Extraction of ascorbate oxidase from Cucurbita maxima by continuous process in perforated rotating disc contactor using aqueous two-phase systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Porto, T S; Marques, P P; Porto, C S; Moreira, K A; Lima-Filho, J L; Converti, A; Pessoa, A; Porto, A L F

2010-02-01

The ascorbate oxidase is the enzyme used to determine the content of ascorbic acid in the pharmaceutical and food industries and clinics analyses. The techniques currently used for the purification of this enzyme raise its production cost. Thus, the development of alternative processes and with the potential to reduce costs is interesting. The application of aqueous two-phase system is proposed as an alternative to purification because it enables good separation of biomolecules. The objective of this study was to determine the conditions to continuously pre-purify the enzyme ascorbate oxidase by an aqueous two-phase system (PEG/citrate) using rotating column provided with perforated discs. Under the best conditions (20,000 g/mol PEG molar mass, 10% PEG concentration, and 25% citrate concentration), the system showed satisfactory results (partition coefficient, 3.35; separation efficiency, 54.98%; and purification factor, 1.46) and proved suitable for the pre-purification of ascorbate oxidase in continuous process.

Rotating Ceramic Water Filter Discs System for Water Filtration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riyadh Z. Al Zubaidy

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This work aimed to design, construct and operate a new laboratory scale water filtration system. This system was used to examine the efficiency of two ceramic filter discs as a medium for water filtration. These filters were made from two different ceramic mixtures of local red clay, sawdust, and water. The filtration system was designed with two rotating interfered modules of these filters. Rotating these modules generates shear force between water and the surfaces of filter discs of the filtration modules that works to reduce thickness of layer of rejected materials on the filters surfaces. Each module consists of seven filtration units and each unit consists of two ceramic filter discs. The average measured hydraulic conductivity of the first module was 13.7mm/day and that for the second module was 50mm/day. Results showed that the water filtration system can be operated continuously with a constant flow rate and the filtration process was controlled by a skin thin layer of rejected materials. The ceramic water filters of both filtration modules have high removal efficiency of total suspended solids up to 100% and of turbidity up to 99.94%.

Frictional Torque on a Rotating Disc

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Tracker Eur. J. Phys. 33 615–22 [2] Alam J, Hassan H, Shamim S , Mahmood W and Anwar M S 2011 Precise measurement of velocity dependent friction in...on a rotating disc 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT...NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) US Naval Academy,Physics Department,Annapolis,MD,21402-1363 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION

Modified rotating biological contactor for removal of dichloromethane vapours.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravi, R; Philip, Ligy; Swaminathan, T

2015-01-01

Bioreactors are used for the treatment of waste gas and odour that has gained much acceptance in the recent years to treat volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The different types of bioreactors (biofilter, biotrickling filter and bioscrubber) have been used for waste gas treatment. Each of these reactors has some advantages and some limitations. Though biodegradation is the main process for the removal of the pollutants, the mechanisms of removal and the microbial communities may differ among these bioreactors. Consequently, their performance or removal efficiency may also be different. Clogging of reactor and pressure drop are the main problems. In this study attempts are made to use the principle of rotating biological contactor (RBC) used for wastewater treatment for the removal of VOC. To overcome the above problem the RBC is modified which is suitable for the treatment of VOC (dichloromethane, DCM). DCM is harmful to human health and hazardous to the atmospheric environment. Modified RBC had no clogging problems and no pressure drop. So, it can handle the pollutant load for a longer period of time. A maximum elimination capacity of 25.7 g/m3 h has been achieved in this study for the DCM inlet load of 58 g/m3 h. The average biofilm thickness is 1 mm. The transient behaviour of the modified RBC treating DCM was investigated. The modified RBC is able to handle shutdown, restart and shock loading operations.

Flux expulsion and trapping in rotating discs of type II superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, R.; Leblanc, M.A.R.

