three different application areas of large-area OLED lighting panels. They can be integrated with a solar cell for power recycling or inorganic LEDs for emotional lightings. The feasibility of using OLEDs for the application of visible-light communications is also reviewed

Structure of the large terminase from a hyperthermophilic virus reveals a unique mechanism for oligomerization and ATP hydrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Rui-Gang; Jenkins, Huw T; Antson, Alfred A; Greive, Sandra J

2017-12-15

The crystal structure of the large terminase from the Geobacillus stearothermophilus bacteriophage D6E shows a unique relative orientation of the N-terminal adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and C-terminal nuclease domains. This monomeric 'initiation' state with the two domains 'locked' together is stabilized via a conserved C-terminal arm, which may interact with the portal protein during motor assembly, as predicted for several bacteriophages. Further work supports the formation of an active oligomeric state: (i) AUC data demonstrate the presence of oligomers; (ii) mutational analysis reveals a trans-arginine finger, R158, indispensable for ATP hydrolysis; (iii) the location of this arginine is conserved with the HerA/FtsK ATPase superfamily; (iv) a molecular docking model of the pentamer is compatible with the location of the identified arginine finger. However, this pentameric model is structurally incompatible with the monomeric 'initiation' state and is supported by the observed increase in kcat of ATP hydrolysis, from 7.8 ± 0.1 min-1 to 457.7 ± 9.2 min-1 upon removal of the C-terminal nuclease domain. Taken together, these structural, biophysical and biochemical data suggest a model where transition from the 'initiation' state into a catalytically competent pentameric state, is accompanied by substantial domain rearrangements, triggered by the removal of the C-terminal arm from the ATPase active site. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Knowledge Reduction Based on Divide and Conquer Method in Rough Set Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Hu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The divide and conquer method is a typical granular computing method using multiple levels of abstraction and granulations. So far, although some achievements based on divided and conquer method in the rough set theory have been acquired, the systematic methods for knowledge reduction based on divide and conquer method are still absent. In this paper, the knowledge reduction approaches based on divide and conquer method, under equivalence relation and under tolerance relation, are presented, respectively. After that, a systematic approach, named as the abstract process for knowledge reduction based on divide and conquer method in rough set theory, is proposed. Based on the presented approach, two algorithms for knowledge reduction, including an algorithm for attribute reduction and an algorithm for attribute value reduction, are presented. Some experimental evaluations are done to test the methods on uci data sets and KDDCUP99 data sets. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed approaches are efficient to process large data sets with good recognition rate, compared with KNN, SVM, C4.5, Naive Bayes, and CART.

Trial operation of the advanced volume reduction facilities for LLW at JAEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakashio, Nobuyuki; Higuchi, Hidekazu; Momma, Toshiyuki; Kozawa, Kazushige; Touhei, Toshio; Sudou, Tomoyuki; Mitsuda, Motoyuki; Kurosawa, Shigenobu; Hemmi, Kou; Ishikawa, Joji; Kato, Mitsugu; Sato, Motoaki

2007-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) constructed the Advanced Volume Reduction Facilities (AVRF), in which volume reduction techniques are applied and achieved high volume reduction ratio, homogenization and stabilization by means of melting or super compaction processes for low level radioactive solid wastes. It will be able to produce waste packages for final disposal and to reduce the volume of stored wastes by operating the AVRF. The AVRF consist of the Waste Size Reduction and Storage Facilities (WSRSF) and the Waste Volume Reduction Facilities (WVRF); the former has cutting installations for large size wastes and the latter has melting units and a super compactor. Cutting installations in the WSRSF have been operating since July 1999. Radioactive wastes treated so far amount to 750 m 3 and the volume reduction ratio is from 1.7 to 3.7. The WVRF has been operating with non-radioactive wastes since February 2003 for the training and the homogeneity investigation in the melting processes. The operation of the pretreatment system in the WVRF with radioactive wastes has partly started in FY2005. (author)

Survey of large protein complexes D. vulgaris reveals great structural diversity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, B.-G.; Dong, M.; Liu, H.; Camp, L.; Geller, J.; Singer, M.; Hazen, T. C.; Choi, M.; Witkowska, H. E.; Ball, D. A.; Typke, D.; Downing, K. H.; Shatsky, M.; Brenner, S. E.; Chandonia, J.-M.; Biggin, M. D.; Glaeser, R. M.

2009-08-15

An unbiased survey has been made of the stable, most abundant multi-protein complexes in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH) that are larger than Mr {approx} 400 k. The quaternary structures for 8 of the 16 complexes purified during this work were determined by single-particle reconstruction of negatively stained specimens, a success rate {approx}10 times greater than that of previous 'proteomic' screens. In addition, the subunit compositions and stoichiometries of the remaining complexes were determined by biochemical methods. Our data show that the structures of only two of these large complexes, out of the 13 in this set that have recognizable functions, can be modeled with confidence based on the structures of known homologs. These results indicate that there is significantly greater variability in the way that homologous prokaryotic macromolecular complexes are assembled than has generally been appreciated. As a consequence, we suggest that relying solely on previously determined quaternary structures for homologous proteins may not be sufficient to properly understand their role in another cell of interest.

Reductive dehalogenase structure suggests a mechanism for B12-dependent dehalogenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Karl Ap; Quezada, Carolina P; Fisher, Karl; Dunstan, Mark S; Collins, Fraser A; Sjuts, Hanno; Levy, Colin; Hay, Sam; Rigby, Stephen Ej; Leys, David

2015-01-22

Organohalide chemistry underpins many industrial and agricultural processes, and a large proportion of environmental pollutants are organohalides. Nevertheless, organohalide chemistry is not exclusively of anthropogenic origin, with natural abiotic and biological processes contributing to the global halide cycle. Reductive dehalogenases are responsible for biological dehalogenation in organohalide respiring bacteria, with substrates including polychlorinated biphenyls or dioxins. Reductive dehalogenases form a distinct subfamily of cobalamin (B12)-dependent enzymes that are usually membrane associated and oxygen sensitive, hindering detailed studies. Here we report the characterization of a soluble, oxygen-tolerant reductive dehalogenase and, by combining structure determination with EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) spectroscopy and simulation, show that a direct interaction between the cobalamin cobalt and the substrate halogen underpins catalysis. In contrast to the carbon-cobalt bond chemistry catalysed by the other cobalamin-dependent subfamilies, we propose that reductive dehalogenases achieve reduction of the organohalide substrate via halogen-cobalt bond formation. This presents a new model in both organohalide and cobalamin (bio)chemistry that will guide future exploitation of these enzymes in bioremediation or biocatalysis.

A capital cost reduction study on the fast breeder reactor plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniyama, H.; Kamei, M.; Moriyama, M.

1991-01-01

A capital cost reduction study has been performed for large fast breeder reactor designs. The primary objective of this study is to show a trend of capital cost reduction between FBR plants at the prototype stage, the demonstration stage, and the future commercialization stage. For the FBR plant at the demonstration stage a construction cost comparison with a light water reactor has also been performed, and the target cost of FBR of below 1.5 times that of the light water reactor cost was achieved. To extend the capital cost reduction study, a feasibility study was made to achieve a capital cost of an FBR less than that of a light water reactor. The recommended design is shown as a future commercialization FBR design concept. (author)

Volume reduction of contaminated filter wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buttedahl, O.I.; Terada, K.

1976-01-01

Reported are details of a pilot project to design and construct a compactor to reduce the handling of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters used in air filtration systems at facilities where radioactive materials are processed. In such systems at Rocky Flats Plant, filters require frequent change and removal. Large quantities are used and will be increased for future operations. With the completion of the pilot model, it has been demonstrated that volume reductions of more than 80% can be achieved and cost savings will be realized also

The chemistry of plutonium revealed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connick, R.E.

1990-01-01

In 1941 one goal of the Manhattan Project was to unravel the chemistry of the synthetic element plutonium as rapidly as possible. Important insights were obtained from tracer experiments, but the full complexity of plutonium chemistry was not revealed until macroscopic amounts (milligrams) became available. Because processes for separation from fission products were aqueous solution based, such solution chemistry was emphasized, particularly precipitation and oxidation-reduction behavior. The latter turned out to be unusually intricate when it was discovered that two more oxidation states existed in aqueous solution than had previously been suspected. Further, it was found that an equilibrium was rapidly established among the four aqueous oxidation states while at the same time any three were not in equilibrium. These and other observations made while doing a crash study of a previously unknown element will be reported

The error in total error reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Witnauer, James E; Urcelay, Gonzalo P; Miller, Ralph R

2014-02-01

Most models of human and animal learning assume that learning is proportional to the discrepancy between a delivered outcome and the outcome predicted by all cues present during that trial (i.e., total error across a stimulus compound). This total error reduction (TER) view has been implemented in connectionist and artificial neural network models to describe the conditions under which weights between units change. Electrophysiological work has revealed that the activity of dopamine neurons is correlated with the total error signal in models of reward learning. Similar neural mechanisms presumably support fear conditioning, human contingency learning, and other types of learning. Using a computational modeling approach, we compared several TER models of associative learning to an alternative model that rejects the TER assumption in favor of local error reduction (LER), which assumes that learning about each cue is proportional to the discrepancy between the delivered outcome and the outcome predicted by that specific cue on that trial. The LER model provided a better fit to the reviewed data than the TER models. Given the superiority of the LER model with the present data sets, acceptance of TER should be tempered. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Voting strategy for artifact reduction in digital breast tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Tao; Moore, Richard H.; Kopans, Daniel B.

2006-01-01

Artifacts are observed in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) reconstructions due to the small number of projections and the narrow angular range that are typically employed in tomosynthesis imaging. In this work, we investigate the reconstruction artifacts that are caused by high-attenuation features in breast and develop several artifact reduction methods based on a 'voting strategy'. The voting strategy identifies the projection(s) that would introduce artifacts to a voxel and rejects the projection(s) when reconstructing the voxel. Four approaches to the voting strategy were compared, including projection segmentation, maximum contribution deduction, one-step classification, and iterative classification. The projection segmentation method, based on segmentation of high-attenuation features from the projections, effectively reduces artifacts caused by metal and large calcifications that can be reliably detected and segmented from projections. The other three methods are based on the observation that contributions from artifact-inducing projections have higher value than those from normal projections. These methods attempt to identify the projection(s) that would cause artifacts by comparing contributions from different projections. Among the three methods, the iterative classification method provides the best artifact reduction; however, it can generate many false positive classifications that degrade the image quality. The maximum contribution deduction method and one-step classification method both reduce artifacts well from small calcifications, although the performance of artifact reduction is slightly better with the one-step classification. The combination of one-step classification and projection segmentation removes artifacts from both large and small calcifications

On Lattice Sequential Decoding for Large MIMO Systems

KAUST Repository

Ali, Konpal S.

2014-04-01

Due to their ability to provide high data rates, Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless communication systems have become increasingly popular. Decoding of these systems with acceptable error performance is computationally very demanding. In the case of large overdetermined MIMO systems, we employ the Sequential Decoder using the Fano Algorithm. A parameter called the bias is varied to attain different performance-complexity trade-offs. Low values of the bias result in excellent performance but at the expense of high complexity and vice versa for higher bias values. We attempt to bound the error by bounding the bias, using the minimum distance of a lattice. Also, a particular trend is observed with increasing SNR: a region of low complexity and high error, followed by a region of high complexity and error falling, and finally a region of low complexity and low error. For lower bias values, the stages of the trend are incurred at lower SNR than for higher bias values. This has the important implication that a low enough bias value, at low to moderate SNR, can result in low error and low complexity even for large MIMO systems. Our work is compared against Lattice Reduction (LR) aided Linear Decoders (LDs). Another impressive observation for low bias values that satisfy the error bound is that the Sequential Decoder\\'s error is seen to fall with increasing system size, while it grows for the LR-aided LDs. For the case of large underdetermined MIMO systems, Sequential Decoding with two preprocessing schemes is proposed – 1) Minimum Mean Square Error Generalized Decision Feedback Equalization (MMSE-GDFE) preprocessing 2) MMSE-GDFE preprocessing, followed by Lattice Reduction and Greedy Ordering. Our work is compared against previous work which employs Sphere Decoding preprocessed using MMSE-GDFE, Lattice Reduction and Greedy Ordering. For the case of large systems, this results in high complexity and difficulty in choosing the sphere radius. Our schemes

The Induced Dimension Reduction method applied to convection-diffusion-reaction problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Astudillo, R.; Van Gijzen, M.B.

2016-01-01

Discretization of (linearized) convection-diffusion-reaction problems yields a large and sparse non symmetric linear system of equations, Ax = b. (1) In this work, we compare the computational behavior of the Induced Dimension Reduction method (IDR(s)) [10], with other short-recurrences Krylov

Analysis of biostimulated microbial communities from two field experiments reveals temporal and spatial differences in proteome profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callister, S.J.; Wilkins, M.J.; Nicora, C.D.; Williams, K.H.; Banfield, J.F.; VerBerkmoes, N.C.; Hettich, R.L.; NGuessan, A.L.; Mouser, P.J.; Elifantz, H.; Smith, R.D.; Lovley, D.R.; Lipton, M.S.; Long, P.E.

2010-07-15

Stimulated by an acetate-amendment field experiment conducted in 2007, anaerobic microbial populations in the aquifer at the Rifle Integrated Field Research Challenge site in Colorado reduced mobile U(VI) to insoluble U(IV). During this experiment, planktonic biomass was sampled at various time points to quantitatively evaluate proteomes. In 2008, an acetate-amended field experiment was again conducted in a similar manner to the 2007 experiment. As there was no comprehensive metagenome sequence available for use in proteomics analysis, we systematically evaluated 12 different organism genome sequences to generate sets of aggregate genomes, or “pseudo-metagenomes”, for supplying relative quantitative peptide and protein identifications. Proteomics results support previous observations of the dominance of Geobacteraceae during biostimulation using acetate as sole electron donor, and revealed a shift from an early stage of iron reduction to a late stage of iron reduction. Additionally, a shift from iron reduction to sulfate reduction was indicated by changes in the contribution of proteome information contributed by different organism genome sequences within the aggregate set. In addition, the comparison of proteome measurements made between the 2007 field experiment and 2008 field experiment revealed differences in proteome profiles. These differences may be the result of alterations in abundance and population structure within the planktonic biomass samples collected for analysis.

RESOURCE SAVING TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS OF LARGE-SIZE DIE THERMAL TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Glazkov

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The given paper presents a development of a technological process pertaining to hardening large-size parts made of die steel. The proposed process applies a water-air mixture instead of a conventional hardening medium that is industrial oil.While developing this new technological process it has been necessary to solve the following problems: reduction of thermal treatment duration, reduction of power resource expense (natural gas and mineral oil, elimination of fire danger and increase of process ecological efficiency. 

Present status of the 4-m ILMT data reduction pipeline: application to space debris detection and characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, Bikram; Delchambre, Ludovic; Hickson, Paul; Akhunov, Talat; Bartczak, Przemyslaw; Kumar, Brajesh; Surdej, Jean

2018-04-01

The 4-m International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) located at the ARIES Observatory (Devasthal, India) has been designed to scan at a latitude of +29° 22' 26" a band of sky having a width of about half a degree in the Time Delayed Integration (TDI) mode. Therefore, a special data-reduction and analysis pipeline to process online the large amount of optical data being produced has been dedicated to it. This requirement has led to the development of the 4-m ILMT data reduction pipeline, a new software package built with Python in order to simplify a large number of tasks aimed at the reduction of the acquired TDI images. This software provides astronomers with specially designed data reduction functions, astrometry and photometry calibration tools. In this paper we discuss the various reduction and calibration steps followed to reduce TDI images obtained in May 2015 with the Devasthal 1.3m telescope. We report here the detection and characterization of nine space debris present in the TDI frames.

Suboptimal control for drag reduction in turbulent pipe flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jung Il; Sung, Hyung Jin; Xu, Chun Xiao

2001-01-01

A suboptimal control law in turbulent pipe flow is derived and tested. Two sensing variables ∂ρ/∂θ / w and ∂ν θ /∂r / w are applied with two actuations φ θ and φ γ . To test the suboptimal control law, direct numerical simulations of turbulent pipe flow at Re τ =150 are performed. When the control law is applied, a 13∼23% drag reduction is achieved. The most effective drag reduction is made at the pair of ∂υ θ /∂r / w and φ γ . An impenetrable virtual wall concept is useful for analyzing the near-wall suction and blowing. The virtual wall concept is useful for analyzing the near-wall behavior of the controlled flow. Comparison of the present suboptimal control with that of turbulent channel flow reveals that the curvature effect is insignificant

Multimodal MR-imaging reveals large-scale structural and functional connectivity changes in profound early blindness

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Corinna M.; Hirsch, Gabriella V.; Zajac, Lauren; Koo, Bang-Bon; Collignon, Olivier

2017-01-01

In the setting of profound ocular blindness, numerous lines of evidence demonstrate the existence of dramatic anatomical and functional changes within the brain. However, previous studies based on a variety of distinct measures have often provided inconsistent findings. To help reconcile this issue, we used a multimodal magnetic resonance (MR)-based imaging approach to provide complementary structural and functional information regarding this neuroplastic reorganization. This included gray matter structural morphometry, high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) of white matter connectivity and integrity, and resting state functional connectivity MRI (rsfcMRI) analysis. When comparing the brains of early blind individuals to sighted controls, we found evidence of co-occurring decreases in cortical volume and cortical thickness within visual processing areas of the occipital and temporal cortices respectively. Increases in cortical volume in the early blind were evident within regions of parietal cortex. Investigating white matter connections using HARDI revealed patterns of increased and decreased connectivity when comparing both groups. In the blind, increased white matter connectivity (indexed by increased fiber number) was predominantly left-lateralized, including between frontal and temporal areas implicated with language processing. Decreases in structural connectivity were evident involving frontal and somatosensory regions as well as between occipital and cingulate cortices. Differences in white matter integrity (as indexed by quantitative anisotropy, or QA) were also in general agreement with observed pattern changes in the number of white matter fibers. Analysis of resting state sequences showed evidence of both increased and decreased functional connectivity in the blind compared to sighted controls. Specifically, increased connectivity was evident between temporal and inferior frontal areas. Decreases in functional connectivity were observed

Cerebral H-1 MR spectroscopy revealing white matter NAA decreases in glutaric aciduria type I

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sijens, P. E.; Smit, G. P. A.; Meiners, L. C.; Oudkerk, M.; van Spronsen, F. J.

MR spectroscopy in two patients with glutaric aciduria type I revealed reductions in the white matter N-acetylaspartate signal, in the more severe case accompanied by a loss of glutamate and the appearance of lactate signals. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

XAS studies on selenite reduction by pyrite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang Mingliang; Liu Chunli; Chen Fanrong; Charlet, Laurnet

2012-01-01

The interaction of aqueous Se (IV) with pyrite were systematically investigated in light of thermodynamic calculations and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). The results from the speciation study reveal that the reduction product is Se (O) when natural pyrite reacts with Se (N) at pH≤5.65, while small amount of FeSeO 3 or iron selenides may be formed at pH 6.1. At pH≥6.94, due to the precipitation of Fe (Ⅲ) -oxyhydroxide, the formation of the thermodynamically most stable species, FeSe 2 , is inhibited. However, when the reactive nanopyrite-greigite was used for reaction, the thermodynamically most stable species, FeSe 2 , was found for the first time as the predominant product in the present study, suggesting that 79 Se can be immobilized in its most insoluble form, FeSe 2 , in Fe (Ⅱ) -sulfide containing environment. This study confirms that pyrite can significantly attenuate the mobility of Se by reductive precipitation, and that the reaction process does not produce protons under acidic or neutral condition when Se (O) is formed. (authors)

Demand reduction in the UK - with a focus on the non-domestic sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toke, D.

2007-01-01

A demand reduction strategy is considered in the context of the UK and in the light of the UK Government's 2006 Energy Review. This paper discusses how a mechanism - a Demand Reduction Obligation (DRO) - can be established to achieve radical energy demand reduction targets in electricity and gas use in the industrial, commercial and public administration sectors. A DRO would require energy suppliers to invest in energy-saving measures so as to reduce energy demand in these sectors. The investment for this activity would be funded by energy suppliers who would increase prices in order to cover the cost of achieving the carbon reductions. Public opinion surveys suggest that a large proportion of the public would prefer to support demand reduction measures compared to other energy options. It may be practical to deliver carbon emission reductions equivalent to around 30% of emissions from the UK electricity sector over a 15-year period through a broad-based demand reduction strategy. Demand reduction is considered in the context of an assessment of costs and resources available from other low carbon options including renewable energy and nuclear power. [Author

50 CFR 229.36 - Atlantic Pelagic Longline Take Reduction Plan (PLTRP).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MARINE MAMMALS AUTHORIZATION FOR COMMERCIAL FISHERIES UNDER THE MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT OF 1972 Take Reduction Plan Regulations and Emergency... the U.S. east coast, a component of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico large pelagics...

The induced dimension reduction method applied to convection-diffusion-reaction problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Astudillo Rengifo, R.A.; van Gijzen, M.B.

2016-01-01

Discretization of (linearized) convection-diusion-reaction problems yields
a large and sparse non symmetric linear system of equations,
Ax = b: (1)
In this work, we compare the computational behavior of the Induced Dimension
Reduction method (IDR(s)) [10], with other

Facile synthesis of amino-functionalized titanium metal-organic frameworks and their superior visible-light photocatalytic activity for Cr(VI) reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hou; Yuan, Xingzhong; Wu, Yan; Zeng, Guangming; Chen, Xiaohong; Leng, Lijian; Wu, Zhibin; Jiang, Longbo; Li, Hui

2015-01-01

Highlights: • NH 2 functionalized MIL-125(Ti) was fabricated by a facile solvothermal method. • The photocatalyst could reduce Cr(VI)–Cr(III) under visible light irradiation. • The Ti 3+ –Ti 4+ intervalence electron transfer is important for Cr(VI) reduction. • Used NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) can be recycled for the photocatalytic reduction. - Abstract: Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been arousing a great interest in exploring the application of MOFs as photocatalyst in environment remediation. In this work, two different MOFs, Ti-benzenedicarboxylate (MIL-125(Ti)) and amino-functionalized Ti-benzenedicarboxylate (NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti)) were successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The MIL-125(Ti) and NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) were well characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, N 2 adsorption–desorption measurements, thermogravimetric analysis and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). It is revealed that the NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) has well crystalline lattice, large surface area and mesoporous structure, chemical and thermal stability, and enhanced visible-light absorption up to 520 nm, which was associated with the chromophore (amino group) in the organic linker. Compared with MIL-125(Ti), NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) exhibited more efficient photocatalytic activity for Cr(VI) reduction from aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation. The addition of hole scavenger, the hole scavenger concentration and the pH value of the reaction solution played important roles in the photo-catalytic reduction of Cr(VI). The presence of Ti 3+ –Ti 4+ intervalence electron transfer was the main reason for photo-excited electrons transportation from titanium-oxo clusters to Cr(VI), facilitating the Cr(VI) reduction under the acid condition. It was demonstrated that amino-functionalized Ti(IV)-based MOFs could be promising visible-light photocatalysts for the treatment of Cr(VI)-contained wastewater

Flavored E-cigarette Use and Cigarette Smoking Reduction and Cessation-A Large National Study among Young Adult Smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Julia Cen

2018-04-06

E-cigarette use prevalence has increased drastically among young adult cigarette smokers in recent years. This study seeks to understand which e-cigarette flavors-sweet and fruity or tobacco and menthol/mint-are more likely to be associated with smoking reduction and cessation among young adults. Longitudinal data (waves 1 and 2) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study from young adult (aged 18-34) cigarette smokers (n = 4,645) at wave 1 and current e-cigarette users (n = 844) at wave 2 were used. Univariate and multivariate regressions were conducted to examine the associations between past-year smoking reduction and cessation and current e-cigarette flavor use at wave 2. At wave 2, 25.9% of respondents either reduced or quit smoking, and 6.7%, 5.2%, and 6.3% of them reported currently using e-cigarettes with tobacco/menthol (TM) flavors, one non-tobacco/non-menthol (NTM) flavor, and multiple NTM flavors, respectively. E-cigarette users with one (AOR = 2.5, p e-cigarette users. NTM flavor use was positively associated with e-cigarette use of a higher frequency and larger amount. The positive association between past-year smoking reduction and cessation and current NTM flavored e-cigarette use may be explained by young adults' escalated e-cigarette use with NTM flavors. Public health professionals should prevent and reduce multiple tobacco use through enhanced education about the harm of vaping NTM flavors and by advising young adult smokers to quit tobacco altogether using evidence-based methods.

