WorldWideScience

Sample records for rig instrumentation assists

  1. The Hydraulic Test Report for Non-instrumented Irradiation Test Rig of DUO-Cooled Annular Pellet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dae Ho; Lee, Kang Hee; Shin, Chang Hwan; Yang, Yong Sik; Kim, Sun Ki; Bang, Je Geon; Song, Kun Woo

    2007-08-01

    This report presents the results of pressure drop test and vibration test for non-instrumented rig of Advanced PWR DUO-Fuel Annular Pellet which were designed and fabricated by KAERI. From the pressure drop test results, it is noted that the flow velocity across the non-instrumented rig of Advanced PWR DUO-Fuel Annular Pellet corresponding to the pressure drop of 200 kPa is measured to be about 8.30 kg/sec. Vibration frequency results for the non-instrumented rig at the pump spin frequency ranges from 19.0 to 32.0 Hz, RMS(Root Mean Square) displacement for the non-instrumented rig of Advanced PWR DUO-Fuel Annular Pellet is less than 7.25 m, and the maximum displacement is less than 31.27 μm. This test was performed at the FIVPET facility

  2. The Design and Manufacturing Report of Plug Type Non-Instrumented Rig for Irradiation Test in HANARO OR Hole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dae Ho; Bang, Je Geon; Lim, Ik Sung; Kim, Sun Ki; Yang, Yong Sik; Song, Kun Woo

    2008-09-15

    This project is developed the plug type non-instrumented irradiation test rig of the advanced nuclear fuel in HANARO for pursuit advanced performance in High Performance Fuel Technology Development as a part Nuclear Mid and Long-term R and D Program. This irradiation rig was confirmed the integrity and HANARO core compatibility by the optimum design and the thermal hydraulic out-pile test in FIVPET. The characteristic of plug type non-instrument rig is to possible irradiation test of variable in-pile condition and reduced the wastes for reusable as function. This plug type non-instrumented rig was satisfied the quality assurance requirements and written out the end of manufacturing report. This plug type non-instrumented rig is adopt to the irradiation test for nuclear fuel irradiation test in HANARO OR hole.

  3. The Thermal-hydraulic Performance Test Report for the Non-instrumented Irradiation Test Rig of Annular Fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dae Ho; Lee, Kang Hee; Shin, Chang Hwan

    2008-09-15

    This report presents the results of pressure drop test, vibration test and endurance test for the non-instrumented rig using the irradiation test in HANARO of the double cooled annular fuel which were designed and fabricated by KAERI. From the out-pile thermal hydraulic tests, corresponding to the pressure drop of 200 kPa is measured to be about 9.72 kg/sec. Vibration frequency for the non-instrumented rig ranges from 5.0 to 10.7 kg/s. RMS(Root Mean Square) displacement for non-instrumented rig is less than 11.73 m, and the maximum displacement is less than 54.87m. The flow rate for endurance test were 10.5 kg/s, which was 110% of 9.72 kg/s. And the endurance test was carried out for 3 days. The test results found not to the wear and satisfied to the limits of pressure drop, flow rate, vibration and wear in the non-instrumented rig. This test was performed at the FIVPET facility.

  4. The Hydraulic Test Procedure for Non-instrumented Irradiation Test Rig of Annular Fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dae Ho; Lee, Kang Hee; Shin, Chang Hwan; Park, Chan Kook

    2008-08-15

    This report presents the procedure of pressure drop test, vibration test and endurance test for the non-instrumented rig using the irradiation test in HANARO of advanced PWR annular fuel which were designed and fabricated by KAERI. From the out-pile thermal hydraulic tests, confirm the flow rate at the 200 kPa pressure drop and measure the RMS displacement at this time. And the endurance test is confirmed the wear and the integrity of the non-instrumented rig at the 110% design flow rate. This out-pile test perform the Flow-Induced Vibration and Pressure Drop Experimental Tester(FIVPET) facility. The instruments in FIVPET facility was calibrated in KAERI and the pump and the thermocouple were certified by manufacturer.

  5. The moisture proof connection of signal cables on test rig instrumentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joung, Chang Young; Ahn, Sung Ho; Hong, Jin Tae; Jeong, Hwang Young [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-10-15

    The rod inner pressure, centerline temperature, coolant temperature, and neutron flux resulting from the irradiation properties of nuclear fuel are an important factor for evaluating nuclear fuel properties in pile. In addition instrumentation and measurement techniques for nuclear fuel are necessary to measure the exact data. Special sensors such as a TC (thermocouple), LVDT (linear variable differential transformer) and SPND (self-powered neutron detector) are instrumented in and out of the fuel rod to measure the various irradiation characteristics of the nuclear fuel. These sensors are made up of the sensor itself and a signal cable. In the instrumentation, an MI (Mineral Insulated) cable used as the signal cable has such properties as high electrical insulation, heat resistance, and mechanical strength. However, it is difficult to handle and treat with care owing to the extremely hard composition, which is made up of weak signal wires and alumina powder in a stainless tube. The sealing of the end tip of the MI cable and extension cable is very important in terms of the insulation resistance to seal the insulator inside the MI cable tube from moisture. To maintain the insulation of sensors and signal cables, the insulation resistance must be checked in accordance with each process throughout the instrumentation and fabrication period. To safely mount the signal cables drawn from a fuel test rig on the terminal block of a junction panel, the MI and extension cables should be easy to connect. Therefore, it is necessary to develop instrumentation technologies of a moisture proof connection process for a fuel test rig. This paper will provide an overview of the work done with moisture proof connection procedures to connect the MI and extension cables to extend the MI cables jointed with the sensor.

  6. Development of Induction Brazing System for Sealing Instrumentation Feed through Part of Nuclear Fuel Test Rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Jintae; Kim, Kahye; Heo, Sungho; Ahn, Sungho; Joung, Changyoung; Son, Kwangjae; Jung, Yangil [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-12-15

    To test the performance of nuclear fuels, coolant needs to be circulated through the test rig installed in the test loop. Because the pressure and temperature of the coolant is 15.5 MPa and 300 .deg. C respectively, coolant sealing is one of the most important processes in fabricating a nuclear fuel test rig. In particular, 15 instrumentation cables installed in a test rig pass through the pressure boundary, and brazing is generally applied as a sealing method. In this study, an induction brazing system has been developed using a high frequency induction heater including a vacuum chamber. For application in the nuclear field, BNi2 should be used as a paste, and optimal process variables for Ni brazing have been found by several case studies. The performance and soundness of the brazed components has been verified by a tensile test, cross section test, and sealing performance test.

  7. The Winfrith 9MW heat transfer rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obertelli, J.D.

    1976-01-01

    The Winfrith 9MW Rig is used for studying heat transfer and flow resistance in a variety of test sections at system pressures up to 68 bar. The basic rig and its instrumentation are discussed together with the characteristics of the test section design. The rig has been used in studies involving the full scale simulation of Steam Generating Heavy Water (SGHW) fuel assemblies and the paper discusses the measurements made in this type of study. (author)

  8. Compilation of three-dimensional coordinates and specific data of the instrumentation of the prestressed concrete pressure vessel/high temperature helium test rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klausinger, D.

    1977-04-01

    The positions of the thermoelements, strain gauges of various types, and of Gloetzl instruments installed by SGAE in the model vessel of the Common Project Prestressed Concrete Pressure Vessel/High Temperature Helium Test Rig are defined in cylindrical coordinates. The specific data of the instruments are given like configuration of multiple instruments; type, group and number of the instrument; number of cable and of channel; calibration factors; resistances of instruments and cables. (author)

  9. What Really Rigs Up RIG-I?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barik, Sailen

    2016-01-01

    RIG-I (retinoic acid-inducible gene 1) is an archetypal member of the cytoplasmic DEAD-box dsRNA helicase family (RIG-I-like receptors or RLRs), the members of which play essential roles in the innate immune response of the metazoan cell. RIG-I functions as a pattern recognition receptor that detects nonself RNA as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP). However, the exact molecular nature of the viral RNAs that act as a RIG-I ligand has remained a mystery and a matter of debate. In this article, we offer a critical review of the actual viral RNAs that act as PAMPs to activate RIG-I, as seen from the perspective of a virologist, including a recent report that the viral Leader-read-through transcript is a novel and effective RIG-I ligand. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  10. Rig it right! Maya animation rigging concepts

    CERN Document Server

    O'Hailey, Tina

    2013-01-01

    Rigging a character can be a complicated undertaking. Move from a bi-pedal character to a quad- or poly-pedal and, well, things just got real. Where do you begin? Unlike all of those button-pushing manuals out there, Rig it Right! breaks down rigging so that you can achieve a fundamental understanding of the concept, allowing you to rig more intuitively in your own work. Veteran animation professor Tina O'Hailey will get you up and rigging in a matter of hours with step-by-step tutorials covering multiple animation control types, connection methods, interactive skinning, Blend

  11. Advancing rig design: latest rig technologies improving efficiency and safety

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greenaway, R.

    1997-12-01

    Recent advances in drilling rig technologies that improve the ways for finding oil and natural gas, and are also solving some safety and transportation problems, have been reviewed. The coiled tubing drilling rig developed by joint venture TransOcean Ensign Drilling Technology was one of the innovations described. It is able to run a three-and-a-quarter inch coiled tubing, the only system capable of doing this in a land-based application. Tesco Corporation`s new casing drilling rig, which is expected to lower the cost of moving the rig, and Brinkerhoff Drilling`s new generation modular (NGM)-rig, claimed to be the most mobile rig in North America, are other new developments worthy of note. Tesco`s casing drilling rig has the potential to reduce drilling costs by as much as 30 to 40 per cent, while the NGM-rig could reduce rig mobilization time by 50 to 80 per cent, and the number of wells drilled by the same rig could increase by 20 per cent, due to the NGM-rig`s versatility and flexibility.

  12. Demonstration of various rotor instabilities (exhibit of Bently Rotor Dynamics Research Corporation Laborator rigs at symposium on instability in rotaing machinery)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muszynska, A.

    1985-01-01

    The operation of rotor rigs used to demonstrate various instability phenomena occurring in rotating machines is described. The instability phenomena demonstrated included oil whirl/whip antiswirl, rub, loose rotating parts, water-lubricated bearing instabilities, and cracked shaft. The rotor rigs were also used to show corrective measures for preventing instabilities. Vibrational response data from the rigs were taken with modern, computerized instrumentation. The rotor nonsynchronous perturbation rig demonstrated modal identification techniques for rotor/bearing systems. Computer-aided data acquisition and presentation, using the dynamic stiffness method, makes it possible to identify rotor and bearing parameters for low modes. The shaft mode demonstrator presented the amplified modal shape line of the shaft excited by inertia forces of unbalance (synchronous perturbation). The first three bending modes of the shaft can be demonstrated. The user-friendly software, Orbits, presented a simulation of rotor precessional motion that is characteristic of various instability phenomena. The data presentation demonstration used data measured on a turbine driven compressor train as an example of how computer aided data acquisition and presentation assists in identifying rotating machine malfunctions.

  13. A study of natural circulation cooling using a flow visualization rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowman, W.C.; Ferch, R.L.; Omar, A.M.

    1985-01-01

    A flow visualization rig has been built at Monserco Limited to provide visual insight into the thermalhydraulic phenomena which occur during single phase and two phase thermosyphoning in a figure-of-eight heat transport loop. Tests performed with the rig have provided design information for the scaling and instrumentation of a high pressure rig being investigated for simulating CANDU reactor conditions during natural circulation cooling. A videotape was produced, for viewing at this presentation, to show important thermalhydraulic features of the thermosyphoning process. The rig is a standard figure-of-eight loop with two steam generators and three heated channels per pass. An elevated surge tank open to atmosphere was used for pressure control. Two variable speed pumps provided forced circulation for warming up the rig, and for establishing the desired initial conditions for testing. Test rig power could be varied between 0 and 15 kW

  14. Specialized instrument for radiation assistance teams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Applegate, J.A.

    1985-08-01

    A specialized multiradiation instrument for radiation assistance teams (RAT's) has been designed; a working prototype has been constructed and field tested. The instrument detects alpha, beta, and gamma radiation simultaneously with simple red, yellow, and green meter indications and audio outputs. It is basically intended for DOE radiation assistance teams but would have application to any government, military, or industrial radiation accident team

  15. Hoisting and Rigging (Formerly Hoisting and Rigging Manual)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    This standard is intended as a reference document to be used by supervisors, line managers, safety personnel, equipment operators, and any other personnel responsible for safety of hoisting and rigging operations at DOE sites. It quotes or paraphrases the US OSHA and ANSI requirements. It also encompasses, under one cover,hoisting and rigging requirements, codes, standards, and regulations, eliminating the need to maintain extensive (and often incomplete) libraries of hoisting and rigging standards throughout DOE. The standard occasionally goes beyond the minimum general industry standards established by OSHA and ANSI, and also delineates the more stringent requirements necessary to accomplish the complex, diversified, critical, and often hazardous hoisting and rigging work found with the DOE complex.

  16. ROLLER RIG TESTING AT THE CZECH TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Kalivoda

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Although the advancements in computer simulation technology have paved way to provide very reliable simulation results, track tests still play an essential role during the process of development and homologation of any railway vehicle. On the other hand, track tests depend on weather conditions, are difficult to organize and are not suitable for testing vehicles in critical situations. On a roller rig, the tested vehicle is longitudinally fixed and a track is replaced by rotating rollers. Such device offer testing of railway vehicle running dynamics in safe and stable laboratory environment. The purpose of an article is to investigate and describe roller rig testing at the Czech technical university in Prague (CTU. Methodology. In the paper it is shown the history of development of the scaled CTU roller rig from the earlier stages until the current projects for which the CTU roller rig is utilized for. The current design of the experimental bogie, roller rig, sensors instrumentation and types of experiments conducted at the CTU roller rig are described in more detail. Findings. Although the differences in vehicle behaviour on a track and a scaled model on a roller rig are not negligible, scaled roller rig experiments are found as a relatively inexpensive way for verification and demonstration of computer simulations results. They are especially useful for verification of multibody system simulations (MBS of entirely new running gear concepts. Originality. The CTU roller rig is currently used for the experiments with active controlled wheelset guidance. According to simulations results published in many papers such systems offer, in principle, better performance compared to conventional passive vehicles. However, utilization and testing of active controlled wheelset guidance on vehicles is still rare. CTU roller rig serves as a tool to verify computer simulations and demonstrate benefits of active wheelset guidance. Practical value

  17. LWR primary coolant pipe rupture test rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshitoshi, Shyoji

    1978-01-01

    The rupture test rig for primary coolant pipes is constructed in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute to verify the reliability of the primary coolant pipes for both PWRs and BWRs. The planned test items consisted of reaction force test, restraint test, whip test, jet test and continuous release test. A pressure vessel of about 4 m 3 volume, a circulating pump, a pressurizer, a heater, an air cooler and the related instrumentation and control system are included in this test rig. The coolant test condition is 160 kg/cm 2 g, 325 deg C for PWR test, and 70 kg/cm 2 g, saturated water and steam for BWR test, 100 ton of test load for the ruptured pipe bore of 8B Schedule 160, and 20 lit/min. discharge during 20 h for continuous release of coolant. The maximum pit internal pressure was estimated for various pipe diameters and time under the PWR and BWR conditions. The spark rupturing device was adopted for the rupture mechanics in this test rig. The computer PANAFACOM U-300 is used for the data processing. This test rig is expected to operate in 1978 effectively for the improvement of reliability of LWR primary coolant pipes. (Nakai, Y.)

  18. Understanding Rig Rates

    OpenAIRE

    Petter Osmundsen; Knut Einar Rosendahl; Terje Skjerpen

    2013-01-01

    We examine the largest cost component in offshore development projects, drilling rates, which have been high over the last years. To our knowledge, rig rates have not been analysed empirically before in the economic literature. By econometric analysis we examine the effects on Gulf of Mexico rig rates of gas and oil prices, rig capacity utilization, contract length and lead time, and rig specific characteristics. Having access to a unique data set containing contract information, we are able ...

  19. The art of rigging

    CERN Document Server

    Biddlecombe, George

    1990-01-01

    The best manual ever produced on rigging a sailing ship, based on extensively revised and updated 1848 edition prepared by Biddlecombe, Master in the Royal Navy. Complete definition of terms, on-shore operations, process of rigging ships, reeving the running rigging and bending sails, rigging brigs, yachts and small vessels, more. 17 plates.

  20. The Winfrith horizontal impact rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barr, P.

    1985-12-01

    The Horizontal Impact Rig has been designed to allow studies of the impact of radioactive material transport containers and their associated transport vehicles and impact limiters, using large scale models, and to allow physically large missiles to be projected for studying the impact behaviour of metal and concrete structures. It provides an adequately rigid support structure for impact experiments with targets of large dimensions. Details of its design, instrumentation, performance prediction and construction are given. (U.K.)

  1. 21 CFR 884.6140 - Assisted reproduction micropipette fabrication instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Assisted reproduction micropipette fabrication... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OBSTETRICAL AND GYNECOLOGICAL DEVICES Assisted Reproduction Devices § 884.6140 Assisted reproduction micropipette fabrication instruments. (a) Identification...

  2. One big rig, two valuable functions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon

    2004-11-01

    A hybrid coil tubing and conventional workover rig, tailor-made for conditions on Alaska's remote North Slope is described. The dual function rig, owned by BP Exploration, towers 142 feet above the barren Arctic tundra, and weighs between 1.5 and 2 million pounds, rests on eight enormous wheels that stand 11.5 feet tall and 3.5 feet wide, and is supported by 64 smaller tires in between. The rig includes the hybrid coiled tubing rig and a conventional workover rig; it exerts less than 100 pounds per square inch of pressure on the tender Arctic surface as it moves forward at a top speed of two miles per hour. It is considered by its developers as the next-step change in providing cost-effective access to reserves in the large, mature and remote oilfields such as those of Alaska's Prudhoe Bay. The rig is the product of cooperation between Schlumberger expertise in coiled tubing drilling and Nordic-Calista's know-how of jointed pipe operations and operating rigs in an Arctic environment. It is the first time in Prudhoe Bay, and probably in the world, that a coiled tubing unit was installed on a rig to do coiled-tubing sidetracks, i.e to drill a secondary wellbore away from the original wellbore. Since the first unit was commissioned in 1996, the rig has drilled 280 wells. Rig No. 2, much improved and commissioned in 2002, drilled about 30 wells to date. Unlike Rig No, 1, Rig No. 2 can change reels without a crane, and it has a hydraulic pipe skate that moves jointed pipe to and from the rig floor without human aid. The expectation is that using this rig it will be possible to do micro-hole exploration drilling on the North Slope (i.e. drilling a small surface hole with jointed pipe and then switch to coiled tubing), substantially cutting the cost of exploration.

  3. Design and Checkout of a High Speed Research Nozzle Evaluation Rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castner, Raymond S.; Wolter, John D.

    1997-01-01

    The High Flow Jet Exit Rig (HFJER) was designed to provide simulated mixed flow turbojet engine exhaust for one- seventh scale models of advanced High Speed Research test nozzles. The new rig was designed to be used at NASA Lewis Research Center in the Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig and the 8x6 Supersonic Wind Tunnel. Capabilities were also designed to collect nozzle thrust measurement, aerodynamic measurements, and acoustic measurements when installed at the Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig. Simulated engine exhaust can be supplied from a high pressure air source at 33 pounds of air per second at 530 degrees Rankine and nozzle pressure ratios of 4.0. In addition, a combustion unit was designed from a J-58 aircraft engine burner to provide 20 pounds of air per second at 2000 degrees Rankine, also at nozzle pressure ratios of 4.0. These airflow capacities were designed to test High Speed Research nozzles with exhaust areas from eighteen square inches to twenty-two square inches. Nozzle inlet flow measurement is available through pressure and temperature sensors installed in the rig. Research instrumentation on High Speed Research nozzles is available with a maximum of 200 individual pressure and 100 individual temperature measurements. Checkout testing was performed in May 1997 with a 22 square inch ASME long radius flow nozzle. Checkout test results will be summarized and compared to the stated design goals.

  4. Equipment available for automating rig operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNair, W.L.

    1990-01-01

    Several manufacturers are producing automated rig equipment, from complete systems to individual functions for existing drilling rigs. Significant improvements in well site time, costs of operations, and improved drilling performance have led drilling contractors to install this equipment on their rigs. This paper details some of the equipment available for automating rigs

  5. {open_quote}Nintendo Rig{close_quote} lets two men do work of three on traditional servicing rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rintoul, B.

    1996-01-01

    New well servicing rig saves costs and increases safety by using a robot derrickman. The rigs is called the Nintendo Rig, taking the name from the joystick that controls the robot on the racking board 25 feet above the ground. An automated tong/slip package permanently mounted on the front of the rig handles pipe and rods on the ground.

  6. Development of TIG Welding System for a Nuclear Fuel Test Rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joung, Changyoung; Ahn, Sungho; Hong, Jintae; Kim, Kahye [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-05-15

    The welding process is one of the most important among the instrumentation processes of the nuclear fuel test rig and rods. To manufacture the nuclear fuel test rig, a precision welding system needs to be fabricated to develop various welding technologies of the fuel test rig and rods jointing the various sensors and end caps on a fuel cladding tube, which is charged with fuel pellets and component parts. Thus, we designed and fabricated the precision welding system consisting of an orbital TIG welder, a low-pressure chamber, and a high-pressure chamber. Using this system, the performance tests were performed with the round and seal spot welds for each welding condition. This paper describes not only the contents for the fabrication of precision TIG welding system but also some results from weld tests using the low-pressure and high-pressure chambers to verify the performance of this system. The TIG welding system was developed to manufacture the nuclear fuel test rig and rods. It has been configured to be able to weld the nuclear fuel test rigs and rods by applying the TIG welder using a low-pressure chamber and a high-pressure chamber. The performance tests using this system were performed with the round and seal spot welds for the welding conditions. The soundness of the orbital TIG welding system was confirmed through performance tests in the low-pressure and high-pressure chambers.

  7. Development of TIG Welding System for a Nuclear Fuel Test Rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joung, Changyoung; Ahn, Sungho; Hong, Jintae; Kim, Kahye

    2013-01-01

    The welding process is one of the most important among the instrumentation processes of the nuclear fuel test rig and rods. To manufacture the nuclear fuel test rig, a precision welding system needs to be fabricated to develop various welding technologies of the fuel test rig and rods jointing the various sensors and end caps on a fuel cladding tube, which is charged with fuel pellets and component parts. Thus, we designed and fabricated the precision welding system consisting of an orbital TIG welder, a low-pressure chamber, and a high-pressure chamber. Using this system, the performance tests were performed with the round and seal spot welds for each welding condition. This paper describes not only the contents for the fabrication of precision TIG welding system but also some results from weld tests using the low-pressure and high-pressure chambers to verify the performance of this system. The TIG welding system was developed to manufacture the nuclear fuel test rig and rods. It has been configured to be able to weld the nuclear fuel test rigs and rods by applying the TIG welder using a low-pressure chamber and a high-pressure chamber. The performance tests using this system were performed with the round and seal spot welds for the welding conditions. The soundness of the orbital TIG welding system was confirmed through performance tests in the low-pressure and high-pressure chambers

  8. Instrumental tactile diagnostics in robot-assisted surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Solodova RF

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Rozalia F Solodova,1,2 Vladimir V Galatenko,1,2 Eldar R Nakashidze,3 Igor L Andreytsev,3 Alexey V Galatenko,1 Dmitriy K Senchik,2 Vladimir M Staroverov,1 Vladimir E Podolskii,1,2 Mikhail E Sokolov,1,2 Victor A Sadovnichy1,2 1Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, 2Institute of Mathematical Studies of Complex Systems, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 31st Surgery Department, Clinical Hospital 31, Moscow, Russia Background: Robotic surgery has gained wide acceptance due to minimizing trauma in patients. However, the lack of tactile feedback is an essential limiting factor for the further expansion. In robotic surgery, feedback related to touch is currently kinesthetic, and it is mainly aimed at the minimization of force applied to tissues and organs. Design and implementation of diagnostic tactile feedback is still an open problem. We hypothesized that a sufficient tactile feedback in robot-assisted surgery can be provided by utilization of Medical Tactile Endosurgical Complex (MTEC, which is a novel specialized tool that is already commercially available in the Russian Federation. MTEC allows registration of tactile images by a mechanoreceptor, real-time visualization of these images, and reproduction of images via a tactile display. Materials and methods: Nine elective surgeries were performed with da Vinci™ robotic system. An assistant performed tactile examination through an additional port under the guidance of a surgeon during revision of tissues. The operating surgeon sensed registered tactile data using a tactile display, and the assistant inspected the visualization of tactile data. First, surgeries where lesion boundaries were visually detectable were performed. The goal was to promote cooperation between the surgeon and the assistant and to train them in perception of the tactile feedback. Then, instrumental tactile diagnostics was utilized in case of visually undetectable boundaries. Results: In robot-assisted surgeries where lesion

  9. The mobile rig industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karlsen, J.K.

    1992-08-01

    This study is part of the project ''A competitive Norway'', based on the theories and methods presented in the book ''The competitive advantage of nations'', by Michael E. Porter. The rig market may be segmented according to the type of service, the geographical market and the type of equipment. The focus of the report is exploration and appraisal drilling using jackup rigs and semi-submersible rigs in the Northwestern European market. Market shares of Norwegian, other European and US suppliers in the jackup and semi-submerisible market segments on the Norwegian continental shelf and the entire Northwestern market are presented. The main driving force behind the rig demand is the price of oil, but technological trends and changes in relative importance of the various geographical markets are also important. The industry is fairly fragmented on the supplier side, while the oil companies as customers have substantial bargaining power. There are high exit barriers because of the high capital intensity of the business. Combined with a highly volatile demand, this forces the industry through cycles of low capacity utilization and depressed rig day rates. 8 refs., 19 figs., 2 tabs

  10. 40th annual Reed rig census

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fitts, R.L.; Stokes, T.A.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that declines characterize the 1992 rig census-in the number of available drilling rigs, in the number of active rigs, in rig utilization rate, in the number of rig owners and in industry optimism. The number of rotary rigs available for U.S. drilling fell by 255 units (11.3%) during the past 12 months, an attrition rate almost four times greater than in 1991. But despite the high attrition, only 59.7% of remaining rigs were working during the time the census was taken. Results of the 1992 census bring emphasis to an industry trend that became apparent in early 1991. The major oil companies, and many independents, continued their exodus form the U.S., and the remaining independents, which were hurt by low natural gas prices and unfavorable tax treatment of intangible drilling costs, were not able to pick u the drilling slack. Consequently, the past year has been disastrous for many U.S. drilling contractors, and the outlook for this industry segment remains bleak

  11. Rig`s electricity to power top drive drilling system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liderth, D.

    1996-05-01

    Permanent magnet brushless electric motors to supply torque to more space-efficient top drive drilling assemblies was the solution designed by Kaman Electromagnetic Corporation, working hand-in-hand with Calgary-based Tesco Drilling Technology, to remedy problems created by the bulkiness of standard hydraulic top drive systems. The biggest advantage of using electric over hydraulic top drive systems is the ability to tap into the rig`s existing power source, which lowers both cost and effort. A better power to weight ratio and reduced maintenance requirements are other desirable advantages.

  12. 39th annual Reed rig census

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crowhurst, M.E.; Fitts, R.L.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on cutbacks in U.S. exploration and development drilling during the first half of 1991 which squeezed most of the optimism out of the drilling industry. Just how rough the year has been is underscored by the results of this year's rig census. The number of rotary rigs available for U.S. drilling declined by only 69 units (3%) during the past 12 months. But despite those withdrawals from competition, only 66% of the remaining rigs were working at the time the census was taken. Results of the 1991 census contrasted sharply with the stability and optimism that seemed apparent a year ago when 72% of the available rig fleet met the census definition of active. At that time, the mini-boom in horizontal drilling coupled with tax-credit- driven gas drilling led to a relatively high rig utilization rate and suggested that rig supply and demand might be close to an economically acceptable balance. However, it quickly became apparent in early 1991 that industry optimism was unjustified. Horizontal drilling began to drop and the lowest natural gas prices in 12 years triggered rapid declines in gas drilling. Although oil prices have been relatively stable and above $18 per bbl since January 1989, most major operators have concluded that a better return on investment can be had outside the U.S. and have drastically cut their domestic drilling budgets. These factors, combined with softened energy demand from the worldwide recession, further slowed U.S. drilling. The long awaited balance between rig supply and demand has seemingly slipped away. The 1991 Reed rig census describes an industry facing several more rough years. Details of this year's census include: The available U.S. fleet now stands at 2,251 rigs, down by 69 from the 2,320-unit total in 1990, and the lowest since 1976. Rigs meeting the census definition of active numbered 1,485, down 192 (11.4%) from the 1,677 active rigs counted a year earlier

  13. Drilling rig mast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bulgakov, E.S.; Barashkov, V.A.; Lebedev, A.I.; Panin, N.M.; Sirotkin, N.V.

    1981-01-07

    A drilling rig mast is proposed that contains a portal with a carrier shaft hinged to it and struts with stays. In order to decrease the time expended in the assembly and dessembly of the drilling rig, the portal is constructed from mobile and immobile parts that are connected together by a ball pivot; the immobile section of the portal has a T-shaped recess for directing the mobile section.

  14. Replacement team of mining drilling rigs

    OpenAIRE

    Hamodi, Hussan; Lundberg, Jan

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a practical model to calculate the optimal replacement time (ORT) of drilling rigs used in underground mining. As a case study, cost data for drilling rig were collected over four years from a Swedish mine. The cost data include acquisition, operating, maintenance and downtime costs when using a redundant rig. A discount rate is used to determine the value of these costs over time. The study develops an optimisation model to identify the ORT of a mining drilling rig which ...

  15. Sandia's Geothermal Advanced Drill Rig Instrumentation Assists Critical Oil and Gas Drilling Operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staller, George E.; Whitlow, Gary

    1999-01-01

    On November 23, 1998, an 18,000-foot-deep wild-cat natural gas well being drilled near Bakersfield, CA blew out and caught fire. All attempts to kill this well failed, and the well continues to flow under limited control, producing large volumes of natural gas, salt water, and some oil. The oil and some of the water is being separated and trucked off site, and the remaining gas and water is being burned at the well head. A relief well is being drilled approximately one-quarter mile away in an attempt to intercept the first well. If the relief well is successful, it will be used to cement in and kill the first well. Epoch Wellsite Services, Inc., the mud-logging company for the initial well and the relief well, requested Sandia's rolling float meter (RFM) for these critical drilling operations. The RFM is being used to measure the mud outflow rate and detect kicks while drilling the relief well, which will undoubtedly encounter reservoir conditions similar to those responsible for the blow out. Based on its prior experience with the RFM, Epoch believes that it is the only instrument capable of providing the level of accuracy and response to mudflow needed to quickly detect kicks and minimize the risk of a blowout on this second critical well. In response to the urgent request from industry, Sandia and Epoch technicians installed the RFM on the relief well return line, and completed its initial calibration. The data from the RFM is displayed in real-time for the driller, the companyman, and the toolpusher via Epochs RIGWATCH Drilling Instmmentation System. The RFM has already detected several small kicks while drilling toward the annulus of the blown out well. A conventional paddle meter is located downstream of the RFM to provide redundancy and the opportunity to compare the two meters in an actual drilling operation, The relief well is nearing 14,000 feet deep, targeting an intercept of the first well near 17,600 feet. The relief well is expected to be completed in

  16. Hoisting and rigging manual: Uncontrolled document

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1991-05-01

    This document is a draft copy of a Hoisting and Rigging Manual for the Department of Energy. The manual is divided into ten chapters. The chapter titles follow: terminology and definitions; operator training and qualification; overhead and gantry cranes; mobile cranes; forklift trucks; hoists; hooks; wire rope, slings, and rigging accessories; construction hoisting and rigging equipment requirements; references.

  17. A rigged market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, M.

    2000-01-01

    The mobile rig market remains a unique sector of the global upstream oil and gas industry. Big oil is continuing to emerge blinking from the darkness of its recent cash-starved existence to bask in the glory of a resurgent oil price. But the rig sector is once again lagging behind the pace being set by operators as they open up their wallets for new or delayed exploration and production projects. This paper gives statistics on worldwide count and contracts

  18. Endothelial RIG-I activation impairs endothelial function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asdonk, Tobias; Motz, Inga; Werner, Nikos; Coch, Christoph; Barchet, Winfried; Hartmann, Gunther; Nickenig, Georg; Zimmer, Sebastian

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► RIG-I activation impairs endothelial function in vivo. ► RIG-I activation alters HCAEC biology in vitro. ► EPC function is affected by RIG-I stimulation in vitro. -- Abstract: Background: Endothelial dysfunction is a crucial part of the chronic inflammatory atherosclerotic process and is mediated by innate and acquired immune mechanisms. Recent studies suggest that pattern recognition receptors (PRR) specialized in immunorecognition of nucleic acids may play an important role in endothelial biology in a proatherogenic manner. Here, we analyzed the impact of endothelial retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) activation upon vascular endothelial biology. Methods and results: Wild type mice were injected intravenously with 32.5 μg of the RIG-ligand 3pRNA (RNA with triphosphate at the 5′end) or polyA control every other day for 7 days. In 3pRNA-treated mice, endothelium-depended vasodilation was significantly impaired, vascular oxidative stress significantly increased and circulating endothelial microparticle (EMP) numbers significantly elevated compared to controls. To gain further insight in RIG-I dependent endothelial biology, cultured human coronary endothelial cells (HCAEC) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) were stimulated in vitro with 3pRNA. Both cells types express RIG-I and react with receptor upregulation upon stimulation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation is enhanced in both cell types, whereas apoptosis and proliferation is not significantly affected in HCAEC. Importantly, HCAEC release significant amounts of proinflammatory cytokines in response to RIG-I stimulation. Conclusion: This study shows that activation of the cytoplasmatic nucleic acid receptor RIG-I leads to endothelial dysfunction. RIG-I induced endothelial damage could therefore be an important pathway in atherogenesis.

  19. Endothelial RIG-I activation impairs endothelial function

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asdonk, Tobias, E-mail: tobias.asdonk@ukb.uni-bonn.de [Department of Medicine/Cardiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany); Motz, Inga; Werner, Nikos [Department of Medicine/Cardiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany); Coch, Christoph; Barchet, Winfried; Hartmann, Gunther [Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany); Nickenig, Georg; Zimmer, Sebastian [Department of Medicine/Cardiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany)

    2012-03-30

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer RIG-I activation impairs endothelial function in vivo. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer RIG-I activation alters HCAEC biology in vitro. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer EPC function is affected by RIG-I stimulation in vitro. -- Abstract: Background: Endothelial dysfunction is a crucial part of the chronic inflammatory atherosclerotic process and is mediated by innate and acquired immune mechanisms. Recent studies suggest that pattern recognition receptors (PRR) specialized in immunorecognition of nucleic acids may play an important role in endothelial biology in a proatherogenic manner. Here, we analyzed the impact of endothelial retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) activation upon vascular endothelial biology. Methods and results: Wild type mice were injected intravenously with 32.5 {mu}g of the RIG-ligand 3pRNA (RNA with triphosphate at the 5 Prime end) or polyA control every other day for 7 days. In 3pRNA-treated mice, endothelium-depended vasodilation was significantly impaired, vascular oxidative stress significantly increased and circulating endothelial microparticle (EMP) numbers significantly elevated compared to controls. To gain further insight in RIG-I dependent endothelial biology, cultured human coronary endothelial cells (HCAEC) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) were stimulated in vitro with 3pRNA. Both cells types express RIG-I and react with receptor upregulation upon stimulation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation is enhanced in both cell types, whereas apoptosis and proliferation is not significantly affected in HCAEC. Importantly, HCAEC release significant amounts of proinflammatory cytokines in response to RIG-I stimulation. Conclusion: This study shows that activation of the cytoplasmatic nucleic acid receptor RIG-I leads to endothelial dysfunction. RIG-I induced endothelial damage could therefore be an important pathway in atherogenesis.

  20. Technology trends, energy prices affect worldwide rig activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rappold, K.

    1995-01-01

    The major worldwide offshore rig markets have improved slightly this year, while the onshore markets generally lagged slightly. Offshore rig utilization rates have remained strong worldwide, with some areas reaching nearly 100%. Total worldwide offshore rig (jack ups, semisubmersible, drillships, submersibles, and barges) utilization was about 86%. Offshore drilling activity is driven primarily by oil and natural gas price expectations. Natural gas prices tend to drive North American offshore drilling activity, including the shallow waters in the Gulf of Mexico. International offshore drilling activity and deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico are more closely tied to oil prices. The paper discusses US rig count, directional drilling activity, jack up rig demand, semisubmersibles demand, rig replacement costs, and new construction

  1. SuperAssist: A User-Assistant Collaborative Environment for the supervision of medical instrument use at home

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blanson Henkemans, O.A.; Neerincx, M.A.; Lindenberg, J.; Mast, C.A.P.G. van der

    2007-01-01

    With the rise of Transmural care, patients increasingly use medical instruments at home. Maintenance and troubleshooting greatly determines the safety and accuracy of these instruments. For the supervision of these complex tasks, we developed a User-Assistant Collaborative Environment (U-ACE). We

  2. Rigged Hilbert spaces for chaotic dynamical systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suchanecki, Z.; Antoniou, I.; Bandtlow, O.F.

    1996-01-01

    We consider the problem of rigging for the Koopman operators of the Renyi and the baker maps. We show that the rigged Hilbert space for the Renyi maps has some of the properties of a strict inductive limit and give a detailed description of the rigged Hilbert space for the baker maps. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  3. Learning Inverse Rig Mappings by Nonlinear Regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holden, Daniel; Saito, Jun; Komura, Taku

    2017-03-01

    We present a framework to design inverse rig-functions-functions that map low level representations of a character's pose such as joint positions or surface geometry to the representation used by animators called the animation rig. Animators design scenes using an animation rig, a framework widely adopted in animation production which allows animators to design character poses and geometry via intuitive parameters and interfaces. Yet most state-of-the-art computer animation techniques control characters through raw, low level representations such as joint angles, joint positions, or vertex coordinates. This difference often stops the adoption of state-of-the-art techniques in animation production. Our framework solves this issue by learning a mapping between the low level representations of the pose and the animation rig. We use nonlinear regression techniques, learning from example animation sequences designed by the animators. When new motions are provided in the skeleton space, the learned mapping is used to estimate the rig controls that reproduce such a motion. We introduce two nonlinear functions for producing such a mapping: Gaussian process regression and feedforward neural networks. The appropriate solution depends on the nature of the rig and the amount of data available for training. We show our framework applied to various examples including articulated biped characters, quadruped characters, facial animation rigs, and deformable characters. With our system, animators have the freedom to apply any motion synthesis algorithm to arbitrary rigging and animation pipelines for immediate editing. This greatly improves the productivity of 3D animation, while retaining the flexibility and creativity of artistic input.

  4. Endurance test on IR rig for RI production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Heung June; Youn, Y. J.; Han, H. S.; Hong, S. B.; Cho, Y. G.; Ryu, J. S.

    2000-12-01

    This report presents the pressure drop, vibration and endurance test results for IR rig for RI production which were desigened and fabricated by KAERI. From the pressure drop test results, it is noted that the flow rate through the IR rig corresponding to the pressure drop of 200 kPa is measured to be about 3.12 kg/sec. Vibration frequency for the IR rig ranges from 13 to 17 Hz. RMS(Root Mean Square) displacement for the IR rig is less than 30 μm, and the maximum displacement is less than 110μm. These experimental results show that the design criteria of IR rig meet the HANARO limit conditions. Endurance test results show that the appreciable fretting wear for the IR rig does not occur, however tiny trace of wear between contact points is observed

  5. Atmospheric Sounder Spectrometer for Infrared Spectral Technology (ASSIST) Instrument Handbook

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flynn, Connor J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program

    2016-03-01

    The Atmospheric Sounder Spectrometer for Infrared Spectral Technology (ASSIST) measures the absolute infrared (IR) spectral radiance (watts per square meter per steradian per wavenumber) of the sky directly above the instrument. More information about the instrument can be found through the manufacturer’s website. The spectral measurement range of the instrument is 3300 to 520 wavenumbers (cm-1) or 3-19.2 microns for the normal-range instruments and 3300 to 400 cm-1 or 3-25 microns, for the extended-range polar instruments. Spectral resolution is 1.0 cm-1. Instrument field-of-view is 1.3 degrees. Calibrated sky radiance spectra are produced on cycle of about 141 seconds with a group of 6 radiance spectra zenith having dwell times of about 14 seconds each interspersed with 55 seconds of calibration and mirror motion. The ASSIST data is comparable to the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) data and can be used for 1) evaluating line-by-line radiative transport codes, 2) detecting/quantifying cloud effects on ground-based measurements of infrared spectral radiance (and hence is valuable for cloud property retrievals), and 3) calculating vertical atmospheric profiles of temperature and water vapor and the detection of trace gases.

  6. A REAL TIME DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF SAILBOAT RIGGING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inmaculada Ortigosa

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The operational complexity and performance requirements of modern racing yachts demand the use of advanced applications, such as a decision support system (DSS able to assist crew members during navigation. In this article, the authors describe a near-time computational solver as the main piece of a DSS which analyses and monitors the behaviour of sails and rigging. The solver is made up of two different interconnected tools: an iterative Fluid-Structure Interaction algorithm and an advanced Wireless Sensor Network to monitor rigging. The real-time DSS quantifies crew manoeuvres in physical terms, which are reproduced by a simulation program. It can be used in the design phase of sailing yachts and as an aid for real-time boat performance optimisation and accident prevention. This novel DSS is a useful tool for navigation, especially in races.

  7. Injecting rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) into wounds only: A significant saving of lives and costly RIG.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharti, Omesh Kumar; Madhusudana, Shampur Narayan; Wilde, Henry

    2017-04-03

    An increasing number of dog bite victims were being presented to public hospitals in Himachal Pradesh in 2014 amidst virtual non availability of any rabies immunoglobulin (RIG). Only a small quantity of equine rabies immunoglobulin (eRIG) was available from the government owned Central Research Institute (CRI) Kasauli. This available eRIG was used in 269 patients as an emergency response and only for local infiltration of severe bite wounds by suspected rabid dogs. This was followed by rabies vaccination, using the WHO approved intra-dermal Thai Red Cross Society vaccination schedule. A subgroup of 26 patients were later identified who had been severely bitten by laboratory confirmed rabid dogs. They were followed for more than one year and all were found to be alive.

  8. Rig supervisors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nordt, D.P.; Stone, M.S.

    1992-01-01

    This paper helps prepare the inexperienced rig supervisor to manage a drilling operation. It outlines operational-knowledge requirements and optimization concepts for improving drilling performance and lowering drilling costs. It gives guidelines on safety and environmental responsibilities, and provides recommendations on work tools, leadership, and communication

  9. Experimental rigs for MHD studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venkataramani, N.; Jayakumar, R.; Iyer, D.R.; Dixit, N.S.

    1976-01-01

    An MHD experimental rig is a miniature MHD installation consisting of basic equipments necessary for specific investigations. Some of the experimental rigs used in the investigations being carried out at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India) are dealt with. The experiments included diagnostics and evaluation of materials in seeded combustion plasmas and argon plasmas. The design specifications, schematics and some of the results of the investigations are also mentioned. (author)

  10. 29 CFR 1918.54 - Rigging gear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 7 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Rigging gear. 1918.54 Section 1918.54 Labor Regulations...) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR LONGSHORING Vessel's Cargo Handling Gear § 1918.54 Rigging gear. (a... other alternate device shall be provided to allow trimming of the gear and to prevent employees from...

  11. Endurance test of DUPIC irradiation test rig-003

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moon, J.S; Yang, M.S.; Lee, C.Y.; Ryu, J.S.; Jeon, H.G

    2001-04-01

    This report presents the pressure drop, vibration and endurance test results for DUPIC Irradiation Test Rig-003 which was design and fabricated by KAERI. From the pressure drop and vibration test results, it is verified that DUPIC Irradiation Test Rig-003 satisfied the limit conditions of HANARO. And, remarkable wear is not observed in DUPIC Irradiation Test Rig-003 during 40 endurance test days.

  12. Field Demonstraton of Existing Microhole Coiled Tubing Rig (MCTR) Technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kent Perry; Samih Batarseh; Sheriff Gowelly; Thomas Hayes

    2006-05-09

    The performance of an advanced Microhole Coiled Tubing Rig (MCTR) has been measured in the field during the drilling of 25 test wells in the Niobrara formation of Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado. The coiled tubing (CT) rig designed, built and operated by Advanced Drilling Technologies (ADT), was documented in its performance by GTI staff in the course of drilling wells ranging in depth from 500 to nearly 3,000 feet. Access to well sites in the Niobrara for documenting CT rig performance was provided by Rosewood Resources of Arlington, VA. The ADT CT rig was selected for field performance evaluation because it is one of the most advanced commercial CT rig designs that demonstrate a high degree of process integration and ease of set-up and operation. Employing an information collection protocol, data was collected from the ADT CT rig during 25 drilling events that encompassed a wide range of depths and drilling conditions in the Niobrara. Information collected included time-function data, selected parametric information indicating CT rig operational conditions, staffing levels, and field observations of the CT rig in each phase of operation, from rig up to rig down. The data obtained in this field evaluation indicates that the ADT CT rig exhibited excellent performance in the drilling and completion of more than 25 wells in the Niobrara under varied drilling depths and formation conditions. In the majority of the 25 project well drilling events, ROP values ranged between 300 and 620 feet per hour. For all but the lowest 2 wells, ROP values averaged approximately 400 feet per hour, representing an excellent drilling capability. Most wells of depths between 500 and 2,000 feet were drilled at a total functional rig time of less than 16 hours; for wells as deep at 2,500 to 3,000 feet, the total rig time for the CT unit is usually well under one day. About 40-55 percent of the functional rig time is divided evenly between drilling and casing/cementing. The balance of

  13. A new generation drilling rig: hydraulically powered and computer controlled

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laurent, M.; Angman, P.; Oveson, D. [Tesco Corp., Calgary, AB, (Canada)

    1999-11-01

    Development, testing and operation of a new generation of hydraulically powered and computer controlled drilling rig that incorporates a number of features that enhance functionality and productivity, is described. The rig features modular construction, a large heated common drilling machinery room, permanently-mounted draw works which, along with the permanently installed top drive, significantly reduces rig-up/rig-down time. Also featured are closed and open hydraulic systems and a unique hydraulic distribution manifold. All functions are controlled through a programmable logic controller (PLC), providing almost unlimited interlocks and calculations to increase rig safety and efficiency. Simplified diagnostic routines, remote monitoring and troubleshooting are also part of the system. To date, two rigs are in operation. Performance of both rigs has been rated as `very good`. Little or no operational problems have been experienced; downtime has averaged 0.61 per cent since August 1998 when the the first of the two rigs went into operation. The most important future application for this rig is for use with the casing drilling process which eliminates the need for drill pipe and tripping. It also reduces the drilling time lost due to unscheduled events such as reaming, fishing and taking kicks while tripping. 1 tab., 6 figs.

  14. Advanced control strategies for a drill rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, A.; Hiller, M.; Fink, B.

    1996-01-01

    The construction of tunnels is usually undertaken using a combination of blasting and drilling to achieve rock excavation. Easy handling and high accuracy, and thus greater efficiency, in drilling rigs is an essential ingredient of successful competition in the market place. This article describes a cartesian control concept used for a twin boom drill rig. This simplifies the handling of a drilling boom, reduces the duration of a working cycle and increases security. A remote control system has been added to the drill rig to support the operator working in complicated environments. (UK)

  15. Body Language Advanced 3D Character Rigging

    CERN Document Server

    Allen, Eric; Fong, Jared; Sidwell, Adam G

    2011-01-01

    Whether you're a professional Character TD or just like to create 3D characters, this detailed guide reveals the techniques you need to create sophisticated 3D character rigs that range from basic to breathtaking. Packed with step-by-step instructions and full-color illustrations, Body Language walks you through rigging techniques for all the body parts to help you create realistic and believable movements in every character you design. You'll learn advanced rigging concepts that involve MEL scripting and advanced deformation techniques and even how to set up a character pipeline.

  16. Gulf of Mexico rig activity up, international lags

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rappold, K.

    1994-01-01

    Demand for jack up and semisubmersible rigs has improved in the Gulf of Mexico following a decline in activity earlier this year. International drilling activity, however, has shown slight declines in several regions. Relatively firm natural gas prices have helped buoy rig activity in North America. Rig day rates have not followed suit, mainly because of the influx of rigs from weaker international markets. Day rates in the US may not increase until international activity picks up and the world-wide drilling market tightens. Oil prices have hit almost $20/bbl, mainly because of the recent oil worker' strike in Nigeria and good demand. Natural gas prices in the US have hovered around $2.00/MMBTU, and many industry analysts expect gas prices to remain strong over the next few years. This paper gives data on drilling rig counts and crude oil and gas prices in the Gulf of Mexico and onshore

  17. Viral Pseudo Enzymes Activate RIG-I via Deamidation to Evade Cytokine Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Shanping; Zhao, Jun; Song, Shanshan; He, Xiaojing; Minassian, Arlet; Zhou, Yu; Zhang, Junjie; Brulois, Kevin; Wang, Yuqi; Cabo, Jackson; Zandi, Ebrahim; Liang, Chengyu; Jung, Jae U; Zhang, Xuewu; Feng, Pinghui

    2015-01-01

    SUMMARY RIG-I is a pattern recognition receptor that senses viral RNA and is crucial for host innate immune defense. Here we describe a mechanism of RIG-I activation through amidotransferase-mediated deamidation. We show that viral homologues of phosphoribosylformyglycinamide synthase (PFAS), although lacking intrinsic enzyme activity, recruit cellular PFAS to deamidate and activate RIG-I. Accordingly, depletion and biochemical inhibition of PFAS impair RIG-I deamidation and concomitant activation. Purified PFAS and viral homologue thereof deamidate RIG-I in vitro. Ultimately, herpesvirus hijacks activated RIG-I to avoid antiviral cytokine production; loss of RIG-I or inhibition of RIG-I deamidation results in elevated cytokine production. Together, these findings demonstrate a surprising mechanism of RIG-I activation that is mediated by an enzyme. PMID:25752576

  18. Endoscopic vision-based tracking of multiple surgical instruments during robot-assisted surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Jiwon; Choi, Jaesoon; Kim, Hee Chan

    2013-01-01

    Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery is effective for operations in limited space. Enhancing safety based on automatic tracking of surgical instrument position to prevent inadvertent harmful events such as tissue perforation or instrument collisions could be a meaningful augmentation to current robotic surgical systems. A vision-based instrument tracking scheme as a core algorithm to implement such functions was developed in this study. An automatic tracking scheme is proposed as a chain of computer vision techniques, including classification of metallic properties using k-means clustering and instrument movement tracking using similarity measures, Euclidean distance calculations, and a Kalman filter algorithm. The implemented system showed satisfactory performance in tests using actual robot-assisted surgery videos. Trajectory comparisons of automatically detected data and ground truth data obtained by manually locating the center of mass of each instrument were used to quantitatively validate the system. Instruments and collisions could be well tracked through the proposed methods. The developed collision warning system could provide valuable information to clinicians for safer procedures. © 2012, Copyright the Authors. Artificial Organs © 2012, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Customization creates more efficient, cleaner rigs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Budd, G.

    2002-08-01

    Technological advances in drilling equipment are essential to improving efficiency in the oilpatch; getting the technological upper hand on the competition is no less important for drilling equipment manufacturers than for actors in other sectors of the industry. While off-the-shelf uniformity that reduces unit cost has been the trend in fabricating field gas compression modules, custom manufacturing has become very popular in the rig manufacturing sector. Examples from Crown Energy Technologies and Tesco Corporation, both of Calgary, Aecon Industrial's Edmonton operations, PCL Industrial Construction Ltd of Nisku, and Toromont Process Systems of Houston and Calgary are described to illustrate the widespread demand for customized drilling rigs, including the growing preference for electric drives. Top drive systems, as opposed to rotary drives also have become very popular; six out of ten rigs are sold with electric top drives today compared with fewer than 10 rigs a decade ago. At the same time, Tesco has recently signed a deal with Conoco Inc to construct three revolutionary drilling rigs using Tesco's proprietary Casing Drilling Technology, which uses standard oilfield casing instead of drill pipe, allowing operators to simultaneously drill, case and evaluate oil and gas wells. Aecon and PCL Industrial Construction have had much demand for customized spools and modules particularly from the oil sands industry, while Toromont Process Systems is also expanding its Calgary facilities to meet the demand for its dual gas compression equipment used by power stations for gas compression and co-generation, natural gas refrigeration and specialty gas processing.

  20. Deep water challenges for drilling rig design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roth, M [Transocean Sedco Forex, Houston, TX (United States)

    2001-07-01

    Drilling rigs designed for deep water must meet specific design considerations for harsh environments. The early lessons for rig design came from experiences in the North Sea. Rig efficiency and safety considerations must include structural integrity, isolated/redundant ballast controls, triple redundant DP systems, enclosed heated work spaces, and automated equipment such as bridge cranes, pipe handling gear, offline capabilities, subsea tree handling, and computerized drill floors. All components must be designed to harmonize man and machine. Some challenges which are unique to Eastern Canada include frequent storms and fog, cold temperature, icebergs, rig ice, and difficult logistics. This power point presentation described station keeping and mooring issues in terms of dynamic positioning issues. The environmental influence on riser management during forced disconnects was also described. Design issues for connected deep water risers must insure elastic stability, and control deflected shape. The design must also keep stresses within acceptable limits. Codes and standards for stress limits, flex joints and tension were also presented. tabs., figs.

  1. Mechanical Design of a Performance Test Rig for the Turbine Air-Flow Task (TAFT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forbes, John C.; Xenofos, George D.; Farrow, John L.; Tyler, Tom; Williams, Robert; Sargent, Scott; Moharos, Jozsef

    2004-01-01

    To support development of the Boeing-Rocketdyne RS84 rocket engine, a full-flow, reaction turbine geometry was integrated into the NASA-MSFC turbine air-flow test facility. A mechanical design was generated which minimized the amount of new hardware while incorporating all test and instrumentation requirements. This paper provides details of the mechanical design for this Turbine Air-Flow Task (TAFT) test rig. The mechanical design process utilized for this task included the following basic stages: Conceptual Design. Preliminary Design. Detailed Design. Baseline of Design (including Configuration Control and Drawing Revision). Fabrication. Assembly. During the design process, many lessons were learned that should benefit future test rig design projects. Of primary importance are well-defined requirements early in the design process, a thorough detailed design package, and effective communication with both the customer and the fabrication contractors.

  2. Assessment of the Structural Integrity of a Prototypical Instrumented IFMIF High Flux Test Module Rig by Fully 3D X-Ray Microtomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiseanu, I.; Craciunescu, T.; Mandache, B.N.; Simon, M.; Heinzel, V.; Stratmanns, E.; Simakov, S.P.; Leichtle, D.

    2006-01-01

    An inspection procedure to asses the mechanical integrity of IFMIF (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility) capsules and rigs during the irradiation campaign is necessary. Due to its penetration ability and contrast mechanism, the X-ray micro-tomography is the only known tool that could meet these requirements. In the High Flux Test Module (HFTM) of IFMIF miniaturized specimens are densely packed in capsules. The capsules which wear electric heaters and thermocouples are housed in rigs. To assure a well defined thermal contact the heater wires have to be attached to the capsules by brazing them into grooves. The examination of the quality of the braze material layer is of crucial interest in order to assure the best heat coupling of the heater wires to the capsule. A high density of the heaters is necessary to maintain the required temperature and, in addition NaK filling of narrow channels is employed for improving the 3D-heat transfer between the irradiation specimens and the capsule wall. Fully 3D tomographic inspections of a prototypical HFTM instrumented capsule, developed and manufactures at FZK, were conducted. In order to identify the optimum irradiation parameters and scanning configuration we carried out a comparative NDT analysis on two micro-tomography facilities, our compact, high magnification installation at NILPRP and two high-end industrial tomography facilities with higher X-ray energy and intensity at HWM. At optimum inspection parameters of a microfocus X-ray source (U=220 kV and I=300 μA) the geometry resolution was about 30-50 microns for characteristic dimension of the sample of 50 mm. Voids of 30 microns diameter and cracks of about 20 microns width can be detected. The absolute error of geometrical measurements should be sufficient for the assessment of the structural integrity of the irradiation capsule and for the geometry description within the thermal-hydraulic modeling. Space resolution could be further improved if one

  3. Innovative technology for a cost-effective land rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mehra, S.; Bryce, T.

    1996-05-01

    Sedco Forex has recently completed a new land drilling rig, currently deployed in Gabon, that integrates well construction activities with multiskilling to create cost savings across the board in drilling operations. Historically, operators have produced a comprehensive tender package specifying strictly the type and size of individual rig components and the number of personnel required to drill. In this case, the drilling contractor provides a fit-for-purpose rig, consistent with field location, well profile, operator`s priorities, and local constraints.

  4. Innovative technology for a cost-effective land rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehra, S.; Bryce, T.

    1996-01-01

    Sedco Forex has recently completed a new land drilling rig, currently deployed in Gabon, that integrates well construction activities with multiskilling to create cost savings across the board in drilling operations. Historically, operators have produced a comprehensive tender package specifying strictly the type and size of individual rig components and the number of personnel required to drill. In this case, the drilling contractor provides a fit-for-purpose rig, consistent with field location, well profile, operator's priorities, and local constraints

  5. Computer gaming comes to service rig training

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mowers, J.

    2007-05-15

    This article addressed the challenge of providing service rig workers with a good understanding of the tasks and risks involved in the job before they even step out into the field. The product, SimuLynx was presented. SimuLynx is based on video and gaming technology to immerse the user in the service rig work environment with other crew members. The user tries to perform the different steps of a junior floorhand's job while a coach gives directions. The article discussed how the system works. For example, when faced with a task, the user chooses from several options. The coach informs the virtual junior floorhand if the decision was right or wrong. He will also give warnings and let the user realize the consequences of a wrong action. The benefits of the system were also presented. For example, instead of 30 days of on-the-job training, an employee may only need several days after going through the program. Other benefits that were reviewed included reduced accident risk-levels for new workers; higher rig efficiency; and, lower training costs. In addition, a potential recruit can decide if the job is right for him before signing up for an expensive course or starting off with a service rig company. As well, the rig company can decide if someone is suitable before hiring that person. 3 figs.

  6. An actuated force feedback-enabled laparoscopic instrument for robotic-assisted surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi Dalvand, Mohsen; Shirinzadeh, Bijan; Shamdani, Amir Hossein; Smith, Julian; Zhong, Yongmin

    2014-03-01

    Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery systems not only have the advantages of traditional laparoscopic instruments but also have other important advantages, including restoring the surgeon's hand-eye coordination and improving the surgeon's precision by filtering hand tremors. Unfortunately, these benefits have come at the expense of the surgeon's ability to feel. Various solutions for restoring this feature have been proposed. An actuated modular force feedback-enabled laparoscopic instrument was proposed that is able to measure tip-tissue lateral interaction forces as well as normal grasping forces. The instrument has also the capability to adjust the grasping direction inside the patient body. In order to measure the interaction forces, strain gauges were employed. A series of finite element analyses were performed to gain an understanding of the actual magnitude of surface strains where gauges are applied. The strain gauge bridge configurations were calibrated. A series of experiments was conducted and the results were analysed. The modularity feature of the proposed instrument makes it interchangeable between various tip types of different functionalities (e.g. cutter, grasper, dissector). Calibration results of the strain gauges incorporated into the tube and at the base of the instrument presented the monotonic responses for these strain gauge configurations. Experimental results from tissue probing and tissue characterization experiments verified the capability of the proposed instrument in measuring lateral probing forces and characterizing artificial tissue samples of varying stiffness. The proposed instrument can improve the quality of palpation and characterization of soft tissues of varying stiffness by restoring sense of touch in robotic assisted minimally invasive surgery operations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. iPod touch-assisted instrumentation of the spine: a technical report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jost, Gregory F; Bisson, Erica F; Schmidt, Meic H

    2013-12-01

    Instrumentation of the spine depends on choosing the correct insertion angles to implant screws. Although modern image guidance facilitates precise instrumentation of the spine, the equipment is costly and availability is limited. Although most surgeons use lateral fluoroscopy to guide instrumentation in the sagittal plane, the lateromedial angulation is often chosen by estimation. To overcome the associated uncertainty, iPod touch-based applications for measuring angles can be used to assist with screw implantation. To evaluate the use of the iPod touch to adjust instruments to the optimal axial insertion angle for placement of pedicle screws in the lumbar spine. Twenty lumbar pedicle screws in 5 consecutive patients were implanted using the iPod touch. The lateromedial angulation was measured on preoperative images and reproduced in the operative field with the iPod touch. The instruments to implant the screws were aligned with the side of the iPod for screw insertion. Actual screw angles were remeasured on postoperative imaging. We collected demographic, clinical, and operative data for each patient. In 16 of 20 screws, the accuracy of implantation was within 3 degrees of the ideal trajectory. The 4 screws with an angle mismatch of 7 to 13 degrees were all implanted at the caudal end of the exposure, where maintaining the planned angulation was impeded by strong muscles pushing medially. iPod touch-assisted instrumentation of the spine is a very simple technique, which, in combination with a lateral fluoroscopy, may guide placement of pedicle screws in the lumbar spine.