1977-01-01

The magnetic flux rotating in step with a type II superconducting disc is measured with orthogonal pick up coils for various previous magnetic histories vs H 0 applied at right angles to the axis of rotation. For some initial magnetic states, flux expulsion, independent of the rate of rotation, occurs during the initial rotation. A simple model where flux lines leave the specimen against the magnetic pressure in the active region accounts for the observations. (author)

Plasma contactor development for Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Michael J.; Hamley, John A.; Sarmiento, Charles J.; Manzella, David H.; Sarver-Verhey, Timothy; Soulas, George C.; Nelson, Amy

1993-01-01

Plasma contactors have been baselined for the Space Station (SS) to control the electrical potentials of surfaces to eliminate/mitigate damaging interactions with the space environment. The system represents a dual-use technology which is a direct outgrowth of the NASA electric propulsion program and, in particular, the technology development effort on ion thrustor systems. The plasma contactor subsystems include the plasma contactor unit, a power electronics unit, and an expellant management unit. Under this pre-flight development program these will all be brought to breadboard or engineering model status. Development efforts for the plasma contactor include optimizing the design and configuration of the contactor, validating its required lifetime, and characterizing the contactor plume and electromagnetic interference. The plasma contactor unit design selected for the SS is an enclosed keeper, xenon hollow cathode plasma source. This paper discusses the test results and development status of the plasma contactor unit subsystem for the SS.

Degradation of phenolics, nitrogen-heterocyclics and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in a rotating biological contactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeswani, Hansa; Mukherji, Suparna

2012-05-01

The degradation of phenolics, heterocyclics and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a synthetic biomass gasifier wastewater with average COD of 1388 mg/L was studied in a three stage rotating biological contactor (RBC) using the pyrene degrader, Exiguobacterium aurantiacum and activated sludge consortia (1:3 v/v). As the organic loading rate (OLR) was varied from 3.3 to 14 g/m(2)/d, the COD removal ranged from 63.3% to 92.6%. Complete removal of all the constituents was observed at the lowest OLR of 3.3g/m(2)/d. At 24h hydraulic retention time (HRT) and OLR of 6.6g/m(2)/d complete removal of pyridine, quinoline and benzene and 85-96% removal of phenol, naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene was observed. E. aurantiacum was found to be the dominant bacteria in the biofilm. Clark's model provided good fits to data for all the three stages of the RBC. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel highly integrated biodiesel production technology in a centrifugal contactor separator device

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraai, G. N.; Schuur, B.; van Zwol, F.; van de Bovenkamp, H. H.; Heeres, H. J.

2009-01-01

The base catalyzed production of biodiesel (FAME) from sunflower oil and methanol in a continuous centrifugal contactor separator (CCS) with integrated reaction and phase separation was studied. The effect of catalyst loading (sodium methoxide), temperature, rotational frequency and flow rates of

Calibrated Tully-Fisher relations for improved estimates of disc rotation velocities

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, R.; Mandelbaum, R.; Gunn, J. E.; Pizagno, J.; Lackner, C. N.

2011-11-01

In this paper, we derive scaling relations between photometric observable quantities and disc galaxy rotation velocity Vrot or Tully-Fisher relations (TFRs). Our methodology is dictated by our purpose of obtaining purely photometric, minimal-scatter estimators of Vrot applicable to large galaxy samples from imaging surveys. To achieve this goal, we have constructed a sample of 189 disc galaxies at redshifts z < 0.1 with long-slit Hα spectroscopy from Pizagno et al. and new observations. By construction, this sample is a fair subsample of a large, well-defined parent disc sample of ˜170 000 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7). The optimal photometric estimator of Vrot we find is stellar mass M★ from Bell et al., based on the linear combination of a luminosity and a colour. Assuming a Kroupa initial mass function (IMF), we find: log [V80/(km s-1)] = (2.142 ± 0.004) + (0.278 ± 0.010)[log (M★/M⊙) - 10.10], where V80 is the rotation velocity measured at the radius R80 containing 80 per cent of the i-band galaxy light. This relation has an intrinsic Gaussian scatter ? dex and a measured scatter σmeas= 0.056 dex in log V80. For a fixed IMF, we find that the dynamical-to-stellar mass ratios within R80, (Mdyn/M★)(R80), decrease from approximately 10 to 3, as stellar mass increases from M★≈ 109 to 1011 M⊙. At a fixed stellar mass, (Mdyn/M★)(R80) increases with disc size, so that it correlates more tightly with stellar surface density than with stellar mass or disc size alone. We interpret the observed variation in (Mdyn/M★)(R80) with disc size as a reflection of the fact that disc size dictates the radius at which Mdyn/M★ is measured, and consequently, the fraction of the dark matter 'seen' by the gas at that radius. For the lowest M★ galaxies, we find a positive correlation between TFR residuals and disc sizes, indicating that the total density profile is dominated by dark matter on these scales. For the

Calibrated Tully-Fisher relations for improved estimates of disc rotation velocities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reyes, R.; Mandelbaum, R.; Gunn, J. E.; Pizagno II, Jim; Lackner, C. N.