An elaborated feeding cycle model for reductions in vectorial capacity of night-biting mosquitoes by insecticide-treated nets.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Menach, Arnaud; Takala, Shannon; McKenzie, F Ellis; Perisse, Andre; Harris, Anthony; Flahault, Antoine; Smith, David L

2007-01-25

Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) are an important tool for malaria control. ITNs are effective because they work on several parts of the mosquito feeding cycle, including both adult killing and repelling effects. Using an elaborated description of the classic feeding cycle model, simple formulas have been derived to describe how ITNs change mosquito behaviour and the intensity of malaria transmission, as summarized by vectorial capacity and EIR. The predicted changes are illustrated as a function of the frequency of ITN use for four different vector populations using parameter estimates from the literature. The model demonstrates that ITNs simultaneously reduce mosquitoes' lifespans, lengthen the feeding cycle, and by discouraging human biting divert more bites onto non-human hosts. ITNs can substantially reduce vectorial capacity through small changes to all of these quantities. The total reductions in vectorial capacity differ, moreover, depending on baseline behavior in the absence of ITNs. Reductions in lifespan and vectorial capacity are strongest for vector species with high baseline survival. Anthropophilic and zoophilic species are affected differently by ITNs; the feeding cycle is lengthened more for anthrophilic species, and the proportion of bites that are diverted onto non-human hosts is higher for zoophilic species. This model suggests that the efficacy of ITNs should be measured as a total reduction in transmission intensity, and that the quantitative effects will differ by species and by transmission intensity. At very high rates of ITN use, ITNs can generate large reductions in transmission intensity that could provide very large reductions in transmission intensity, and effective malaria control in some areas, especially when used in combination with other control measures. At high EIR, ITNs will probably not substantially reduce the parasite rate, but when transmission intensity is low, reductions in vectorial capacity combine with reductions in

How large-scale subsidence affects stratocumulus transitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. J. van der Dussen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Some climate modeling results suggest that the Hadley circulation might weaken in a future climate, causing a subsequent reduction in the large-scale subsidence velocity in the subtropics. In this study we analyze the cloud liquid water path (LWP budget from large-eddy simulation (LES results of three idealized stratocumulus transition cases, each with a different subsidence rate. As shown in previous studies a reduced subsidence is found to lead to a deeper stratocumulus-topped boundary layer, an enhanced cloud-top entrainment rate and a delay in the transition of stratocumulus clouds into shallow cumulus clouds during its equatorwards advection by the prevailing trade winds. The effect of a reduction of the subsidence rate can be summarized as follows. The initial deepening of the stratocumulus layer is partly counteracted by an enhanced absorption of solar radiation. After some hours the deepening of the boundary layer is accelerated by an enhancement of the entrainment rate. Because this is accompanied by a change in the cloud-base turbulent fluxes of moisture and heat, the net change in the LWP due to changes in the turbulent flux profiles is negligibly small.

The Effect of Reduction Mammaplasty on the Vertebral Column: A Radiologic Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Onder Karaaslan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Some studies emphasized that anatomic mechanisms of vertebral aberrations could be associated with large breasts. The effect of mammaplasty operation on the vertebral column and body posture seems to be beneficial; in this trial, it was planned to investigate the objective radiologic effect of reduction mammaplasty on the posture of the vertebral column in a group of patients operated due to the large breasts. Thirty-four white women with large breasts were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into three groups according to their breast cup sizes. Anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the lumbosacral and thoracic spine were taken at baseline preoperatively, and the same radiographic images were taken in an average of 12 months later than the reduction mammaplasty operation. All were evaluated and compared for thoracic kyphosis angle and lumbar lordosis angle both preoperatively and postoperatively. The mean thoracic kyphosis angle was 40,53 preoperatively and 39,38 postoperatively. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative measurements in all groups (P>0,05. The mean lumbar lordosis angle was 54,71 preoperatively and 53,18 postoperatively. Regarding the preoperative and postoperative measurements of lumbar lordosis angles, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (P>0,05. Although breast size may be an important factor that affects body posture, reduction mammaplasty operations have little or no radiologic effect on the vertebral column.

Large-scale transcriptome analysis reveals arabidopsis metabolic pathways are frequently influenced by different pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhenhong; He, Fei; Zhang, Ziding

2017-07-01

Through large-scale transcriptional data analyses, we highlighted the importance of plant metabolism in plant immunity and identified 26 metabolic pathways that were frequently influenced by the infection of 14 different pathogens. Reprogramming of plant metabolism is a common phenomenon in plant defense responses. Currently, a large number of transcriptional profiles of infected tissues in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have been deposited in public databases, which provides a great opportunity to understand the expression patterns of metabolic pathways during plant defense responses at the systems level. Here, we performed a large-scale transcriptome analysis based on 135 previously published expression samples, including 14 different pathogens, to explore the expression pattern of Arabidopsis metabolic pathways. Overall, metabolic genes are significantly changed in expression during plant defense responses. Upregulated metabolic genes are enriched on defense responses, and downregulated genes are enriched on photosynthesis, fatty acid and lipid metabolic processes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) identifies 26 frequently differentially expressed metabolic pathways (FreDE_Paths) that are differentially expressed in more than 60% of infected samples. These pathways are involved in the generation of energy, fatty acid and lipid metabolism as well as secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Clustering analysis based on the expression levels of these 26 metabolic pathways clearly distinguishes infected and control samples, further suggesting the importance of these metabolic pathways in plant defense responses. By comparing with FreDE_Paths from abiotic stresses, we find that the expression patterns of 26 FreDE_Paths from biotic stresses are more consistent across different infected samples. By investigating the expression correlation between transcriptional factors (TFs) and FreDE_Paths, we identify several notable relationships. Collectively, the current study

Using unplanned fires to help suppressing future large fires in Mediterranean forests.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrián Regos

Full Text Available Despite the huge resources invested in fire suppression, the impact of wildfires has considerably increased across the Mediterranean region since the second half of the 20th century. Modulating fire suppression efforts in mild weather conditions is an appealing but hotly-debated strategy to use unplanned fires and associated fuel reduction to create opportunities for suppression of large fires in future adverse weather conditions. Using a spatially-explicit fire-succession model developed for Catalonia (Spain, we assessed this opportunistic policy by using two fire suppression strategies that reproduce how firefighters in extreme weather conditions exploit previous fire scars as firefighting opportunities. We designed scenarios by combining different levels of fire suppression efficiency and climatic severity for a 50-year period (2000-2050. An opportunistic fire suppression policy induced large-scale changes in fire regimes and decreased the area burnt under extreme climate conditions, but only accounted for up to 18-22% of the area to be burnt in reference scenarios. The area suppressed in adverse years tended to increase in scenarios with increasing amounts of area burnt during years dominated by mild weather. Climate change had counterintuitive effects on opportunistic fire suppression strategies. Climate warming increased the incidence of large fires under uncontrolled conditions but also indirectly increased opportunities for enhanced fire suppression. Therefore, to shift fire suppression opportunities from adverse to mild years, we would require a disproportionately large amount of area burnt in mild years. We conclude that the strategic planning of fire suppression resources has the potential to become an important cost-effective fuel-reduction strategy at large spatial scale. We do however suggest that this strategy should probably be accompanied by other fuel-reduction treatments applied at broad scales if large-scale changes in fire

Using unplanned fires to help suppressing future large fires in Mediterranean forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Regos, Adrián; Aquilué, Núria; Retana, Javier; De Cáceres, Miquel; Brotons, Lluís

2014-01-01

Despite the huge resources invested in fire suppression, the impact of wildfires has considerably increased across the Mediterranean region since the second half of the 20th century. Modulating fire suppression efforts in mild weather conditions is an appealing but hotly-debated strategy to use unplanned fires and associated fuel reduction to create opportunities for suppression of large fires in future adverse weather conditions. Using a spatially-explicit fire-succession model developed for Catalonia (Spain), we assessed this opportunistic policy by using two fire suppression strategies that reproduce how firefighters in extreme weather conditions exploit previous fire scars as firefighting opportunities. We designed scenarios by combining different levels of fire suppression efficiency and climatic severity for a 50-year period (2000-2050). An opportunistic fire suppression policy induced large-scale changes in fire regimes and decreased the area burnt under extreme climate conditions, but only accounted for up to 18-22% of the area to be burnt in reference scenarios. The area suppressed in adverse years tended to increase in scenarios with increasing amounts of area burnt during years dominated by mild weather. Climate change had counterintuitive effects on opportunistic fire suppression strategies. Climate warming increased the incidence of large fires under uncontrolled conditions but also indirectly increased opportunities for enhanced fire suppression. Therefore, to shift fire suppression opportunities from adverse to mild years, we would require a disproportionately large amount of area burnt in mild years. We conclude that the strategic planning of fire suppression resources has the potential to become an important cost-effective fuel-reduction strategy at large spatial scale. We do however suggest that this strategy should probably be accompanied by other fuel-reduction treatments applied at broad scales if large-scale changes in fire regimes are to be

Spin-flavor structure of large Nc baryons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dashen, R.F.; Jenkins, E.; Manohar, A.V.

1995-01-01

The spin-flavor structure of large N c baryons is described in the 1/N c expansion of QCD using quark operators. The complete set of quark operator identities is obtained, and used to derive an operator reduction rule which simplifies the 1/N c expansion. The operator reduction rule is applied to the axial vector currents, masses, magnetic moments, and hyperon nonleptonic decay amplitudes in the SU(3) limit, to first order in SU(3) breaking, and without assuming SU(3) symmetry. The connection between the Skyrme and quark operator representations is discussed. An explicit formula is given for the quark model operators in terms of the Skyrme model operators to all orders in 1/N c for the two flavor case

Conformational analysis of large and highly disulfide-stabilized proteins by integrating online electrochemical reduction into an optimized H/D exchange mass spectrometry workflow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trabjerg, Esben; Jakobsen, Rasmus Uffe; Mysling, Simon

2015-01-01

Analysis of disulfide-bonded proteins by HDX-MS requires effective and rapid reduction of disulfide bonds before enzymatic digestion in order to increase sequence coverage. In a conventional HDX-MS workflow, disulfide bonds are reduced chemically by addition of a reducing agent to the quench......-antibody, respectively. The presented results demonstrate the successful electrochemical reduction during HDX-MS analysis of both a small exceptional tightly disulfide-bonded protein (NGF) as well as the largest protein attempted to date (IgG1-antibody). We envision that online electrochemical reduction...... the electrochemical reduction efficiency during HDX-MS analysis of two particularly challenging disulfide stabilized proteins: a therapeutic IgG1-antibody and Nerve Growth Factor-β (NGF). Several different parameters (flow rate, applied square wave potential as well as the type of labeling- and quench buffer) were...

A finite-dimensional reduction method for slightly supercritical elliptic problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Molle

2004-01-01

Full Text Available We describe a finite-dimensional reduction method to find solutions for a class of slightly supercritical elliptic problems. A suitable truncation argument allows us to work in the usual Sobolev space even in the presence of supercritical nonlinearities: we modify the supercritical term in such a way to have subcritical approximating problems; for these problems, the finite-dimensional reduction can be obtained applying the methods already developed in the subcritical case; finally, we show that, if the truncation is realized at a sufficiently large level, then the solutions of the approximating problems, given by these methods, also solve the supercritical problems when the parameter is small enough.

Particle characteristics and reduction behavior of synthetic magnetite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadan, Wegdan; Zaki, Mohamed I.; Fouad, Nasr E.; Mekhemer, Gamal A.H.

2014-01-01

Two samples (S1 and S2) of magnetite were synthesized, using two different methods, and characterized by means of X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy, N 2 sorptiometry and electron microscopy. Particles of sample-S1 were found to be loosely agglomerated, micro-sized spheroids (200–350 nm) composed almost solely of highly aggregated (fused) crystallites (size averaged at 35 nm) of cubic-Fe 3 O 4 . In contrast, particles of sample-S2 were strongly agglomerated, nano-sized spheroids (25–30 nm) composed of slightly aggregated crystallites (size averaged at 11 nm) of cubic-Fe 3 O 4 and noncrystalline domains made-up of FeO(OH) species. Temperature-programed reduction (TPR) profiles obtained for the two samples were similar in monitoring two peaks at >450 °C assignable to a two-step reduction of Fe 3 O 4 (→FeO→Fe), but different in monitoring a peak at 3 O 4 ) contained in sample-S2. However, curve fitting analysis of the TPR profiles and molecular stoichiometry calculations based on amounts of hydrogen consumed revealed that the two-step reduction of Fe 3 O 4 is not straightforward. That is by resolving two consecutive pathways for each step and, hence, nonstoichiometric intermediate products whose composition was found to be critically controlled by the composition of the reducing gas atmosphere (5 or 80% H 2 /N 2 ) and characteristics of the starting sample particles (chemical and phase composition, and, but to lesser extents, the agglomeration and average size). - Highlights: • Nano or micro, pure Fe 3 O 4 particles are H 2 -reduced in two steps (→FeO→Fe) at >450 °C. • FeO(OH)-impure particles exhibit a third reduction step (FeO(OH)→Fe 3 O 4 ) at 3 O 4 reduction steps resolves two consecutive pathways. • Moreover, various nonstoichiometric reduction intermediate products are genesized

Digital tissue and what it may reveal about the brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Josh L; Lichtman, Jeff W

2017-10-30

Imaging as a means of scientific data storage has evolved rapidly over the past century from hand drawings, to photography, to digital images. Only recently can sufficiently large datasets be acquired, stored, and processed such that tissue digitization can actually reveal more than direct observation of tissue. One field where this transformation is occurring is connectomics: the mapping of neural connections in large volumes of digitized brain tissue.

Dwell time considerations for large area cold plasma decontamination

Science.gov (United States)

Konesky, Gregory

2009-05-01

Atmospheric discharge cold plasmas have been shown to be effective in the reduction of pathogenic bacteria and spores and in the decontamination of simulated chemical warfare agents, without the generation of toxic or harmful by-products. Cold plasmas may also be useful in assisting cleanup of radiological "dirty bombs." For practical applications in realistic scenarios, the plasma applicator must have both a large area of coverage, and a reasonably short dwell time. However, the literature contains a wide range of reported dwell times, from a few seconds to several minutes, needed to achieve a given level of reduction. This is largely due to different experimental conditions, and especially, different methods of generating the decontaminating plasma. We consider these different approaches and attempt to draw equivalencies among them, and use this to develop requirements for a practical, field-deployable plasma decontamination system. A plasma applicator with 12 square inches area and integral high voltage, high frequency generator is described.

Whole Exome Sequencing Reveals Genetic Predisposition in a Large Family with Retinitis Pigmentosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Wu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Next-generation sequencing has become more widely used to reveal genetic defect in monogenic disorders. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP, the leading cause of hereditary blindness worldwide, has been attributed to more than 67 disease-causing genes. Due to the extreme genetic heterogeneity, using general molecular screening alone is inadequate for identifying genetic predispositions in susceptible individuals. In order to identify underlying mutation rapidly, we utilized next-generation sequencing in a four-generation Chinese family with RP. Two affected patients and an unaffected sibling were subjected to whole exome sequencing. Through bioinformatics analysis and direct sequencing confirmation, we identified p.R135W transition in the rhodopsin gene. The mutation was subsequently confirmed to cosegregate with the disease in the family. In this study, our results suggest that whole exome sequencing is a robust method in diagnosing familial hereditary disease.

Environmental TEM study of the dynamic nanoscaled morphology of NiO/YSZ during reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Søren Bredmose; Agersted, Karsten; Hansen, Karin Vels

2015-01-01

The reduction of a metal oxide is often a critical preparation step for activating catalytic behaviour. This study addresses the reduction process of NiO in pure form and in a composite of NiO/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) in hydrogen relevant for solid oxide electrochemical cells by comparing...... results from environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The temperature dependent reduction profiles obtained from TGA confirm an inhibitive effect from YSZ on the NiO reduction. The ETEM images show the growth of Ni in decaying NiO and reveal...... the nanoscale morphological changes such as pore formation in NiO above 280°C and densification and collapse of the pore structures above 400°C. The accelerated Ni front in NiO illustrates the auto catalysis of the reaction. A rapid temperature ramping from room temperature to 780°C in hydrogen in 1 second...

The DEEP-South: Scheduling and Data Reduction Software System

Science.gov (United States)

Yim, Hong-Suh; Kim, Myung-Jin; Bae, Youngho; Moon, Hong-Kyu; Choi, Young-Jun; Roh, Dong-Goo; the DEEP-South Team

2015-08-01

The DEep Ecliptic Patrol of the Southern sky (DEEP-South), started in October 2012, is currently in test runs with the first Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) 1.6 m wide-field telescope located at CTIO in Chile. While the primary objective for the DEEP-South is physical characterization of small bodies in the Solar System, it is expected to discover a large number of such bodies, many of them previously unknown.An automatic observation planning and data reduction software subsystem called "The DEEP-South Scheduling and Data reduction System" (the DEEP-South SDS) is currently being designed and implemented for observation planning, data reduction and analysis of huge amount of data with minimum human interaction. The DEEP-South SDS consists of three software subsystems: the DEEP-South Scheduling System (DSS), the Local Data Reduction System (LDR), and the Main Data Reduction System (MDR). The DSS manages observation targets, makes decision on target priority and observation methods, schedules nightly observations, and archive data using the Database Management System (DBMS). The LDR is designed to detect moving objects from CCD images, while the MDR conducts photometry and reconstructs lightcurves. Based on analysis made at the LDR and the MDR, the DSS schedules follow-up observation to be conducted at other KMTNet stations. In the end of 2015, we expect the DEEP-South SDS to achieve a stable operation. We also have a plan to improve the SDS to accomplish finely tuned observation strategy and more efficient data reduction in 2016.

Study on the flow reduction of forced flow superconducting magnet and its stable operation condition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sugimoto, Makoto [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan). Naka Fusion Research Establishment

2001-03-01

The forced flow superconducting coil especially made from a Cable-in-Conduit Conductor (CICC) is applied for large-scale devices such as fusion magnets and superconducting magnet energy storage (SMES) because it has high mechanical and electrical performance potential. The flow reduction phenomena caused by AC loss generation due to the pulsed operation was found based on the experimental results of three forced flow superconducting coils. And relation between the AC loss generation and flow reduction was defined from viewpoint of the engineering design and operation of the coils. Also the mechanism of flow reduction was investigated and stable operation condition under the flow reduction was clarified for forced flow superconducting coils. First, experiments of three different large-scale superconducting coils were carried out and experimental database of the flow reduction by AC loss generation was established. It was found experimentally that the flow reduction depends on the AC loss generation (W/m{sup 3}) in all of coils. It means the stable operation condition is defined not only the electro magnetism of superconducting coil but also flow condition. Mechanism of the flow reduction was investigated based on the experimental database. Hydraulics was applied to supercritical helium as a coolant. Also performances of the cryogenic pump by which coolant are supplied to the coil and friction of the superconductor as cooling path is considered for hydraulic estimation. The flow reduction of the coil is clarified and predictable by the equations of continuity, momentum and energy balance. Also total mass flow rate of coolant was discussed. The estimation method in the design phase was developed for total mass flow rate which are required under the flow reduction by AC losses. The friction of the superconductor and performance of cryogenic pump should be required for precise prediction of flow reduction. These values were obtained by the experiment data of coil and

Neuromuscular regulation in zebrafish by a large AAA+ ATPase/ubiquitin ligase, mysterin/RNF213

Science.gov (United States)

Kotani, Yuri; Morito, Daisuke; Yamazaki, Satoru; Ogino, Kazutoyo; Kawakami, Koichi; Takashima, Seiji; Hirata, Hiromi; Nagata, Kazuhiro

2015-01-01

Mysterin (also known as RNF213) is a huge intracellular protein with two AAA+ ATPase modules and a RING finger ubiquitin ligase domain. Mysterin was originally isolated as a significant risk factor for the cryptogenic cerebrovascular disorder moyamoya disease, and was found to be involved in physiological angiogenesis in zebrafish. However, the function and the physiological significance of mysterin in other than blood vessels remain largely unknown, although mysterin is ubiquitously expressed in animal tissues. In this study, we performed antisense-mediated suppression of a mysterin orthologue in zebrafish larvae and revealed that mysterin-deficient larvae showed significant reduction in fast myofibrils and immature projection of primary motoneurons, leading to severe motor deficits. Fast muscle-specific restoration of mysterin expression cancelled these phenotypes, and interestingly both AAA+ ATPase and ubiquitin ligase activities of mysterin were indispensable for proper fast muscle formation, demonstrating an essential role of mysterin and its enzymatic activities in the neuromuscular regulation in zebrafish. PMID:26530008

A customizable software for fast reduction and analysis of large X-ray scattering data sets: applications of the new DPDAK package to small-angle X-ray scattering and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Benecke, Gunthard; Wagermaier, Wolfgang; Li, Chenghao; Schwartzkopf, Matthias; Flucke, Gero; Hoerth, Rebecca; Zizak, Ivo; Burghammer, Manfred; Metwalli, Ezzeldin; Müller-Buschbaum, Peter; Trebbin, Martin; Förster, Stephan; Paris, Oskar; Roth, Stephan V; Fratzl, Peter

2014-10-01

X-ray scattering experiments at synchrotron sources are characterized by large and constantly increasing amounts of data. The great number of files generated during a synchrotron experiment is often a limiting factor in the analysis of the data, since appropriate software is rarely available to perform fast and tailored data processing. Furthermore, it is often necessary to perform online data reduction and analysis during the experiment in order to interactively optimize experimental design. This article presents an open-source software package developed to process large amounts of data from synchrotron scattering experiments. These data reduction processes involve calibration and correction of raw data, one- or two-dimensional integration, as well as fitting and further analysis of the data, including the extraction of certain parameters. The software, DPDAK (directly programmable data analysis kit), is based on a plug-in structure and allows individual extension in accordance with the requirements of the user. The article demonstrates the use of DPDAK for on- and offline analysis of scanning small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data on biological samples and microfluidic systems, as well as for a comprehensive analysis of grazing-incidence SAXS data. In addition to a comparison with existing software packages, the structure of DPDAK and the possibilities and limitations are discussed.

A revised method of presenting wavenumber-frequency power spectrum diagrams that reveals the asymmetric nature of tropical large-scale waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chao, Winston C. [NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, Mail Code 610.1, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Yang, Bo; Fu, Xiouhua [University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, International Pacific Research Center, Honolulu, HI (United States)

2009-11-15

The popular method of presenting wavenumber-frequency power spectrum diagrams for studying tropical large-scale waves in the literature is shown to give an incomplete presentation of these waves. The so-called ''convectively coupled Kelvin (mixed Rossby-gravity) waves'' are presented as existing only in the symmetric (anti-symmetric) component of the diagrams. This is obviously not consistent with the published composite/regression studies of ''convectively coupled Kelvin waves,'' which illustrate the asymmetric nature of these waves. The cause of this inconsistency is revealed in this note and a revised method of presenting the power spectrum diagrams is proposed. When this revised method is used, ''convectively coupled Kelvin waves'' do show anti-symmetric components, and ''convectively coupled mixed Rossby-gravity waves (also known as Yanai waves)'' do show a hint of symmetric components. These results bolster a published proposal that these waves should be called ''chimeric Kelvin waves,'' ''chimeric mixed Rossby-gravity waves,'' etc. This revised method of presenting power spectrum diagrams offers an additional means of comparing the GCM output with observations by calling attention to the capability of GCMs to correctly simulate the asymmetric characteristics of equatorial waves. (orig.)

Feasibility study on energy saving and reduction of CO2 emissions at Pertamina's Cilacap Refinery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

With an objective of saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emission, a basic survey has been performed on the atmospheric crude oil distillation units and the high vacuum distillation units at Cilacap Refinery in Indonesia. The first site survey in September 2000 has carried out a survey on the situation of the facilities and operation upon obtaining the facility data and operation information from Pertamina. As a result, it was revealed that there is a room of improvement in the heat recovery, whereas a modification design was executed on the improvement proposals on the heat exchanger system. However, the second site survey in November 2000 has revealed that Pertamina had executed in 1998 through 1999 the de-bottlenecking project on the crude oil atmospheric distillation units (two units) and the high vacuum distillation units (two units), by which the capability has been expanded, and the heat recovery rate has been increased. It is not possible to look for extremely large enhancement of the heat recovery rate beyond that point, and the reduction of CO2 emission would also be small. As a result of discussions, the present project was found capable of reducing annually the CO2 emission by 36,500 tons. (NEDO)

Weight reduction intervention for obese infertile women prior to IVF

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einarsson, Snorri; Bergh, Christina; Friberg, Britt

2017-01-01

in the weight reduction group reaching BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2 or reaching a weight loss of at least five BMI units to the IVF only group. No statistical differences in live birth rates between the groups in either subgroup analysis were found. LIMITATIONS, REASON FOR CAUTION: The study was not powered to detect a small......STUDY QUESTION: Does an intensive weight reduction programme prior to IVF increase live birth rates for infertile obese women? SUMMARY ANSWER: An intensive weight reduction programme resulted in a large weight loss but did not substantially affect live birth rates in obese women scheduled for IVF...... in infertile obese women. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A prospective, multicentre, randomized controlled trial was performed between 2010 and 2016 in the Nordic countries. In total, 962 women were assessed for eligibility and 317 women were randomized. Computerized randomization with concealed allocation...

Degradation and ecotoxicity of dye Reactive Black 5 after reductive-oxidative process : Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuervo Lumbaque, Elisabeth; Gomes, Monike Felipe; Da Silva Carvalho, Vanessa; de Freitas, Adriane Martins; Tiburtius, Elaine Regina Lopes

2017-03-01

This research paper describes the study of a reduction-oxidation system using commercial steel wool (Fe 0 ) and H 2 O 2 for degradation of the dye Reactive Black 5 and aromatic compounds in water. The reductive process alone allowed the almost complete removal of color (97 ± 1 %) after 60 min of reaction. The decrease in spectral area (λ = 599 nm) associated with the chromophore group indicates breakage of the azo bonds. Moreover, the significant change in UV spectra can be associated with the formation of aromatic amines. Regarding the transformation products, a spectrophotometric method based on the diazotization reaction was employed to identify aromatic amines after reductive process, using sulfanilic acid as a model of aromatic amines. In addition, association with Fenton reagents improved the efficiency in the system with 93 ± 1 % degradation of intermediates formed during the reductive process. Ecotoxicological analysis revealed that the dye solution, after the reductive and oxidative processes, was not toxic to Lactuca sativa seeds. For Daphnia magna, the EC 50 (%) values observed revealed that dye solution has an EC 50 (%) = 74.1 and after reductive process, the toxicity increased (EC 50 (%) = 63.5), which might be related to the formation of aromatic amines. However, after the Fenton process, the EC 50 (%) was >100. These results demonstrated that the Fenton reaction using steel wool as an iron source was very efficient to decrease color, aromatic transformation products, and the ecotoxicity of Reactive Black 5 in solution.