  8. The role of the rigged Hilbert space in quantum mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madrid, Rafael de la

    2005-01-01

    There is compelling evidence that, when a continuous spectrum is present, the natural mathematical setting for quantum mechanics is the rigged Hilbert space rather than just the Hilbert space. In particular, Dirac's braket formalism is fully implemented by the rigged Hilbert space rather than just by the Hilbert space. In this paper, we provide a pedestrian introduction to the role the rigged Hilbert space plays in quantum mechanics, by way of a simple, exactly solvable example. The procedure will be constructive and based on a recent publication. We also provide a thorough discussion on the physical significance of the rigged Hilbert space

  9. 21. century drilling rigs -- Tesco introduces new modular design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    1998-10-01

    Development of a modular, hydraulic, self-elevating drilling rig, dubbed the `21. century drilling rig` was announced by the Tesco Corporation. The rig equipment is housed in 8 by 20 by 8.5 feet high sea containers that can be handled by a 20-ton oilfield picker. These containers, weighing about 15,000 to 20,000 pounds on average, eliminate the need for heavy and bulky standard oilfield skid buildings, besides avoiding costly over-width and over-weight permits. The containers can be easily shipped around the world at a fraction of the cost of shipping standard oilfield skid buildings. Time for shipping on land is comparable to conventional rigs, but with the added advantage of smaller and lighter loads, promising fewer transportation problems during spring breakup. Tesco also designed and built an 85-foot long, triple-axle, 24-wheel catwalk trailer to transport the top drive, drawworks and double telescoping mast as one unit. Another novel characteristic of this unit is that the hydraulic system is capable of selectable distribution of power to the main functions such as the top drive, drawworks, or mud pump, similar to the electric SCR rig. The rig also features a computerized control system managed by programmable logic controllers. The split crown and split block to facilitate wireline work, are other innovative features worthy of note.

  10. Statistikeren skiftede spor som 49-årig

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sølund, Sune; Rootzén, Helle

    2010-01-01

    En uddannelse til coach har ændret Helle Rototzens liv. Som 49-årig forlod hun et forskerliv på deltid til fordel for en karriere som DTU's eneste kvindelige institutdirektør.......En uddannelse til coach har ændret Helle Rototzens liv. Som 49-årig forlod hun et forskerliv på deltid til fordel for en karriere som DTU's eneste kvindelige institutdirektør....

  11. Minimal disturbance : Ensign's ADR-1000-CT rig aimed at CBM market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, P.

    2005-01-01

    Ensign Resource Services Group Inc. has recently designed a light, mobile rig aimed at Western Canada's coalbed methane (CBM) market. With a 1000 metre depth rating, the automated ADR-1000-CT rig can drill with either jointed pipe or 3 and a half-inch coil. Tractor units are used to move the rig to avoid the extra traffic generated by third-party trucks. The rig's self-levelling capability creates less environmental disturbance. Each component works on sites with as much as 2 metres difference in elevation, which reduces the need for earth-moving equipment. As drilling moves closer to farms and acreages, minimal environmental disturbance is crucial to the CBM industry. The rig won a 2005 Alberta government award for innovations in workplace health and safety as the design eliminates many of the tasks where injuries occur on conventional rigs. On conventional rigs, drill-strings are suspended from a travelling block which is suspended from the crown of a large, heavy derrick. With the ADR, hydraulic cylinders bear the weight of the drill string, and the derrick serves mainly to guide the top drive. When drilling only with jointed pipe, the coiled-tubing reel is a separate load so that drilling crews don't have to transport it around on programs requiring only jointed pipe. If coil is needed, the reel can be trucked to the site and plugged in to the rest of the rig. Tubing is expected to last 3 times as long as on a regular coiled-tubing rig, as the reel is positioned directly over the rotary table. The rigs have been used for various drilling projects and have performed satisfactorily with high penetration rates due to their large mud pumps. It was concluded that the ADR-1000-CT rig's hydraulic self-levelling capability and agility are helpful features when drilling in a minimal disturbance environment. 3 figs

  12. Design and simulation of the rotating test rig in the INDUFLAP project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barlas, Thanasis K.; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Løgstrup Andersen, Tom

    The general description and objectives of the rotating test rig at the Risø campus of DTU are presented, as used for the aeroelastic testing of a controllable rubber trailing edge flap (CRTEF) system in the INDUFLAP project. The design of all new components is presented, including the electrical...... drive, the pitch system, the boom, and the wing/flap section. The overall instrumentation of the components used for the aeroelastic testing is described. Moreover, the aeroelastic model simulating the setup is described, and predictions of steady and dynamic loading along with the aeroelastic analysis...

  13. An in situ thermo-mechanical rig for lattice strain measurement during creep using neutron diffraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Y. Q.; Kabra, S.; Zhang, S. Y.; Truman, C. E.; Smith, D. J.

    2018-05-01

    A long-term high-temperature testing stress rig has been designed and fabricated for performing in situ neutron diffraction tests at the ENGIN-X beamline, ISIS facility in the UK. It is capable of subjecting metals to high temperatures up to 800 °C and uniaxial loading under different boundary conditions including constant load, constant strain, and elastic follow-up, each with minimum of external control. Samples are held horizontally between grips and connected to a rigid rig frame, a soft aluminium bar, and a stepper motor with forces up to 20 kN. A new three zone split electrical resistance furnace which generates a stable and uniform heat atmosphere over 200 mm length was used to heat the samples. An 8 mm diameter port at 45° to the centre of the furnace was made in order to allow the neutron beam through the furnace to illuminate the sample. The entire instrument is mounted on the positioner at ENGIN-X and has the potential ability to operate continuously while being moved in and out of the neutron diffraction beam. The performance of the rig has been demonstrated by tracking the evolution of lattice strains in type 316H stainless steel under elastic follow-up control at 550 °C.

  14. Analysis of rig test data for an axial/centrifugal compressor in the 12 kg/sec

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, A. K.

    1994-01-01

    Extensive testing was done on a T55-L-712 turboshaft engine compressor in a compressor test rig at TEXTRON/Lycoming. These rig tests will be followed by a series of engine tests to occur at the NASA Lewis Research Center beginning in the last quarter of 1993. The goals of the rig testing were: (1) map the steady state compressor operation from 20 percent to 100 percent design speed, (2) quantify the effects of compressor bleed on the operation of the compressor, and (3) explore and measure the operation of the compressor in the flow ranges 'beyond' the normal compressor stall line. Instrumentation consisted of 497 steady state pressure sensors, 153 temperature sensors and 34 high response transducers for transient analysis in the pre- and post-stall operating regime. These measurements allow for generation of detailed stage characteristics as well as overall mapping. Transient data is being analyzed for the existence of modal disturbances at the front face of the compression system ('stall precursors'). This paper presents some preliminary results of the ongoing analysis and a description of the current and future program plans. It will primarily address the unsteady events at the front face of the compression system that occur as the system transitions from steady state to unsteady (stall/surge) operation.

  15. Argentina's YPF outlines plan for sale of rigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that state owned Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (YPF) has unveiled the schedule it plans to follow to privatize oil and gas contract drilling in Argentine. YPF proposes to exit the drilling business by selling state owned drilling rigs, drill pipe, and accessories in a series of auctions beginning next month and lasting through first quarter 1993. YPF intends to open bids Dec. 16 for a completion unit and 30 drilling rigs, several working under contract. Bids will be opened during first quarter 1993 for new and used YPF drill pipe and collars, spare equipment and accessories, and an inventory of fishing tools said to be one of the largest in South America. Winners are to be notified immediately after each auction. YPF plans to hand over by Feb. 1, 1993, the rigs sold in December. Companies buying YPF drilling assets in first quarter 1993, the rigs sold in December. Companies buying YPF drilling assets in first quarter 1993 are to assume ownership by Mar. 24, 1993

  16. Essays on bid rigging

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seres, Gyula

    2016-01-01

    Manipulating prices in auctions raises antitrust concerns. Collusion lowers the revenue of the auctioneer and creates information rents. Bid rigging is a prevalent phenomenon and the affected market is enormous. Public procurement amounts to between 10 and 25 percent of national GDP in

  17. RIG-I self-oligomerization is either dispensable or very transient for signal transduction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jade Louber

    Full Text Available Effective host defence against viruses depends on the rapid triggering of innate immunity through the induction of a type I interferon (IFN response. To this end, microbe-associated molecular patterns are detected by dedicated receptors. Among them, the RIG-I-like receptors RIG-I and MDA5 activate IFN gene expression upon sensing viral RNA in the cytoplasm. While MDA5 forms long filaments in vitro upon activation, RIG-I is believed to oligomerize after RNA binding in order to transduce a signal. Here, we show that in vitro binding of synthetic RNA mimicking that of Mononegavirales (Ebola, rabies and measles viruses leader sequences to purified RIG-I does not induce RIG-I oligomerization. Furthermore, in cells devoid of endogenous functional RIG-I-like receptors, after activation of exogenous Flag-RIG-I by a 62-mer-5'ppp-dsRNA or by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, a dsRNA analogue, or by measles virus infection, anti-Flag immunoprecipitation and specific elution with Flag peptide indicated a monomeric form of RIG-I. Accordingly, when using the Gaussia Luciferase-Based Protein Complementation Assay (PCA, a more sensitive in cellula assay, no RIG-I oligomerization could be detected upon RNA stimulation. Altogether our data indicate that the need for self-oligomerization of RIG-I for signal transduction is either dispensable or very transient.

  18. The development of fuel pins and material specimens mixed loading irradiation test rig in the experimental fast reactor Joyo. The development of the fuel-material hybrid rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyamatsu, Yasuko; Someya, Hiroyuki

    2013-02-01

    In the experimental fast reactor Joyo, there were many tests using the irradiation rigs that it was possible to be set irradiation conditions for each compartment independently. In case of no alternative fuel element to irradiate after unloading the irradiated compartments, the irradiation test was restarted with the dummy compartment which the fuel elements was not mounted. If the material specimens are mounted in this space, it is possible to use the irradiation space effectively. For these reasons, the irradiation rig (hybrid rig) is developed that is consolidated with material specimens compartment and fuel elements compartment. Fuel elements and material specimens differ greatly with heat generation, so that the most important issue in developing of hybrid rig is being able to distribute appropriately the coolant flow which satisfies irradiation conditions. The following is described by this report. (1) It was confirmed that the flow distribution of loading the same irradiation rig with the compartment from which a flow demand differs could be satisfied. (2) It was confirmed that temperature setting range of hybrid rig could be equivalent to that of irradiation condition. (3) By standardizing the coolant entrance structure of the compartment lower part, the prospect which can perform easily recombination of the compartment from which a type differs between irradiation rigs was acquired. (author)

  19. Lapland longspur mortality at an oil well drilling rig site, Laramie County, Wyoming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez, Pedro; Dickerson, Kimberly K.; Lindstrom, Jim; Meteyer, Carol U.; Darrah, Scott

    2015-01-01

    Two hundred fifty-one Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) carcasses were recovered around an oil well drilling rig in Laramie County, Wyoming, USA, on December 13–14, 2010, apparent victims of a winter storm and “light entrapment” from the lights on the drilling rig during foggy conditions. We found Lapland longspur carcasses distributed around the drilling rig from 33 m to 171 m. Investigators did not find evidence of bird carcasses on the drilling rig deck or equipment immediately adjacent to the drilling rig. We ruled out chemical toxins and disease as a cause of mortality. Weather conditions, the circular depositional pattern of carcasses around the drilling rig, and bird necropsy results led investigators to conclude that the Lapland longspur mortality was the result of the migrating birds entering the area illuminated by the drilling rig lights in freezing fog and the birds repeatedly circling the drilling rig until they fell to the ground in exhaustion and dying from subsequent trauma. Further research is needed to understand how to most effectively adjust lighting of onshore drilling rigs to reduce the potential for avian light entrapment. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  20. Duck RIG-I CARD Domain Induces the Chicken IFN-β by Activating NF-κB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Chen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Retinoic acid-inducible gene I- (RIG-I- like receptors (RLRs have recently been identified as cytoplasmic sensors for viral RNA. RIG-I, a member of RLRs family, plays an important role in innate immunity. Although previous investigations have proved that RIG-I is absent in chickens, it remains largely unknown whether the chicken can respond to RIG-I ligand. In this study, the eukaryotic expression vectors encoding duRIG-I full length (duck RIG-I, containing all domains, duRIG-I N-terminal (containing the two caspase activation and recruitment domain, CARDs, and duRIG-I C-terminal (containing helicase and regulatory domains labeled with 6*His tags were constructed successfully and detected by western blotting. Luciferase reporter assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA detected the duRIG-I significantly activated NF-κB and induced the expression of IFN-β when polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly[I:C], synthetic double-stranded RNA challenges chicken embryonic fibroblasts cells (DF1 cells, while the duRIG-I was inactive in the absence of poly[I:C]. Further analysis revealed that the CARDs (duRIG-I-N induced IFN-β production regardless of the presence of poly[I:C], while the CARD-lacking duRIG-I (duRIG-I-C was not capable of activating downstream signals. These results indicate that duRIG-I CARD domain plays an important role in the induction of IFN-β and provide a basis for further studying the function of RIG-I in avian innate immunity.

  1. Professional development of new rig supervisors a must

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nordt, D.P.; Stone, M.S.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that because the number of drilling personnel has dropped dramatically over the last decade, many operators now face a shortage of competent rig supervisors. To be effective, the rig supervisor must develop a knowledge of drilling operations, apply optimization techniques to improve drilling performance, demand safe work practices, and protect the environment. Petroleum engineering degree programs and industry training programs can teach the rig supervisor specific technical and management skills; however, traditionally, the supervisor trainee shadows an experienced company man to learn how to direct a drilling operation. The success of this method depends not only on the skills and learning capabilities of the trainee but also on the trainer's time, motivation, knowledge, and ability to teach the skills necessary to direct drilling activities

  2. About the study of irradiation effects on in-core instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angelino, G.

    1972-01-01

    The knowledge of in-core instrumentation performances is a very important item when irradiations of technological interest are concerned. When measurement of small changes in mechanical or thermal properties is of major importance, the effect of neutron and gamma irradiation on various transducers must be thoroughly evaluated. A rig mock-up was irradiated in the Triga Mark II Reactor of the Pavia University to assess the possibility of carrying out a study on irradiation effects on in-core instrumentation. Data on neutron flux distribution and γ-heating effect were collected from this preliminary experiment; at the same time a complete check was performed on rig assembling procedure, on the behaviour under operating conditions, and on the reactor loading and unloading operations. (author)

  3. Drilling rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galiopa, A A; Yegorov, E K

    1981-01-04

    A drilling rig is proposed which contains a tower, lifter in the form of n infinite chain, and mobile rotator with holding device connected to the chain, and pipe holder. In order to accelerate the auxiliary operations to move the drilling string and unloaded rotator, the rotator is equipped with a clamp with means for transverse connection of it to both branches of the chain, while the pipe holders equipped with a clamp with means of connecting it to one of the branches of the chain.

  4. Challenges associated with pre-border management of biofouling on oil rigs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, Grant A; Forrest, Barrie M

    2010-11-01

    The potential for oil rigs to transport diverse, reef-like communities around the globe makes them high risk vectors for the inadvertent spread of non-indigenous species (NIS). This paper describes two case studies where a suite of pre-border management approaches was applied to semi-submersible drilling rigs. In the first case study, a drilling rig was defouled in-water prior to departure from New Zealand to Australia. Risk mitigation measures were successful in reducing biosecurity risks to the recipient region, but they resulted in the unintentional introduction of the non-indigenous brown mussel (Perna perna) to New Zealand when the rig was defouled in-water by divers. In the second case study, lessons learned from this high-profile incursion resulted in a more structured approach to pre-border management, and this serves as a useful template for future rig transfers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Study in flow rig by using radiotracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Widatalla, R. K.

    2012-06-01

    Application of radioisotope technology have proved itself to be effective techniques for troubleshooting and optimizing industrial process in petrochemical industry In this study gamma scanning technique has been employed for better understanding of malfunctions by using the flow rig system. The scanning were carried out using 9 9mT C gamma radiation source with activity of 1 mCi and quantity of 5 ml to measure the flow rate for the water flow rig The experiment was repeated by reducing the data interval time to get more precise result. The investigations were also carried out using 5 ml of 9 9mT C with activity of 0.3 mCi for measuring the Residence Time Distribution (RTD) inside the flow rig tank which enables calculating the effective volume for the operating tank and its dead volume. The results proved that the technique is sensitive, reliable and can be adopted to investigate industrial reactors. (Author)

  6. A constructive presentation of rigged Hilbert spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Celeghini, Enrico

    2015-01-01

    We construct a rigged Hilbert space for the square integrable functions on the line L2(R) adding to the generators of the Weyl-Heisenberg algebra a new discrete operator, related to the degree of the Hermite polynomials. All together, continuous and discrete operators, constitute the generators of the projective algebra io(2). L 2 (R) and the vector space of the line R are shown to be isomorphic representations of such an algebra and, as both these representations are irreducible, all operators defined on the rigged Hilbert spaces L 2 (R) or R are shown to belong to the universal enveloping algebra of io(2). The procedure can be extended to orthogonal and pseudo-orthogonal spaces of arbitrary dimension by tensorialization.Circumventing all formal problems the paper proposes a kind of toy model, well defined from a mathematical point of view, of rigged Hilbert spaces where, in contrast with the Hilbert spaces, operators with different cardinality are allowed. (paper)

  7. Semisubmersible rigs attractive for tender-assisted drilling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tranter, P. (Sedco Forex, Aberdeen (United Kingdom))

    1994-09-19

    Tender-assisted drilling (TAD) involves the use of tender support vessel (TSV) during the drilling phase of platform development to provide drilling utilities to the platform-mounted drilling package. The TSV provides facilities such as mud mixing, storage, pumping, bulk storage, hotel accommodations, and power. Thus, the platform topsides and jacket weight and size can be smaller and less expensive. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of TAD, then describes the TAD vessel, semisubmersible, platform cost savings, accommodations, drilling and workovers, and field experience.

  8. Power ramp tests of MOX fuel rods. HBWR irradiation with the instrument rig, IFA-591

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozawa, Takayuki; Abe, Tomoyuki

    2006-03-01

    Plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel rods of instrumental rig IFA-591 were ramped in HBWR to study the Advanced Thermal Reactor (ATR) MOX fuel behavior during transient operation and to determine a failure threshold of the MOX fuel rods. Eleven segments were base-irradiated in ATR 'FUGEN' up to 18.4 GWd/t. Zirconium liner claddings were adopted for four segments of them. As the results of non-destructive post irradiation examinations (PIEs) after the base-irradiation and before the ramp tests, no remarkable behavior affecting the integrity of fuel assembly and fuel rod was confirmed. All segments to be used for the ramp tests, which consisted of the multi-step ramp tests and the single-step ramp tests, had instrumentations for in-pile measurements of cladding elongation or plenum pressure, and heated up to the maximum linear power of 58.3-68.4 kW/m without failure. The major results of ramp tests are as follows: There is no difference in PCMI behaviors between two type rods of Zry-2 and Zirconium liner claddings from the in-pile measurements of cladding elongation and plenum pressure. The computations of cladding elongation and inner pressure gave slightly lower elongation and pressure than the in-pile measurements during the ramp-test. However, the cladding relaxation during the power hold was in good agreement, and the fission gas release behavior during cooling down could be evaluated by taking into account the relaxation of contact pressure between pellet and cladding. Although the final power during IFA-591 ramp tests reached the higher linear power than the failure threshold power of UO 2 fuel rods, no indication of fuel failure was observed during the ramp tests. The cladding relaxation due to the creep deformation of the MOX pellets at high temperature could be confirmed at the power steps during the multi-ramp test. The fission gas release due to the emancipation from PCMI stress was observed during the power decreasing. The burn-up dependence could be

  9. Operating experience of a sodium rig following the ingress of oil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bell, A C; Mehew, R D; Robertson, C M [UKAEA, Dounreay, Thurso, Caithness, Scotland (United Kingdom)

    1980-05-01

    The experience of operating the Small Water Leak Rig at Dounreay in the two years following the ingress into the sodium of silicone oil from the pump is reported. The carbon penetration into the rig pipework has been monitored and has been found to agree with a diffusion model. The predictions based on this model have enabled an operating strategy to be determined to allow continued operation of the rig. (author)

  10. Operating experience of a sodium rig following the ingress of oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, A.C.; Mehew, R.D.; Robertson, C.M.

    1980-01-01

    The experience of operating the Small Water Leak Rig at Dounreay in the two years following the ingress into the sodium of silicone oil from the pump is reported. The carbon penetration into the rig pipework has been monitored and has been found to agree with a diffusion model. The predictions based on this model have enabled an operating strategy to be determined to allow continued operation of the rig. (author)

  11. Basic legal instruments of mutual assistance in tax matters in European Union

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cvjetković Cvjetana

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the basic legal instruments of mutual assistance in tax matters in the field of direct and indirect taxation in European union, forms of mutual assistance and its importance in fight against international tax evasion and international double taxation. Namely, processes of globalization and liberalization, in terms of taxation in accordance with the principle of worldwide income, have meant that information that is available to a tax administration is not enough to correctly determine tax liability. In such situations states can rely on mutual assistance which may be manifested as exchange of tax information, collaboration by officials and simultaneous controls.

  12. Negative Role of RIG-I Serine 8 Phosphorylation in the Regulatin of Interferon-beta Production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    E Nistal-Villan; M Gack; G Martinez-Delgado; N Maharaj; K Inn; H Yang; R Wang; A Aggarwal; J Jung; A Garcia-Sastre

    2011-12-31

    RIG-I (retinoic acid-inducible gene I) and TRIM25 (tripartite motif protein 25) have emerged as key regulatory factors to induce interferon (IFN)-mediated innate immune responses to limit viral replication. Upon recognition of viral RNA, TRIM25 E3 ligase binds the first caspase recruitment domain (CARD) of RIG-I and subsequently induces lysine 172 ubiquitination of the second CARD of RIG-I, which is essential for the interaction with downstream MAVS/IPS-1/CARDIF/VISA and, thereby, IFN-beta mRNA production. Although ubiquitination has emerged as a major factor involved in RIG-I activation, the potential contribution of other post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, to the regulation of RIG-I activity has not been addressed. Here, we report the identification of serine 8 phosphorylation at the first CARD of RIG-I as a negative regulatory mechanism of RIG-I-mediated IFN-beta production. Immunoblot analysis with a phosphospecific antibody showed that RIG-I serine 8 phosphorylation steady-state levels were decreased upon stimulation of cells with IFN-beta or virus infection. Substitution of serine 8 in the CARD RIG-I functional domain with phosphomimetic aspartate or glutamate results in decreased TRIM25 binding, RIG-I ubiquitination, MAVS binding, and downstream signaling. Finally, sequence comparison reveals that only primate species carry serine 8, whereas other animal species carry an asparagine, indicating that serine 8 phosphorylation may represent a primate-specific regulation of RIG-I activation. Collectively, these data suggest that the phosphorylation of RIG-I serine 8 operates as a negative switch of RIG-I activation by suppressing TRIM25 interaction, further underscoring the importance of RIG-I and TRIM25 connection in type I IFN signal transduction.

  13. Advantages and limitations of remotely operated sea floor drill rigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freudenthal, T.; Smith, D. J.; Wefer, G.

    2009-04-01

    A variety of research targets in marine sciences including the investigation of gas hydrates, slope stability, alteration of oceanic crust, ore formation and palaeoclimate can be addressed by shallow drilling. However, drill ships are mostly used for deep drillings, both because the effort of building up a drill string from a drill ship to the deep sea floor is tremendous and control on drill bit pressure from a movable platform and a vibrating drill string is poor especially in the upper hundred meters. During the last decade a variety of remotely operated drill rigs have been developed, that are deployed on the sea bed and operated from standard research vessels. These developments include the BMS (Bentic Multicoring System, developed by Williamson and Associates, operated by the Japanese Mining Agency), the PROD (Portable Remotely Operated Drill, developed and operated by Benthic Geotech), the Rockdrill 2 (developed and operated by the British geological Survey) and the MeBo (German abbreviation for sea floor drill rig, developed and operated by Marum, University of Bremen). These drill rigs reach drilling depths between 15 and 100 m. For shallow drillings remotely operated drill rigs are a cost effective alternative to the services of drill ships and have the major advantage that the drilling operations are performed from a stable platform independent of any ship movements due to waves, wind or currents. Sea floor drill rigs can be deployed both in shallow waters and the deep sea. A careful site survey is required before deploying the sea floor drill rig. Slope gradient, small scale topography and soil strength are important factors when planning the deployment. The choice of drill bits and core catcher depend on the expected geology. The required drill tools are stored on one or two magazines on the drill rig. The MeBo is the only remotely operated drill rig world wide that can use wire line coring technique. This method is much faster than conventional

  14. Computers make rig life extension an option

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-10-01

    The worldwide semisubmersible drilling rig fleet is approaching retirement. But replacement is not an attractive option even though dayrates are reaching record highs. In 1991, Schlumberger Sedco Forex managers decided that an alternative might exist if regulators and insurers could be convinced to extend rig life expectancy through restoration. Sedco Forex chose their No. 704 semisubmersible, an 18-year North Sea veteran, to test their process. The first step was to determine what required restoration, meaning fatigue life analysis of each weld on the huge vessel. If inspected, the task would be unacceptably time-consuming and of questionable accuracy. Instead a suite of computer programs modeled the stress seen by each weld, statistically estimated the sea states seen by the rig throughout its North Sea service and calibrated a beam-element model on which to run their computer simulations. The elastic stiffness of the structure and detailed stress analysis of each weld was performed with ANSYS, a commercially available finite-element analysis program. The use of computer codes to evaluate service life extension is described.

  15. The laboratory test rig with miniature jet engine to research aviation fuels combustion process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gawron Bartosz

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article presents laboratory test rig with a miniature turbojet engine (MiniJETRig – Miniature Jet Engine Test Rig, that was built in the Air Force Institute of Technology. The test rig has been developed for research and development works aimed at modelling and investigating processes and phenomena occurring in full scale jet engines. In the article construction of a test rig is described, with a brief discussion on the functionality of each of its main components. Additionally examples of measurement results obtained during the realization of the initial tests have been included, presenting the capabilities of the test rig.

  16. Applying Computer-Assisted Musical Instruction to Music Appreciation Course: An Example with Chinese Musical Instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Shi-Jer; Guo, Yuan-Chang; Zhu, Yi-Zhen; Shih, Ru-Chu; Dzan, Wei-Yuan

    2011-01-01

    This study aims to explore the effectiveness of computer-assisted musical instruction (CAMI) in the Learning Chinese Musical Instruments (LCMI) course. The CAMI software for Chinese musical instruments was developed and administered to 228 students in a vocational high school. A pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design with three…

  17. IT that works on the rig floor : computers on drilling rigs need to be certified and built with features that can handle the environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balsaver, N.

    2010-07-15

    This article discussed the design challenges faced in developing hazardous-location computers for rig-floor use and other recently introduced products from Laversab. Rig-floor computers must not only be certified as Zone-1 or Zone-2 compliant but must also have features that make them work dependably in an extreme environment, including a wide operating temperature range, an ability to withstand severe vibration, immunity to salt fog, a viewable display in bright daylight, networking capability, USB and serial interfaces, and touch screens. Size and weight has been a major obstacle, but recent innovations have made Zone-1 computers intrinsically safe (IS), making them much smaller and lighter. Wireless networking eliminates the need for installing copper and fibre-optic cabling, but the wireless interface must be strong enough to overcome the many obstructions that are typically present on oil rigs. The computer models described, including a Driller's Display designed to be IS for Zone-1 applications and a Directional MWD Surface System designed for Zone-2 applications, provide solutions to the challenges of a working rig-floor environment. 3 figs.

  18. RIG-I antiviral signaling drives interleukin-23 production and psoriasis-like skin disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Huiyuan; Lou, Fangzhou; Yin, Qianqian; Gao, Yuanyuan; Sun, Yang; Bai, Jing; Xu, Zhenyao; Liu, Zhaoyuan; Cai, Wei; Ke, Fang; Zhang, Lingyun; Zhou, Hong; Wang, Hong; Wang, Gang; Chen, Xiang; Zhang, Hongxin; Wang, Zhugang; Ginhoux, Florent; Lu, Chuanjian; Su, Bing; Wang, Honglin

    2017-05-01

    Retinoic acid inducible-gene I (RIG-I) functions as one of the major sensors of RNA viruses. DDX58 , which encodes the RIG-I protein, has been newly identified as a susceptibility gene in psoriasis. Here, we show that the activation of RIG-I by 5'ppp-dsRNA, its synthetic ligand, directly causes the production of IL-23 and triggers psoriasis-like skin disease in mice. Repeated injections of IL-23 to the ears failed to induce IL-23 production and a full psoriasis-like skin phenotype, in either germ-free or RIG-I-deficient mice. RIG-I is also critical for a full development of skin inflammation in imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Furthermore, RIG-I-mediated endogenous IL-23 production was mainly confined to the CD11c + dendritic cells (DCs) via nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, and stimulated RIG-I expression in an auto-regulatory feedback loop. Thus, our data suggest that the dysregulation in the antiviral immune responses of hosts through the innate pattern recognition receptors may trigger the skin inflammatory conditions in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  19. A Universal Rig for Supporting Large Hammer Drills: Reduced Injury Risk and Improved Productivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rempel, David; Barr, Alan

    2015-10-01

    Drilling holes into concrete with heavy hammer and rock drills is one of the most physically demanding tasks performed in commercial construction and poses risks for musculoskeletal disorders, noise induced hearing loss, hand arm vibration syndrome and silicosis. The aim of this study was to (1) use a participatory process to develop a rig to support pneumatic rock drills or large electric hammer drills in order to reduce the health risks and (2) evaluate the usability of the rig. Seven prototype rigs for supporting large hammer drills were developed and modified with feedback from commercial contractors and construction workers. The final design was evaluated by laborers and electricians (N=29) who performed their usual concrete drilling with the usual method and the new rig. Subjective regional fatigue was significantly less in the neck, shoulders, hands and arms, and lower back) when using the universal rig compared to the usual manual method. Usability ratings for the rig were significantly better than the usual method on stability, control, drilling, accuracy, and vibration. Drilling time was reduced by approximately 50% with the rig. Commercial construction contractors, laborers and electricians who use large hammer drills for drilling many holes should consider using such a rig to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue, and silicosis.

  20. Negative regulation of RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling by TRK-fused gene (TFG) protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Na-Rae; Shin, Han-Bo; Kim, Hye-In; Choi, Myung-Soo; Inn, Kyung-Soo

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •TRK-fused gene product (TFG) interacts with TRIM25 upon viral infection. •TFG negatively regulates RIG-I mediated antiviral signaling. •TFG depletion leads to enhanced viral replication. •TFG act downstream of MAVS. -- Abstract: RIG-I (retinoic acid inducible gene I)-mediated antiviral signaling serves as the first line of defense against viral infection. Upon detection of viral RNA, RIG-I undergoes TRIM25 (tripartite motif protein 25)-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination, leading to type I interferon (IFN) production. In this study, we demonstrate that TRK-fused gene (TFG) protein, previously identified as a TRIM25-interacting protein, binds TRIM25 upon virus infection and negatively regulates RIG-I-mediated type-I IFN signaling. RIG-I-mediated IFN production and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways were upregulated by the suppression of TFG expression. Furthermore, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) replication was significantly inhibited by small inhibitory hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of TFG, supporting the suppressive role of TFG in RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling. Interestingly, suppression of TFG expression increased not only RIG-I-mediated signaling but also MAVS (mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein)-induced signaling, suggesting that TFG plays a pivotal role in negative regulation of RNA-sensing, RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) family signaling pathways

  1. Assessment of the structural integrity of a prototypical instrumented IFMIF high flux test module rig by fully 3D X-ray microtomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tiseanu, Ion [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion Laboratory NILPRP, P.O. Box MG-36, R-77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania)], E-mail: tiseanu@infim.ro; Simon, Martin [Hans Waelischmiller GmbH (HWM), Schiessstattweg 16, D-88677 Markdorf (Germany); Craciunescu, Teddy; Mandache, Bogdan N. [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion Laboratory NILPRP, P.O. Box MG-36, R-77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Heinzel, Volker; Stratmanns, Erwin; Simakov, Stanislaw P.; Leichtle, Dieter [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK), Institut fuer Reaktorsicherheit IRS, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

    2007-10-15

    An inspection procedure to assess the mechanical integrity of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) capsules and rigs during the irradiation campaign is necessary. Due to its penetration ability and contrast mechanism, the X-ray microtomography is the only known tool that could meet these requirements. In the high flux test module (HFTM) of IFMIF miniaturized specimens are densely packed in capsules. The capsules, which wear electric heaters and thermocouples, are housed in rigs. To assure a well-defined thermal contact the heater wires have to be attached to the capsules by brazing them into grooves. The examination of the quality of the braze material layer is of crucial interest in order to assure the best heat coupling of the heater wires to the capsule. A high density of the heaters is necessary to maintain the required temperature and, in addition NaK filling of narrow channels is employed for improving the 3D-heat transfer between the irradiation specimens and the capsule wall. Fully 3D tomographic inspections of a prototypical HFTM instrumented capsule, developed and manufactured at FZK, were conducted. In order to identify the optimum irradiation parameters and scanning configuration we carried out a comparative NDT analysis on two microtomography facilities: a compact, high magnification installation at NILPRP and a high-end industrial tomography facility with higher X-ray energy and intensity at HWM. At optimum inspection parameters of a directional microfocus X-ray source (U = 220 kV and I = 300 {mu}A) the geometry resolution was about 30 microns for characteristic dimension of the sample of 50 mm. Voids of 30 microns diameter and cracks of about 20 microns width can be detected. The absolute error of geometrical measurements is sufficient for the assessment of the structural integrity of the irradiation capsule and for the geometry description within the thermal-hydraulic modeling. The space resolution and the overall

  2. Assessment of the structural integrity of a prototypical instrumented IFMIF high flux test module rig by fully 3D X-ray microtomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiseanu, Ion; Simon, Martin; Craciunescu, Teddy; Mandache, Bogdan N.; Heinzel, Volker; Stratmanns, Erwin; Simakov, Stanislaw P.; Leichtle, Dieter

    2007-01-01

    An inspection procedure to assess the mechanical integrity of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) capsules and rigs during the irradiation campaign is necessary. Due to its penetration ability and contrast mechanism, the X-ray microtomography is the only known tool that could meet these requirements. In the high flux test module (HFTM) of IFMIF miniaturized specimens are densely packed in capsules. The capsules, which wear electric heaters and thermocouples, are housed in rigs. To assure a well-defined thermal contact the heater wires have to be attached to the capsules by brazing them into grooves. The examination of the quality of the braze material layer is of crucial interest in order to assure the best heat coupling of the heater wires to the capsule. A high density of the heaters is necessary to maintain the required temperature and, in addition NaK filling of narrow channels is employed for improving the 3D-heat transfer between the irradiation specimens and the capsule wall. Fully 3D tomographic inspections of a prototypical HFTM instrumented capsule, developed and manufactured at FZK, were conducted. In order to identify the optimum irradiation parameters and scanning configuration we carried out a comparative NDT analysis on two microtomography facilities: a compact, high magnification installation at NILPRP and a high-end industrial tomography facility with higher X-ray energy and intensity at HWM. At optimum inspection parameters of a directional microfocus X-ray source (U = 220 kV and I = 300 μA) the geometry resolution was about 30 microns for characteristic dimension of the sample of 50 mm. Voids of 30 microns diameter and cracks of about 20 microns width can be detected. The absolute error of geometrical measurements is sufficient for the assessment of the structural integrity of the irradiation capsule and for the geometry description within the thermal-hydraulic modeling. The space resolution and the overall

  3. Endurance test for IR rig for RI production assembly (test procedure)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Heung June; Ryu, Jeong Soo

    2000-08-01

    This test procedure details the test loop, test method, and test procedure for pressure drop, vibration and endurance test of IR Rig for RI production. From the pressure drop test, the hydraulic design requirements of the capsule are verified. HANARO limit condition is checked and the compatibility with HANARO core is verified. From flow induced vibration test vibration frequency and displacement are investigated. The wear of IR Rig is investigated through endurance test, and these data are used to evaluate the expected wear at maximum resident time of the IR Rig for RI production

  4. DMPD: MDA5/RIG-I and virus recognition. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 18272355 MDA5/RIG-I and virus recognition. Takeuchi O, Akira S. Curr Opin Immunol. ...2008 Feb;20(1):17-22. Epub 2008 Feb 12. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show MDA5/RIG-I and virus recognition.... PubmedID 18272355 Title MDA5/RIG-I and virus recognition. Authors Takeuchi O, Akira S. Publication Curr Opi

  5. The economics and related factors involved in the replacement of land drilling rigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holm, D.W.

    1992-01-01

    The principal purpose of this paper is to evaluate the construction cost of a medium depth land rig made from all NEW components and the resulting effect on drilling contractor economics. This evaluation will include an inventory of the proposed NEW rig, with a comparison of the costs of a similar rig built in 1981-1982, and a similar rig built from existing UNUSED equipment in manufacturer's current inventory. The paper discusses the problems encountered in obtaining quotations for NEW equipment from manufacturers, the current attitudes of equipment manufacturers, the potential for problems from the use of existing UNUSED equipment in manufacturers inventory, and finally the possible effect on the day rates needed to justify the construction of NEW land rigs. Probable reasons for the attitudes of the manufacturing industry and alternatives for the drilling contractor will be reviewed

  6. A power recirculating test rig for ball screw endurance tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giberti Hermes

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A conceptual design of an innovative test rig for endurance tests of ball screws is presented in this paper. The test rig layout is based on the power recirculating principle and it also allows to overtake the main critical issues of the ball screw endurance tests. Among these there are the high power required to make the test, the lengthy duration of the same and the high loads between the screw and the frame that holds it. The article describes the test rig designed scheme, the kinematic expedients to be adopted in order to obtain the required performance and functionality and the sizing procedure to choose the actuation system.

  7. Role of the RIG-I-like receptors in antiviral response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Jabłońska

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The innate nonspecific immunity is the first line of defense against viral infection. Toll-like receptors (TLRs and retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs are two main receptor families detecting viral nucleic acid. So far, three RLR family members were characterized: RIG-I, MDA5 and LGP2. RLR constitute a family of cytoplasmic helicases, which recognized intracellular single-stranded and double-stranded RNA that is introduced to cytosol during viral infection and replication. In this work we review the current knowledge about the mechanisms of viral recognition by RIG-I-like receptors and their signaling pathways for the activation of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines synthesis.

  8. Saving money on rig refurbishments through foreign trade zones or duty-drawback

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ward, R.J. Jr.

    1997-01-01

    The recent boom in day rates for rigs capable of drilling in deep water and harsh environments has created a frenzy of rig refurbishment activity in shipyards located in US Gulf states. In most instances, the destination for the rigs upon completion is the US Outer Continental Shelf (USOCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The problem faced by contractors/operators planning to use US shipyards is that this circumstance has caused difficulty in shielding rigs and their foreign-sourced components from US Customs duties. Under US Customs law, a bona fide exportation requires severance from US commerce and joining to the commerce of some foreign country or, in the case of a vessel supply, a qualifying international voyage. The USOCS does not qualify as an exportation, nor do movements to drilling sites located on it qualify as an international voyage. Described here are two possible solutions to this economic dilemma and an example of how the foreign trade zone solution was applied by Global marine in its plans for upgrading some of its semisubmersible drilling rigs for deepwater USOCS work

  9. TITAN - a 9 MW, 179 bar pressurised water rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mogford, D.J.; Lee, D.H.

    1987-02-01

    The report describes the TITAN rig built at Winfrith for thermal hydraulic experiments with water at up to 179 bar pressure. A power supply of 9 MW is available. The report describes three typical experiments that show the versatility of the rig. The first is a 25 rod pressurized water reactor fuel bundle critical heat flux experiment, the second is a parallel channel evaporator test and the third is a model jet pump test. (author)

  10. Speeding up : new Atlas Copco rig meant to cut non-drilling time

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roche, P.

    2009-06-15

    Automation has significantly reduced the time needed to drill shallow to medium-depth wells. The time it takes for a drill to reach the production zone is decreasing because newly developed hydraulic systems are able to maintain a constant pace. However, a great deal of time is still consumed by demobilization, transportation and setting up to drill the next well. Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions, a Swedish-based global maker of industrial equipment such as mining and mineral exploration rigs, designed a new Predator drilling system that consists of a mobile rig, a substructure and a pipe-handling skate. The Predator drilling system reduces non-drilling time and the associated costs. This article described the design of this new drilling system with particular reference to how it combines the mobile rig, the substructure and the pipe-handling skate into a three-load package. In order to reduce rig weight and improve mobility, the system is designed so that the table, master bushing, hydraulic slips and iron roughneck are part of the substructure that travel together. The rig has a working hook load capacity of 200,000 pounds, translating into a nominal depth capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 feet. The article also described the mounting of the rig, maneuverability, hydraulic control, and pipe-handling safety. Its various components were also described. 1 ref., 1 fig.

  11. Robotics Test Rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schuurmans, P.

    2007-01-01

    The experimental Accelerator Driven System XT-ADS is being developed within the European 6th framework programme EUROTRANS using the MYRRHA DRAFT-2 as starting point. The aim for the XT-ADS is to demonstrate the feasibility of the ADS concept at reasonable power levels and to serve as a high performance, multi-purpose experimental irradiation device. One of the fundamental design options that has been taken is to do all maintenance and in-service inspection and repair duties by remote handling. Outside the XT-ADS vessel in a controlled though radio-active environment, remote handling concepts as those already in use at e.g. the Joint European Torus (JET) can be used. Extrapolation to remote handling inside the lead-bismuth eutectic filled main vessel of the XT-ADS is in principle feasible as was shown in a 2003 study performed by Oxford Technologies ltd for the case of MYRRHA. Nevertheless, it is clear that all critical remote handling components need to be qualified for use in liquid LBE. Thus, as a first step, a proof of principle (POP) experimental test rig is require. The principal goal of this work is to identify the critical technological issues that must be resolved to allow operation of remote handling manipulators inside the LBE filled main vessel of the XT-ADS and to propose a concept design and specification catalogue for a proof of principle test rig that is able to experimentally verify the main aspects of manipulator design

  12. Testing of elastomer seals using small-size rigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leeks, C.W.E.; Dunford, B.; Barnfield, J.H.; Gray, I.L.S.

    1997-01-01

    This paper looks at the use of small size seal leakage test rigs to demonstrate the compliance of full size container seals against the IAEA Transport Regulation's limits for activity release for normal transport and accident conditions. The detailed requirements of the regulations are discussed and it is concluded that an appropriate test programme to meet these requirements using only small size test rigs, can normally be set up and carried out on a relatively short time scale. It is important that any small test rigs should be designed to represent the relevant features of the seal arrangement and the overall test programme should cover all of the conditions, specified by the regulations, for the type, classification and contents of the container under consideration. The parameters of elastomer O-rings, which affect their sealing ability, are considered and those which are amenable to small scale testing or have to be modelled at full size are identified. Generally, the seals used in leakage tests have to be modelled with a full size cross-section but can have a reduced peripheral length. (Author)

  13. Automatic X-ray television rig for high-speed radiography of polycrystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bezbakh, V.D.; Garasim, Yu.A.; Oshkaderov, S.P.; Pet'kov, V.V.

    1993-01-01

    The high-speed radiography method is used for studying the phase and structural transformation in metals and alloys during rapid changes in temperature. In order to improve the effectiveness of this method the Institute of Metal Physics, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, has developed an automatic rig for high-speed radiography of polycrystalline materials using a television method for recording the x-ray diffraction patterns. The rig, described here, consists of an x-ray block, a vacuum chamber, a device for programmed electro-contact heating of specimens, a system for imaging and scanning x-ray diffraction patterns, and a system for collecting and analyzing the data. Focusing is carried out by the Zeeman-Bolin method. The new rig helps to significantly reduce the recording time and ensures adequate quality and reliability of the recorded diffraction image over a wide range of temperatures. Data using the rig is presented for high-speed radiography for cooling a specimen of G20 steel. 4 refs., 4 figs

  14. A multi-functional testing instrument for heat assisted magnetic recording media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, H. Z.; Chen, Y. J.; Leong, S. H.; An, C. W.; Ye, K. D.; Hu, J. F.; Yin, M. J.

    2014-01-01

    With recent developments in heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), characterization of HAMR media is becoming very important. We present a multi-functional instrument for testing HAMR media, which integrates HAMR writing, reading, and a micro-magneto-optic Kerr effect (μ-MOKE) testing function. A potential application of the present instrument is to make temperature dependent magnetic property measurement using a pump-probe configuration. In the measurement, the media is heated up by a heating (intense) beam while a testing (weak) beam is overlapped with the heating beam for MOKE measurement. By heating the media with different heating beam power, magnetic measurements by MOKE at different temperatures can be performed. Compared to traditional existing tools such as the vibrating sample magnetometer, the present instrument provides localized and efficient heating at the measurement spot. The integration of HAMR writing and μ-MOKE system can also facilitate a localized full investigation of the magnetic media by potential correlation of HAMR head independent write/read performance to localized magnetic properties

  15. PNNL Hoisting and Rigging Manual

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haynie, Todd O.; Fullmer, Michael W.

    2008-12-29

    This manual describes the safe and cost effective operation, inspection, maintenance, and repair requirements for cranes, hoists, fork trucks, slings, rigging hardware, and hoisting equipment. It is intended to be a user's guide to requirements, codes, laws, regulations, standards, and practices that apply to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and its subcontractors.

  16. A Dynamic Behavior of the Nuclear Test Rig with Coolant using the Fluid-Structural interaction Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Tae-Ho; Hong, Jintae; Ahn, Sung-Ho; Joung, Chang-Young; Jang, Seo-Yun [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yeon, Kon-Whi [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    In this paper, the dynamic behavior of the test rig in the coolant flow simulator is evaluated by using the 2-way fluid-structural interaction analysis. The maximum value and location of the deformation and equivalent stress in the test rig is confirmed. The fluid-structural interaction analysis is applied to perform the fluid and structural analysis A fluid-structure interaction analysis is used to simulate the relationship between the deformation and hydraulic pressure. There are two types of fluid-structural interaction analysis. One is a 1-way direction analysis in which the hydraulic pressure is calculated by a CFD and transmitted to the surface of the structure, and a structural analysis is then performed. The other is a 2-way direction analysis that is performed by changing the data between the deformation of the structural and pressure of the coolant water for every time step. The location of the maximum deformation of the test rig is the bottom parts of the test rig. It is expected that the equivalent stress of the test rig is occurred. The maximum equivalent stress in the test rig under the circulation of the coolant is 90.1 MPa. The location of the maximum stress in the test rig is the connect part between the fuel rod and flow divider. A safety factor on the test rig is 3, approximately. The deformation motion of the test rig at the bottom part of the test rig is caused about the fluid-induced vibration. A test on the fluid-induced vibration of the test rig will be performed and compared with results of the analysis in further paper.

  17. Pigeon RIG-I Function in Innate Immunity against H9N2 IAV and IBDV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenping Xu

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I, a cytosolic pattern recognition receptor (PRR, can sense various RNA viruses, including the avian influenza virus (AIV and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV, and trigger the innate immune response. Previous studies have shown that mammalian RIG-I (human and mice and waterfowl RIG-I (ducks and geese are essential for type I interferon (IFN synthesis during AIV infection. Like ducks, pigeons are also susceptible to infection but are ineffective propagators and disseminators of AIVs, i.e., “dead end” hosts for AIVs and even highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI. Consequently, we sought to identify pigeon RIG-I and investigate its roles in the detection of A/Chicken/Shandong/ZB/2007 (H9N2 (ZB07, Gansu/Tianshui (IBDV TS and Beijing/CJ/1980 (IBDV CJ-801 strains in chicken DF-1 fibroblasts or human 293T cells. Pigeon mRNA encoding the putative pigeon RIG-I analogs was identified. The exogenous expression of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP-tagged pigeon RIG-I and caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs, strongly induced antiviral gene (IFN-β, Mx, and PKR mRNA synthesis, decreased viral gene (M gene and VP2 mRNA expression, and reduced the viral titers of ZB07 and IBDV TS/CJ-801 virus strains in chicken DF-1 cells, but not in 293T cells. We also compared the antiviral abilities of RIG-I proteins from waterfowl (duck and goose and pigeon. Our data indicated that waterfowl RIG-I are more effective in the induction of antiviral genes and the repression of ZB07 and IBDV TS/CJ-801 strain replication than pigeon RIG-I. Furthermore, chicken melanoma differentiation associated gene 5(MDA5/ mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS silencing combined with RIG-I transfection suggested that pigeon RIG-I can restore the antiviral response in MDA5-silenced DF-1 cells but not in MAVS-silenced DF-1 cells. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that pigeon RIG-I and CARDs have a strong antiviral

  18. Technical and economic evaluation of selected compact drill rigs for drilling 10,000 foot geothermal production wells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huttrer, G.W. [Geothermal Management Company, Inc., Frisco, CO (United States)

    1997-11-01

    This report summarizes the investigation and evaluation of several {open_quotes}compact{close_quotes} drill rigs which could be used for drilling geothermal production wells. Use of these smaller rigs would save money by reducing mobilization costs, fuel consumption, crew sizes, and environmental impact. Advantages and disadvantages of currently-manufactured rigs are identified, and desirable characteristics for the {open_quotes}ideal{close_quotes} compact rig are defined. The report includes a detailed cost estimate of a specific rig, and an evaluation of the cost/benefit ratio of using this rig. Industry contacts for further information are given.

  19. BURNER RIG TESTING OF A500 C/SiC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-03-17

    AFRL-RX-WP-TR-2018-0071 BURNER RIG TESTING OF A500® C /SiC Larry P. Zawada Universal Technology Corporation Jennifer Pierce UDRI...TITLE AND SUBTITLE BURNER RIG TESTING OF A500® C /SiC 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER In-House 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 62102F 6...test program characterized the durability behavior of A500® C /SiC ceramic matrix composite material at room and elevated temperature. Specimens were

  20. Jet Exit Rig Six Component Force Balance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castner, Raymond; Wolter, John; Woike, Mark; Booth, Dennis

    2012-01-01

    A new six axis air balance was delivered to the NASA Glenn Research Center. This air balance has an axial force capability of 800 pounds, primary airflow of 10 pounds per second, and a secondary airflow of 3 pounds per second. Its primary use was for the NASA Glenn Jet Exit Rig, a wind tunnel model used to test both low-speed, and high-speed nozzle concepts in a wind tunnel. This report outlines the installation of the balance in the Jet Exit Rig, and the results from an ASME calibration nozzle with an exit area of 8 square-inches. The results demonstrated the stability of the force balance for axial measurements and the repeatability of measurements better than 0.20 percent.

  1. The evaluation of secondary system oxygen-scavenging chemicals using a water-circulating rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Collins, M.W. [Nuclear Dept., HMS Sultan (United Kingdom)

    2002-07-01

    To assess the efficiency, mode of action and possible by-products of chemical dosing agents, e.g. oxygen scavengers, a circulating water rig was constructed. The rig uses a demineralized water supply as a source of make-up water to fill a recirculating loop of approx. 10 litres volume. The rig pipework is made of polythene with standard off-the shelf pipe fittings and connectors. The following parameters can be measured within the rig: pH and conductivity measured by in-line monitor, dissolved oxygen level, temperature. The system has already been used for some preliminary testing. The following oxygen scavengers have been used for tests: ascorbic acid (vitamin C), N,N-diethyl-hydroxylamine (DEHA), Hydroquinone, hydrazine hydrate and anhydrous sodium sulfite. (authors)

  2. The evaluation of secondary system oxygen-scavenging chemicals using a water-circulating rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collins, M.W.

    2002-01-01

    To assess the efficiency, mode of action and possible by-products of chemical dosing agents, e.g. oxygen scavengers, a circulating water rig was constructed. The rig uses a demineralized water supply as a source of make-up water to fill a recirculating loop of approx. 10 litres volume. The rig pipework is made of polythene with standard off-the shelf pipe fittings and connectors. The following parameters can be measured within the rig: pH and conductivity measured by in-line monitor, dissolved oxygen level, temperature. The system has already been used for some preliminary testing. The following oxygen scavengers have been used for tests: ascorbic acid (vitamin C), N,N-diethyl-hydroxylamine (DEHA), Hydroquinone, hydrazine hydrate and anhydrous sodium sulfite. (authors)

  3. Stochastic programming of drilling rigs supplies; Programacao estocastica de suprimentos de sondas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vieira, Bruno Ferreira; Ferreira Filho, Virgilio Jose Martins [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil)

    2012-07-01

    The goal of this work is to use techniques of stochastic programming to reduce logistic costs regarding offshore drilling rigs. This theme is of great interest to Brazilian oil industry since there is an increasing number of wells that need to be perforated so that Brazilian oil production can reach its expected growth over the next ten years (PETROBRAS in particular has an ambitious strategy in this respect). Proper treatment of the uncertainties involved in the deliveries of supplies to offshore drilling rigs is essential, namely, these uncertainties need to be included in the models used in logistic models. Delays in the deliveries of products such as chemicals, perforation fluids and tubes may force drilling rigs to stop their operations what highly increases costs. The daily hiring rates of drilling rigs represent the highest cost in the perforation and completion of a well. (author)

  4. Substantial Fatigue Similarity of a New Small-Scale Test Rig to Actual Wheel-Rail System

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Naeimi, M.; Li, Z.; Petrov, R.H.; Dollevoet, R.P.B.J.; Sietsma, J.; Wu, J.

    2014-01-01

    The substantial similarity of fatigue mechanism in a new test rig for rolling contact fatigue (RCF) has been investigated. A new reduced-scale test rig is designed to perform controlled RCF tests in wheel-rail materials. The fatigue mechanism of the rig is evaluated in this study using a combined

  5. Work over rig itinerary optimization; Otimizacao do itinerario de sondas de intervencao

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paiva, Ronaldo Oliveira de

    1997-07-01

    The costs of work over and the loss of revenue in wells waiting work over rigs are very high. This work proposes methods to prioritize these wells in order to minimize the total cost. To determine the work over sequence it is necessary to compare the rig expense with the wells losses. For calculating the wells losses, it is necessary to analyze the monetary influence of the well shutdown in the production curves. In this work, this analysis is made by using a numerical reservoir simulator. Simplified calculation procedures are also presented. The priority of the wells is based on the reduction of the total cost, which consists of the rig costs plus the revenue losses due to work over waiting. There are many algorithms able to determine the ideal rig path. Simple and intuitive algorithms are implemented and compared. The Simulated Annealing algorithm is recommended. This algorithm was implemented to optimize work over rig routes in a brazilian production region. Optimization of the work over sequence carried out in that region in 1996 identified a potential economy of 15% in the production losses, equivalent to 4.000m{sup 3}/year of oil (25.000 b bl/year). (author)

  6. Intra-abdominal recurrence of colorectal cancer detected by radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS system)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sardi, A.; Workman, M.; Mojzisik, C.; Hinkle, G.; Nieroda, C.; Martin, E.W. Jr.

    1989-01-01

    Since 1986, 32 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have undergone second-look radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS system). The primary tumor was located in the right and transverse colon in 11 patients, left and sigmoid colon in 16, and rectum in five. The carcinoembryonic antigen level was elevated in 30 patients (94%); all patients underwent a computed tomographic scan of the abdomen and pelvis. The overall sensitivity of the computed tomographic scan was 41% (abdomen other than liver, 27%; liver, 58%; and pelvis, 22%). The RIGS system identified recurrent tumor in 81% of the patients. The most common site of metastasis was the liver (41%), independent of the primary location. Local/regional recurrences alone accounted for 40% of all recurrences. In six patients (18%), recurrent tumor was found only with the RIGS system. The RIGS system is more dependable in localizing clinically obscure metastases than other methods, and carcinoembryonic antigen testing remains the most accurate preoperative method to indicate suspected recurrences

  7. Validating a Computer-Assisted Language Learning Attitude Instrument Used in Iranian EFL Context: An Evidence-Based Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aryadoust, Vahid; Mehran, Parisa; Alizadeh, Mehrasa

    2016-01-01

    A few computer-assisted language learning (CALL) instruments have been developed in Iran to measure EFL (English as a foreign language) learners' attitude toward CALL. However, these instruments have no solid validity argument and accordingly would be unable to provide a reliable measurement of attitude. The present study aimed to develop a CALL…

  8. Computer aided extractor design for the RIG 10 high intensity ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanzer, F.; Haeuser, J.; Eppel, D.

    1980-01-01

    The paper discusses recent progress of the rf-ion source RIG 10, and describes a computer code for the simulation of the ion trajectories. The RIG 10 is designed for current densities of some 300 mA/cm 2 , and will be used for the production of neutral. (orig.)

  9. This immortal coil? New CT rigs duel against singles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Creighton, J.

    1998-12-01

    New competition to conventional single rigs that have changed little in the last four decades face new competition from next-generation coiled tubing (CT) units which have multi-function capabilities, ranging from driving onto leases, drilling and setting surface case to cementing. Several of these new units are ready to challenge the conventional single rigs. Their ability to perform at high penetration rates (up to twice what single rigs can do) is expected to significantly cut drill time, with corresponding cost savings for both contractors and operators. Serval Corporation and Fleet Coiled Services are just two of the drilling service companies that have launched new shallow grass roots coiled tubing drilling units recently, gambling that the new technology will win over conventional methods hands down. Some major companies, like Fracmaster Ltd. and NOWSCO Well Service Ltd., have targeted the re-entry and horizontal markets, a much more difficult technical challenge, sinking billions of dollars of research and development money into advancing the most technically difficult applications of coil technology.

  10. Modelling and simulation of dynamic wheel-rail interaction using a roller rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anyakwo, A; Pislaru, C; Ball, A; Gu, F

    2012-01-01

    The interaction between the wheel and rail greatly influences the dynamic response of railway vehicles on the track. A roller rig facility can be used to study and monitor real time parameters that influence wheel-rail interaction such as wear, adhesion, friction and corrugation without actual field tests being carried out. This paper presents the development of the mathematical models for full scale roller rig and 1/5 scale roller rig and the wear prediction model based on KTH wear function. The simulated critical speed for the 1/5 scale roller rig is about one-fifth of the critical speed for the full scale model so the simulated results compare well with the theory related to wheel-rail contact and dynamics. Also the differences between the simulated rolling radii for the full scale model with and without wear function are analysed. This paper presents the initial stage of a large scale research project where the influence of wear on the wheel-rail performance will be studied in more depth.