2011-01-01

In this paper, we derive scaling relations between photometric observable quantities and disc galaxy rotation velocity V-rot or Tully-Fisher relations (TFRs). Our methodology is dictated by our purpose of obtaining purely photometric, minimal-scatter estimators of V-rot applicable to large galaxy

Schwarzschild black hole encircled by a rotating thin disc: Properties of perturbative solution

Science.gov (United States)

Kotlařík, P.; Semerák, O.; Čížek, P.

2018-04-01

Will [Astrophys. J. 191, 521 (1974), 10.1086/152992] solved the perturbation of a Schwarzschild black hole due to a slowly rotating light concentric thin ring, using Green's functions expressed as infinite-sum expansions in multipoles and in the small mass and rotational parameters. In a previous paper [P. Čížek and O. Semerák, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 232, 14 (2017), 10.3847/1538-4365/aa876b], we expressed the Green functions in closed form containing elliptic integrals, leaving just summation over the mass expansion. Such a form is more practical for numerical evaluation, but mainly for generalizing the problem to extended sources where the Green functions have to be integrated over the source. We exemplified the method by computing explicitly the first-order perturbation due to a slowly rotating thin disc lying between two finite radii. After finding basic parameters of the system—mass and angular momentum of the black hole and of the disc—we now add further properties, namely those which reveal how the disc gravity influences geometry of the black-hole horizon and those of circular equatorial geodesics (specifically, radii of the photon, marginally bound and marginally stable orbits). We also realize that, in the linear order, no ergosphere occurs and the central singularity remains pointlike, and check the implications of natural physical requirements (energy conditions and subluminal restriction on orbital speed) for the single-stream as well as counter-rotating double-stream interpretations of the disc.

PERBANDINGAN DESAIN IPAL ANAEROBIC BIOFILTER DENGAN ROTATING BIOLOGICAL CONTACTOR UNTUK LIMBAH CAIR TEKSTIL DI SURABAYA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yogie Restu Firmansyah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Effluen Instalasi Pengolahan Air Limbah (IPAL di Pabrik Tekstil X belum memenuhi kriteria yang ada, terutama untuk masalah warna. Sistem pengolahan IPAL menggunakan Anaerobic Biofilter memiliki kelebihan menyisihkan bahan organik yang tinggi, kebutuhan lahan yang relatif tidak besar, dan biaya operasi yang murah dibandingkan dengan sistem lumpur aktif yang menggunakan proses aerasi. Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC juga memiliki kelebihan yang sama dengan anaerobic biofilter. Perbandingan antara kedua sistem tersebut diperlukan untuk mengetahui sistem yang paling efektif untuk mengolah air limbah di Pabrik Textil X. Pengolahan adsorbsi batok arang kelapa dipilih untuk menghilangkan warna. Perencanaan ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode yang sistematis dimulai pengumpulan data primer dan sekunder yang berupa data karakteristik dan debit air limbah, lalu dilakukan perhitungan dan penggambaran Detail Engineering Desan (DED, volume pekerjaan dan Rancangan Anggaran Biaya (RAB, setelah itu dilakukan pembahasan untuk membandingkan kelebihan dan kekurangan dari unit anaerobic Biofilter yang dilengkapi adsorbsi arang batok kelapa dan Rotating Biological Contactor yang dilengkapi adsorbsi arang batok kelapa, lalu diambil kesimpulan dan saran yang relevan dengan tujuan dari perancanaan ini. Dari perhitungan DED didapat dimensi untuk masing masing unit IPAL sebagai berikut Bak ekualisasi (2,6 m x 2,6 m x 2 m, Septic tank (1,75 m x 1,5m x 2,5m, Anaerobic Filter 4 kompartemen (4,5m x 2,5m x 2,5m, , RBC 2 shaft  (2,75m x 2,75 m x 1m, Adsorbsi (3,5 mx 6,75m x 0,55m. Biaya investasi alternative 1 sebesar Rp   700.193.694,29, biaya operasi sebesar Rp 50.222.462,40, biaya perawatan sebesar Rp 3.495.000,00. Alternatif 2 biaya investasi sebesar Rp 777.526.655,53, biaya operasi sebesar Rp Rp 53.012.599,20  , biaya perawatan sebesar Rp 3.495.000,00. Kelebihan anaerobic filter adalah biaya investasi yang lebih kecil, kebutuhan lahan yang lebih sedikit yaitu

Nuclear material inventory estimation in solvent extraction contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyerlein, A.; Geldard, J.