Snubber reduction program at the Byron Station, Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arterburn, J.; Bakhtiari, S.

1987-01-01

Commonwealth Edison Company's (CECo's) Byron Station, unit 1, was originally designed with approximately 1200 snubbers supporting the plant's large- and small-bore piping systems. This relatively large number of snubbers is attributed to excessive conservatism in nuclear piping codes and regulations effective during the original piping design. A recent pilot program at CECo's LaSalle County Station, a boiling water reactor plant, demonstrated that a 50% or greater reduction in total snubber population is achievable in plants of this design vintage. Based on the successful results of the pilot program, CECo initiated a full scale snubber reduction program at Byron, a pressurized water reactor plant of the same vintage at the LaSalle County Station. The benefits from a reduced snubber population are described. To realize the maximum potential benefits, all snubbers in the plant were prioritized in order of desirability for removal. The priority designations are discussed. The major results from phase 1 of the Byron program are summarized. The NRC inspection of the project addressed a variety of issues and is discussed. The conclusions that can be drawn from the phase 1 program are summarized

Nonlinear model order reduction for flexible multibody dynamics: a modal derivatives approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Long, E-mail: L.Wu-1@tudelft.nl [Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (Netherlands); Tiso, Paolo, E-mail: ptiso@ethz.ch [ETH Zürich, Institute for Mechanical Systems (Switzerland)

2016-04-15

An effective reduction technique is presented for flexible multibody systems, for which the elastic deflection could not be considered small. We consider here the planar beam systems undergoing large elastic rotations, in the floating frame description. The proposed method enriches the classical linear reduction basis with modal derivatives stemming from the derivative of the eigenvalue problem. Furthermore, the Craig–Bampton method is applied to couple the different reduced components. Based on the linear projection, the configuration-dependent internal force can be expressed as cubic polynomials in the reduced coordinates. Coefficients of these polynomials can be precomputed for efficient runtime evaluation. The numerical results show that the modal derivatives are essential for the correct approximation of the nonlinear elastic deflection with respect to the body reference. The proposed reduction method constitutes a natural and effective extension of the classical linear modal reduction in the floating frame.

Clear Speech - Mere Speech? How segmental and prosodic speech reduction shape the impression that speakers create on listeners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niebuhr, Oliver

2017-01-01

of reduction levels and perceived speaker attributes in which moderate reduction can make a better impression on listeners than no reduction. In addition to its relevance in reduction models and theories, this interplay is instructive for various fields of speech application from social robotics to charisma...... whether variation in the degree of reduction also has a systematic effect on the attributes we ascribe to the speaker who produces the speech signal. A perception experiment was carried out for German in which 46 listeners judged whether or not speakers showing 3 different combinations of segmental...... and prosodic reduction levels (unreduced, moderately reduced, strongly reduced) are appropriately described by 13 physical, social, and cognitive attributes. The experiment shows that clear speech is not mere speech, and less clear speech is not just reduced either. Rather, results revealed a complex interplay...

Practical recipes for the model order reduction, dynamical simulation and compressive sampling of large-scale open quantum systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sidles, John A; Jacky, Jonathan P [Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Box 356500, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195 (United States); Garbini, Joseph L; Malcomb, Joseph R; Williamson, Austin M [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Harrell, Lee E [Department of Physics, US Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996 (United States); Hero, Alfred O [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, MI 49931 (United States); Norman, Anthony G [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)], E-mail: sidles@u.washington.edu

2009-06-15

Practical recipes are presented for simulating high-temperature and nonequilibrium quantum spin systems that are continuously measured and controlled. The notion of a spin system is broadly conceived, in order to encompass macroscopic test masses as the limiting case of large-j spins. The simulation technique has three stages: first the deliberate introduction of noise into the simulation, then the conversion of that noise into an equivalent continuous measurement and control process, and finally, projection of the trajectory onto state-space manifolds having reduced dimensionality and possessing a Kaehler potential of multilinear algebraic form. These state-spaces can be regarded as ruled algebraic varieties upon which a projective quantum model order reduction (MOR) is performed. The Riemannian sectional curvature of ruled Kaehlerian varieties is analyzed, and proved to be non-positive upon all sections that contain a rule. These manifolds are shown to contain Slater determinants as a special case and their identity with Grassmannian varieties is demonstrated. The resulting simulation formalism is used to construct a positive P-representation for the thermal density matrix. Single-spin detection by magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) is simulated, and the data statistics are shown to be those of a random telegraph signal with additive white noise. Larger-scale spin-dust models are simulated, having no spatial symmetry and no spatial ordering; the high-fidelity projection of numerically computed quantum trajectories onto low dimensionality Kaehler state-space manifolds is demonstrated. The reconstruction of quantum trajectories from sparse random projections is demonstrated, the onset of Donoho-Stodden breakdown at the Candes-Tao sparsity limit is observed, a deterministic construction for sampling matrices is given and methods for quantum state optimization by Dantzig selection are given.

Practical recipes for the model order reduction, dynamical simulation and compressive sampling of large-scale open quantum systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidles, John A; Jacky, Jonathan P; Garbini, Joseph L; Malcomb, Joseph R; Williamson, Austin M; Harrell, Lee E; Hero, Alfred O; Norman, Anthony G

2009-01-01

Practical recipes are presented for simulating high-temperature and nonequilibrium quantum spin systems that are continuously measured and controlled. The notion of a spin system is broadly conceived, in order to encompass macroscopic test masses as the limiting case of large-j spins. The simulation technique has three stages: first the deliberate introduction of noise into the simulation, then the conversion of that noise into an equivalent continuous measurement and control process, and finally, projection of the trajectory onto state-space manifolds having reduced dimensionality and possessing a Kaehler potential of multilinear algebraic form. These state-spaces can be regarded as ruled algebraic varieties upon which a projective quantum model order reduction (MOR) is performed. The Riemannian sectional curvature of ruled Kaehlerian varieties is analyzed, and proved to be non-positive upon all sections that contain a rule. These manifolds are shown to contain Slater determinants as a special case and their identity with Grassmannian varieties is demonstrated. The resulting simulation formalism is used to construct a positive P-representation for the thermal density matrix. Single-spin detection by magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) is simulated, and the data statistics are shown to be those of a random telegraph signal with additive white noise. Larger-scale spin-dust models are simulated, having no spatial symmetry and no spatial ordering; the high-fidelity projection of numerically computed quantum trajectories onto low dimensionality Kaehler state-space manifolds is demonstrated. The reconstruction of quantum trajectories from sparse random projections is demonstrated, the onset of Donoho-Stodden breakdown at the Candes-Tao sparsity limit is observed, a deterministic construction for sampling matrices is given and methods for quantum state optimization by Dantzig selection are given.

Practical recipes for the model order reduction, dynamical simulation and compressive sampling of large-scale open quantum systems

Science.gov (United States)

Sidles, John A.; Garbini, Joseph L.; Harrell, Lee E.; Hero, Alfred O.; Jacky, Jonathan P.; Malcomb, Joseph R.; Norman, Anthony G.; Williamson, Austin M.

2009-06-01

Practical recipes are presented for simulating high-temperature and nonequilibrium quantum spin systems that are continuously measured and controlled. The notion of a spin system is broadly conceived, in order to encompass macroscopic test masses as the limiting case of large-j spins. The simulation technique has three stages: first the deliberate introduction of noise into the simulation, then the conversion of that noise into an equivalent continuous measurement and control process, and finally, projection of the trajectory onto state-space manifolds having reduced dimensionality and possessing a Kähler potential of multilinear algebraic form. These state-spaces can be regarded as ruled algebraic varieties upon which a projective quantum model order reduction (MOR) is performed. The Riemannian sectional curvature of ruled Kählerian varieties is analyzed, and proved to be non-positive upon all sections that contain a rule. These manifolds are shown to contain Slater determinants as a special case and their identity with Grassmannian varieties is demonstrated. The resulting simulation formalism is used to construct a positive P-representation for the thermal density matrix. Single-spin detection by magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) is simulated, and the data statistics are shown to be those of a random telegraph signal with additive white noise. Larger-scale spin-dust models are simulated, having no spatial symmetry and no spatial ordering; the high-fidelity projection of numerically computed quantum trajectories onto low dimensionality Kähler state-space manifolds is demonstrated. The reconstruction of quantum trajectories from sparse random projections is demonstrated, the onset of Donoho-Stodden breakdown at the Candès-Tao sparsity limit is observed, a deterministic construction for sampling matrices is given and methods for quantum state optimization by Dantzig selection are given.

A Case Analysis of Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness of Iloilo Province: Basis for A Comprehensive Intervention Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria D. Jurilla

2016-08-01

Full Text Available - This study determined the effectiveness of Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness of Iloilo Province, Philippines in the areas of Dissemination, Implementation, and Resource Utilization and Operation as evaluated by the 390 citizens of the ten (10 selected municipalities from the five (5 Congressional Districts in the Province of Iloilo, Philippines. This descriptive method of research employed researcher-made instruments and random interviews. Descriptive statistics used were the mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics employed Ttest for independent samples and one-way analysis for variance set at .05 level of significances. Findings revealed that Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness of Iloilo Province, Philippines is “more effective” in terms of dissemination, implementation, and resource utilization and operation according to the assessment of the 390 respondents of the ten (10 selected municipalities from the five (5 Congressional Districts when they were grouped as to personal variables. Finally, the findings revealed that three (3 out of ten (10 municipalities were very effective and among the five (5 districts, first district was very effective as to dissemination and resource utilization and operation of their respective Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness Program but as a whole, Iloilo Province was more effective in its Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness.

Sound reduction by metamaterial-based acoustic enclosure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shanshan Yao

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In many practical systems, acoustic radiation control on noise sources contained within a finite volume by an acoustic enclosure is of great importance, but difficult to be accomplished at low frequencies due to the enhanced acoustic-structure interaction. In this work, we propose to use acoustic metamaterials as the enclosure to efficiently reduce sound radiation at their negative-mass frequencies. Based on a circularly-shaped metamaterial model, sound radiation properties by either central or eccentric sources are analyzed by numerical simulations for structured metamaterials. The parametric analyses demonstrate that the barrier thickness, the cavity size, the source type, and the eccentricity of the source have a profound effect on the sound reduction. It is found that increasing the thickness of the metamaterial barrier is an efficient approach to achieve large sound reduction over the negative-mass frequencies. These results are helpful in designing highly efficient acoustic enclosures for blockage of sound in low frequencies.

Sound reduction by metamaterial-based acoustic enclosure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao, Shanshan; Li, Pei; Zhou, Xiaoming; Hu, Gengkai, E-mail: hugeng@bit.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Dynamics and Control of Flight Vehicle, Ministry of Education and School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China)

2014-12-15

In many practical systems, acoustic radiation control on noise sources contained within a finite volume by an acoustic enclosure is of great importance, but difficult to be accomplished at low frequencies due to the enhanced acoustic-structure interaction. In this work, we propose to use acoustic metamaterials as the enclosure to efficiently reduce sound radiation at their negative-mass frequencies. Based on a circularly-shaped metamaterial model, sound radiation properties by either central or eccentric sources are analyzed by numerical simulations for structured metamaterials. The parametric analyses demonstrate that the barrier thickness, the cavity size, the source type, and the eccentricity of the source have a profound effect on the sound reduction. It is found that increasing the thickness of the metamaterial barrier is an efficient approach to achieve large sound reduction over the negative-mass frequencies. These results are helpful in designing highly efficient acoustic enclosures for blockage of sound in low frequencies.

Growth and surface modification of LaFeO3 thin films induced by reductive annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flynn, Brendan T.; Zhang, Kelvin H.L.; Shutthanandan, Vaithiyalingam; Varga, Tamas; Colby, Robert J.; Oleksak, Richard P.; Manandhar, Sandeep; Engelhard, Mark H.; Chambers, Scott A.; Henderson, Michael A.; Herman, Gregory S.; Thevuthasan, Suntharampillai

2015-01-01

Highlights: • LaFeO 3 was grown by molecular beam epitaxy on ZrO 2 :Y 2 O 3 . • The film was highly oriented but not single crystalline. • Angle resolved XPS revealed differences between surface and bulk oxygen. • Annealing the film in vacuum resulted in the sequential reduction of Fe cations. • A greater degree of Fe reduction was found at the surface. - Abstract: The mixed electronic and ionic conductivity of perovskite oxides has enabled their use in diverse applications such as automotive exhaust catalysts, solid oxide fuel cell cathodes, and visible light photocatalysts. The redox chemistry at the surface of perovskite oxides is largely dependent on the oxidation state of the metal cations as well as the oxide surface stoichiometry. In this study, LaFeO 3 (LFO) thin films grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was characterized using both bulk and surface sensitive techniques. A combination of in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) demonstrated that the film is primarily textured in the [1 0 0] direction and is stoichiometric. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements show regions that are dominated by [1 0 0] oriented LFO grains that are oriented with respect to the substrates lattice. However, selected regions of the film show multiple domains of grains that are not [1 0 0] oriented. The film was annealed in an ultra-high vacuum chamber to simulate reducing conditions and studied by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Iron was found to exist as Fe(0), Fe(II), and Fe(III) depending on the annealing conditions and the depth within the film. A decrease in the concentration of surface oxygen species was correlated with iron reduction. These results should help guide and enhance the design of LFO materials for catalytic applications

Assessing the potential of spectral induced polarization to detect in situ changes in iron reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Rosier, C. L.; Price, A.; Sharma, S.; Atekwana, E. A.

2016-12-01

The near surface geophysical technique Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP), provides promise as an effective method measuring in situ biofilm formation/development. Yet, potential mechanisms responsible for observed shifts in SIP response due to biofilm are not clearly understood. In order to address possible mechanisms we assessed the influence of Shewanella oneidensis (MR1) cell density (colony forming units; CFU), biofilm production (Bradford assay) and iron reduction metabolism (colorimetric assay) on SIP response. Laboratory measurements were collected over three months on columns packed with either iron-coated or iron-free sands and amended with artificial ground water and acetate in order to stimulate biofilm production and microbial iron reduction. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to confirm the presence of S. oneidensis cells and biofilm. Our results suggest that during early/initial stage (75 days) of column incubation, SIP measurements revealed that phase and imaginary conductivity responses decreased as the concentration of reduced iron decreased below 2.0 mM. In contrast, we observed only a moderate increase in phase and imaginary conductivity ( 30%) within iron-free columns as a result of increases in S. oneidensis cells (CFU 1.5 x 1011) and biofilm production (7.0 mg ml-1). SEM analysis confirmed the presence of biofilm and cells within both iron-coated and iron-free columns. We hypothesize that the production of microbial metabolic byproducts is a potential mechanism explaining large phase shits observed in previous studies ( 50 mrads) rather than the conductivity of cells or biofilm. Our findings provide support for the following: i) ratio of cells to biofilm production only moderately influences both phase and imaginary conductivity response and ii) largest phase and imaginary conductivity response resulted from microbial metabolism (i.e. iron reduction) and potentially biofilm trapping of conductive materials (i

Enema reduction of intussusception: the success rate of hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Khorana, Jiraporn; Singhavejsakul, Jesda; Ukarapol, Nuthapong; Laohapensang, Mongkol; Wakhanrittee, Junsujee; Patumanond, Jayanton

2015-01-01

Intussusception is a common surgical emergency in infants and children. The incidence of intussusception is from one to four per 2,000 infants and children. If there is no peritonitis, perforation sign on abdominal radiographic studies, and nonresponsive shock, nonoperative reduction by pneumatic or hydrostatic enema can be performed. The purpose of this study was to compare the success rates of both the methods. Two institutional retrospective cohort studies were performed. All intussusception patients (ICD-10 code K56.1) who had visited Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital from January 2006 to December 2012 were included in the study. The data were obtained by chart reviews and electronic databases, which included demographic data, symptoms, signs, and investigations. The patients were grouped according to the method of reduction followed into pneumatic reduction and hydrostatic reduction groups with the outcome being the success of the reduction technique. One hundred and seventy episodes of intussusception occurring in the patients of Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital were included in this study. The success rate of pneumatic reduction was 61% and that of hydrostatic reduction was 44% (P=0.036). Multivariable analysis and adjusting of the factors by propensity scores were performed; the success rate of pneumatic reduction was 1.48 times more than that of hydrostatic reduction (P=0.036, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.03-2.13). Both pneumatic and hydrostatic reduction can be performed safely according to the experience of the radiologist or pediatric surgeon and hospital setting. This study showed that pneumatic reduction had a higher success rate than hydrostatic reduction.

Multiple models guide strategies for agricultural nutrient reductions

Science.gov (United States)

Scavia, Donald; Kalcic, Margaret; Muenich, Rebecca Logsdon; Read, Jennifer; Aloysius, Noel; Bertani, Isabella; Boles, Chelsie; Confesor, Remegio; DePinto, Joseph; Gildow, Marie; Martin, Jay; Redder, Todd; Robertson, Dale M.; Sowa, Scott P.; Wang, Yu-Chen; Yen, Haw

2017-01-01

In response to degraded water quality, federal policy makers in the US and Canada called for a 40% reduction in phosphorus (P) loads to Lake Erie, and state and provincial policy makers in the Great Lakes region set a load-reduction target for the year 2025. Here, we configured five separate SWAT (US Department of Agriculture's Soil and Water Assessment Tool) models to assess load reduction strategies for the agriculturally dominated Maumee River watershed, the largest P source contributing to toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie. Although several potential pathways may achieve the target loads, our results show that any successful pathway will require large-scale implementation of multiple practices. For example, one successful pathway involved targeting 50% of row cropland that has the highest P loss in the watershed with a combination of three practices: subsurface application of P fertilizers, planting cereal rye as a winter cover crop, and installing buffer strips. Achieving these levels of implementation will require local, state/provincial, and federal agencies to collaborate with the private sector to set shared implementation goals and to demand innovation and honest assessments of water quality-related programs, policies, and partnerships.

VARIATION OF STRIKE INCENTIVES IN DEEP REDUCTIONS; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

G.H. CANAVAN

2001-01-01

This note studies the sensitivity of strike incentives to deep offensive force reductions using exchange, cost, and game theoretic decision models derived and discussed in companion reports. As forces fall, weapon allocations shift from military to high value targets, with the shift being half complete at about 1,000 weapons. By 500 weapons, the first and second strikes are almost totally on high value. The dominant cost for striking first is that of damage to one's high value, which is near total absent other constraints, and hence proportional to preferences for survival of high value. Changes in military costs are largely offsetting, so total first strike costs change little. The resulting costs at decision nodes are well above the costs of inaction, so the preferred course is inaction for all offensive reductions studied. As the dominant cost for striking first is proportional to the preference for survival of high value. There is a wide gap between the first strike cost and that of inaction for the parameters studied here. These conclusions should be insensitive to significant reductions in the preference for survival of high value, which is the most sensitive parameter

Surface plasmon resonance induced reduction of high quality Ag/graphene composite at water/toluene phase for reduction of H2O2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Fengjun; Zhang Kehua; Xie Fazhi; Liu Jin; Dong Hongfei; Zhao Wei; Meng Zeda

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The Ag/graphene composites have been successfully synthesized in two-phase solvent. ► The surface plasmon resonance of Ag can reduce GO with high deoxygenation and low defect. ► The Ag particles were uniformly distributed on graphene surface. ► The Ag/graphene composites obtained show high superior electrical properties for reduction of H 2 O 2 . - Abstract: Surface plasmon resonance induced synthesis of Ag/graphene composites from Ag/graphene oxide (Ag/GO) in a two-phase (water–toluene) solvent was reported. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results revealed that the Ag nanoparticles with size of 5–8 nm were trimly distributed on reduced graphene oxide sheets. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have demonstrated low defect density and high deoxygenation degree of graphene in Ag/graphene composite. The excellent structure and morphology of Ag/graphene composites contributed to superior electrical properties for reduction of H 2 O 2 .

Spontaneous mutation reveals influence of exopolysaccharide on Lactobacillus johnsonii surface characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Nikki; Wegmann, Udo; Dertli, Enes; Mulholland, Francis; Collins, Samuel R A; Waldron, Keith W; Bongaerts, Roy J; Mayer, Melinda J; Narbad, Arjan

2013-01-01

As a competitive exclusion agent, Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785 has been shown to prevent the colonization of selected pathogenic bacteria from the chicken gastrointestinal tract. During growth of the bacterium a rare but consistent emergence of an altered phenotype was noted, generating smooth colonies in contrast to the wild type rough form. A smooth colony variant was isolated and two-dimensional gel analysis of both strains revealed a protein spot with different migration properties in the two phenotypes. The spot in both gels was identified as a putative tyrosine kinase (EpsC), associated with a predicted exopolysaccharide gene cluster. Sequencing of the epsC gene from the smooth mutant revealed a single substitution (G to A) in the coding strand, resulting in the amino acid change D88N in the corresponding gene product. A native plasmid of L. johnsonii was engineered to produce a novel vector for constitutive expression and this was used to demonstrate that expression of the wild type epsC gene in the smooth mutant produced a reversion to the rough colony phenotype. Both the mutant and epsC complemented strains had increased levels of exopolysaccharides compared to the wild type strain, indicating that the rough phenotype is not solely associated with the quantity of exopolysaccharide. Another gene in the cluster, epsE, that encoded a putative undecaprenyl-phosphate galactosephosphotransferase, was deleted in order to investigate its role in exopolysaccharide biosynthesis. The ΔepsE strain exhibited a large increase in cell aggregation and a reduction in exopolysaccharide content, while plasmid complementation of epsE restored the wild type phenotype. Flow cytometry showed that the wild type and derivative strains exhibited clear differences in their adhesive ability to HT29 monolayers in tissue culture, demonstrating an impact of EPS on surface properties and bacteria-host interactions.

Spontaneous mutation reveals influence of exopolysaccharide on Lactobacillus johnsonii surface characteristics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikki Horn

Full Text Available As a competitive exclusion agent, Lactobacillus johnsonii FI9785 has been shown to prevent the colonization of selected pathogenic bacteria from the chicken gastrointestinal tract. During growth of the bacterium a rare but consistent emergence of an altered phenotype was noted, generating smooth colonies in contrast to the wild type rough form. A smooth colony variant was isolated and two-dimensional gel analysis of both strains revealed a protein spot with different migration properties in the two phenotypes. The spot in both gels was identified as a putative tyrosine kinase (EpsC, associated with a predicted exopolysaccharide gene cluster. Sequencing of the epsC gene from the smooth mutant revealed a single substitution (G to A in the coding strand, resulting in the amino acid change D88N in the corresponding gene product. A native plasmid of L. johnsonii was engineered to produce a novel vector for constitutive expression and this was used to demonstrate that expression of the wild type epsC gene in the smooth mutant produced a reversion to the rough colony phenotype. Both the mutant and epsC complemented strains had increased levels of exopolysaccharides compared to the wild type strain, indicating that the rough phenotype is not solely associated with the quantity of exopolysaccharide. Another gene in the cluster, epsE, that encoded a putative undecaprenyl-phosphate galactosephosphotransferase, was deleted in order to investigate its role in exopolysaccharide biosynthesis. The ΔepsE strain exhibited a large increase in cell aggregation and a reduction in exopolysaccharide content, while plasmid complementation of epsE restored the wild type phenotype. Flow cytometry showed that the wild type and derivative strains exhibited clear differences in their adhesive ability to HT29 monolayers in tissue culture, demonstrating an impact of EPS on surface properties and bacteria-host interactions.

Accounting for Natural Reduction of Nitrogen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højberg, A L; Refsgaard, J. C.; Hansen, A.L.

the same restriction for all areas independent on drainage schemes, hydrogeochemical conditions in the subsurface and retention in surface waters. Although significant reductions have been achieved this way, general measures are not cost-effective, as nitrogen retention (primarily as denitrification...... degradation at a sufficient small scale with adequate certainty. The development of a national model to describe nitrogen leaching, transport and degradation as well as related uncertainty revealed that a national approach, based on existing data and knowledge, would be associated with significant...... Scales” (www.nitrate.dk), aims at advancing the understanding of these processes and quantify their impact on nitrate transport and transformation. The project combines detailed field studies and model simulations and develops methodologies and tools to: i) detect drain pipe location and quantify...

Selective data reduction in gas chromatography/infrared spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyo, Dong Jin; Shin, Hyun Du

2001-01-01

As gas chromatography/infrared spectrometry (GC/IR) becomes routinely available, methods must be developed to deal with the large amount of data produced. We demonstrate computer methods that quickly search through a large data file, locating those spectra that display a spectral feature of interest. Based on a modified library search routine, these selective data reduction methods retrieve all or nearly all of the compounds of interest, while rejection the vast majority of unrelated compounds. To overcome the shifting problem of IR spectra, a search method of moving the average pattern was designed. In this moving pattern search, the average pattern of a particular functional group was not held stationary, but was allowed to be moved a little bit right and left

SELECTION AND PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE REDUCTANTS FOR SRAT PROCESSING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stone, M.; Pickenheim, B.; Peeler, D.

2009-06-30

require large amounts of nitric acid (and subsequently larger reductant additions) unless a reducing acid is also used.

Principal Components as a Data Reduction and Noise Reduction Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Imhoff, M. L.; Campbell, W. J.

1982-01-01

The potential of principal components as a pipeline data reduction technique for thematic mapper data was assessed and principal components analysis and its transformation as a noise reduction technique was examined. Two primary factors were considered: (1) how might data reduction and noise reduction using the principal components transformation affect the extraction of accurate spectral classifications; and (2) what are the real savings in terms of computer processing and storage costs of using reduced data over the full 7-band TM complement. An area in central Pennsylvania was chosen for a study area. The image data for the project were collected using the Earth Resources Laboratory's thematic mapper simulator (TMS) instrument.