  11. RIG-1 expression is associated with sexual malfunctions of female type 2 diabetic patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Batool Hajebrahimi

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D suffer from the malfunctions of the sexual behaviors, and several mechanisms have been proposed to describe these disorders. The innate immunity may be involved in the malfunctions of T2D patients. Melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5 and retinoic acid (RA-inducible gene 1 (RIG-1, as the innate immunity receptors, are the responsible molecules for the activation of some intracellular signaling pathways and the induction of inflammation. Thus, this study aimed to examine the molecules which may participate in the induction/stimulation of sexual malfunctions in the female T2D patients. Methods: Sexual functions were evaluated in 41 female T2D patients using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI questionnaire. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR technique was used to quantify MDA5 and RIG-1 mRNA levels. Results: Results showed that increased RIG-1 mRNA levels were significantly associated with the bad orgasm in the female T2D patients compared to the female patients with good orgasm. Expression of RIG-1 and MDA5 levels were not associated with other sexual functions’ criteria. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that bad orgasm is associated with the increased RIG-1 expression. Consequently, the correlation between inflammation and bad orgasm in a RIG-1 dependent manner is suggested.

  12. Wythenshawe boiler rig. Thirty years of support to the UK nuclear power industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudge, Andy; Woolsey, Ian S.; Moore, Andrew

    2010-01-01

    The Wythenshawe Boiler Rig in Manchester, UK, recently celebrated thirty years of operation in support of the UK nuclear power industry. The Boiler Rig, owned by EDF Energy and operated on EDF Energy's behalf by Serco plc, is a full scale once-through boiler test facility for the investigation of chemistry and corrosion related topics. This paper presents an overview of the design and operation of the Boiler Rig together with some of the technical highlights from its thirty years of operation, many of which have relevance to power plant operations beyond those plants for which the work was performed. (orig.)

  13. Stress-life relation of the rolling-contact fatigue spin rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, Robert H; Carter, Thomas L

    1957-01-01

    The rolling-contact fatigue spin rig was used to test groups of SAE 52100 9.16-inch-diameter balls lubricated with a mineral oil at 600,000-, 675,000-, and 750,000-psi maximum Hertz stress. Cylinders of AISI M-1 vacuum and commercial melts and MV-1 (AISI M-50) were used as race specimens. Stress-life exponents produced agree closely with values accepted in industry. The type of failure obtained in the spin rig was similar to the subsurface fatigue spells found in bearings.

  14. A Built for Purpose Micro-Hole Coiled Tubing Rig (MCTR)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bart Patton

    2007-09-30

    This report will serve as the final report on the work performed from the contract period October 2005 thru April 2007. The project 'A Built for Purpose Microhole Coiled Tubing Rig (MCTR)' purpose was to upgrade an existing state-of-the-art Coiled Tubing Drilling Rig to a Microhole Coiled Tubing Rig (MCTR) capable of meeting the specifications and tasks of the Department of Energy. The individual tasks outlined to meet the Department of Energy's specifications are: (1) Concept and development of lubricator and tool deployment system; (2) Concept and development of process control and data acquisition; (3) Concept and development of safety and efficiency improvements; and (4) Final unit integration and testing. The end result of the MCTR upgrade has produced a unit capable of meeting the following requirements: (1) Capable of handling 1-inch through 2-3/8-inch coiled tubing (Currently dressed for 2-3/8-inch coiled tubing and capable of running up to 3-1/2-inch coiled tubing); (2) Capable of drilling and casing surface, intermediate, production and liner hole intervals; (3) Capable of drilling with coiled tubing and has all controls and installation piping for a top drive; (4) Rig is capable of running 7-5/8-inch range 2 casing; and (5) Capable of drilling 5,000 ft true vertical depth (TVD) and 6,000 ft true measured depth (TMD).

  15. Bycatch in 36 and 40 mm PA Turkish twin rigged beam trawl codends

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Turkish twin rigged beam trawl which has two identical nets rigged side by side on the same beam targets mainly the Parapenaeus longirostris, although some bycatch fish species have also become target species. Thus, landings of the shrimp beam trawling fleet also include some commercially valuable fishes.

  16. Toscana virus NSs protein inhibits the induction of type I interferon by interacting with RIG-I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gori-Savellini, Gianni; Valentini, Melissa; Cusi, Maria Grazia

    2013-06-01

    Toscana virus (TOSV) is a phlebovirus, of the Bunyaviridae family, that is responsible for central nervous system (CNS) injury in humans. Previous data have shown that the TOSV NSs protein is a gamma interferon (IFN-β) antagonist when transiently overexpressed in mammalian cells, inhibiting IRF-3 induction (G. Gori Savellini, F. Weber, C. Terrosi, M. Habjan, B. Martorelli, and M. G. Cusi, J. Gen. Virol. 92:71-79, 2011). In this study, we investigated whether an upstream sensor, which has a role in the signaling cascade leading to the production of type I IFN, was involved. We found a significant decrease in RIG-I protein levels in cells overexpressing TOSV NSs, suggesting that the nonstructural protein interacts with RIG-I and targets it for proteasomal degradation. In fact, the MG-132 proteasome inhibitor was able to restore IFN-β promoter activation in cells expressing NSs, demonstrating the existence of an evasion mechanism based on inhibition of the RIG-I sensor. Furthermore, a C-terminal truncated NSs protein (ΔNSs), although able to interact with RIG-I, did not affect the RIG-I-mediated IFN-β promoter activation, suggesting that the NSs domains responsible for RIG-I-mediated signaling and interaction with RIG-I are mapped on different regions. These results contribute to identify a novel mechanism for bunyaviruses by which TOSV NSs counteracts the early IFN response.

  17. Freon Rig design for performing to heat transfer experiments for nuclear reactors fuel bundles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flores, L.F.V.

    1981-01-01

    The main features of a Freon Rig design for performing to heat transfer experiments for PWR and BWR fuel bundles, are presented. The project is based on a Freon Rig pressurized at 30 bar with a flow rate up to 80 m 3 /h. The maximum power fed to test sections is of about 420 KW D.C. The rig was designed to use scaling techniques wich would enable a fluid of low latente heat to be used in place of water, thereby reducing the cost of testes. (Author) [pt

  18. Both RIG-I and MDA5 detect alphavirus replication in concentration-dependent mode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akhrymuk, Ivan; Frolov, Ilya; Frolova, Elena I., E-mail: evfrolova@UAB.edu

    2016-01-15

    Alphaviruses are a family of positive-strand RNA viruses that circulate on all continents between mosquito vectors and vertebrate hosts. Despite a significant public health threat, their biology is not sufficiently investigated, and the mechanisms of alphavirus replication and virus–host interaction are insufficiently understood. In this study, we have applied a variety of experimental systems to further understand the mechanism by which infected cells detect replicating alphaviruses. Our new data strongly suggest that activation of the antiviral response by alphavirus-infected cells is determined by the integrity of viral genes encoding proteins with nuclear functions, and by the presence of two cellular pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), RIG-I and MDA5. No type I IFN response is induced in their absence. The presence of either of these PRRs is sufficient for detecting virus replication. However, type I IFN activation in response to pathogenic alphaviruses depends on the basal levels of RIG-I or MDA5. - Highlights: • Both RIG-I and MDA5 detect alphavirus replication. • Alphavirus-induced transcriptional shutoff affects type I IFN induction. • Sensing of alphavirus replication by RIG-I and MDA5 depends on their concentrations. • High basal level of RIG-I and MDA5 allows IFN induction by pathogenic alphaviruses. • This dependence determines the discrepancy between the in vivo and in vitro data.

  19. Rig automation: where it's been and where it's going

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rinaldi, R.

    1982-06-01

    For over 30 years dreamers, tinkerers and engineers have attempted to automate various drilling functions. Now this effort is paying off, and a partially automated rig is no longer a curiosity. Fully automated and computerized rigs are on the way. For the contractor this means higher productivity, but more maintenance and training responsibilities.

  20. Development of a low cost test rig for standalone WECS subject to electrical faults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Himani; Dahiya, Ratna

    2016-11-01

    In this paper, a contribution to the development of low-cost wind turbine (WT) test rig for stator fault diagnosis of wind turbine generator is proposed. The test rig is developed using a 2.5kW, 1750 RPM DC motor coupled to a 1.5kW, 1500 RPM self-excited induction generator interfaced with a WT mathematical model in LabVIEW. The performance of the test rig is benchmarked with already proven wind turbine test rigs. In order to detect the stator faults using non-stationary signals in self-excited induction generator, an online fault diagnostic technique of DWT-based multi-resolution analysis is proposed. It has been experimentally proven that for varying wind conditions wavelet decomposition allows good differentiation between faulty and healthy conditions leading to an effective diagnostic procedure for wind turbine condition monitoring. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. TECHNICAL FEATURES OF RIGGED YACHT BY CATEGORIES AND CLASSES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svitlana Yeroshkina

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The article is directed on the deeply meaningful scientific study and structural analysis of the technical features of the rigged world modern yachts to pass sailing regattas in different navigation areas. The complete classification of sailing boats in it’s world classes was done for olympic, international, national regattas. It was done the technical indicators of yachting racing classes. The economic analysis material selection sails for yachts are directed of different types of races. In it’s scientific article is made economic calculation of operating cost of the boat and it was done the analysis of cost saving yachts in european / ukrainian marinas.Key words: yachting, rigged yacht, racing, classes of yachts. JEL: L 92

  2. AHP 47: A RIG RGAD PO VISITS LHA SA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pad ma skyid པདྨ་སྐྱིད།

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available My name is Pad ma skyid. I was born in 1981 in Pan yag Community, 'Bo spa Township, Pad ma County, Mgo log Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Mtsho sngon (Qinghai Province. I have eight siblings. Growing up in a black yak-hair tent, we spent our days playing with lambs, foals, and calves. We told all sorts of stories when everyone was in bed - stories about King Ge sar, ghosts, marriages, and tricksters. It was a time for my whole family to relax and share. I heard many A rig rgad po stories from my parents, siblings, and guests. A rig rgad po became part of my childhood. These stories bring back many beautiful memories. ...

  3. The autoinhibitory CARD2-Hel2i Interface of RIG-I governs RNA selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramanathan, Anand; Devarkar, Swapnil C; Jiang, Fuguo; Miller, Matthew T; Khan, Abdul G; Marcotrigiano, Joseph; Patel, Smita S

    2016-01-29

    RIG-I (Retinoic Acid Inducible Gene-I) is a cytosolic innate immune receptor that detects atypical features in viral RNAs as foreign to initiate a Type I interferon signaling response. RIG-I is present in an autoinhibited state in the cytoplasm and activated by blunt-ended double-stranded (ds)RNAs carrying a 5' triphosphate (ppp) moiety. These features found in many pathogenic RNAs are absent in cellular RNAs due to post-transcriptional modifications of RNA ends. Although RIG-I is structurally well characterized, the mechanistic basis for RIG-I's remarkable ability to discriminate between cellular and pathogenic RNAs is not completely understood. We show that RIG-I's selectivity for blunt-ended 5'-ppp dsRNAs is ≈3000 times higher than non-blunt ended dsRNAs commonly found in cellular RNAs. Discrimination occurs at multiple stages and signaling RNAs have high affinity and ATPase turnover rate and thus a high katpase/Kd. We show that RIG-I uses its autoinhibitory CARD2-Hel2i (second CARD-helicase insertion domain) interface as a barrier to select against non-blunt ended dsRNAs. Accordingly, deletion of CARDs or point mutations in the CARD2-Hel2i interface decreases the selectivity from ≈3000 to 150 and 750, respectively. We propose that the CARD2-Hel2i interface is a 'gate' that prevents cellular RNAs from generating productive complexes that can signal. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  4. Eigenfunction expansions and scattering theory in rigged Hilbert spaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomez-Cubillo, F [Dpt. de Analisis Matematico, Universidad de Valladolid. Facultad de Ciencias, 47011 Valladolid (Spain)], E-mail: fgcubill@am.uva.es

    2008-08-15

    The work reviews some mathematical aspects of spectral properties, eigenfunction expansions and scattering theory in rigged Hilbert spaces, laying emphasis on Lippmann-Schwinger equations and Schroedinger operators.

  5. Research on control system of truck-mounted rig for coalbed methane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Hejian

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The coal-bed methane (CBM as a kind energy is clean and efficient, also it can become a security risk in mining process if it could not get out of the coal seam. In view of the current large-scale exploitation of coal-bed methane resources, the development of drilling rig for CBM drilling is needed. The parameters and structures were introduced in the paper. The rig uses a highly integrated approach that integrates the required functions on the chassis of the vehicle to meet the needs of rapid installation and transportation. Drilling control system uses hydraulic control and electro-hydraulic control dual control mode, can achieve short-range and remote control operations. The control system include security circuits and electric control system. Through the field trial, it is shown that the rig can meet the construction of the majority of coalbed methane drilling in the country and the performance is stable and the operation is simple.

  6. A calibration rig for multi-component internal strain gauge balance using the new design-of-experiment (DOE) approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouri, N. M.; Mostafapour, K.; Kamran, M.

    2018-02-01

    In a closed water-tunnel circuit, the multi-component strain gauge force and moment sensor (also known as balance) are generally used to measure hydrodynamic forces and moments acting on scaled models. These balances are periodically calibrated by static loading. Their performance and accuracy depend significantly on the rig and the method of calibration. In this research, a new calibration rig was designed and constructed to calibrate multi-component internal strain gauge balances. The calibration rig has six degrees of freedom and six different component-loading structures that can be applied separately and synchronously. The system was designed based on the applicability of formal experimental design techniques, using gravity for balance loading and balance positioning and alignment relative to gravity. To evaluate the calibration rig, a six-component internal balance developed by Iran University of Science and Technology was calibrated using response surface methodology. According to the results, calibration rig met all design criteria. This rig provides the means by which various methods of formal experimental design techniques can be implemented. The simplicity of the rig saves time and money in the design of experiments and in balance calibration while simultaneously increasing the accuracy of these activities.

  7. Development of a test rig and its application for validation and reliability testing of safety-critical software

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thai, N D; McDonald, A M [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON (Canada)

    1996-12-31

    This paper describes a versatile test rig developed by AECL for functional testing of safety-critical software used in the process trip computers of the Wolsong CANDU stations. The description covers the hardware and software aspects of the test rig, the test language and its interpreter, and other major testing software utilities such as the test oracle, sampler and profiler. The paper also discusses the application of the rig in the final stages of testing of the process trip computer software, namely validation and reliability tests. It shows how random test cases are generated, test scripts prepared and automatically run on the test rig. The versatility of the rig is further demonstrated in other types of testing such as sub-system tests, verification of the test oracle, testing of newly-developed test script, self-test and calibration. (author). 5 tabs., 10 figs.

  8. Development of a test rig and its application for validation and reliability testing of safety-critical software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thai, N.D.; McDonald, A.M.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes a versatile test rig developed by AECL for functional testing of safety-critical software used in the process trip computers of the Wolsong CANDU stations. The description covers the hardware and software aspects of the test rig, the test language and its interpreter, and other major testing software utilities such as the test oracle, sampler and profiler. The paper also discusses the application of the rig in the final stages of testing of the process trip computer software, namely validation and reliability tests. It shows how random test cases are generated, test scripts prepared and automatically run on the test rig. The versatility of the rig is further demonstrated in other types of testing such as sub-system tests, verification of the test oracle, testing of newly-developed test script, self-test and calibration. (author). 5 tabs., 10 figs

  9. Viral unmasking of cellular 5S rRNA pseudogene transcripts induces RIG-I-mediated immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Jessica J; Sparrer, Konstantin M J; van Gent, Michiel; Lässig, Charlotte; Huang, Teng; Osterrieder, Nikolaus; Hopfner, Karl-Peter; Gack, Michaela U

    2018-01-01

    The sensor RIG-I detects double-stranded RNA derived from RNA viruses. Although RIG-I is also known to have a role in the antiviral response to DNA viruses, physiological RNA species recognized by RIG-I during infection with a DNA virus are largely unknown. Using next-generation RNA sequencing (RNAseq), we found that host-derived RNAs, most prominently 5S ribosomal RNA pseudogene 141 (RNA5SP141), bound to RIG-I during infection with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Infection with HSV-1 induced relocalization of RNA5SP141 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and virus-induced shutoff of host protein synthesis downregulated the abundance of RNA5SP141-interacting proteins, which allowed RNA5SP141 to bind RIG-I and induce the expression of type I interferons. Silencing of RNA5SP141 strongly dampened the antiviral response to HSV-1 and the related virus Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), as well as influenza A virus (IAV). Our findings reveal that antiviral immunity can be triggered by host RNAs that are unshielded following depletion of their respective binding proteins by the virus.

  10. Kinetic discrimination of self/non-self RNA by the ATPase activity of RIG-I and MDA5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louber, Jade; Brunel, Joanna; Uchikawa, Emiko; Cusack, Stephen; Gerlier, Denis

    2015-07-28

    The cytoplasmic RIG-like receptors are responsible for the early detection of viruses and other intracellular microbes by activating the innate immune response mediated by type I interferons (IFNs). RIG-I and MDA5 detect virus-specific RNA motifs with short 5'-tri/diphosphorylated, blunt-end double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and >0.5-2 kb long dsRNA as canonical agonists, respectively. However, in vitro, they can bind to many RNA species, while in cells there is an activation threshold. As SF2 helicase/ATPase family members, ATP hydrolysis is dependent on co-operative RNA and ATP binding. Whereas simultaneous ATP and cognate RNA binding is sufficient to activate RIG-I by releasing autoinhibition of the signaling domains, the physiological role of the ATPase activity of RIG-I and MDA5 remains controversial. A cross-analysis of a rationally designed panel of RNA binding and ATPase mutants and truncated receptors, using type I IFN promoter activation as readout, allows us to refine our understanding of the structure-function relationships of RIG-I and MDA5. RNA activation of RIG-I depends on multiple critical RNA binding sites in its helicase domain as confirmed by functional evidence using novel mutations. We found that RIG-I or MDA5 mutants with low ATP hydrolysis activity exhibit constitutive activity but this was fully reverted when associated with mutations preventing RNA binding to the helicase domain. We propose that the turnover kinetics of the ATPase domain enables the discrimination of self/non-self RNA by both RIG-I and MDA5. Non-cognate, possibly self, RNA binding would lead to fast ATP turnover and RNA disassociation and thus insufficient time for the caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs) to promote downstream signaling, whereas tighter cognate RNA binding provides a longer time window for downstream events to be engaged. The exquisite fine-tuning of RIG-I and MDA5 RNA-dependent ATPase activity coupled to CARD release allows a robust IFN response

  11. A reciprocating pin-on-plate test-rig for studying friction materials for holding brakes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulios, Konstantinos; Drago, Nicola; Klit, Peder

    2014-01-01

    -on-plate test-rig for studying the evolution of wear by monitoring the pin height reduction using Eddy-current proximity sensors is presented. Moreover, a new mechanism for recording the friction force is suggested. Apart from the design of the test-rig, friction force and wear rate measurements for two...

  12. Resonances, scattering theory and rigged Hilbert spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parravicini, G.; Gorini, V.; Sudarshan, E.C.G.

    1979-01-01

    The problem of decaying states and resonances is examined within the framework of scattering theory in a rigged Hilbert space formalism. The stationary free, in, and out eigenvectors of formal scattering theory, which have a rigorous setting in rigged Hilbert space, are considered to be analytic functions of the energy eigenvalue. The value of these analytic functions at any point of regularity, real or complex, is an eigenvector with eigenvalue equal to the position of the point. The poles of the eigenvector families give origin to other eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian; the singularities of the out eigenvector family are the same as those of the continued S matrix, so that resonances are seen as eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian with eigenvalue equal to their location in the complex energy plane. Cauchy theorem then provides for expansions in terms of complete sets of eigenvectors with complex eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian. Applying such expansions to the survival amplitude of a decaying state, one finds that resonances give discrete contributions with purely exponential time behavior; the background is of course present, but explicitly separated. The resolvent of the Hamiltonian, restricted to the nuclear space appearing in the rigged Hilbert space, can be continued across the absolutely continuous spectrum; the singularities of the continuation are the same as those of the out eigenvectors. The free, in and out eigenvectors with complex eigenvalues and those corresponding to resonances can be approximated by physical vectors in the Hilbert space, as plane waves can. The need for having some further physical information in addition to the specification of the total Hamiltonian is apparent in the proposed framework. The formalism is applied to the Lee-Friedrichs model. 48 references

  13. Injury Rates on New and Old Technology Oil and Gas Rigs Operated by the Largest United States Onshore Drilling Contractor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackley, David J.; Retzer, Kyla D.; Hubler, Warren G.; Hill, Ryan D.; Laney, A. Scott

    2015-01-01

    Background Occupational fatality rates among oil and gas extraction industry and specifically among drilling contractor workers are high compared to the U.S. all-industry average. There is scant literature focused on non-fatal injuries among drilling contractors, some of which have introduced engineering controls to improve rig efficiency and reduce injury risk. Methods We compared injury rates on new and old technology rigs operated by the largest U.S. drilling contractor during 2003–2012, stratifying by job type and grouping outcomes by injury severity and body part affected. Results Six hundred seventy-one injuries were recorded over 77.4 million person-hours. The rate on new rigs was 66% of that on old rigs. Roughnecks had lower injury rates on new rigs, largely through reduced limb injury rates. New rigs had lower rates in each non-fatal injury severity category. Conclusions For this company, new technology rigs appear to provide a safer environment for roughnecks. Future studies could include data from additional companies. PMID:25164118

  14. Injury rates on new and old technology oil and gas rigs operated by the largest United States onshore drilling contractor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackley, David J; Retzer, Kyla D; Hubler, Warren G; Hill, Ryan D; Laney, A Scott

    2014-10-01

    Occupational fatality rates among oil and gas extraction industry and specifically among drilling contractor workers are high compared to the U.S. all-industry average. There is scant literature focused on non-fatal injuries among drilling contractors, some of which have introduced engineering controls to improve rig efficiency and reduce injury risk. We compared injury rates on new and old technology rigs operated by the largest U.S. drilling contractor during 2003-2012, stratifying by job type and grouping outcomes by injury severity and body part affected. Six hundred seventy-one injuries were recorded over 77.4 million person-hours. The rate on new rigs was 66% of that on old rigs. Roughnecks had lower injury rates on new rigs, largely through reduced limb injury rates. New rigs had lower rates in each non-fatal injury severity category. For this company, new technology rigs appear to provide a safer environment for roughnecks. Future studies could include data from additional companies. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Mach 0.3 Burner Rig Facility at the NASA Glenn Materials Research Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Dennis S.; Miller, Robert A.; Zhu, Dongming; Perez, Michael; Cuy, Michael D.; Robinson, R. Craig

    2011-01-01

    This Technical Memorandum presents the current capabilities of the state-of-the-art Mach 0.3 Burner Rig Facility. It is used for materials research including oxidation, corrosion, erosion and impact. Consisting of seven computer controlled jet-fueled combustors in individual test cells, these relatively small rigs burn just 2 to 3 gal of jet fuel per hour. The rigs are used as an efficient means of subjecting potential aircraft engine/airframe advanced materials to the high temperatures, high velocities and thermal cycling closely approximating actual operating environments. Materials of various geometries and compositions can be evaluated at temperatures from 700 to 2400 F. Tests are conducted not only on bare superalloys and ceramics, but also to study the behavior and durability of protective coatings applied to those materials.

  16. Test Rig for Valves of Digital Displacement Machines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgård, Christian; Christensen, Jeppe Haals; Bech, Michael Møller

    2017-01-01

    A test rig for the valves of digital displacement machines has been developed at Aalborg University. It is composed of a commercial radial piston machine, which has been modified to facilitate Digital Displacement operation for a single piston. Prototype valves have been optimized, designed and m...

  17. Viral RNA-Unprimed Rig-I Restrains Stat3 Activation in the Modulation of Regulatory T Cell/Th17 Cell Balance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Hui; Guo, He-Zhou; Li, Xian-Yang; Lin, Jian; Zhang, Wu; Zhao, Jun-Mei; Zhang, Hong-Xin; Chen, Sai-Juan; Chen, Zhu; Zhu, Jiang

    2017-07-01

    Innate immunity activation by viral RNA-primed retinoid acid inducible gene-I (Rig-I) in CD4 + T cells antagonizes TGFβ signaling to suppress the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, how viral RNA-unliganded Rig-I (apo-Rig-I) modulates Treg generation remains unclear. In this article, we show that, in the absence of viral infection, Treg differentiation of Rig-I -/- CD4 + T cells was compromised, in the presence of increased generation of Th17 cells and overactivation of Stat3, a critical regulator tilting the Treg/Th17 cell balance. Mechanistically, apo-Rig-I physically associates with Stat3, thereby inhibiting Jak1's association with Stat3 while facilitating Shp2's association to inhibit p-Stat3 levels. Interestingly, inhibition of Stat3 ameliorates the Treg/Th17 imbalance and the colitis observed in Rig-I -/- mice. Collectively, these results uncover an independent functional contribution of the apo-Rig-I/Stat3 interaction in the maintenance of Treg/Th17 cell balance. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  18. Development of a Computer-Assisted Instrumentation Curriculum for Physics Students: Using LabVIEW and Arduino Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuan, Wen-Hsuan; Tseng, Chi-Hung; Chen, Sufen; Wong, Ching-Chang

    2016-01-01

    We propose an integrated curriculum to establish essential abilities of computer programming for the freshmen of a physics department. The implementation of the graphical-based interfaces from Scratch to LabVIEW then to LabVIEW for Arduino in the curriculum "Computer-Assisted Instrumentation in the Design of Physics Laboratories" brings…

  19. Functional characterizations of RIG-I to GCRV and viral/bacterial PAMPs in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lijun Chen

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: RIG-I (retinoic acid inducible gene-I is one of the key cytosolic pattern recognition receptors (PRRs for detecting nucleotide pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs and mediating the induction of type I interferon and inflammatory cytokines in innate immune response. Though the mechanism is well characterized in mammals, the study of the accurate function of RIG-I in teleosts is still in its infancy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To clarify the functional characterizations of RIG-I in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (CiRIG-I, six representative overexpression plasmids were constructed and transfected into C. idella kidney (CIK cell lines to obtain stably expressing recombinant proteins, respectively. A virus titer test and 96-well plate staining assay showed that all constructs exhibited the antiviral activity somewhat. The quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR demonstrated that mRNA expressions of CiIPS-1, CiIFN-I and CiMx2 were regulated by not only virus (GCRV or viral PAMP (poly(IC challenge but also bacterial PAMPs (LPS and PGN stimulation in the steadily transfected cells. The results showed that the full-length CiRIG-I played a key role in RLR pathway. The repressor domain (RD exerted an inhibitory function of the signaling channel under all utilized challenges. Caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs showed a positive role in GCRV and poly(I:C challenge. Helicase motifs were crucial for the signaling pathway upon LPS and PGN stimulation. Interestingly, ΔCARDs (CARDs deleted showed positive modulation in RIG-I signal transduction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results provided some novel insights into RIG-I sensing with a strikingly broad regulation in teleosts, responding not only to the dsRNA virus or synthetic dsRNA but also bacterial PAMPs.

  20. Design and Demonstration of a Test-Rig for Static Performance-Studies of Permanent Magnet Couplings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Högberg, Stig; Jensen, Bogi Bech; Bendixen, Flemming Buus

    2013-01-01

    The design and construction of an easy-to-use test-rig for permanent magnet couplings is presented. Static torque of permanent magnet couplings as a function of angular displacement is measured of permanent magnet couplings through an semi-automated test system. The test-rig is capable of measuring...

  1. A novel test rig to investigate under-platform damper dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botto, Daniele; Umer, Muhammad

    2018-02-01

    In the field of turbomachinery, vibration amplitude is often reduced by dissipating the kinetic energy of the blades with devices that utilize dry friction. Under-platform dampers, for example, are often placed in the underside of two consecutive turbine blades. Dampers are kept in contact with the under-platform of the respective blades by means of the centrifugal force. If the damper is well designed, vibration of blades instigate a relative motion between the under-platform and the damper. A friction force, that is a non-conservative force, arises in the contact and partly dissipates the vibration energy. Several contact models are available in the literature to simulate the contact between the damper and the under-platform. However, the actual dynamics of the blade-damper interaction have not fully understood yet. Several test rigs have been previously developed to experimentally investigate the performance of under-platform dampers. The majority of these experimental setups aim to evaluate the overall damper efficiency in terms of reduction in response amplitude of the blade for a given exciting force that simulates the aerodynamic loads. Unfortunately, the experimental data acquired on the blade dynamics do not provide enough information to understand the damper dynamics. Therefore, the uncertainty on the damper behavior remains a big issue. In this work, a novel experimental test rig has been developed to extensively investigate the damper dynamic behavior. A single replaceable blade is clamped in the rig with a specific clamping device. With this device the blade root is pressed against a groove machined in the test rig. The pushing force is controllable and measurable, to better simulate the actual centrifugal load acting on the blade. Two dampers, one on each side of the blade, are in contact with the blade under-platforms and with platforms on force measuring supports. These supports have been specifically designed to measure the contact forces on the

  2. Cloning of low dose radiation induced gene RIG1 by RACE based on non-cloned cDNA library

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Ying; Sui Jianli; Tie Yi; Zhang Yuanping; Zhou Pingkun; Sun Zhixian

    2001-01-01

    Objective: To obtain full-length cDNA of radiation induced new gene RIG1 based on its EST fragment. Methods: Based on non-cloned cDNA library, enhanced nested RACE PCR and biotin-avidin labelled probe for magnetic bead purification was used to obtain full-length cDNA of RIG1. Results: About 1 kb of 3' end of RIG1 gene was successfully cloned by this set of methods and cloning of RIG1 5' end is proceeding well. Conclusion: The result is consistent with the design of experiment. This set of protocol is useful for cloning of full-length gene based on EST fragment

  3. A Study on the Dynamic Analysis of the Nuclear Fuel Test Rig Using 1-Way Fluid-Structure Coupled Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Tae-Ho; Hong, Jin-Tae; Ahn, Sung-Ho; Joung, Chang-Young; Heo, Sung-Ho; Jang, Seo-Yun

    2015-01-01

    1-way fluid-structure coupled analysis is used to estimate the dynamic characteristic of the fuel test rig. the motion at the bottom of the test rig is confirmed. The maximum deformation of the test rig is 0.11 mm. The structural integrity of the test rig is performed by using the comparison with the Von-mises stress of the analysis and yield stress of the material. It is evaluated that the motion at the bottom of the test rig is able to cause other structural problem. Using the 2-way fluid-structural coupled analysis, the structural integrity of the test rig will be performed in further paper. The cooling water with specific flow rate was flowed in the nuclear fuel test rig. The structural integrity of the test rig was affected by the vibration. The fluid-induced vibration test had to be performed to obtain the amplitude of the vibration on the structure. Various test systems was developed. Flow-induced vibration and pressure drop experimental tester was developed in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The vibration test with high fluid flow rate was difficult by the tester. To generate the nuclear fuel test environment, coolant flow simulation system was developed. The scaled nuclear fuel test was able to be performed by the simulation system. The mock-up model of the test rig was used in the simulation system. The mock-up model in the simulation system was manufactured with scaled down full model. In this paper, the fluid induced vibration characteristic of the full model in the nuclear fuel test is studied. The hydraulic pressure on the velocity of the fluid was calculated. The static structure analysis was performed by using the pressure. The structural integrity was assessed using the results of the analysis

  4. CONCENTRIC TUBE-FOULING RIG FOR INVESTIGATION OF FOULING DEPOSIT FORMATION FROM PASTEURISER OF VISCOUS FOOD LIQUID

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. I. KHALID

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports the work on developing concentric tube-fouling rig, a new fouling deposit monitoring device. This device can detect and quantify the level of fouling deposit formation. It can also functioning as sampler for fouling deposit study, which can be attached at any food processing equipment. The design is initiated with conceptual design. The rig is designed with inner diameter of 7 cm and with tube length of 37 cm. A spiral insert with 34.5 cm length and with 5.4 cm diameter is fitted inside the tube to ensure the fluid flows around the tube. In this work, the rig is attached to the lab-scale concentric tube-pasteurizer to test its effectiveness and to collect a fouling sample after pasteurization of pink guava puree. Temperature changes are recorded during the pasteurization and the data is used to plot the heat transfer profile. Thickness of the fouling deposit is also measured. The trends for thickness, heat resistance profile and heat transfer profile for concentric tube-fouling rig matched the trends obtained from lab-scale concentric tube-pasteurizer very well. The findings from this work have shown a good potential of this rig however there is a limitation with spiral insert, which is discussed in this paper.

  5. Electronic temperature control and measurements reactor fuel rig circuits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glowacki, S W

    1980-01-01

    The electronic circuits of two digital temperature meters developed for the thermocouple of Ni-NiCr type are described. The output thermocouple signal as converted by means of voltage-to-freguency converter. The frequency is measured by a digital scaler controled by quartz generator signals. One of the described meter is coupled with digital temperature controler which drives the power stage of the reactor rig heater. The internal rig temperature is measured by the thermocouple providing the input signal to the mentioned voltage-to-frequency converter, that means the circuits work in the negative feedback loop. The converter frequency-to-voltage ratio is automatically adjusted to match to thermocouple sensitivity changes in the course of the temperature variations. The accuracy of measuring system is of order of +- 1degC for thermocouple temperature changes from 523 K up to 973 K (50degC up to 700degC).

  6. Collisions damage assessment of ships and jack-up rigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Shengming; Pedersen, P. Terndrup; Ocakli, Hasan

    2015-01-01

    Ship collision with offshore installations is one of the key concerns in design and assess of platforms performance and safety. This paper presents an analysis on collision energy and structural damage in ship and offshore platform collisions for various collision scenarios. The platform or rig...

  7. The method of rigged spaces in singular perturbation theory of self-adjoint operators

    CERN Document Server

    Koshmanenko, Volodymyr; Koshmanenko, Nataliia

    2016-01-01

    This monograph presents the newly developed method of rigged Hilbert spaces as a modern approach in singular perturbation theory. A key notion of this approach is the Lax-Berezansky triple of Hilbert spaces embedded one into another, which specifies the well-known Gelfand topological triple. All kinds of singular interactions described by potentials supported on small sets (like the Dirac δ-potentials, fractals, singular measures, high degree super-singular expressions) admit a rigorous treatment only in terms of the equipped spaces and their scales. The main idea of the method is to use singular perturbations to change inner products in the starting rigged space, and the construction of the perturbed operator by the Berezansky canonical isomorphism (which connects the positive and negative spaces from a new rigged triplet). The approach combines three powerful tools of functional analysis based on the Birman-Krein-Vishik theory of self-adjoint extensions of symmetric operators, the theory of singular quadra...

  8. Test rig overview for validation and reliability testing of shutdown system software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, M.; McDonald, A.; Dick, P.

    2007-01-01

    The test rig for Validation and Reliability Testing of shutdown system software has been upgraded from the AECL Windows-based test rig previously used for CANDU6 stations. It includes a Virtual Trip Computer, which is a software simulation of the functional specification of the trip computer, and a real-time trip computer simulator in a separate chassis, which is used during the preparation of trip computer test cases before the actual trip computers are available. This allows preparation work for Validation and Reliability Testing to be performed in advance of delivery of actual trip computers to maintain a project schedule. (author)

  9. Performance Analysis of Retrofitted Tribo-Corrosion Test Rig for Monitoring In Situ Oil Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arpith Siddaiah

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Oils and lubricants, once extracted after use from a mechanical system, can hardly be reused, and should be refurbished or replaced in most applications. New methods of in situ oil and lubricant efficiency monitoring systems have been introduced for a wide variety of mechanical systems, such as automobiles, aerospace aircrafts, ships, offshore wind turbines, and deep sea oil drilling rigs. These methods utilize electronic sensors to monitor the “byproduct effects” in a mechanical system that are not indicative of the actual remaining lifecycle and reliability of the oils. A reliable oil monitoring system should be able to monitor the wear rate and the corrosion rate of the tribo-pairs due to the inclusion of contaminants. The current study addresses this technological gap, and presents a novel design of a tribo-corrosion test rig for oils used in a dynamic system. A pin-on-disk tribometer test rig retrofitted with a three electrode-potentiostat corrosion monitoring system was used to analyze the corrosion and wear rate of a steel tribo-pair in industrial grade transmission oil. The effectiveness of the retrofitted test rig was analyzed by introducing various concentrations of contaminants in an oil medium that usually leads to a corrosive working environment. The results indicate that the retrofitted test rig can effectively monitor the in situ tribological performance of the oil in a controlled dynamic corrosive environment. It is a useful method to understand the wear–corrosion synergies for further experimental work, and to develop accurate predictive lifecycle assessment and prognostic models. The application of this system is expected to have economic benefits and help reduce the ecological oil waste footprint.

  10. Performance Analysis of Retrofitted Tribo-Corrosion Test Rig for Monitoring In Situ Oil Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siddaiah, Arpith; Khan, Zulfiqar Ahmad; Ramachandran, Rahul; Menezes, Pradeep L

    2017-09-28

    Oils and lubricants, once extracted after use from a mechanical system, can hardly be reused, and should be refurbished or replaced in most applications. New methods of in situ oil and lubricant efficiency monitoring systems have been introduced for a wide variety of mechanical systems, such as automobiles, aerospace aircrafts, ships, offshore wind turbines, and deep sea oil drilling rigs. These methods utilize electronic sensors to monitor the "byproduct effects" in a mechanical system that are not indicative of the actual remaining lifecycle and reliability of the oils. A reliable oil monitoring system should be able to monitor the wear rate and the corrosion rate of the tribo-pairs due to the inclusion of contaminants. The current study addresses this technological gap, and presents a novel design of a tribo-corrosion test rig for oils used in a dynamic system. A pin-on-disk tribometer test rig retrofitted with a three electrode-potentiostat corrosion monitoring system was used to analyze the corrosion and wear rate of a steel tribo-pair in industrial grade transmission oil. The effectiveness of the retrofitted test rig was analyzed by introducing various concentrations of contaminants in an oil medium that usually leads to a corrosive working environment. The results indicate that the retrofitted test rig can effectively monitor the in situ tribological performance of the oil in a controlled dynamic corrosive environment. It is a useful method to understand the wear-corrosion synergies for further experimental work, and to develop accurate predictive lifecycle assessment and prognostic models. The application of this system is expected to have economic benefits and help reduce the ecological oil waste footprint.

  11. 78 FR 70326 - Rigging Equipment for Material Handling; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-25

    ...] Rigging Equipment for Material Handling; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval... on Rigging Equipment for Material Handling (29 CFR 1926.251). These paragraphs require affixing... automated or other technological information collection and transmission techniques. III. Proposed Actions...

  12. Mutual antagonism between the Ebola virus VP35 protein and the RIG-I activator PACT determines infection outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luthra, Priya; Ramanan, Parameshwaran; Mire, Chad E; Weisend, Carla; Tsuda, Yoshimi; Yen, Benjamin; Liu, Gai; Leung, Daisy W; Geisbert, Thomas W; Ebihara, Hideki; Amarasinghe, Gaya K; Basler, Christopher F

    2013-07-17

    The cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptor RIG-I is activated by viral RNA and induces type I IFN responses to control viral replication. The cellular dsRNA binding protein PACT can also activate RIG-I. To counteract innate antiviral responses, some viruses, including Ebola virus (EBOV), encode proteins that antagonize RIG-I signaling. Here, we show that EBOV VP35 inhibits PACT-induced RIG-I ATPase activity in a dose-dependent manner. The interaction of PACT with RIG-I is disrupted by wild-type VP35, but not by VP35 mutants that are unable to bind PACT. In addition, PACT-VP35 interaction impairs the association between VP35 and the viral polymerase, thereby diminishing viral RNA synthesis and modulating EBOV replication. PACT-deficient cells are defective in IFN induction and are insensitive to VP35 function. These data support a model in which the VP35-PACT interaction is mutually antagonistic and plays a fundamental role in determining the outcome of EBOV infection. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Joint test rig for tests and calibration of different methods of two-phase mass flow measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    John, H.; Erbacher, F.; Wanner, E.

    1975-01-01

    On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology, the Institute of Reactor Components (IRB) has begun building a test rig which will be used for testing and calibrating the methods of measuring non-steady state two-phase mass flows developed by various research agencies. The test rig is designed for the generation of steam-water mixtures of any mixing ratio and a maximum pressure of 160 data. Depending on the mixing ratio, the mass flow will reach a maximum level of 10 to 20 t/h. The conceptual design phase of the test rig has largely been finished, the component ordering phase has begun. (orig.) [de

  14. RIG-I-Like Receptor Signaling in Singleton-Merten Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changming Lu

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Singleton-Merten syndrome (SMS is an autosomal dominant, multi-system innate immune disorder characterized by early and severe aortic and valvular calcification, dental and skeletal abnormalities, psoriasis, glaucoma, and other varying clinical findings. Recently we identified a specific gain-of-function mutation in IFIH1, interferon induced with helicase C domain 1, segregated with this disease. SMS disease without hallmark dental anomalies, termed atypical SMS, has recently been reported caused by variants in DDX58, DEXD/H-box helicase 58. IFIH1 and DDX58 encode retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I-like receptors family members melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 and RIG-I, respectively. These cytosolic pattern recognition receptors function in viral RNA detection initiating an innate immune response through independent pathways that promote type I and type III interferon expression and proinflammatory cytokines. In this review, we focus on SMS as an innate immune disorder summarizing clinical features, molecular aspects of the pathogenetic pathway and discussing underlying mechanisms of the disease.

  15. Flow Rate Measurement in Multiphase Flow Rig: Radiotracer and Conventional

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazrul Hizam Yusoff; Noraishah Othman; Nurliyana Abdullah; Amirul Syafiq Mohd Yunos; Rasif Mohd Zain; Roslan Yahya

    2015-01-01

    Applications of radiotracer technology are prevalent throughout oil refineries worldwide, and this industry is one of the main users and beneficiaries of the technology. Radioactive tracers have been used to a great extent in many applications i.e. flow rate measurement, RTD, plant integrity evaluation and enhancing oil production in oil fields. Chemical and petrochemical plants are generally continuously operating and technically complex where the radiotracer techniques are very competitive and largely applied for troubleshooting inspection and process analysis. Flow rate measurement is a typical application of radiotracers. For flow measurements, tracer data are important, rather than the RTD models. Research is going on in refining the existing methods for single phase flow measurement, and in developing new methods for multiphase flow without sampling. The tracer techniques for single phase flow measurements are recognized as ISO standards. This paper presents technical aspect of laboratory experiments, which have been carried out using Molybdenum-99 - Mo99 (radiotracer) to study and determine the flow rate of liquid in multiphase flow rig. The multiphase flow rig consists of 58.7 m long and 20 cm diameter pipeline that can accommodate about 0.296 m 3 of liquid. Tap water was used as liquid flow in pipeline and conventional flow meters were also installed at the flow rig. The flow rate results; radiotracer and conventional flow meter were compared. The total count method was applied for radiotracer technique and showed the comparable results with conventional flow meter. (author)

  16. Accelerated Bearing Life-time Test Rig Development for Low Speed Data Acquisition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Klausen

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Condition monitoring plays an important role in rotating machinery to ensure reliability of the equipment, and to detect fault conditions at an early stage. Although health monitoring methodologies have been thoroughly developed for rotating machinery, low-speed conditions often pose a challenge due to the low signal-to-noise ratio. To this aim, sophisticated algorithms that reduce noise and highlight the bearing faults are necessary to accurately diagnose machines undergoing this condition. In the development phase, sensor data from a healthy and damaged bearing rotating at low-speed is required to verify the performance of such algorithms. A test rig for performing accelerated life-time testing of small rolling element bearings is designed to collect necessary sensor data. Heavy loads at high-speed conditions are applied to the test bearing to wear it out fast. Sensor data is collected in intervals during the test to capture the degeneration features. The main objective of this paper is to provide a detailed overview for the development and analysis of this test rig. A case study with experimental vibration data is also presented to illustrate the efficacy of the developed test rig.

  17. Coherent synthesis with dedicated instrumentation for MW-assisted chemistry (T3)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keil, E.M.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Microwave (MW) assisted organic chemistry is a still new and exciting field in organic synthesis. The streamlining power of this type of methodology is typically characterized by an increase in yield and a decrease in reaction times. Within quite a short time all major companies which need to synthesize new compounds efficiently and successfully has realized these advantages and have invested in this technology. The instruments presented here are specifically designed for organic synthesis. They incorporate single mode resonator (SRM) and dynamic field tuning designs. This latest developments in modern microwave technology is used due to the high demand for reproducible control and the wide variety of reaction types used in organic synthesis. In coherent synthesis, microwave assisted organic reactions can be performed under extreme temperature and pressure conditions. It is therefore essential to have sensitive control and advanced, adjustable energy-steering systems. The dynamic field tuning system is based upon proprietary technology involving improved software and hardware. The system is capable of detecting the absorbance characteristics of the reaction mixture and optimizes the coupling and quantity of energy delivered. It provides optimal efficiency and even temperature distribution in the reaction mixture regardless of involved materials, as e.g. a wide range of solvents or reagents. Built-in temperature and pressure sensors allow real time monitoring and control of each individual reaction. The work flow manager software is a platform from where to plan and perform experiments, monitor reactions and document all results. The chemical reactions are performed in uniquely designed process vials which allow even energy distribution throughout the entire reaction volume. The vials are manufactured from microwave-immune materials that are free from contaminants. The closure design is optimized for a complete seal allowing safe working pressures up to

  18. Study of an induction brazing process for the instrumentation feed through part

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Jintae; Ahn, Sung Ho; Joung, Chang Young; Kim, Ka Hye; Heo, Sung Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-15

    In general, brazing is used to seal out the feed through part of thin wires, and several studies in nuclear fields used brazing as a sealing method. However, previous techniques using a manual torch or an induction brazing by blowing Ar gas as a shield gas cannot avoid soot, which is difficult to remove. In addition, because their brazing quality is not uniform, instrumentation cables cannot deliver signals due to damage of excessive heat. In this study, an automatically controlled induction brazing system has been developed including a vacuum chamber to prevent generation of soot. A loop is a facility to carry out irradiation test for nuclear fuels and materials in a research reactor by measuring the irradiation behavior of them in a timely manner. Because flow condition of coolant in a loop should be the same with that of NPPs', highly pressurized (15.5 MPa) and highly heated (300 .deg. C) coolant is circulated through the loop. Therefore, sealing of the pressure boundary is one of the most important processes in fabricating the in-pile test section (IPS). In particular, sensors such as thermocouples, LVDTs and SPNDs are attached in a test rig and deliver signals to the measuring device at the outside of the reactor pool through instrumentation cables, which pass through the pressure boundary of the test rig. Therefore, it needs to seal out the instrumentation feed through part to not leak the coolant.

  19. Design and construction of a point-contact spectroscopy rig with lateral scanning capability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tortello, M. [Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino, Torino 10129 (Italy); Park, W. K., E-mail: wkpark@illinois.edu; Ascencio, C. O.; Saraf, P.; Greene, L. H. [Department of Physics and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

    2016-06-15

    The design and realization of a cryogenic rig for point-contact spectroscopy measurements in the needle-anvil configuration is presented. Thanks to the use of two piezoelectric nano-positioners, the tip can move along the vertical (z) and horizontal (x) direction and thus the rig is suitable to probe different regions of a sample in situ. Moreover, it can also form double point-contacts on different facets of a single crystal for achieving, e.g., an interferometer configuration for phase-sensitive measurements. For the later purpose, the sample holder can also host a Helmholtz coil for applying a small transverse magnetic field to the junction. A semi-rigid coaxial cable can be easily added for studying the behavior of Josephson junctions under microwave irradiation. The rig can be detached from the probe and thus used with different cryostats. The performance of this new probe has been tested in a Quantum Design PPMS system by conducting point-contact Andreev reflection measurements on Nb thin films over large areas as a function of temperature and magnetic field.

  20. Test-retest Reliability and Agreement of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) Instrument in Two Nordic Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sund, Terje; Anttila, Heidi; Iwarsson, Susanne

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate test–retest reliability, agreement, internal consistency, and floor- and ceiling effects of the Danish and Finnish versions of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument among adult users of powered wheelchairs (...

  1. The electronic temperature control and measurements reactor fuel rig circuits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glowacki, S.W.

    1980-01-01

    The electronic circuits of two digital temperature meters developed for the thermocouple of Ni-NiCr type are described. The output thermocouple signal as converted by means of voltage-to-freguency converter. The frequency is measured by a digital scaler controled by quartz generator signals. One of the described meter is coupled with digital temperature controler which drives the power stage of the reactor rig heater. The internal rig temperature is measured by the thermocouple providing the input signal to the mentioned voltage-to-frequency converter, that means the circuits work in the negative feedback loop. The converter frequency-to-voltage ratio is automatically adjusted to match to thermocouple sensitivity changes in the course of the temperature variations. The accuracy of measuring system is of order of +- 1degC for thermocouple temperature changes from 523 K up to 973 K (50degC up to 700degC). (author)

  2. Lifting devices with minimum effort for testing, maintenance and repair at the example of a lifting rig for core internals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pache, Martin [Westinghouse Electric Germany GmbH (Germany); Wiesendanger, Robert [Kernkraftwerk Beznau, NOK (Switzerland)

    2008-07-01

    Beznau is a Westinghouse built nuclear power plant in the Aargau area Switzerland. It consists of two PWR units, each providing 365 MWe net capacity. The units were set into operation in 1969 and 1972, respectively, and hold an unlimited license for operation, provided they continue to fulfill current legal and security requirements. Beznau's previous lifting rigs for core internals required a high effort in testing and maintenance. Moreover, a damage to one of the rigs nearly resulted in the inoperability of the rig. However, no element of the load chain was affected, so there was no danger of a crash, but it could have caused an extended outage. Hence, it was decided to replace the lifting rigs with a state-of-the-art functional design that reflects modern requirements on maintenance and testing. Although the plant was built to ASME standards and codes, the new lifting rigs have been designed to German KTA code for lifting devices (KTA 3902 / 3903 for equipment with increased requirements, as per section 4.3 of KTA 3902). Given KTA's demands on periodic testing, one main requirement on the new design was to minimize the testing effort for the new rigs. (orig.)

  3. Improving mixing efficiency in a closed circuit water flow rig for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    . ... pulse velocity method, indicating that the flow meters functioned correctly. The modified rig with scaled-up mixing techniques could serve as platform for training in evaluating mixing vessels and flow meters in industrial process plants.

  4. Index method for analyzing cost effectiveness of drilling rigs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batura, N P; Bocharov, V V

    1978-01-01

    The method for a complete analysis of the factors determining cost effectiveness of a drilling rig fleet is examined. The system of calculating production indexes from statistical reports is relatively simple and is not difficult to use for production organizations. The analytical results may be used to develop actual measures used to increase cost effectiveness of drilling operations.

  5. Selective RNA targeting and regulated signaling by RIG-I is controlled by coordination of RNA and ATP binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzgerald, Megan E; Rawling, David C; Potapova, Olga; Ren, Xiaoming; Kohlway, Andrew; Pyle, Anna Marie

    2017-02-17

    RIG-I is an innate immune receptor that detects and responds to infection by deadly RNA viruses such as influenza, and Hepatitis C. In the cytoplasm, RIG-I is faced with a difficult challenge: it must sensitively detect viral RNA while ignoring the abundance of host RNA. It has been suggested that RIG-I has a ‘proof-reading’ mechanism for rejecting host RNA targets, and that disruptions of this selectivity filter give rise to autoimmune diseases. Here, we directly monitor RNA proof-reading by RIG-I and we show that it is controlled by a set of conserved amino acids that couple RNA and ATP binding to the protein (Motif III). Mutations of this motif directly modulate proof-reading by eliminating or enhancing selectivity for viral RNA, with major implications for autoimmune disease and cancer. More broadly, the results provide a physical explanation for the ATP-gated behavior of SF2 RNA helicases and receptor proteins.

  6. Development of a remote data acquisition and graphic display system for the sodium rigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajendran, A.; Sylvia, J.I.; Swaminathan, K.

    1992-01-01

    This paper describes the development of a Remote Data Acquisition System for Sodium Rigs. Seven data loggers, an alarm monitor and a PLC are geographically distributed in two sodium rigs over a distance of 500 m. A serial data highway based on RS485 transceivers has been constructed to remotely acquire data from these stations. The field stations are connected to the data highway in a multi drop fashion. A PC/AT computer on the same bus remotely acquires and monitors the data from the field stations. (author). 3 refs., 2 figs

  7. Test Rig Design and Presentation for a Hydraulic Yaw System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stubkier, Søren; Pedersen, Henrik C.; Andersen, Torben Ole

    2013-01-01

    The design and development of a hydraulic yaw system for multi MWturbines is presented and the concept explained. As part of the development of the new concept a full scale test rig for a 5 MW wind turbine has been designed and constructed. The test rig is presented along with its unique design...... features. The design process is outlined to give insight in the design criteria driving the design. Loads and yaw demands are based on the IEC 61400-1 standard for wind turbine design, and the loads for this examination are extrapolated from the FAST aero elastic design software. The concepts are based...... on a 5 MW offshore turbine. After the system presentation, measurement results are presented to verify the behavior of the system. The loads to the system are applied by torque controlled electrical servo drives, which can add a load of up to 3 MNm to the system. This gives an exact picture of the system...

  8. Oxidation of a Silica-Containing Material in a Mach 0.3 Burner Rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, QuynhGiao N.; Cuy, Michael D.; Gray, Hugh R. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    A primarily silica-containing material with traces of organic compounds, as well as aluminum and calcium additions, was exposed to a Mach 0.3 burner rig at atmospheric pressure using jet fuel. The sample was exposed for 5 continuous hours at 1370 C. Post exposure x-ray diffraction analyses indicate formation of cristobalite, quartz, NiO and Spinel (Al(Ni)CR2O4). The rig hardware is composed of a nickel-based superalloy with traces of Fe. These elements are indicated in the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) results. This material was studied as a candidate for high temperature applications under an engine technology program.

  9. Threshold Assessment of Gear Diagnostic Tools on Flight and Test Rig Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dempsey, Paula J.; Mosher, Marianne; Huff, Edward M.

    2003-01-01

    A method for defining thresholds for vibration-based algorithms that provides the minimum number of false alarms while maintaining sensitivity to gear damage was developed. This analysis focused on two vibration based gear damage detection algorithms, FM4 and MSA. This method was developed using vibration data collected during surface fatigue tests performed in a spur gearbox rig. The thresholds were defined based on damage progression during tests with damage. The thresholds false alarm rates were then evaluated on spur gear tests without damage. Next, the same thresholds were applied to flight data from an OH-58 helicopter transmission. Results showed that thresholds defined in test rigs can be used to define thresholds in flight to correctly classify the transmission operation as normal.

  10. Hot corrosion testing of Ni-based alloys and coatings in a modified Dean rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steward, Jason Reid

    Gas turbine blades are designed to withstand a variety of harsh operating conditions. Although material and coating improvements are constantly administered to increase the mean time before turbine refurbishment or replacement, hot corrosion is still considered as the major life-limiting factor in many industrial and marine gas turbines. A modified Dean rig was designed and manufactured at Tennessee Technological University to simulate the accelerated hot corrosion conditions and to conduct screening tests on the new coatings on Ni-based superalloys. Uncoated Ni-based superalloys, Rene 142 and Rene 80, were tested in the modified Dean rig to establish a testing procedure for Type I hot corrosion. The influence of surface treatments on the hot corrosion resistance was then investigated. It was found that grit-blasted specimens showed inferior hot corrosion resistance than that of the polished counterpart. The Dean rig was also used to test model MCrAlY alloys, pack cementation NiAl coatings, and electro-codeposited MCrAlY coatings. Furthermore, the hot corrosion attack on the coated-specimens were also assessed using a statistical analysis approach.

  11. Evaluation of wheel/rail contact mechanics : roller rig concept design review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-07-01

    A need exists for a new test rig design with advanced sensing technologies that will allow the railroad industry and regulatory : agencies to better understand the wheel-rail contact dynamics and mechanics, especially as it pertains to high-speed rai...

  12. Study on aero-dynamic characteristics of the sloop rig (continued); Sloop ring no kuriki tokusei no ichikaiseki (zoku)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shinkai, A.; Iyoda, H. [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1997-09-04

    A numerical simulation method was formerly provided for analyzing aero-dynamic characteristics of sloop rig by the vortex distribution method. For this method, aero-dynamic characteristics of the sloop rib were formulated by treating air flow around sail as a two-dimensional problem and by assuming sail as a membrane. The sloop rig is a yacht for more than two persons, which is the most popular form of rig. A main sail and a jib sheet are fixed on a mast. In this study, the method developed based on the panel method was introduced for analyzing the effects of jib sheet which can control the jib trim angle. Generality of the present aero-dynamic characteristics was enhanced, and problems of the analysis method were extracted through the numerical simulation of a yacht with sloop rig. Influence of the position of fairleader on the aero-dynamic characteristics was qualitatively grasped by considering the effects of jib sheet and by trimming the elevation into ideal one. 6 refs., 11 figs.

  13. Tractor accelerated test on test rig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Mattetti

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The experimental tests performed to validate a tractor prototype before its production, need a substantial financial and time commitment. The tests could be reduced using accelerated tests able to reproduce on the structural part of the tractor, the same damage produced on the tractor during real life in a reduced time. These tests were usually performed reproducing a particular harsh condition a defined number of times, as for example using a bumpy road on track to carry out the test in any weather condition. Using these procedures the loads applied on the tractor structure are different with respect to those obtained during the real use, with the risk to apply loads hard to find in reality. Recently it has been demonstrated how, using the methodologies designed for cars, it is possible to also expedite the structural tests for tractors. In particular, automotive proving grounds were recently successfully used with tractors to perform accelerated structural tests able to reproduce the real use of the machine with an acceleration factor higher than that obtained with the traditional methods. However, the acceleration factor obtained with a tractor on proving grounds is in any case reduced due to the reduced speed of the tractors with respect to cars. In this context, the goal of the paper is to show the development of a methodology to perform an accelerated structural test on a medium power tractor using a 4 post test rig. In particular, several proving ground testing conditions have been performed to measure the loads on the tractor. The loads obtained were then edited to remove the not damaging portion of signals, and finally the loads obtained were reproduced in a 4 post test rig. The methodology proposed could be a valid alternative to the use of a proving ground to reproduce accelerated structural tests on tractors.

  14. Complete Genome Sequence of the Campylobacter ureolyticus Clinical Isolate RIGS 9880

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miller, William G; Yee, Emma; On, Stephen L W

    2015-01-01

    The emerging pathogen Campylobacter ureolyticus has been isolated from human and animal genital infections, human periodontal disease, domestic and food animals, and from cases of human gastroenteritis. We report the whole-genome sequence of the human clinical isolate RIGS 9880, which is the first...

  15. Measurement techniques for AGR circulators in a full-density rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watson, I.; Wilson, R.R.

    1977-01-01

    Safety and reliability are the most important factors of a nuclear power plant. This applies in particular to the circulators used to drive the high-density CO 2 around the reactor core and boiler circuits. Under operating conditions, very high sound-pressure levels are generated which could excite components and cause possible fatigue failures. Failures of this type were experienced on the original axial blowers for the Hinkley 'A' Magnox reactor and, following this, a stringent test plan was specified for the AGR circulators. The present paper describes some of the techniques used to measure strain, sound and vibration on circulators in a full-density rig. This rig reproduces the actual reactor working conditions of 300 0 C and 4.1 MN m -2 with gas velocities up to 120 m s -1 . Under these conditions sound-pressure levels of up to 172 dB are generated. This programme of circulator testing has continued for the past 10 years. During this period many obstacles and difficulties were encountered. Some of these problems, together with the solutions found, are discussed. (author)

  16. Structural basis for m7G recognition and 2'-O-methyl discrimination in capped RNAs by the innate immune receptor RIG-I

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Devarkar, Swapnil C.; Wang, Chen; Miller, Matthew T.; Ramanathan, Anand; Jiang, Fuguo; Khan, Abdul G.; Patel, Smita S.; Marcotrigiano, Joseph

    2016-01-05

    The cytosolic innate immune receptor Retinoic Acid Inducible Gene-I (RIG-I) is the principal detector of pathogenic RNAs carrying a 5'-triphosphate (5'ppp). Self RNAs like mRNAs evade recognition by RIG-I due to posttranscriptional modifications like 5'-end capping with 7-methyl guanosine (m7G) and 2'-O-methylation of 5'-end nucleotides. Viruses have also evolved mechanisms to mimic these modifications, which in part is believed to aid in immune evasion. Currently, it is unclear how these modifications modulate RIG-I recognition. This paper provides structural and mechanistic insights into the roles of the m7G cap and 2'-O-methylation in RIG-I evasion. We show that RIG-I accommodates the m7G base while maintaining the 5'ppp contacts and can recognize Cap-0 RNAs but not Cap-1.