1986-06-01

This report describes the development of simple nuclear material (uranium and plutonium) inventory relations for mixer-settler solvent extraction contactors used in reprocessing spent nuclear fuels. The relations are developed for light water reactor fuels where the organic phase is 30% tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) by volume. For reprocessing plants using mixer-settler contactors as much as 50% of the nuclear material within the contactors is contained in A type (aqueous to organic extraction) contactors. Another very significant portion of the contactor inventory is in the partitioning contactors. The stripping contactors contain a substantial uranium inventory but contain a very small plutonium inventory (about 5 to 10% of the total contactor inventory). The simplified inventory relations developed in this work for mixer-settler contactors reproduce the PUBG databases within about a 5% standard deviation. They can be formulated to explicitly show the dependence of the inventory on nuclear material concentrations in the aqueous feed streams. The dependence of the inventory on contactor volumes, phase volume ratios, and acid and TBP concentrations are implicitly contained in parameters that can be calculated for a particular reprocessing plant from nominal flow sheet data. The terms in the inventory relations that represent the larger portion of the inventory in A type and partitioning contactors can be extended to pulsed columns virtually without change

Fouling in a MBR system with rotating membrane discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mads Koustrup; Bentzen, Thomas Ruby; Christensen, Morten Lykkegaard

concentrations and a clear effluent with no bacteria present in the permeate [1]. However, the process performance is limited by membrane fouling, which results in a lower productivity and higher energy demand and hence places demands for limitation of fouling and/or cleaning of the membranes. One way to do...... uses rotating ceramic membrane discs for creation of shear, which can be changed by controlling the membrane rotation speed of the membrane. Furthermore, the influence of shear on fouling is studied at different radii from the center of rotation, by dividing membranes into different concentric rings......Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are an attractive alternative solution for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. The MBR, which is a combination of a bioreactor for sludge degradation and a membrane for separation, has the advantages of a low footprint, ability to handle high sludge...

Long term pilot plant experience on aromatics extraction with ionic liquids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meindersma, W.G.W.; Onink, F.S.A.F.; Hansmeier, A.R.; Haan, de A.B.

2012-01-01

Since 2004, we have been conducting pilot plant trials with various contactors and different ionic liquids for petrochemical model feeds as well as real refinery feeds. Our pilot plant contains a Rotating Disc Contactor with a height of 6 m and a diameter of 60 mm. Up to 100 kg of ionic liquid and

Assembly of contactors-separators in an extraction unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaujard, Jean; Menes, J.-C.; Ravoire, Jean.

1977-01-01

A description is given of an assembly of contactors-separators of an installation in which a transfer of mass or an isotope exchange occurs between two non miscible phases, characterized in that the contactors-separators are associated in m lines and n columns, one of the phases issuing from a contactor-separator being sent directly to the next contactor-separator of the same line, whilst the other phase, issuing from the same contactor-separator is sent directly to the next contactor-separator of the same column, each of the m lines and n columns being provided with one only pumping facility, the instantaneous flow rate of each phase, at the intake and outlet of each contactor-separator being appreciably identical [fr

Reactor performance in terms of COD and nitrogen removal and bacterial community structure of a three-stage rotating bioelectrochemical contactor

KAUST Repository

Sayess, Rassil R.

2013-02-01

Integrating microbial fuel cell (MFC) into rotating biological contactor (RBC) creates an opportunity for enhanced removal of COD and nitrogen coupled with energy generation from wastewater. In this study, a three-stage rotating bioelectrochemical contactor (referred to as RBC-MFC unit) integrating MFC with RBC technology was constructed for simultaneous removal of carbonaceous and nitrogenous compounds and electricity generation from a synthetic medium containing acetate and ammonium. The performance of the RBC-MFC unit was compared to a control reactor (referred to as RBC unit) that was operated under the same conditions but without current generation (i.e. open-circuit mode). The effect of hydraulic loading rate (HLR) and COD/N ratio on the performance of the two units was investigated. At low (3.05 gCOD g-1N) and high COD/N ratio (6.64 gCOD g-1N), both units achieved almost similar COD and ammonia-nitrogen removal. However, the RBC-MFC unit achieved significantly higher denitrification and nitrogen removal compared to the RBC unit indicating improved denitrification at the cathode due to current flow. The average voltage under 1000 Ω external resistance ranged between 0.03 and 0.30 V and between 0.02 and 0.21 V for stages 1 and 2 of the RBC-MFC unit. Pyrosequencing analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed high bacterial diversity at the anode and cathode of both units. Genera that play a role in nitrification (Nitrospira; Nitrosomonas), denitrification (Comamonas; Thauera) and electricity generation (Geobacter) were identified at the electrodes. Geobacter was only detected on the anode of the RBC-MFC unit. Nitrifiers and denitrifiers were more abundant in the RBC-MFC unit compared to the RBC unit and were largely present on the cathode of both units suggesting that most of the nitrogen removal occurred at the cathode. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Hydraulic performance of a multistage array of advanced centrifugal contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodges, M.E.