Genetic consequences of war and social strife in sub-Saharan Africa : the case of Uganda's large mammals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Muwanika, Vincent B.; Nyakaana, Silvester; Siegismund, Hans Redlef

2005-01-01

data that are relevant to understanding of the genetic effects of war and social strife on Africa's wildlife. Uganda was probably one of the worst affected countries. Before 1972, Uganda had large herds and a variety of mammals. However, following the breakdown of law and order, some large mammals were......The spectacular diversity of sub-Saharan Africa's large mammals was hit by constant social strife and civil war over three decades (1970s-1990s) leading to localized extinctions and drastic reductions in population sizes for many species. These localized extinctions and reduction in population...... sizes undermine the ability of species to evolve and adapt to changing environments as a result of genetic erosion. The genetic consequences of the widespread reduction of population sizes as a result of social strife in sub-Saharan Africa are not well documented. Here we review past molecular genetic...

Large-scale pool fires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steinhaus Thomas

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A review of research into the burning behavior of large pool fires and fuel spill fires is presented. The features which distinguish such fires from smaller pool fires are mainly associated with the fire dynamics at low source Froude numbers and the radiative interaction with the fire source. In hydrocarbon fires, higher soot levels at increased diameters result in radiation blockage effects around the perimeter of large fire plumes; this yields lower emissive powers and a drastic reduction in the radiative loss fraction; whilst there are simplifying factors with these phenomena, arising from the fact that soot yield can saturate, there are other complications deriving from the intermittency of the behavior, with luminous regions of efficient combustion appearing randomly in the outer surface of the fire according the turbulent fluctuations in the fire plume. Knowledge of the fluid flow instabilities, which lead to the formation of large eddies, is also key to understanding the behavior of large-scale fires. Here modeling tools can be effectively exploited in order to investigate the fluid flow phenomena, including RANS- and LES-based computational fluid dynamics codes. The latter are well-suited to representation of the turbulent motions, but a number of challenges remain with their practical application. Massively-parallel computational resources are likely to be necessary in order to be able to adequately address the complex coupled phenomena to the level of detail that is necessary.

``Large''- vs Small-scale friction control in turbulent channel flow

Science.gov (United States)

Canton, Jacopo; Örlü, Ramis; Chin, Cheng; Schlatter, Philipp

2017-11-01

We reconsider the ``large-scale'' control scheme proposed by Hussain and co-workers (Phys. Fluids 10, 1049-1051 1998 and Phys. Rev. Fluids, 2, 62601 2017), using new direct numerical simulations (DNS). The DNS are performed in a turbulent channel at friction Reynolds number Reτ of up to 550 in order to eliminate low-Reynolds-number effects. The purpose of the present contribution is to re-assess this control method in the light of more modern developments in the field, in particular also related to the discovery of (very) large-scale motions. The goals of the paper are as follows: First, we want to better characterise the physics of the control, and assess what external contribution (vortices, forcing, wall motion) are actually needed. Then, we investigate the optimal parameters and, finally, determine which aspects of this control technique actually scale in outer units and can therefore be of use in practical applications. In addition to discussing the mentioned drag-reduction effects, the present contribution will also address the potential effect of the naturally occurring large-scale motions on frictional drag, and give indications on the physical processes for potential drag reduction possible at all Reynolds numbers.

Spectroscopic and thermal characterization of carbon nanotubes functionalized through diazonium salt reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandurangappa, Malingappa; Ramakrishnappa, Thippeswamy

2010-01-01

Chemical reduction of anthraquinone diazonium chloride (Fast Red AL salt) in presence of hypophosphorous acid and carbon nanotubes results in anthraquinonyl functionalized carbon nanotubes. The surface functionalized moieties have been examined electrochemically by immobilizing them onto the surface of basal plane pyrolytic graphite electrode and studying its voltammetric behaviour. The effect of pH, and scan rate has revealed that the modified species are confined on the electrode surface. The spectroscopic characterization of the modified single walled carbon nanotubes using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and transmission electron microscopy have revealed that the modifier molecules are covalently bonded on the surface of carbon nanotubes.

Spectroscopic and thermal characterization of carbon nanotubes functionalized through diazonium salt reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pandurangappa, Malingappa, E-mail: mprangachem@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Bangalore University, Central College Campus, Dr Ambedkar Veedhi, Bangalore 560 001 (India); Ramakrishnappa, Thippeswamy [Department of Chemistry, Bangalore University, Central College Campus, Dr Ambedkar Veedhi, Bangalore 560 001 (India)

2010-08-01

Chemical reduction of anthraquinone diazonium chloride (Fast Red AL salt) in presence of hypophosphorous acid and carbon nanotubes results in anthraquinonyl functionalized carbon nanotubes. The surface functionalized moieties have been examined electrochemically by immobilizing them onto the surface of basal plane pyrolytic graphite electrode and studying its voltammetric behaviour. The effect of pH, and scan rate has revealed that the modified species are confined on the electrode surface. The spectroscopic characterization of the modified single walled carbon nanotubes using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and transmission electron microscopy have revealed that the modifier molecules are covalently bonded on the surface of carbon nanotubes.

Poor adherence to clinical guidelines for women undergoing breast reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aydin, Dogu; Hansen, Lone Bak; Ikander, Peder

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Indication for breast reduction in a publically funded or an insurance-funded setting depends on the severity of the subjective symptoms and on the clinical evaluation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether Danish surgeons follow a clinical practice recommending a minimum...... tissue resection weight of 400-500 g per breast. METHODS: Included in the study were a total of 366 female patients with breast hypertrophy who underwent bilateral breast reduction surgery at three large university hospitals in Denmark in the period from August 2008 to November 2013. The patients' height...... hospitals in Denmark in the 2008-2013 period. Our findings are surprising and beg the question if the guidelines...

Automated data reduction workflows for astronomy. The ESO Reflex environment

Science.gov (United States)

Freudling, W.; Romaniello, M.; Bramich, D. M.; Ballester, P.; Forchi, V.; García-Dabló, C. E.; Moehler, S.; Neeser, M. J.

2013-11-01

Context. Data from complex modern astronomical instruments often consist of a large number of different science and calibration files, and their reduction requires a variety of software tools. The execution chain of the tools represents a complex workflow that needs to be tuned and supervised, often by individual researchers that are not necessarily experts for any specific instrument. Aims: The efficiency of data reduction can be improved by using automatic workflows to organise data and execute a sequence of data reduction steps. To realize such efficiency gains, we designed a system that allows intuitive representation, execution and modification of the data reduction workflow, and has facilities for inspection and interaction with the data. Methods: The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has developed Reflex, an environment to automate data reduction workflows. Reflex is implemented as a package of customized components for the Kepler workflow engine. Kepler provides the graphical user interface to create an executable flowchart-like representation of the data reduction process. Key features of Reflex are a rule-based data organiser, infrastructure to re-use results, thorough book-keeping, data progeny tracking, interactive user interfaces, and a novel concept to exploit information created during data organisation for the workflow execution. Results: Automated workflows can greatly increase the efficiency of astronomical data reduction. In Reflex, workflows can be run non-interactively as a first step. Subsequent optimization can then be carried out while transparently re-using all unchanged intermediate products. We found that such workflows enable the reduction of complex data by non-expert users and minimizes mistakes due to book-keeping errors. Conclusions: Reflex includes novel concepts to increase the efficiency of astronomical data processing. While Reflex is a specific implementation of astronomical scientific workflows within the Kepler workflow

Reduction in language testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dimova, Slobodanka; Jensen, Christian

2013-01-01

/video recorded speech samples and written reports produced by two experienced raters after testing. Our findings suggest that reduction or reduction-like pronunciation features are found in tested L2 speech, but whenever raters identify and comment on such reductions, they tend to assess reductions negatively......This study represents an initial exploration of raters' comments and actual realisations of form reductions in L2 test speech performances. Performances of three L2 speakers were selected as case studies and illustrations of how reductions are evaluated by the raters. The analysis is based on audio...

Importance of c-Type cytochromes for U(VI reduction by Geobacter sulfurreducens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leang Ching

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In order to study the mechanism of U(VI reduction, the effect of deleting c-type cytochrome genes on the capacity of Geobacter sulfurreducens to reduce U(VI with acetate serving as the electron donor was investigated. Results The ability of several c-type cytochrome deficient mutants to reduce U(VI was lower than that of the wild type strain. Elimination of two confirmed outer membrane cytochromes and two putative outer membrane cytochromes significantly decreased (ca. 50–60% the ability of G. sulfurreducens to reduce U(VI. Involvement in U(VI reduction did not appear to be a general property of outer membrane cytochromes, as elimination of two other confirmed outer membrane cytochromes, OmcB and OmcC, had very little impact on U(VI reduction. Among the periplasmic cytochromes, only MacA, proposed to transfer electrons from the inner membrane to the periplasm, appeared to play a significant role in U(VI reduction. A subpopulation of both wild type and U(VI reduction-impaired cells, 24–30%, accumulated amorphous uranium in the periplasm. Comparison of uranium-accumulating cells demonstrated a similar amount of periplasmic uranium accumulation in U(VI reduction-impaired and wild type G. sulfurreducens. Assessment of the ability of the various suspensions to reduce Fe(III revealed no correlation between the impact of cytochrome deletion on U(VI reduction and reduction of Fe(III hydroxide and chelated Fe(III. Conclusion This study indicates that c-type cytochromes are involved in U(VI reduction by Geobacter sulfurreducens. The data provide new evidence for extracellular uranium reduction by G. sulfurreducens but do not rule out the possibility of periplasmic uranium reduction. Occurrence of U(VI reduction at the cell surface is supported by the significant impact of elimination of outer membrane cytochromes on U(VI reduction and the lack of correlation between periplasmic uranium accumulation and the capacity for uranium

Process energy reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowthian, W.E.

1993-01-01

Process Energy Reduction (PER) is a demand-side energy reduction approach which complements and often supplants other traditional energy reduction methods such as conservation and heat recovery. Because the application of PER is less obvious than the traditional methods, it takes some time to learn the steps as well as practice to become proficient in its use. However, the benefit is significant, often far outweighing the traditional energy reduction approaches. Furthermore, the method usually results in a better process having less waste and pollution along with improved yields, increased capacity, and lower operating costs

Differential Expression Analysis by RNA-Seq Reveals Perturbations in the Platelet mRNA Transcriptome Triggered by Pathogen Reduction Systems

OpenAIRE

Osman, Abdimajid; Hitzler, Walter E.; Ameur, Adam; Provost, Patrick

2015-01-01

Platelet concentrates (PCs) are prepared at blood banks for transfusion to patients in certain clinical conditions associated with a low platelet count. To prevent transfusion-transmitted infections via PCs, different pathogen reduction (PR) systems have been developed that inactivate the nucleic acids of contaminating pathogens by chemical cross-linking, a mechanism that may also affect platelets' nucleic acids. We previously reported that treatment of stored platelets with the PR system Int...

A method for reduction of Acoustic Emission (AE) data with application in machine failure detection and diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Vicuña, Cristián Molina; Höweler, Christoph

2017-12-01

The use of AE in machine failure diagnosis has increased over the last years. Most AE-based failure diagnosis strategies use digital signal processing and thus require the sampling of AE signals. High sampling rates are required for this purpose (e.g. 2 MHz or higher), leading to streams of large amounts of data. This situation is aggravated if fine resolution and/or multiple sensors are required. These facts combine to produce bulky data, typically in the range of GBytes, for which sufficient storage space and efficient signal processing algorithms are required. This situation probably explains why, in practice, AE-based methods consist mostly in the calculation of scalar quantities such as RMS and Kurtosis, and the analysis of their evolution in time. While the scalar-based approach offers the advantage of maximum data reduction; it has the disadvantage that most part of the information contained in the raw AE signal is lost unrecoverably. This work presents a method offering large data reduction, while keeping the most important information conveyed by the raw AE signal, useful for failure detection and diagnosis. The proposed method consist in the construction of a synthetic, unevenly sampled signal which envelopes the AE bursts present on the raw AE signal in a triangular shape. The constructed signal - which we call TriSignal - also permits the estimation of most scalar quantities typically used for failure detection. But more importantly, it contains the information of the time of occurrence of the bursts, which is key for failure diagnosis. Lomb-Scargle normalized periodogram is used to construct the TriSignal spectrum, which reveals the frequency content of the TriSignal and provides the same information as the classic AE envelope. The paper includes application examples in planetary gearbox and low-speed rolling element bearing.

The effect on collisions with injuries of a reduction in traffic citations issued by police officers.

Science.gov (United States)

Blais, Etienne; Gagné, Marie-Pier

2010-12-01

To assess the effect on collisions with injuries of a 61% reduction in the number of traffic citations issued by police officers over a 21-month period. Using descriptive analyses as well as ARIMA intervention time-series analyses, this study estimated the impact of this reduction in citations issued for traffic violations on the monthly number of collisions with injuries. Simple descriptive analysis reveals that the 61% reduction in the number of citations issued for traffic violations during the experimental period coincided with an increase in collisions with injuries. Results from the interrupted time-series analyses reveal that, on average, eight additional collisions with injuries occurred every month during which the number of tickets issued for traffic violations was lower than normal. As this pressure tactic was applied for 21 months, it is estimated that this situation was associated with approximately 184 additional collisions with injuries: equivalent to 239 traffic injuries (either deaths, minor or serious injuries). In the province of Quebec, police officers are an important component of road safety policy. Issuing citations prevents drivers from adopting reckless driving habits such as speeding, running red lights and failing to fasten their seat belt.

Wind-Tunnel Investigations of Blunt-Body Drag Reduction Using Forebody Surface Roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Whitmore, Stephen A.; Sprague, Stephanie; Naughton, Jonathan W.; Curry, Robert E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper presents results of wind-tunnel tests that demonstrate a novel drag reduction technique for blunt-based vehicles. For these tests, the forebody roughness of a blunt-based model was modified using micomachined surface overlays. As forebody roughness increases, boundary layer at the model aft thickens and reduces the shearing effect of external flow on the separated flow behind the base region, resulting in reduced base drag. For vehicle configurations with large base drag, existing data predict that a small increment in forebody friction drag will result in a relatively large decrease in base drag. If the added increment in forebody skin drag is optimized with respect to base drag, reducing the total drag of the configuration is possible. The wind-tunnel tests results conclusively demonstrate the existence of a forebody dragbase drag optimal point. The data demonstrate that the base drag coefficient corresponding to the drag minimum lies between 0.225 and 0.275, referenced to the base area. Most importantly, the data show a drag reduction of approximately 15% when the drag optimum is reached. When this drag reduction is scaled to the X-33 base area, drag savings approaching 45,000 N (10,000 lbf) can be realized.

Turbulent boundary layer over 2D and 3D large-scale wavy walls

Science.gov (United States)

Chamorro, Leonardo P.; Hamed, Ali M.; Castillo, Luciano

2015-11-01

In this work, an experimental investigation of the developing and developed flow over two- and three-dimensional large-scale wavy walls was performed using high-resolution planar particle image velocimetry in a refractive-index-matching flume. The 2D wall is described by a sinusoidal wave in the streamwise direction with amplitude to wavelength ratio a/ λx = 0.05. The 3D wall is defined with an additional wave superimposed on the 2D wall in the spanwise direction with a/ λy = 0.1. The flow was characterized at Reynolds numbers of 4000 and 40000, based on the bulk velocity and the flume half height. Instantaneous velocity fields and time-averaged turbulence quantities reveal strong coupling between large-scale topography and the turbulence dynamics near the wall. Turbulence statistics show the presence of a well-structured shear layer that enhances the turbulence for the 2D wavy wall, whereas the 3D wall exhibits different flow dynamics and significantly lower turbulence levels, particularly for which shows about 30% reduction. The likelihood of recirculation bubbles, levels and spatial distribution of turbulence, and the rate of the turbulent kinetic energy production are shown to be severely affected when a single spanwise mode is superimposed on the 2D wall. POD analysis was also performed to further understand distinctive features of the flow structures due to surface topography.

Sludge Reduction by Lumbriculus Variegatus in Ahvaz Wastewater Treatment Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Hendrickx

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Sludge production is an avoidable problem arising from the treatment of wastewater. The sludge remained after municipal wastewater treatment contains considerable amounts of various contaminants and if is not properly handled and disposed, it may produce extensivehealth hazards. Application of aquatic worm is an approach to decrease the amount of biological waste sludge produced in wastewater treatment plants. In the present research reduction of the amount of waste sludge from Ahvaz wastewater treatment plant was studied with the aquatic worm Lumbriculus variegatus in a reactor concept. The sludge reduction in the reactor with worm was compared to sludge reduction in a blank reactor (without worm.The effects of changes in dissolved oxygen (DO concentration up to 3 mg/L (run 1 and up to 6 mg/L (run 2 were studied in the worm and blank reactors. No meaningful relationship was found between DO concentration and the rate of total suspended solids reduction. Theaverage sludge reductions were obtained as 33% (run 2 and 32% (run 1 in worm reactor,and 16% (run 1 and 12% (run 2 in the blank reactor. These results showed that the worm reactors may reduce the waste sludge between 2 and 2.75 times higher than in the blankconditions. The obtained results showed that the worm reactor has a high potential for use in large-scale sludge processing.

Potentiometric assessment of iron release during ferritin reduction by exogenous agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Vladimirova, Lilia S; Kochev, Valery K

2010-09-01

This work studied the possibilities for quantitative determination of iron mobilization in connection with ferritin reduction by ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium dithionite in vitro. The iron storage protein was incubated with an excess of reductant in aerobic conditions in the absence of complexing agents in the medium. The release of Fe(2+) was let to go to completion, and the overall content of Fe(2+) in the solution was evaluated with the aid of potentiometric titration using Ce(4+) as an oxidizing titrant. Results suggest a moderate iron efflux under the influence of the chosen reducing agents. Although such a reduction of the protein mineral core by dihydroxyfumarate contributes greatly to the iron mobilization, ferritin behavior with vitamin C and dithionite seems to be different. Although redox properties of dihydroxyfumarate are determined by hydroxyl groups similar to those of ascorbic acid, the two compounds differ significantly in structure, and this could be the basis for an explanation of the specificities in their interaction with ferritin. As revealed by the study, potentiometric titration promises to be a reliable tool for evaluation of the amount of Fe(2+) present in the solution as a result of the reduction of the ferritin's mineral core. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nitrous oxide emission reduction in temperate biochar-amended soils

Science.gov (United States)

Felber, R.; Hüppi, R.; Leifeld, J.; Neftel, A.

2012-01-01

Biochar, a pyrolysis product of organic residues, is an amendment for agricultural soils to improve soil fertility, sequester CO2 and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In highly weathered tropical soils laboratory incubations of soil-biochar mixtures revealed substantial reductions for nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). In contrast, evidence is scarce for temperate soils. In a three-factorial laboratory incubation experiment two different temperate agricultural soils were amended with green waste and coffee grounds biochar. N2O and CO2 emissions were measured at the beginning and end of a three month incubation. The experiments were conducted under three different conditions (no additional nutrients, glucose addition, and nitrate and glucose addition) representing different field conditions. We found mean N2O emission reductions of 60 % compared to soils without addition of biochar. The reduction depended on biochar type and soil type as well as on the age of the samples. CO2 emissions were slightly reduced, too. NO3- but not NH4+ concentrations were significantly reduced shortly after biochar incorporation. Despite the highly significant suppression of N2O emissions biochar effects should not be transferred one-to-one to field conditions but need to be tested accordingly.

Mass anomalous dimension of Adjoint QCD at large N from twisted volume reduction

CERN Document Server

Pérez, Margarita García; Keegan, Liam; Okawa, Masanori

2015-01-01

In this work we consider the $SU(N)$ gauge theory with two Dirac fermions in the adjoint representation, in the limit of large $N$. In this limit the infinite-volume physics of this model can be studied by means of the corresponding twisted reduced model defined on a single site lattice. Making use of this strategy we study the reduced model for various values of $N$ up to 289. By analyzing the eigenvalue distribution of the adjoint Dirac operator we test the conformality of the theory and extract the corresponding mass anomalous dimension.

Mass anomalous dimension of adjoint QCD at large N from twisted volume reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pérez, Margarita García [Instituto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC, Nicolás Cabrera 13-15, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid,E-28049-Madrid (Spain); González-Arroyo, Antonio [Instituto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC, Nicolás Cabrera 13-15, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid,E-28049-Madrid (Spain); Departamento de Física Teórica, C-XI, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid,E-28049-Madrid (Spain); Keegan, Liam [PH-TH, CERN,CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Okawa, Masanori [Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University,Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan); Core of Research for the Energetic Universe, Hiroshima University,Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan)

2015-08-07

In this work we consider the SU(N) gauge theory with two Dirac fermions in the adjoint representation, in the limit of large N. In this limit the infinite-volume physics of this model can be studied by means of the corresponding twisted reduced model defined on a single site lattice. Making use of this strategy we study the reduced model for various values of N up to 289. By analyzing the eigenvalue distribution of the adjoint Dirac operator we test the conformality of the theory and extract the corresponding mass anomalous dimension.

An approximate framework for quantum transport calculation with model order reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Quan, E-mail: quanchen@eee.hku.hk [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Li, Jun [Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Yam, Chiyung [Beijing Computational Science Research Center (China); Zhang, Yu [Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Wong, Ngai [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong); Chen, Guanhua [Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

2015-04-01

A new approximate computational framework is proposed for computing the non-equilibrium charge density in the context of the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method for quantum mechanical transport problems. The framework consists of a new formulation, called the X-formulation, for single-energy density calculation based on the solution of sparse linear systems, and a projection-based nonlinear model order reduction (MOR) approach to address the large number of energy points required for large applied biases. The advantages of the new methods are confirmed by numerical experiments.

THE EFFELSBERG-BONN H I SURVEY: DATA REDUCTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkel, B.; Kalberla, P. M. W.; Kerp, J.; Floeer, L.

2010-01-01

Starting in winter 2008/2009 an L-band seven-feed-array receiver is used for a 21 cm line survey performed with the 100 m telescope, the Effelsberg-Bonn H I survey (EBHIS). The EBHIS will cover the whole northern hemisphere for decl. > - 5 0 comprising both the galactic and extragalactic sky out to a distance of about 230 Mpc. Using state-of-the-art FPGA-based digital fast Fourier transform spectrometers, superior in dynamic range and temporal resolution to conventional correlators, allows us to apply sophisticated radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation schemes. In this paper, the EBHIS data reduction package and first results are presented. The reduction software consists of RFI detection schemes, flux and gain-curve calibration, stray-radiation removal, baseline fitting, and finally the gridding to produce data cubes. The whole software chain is successfully tested using multi-feed data toward many smaller test fields (1-100 deg 2 ) and recently applied for the first time to data of two large sky areas, each covering about 2000 deg 2 . The first large area is toward the northern galactic pole and the second one toward the northern tip of the Magellanic Leading Arm. Here, we demonstrate the data quality of EBHIS Milky Way data and give a first impression on the first data release in 2011.

Parallel accelerated cyclic reduction preconditioner for three-dimensional elliptic PDEs with variable coefficients

KAUST Repository

Chavez Chavez, Gustavo Ivan; Turkiyyah, George; Zampini, Stefano; Keyes, David E.

2017-01-01

and the cyclic reduction method. The setup and application phases of the preconditioner achieve log-linear complexity in memory footprint and number of operations, and numerical experiments exhibit good weak and strong scalability at large processor counts in a

The financial attractiveness assessment of large waste management projects registered as clean development mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bufoni, André Luiz; Oliveira, Luciano Basto; Rosa, Luiz Pinguelli

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Projects are not financially attractive without registration as CDMs. • WM benchmarks and indicators are converging and reducing in variance. • A sensitivity analysis reveal that revenue has more of an effect on the financial results. • Results indicate that an extensive database would reduce WM project risk and capital costs. • Disclosure standards would make information more comparable worldwide. - Abstract: This study illustrates the financial analyses for demonstration and assessment of additionality presented in the project design (PDD) and enclosed documents of the 431 large Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) classified as the ‘waste handling and disposal sector’ (13) over the past ten years (2004–2014). The expected certified emissions reductions (CER) of these projects total 63.54 million metric tons of CO 2 eq, where eight countries account for 311 projects and 43.36 million metric tons. All of the projects declare themselves ‘not financially attractive’ without CER with an estimated sum of negative results of approximately a half billion US$. The results indicate that WM benchmarks and indicators are converging and reducing in variance, and the sensitivity analysis reveals that revenues have a greater effect on the financial results. This work concludes that an extensive financial database with simple standards for disclosure would greatly diminish statement problems and make information more comparable, reducing the risk and capital costs of WM projects

The financial attractiveness assessment of large waste management projects registered as clean development mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bufoni, André Luiz, E-mail: bufoni@facc.ufrj.br [Energy Planning Program, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro PPE/COPPE/UFRJ (Brazil); Oliveira, Luciano Basto [International Virtual Institute of Global Changes IVIG/COPPE/UFRJ (Brazil); Rosa, Luiz Pinguelli [Energy Planning Program, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro PPE/COPPE/UFRJ (Brazil)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Projects are not financially attractive without registration as CDMs. • WM benchmarks and indicators are converging and reducing in variance. • A sensitivity analysis reveal that revenue has more of an effect on the financial results. • Results indicate that an extensive database would reduce WM project risk and capital costs. • Disclosure standards would make information more comparable worldwide. - Abstract: This study illustrates the financial analyses for demonstration and assessment of additionality presented in the project design (PDD) and enclosed documents of the 431 large Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) classified as the ‘waste handling and disposal sector’ (13) over the past ten years (2004–2014). The expected certified emissions reductions (CER) of these projects total 63.54 million metric tons of CO{sub 2}eq, where eight countries account for 311 projects and 43.36 million metric tons. All of the projects declare themselves ‘not financially attractive’ without CER with an estimated sum of negative results of approximately a half billion US$. The results indicate that WM benchmarks and indicators are converging and reducing in variance, and the sensitivity analysis reveals that revenues have a greater effect on the financial results. This work concludes that an extensive financial database with simple standards for disclosure would greatly diminish statement problems and make information more comparable, reducing the risk and capital costs of WM projects.