  17. The influence of chemicals on water quality in a high pressure separation rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnsen, Einar E.; Hemmingsen, Paal V.; Mediaas, Heidi; Svarstad, May Britt E.; Westvik, Arild

    2006-03-15

    In the research laboratory of Statoil at Rotvoll, Trondheim, a high pressure experimental rig used for separation and foaming studies has been developed. There have been several studies to ensure that the high pressure separation rig produces reliable and consistent results with regard to the water-in-oil and oil-in-water contents. The results are consistent with available field data and, just as important, consistent when changing variables like temperature, pressure drop and water cut. The results are also consistent when changing hydrodynamic variables like flow velocity and mixing point (using different choke valves) and when using oil with and without gas saturation. At equal experimental conditions, the high pressure separation rig is able to differentiate between separation characteristics of oil and water from different fields and from different wells at the same field. The high pressure separation and foam rig can be used from -10 deg C to 175 deg C and at pressures up to 200 bar. Crude oil and water are studied under relevant process conditions with respect to temperature, pressure, shear, water cut and separation time. In the present work the influence of chemicals on the oil and water quality has been studied. Chemicals have been mixed into the oil and/or water beforehand or added in situ (on-stream; simulated well stream). The amount of oil in the water after a given residence time in the separation cell has been measured. The results from the high pressure rig show that some demulsifiers, with their primary purpose of giving less water in oil, also have influence on the water quality. Improvement of water quality has been observed as well as no effect or aggravation. The experimental results have been compared to results from bottle tests at the field. The results from the bottle tests and from the laboratory are not corresponding, and only a full-scale field test can tell which of them are the correct results, if any. (Experience from corresponding

  18. Automated Intelligent Assistant for mass spectrometry operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filby, E.E.; Rankin, R.A.; Yoshida, D.E.

    1991-01-01

    The Automated Intelligent Assistant is designed to insure that our mass spectrometers produce timely, high-quality measurement data. The design combines instrument interfacing and expert system technology to automate an adaptable set-point damage prevention strategy. When shutdowns occur, the Assistant can help guide troubleshooting efforts. Stored real-time data will help our development program upgrade and improve the system, and also make it possible to re-run previously-observed instrument problems as ''live'' training exercises for the instrument operators. Initial work has focused on implementing the Assistant for the instrument ultra-high vacuum components. 14 refs., 5 figs

  19. Use of vacuum assisted closure in instrumented spinal deformities for children with postoperative deep infections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Canavese Federico

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Postoperative deep infections are relatively common in children with instrumented spinal deformities, whose healing potential is somewhat compromised. Children with underlying diagnosis of cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other chronic debilitating conditions are particularly susceptible. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC is a newer technique to promote healing of wounds resistant to treatment by established methods. This article aims to review the efficacy of the VAC system in the treatment of deep spinal infections following spinal instrumentation and fusion in children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: We reviewed 33 patients with deep postoperative surgical site infection treated with wound VAC technique. We reviewed clinical and laboratory data, including the ability to retain the spinal hardware, loss of correction and recurrent infections. Results : All patients successfully completed their wound VAC treatment regime. None had significant loss of correction and one had persistent infection requiring partial hardware removal. The laboratory indices normalized in all but three patients. Conclusions: Wound VAC technique is a useful tool in the armamentarium of the spinal surgeon dealing with patients susceptible to wound infections, especially those with neuromuscular diseases. It allows for retention of the instrumentation and maintenance of the spinal correction. It is reliable and easy to use.

  20. Testing of a new morphing trailing edge flap system on a novel outdoor rotating test rig

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Barlas, Athanasios; Løgstrup Andersen, Tom

    2015-01-01

    The morphing trailing edge system or flap system, CRTEF, has been developed over the last 10 years at DTU Wind Energy. After a promising wind tunnel test of the system in 2009 the INDUFLAP project has been carried out from 2011-2014 to transfer the technology from laboratory to industrial...... manufacturing and application. To narrow the gap between wind tunnel testing and full scale prototype testing we developed the rotating test rig. The overall objectives with the rotating test rig are: 1) to test the flap system in a realistic rotating environment with a realistic g-loading; 2) to measure...... the flap performance in real turbulent inflow and 3) to test the flap system in a realistic size and Reynolds number when comparing with full scale applications.. The rotating test rig consists of a 2.2m blade section attached to a 10m boom and mounted on a 100kW turbine platform. It was installed in June...

  1. The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase TRIM40 Attenuates Antiviral Immune Responses by Targeting MDA5 and RIG-I

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunyuan Zhao

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs, including melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5 and RIG-I, are crucial for host recognition of non-self RNAs, especially viral RNA. Thus, the expression and activation of RLRs play fundamental roles in eliminating the invading RNA viruses and maintaining immune homeostasis. However, how RLR expression is tightly regulated remains to be further investigated. In this study, we identified a major histocompatibility complex (MHC-encoded gene, tripartite interaction motif 40 (TRIM40, as a suppressor of RLR signaling by directly targeting MDA5 and RIG-I. TRIM40 binds to MDA5 and RIG-I and promotes their K27- and K48-linked polyubiquitination via its E3 ligase activity, leading to their proteasomal degradation. TRIM40 deficiency enhances RLR-triggered signaling. Consequently, TRIM40 deficiency greatly enhances antiviral immune responses and decreases viral replication in vivo. Thus, we demonstrate that TRIM40 limits RLR-triggered innate activation, suggesting TRIM40 as a potential therapeutic target for the control of viral infection.

  2. A universal suspension test rig for electrohydraulic active and passive automotive suspension system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud Omar

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A fully active electro-hydraulic and passive automotive quarter car suspensions with their experimental test-rigs are designed and implemented. Investigation of the active performance compared against the passive is performed experimentally and numerically utilizing SIMULINK's Simscape library. Both systems are modeled as single-degree-of-freedom in order to simplify the validation process. Economic considerations were considered during the rig's implementation. The rig consists of two identical platforms fixed side by side allowing testing two independent suspensions simultaneously. Position sensors for sprung and unsprung masses on both platforms are installed. The road input is introduced by a cam and a roller follower mechanism driven by 1.12 kW single phase induction motor with speed reduction assembly. The active hydraulic cylinder was the most viable choice due to its high power-to-weight ratio. The active control is of the proportional-integral-differential (PID type. Though this technique is quite simple and not new, yet the emphasis of this paper is the engineering, design and implementation of the experimental setup and controller. A successful validation process is performed. Ride comfort significantly improved with active suspension, as shown by the results; 24.8% sprung mass vibration attenuation is achieved. The details of the developed system with the analytical and experimental results are presented. Keywords: Active suspension, Passive suspension, Servo, Hydraulic, Control, PID

  3. Flap testing on the rotating test rig in the INDUFLAP project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barlas, Athanasios; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Enevoldsen, Karen

    Tests of a prototype Controllable Rubber Trailing Edge Flap (CRTEF) are performed on the rotating test rig at the Risø campus of DTU. The general description and objectives are presented, along with an overview of sensors on the setup and the test cases. The post-processing of data is discussed...

  4. Validation of RELAP5 model of experimental test rig simulating the natural convection in MTR research reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khedr, A.; Abdel-Latif, Salwa H. [Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority, Cairo (Egypt); Abdel-Hadi, Eed A. [Benha Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Shobra Faculty of Engineering; D' Auria, F. [Pisa Univ. (Italy)

    2016-03-15

    In an attempt to understand the built-up of natural circulation in MTR pool type upward flow research reactors after loss of power, an experimental test rig was built to simulate the loop of natural circulation in MTR reactors. The test rig consisting of two vertically oriented branches, in one of them the core is simulated by two rectangular, electrically heated, parallel channels. The other branch simulates the part of the return pipe that participates in the development of core natural circulation. In the first phase of the work, many experimental runs at different conditions of channel's power and branch's initial temperatures are performed. The channel's coolant and surface temperatures were measured. The measurements and their interpretation were published by the first three authors. In the present work the thermal hydraulic behavior of the test rig is complemented by theoretical analysis using RELAP5 Mod 3.3 system code. The analysis consisting of two parts; in the first part RELAP5 model is validated against the measured values and in the second part some of the other not measured hydraulic parameters are predicted and analyzed. The test rig is typically nodalized and an input dick is prepared. In spite of the low pressure of the test rig, the results show that RELAP5 qualitatively predicts the thermal hydraulic behaviour and the accompanied phenomenon of flow inversion of such facilities. Quantitatively, there is a difference between the predicted and measured values especially the channel's surface temperature. This difference may be return to the uncertainties in initial conditions of experimental runs, the position of the thermocouples which buried inside the heat structure, and the heat transfer package in RELAP5.

  5. Measles Virus Suppresses RIG-I-like Receptor Activation in Dendritic Cells via DC-SIGN-Mediated Inhibition of PP1 Phosphatases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mesman, Annelies W.; Zijlstra-Willems, Esther M.; Kaptein, Tanja M.; de Swart, Rik L.; Davis, Meredith E.; Ludlow, Martin; Duprex, W. Paul; Gack, Michaela U.; Gringhuis, Sonja I.; Geijtenbeek, Teunis B. H.

    2014-01-01

    Dendritic cells (DCs) are targets of measles virus (MV) and play central roles in viral dissemination. However, DCs express the RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) RIG-I and Mda5 that sense MV and induce type I interferon (IFN) production. Given the potency of this antiviral response, RLRs are tightly

  6. Measles virus suppresses RIG-I-like receptor activation in dendritic cells via DC-SIGN-mediated inhibition of PP1 phosphatases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.W. Mesman (Annelies ); E.M. Zijlstra-Willems (Esther); T.M. Kaptein (Tanja); R.L. de Swart (Rik); M.E. Davis (Meredith); M. Ludlow (Martin); W.P. Duprex (Paul); M.U. Gack (Michaela); S.I. Gringhuis (Sonja); T.B.H. Geijtenbeek (Teunis)

    2014-01-01

    textabstractDendritic cells (DCs) are targets of measles virus (MV) and play central roles in viral dissemination. However, DCs express the RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) RIG-I and Mda5 that sense MV and induce type I interferon (IFN) production. Given the potency of this antiviral response, RLRs are

  7. A compact internal drum test rig for measurements of rolling contact forces between a single tread block and a substrate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lundberg, O.E.; Kari, L.; Lopez Arteaga, I.

    2017-01-01

    A novel test rig design is presented which enables detailed studies of the three force components generated in the impact and release phase of rolling contact between a tyre tread block and a substrate. The design of the compact internal drum test rig provides realistic impact and release angles for

  8. Isolation and characterization of the human homologue of rig and its pseudogenes: The functional gene has features characteristic of housekeeping genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiga, Kiyoto; Yamamoto, Hiroshi; Okamoto, Hiroshi

    1990-01-01

    Rig (rat insulinoma gene) was first isolated from a cDNA library of rat insulinomas and has been found to be activated in various human tumors such as insulinomas, esophageal cancers, and colon cancers. Here the authors isolated the human homologue of rig from a genomic DNA library constructed from a human esophageal carcinoma and determined its complete nucleotide sequence. The gene is composed of about 3,000 nucleotides and divided into four exons separated by three introns: exon 3 encodes the nuclear location signal and the DNA-binding domain of the RIG protein. The transcription initiation site was located at -46 base pairs upstream from the first ATG codon. The 5'-flanking region of the gene has no apparent TATA-box or CAAT-box sequence. However, two GC boxes are found at -189 and -30 base pairs upstream from the transcription initiation site and five GC boxes are also found in introns 1 and 2. The gene is bounded in the 5' region by CpG islands, regions of DNA with a high GC content and a high frequency of CpG dinucleotides relative to the bulk genome. Furthermore, the human genome contains at least six copies of RIG pseudogenes, and four of them have the characteristics of processed pseudogenes. From these results together with the finding that RIG is expressed in a wide variety of tissues and cells, they speculate that RIG belongs to the class of housekeeping genes, whose products are necessary for the growth of all cell types

  9. Out-of-pile burnout experiments in a full-scale simulation of an irradiation rig in a HIFAR hollow fuel element facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapman, A.G.; Hargreaves, N.D.

    1986-06-01

    Flow measurement and burnout experiments were performed in an out-of-pile test rig which simulates the conditions of UO 2 irradiation rig in a hollow fuel element facility of the HIFAR reactor. One per cent of the coolant flow in the fuel element passed through the irradiation rig. A burnout heat flux of 90 W cm -2 was observed at the surface of an electrically-heated, dummy irradiation can. When the coolant flow rate in the irradiation rig was increased by a factor of 2.5, the burnout heat flux rose by 30 per cent to 117 W cm -2 . A simple modification to the supporting frame for the cans improved the burnout heat flux by 3 per cent at 1 per cent of the coolant flow, but enhanced it by 17 per cent at 2.5 per cent of the coolant flow. Of ten burnout events observed, eight were located upstream of the end of the heated length of the can. The burnout results form a self-consistent, credible set of data and provide a rational basis for the establishment of maximum permissible operating heat fluxes in irradiation rigs of the type simulated. Recommendations are made for the practical application of the results

  10. Development and operation of the Above Dome Inspection Rig (ADIR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickson, R.P.; Moorby, J.

    1984-01-01

    Hinkley Point 'B' is developing its remote inspection equipment in order to be able to inspect reactor internals adequately without manned vessel entry. The Above Dome Inspection Rig has been built to allow a number of inspection systems to be introduced and operated within the reactor. The ability to introduce, use and remove inspection equipment without the necessity to lift the rig from the reactor is a vital feature in the speed achieved in completing inspections quickly. Television was selected for the A.D.M. because it has significant advantages in terms of operational convenience. However the quality of image obtained in terms of information available compares unfavourably with photography. The sharpness of a photographic image is largely dictated by the chemical structure of the emulsion, whereas video is limited by the picture line structure and bandwidth. The need for a photographic system for in reactor use is therefore essential for high definition inspection requirements. The first inspection system that has been developed for the ADIR is the Telefilm camera. It consists of a Hasselblad photographic camera using an Insight television camera looking through its viewfinder. The characteristics of television and photography have been combined. (author)

  11. Unstable quantum states and rigged Hilbert spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorini, V.; Parravicini, G.

    1978-10-01

    Rigged Hilbert space techniques are applied to the quantum mechanical treatment of unstable states in nonrelativistic scattering theory. A method is discussed which is based on representations of decay amplitudes in terms of expansions over complete sets of generalized eigenvectors of the interacting Hamiltonian, corresponding to complex eigenvalues. These expansions contain both a discrete and a continuum contribution. The former corresponds to eigenvalues located at the second sheet poles of the S matrix, and yields the exponential terms in the survival amplitude. The latter arises from generalized eigenvectors associated to complex eigenvalues on background contours in the complex plane, and gives the corrections to the exponential law. 27 references

  12. Hydraulic lifter for an underwater drilling rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garan' ko, Yu L

    1981-01-15

    A hydraulic lifter is suggested for an underwater drilling rig. It includes a base, hydraulic cylinders for lifting the drilling pipes connected to the clamp holder and hydraulic distributor. In order to simplify the design of the device, the base is made with a hollow chamber connected to the rod cavities and through the hydraulic distributor to the cavities of the hydraulic cylinders for lifting the drilling pipes. The hydraulic distributor is connected to the hydrosphere through the supply valve with control in time or by remote control. The base is equipped with reverse valves whose outlets are on the support surface of the base.

  13. Coxsackievirus cloverleaf RNA containing a 5' triphosphate triggers an antiviral response via RIG-I activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qian Feng

    Full Text Available Upon viral infections, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs and stimulate an antiviral state associated with the production of type I interferons (IFNs and inflammatory markers. Type I IFNs play crucial roles in innate antiviral responses by inducing expression of interferon-stimulated genes and by activating components of the adaptive immune system. Although pegylated IFNs have been used to treat hepatitis B and C virus infections for decades, they exert substantial side effects that limit their use. Current efforts are directed toward the use of PRR agonists as an alternative approach to elicit host antiviral responses in a manner similar to that achieved in a natural infection. RIG-I is a cytosolic PRR that recognizes 5' triphosphate (5'ppp-containing RNA ligands. Due to its ubiquitous expression profile, induction of the RIG-I pathway provides a promising platform for the development of novel antiviral agents and vaccine adjuvants. In this study, we investigated whether structured RNA elements in the genome of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3, a picornavirus that is recognized by MDA5 during infection, could activate RIG-I when supplied with 5'ppp. We show here that a 5'ppp-containing cloverleaf (CL RNA structure is a potent RIG-I inducer that elicits an extensive antiviral response that includes induction of classical interferon-stimulated genes, as well as type III IFNs and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In addition, we show that prophylactic treatment with CVB3 CL provides protection against various viral infections including dengue virus, vesicular stomatitis virus and enterovirus 71, demonstrating the antiviral efficacy of this RNA ligand.

  14. Rig Technician: Apprenticeship Course Outline. Apprenticeship and Industry Training. 5211.1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, 2011

    2011-01-01

    The graduate of the Rig Technician apprenticeship program is a certified journeyperson who will be able to: (1) take responsibility for personal safety and the safety of others; (2) supervise, coach and train apprentices and floor hands; (3) perform the duties of a motorhand, derrickhand or driller; and (4) perform assigned tasks in accordance…

  15. Going deep : new generation of giant rigs extends drillers' reach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laverty Wilson, K.

    2001-01-01

    The Eirik Roude, an offshore super rig, arrived in Halifax Harbour from Florida in the summer 2001 for a retrofit before it is sent to work in the rugged environment offshore of Nova Scotia. The drilling platform is a joint venture between PanCanadian Petroleum and Ocean Rig. Is is the most technologically advanced and sophisticated deep water drilling platform in the world and can operate in 3,000 metre deep water for 365 days of the year. It is a fifth-generation semi-submersible rig. It floats on long legs that lower the centre of gravity below surface turbulence to provide a stable work platform even during Atlantic storms. The 110 metre long rig has three mud systems that store 593 cubic metres in mud pits, 1,260 cubic metres in pontoons, and can carry 26,140 barrels of fuel oil, 4,070 barrels of potable water and 13,210 barrels of drilling water. PanCanadian has provided $2 million to the Nova Scotia Community College to teach an appropriate curriculum for the required workforce. It is expected that 120 local workers will be recruited. PanCanadian plans to drill 3 or 4 offshore wells annually for the next 5 years. It is estimated that 700-800 workers will be on site at the peak of the retrofit. In addition, Marathon Oil has contracted the Smedvig-owned West Navion for Nova Scotia work. This vessel is designed to work in depths of up to 2,500 metres and can be upgraded to reach 3,000 metres. Its' dual handling capacity makes it suitable to do drilling and well completion simultaneously, thereby reducing the halts in operations and increasing the drilling efficiency. East Coast governments and trade associations are also committed to make the most of the offshore oil and gas revival, including the development of a petrochemical market. Their goal is to build a world class energy sector while protecting the environment and optimizing the financial, economic and social benefits to Nova Scotians. The Nova Scotia Benefits program requires that oil companies

  16. A drilling rig tower

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mironov, A.A.; Barashkov, V.A.; Bulgakov, E.S.; Kuldoshin, I.P.; Lebedev, A.I.; Papin, N.M.; Rebrik, B.M.; Sirotkin, N.V.

    1981-05-23

    Presentation is made of a drilling rig tower, comprising a gantry, a support shaft with a bracing strut and drawings out, and turn buckles. In order to increase the reliability of the tower in operation, to decrease the over all dimensions in a transport position, and to decrease the amount of time taken to transfer the tower from an operational position into a transportable one, and vice versa, the tower is equipped with a rotary frame made in the form of a triangular prism, whose lateral edges are connected by hinges: the first one with the lower part of the support shaft, the second with the gantry, and the third one to the upper part of the support shaft by means of the drawings out. The large boundary of the rotary frame is connected by a hinge to the support shaft by means of a bracing strut, which is equipped with a slide block connected to it by a hinge, and the rotary frame has a guide for the slide block reinforced to it on the large boundary. Besides this, the lateral edge of the rotary frame is connected to the gantry by means of turn buckles.

  17. Match Rigging and the Career Concerns of Referees

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Severgnini, Battista; Boeri, Tito

    2011-01-01

    This paper contributes to the literature on career concerns and corruption by drawing on extensive information on the performance of referees and records from Calciopoli, a judicial inquiry carried out in 2006 on corruption in the Italian football league. Unlike previous studies, we can analyse...... in detail the assignment of the referees to the most important matches, which is an important step in their career. Moreover, we can relate this choice to the performance of referees in previous matches and the evaluations they received in this context. We find that referees involved in match rigging were...

  18. Finite element calculation of fields around the end region of a turbine generator test rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eastham, J.F.; Rodger, D.; Lai, H.C.; Nouri, H. (Univ. of Bath (United Kingdom))

    1993-03-01

    Under transient conditions, most often caused by faults in the power system, unbalanced load is presented to a turbine generator. This gives rise to airgap fields which do not travel at the speed of the rotor, and cause induced currents which occur in the solid steel surface. This can cause high local heating. The current path is generally in the axial direction of the machine but the distribution in the end region is not so well known. Here, comparisons are drawn between the use of surface impedance elements and volume elements when modeling a test rig using the MEGA package. The test rig is representative of a turbine generator. The work is supported by practical measurements.

  19. Developmental test report, assessment of XT-70E percussion drill rig operation in tank farms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dougherty, L.F.

    1996-01-01

    The following report documents the testing of the XT-70E percussion drill rig for use in the 241-SX Tank Farm. The test is necessary to support evaluation of the safety and authorization level of the proposed activity of installing up to three new drywells in the 241- SX Tank Farm. The proposed activity plans to install drywells by percussion drilling 7 inch O.D./6 inch I.D. pipe in close proximity of underground storage tanks and associated equipment. The load transmitted from the drill rig's percussion hammer through the ground to the tank structure and equipment is not known and therefore testing is required to ensure the activity is safe and authorized

  20. A study of the modes of advancement of multiple drilling rigs and the influence of the inertial effects on the efficiency of the towers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karapetyan, K.V.

    1979-01-01

    Studied in a mathematical model with the use of experimental data obtained through a method of measurement filming is the process of advancement of a drilling rig and the inertial actions on the drilling equipment are determined. It is shown that the tower type rigs, the VM-41 may be safely advanced along with the package of drilling stands. For mast rigs, suitable for conditions of multiple drilling, the creation of special drive mechanisms with high travel smoothness is recommended.

  1. Overexpression of the transcription factor Sp1 activates the OAS-RNAse L-RIG-I pathway.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valéryane Dupuis-Maurin

    Full Text Available Deregulated expression of oncogenes or transcription factors such as specificity protein 1 (Sp1 is observed in many human cancers and plays a role in tumor maintenance. Paradoxically in untransformed cells, Sp1 overexpression induces late apoptosis but the early intrinsic response is poorly characterized. In the present work, we studied increased Sp1 level consequences in untransformed cells and showed that it turns on an early innate immune transcriptome. Sp1 overexpression does not activate known cellular stress pathways such as DNA damage response or endoplasmic reticulum stress, but induces the activation of the OAS-RNase L pathway and the generation of small self-RNAs, leading to the upregulation of genes of the antiviral RIG-I pathway at the transcriptional and translational levels. Finally, Sp1-induced intrinsic innate immune response leads to the production of the chemokine CXCL4 and to the recruitment of inflammatory cells in vitro and in vivo. Altogether our results showed that increased Sp1 level in untransformed cells constitutes a novel danger signal sensed by the OAS-RNase L axis leading to the activation of the RIG-I pathway. These results suggested that the OAS-RNase L-RIG-I pathway may be activated in sterile condition in absence of pathogen.

  2. Design and commission of an experimental test rig to apply a full-scale pressure load on composite sandwich panels representative of an aircraft secondary structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crump, D A; Dulieu-Barton, J M; Savage, J

    2010-01-01

    This paper describes the design of a test rig, which is used to apply a representative pressure load to a full-scale composite sandwich secondary aircraft structure. A generic panel was designed with features to represent those in the composite sandwich secondary aircraft structure. To provide full-field strain data from the panels, the test rig was designed for use with optical measurement techniques such as thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) and digital image correlation (DIC). TSA requires a cyclic load to be applied to a structure for the measurement of the strain state; therefore, the test rig has been designed to be mounted on a standard servo-hydraulic test machine. As both TSA and DIC require an uninterrupted view of the surface of the test panel, an important consideration in the design is facilitating the optical access for the two techniques. To aid the test rig design a finite element (FE) model was produced. The model provides information on the deflections that must be accommodated by the test rig, and ensures that the stress and strain levels developed in the panel when loaded in the test rig would be sufficient for measurement using TSA and DIC. Finally, initial tests using the test rig have shown it to be capable of achieving the required pressure and maintaining a cyclic load. It was also demonstrated that both TSA and DIC data can be collected from the panels under load, which are used to validate the stress and deflection derived from the FE model

  3. Ergonomic exposure on a drilling rig

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Carsten; Jensen, Chris

    . In a relatively old study on American drilling rigs it was indicated that lower back problems was a frequent cause of absence (Clemmer et al. 1991). Most of the incidents causing lower back injuries were associated with heavy lifting or pushing/pulling objects by roustabouts, floorhands, derrickmen and welders......, but for some of the most frequent problems, such as musculoskeletal problems, it is difficult to determine whether the causes are work‐related or not. As manual handling (lifting, pushing, etc.) in awkward body postures increase the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders, it should be expected that work......‐related health problems contribute to sickness absence in the offshore industry, if these working postures are common. However, also work‐related psychosocial factors, personal factors and other factors may contribute to the development of lower back disorders, which often have a multifactorial background...

  4. Overview of fuel testing capabilities at the OECD Halden reactor project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiesenack, W [Institutt for Atomenergi, Halden (Norway). OECD Halden Reaktor Projekt

    1994-12-31

    Fuel performance and reliability investigations at the OECD Haiden Reactor Project are described. They are supported by a variety of irradiation rigs, suitable irradiation techniques and a range of instrumentation. Testing capabilities and applications are mainly aimed at exploring mechanisms of fuel behaviour and high burnup. Examples of fuel performance taken from data provided by the Halden Project for the IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programme FUMEX are presented. A number of heavily instrumented rigs to suit different test objects have been developed: base irradiation rig, gas meter rig, diameter measurement rig, ramp rig, gas flow rig, instrumented fuel assembly. In core-measurements and variety of sensors as : fuel thermocouples, bellows pressure transducers, fuel stack elongation detectors, cladding diameter gauge and cladding elongation detectors have been used. Techniques which make it possible to obtain reliable data for all relevant burnups from beginning-of-life to ultra high exposure reaching 100 Mwd/kg UO{sub 2} are described. 7 figs., 3 refs.

  5. A Thrust Allocation Method for Efficient Dynamic Positioning of a Semisubmersible Drilling Rig Based on the Hybrid Optimization Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luman Zhao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A thrust allocation method was proposed based on a hybrid optimization algorithm to efficiently and dynamically position a semisubmersible drilling rig. That is, the thrust allocation was optimized to produce the generalized forces and moment required while at the same time minimizing the total power consumption under the premise that forbidden zones should be taken into account. An optimization problem was mathematically formulated to provide the optimal thrust allocation by introducing the corresponding design variables, objective function, and constraints. A hybrid optimization algorithm consisting of a genetic algorithm and a sequential quadratic programming (SQP algorithm was selected and used to solve this problem. The proposed method was evaluated by applying it to a thrust allocation problem for a semisubmersible drilling rig. The results indicate that the proposed method can be used as part of a cost-effective strategy for thrust allocation of the rig.

  6. Advisory expert system for test rig operator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zielczynski, P.

    1994-01-01

    The advisory expert system MAESTRO (Modular Advisory Expert System for Test Rig Operator) has been designed to guide the operator of large experimental installation during start-up, steady state and shut down. The installation is located in the research reactor MARIA in the Institute of Atomic Energy in Swierk, Poland. The system acquires and analyses on line signals from installation and performs two tasks in real time: leading the operator and monitoring of the installation (including signal validation). Systems tasks, architecture and knowledge representation concepts are described. The system is based on expert systems techniques what makes in phases of continuous change of process parameters and it has been achieved by special knowledge representation allowing its dynamical modification. (author). 147 refs, 42 figs, 5 tab

  7. Development on experimental VHTR instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakayama, N.; Ara, K.; Terada, H.; Yamagishi, H.; Tomoda, T.

    1982-06-01

    This paper describes developmental works on the instrumentation of the Experimental VHTR. In the area of the nuclear instrumentation for the reactor control, high temperature fission counter-chambers have been developed. These withstood the accelerated irradiation life tests at 600 deg. C, the long term in-reactor operating test at 600 deg. C and the 800 deg. C-operating tests for several hundred hours in a simulated accident condition. Platinum-Molybdenum alloy thermocouples have been studied as a neutron-irradiation-resistant high-temperature thermocouple for the in-core temperature distribution monitoring of the VHTR in the temperature range between 1000 deg. C and 1350 deg. C. The instability problems of the Pt-5% Mo/Pt-0.1% Mo thermocouple seem to be overcome by introducing a double sheath structure and adopting a better material to the inner sheath. A local failure and abnormality monitoring method for the HTR fuel is also studied using a gas-sweeping irradiation rig for the CPF compacts. This study aims mainly at the development of a method to compensate for the dependency of the FP-release rate on the fuel temperature, the neutron flux density, the burn-up and others, in order to increase the detection sensitivity of fuel failures. (author)

  8. Slant rigs offer big payoffs in shallow drilling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, J.; Edwards, B.

    1992-01-01

    Slant hole drilling technology can result in considerable savings over conventionally drilled deviated holes because mud motors and deviation control with measurement while drilling tools are usually unnecessary. The benefits of using slant hole rigs for development drilling improve after the bit walk tendencies and the correct bottom hole assemblies have been determined for a particular area. This article discusses three recent drilling operations that successfully used slant drilling technology on land-based projects: drilling for heavy oil in Alberta, drilling for gas in Alberta, and drilling a river crossing for a gas pipeline in British Columbia. These examples demonstrate the flexibility of slant drilling technology

  9. Practical calibration of design data to technical capabilities of horizontal directional drilling rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toropov, S. Yu; Toropov, V. S.

    2018-05-01

    In order to design more accurately trenchless pipeline passages, a technique has been developed for calculating the passage profile, based on specific parameters of the horizontal directional drilling rig, including the range of possible drilling angles and a list of compatible drill pipe sets. The algorithm for calculating the parameters of the trenchless passage profile is shown in the paper. This algorithm is based on taking into account the features of HDD technology, namely, three different stages of production. The authors take into account that the passage profile is formed at the first stage of passage construction, that is, when drilling a pilot well. The algorithm involves calculating the profile by taking into account parameters of the drill pipes used and angles of their deviation relative to each other during the pilot drilling. This approach allows us to unambiguously calibrate the designed profile for the HDD rig capabilities and the auxiliary and navigation equipment used in the construction process.

  10. Design of Seismic Test Rig for Control Rod Drive Mechanism of Jordan Research and Training Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Jongoh; Kim, Gyeongho; Yoo, Yeonsik; Cho, Yeonggarp; Kim, Jong In

    2014-01-01

    The reactor assembly is submerged in a reactor pool filled with water and its reactivity is controlled by locations of four control absorber rods(CARs) inside the reactor assembly. Each CAR is driven by a stepping motor installed at the top of the reactor pool and they are connected to each other by a tie rod and an electromagnet. The CARs scram the reactor by de-energizing the electromagnet in the event of a safe shutdown earthquake(SSE). Therefore, the safety function of the control rod drive mechanism(CRDM) which consists of a drive assembly, tie rod and CARs is to drop the CAR into the core within an appropriate time in case of the SSE. As well known, the operability for complex equipment such as the CRDM during an earthquake is very hard to be demonstrated by analysis and should be verified through tests. One of them simulates the reactor assembly and the guide tube of the CAR, and the other one does the pool wall where the drive assembly is installed. In this paper, design of the latter test rig and how the test is performed are presented. Initial design of the seismic test rig and excitation table had its first natural frequency at 16.3Hz and could not represent the environment where the CRDM was installed. Therefore, experimental modal analyses were performed and an FE model for the test rig and table was obtained and tuned based on the experimental results. Using the FE model, the design of the test rig and table was modified in order to have higher natural frequency than the cutoff frequency. The goal was achieved by changing its center of gravity and the stiffness of its sliding bearings

  11. Design of Seismic Test Rig for Control Rod Drive Mechanism of Jordan Research and Training Reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Jongoh; Kim, Gyeongho; Yoo, Yeonsik; Cho, Yeonggarp; Kim, Jong In [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    The reactor assembly is submerged in a reactor pool filled with water and its reactivity is controlled by locations of four control absorber rods(CARs) inside the reactor assembly. Each CAR is driven by a stepping motor installed at the top of the reactor pool and they are connected to each other by a tie rod and an electromagnet. The CARs scram the reactor by de-energizing the electromagnet in the event of a safe shutdown earthquake(SSE). Therefore, the safety function of the control rod drive mechanism(CRDM) which consists of a drive assembly, tie rod and CARs is to drop the CAR into the core within an appropriate time in case of the SSE. As well known, the operability for complex equipment such as the CRDM during an earthquake is very hard to be demonstrated by analysis and should be verified through tests. One of them simulates the reactor assembly and the guide tube of the CAR, and the other one does the pool wall where the drive assembly is installed. In this paper, design of the latter test rig and how the test is performed are presented. Initial design of the seismic test rig and excitation table had its first natural frequency at 16.3Hz and could not represent the environment where the CRDM was installed. Therefore, experimental modal analyses were performed and an FE model for the test rig and table was obtained and tuned based on the experimental results. Using the FE model, the design of the test rig and table was modified in order to have higher natural frequency than the cutoff frequency. The goal was achieved by changing its center of gravity and the stiffness of its sliding bearings.

  12. Analysis and modification of a single-mesh gear fatigue rig for use in diagnostic studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakrajsek, James J.; Townsend, Dennis P.; Oswald, Fred B.; Decker, Harry J.

    1992-01-01

    A single-mesh gear fatigue rig was analyzed and modified for use in gear mesh diagnostic research. The fatigue rig allowed unwanted vibration to mask the test-gear vibration signal, making it difficult to perform diagnostic studies. Several possible sources and factors contributing to the unwanted components of the vibration signal were investigated. Sensor mounting location was found to have a major effect on the content of the vibration signal. In the presence of unwanted vibration sources, modal amplification made unwanted components strong. A sensor location was found that provided a flatter frequency response. This resulted in a more useful vibration signal. A major network was performed on the fatigue rig to reduce the influence of the most probable sources of the noise in the vibration signal. The slave gears were machined to reduce weight and increase tooth loading. The housing and the shafts were modified to reduce imbalance, looseness, and misalignment in the rotating components. These changes resulted in an improved vibration signal, with the test-gear mesh frequency now the dominant component in the signal. Also, with the unwanted sources eliminated, the sensor mounting location giving the most robust representation of the test-gear meshing energy was found to be at a point close to the test gears in the load zone of the bearings.

  13. Computational Analysis of a South African Mobile Trailer-Type Medium Sized Tyre Test Rig

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Sharma, Shikar

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available To support the South African National Defence Force with their vehicle mobility needs, the CSIR has begun characterising tyres by using a medium, trailer-type, tyre test rig. Two different Pacejka tyre models were generated using two independent...

  14. 77 FR 23117 - Rigging Equipment for Material Handling Construction Standard; Correction and Technical Amendment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-18

    ... Equipment for Material Handling Construction Standard; Correction and Technical Amendment AGENCY... AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION Subpart H--Materials Handling, Storage, Use, and Disposal 0 1... amendment. SUMMARY: OSHA is correcting its sling standard for construction titled ``Rigging Equipment for...

  15. Time Demand and Radiation Dose in 3D-Fluoroscopy-based Navigation-assisted 3D-Fluoroscopy-controlled Pedicle Screw Instrumentations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balling, Horst

    2018-05-01

    Prospective single-center cohort study to record additional time requirements and radiation dose in navigation-assisted O-arm-controlled pedicle screw (PS) instrumentations. The aim of this study was to evaluate amount of extra-time and radiation dose for navigation-assisted PS instrumentations of the thoracolumbosacral spine using O-arm 3D-real-time-navigation (O3DN) compared to non-navigated spinal procedures (NNSPs) with a single C-arm and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan for controlling PS positions. 3D-navigation is reported to enhance PS insertion accuracy. But time-consuming navigational steps and considerable additional radiation doses seem to limit this modern technique's attraction. A detailed analysis of additional time demand and extra-radiation dose in 3D-navigated spine surgery is not provided in literature, yet. From February 2011 through July 2015, 306 consecutive posterior instrumentations were performed in vertebral levels T10-S1 using O3DN for PS insertion. The duration of procedure-specific navigational steps of the overall collective (I) and the last cohort of 50 consecutive O3DN-surgeries (II) was compared to the average duration of analogous surgical steps in 100 consecutive NNSP using a single C-arm. 3D-radiation dose (dose-length-product, DLP) of navigational and postinstrumentation O-arm scans in group I and II was compared to the average DLP of 100 diagnostic lumbar CT scans. The average presurgical time from patient positioning on the operating table to skin incision was 46.2 ± 10.1 minutes (O3DN, I) and 40.6 ± 9.8 minutes (O3DN, II) versus 30.6 ± 8.3 minutes (NNSP) (P demand of 13.0 minutes compared to NNSP, and with a total DLP below that of a diagnostic lumbar CT scan (P ≈ 0.81). 4.

  16. Investigating Knowledge Transfer Mechanisms for Oil Rigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vianello, Giovanna; Ahmed, Saeema

    2009-01-01

    It is widely recognized, both in industry and academia, that clear strategies in knowledge transfer positively influence the success of a firm. A firm should support the transfer of knowledge by standardizing communication channels within and across departments, based upon personalization......, codification or a combination of these two strategies. The characteristics of the business influence the choice of communication channels used for knowledge transfer. This paper presents a case study exploring the transfer of knowledge within and across projects, specifically the transfer of service knowledge...... in the case of complex machinery. The strategies used for knowledge transfer were analysed and compared with the expected transfer mechanisms, similarities and differences were investigated and are described. A family of four identical rigs for offshore drilling was the selected case. The transfer...

  17. Robotic instrumentation: Evolution and microsurgical applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sijo J Parekattil

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This article presents a review of the history and evolution of robotic instrumentation and its applications in urology. A timeline for the evolution of robotic instrumentation is presented to better facilitate an understanding of our current-day applications. Some new directions including robotic microsurgical applications (robotic assisted denervation of the spermatic cord for chronic orchialgia and robotic assisted vasectomy reversal are presented. There is a paucity of prospective comparative effectiveness studies for a number of robotic applications. However, right or wrong, human nature has always led to our infatuation with the concept of using tools to meet our needs. This chapter is a brief tribute to where we have come from and where we may be potentially heading in the field of robotic assisted urologic surgery.

  18. Instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muehllehner, G.; Colsher, J.G.

    1982-01-01

    This chapter reviews the parameters which are important to positron-imaging instruments. It summarizes the options which various groups have explored in designing tomographs and the methods which have been developed to overcome some of the limitations inherent in the technique as well as in present instruments. The chapter is not presented as a defense of positron imaging versus single-photon or other imaging modality, neither does it contain a description of various existing instruments, but rather stresses their common properties and problems. Design parameters which are considered are resolution, sampling requirements, sensitivity, methods of eliminating scattered radiation, random coincidences and attenuation. The implementation of these parameters is considered, with special reference to sampling, choice of detector material, detector ring diameter and shielding and variations in point spread function. Quantitation problems discussed are normalization, and attenuation and random corrections. Present developments mentioned are noise reduction through time-of-flight-assisted tomography and signal to noise improvements through high intrinsic resolution. Extensive bibliography. (U.K.)

  19. A durability test rig and methodology for erosion-resistant blade coatings in turbomachinery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leithead, Sean Gregory

    A durability test rig for erosion-resistant gas turbine engine compressor blade coatings was designed, completed and commissioned. Bare and coated 17-4PH steel V103-profile blades were rotated at up to 11500 rpm and impacted with Garnet sand for 5 hours at an average concentration of 2.51 gm3of air , at a blade leading edge Mach number of 0.50. The rig was determined to be an acceptable first stage axial compressor representation. Two types of 16 microm-thick coatings were tested: Titanium Nitride (TiN) and Chromium-Aluminum-Titanium Nitride (CrAlTiN), both applied using an Arc Physical Vapour Deposition technique at the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. A Leithead-Allan-Zhao (LAZ) score was created to compare the durability performance of uncoated and coated blades based on mass-loss and blade dimension changes. The bare blades' LAZ score was set as a benchmark of 1.00. The TiN-coated and CrAlTiN-coated blades obtained LAZ scores of 0.69 and 0.41, respectively. A lower score meant a more erosion-resistant coating. Major modes of blade wear included: trailing edge, leading edge and the rear suction surface. Trailing edge thickness was reduced, the leading edge became blunt, and the rear suction surface was scrubbed by overtip and recirculation zone vortices. It was found that the erosion effects of vortex flow were significant. Erosion damage due to reflected particles was not present due to the low blade solidity of 0.7. The rig is best suited for studying the performance of erosion-resistant coatings after they are proven effective in ASTM standardized testing. Keywords: erosion, compressor, coatings, turbomachinery, erosion rate, blade, experimental, gas turbine engine

  20. Computer-Aided Instruction in Automated Instrumentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephenson, David T.

    1986-01-01

    Discusses functions of automated instrumentation systems, i.e., systems which combine electrical measuring instruments and a controlling computer to measure responses of a unit under test. The computer-assisted tutorial then described is programmed for use on such a system--a modern microwave spectrum analyzer--to introduce engineering students to…

  1. Control of two-phase erosion corrosion with the amine 5-aminopentanol: rig and plant trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, G.G.; Greene, J.C.; Tyldesley, J.D.; Wetton, E.A.M.; Fountain, M.J.

    1994-01-01

    Control of two-phase erosion corrosion in the once through mild steel boilers of the gas cooled nuclear power station at Wylfa was achieved by using the amine 2-amino, 2 methylpropan-1-ol (AMP). In a search to find a more cost effective amine, 5-aminopentanol (5-AP) emerged, from a laboratory based programme to determine basicity and volatility, as the most promising candidate. The effectiveness of 5-AP in controlling erosion corrosion was demonstrated in a rig test, carried out on a full scale replica of a Wylfa boiler tube. Following on from the rig test, a plant trial at Wylfa PS demonstrated 5-AP's superior thermal stability (compared to AMP). It also provided confirmation that the laboratory generated data on basicity and volatility was applicable to plant and hence also the accuracy of the figures for predicted amine usage. (orig.)

  2. Multicentre survey of radiologically inserted gastrostomy feeding tube (RIG) in the UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowe, A.S.; Laasch, H.U.; Stephenson, S.; Butterfield, C.; Goodwin, M.; Kay, C.L.; Glancy, S.; Jackson, S.; Brown, D.; McLean, P.; Keanie, J.; Thrower, A.; Briggs, R.; Punekar, S.; Krishnan, S.; Thomas, B.; Yap, K.; Mullan, D.; Maskell, G.; Hancock, J.

    2012-01-01

    Aims: To evaluate the variance in current UK clinical practice and clinical outcomes for direct percutaneous radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG). Materials and methods: A prospective UK multicentre survey of RIG performed between October 2008 and August 2010 was performed through the British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (BSGAR). Results: Data from 684 patients were provided by 45 radiologists working at 17 UK centres. Two hundred and sixty-three cases (40%) were performed with loop-retained catheters, and 346 (53%) with balloon-retained devices. Sixty percent of all patients experienced pain in the first 24 h, but settled in the majority thereafter. Early complications, defined as occurring in the first 24 h, included minor bleeding (1%), wound infection (3%), peritonism (2%), and tube misplacement (1%). Late complications, defined as occurring between day 2 and day 30 post-procedure, included mild pain (30%), persisting peritonism (2%), and 30 day mortality of 1% (5/665). Pre-procedural antibiotics or anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prophylaxis did not affect the rate of wound infection, peritonitis, post-procedural pain, or mortality. Ninety-three percent of cases were performed using gastropexy. Gastropexy decreased post-procedural pain (p < 0.001), but gastropexy-related complications occurred in 5% of patients. However, post-procedure pain increased with the number of gastropexy sutures used (p < 0.001). The use of gastropexy did not affect the overall complication rate or mortality. Post-procedure pain increased significantly as tube size increased (p < 0.001). The use of balloon-retention feeding tubes was associated with more pain than the deployment of loop-retention devices (p < 0.001). Conclusion: RIG is a relatively safe procedure with a mortality of 1%, with or without gastropexy. Pain is the commonest complication. The use of gastropexy, fixation dressing or skin sutures, smaller tube sizes, and

  3. Steam 80 steam generator instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carson, W.H.; Harris, H.H.

    1980-01-01

    This paper describes two special instrumentation packages in an integral economizer (preheater) steam generator of one of the first System 80 plants scheduled to go into commercial operation. The purpose of the instrumentation is to obtain accurate operating information from regions of the secondary side of the steam generator inaccessible to normal plant instrumentation. In addition to verification of the System 80 steam generator design predictions, the data obtained will assist in verification of steam generator thermal/hydraulic computer codes developed for generic use in the industry

  4. Instrumentation for Nuclear Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The objective of this project was to develop and coordinate nuclear instrumentation standards with resulting economies for the nuclear and radiation fields. There was particular emphasis on coordination and management of the Nuclear Instrument Module (NIM) System, U.S. activity involving the CAMAC international standard dataway system, the FASTBUS modular high-speed data acquisition and control system and processing and management of national nuclear instrumentation and detector standards, as well as a modest amount of assistance and consultation services to the Pollutant Characterization and Safety Research Division of the Office of Health and Environmental Research. The principal accomplishments were the development and maintenance of the NIM instrumentation system that is the predominant instrumentation system in the nuclear and radiation fields worldwide, the CAMAC digital interface system in coordination with the ESONE Committee of European Laboratories, the FASTBUS high-speed system and numerous national and international nuclear instrumentation standards

  5. Advanced Instrumentation for Measuring Fluid-Structure Coupling Phenomena in the Guide Vanes Cascade of a Pump-Turbine Scale Model

    OpenAIRE

    Roth, Steven; Hasmatuchi, Vlad; Botero, Francisco; Farhat, Mohamed; Avellan, François

    2010-01-01

    In the present study, the fluid-structure coupling is investigated in the guide vanes of a pump-turbine scale model placed in one of the test rigs of the Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines (EPFL) in Lausanne. The paper focuses on the advanced instrumentation used to get reliable and complete fluid-structure coupling results. Semi-conductor strain gages are installed on three guide vanes which are especially weakened to account for stronger fluid-structure coupling phenomena. These are statical...

  6. An Integrated Instrumentation System for Velocity, Concentration and Mass Flow Rate Measurement of Solid Particles Based on Electrostatic and Capacitance Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Li

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The online and continuous measurement of velocity, concentration and mass flow rate of pneumatically conveyed solid particles for the high-efficiency utilization of energy and raw materials has become increasingly significant. In this paper, an integrated instrumentation system for the velocity, concentration and mass flow rate measurement of dense phase pneumatically conveyed solid particles based on electrostatic and capacitance sensorsis developed. The electrostatic sensors are used for particle mean velocity measurement in combination with the cross-correlation technique, while the capacitance sensor with helical surface-plate electrodes, which has relatively homogeneous sensitivity distribution, is employed for the measurement of particle concentration and its capacitance is measured by an electrostatic-immune AC-based circuit. The solid mass flow rate can be further calculated from the measured velocity and concentration. The developed instrumentation system for velocity and concentration measurement is verified and calibrated on a pulley rig and through static experiments, respectively. Finally the system is evaluated with glass beads on a gravity-fed rig. The experimental results demonstrate that the system is capable of the accurate solid mass flow rate measurement, and the relative error is within −3%–8% for glass bead mass flow rates ranging from 0.13 kg/s to 0.9 kg/s.

  7. Structural Analysis of the Resident Assistant Cultural Diversity Questionnaire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Vanessa D.; Kang, Young-Shin; Thompson, George F.

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the five-factor structure of the Resident Assistant Cultural Diversity (RACD) instrument, which assesses resident assistant (RA) confidence in addressing issues of cultural diversity in college and university residence halls. The instrument has five components that explore RA confidence: (1) belief in the need for cultural…

  8. Westinghouse says cartel rigged U.S. uranium market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1976-01-01

    On Oct. 15, 1976, Westinghouse filed a complaint in Federal court in Chicago charging that 29 U.S. and foreign uranium producers damaged Westinghouse by illegally rigging the uranium market; they also link the Atomic Industrial Forum to the U.S. activities of this cartel. Background information is presented for the charge, which has become the focal point of Westinghouse's defense against the uranium supply breach of contract suits filed against the firm by 27 electric utilities (3 filed in county court in Pittsburgh, 24 jointly in Federal court in Virginia). Westinghouse attorneys say that most of the evidence they have shows the existence of a cartel in the past, but they hope to show it is still operating in the U.S

  9. Development and Initial Testing of the Tiltrotor Test Rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acree, C. W., Jr.; Sheikman, A. L.

    2018-01-01

    The NASA Tiltrotor Test Rig (TTR) is a new, large-scale proprotor test system, developed jointly with the U.S. Army and Air Force, to develop a new, large-scale proprotor test system for the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC). The TTR is designed to test advanced proprotors up to 26 feet in diameter at speeds up to 300 knots, and even larger rotors at lower airspeeds. This combination of size and speed is unprecedented and is necessary for research into 21st-century tiltrotors and other advanced rotorcraft concepts. The TTR will provide critical data for validation of state-of-the-art design and analysis tools.

  10. Design and manufacturing of non-instrumented capsule for advanced PWR fuel pellet irradiation test in HANARO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, D. H.; Lee, C. B.; Song, K. W. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea)

    2002-04-01

    This project is preparing to irradiation test of the developed large grain UO{sub 2} fuel pellet in HANARO for pursuit fuel safety and high burn-up in 'Advanced LWR Fuel Technology Development Project' as a part Nuclear Mid and Long-term R and D Program. On the basis test rod is performed the nuclei property and preliminary fuel performance analysis, test rod and non-instrumented capsule are designed and manufactured for irradiation test in HANARO. This non-instrumented irradiation capsule of Advanced PWR Fuel pellet was referred the non-instrumented capsule for an irradiation test of simulated DUPIC fuel in HANARO(DUPIC Rig-001) and 18-element HANARO fuel, was designed to ensure the integrity and the endurance of non-instrumented capsule during the long term(2.5 years) irradiation. To irradiate the UO{sub 2} pellets up to the burn-up 70 MWD/kgU, need the time about 60 months and ensure the integrity of non-instrumented capsule for 30 months until replace the new capsule. This non-instrumented irradiation capsule will be based to develope the non-instrumented capsule for the more long term irradiation in HANARO. 22 refs., 13 figs., 5 tabs. (Author)

  11. Development Of Test Rig System For Calibration Of Temperature Sensing Fabric

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Husain Muhammad Dawood

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available A test rig is described, for the measurement of temperature and resistance parameters of a Temperature Sensing Fabric (TSF for calibration purpose. The equipment incorporated a temperature-controlled hotplate, two copper plates, eight thermocouples, a temperature data-logger and a four-wire high-resolution resistance measuring multimeter. The copper plates were positioned above and below the TSF and in physical contact with its surfaces, so that a uniform thermal environment might be provided. The temperature of TSF was estimated by the measurement of temperature profiles of the two copper plates. Temperature-resistance graphs were created for all the tests, which were carried out over the range of 20 to 50°C, and they showed that the temperature and resistance values were not only repeatable but also reproducible, with only minor variations. The comparative analysis between the temperature-resistance test data and the temperature-resistance reference profile showed that the error in estimation of temperature of the sensing element was less than ±0.2°C. It was also found that the rig not only provided a stable and homogenous thermal environment but also offered the capability of accurately measuring the temperature and resistance parameters. The Temperature Sensing Fabric is suitable for integration into garments for continuous measurement of human body temperature in clinical and non-clinical settings.

  12. A method for assemblying support columns for a floating drill rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sheremetyev, D N; Kutnyakov, M I; Lobayev, S F

    1984-01-01

    The patent covers a method for assembling support columns for a floating drill rig, in which the first section of the support column is fed into a lifting and lowering device of the floating drill rig from above, while the subsequent sections are fed by means of a ballasted pontoon and winches from the bottom side into a notch in the body of the platform. In order to simplify assembly by increasing the precision of orientation when feeding the sections of the support columns into the notch in the body of the platform, guide retainers are installed in the first section of the support column, rope links are passed through them, some ends of which are attached to the drums of the cited winches, while the others are attached to the section fed from the bottom. Then the pontoon with the section fed from the bottom of the platform is balanced on the rope links, taking up the slack by means of the referenced winches, after which the lifting and lowering devices is used to lower the first section of the support column until it interfaces with the section fed from the bottom. The rope links are locked in the guide retainers and the abutted sections are lifted to the assembly zone by means of the lift and lowering device.

  13. A thermal-hydraulic test rig for advanced fast reactor fuel assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rapier, A.C.

    1989-03-01

    A new design of fast reactor fuel assemblies has been proposed in which the pins are supported in grids attached to the wrapper by flexible skirts. Coolant mixing is enhanced by the skirts diverting flow into the cluster of pins at each grid. There are insufficient empirical data available for the detailed design of the skirt or for the input to computer calculations of flow and heat transfer. A test rig to provide these data has been designed and built. (author)

  14. Instrument-assisted cross-fiber massage accelerates knee ligament healing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loghmani, M Terry; Warden, Stuart J

    2009-07-01

    Controlled laboratory study. To investigate the effects of instrument-assisted cross-fiber massage (IACFM) on tissue-level healing of knee medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries. Ligament injuries are common and significant clinical problems for which there are few established interventions. IACFM represents an intervention that may mediate tissue-level healing following ligament injury. Bilateral knee MCL injuries were created in 51 rodents, while 7 rodents were maintained as ligament-intact, control animals. IACFM was commenced 1 week following injury and introduced 3 sessions per week for 1 minute per session. IACFM was introduced unilaterally (IACFM-treated), with the contralateral, injured MCL serving as an internal control (nontreated). Thirty-one injured animals received 9 ACFM treatments, while the remaining 20 injured animals received 30 treatments. Ligament biomechanical properties and morphology were assessed at either 4 or 12 weeks postinjury. IACFM-treated ligaments were 43.1% stronger (P<.05), 39.7% stiffer (P<.01), and could absorb 57.1% more energy before failure (P<.05) than contralateral, injured, nontreated ligaments at 4 weeks postinjury. On histological and scanning electron microscopy assessment, IACFM-treated ligaments appeared to have improved collagen fiber bundle formation and orientation within the scar region than nontreated ligaments. There were minimal differences between IACFM-treated and contralateral, nontreated ligaments at 12 weeks postinjury, although IACFM-treated ligaments were 15.4% stiffer (P<.05). IACFM-accelerated ligament healing, possibly via favorable effects on collagen formation and organization, but had minimal effect on the final outcome of healing. These findings are clinically interesting, as there are few established interventions for ligament injuries, and IACFM is a simple and practical therapy technique. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2009;39(7):506-514, Epub 24 February 2009. doi:10.2519/jospt.2009.2997.

  15. [Treatment of multi-segment fracture of complex femoral shaft with instrument-assisted reduction combined with intramedullary interlocking nail fixation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Ke-Jie; Chen, Ke; Ma, Wen-Long; Tian, Ke-Wei; Ye, Ye; Chen, Hong-Gan; Tang, Yan-Feng; Cai, Hong-Min

    2018-05-25

    To investigate the effect of minimally invasive mini-incision and instrumented reduction combined with interlocking intramedullary nailing in the treatment of patients with multi-segment fracture of complex femoral shaft. From January 2013 to January 2016, 32 patients with multiple fractures segments of femoral shaft were treated with instrumentation-assisted reduction combined with interlocking intramedullary nailing, including 22 males and 10 females with an average age of 45 years old ranging 17 to 68 years old. The time from injured to operation was 5 to 10 days with an average of 7 days. After admission, routine tibial tubercle or supracondylar bone traction was performed. The patient's general condition was evaluated, the operation time and intraoperative blood loss were recorded. According to Thorsen femoral fracture morphology evaluation criteria and Hohl knee function evaluation of postoperative efficacy, postoperative fracture healing, complications and postoperative recovery of limb function were observed. All patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months with an average of 12 months. The operative time ranged from 48 to 76 minutes with an average of 67 min. The intraoperative blood loss was 150 to 400 ml with an average of 220 ml. The surgical incisions all achieved grade A healing. The fractures reached the clinical standard of healing. The fracture healing time ranged from 4.2 to 10.8 months with an average of 5.7 months. There were no nonunion, incision infection and internal fixation fracture, failure and other complications. According to Thorsen femoral fracture morphology evaluation criteria, the result was excellent in 28 cases, good in 3 cases, fair in 1 case. According to Hohl knee function evaluation criteria, the result was excellent in 30 cases, good in 2 cases. Instrument-assisted reduction combined with interlocking intramedullary nail fixation is a safe and effective method for the treatment of complex femoral shaft fractures. It has

  16. Investigation of intracochlear dual actuator stimulation in a scaled test rig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van Drunen Wouter J.

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available For patients suffering from profound hearing loss or deafness still having respectable residual hearing in the low frequency range, the combination of a hearing aid with a cochlear implant results in the best quality of hearing perception (EAS – electric acoustic stimulation. In order to optimize EAS, ongoing research focusses on the integration of these stimuli in a single implant device. Within this study, the performance of piezoelectric actuators, particularly the dual actuator stimulation, in a scaled uncoiled test rig was investigated.

  17. Experimental Analysis of Mast Lifting and Bending Forces on Vibration Patterns Before and After Pinion Reinstallation in an OH-58 Transmission Test Rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huff, Edward M.; Lewicki, David G.; Tumer, Irem Y.; Decker, Harry; Barszez, Eric; Zakrajsek, James J.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    As part of a collaborative research program between NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), and the US Army Laboratory, a series of experiments is being performed in GRC's 500 HP OH-58 Transmission Test Rig facility and ARC's AH-I Cobra and OH-58c helicopters. The findings reported in this paper were drawn from Phase-I of a two-phase test-rig experiment, and are focused on the vibration response of an undamaged pinion gear operating in the transmission test rig. To simulate actual flight conditions, the transmission system was run at three torque levels, as well as two mast lifting and two mast bending levels. The test rig was also subjected to disassembly and reassembly of the main pinion housing to simulate the effect of maintenance operations. An analysis of variance based on the total power of the spectral distribution indicates the relative effect of each experimental factor, including Wong interactions with torque. Reinstallation of the main pinion assembly is shown to introduce changes in the vibration signature, suggesting the possibility of a strong effect of maintenance on HUMS design and use. Based on these results, further research will be conducted to compare these vibration responses with actual OH58c helicopter transmission vibration patterns.

  18. "Fan-Tip-Drive" High-Power-Density, Permanent Magnet Electric Motor and Test Rig Designed for a Nonpolluting Aircraft Propulsion Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Gerald V.; Kascak, Albert F.

    2004-01-01

    A scaled blade-tip-drive test rig was designed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The rig is a scaled version of a direct-current brushless motor that would be located in the shroud of a thrust fan. This geometry is very attractive since the allowable speed of the armature is approximately the speed of the blade tips (Mach 1 or 1100 ft/s). The magnetic pressure generated in the motor acts over a large area and, thus, produces a large force or torque. This large force multiplied by the large velocity results in a high-power-density motor.