1984-01-01

The hydraulic characteristics of an advanced design centrifugal contactor array have been determined at the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL). The advanced design utilizes couette mixing (Taylor vortices) in the annulus between the rotating and stationary bowls. Excellent phase separation over a wide range of flow conditions was obtained. Interfaces within an entire eight-stage array were controlled with a single weir air pressure. 2 references, 5 figures

Isolation contactor state control system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bissontz, Jay E.

2017-05-16

A controller area network (CAN) installed on a hybrid electric vehicle provides one node with control of high voltage power distribution system isolation contactors and the capacity to energize a secondary electro-mechanical relay device. The output of the secondary relay provides a redundant and persistent backup signal to the output of the node. The secondary relay is relatively immune to CAN message traffic interruptions and, as a result, the high voltage isolation contactor(s) are less likely to transition open in the event that the intelligent output driver should fail.

Synthesis and refining of sunflower biodiesel in a cascade of continuous centrifugal contactor separators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bin Abu Ghazali, Yusuf; van Ulden, Wouter; van de Bovenkamp, Hendrik; Teddy, T; Picchioni, Francesco; Manurung, Robert; Heeres, Hero J.

The synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) from sunflower oil and methanol was studied in a continuous centrifugal contactor separator (CCCS) using sodium methoxide as the catalyst. The effect of relevant process variables like oil and methanol flow rate, rotational speed and catalyst

Development of centrifugal contactors [Paper No. : IIIB-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koganti, S.B.; Nagarajan, S.; Balasubramanian, G.R.

1979-01-01

Development of short residence contactors is one of the main objectives of Reprocessing Programme for fast reactor fuels in Reactor Research Centre, Kalpakkam. Paper discusses the suitability of centrifugal contactor as one of the candidate solvent contactors. Description of various stages of development of this work in the Reprocessing Development Laboratory, RRC and also characteristics of small contactor developed are given. (author)

Contacting solids and liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, L.F.

1980-01-01

A solids/liquid (or slurry/liquid) contactor is described comprising a container through which the phases flow, rotatable discs with a rotor dividing the container into a series of interconnected compartments and, in at least some of the compartments, receptacles extending between the discs to effect phase transfer. At least one of the compartments is free of receptacles or has receptacles arranged on a smaller diameter than in other compartments to form a settling chamber. The contactor may be used in the extraction of oil-sands or uranium or purification of china clay. (author)

A kinetic study of soluble glucose oxidase using a rotating-disc electrode

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stroe-Biezen, van S.A.M.; Janssen, A.P.M.; Janssen, L.J.J.

1994-01-01

In order to determine the kinetic parameters of glucose oxidation catalysed by the enzyme glucose oxidase (GO) the initial velocity of hydrogen peroxide formation was measured using a rotating disc electrode (RDE). The major advantage of this method is the possibility of continuous measurement of

Biodiesel synthesis from Jatropha curcas L. oil and ethanol in a continuous centrifugal contactor separator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abduh, Muhammad Yusuf; van Ulden, Wouter; Kalpoe, Vijay; van de Bovenkamp, Hendrik H.; Manurung, Robert; Heeres, Hero J.

The synthesis of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) from Jatropha curcas L. oil was studied in a batch reactor and a continuous centrifugal contactor separator (CCCS) using sodium ethoxide as the catalyst. The effect of relevant process variables like rotational speed, temperature, catalyst

Testing of pyrochemical centrifugal contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, L.S.; Carls, E.L.; Basco, J.K.; Johnson, T.R.