Reduction of nitrobenzene with alkaline ascorbic acid: Kinetics and pathways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Chenju; Lin, Ya-Ting; Shiu, Jia-Wei

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Alkaline ascorbic acid (a.k.a. vitamin C) is capable of reductively degrading NB. • The pH above the pK_a_2 of ascorbic acid increases reductive electron transfer to NB. • The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA is determined. • NSB, AZOXY, and AZO are identified as intermediates and aniline as a final product. • Alkaline pH is essential for AA remediation of NB contaminated soils. - Abstract: Alkaline ascorbic acid (AA) exhibits the potential to reductively degrade nitrobenzene (NB), which is the simplest of the nitroaromatic compounds. The nitro group (NO_2"−) of NB has a +III oxidation state of the N atom and tends to gain electrons. The effect of alkaline pH ranging from 9 to 13 was initially assessed and the results demonstrated that the solution pH, when approaching or above the pK_a_2 of AA (11.79), would increase reductive electron transfer to NB. The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA at pH 12 can be described as r = ((0.89 ± 0.11) × 10"−"4 mM"1"−"("a "+ "b") h"−"1) × [NB]"a "= "1"."3"5 "± "0"."1"0[AA]"b "= "0"."8"9 "± "0"."0"1. The GC/MS analytical method identified nitrosobenzene, azoxybenzene, and azobenzene as NB reduction intermediates, and aniline (AN) as a final product. These experimental results indicate that the alkaline AA reduction of NB to AN mainly proceeds via the direct route, consisting of a series of two-electron or four-electron transfers, and the condensation reaction plays a minor route. Preliminary evaluation of the remediation of spiked NB contaminated soils revealed that maintenance of alkaline pH and a higher water to soil ratio are essential for a successful alkaline AA application.

WP 5 - Employers' and employees' preferences for working time reduction and working time differentiation

OpenAIRE

Kea Tijdens

2001-01-01

Working time reduction is high on the political agenda, but preferences and practices have not been studied extensively. Using large-scale survey data of 17,308 employees in Dutch banks after the introduction of the 36-hours working week by the end of 1996, ordinal and logistic regression analyses are performed to determine (1) which employees have favourable or unfavourable attitudes with regard to the working time reduction and (2) which employees are assigned reduced working hours and whic...

Reductive Alkaline Release of N-Glycans Generates a Variety of Unexpected, Useful Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Figl, Rudolf; Altmann, Friedrich

2018-02-01

Release of O-glycans by reductive β-elimination has become routine in many glyco-analytical laboratories and concomitant release of N-glycans has repeatedly been observed. Revisiting this somewhat forgotten mode of N-glycan release revealed that all kinds of N-glycans including oligomannosidic and complex-type N-glycans from plants with 3-linked fucose and from mammals with or without 6-linked fucose and with sialic acid could be recovered. However, the mass spectra of the obtained products revealed very surprising facts. Even after 16 h incubation in 1 M sodium borohydride, a large part of the glycans occurred in reducing form. Moreover, about one third emerged in the form of the stable amino-functionalized 1-amino-1-deoxy-glycitol. When avoiding acidic conditions, considerable amounts of glycosylamine were observed. In addition, a compound with a reduced asparagine and de-N-acetylation products, in particular of sialylated glycans, was seen. The relative yields of the products reducing glycosylamine, reducing N-glycan, 1-amino-1-deoxy-glycitol or glycitol could be controlled by the release conditions, foremost by temperature and borohydride concentration. Thus, chemical release of N-glycans constitutes a cost-saving alternative to enzymatic hydrolysis for the preparation of precursors for the production of reference compounds for various formats of N-glycan analysis. Moreover, it allows to obtain a stable amino-functionalized glycan derivative, which can be employed to construct glycan arrays or affinity matrices. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Determination of reduction yield of lithium metal reduction process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, In Kyu; Cho, Young Hwan; Kim, Taek Jin; Jee, Kwang Young

2004-01-01

Metal reduction of spent oxide fuel is the first step for the effective storage of spent fuel in Korea as well as transmutation purpose of long-lived radio-nuclides. During the reduction of uranium oxide by lithium metal to uranium metal, lithium oxide is stoichiometrically produced. By determining the concentration of lithium oxide in lithium chloride, we can estimate that how much uranium oxide is converted to uranium metal. Previous method to determine the lithium oxide concentration in lithium chloride is tedious and timing consuming. This paper describe the on-line monitoring method of lithium oxide during the reduction process

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO over Zn in propylene carbonate/tetrabutylammonium perchlorate

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Feng-xia; Shi, Jin; Chen, Tian-you; Shi, Feng; Li, Qing-yuan; Zhen, Jian-zheng; Li, Yun-fei; Dai, Yong-nian; Yang, Bin; Qu, Tao

2018-02-01

Developing low cost and high efficient electrode for carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction in organic media is essential for practical application. Zn is a cheap metal and has high catalytic effects on CO2 reduction to carbon monoxide (CO) in aqueous solution. However, little attention has been given to investigate the performance of Zn in organic media for CO2 reduction. In present work, we have conducted CO2 reduction in propylene carbonate/tetrabutylammonium perchlorate on Zn due to that propylene carbonate is a widely used industrial absorber, and tetrabutylammonium perchlorate is a commonly used organic supporting electrolyte. In addition, because electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO naturally produces H2O, we have discussed water effects on CO2 reduction in propylene carbonate/tetrabutylammonium perchlorate+6.8 wt % H2O. Our experiment results reveal that the faradaic efficiency for CO formation reaches to 83%, and the current density remains stable at 6.72 mA/cm2 at voltage -2.3 V for 4 h. Interestingly, Zn presents higher catalytic activity than Ag, and slightly lower than Au. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirm that no poisonous species is formed and absorbed on the cathode, which is an important advantage in practical application.

Large nuclear steam turbine plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urushidani, Haruo; Moriya, Shin-ichi; Tsuji, Kunio; Fujita, Isao; Ebata, Sakae; Nagai, Yoji.

1986-01-01

The technical development of the large capacity steam turbines for ABWR plants was partially completed, and that in progress is expected to be completed soon. In this report, the outline of those new technologies is described. As the technologies for increasing the capacity and heightening the efficiency, 52 in long blades and moisture separating heaters are explained. Besides, in the large bore butterfly valves developed for making the layout compact, the effect of thermal efficiency rise due to the reduction of pressure loss can be expected. As the new technology on the system side, the simplification of the turbine system and the effect of heightening the thermal efficiency by high pressure and low pressure drain pumping-up method based on the recent improvement of feed water quality are discussed. As for nuclear steam turbines, the actual records of performance of 1100 MW class, the largest output at present, have been obtained, and as a next large capacity machine, the development of a steam turbine of 1300 MWe class for an ABWR plant is in progress. It can be expected that by the introduction of those new technologies, the plants having high economical efficiency are realized. (Kako, I.)

Specification, construction, and exact reduction of state transition system models of biochemical processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bugenhagen, Scott M; Beard, Daniel A

2012-10-21

Biochemical reaction systems may be viewed as discrete event processes characterized by a number of states and state transitions. These systems may be modeled as state transition systems with transitions representing individual reaction events. Since they often involve a large number of interactions, it can be difficult to construct such a model for a system, and since the resulting state-level model can involve a huge number of states, model analysis can be difficult or impossible. Here, we describe methods for the high-level specification of a system using hypergraphs, for the automated generation of a state-level model from a high-level model, and for the exact reduction of a state-level model using information from the high-level model. Exact reduction is achieved through the automated application to the high-level model of the symmetry reduction technique and reduction by decomposition by independent subsystems, allowing potentially significant reductions without the need to generate a full model. The application of the method to biochemical reaction systems is illustrated by models describing a hypothetical ion-channel at several levels of complexity. The method allows for the reduction of the otherwise intractable example models to a manageable size.

An investigation of the reduction of carbon dioxide in a silent electric discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Luce, R. S.; Greenough, B. (Editor)

1978-01-01

The reduction of CO2 to O2 and CO in a silent electric discharge was studied. It was found that current alone (in the ionized plasma induced by the silent electric discharge) was reponsible for the CO2 reduction process. Voltage and frequency were important only in so far as they induced current in the plasma. Pressure and temperature were of minimum influence in the process. The large power consumption in the process was recognized as resulting from the low power factor of the reactor vessel which electrically behaved like a capacitor. The power factor was subsequently improved by adding an inductive element to make the reactor vessel capacitance part of a resonant circuit. It was found that the CO2 reduction process was most efficient in terms of power vs reduction rate when a voltage was employed that was only slightly higher than that needed to induce the plasma.

Study of the reduction mechanism of ironsands with addition of blast furnace bag dust

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Xiangdong; Chen, Yunfei; Liu, Yiran

2018-02-01

To improve the reduction properties of ironsands carbon-containing briquettes, the behavior of ironsand during reduction by the addition of blast furnace bag dust (BFBD) is studied using a high temperature resistance furnace, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the reduction mechanism is discussed in this study. The results showed that the reduction level and compressive strength of ironsand carbon-containing briquettes could be promoted by increasing the proportion of BFBD. When the addition rate of BFBD was 31.25%, the metallization rate and compressive strength increased from 82.1% and 21.5 N/a to 91.4% and 172.5 N/a, respectively. Metallic iron reduced from BFBD particles favored the carbon gasification reaction, which enhanced the internal CO concentration, and then promoted the FeTiO3 reduction to Fe in ironsand. Meanwhile, a large amount of the liquid phase generated during the reduction process also favored Fe2+ diffusion, spread of iron joined crystals and the growth of crystals, which resulted in the improvement of the compressive strength of the ironsand carbon-containing briquettes.

Reliability, availability and maintenance aspects of large-scale offshore wind farms, a concepts study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Bussel, G.J.W.; Zaayer, M.B.

2001-01-01

The DOWEC projects aims at implementation of large wind turbines in large scale wind farms. part of the DOWEC project a concepts study was performed regarding the achievable reliability and availability levels. A reduction with a factor of 2 with regard to the present state of the art seems fairly

Modern Reduction Methods

CERN Document Server

Andersson, Pher G

2008-01-01

With its comprehensive overview of modern reduction methods, this book features high quality contributions allowing readers to find reliable solutions quickly and easily. The monograph treats the reduction of carbonyles, alkenes, imines and alkynes, as well as reductive aminations and cross and heck couplings, before finishing off with sections on kinetic resolutions and hydrogenolysis. An indispensable lab companion for every chemist.

Convergent Reduction of Ovariole Number Associated with Subterranean Life in Beetles

Science.gov (United States)

Faille, Arnaud; Pluot-Sigwalt, Dominique

2015-01-01

Background Some species of obligate cavernicolous beetles are known to possess a unique feature—a contraction of the larval cycle. In contrast to many other subterranean beetles, life-cycle contraction in Trechini ground beetles (Carabidae) is correlated with a reduction in the number of eggs and a drastic reduction in the number of ovarioles. This remarkable peculiarity has only been reported for a small number of closely related species. Results We give a description of the female internal reproductive system for six species of Trechini, including five subterranean species, with a particular focus on the western Pyrenean radiation of Aphaenops, a group for which nothing is known regarding the early life stages. We redescribe the internal female genitalia of A. crypticola Linder. Study of the ovarioles allowed us to infer the postembryonic development of the larvae for each species examined. We then used a phylogenetic framework to recognize two independent reductions in the number of ovarioles in the Pyrenean lineage. We discuss the multiple convergent evolutions in ovariole number and the potential link between a reduction of ovariole number and troglobiomorphism in a phylogenetic context. Conclusions There is an extreme reduction in ovariole number and size within the species studied; the eggs produced by small ovarioles have a remarkably large size. A reduction to one ovariole has occurred independently at least twice in this subterranean group. A reduction in the number of ovarioles in ground beetles is one of the striking consequences of subterranean specialization and it is correlated with another remarkable adaptation of subterranean beetles, a reduction in the number of larval instars. PMID:26151557

Convergent Reduction of Ovariole Number Associated with Subterranean Life in Beetles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnaud Faille

Full Text Available Some species of obligate cavernicolous beetles are known to possess a unique feature-a contraction of the larval cycle. In contrast to many other subterranean beetles, life-cycle contraction in Trechini ground beetles (Carabidae is correlated with a reduction in the number of eggs and a drastic reduction in the number of ovarioles. This remarkable peculiarity has only been reported for a small number of closely related species.We give a description of the female internal reproductive system for six species of Trechini, including five subterranean species, with a particular focus on the western Pyrenean radiation of Aphaenops, a group for which nothing is known regarding the early life stages. We redescribe the internal female genitalia of A. crypticola Linder. Study of the ovarioles allowed us to infer the postembryonic development of the larvae for each species examined. We then used a phylogenetic framework to recognize two independent reductions in the number of ovarioles in the Pyrenean lineage. We discuss the multiple convergent evolutions in ovariole number and the potential link between a reduction of ovariole number and troglobiomorphism in a phylogenetic context.There is an extreme reduction in ovariole number and size within the species studied; the eggs produced by small ovarioles have a remarkably large size. A reduction to one ovariole has occurred independently at least twice in this subterranean group. A reduction in the number of ovarioles in ground beetles is one of the striking consequences of subterranean specialization and it is correlated with another remarkable adaptation of subterranean beetles, a reduction in the number of larval instars.

Per-pack price reductions available from different cigarette purchasing strategies: United States, 2009-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesko, Michael F; Xu, Xin; Tynan, Michael A; Gerzoff, Robert B; Malarcher, Ann M; Pechacek, Terry F

2014-06-01

Following cigarette excise tax increases, smokers may use cigarette price minimization strategies to continue their usual cigarette consumption rather than reducing consumption or quitting. This reduces the public health benefits of the tax increase. This paper estimates the price reductions for a wide-range of strategies, compensating for overlapping strategies. We performed regression analysis on the 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey (N=13,394) to explore price reductions that smokers in the United States obtained from purchasing cigarettes. We examined five cigarette price minimization strategies: 1) purchasing discount brand cigarettes, 2) using price promotions, 3) purchasing cartons, 4) purchasing on Indian reservations, and 5) purchasing online. Price reductions from these strategies were estimated jointly to compensate for overlapping strategies. Each strategy provided price reductions between 26 and 99cents per pack. Combined price reductions were possible. Additionally, price promotions were used with regular brands to obtain larger price reductions than when price promotions were used with generic brands. Smokers can realize large price reductions from price minimization strategies, and there are many strategies available. Policymakers and public health officials should be aware of the extent that these strategies can reduce cigarette prices. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sequential decoders for large MIMO systems

KAUST Repository

Ali, Konpal S.

2014-05-01

Due to their ability to provide high data rates, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have become increasingly popular. Decoding of these systems with acceptable error performance is computationally very demanding. In this paper, we employ the Sequential Decoder using the Fano Algorithm for large MIMO systems. A parameter called the bias is varied to attain different performance-complexity trade-offs. Low values of the bias result in excellent performance but at the expense of high complexity and vice versa for higher bias values. Numerical results are done that show moderate bias values result in a decent performance-complexity trade-off. We also attempt to bound the error by bounding the bias, using the minimum distance of a lattice. The variations in complexity with SNR have an interesting trend that shows room for considerable improvement. Our work is compared against linear decoders (LDs) aided with Element-based Lattice Reduction (ELR) and Complex Lenstra-Lenstra-Lovasz (CLLL) reduction. © 2014 IFIP.

Comparison of pressure between barium reduction and air reduction of the intussusception in children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyung Hwan; Park, Sang Gyu; Park, Choong Ki; Yoon, Jong Sup [Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1989-08-15

There are many method of treatment of the intussusception in children, including surgery, barium reduction, air reduction, and saline enema under ultrasonographic monitoring. Among them, barium reduction and air reduction have been used widely as nonsurgical method of treatment in radiologic department. During barium reduction, the bottle filled with barium solution must not be elevated over a 3 feet from the operating table. In air reduction, diagnostic pressure is about 60 mmHg and pressure during reduction usually is maintained between 90 mmHg and 130 mmHg. The authors have studied about pressure difference of barium solution by changing height of the bottle filled with barium solution, and have compared with pressure in air reduction. The results are as follows; 1. Pressure of 20 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 44.4 mmHg, and 69.6 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 2. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 51.4 mmHg, and 80.1 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 3. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 90cm height is much lower than the pressure maintained during air reduction, and this difference in pressure may be one of the causes of low reduction rate in barium reduction then air reduction. 4. The pressure gradient per 10 cm height is about 8.45 mmHg in 20 w/v % barium solution, about 9.21 mmHg in 30 w/v % barium solution, and about 9.72 mmHg 40 w/v % barium solution. 5. Intraluminal pressure difference between the barium reduction and the air reduction is probably of the major causes of rapid diagnosis and high reduction rate in the air reduction.

Comparison of pressure between barium reduction and air reduction of the intussusception in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyung Hwan; Park, Sang Gyu; Park, Choong Ki; Yoon, Jong Sup

1989-01-01

There are many method of treatment of the intussusception in children, including surgery, barium reduction, air reduction, and saline enema under ultrasonographic monitoring. Among them, barium reduction and air reduction have been used widely as nonsurgical method of treatment in radiologic department. During barium reduction, the bottle filled with barium solution must not be elevated over a 3 feet from the operating table. In air reduction, diagnostic pressure is about 60 mmHg and pressure during reduction usually is maintained between 90 mmHg and 130 mmHg. The authors have studied about pressure difference of barium solution by changing height of the bottle filled with barium solution, and have compared with pressure in air reduction. The results are as follows; 1. Pressure of 20 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 44.4 mmHg, and 69.6 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 2. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 60 cm height is 51.4 mmHg, and 80.1 mmHg at the 90 cm height. 3. Pressure of 40 w/v % barium solution at the 90cm height is much lower than the pressure maintained during air reduction, and this difference in pressure may be one of the causes of low reduction rate in barium reduction then air reduction. 4. The pressure gradient per 10 cm height is about 8.45 mmHg in 20 w/v % barium solution, about 9.21 mmHg in 30 w/v % barium solution, and about 9.72 mmHg 40 w/v % barium solution. 5. Intraluminal pressure difference between the barium reduction and the air reduction is probably of the major causes of rapid diagnosis and high reduction rate in the air reduction

Structural Basis of Biological Nitrile Reduction*

Science.gov (United States)

Chikwana, Vimbai M.; Stec, Boguslaw; Lee, Bobby W. K.; de Crécy-Lagard, Valérie; Iwata-Reuyl, Dirk; Swairjo, Manal A.

2012-01-01

The enzyme QueF catalyzes the reduction of the nitrile group of 7-cyano-7-deazaguanine (preQ0) to 7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine (preQ1), the only nitrile reduction reaction known in biology. We describe here two crystal structures of Bacillus subtilis QueF, one of the wild-type enzyme in complex with the substrate preQ0, trapped as a covalent thioimide, a putative intermediate in the reaction, and the second of the C55A mutant in complex with the substrate preQ0 bound noncovalently. The QueF enzyme forms an asymmetric tunnel-fold homodecamer of two head-to-head facing pentameric subunits, harboring 10 active sites at the intersubunit interfaces. In both structures, a preQ0 molecule is bound at eight sites, and in the wild-type enzyme, it forms a thioimide covalent linkage to the catalytic residue Cys-55. Both structural and transient kinetic data show that preQ0 binding, not thioimide formation, induces a large conformational change in and closure of the active site. Based on these data, we propose a mechanism for the activation of the Cys-55 nucleophile and subsequent hydride transfer. PMID:22787148

Transcriptome sequencing of two phenotypic mosaic Eucalyptus trees reveals large scale transcriptome re-modelling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Padovan

Full Text Available Phenotypic mosaic trees offer an ideal system for studying differential gene expression. We have investigated two mosaic eucalypt trees from two closely related species (Eucalyptus melliodora and E. sideroxylon, which each support two types of leaves: one part of the canopy is resistant to insect herbivory and the remaining leaves are susceptible. Driving this ecological distinction are differences in plant secondary metabolites. We used these phenotypic mosaics to investigate genome wide patterns of foliar gene expression with the aim of identifying patterns of differential gene expression and the somatic mutation(s that lead to this phenotypic mosaicism. We sequenced the mRNA pool from leaves of the resistant and susceptible ecotypes from both mosaic eucalypts using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. We found large differences in pathway regulation and gene expression between the ecotypes of each mosaic. The expression of the genes in the MVA and MEP pathways is reflected by variation in leaf chemistry, however this is not the case for the terpene synthases. Apart from the terpene biosynthetic pathway, there are several other metabolic pathways that are differentially regulated between the two ecotypes, suggesting there is much more phenotypic diversity than has been described. Despite the close relationship between the two species, they show large differences in the global patterns of gene and pathway regulation.

Removal combined with reduction of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution by Fe-ethylene glycol complex microspheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yong-Xing [School of Physics and Electronic Information, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000 (China); Jia, Yong, E-mail: yjiaahedu@163.com [School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012 (China)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Fe-EG complex microspheres were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. • The removal properties towards Cr(VI) ions were investigated. • The adsorption and reduction mechanism was revealed by FTIR and XPS. - Abstract: Three-dimensional Fe-ethylene glycol (Fe-EG) complex microspheres were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method, and were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption as well as reduction properties of the obtained Fe-EG complex microspheres towards Cr(VI) ions were studied. The experiment data of adsorption kinetic and isotherm were fitted by nonlinear regression approach. In neutral condition, the maximum adsorption capacity was 49.78 mg g{sup −1} at room temperature, and was increased with the increasing of temperature. Thermodynamic parameters including the Gibbs free energy, standard enthalpy and standard entropy revealed that adsorption of Cr(VI) was a feasible, spontaneous and endothermic process. Spectroscopic analysis revealed the adsorption of Cr(VI) was a physical adsorption process. The adsorbed CrO{sub 4}{sup 2−} ions were partly reduced to Cr(OH){sub 3} by Fe(II) ions and the organic groups in the Fe-EG complex.

Volume reduction philosophy and techniques in use or planned

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Row, T.H.

1984-01-01

Siting and development of nuclear waste disposal facilities is an expensive task. In the private sector, such developments face siting and licensing issues, public intervention, and technology challenges. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) faces similar challenges in the management of waste generated by the research and production facilities. Volume reduction can be used to lengthen the service life of existing facilities. A wide variety of volume reduction techniques are applied to different waste forms. Compressible waste is compacted into drums, cardboard and metal boxes, and the loaded drums are supercompacted into smaller units. Large metallic items are size-reduced and melted for recycle or sent to shallow land burial. Anaerobic digestion is a process that can reduce cellulosic and animal wastes by 80%. Incinerators of all types have been investigated for application to nuclear wastes and a number of installations operate or are constructing units for low-level and transuranic solid and liquid combustibles. Technology may help solve many of the problems in volume reduction, but the human element also has an important part in solving the puzzle. Aggressive educational campaigns at two sites have proved very successful in reducing waste generation. This overview of volume reduction is intended to transfer the current information from many DOE facilities. 44 references, 85 figures, 5 tables.

Volume reduction philosophy and techniques in use or planned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Row, T.H.

1984-01-01

Siting and development of nuclear waste disposal facilities is an expensive task. In the private sector, such developments face siting and licensing issues, public intervention, and technology challenges. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) faces similar challenges in the management of waste generated by the research and production facilities. Volume reduction can be used to lengthen the service life of existing facilities. A wide variety of volume reduction techniques are applied to different waste forms. Compressible waste is compacted into drums, cardboard and metal boxes, and the loaded drums are supercompacted into smaller units. Large metallic items are size-reduced and melted for recycle or sent to shallow land burial. Anaerobic digestion is a process that can reduce cellulosic and animal wastes by 80%. Incinerators of all types have been investigated for application to nuclear wastes and a number of installations operate or are constructing units for low-level and transuranic solid and liquid combustibles. Technology may help solve many of the problems in volume reduction, but the human element also has an important part in solving the puzzle. Aggressive educational campaigns at two sites have proved very successful in reducing waste generation. This overview of volume reduction is intended to transfer the current information from many DOE facilities. 44 references, 85 figures, 5 tables

Microplastics pollution and reduction strategies

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wei-Min Wu; Jun Yang; Craig S.Criddle

2017-01-01

Microplastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size are of increasing concern,especially in aquatic environments,such as the ocean.Primary source is microbeads (＜ 1 mm) used in cosmetics and cleaning agents and fiber fragments from washing of clothes,and secondary source such as broken down plastic litter and debris.These particles are mostly made from polyethylene (PE),polypropylene (PP),polystyrene (PS),polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyesters.They are ingested by diverse marine fauna,including zooplanktons,mussel,oyster,shrimp,fish etc.and can enter human food chains via several pathways.Strategy for control of microplastics pollution should primarily focus on source reduction and subsequently on the development of cost-effective clean up and remediation technologies.Recent research results on biodegradation of plastics have revealed a potential for microbial biodegradation and bioremediation of plastic pollutants,such as PE,PS and PET under appropriate conditions.