  19. Investigation of Spiral Bevel Gear Condition Indicator Validation via AC-29-2C Combining Test Rig Damage Progression Data with Fielded Rotorcraft Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dempsey, Paula J.

    2015-01-01

    This is the final of three reports published on the results of this project. In the first report, results were presented on nineteen tests performed in the NASA Glenn Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue Test Rig on spiral bevel gear sets designed to simulate helicopter fielded failures. In the second report, fielded helicopter HUMS data from forty helicopters were processed with the same techniques that were applied to spiral bevel rig test data. Twenty of the forty helicopters experienced damage to the spiral bevel gears, while the other twenty helicopters had no known anomalies within the time frame of the datasets. In this report, results from the rig and helicopter data analysis will be compared for differences and similarities in condition indicator (CI) response. Observations and findings using sub-scale rig failure progression tests to validate helicopter gear condition indicators will be presented. In the helicopter, gear health monitoring data was measured when damage occurred and after the gear sets were replaced at two helicopter regimes. For the helicopters or tails, data was taken in the flat pitch ground 101 rotor speed (FPG101) regime. For nine tails, data was also taken at 120 knots true airspeed (120KTA) regime. In the test rig, gear sets were tested until damage initiated and progressed while gear health monitoring data and operational parameters were measured and tooth damage progression documented. For the rig tests, the gear speed was maintained at 3500RPM, a one hour run-in was performed at 4000 in-lb gear torque, than the torque was increased to 8000 in-lbs. The HUMS gear condition indicator data evaluated included Figure of Merit 4 (FM4), Root Mean Square (RMS) or Diagnostic Algorithm 1(DA1), + 3 Sideband Index (SI3) and + 1 Sideband Index (SI1). These were selected based on their sensitivity in detecting contact fatigue damage modes from analytical, experimental and historical helicopter data. For this report, the helicopter dataset was reduced to

  20. Robot-assisted general surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazey, Jeffrey W; Melvin, W Scott

    2004-06-01

    With the initiation of laparoscopic techniques in general surgery, we have seen a significant expansion of minimally invasive techniques in the last 16 years. More recently, robotic-assisted laparoscopy has moved into the general surgeon's armamentarium to address some of the shortcomings of laparoscopic surgery. AESOP (Computer Motion, Goleta, CA) addressed the issue of visualization as a robotic camera holder. With the introduction of the ZEUS robotic surgical system (Computer Motion), the ability to remotely operate laparoscopic instruments became a reality. US Food and Drug Administration approval in July 2000 of the da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) further defined the ability of a robotic-assist device to address limitations in laparoscopy. This includes a significant improvement in instrument dexterity, dampening of natural hand tremors, three-dimensional visualization, ergonomics, and camera stability. As experience with robotic technology increased and its applications to advanced laparoscopic procedures have become more understood, more procedures have been performed with robotic assistance. Numerous studies have shown equivalent or improved patient outcomes when robotic-assist devices are used. Initially, robotic-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy was deemed safe, and now robotics has been shown to be safe in foregut procedures, including Nissen fundoplication, Heller myotomy, gastric banding procedures, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. These techniques have been extrapolated to solid-organ procedures (splenectomy, adrenalectomy, and pancreatic surgery) as well as robotic-assisted laparoscopic colectomy. In this chapter, we review the evolution of robotic technology and its applications in general surgical procedures.

  1. Construction of rigged Hilbert spaces to describe resonances and virtual states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gadella, M.

    1983-01-01

    In the present communication we present a mathematical formalism for the description of resonances and virtual states. We start by constructing rigged Hilbert spaces of Hardy class functions restricted to the positive half of the real line. Then resonances and virtual states can be written as generalized eigenvectors of the total Hamiltonian. We also define time evolution on functionals. We see that the time evolution group U(t) splits into two semigroups, one for t > 0 and the other for t < 0, hence showing the irreversibility of the decaying process

  2. Construction of rigged Hilbert spaces to describe resonances and virtual states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gadella, M.

    1984-01-01

    In the present communication we present a mathematical formalism for the description of resonances and virtual states. We start by constructing rigged Hilbert spaces of Hardy class functions restricted to the positive half of the real line. Then resonances and virtual states can be written as generalized eigenvectors of the total Hamiltonian. We also define time evolution on functionals. We see that the time evolution group U(t) splits into two semigroups, one for t>0 and the other for t<0, hence showing the irreversibility of the decaying process. (orig.)

  3. Dynamic Investigation Test-rig on hAptics (DITA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cannella, F; Olivieri, E; Caldwell, D G; Scalise, L; Memeo, M

    2013-01-01

    Research on tactile sensitivity has been conducted since the last century and many devices have been proposed to study in detail this sense through experimental tests. The sense of touch is essential in every-day life of human beings, but it can also play a fundamental role for the assessment of some neurological disabilities and pathologies. In fact, the level of tactile perception can provide information on the health state of the nervous system. In this paper, authors propose the design and development of a novel test apparatus, named DITA (Dynamic Investigation Test-rig on hAptics), aiming to provide the measurement of the tactile sensitivity trough the determination of the Just Noticeable Difference (JND) curve of a subject. The paper reports the solution adopted for the system design and the results obtained on the set of experiments carried out on volunteers

  4. Effect of power-assisted hand-rim wheelchair propulsion on shoulder load in experienced wheelchair users: A pilot study with an instrumented wheelchair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kloosterman, Marieke G M; Buurke, Jaap H; de Vries, Wiebe; Van der Woude, Lucas H V; Rietman, Johan S

    2015-10-01

    This study aims to compare hand-rim and power-assisted hand-rim propulsion on potential risk factors for shoulder overuse injuries: intensity and repetition of shoulder loading and force generation in the extremes of shoulder motion. Eleven experienced hand-rim wheelchair users propelled an instrumented wheelchair on a treadmill while upper-extremity kinematic, kinetic and surface electromyographical data was collected during propulsion with and without power-assist. As a result during power-assisted propulsion the peak resultant force exerted at the hand-rim decreased and was performed with significantly less abduction and internal rotation at the shoulder. At shoulder level the anterior directed force and internal rotation and flexion moments decreased significantly. In addition, posterior and the minimal inferior directed forces and the external rotation moment significantly increased. The stroke angle decreased significantly, as did maximum shoulder flexion, extension, abduction and internal rotation. Stroke-frequency significantly increased. Muscle activation in the anterior deltoid and pectoralis major also decreased significantly. In conclusion, compared to hand-rim propulsion power-assisted propulsion seems effective in reducing potential risk factors of overuse injuries with the highest gain on decreased range of motion of the shoulder joint, lower peak propulsion force on the rim and reduced muscle activity. Copyright © 2015 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Framing of mobility items: a source of poor agreement between preference-based health-related quality of life instruments in a population of individuals receiving assisted ventilation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannan, Liam M; Whitehurst, David G T; Bryan, Stirling; Road, Jeremy D; McDonald, Christine F; Berlowitz, David J; Howard, Mark E

    2017-06-01

    To explore the influence of descriptive differences in items evaluating mobility on index scores generated from two generic preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments. The study examined cross-sectional data from a postal survey of individuals receiving assisted ventilation in two state/province-wide home mechanical ventilation services, one in British Columbia, Canada and the other in Victoria, Australia. The Assessment of Quality of Life 8-dimension (AQoL-8D) and the EQ-5D-5L were included in the data collection. Graphical illustrations, descriptive statistics, and measures of agreement [intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots] were examined using index scores derived from both instruments. Analyses were performed on the full sample as well as subgroups defined according to respondents' self-reported ability to walk. Of 868 individuals receiving assisted ventilation, 481 (55.4%) completed the questionnaire. Mean index scores were 0.581 (AQoL-8D) and 0.566 (EQ-5D-5L) with 'moderate' agreement demonstrated between the two instruments (ICC = 0.642). One hundred fifty-nine (33.1%) reported level 5 ('I am unable to walk about') on the EQ-5D-5L Mobility item. The walking status of respondents had a marked influence on the comparability of index scores, with a larger mean difference (0.206) and 'slight' agreement (ICC = 0.386) observed when the non-ambulant subgroup was evaluated separately. This study provides further evidence that between-measure discrepancies between preference-based HRQoL instruments are related in part to the framing of mobility-related items. Longitudinal studies are necessary to determine the responsiveness of preference-based HRQoL instruments in cohorts that include non-ambulant individuals.

  6. An Experimental Study on Dynamics of a Novel Dual-Belt Continuous Variable Transmission Based on a Newly Developed Test Rig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pak Kin Wong

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel dual-belt Van Doorne’s continuous variable transmission (DBVCVT system, which is applicable to heavy-duty vehicles, has been previously proposed by the authors in order to improve the low torque capacity of traditional single-belt CVT. This DBVCVT is a novel design among continuously variable transmissions and is necessary to be prototyped for experimental study, and the analytical dynamic model for this DBVCVT also needs to be experimentally validated. So, this work originally fabricated a prototype of DBVCVT and integrates this prototype to a light-load hardware-in-the-loop test rig by replacing the engine and load equipment with the AC motor and magnetic powder dynamometer. Moreover, with the use of this newly developed test rig, this work implements the experimental study of this DBVCVT for the first time. The comparison of experimental and simulation results validates the previously proposed analytical model for DBVCVT, and some basic characteristics of the DBVCVT in terms of the reliability, speed ratio, and transmission efficiency are also experimentally studied. In all, this developed test rig with the analytical model lays the foundation for further study on this novel DBVCVT.

  7. RIG-I Like Receptors in Antiviral Immunity and Therapeutic Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Gale Jr.

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The RNA helicase family of RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs is a key component of host defense mechanisms responsible for detecting viruses and triggering innate immune signaling cascades to control viral replication and dissemination. As cytoplasm-based sensors, RLRs recognize foreign RNA in the cell and activate a cascade of antiviral responses including the induction of type I interferons, inflammasome activation, and expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. This review provides a brief overview of RLR function, ligand interactions, and downstream signaling events with an expanded discussion on the therapeutic potential of targeting RLRs for immune stimulation and treatment of virus infection.

  8. Technical specification for IR rig manufacture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han Hyon Soo; Cho, W. K.; Kim, S. D.; Park, U. J.; Hong, S. B.; Yoo, K. M

    2000-10-01

    IR Rig is one of the equipments are required in HANARO core for a radioisotope target. The various conditions like high radiation, high heat, rapid flow and vibration may cause swelling, Brittleness and acceleration of corrosion in HANARO core. These specific problems can be prevented and the safety of such equipment are prerequisite as well as durableness and surveillance. Therefore, the selection of material has to be made on the basis of small cross-section area, low energy emission by the gamma ray due to the absorption of neutron and short half life. The body is consist of aluminum and Inconel-750 was used for the internal spring(coil) which is known to be durable. The whole production process including the purchase of accessory, mechanical processing, welding and assembly was carried out according to the standard procedure to meet the requirement. A design, manufacture, utilization of reactor core and the other relevant uses were fit to class ''T'' to certify the whole process as general. And design, fabrication, analytical test, materials and accessory were carried out based on the ASME, ASTM, ANSI, AWS, JIS and KS standard.

  9. 12 CFR 1805.402 - Assistance limits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM Investment Instruments § 1805.402 Assistance limits. (a... Affiliates during any three-year period. (b) If an Awardee proposes to establish a new Affiliate to serve an..., currently served by the Awardee or its Affiliates, the Awardee may receive additional assistance pursuant to...

  10. Influence of instrument conditions on the evaporation behavior of uranium dioxide with UV laser-assisted atom probe tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-01-01

    Atom probe tomography (APT) provides the ability to detect subnanometer chemical variations spatially with high accuracy. Due to its ability to spatially characterize chemistry in non-conducting materials, such as oxides, provides the opportunity to characterize stoichiometry, which strongly is tied to material performance. However, accuracy has been correlated with instrument run parameters. A systematic study of the effect of laser energy, temperature, and detection rate is performed on the evaporation behavior of a model oxide, uranium dioxide (UO 2 ). Modifying the detection rate and temperature did not affect its evaporation behavior as laser energy. It was discovered that three laser evaporation regimes are present in UO 2 . Very low laser energy produces a behavior similar to DC-field evaporation, moderate laser energy produces the desired laser assisted field evaporation and high laser energy produces thermal effects in the evaporation behavior. Laser energy had the greatest impact on evaporation and the optimal instrument condition for UO 2 was determined to be 50K, 10 pJ laser energy, 0.3% detection rate, and a 100 kHz repetition rate. These conditions provide the best combination of mass resolution, accurate stoichiometry, and evaporation behavior.

  11. TRAC-PF1/MOD3 calculations of Savannah River Laboratory Rig FA single-annulus heated experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, S.R.; McDaniel, C.K.

    1992-01-01

    This paper presents the results of TRAC-PF1/MOD3 benchmarks of the Rig FA experiments performed at the Savannah River Laboratory to simulate prototypic reactor fuel assembly behavior over a range of fluid conditions typical of the emergency cooling system (ECS) phase of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). The primary purpose of this work was to use the SRL Rig FA tests to qualify the TRAC-PF1/MOD3 computer code and models for computing Mark-22 fuel assembly LOCA/ECS power limits. This qualification effort was part of a larger effort undertaken by the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy to independently confirm power limits for the Savannah River Site K Reactor. The results of this benchmark effort as discussed in this paper demonstrate that TRAC/PF1/MOD3 coupled with proper modeling is capable of simulating thermal-hydraulic phenomena typical of that encountered in Mark-22 fuel assembly during LOCA/ECS conditions

  12. SOLID2: an antibody array-based life-detector instrument in a Mars Drilling Simulation Experiment (MARTE).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parro, Víctor; Fernández-Calvo, Patricia; Rodríguez Manfredi, José A; Moreno-Paz, Mercedes; Rivas, Luis A; García-Villadangos, Miriam; Bonaccorsi, Rosalba; González-Pastor, José Eduardo; Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga; Schuerger, Andrew C; Davidson, Mark; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Stoker, Carol R

    2008-10-01

    A field prototype of an antibody array-based life-detector instrument, Signs Of LIfe Detector (SOLID2), has been tested in a Mars drilling mission simulation called MARTE (Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment). As one of the analytical instruments on the MARTE robotic drilling rig, SOLID2 performed automatic sample processing and analysis of ground core samples (0.5 g) with protein microarrays that contained 157 different antibodies. Core samples from different depths (down to 5.5 m) were analyzed, and positive reactions were obtained in antibodies raised against the Gram-negative bacterium Leptospirillum ferrooxidans, a species of the genus Acidithiobacillus (both common microorganisms in the Río Tinto area), and extracts from biofilms and other natural samples from the Río Tinto area. These positive reactions were absent when the samples were previously subjected to a high-temperature treatment, which indicates the biological origin and structural dependency of the antibody-antigen reactions. We conclude that an antibody array-based life-detector instrument like SOLID2 can detect complex biological material, and it should be considered as a potential analytical instrument for future planetary missions that search for life.

  13. Advanced In-Pile Instrumentation for Materials Testing Reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rempe, J. L.; Knudson, D. L.; Daw, J. E.; Unruh, T. C.; Chase, B. M.; Davis, K. L.; Palmer, A. J.; Schley, R. S.

    2014-08-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy sponsors the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) program to promote U.S. research in nuclear science and technology. By attracting new research users - universities, laboratories, and industry - the ATR NSUF facilitates basic and applied nuclear research and development, advancing U.S. energy security needs. A key component of the ATR NSUF effort is to design, develop, and deploy new in-pile instrumentation techniques that are capable of providing real-time measurements of key parameters during irradiation. This paper describes the strategy developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for identifying instrumentation needed for ATR irradiation tests and the program initiated to obtain these sensors. New sensors developed from this effort are identified, and the progress of other development efforts is summarized. As reported in this paper, INL researchers are currently involved in several tasks to deploy real-time length and flux detection sensors, and efforts have been initiated to develop a crack growth test rig. Tasks evaluating `advanced' technologies, such as fiber-optics based length detection and ultrasonic thermometers, are also underway. In addition, specialized sensors for real-time detection of temperature and thermal conductivity are not only being provided to NSUF reactors, but are also being provided to several international test reactors.

  14. Test Rig for Evaluating Active Turbine Blade Tip Clearance Control Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lattime, Scott B.; Steinetz, Bruce M.; Robbie, Malcolm G.

    2003-01-01

    Improved blade tip sealing in the high pressure compressor and high pressure turbine can provide dramatic improvements in specific fuel consumption, time-on-wing, compressor stall margin and engine efficiency as well as increased payload and mission range capabilities of both military and commercial gas turbine engines. The preliminary design of a mechanically actuated active clearance control (ACC) system for turbine blade tip clearance management is presented along with the design of a bench top test rig in which the system is to be evaluated. The ACC system utilizes mechanically actuated seal carrier segments and clearance measurement feedback to provide fast and precise active clearance control throughout engine operation. The purpose of this active clearance control system is to improve upon current case cooling methods. These systems have relatively slow response and do not use clearance measurement, thereby forcing cold build clearances to set the minimum clearances at extreme operating conditions (e.g., takeoff, re-burst) and not allowing cruise clearances to be minimized due to the possibility of throttle transients (e.g., step change in altitude). The active turbine blade tip clearance control system design presented herein will be evaluated to ensure that proper response and positional accuracy is achievable under simulated high-pressure turbine conditions. The test rig will simulate proper seal carrier pressure and temperature loading as well as the magnitudes and rates of blade tip clearance changes of an actual gas turbine engine. The results of these evaluations will be presented in future works.

  15. Analisis Keandalan Struktur Padeye Berdasarkan Konfigurasi Rigging pada Lifting Upper Deck Modul Modec dengan Pendekatan Dinamik

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iqbal Gayuh Raharjaning Mukti Sumarsono

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Di dalam perusahaan yang bergerak dalam bidang fabrikasi, lifting merupakan salah satu tahapan terpenting dalam membangun bangunan lepas pantai sehingga diperlukan perhitungan dan analisis tambahan untuk memperhatikan apakah struktur tersebut aman ataupun tidak. Sekenario lifting berdasarkan konfigurasi rigging dapat dibuat untuk menentukan rigging equipment yang tepat. Pada kasus ini, struktur yang di-lifting adalah struktur upper deck dari modul MODEC yang dikerjakan oleh PT. GPS Batam. Deck ini memiliki panjang sekitar 19,5 m dan lebar 9 m. Berat total struktur dengan equipment sebesar 55 ton. Konfigurasi rigging yang akan digunakan ada tiga, yaitu Model A (tanpa spreader bar, Model B (satu spreader bar, dan Model C (dua spreader bar. Dari ketiga konfigurasi tersebut akan diperoleh dimensi padeye yang berbeda- beda. Model A, Model B, dan Model C memiliki diameter hole padeye masing-masing sebesar 74 mm, 65 mm, dan 52 mm. Tegangan dan UC tertinggi sama- sama terjadi pada Model A sebesar 17625,99 psi dan untuk UC sebesar 0,52. Tetapi hal ini berbanding terbalik apabila ditinjau dari daerah lubang. Tegangan ataupun UC yang lebih tinggi jatuh pada Model C yang menggunakan dua spreader bar sebesar 13936,58 psi dan nilai UC sebesar 0,45. Tegangan yang terjadi di attachments maupun sekitar hole dijadikan variabel dalam mencari keandalan yang terjadi pada tiap padeye dengan metode Mean value first order second moment (MVFOSM. Sehingga didapatkan Probality of Failure (PoF pada attachments padeye pada Model A, B, dan C masing- masing sebesar 0,126%, 0,064 %, dan 0,0001 %. Sedangkan PoF pada hole padeye sebesar 0,062% untuk Model A, 0,10 % untuk Model B, dan 0,23% untuk Model C.

  16. Foreign awakenings: rig work in war-torn Sudan convinces Canadians their civilized version of industry is needed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lorenz, A.

    2000-01-01

    Experiences of some Canadian geologists working in Sudan are described. Glad to be back in Canada after several years of exploration work for various international exploration companies, they have fond memories of the people, who for the most part live under very primitive conditions, and constant exposure to the ravages of tribal wars. They characterize the attitude of Canadians working in Sudan towards the native population as one that puts high values on human rights, safety, work ethics, and individual responsibility. They defend Canadian presence in these far-off regions as beneficial to the native population, by bringing Canadian standards and a civilized version of industry to an area that has seen very little of that in the past. In contrast to the situation on Canadian rigs, on Chinese oil rigs favoritism and racism are the rule; the Chinese do not see that humanitarian issues are any of their concerns

  17. Foreign awakenings: rig work in war-torn Sudan convinces Canadians their civilized version of industry is needed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lorenz, A.

    2000-05-01

    Experiences of some Canadian geologists working in Sudan are described. Glad to be back in Canada after several years of exploration work for various international exploration companies, they have fond memories of the people, who for the most part live under very primitive conditions, and constant exposure to the ravages of tribal wars. They characterize the attitude of Canadians working in Sudan towards the native population as one that puts high values on human rights, safety, work ethics, and individual responsibility. They defend Canadian presence in these far-off regions as beneficial to the native population, by bringing Canadian standards and a civilized version of industry to an area that has seen very little of that in the past. In contrast to the situation on Canadian rigs, on Chinese oil rigs favoritism and racism are the rule; the Chinese do not see that humanitarian issues are any of their concerns.

  18. Functional effects of Toll-like receptor (TLR3, 7, 9, RIG-I and MDA-5 stimulation in nasal epithelial cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lotta Tengroth

    Full Text Available The human nasal epithelium is an important physical barrier, and a part of the innate immune defense that protect against pathogens. The epithelial cells recognize microbial components by pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs, and thereby trigger an immune response. Even though TLR3, TLR7, TLR9, RIG-I and MDA-5 are all known to respond to viral stimulation, their potential role in chronic airway inflammation triggered by local cytokine release remains to be established.mRNA and corresponding protein expression of TLR3, TLR7, TLR9, RIG-I and MDA-5 were analyzed in nasal biopsies and various upper airway epithelial cell lines using real-time reverse transcription PCR, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Ligand induced, cytokine release, was evaluated with ELISA.Nasal biopsies were found to express TLR3, TLR7, TLR9, RIG-I and MDA-5, with the most abundant expression in the surface epithelium. These receptors were verified in primary human nasal epithelial cell (HNEC as well as in the airway epithelial cell lines Detroit-562 and FaDu. Poly(I:C (TLR3 and R-837 (TLR7 stimulation increased secretion of IL-6 and GM-CSF from the nasal mucosa and the epithelial cell lines. CpG (TLR9 stimulation caused release of IL-8 in the nasal mucosa and in FaDu. Poly(I:C/LyoVec (RIG-I/MDA-5 stimulation activated the secretion of IFN-β in the nasal mucosa. A corresponding release was also detected from HNEC and Detroit-562.The nasal epithelium has the ability to recognize viral intrusion through TLR and RLR receptors, and the subsequent response might have a role in exacerbation of inflammatory diseases like allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis.

  19. Deposition stress effects on thermal barrier coating burner rig life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, J. W.; Levine, S. R.

    1984-01-01

    A study of the effect of plasma spray processing parameters on the life of a two layer thermal barrier coating was conducted. The ceramic layer was plasma sprayed at plasma arc currents of 900 and 600 amps onto uncooled tubes, cooled tubes, and solid bars of Waspalloy in a lathe with 1 or 8 passes of the plasma gun. These processing changes affected the residual stress state of the coating. When the specimens were tested in a Mach 0.3 cyclic burner rig at 1130 deg C, a wide range of coating lives resulted. Processing factors which reduced the residual stress state in the coating, such as reduced plasma temperature and increased heat dissipation, significantly increased coating life.

  20. Burner rig alkali salt corrosion of several high temperature alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deadmore, D. L.; Lowell, C. E.

    1977-01-01

    The hot corrosion of five alloys was studied in cyclic tests in a Mach 0.3 burner rig into whose combustion chamber various aqueous salt solutions were injected. Three nickel-based alloys, a cobalt-base alloy, and an iron-base alloy were studied at temperatures of 700, 800, 900, and 1000 C with various salt concentrations and compositions. The relative resistance of the alloys to hot corrosion attack was found to vary with temperature and both concentration and composition of the injected salt solution. Results indicate that the corrosion of these alloys is a function of both the presence of salt condensed as a liquid on the surface and of the composition of the gas phases present.

  1. Numerical simulation of the RF ion source RIG-10

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arzt, T.

    1988-01-01

    A two-dimensional model for the numerical simulation of the inductively coupled radio-frequency (RF) ion source RIG-10 is presented. Due to the ambipolar characteristics of a discharge operating with hydrogen gas, the model consists of an equation for the space charge imbalance, Poisson's equation for the self-consistent presheath potential and the ion momentum transport equation. For a relatively broad range of operation and design parameters, the model allows the reproduction and prediction of the RF discharge behaviour in a systematic way and, hence, computes the 2D distribution of the ion current density within the source. By implementing relevant discharge physics, the model can provide an appropriate tool for ion source design with respect to an application in the field of neutral beam injection. (author)

  2. A decision support system to dynamic management of the scheduling workover rigs for onshore Potiguar Basin; Um sistema de apoio a decisao para o gerenciamento dinamico das sondas de producao terrestre da Bacia Potiguar

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maia, Rosiery S.; Bittencourt, Valnaide [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia da Computacao e Automacao (DCA); Aloise, Daniel [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Informatica; Aloise, Dario J. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil); Moura, Luiz S.S. [PETROBRAS S.A., Natal, RN (Brazil)

    2004-07-01

    The onshore Potiguar basin has nowadays around 5.000 artificial lifting petroleum wells, distributed into 80 fields located on the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Ceara, representing approximately 8% of the national oil production. For that, well maintenance service, realized by Workover Rigs, is essential to preserve the oil productivity of the reservoirs on these fields. However, as the number of rigs is lower than to the number of wells needing maintenance, the task of administrating the management of such equipment according to the demand created by the wells, generates an optimization problem. The decision for a rig intervention on a well depends on parameters such as flow rate, depth, wasted time on intervention, distance from the rig to the next well, type of operation, rig capacity, environmental risks, etc. The objective of this paper is to present an interactive Computational System for Support Decision to the optimized management of the wells attended by the rig fleet. Generically, the software has the following components: dynamic heuristical algorithms, meta heuristical Variable Neighborhood Search, with local search mechanisms, interconnection algorithm, database and graphical user interface. This paper contains knowledge in operational search and optimization, software engineering, database and user interface. (author)

  3. Personal assistance, income and employment: the spinal injuries survey instrument (SISI) and its application in a sample of people with quadriplegia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowell, D; Connelly, L B

    2008-06-01

    Our aim was to ascertain what effect access to personal care package (PCP) has on the labour market activities of people who have a spinal cord injury (SCI). We developed a new instrument called the spinal injuries survey instrument (SISI). The SISI is a 35-item instrument, which contains items on health, education, employment, along with measures of personal assistance, mobility and psychological attribution style. The SISI was administered, with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health status instrument, to 250 people with an SCI. The response rate was 72%. A retrospective, matched case-control sampling approach matched individuals who received a PCP, with a cohort who did not. The matching criteria included the site and severity of spinal lesion, age and gender. Although data on the reliability of the instrument are currently lacking, our empirical results are consistent with other studies: (1) mean annual health care costs (AUD$8741) are comparable with Walsh's estimates (2) SF-36 data support Kreuter's contention that mental health is resilient to SCI and (3) a post-injury employment rate of 29.7% corroborates Murphy et al. We present additional data describing income, educational attainment and family support. Our discussion borrows a conceptualization of disability by Sen, that includes both an 'earning handicap' (an impediment to earn income) and a 'conversion handicap' (an impediment to the enjoyment of income). Our application of the SISI provides evidence of both. The labour income of people with quadriplegia is AUD$10,007 per annum, while diminished health status, increased out-of-pocket health expenditure and loss of time suggest a conversion handicap.

  4. Development and verification of a reciprocating test rig designed for investigation of piston ring tribology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Michael Torben; Imran, Tajammal; Klit, Peder

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes the development and verification of a reciprocating test rig, which was designed to study the piston ring tribology. A crank mechanism is used to generate a reciprocating motion for a moving plate, which acts as the liner. A stationary block acting as the ring package is loaded......, which is suitable for the study of piston ring tribology....

  5. Using computer-assisted survey instruments instead of paper and pencil increased completeness of self-administered sexual behavior questionnaires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spark, Simone; Lewis, Dyani; Vaisey, Alaina; Smyth, Eris; Wood, Anna; Temple-Smith, Meredith; Lorch, Rebecca; Guy, Rebecca; Hocking, Jane

    2015-01-01

    To compare the data quality, logistics, and cost of a self-administered sexual behavior questionnaire administered either using a computer-assisted survey instrument (CASI) or by paper and pencil in a primary care clinic. A self-administered sexual behavior questionnaire was administered to 16-29 year olds attending general practice. Questionnaires were administered by either paper and pencil (paper) or CASI. A personal digital assistant was used to self-administer the CASI. A total of 4,491 people completed the questionnaire, with 46.9% responses via CASI and 53.2% by paper. Completion of questions was greater for CASI than for paper for sexual behavior questions: number of sexual partners [odds ratio (OR), 6.85; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.32, 14.11] and ever having had sex with a person of the same gender (OR, 2.89; 95% CI: 1.52, 5.49). The median number of questions answered was higher for CASI than for paper (17.6 vs. 17.2; P questionnaire compared with $11.83 for paper. Electronic devices using CASI are a tool that can increase participants' questionnaire responses and deliver more complete data for a sexual behavior questionnaire in primary care clinics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Vibration features of an 180 kW maglev circulator test rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su Jiageng; Li Hongwei; Shi Qian; Sha Honglei; Yu Suyuan

    2015-01-01

    The helium circulator is the key equipment to drive the helium gas flowing in the primary loop for energy exchange in HTGR. Active magnetic bearings (AMB) have been considered as an alternative to replace traditional mechanical bearings in the helium circulator. Such contactless bearings do not have frictional wear and can be used to suppress vibration in rotor-dynamic applications. It is necessary to study the vibration characteristics of the maglev helium circulator to guarantee the reactor safety. Therefore, a maglev circulator test rig was built. The power of the circulator is 180 kW and the maximum speed is 17000 rpm. For the time being, the test atmosphere is air. In this paper the test rig was introduced. Vibration test work of the maglev circulator was also carried out. The measuring points were arranged at the seat because the seat vibration level is important to evaluate the machine noise. The measuring points were also arranged at the base of the circulator housing to better study the vibration characteristics. The vibrations were measured by the LC-8024 multichannel machinery diagnoses system. At each measuring point the vibrations were detected in three directions (X, Y and Z) with the vibration acceleration sensors. The test speeds varied from 1000 rpm to 17000 rpm with an increase of 1000 rpm each time. The vibration values of the seat are from 89.5 dB at 1000 rpm to 113.3 dB at 17000 rpm. The test results showed that the maglev circulator exhibits good vibration properties. This work will offer important theoretical base and engineering experience to explore the high-speed helium circulator in HTGR. (author)

  7. Modeling, simulation and design optimization of a hoisting rig active heave compensation system

    OpenAIRE

    Gu, Peter; Walid, Ahmed Ahmed; Iskandarani, Yousef; Karimi, Hamid Reza

    2013-01-01

    Published version of an article in the journal: International Journal of Machine Learning and Cybernetics. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13042-012-0076-x The objective of this paper is to present an approach in developing a virtual active heave compensation system for a draw-works on a hoisting rig. A virtual system enables quicker overall product development time of a physical system as well as flexibility in optimizing the design parameters. Development...

  8. Maintenance of nuclear medicine instruments in developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    This report reviews the current nature and severity of the problems related to nuclear medicine instruments in developing countries and gives the recommendations of the Advisory Group on the development of improved strategies to assure that the instruments are effectively maintained while in use. A compilation of data from the Register of Medical Radioisotope Units (IAEA-167) on medical radioisotope instrumentation installed in developing countries and some comments and suggestions contained in reports of Agency Technical Assistance Experts are also presented

  9. DOE Fundamentals Handbook: Instrumentation and Control, Volume 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-06-01

    The Instrumentation and Control Fundamentals Handbook was developed to assist nuclear facility operating contractors provide operators, maintenance personnel, and the technical staff with the necessary fundamentals training to ensure a basic understanding of instrumentation and control systems. The handbook includes information on temperature, pressure, flow, and level detection systems; position indication systems; process control systems; and radiation detection principles. This information will provide personnel with an understanding of the basic operation of various types of DOE nuclear facility instrumentation and control systems

  10. DOE Fundamentals Handbook: Instrumentation and Control, Volume 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-06-01

    The Instrumentation and Control Fundamentals Handbook was developed to assist nuclear facility operating contractors provide operators, maintenance personnel, and the technical staff with the necessary fundamentals training to ensure a basic understanding of instrumentation and control systems. The handbook includes information on temperature, pressure, flow, and level detection systems; position indication systems; process control systems; and radiation detection principles. This information will provide personnel with an understanding of the basic operation of various types of DOE nuclear facility instrumentation and control systems.

  11. Advanced In-pile Instrumentation for Material and Test Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rempe, J.L.; Knudson, D.L.; Daw, J.E.; Unruh, T.C.; Chase, B.M.; Davis, K.L.; Palmer, A.J.; Schley, R.S.

    2013-06-01

    The US Department of Energy sponsors the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) program to promote U.S. research in nuclear science and technology. By attracting new research users - universities, laboratories, and industry - the ATR NSUF facilitates basic and applied nuclear research and development, advancing U.S. energy security needs. A key component of the ATR NSUF effort is to design, develop, and deploy new in-pile instrumentation techniques that are capable of providing real-time measurements of key parameters during irradiation. This paper describes the strategy developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for identifying instrumentation needed for ATR irradiation tests and the program initiated to obtain these sensors. New sensors developed from this effort are identified; and the progress of other development efforts is summarized. As reported in this paper, INL staff is currently involved in several tasks to deploy real-time length and flux detection sensors, and efforts have been initiated to develop a crack growth test rig. Tasks evaluating 'advanced' technologies, such as fiber-optics based length detection and ultrasonic thermometers are also underway. In addition, specialized sensors for real-time detection of temperature and thermal conductivity are not only being provided to NSUF reactors, but are also being provided to several international test reactors. (authors)

  12. Sodium test of the Super-Phenix full size primary pump shaft on the CPV-1 test rig at ENEA-Brasimone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Contardi, T.; Rapezzi, L.; Partiti, C.; Zola, M.; Denimal, P.

    1984-01-01

    Tests on FBR Superphenix primary pump shaft were performed within the sodium-cooled FBR common research and development programs provided for by the cooperation agreement between ENEA and CEA. These tests were performed in CPV-1 plant ENEA - Brasimone Energy Research Center. The CPV-1 rig was built by FIAT-TTG and reproduces the reactor operating conditions (sodium-temperature and level, shaft inclination, etc..). Furthermore, CPV-1 rig's most interesting feature is its possibility to apply seismic stresses to test section by means of an oleodynamic actuator. Pivoterie-1 test section was made by JEUMONT-SCHNEIDER which built Superphenix pumps too; it was given to ENEA by FIAT-TTG. Seismic tests were performed with the cooperation of ISMES and FIAT-TTG. (author)

  13. Influence of twin and multi-rig trawl systems on CPUE in the Danish Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) fishery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feekings, Jordan P.; Berg, Casper Willestofte; Krag, Ludvig Ahm

    2016-01-01

    analyse catchrates of four target species, Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), cod (Gadus morhua), plaice (Pleuronectesplatessa) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), to try and understand how the use of multi-rig trawlshave altered catch rates within the Danish demersal trawl fishery over the last 16...

  14. Exergetic analysis of autonomous power complex for drilling rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebedev, V. A.; Karabuta, V. S.

    2017-10-01

    The article considers the issue of increasing the energy efficiency of power equipment of the drilling rig. At present diverse types of power plants are used in power supply systems. When designing and choosing a power plant, one of the main criteria is its energy efficiency. The main indicator in this case is the effective efficiency factor calculated by the method of thermal balances. In the article, it is suggested to use the exergy method to determine energy efficiency, which allows to perform estimations of the thermodynamic perfection degree of the system by the example of a gas turbine plant: relative estimation (exergetic efficiency factor) and an absolute estimation. An exergetic analysis of the gas turbine plant operating in a simple scheme was carried out using the program WaterSteamPro. Exergy losses in equipment elements are calculated.

  15. Field Engineers' Scheduling at Oil Rigs: a Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. S. Usmani

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Oil exploration and production operations face a number of challenges. Professional planners have to design solutions for various practical problems or issues. However, the time consumed is often very extensive because of the large number of possible solutions. Further, the matter of choosing the best solution remains. The present paper investigates a problem related to leading companies in the energy and chemical manufacturing sector of the oil and gas industry. Each company’s field engineers are expensive and valuable assets. Therefore, an optimized roster is rather important. In the present paper, the objective is to design a field engineers’ schedule which would be both feasible and satisfying towards the various demands of rigs, with minimum operational cost to the company. An efficient and quick optimization technique is presented to schedule the shifts of field engineers.

  16. Development of a web based instrument on higher education structures of industrial engineering

    OpenAIRE

    Tarba Ioan-Cristian

    2017-01-01

    The research and development of assisted operational instruments on higher education structures of industrial engineering represent a continuous and complex process. The present paper contributes to the building up of support elements and an assisted operational instrument on higher education structures of industrial engineering, with focus on the specific curricula. The use of tested and validated constructive solutions from other projects, as base for the new design, reduces the design time.

  17. HOST liner cyclic facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, D.

    1983-01-01

    The HOST Liner Cyclic Program is utilizing two types of test apparatus, rectangular box rigs and a full annular rig. To date two quartz lamp cyclic box rigs have been tested and a third is to begin testing in late October 1983. The box rigs are used to evaluate 5x8 inch rectangular linear samples. A 21 inch diameter outer liner simulator is also being built up for testing beginning in April 1984. All rigs are atmospheric rigs. The first box rig, a three 6-kVA lamp installation, was operated under adverse conditions to determine feasibility of using quartz lamps for cyclic testing. This work was done in December 1981 and looked promising. The second box rig, again using three 6-kVA lamps, was operated to obtain instrumentation durability information and initial data input to a Finite Element Model. This limited test program was conducted in August 1983. Five test plates were run. Instrumentation consisted of strain gages, thermocouples and thermal paint. The strain gages were found to fail at 1200 F as expected though plates were heated to 1700 F. The third box rig, containing four 6-kVA lamps, is in build up for testing to begin in late October 1983. In addition to 33 percent greater power input, this rig has provision for 400 F backside line cooling air and a viewing port suitable for IR camera viewing. The casing is also water cooled for extended durability.

  18. Examination of Self-Myofascial Release vs. Instrument-Assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization Techniques on Vertical and Horizontal Power in Recreational Athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stroiney, Debra A; Mokris, Rebecca L; Hanna, Gary R; Ranney, John D

    2018-05-08

    Stroiney, DA, Mokris, RL, Hanna, GR, and Ranney, JD. Examination of self-myofascial release vs. instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization techniques on vertical and horizontal power in recreational athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-This study examined whether pre-exercise self-myofascial release (SMR) and instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM) would improve performance on measures of vertical jump height and 40-yd sprint time. Differences in perceived pain levels were also examined. Forty-nine college students volunteered for the study and were randomly assigned to receive either IASTM via Tècnica Gavilàn PTB or SMR via The Stick before performance assessments. After the massage intervention, subjects rated their level of perceived pain using a visual analog scale. An independent t test was used to analyze differences in perceived pain levels between the 2 massage interventions. A 2 × 2 analyses of covariance analyzed differences between sex and the 2 massage interventions. There was no interaction (p > 0.05) between the massage intervention and sex for both the vertical jump and 40-yd sprint tests. There was a significant main effect for vertical jump and SMR (p = 0.04). Sex also had a significant main effect for both the vertical jump (p = 0.04) and the 40-yd sprint (p = 0.02). There were no significant differences between massage interventions for the 40-yd sprint times (p = 0.73). There were no significant differences in perceived pain (t(49) = -1.60, p > 0.05). The use of SMR before exercise may improve vertical jump height in recreational athletes. Pain should not be a factor when choosing massage interventions for athletes because IASTM was not perceived to be more painful than SMR. Self-myofascial release and IASTM did not enhance sprinting performance in this study.

  19. NASA GRC's High Pressure Burner Rig Facility and Materials Test Capabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, R. Craig

    1999-01-01

    The High Pressure Burner Rig (HPBR) at NASA Glenn Research Center is a high-velocity. pressurized combustion test rig used for high-temperature environmental durability studies of advanced materials and components. The facility burns jet fuel and air in controlled ratios, simulating combustion gas chemistries and temperatures that are realistic to those in gas turbine engines. In addition, the test section is capable of simulating the pressures and gas velocities representative of today's aircraft. The HPBR provides a relatively inexpensive. yet sophisticated means for researchers to study the high-temperature oxidation of advanced materials. The facility has the unique capability of operating under both fuel-lean and fuel-rich gas mixtures. using a fume incinerator to eliminate any harmful byproduct emissions (CO, H2S) of rich-burn operation. Test samples are easily accessible for ongoing inspection and documentation of weight change, thickness, cracking, and other metrics. Temperature measurement is available in the form of both thermocouples and optical pyrometery. and the facility is equipped with quartz windows for observation and video taping. Operating conditions include: (1) 1.0 kg/sec (2.0 lbm/sec) combustion and secondary cooling airflow capability: (2) Equivalence ratios of 0.5- 1.0 (lean) to 1.5-2.0 (rich), with typically 10% H2O vapor pressure: (3) Gas temperatures ranging 700-1650 C (1300-3000 F): (4) Test pressures ranging 4-12 atmospheres: (5) Gas flow velocities ranging 10-30 m/s (50-100) ft/sec.: and (6) Cyclic and steady-state exposure capabilities. The facility has historically been used to test coupon-size materials. including metals and ceramics. However complex-shaped components have also been tested including cylinders, airfoils, and film-cooled end walls. The facility has also been used to develop thin-film temperature measurement sensors.

  20. Seismic tests in sodium of the SPX-1 primary pump shaft carried out in the CPV-1 test rig at ENEA-Brasimone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Contardi, T.; Rapezzi, L.; Le Coz, P.; Tigeot, Y.; Partiti, C.; Zola, M.; Denimal, P.

    1988-01-01

    Dynamic tests were carried out by ISMES, on behalf of ENEA and CEA and in co-operation with FIAT/TTG, on a SPX-1 primary pump shaft. These tests were conducted, mainly in sodium, in the CPV-1 test rig at the ENEA Brasimone Center. The excitation was applied to the flange supporting the hydrostatic bearing. After some preliminary analysis performed in absence of liquid sodium and at ambient temperature, the following tests were performed on the rig filled with sodium at operating temperature: (A) sine sweeps between 1 and 15 Hz, (B) ambient vibration investigation, and (C) seismic tests with a SSE acceleration time-history (20 s duration) calculated by CEA at hydrostatic bearing level. Two sets of seismic tests were carried out, each time increasing amplitudes up to 70% of SSE. This value was not exceeded for safety reasons and actuator power limit. The first set of tests began in nominal operating conditions; when 70% of SSE was reached, pressure feed to hydrostatic bearing was reduced lowering its effective support. This simulated a larger earthquake. The second set of tests was representative of SPX-1 pump actual operating conditions, because both hydrostatic bearing pressure and shaft rotating speed were simultaneously reduced following the primary pump characteristic curve. The tests allowed the SPX-1 pump rotating set to be widely qualified. Among the main results, it is worth noting that the stiffness of the hydrostatic bearing system was generally compatible with seismic requirements. Finally, it is worth pointing out that, in order to allow the above-mentioned tests to be carried out, a full seismic qualification of the CPV-1 test rig was necessary: thus, this rig might be used in the future for further seismic tests on LMFBR components and systems in sodium. (author). Figs and tabs

  1. Expression and Functional Characterization of the RIG-I-Like Receptors MDA5 and LGP2 in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Mingxian; Collet, Bertrand; Nie, Pin; Lester, Katherine; Campbell, Scott; Secombes, Christopher J.; Zou, Jun

    2011-01-01

    The retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLR) comprise three homologues: RIG-I, melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), and laboratory of genetics and physiology 2 (LGP2). They activate the host interferon (IFN) system upon recognition of viral RNA pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in the cytoplasm. Bioinformatic analysis of the sequenced vertebrate genomes suggests that the cytosolic surveillance system is conserved in lower vertebrates, and recent functional studies have confirmed that RIG-I is important to fish antiviral immunity. In this study, we have identified MDA5 and LGP2 homologues from rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and an additional LGP2 variant with an incomplete C-terminal domain of RIG-I. Trout MDA5 and LGP2 were constitutively produced in fibroblast and macrophage cell lines and upregulated by poly(I:C), recombinant IFN, or infection by RNA viruses (viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus and salmon alphavirus) with a single-stranded positive or negative genome. Overexpression of MDA5 and LGP2 but not of the LGP2 variant resulted in significant accumulation of Mx transcripts in cultured cells, which correlated with a marked enhancement of protection against viral infection. These results demonstrate that both MDA5 and LGP2 are important RLRs in host surveillance against infection of both negative and positive viruses and that the LGP2 variant with a deletion of 54 amino acids at the C terminus acts as a negative regulator for LGP2-elicited antiviral signaling by competing for the viral RNA PAMPs. Interestingly, MDA5 expression was not affected by overexpressed LGP2 in transfected cells and vice versa, suggesting that they likely act in parallel as positive regulators for IFN production. PMID:21680521

  2. Cross-instrument Analysis Correlation Software

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2017-06-28

    This program has been designed to assist with the tracking of a sample from one analytical instrument to another such as SEM, microscopes, micro x-ray diffraction and other instruments where particular positions/locations on the sample are examined, photographed, etc. The software is designed to easily enter the position of fiducials and locations of interest such that in a future session in the same of different instrument the positions of interest can be re-found through using the known location fiducials in the current and reference session to transform the point into the current sessions coordinate system. The software is dialog box driven guiding the user through the necessary data entry and program choices. Information is stored in a series of text based extensible markup language (XML) files.

  3. Ballistic and Cyclic Rig Testing of Braided Composite Fan Case Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, William R.; Roberts, Gary D.; Pereira, J. Michael; Braley, Michael S.

    2015-01-01

    FAA fan blade-out certification testing on turbofan engines occurs very late in an engine's development program and is very costly. It is of utmost importance to approach the FAA Certification engine test with a high degree of confidence that the containment structure will not only contain the high-energy debris, but that it will also withstand the cyclic loads that occur with engine spooldown and continued rotation as the non-running engine maintains a low rotor RPM due to forced airflow as the engine-out aircraft returns to an airport. Accurate rig testing is needed for predicting and understanding material behavior of the fan case structure during all phases of this fan blade-out event.

  4. Data acquisition instruments: Psychopharmacology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hartley, D.S. III

    1998-01-01

    This report contains the results of a Direct Assistance Project performed by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., for Dr. K. O. Jobson. The purpose of the project was to perform preliminary analysis of the data acquisition instruments used in the field of psychiatry, with the goal of identifying commonalities of data and strategies for handling and using the data in the most advantageous fashion. Data acquisition instruments from 12 sources were provided by Dr. Jobson. Several commonalities were identified and a potentially useful data strategy is reported here. Analysis of the information collected for utility in performing diagnoses is recommended. In addition, further work is recommended to refine the commonalities into a directly useful computer systems structure.

  5. Development of a Wind Turbine Test Rig and Rotor for Trailing Edge Flap Investigation: Static Flap Angles Case

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdelrahman, Ahmed; Johnson, David A

    2014-01-01

    One of the strategies used to improve performance and increase the life-span of wind turbines is active flow control. It involves the modification of the aerodynamic characteristics of a wind turbine blade by means of moveable aerodynamic control surfaces. Trailing edge flaps are relatively small moveable control surfaces placed at the trailing edge of a blade's airfoil that modify the lift of a blade or airfoil section. An instrumented wind turbine test rig and rotor were specifically developed to enable a wide-range of experiments to investigate the potential of trailing edge flaps as an active control technique. A modular blade based on the S833 airfoil was designed to allow accurate instrumentation and customizable settings. The blade is 1.7 meters long, had a constant 178mm chord and a 6° pitch. The modular aerodynamic parts were 3D printed using plastic PC-ABS material. The blade design point was within the range of wind velocities in the available large test facility. The wind facility is a large open jet wind tunnel with a maximum velocity of 11m/s in the test area. The capability of the developed system was demonstrated through an initial study of the effect of stationary trailing edge flaps on blade load and performance. The investigation focused on measuring the changes in flapwise bending moment and power production for different trailing edge flap spanwise locations and deflection angles. The relationship between the load reduction and deflection angle was linear as expected from theory and the highest reduction was caused by the flap furthest from the rotor center. Overall, the experimental setup proved to be effective in measuring small changes in flapwise bending moment within the wind turbine blade and will provide insight when (active) flap control is targeted

  6. Re-rigging Othering: Subversive Infantilisation in Contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian Prose

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fedja Borčak

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this article I put forward the concept of subversive infantilisation to designate a phenomenon in contemporary Bosnian literature, which by using a certain kind of childish outlook on the world undermines paternalistic and balkanist Western discourse on Bosnia and Herzegovina. By analysing primarily the portrayal of the role of mass media in a few literary texts, principally books by Nenad Veličkovié and Miljenko Jergovié, I highlight the way in which these texts 're-rig' and by means of irony and exaggeration illuminate the problematic logic inherent in the subject position from which one represents the other. Textual characteristics of subversive infantilisation are contextualised further and seen as a discursive continuation of experiences of the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  7. The Brimmond Reservoir extending the Forties Field into the millenium by maximizing profits without extensive rig upgrades

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, L.; Perras, L. [Noble Drilling (United Kingdom)

    1998-12-31

    Drilling a horizontal well with a minimum facilities workover rig in the Brimmond Field (North Sea) which overlies the Forties Reservoir, was described. Feasibility studies indicated that further development of the Brimmond Field would require extensive rig upgrade to be able to drill the horizontal well within recognized industry parameters. Since the upgrading of the drilling package would have delayed the project by several months, as well as making it uneconomical, a number of critical operations were identified and analyzed, which led to introducing `new technology` - premixed cement, leading edge LWD tools and hole cleanup techniques. The first horizontal sidetrack was successfully completed with the minimum facilities drilling package and production commenced at an initial rate of 2.4 mbd dry oil from a 13 ft cased hole gravel pack utilizing an existing Forties Field producing well. The original Paleocene interval was abandoned with cement plugs prior to milling a window on the 9-5/8 inch casing and installing a gravel pack. Steady production of this new well led to consideration of further development of the field. 4 figs.

  8. Violence and Votes in Nigeria: The Dominance of Incumbents in the Use of Violence to Rig Elections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hakeem Onapajo

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Which party uses violence to influence election outcomes? There are two existing perspectives that have offered responses to this critical question. One is a more popular position indicating that the incumbent party, more than the opposition party, makes use of violence with the aim of rigging elections; the other is a more radical perspective that suggests that electoral violence is more associated with the weakest party than with the incumbent. This paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing debate and to advance the argument suggesting the dominance of the incumbent in the use of violence to rig elections. With evidence sourced from well-trusted reports from independent election monitors, this paper shows with case studies from Nigeria at different electoral periods that, in terms of influencing election outcomes, the incumbent has been more associated with violence during elections than the opposition. It is further argued in the paper that the existing nature of executive power in Nigeria provides a plausible explanation for the incumbent’s violence during elections.

  9. Experimental and Numerical Simulation of Unbalance Response in Vertical Test Rig with Tilting-Pad Bearings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mattias Nässelqvist

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In vertically oriented machines with journal bearing, there are no predefined static radial loads, such as dead weight for horizontal rotor. Most of the commercial software is designed to calculate rotordynamic and bearing properties based on machines with a horizontally oriented rotor; that is, the bearing properties are calculated at a static eccentricity. For tilting-pad bearings, there are no existing analytical expressions for bearing parameters and the bearing parameters are dependent on eccentricity and load angle. The objective of this paper is to present a simplified method to perform numerical simulations on vertical rotors including bearing parameters. Instead of recalculating the bearing parameters in each time step polynomials are used to represent the bearing parameters for present eccentricities and load angles. Numerical results are compared with results from tests performed in a test rig. The test rig consists of two guide bearings and a midspan rotor. The guide bearings are 4-pad tilting-pad bearings. Shaft displacement and strains in the bearing bracket are measured to determine the test rig’s properties. The comparison between measurements and simulated results shows small deviations in absolute displacement and load levels, which can be expected due to difficulties in calculating exact bearing parameters.

  10. Visual tracking of da Vinci instruments for laparoscopic surgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speidel, S.; Kuhn, E.; Bodenstedt, S.; Röhl, S.; Kenngott, H.; Müller-Stich, B.; Dillmann, R.

    2014-03-01

    Intraoperative tracking of laparoscopic instruments is a prerequisite to realize further assistance functions. Since endoscopic images are always available, this sensor input can be used to localize the instruments without special devices or robot kinematics. In this paper, we present an image-based markerless 3D tracking of different da Vinci instruments in near real-time without an explicit model. The method is based on different visual cues to segment the instrument tip, calculates a tip point and uses a multiple object particle filter for tracking. The accuracy and robustness is evaluated with in vivo data.

  11. An Optical Fiber Bundle Sensor for Tip Clearance and Tip Timing Measurements in a Turbine Rig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Asunción Illarramendi

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available When it comes to measuring blade-tip clearance or blade-tip timing in turbines, reflective intensity-modulated optical fiber sensors overcome several traditional limitations of capacitive, inductive or discharging probe sensors. This paper presents the signals and results corresponding to the third stage of a multistage turbine rig, obtained from a transonic wind-tunnel test. The probe is based on a trifurcated bundle of optical fibers that is mounted on the turbine casing. To eliminate the influence of light source intensity variations and blade surface reflectivity, the sensing principle is based on the quotient of the voltages obtained from the two receiving bundle legs. A discrepancy lower than 3% with respect to a commercial sensor was observed in tip clearance measurements. Regarding tip timing measurements, the travel wave spectrum was obtained, which provides the average vibration amplitude for all blades at a particular nodal diameter. With this approach, both blade-tip timing and tip clearance measurements can be carried out simultaneously. The results obtained on the test turbine rig demonstrate the suitability and reliability of the type of sensor used, and suggest the possibility of performing these measurements in real turbines under real working conditions.

  12. Targeting the cytosolic innate immune receptors RIG-I and MDA5 effectively counteracts cancer cell heterogeneity in glioblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glas, Martin; Coch, Christoph; Trageser, Daniel; Dassler, Juliane; Simon, Matthias; Koch, Philipp; Mertens, Jerome; Quandel, Tamara; Gorris, Raphaela; Reinartz, Roman; Wieland, Anja; Von Lehe, Marec; Pusch, Annette; Roy, Kristin; Schlee, Martin; Neumann, Harald; Fimmers, Rolf; Herrlinger, Ulrich; Brüstle, Oliver; Hartmann, Gunther; Besch, Robert; Scheffler, Björn

    2013-06-01

    Cellular heterogeneity, for example, the intratumoral coexistence of cancer cells with and without stem cell characteristics, represents a potential root of therapeutic resistance and a significant challenge for modern drug development in glioblastoma (GBM). We propose here that activation of the innate immune system by stimulation of innate immune receptors involved in antiviral and antitumor responses can similarly target different malignant populations of glioma cells. We used short-term expanded patient-specific primary human GBM cells to study the stimulation of the cytosolic nucleic acid receptors melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) and retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). Specifically, we analyzed cells from the tumor core versus "residual GBM cells" derived from the tumor resection margin as well as stem cell-enriched primary cultures versus specimens without stem cell properties. A portfolio of human, nontumor neural cells was used as a control for these studies. The expression of RIG-I and MDA5 could be induced in all of these cells. Receptor stimulation with their respective ligands, p(I:C) and 3pRNA, led to in vitro evidence for an effective activation of the innate immune system. Most intriguingly, all investigated cancer cell populations additionally responded with a pronounced induction of apoptotic signaling cascades revealing a second, direct mechanism of antitumor activity. By contrast, p(I:C) and 3pRNA induced only little toxicity in human nonmalignant neural cells. Granted that the challenge of effective central nervous system (CNS) delivery can be overcome, targeting of RIG-I and MDA5 could thus become a quintessential strategy to encounter heterogeneous cancers in the sophisticated environments of the brain. Copyright © 2013 AlphaMed Press.

  13. 30 CFR 250.405 - What are the safety requirements for diesel engines used on a drilling rig?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... engines used on a drilling rig? You must equip each diesel engine with an air take device to shut down the... must equip the engine with an automatic shutdown device; (b) For a diesel engine that is continuously manned, you may equip the engine with either an automatic or remote manual air intake shutdown device; (c...

  14. 12 CFR 615.5560 - Book-entry Procedure for Farm Credit System Financial Assistance Corporation Securities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Assistance Corporation (Financial Assistance Corporation) is a federally chartered instrumentality of the... Corporation securities). The Financial Assistance Corporation may prescribe the forms, the denominations, the...

  15. 7 CFR 1980.333 - Promissory notes and security instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... promissory notes, real estate mortgages, including deeds of trust and similar instruments, and security... Interest Assistance Agreement, assure that the closing agent properly records a junior mortgage or deed of...

  16. The Mission Operations Planning Assistant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuetzle, James G.

    1987-01-01

    The Mission Operations Planning Assistant (MOPA) is a knowledge-based system developed to support the planning and scheduling of instrument activities on the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS). The MOPA system represents and maintains instrument plans at two levels of abstraction in order to keep plans comprehensible to both UARS Principal Investigators and Command Management personnel. The hierarchical representation of plans also allows MOPA to automatically create detailed instrument activity plans from which spacecraft command loads may be generated. The MOPA system was developed on a Symbolics 3640 computer using the ZetaLisp and ART languages. MOPA's features include a textual and graphical interface for plan inspection and modification, recognition of instrument operational constraint violations during the planning process, and consistency maintenance between the different planning levels. This paper describes the current MOPA system.

  17. Automatic classification of minimally invasive instruments based on endoscopic image sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speidel, Stefanie; Benzko, Julia; Krappe, Sebastian; Sudra, Gunther; Azad, Pedram; Müller-Stich, Beat Peter; Gutt, Carsten; Dillmann, Rüdiger

    2009-02-01

    Minimally invasive surgery is nowadays a frequently applied technique and can be regarded as a major breakthrough in surgery. The surgeon has to adopt special operation-techniques and deal with difficulties like the complex hand-eye coordination and restricted mobility. To alleviate these constraints we propose to enhance the surgeon's capabilities by providing a context-aware assistance using augmented reality techniques. To analyze the current situation for context-aware assistance, we need intraoperatively gained sensor data and a model of the intervention. A situation consists of information about the performed activity, the used instruments, the surgical objects, the anatomical structures and defines the state of an intervention for a given moment in time. The endoscopic images provide a rich source of information which can be used for an image-based analysis. Different visual cues are observed in order to perform an image-based analysis with the objective to gain as much information as possible about the current situation. An important visual cue is the automatic recognition of the instruments which appear in the scene. In this paper we present the classification of minimally invasive instruments using the endoscopic images. The instruments are not modified by markers. The system segments the instruments in the current image and recognizes the instrument type based on three-dimensional instrument models.

  18. International Energy Agency instrumented facilities survey for solar assisted low energy dwellings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1982-02-01

    Compiled are surveys outlining the instrumentation of 38 active and passive solar projects in 9 countries (Denmark, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and West Germany). After the surveys themselves are presented, the data are rearranged to compare answers from similar survey questions for each of the projects. These questions address building, solar system and instrumentation descriptions and meteorological, solar system and building system instrumentatation capabilities. (LEW)

  19. A Comparison Between Measured and Predicted Hydrodynamic Damping for a Jack-Up Rig Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Thomas; Rohbock, Lars; Jensen, Jørgen Juncher

    1996-01-01

    An extensive set of measurements funded by the EU project Large Scale Facilities Program has been carried out on a model of a jack-up rig at the Danish Hydraulic Institute. The test serieswere conducted by MSC and include determination of base shears and overturning moments in both regular...... methods.In the comparison between the model test results and the theoretical predictions, thehydro-dynamic damping proves to be the most important uncertain parameter. It is shown thata relative large hydrodynamic damping must be assumed in the theoretical calculations in orderto predict the measured...