1996-01-01

A centrifugal contactor that performs oxidation and reduction exchange reactions between molten metals and salts at 500 degrees Centigrade has been tested successfully at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The design is based on contactors for aqueous- organic systems operation near room temperature. In tests to demonstrate the performance of the pyrocontactor, cadmium and LICl-KCl eutectic salt were the immiscible solvent phases, and rare earths were the distributing solutes. The tests showed that the pyrocontactor mixed and separated the phases well, with stage efficiencies approaching 99% at rotor speeds near 2700 rpm. The contactor ran smoothly and reliably over the entire range of speeds that was tested

A rotating bluff-body disc for reduced variability in wind tunnel aerosol studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Koehler, Kirsten A; Anthony, T Renee; van Dyke, Michael; Volckens, John

2011-01-01

A rotating bluff-body disc (RBD) was developed to reduce spatiotemporal variability associated with sampling supermicron aerosol in low-velocity wind tunnels. The RBD is designed to rotate eight personal aerosol samplers around a circular path in a forward-facing plane aligned with the wind tunnel cross section. Rotation of the RBD allows each sampler to traverse an identical path about the wind tunnel cross section, which reduces the effects of spatial heterogeneity associated with dispersing supermicron aerosol in low-velocity wind tunnels. Samplers are positioned on the face of the RBD via sampling ports, which connect to an air manifold on the back of the disc. Flow through each sampler was controlled with a critical orifice or needle valve, allowing air to be drawn through the manifold with a single pump. A metal tube, attached to this manifold, serves as both the axis of rotation and the flow conduction path (between the samplers and the vacuum source). Validation of the RBD was performed with isokinetic samplers and 37-mm cassettes. For facing-the-wind tests, the rotation of the RBD significantly decreased intra-sampler variability when challenged with particle diameters from 1 to 100 μm. The RBD was then employed to determine the aspiration efficiency of Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) personal samplers under a facing-the-wind condition. Operation of IOM samplers on the RBD reduced the between-sampler variability for all particle sizes tested.

Solvent extraction studies in miniature centrifugal contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siczek, A.A.; Meisenhelder, J.H.; Bernstein, G.J.; Steindler, M.J.

1980-01-01

A miniature short-residence-time centrifugal solvent extraction contactor and an eight-stage laboratory minibank of centrifugal contactors were used for testing the possibility of utilizing kinetic effects for improving the separation of uranium from ruthenium and zirconium in the Purex process. Results of these tests showed that a small improvement found in ruthenium and zirconium decontamination in single-stage solvent extraction tests was lost in the multistage extraction tests- in fact, the extent of saturation of the solvent by uranium, rather than the stage residence time, controlled the extent of ruthenium and zirconium extraction. In applying the centrifugal contactor to the Purex process, the primary advantages would be less radiolytic damage to the solvent, high troughput, reduced solvent inventory, and rapid attainment of steady-state operating conditions. The multistage mini contactor was also tested to determine the suitability of short-residence-time contactors for use with the Civex and Thorex processes and was found to be compatible with the requirements of these processes. (orig.) [de

Annular centrifugal contactors for TRPO process test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan, W.H.; Wang, J.C.; Chen, J.; Zhou, X.Z.; Zhou, J.Z.; Song, C.L.

2005-01-01

The TRPO process has been developed in China for removing TRU elements from high-level liquid waste (HLLW) since 1980s. Centrifugal contactors have several advantages such as low hold-up volume, short residence time, low solvent degradation, small space requirements and short start-up time. Therefore, they are favored for both the reprocessing of spent fuel and the treatment of HLLW. In order to meet study on the TRPO test, a series of annular centrifugal contactors have been developed in Institute of Nuclear and -New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, China (INET). In particular, the 10-mm annular centrifugal contactor for the laboratory-scale test has been applied successfully in the cold and hot tests of the TRPO process. The 70-mm annular centrifugal contactor for the industry-scale test has two new design characteristics, namely a modular design and an overflow structure. The modular design makes the contactor to be disassembled and assembled fast by simply moving the modules up and down. With the overflow structure, even though one stage or non-adjacent stages of the multi-stage cascade in operation are ceased to work, the cascade can continue to operate. Both the hydraulic performance and the mass-transfer efficiency of these contactors are excellent, and the extraction stage efficiency is greater than 95% at suitable operating conditions.

Efficiency of contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orth, D.A.; Graham, F.R.; Holt, D.L.