Insights into the genome of large sulfur bacteria revealed by analysis of single filaments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mussmann, Marc; Hu, Fen Z.; Richter, Michael

2007-01-01

Beggiatoa to overcome non-overlapping availabilities of electron donors and acceptors while gliding between oxic and sulfidic zones. The first look into the genome of these filamentous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria substantially deepens the understanding of their evolution and their contribution to sulfur......Marine sediments are frequently covered by mats of the filamentous Beggiatoa and other large nitrate-storing bacteria that oxidize hydrogen sulfide using either oxygen or nitrate, which they store in intracellular vacuoles. Despite their conspicuous metabolic properties and their biogeochemical...

Study on the High Volume Reduction of Radioactive Wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ki Hong; Sik, Kang Il; Seok, Hong Dae [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ho, Jeon Gil [RADIN Co. Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

The solidification of radioactive wastes by the mixing method always increases their volume due to the limitation of incorporation ratio (waste/solidification agent). But if the powdered wastes can be compacted as the high density pellets and also the pellets can be filled up in a waste drum as much as possible while solidifying them with a very sticky solidification agent including a void formed in the filling step of pellets, it might be more desirable to reduce the waste volume as compared with the mixing method. So in this study, we designed and manufactured a high volume reduction machine which has the special size and shape of a pellet pocket, which the pellets can be extracted from easily and filled up in a large amount in drum, a pressurizing device to press 2 rolls, and the uniform feeding device of powder to the roll tyre. Some operational parameters which affect the formation of pellets from a powder were investigated, and then the volume reduction of a powder was evaluated. The briquetting machine, popular in general industry, was modified to apply for the volume reduction of the powered radioactive wastes (dried concentrate, sludge, spent ion-exchange resin, ash, depleted uranium powder, and etc.). In this developed high volume reduction machine, the capacity was 25 ∼ 62.5 kg/h at the optimum conditions, and the estimated volume reduction was about 2.95 (2.74/0.93) on the basis of between a powder (bulk density = 0.93 g/cm{sup 3}) and the pellet (2.74 g/cm{sup 3}). But on the basis of 200L drum, the calculated volume reduction was about 1.34 in consideration of a void volume originated in the filling step of the pellets.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of risk reduction at nuclear power plants: What have we learned from experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lochard, J.; Pages, P.

1984-01-01

Within the field of risk management techniques, cost-effectiveness analysis of risk reduction is now recognized as an adequate method for evaluating and defining the optimal allocation of protection and safety resources within large industrial systems. The paper considers some of the issues that arise in connection with cost-effectiveness analysis of risk reduction at nuclear power stations. Particular attention is called to both the interdependence between criteria that characterize risk reduction problems and the resulting aggregation and weighting procedures needed when the multidimensionality of criteria is explicitly taken into account. The discussion of these problems is illustrated with results of case studies on both public and occupational risk reduction at French PWRs during normal operation. (author)

One-loop dimensional reduction of the linear σ model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malbouisson, A.P.C.; Silva-Neto, M.B.; Svaiter, N.F.

1997-05-01

We perform the dimensional reduction of the linear σ model at one-loop level. The effective of the reduced theory obtained from the integration over the nonzero Matsubara frequencies is exhibited. Thermal mass and coupling constant renormalization constants are given, as well as the thermal renormalization group which controls the dependence of the counterterms on the temperature. We also recover, for the reduced theory, the vacuum instability of the model for large N. (author)

Investigation of the Reduction of Graphene Oxide by Lithium Triethylborohydride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangyuan Xu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The chemical reduction of a wet colloidal suspension of graphene oxide is a cost-effective and adaptable method for large scale production of “quasi” graphene for a wide variety of optoelectronic applications. In this study, modified Hummers’ procedure was used to synthesize high quality graphene oxide at 50°C. This modified protocol thus eliminates the potentially hazardous second high-temperature step in Hummers’ method for the production of GO. Furthermore, the reduction of graphene oxide by lithium triethylborohydride is demonstrated for the first time. According to FT-IR, UV-Vis, TGA, Raman, SEM/EDS, and AFM results, the reduced graphene oxide (LiEt3BH-RGO has properties comparable to other reduced graphene oxide products reported in the literature.

Reduction of nuclear moment of inertia due to pairing interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, J.Y.; Jin, T.H.; Zhao, Z.J.

1994-01-01

The BCS theoretical values of the moments of inertia of even-even nuclei are systematically smaller than the experimental ones by a factor of 10--40%. This long-standing discrepancy disappears in the particle-number-conserving treatment for the cranked shell model, in which the blocking effects are taken into account exactly. The calculated moments of inertia satisfactorily reproduce the experimental data covering a large number of rare-earth even-even nuclei, whose deformations and single-particle states are well characterized (Lund systematics). The pairing interaction strength G is unambiguously determined by the even-odd mass difference. The reduction of the moment of inertia due to the antialignment effect of pairing interaction is discussed and no systematic excessive reduction is found

Advancing the research agenda for diagnostic error reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwaan, Laura; Schiff, Gordon D; Singh, Hardeep

2013-10-01

Diagnostic errors remain an underemphasised and understudied area of patient safety research. We briefly summarise the methods that have been used to conduct research on epidemiology, contributing factors and interventions related to diagnostic error and outline directions for future research. Research methods that have studied epidemiology of diagnostic error provide some estimate on diagnostic error rates. However, there appears to be a large variability in the reported rates due to the heterogeneity of definitions and study methods used. Thus, future methods should focus on obtaining more precise estimates in different settings of care. This would lay the foundation for measuring error rates over time to evaluate improvements. Research methods have studied contributing factors for diagnostic error in both naturalistic and experimental settings. Both approaches have revealed important and complementary information. Newer conceptual models from outside healthcare are needed to advance the depth and rigour of analysis of systems and cognitive insights of causes of error. While the literature has suggested many potentially fruitful interventions for reducing diagnostic errors, most have not been systematically evaluated and/or widely implemented in practice. Research is needed to study promising intervention areas such as enhanced patient involvement in diagnosis, improving diagnosis through the use of electronic tools and identification and reduction of specific diagnostic process 'pitfalls' (eg, failure to conduct appropriate diagnostic evaluation of a breast lump after a 'normal' mammogram). The last decade of research on diagnostic error has made promising steps and laid a foundation for more rigorous methods to advance the field.

Comparison and Evaluation of Large-Scale and On-Site Recycling Systems for Food Waste via Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyoung Hee Lee

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-benefit of on-site food waste recycling system using Life-Cycle Cost analysis, and to compare with large-scale treatment system. For accurate evaluation, the cost-benefit analysis was conducted with respect to local governments and residents, and qualitative environmental improvement effects were quantified. As for the local governments, analysis results showed that, when large-scale treatment system was replaced with on-site recycling system, there was significant cost reduction from the initial stage depending on reduction of investment, maintenance, and food wastewater treatment costs. As for the residents, it was found that the cost incurred from using the on-site recycling system was larger than the cost of using large-scale treatment system due to the cost of producing and installing the on-site treatment facilities at the initial stage. However, analysis showed that with continuous benefits such as greenhouse gas emission reduction, compost utilization, and food wastewater reduction, cost reduction would be obtained after 6 years of operating the on-site recycling system. Therefore, it was recommended for local governments and residents to consider introducing an on-site food waste recycling system if they are to replace an old treatment system or need to establish a new one.

Practical characterization of large networks using neighborhood information

KAUST Repository

Wang, Pinghui; Zhao, Junzhou; Ribeiro, Bruno; Lui, John C. S.; Towsley, Don; Guan, Xiaohong

2018-01-01

querying a node also reveals partial structural information about its neighbors. Our methods are optimized for NoSQL graph databases (if the database can be accessed directly), or utilize Web APIs available on most major large networks for graph sampling

Determinants of underage college student drinking: implications for four major alcohol reduction strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Paek, Hye-Jin; Hove, Thomas

2012-01-01

Guided by the assumptions of the social ecological model and the social marketing approach, this study provides a simultaneous and comprehensive assessment of 4 major alcohol reduction strategies for college campuses: school education programs, social norms campaigns, alcohol counter-marketing, and alcohol control policies. Analysis of nationally representative secondary survey data among 5,472 underage students reveals that alcohol marketing seems to be the most formidable risk factor for underage drinking, followed by perceived drinking norms (injunctive norm) and lax policy enforcement. This analysis suggests that, to make social norms campaigns and alcohol control policies more effective, alcohol reduction strategies should be developed to counter the powerful influence of alcohol marketing and promotions.

Reduction - competitive tomorrow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worley, L.; Bargerstock, S.

1995-01-01

Inventory reduction is one of the few initiatives that represent significant cost-reduction potential that does not result in personnel reduction. Centerior Energy's Perry nuclear power plant has embarked on an aggressive program to reduce inventory while maintaining plant material availability. Material availability to the plant was above 98%, but at an unacceptable 1994 inventory book value of $47 million with inventory carrying costs calculated at 30% annually

Toward Instructional Leadership: Principals' Perceptions of Large-Scale Assessment in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Prytula, Michelle; Noonan, Brian; Hellsten, Laurie

2013-01-01

This paper describes a study of the perceptions that Saskatchewan school principals have regarding large-scale assessment reform and their perceptions of how assessment reform has affected their roles as principals. The findings revealed that large-scale assessments, especially provincial assessments, have affected the principal in Saskatchewan…

Patterns of Limnohabitans Microdiversity across a Large Set of Freshwater Habitats as Revealed by Reverse Line Blot Hybridization

Science.gov (United States)

Jezbera, Jan; Jezberová, Jitka; Kasalický, Vojtěch; Šimek, Karel; Hahn, Martin W.

2013-01-01

Among abundant freshwater Betaproteobacteria, only few groups are considered to be of central ecological importance. One of them is the well-studied genus Limnohabitans and mainly its R-BT subcluster, investigated previously mainly by fluorescence in situ hybridization methods. We designed, based on sequences from a large Limnohabitans culture collection, 18 RLBH (Reverse Line Blot Hybridization) probes specific for different groups within the genus Limnohabitans by targeting diagnostic sequences on their 16 S–23 S rRNA ITS regions. The developed probes covered in sum 92% of the available isolates. This set of probes was applied to environmental DNA originating from 161 different European standing freshwater habitats to reveal the microdiversity (intra-genus) patterns of the Limnohabitans genus along a pH gradient. Investigated habitats differed in various physicochemical parameters, and represented a very broad range of standing freshwater habitats. The Limnohabitans microdiversity, assessed as number of RLBH-defined groups detected, increased significantly along the gradient of rising pH of habitats. 14 out of 18 probes returned detection signals that allowed predictions on the distribution of distinct Limnohabitans groups. Most probe-defined Limnohabitans groups showed preferences for alkaline habitats, one for acidic, and some seemed to lack preferences. Complete niche-separation was indicated for some of the probe-targeted groups. Moreover, bimodal distributions observed for some groups of Limnohabitans, suggested further niche separation between genotypes within the same probe-defined group. Statistical analyses suggested that different environmental parameters such as pH, conductivity, oxygen and altitude influenced the distribution of distinct groups. The results of our study do not support the hypothesis that the wide ecological distribution of Limnohabitans bacteria in standing freshwater habitats results from generalist adaptations of these bacteria

Patterns of Limnohabitans microdiversity across a large set of freshwater habitats as revealed by Reverse Line Blot Hybridization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Jezbera

Full Text Available Among abundant freshwater Betaproteobacteria, only few groups are considered to be of central ecological importance. One of them is the well-studied genus Limnohabitans and mainly its R-BT subcluster, investigated previously mainly by fluorescence in situ hybridization methods. We designed, based on sequences from a large Limnohabitans culture collection, 18 RLBH (Reverse Line Blot Hybridization probes specific for different groups within the genus Limnohabitans by targeting diagnostic sequences on their 16 S-23 S rRNA ITS regions. The developed probes covered in sum 92% of the available isolates. This set of probes was applied to environmental DNA originating from 161 different European standing freshwater habitats to reveal the microdiversity (intra-genus patterns of the Limnohabitans genus along a pH gradient. Investigated habitats differed in various physicochemical parameters, and represented a very broad range of standing freshwater habitats. The Limnohabitans microdiversity, assessed as number of RLBH-defined groups detected, increased significantly along the gradient of rising pH of habitats. 14 out of 18 probes returned detection signals that allowed predictions on the distribution of distinct Limnohabitans groups. Most probe-defined Limnohabitans groups showed preferences for alkaline habitats, one for acidic, and some seemed to lack preferences. Complete niche-separation was indicated for some of the probe-targeted groups. Moreover, bimodal distributions observed for some groups of Limnohabitans, suggested further niche separation between genotypes within the same probe-defined group. Statistical analyses suggested that different environmental parameters such as pH, conductivity, oxygen and altitude influenced the distribution of distinct groups. The results of our study do not support the hypothesis that the wide ecological distribution of Limnohabitans bacteria in standing freshwater habitats results from generalist adaptations of

Multilevel Contextual 3-D CNNs for False Positive Reduction in Pulmonary Nodule Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Qi; Chen, Hao; Yu, Lequan; Qin, Jing; Heng, Pheng-Ann

2017-07-01

False positive reduction is one of the most crucial components in an automated pulmonary nodule detection system, which plays an important role in lung cancer diagnosis and early treatment. The objective of this paper is to effectively address the challenges in this task and therefore to accurately discriminate the true nodules from a large number of candidates. We propose a novel method employing three-dimensional (3-D) convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for false positive reduction in automated pulmonary nodule detection from volumetric computed tomography (CT) scans. Compared with its 2-D counterparts, the 3-D CNNs can encode richer spatial information and extract more representative features via their hierarchical architecture trained with 3-D samples. More importantly, we further propose a simple yet effective strategy to encode multilevel contextual information to meet the challenges coming with the large variations and hard mimics of pulmonary nodules. The proposed framework has been extensively validated in the LUNA16 challenge held in conjunction with ISBI 2016, where we achieved the highest competition performance metric (CPM) score in the false positive reduction track. Experimental results demonstrated the importance and effectiveness of integrating multilevel contextual information into 3-D CNN framework for automated pulmonary nodule detection in volumetric CT data. While our method is tailored for pulmonary nodule detection, the proposed framework is general and can be easily extended to many other 3-D object detection tasks from volumetric medical images, where the targeting objects have large variations and are accompanied by a number of hard mimics.

Large Scale Composite Manufacturing for Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Stavana, Jacob; Cohen, Leslie J.; Houseal, Keth; Pelham, Larry; Lort, Richard; Zimmerman, Thomas; Sutter, James; Western, Mike; Harper, Robert; Stuart, Michael

2012-01-01

Risk reduction for the large scale composite manufacturing is an important goal to produce light weight components for heavy lift launch vehicles. NASA and an industry team successfully employed a building block approach using low-cost Automated Tape Layup (ATL) of autoclave and Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) prepregs. Several large, curved sandwich panels were fabricated at HITCO Carbon Composites. The aluminum honeycomb core sandwich panels are segments of a 1/16th arc from a 10 meter cylindrical barrel. Lessons learned highlight the manufacturing challenges required to produce light weight composite structures such as fairings for heavy lift launch vehicles.

Breast Reduction Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... considering breast reduction surgery, consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. It's important to understand what breast reduction surgery entails — including possible risks and complications — as ...

Characteristics of drug demand reduction structures in Britain and Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hooman Narenjiha

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Administrative structure of drug demand reduction and the way in which involved organizations interact with each other has been neglected by researchers, policy makers, and administrators at the national level and even in international institutions in this field. Studying such structures in different countries can reveal their attributes and features. In this study, key experts from the addictive behavior department of St George’s University of London and a group of Iranian specialists in the field of drug demand reduction first wrote on a sheet the name of organizations that are in charge of drug demand reduction. Then, via teamwork, they drew the connections between the organizations and compared the two charts to assess the relations between the member organizations. In total, 17 features of efficient structure were obtained as follow: multi-institutional nature, collaborative inter-institutional activities, clear and relevant inter-institutional and intra-institutional job description, the ability to share the experiences, virtual institutions activity, community-based associations activity, mutual relationships, the existence of feedback sys-tems, evaluation, changeability, the ability to collect data rapidly, being rooted in community, flexibility at the local and regional levels, connection with research centers, updated policymaking, empowering the local level, and seeking the maximum benefit and the minimum resources. Recognizing the characteristics of substance related organizations in various countries could help policy makers to improve drug demand reduction structures and to manage the wide-spread use of psychoactive substances more effectively. 

A review of large-scale solar heating systems in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisch, M.N.; Guigas, M.; Dalenback, J.O.

1998-01-01

Large-scale solar applications benefit from the effect of scale. Compared to small solar domestic hot water (DHW) systems for single-family houses, the solar heat cost can be cut at least in third. The most interesting projects for replacing fossil fuels and the reduction of CO 2 -emissions are solar systems with seasonal storage in combination with gas or biomass boilers. In the framework of the EU-APAS project Large-scale Solar Heating Systems, thirteen existing plants in six European countries have been evaluated. lie yearly solar gains of the systems are between 300 and 550 kWh per m 2 collector area. The investment cost of solar plants with short-term storage varies from 300 up to 600 ECU per m 2 . Systems with seasonal storage show investment costs twice as high. Results of studies concerning the market potential for solar heating plants, taking new collector concepts and industrial production into account, are presented. Site specific studies and predesign of large-scale solar heating plants in six European countries for housing developments show a 50% cost reduction compared to existing projects. The cost-benefit-ratio for the planned systems with long-term storage is between 0.7 and 1.5 ECU per kWh per year. (author)

Dissimilatory nitrate reduction by Aspergillus terreus isolated from the seasonal oxygen minimum zone in the Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Stief, P.; Fuchs-Ocklenburg, S.; Kamp, A.; Manohar, C.S.; Houbraken, J.; Boekhout, T.; deBeer, D.; Stoeck, T.

and nitrous oxide emission. Axenic incubations of An-4 in the presence and absence of oxygen and nitrate revealed that this fungal isolate is capable of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium under anoxic conditions. A 15N-labeling experiment proved...

Large-Scale Optimization for Bayesian Inference in Complex Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Willcox, Karen [MIT; Marzouk, Youssef [MIT

2013-11-12

The SAGUARO (Scalable Algorithms for Groundwater Uncertainty Analysis and Robust Optimization) Project focused on the development of scalable numerical algorithms for large-scale Bayesian inversion in complex systems that capitalize on advances in large-scale simulation-based optimization and inversion methods. The project was a collaborative effort among MIT, the University of Texas at Austin, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Sandia National Laboratories. The research was directed in three complementary areas: efficient approximations of the Hessian operator, reductions in complexity of forward simulations via stochastic spectral approximations and model reduction, and employing large-scale optimization concepts to accelerate sampling. The MIT--Sandia component of the SAGUARO Project addressed the intractability of conventional sampling methods for large-scale statistical inverse problems by devising reduced-order models that are faithful to the full-order model over a wide range of parameter values; sampling then employs the reduced model rather than the full model, resulting in very large computational savings. Results indicate little effect on the computed posterior distribution. On the other hand, in the Texas--Georgia Tech component of the project, we retain the full-order model, but exploit inverse problem structure (adjoint-based gradients and partial Hessian information of the parameter-to-observation map) to implicitly extract lower dimensional information on the posterior distribution; this greatly speeds up sampling methods, so that fewer sampling points are needed. We can think of these two approaches as ``reduce then sample'' and ``sample then reduce.'' In fact, these two approaches are complementary, and can be used in conjunction with each other. Moreover, they both exploit deterministic inverse problem structure, in the form of adjoint-based gradient and Hessian information of the underlying parameter-to-observation map, to

Assessment of metal artifact reduction methods in pelvic CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdoli, Mehrsima [Department of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, Amsterdam 1066 CX (Netherlands); Mehranian, Abolfazl [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Ailianou, Angeliki; Becker, Minerva [Division of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Zaidi, Habib, E-mail: habib.zaidi@hcuge.ch [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva CH-1211 (Switzerland); Geneva Neuroscience Center, Geneva University, Geneva CH-1205 (Switzerland); Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, Groningen 9700 RB (Netherlands)

2016-04-15

Purpose: Metal artifact reduction (MAR) produces images with improved quality potentially leading to confident and reliable clinical diagnosis and therapy planning. In this work, the authors evaluate the performance of five MAR techniques for the assessment of computed tomography images of patients with hip prostheses. Methods: Five MAR algorithms were evaluated using simulation and clinical studies. The algorithms included one-dimensional linear interpolation (LI) of the corrupted projection bins in the sinogram, two-dimensional interpolation (2D), a normalized metal artifact reduction (NMAR) technique, a metal deletion technique, and a maximum a posteriori completion (MAPC) approach. The algorithms were applied to ten simulated datasets as well as 30 clinical studies of patients with metallic hip implants. Qualitative evaluations were performed by two blinded experienced radiologists who ranked overall artifact severity and pelvic organ recognition for each algorithm by assigning scores from zero to five (zero indicating totally obscured organs with no structures identifiable and five indicating recognition with high confidence). Results: Simulation studies revealed that 2D, NMAR, and MAPC techniques performed almost equally well in all regions. LI falls behind the other approaches in terms of reducing dark streaking artifacts as well as preserving unaffected regions (p < 0.05). Visual assessment of clinical datasets revealed the superiority of NMAR and MAPC in the evaluated pelvic organs and in terms of overall image quality. Conclusions: Overall, all methods, except LI, performed equally well in artifact-free regions. Considering both clinical and simulation studies, 2D, NMAR, and MAPC seem to outperform the other techniques.

A major challenge for modeling conservation-based water use reductions in aquifers supporting irrigated agriculture: The specific yield quandary

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, J. J., Jr.; Whittemore, D. O.; Wilson, B. B.; Bohling, G.

2017-12-01

Many large regional aquifers supporting irrigated agriculture are experiencing high rates of water-level decline. The primary means of moderating these rates is to reduce pumping. The key question is what percent pumping reduction will significantly impact decline rates. We have recently developed a water-balance approach to address this question for subareas (100s to 1000s km2 in size) of seasonally pumped aquifers (Butler et al., GRL, 2016). This approach also provides an estimate of specific yield (Sy), which has been difficult to estimate from field data at the scale of modeling analyses. When applied to subareas of the High Plains aquifer in Kansas, this approach reveals that the Sy estimate is much lower (as much as a factor of five or more) than expected for an unconsolidated aquifer. One explanation is that the aquifer is heterogeneous with considerable amounts of fine material, whereas field data, such as drillers' logs, are often biased towards coarser intervals. An additional explanation, which appears to have received little attention, is the impact of entrapped air. In seasonally pumped systems, water levels pass through the same aquifer intervals multiple times, giving ample opportunity for air to be entrapped. This entrapped air imbues the aquifer with a specific yield that is considerably lower than what would be expected from lithology. If unrecognized, a larger-than-actual Sy value is input into the aquifer model. This can lead to the inadvertent use of the same-year recharge assumption, which may not be appropriate for many conditions (e.g., large depths to water), and can also result in artificially low estimates of net inflow for a depleting aquifer. Moreover, failure to recognize this condition can bedevil efforts to model conservation-based water use reductions. In that case, models will leave the range of conditions for which they have been calibrated and can become more vulnerable to parameter errors. Conservation-based water use reductions

Cross-Linked CoMoO4/rGO Nanosheets as Oxygen Reduction Catalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiaqi Fu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Development of inexpensive and robust electrocatalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR is crucial for the cost-affordable manufacturing of metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Here we show that cross-linked CoMoO4 nanosheets and reduced graphene oxide (CoMoO4/rGO can be integrated in a hybrid material under one-pot hydrothermal conditions, yielding a composite material with promising catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR. Cyclic voltammetry (CV and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV were used to investigate the efficiency of the fabricated CoMoO4/rGO catalyst towards ORR in alkaline conditions. The CoMoO4/rGO composite revealed the main reduction peak and onset potential centered at 0.78 and 0.89 V (vs. RHE, respectively. This study shows that the CoMoO4/rGO composite is a highly promising catalyst for the ORR under alkaline conditions, and potential noble metal replacement cathode in fuel cells and metal-air batteries.

Uncertain Emission Reductions from Forest Conservation: REDD in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlene Watson

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The environmental integrity of a mechanism rewarding Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD depends on appropriate accounting for emission reductions. Largely stemming from a lack of forest data in developing countries, emission reductions accounting contains substantial uncertainty as a result of forest carbon stock estimates, where the application of biome-averaged data over large forest areas is commonplace. Using a case study in the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia, we exemplify the implications of primary and secondary forest carbon stock estimates on predicted REDD project emission reductions and revenues. Primary data estimate area-weighted mean forest carbon stock of 195 tC/ha ± 81, and biome-averaged data reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underestimate forest carbon stock in the Bale Mountains by as much as 63% in moist forest and 58% in dry forest. Combining forest carbon stock estimates and uncertainty in voluntary carbon market prices demonstrates the financial impact of uncertainty: potential revenues over the 20-year project ranged between US$9 million and US$185 million. Estimated revenues will influence decisions to implement a project or not and may have profound implications for the level of benefit sharing that can be supported. Strong financial incentives exist to improve forest carbon stock estimates in tropical forests, as well as the environmental integrity of REDD projects.

Evaluation of Clipping Based Iterative PAPR Reduction Techniques for FBMC Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zsolt Kollár

2014-01-01

to conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM technique. The low ACLR of the transmitted FBMC signal makes it especially favorable in cognitive radio applications, where strict requirements are posed on out-of-band radiation. Large dynamic range resulting in high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR is characteristic of all sorts of multicarrier signals. The advantageous spectral properties of the high-PAPR FBMC signal are significantly degraded if nonlinearities are present in the transceiver chain. Spectral regrowth may appear, causing harmful interference in the neighboring frequency bands. This paper presents novel clipping based PAPR reduction techniques, evaluated and compared by simulations and measurements, with an emphasis on spectral aspects. The paper gives an overall comparison of PAPR reduction techniques, focusing on the reduction of the dynamic range of FBMC signals without increasing out-of-band radiation. An overview is presented on transmitter oriented techniques employing baseband clipping, which can maintain the system performance with a desired bit error rate (BER.