  20. [Basic concept in computer assisted surgery].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merloz, Philippe; Wu, Hao

    2006-03-01

    To investigate application of medical digital imaging systems and computer technologies in orthopedics. The main computer-assisted surgery systems comprise the four following subcategories. (1) A collection and recording process for digital data on each patient, including preoperative images (CT scans, MRI, standard X-rays), intraoperative visualization (fluoroscopy, ultrasound), and intraoperative position and orientation of surgical instruments or bone sections (using 3D localises). Data merging based on the matching of preoperative imaging (CT scans, MRI, standard X-rays) and intraoperative visualization (anatomical landmarks, or bone surfaces digitized intraoperatively via 3D localiser; intraoperative ultrasound images processed for delineation of bone contours). (2) In cases where only intraoperative images are used for computer-assisted surgical navigation, the calibration of the intraoperative imaging system replaces the merged data system, which is then no longer necessary. (3) A system that provides aid in decision-making, so that the surgical approach is planned on basis of multimodal information: the interactive positioning of surgical instruments or bone sections transmitted via pre- or intraoperative images, display of elements to guide surgical navigation (direction, axis, orientation, length and diameter of a surgical instrument, impingement, etc. ). And (4) A system that monitors the surgical procedure, thereby ensuring that the optimal strategy defined at the preoperative stage is taken into account. It is possible that computer-assisted orthopedic surgery systems will enable surgeons to better assess the accuracy and reliability of the various operative techniques, an indispensable stage in the optimization of surgery.

  1. Instrument evaluation no. 10. Scanray radiation meter type 751

    CERN Document Server

    Burgess, P H; White, D F

    1978-01-01

    The various radiations encountered in radiological protection cover a wide range of energies and radiation measurements have to be carried out under an equally broad spectrum of environmental conditions. This report is one of a series intended to give information on the performance characteristics of radiological protection instruments, to assist in the selection of appropriate instruments for a given purpose, to interpret the results obtained with such instruments, and, in particular, to know the likely sources and magnitude of errors that might be associated with measurements in the field. The radiation, electrical and environmental characteristics of radiation protection instruments are considered together with those aspects of the construction which make an instrument convenient for routine use. To provide consistent criteria for instrument performance, the range of tests performed on any particular class of instrument, the test methods and the criteria of acceptable performance are based broadly on the a...

  2. Wearable Gait Measurement System with an Instrumented Cane for Exoskeleton Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Modar Hassan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this research we introduce a wearable sensory system for motion intention estimation and control of exoskeleton robot. The system comprises wearable inertial motion sensors and shoe-embedded force sensors. The system utilizes an instrumented cane as a part of the interface between the user and the robot. The cane reflects the motion of upper limbs, and is used in terms of human inter-limb synergies. The developed control system provides assisted motion in coherence with the motion of other unassisted limbs. The system utilizes the instrumented cane together with body worn sensors, and provides assistance for start, stop and continuous walking. We verified the function of the proposed method and the developed wearable system through gait trials on treadmill and on ground. The achievement contributes to finding an intuitive and feasible interface between human and robot through wearable gait sensors for practical use of assistive technology. It also contributes to the technology for cognitively assisted locomotion, which helps the locomotion of physically challenged people.

  3. CFD simulation and experimental analysis of erosion in a slurry tank test rig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bart Hans-Jörg

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Erosion occurring in equipment dealing with liquid-solid mixtures such as pipeline parts, slurry pumps, liquid-solid stirred reactors and slurry mixers in various industrial applications results in operational failure and economic costs. A slurry erosion tank test rig is designed and was built to investigate the erosion rates of materials and the influencing parameters such as flow velocity and turbulence, flow angle, solid particle concentration, particles size distribution, hardness and target material properties on the material loss and erosion profiles. In the present study, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD tool is used to simulate the erosion rate of sample plates in the liquid-solid slurry mixture in a cylindrical tank. The predictions were made in a steady state and also transient manner, applying the flow at the room temperature and using water and sand as liquid and solid phases, respectively. The multiple reference frame method (MRF is applied to simulate the flow behavior and liquid-solid interactions in the slurry tank test rig. The MRF method is used since it is less demanding than sliding mesh method (SM and gives satisfactory results. The computational domain is divided into three regions: a rotational or MRF zone containing the mixer, a rotational zone (MRF containing the erosion plates and a static zone (outer liquid zone. It is observed that changing the MRF zone diameter and height causes a very low impact on the results. The simulated results were obtained for two kinds of hard metals namely stainless steel and ST-50 under some various operating conditions and are found in good agreement with the experimental results.

  4. Ethical issues in palliative care for nursing homes: Development and testing of a survey instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preshaw, Deborah Hl; McLaughlin, Dorry; Brazil, Kevin

    2018-02-01

    To develop and psychometrically assess a survey instrument identifying ethical issues during palliative care provision in nursing homes. Registered nurses and healthcare assistants have reported ethical issues in everyday palliative care provision. Identifying these issues provides evidence to inform practice development to support healthcare workers. Cross-sectional survey of Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes in one region of the UK. A survey instrument, "Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes", was developed through the findings of qualitative interviews with Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes and a literature review. It was reviewed by an expert panel and piloted prior to implementation in a survey in 2015 with a convenience sample of 596 Registered nurses and healthcare assistants. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses were used to assess the underlying structure of the Frequency and Distress Scales within the instrument. Analysis of 201 responses (response rate = 33.7%) revealed four factors for the Frequency Scale and five factors for the Distress Scale that comprise the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes. Factors common to both scales included "Processes of care," "Resident autonomy" and "Burdensome treatment." Additionally, the Frequency Scale included "Competency," and the Distress Scale included "Quality of care" and "Communication." The Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes instrument has added to the palliative care knowledge base by considering the ethical issues experienced specifically by Registered nurses and healthcare assistants within the nursing home. This research offers preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes survey instrument. The two largest factors highlight the need to address the organisational aspects of caring and provide training in negotiating conflicting

  5. 'RIG'- surgical gamma probe for early breast cancer detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walinjkar, P.B.; Singh, Gursharan; Kumar, Umesh; Pendharkar, A.S.; Choudhary, P.S.

    2004-01-01

    Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, which if detected in early stage can be effectively treated and cured. Early detection is carried out by collecting a sentinel lymph node (SLN) and testing it for cancer. The surgical gamma probe is a hand-held device used in the localization of SLN. It enables the localization of the active node. Isotope Applications Division, BARC has developed indigenously a RIG Surgical Gamma Probe in consultation with the doctors from Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi. The system consists of microcomputer-based gamma counting system that displays the number of pulses detected by the probe in counts per second and has an audible signal in direct correlation with the count density. The detector probe is based on the scintillation detector housed in a stainless steel housing with lead collimator. The physical parameters are a high sensitivity of 5000 cps/MBq at probe tip with good spatial resolution. The performance of this probe was clinically evaluated on the basis of spatial resolution and accuracy to detect the active node. (author)

  6. Chiropractic treatment including instrument-assisted manipulation for non-specific dizziness and neck pain in community-dwelling older people: a feasibility randomised sham-controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendall, Julie C; French, Simon D; Hartvigsen, Jan; Azari, Michael F

    2018-01-01

    Dizziness in older people is a risk factor for falls. Neck pain is associated with dizziness and responds favourably to neck manipulation. However, it is unknown if chiropractic intervention including instrument-assisted manipulation of the neck in older people with neck pain can also improve dizziness. This parallel two-arm pilot trial was conducted in Melbourne, Australia over nine months (October 2015 to June 2016). Participants aged 65-85 years, with self-reported chronic neck pain and dizziness, were recruited from the general public through advertisements in local community newspapers and via Facebook. Participants were randomised using a permuted block method to one of two groups: 1) Activator II™-instrument-assisted cervical and thoracic spine manipulation plus a combination of: light massage; mobilisation; range of motion exercises; and home advice about the application of heat, or 2) Sham-Activator II™-instrument-assisted manipulation (set to zero impulse) plus gentle touch of cervical and thoracic spinal regions. Participants were blinded to group allocation. The interventions were delivered weekly for four weeks. Assessments were conducted one week pre- and post-intervention. Clinical outcomes were assessed blindly and included: dizziness (dizziness handicap inventory [DHI]); neck pain (neck disability index [NDI]); self-reported concerns of falling; mood; physical function; and treatment satisfaction. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment rates, compliance with intervention and outcome assessment, study location, success of blinding, costs and harms. Out of 162 enquiries, 24 participants were screened as eligible and randomised to either the chiropractic ( n  = 13) or sham ( n  = 11) intervention group. Compliance was satisfactory with only two participants lost to follow up; thus, post-intervention data for 12 chiropractic intervention and 10 sham intervention participants were analysed. Blinding was similar between groups. Mild harms

  7. Triggering of the dsRNA sensors TLR3, MDA5, and RIG-I induces CD55 expression in synovial fibroblasts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga N Karpus

    Full Text Available CD55 (decay-accelerating factor is a complement-regulatory protein highly expressed on fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS. CD55 is also a ligand for CD97, an adhesion-type G protein-coupled receptor abundantly present on leukocytes. Little is known regarding the regulation of CD55 expression in FLS.FLS isolated from arthritis patients were stimulated with pro-inflammatory cytokines and Toll-like receptor (TLR ligands. Transfection with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C and 5'-triphosphate RNA were used to activate the cytoplasmic double-stranded (dsRNA sensors melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5 and retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I. CD55 expression, cell viability, and binding of CD97-loaded beads were quantified by flow cytometry.CD55 was expressed at equal levels on FLS isolated from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis. CD55 expression in RA FLS was significantly induced by IL-1β and especially by the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C. Activation of MDA5 and RIG-I also enhanced CD55 expression. Notably, activation of MDA5 dose-dependently induced cell death, while triggering of TLR3 or RIG-I had a minor effect on viability. Upregulation of CD55 enhanced the binding capacity of FLS to CD97-loaded beads, which could be blocked by antibodies against CD55.Activation of dsRNA sensors enhances the expression of CD55 in cultured FLS, which increases the binding to CD97. Our findings suggest that dsRNA promotes the interaction between FLS and CD97-expressing leukocytes.

  8. Translation and validation of the assistive technology device predisposition assessment in Greek in order to assess satisfaction with use of the selected assistive device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koumpouros, Yiannis; Papageorgiou, Effie; Karavasili, Alexandra; Alexopoulou, Despoina

    2017-07-01

    To examine the Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment scale and provide evidence of validity and reliability of the Greek version. We translated and adapted the original instrument in Greek according to the most well-known guidelines recommendations. Field test studies were conducted in a rehabilitation hospital to validate the appropriateness of the final results. Ratings of the different items were statistically analyzed. We recruited 115 subjects who were administered the Form E of the original questionnaire. The experimental analysis conducted revealed a three subscales structure: (i) Adaptability, (ii) Fit to Use, and (iii) Socializing. According to the results of our study the three subscales measure different constructs. Reliability measures (ICC = 0.981, Pearson's correlation = 0.963, Cronbach's α = 0.701) yielded high values. Test-retest outcome showed great stability. This is the first study, at least to the knowledge of the authors, which focuses merely on measuring the satisfaction of the users from the used assistive device, while exploring the Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment - Device Form in such depth. According to the results, it is a stable, valid and reliable instrument and applicable to the Greek population. Thus, it can be used to measure the satisfaction of patients with assistive devices. Implications for Rehabilitation The paper explores the cultural adaptability and applicability of ATD PA - Device Form. ATD PA - Device Form can be used to assess user satisfaction by the selected assistive device. ATD PA - Device Form is a valid and reliable instrument in measuring users' satisfaction in Greekreality.

  9. The DFKI Competence Center for Ambient Assisted Living

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frey, Jochen; Stahl, Christoph; Röfer, Thomas; Krieg-Brückner, Bernd; Alexandersson, Jan

    The DFKI Competence Center for Ambient Assisted Living (CCAAL) is a cross-project and cross-department virtual organization within the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence coordinating and conducting research and development in the area of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL). Our demonstrators range from multimodal speech dialog systems to fully instrumented environments allowing the development of intelligent assistant systems, for instance an autonomous wheelchair, or the recognition and processing of everyday activities in a smart home. These innovative technologies are then tested, evaluated and demonstrated in DFKI's living labs.

  10. A New Rig for Testing Textured Surfaces in Pure Sliding Conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Godi, Alessandro; Grønbæk, J.; Mohaghegh, Kamran

    2013-01-01

    machineries are necessary: a press to provide the normal pressure and a tensile machine to perform the axial movements. The test is calibrated so that the correspondence between the normal pressure and the container advancement is found. Preliminary tests are carried out involving a multifunctional and a fine......Throughout the years, it has become more and more important to find new methods for reducing friction and wear occurrence in machine elements. A possible solution is found in texturing the surfaces under tribological contact, as demonstrated by the development and spread of plateau-honed surface...... for cylinder liners. To prove the efficacy of a particular textured surface, it is paramount to perform experimental tests under controlled laboratory conditions. In this paper, a new test rig simulating pure sliding conditions is presented, dubbed axial sliding test. It presents four major components: a rod...

  11. Robotic assisted andrological surgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parekattil, Sijo J; Gudeloglu, Ahmet

    2013-01-01

    The introduction of the operative microscope for andrological surgery in the 1970s provided enhanced magnification and accuracy, unparalleled to any previous visual loop or magnification techniques. This technology revolutionized techniques for microsurgery in andrology. Today, we may be on the verge of a second such revolution by the incorporation of robotic assisted platforms for microsurgery in andrology. Robotic assisted microsurgery is being utilized to a greater degree in andrology and a number of other microsurgical fields, such as ophthalmology, hand surgery, plastics and reconstructive surgery. The potential advantages of robotic assisted platforms include elimination of tremor, improved stability, surgeon ergonomics, scalability of motion, multi-input visual interphases with up to three simultaneous visual views, enhanced magnification, and the ability to manipulate three surgical instruments and cameras simultaneously. This review paper begins with the historical development of robotic microsurgery. It then provides an in-depth presentation of the technique and outcomes of common robotic microsurgical andrological procedures, such as vasectomy reversal, subinguinal varicocelectomy, targeted spermatic cord denervation (for chronic orchialgia) and robotic assisted microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (microTESE). PMID:23241637

  12. 32 CFR 37.110 - What type of instruments are technology investment agreements (TIAs)?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... investment agreements (TIAs)? 37.110 Section 37.110 National Defense Department of Defense OFFICE OF THE... What type of instruments are technology investment agreements (TIAs)? TIAs are assistance instruments used to stimulate or support research. As discussed in appendix B to this part, a TIA may be either a...

  13. Prospective study on laser-assisted laparascopic partial nephrectomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sroka, Ronald; Hennig, Georg; Zilinberg, Katja; Khoder, Wael Y.

    2012-02-01

    Introduction: Developments in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) opened a demand for surgical tools compatible with laparoscopic manipulations to make laser assisted technique safe, feasible and reproducible. Warm ischemia and bleeding during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy place technical constraints on surgeons. Therefore it was the aim to develop a safe and effective laser assisted partial nephrectomy technique without need for ischemia. Patients and methods: A diode laser emitting light at 1318nm in cw mode was coupled into a bare fibre (core diameter 600 μm) thus able to transfer up to 100W to the tissue. After dry lab experience, a total of 10 patients suffering from kidney malformations underwent laparoscopic/retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy. Clinically, postoperative renal function and serum c-reactive protein (CRP) were monitored. Laser induced coagulation depth and effects on resection margins were evaluated. Demographic, clinical and follow-up data are presented. Using a commercial available fibre guidance instrument for lanringeal intervention, the demands on an innovative laser fibre guidance instrument for the laser assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LLPN) are summarized. Results: Overall, all laparascopic intervention were succesfull and could be performed without conversion to open surgery. Mean operative time and mean blood loss were comparable to conventional open and laparascopic approaches. Laser assisted resection of the kidney tissue took max 15min. After extirpation of the tumours all patients showed clinical favourable outcome during follow up period. Tumour sizes were measured to be up 5cm in diameter. The depth of the coagulation on the removed tissue ranged between laser assisted coagulated after removal. The sealing of the surface was induced by a slightly larger coagulation margin, but could not measured so far. Based on this experiences a simple and easy to use instrument described serving also for suction and

  14. Advanced Subsonic Technology (AST) 22-Inch Low Noise Research Fan Rig Preliminary Design of ADP-Type Fan 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeracki, Robert J. (Technical Monitor); Topol, David A.; Ingram, Clint L.; Larkin, Michael J.; Roche, Charles H.; Thulin, Robert D.

    2004-01-01

    This report presents results of the work completed on the preliminary design of Fan 3 of NASA s 22-inch Fan Low Noise Research project. Fan 3 was intended to build on the experience gained from Fans 1 and 2 by demonstrating noise reduction technology that surpasses 1992 levels by 6 dB. The work was performed as part of NASA s Advanced Subsonic Technology (AST) program. Work on this task was conducted in the areas of CFD code validation, acoustic prediction and validation, rotor parametric studies, and fan exit guide vane (FEGV) studies up to the time when a NASA decision was made to cancel the design, fabrication and testing phases of the work. The scope of the program changed accordingly to concentrate on two subtasks: (1) Rig data analysis and CFD code validation and (2) Fan and FEGV optimization studies. The results of the CFD code validation work showed that this tool predicts 3D flowfield features well from the blade trailing edge to about a chord downstream. The CFD tool loses accuracy as the distance from the trailing edge increases beyond a blade chord. The comparisons of noise predictions to rig test data showed that both the tone noise tool and the broadband noise tool demonstrated reasonable agreement with the data to the degree that these tools can reliably be used for design work. The section on rig airflow and inlet separation analysis describes the method used to determine total fan airflow, shows the good agreement of predicted boundary layer profiles to measured profiles, and shows separation angles of attack ranging from 29.5 to 27deg for the range of airflows tested. The results of the rotor parametric studies were significant in leading to the decision not to pursue a new rotor design for Fan 3 and resulted in recommendations to concentrate efforts on FEGV stator designs. The ensuing parametric study on FEGV designs showed the potential for 8 to 10 EPNdB noise reduction relative to the baseline.

  15. Justice-based social assistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrientos, Armando

    2016-01-01

    What are the main objectives of social protection institutions in developing countries? What should be their scope and reach? What is the source of their legitimacy? Finding appropriate answers to these questions is essential to understanding, and shaping, the emergence of welfare institutions in low- and middle-income countries. Most available answers rely on instrumental arguments. Few make reference to normative principles. This article draws on three concepts from Rawls – social justice as regulating cooperation, the social minimum, and the need for a freestanding political notion of social justice – to develop a coherent argument for grounding social assistance on social justice. In line with this argument, it identifies some parameters for a justice-based social assistance. This article then discusses, with examples, the tensions existing between a social justice-based social minimum and ‘real’ social assistance institutions emerging in developing countries. PMID:27708544

  16. Articulated elevator links for top drive drill rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krasnov, I.

    1988-12-27

    This patent describes for a drill rig having a derrick, a drive head assembly suspended in the derrick having a drive stem for connection to and for rotating a string of drill pipe, an improved means for connecting a stand of the drill pipe to the drive stem, comprising in combination: a pair of upper link sections, each pivotally suspended from the drive head assembly and having a lower end; a pair of lower link sections, each having an upper end pivotally connected to one of the lower ends of the upper link sections and each having a lower end; a set of elevators mounted to lower ends of the lower link sections for clamping about the stand of drill pipe; upper lifting means connected between the upper link sections and the drive head assembly for pivoting the upper link sections relative to the drive head assembly; and lowering lifting means connected between the upper and lower link sections for pivoting the lower link sections relative to the upper link sections for lifting the elevators upward relative to the drive head assembly to engage the stand of drill pipe with the drive stem. The patent also describes a method for connecting a stand of the drill pipe to the drive stem.

  17. Knowledge based expert system approach to instrumentation selection (INSEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Barai

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available The selection of appropriate instrumentation for any structural measurement of civil engineering structure is a complex task. Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI can help in an organized use of experiential knowledge available on instrumentation for laboratory and in-situ measurement. Usually, the instrumentation decision is based on the experience and judgment of experimentalists. The heuristic knowledge available for different types of measurement is domain dependent and the information is scattered in varied knowledge sources. The knowledge engineering techniques can help in capturing the experiential knowledge. This paper demonstrates a prototype knowledge based system for INstrument SELection (INSEL assistant where the experiential knowledge for various structural domains can be captured and utilized for making instrumentation decision. In particular, this Knowledge Based Expert System (KBES encodes the heuristics on measurement and demonstrates the instrument selection process with reference to steel bridges. INSEL runs on a microcomputer and uses an INSIGHT 2+ environment.

  18. Nuclear instrument maintenance and technical training in Nuclear Energy Unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamad Nasir Abdul Wahid

    1987-01-01

    Instrument maintenance service is a necessity in a Nuclear Research Institute, such as the Nuclear Energy Unit (NEU) to ensure the smooth running of our research activities. However, realising that maintenance back-up service for either nuclear or other scientific equipment is a major problem in developing countries such as Malaysia, NEU has set up an Instrumentation and Control Department to assist in rectifying the maintenance problem. Beside supporting in house activities in NEU, the Instrumentation and Control Department (I and C) is also geared into providing services to other organisations in Malaysia. This paper will briefly outline the activities of NEU in nuclear instrument maintenance as well as in technical training. (author)

  19. Deposition stress effects on the life of thermal barrier coatings on burner rigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, J. W.; Levine, S. R.

    1984-01-01

    A study of the effect of plasma spray processing parameters on the life of a two layer thermal barrier coating was conducted. The ceramic layer was plasma sprayed at plasma arc currents of 900 and 600 amps onto uncooled tubes, cooled tubes, and solid bars of Waspalloy in a lathe with 1 or 8 passes of the plasma gun. These processing changes affected the residual stress state of the coating. When the specimens were tested in a Mach 0.3 cyclic burner rig at 1130 deg C, a wide range of coating lives resulted. Processing factors which reduced the residual stress state in the coating, such as reduced plasma temperature and increased heat dissipation, significantly increased coating life.

  20. Fall protection training for rig workers : are your rig workers up to standard in fall risks and how to avoid them?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chausse, C.

    2010-07-15

    This article offered advice on how to train rig workers in fall protection procedures. Any employee who works at height must complete fall protection training, which should be both in-classroom and hands-on, and site conditions must be closely simulated. There are three basic levels of training. A supervisor can identify hazards and has the authorization to take prompt corrective measures to ensure that all employees working at height are trained and using fall protection procedures. Any team leader should be trained as a competent person, who can conduct fall hazard surveys, identify new and existing fall hazards, and determine how to protect employees from each hazard. A qualified person is one who by certification or experience has successfully demonstrated an ability to resolve problems. The basic level of training ensures that a worker can recognize and control hazards, understand government fall regulations, follow post-fall rescue procedures, and select suitable rescue equipment. Supervisors may be trained as competent or qualified persons and should have knowledge of fall protection regulations, standards, and the equipment and systems being used in the workplace. Constant reminders at safety talks and refresher training are integral to maintaining a high degree of safety consciousness. 3 figs.

  1. Perspectives of Introduction of the Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Monica-Nataliia Laurensovna; Donskaya, Maryana Vladimirovna; Kupriyanova, Milana Evgenievna; Ovezova, Umeda Akparovna

    2016-01-01

    Present article addresses methodological and technical (instrumental) aspects of creation and implementation of mobile-assisted learning, which is oriented to the process of foreign languages learning. We provide the interpretation of the main definitions of mobile-assisted learning, as well as propose recommendations for using mobile devices in…

  2. Robotic-surgical instrument wrist pose estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabel, Stephan; Baek, Kyungim; Berkelman, Peter

    2010-01-01

    The Compact Lightweight Surgery Robot from the University of Hawaii includes two teleoperated instruments and one endoscope manipulator which act in accord to perform assisted interventional medicine. The relative positions and orientations of the robotic instruments and endoscope must be known to the teleoperation system so that the directions of the instrument motions can be controlled to correspond closely to the directions of the motions of the master manipulators, as seen by the the endoscope and displayed to the surgeon. If the manipulator bases are mounted in known locations and all manipulator joint variables are known, then the necessary coordinate transformations between the master and slave manipulators can be easily computed. The versatility and ease of use of the system can be increased, however, by allowing the endoscope or instrument manipulator bases to be moved to arbitrary positions and orientations without reinitializing each manipulator or remeasuring their relative positions. The aim of this work is to find the pose of the instrument end effectors using the video image from the endoscope camera. The P3P pose estimation algorithm is used with a Levenberg-Marquardt optimization to ensure convergence. The correct transformations between the master and slave coordinate frames can then be calculated and updated when the bases of the endoscope or instrument manipulators are moved to new, unknown, positions at any time before or during surgical procedures.

  3. Navigation errors encountered using weather-mapping radar for helicopter IFR guidance to oil rigs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, J. D.; Bull, J. S.; Hegarty, D. M.; Dugan, D. C.

    1980-01-01

    In 1978 a joint NASA-FAA helicopter flight test was conducted to examine the use of weather-mapping radar for IFR guidance during landing approaches to oil rig helipads. The following navigation errors were measured: total system error, radar-range error, radar-bearing error, and flight technical error. Three problem areas were identified: (1) operational problems leading to pilot blunders, (2) poor navigation to the downwind final approach point, and (3) pure homing on final approach. Analysis of these problem areas suggests improvement in the radar equipment, approach procedure, and pilot training, and gives valuable insight into the development of future navigation aids to serve the off-shore oil industry.

  4. Core Cutting Test with Vertical Rock Cutting Rig (VRCR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasar, Serdar; Osman Yilmaz, Ali

    2017-12-01

    Roadheaders are frequently used machines in mining and tunnelling, and performance prediction of roadheaders is important for project economics and stability. Several methods were proposed so far for this purpose and, rock cutting tests are the best choice. Rock cutting tests are generally divided into two groups which are namely, full scale rock cutting tests and small scale rock cutting tests. These two tests have some superiorities and deficiencies over themselves. However, in many cases, where rock sampling becomes problematic, small scale rock cutting test (core cutting test) is preferred for performance prediction, since small block samples and core samples can be conducted to rock cutting testing. Common problem for rock cutting tests are that they can be found in very limited research centres. In this study, a new mobile rock cutting testing equipment, vertical rock cutting rig (VRCR) was introduced. Standard testing procedure was conducted on seven rock samples which were the part of a former study on cutting rocks with another small scale rock cutting test. Results showed that core cutting test can be realized successfully with VRCR with the validation of paired samples t-test.

  5. Endoscopic PIV measurements in a low pressure turbine rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kegalj, Martin; Schiffer, Heinz-Peter [Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany). Department of Gas Turbines and Aerospace Propulsion

    2009-10-15

    Particle-Image-Velocimetry (PIV) is a useful way to acquire information about the flow in turbomachinery. Several premises have to be fulfilled to achieve high-quality data, for example, optical access, low vibrations and low reflections. However, not all test facilities comply with these requirements. If there is no optical access to the test area, measurements cannot be performed. The use of borescopic optics is a possible solution to this issue, as the access required is very small. Several different techniques can be used to measure the three components of the velocity vector, one of which is Stereo-PIV. These techniques require either large optical access from several viewing angles or highly complex setups. Orthogonal light sheet orientations in combination with borescopic optics using Planar-PIV can deliver sufficient information about the flow. This study will show the feasibility of such an approach in an enclosed test area, such as the interblade space in a Low-Pressure-Turbine-Rig. The results from PIV will be compared with data collected with conventional techniques, such as the Five-Hole-Probe and the 2-component Hot-Wire-Anemometry. An analysis of time- and phase-averaged data will be performed. (orig.)

  6. Instrumental biosensors: new perspectives for the analysis of biomolecular interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nice, E C; Catimel, B

    1999-04-01

    The use of instrumental biosensors in basic research to measure biomolecular interactions in real time is increasing exponentially. Applications include protein-protein, protein-peptide, DNA-protein, DNA-DNA, and lipid-protein interactions. Such techniques have been applied to, for example, antibody-antigen, receptor-ligand, signal transduction, and nuclear receptor studies. This review outlines the principles of two of the most commonly used instruments and highlights specific operating parameters that will assist in optimising experimental design, data generation, and analysis.

  7. Instrument evaluation no. 11. ESI nuclear model 271 C contamination monitor

    CERN Document Server

    Burgess, P H

    1978-01-01

    The various radiations encountered in radiological protection cover a wide range of energies and radiation measurements have to he carried out under an equally broad spectrum of environmental conditions. This report is one of a series intended to give information on the performance characteristics of radiological protection instruments, to assist in the selection of appropriate instruments for a given purpose, to interpret the results obtained with such instruments, and, in particular, to know the likely sources and magnitude of errors that might be associated with measurements in the field. The radiation, electrical and environmental characteristics of radiation protection instruments are considered together with those aspects of the construction which make an instrument convenient for routine use. To provide consistent criteria for instrument performance, the range of tests performed on any particular class of instrument, the test methods and the criteria of acceptable performance are based broadly on the a...

  8. Instrument evaluation no. 17. Wallac automatic alarm dosimeter type RAD21

    CERN Document Server

    Burgess, P H

    1980-01-01

    The various radiations encountered in radiological protection cover a wide range of energies and radiation measurements have to be carried out under an equally broad spectrum of environmental conditions. This report is one of a series intended to give information on the performance characteristics of radiological protection instruments, to assist in the selection of appropriate instruments for a given purpose, to interpret the results obtained with such instruments, and, in particular, to know the likely sources and magnitude of errors that might be associated with measurements in the field. The radiation, electrical and environmental characteristics of radiation protection instruments are considered together with those aspects of the construction which make an instrument convenient for routine use. To provide consistent criteria for instrument performance, the range of tests performed on any particular class of instrument, the test methods and the criteria of acceptable performance are based broadly on the a...

  9. Social Assistance Models in the European Union

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gheorghe MATEI

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Although, in general in terms, the main focus of social protection is social insurance, the globalization challenges and the wide, macro and micro level spread of all major economic, both positive or negative trends, highlight the vital importance of social assistance as the means to address material deprivation and an instrument to promote social inclusion. While social security acts as a pillar of public welfare, social assistance is the way through which citizens are being provideed with support beyond the boundary of social insurance.

  10. Modern challenges for flow investigations in model hydraulic turbines on classical test rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deschênes, C; Houde, S; Aeschlimann, V; Fraser, R; Ciocan, G D

    2014-01-01

    The BulbT project involved several investigations of flow phenomena in different parts of a model bulb turbine installed on the test rig of Laval University Laboratory. The aim is to create a comprehensive data base in order to increase the knowledge of the flow phenomena in this type of turbines and to validate or improve numerical flow simulation strategies. This validation being based on a kinematic comparison between experimental and numerical data, the project had to overcome challenges to facilitate the use of the experimental data for that purpose. Many parameters were checked, such as the test bench repeatability, the intrusiveness of a priori non-intrusive methods, the geometry of the runner and draft tube. This paper illustrates how some of those problematic were solved

  11. Scientific Drilling with the Sea Floor Drill Rig MeBo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerold Wefer

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available In March 2007 the sea floor drill rig MeBo (short for “Meeresboden-Bohrgerät”, ‘sea floor drill rig’ in German returned from a 17-day scientific cruise with the new German research vessel Maria S. Merian. Four sites between 350 m and 1700 m water depth were sampled at the continental slope off Morocco by push coring and rotary drilling. Up to 41.5-m-long sediment cores were recovered from Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene marls. MeBo bridges the gapbetween conventional sampling methods from standard multipurpose research vessels (gravity corer, piston corer, dredges and drill ships. Most bigger research vessels will be able to support deployment of the MeBo. Since the drill system can be easily transported within 20-ft containers, worldwide operation from vessels of opportunity is possible. With the MeBo a new system is available for marine geosciences that allows the recovery of high quality samples from soft sediments and hard rock from the deep sea withoutrelying on the services of expensive drilling vessels.

  12. 77 FR 55217 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: Cognitive Testing of Instrumentation and Materials...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-07

    ... instrumentation, supporting materials, consent forms, and methods of administration (e.g., computer assisted personal interviews [CAPI], audio computer assisted self- interviews [ACASI], web-based interviews... participation Youth 200 1 1 \\30/60\\ 300 in PATH study. Consent forms for Adult 200 1 1 \\30/60\\ 300 participation...

  13. Out pile test of a disassembly tool for the intermediate examination of nuclear fuel rods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Jintae; Joung, Chang-Young; Ahn, Sung-Ho; Yang, Tae-Ho; Jang, Seo-Yoon; Park, Seung-Jae

    2016-01-01

    The two fuel rod assemblies are assembled with a bayonet coupler, and the non-instrumented fuel rod assembly can be disassembled for intermediate examination. A tool to disassemble the non-instrumented fuel rod assembly from the test rig was developed, and steel wires are connected to the tool to operate release function. In this study, an assembly plug with a quick plug typed bayonet coupler and the accompanying disassembly tool was designed to prevent the interference problem. A test rig mockup was fabricated, and performance test was carried out in the laboratory. And, the out pile test was also carried out in the single channel test loop established in the KAERI. In this study, a modified coupler design to disassemble the non-instrumented fuel rod assembly from the test rig for the intermediate examination was suggested to solve interference problem of previous design. The performance of the modified design was verified by test mockup fabricated with the modified coupler design and accompanied disassembly tool design. Finally, out pile test was carried out in the single channel test loop in the KAERI, and the test rig and the disassembly tool showed good performance and reliability. The developed technique will be useful to the periodic intermediate examination of nuclear fuel rods

  14. Out pile test of a disassembly tool for the intermediate examination of nuclear fuel rods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Jintae; Joung, Chang-Young; Ahn, Sung-Ho; Yang, Tae-Ho; Jang, Seo-Yoon; Park, Seung-Jae [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    The two fuel rod assemblies are assembled with a bayonet coupler, and the non-instrumented fuel rod assembly can be disassembled for intermediate examination. A tool to disassemble the non-instrumented fuel rod assembly from the test rig was developed, and steel wires are connected to the tool to operate release function. In this study, an assembly plug with a quick plug typed bayonet coupler and the accompanying disassembly tool was designed to prevent the interference problem. A test rig mockup was fabricated, and performance test was carried out in the laboratory. And, the out pile test was also carried out in the single channel test loop established in the KAERI. In this study, a modified coupler design to disassemble the non-instrumented fuel rod assembly from the test rig for the intermediate examination was suggested to solve interference problem of previous design. The performance of the modified design was verified by test mockup fabricated with the modified coupler design and accompanied disassembly tool design. Finally, out pile test was carried out in the single channel test loop in the KAERI, and the test rig and the disassembly tool showed good performance and reliability. The developed technique will be useful to the periodic intermediate examination of nuclear fuel rods.

  15. Ultrasound-Guided Core-Needle Versus Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy: A Cost Analysis Based on the American Society of Breast Surgeons' Mastery of Breast Surgery Registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grady, Ian; Vasquez, Tony; Tawfik, Sara; Grady, Sean

    2017-03-01

    To evaluate the cost-efficacy of vacuum-assisted ultrasound-guided breast biopsy instruments compared to ultrasound-guided 14-gauge spring-loaded core-needle biopsy. The American Society of Breast Surgeons' Mastery of Breast Surgery Registry was reviewed. Biopsy findings, any rebiopsy, and the instrument used were abstracted for 31,451 ultrasound-guided biopsy procedures performed between 2001 and July 2014. Rates of cancer diagnosis and rebiopsy were calculated for each instrument. A linear mathematical model was developed to calculate total cost per cancer diagnosis, including procedural costs and the costs of any additional surgical rebiopsy procedures. Mean cost per cancer diagnosis with confidence limits was then determined for 14-gauge spring-loaded core-needle biopsy and 14 different vacuum-assisted instruments. For 14-gauge spring-loaded core-needle biopsy, mean cost per cancer diagnosis was $4346 (4327-$4366). For the vacuum-assisted instruments, mean cost per cancer diagnosis ranged from a low of $3742 ($3732-$3752) to a high of $4779 ($4750-$4809). Vacuum-assisted instruments overall were more cost-effective than core with a mean cost per cancer diagnosis of $4052 ($4038-$4067) (p cancer diagnosis of $3978 ($3964-$3991) (p cancer diagnosis of $4369 ($4350-$4388), a result no better than core (p breast biopsy had a lower mean cost per cancer diagnosis than 14-gauge spring-loaded core-needle biopsy. This advantage was only seen in tethered vacuum-assisted instruments. Within device families, larger instruments tended to outperform smaller instruments.

  16. Optimization of inverse model identification for multi-axial test rig control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Müller Tino

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Laboratory testing of multi-axial fatigue situations improves repeatability and allows a time condensing of tests which can be carried out until component failure, compared to field testing. To achieve realistic and convincing durability results, precise load data reconstruction is necessary. Cross-talk and a high number of degrees of freedom negatively affect the control accuracy. Therefore a multiple input/multiple output (MIMO model of the system, capturing all inherent cross-couplings is identified. In a first step the model order is estimated based on the physical fundamentals of a one channel hydraulic-servo system. Subsequently, the structure of the MIMO model is optimized using correlation of the outputs, to increase control stability and reduce complexity of the parameter optimization. The identification process is successfully applied to the iterative control of a multi-axial suspension rig. The results show accurate control, with increased stability compared to control without structure optimization.

  17. Evaluation of Sensor Configurations for Robotic Surgical Instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-de-Gabriel, Jesús M; Harwin, William

    2015-10-27

    Designing surgical instruments for robotic-assisted minimally-invasive surgery (RAMIS) is challenging due to constraints on the number and type of sensors imposed by considerations such as space or the need for sterilization. A new method for evaluating the usability of virtual teleoperated surgical instruments based on virtual sensors is presented. This method uses virtual prototyping of the surgical instrument with a dual physical interaction, which allows testing of different sensor configurations in a real environment. Moreover, the proposed approach has been applied to the evaluation of prototypes of a two-finger grasper for lump detection by remote pinching. In this example, the usability of a set of five different sensor configurations, with a different number of force sensors, is evaluated in terms of quantitative and qualitative measures in clinical experiments with 23 volunteers. As a result, the smallest number of force sensors needed in the surgical instrument that ensures the usability of the device can be determined. The details of the experimental setup are also included.

  18. Oil drilling rig diesel power-plant fuel efficiency improvement potentials through rule-based generator scheduling and utilization of battery energy storage system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavković, Danijel; Sedić, Almir; Guzović, Zvonimir

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Isolated oil drilling rig microgrid power flows are analyzed over 30 days. • Rule-based diesel generator scheduling is proposed to reduce fuel consumption. • A battery energy storage is parameterized and used for peak load leveling. • The effectiveness of proposed hybrid microgrid is verified by simulations. • Return-of-investment might be expected within 20% of battery system lifetime. - Abstract: This paper presents the development of a rule-based energy management control strategy suitable for isolated diesel power-plants equipped with a battery energy storage system for peak load shaving. The proposed control strategy includes the generator scheduling strategy and peak load leveling scheme based on current microgrid active and reactive power requirements. In order to investigate the potentials for fuel expenditure reduction, 30 days-worth of microgrid power flow data has been collected on an isolated land-based oil drilling rig powered by a diesel generator power-plant, characterized by highly-variable active and reactive load profiles due to intermittent engagements and disengagements of high-power electric machinery such as top-drive, draw-works and mud-pump motors. The analysis has indicated that by avoiding the low-power operation of individual generators and by providing the peak power requirements (peak shaving) from a dedicated energy storage system, the power-plant fuel efficiency may be notably improved. An averaged power flow simulation model has been built, comprising the proposed rule-based power flow control strategy and the averaged model of a suitably sized battery energy storage system equipped with grid-tied power converter and state-of-charge control system. The effectiveness of the proposed rule-based strategy has been evaluated by means of computer simulation analysis based on drilling rig microgrid active and reactive power data recorded during the 30 day period. The analysis has indicated that fuel consumption of

  19. Development and psychometric testing of a new instrument to measure factors influencing women's breast cancer prevention behaviors (ASSISTS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khazaee-Pool, Maryam; Majlessi, Fereshteh; Montazeri, Ali; Pashaei, Tahereh; Gholami, Ali; Ponnet, Koen

    2016-07-22

    Breast cancer preventive behaviors have an extreme effect on women's health. Despite the benefits of preventive behaviors regarding breast cancer, they have not been implemented as routine care for healthy women. To assess this health issue, a reliable and valid scale is needed. The aim of the present study is to develop and examine the psychometric properties of a new scale, called the ASSISTS, in order to identify factors that affect women's breast cancer prevention behaviors. A multi-phase instrument development method was performed to develop the questionnaire from February 2012 to September 2014. The item pool was generated based on secondary analyses of previous qualitative data. Then, content and face validity were applied to provide a pre-final version of the scale. The scale validation was conducted with a sample of women recruited from health centers affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The construct validity (both exploratory and confirmatory), convergent validity, discriminate validity, internal consistency reliability and test-retest analysis of the questionnaire were tested. Fifty-eight items were initially extracted from the secondary analysis of previous qualitative data. After content validity, this was reduced to 49 items. The exploratory factor analysis revealed seven factors (Attitude, supportive systems, self-efficacy, information seeking, stress management, stimulant and self-care) containing 33 items that jointly accounted for 60.62 % of the observed variance. The confirmatory factor analysis showed a model with appropriate fitness for the data. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the subscales ranged from 0.68 to 0.85, and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.71 to 0.98; which is well above the acceptable thresholds. The findings showed that the designed questionnaire was a valid and reliable instrument for assessing factors affecting women's breast cancer prevention behaviors that can be used both

  20. Microwave-Assisted Sample Treatment in a Fully Automated Flow-Based Instrument: Oxidation of Reduced Technetium Species in the Analysis of Total Technetium-99 in Caustic Aged Nuclear Waste Samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egorov, Oleg B.; O'Hara, Matthew J.; Grate, Jay W.

    2004-01-01

    An automated flow-based instrument for microwave-assisted treatment of liquid samples has been developed and characterized. The instrument utilizes a flow-through reaction vessel design that facilitates the addition of multiple reagents during sample treatment, removal of the gaseous reaction products, and enables quantitative removal of liquids from the reaction vessel for carryover-free operations. Matrix modification and speciation control chemistries that are required for the radiochemical determination of total 99Tc in caustic aged nuclear waste samples have been investigated. A rapid and quantitative oxidation procedure using peroxydisulfate in acidic solution was developed to convert reduced technetium species to pertechnetate in samples with high content of reducing organics. The effectiveness of the automated sample treatment procedures has been validated in the radiochemical analysis of total 99Tc in caustic aged nuclear waste matrixes from the Hanford site

  1. A unique laboratory test rig reduces the need for offshore tests to combat calcium naphthenate deposition in oilfield process equipment.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mediaas, Heidi; Grande, Knut; Hustad, Britt-Marie; Hoevik, Kim Reidar; Kummernes, Hege; Nergaard, Bjoern; Vindstad, Jens Emil

    2006-03-15

    Producing and refining high-TAN crude oils introduces a number of challenges, among which calcium naphthenate deposition in process facilities is the most serious production issue. Until recently, the only option for studying chemicals and process parameters in order to prevent naphthenate deposition has been field tests. Statoil has now developed a small scale pilot plant where these experiments can be performed in the laboratory at Statoil's Research and Technology Center in Trondheim, Norway. The results from the pilot plant are in full agreement with the extensive naphthenate experience obtained from almost 9 years operation of the Heidrun oilfield. The design and operational procedures for this test facility are based on the recent discovery by Statoil and ConocoPhillips of the ARN acid. The ARN acid is a prerequisite for calcium naphthenate deposition. The new continuous flow pilot plant, the Naphthenate Rig, is used to develop new environmental friendly naphthenate inhibitors and to optimize process operating conditions. Since it operates on real crudes the need for field tests in qualifying new naphthenate inhibitors is reduced. To the best of our knowledge, the rig is the first of its kind in the world. (Author)

  2. Cooling Effectiveness Measurements for Air Film Cooling of Thermal Barrier Coated Surfaces in a Burner Rig Environment Using Phosphor Thermometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldridge, Jeffrey I.; Shyam, Vikram; Wroblewski, Adam C.; Zhu, Dongming; Cuy, Michael D.; Wolfe, Douglas E.

    2016-01-01

    While the effects of thermal barrier coating (TBC) thermal protection and air film cooling effectiveness are usually studied separately, their contributions to combined cooling effectiveness are interdependent and are not simply additive. Therefore, combined cooling effectiveness must be measured to achieve an optimum balance between TBC thermal protection and air film cooling. In this investigation, surface temperature mapping was performed using recently developed Cr-doped GdAlO3 phosphor thermometry. Measurements were performed in the NASA GRC Mach 0.3 burner rig on a TBC-coated plate using a scaled up cooling hole geometry where both the mainstream hot gas temperature and the blowing ratio were varied. Procedures for surface temperature and cooling effectiveness mapping of the air film-cooled TBC-coated surface are described. Applications are also shown for an engine component in both the burner rig test environment as well as an engine afterburner environment. The effects of thermal background radiation and flame chemiluminescence on the measurements are investigated, and advantages of this method over infrared thermography as well as the limitations of this method for studying air film cooling are discussed.

  3. Controls and measurements of KU engine test cells for biodiesel, SynGas, and assisted biodiesel combustion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecrle, Eric Daniel

    This thesis is comprised of three unique data acquisition and controls (CDAQ) projects. Each of these projects differs from each other; however, they all include the concept of testing renewable or future fuel sources. The projects were the following: University of Kansas's Feedstock-to-Tailpipe Initiative's Synthesis Gas Reforming rig, Feedstock-to-Tailpipe Initiative's Biodiesel Single Cylinder Test Stand, and a unique Reformate Assisted Biodiesel Combustion architecture. The main responsibility of the author was to implement, develop and test CDAQ systems for the projects. For the Synthesis Gas Reforming rig, this thesis includes a report that summarizes the analysis and solution of building a controls and data acquisition system for this setup. It describes the purpose of the sensors selected along with their placement throughout the system. Moreover, it includes an explanation of the planned data collection system, along with two models describing the reforming process useful for system control. For the Biodiesel Single Cylinder Test Stand, the responsibility was to implement the CDAQ system for data collection. This project comprised a variety of different sensors that are being used collect the combustion characteristics of different biodiesel formulations. This project is currently being used by other graduates in order to complete their projects for subsequent publication. For the Reformate Assisted Biodiesel Combustion architecture, the author developed a reformate injection system to test different hydrogen and carbon monoxide mixtures as combustion augmentation. Hydrogen combustion has certain limiting factors, such as pre-ignition in spark ignition engines and inability to work as a singular fuel in compression ignition engines. To offset these issues, a dual-fuel methodology is utilized by injecting a hydrogen/carbon monoxide mixture into the intake stream of a diesel engine operating on biodiesel. While carbon monoxide does degrade some of the

  4. CARS 2008: Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery. Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2008-06-15

    The proceedings contain contributions to the following topics: digital imaging, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, cardiac and vascular imaging, computer assisted radiation therapy, image processing and display, minimal invasive spinal surgery, computer assisted treatment of the prostate, the interventional radiology suite of the future, interventional oncology, computer assisted neurosurgery, computer assisted head and neck and ENT surgery, cardiovascular surgery, computer assisted orthopedic surgery, image processing and visualization, surgical robotics, instrumentation and navigation, surgical modelling, simulation and education, endoscopy and related techniques, workflow and new concepts in surgery, research training group 1126: intelligent surgery, digital operating room, image distribution and integration strategies, regional PACS and telemedicine, PACS - beyond radiology and E-learning, workflow and standardization, breast CAD, thoracic CAD, abdominal CAD, brain CAD, orthodontics, dentofacial orthopedics and airways, imaging and treating temporomandibular joint conditions, maxillofacial cone beam CT, craniomaxillofacial image fusion and CBCT incidental findings, image guided craniomaxillofacial procedures, imaging as a biomarker for therapy response, computer aided diagnosis. The Poster sessions cover the topics computer aided surgery, Euro PACS meeting, computer assisted radiology, computer aided diagnosis and computer assisted radiology and surgery.

  5. CARS 2008: Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    The proceedings contain contributions to the following topics: digital imaging, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, cardiac and vascular imaging, computer assisted radiation therapy, image processing and display, minimal invasive spinal surgery, computer assisted treatment of the prostate, the interventional radiology suite of the future, interventional oncology, computer assisted neurosurgery, computer assisted head and neck and ENT surgery, cardiovascular surgery, computer assisted orthopedic surgery, image processing and visualization, surgical robotics, instrumentation and navigation, surgical modelling, simulation and education, endoscopy and related techniques, workflow and new concepts in surgery, research training group 1126: intelligent surgery, digital operating room, image distribution and integration strategies, regional PACS and telemedicine, PACS - beyond radiology and E-learning, workflow and standardization, breast CAD, thoracic CAD, abdominal CAD, brain CAD, orthodontics, dentofacial orthopedics and airways, imaging and treating temporomandibular joint conditions, maxillofacial cone beam CT, craniomaxillofacial image fusion and CBCT incidental findings, image guided craniomaxillofacial procedures, imaging as a biomarker for therapy response, computer aided diagnosis. The Poster sessions cover the topics computer aided surgery, Euro PACS meeting, computer assisted radiology, computer aided diagnosis and computer assisted radiology and surgery

  6. Maintenance of nuclear instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira Rebelo, A.M. de; Santos, C.J.F. dos; Jesus, E.F.O. de; Silva, L.E.M.C.; Borges, J.C.

    1988-01-01

    A program to design and repairing of nuclear instruments for teaching and research was founded in the UFRJ to find solutions for technical support problem - The GEMD-RADIACOES. This group has assisted to several groups of the University in recuperation and conservation of devices like: Linear scanner, Cromatograph and system of radiation detection in general. Recuperation of these devices had required a study of theirs operations modes, to make it possible the setting up of a similar system. Recuperation also involves operation tests, calibration and technical for users, orienting them to get the best performance. (Author) [pt

  7. The heater system monitoring and control of the fuelling machines test rig fluid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iorga, C.; Iorga, H.

    2016-01-01

    The thermo-mechanical hot loop (HL) of the testing rig for the fuelling machines (F/Ms) represents a set of facilities and equipment that perform the pressure, temperature and flow thermo-hydraulic parameters similar to those from the fuel channel for CANDU 600 reactor types. The 2.1 MW electric heater (EH), part of the HL, working under the conditions of a pressure vessel (110 bars) and provides an average temperature of 300°C of the working agent. The monitoring equipment implemented aims to simultaneously control the temperature for each of the 12 modules that compose the EH, without influencing the work logic of the display/recording and protecting existing equipment. This paper presents the structure of the monitoring equipment and its performance obtained after performing the functional tests. (authors)

  8. The MERLIN programme: Pt. 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clifford, B.R.; Walker, J.C.

    1988-03-01

    The MERLIN (Multi Rod Electrically heated Rig for LOCA INvestigation) rig at Springfields Nuclear Laboratories (SNL) is used to investigate the deformation behaviour of Zircaloy fuel rod cladding in a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) following a postulated large break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). This Report describes the components, instrumentation and assembly of a 6 x 6 cluster of electrically heated fuel rod simulators which can be subjected to temperature transients and bottom reflood in order to determine the thermal hydraulic characteristics of the rig. (author)

  9. Technical and instrumental prerequisites for single-port laparoscopic solo surgery: state of art.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Say-June; Lee, Sang Chul

    2015-04-21

    With the aid of advanced surgical techniques and instruments, single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) can be accomplished with just two surgical members: an operator and a camera assistant. Under these circumstances, the reasonable replacement of a human camera assistant by a mechanical camera holder has resulted in a new surgical procedure termed single-port solo surgery (SPSS). In SPSS, the fixation and coordinated movement of a camera held by mechanical devices provides fixed and stable operative images that are under the control of the operator. Therefore, SPSS primarily benefits from the provision of the operator's eye-to-hand coordination. Because SPSS is an intuitive modification of SPLS, the indications for SPSS are the same as those for SPLS. Though SPSS necessitates more actions than the surgery with a human assistant, these difficulties seem to be easily overcome by the greater provision of static operative images and the need for less lens cleaning and repositioning of the camera. When the operation is expected to be difficult and demanding, the SPSS process could be assisted by the addition of another instrument holder besides the camera holder.

  10. Assessment of comparative skills between hand-assisted and straight laparoscopic colorectal training on an augmented reality simulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leblanc, F; Delaney, C P; Neary, P C; Rose, J; Augestad, K M; Senagore, A J; Ellis, C N; Champagne, B J

    2010-09-01

    The aim of this study was to compare skills sets during a hand-assisted and straight laparoscopic colectomy on an augmented reality simulator. Twenty-nine surgeons, assigned randomly in 2 groups, performed laparoscopic sigmoid colectomies on a simulator: group A (n = 15) performed hand-assisted then straight procedures; group B (n = 14) performed straight then hand-assisted procedures. Groups were compared according to prior laparoscopic colorectal experience, performance (time, instrument path length, and instrument velocity changes), technical skills, and operative error. Prior laparoscopic colorectal experience was similar in both groups. Both groups had better performances with the hand-assisted approach, although technical skill scores were similar between approaches. The error rate was higher with the hand-assisted approach in group A, but similar between both approaches in group B. These data define the metrics of performance for hand-assisted and straight laparoscopic colectomy on an augmented reality simulator. The improved scores with the hand-assisted approach suggest that with this simulator a hand-assisted model may be technically easier to perform, although it is associated with increased intraoperative errors.

  11. Predicted summary of panel discussion on smart instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorber, R.E.

    1991-01-01

    The following is a hypothetical account of a panel discussion on Smart Instruments. It enumerates topics that are likely to covered in the actual discussion. A smart instrument may be defined as one that performs smart functions or as one that contains a computer of some sort. Neither definition is perfect. Smart functions might include, but are not limited to: automated data logging (reading, location, time); transfer (downloading) logged data to outside computer; computer assisted, remote calibration; linearity and dead time correction; performance trending; self diagnosis of faults; detector probe recognition; automated beta factor application; and automatic range selection. These smart functions are discussed

  12. Water hammer and column separation due to accidental simultaneous closure of control valves in a large scale two-phase flow experimental test rig

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bergant, A.; Westende, van 't J.M.C.; Koppel, T.; Gale, J.; Hou, Q.; Pandula, Z.; Tijsseling, A.S.

    2010-01-01

    A large-scale pipeline test rig at Deltares, Delft, The Netherlands has been used for filling and emptying experiments. Tests have been conducted in a horizontal 250 mm diameter PVC pipe of 258 m length with control valves at the downstream and upstream ends. This paper investigates the accidental

  13. Micro-pyrolysis of technical lignins in a new modular rig and product analysis by GC-MS/FID and GC x GC-TOFMS/FID

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Windt, Michael; Meier, Dietrich; Marsman, Jan Henk; Heeres, Hero Jan; de Koning, Sjaak

    A new offline-pyrolysis rig has been designed to allow multifunctional experiments for preparative and analytical purposes. The system conditions can be set and monitored, e.g. temperature, its gradients and heat flux. Some special features include ( I) high heating rates up to 120 degrees C/s with

  14. Design review and analysis for a Pratt and Whitney fluid-film bearing and seal testing rig

    Science.gov (United States)

    Childs, Dara W.

    1994-01-01

    A design review has been completed for a Pratt and Whitney (P&W)-designed fluid-film bearing and annular-seal test rig to be manufactured and installed at George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Issues covered in this study include: (1) the capacity requirements of the drive unit; (2) the capacity and configuration of the static loading system; (3) the capacity and configuration of the dynamic excitation system; (4) the capacity, configuration, and rotordynamic stability of a test bearing, support bearings, and shaft; and (5) the characteristics and configuration of the measurement transducers and data channels.

  15. 77 FR 74825 - Information Collection: Federal and Non-Federal Financial Assistant Instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-18

    .... The Forest Service issues Federal Financial Assistance (FFA) awards, which are grants and cooperative... recipient's accounting system and financial management capabilities. In addition to FFA, Congress created... unable to develop or monitor projects, make or receive payments, or identify financial and accounting...

  16. Construction of a Chemical Sensor/Instrumentation Package Using Fiber Optic and Miniaturization Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newton, R. L.

    1999-01-01

    The objective of this research was to construct a chemical sensor/instrumentation package that was smaller in weight and volume than conventional instrumentation. This reduction in weight and volume is needed to assist in further reducing the cost of launching payloads into space. To accomplish this, fiber optic sensors, miniaturized spectrometers, and wireless modems were employed. The system was evaluated using iodine as a calibration analyte.

  17. HOST liner cyclic facilities: Facility description

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, D.

    1982-01-01

    A quartz lamp box, a quartz lamp annular rig, and a low pressure liner cyclic can rig planned for liner cyclic tests are described. Special test instrumentation includes an IR-TV camera system for measuring liner cold side temperatures, thin film thermocouples for measuring liner hot side temperatures, and laser and high temperature strain gages for obtaining local strain measurements. A plate temperature of 2,000 F was obtained in an initial test of an apparatus with three quartz lamps. Lamp life, however, appeared to be limited for the standard commercial quartz lamps available. The design of vitiated and nonvitiated preheaters required for the quartz lamp annular rig and the cyclic can test rigs is underway.

  18. Recognition of risk situations based on endoscopic instrument tracking and knowledge based situation modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speidel, Stefanie; Sudra, Gunther; Senemaud, Julien; Drentschew, Maximilian; Müller-Stich, Beat Peter; Gutt, Carsten; Dillmann, Rüdiger

    2008-03-01

    Minimally invasive surgery has gained significantly in importance over the last decade due to the numerous advantages on patient-side. The surgeon has to adapt special operation-techniques and deal with difficulties like the complex hand-eye coordination, limited field of view and restricted mobility. To alleviate these constraints we propose to enhance the surgeon's capabilities by providing a context-aware assistance using augmented reality (AR) techniques. In order to generate a context-aware assistance it is necessary to recognize the current state of the intervention using intraoperatively gained sensor data and a model of the surgical intervention. In this paper we present the recognition of risk situations, the system warns the surgeon if an instrument gets too close to a risk structure. The context-aware assistance system starts with an image-based analysis to retrieve information from the endoscopic images. This information is classified and a semantic description is generated. The description is used to recognize the current state and launch an appropriate AR visualization. In detail we present an automatic vision-based instrument tracking to obtain the positions of the instruments. Situation recognition is performed using a knowledge representation based on a description logic system. Two augmented reality visualization programs are realized to warn the surgeon if a risk situation occurs.

  19. Final report on development and operation of instrumented irradiation capsules for creep experiments on nuclear fuels at FR2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haefner, H.E.; Philipp, K.; Blumhofer, M.

    1980-02-01

    The capsule test rig No. 154 removed from FR2 in April 1979 was the last irradiation rig in a long series of creep experiments. The target of the irradiation tests, started exactly ten years ago, was to investigate the creep behaviour of various ceramic nuclear fuels under different in-pile irradiation conditions. An irradiation test rig had been developed for this purpose which allowed the continuous measurement of changes in length of fuel specimens. A total of 28 capsule test rigs each containing two packages of creep specimens have been irradiated in FR2 during this decade. They included 23 specimen stacks of UO 2 , 16 specimen stacks of UO 2 -PuO 2 , 4 specimen stacks of UN, 10 specimen stacks of (U,Pu) C, and 13 reference specimens of molybdenum. Besides the description of the test facility, the report provides above all a survey of the operation data applicable to the specimens and of the operating experience gathered as well as of the findings obtained in post-irradiation examinations. (orig.) [de

  20. 32 CFR 22.205 - Distinguishing assistance from procurement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... procurement contract, is the appropriate instrument, based on the following: (a) Purpose. (1) The grants... purpose is acquisition, then the grants officer shall judge that a procurement contract is the appropriate... 32 National Defense 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distinguishing assistance from procurement. 22...