The challenge of meeting Canada's greenhouse gas reduction targets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hughes, Larry; Chaudhry, Nikhil

2010-09-15

In 2007, Canada's federal government announced its medium and long-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan entitled 'Turning the Corner', which proposed emission cuts of 20% below 2006 levels by 2020 and 60% to 70% below 2006 levels by 2050. A government advisory organization, the National Round Table on Environment and Economy presented a set of 'fast and deep' pathways to emissions reduction through the large-scale electrification of the Canadian economy. This paper examines the likelihood of the 'fast and deep' pathways being met by considering the technical report's proposed energy systems, their associated energy sources, and the magnitude of the changes.

Reductive dehalogenation of 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoate by an aerobic strain of Delftia sp. EOB-17.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai; Jian, Shanshan; Huang, Linglong; Ruan, Zhepu; Li, Shunpeng; Jiang, Jiandong

2015-12-01

To confirm the reductive dehalogenation ability of the aerobic strain of Delftia sp. EOB-17, finding more evidences to support the hypothesis that reductive dehalogenation may occur extensively in aerobic bacteria. Delftia sp. EOB-17, isolated from terrestrial soil contaminated with halogenated aromatic compounds, completely degraded 0.2 mM DBHB in 28 h and released two equivalents of bromides under aerobic conditions in the presence of sodium succinate. LC-MS analysis revealed that DBHB was transformed to 4-hydroxybenzoate via 3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzoate by successive reductive dehalogenation. Highly conserved DBHB-degrading genes, including reductive dehalogenase gene (bhbA3) and the extra-cytoplasmic binding receptor gene (bhbB3), were also found in strain EOB-17 by genome sequencing. The optimal temperature and pH for DBHB reductive dehalogenation activity are 30 °C and 8, respectively, and 0.1 mM Cd(2+), Cu(2+), Hg(2+) and Zn(2+) strongly inhibited dehalogenation activity. The aerobic strain of Delftia sp. EOB-17 was confirmed to reductively dehalogenate DBHB under aerobic conditions, providing another evidence to support the hypothesis that reductive dehalogenation occurs extensively in aerobic bacteria.

Dose reduction in pediatric abdominal CT: use of iterative reconstruction techniques across different CT platforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khawaja, Ranish Deedar Ali; Singh, Sarabjeet; Otrakji, Alexi; Padole, Atul; Lim, Ruth; Nimkin, Katherine; Westra, Sjirk; Kalra, Mannudeep K.; Gee, Michael S.

2015-01-01

Dose reduction in children undergoing CT scanning is an important priority for the radiology community and public at large. Drawbacks of radiation reduction are increased image noise and artifacts, which can affect image interpretation. Iterative reconstruction techniques have been developed to reduce noise and artifacts from reduced-dose CT examinations, although reconstruction algorithm, magnitude of dose reduction and effects on image quality vary. We review the reconstruction principles, radiation dose potential and effects on image quality of several iterative reconstruction techniques commonly used in clinical settings, including 3-D adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR-3D), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR), iDose, sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR). We also discuss clinical applications of iterative reconstruction techniques in pediatric abdominal CT. (orig.)

Dose reduction in pediatric abdominal CT: use of iterative reconstruction techniques across different CT platforms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khawaja, Ranish Deedar Ali; Singh, Sarabjeet; Otrakji, Alexi; Padole, Atul; Lim, Ruth; Nimkin, Katherine; Westra, Sjirk; Kalra, Mannudeep K.; Gee, Michael S. [MGH Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-07-15

Dose reduction in children undergoing CT scanning is an important priority for the radiology community and public at large. Drawbacks of radiation reduction are increased image noise and artifacts, which can affect image interpretation. Iterative reconstruction techniques have been developed to reduce noise and artifacts from reduced-dose CT examinations, although reconstruction algorithm, magnitude of dose reduction and effects on image quality vary. We review the reconstruction principles, radiation dose potential and effects on image quality of several iterative reconstruction techniques commonly used in clinical settings, including 3-D adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR-3D), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR), iDose, sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR). We also discuss clinical applications of iterative reconstruction techniques in pediatric abdominal CT. (orig.)

Air-Induced Drag Reduction at High Reynolds Numbers: Velocity and Void Fraction Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Elbing, Brian; Mäkiharju, Simo; Wiggins, Andrew; Dowling, David; Perlin, Marc; Ceccio, Steven

2010-11-01

The injection of air into a turbulent boundary layer forming over a flat plate can reduce the skin friction. With sufficient volumetric fluxes an air layer can separate the solid surface from the flowing liquid, which can produce drag reduction in excess of 80%. Several large scale experiments have been conducted at the US Navy's Large Cavitation Channel on a 12.9 m long flat plate model investigating bubble drag reduction (BDR), air layer drag reduction (ALDR) and the transition between BDR and ALDR. The most recent experiment acquired phase velocities and void fraction profiles at three downstream locations (3.6, 5.9 and 10.6 m downstream from the model leading edge) for a single flow speed (˜6.4 m/s). The profiles were acquired with a combination of electrode point probes, time-of-flight sensors, Pitot tubes and an LDV system. Additional diagnostics included skin-friction sensors and flow-field image visualization. During this experiment the inlet flow was perturbed with vortex generators immediately upstream of the injection location to assess the robustness of the air layer. From these, and prior measurements, computational models can be refined to help assess the viability of ALDR for full-scale ship applications.

Facile synthesis of amino-functionalized titanium metal-organic frameworks and their superior visible-light photocatalytic activity for Cr(VI) reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Hou [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Key Laboratory of Environment Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082 (China); Yuan, Xingzhong, E-mail: yxz@hnu.edu.cn [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Key Laboratory of Environment Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082 (China); Wu, Yan [College of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zeng, Guangming [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Key Laboratory of Environment Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082 (China); Chen, Xiaohong [School of Business, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Leng, Lijian; Wu, Zhibin; Jiang, Longbo [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Key Laboratory of Environment Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082 (China); Li, Hui [Institute of Bio-energy, Hunan Academy of Forestry, Changsha 410004 (China)

2015-04-09

Highlights: • NH{sub 2} functionalized MIL-125(Ti) was fabricated by a facile solvothermal method. • The photocatalyst could reduce Cr(VI)–Cr(III) under visible light irradiation. • The Ti{sup 3+}–Ti{sup 4+} intervalence electron transfer is important for Cr(VI) reduction. • Used NH{sub 2}-MIL-125(Ti) can be recycled for the photocatalytic reduction. - Abstract: Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been arousing a great interest in exploring the application of MOFs as photocatalyst in environment remediation. In this work, two different MOFs, Ti-benzenedicarboxylate (MIL-125(Ti)) and amino-functionalized Ti-benzenedicarboxylate (NH{sub 2}-MIL-125(Ti)) were successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The MIL-125(Ti) and NH{sub 2}-MIL-125(Ti) were well characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption measurements, thermogravimetric analysis and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). It is revealed that the NH{sub 2}-MIL-125(Ti) has well crystalline lattice, large surface area and mesoporous structure, chemical and thermal stability, and enhanced visible-light absorption up to 520 nm, which was associated with the chromophore (amino group) in the organic linker. Compared with MIL-125(Ti), NH{sub 2}-MIL-125(Ti) exhibited more efficient photocatalytic activity for Cr(VI) reduction from aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation. The addition of hole scavenger, the hole scavenger concentration and the pH value of the reaction solution played important roles in the photo-catalytic reduction of Cr(VI). The presence of Ti{sup 3+}–Ti{sup 4+} intervalence electron transfer was the main reason for photo-excited electrons transportation from titanium-oxo clusters to Cr(VI), facilitating the Cr(VI) reduction under the acid condition. It was demonstrated that amino-functionalized Ti(IV)-based MOFs could be promising visible-light photocatalysts for the treatment of Cr(VI)-contained wastewater.

Silicon Conversion From Bamboo Leaf Silica By Magnesiothermic Reduction for Development of Li-ion Baterry Anode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silviana Silviana

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Silicon (Si is a promising alternative material for the anode Lithium ion Battery (LIB. Si has a large theoretical capacity about 3579 mA hg-1, ten times greater than the commercial graphite anode (372 mA hg-1. Bamboo is a source of organic silica (bio-silica. Most part biogenetic content of SiO2 is obtained in bamboo leaves. This paper aims to investigate the synthesis nano Si from bamboo leaves through magnesiothermic reduction after silica extraction using sol–gel method and to observe nano Si of bamboo leaf as mixed material for lithium ion baterry. Silica and silicon content was determined using XRF. Silica product has 96,3 wt. % yield of extraction from bamboo leaf, while silicon yield was obtained 61.2 wt. %. The XRD pattern revealed that silica and silicon product were amourphous. The extracted silica and silicon from bambo leaf has spherical shape and agglomerated form. As anoda material for LIB, silicon product achieved 0,002 mAh capacity for 22 cycle.

Multi-Group Reductions of LTE Air Plasma Radiative Transfer in Cylindrical Geometries

Science.gov (United States)

Scoggins, James; Magin, Thierry Edouard Bertran; Wray, Alan; Mansour, Nagi N.

2013-01-01

Air plasma radiation in Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) within cylindrical geometries is studied with an application towards modeling the radiative transfer inside arc-constrictors, a central component of constricted-arc arc jets. A detailed database of spectral absorption coefficients for LTE air is formulated using the NEQAIR code developed at NASA Ames Research Center. The database stores calculated absorption coefficients for 1,051,755 wavelengths between 0.04 µm and 200 µm over a wide temperature (500K to 15 000K) and pressure (0.1 atm to 10.0 atm) range. The multi-group method for spectral reduction is studied by generating a range of reductions including pure binning and banding reductions from the detailed absorption coefficient database. The accuracy of each reduction is compared to line-by-line calculations for cylindrical temperature profiles resembling typical profiles found in arc-constrictors. It is found that a reduction of only 1000 groups is sufficient to accurately model the LTE air radiation over a large temperature and pressure range. In addition to the reduction comparison, the cylindrical-slab formulation is compared with the finite-volume method for the numerical integration of the radiative flux inside cylinders with varying length. It is determined that cylindrical-slabs can be used to accurately model most arc-constrictors due to their high length to radius ratios.

Noise and Fuel Burn Reduction Potential of an Innovative Subsonic Transport Configuration

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yueping; Nickol, Craig L.; Thomas, Russell H.

2014-01-01

A study is presented for the noise and fuel burn reduction potential of an innovative double deck concept aircraft with two three-shaft direct-drive turbofan engines. The engines are mounted from the fuselage so that the engine inlet is over the main wing. It is shown that such an aircraft can achieve a cumulative Effective Perceived Noise Level (EPNL) about 28 dB below the current aircraft noise regulations of Stage 4. The combination of high bypass ratio engines and advanced wing design with laminar flow control technologies provide fuel burn reduction and low noise levels simultaneously. For example, the fuselage mounted engine position provides more than 4 EPNLdB of noise reduction by shielding the inlet radiated noise. To identify the potential effect of noise reduction technologies on this concept, parametric studies are presented to reveal the system level benefits of various emerging noise reduction concepts, for both engine and airframe noise reduction. These concepts are discussed both individually to show their respective incremental noise reduction potential and collectively to assess their aggregate effects on the total noise. Through these concepts approximately about 8 dB of additional noise reduction is possible, bringing the cumulative noise level of this aircraft to 36 EPNLdB below Stage 4, if the entire suite of noise reduction technologies would mature to practical application. In a final step, an estimate is made for this same aircraft concept but with higher bypass ratio, geared, turbofan engines. With this geared turbofan propulsion system, the noise is estimated to reach as low as 40-42 dB below Stage 4 with a fuel burn reduction of 43-47% below the 2005 best-in-class aircraft baseline. While just short of the NASA N+2 goals of 42 dB and 50% fuel burn reduction, for a 2025 in service timeframe, this assessment shows that this innovative concept warrants refined study. Furthermore, this design appears to be a viable potential future passenger

Dose Reduction Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WAGGONER, L.O.

2000-01-01

As radiation safety specialists, one of the things we are required to do is evaluate tools, equipment, materials and work practices and decide whether the use of these products or work practices will reduce radiation dose or risk to the environment. There is a tendency for many workers that work with radioactive material to accomplish radiological work the same way they have always done it rather than look for new technology or change their work practices. New technology is being developed all the time that can make radiological work easier and result in less radiation dose to the worker or reduce the possibility that contamination will be spread to the environment. As we discuss the various tools and techniques that reduce radiation dose, keep in mind that the radiological controls should be reasonable. We can not always get the dose to zero, so we must try to accomplish the work efficiently and cost-effectively. There are times we may have to accept there is only so much you can do. The goal is to do the smart things that protect the worker but do not hinder him while the task is being accomplished. In addition, we should not demand that large amounts of money be spent for equipment that has marginal value in order to save a few millirem. We have broken the handout into sections that should simplify the presentation. Time, distance, shielding, and source reduction are methods used to reduce dose and are covered in Part I on work execution. We then look at operational considerations, radiological design parameters, and discuss the characteristics of personnel who deal with ALARA. This handout should give you an overview of what it takes to have an effective dose reduction program

Dose Reduction Techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

WAGGONER, L.O.

2000-05-16

As radiation safety specialists, one of the things we are required to do is evaluate tools, equipment, materials and work practices and decide whether the use of these products or work practices will reduce radiation dose or risk to the environment. There is a tendency for many workers that work with radioactive material to accomplish radiological work the same way they have always done it rather than look for new technology or change their work practices. New technology is being developed all the time that can make radiological work easier and result in less radiation dose to the worker or reduce the possibility that contamination will be spread to the environment. As we discuss the various tools and techniques that reduce radiation dose, keep in mind that the radiological controls should be reasonable. We can not always get the dose to zero, so we must try to accomplish the work efficiently and cost-effectively. There are times we may have to accept there is only so much you can do. The goal is to do the smart things that protect the worker but do not hinder him while the task is being accomplished. In addition, we should not demand that large amounts of money be spent for equipment that has marginal value in order to save a few millirem. We have broken the handout into sections that should simplify the presentation. Time, distance, shielding, and source reduction are methods used to reduce dose and are covered in Part I on work execution. We then look at operational considerations, radiological design parameters, and discuss the characteristics of personnel who deal with ALARA. This handout should give you an overview of what it takes to have an effective dose reduction program.

A randomized trial of pneumatic reduction versus hydrostatic reduction for intussusception in pediatric patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xiaolong; Wu, Yang; Wang, Qi; Zhao, Yiyang; Chen, Guobin; Xiang, Bo

2017-08-08

Data of randomly controlled trials comparing the hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction for intussusception in pediatric patients as initial therapy are lacking. The aim of this study was to conduct a randomly controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of the hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction techniques. All intussusception patients who visited West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2014 to December 2015 were enrolled in this study in which they underwent pneumatic reduction or hydrostatic reduction. Patients were randomized into ultrasound-guided hydrostatic or X-ray-guided pneumatic reduction group. The data collected includes demographic data, symptoms, signs, and investigations. The primary outcome of the study was the success rate of reduction. And the secondary outcomes of the study were the rates of intestinal perforations and recurrence. A total of 124 children with intussusception who had met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The overall success rate of this study was 90.32%. Univariable analysis showed that the success rate of hydrostatic reduction with normal saline (96.77%) was significantly higher than that of pneumatic reduction with air (83.87%) (p=0.015). Perforation after reduction was found in only one of the pneumatic reduction group. The recurrence rate of intussusception in the hydrostatic reduction group was 4.84% compared with 3.23% of pneumatic reduction group. Our study found that ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction is a simple, safe and effective nonoperative treatment for pediatric patients suffering from intussusceptions, and should be firstly adopted in the treatment of qualified patients. Therapeutic study TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reduction of system matrices of planar beam in ANCF by component mode synthesis method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Nobuyuki; Wago, Tsubasa; Sugawara, Yoshiki

2011-01-01

A method of reducing the system matrices of a planar flexible beam described by an absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is presented. In this method, we focus that the bending stiffness matrix expressed by adopting a continuum mechanics approach to the ANCF beam element is constant when the axial strain is not very large. This feature allows to apply the Craig–Bampton method to the equation of motion that is composed of the independent coordinates when the constraint forces are eliminated. Four numerical examples that compare the proposed method and the conventional ANCF are demonstrated to verify the performance and accuracy of the proposed method. From these examples, it is verified that the proposed method can describe the large deformation effects such as dynamic stiffening due to the centrifugal force, as well as the conventional ANCF does. The use of this method also reduces the computing time, while maintaining an acceptable degree of accuracy for the expression characteristics of the conventional ANCF when the modal truncation number is adequately employed. This reduction in CPU time particularly pronounced in the case of a large element number and small modal truncation number; the reduction can be verified not only in the case of small deformation but also in the case of a fair bit large deformation.

Finding optimal exact reducts

KAUST Repository

AbouEisha, Hassan M.

2014-01-01

The problem of attribute reduction is an important problem related to feature selection and knowledge discovery. The problem of finding reducts with minimum cardinality is NP-hard. This paper suggests a new algorithm for finding exact reducts

Architecture of the nitric-oxide synthase holoenzyme reveals large conformational changes and a calmodulin-driven release of the FMN domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokom, Adam L; Morishima, Yoshihiro; Lau, Miranda; Su, Min; Glukhova, Alisa; Osawa, Yoichi; Southworth, Daniel R

2014-06-13

Nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) is required in mammals to generate NO for regulating blood pressure, synaptic response, and immune defense. NOS is a large homodimer with well characterized reductase and oxygenase domains that coordinate a multistep, interdomain electron transfer mechanism to oxidize l-arginine and generate NO. Ca(2+)-calmodulin (CaM) binds between the reductase and oxygenase domains to activate NO synthesis. Although NOS has long been proposed to adopt distinct conformations that alternate between interflavin and FMN-heme electron transfer steps, structures of the holoenzyme have remained elusive and the CaM-bound arrangement is unknown. Here we have applied single particle electron microscopy (EM) methods to characterize the full-length of the neuronal isoform (nNOS) complex and determine the structural mechanism of CaM activation. We have identified that nNOS adopts an ensemble of open and closed conformational states and that CaM binding induces a dramatic rearrangement of the reductase domain. Our three-dimensional reconstruction of the intact nNOS-CaM complex reveals a closed conformation and a cross-monomer arrangement with the FMN domain rotated away from the NADPH-FAD center, toward the oxygenase dimer. This work captures, for the first time, the reductase-oxygenase structural arrangement and the CaM-dependent release of the FMN domain that coordinates to drive electron transfer across the domains during catalysis. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Multiphase flows of N immiscible incompressible fluids: A reduction-consistent and thermodynamically-consistent formulation and associated algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, S.

2018-05-01

We present a reduction-consistent and thermodynamically consistent formulation and an associated numerical algorithm for simulating the dynamics of an isothermal mixture consisting of N (N ⩾ 2) immiscible incompressible fluids with different physical properties (densities, viscosities, and pair-wise surface tensions). By reduction consistency we refer to the property that if only a set of M (1 ⩽ M ⩽ N - 1) fluids are present in the system then the N-phase governing equations and boundary conditions will exactly reduce to those for the corresponding M-phase system. By thermodynamic consistency we refer to the property that the formulation honors the thermodynamic principles. Our N-phase formulation is developed based on a more general method that allows for the systematic construction of reduction-consistent formulations, and the method suggests the existence of many possible forms of reduction-consistent and thermodynamically consistent N-phase formulations. Extensive numerical experiments have been presented for flow problems involving multiple fluid components and large density ratios and large viscosity ratios, and the simulation results are compared with the physical theories or the available physical solutions. The comparisons demonstrate that our method produces physically accurate results for this class of problems.

Demonstrating a new framework for the comparison of environmental impacts from small- and large-scale hydropower and wind power projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakken, Tor Haakon; Aase, Anne Guri; Hagen, Dagmar; Sundt, Håkon; Barton, David N; Lujala, Päivi

2014-07-01

Climate change and the needed reductions in the use of fossil fuels call for the development of renewable energy sources. However, renewable energy production, such as hydropower (both small- and large-scale) and wind power have adverse impacts on the local environment by causing reductions in biodiversity and loss of habitats and species. This paper compares the environmental impacts of many small-scale hydropower plants with a few large-scale hydropower projects and one wind power farm, based on the same set of environmental parameters; land occupation, reduction in wilderness areas (INON), visibility and impacts on red-listed species. Our basis for comparison was similar energy volumes produced, without considering the quality of the energy services provided. The results show that small-scale hydropower performs less favourably in all parameters except land occupation. The land occupation of large hydropower and wind power is in the range of 45-50 m(2)/MWh, which is more than two times larger than the small-scale hydropower, where the large land occupation for large hydropower is explained by the extent of the reservoirs. On all the three other parameters small-scale hydropower performs more than two times worse than both large hydropower and wind power. Wind power compares similarly to large-scale hydropower regarding land occupation, much better on the reduction in INON areas, and in the same range regarding red-listed species. Our results demonstrate that the selected four parameters provide a basis for further development of a fair and consistent comparison of impacts between the analysed renewable technologies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Proximate and Ultimate Limiting Nutrients in the Mississippi River Plume: Implications for Hypoxia Reduction Through Nutrient Management

Science.gov (United States)

Fennel, K.; Laurent, A.

2016-02-01

A large hypoxic area (15,000 km2 on average) forms every summer over the Texas-Louisiana shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico due to decay of organic matter that is primarily derived from nutrient inputs from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River System. Efforts are underway to reduce the extent of hypoxic conditions through nutrient management in the watershed; for example, an interagency Hypoxia Task Force is developing Action Plans with input from various stakeholders that set out targets for hypoxia reduction. An open question is by how much nutrient loads would have to be decreased in order to produce the desired reductions in hypoxia and when these would be measurable over natural variability. We have performed a large number of multi-year nutrient load reduction scenarios with a regional biogeochemical model for the region. The model is based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), explicitly includes nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) species as inorganic nutrients, and has been shown to realistically reproduce the key processes responsible for hypoxia generation. We have quantified the effects of differential reductions in river N and P loads on hypoxic extent. An assessment of the effects of N versus P reductions is important because, thus far, nutrient management efforts have focused on N, yet P is known to limit primary production in spring and early summer. A debate is ongoing as to whether targets for P reductions should be set and whether nutrient reduction efforts should focus solely on P, which results primarily from urban and industrial point sources and is uncoupled from agricultural fertilizer application. Our results strongly indicate that N is the `ultimate' limiting nutrient to primary production determining the areal extent and duration of hypoxic conditions in a cumulative sense, while P is temporarily limiting in spring. Although reductions in river P load would decrease hypoxic extent in early summer, they would have a much smaller effect

Silicothermic reduction of MgO using diode laser: Experimental and kinetic study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.S. Mahmoud

2017-12-01

Full Text Available As a step toward realizing magnesium civilization, which needs a sustainable Mg production process, the reduction of MgO to Mg has been investigated. Direct diode laser (DDL produces high power and continuous beam in tiny spots. The laser with energy density up to 83*105 W/cm2 is focused on MgO/Si target inside the vacuum chamber, creating the high temperature zone, which stimulates the Mg production reaction. The vapor is collected on the copper plate; and then, analyzed chemically in terms of Mg production efficiency. The largest reduction and energy efficiencies in Ar atmosphere were 41% and 15.3 mg kJ−1, while in the vacuum, 13.5% and 15.8 mg kJ−1 were attainable. The reactions of MgO and Si have been investigated. Calculations revealed that the MgO reduction with Si proceeds as heterogeneous reaction. The rate of reaction of Si with MgO is faster than the rate of MgO evaporation and Mg vapor deposition.

Cost reduction in deep water production systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beltrao, R.L.C.

1995-01-01

This paper describes a cost reduction program that Petrobras has conceived for its deep water field. Beginning with the Floating Production Unit, a new concept of FPSO was established where a simple system, designed to long term testing, can be upgraded, on the location, to be the definitive production unit. Regarding to the subsea system, the following projects will be considered. (1) Subsea Manifold: There are two 8-well-diverless manifolds designed for 1,000 meters presently under construction and after a value analysis, a new design was achieved for the next generation. Both projects will be discussed and a cost evaluation will also be provided. (2) Subsea Pipelines: Petrobras has just started a large program aiming to reduce cost on this important item. There are several projects such as hybrid (flexible and rigid) pipes for large diameter in deep water, alternatives laying methods, rigid riser on FPS, new material...etc. The authors intend to provide an overview of each project

Numerical simulation of urea based selective non-catalytic reduction deNOx process for industrial applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baleta, Jakov; Mikulčić, Hrvoje; Vujanović, Milan; Petranović, Zvonimir; Duić, Neven

2016-01-01

Highlights: • SNCR is a simple method for the NOx reduction from large industrial facilities. • Capabilities of the developed mathematical framework for SNCR simulation were shown. • Model was used on the geometry of experimental reactor and municipal incinerator. • Results indicate suitability of the developed model for real industrial cases. - Abstract: Industrial processes emit large amounts of diverse pollutants into the atmosphere, among which NOx takes a significant portion. Selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) is a relatively simple method for the NOx reduction in large industrial facilities such as power plants, cement plants and waste incinerator plants. It consists of injecting the urea-water solution in the hot flue gas stream and its reaction with the NOx. During this process flue gas enthalpy is used for the urea-water droplet heating and for the evaporation of water content. After water evaporates, thermolysis of urea occurs, during which ammonia, a known NO_x reductant, and isocyanic acid are generated. In order to cope with the ever stringent environmental norms, equipment manufacturers need to develop energy efficient products that are at the same time benign to environment. This is becoming increasingly complicated and costly, and one way to reduce production costs together with the maintaining the same competitiveness level is to employ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a tool, in a process today commonly known under the term “virtual prototyping”. The aim of this paper is to show capabilities of the developed mathematical framework implemented in the commercial CFD code AVL FIRE®, to simulate physical processes of all relevant phenomena occurring during the SNCR process. First, mathematical models for description of SNCR process are presented and afterwards, models are used on the 3D geometry of an industrial reactor and a real industrial case to predict SNCR efficiency, temperature and velocity field. Influence of the main

Acute quadriplegia following closed traction reduction of a cervical facet dislocation in the setting of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Wimberley, David W; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Goyal, Nitin; Harrop, James S; Anderson, D Greg; Albert, Todd J; Hilibrand, Alan S

2005-08-01

A case report of acute quadriplegia resulting from closed traction reduction of traumatic bilateral cervical facet dislocation in a 54-year-old male with concomitant ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). To report an unusual presentation of a spinal cord injury, examine the approach to reversal of the injury, and review the treatment and management controversies of acute cervical facet dislocations in specific patient subgroups. The treatment of acute cervical facet dislocations is an area of ongoing controversy, especially regarding the question of the necessity of advanced imaging studies before closed traction reduction of the dislocated cervical spine. The safety of an immediate closed, traction reduction of the cervical spine in awake, alert, cooperative, and appropriately select patients has been reported in several studies. To date, there have been no permanent neurologic deficits resulting from awake, closed reduction reported in the literature. A case of temporary, acute quadriplegia with complete neurologic recovery following successful closed traction reduction of a bilateral cervical facet dislocation in the setting of OPLL is presented. The clinical neurologic examination, radiographic, and advanced imaging studies before and after closed, traction reduction of a cervical facet dislocation are evaluated and discussed. A review of the literature regarding the treatment of acute cervical facet dislocations is presented. Radiographs showed approximately 50% subluxation of the fifth on the sixth cervical vertebrae, along with computerized tomography revealing extensive discontinuous OPLL. The cervical facet dislocation was successfully reduced with an awake, closed traction reduction, before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation. The patient subsequently had acute quadriplegia develop, with the ensuing MRI study illustrating severe spinal stenosis at the C5, C6 level as a result of OPLL or a large extruded disc herniation

Posterior dental size reduction in hominids: the Atapuerca evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Bermúdez de Castro, J M; Nicolas, M E

1995-04-01

In order to reassess previous hypotheses concerning dental size reduction of the posterior teeth during Pleistocene human evolution, current fossil dental evidence is examined. This evidence includes the large sample of hominid teeth found in recent excavations (1984-1993) in the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene cave site of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). The lower fourth premolars and molars of the Atapuerca hominids, probably older than 300 Kyr, have dimensions similar to those of modern humans. Further, these hominids share the derived state of other features of the posterior teeth with modern humans, such as a similar relative molar size and frequent absence of the hypoconulid, thus suggesting a possible case of parallelism. We believe that dietary changes allowed size reduction of the posterior teeth during the Middle Pleistocene, and the present evidence suggests that the selective pressures that operated on the size variability of these teeth were less restrictive than what is assumed by previous models of dental reduction. Thus, the causal relationship between tooth size decrease and changes in food-preparation techniques during the Pleistocene should be reconsidered. Moreover, the present evidence indicates that the differential reduction of the molars cannot be explained in terms of restriction of available growth space. The molar crown area measurements of a modern human sample were also investigated. The results of this study, as well as previous similar analyses, suggest that a decrease of the rate of cell proliferation, which affected the later-forming crown regions to a greater extent, may be the biological process responsible for the general and differential dental size reduction that occurred during human evolution.

Purification and characterization of akr1b10 from human liver: role in carbonyl reduction of xenobiotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Hans-Jörg; Breyer-Pfaff, Ursula; Wsol, Vladimir; Venz, Simone; Block, Simone; Maser, Edmund

2006-03-01

Members of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily have a broad substrate specificity in catalyzing the reduction of carbonyl group-containing xenobiotics. In the present investigation, a member of the aldose reductase subfamily, AKR1B10, was purified from human liver cytosol. This is the first time AKR1B10 has been purified in its native form. AKR1B10 showed a molecular mass of 35 kDa upon gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Kinetic parameters for the NADPH-dependent reduction of the antiemetic 5-HT3 receptor antagonist dolasetron, the antitumor drugs daunorubicin and oracin, and the carcinogen 4-methylnitrosamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) to the corresponding alcohols have been determined by HPLC. Km values ranged between 0.06 mM for dolasetron and 1.1 mM for daunorubicin. Enzymatic efficiencies calculated as kcat/Km were more than 100 mM-1 min-1 for dolasetron and 1.3, 0.43, and 0.47 mM-1 min-1 for daunorubicin, oracin, and NNK, respectively. Thus, AKR1B10 is one of the most significant reductases in the activation of dolasetron. In addition to its reducing activity, AKR1B10 catalyzed the NADP+-dependent oxidation of the secondary alcohol (S)-1-indanol to 1-indanone with high enzymatic efficiency (kcat/Km=112 mM-1 min-1). The gene encoding AKR1B10 was cloned from a human liver cDNA library and the recombinant enzyme was purified. Kinetic studies revealed lower activity of the recombinant compared with the native form. Immunoblot studies indicated large interindividual variations in the expression of AKR1B10 in human liver. Since carbonyl reduction of xenobiotics often leads to their inactivation, AKR1B10 may play a role in the occurrence of chemoresistance of tumors toward carbonyl group-bearing cytostatic drugs.

Low Overpotential and High Current CO2 Reduction with Surface Reconstructed Cu Foam Electrodess

KAUST Repository

Min, Shixiong; Yang, Xiulin; Lu, Ang-Yu; Tseng, Chien-Chih; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Li, Lain-Jong; Huang, Kuo-Wei

2016-01-01

for large-scale fuel synthesis. Here we report an extremely high current density for CO2 reduction at low overpotential using a Cu foam electrode prepared by air-oxidation and subsequent electroreduction. Apart from possessing three-dimensional (3D) open

Differential Impact of Relative Dose-Intensity Reductions in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with R-CHOP21 or R-CHOP14.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Gutiérrez

Full Text Available DLBCL is an aggressive lymphoma treated with R-CHOP. Recently, attempts have been made to improve the outcome by increasing both dose-density and intensity but there have been no benefits in terms of survival. When treating malignancies RDI is important to consider but there is little published information on DLBCL. The purpose of this study was to analyze the differential prognostic impact of RDI in two cohorts of DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP21 or R-CHOP14. From January 2001 to August 2013 we included DLBCL patients homogenously treated with R-CHOP21 or R-CHOP14, with or without radiotherapy, at University Hospital Son Espases, Hospital Son Llatzer of Palma and Hospital del Mar of Barcelona (N = 157. In order to avoid selection bias the patients were retrospectively identified from the Pathology Department and Pharmacy registries. Median follow-up was 68 months. There was no difference in the response or survival between the two cohorts. In the R-CHOP21 group, both a reduction higher than 15% in RDI (RR 7.41 and R-IPI (RR 2.99 were independently associated with OS. However, a reduction higher than 15% in RDI (RR 4.41 was only noted for PFS. In the R-CHOP14 group, NCCN-IPI (RR 7.09 and B-symptoms (RR 5.37 for OS; AA stage III-IV (RR 6.26 and bulky disease (RR 4.05 for PFS. There was a trend towards a higher rate of RDI reduction observed in the R-CHOP14 group but it only made an impact in the R-CHOP21 group. We conclude that R-CHOP21 and R-CHOP14 are equivalent regimens in terms of response and survival, but only if RDI reductions are avoided. For patients receiving R-CHOP21 we recommend using clinical and support measures in order to avoid RDI reductions.

Animal-Borne Imaging Reveals Novel Insights into the Foraging Behaviors and Diel Activity of a Large-Bodied Apex Predator, the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Science.gov (United States)

Nifong, James C.; Nifong, Rachel L.; Silliman, Brian R.; Lowers, Russell H.; Guillette, Louis J.; Ferguson, Jake M.; Welsh, Matthew; Abernathy, Kyler; Marshall, Greg

2014-01-01

Large-bodied, top- and apex predators (e.g., crocodilians, sharks, wolves, killer whales) can exert strong top-down effects within ecological communities through their interactions with prey. Due to inherent difficulties while studying the behavior of these often dangerous predatory species, relatively little is known regarding their feeding behaviors and activity patterns, information that is essential to understanding their role in regulating food web dynamics and ecological processes. Here we use animal-borne imaging systems (Crittercam) to study the foraging behavior and activity patterns of a cryptic, large-bodied predator, the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in two estuaries of coastal Florida, USA. Using retrieved video data we examine the variation in foraging behaviors and activity patterns due to abiotic factors. We found the frequency of prey-attacks (mean = 0.49 prey attacks/hour) as well as the probability of prey-capture success (mean = 0.52 per attack) were significantly affected by time of day. Alligators attempted to capture prey most frequently during the night. Probability of prey-capture success per attack was highest during morning hours and sequentially lower during day, night, and sunset, respectively. Position in the water column also significantly affected prey-capture success, as individuals’ experienced two-fold greater success when attacking prey while submerged. These estimates are the first for wild adult American alligators and one of the few examples for any crocodilian species worldwide. More broadly, these results reveal that our understandings of crocodilian foraging behaviors are biased due to previous studies containing limited observations of cryptic and nocturnal foraging interactions. Our results can be used to inform greater understanding regarding the top-down effects of American alligators in estuarine food webs. Additionally, our results highlight the importance and power of using animal

Is Recovery of Large-Bodied Zooplankton after Nutrient Loading Reduction Hampered by Climate Warming? A Long-Term Study of Shallow Hypertrophic Lake Sobygaard, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Florencia Gutierrez, Maria; Devercelli, Melina; Brucet Balmana, Sandra

2016-01-01

biomass of cladocerans increased coinciding with a diminished fish catch per unit effort (CPUE), and likely then an overall reduction in the predation on zooplankton. A cascading effect to phytoplankton was evidenced by enhanced zooplankton: phytoplankton and cladoceran: phytoplankton ratios...... on phytoplankton through an expected diminished fish CPUE related to nutrient loading reduction....

Bats: A new tool for AMS data reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wacker, L.; Christl, M.; Synal, H.-A.

2010-01-01

A data evaluation program was developed at ETH Zurich to meet the requirements of the new compact AMS systems MICADAS and TANDY in addition to the large EN-Tandem accelerator. The program, called 'BATS', is designed to automatically calculate standard and blank corrected results for measured samples. After almost one year of routine operation with the MICADAS C-14 system BATS has proven to be an easy to use data reduction tool that requires minimal user input. Here we present the fundamental principle and the algorithms used in BATS for standard-sized radiocarbon measurements.

Redox transformation and reductive immobilization of Cr(VI) in the Columbia River hyporheic zone sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Fen; Liu, Yuanyuan; Zachara, John M.; Bowden, Mark E.; Kennedy, David W.; Plymale, Andrew E.; Liu, Chongxuan,

2017-12-01

An experimental and modeling study was conducted to investigate the redox transformation and reductive immobilization of groundwater contaminant Cr in hyporheic zone (HZ) sediments from U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford site, where groundwater Cr(VI) is migrating and discharging to the nearby Columbia River. Experimental results revealed that Cr(VI) can be reduced to immobile reduced Cr by the HZ sediments in the presence/absence of O2. Anaerobic pre-incubation of the sediments increased the effective rate of Cr reduction that was correlated with the increase in HCl-extractable Fe(II) content in the sediments. The reduced Cr was stable in exposure to O2 under field-relevant pH (~7.5) and Mn-containing (~0.02% w/w) conditions. The Cr(VI) reduction rate showed a multi-rate behavior, apparently reflecting the presence of reductants with different reactivity in the sediments. The results from this study indicated that the HZ sediments can reductively immobilize Cr and the sediment redox capacity can be recharged through microbial activities. The results implied that HZ can play a role as a natural permeable redox barrier for removing groundwater Cr before it discharges into a river system.

Autologous inferior dermal sling (autoderm) with concomitant skin-envelope reduction mastectomy: an excellent surgical choice for women with macromastia and clinically significant ptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dietz, Jill; Lundgren, P; Veeramani, A; O'Rourke, C; Bernard, S; Djohan, R; Larson, J; Isakov, R; Yetman, R

2012-10-01

Skin-sparing mastectomy and prosthetic reconstruction can be complicated by poor surgical outcomes in large-breasted, obese women. This article describes a single surgeon's experience comparing conventional skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) and skin-reduction mastectomy using an autologous vascularized inferior dermal/cutaneous sling (autoderm). From July 2007 to May 2012, patients undergoing skin-sparing mastectomy were evaluated for surgical outcomes. After July 2009, the surgeon performed skin-reduction mastectomies with autoderm (SRM-AD) on all patients with macromastia or grade 3-4 ptosis. Remaining patients in this time period (SSM-cont) underwent conventional skin-sparing mastectomies while all previous patients (historical) also underwent skin-sparing mastectomies (SSM-hist). A predictive model was used to compare the large historical patients (who would have had reduction mastectomy if available) with the smaller historical patients to evaluate the effect of the procedure. Body mass index (BMI) and specimen weight were higher in both the SRM group and large historical group. The hazard ratio for having skin-reduction mastectomy was 0.53 (P = 0.51) compared with the historical group. There was a total of 16 complications for the whole study. Smoking was the only significant risk factor. This study shows that mastectomy with prosthetic reconstruction using a skin-reduction technique with autoderm can be done safely with a low complication rate and improved cosmetic outcomes in the traditionally "at-risk" group of women with high BMI and large ptotic breasts.

Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Rectum Presenting with Extensive Metastatic Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinay Minocha

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Rectal large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC is a poorly differentiated neoplasm that is very rare and belongs within the poorest prognostic subgroup among primary colorectal neoplasms. Here, we describe a case of LCNEC of the rectum, which highlights the aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis associated with this disease. Case Presentation. We report a case of a 63-year-old male who presented to our hospital with a one-month history of lower abdominal pain, constipation, and weight loss. A computed tomography (CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealed a rectal mass as well as metastatic disease of the liver and lung. Flexible sigmoidoscopy revealed a fungating, ulcerated and partially obstructing rectal mass located 6 cm from the anal verge. This mass was biopsied and pathological examination of the resected specimen revealed features consistent with a large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Conclusion. Rectal large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas are rare and have a significantly worse prognosis than adenocarcinomas. At diagnosis, a higher stage and metastatic disease are likely to be found. It is important to differentiate large cell, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas from adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum pathologically because patients may benefit from alternative cytotoxic chemotherapeutic regimens.

Reduction of U3O8 to U by a metallic reductant, Li

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin-Mok Hur; Sun-Seok Hong; Hansoo Lee

2010-01-01

Reduction of U 3 O 8 was investigated for the recycling of spent oxide fuel from a commercial nuclear power plant. The possible reduction methods were proposed and compared. Based on the thermodynamic analysis, Li metal was selected as a reductant. The optimum reaction temperature for the reduction of U 3 O 8 was investigated at the wider reaction temperature range. The adverse oxidation of U metal by Li 2 O at 1,000 deg C was experimentally verified. Ellingham diagram was constructed to investigate the extent of the uranium oxides reduction when the reaction was carried out above melting point of U metal. (author)

Organometallic Pt precursor on graphite substrate: deposition from SC CO2, reduction and morphology transformation as revealed by SFM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmanovich, Igor V.; Naumkin, Alexander V.; Gallyamov, Marat O.; Khokhlov, Alexei R.

2012-01-01

Organometallic Pt precursor was deposited on model highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrate from solutions in supercritical carbon dioxide. Morphology transformations during reduction process including real-time observations were studied by scanning force microscopy (SFM). We confirmed that SC CO 2 is a promising mediator in deposition process even for rather hydrophobic supports. SFM data show that thermal decomposition of the PtMe 2 (COD) precursor with subsequent hydrogen post-treatment allows one to obtain rather pure and well-defined Pt nanoparticles with average height above a substrate level of 4.5 ± 0.6 nm.

Kinetics of magnesiothermic reduction of UF4 by DTA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raina, Amulya; Agarwal, Renu

2016-01-01

Uranium metal production for nuclear fuel is usually carried out by magnesio-thermic reduction of UF 4 (s). This is a highly exothermic reaction: UF 4 +2Mg → 2MgF 2 + U, ΔH r 298.15 K = -349 kJ/mol. The process is carried out by loading 1:2 molar ratio of UF 4 and Mg mixture in a large stainless steel vessel lined with insulating MgF 2 . This bomb reactor is heated to ~1023 K, but the reaction is known to start at lower temperature. The furnace heat and reaction heat results in shooting mixture temperature to >1800 K. Attaining such high temperatures is desired for complete segregation of fluoride slag (T m MgF 2 =1538 K) and uranium melt (T m =1406 K) due to large difference in their densities, 3.4 gm/cc and 17.9 gm/cc, respectively. For efficient and economic magnesio-thermic reduction of UF 4 , it is desired to understand heat distribution in the reactor vessel, which requires kinetic parameters of this reaction: activation energy (E α ) and A. As this is a solid-solid reaction, studying this reaction kinetics can be approximated by nonisothermal DTA analysis using different heating rates. For non-isothermal conditions, the heating rate (ϕ) = dT/dt is related to rate of propagation of reaction

J/ψ -pair production at large momenta: Indications for double parton scatterings and large α$_s^5$ contributions

CERN Document Server

Lansberg, Jean-Philippe

2015-01-01

The recent observations of prompt J/psi-pair production by CMS at the LHC and by D0 at the Tevatron reveal the presence of different production mechanisms in different kinematical regions. We find out that next-to-leading-order single-parton-scattering contributions at alpha_s^5 dominate the yield at large transverse momenta of the pair. Our analysis further emphasises the importance of double-parton-scatterings --which are expected to dominate the yield at large rapidity differences-- at large invariant masses of the pair in the CMS acceptance. In addition, we provide the first exact --gauge-invariant and infrared-safe-- evaluation of a class of leading-P_T next-to-next-to-leading-order contributions, which are dominant in the region of large sub-leading transverse momenta, precisely where the colour-octet contributions can be non-negligible. Finally, we discuss the contribution from decays of excited charmonium states within both single- and double-parton scatterings and suggest measurements to distinguish ...

Large-scale analysis of Arabidopsis transcription reveals a basal co-regulation network

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Chamovitz Daniel A

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Analyses of gene expression data from microarray experiments has become a central tool for identifying co-regulated, functional gene modules. A crucial aspect of such analysis is the integration of data from different experiments and different laboratories. How to weigh the contribution of different experiments is an important point influencing the final outcomes. We have developed a novel method for this integration, and applied it to genome-wide data from multiple Arabidopsis microarray experiments performed under a variety of experimental conditions. The goal of this study is to identify functional globally co-regulated gene modules in the Arabidopsis genome. Results Following the analysis of 21,000 Arabidopsis genes in 43 datasets and about 2 × 108 gene pairs, we identified a globally co-expressed gene network. We found clusters of globally co-expressed Arabidopsis genes that are enriched for known Gene Ontology annotations. Two types of modules were identified in the regulatory network that differed in their sensitivity to the node-scoring parameter; we further showed these two pertain to general and specialized modules. Some of these modules were further investigated using the Genevestigator compendium of microarray experiments. Analyses of smaller subsets of data lead to the identification of condition-specific modules. Conclusion Our method for identification of gene clusters allows the integration of diverse microarray experiments from many sources. The analysis reveals that part of the Arabidopsis transcriptome is globally co-expressed, and can be further divided into known as well as novel functional gene modules. Our methodology is general enough to apply to any set of microarray experiments, using any scoring function.

Reduction of nitrobenzene with alkaline ascorbic acid: Kinetics and pathways

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Chenju, E-mail: cliang@nchu.edu.tw [Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung Hsing University 250, Kuo-kuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan (China); Lin, Ya-Ting [Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung Pei Road, Chung Li District, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan (China); Shiu, Jia-Wei [Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung Hsing University 250, Kuo-kuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan (China)

2016-01-25

Highlights: • Alkaline ascorbic acid (a.k.a. vitamin C) is capable of reductively degrading NB. • The pH above the pK{sub a2} of ascorbic acid increases reductive electron transfer to NB. • The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA is determined. • NSB, AZOXY, and AZO are identified as intermediates and aniline as a final product. • Alkaline pH is essential for AA remediation of NB contaminated soils. - Abstract: Alkaline ascorbic acid (AA) exhibits the potential to reductively degrade nitrobenzene (NB), which is the simplest of the nitroaromatic compounds. The nitro group (NO{sub 2}{sup −}) of NB has a +III oxidation state of the N atom and tends to gain electrons. The effect of alkaline pH ranging from 9 to 13 was initially assessed and the results demonstrated that the solution pH, when approaching or above the pK{sub a2} of AA (11.79), would increase reductive electron transfer to NB. The rate equation for the reactions between NB and AA at pH 12 can be described as r = ((0.89 ± 0.11) × 10{sup −4} mM{sup 1−(a} {sup +} {sup b)} h{sup −1}) × [NB]{sup a} {sup =} {sup 1.35} {sup ±} {sup 0.10}[AA]{sup b} {sup =} {sup 0.89} {sup ±} {sup 0.01}. The GC/MS analytical method identified nitrosobenzene, azoxybenzene, and azobenzene as NB reduction intermediates, and aniline (AN) as a final product. These experimental results indicate that the alkaline AA reduction of NB to AN mainly proceeds via the direct route, consisting of a series of two-electron or four-electron transfers, and the condensation reaction plays a minor route. Preliminary evaluation of the remediation of spiked NB contaminated soils revealed that maintenance of alkaline pH and a higher water to soil ratio are essential for a successful alkaline AA application.

Nitrous oxide production kinetics during nitrate reduction in river sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Laverman, Anniet M; Garnier, Josette A; Mounier, Emmanuelle M; Roose-Amsaleg, Céline L

2010-03-01

A significant amount of nitrogen entering river basins is denitrified in riparian zones. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of nitrate and carbon concentrations on the kinetic parameters of nitrate reduction as well as nitrous oxide emissions in river sediments in a tributary of the Marne (the Seine basin, France). In order to determine these rates, we used flow-through reactors (FTRs) and slurry incubations; flow-through reactors allow determination of rates on intact sediment slices under controlled conditions compared to sediment homogenization in the often used slurry technique. Maximum nitrate reduction rates (R(m)) ranged between 3.0 and 7.1microg Ng(-1)h(-1), and affinity constant (K(m)) ranged from 7.4 to 30.7mg N-NO(3)(-)L(-1). These values were higher in slurry incubations with an R(m) of 37.9microg Ng(-1)h(-1) and a K(m) of 104mg N-NO(3)(-)L(-1). Nitrous oxide production rates did not follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and we deduced a rate constant with an average of 0.7 and 5.4ng Ng(-1)h(-1) for FTR and slurry experiments respectively. The addition of carbon (as acetate) showed that carbon was not limiting nitrate reduction rates in these sediments. Similar rates were obtained for FTR and slurries with carbon addition, confirming the hypothesis that homogenization increases rates due to release of and increasing access to carbon in slurries. Nitrous oxide production rates in FTR with carbon additions were low and represented less than 0.01% of the nitrate reduction rates and were even negligible in slurries. Maximum nitrate reduction rates revealed seasonality with high potential rates in fall and winter and low rates in late spring and summer. Under optimal conditions (anoxia, non-limiting nitrate and carbon), nitrous oxide emission rates were low, but significant (0.01% of the nitrate reduction rates). Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of large plastic deformation on microstructure and mechanical properties of a TWIP steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanushkevich, Z; Belyakov, A; Kaibyshev, R; Molodov, D

2014-01-01

The effect of cold rolling on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a cold rolled Fe-0.3C-17Mn-1.5AI TWIP steel was studied. The plate samples were cold rolled with reductions of 20, 40, 60 and 80%. The structural changes were associated with the development of deformation twinning and shear bands. The average spacing between twin boundaries in the transverse section of the rolled plates decreased from ∼190 to 36 nm with an increase in the rolling reduction from 20 to 40%. Upon further rolling to 80% reduction the twin spacing remained at about 30 nm. The cold rolling resulted in significant increase in strength as revealed by tensile tests at an ambient temperature. The offset yield stress approached 1440 MPa, and the ultimate tensile strength increased to 1630 MPa after rolling reduction of 80%. Such significant strengthening was attributed to the development of specific structure consisting of deformation nanotwins with high dislocation density

Nuclear localization of Merkel cell polyomavirus large T antigen in Merkel cell carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Tomoyuki; Sato, Yuko; Watanabe, Daisuke; Ito, Hideki; Shimonohara, Nozomi; Tsuji, Takahiro; Nakajima, Noriko; Suzuki, Yoshio; Matsuo, Koma; Nakagawa, Hidemi; Sata, Tetsutaro; Katano, Harutaka

2010-01-01

To clarify whether mutations in the large T gene encoded by Merkel cell polyomavirus affect the expression and function of large T antigen in Merkel cell carcinoma cases, we investigated the expression of large T antigen in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemistry using a rabbit polyclonal antibody revealed that large T antigen was expressed in the nuclei of Merkel cell carcinoma cells with Merkel cell polyomavirus infection. Deletion mutant analyses identified an Arg-Lys-Arg-Lys sequence (amino acids 277-280) as a nuclear localization signal in large T antigen. Sequence analyses revealed that there were no mutations in the nuclear localization signal in any of the eleven Merkel cell polyomavirus strains examined. Furthermore, stop codons were not observed in the upstream of the nuclear localization signal in any of the Merkel cell carcinoma cases examined. These data suggest that the nuclear localization signal is highly conserved and functional in Merkel cell carcinoma cases.