  1. Evaluation of Sensor Configurations for Robotic Surgical Instruments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesús M. Gómez-de-Gabriel

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Designing surgical instruments for robotic-assisted minimally-invasive surgery (RAMIS is challenging due to constraints on the number and type of sensors imposed by considerations such as space or the need for sterilization. A new method for evaluating the usability of virtual teleoperated surgical instruments based on virtual sensors is presented. This method uses virtual prototyping of the surgical instrument with a dual physical interaction, which allows testing of different sensor configurations in a real environment. Moreover, the proposed approach has been applied to the evaluation of prototypes of a two-finger grasper for lump detection by remote pinching. In this example, the usability of a set of five different sensor configurations, with a different number of force sensors, is evaluated in terms of quantitative and qualitative measures in clinical experiments with 23 volunteers. As a result, the smallest number of force sensors needed in the surgical instrument that ensures the usability of the device can be determined. The details of the experimental setup are also included.

  2. Evaluation of Sensor Configurations for Robotic Surgical Instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-de-Gabriel, Jesús M.; Harwin, William

    2015-01-01

    Designing surgical instruments for robotic-assisted minimally-invasive surgery (RAMIS) is challenging due to constraints on the number and type of sensors imposed by considerations such as space or the need for sterilization. A new method for evaluating the usability of virtual teleoperated surgical instruments based on virtual sensors is presented. This method uses virtual prototyping of the surgical instrument with a dual physical interaction, which allows testing of different sensor configurations in a real environment. Moreover, the proposed approach has been applied to the evaluation of prototypes of a two-finger grasper for lump detection by remote pinching. In this example, the usability of a set of five different sensor configurations, with a different number of force sensors, is evaluated in terms of quantitative and qualitative measures in clinical experiments with 23 volunteers. As a result, the smallest number of force sensors needed in the surgical instrument that ensures the usability of the device can be determined. The details of the experimental setup are also included. PMID:26516863

  3. 10 CFR 603.125 - Applicability of other parts of the DOE Assistance Regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Regulations. 603.125 Section 603.125 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY...: (1) 10 CFR part 601—lobbying restrictions apply by law (31 U.S.C. 1352) to a TIA that is a... nonprocurement instruments in general; and (3) 10 CFR part 607—drug-free work-place (financial assistance...

  4. The Role of Social Assistance on Effectiveness of Social Rights

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Guilherme Sampaio dos Anjos

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The social assistance has intrinsic historical, legal and political relationship to social rights. Fundamental rights have assumed a legal-constitutional role since the mid-twentieth century. Through historical and doctrinal review of fundamental rights and social welfare, the identification of legal frameworks and institutional instruments of social assistance that demonstrate their ability to contribute to the realization of social rights and the problem of realization of social rights, social assistance seems to be able to play a prominent role as a public policy that helps to point out a solution to the problem of lack of effectiveness of social rights.

  5. The First Korean Experience of Telemanipulative Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using the da Vinci System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Chang Moo; Chi, Hoon Sang; Hyeung, Woo Jin; Kim, Kyung Sik; Choi, Jin Sub; Kim, Byong Ro

    2007-01-01

    With the advancement of laparoscopic instruments and computer sciences, complex surgical procedures are expected to be safely performed by robot assisted telemanipulative laparoscopic surgery. The da Vinci system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA, USA) became available at the many surgical fields. The wrist like movements of the instrument's tip, as well as 3-dimensional vision, could be expected to facilitate more complex laparoscopic procedure. Here, we present the first Korean experience of da Vinci robotic assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy and discuss the introduction and perspectives of this robotic system. PMID:17594166

  6. Developing a Multimedia Instrument for Technical Vocabulary Learning: A Case of EFL Undergraduate Physics Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusanganwa, Joseph Appolinary

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study is to investigate the process of constructing a Multimedia Assisted Vocabulary Learning (MAVL) instrument at a university in Rwanda in 2009. The instrument is used in a one-computer classroom where students were taught in a foreign language and had little access to books. It consists of video clips featuring images,…

  7. Revisiting the P-36 oil rig accident 15 years later: from management of incidental and accidental situations to organizational factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueiredo, Marcelo Gonçalves; Alvarez, Denise; Adams, Ricardo Nunes

    2018-03-29

    The accident with the P-36 oil rig in the Campos Basin in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, was one of the petroleum industry's worst international disasters. Based on this specific case, the article aims to (a) verify the role of the human dimension in the reliability of highly complex systems, with a focus on the management of incidental and accidental situations with the potential to lead to large-scale accidents. The analysis should help (b) shed light on some of the organizational factors that can increase the risk level in offshore activities, beyond the so-called immediate causes. The methodology involves mainly document research (especially the reports produced by Petrobras, ANP/DPC, and CREA-RJ) and interviews with three professionals that worked on the P-36 rig. The results indicate that the management of incidental and accidental situations in which emergency decisions are made should take advantage of contribution by the workforce, who can identify gaps in the process and discuss them with managers. This involves shared and more flexible decisions and collective analysis of risk situations. The findings also suggest that certain organizational factors contributed to the accident, corroborating domestic and international studies of major accidents and pointing to the need for a shift in the focus adopted by oil companies' management.

  8. Test rig with active damping control for the simultaneous evaluation of vibration control and energy harvesting via piezoelectric transducers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perfetto, S; Rohlfing, J; Infante, F; Mayer, D; Herold, S

    2016-01-01

    Piezoelectric transducers can be used to harvest electrical energy from structural vibrations in order to power continuously operating condition monitoring systems local to where they operate. However, excessive vibrations can compromise the safe operation of mechanical systems. Therefore, absorbers are commonly used to control vibrations. With an integrated device, the mechanical energy that otherwise would be dissipated can be converted via piezoelectric transducers. Vibration absorbers are designed to have high damping factors. Hence, the integration of transducers would lead to a low energy conversion. Efficient energy harvesters usually have low damping capabilities; therefore, they are not effective for vibration suppression. Thus, the design of an integrated device needs to consider the two conflicting requirements on the damping. This study focuses on the development of a laboratory test rig with a host structure and a vibration absorber with tunable damping via an active relative velocity feedback. A voice coil actuator is used for this purpose. To overcome the passive damping effects of the back electromagnetic force a novel voltage feedback control is proposed, which has been validated both in simulation and experimentally. The aim of this study is to have a test rig ready for the introduction of piezo-transducers and available for future experimental evaluations of the damping effect on the effectiveness of vibration reduction and energy harvesting efficiency. (paper)

  9. Test rig with active damping control for the simultaneous evaluation of vibration control and energy harvesting via piezoelectric transducers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perfetto, S.; Rohlfing, J.; Infante, F.; Mayer, D.; Herold, S.

    2016-09-01

    Piezoelectric transducers can be used to harvest electrical energy from structural vibrations in order to power continuously operating condition monitoring systems local to where they operate. However, excessive vibrations can compromise the safe operation of mechanical systems. Therefore, absorbers are commonly used to control vibrations. With an integrated device, the mechanical energy that otherwise would be dissipated can be converted via piezoelectric transducers. Vibration absorbers are designed to have high damping factors. Hence, the integration of transducers would lead to a low energy conversion. Efficient energy harvesters usually have low damping capabilities; therefore, they are not effective for vibration suppression. Thus, the design of an integrated device needs to consider the two conflicting requirements on the damping. This study focuses on the development of a laboratory test rig with a host structure and a vibration absorber with tunable damping via an active relative velocity feedback. A voice coil actuator is used for this purpose. To overcome the passive damping effects of the back electromagnetic force a novel voltage feedback control is proposed, which has been validated both in simulation and experimentally. The aim of this study is to have a test rig ready for the introduction of piezo-transducers and available for future experimental evaluations of the damping effect on the effectiveness of vibration reduction and energy harvesting efficiency.

  10. Study of graphite sealing for the instrumentation feed through part

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Jintae; Ahn, Sungho; Joung, Changyoung; Kim, Kahye

    2013-01-01

    Because highly pressurized (15.5 MPa) and highly heated (300 .deg. C) coolant is circulated through the test rig, it needs to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In this case, general sealing method is brazing and several works have been carried out in nuclear fields. However, because high temperature is induced on the sealing plug and sheaths, it is easy to be broken due to oxidisation of the sheath during brazing process. In addition, because the brazing process is irreversible, if the brazing process fails, the whole inner assembly should be scrapped out. Another approach which uses graphite has been studied to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In the study, graphite sealing is considered as a sealing method and the improvement of mechanical structure has been studied to improve the workability. To check the sealing performance of the instrumentation feed through part, a hydraulic pressure test and a helium leak test were carried out according to the ASME section III. The criterion of a hydraulic pressure test is 125% of the design pressure. In this study, because the design pressure of the pressure vessel is 17.5 MPa. the sealing criterion should be 21.9 MPa. Also, in a Helium leak test, the criterion is less than 5 Χ 10 -9 torr·liter/sec. At first, a Helium leak test was carried out. After eliminating Helium in the pressure vessel by evacuating the internal area of the pressure vessel up to 1 Χ 10 -3 torr using ASM 310, Helium detection test was carried out by spraying Helium gas at the top face of the top flange for 5 minutes. Fig. 4 shows the rate of Helium leakage is 2.4 Χ 10 -9 torr·liter/sec, and it satisfies the sealing performance criterion. A hydraulic pressure test was also carried out, and there was no leakage or pressure drop when the water in the pressure vessel is pressurized up to 22.5 MPa. The above test results show that graphite powder can seal out the instrumentation feed through part easily with the improved

  11. Study of graphite sealing for the instrumentation feed through part

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Jintae; Ahn, Sungho; Joung, Changyoung; Kim, Kahye [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-05-15

    Because highly pressurized (15.5 MPa) and highly heated (300 .deg. C) coolant is circulated through the test rig, it needs to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In this case, general sealing method is brazing and several works have been carried out in nuclear fields. However, because high temperature is induced on the sealing plug and sheaths, it is easy to be broken due to oxidisation of the sheath during brazing process. In addition, because the brazing process is irreversible, if the brazing process fails, the whole inner assembly should be scrapped out. Another approach which uses graphite has been studied to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In the study, graphite sealing is considered as a sealing method and the improvement of mechanical structure has been studied to improve the workability. To check the sealing performance of the instrumentation feed through part, a hydraulic pressure test and a helium leak test were carried out according to the ASME section III. The criterion of a hydraulic pressure test is 125% of the design pressure. In this study, because the design pressure of the pressure vessel is 17.5 MPa. the sealing criterion should be 21.9 MPa. Also, in a Helium leak test, the criterion is less than 5 Χ 10{sup -9} torr·liter/sec. At first, a Helium leak test was carried out. After eliminating Helium in the pressure vessel by evacuating the internal area of the pressure vessel up to 1 Χ 10{sup -3} torr using ASM 310, Helium detection test was carried out by spraying Helium gas at the top face of the top flange for 5 minutes. Fig. 4 shows the rate of Helium leakage is 2.4 Χ 10{sup -9} torr·liter/sec, and it satisfies the sealing performance criterion. A hydraulic pressure test was also carried out, and there was no leakage or pressure drop when the water in the pressure vessel is pressurized up to 22.5 MPa. The above test results show that graphite powder can seal out the instrumentation feed through part easily with

  12. Validity of instruments to assess students' travel and pedestrian safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza, Jason A; Watson, Kathy; Baranowski, Tom; Nicklas, Theresa A; Uscanga, Doris K; Hanfling, Marcus J

    2010-05-18

    Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are designed to make walking and bicycling to school safe and accessible for children. Despite their growing popularity, few validated measures exist for assessing important outcomes such as type of student transport or pedestrian safety behaviors. This research validated the SRTS school travel survey and a pedestrian safety behavior checklist. Fourth grade students completed a brief written survey on how they got to school that day with set responses. Test-retest reliability was obtained 3-4 hours apart. Convergent validity of the SRTS travel survey was assessed by comparison to parents' report. For the measure of pedestrian safety behavior, 10 research assistants observed 29 students at a school intersection for completion of 8 selected pedestrian safety behaviors. Reliability was determined in two ways: correlations between the research assistants' ratings to that of the Principal Investigator (PI) and intraclass correlations (ICC) across research assistant ratings. The SRTS travel survey had high test-retest reliability (kappa = 0.97, n = 96, p < 0.001) and convergent validity (kappa = 0.87, n = 81, p < 0.001). The pedestrian safety behavior checklist had moderate reliability across research assistants' ratings (ICC = 0.48) and moderate correlation with the PI (r = 0.55, p = < 0.01). When two raters simultaneously used the instrument, the ICC increased to 0.65. Overall percent agreement (91%), sensitivity (85%) and specificity (83%) were acceptable. These validated instruments can be used to assess SRTS programs. The pedestrian safety behavior checklist may benefit from further formative work.

  13. New design head pendulum test rig for window airbag development; Neu entwickelte Kopfpendel-Testanlage fuer die Window-Airbag -Auslegung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grundheber, C. [Adam Opel AG, Ruesselsheim (Germany); Lindstromberg, M. [Siemens Restraint Systems, Alzenau (Germany)

    2001-07-01

    Comparisons between vehicle crash tests and pendulum tests demonstrate good correlation. The head pendulum rig presents a faster, more economical alternative to the usual sled facilities. This is above all due to the simpler test set-up, which only considers the body parts relevant to the window airbag development, i.e. dummy head, neck and shoulder. The tuning of the system to new baseline values can also be carried out very quickly, by specific adjustments to the spring-damper arrangement. (orig.)

  14. Instrumental vaginal delivery - an assessment of use in a tertiary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Majority of women in sub-Saharan Africa expect to achieve spontaneous vaginal delivery at the end of pregnancy. This is usually possible, but, a few women will receive one form of assistance or another (forceps or vacuum) to avert maternal or foetal morbidity or mortality. Training and research in instrumental ...

  15. Modelling the nonlinear behaviour of an underplatform damper test rig for turbine applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesaresi, L.; Salles, L.; Jones, A.; Green, J. S.; Schwingshackl, C. W.

    2017-02-01

    Underplatform dampers (UPD) are commonly used in aircraft engines to mitigate the risk of high-cycle fatigue failure of turbine blades. The energy dissipated at the friction contact interface of the damper reduces the vibration amplitude significantly, and the couplings of the blades can also lead to significant shifts of the resonance frequencies of the bladed disk. The highly nonlinear behaviour of bladed discs constrained by UPDs requires an advanced modelling approach to ensure that the correct damper geometry is selected during the design of the turbine, and that no unexpected resonance frequencies and amplitudes will occur in operation. Approaches based on an explicit model of the damper in combination with multi-harmonic balance solvers have emerged as a promising way to predict the nonlinear behaviour of UPDs correctly, however rigorous experimental validations are required before approaches of this type can be used with confidence. In this study, a nonlinear analysis based on an updated explicit damper model having different levels of detail is performed, and the results are evaluated against a newly-developed UPD test rig. Detailed linear finite element models are used as input for the nonlinear analysis, allowing the inclusion of damper flexibility and inertia effects. The nonlinear friction interface between the blades and the damper is described with a dense grid of 3D friction contact elements which allow accurate capturing of the underlying nonlinear mechanism that drives the global nonlinear behaviour. The introduced explicit damper model showed a great dependence on the correct contact pressure distribution. The use of an accurate, measurement based, distribution, better matched the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of the test rig. Good agreement with the measured frequency response data could only be reached when the zero harmonic term (constant term) was included in the multi-harmonic expansion of the nonlinear problem, highlighting its importance

  16. Engagement, resilience and empathy in nursing assistants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro-Abal, Yolanda; López-López, M José; Climent-Rodríguez, José A

    To analyse the levels of engagement, resilience and empathy, and the relationship between them, in a sample of nursing assistants working in different private institutions in Huelva. A transversal, descriptive study. The sample comprised 128 nursing assistants working in private health centres of Huelva. They were given the following instruments: resilience scale Wagnild and Young, Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Utrech Work Engagement Scale. There is a relationship between the cognitive and emotional components of engagement and empathy. Certain sociodemographic variables associated with the organisation of work and working conditions are associated with level of engagement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  17. [Development of an evaluation instrument for service quality in nursing homes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jia; Ji, Eun Sun

    2011-08-01

    The purposes of this study were to identify the factors influencing service quality in nursing homes, and to develop an evaluation instrument for service quality. A three-phase process was employed for the study. 1) The important factors to evaluate the service quality in nursing homes were identified through a literature review, panel discussion and focus group interview, 2) the evaluation instrument was developed, and 3) validity and reliability of the study instrument were tested by factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cronbach's α and Cohen's Kappa. Factor analysis showed that the factors influencing service quality in nursing homes were healthcare, diet/assistance, therapy, environment and staff. To improve objectivity of the instrument, quantitative as well as qualitative evaluation approaches were adopted. The study instrument was developed with 30 items and showed acceptable construct validity. The criterion-related validity was a Pearson correlation coefficient of .85 in 151 care facilities. The internal consistency was Cronbach's α=.95. The instrument has acceptable validity and a high degree of reliability. Staff in nursing homes can continuously improve and manage their services using the results of the evaluation instrument.

  18. Oral and maxillofacial surgery with computer-assisted navigation system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawachi, Homare; Kawachi, Yasuyuki; Ikeda, Chihaya; Takagi, Ryo; Katakura, Akira; Shibahara, Takahiko

    2010-01-01

    Intraoperative computer-assisted navigation has gained acceptance in maxillofacial surgery with applications in an increasing number of indications. We adapted a commercially available wireless passive marker system which allows calibration and tracking of virtually every instrument in maxillofacial surgery. Virtual computer-generated anatomical structures are displayed intraoperatively in a semi-immersive head-up display. Continuous observation of the operating field facilitated by computer assistance enables surgical navigation in accordance with the physician's preoperative plans. This case report documents the potential for augmented visualization concepts in surgical resection of tumors in the oral and maxillofacial region. We report a case of T3N2bM0 carcinoma of the maxillary gingival which was surgically resected with the assistance of the Stryker Navigation Cart System. This system was found to be useful in assisting preoperative planning and intraoperative monitoring.

  19. Cellular La protein shields nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viral leader RNA from RIG-I and enhances virus growth by diverse mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitko, Vira; Musiyenko, Alla; Bayfield, Mark A; Maraia, Richard J; Barik, Sailen

    2008-08-01

    The La antigen (SS-B) associates with a wide variety of cellular and viral RNAs to affect gene expression in multiple systems. We show that La is the major cellular protein found to be associated with the abundant 44-nucleotide viral leader RNA (leRNA) early after infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a nonsegmented negative-strand RNA virus. Consistent with this, La redistributes from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in RSV-infected cells. Upon RNA interference knockdown of La, leRNA is redirected to associate with the RNA-binding protein RIG-I, a known activator of interferon (IFN) gene expression, and this is accompanied by the early induction of IFN mRNA. These results suggest that La shields leRNA from RIG-I, abrogating the early viral activation of type I IFN. We mapped the leRNA binding function to RNA recognition motif 1 of La and showed that while wild-type La greatly enhanced RSV growth, a La mutant defective in RSV leRNA binding also did not support RSV growth. Comparative studies of RSV and Sendai virus and the use of IFN-negative Vero cells indicated that La supports the growth of nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viruses by both IFN suppression and a potentially novel IFN-independent mechanism.

  20. Force Modeling, Identification, and Feedback Control of Robot-Assisted Needle Insertion: A Survey of the Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chongjun Yang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Robot-assisted surgery is of growing interest in the surgical and engineering communities. The use of robots allows surgery to be performed with precision using smaller instruments and incisions, resulting in shorter healing times. However, using current technology, an operator cannot directly feel the operation because the surgeon-instrument and instrument-tissue interaction force feedbacks are lost during needle insertion. Advancements in force feedback and control not only help reduce tissue deformation and needle deflection but also provide the surgeon with better control over the surgical instruments. The goal of this review is to summarize the key components surrounding the force feedback and control during robot-assisted needle insertion. The literature search was conducted during the middle months of 2017 using mainstream academic search engines with a combination of keywords relevant to the field. In total, 166 articles with valuable contents were analyzed and grouped into five related topics. This survey systemically summarizes the state-of-the-art force control technologies for robot-assisted needle insertion, such as force modeling, measurement, the factors that influence the interaction force, parameter identification, and force control algorithms. All studies show force control is still at its initial stage. The influence factors, needle deflection or planning remain open for investigation in future.

  1. Force Modeling, Identification, and Feedback Control of Robot-Assisted Needle Insertion: A Survey of the Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chongjun; Xie, Yu; Liu, Shuang; Sun, Dong

    2018-02-12

    Robot-assisted surgery is of growing interest in the surgical and engineering communities. The use of robots allows surgery to be performed with precision using smaller instruments and incisions, resulting in shorter healing times. However, using current technology, an operator cannot directly feel the operation because the surgeon-instrument and instrument-tissue interaction force feedbacks are lost during needle insertion. Advancements in force feedback and control not only help reduce tissue deformation and needle deflection but also provide the surgeon with better control over the surgical instruments. The goal of this review is to summarize the key components surrounding the force feedback and control during robot-assisted needle insertion. The literature search was conducted during the middle months of 2017 using mainstream academic search engines with a combination of keywords relevant to the field. In total, 166 articles with valuable contents were analyzed and grouped into five related topics. This survey systemically summarizes the state-of-the-art force control technologies for robot-assisted needle insertion, such as force modeling, measurement, the factors that influence the interaction force, parameter identification, and force control algorithms. All studies show force control is still at its initial stage. The influence factors, needle deflection or planning remain open for investigation in future.

  2. A summary of the performance of exposure rate and dose rate instruments contained in instrument evaluation reports NRPB-IE1 to NRPB-IE13

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burgess, P.H.; Iles, W.J.

    1979-06-01

    The various radiations encountered in radiological protection cover a wide range of energies and radiation measurements have to be carried out under an equally broad spectrum of environmental conditions. This report is one of a series intended to give information on the performance characteristics of radiological protection instruments, to assist in the selection of appropriate instruments for a given purpose, to interpret the results obtained with such instruments, and, in particular, to know the likely sources and magnitude of errors that might be associated with measurements in the field. The radiation, electrical and environmental characteristics of radiation protection instruments are considered together with those aspects of the construction which make an instrument convenient for routine use. To provide consistent criteria for instrument performance, the range of tests performed on any particular class of instrument, the test methods and the criteria of acceptable performance are based broadly on the appropriate Recommendations of the International Electrotechnical Commission. The radiations in the tests are, in general, selected from the range of reference radiations for instrument calibration being drawn up by the International Standards Organisation. Normally, each report deals with the capabilities and limitations of one model of instrument and no direct comparison with other instruments intended for similar purposes is made, since the significance of particular performance characteristics largely depends on the radiations and environmental conditions in which the instrument is to be used. The results quoted here have all been obtained from tests on instruments in routine production, with the appropriate measurements being made by the NRPB. This report provides a concise summary of measurements of the more important performance characteristics of radiation protection dose rate or exposure rate survey instruments which have been assessed by NRPB as part

  3. Instrument evaluation no. 33. Automess Szintomat 6134 radiation survey meter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McClure, D.R.

    1986-04-01

    The various radiations encountered in radiological protection cover a wide range of energies and radiation measurements have to be carried out under an equally broad spectrum of environmental conditions. This report is one of a series intended to give information on the performance characteristics of radiological protection instruments, to assist in the selection of appropriate instruments for a given purpose, to interpret the results obtained with such instruments, and, in particular, to know the likely sources and magnitude of errors that might be associated with measurements in the field. The radiation, electrical and environmental characteristics of radiation protection instruments are considered together with those aspects of the construction which make an instrument convenient for routine use. To provide consistent criteria for instrument performance, the range of tests performed on any particular class of instrument, the test methods and the criteria of acceptable performance are based broadly on the appropriate Recommendations of the International Electrotechnical Commission. The radiations in the tests are, in general, selected from the range of reference radiations for instrument calibration being drawn up by the International Standards Organisation. Normally, each report deals with the capabilities and limitations of one model of instrument and no direct comparison with other instruments intended for similar purposes is made, since the significance of particular performance characteristics largely depends on the radiations and environmental conditions in which the instrument is to be used. The results quoted here have all been obtained from tests on instruments in routine production, with the appropriate measurements being made by the NRPB. This instrument evaluation report deals with the Automess Szintomat 6134 Radiation Survey Meter

  4. Monte Carlo simulations as a part of the configuration for neutron instruments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, P.; Lefmann, K.; Kuhn, L.T.

    2004-01-01

    We demonstrate the use of simulations in the process of determiningthe optimal instrument setup by virtual experiments usingthe simulation package McStas. The focus of the analysis is the optimization of the multi-blade analyzer present at the RITA-II spectrometer at PSI for a test experiment...... that in general instrument simulations are approaching a state where they can assist users in selectingthe optimal configuration and possibly demonstrate the feasibility of their experiments prior to allocated beamtime. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

  5. Wear of control rod cluster assemblies and of instrumentation thimbles: first results obtained with the vibrateau wear simulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zbinden, M.; Hersant, D.

    1993-07-01

    Several REP components are affected by a particular sort of damage called impact/sliding wear. This kind of wear, originating from flow induced vibrations, affects loosely supported tubular structures. The main involved components are: - the RCCAs claddings and the guides tubes, - the instrumentation thimbles, - the fuel rods claddings, - the SG tubes. The R and D Division is concerned with studies aiming to understand and to master the phenomena leading to this wear. The MTC Branch is charged of the study of the wear itself. Tests are carried out on wear rigs to understand and to model wear mechanisms. The following work is related to the two first wear tests campaigns on the VIBRATEAU wear simulator: - a reproducibility test series in order to assess the spreading of the experimental results, - a comparative test series on surface treatments used to improve the components war resistance. (authors). 7 figs., 2 tabs., 4 refs

  6. Adventure travel: oilfield trucking makes highway rigs look tame and light

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Collison, M.

    2000-05-01

    Oilfield trucking as a specialty, involving high stakes in property and health, are discussed. Each rig costs close to one million dollars and operating them, under the watchful eye of GPS satellite or guided by two-way radios, or cellular phones, is a specialty that comes from many years of experience, a Class I licence, special training in first aid, handling dangerous goods and workplace hazardous materials, and readiness to work in mud, slush, and sleet, navigating soft and uneven ground with unwieldy gear and high load ready to tip at any moment. The risks and challenges become even more extreme when the trucker is moving oilfield equipment internationally, where severe climatic conditions, sandstorms, extreme heat and a generally hostile environment, may be augmented by unfamiliar bureaucratic procedures, business practices, and attacks by marauding armed rebel groups. International moves involve internationally recognized shipping terms that define risk and liability between buyer and seller, ocean-safe packaging and complex inventory management. That, of course, is all additional to the trade regulations, import permits, licenses, documentation requirements and insurance procedures of each of the countries traversed during the move.

  7. IN VITRO INTERACTION OF INFLUENZA VIRUS A(H1N1pdm09 WITH MONOCYTIC MACROPHAGES: INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES OF TLR7 AND RIG1 RECEPTOR GENES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. M. Sokolova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In vitro differentiation of donor blood monocytes to macrophages (Mph following GM-CSF treatment was accompanied by a significant increase in the levels of gene transcription signaling receptors TLR7 or RIG1. The levels of intracellular viral RNA (M1 gene in Mph remained high upon infection by influenza virus A H1N1pdm (Moscow 2009 for 24-96 hours. The innate immunity reactions caused by influenza virus show individual features: they are decreased in Mph from donor 1 which had initially high level of endosomal TLR7 gene activity, and it increased by influenza virus in MPh from donor 2 who had a very low level of TLR7 gene expression. The influenza H1N1pdm virus weakly stimulated expression of gene RIG1 and production of inflammatory cytokines in Mf in donor 1. The differences may be connected with individual sensitivity of the donors to influenza infection.

  8. Instrument evaluation no. 13. Nuclear enterprises portable meter type PDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burgess, P.H.; Iles, W.J.

    1978-06-01

    The various radiations encountered in radiological protection cover a wide range of energies and radiation measurements have to be carried out under an equally broad spectrum of environmental conditions. This report is one of a series intended to give information on the performance characteristics of radiological protection instruments, to assist in the selection of appropriate instruments for a given purpose, to interpret the results obtained with such instruments, and, in particular, to know the likely sources and magnitude of errors that might be associated with measurements in the field. The radiation, electrical and environmental characteristics of radiation protection instruments are considered together with those aspects of the construction which make an instrument convenient for routine use. To provide consistent criteria for instrument performance, the range of tests performed on any particular class of instrument, the test methods and the criteria of acceptable performance are based broadly on the appropriate Recommendations of the International Electrotechnical Commission. The radiations in the tests are, in general, selected from the range of reference radiations for instrument calibration being drawn up by the International Standards Organisation. Normally, each report deals with the capabilities and limitations of one model of instrument and no direct comparison with other instruments intended for similar purposes is made, since the significance of particular performance characteristics largely depends on the radiations and environmental conditions in which the instrument is to be used. The results quoted here have all been obtained from tests on instruments in routine production, with the appropriate measurements being made by the NRPB. This report deals with the evaluation of Nuclear Enterprises Portable Dose Rate Meter Type PDR 2

  9. Upgrade of the NCSU PULSTAR instrumentation power channels. Final technical report, September 1, 1992 - August 31, 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, P.B.

    1998-01-01

    The Nuclear Reactor Program at North Carolina State University initiated an upgrade program at the NCSU PULSTAR Reactor in 1990. The originally supplied instrumentation has been replaced with solid-state and current technology equipment. The financial assistance from the US Department of Energy has been the primary source of support. This is the final report for the Instrumentation Upgrade

  10. Small-Scale Testing Rig for Long-Term Cyclically Loaded Monopiles in Cohesionless Soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roesen, Hanne Ravn; Ibsen, Lars Bo; Andersen, Lars Vabbersgaard

    2012-01-01

    , and the period of the cyclic loading. However, the design guidance on these issues is limited. Thus, in order to investigate the pile behaviour for cyclically long-term loaded monopiles, a test setup for small-scale tests in saturated dense cohesionless soil is constructed and presented in here. The cyclic...... loading is applied mechanically by means of a testing rig, where the important input parameters: mean level, amplitude, number of cycles, and period of the loading can be varied. The results from a monotonic and a cyclic loading test on an open-ended aluminium pile with diameter = 100 mm and embedded...... length = 600 mm proves that the test setup is capable of applying the cyclic long-term loading. The plastic deformations during loading depend not only on the loading applied but also of the relative density of the soil and, thus, the tests are carried out with relative densities of 77-88%, i.e. similar...

  11. Use of a personal computer for instrumentation testing at the FFTF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, D.A.

    1985-01-01

    The FFTF uses computers to assist in performance of instrumentation calibration checks for Technical Specification compliance. When the computers used for these checks are not available, back-up methods must be used. A method of using a personal computer to serve as a back-up is discussed, and the hardware used is described

  12. Employment Assistance Planning Programs for Welfare Recipients: An Evaluation and the Development of a Screening Measure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Gary W.; And Others

    A project was conducted to develop an assessment instrument for use in identifying welfare recipients who are potentially employable and to evaluate the effectiveness of Florida's three existing pilot employment assistance planning programs (termed PAPAs after the Public Assistance Productivity Act). Data on the employment status of 98 individuals…

  13. Estudio del proceso de génesis instrumental del artefacto simbólico función exponencial Study of the process of instrumental genesis of the symbolic artifact for the exponential function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihály André Martínez Miraval

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This article describes a study of the exponential function on students of the first semester of a private University in Lima, Peru. The research was aimed at analyzing the Instrumental genesis process of this mathematical object assisted by the use of Geogebra software. Rabardel's Instrumental Approach was used as a theoretical framework. Likewise, some notions of Artigue's Didactic Engineering were used as a methodology, focusing on a priori and a posteriori analysis. The students’ answers allowed to identify the use of schemes built and activated, while interacting with the symbolic artifact for the exponential function. The use of Geogebra favored the instrumentalization and instrumentation of the addressed mathematical object since it allowed the students to validate their conjectures. Keywords:

  14. Test-retest reliability and agreement of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument in two Nordic countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sund, Terje; Iwarsson, Susanne; Anttila, Heidi; Helle, Tina; Brandt, Ase

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate test-retest reliability, agreement, internal consistency, and floor- and ceiling effects of the Danish and Finnish versions of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument among adult users of powered wheelchairs (PWCs) or powered scooters (scooters). Test-retest design, two telephone interviews 7-18 days apart of 40 informants, with mean age of 67.5 (SD 13.09) years in the Danish; and 54 informants with mean age of 55.6 (SD 12.09) years in the Finnish sample. The intra-class correlation coefficient varied between 0.57 and 0.93 for items in the Danish and between 0.41 and 0.93 in the Finnish sample. The percentage agreement varied between 54.2 and 79.5 for items in the Danish and between 69.2 and 81.1 in the Finnish sample, while the Cronbach's alpha values varied between 0.87 and 0.96 in the two samples. A ceiling effect was found in all items of both samples. This study indicates that the SATS may be reliably administered for telephone interviews among adult PWC and scooter users, and give information about aspects of the service delivery process for quality development improvement purposes. Further psychometric testing of the SATS is required.

  15. The nucleocapsid proteins of mouse hepatitis virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus share the same IFN-β antagonizing mechanism: attenuation of PACT-mediated RIG-I/ MDA5 activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Zhen; Fang, Liurong; Yuan, Shuangling; Zhao, Ling; Wang, Xunlei; Long, Siwen; Wang, Mohan; Wang, Dang; Foda, Mohamed Frahat; Xiao, Shaobo

    2017-07-25

    Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a huge threat to both humans and animals and have evolved elaborate mechanisms to antagonize interferons (IFNs). Nucleocapsid (N) protein is the most abundant viral protein in CoV-infected cells, and has been identified as an innate immunity antagonist in several CoVs, including mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV. However, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) remain unclear. In this study, we found that MHV N protein inhibited Sendai virus and poly(I:C)-induced IFN-β production by targeting a molecule upstream of retinoic acid-induced gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation gene 5 (MDA5). Further studies showed that both MHV and SARS-CoV N proteins directly interacted with protein activator of protein kinase R (PACT), a cellular dsRNA-binding protein that can bind to RIG-I and MDA5 to activate IFN production. The N-PACT interaction sequestered the association of PACT and RIG-I/MDA5, which in turn inhibited IFN-β production. However, the N proteins from porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), which are also classified in the order Nidovirales, did not interact and counteract with PACT. Taken together, our present study confirms that both MHV and SARS-CoV N proteins can perturb the function of cellular PACT to circumvent the innate antiviral response. However, this strategy does not appear to be used by all CoVs N proteins.

  16. A New Design of the Universal Test Rig to Measure the Wear Characterizations of Polymer Acetal Gears (Spur, Helical, Bevel, and Worm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samy Yousef

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This work aims to study the wear characterization of common types of acetal polymer gears (spur, helical, bevel, and worm using a new TS universal test rig, in order to obtain reliable results and as a reference when compared with acetal nanocomposite gears later. The TS universal test rig consists of three different units that are connected by a main driver shaft and a pair of constantly meshing metal spur gears, which transfer power to the bevel and worm test units. The first unit is used to test the bevel gears, the second unit is used to test the spur and helical gears, and the third unit is used to test the worm gears. The loading mechanism is similarly designed to block the brake mechanism. Hobbing and milling machines were used to machine an injection-moulded polymer flanges and produce the tested gears. All gear pairs, except the worm gear, have identical gear ratios. The experiments were performed at speed 1420 rpm and the torque was 4 Nm. The results showed that the wear rates (in the form of weight loss of spur gears were consistent with the previous results and the other gear types had larger wear rates.

  17. Monte Carlo simulations as a part of the configuration for neutron instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, P.; Lefmann, K.; Theil Kuhn, L.; Willendrup, P.K.; Farhi, E.

    2004-01-01

    We demonstrate the use of simulations in the process of determining the optimal instrument setup by virtual experiments using the simulation package McStas. The focus of the analysis is the optimization of the multi-blade analyzer present at the RITA-II spectrometer at PSI for a test experiment with powder diffraction. The agreement in resolution and signal-to-background ratio between measurements and simulations shows the validity of the approach. For a sample with broadened Bragg peaks, the optimal instrument configuration could be established only on careful consideration. This shows that in general instrument simulations are approaching a state where they can assist users in selecting the optimal configuration and possibly demonstrate the feasibility of their experiments prior to allocated beamtime

  18. Numerical Application of a Stick-Slip Control and Experimental Analysis using a Test Rig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pereira Leonardo D.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Part of the process of exploration and development of an oil field consists of the drilling operations for oil and gas wells. Particularly for deep water and ultra deep water wells, the operation requires the control of a very flexible structure which is subjected to complex boundary conditions such as the nonlinear interactions between drill bit and rock formation and between the drill string and borehole wall. Concerning this complexity, the stick-slip phenomenon is a major component related to the torsional vibration and it can excite both axial and lateral vibrations. With these intentions, this paper has the main goal of confronting the torsional vibration problem over a test rig numerical model using a real-time conventional controller. The system contains two discs in which dry friction torques are applied. Therefore, the dynamical behaviour were analysed with and without controlling strategies.

  19. Model of Providing Assistive Technologies in Special Education Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lersilp, Suchitporn; Putthinoi, Supawadee; Chakpitak, Nopasit

    2015-05-14

    Most students diagnosed with disabilities in Thai special education schools received assistive technologies, but this did not guarantee the greatest benefits. The purpose of this study was to survey the provision, use and needs of assistive technologies, as well as the perspectives of key informants regarding a model of providing them in special education schools. The participants were selected by the purposive sampling method, and they comprised 120 students with visual, physical, hearing or intellectual disabilities from four special education schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand; and 24 key informants such as parents or caregivers, teachers, school principals and school therapists. The instruments consisted of an assistive technology checklist and a semi-structured interview. Results showed that a category of assistive technologies was provided for students with disabilities, with the highest being "services", followed by "media" and then "facilities". Furthermore, mostly students with physical disabilities were provided with assistive technologies, but those with visual disabilities needed it more. Finally, the model of providing assistive technologies was composed of 5 components: Collaboration; Holistic perspective; Independent management of schools; Learning systems and a production manual for users; and Development of an assistive technology center, driven by 3 major sources such as Government and Private organizations, and Schools.

  20. International Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation: Recent activities and future prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kossilov, A.

    1992-01-01

    The IWG-NPPCI working group exists to consider developments, disseminate and exchange experience in all aspects of instrumentation, control and information technology relevant to the safety and economics of NPP design and operation. The main topics dealt with are: nuclear instrumentation, control systems, protection systems, early failure detection and diagnosis, use of computer technology in NPP operation, instrumentation for accidental situation, operator support systems, man-machine interface. The main objectives of the IWG-NPPCI are: to assist the IAEA to provide the Member States with information and recommendations on technical aspects of the NPP control and instrumentation with the aim to assure reliable functions; to promote and exchange of information on national programs, new developments and experience from operating NPPs, and to stimulate the coordination of research on NPP control and instrumentation

  1. International Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Control and Instrumentation: Recent activities and future prospects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kossilov, A [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

    1992-07-01

    The IWG-NPPCI working group exists to consider developments, disseminate and exchange experience in all aspects of instrumentation, control and information technology relevant to the safety and economics of NPP design and operation. The main topics dealt with are: nuclear instrumentation, control systems, protection systems, early failure detection and diagnosis, use of computer technology in NPP operation, instrumentation for accidental situation, operator support systems, man-machine interface. The main objectives of the IWG-NPPCI are: to assist the IAEA to provide the Member States with information and recommendations on technical aspects of the NPP control and instrumentation with the aim to assure reliable functions; to promote and exchange of information on national programs, new developments and experience from operating NPPs, and to stimulate the coordination of research on NPP control and instrumentation.

  2. Karolinska prostatectomy: a robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsson, Andreas E; Carlsson, Stefan; Laven, Brett A; Wiklund, N Peter

    2006-01-01

    The last decade has witnessed an increasing trend towards minimally invasive management of prostate cancer, including laparoscopic and, more recently, robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. Several different laparoscopic approaches have been continuously developed during the last 5 years and it is still unclear which technique yields the best outcome. We present our current technique of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The technique described has evolved during the course of >400 robotic prostatectomies performed by the robotic team since the robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy program was introduced at Karolinska University Hospital in January 2002. Our procedure comprises several modifications of previously reported ones, and we utilize fewer robotic instruments to reduce costs. An extended posterior dissection is performed to aid in the bladder neck-sparing dissection. In nerve-sparing procedures the vesicles are divided to avoid damage to the erectile nerves. In order to preserve the apical anatomy the dorsal venous complex is incised sharply and is first over-sewn after the apical dissection is completed. Our technique enables a more fluent dissection than previously described robotic techniques. Minimizing changes of instruments and the camera not only cuts costs but also reduces inefficient operating maneuvers, such as switching between 30 degrees and 0 degrees lenses during the procedure. We present a technique which in our hands has achieved excellent functional and oncological results.

  3. Assessing the effects of employee assistance programs: a review of employee assistance program evaluations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colantonio, A

    1989-01-01

    Employee assistance programs have grown at a dramatic rate, yet the effectiveness of these programs has been called into question. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of employee assistance programs (EAPs) by reviewing recently published EAP evaluations. All studies evaluating EAPs published since 1975 from peer-reviewed journals in the English language were included in this analysis. Each of the articles was assessed in the following areas: (a) program description (subjects, setting, type of intervention, format), (b) evaluation design (research design, variables measured, operational methods), and (c) program outcomes. Results indicate numerous methodological and conceptual weaknesses and issues. These weaknesses included lack of controlled research designs and short time lags between pre- and post-test measures. Other problems identified are missing information regarding subjects, type of intervention, how variables are measured (operational methods), and reliability and validity of evaluation instruments. Due to the aforementioned weaknesses, positive outcomes could not be supported. Recommendations are made for future EAP evaluations.

  4. Synopsis on remarks on the topics of the agenda, presentated for informal discussion during the Specialists Meeting on Operational Safety of Sodium Circuits on 17 to 20 March 1971

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gasselt, N.L.G. van

    1971-01-01

    The work done in the Sodium field by the Department of Nuclear Reactor Technology of the Central Technical Institute TNO at Apeldoorn, consists mainly of the design, construction and operation of sodium test rigs, four of which are rigs for the investigation of corrosion phenomena. Research and development on sodium pumps, electromagnetic brakes, large valves, forced circulation cold traps, vapor traps, electrical trace heating, instrumentation, impurity monitoring, in-line distillation and sodium chemistry

  5. Algorithms for a hand-held miniature x-ray fluorescence analytical instrument

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elam, W.T.; Newman, D.; Ziemba, F.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this joint program was to provide technical assistance with the development of a Miniature X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analytical Instrument. This new XRF instrument is designed to overcome the weaknesses of spectrometers commercially available at the present time. Currently available XRF spectrometers (for a complete list see reference 1) convert spectral information to sample composition using the influence coefficients technique or the fundamental parameters method. They require either a standard sample with composition relatively close to the unknown or a detailed knowledge of the sample matrix. They also require a highly-trained operator and the results often depend on the capabilities of the operator. In addition, almost all existing field-portable, hand-held instruments use radioactive sources for excitation. Regulatory limits on such sources restrict them such that they can only provide relatively weak excitation. This limits all current hand-held XRF instruments to poor detection limits and/or long data collection times, in addition to the licensing requirements and disposal problems for radioactive sources. The new XRF instrument was developed jointly by Quantrad Sensor, Inc., the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and the Department of Energy (DOE). This report describes the analysis algorithms developed by NRL for the new instrument and the software which embodies them

  6. The Texts of the Instruments concerning the Agency's Assistance to Indonesia for the Continuation of a Research Reactor Project. A Third Supply Agreement and an Amendment to the Project Agreement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-02-01

    As a sequel to the assistance with the Agency has provided to the Government of Indonesia for the continuation of a research reactor project, a Third Supply Agreement has been concluded between the Agency and the Governments of Indonesia and the United States of America. In this connection, an Amendment to the Project Agreement of 19 December 1969 has been concluded between the Agency and the Government of Indonesia. Both the Third Supply Agreement and the Amendment to the Project Agreement entered into force on 7 December 1979, pursuant to Article VI and IV respectively. The texts of both instruments are reproduced in this document for the information of all Members.

  7. Radiological Assistance Program, DOE Region 6 response plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jakubowski, F.M.

    1993-02-01

    This program plan meets all the requirements identified in DOE Order 5530.3, Radiological Assistance Program and supports those requirements leading to the establishment of a Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) as required by DOE 5530-5. Requests for radiological assistance may come from other DOE facilities, Federal or state agencies, tribal officials, or from any private corporation or individual. Many of the requests will be handled by a telephone call, a conference or a letter, teletype or memorandum. Other requests for assistance may involve radioactive material in serious accidents, fire, personal injuries, contamination or possible hazards to the general public. Some occurrences may require the dispatch of trained personnel equipped with radiation monitoring instruments and related equipment necessary to evaluate, control and neutralize the hazard. The primary responsibility for incidents involving radioactive material always remains with the party having custody of the radioactive materials. In addition, the DOE recognizes that the assistance provided shall not in any way preempt state, tribal, or local authority and/or responsibility on state or tribal properties. Toward this end, DOE assistance for non-DOE radioactive materials, is limited to technical assistance, advice, measurement and other resources as deemed necessary by the local authorities but excludes DOE interface with the public media. This is a function handled by the local or state Incident Commander

  8. BARRIERS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INSTRUMENTS ASSISTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryszard KATA

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides identification and assessment of barriers to the implementation of the instruments of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP that support sustainable development of agriculture. This issue has been studied on the example of individual farms of south-eastern Poland, which benefited from programs to support sustainable agriculture in 2004-2013. The introduction of agriculture on the path of sustainable development depends on institutional factors (including political, which can induce farmers to take into account the environment and future generations in their microeconomic decisions. It has been shown that the most important barriers to the efficient and effective implementation of programs in support of sustainable agriculture are financial and information and education constraints.

  9. EFFECTIVENESS OF INSTUMENTAL ASSISTED SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION TECHNIQUE WITH STATIC STRETCHING IN SUBJECTS WITH PLANTAR FASCIITIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinod Babu. K

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization and static stretching found to be effective in plantar fasciitis, however the combined effectiveness of these techniques were unknown. The purpose of this study is to find the effect of Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization technique for plantar fascia combined with static stretching of triceps surae for subjects with chronic stage of Plantar Fasciitis on pain intensity, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and functional disability. Methods: An experimental study design, selected subjects with chronic Plantar Fasciitis randomized subjects into each Study and Control group. Total of 40 subject’s data who completed study, 20 in each group, was used for analysis. Control group received conventional exercise while Study group received conventional exercises with Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization combined with static stretching of triceps surae muscle. Outcome measurements such as Intensity of pain using Numerical Pain Rating Scale-101 (NPRS-101, function disability using Foot Function Index Pain Subscale (FFI and ankle dorsiflexion active range of motion using Goniometer was measured before and after 2 weeks of intervention. Results: There is statistically significant improvement in means of NRS-101, ankle dorsiflexion active range of motion and Foot Function Index Pain Subscale after intervention in both groups. When the post-intervention means were compared between Study and Control group after 2 weeks of treatment there is statistically significant difference in means between the groups whereas study group showed greater percentage of improvement than control group. Conclusion: It is concluded that Instrumental assisted soft tissue mobilization technique combined with static stretching of triceps surae muscle is significantly effective than conventional exercises on reducing pain, improving ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and functional disability for subjects

  10. Instrument evaluation no. 11. ESI nuclear model 271 C contamination monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burgess, P.H.; Iles, W.J.

    1978-06-01

    The various radiations encountered in radiological protection cover a wide range of energies and radiation measurements have to he carried out under an equally broad spectrum of environmental conditions. This report is one of a series intended to give information on the performance characteristics of radiological protection instruments, to assist in the selection of appropriate instruments for a given purpose, to interpret the results obtained with such instruments, and, in particular, to know the likely sources and magnitude of errors that might be associated with measurements in the field. The radiation, electrical and environmental characteristics of radiation protection instruments are considered together with those aspects of the construction which make an instrument convenient for routine use. To provide consistent criteria for instrument performance, the range of tests performed on any particular class of instrument, the test methods and the criteria of acceptable performance are based broadly on the appropriate Recommendations of the International Electrotechnical Commission. The radiations in the tests are, in general, selected from the range of reference radiations for instrument calibration being drawn up by the International Standards Organisation. Normally, each report deals with the capabilities and limitations of one model of instrument and no direct comparison with other instruments intended for similar purposes is made, since the significance of particular performance characteristics largely depends on the radiations and environmental conditions in which the instrument is to be used. The results quoted here have all been obtained from tests on instruments in routine production, with the appropriate measurements being made by the NRPB. This report deals with the ESI Nuclear Model 271 C; a general purpose contamination monitor, comprising a GM tube connected by a coiled extensible cable to a ratemeter

  11. Burner Rig Hot Corrosion of a Single Crystal Ni-48Al-Ti-Hf-Ga Alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nesbitt, James A.; Darolia, Ram; Cuy, Michael D.

    1998-01-01

    The hot corrosion resistance of a single crystal Ni-48Al-1Ti-0.5Hf-0.2Ga alloy was examined in a Mach 0.3 burner rig at 900 C for 300 hours. The combustion chamber was doped with 2 ppmw synthetic sea salt. The hot corrosion attack produced a random mound morphology on the surface. Microstructurally, the hot corrosion attack appeared to initiate with oxide-filled pits which were often broad and shallow. At an intermediate stage, the pits increased in size to incorporate unoxidized Ni islands in the corrosion product. The rampant attack stage, which was observed only at sharp sample corners, was characterized by rapid inward growth of alumina in finger-like protrusions incorporating significant amounts of Al-depleted Ni islands. Aluminum consumption in the oxide fingers resulted in the growth of a gamma' layer ahead of the advancing oxide fingers.

  12. Burner rig hot corrosion of a single crystal Ni-48Al-Ti-Hf-Ga alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nesbitt, J.A.; Darolia, R.; Cuy, M.D.

    1999-07-01

    The hot corrosion resistance of a single crystal Ni-48Al-1Ti-0.5Hf-0.2Ga alloy was examined in a Mach 0.3 burner rig at 900 C for 300 hours. The combustion chamber was doped with 2 ppmw synthetic sea salt. The hot corrosion attack produced a random mound morphology on the surface. Microstructurally, the hot corrosion attack appeared to initiate with oxide-filled pits which were often broad and shallow. At an intermediate stage, the pits increased in size to incorporate unoxidized Ni islands in the corrosion product. The rampant attack stage, which was observed only at sharp sample corners, was characterized by rapid inward growth of alumina in finger-like protrusions incorporating significant amounts of Al-depleted Ni islands. Aluminum consumption in the oxide fingers resulted in the growth of a {gamma}{prime} layer ahead of the advancing oxide fingers.

  13. Design aid system for nuclear power plant instrumentations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hattori, Yoshiaki; Ito, Toshiichiro; Fujii, Makoto; Shimada, Nobuhide.

    1987-01-01

    Purpose: To enable to provide design aid for the nuclear power plant instrumentation of high reliability with the minimum cost while eliminating unrequired condition even if there are no data for the ground of the instrumentation design. Constitution: The information data base for the design of process radiation ray monitors are administrated by a data base administration device. The conditions to be satisfied in the process radiation monitors designed based on the data for the circumstances where particular predetermined process radiation monitors are installed, are derived by deduction using information obtained from the data base by way of the data base administration device. The derived design conditions are displayed and the optimum conditions are again reduced and displayed. In this way, the designers are assisted such that optimum designs can be obtained while sufficiently satisfying the safety and also in view of the cost. (Kamimura, M.)

  14. PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PERKULIAHAN SOLUSI DERET MELALUI PENDEKATAN TEACHING ASSISTANT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    - Masturi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Kurangnya aktivitas belajar dan rendahnya nilai yang diperoleh mahasiswa dalam perkuliahan solusi deret merupakan masalahpembelajaran yang harus dipecahkan. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk melihat sejauh mana pengaruh penerapan pendekatanteaching assistant dapat meningkatkan kualitas perkuliahan solusi deret. Subyek penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa PendidikanFisika UNNES. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Jurusan Fisika UNNES dengan desain penelitian tindakan kelas dua siklus. Instrumenyang digunakan adalah instrumen aktivitas yang meliputi: motivasi belajar, intensitas belajar dan interaksi belajar dan instrumenprestasi untuk mengukur hasil belajar. Dari penelitian ini didapatkan bahwa asistensi dapat meningkatkan aktivitas dan prestasibelajar. Hal itu terlihat dari 50 mahasiswa yang diberi tindakan, aktivitas belajar mereka pada siklus I dan II berada pada kategoribaik. Dari hasil observasi selama perkuliahan didapatkan adanya peningkatan intensitas pengerjaan tugas dan kuis. Nilai yangdiperoleh, dari siklus I ke siklus II mengalami peningkatan dari 65 menjadi 71. Dengan demikian, pendekatan teaching assistantterbukti dapat meningkatkan kualitas perkuliahan solusi deret. In this research, the effects of teaching assistant approach on the improvement of lecture quality of series solution topic wereinvestigated. The classroom action research with two cycles was set in physics education program. Some instruments that used toexplore the students activities were learning motivation, learning intensity, and learning interaction. Achievement instrument isused to measure the students' achievement. The results of the research show that teaching assistant can improve the students'activity as well as their achievement. It can be seen from the increasing activity of 50 students with good category from cycle one tothe second one. The observation results show that there is a significant improvement in intensity of students' interest in doing thetasks and quizzes

  15. Design and Implementation of Data Collection Instruments for Neonatology Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica G. HĂŞMĂŞANU

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available im: The aim of our research was to design and implement data collection instruments to be use in context of an observational prospective clinical study with follow-up conducted on new born with intrauterine growth restriction. Methods: The structure of the data collection forms (paper based and electronic based was first identified and for each variable the best type to accomplish the research aim was established. The code for categorical variables has also been decided as well as the units of measurements for quantitative variables. In respect of good practice, a set of confounding factors (as gender, date of birth, etc. have also been identified and integrated in data collection instruments. Data-entry validation rules were implemented for each variable to reduce data input errors when the electronic data collection instrument was created. Results: Two data collection instruments have been developed and successfully implemented: a paper-based form and an electronic data collection instrument. The developed forms included demographics, neonatal complications (as hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, etc., biochemical data at birth and follow-up, immunological data, as well as basal and follow-up echocardiographic data. Data-entry validation criteria have been implemented in electronic data collection instrument to assure validity and precision when paper-based data are translated in electronic form. Furthermore, to assure subject’s confidentiality a careful attention was given to HIPPA identifiers when electronic data collection instrument was developed. Conclusion: Data collection instruments were successfully developed and implemented as an a priori step in a clinical research for assisting data collection and management in a case of an observational prospective study with follow-up visits.

  16. Da Vinci Xi Robot-Assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chammas, Jimmy; Sauer, Arnaud; Pizzuto, Joëlle; Pouthier, Fabienne; Gaucher, David; Marescaux, Jacques; Mutter, Didier; Bourcier, Tristan

    2017-06-01

    This study aims (1) to investigate the feasibility of robot-assisted penetrating keratoplasty (PK) using the new Da Vinci Xi Surgical System and (2) to report what we believe to be the first use of this system in experimental eye surgery. Robot-assisted PK procedures were performed on human corneal transplants using the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System. After an 8-mm corneal trephination, four interrupted sutures and one 10.0 monofilament running suture were made. For each procedure, duration and successful completion of the surgery as well as any unexpected events were assessed. The depth of the corneal sutures was checked postoperatively using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Robot-assisted PK was successfully performed on 12 corneas. The Da Vinci Xi Surgical System provided the necessary dexterity to perform the different steps of surgery. The mean duration of the procedures was 43.4 ± 8.9 minutes (range: 28.5-61.1 minutes). There were no unexpected intraoperative events. SD-OCT confirmed that the sutures were placed at the appropriate depth. We confirm the feasibility of robot-assisted PK with the new Da Vinci Surgical System and report the first use of the Xi model in experimental eye surgery. Operative time of robot-assisted PK surgery is now close to that of conventional manual surgery due to both improvement of the optical system and the presence of microsurgical instruments. Experimentations will allow the advantages of robot-assisted microsurgery to be identified while underlining the improvements and innovations necessary for clinical use.

  17. Da Vinci Xi Robot–Assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chammas, Jimmy; Sauer, Arnaud; Pizzuto, Joëlle; Pouthier, Fabienne; Gaucher, David; Marescaux, Jacques; Mutter, Didier; Bourcier, Tristan

    2017-01-01

    Purpose This study aims (1) to investigate the feasibility of robot-assisted penetrating keratoplasty (PK) using the new Da Vinci Xi Surgical System and (2) to report what we believe to be the first use of this system in experimental eye surgery. Methods Robot-assisted PK procedures were performed on human corneal transplants using the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System. After an 8-mm corneal trephination, four interrupted sutures and one 10.0 monofilament running suture were made. For each procedure, duration and successful completion of the surgery as well as any unexpected events were assessed. The depth of the corneal sutures was checked postoperatively using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Results Robot-assisted PK was successfully performed on 12 corneas. The Da Vinci Xi Surgical System provided the necessary dexterity to perform the different steps of surgery. The mean duration of the procedures was 43.4 ± 8.9 minutes (range: 28.5–61.1 minutes). There were no unexpected intraoperative events. SD-OCT confirmed that the sutures were placed at the appropriate depth. Conclusions We confirm the feasibility of robot-assisted PK with the new Da Vinci Surgical System and report the first use of the Xi model in experimental eye surgery. Operative time of robot-assisted PK surgery is now close to that of conventional manual surgery due to both improvement of the optical system and the presence of microsurgical instruments. Translational Relevance Experimentations will allow the advantages of robot-assisted microsurgery to be identified while underlining the improvements and innovations necessary for clinical use. PMID:28660096

  18. EFEKTIVITAS TEAM ASSISTED INDIVIDUALIZATION UNTUK MENGURANGI PROKRASTINASI AKADEMIK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SYAIFUL INDRA

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Academic procrastination understood as maladaptive behavior that can hinder academic success. Guidance and counseling implementation is can contribute to reduce the students academic procrastination. The service is can be optimally, the team assisted individualization of learning models combined in class format. This research uses quantitative methods. This type of study design is a Quasi Experiment with the design of the non-equivalent control group. The population are students MTS Negeri Koto Tangah Padang selected by purposive sampling technique. The instrument used to collect data using a scale, then analyzed using Wilcoxson Signed Ranks Test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov 2 Independent the samples. The findings of this research are, differences significant on academic procrastination the experiment group before and after the learning model technique team assisted individualization, There are differences in the control group on academic procrastination before and after the conventional learning model, and there are differences in the experiment group which given learning model technique team assisted individualization and the control group which given information service, learning model team assisted individualization technique can significantly reduce the students academic procrastination, it was can be used for a variety of problems related with learning activities.

  19. Measuring deformation of Fuel pin in a Nuclear Fuel Test Rig

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heo, S. H.; Yang, T. H.; Hong, J. T.; Joung, C. Y.; Ahn, S. H.; Jang, S. Y.; Kim, J. H. [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    In this study, an LVDT core for measuring the longitudinal displacement of fuel pellets and clad was designed and produced. A signal processing method for the prepared core was investigated. The Nuclear Fuel Test Rig is used to observe changes in the characteristics of the fuel according to the neutron irradiation at HANARO (High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor), which is a research reactor. Which are the strain and internal temperature of the irradiated nuclear fuel and the internal pressure of fuel due to fission gas, the characteristics of the fuel are measured using various sensors such as a thermocouple, SPND and LVDT. In this study, two shaped LVDT (Linear Variable Differential Transformer) cores for displacement measurements were designed and manufactured in order to measure the displacement of a fuel pellet and cladding tube using LVDT sensors for measuring electrical signals by converting the physical variation such as the force and displacement into a linear motion. In addition, signals from the manufactured LVDT sensor were collected and calibrated. Moreover, a method for obtaining the displacement in the core according to the sensing signal was planned. A derived equation can used to predict the change in the position of core. A following study should be conducted to test the output signal and real variation of out-pile system. For further work, a performance verification is required for an in-pile irradiation test.

  20. Animal-assisted interventions and quality of life: expectations among

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier López-Cepero

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The present study assessed expectations among university students (N= 474, X= 22.7, SD=5.6 years towards the possible benefits of animal-assisted interventions on quality of life. Attitudes were measured with the Improving Quality of Life scale, which is an instrument created ad hoc that demonstrated adequate psychometric properties (four easily interpretable factors, with 49% of explained variance and alphas ranging from .76 to .89. The results showed that the participants (from the departments of Social, Health or Educational Sciences had very positive attitudes (high effect sizes, ES>.80 regardless of training. The experience of sharing households with pets was associated with better expectations. These findings emphasize the high expectations that future professionals in different fields hold regarding animal-assisted interventions, and highlight the current shortcomings in training curricula. The implications of these findings for the development of animal-assisted interventions are discussed.

  1. Experimental rig to estimate the coefficient of friction between tire and surface in airplane touchdown simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chengwei; Zhan, Liwei

    2015-08-01

    To estimate the coefficient of friction between tire and runway surface during airplane touchdowns, we designed an experimental rig to simulate such events and to record the impact and friction forces being executed. Because of noise in the measured signals, we developed a filtering method that is based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition and the bandwidth of probability density function of each intrinsic mode function to extract friction and impact force signals. We can quantify the coefficient of friction by calculating the maximum values of the filtered force signals. Signal measurements are recorded for different drop heights and tire rotational speeds, and the corresponding coefficient of friction is calculated. The result shows that the values of the coefficient of friction change only slightly. The random noise and experimental artifact are the major reason of the change.

  2. Instrumental analysis for mercury in thumbnails of human subjects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanabrocki, E L; Kanabrocki, J A; Greco, J [Veterans Administration Hospital, Hines, Ill. (USA)

    1977-07-01

    Mercury levels in thumbnails were determined by instrumental analysis using thermal neutron activation technique. Samples were obtained from 14 subjects employed in the hospital dental service (a), 19 in the clinical laboratories (b), and from 16 hospitalized patients who were not employed in laboratory occupations (c). The average mercury levels in ppM for the respective groups were: (a) dentists, 2.7; technicians, 3.9; assistants, 6.6; (b) male technicians, 0.4; female technicians, 1.9; (c) patients, 0.3.

  3. Assessing Nutrition Knowledge and Dietary Habits of Adolescents Using Personal Data Assistants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murimi, Mary W.; Guthrie, Joanne; Landry, Danielle; Paun, Mihaela M.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To assess nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviors of seventh graders in nine randomly selected middle schools in Louisiana. Methods: This descriptive study used personal data assistants (PDAs) to administer a pre-validated questionnaire developed from national instruments to 127 seventh grade students from nine randomly-selected…

  4. Computer assisted radiology and surgery. CARS 2010

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2010-01-01

    The conference proceedings include contributions to the following topics: (1) CARS Clinical Day: minimally invasive spiral surgery, interventional radiology; (2) CARS - computer assisted radiology and surgery: ophthalmology, stimulation methods, new approaches to diagnosis and therapy; (3) Computer assisted radiology 24th International congress and exhibition: computer tomography and magnetic resonance, digital angiographic imaging, digital radiography, ultrasound, computer assisted radiation therapy, medical workstations, image processing and display; (4) 14th Annual conference of the International Society for computer aided surgery; ENT-CMF head and neck surgery computer-assisted neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, image guided liver surgery, abdominal and laparoscopic surgery, computer-assisted orthopedic surgery, image processing and visualization, surgical robotics and instrumentation, surgical modeling, simulation and education; (5) 28th International EuroPACS meeting: image distribution and integration strategies, planning and evaluation, telemedicine and standards, workflow and data flow in radiology; (6) 11th CARS/SPIE/EuroPACS joint workshop on surgical PACS and the digital operating, management and assessment of OR systems and integration; (7) 12th International workshop on computer-aided diagnosis: special session on breast CAD, special session on thoracic CAD, special session on abdominal brain, lumbar spine CAD; (8) 16th computed Maxillofacial imaging congress: computed maxillofacial imaging in dental implantology, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics; approaches to 3D maxillofacial imaging; surgical navigation; (9) 2nd EuroNOTES/CARS workshop on NOTES: an interdisciplinary challenge; (10) 2nd EPMA/CARS workshop on personalized medicine and ICT.; (11)poster sessions.

  5. Computer assisted radiology and surgery. CARS 2010

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2010-06-15

    The conference proceedings include contributions to the following topics: (1) CARS Clinical Day: minimally invasive spiral surgery, interventional radiology; (2) CARS - computer assisted radiology and surgery: ophthalmology, stimulation methods, new approaches to diagnosis and therapy; (3) Computer assisted radiology 24th International congress and exhibition: computer tomography and magnetic resonance, digital angiographic imaging, digital radiography, ultrasound, computer assisted radiation therapy, medical workstations, image processing and display; (4) 14th Annual conference of the International Society for computer aided surgery; ENT-CMF head and neck surgery computer-assisted neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, image guided liver surgery, abdominal and laparoscopic surgery, computer-assisted orthopedic surgery, image processing and visualization, surgical robotics and instrumentation, surgical modeling, simulation and education; (5) 28th International EuroPACS meeting: image distribution and integration strategies, planning and evaluation, telemedicine and standards, workflow and data flow in radiology; (6) 11th CARS/SPIE/EuroPACS joint workshop on surgical PACS and the digital operating, management and assessment of OR systems and integration; (7) 12th International workshop on computer-aided diagnosis: special session on breast CAD, special session on thoracic CAD, special session on abdominal brain, lumbar spine CAD; (8) 16th computed Maxillofacial imaging congress: computed maxillofacial imaging in dental implantology, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics; approaches to 3D maxillofacial imaging; surgical navigation; (9) 2nd EuroNOTES/CARS workshop on NOTES: an interdisciplinary challenge; (10) 2nd EPMA/CARS workshop on personalized medicine and ICT.; (11)poster sessions.

  6. Application of NEA/CSNI standard problem 3 (blowdown and flow reversal in the IETA-1 rig) to the validation of the RELAP-UK Mk IV code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bryce, W.M.

    1977-10-01

    NEA/CSNI Standard Problem 3 consists of the modelling of an experiment on the IETI-1 rig, in which there is initially flow upwards through a feeder, heated section and riser. The inlet and outlet are then closed and a breach opened at the bottom so that the flow reverses and the rig depressurises. Calculations of this problem by many countries using several computer codes have been reported and show a wide spread of results. The purpose of the study reported here was the following. First, to show the sensitivity of the calculation of Standard Problem 3. Second, to perform an ab initio best estimate calculation using the RELAP-UK Mark IV code with the standard recommended options, and third, to use the results of the sensitivity study to show where tuning of the RELAP-UK Mark IV recommended model options was required. This study has shown that the calculation of Standard Problem 3 is sensitive to model assumptions and that the use of the loss-of-coolant accident code RELAP-UK Mk IV with the standard recommended model options predicts the experimental results very well over most of the transient. (U.K.)

  7. Inspector-instrument interface in portable NDA instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.

    1981-01-01

    Recent electronics technology advances make it possible to design sophisticated instruments in small packages for convenient field implementation. An inspector-instrument interface design that allows communication of procedures, responses, and results between the instrument and user is presented. This capability has been incorporated into new spent-fuel instrumentation and a battery-powered multichannel analyzer

  8. Inspector-instrument interface in portable NDA instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halbig, J.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.

    1981-01-01

    Recent electronics technology advances make it possible to design sophisticated instruments in small packages for convenient field implementation. This report describes an inspector-instrument interface design which allows communication of procedures, responses, and results between the instrument and user. The interface has been incorporated into new spent-fuel instrumentation and a battery-powered multichannel analyzer

  9. The Effects of Assisted Housing on Child Well-Being.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Sandra; Holupka, C Scott

    2017-09-01

    The most rigorous research on the causal effects of assisted housing on children's outcomes finds no such effects. The present study uses rich longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, augmented with Census, American Community Survey and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administrative data, to unpack these nil effects. Analyses include 194 children ( X¯ age = 6.2 years) living in assisted housing in 1995 or later who were 13-17 years old in 2002 or 2007, and an unassisted comparison group of 215 children who were income-eligible for, but never received, housing assistance. Results suggested no mean effects of living in assisted housing during childhood on adolescent cognitive, behavior, and health outcomes, addressing selection through propensity score matching and instrumental variables. However, quantile regressions suggest assisted housing provides an added boost for children with the best cognitive performance and fewest behavior problems but has opposite effects on children with the lowest cognitive scores and most behavior problems. Further tests indicate that these differences are not explained either by neighborhood effects or housing quality. A potentially fruitful avenue for future research investigates differences in how parents take advantage of the housing affordability provided by assisted housing to benefit their children. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

  10. Development of Monitoring and Diagnostic Methods for Robots Used in Remediation of Waste Sites 1999 Technical Progress Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Michael

    1999-01-01

    The final assembly of the test rig was completed in January 1999 (see Figure 1). The test rig incorporated a wheel motor typical of those used for hydraulic robots, and allowed wheel motor loading at expected operating conditions. The rig included instrumentation, as shown in Figure 2, for acquisition of key parameters for both unfaulted baseline and inserted fault runs. Checkout of the test rig was accomplished in two phases. In the first phase, only the wheel motor was connected to the hydraulic supply and the driven pump disconnected. With the rig in this configuration, operation of the wheel motor control loop and the monitoring and diagnostic (M and D) data acquisition system was verified. In the second phase, the driven pump was connected to the wheel motor and the operation of the rig under load was confirmed and unfaulted baseline data were acquired. A list of 13 faults was developed (see Table 1). All faults were inserted and data were acquired. The data files were electronically transmitted to Rice University for analysis using Analytical Redundancy (AR), a model-based static space technique that derives the maximum number of independent tests of the consistency of sensor data with the linearized system model and past sensor and control inputs

  11. Computer assisted functional analysis. Computer gestuetzte funktionelle Analyse

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmidt, H A.E.; Roesler, H

    1982-01-01

    The latest developments in computer-assisted functional analysis (CFA) in nuclear medicine are presented in about 250 papers of the 19th international annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (Bern, September 1981). Apart from the mathematical and instrumental aspects of CFA, computerized emission tomography is given particular attention. Advances in nuclear medical diagnosis in the fields of radiopharmaceuticals, cardiology, angiology, neurology, ophthalmology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, endocrinology, oncology and osteology are discussed.

  12. Video-assisted open supraclavicular sympathectomy following air embolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shpolyanski, G; Hashmonai, M; Rudin, M; Abaya, N; Kaplan, U; Kopelman, D

    2012-01-01

    Air embolism is a relatively rare complication of thoracoscopic surgery. Open supraclavicular sympathectomy was indicated to overcome the risk of re-embolization. A novel video-assisted technique was performed. conclusions: The previously prevalent open supraclavicular sympathectomy is a good choice for avoiding air embolism. Laparoscopic instrumentation and technology can be used to improve open procedures, especially when exposure and visibility are limited. Sometimes we should remember to use the experience of our teachers.

  13. Experience in handling core subassemblies in sodium cooled reactor KNK and test rigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Althaus; Jansing; Kesseler; Kirchner; Menck

    1974-01-01

    Compared with a water cooled reactor plant a sodium cooled reactor plant presents a number of problems which result from the specific nature of sodium. These problems that must be faced during all handling operations are mainly: 1. The rapid reaction of sodium in air requires handling to be done only under cover gas. 2. The temperature of all sodium-wetted components is to be kept above the melting point of sodium. 3. Poor draining of removed reactor components due to the high surface tension of sodium and the associated danger of dripping radioactive sodium may produce radiation or contamination problems. 4. Sodium is not transparent. The sum of these and further influences dictate that the general handling usually is carried out without visual means, though a method is under development in the USA to use ultrasonic for under sodium 'viewing'. These limitations to sodium component handling are applicable to all sodium reactor plants, several of which are discussed in this report. After the description of the handling systems of the KNK plant now operating at Karlsruhe, the experience with the SNR test rig and finally the handling systems for SNR 300 and SNR 2 are discussed

  14. Experimental study of the reflooding of a constricted tube in the REFLEX rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denham, M.K.; Elliott, D.F.; Britton-Jones, K.A.

    1982-08-01

    The Winfrith experimental programme in support of the PWR is focussed on fuel thermal and hydraulic performance under hypothetical accident conditions, and includes studies of reflooding heat transfer of single tubes and fuel rod clusters under simulated accident conditions, aimed at improving understanding of the processes involved and providing data for code development and validation. The work described is part of a study of the possible effects of clad ballooning on ECCS effectiveness. During a large loss of coolant accident the primary circuit will depressurise and the core will overheat. The Zircaloy fuel cladding may swell, partially blocking the coolant passages by the formation of local ''balloons''. An experiment was carried out in the REFLEX single tube reflooding rig, to study, in a simple geometry, the effect of the partial blockage of the tube on the fluid flow and heat transfer during reflooding. The blockage consisted of a tapering entrance with a flow area 60 percent less than the unconstricted tube, and a tapering exit. The flow could be viewed through windows. 66 refloods were carried out over a pressure range of 1 to 4 bar. Results of these tests are presented. (U.K.)

  15. Experimental test results of multi-channel test rig of T1 test section, 5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hino, Ryutaro; Takase, Kazuyuki; Miyamoto, Yoshiaki

    1990-09-01

    Channel blockage test on a fuel column of the high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR) has been performed under the helium gas atmosphere at a high temperature and a high pressure in order to obtain safety data on flow rate and temperature distributions in the fuel column with the multi-channel test rig of the fuel stack test section (T 1 ) in HENDEL. In the test, one of 12 fuel channels was blockaded to 90% of flow area at the channel inlet. Experimental results showed that the helium gas flow rate in the blockaded channel was 28%∼33% lower than the average flow rate for Reynolds number from 2300 to 14000 in isothermal flow. When simulated fuel rods were heated, the flow rate in the blockaded channel did not decrease down in comparison with the isothermal flow. This is due to that the heat generated in the fuel rods conducts to the other fuel channels in graphite fuel blocks, so that accelerated pressure losses in the fuel channels change with helium gas temperatures. (author)

  16. The Necessity of a New Type Test Rig for the Development of an Evaluation Method in Grid Fretting Problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Young-Ho; Kim, Hyung-Kyu

    2007-01-01

    A grid fretting problem is recognized as one of the most important degradation mechanisms even though the examination results of fretting experiments could be applied to the development and design of spacer grid structures. This is because it is difficult to develop a fretting wear model for a grid fretting problem due to the various wear mechanisms involved according to the mechanical and environmental variables, the contact condition with a spring/dimple and the material properties. A number of spring shapes has been developed in KAERI and their performance tests such as fretting wear, flow-induced vibration (FIV) tests, etc. have been carried out from a part unit to a full assembly scale. From the unit part fretting test results, one of the noticeable results is that the contacting force (normal load) was gradually decreased with increasing number of fretting cycles due to a depth increase and this behavior was closely related to the contacting spring shape. When considering the actual contact condition between a fuel rod and a spring/dimple, if a fretting wear progresses due to a FIV under a specific normal load exerted on the fuel rod by an elastic deformation of the spring, the contacting force between the fuel rod and dimple that are located in the opposite side should be decreased. Consequently, an evaluation of developed spacer grids against fretting wear damage should be performed with the results of 1x1 cell unit experiments because a contacting force is one of the most important variables that influences a fretting wear mechanism. The discussion was focused on the development procedure of a new test rig and its performance by using a 1x1 cell unit test rig. (authors)

  17. Intraoperative registered transrectal ultrasound guidance for robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohareri, Omid; Ischia, Joseph; Black, Peter C; Schneider, Caitlin; Lobo, Julio; Goldenberg, Larry; Salcudean, Septimiu E

    2015-01-01

    To provide unencumbered real-time ultrasound image guidance during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, we developed a robotic transrectal ultrasound system that tracks the da Vinci® Surgical System instruments. We describe our initial clinical experience with this system. After an evaluation in a canine model, 20 patients were enrolled in the study. During each procedure the transrectal ultrasound transducer was manually positioned using a brachytherapy stabilizer to provide good imaging of the prostate. Then the transrectal ultrasound was registered to the da Vinci robot by a previously validated procedure. Finally, automatic rotation of the transrectal ultrasound was enabled such that the transrectal ultrasound imaging plane safely tracked the tip of the da Vinci instrument controlled by the surgeon, while real-time transrectal ultrasound images were relayed to the surgeon at the da Vinci console. Tracking was activated during all critical stages of the surgery. The transrectal ultrasound robot was easy to set up and use, adding 7 minutes (range 5 to 14) to the procedure. It did not require an assistant or additional control devices. Qualitative feedback was acquired from the surgeons, who found transrectal ultrasound useful in identifying the urethra while passing the dorsal venous complex suture, defining the prostate-bladder interface during bladder neck dissection, identifying the seminal vesicles and their location with respect to the rectal wall, and identifying the distal prostate boundary at the apex. Real-time, registered robotic transrectal ultrasound guidance with automatic instrument tracking during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is feasible and potentially useful. The results justify further studies to establish whether the approach can improve procedure outcomes. Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Mobile Digital Recording: Adequacy of the iRig and iOS Device for Acoustic and Perceptual Analysis of Normal Voice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Gisele; Fava, Gaetano; Baglione, Melody; Pimpinella, Michael

    2017-03-01

    To determine whether the iRig and iOS device recording system is comparable with a standard computer recording system for digital voice recording. Thirty-seven vocally healthy adults, between ages 20 and 62, with a mean age of 33.9 years, 13 males and 24 females, were recruited. Recordings were simultaneously digitalized in an iPad and iPhone using a unidirectional condenser microphone for smartphones/tablets (iRig Mic, IK Multimedia) and in a computer laptop (Dell-Inspiron) using a unidirectional condenser microphone (Samson-CL5) connected to a preamplifier with phantom power. Both microphones were lined up at an equal fixed distance from the subject's mouth. Speech tasks consisted of a sustained vowel "ah" at comfortable pitch/loudness, counting from 1 to 10, and a glissando "ah" from a low to a high note. The samples captured on the iOS devices were transferred via SoundCloud in WAV format, and analyzed using the Praat software. The acoustic parameters measured were mean, min, and max F0, SD F0, jitter local, jitter rap, jitter ppq5, jitter ddp, shimmer local, shimmer local-dB, shimmer apq3, shimmer apq5, shimmer apq11, shimmer dda, NHR, and HNR. There were no statistically significant differences for any parameter and speech task analyzed for both iOS devices as compared with the gold standard computer/preamp system (all P values > 0.050). In addition, there were no statistical differences in the perceptual identification of the recordings among devices (P device may provide reliable digital recording of normal voices. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Improvement of The Ability of Junior High School Students Thinking Through Visual Learning Assisted Geo gbra Tutorial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elvi, M.; Nurjanah

    2017-02-01

    This research is distributed on the issue of the lack of visual thinking ability is a must-have basic ability of students in learning geometry. The purpose of this research is to investigate and elucide: 1) the enhancement of visual thinking ability of students to acquire learning assisted with geogebra tutorial learning: 2) the increase in visual thinking ability of students who obtained a model of learning assisted with geogebra and students who obtained a regular study of KAM (high, medium, and low). This research population is grade VII in Bandung Junior High School. The instruments used to collect data in this study consisted of instruments of the test and the observation sheet. The data obtained were analyzed using the test average difference i.e. Test-t and ANOVA Test one line to two lines. The results showed that: 1) the attainment and enhancement of visual thinking ability of students to acquire learning assisted geogebra tutorial better than students who acquire learning; 2) there may be differences of visual upgrade thinking students who acquire the learning model assisted with geogebra tutorial earn regular learning of KAM (high, medium and low).

  20. Organic geochemistry and environmental instrumentation programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1988-01-01

    The areas of research of the Organic Geochemistry Group include (1) computer-assisted gas chromatrographic, qualitative, and quantitative analyses of coal-derived complex mixtures; (2) chemodynamic measurements in complex organic mixtures to study the transport and transformation processes of chemicals in the environment; (3) bioassay-directed characterization of mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coal-derived materials; (4) chemical and toxicological evaluation of condensates from mild coal gasification processes; (5) development of rapid (high-pressure liquid chromatography) characterization techniques for primary aromatic amines in coal-derived liquids; (6) study of flame ionization detector response factors and chemical structure in gas chromatography; (7) development of a simple, portable device for preconcentrating airborne aromatic amines to be analyzed by portable liquid chromatography; (8) initial uptake and release studies of perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene in pine needles; (9) application of stable carbon isotope techniques in tracing environmental pollutants; (10) development of control technology for hydrazine fuels by neutralization with hypochlorite II. The Environmental Instrumentation group is engaged in research to develop and build prototype field-portable devices and instruments for the detection, identification, and quantification of volatile hazardous gases in a variety of environmental and workplace settings

  1. Robot-assisted endoscope guidance versus manual endoscope guidance in functional endonasal sinus surgery (FESS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichhorn, Klaus Wolfgang; Westphal, Ralf; Rilk, Markus; Last, Carsten; Bootz, Friedrich; Wahl, Friedrich; Jakob, Mark; Send, Thorsten

    2017-10-01

    Having one hand occupied with the endoscope is the major disadvantage for the surgeon when it comes to functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Only the other hand is free to use the surgical instruments. Tiredness or frequent instrument changes can thus lead to shaky endoscopic images. We collected the pose data (position and orientation) of the rigid 0° endoscope and all the instruments used in 16 FESS procedures with manual endoscope guidance as well as robot-assisted endoscope guidance. In combination with the DICOM CT data, we tracked the endoscope poses and workspaces using self-developed tracking markers. All surgeries were performed once with the robot and once with the surgeon holding the endoscope. Looking at the durations required, we observed a decrease in the operating time because one surgeon doing all the procedures and so a learning curve occurred what we expected. The visual inspection of the specimens showed no damages to any of the structures outside the paranasal sinuses. Robot-assisted endoscope guidance in sinus surgery is possible. Further CT data, however, are desirable for the surgical analysis of a tracker-based navigation within the anatomic borders. Our marker-based tracking of the endoscope as well as the instruments makes an automated endoscope guidance feasible. On the subjective side, we see that RASS brings a relief for the surgeon.

  2. Exploring the activity profile of health care assistants and nurses in home nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Vliegher, Kristel; Aertgeerts, Bert; Declercq, Anja; Moons, Philip

    2015-12-01

    Are home nurses (also known as community nurses) ready for their changing role in primary care? A quantitative study was performed in home nursing in Flanders, Belgium, to explore the activity profile of home nurses and health care assistants, using the 24-hour recall instrument for home nursing. Seven dates were determined, covering each day of the week and the weekend, on which data collection would take place. All the home nurses and health care assistants from the participating organisations across Flanders were invited to participate in the study. All data were measured at nominal level. A total of 2478 home nurses and 277 health care assistants registered 336 128 (47 977 patients) and 36 905 (4558 patients) activities, respectively. Home nurses and health care assistants mainly perform 'self-care facilitation' activities in combination with 'psychosocial care' activities. Health care assistants also support home nurses in the 'selfcare facilitation' of patients who do not have a specific nursing indication.

  3. Health literacy screening instruments for eHealth applications: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Sarah A; Currie, Leanne M; Bakken, Suzanne; Vawdrey, David K; Stone, Patricia W

    2012-06-01

    To systematically review current health literacy (HL) instruments for use in consumer-facing and mobile health information technology screening and evaluation tools. The databases, PubMed, OVID, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Science Citation Index, were searched for health literacy assessment instruments using the terms "health", "literacy", "computer-based," and "psychometrics". All instruments identified by this method were critically appraised according to their reported psychometric properties and clinical feasibility. Eleven different health literacy instruments were found. Screening questions, such as asking a patient about his/her need for assistance in navigating health information, were evaluated in seven different studies and are promising for use as a valid, reliable, and feasible computer-based approach to identify patients that struggle with low health literacy. However, there was a lack of consistency in the types of screening questions proposed. There is also a lack of information regarding the psychometric properties of computer-based health literacy instruments. Only English language health literacy assessment instruments were reviewed and analyzed. Current health literacy screening tools demonstrate varying benefits depending on the context of their use. In many cases, it seems that a single screening question may be a reliable, valid, and feasible means for establishing health literacy. A combination of screening questions that assess health literacy and technological literacy may enable tailoring eHealth applications to user needs. Further research should determine the best screening question(s) and the best synthesis of various instruments' content and methodologies for computer-based health literacy screening and assessment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Characterization of the lubricity of bio-oil/diesel fuel blends by high frequency reciprocating test rig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Yufu; Wang, Qiongjie; Hu, Xianguo; Li, Chuan; Zhu, Xifeng

    2010-01-01

    The diesel fuel was mixed with the rice husk bio-oil using some emulsifiers based on the theory of Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB). The lubricity of the bio-oil/diesel fuel blend was studied on a High Frequency Reciprocating Test Rig (HFRR) according to ASTM D 6079-2004. The microscopic topography and chemical composition on the worn surface were analyzed respectively using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The profile and surface roughness of the rubbed trace were measured using a profilometer. The chemical group and composition were studied by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The results showed that the lubrication ability of the present fuel blend was better than that of the Chinese conventional diesel fuel (number zero). However, the anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties of the fuel blend were not satisfactory in comparison with those of conventional diesel fuel.

  5. A cognitive approach to social assistance instruments: how public assistance recipients represent and interpret the anti-poverty progra m Familias en Acción

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria Ayola Betancourt

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This article considers the contribution of the cognitive framework of public policy and the instrument approach to understanding poverty regulation in Colombia through its instruments. We analyze the relationship between the ideological frame of the Familias en Acción program and the recipient’s construction of representations, meanings and interpretations about it. It describes the manner in which the beneficiaries are interpreting the State intervention, but it also describes some social effects arising from the implementation of the programs, taking into account the local scope. For this we use qualitative research techniques and stand out the semi-structured interview as method. Our fieldwork, is based on a comparison between Cartagena city and the San Jacinto’s rural zone.

  6. Instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prieur, G.; Nadi, M.; Hedjiedj, A.; Weber, S.

    1995-01-01

    This second chapter on instrumentation gives little general consideration on history and classification of instrumentation, and two specific states of the art. The first one concerns NMR (block diagram of instrumentation chain with details on the magnets, gradients, probes, reception unit). The first one concerns precision instrumentation (optical fiber gyro-meter and scanning electron microscope), and its data processing tools (programmability, VXI standard and its history). The chapter ends with future trends on smart sensors and Field Emission Displays. (D.L.). Refs., figs

  7. The Thirty Gigahertz Instrument Receiver for the QUIJOTE Experiment: Preliminary Polarization Measurements and Systematic-Error Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco J. Casas

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents preliminary polarization measurements and systematic-error characterization of the Thirty Gigahertz Instrument receiver developed for the QUIJOTE experiment. The instrument has been designed to measure the polarization of Cosmic Microwave Background radiation from the sky, obtaining the Q, U, and I Stokes parameters of the incoming signal simultaneously. Two kinds of linearly polarized input signals have been used as excitations in the polarimeter measurement tests in the laboratory; these show consistent results in terms of the Stokes parameters obtained. A measurement-based systematic-error characterization technique has been used in order to determine the possible sources of instrumental errors and to assist in the polarimeter calibration process.

  8. Complications of the natural childbirth: assistance of nurses obstetras

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zulmerinda Meira Oliveira

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The moment of the natural childbirth is a complex and dynamic event that demands assistance from the health professional that joins the humanized execution of procedures and actions respecting the singularity of the woman. In this way, the objectives of this study were: to know the main occurred complications at the moment of the natural childbirth and the assistance given by the nurse. It’s an exploratory research, in which the scene was a public hospital in the city of Jequié-Ba. The sampling consisted of five persons with specialization in obstetric nursing, and the used instrument for the data collection was the half-structuralized interview. After the data collection, the gotten information were submitted to the content analysis Bardin. Therefore, it’s possible to infer that the obstetric nurse faces in a positive way the complications lived deeply during the natural childbirth, through the exercise of a humanized and distinguished assistance as techniques/procedures endorsed by the literature. Thus, this can make us reflect the importance of this professional in the childbirth room as an executor and promoter of a worthy and welcoming assistance

  9. A Systematic Review on Existing Measures for the Subjective Assessment of Rehabilitation and Assistive Robot Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiannis Koumpouros

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the current study is to identify and classify outcome measures currently used for the assessment of rehabilitation or assistive robot devices. We conducted a systematic review of the literature using PubMed, MEDLINE, CIRRIE, and Scopus databases for studies that assessed rehabilitation or assistive robot devices from 1980 through January 2016. In all, 31 articles met all inclusion criteria. Tailor-made questionnaires were the most commonly used tool at 66.7%, while the great majority (93.9% of the studies used nonvalidated instruments. The study reveals the absence of a standard scale which makes it difficult to compare the results from different researchers. There is a great need, therefore, for a valid and reliable instrument to be available for use by the intended end users for the subjective assessment of robot devices. The study concludes by identifying two scales that have been validated in general assistive technology devices and could support the scope of subjective assessment in rehabilitation or assistive robots (however, with limited coverage and a new one called PYTHEIA, recently published. The latter intends to close the gap and help researchers and developers to evaluate, assess, and produce products that satisfy the real needs of the end users.

  10. Instrumentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Decreton, M

    2001-04-01

    SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation involves the assessment and the development of sensitive measurement systems used within a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the assessment of optical fibre components and their adaptability to radiation environments. The evaluation of ageing processes of instrumentation in fission plants, the development of specific data evaluation strategies to compensate for ageing induced degradation of sensors and cable performance form part of these activities. In 2000, particular emphasis was on in-core reactor instrumentation applied to fusion, accelerator driven and water-cooled fission reactors. This involved the development of high performance instrumentation for irradiation experiments in the BR2 reactor in support of new instrumentation needs for MYRRHA, and for diagnostic systems for the ITER reactor.

  11. Instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Decreton, M.

    2001-01-01

    SCK-CEN's research and development programme on instrumentation involves the assessment and the development of sensitive measurement systems used within a radiation environment. Particular emphasis is on the assessment of optical fibre components and their adaptability to radiation environments. The evaluation of ageing processes of instrumentation in fission plants, the development of specific data evaluation strategies to compensate for ageing induced degradation of sensors and cable performance form part of these activities. In 2000, particular emphasis was on in-core reactor instrumentation applied to fusion, accelerator driven and water-cooled fission reactors. This involved the development of high performance instrumentation for irradiation experiments in the BR2 reactor in support of new instrumentation needs for MYRRHA, and for diagnostic systems for the ITER reactor

  12. Number crunchers : instrumentation sector treads path of selective automation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budd, G.

    2006-01-01

    Automation guided by adequate monitoring and control instrumentation is playing an increasingly important role in the oil and gas sector. This article presented a overview of new instruments in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), where a niche market for instrumentation and automation has grown in tandem with increased drilling activities. Fluctuating prices in oil and gas have also meant that available production methods must be optimized in order to ensure bottom line profits. However, economies of production scale can exclude extensive monitoring techniques in coalbed methane (CBM) activities. Compressor stations are the site of most monitoring and control instrumentation in CBM activities. Compressor packages at the stations include an engine panel that monitors suction pressure and water temperature. Alarm points on all monitoring instrumentation can shut down operations or assist in slight adjustments to machinery to optimize production. In addition, acoustical flow meters are fitted to headers to identify drops in a station's overall volumetric flow of natural gas. Instrumentation at the stations monitors and controls boilers that heat glycol for the gas dehydration process through the use of a pneumatic control loop that communicates with the motor control centre. The system is capable of ensuring shut-downs in emergencies. The combination of automation and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) flooding has dramatically improved production in the Weyburn oilfield in southeastern Saskatchewan, where data transfer is now completed using Ethernet communications to a SCADA system to communicate with and from 5 satellite sites to a central main plant. It was estimated that the life expectancy of the Weyburn oilfield has been extended by almost 25 years. It was concluded that when harnessed to other technologies and combined with a user-friendly interface, automation can make a huge difference in the production profile of a field. 2 figs

  13. The SPICE concept - An approach to providing geometric and other ancillary information needed for interpretation of data returned from space science instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acton, Charles H., Jr.

    1990-01-01

    The Navigation Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF), acting under the direction of NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications, and with substantial participation of the planetary science community, is designing and implementing an ancillary data system - called SPICE - to assist scientists in planning and interpreting scientific observations taken from spaceborne instruments. The principal objective of the implemented SPICE system is that it will hold the essential geometric and related ancillary information needed to recover the full value of science instrument data, and that it will facilitate correlations of individual instrument datasets with data obtained from other instruments on the same or other spacecraft.

  14. The dream: a psychodynamically informative instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glucksman, M L

    2001-01-01

    The dream is a unique psychodynamically informative instrument for evaluating the subjective correlates of brain activity during REM sleep. These include feelings, percepts, memories, wishes, fantasies, impulses, conflicts, and defenses, as well as images of self and others. Dream analysis can be used in a variety of clinical settings to assist in diagnostic assessment, psychodynamic formulation, evaluation of clinical change, and the management of medically ill patients. Dreams may serve as the initial indicators of transference, resistance, impending crisis, acting-out, conflict resolution, and decision-making. A clinically functional categorization of dreams can facilitate an understanding of psychopathology, psychodynamics, personality structure, and various components of the psychotherapeutic process. Examples of different types of dreams are provided to illustrate their relevance and use in various clinical situations.

  15. Matrix-assisted laser desorption fourier transform mass spectrometry for biological compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hettich, R.; Buchanan, M.

    1990-01-01

    The recent development of matrix-assisted UV laser desorption (LD) mass spectrometry has made possible the ionization and detection of extremely large molecules (with molecular weights exceeding 100,000 Daltons). This technique has generated enormous interest in the biological community for the direct examination of large peptides and oligonucleotides. Although this matrix-assisted ionization method has been developed and used almost exclusively with time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers, research is currently in progress to demonstrate this technique with trapped ion mass spectrometers, such as Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTMS). The potential capabilities of FTMS for wide mass range, high resolution measurement, and ion trapping experiments suggest that this instrumental technique should be useful for the detailed structural characterization of large ions generated by the matrix-assisted technique. We have recently demonstrated that matrix-assisted ultraviolet laser desorption can be successfully used with FTMS for the ionization of small peptides. The objective of this report is to summarize the application and current limitations of matrix-assisted laser desorption FTMS for the characterization of peptides and oligonucleotides at the isomeric level. 4 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

  16. Solo surgeon single-port laparoscopic surgery with a homemade laparoscope-anchored instrument system in benign gynecologic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yun Seok; Kim, Seung Hyun; Jin, Chan Hee; Oh, Kwoan Young; Hur, Myung Haeng; Kim, Soo Young; Yim, Hyun Soon

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to present the initial operative experience of solo surgeon single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) in the laparoscopic treatment of benign gynecologic diseases and to investigate its feasibility and surgical outcomes. Using a novel homemade laparoscope-anchored instrument system that consisted of a laparoscopic instrument attached to a laparoscope and a glove-wound retractor umbilical port, we performed solo surgeon SPLS in 13 patients between March 2011 and June 2012. Intraoperative complications and postoperative surgical outcomes were determined. The primary operative procedures performed were unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (n = 5), unilateral salpingectomy (n = 2), adhesiolysis (n = 1), and laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (n = 5). Additional surgical procedures included additional adhesiolysis (n = 4) and ovarian drilling (n = 1).The primary indications for surgery were benign ovarian tumors (n = 5), ectopic pregnancy (n = 2), pelvic adhesion (infertility) (n = 1), and benign uterine tumors (n = 5). Solo surgeon SPLS was successfully accomplished in all procedures without a laparoscopic assistant. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Our laparoscope-anchored instrument system obviates the need for an additional laparoscopic assistant and enables SPLS to be performed by a solo surgeon. The findings show that with our system, solo surgeon SPLS is a feasible and safe alternative technique for the treatment of benign gynecologic diseases in properly selected patients. Copyright © 2014 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Development of a hardware-in-the-loop-test rig to verify the reliability of oil burner pumps. Application by the use of biocide in domestic heating oil; Entwicklung eines Hardware-in-the-loop Pruefstands zum Nachweis der Betriebssicherheit von Oelbrennerpumpen. Anwendungen bei Einsatz von Biozidadditiven

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rheinberg, Oliver van; Lukito, Jayadi; Liska, Martin [Oel-Waerme-Institut gGmbH (OWI), Aachen-Herzogenrath (Germany)

    2009-09-15

    Within this project, a hardware-in-the-loop test rig has been developed to investigate the influence of different fuels on the reliability of oil burner pumps. The test rig is constructed with commercial burner components. One test rig consists of four pump cycles, where the fuel recirculates for max. 2000 h. Low powered electric motors of 90 Watts have been used deliberately, so that the apparatus is more sensitive to failure due to an increase in pump load. A practise relevant intermittent operating mode has been implemented for the simulation of real operation characteristics. The measured variable and evaluation parameters are start-up torque, intake pressure, fuel pump pressure and temperature. Operation failures of oil burner pumps in the field, due to an over-additisation of biocides, have been observed. These failures could be reproducibly simulated on the pump test stands. The results of the project are a redefinition of limits of biocide concentration and the development of new biocides, which are suitable for use in domestic heating oil with a content of up to 20 % Fatty-Acid-Methyl-Ester. (orig.)

  18. Development of high temperature mechanical rig for characterizing the viscoplastic properties of alloys used in solid oxide cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tadesse Molla, Tesfaye; Greco, Fabio; Kwok, Kawai

    2018-01-01

    Analyzing the thermo-mechanical reliability of solid oxide cell (SOC) stack requires precise measurement of the mechanical properties of the different components in the stack at operating conditions of the SOC. It is challenging to precisely characterize the time dependent deformational properties...... temperature and in controlled atmosphere. The methodology uses a mechanical loading rig designed to apply variable as well as constant loads on samples within a gas-tight high temperature furnace. In addition, a unique remotely installed length measuring setup involving laser micrometer is used to monitor...... deformations in the sample. Application of the methodology is exemplified by measurement of stress relaxation, creep and constant strain rate behaviors of a high temperature alloy used in the construction of SOC metallic interconnects at different temperatures. Furthermore, measurements using the proposed...

  19. Pollution Reduction Technology Program for Small Jet Aircraft Engines, Phase 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruce, T. W.; Davis, F. G.; Kuhn, T. E.; Mongia, H. C.

    1978-01-01

    A series of iterative combustor pressure rig tests were conducted on two combustor concepts applied to the AiResearch TFE731-2 turbofan engine combustion system for the purpose of optimizing combustor performance and operating characteristics consistant with low emissions. The two concepts were an axial air-assisted airblast fuel injection configuration with variable-geometry air swirlers and a staged premix/prevaporization configuration. The iterative rig testing and modification sequence on both concepts was intended to provide operational compatibility with the engine and determine one concept for further evaluation in a TFE731-2 engine.

  20. An expert system for fault management assistance on a space sleep experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atamer, A.; Delaney, M.; Young, L. R.

    2002-01-01

    The expert system, Principal Investigator-in-a-box, or [PI], was designed to assist astronauts or other operators in performing experiments outside their expertise. Currently, the software helps astronauts calibrate instruments for a Sleep and Respiration Experiment without contact with the investigator on the ground. It flew on the Space Shuttle missions STS-90 and STS-95. [PI] displays electrophysiological signals in real time, alerts astronauts via the indicator lights when a poor signal quality is detected, and advises astronauts how to restore good signal quality. Thirty subjects received training on the sleep instrumentation and the [PI] interface. A beneficial effects of [PI] and training reduced troubleshooting time. [PI] benefited subjects on the most difficult scenarios, even though its lights were not 100% accurate. Further, questionnaires showed that most subjects preferred monitoring waveforms with [PI] assistance rather than monitoring waveforms alone. This study addresses problems of complex troubleshooting and the extended time between training and execution that is common to many human operator situations on earth such as in power plant operation, and marine exploration.

  1. RIG-I-like receptor-induced IRF3 mediated pathway of apoptosis (RIPA: a new antiviral pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saurabh Chattopadhyay

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The innate immune response is the first line of host defense to eliminate viral infection. Pattern recognition receptors in the cytosol, such as RIG-I-like receptors (RLR and Nod-like receptors (NLR, and membrane bound Toll like receptors (TLR detect viral infection and initiate transcription of a cohort of antiviral genes, including interferon (IFN and interferon stimulated genes (ISGs, which ultimately block viral replication. Another mechanism to reduce viral spread is through RIPA, the RLR-induced IRF3-mediated pathway of apoptosis, which causes infected cells to undergo premature death. The transcription factor IRF3 can mediate cellular antiviral responses by both inducing antiviral genes and triggering apoptosis through the activation of RIPA. The mechanism of IRF3 activation in RIPA is distinct from that of transcriptional activation; it requires linear polyubiquitination of specific lysine residues of IRF3. Using RIPA-active, but transcriptionally inactive, IRF3 mutants, it was shown that RIPA can prevent viral replication and pathogenesis in mice.

  2. Monitoring of water supply connections as an element to reduce apparent losses of water?

    OpenAIRE

    Gwoździej-Mazur Joanna

    2017-01-01

    Measuring instruments are designed to measure a given physical value, to process the obtained information and forward it to the observer. They are designed to perform specific tasks in specific working conditions and meeting the envisaged requirements. The most important requirement to be met by measuring instruments, is to preserve the established metrological characteristics. The basic and most common instrument for measuring the volume of flowing water is the water meter. Selecting the rig...

  3. Sampling and instrumentation requirements for long-range D and D activities at INEL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahlquist, A.J.

    1985-01-01

    Assistance was requested to help determine sampling and instrumentation requirements for the long-range decontamination and decommissioning activities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Through a combination of literature review, visits to other DOE contractors, and a determination of the needs for the INEL program, a draft report has been prepared that is now under review. The final report should be completed in FY 84

  4. Low and medium heating value coal gas catalytic combustor characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwab, J. A.

    1982-01-01

    Catalytic combustion with both low and medium heating value coal gases obtained from an operating gasifier was demonstrated. A practical operating range for efficient operation was determined, and also to identify potential problem areas were identified for consideration during stationary gas turbine engine design. The test rig consists of fuel injectors, a fuel-air premixing section, a catalytic reactor with thermocouple instrumentation and a single point, water cooled sample probe. The test rig included inlet and outlet transition pieces and was designed for installation into an existing test loop.

  5. Should Health Care Aides Assist With Medications in Long-Term Care?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mubashir Arain PhD

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether health care aides (HCAs could safely assist in medication administration in long-term care (LTC. Method: We obtained medication error reports from LTC facilities that involve HCAs in oral medication assistance and we analyzed Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI data from these facilities. Standard ratings of error severity were “no apparent harm,” “minimum harm,” and “moderate harm.” Results: We retrieved error reports from two LTC facilities with 220 errors reported by all health care providers including HCAs. HCAs were involved in 137 (63% errors, licensed practical nurses (LPNs/registered nurses (RNs in 77 (35%, and pharmacy in four (2%. The analysis of error severity showed that HCAs were significantly less likely to cause errors of moderate severity than other nursing staff (2% vs. 7%, chi-square = 5.1, p value = .04. Conclusion: HCAs’ assistance in oral medications in LTC facilities appears to be safe when provided under the medication assistance guidelines.

  6. Radioisotope instruments

    CERN Document Server

    Cameron, J F; Silverleaf, D J

    1971-01-01

    International Series of Monographs in Nuclear Energy, Volume 107: Radioisotope Instruments, Part 1 focuses on the design and applications of instruments based on the radiation released by radioactive substances. The book first offers information on the physical basis of radioisotope instruments; technical and economic advantages of radioisotope instruments; and radiation hazard. The manuscript then discusses commercial radioisotope instruments, including radiation sources and detectors, computing and control units, and measuring heads. The text describes the applications of radioisotop

  7. Development of the Assistance to Participate Scale (APS) for children's play and leisure activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourke-Taylor, H; Law, M; Howie, L; Pallant, J F

    2009-09-01

    This paper describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Assistance to Participate Scale (APS). The APS measures the assistance that a school-aged child with a disability requires to participate in play and leisure activities from the primary carer's perspective. Mixed methodology using an instrument design model was used to complete two studies. First, a qualitative research design was used to generate items and scoring criteria for the APS. Second, a quantitative study evaluated the instrument using data collected from 152 mothers with children aged 5-18 years. Statistical analysis assessed the underlying structure, internal consistency and construct validity of the APS. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two correlated components, reflecting home-based and community-based play activities. Both subscales and the total APS scale showed good internal consistency. The APS correlated as predicted with individual domains and overall scores for other validated measures (Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory caregiver scales and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) with correlations ranging from rho = 0.42 to rho = 0.77. The APS was able to discriminate between groups of children based on type of schooling (regular or segregated), need for equipment/assistive devices, frequency of lifting and disability. The APS provides professionals with a brief psychometrically sound tool that measures the amount of caregiver assistance provided to a child with a disability to participate in play and recreation. The APS may be used as an outcome measure and to evaluate and predict the amount and type of additional assistance families need to facilitate their child's participation in an important aspect of the child's daily life and development: play and recreation.

  8. 75 FR 21349 - Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement-Evaluation of Technical Assistance for Evidence-Based...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-23

    ... Criminal Justice Systems (the Framework), which is designed to advance constructive change in local level... analysis plan; Develop data collection instruments to include site visit protocols, structured or semi...--Evaluation of Technical Assistance for Evidence-Based Decisionmaking in Local Criminal Justice Systems AGENCY...

  9. Health Literacy Screening Instruments for eHealth Applications: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Sarah A.; Currie, Leanne M.; Bakken, Suzanne; Vawdrey, David K.; Stone, Patricia W.

    2012-01-01

    Objective To systematically review current health literacy (HL) instruments for use in consumer-facing and mobile health information technology screening and evaluation tools. Design The databases, PubMed, OVID, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Science Citation Index, were searched for health literacy assessment instruments using the terms “health”, “literacy”, “computer-based,” and “psychometrics”. All instruments identified by this method were critically appraised according to their reported psychometric properties and clinical feasibility. Results Eleven different health literacy instruments were found. Screening questions, such as asking a patient about his/her need for assistance in navigating health information, were evaluated in 7 different studies and are promising for use as a valid, reliable, and feasible computer-based approach to identify patients that struggle with low health literacy. However, there was a lack of consistency in the types of screening questions proposed. There is also a lack of information regarding the psychometric properties of computer-based health literacy instruments. Limitations Only English language health literacy assessment instruments were reviewed and analyzed. Conclusions Current health literacy screening tools demonstrate varying benefits depending on the context of their use. In many cases, it seems that a single screening question may be a reliable, valid, and feasible means for establishing health literacy. A combination of screening questions that assess health literacy and technological literacy may enable tailoring eHealth applications to user needs. Further research should determine the best screening question(s) and the best synthesis of various instruments’ content and methodologies for computer-based health literacy screening and assessment. PMID:22521719

  10. Validity of instruments to assess students' travel and pedestrian safety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baranowski Tom

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Safe Routes to School (SRTS programs are designed to make walking and bicycling to school safe and accessible for children. Despite their growing popularity, few validated measures exist for assessing important outcomes such as type of student transport or pedestrian safety behaviors. This research validated the SRTS school travel survey and a pedestrian safety behavior checklist. Methods Fourth grade students completed a brief written survey on how they got to school that day with set responses. Test-retest reliability was obtained 3-4 hours apart. Convergent validity of the SRTS travel survey was assessed by comparison to parents' report. For the measure of pedestrian safety behavior, 10 research assistants observed 29 students at a school intersection for completion of 8 selected pedestrian safety behaviors. Reliability was determined in two ways: correlations between the research assistants' ratings to that of the Principal Investigator (PI and intraclass correlations (ICC across research assistant ratings. Results The SRTS travel survey had high test-retest reliability (κ = 0.97, n = 96, p Conclusions These validated instruments can be used to assess SRTS programs. The pedestrian safety behavior checklist may benefit from further formative work.

  11. UBXN1 Interferes with Rig-I-like Receptor-Mediated Antiviral Immune Response by Targeting MAVS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Penghua Wang

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available RNA viruses are sensed by RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs, which signal through a mitochondria-associated adaptor molecule, MAVS, resulting in systemic antiviral immune responses. Although RLR signaling is essential for limiting RNA virus replication, it must be stringently controlled to prevent damage from inflammation. We demonstrate here that among all tested UBX-domain-containing protein family members, UBXN1 exhibits the strongest inhibitory effect on RNA-virus-induced type I interferon response. UBXN1 potently inhibits RLR- and MAVS-induced, but not TLR3-, TLR4-, or DNA-virus-induced innate immune responses. Depletion of UBXN1 enhances virus-induced innate immune responses, including those resulting from RNA viruses such as vesicular stomatitis, Sendai, West Nile, and dengue virus infection, repressing viral replication. Following viral infection, UBXN1 is induced, binds to MAVS, interferes with intracellular MAVS oligomerization, and disrupts the MAVS/TRAF3/TRAF6 signalosome. These findings underscore a critical role of UBXN1 in the modulation of a major antiviral signaling pathway.

  12. Simple Tools for Surgeons : Design and Evaluation of mechanical alternatives for robotic instruments for Minimally Invasive Surgery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jaspers, J.E.N.

    2006-01-01

    Performing complex tasks in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is demanding due to a disturbed hand-eye co-ordination, the application of non-ergonomic instruments with limited number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) and the two-dimensional (2D) view controlled by the surgical assistance. Robotic camera

  13. Instrument Remote Control via the Astronomical Instrument Markup Language

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sall, Ken; Ames, Troy; Warsaw, Craig; Koons, Lisa; Shafer, Richard

    1998-01-01

    The Instrument Remote Control (IRC) project ongoing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Information Systems Center (ISC) supports NASA's mission by defining an adaptive intranet-based framework that provides robust interactive and distributed control and monitoring of remote instruments. An astronomical IRC architecture that combines the platform-independent processing capabilities of Java with the power of Extensible Markup Language (XML) to express hierarchical data in an equally platform-independent, as well as human readable manner, has been developed. This architecture is implemented using a variety of XML support tools and Application Programming Interfaces (API) written in Java. IRC will enable trusted astronomers from around the world to easily access infrared instruments (e.g., telescopes, cameras, and spectrometers) located in remote, inhospitable environments, such as the South Pole, a high Chilean mountaintop, or an airborne observatory aboard a Boeing 747. Using IRC's frameworks, an astronomer or other scientist can easily define the type of onboard instrument, control the instrument remotely, and return monitoring data all through the intranet. The Astronomical Instrument Markup Language (AIML) is the first implementation of the more general Instrument Markup Language (IML). The key aspects of our approach to instrument description and control applies to many domains, from medical instruments to machine assembly lines. The concepts behind AIML apply equally well to the description and control of instruments in general. IRC enables us to apply our techniques to several instruments, preferably from different observatories.

  14. Clinical assessment of diode laser-assisted endoscopic intrasphenoidal vidian neurectomy in the treatment of refractory rhinitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Wen-Sen; Cheng, Sheng-Yao; Lin, Yuan-Yung; Yang, Pei-Lin; Lin, Hung-Che; Cheng, Li-Hsiang; Yang, Jinn-Moon; Lee, Jih-Chin

    2017-12-01

    For chronic rhinitis that is refractory to medical therapy, surgical intervention such as endoscopic vidian neurectomy (VN) can be used to control the intractable symptoms. Lasers can contribute to minimizing the invasiveness of ENT surgery. The aim of this retrospective study is to compare in patients who underwent diode laser-assisted versus traditional VN in terms of operative time, surgical field, quality of life, and postoperative complications. All patients had refractory rhinitis with a poor treatment response to a 6-month trial of corticosteroid nasal sprays and underwent endoscopic VN between November 2006 and September 2015. They were non-randomly allocated into either a cold instrument group or a diode laser-assisted group. Vidian nerve was excised with a 940-nm continuous wave diode laser through a 600-μm silica optical fiber, utilizing a contact mode with the power set at 5 W. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to grade the severity of the rhinitis symptoms for quality of life assessment before the surgery and 6 months after. Of the 118 patients enrolled in the study, 75 patients underwent cold instrument VN and 43 patients underwent diode laser-assisted VN. Patients in the laser-assisted group had a significantly lower surgical field score and a lower postoperative bleeding rate than those in the cold instrument group. Changes in the VAS were significant in preoperative and postoperative nasal symptoms in each group. The application of diode lasers for vidian nerve transection showed a better surgical field and a lower incidence of postoperative hemorrhage. Recent advancements in laser application and endoscopic technique has made VN safer and more effective. We recommend this surgical approach as a reliable and effective treatment for patients with refractory rhinitis.

  15. Treasure-Traditions of Western Tibet: Rig-’dzin Gar-dbang rdo-rje snying-po (1640–1685) and His Activities in Mang-yul Gung-thang

    OpenAIRE

    Solmsdorf, Nikolai

    2014-01-01

    From the fourteenth century onwards the treasure-tradition of Tibetan Buddhism (gter ma) played a significant role in the small south-western Tibetan kingdom of Mang-yul Gung-thang. The treasure-discoverer (gter ston) Rig-’dzin rGod-ldem-can (1337–1408) defined both the religious and political environment with his activities, e.g. through disclosing treasure-texts in the dominion and transmitting them directly to it’s rulers, and, more particularly, through designating the region as one of th...

  16. Reduction of Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in Domestic Water Heating by Means of Direct Expansion Solar Assisted Heat Pump

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baleta, J.; Curko, T.; Cutic, T.; Pasanec, J.; Soldo, V.

    2012-01-01

    Domestic water heating in households sector is usually performed by either fossil fuel fired or electric boilers. Both the combustion process of the former and large electricity consumption of the latter strongly influence overall greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, very high specific heat of water requires large quantity of energy for water heating making a significant impact on the overall energy consumption in the households sector whose total consumption of 80,81 PJ equals to 19,6% of total primary energy supply in Croatia in 2010. Considering the mentioned impact on energy consumption and CO 2 emissions as well as goals set by European Commission (so called 20-20-20), new technologies based on renewable energy sources are more than welcome in the field of domestic water heating. Direct expansion solar assisted heat pump is presented in this paper. Its working principle is based on single-stage vapour-compression cycle. Representing a gradual step to commercial application with a water tank of 300 l, the developed mobile unit is designed as a test rig enabling all necessary measurements to evaluate potential of solar irradiation for domestic water heating on various locations. Besides the unit description, trial testing results are presented and analyzed as well as a basic comparison of CO 2 emissions between solar assisted heat pump and conventionally used water heating systems. Taking into account both the decentralized water heating and favourable climatic conditions (especially along the Croatian Adriatic coast) as well as rising fossil fuel prices, it is expected that solar assisted heat pumps will be commercialized in the near future.(author)

  17. Fiber Bragg grating sensor-based communication assistance device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padma, Srivani; Umesh, Sharath; Pant, Shweta; Srinivas, Talabattula; Asokan, Sundarrajan

    2016-08-01

    Improvements in emergency medicine in the form of efficient life supporting systems and intensive care have increased the survival rate in critically injured patients; however, in some cases, severe brain and spinal cord injuries can result in a locked-in syndrome or other forms of paralysis, and communication with these patients may become restricted or impossible. The present study proposes a noninvasive, real-time communication assistive methodology for those with restricted communication ability, employing a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. The communication assistive methodology comprises a breath pattern analyzer using an FBG sensor, which acquires the exhalation force that is converted into strain variations on a cantilever. The FBG breath pattern analyzer along with specific breath patterns, which are programmed to give specific audio output commands, constitutes the proposed fiber Bragg grating sensor-based communication assistive device. The basic communication can be carried out by instructing the patients with restricted communication ability to perform the specific breath patterns. The present approach is intended to be an alternative to the common approach of brain-computer interface in which an instrument is utilized for learning of brain responses.

  18. Pre-bent instruments used in single-port laparoscopic surgery versus conventional laparoscopic surgery: comparative study of performance in a dry lab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miernik, Arkadiusz; Schoenthaler, Martin; Lilienthal, Kerstin; Frankenschmidt, Alexander; Karcz, Wojciech Konrad; Kuesters, Simon

    2012-07-01

    Different types of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) have become increasingly popular. Although SILS is technically even more challenging than conventional laparoscopy, published data of first clinical series seem to demonstrate the feasibility of these approaches. Various attempts have been made to overcome restrictions due to loss of triangulation in SILS by specially designed SILS-specific instruments. This study involving novices in a dry lab compared task performances between conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) and single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) using newly designed pre-bent instruments. In this study, 90 medical students without previous experience in laparoscopic techniques were randomly assigned to undergo one of three procedures: CLS, SPLS using two pre-bent instruments (SPLS-pp), or SPLS using one pre-bent and one straight laparoscopic instrument (SPLS-ps). In the dry lab, the participants performed four typical laparoscopic tasks of increasing difficulty. Evaluation included performance times or number of completed tasks within a given time frame. All performances were videotaped and evaluated for unsuccessful attempts and unwanted interactions of instruments. Using subjective questionnaires, the participants rated difficulties with two-dimensional vision and coordination of instruments. Task performances were significantly better in the CLS group than in either SPLS group. The SPLS-ps group showed a tendency toward better performances than the SPLS-pp group, but the difference was not significant. Video sequences and participants` questionnaires showed instrument interaction as the major problem in the single-incision surgery groups. Although SILS is feasible, as shown in clinical series published by laparoscopically experienced experts, SILS techniques are demanding due to restrictions that come with the loss of triangulation. These can be compensated only partially by currently available SILS-designed instruments. The future of

  19. Instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Umminger, K.

    2008-01-01

    A proper measurement of the relevant single and two-phase flow parameters is the basis for the understanding of many complex thermal-hydraulic processes. Reliable instrumentation is therefore necessary for the interaction between analysis and experiment especially in the field of nuclear safety research where postulated accident scenarios have to be simulated in experimental facilities and predicted by complex computer code systems. The so-called conventional instrumentation for the measurement of e. g. pressures, temperatures, pressure differences and single phase flow velocities is still a solid basis for the investigation and interpretation of many phenomena and especially for the understanding of the overall system behavior. Measurement data from such instrumentation still serves in many cases as a database for thermal-hydraulic system codes. However some special instrumentation such as online concentration measurement for boric acid in the water phase or for non-condensibles in steam atmosphere as well as flow visualization techniques were further developed and successfully applied during the recent years. Concerning the modeling needs for advanced thermal-hydraulic codes, significant advances have been accomplished in the last few years in the local instrumentation technology for two-phase flow by the application of new sensor techniques, optical or beam methods and electronic technology. This paper will give insight into the current state of instrumentation technology for safety-related thermohydraulic experiments. Advantages and limitations of some measurement processes and systems will be indicated as well as trends and possibilities for further development. Aspects of instrumentation in operating reactors will also be mentioned.

  20. Automatic localization of the da Vinci surgical instrument tips in 3-D transrectal ultrasound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohareri, Omid; Ramezani, Mahdi; Adebar, Troy K; Abolmaesumi, Purang; Salcudean, Septimiu E

    2013-09-01

    Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) using the da Vinci surgical system is the current state-of-the-art treatment option for clinically confined prostate cancer. Given the limited field of view of the surgical site in RALRP, several groups have proposed the integration of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging in the surgical workflow to assist with accurate resection of the prostate and the sparing of the neurovascular bundles (NVBs). We previously introduced a robotic TRUS manipulator and a method for automatically tracking da Vinci surgical instruments with the TRUS imaging plane, in order to facilitate the integration of intraoperative TRUS in RALRP. Rapid and automatic registration of the kinematic frames of the da Vinci surgical system and the robotic TRUS probe manipulator is a critical component of the instrument tracking system. In this paper, we propose a fully automatic registration technique based on automatic 3-D TRUS localization of robot instrument tips pressed against the air-tissue boundary anterior to the prostate. The detection approach uses a multiscale filtering technique to identify and localize surgical instrument tips in the TRUS volume, and could also be used to detect other surface fiducials in 3-D ultrasound. Experiments have been performed using a tissue phantom and two ex vivo tissue samples to show the feasibility of the proposed methods. Also, an initial in vivo evaluation of the system has been carried out on a live anaesthetized dog with a da Vinci Si surgical system and a target registration error (defined as the root mean square distance of corresponding points after registration) of 2.68 mm has been achieved. Results show this method's accuracy and consistency for automatic registration of TRUS images to the da Vinci surgical system.