1986-01-01

The Savannah River Plant has two separations plants that began Purex operations in 1954 and 1955 with pump-mix mixer-settlers as contactors to process nuclear fuels. The only changes to the extraction equipment were replacement of most of the mixer-settlers in one plant with larger units in 1959, and the further replacement of the large 1A bank with a bank of rapid-contact centrifugal contactors in 1966. Improved performance of the old units has become highly desirable, and an experimental program is underway. Good contact between the phases, and adequate settling without entrainment of the opposite phase are required for high efficiency operation of the mixer-settlers. Factors that determine efficiency are mixer design, drop size generated, and phase coalescence properties. The original development work and accumulated plant data confirm that the tip speed of a given impeller design determines the throughput capacity and extraction performance. An experimental unit with three full-scale stages has been constructed and is being utilized to test different impeller designs; reduced pumping and better mixing with lower speeds appear to be the key factors for improvement. Decontamination performance of the rapid-contact centrifugal contactors is limited by the number of scrub contacts and the time of contact because of slowly equilibrating fission product species. Where solvent degradation is not a factor, the longer scrub contact of mixer-settlers gives better decontamination than the centrifugals. This kinetic effect can be overcome with long scrub contacts that follow the initial short extraction and short scrub contacts in the centrifugal contactors. A hybrid experimental unit with both rapid contact sections and longer contact scrub sections is under development to establish the degree of improvement that might be attained

A Scale for Rating Fire-Prevention Contactors

Science.gov (United States)

M.L. Doolittle

1979-01-01

A scale is constructed to help fire-prevention program administrators determine if an individual contactor is effective at influencing people. The 24 items in the scale indicate the qualities that an effective contactor should have.

A vibration model for centrifugal contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonard, R.A.; Wasserman, M.O.; Wygmans, D.G.

1992-11-01

Using the transfer matrix method, we created the Excel worksheet ''Beam'' for analyzing vibrations in centrifugal contactors. With this worksheet, a user can calculate the first natural frequency of the motor/rotor system for a centrifugal contactor. We determined a typical value for the bearing stiffness (k B ) of a motor after measuring the k B value for three different motors. The k B value is an important parameter in this model, but it is not normally available for motors. The assumptions that we made in creating the Beam worksheet were verified by comparing the calculated results with those from a VAX computer program, BEAM IV. The Beam worksheet was applied to several contactor designs for which we have experimental data and found to work well

Development of centrifugal contactor for FBR fuel reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washiya, Tadahiro; Takeuchi, Masayuki; Suganuma, Takashi; Aose, Shinichi; Ogino, Hideki

2003-01-01

In the Feasibility Study on Commercialized Fast Reactor Cycle Systems, the aqueous reprocessing technology is nominated as a candidate for future reprocessing system, which supposes to apply a centrifugal contactor in the extraction process. For the reprocessing plant, the centrifugal contactor has great advantages such as reducing solvent degradation, improving of equipment utilization rate, compact designing of equipment layout and critical safety domination. From these advantages, the centrifugal contactor is crucial equipment in the aqueous reprocessing process. Since 1985, JNC has been developing the centrifugal contactor. The single unit development has been accomplished and basic characteristics such as extraction performance, fluidic performance and remote maintenance performance have been determined. A durability test has been conducted for high longevity, with consideration given to the nitric acid mist and estimation of the equipment lifetime. System test equipment with centrifugal contactors of engineering scale was installed, and uranium test was conducted. Up to now, a standard flow sheet test in the extraction process and mal-operation test assuming the one stage shutdown condition have been performed. (author)

A vibration model for centrifugal contactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leonard, R.A.; Wasserman, M.O.; Wygmans, D.G.

1992-11-01

Using the transfer matrix method, we created the Excel worksheet ``Beam`` for analyzing vibrations in centrifugal contactors. With this worksheet, a user can calculate the first natural frequency of the motor/rotor system for a centrifugal contactor. We determined a typical value for the bearing stiffness (k{sub B}) of a motor after measuring the k{sub B} value for three different motors. The k{sub B} value is an important parameter in this model, but it is not normally available for motors. The assumptions that we made in creating the Beam worksheet were verified by comparing the calculated results with those from a VAX computer program, BEAM IV. The Beam worksheet was applied to several contactor designs for which we have experimental data and found to work well.

CALmsu contactor for solvent extraction with integrated flowrate meters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddiqui, I.A.; Shah, B.V.; Theyyunni, T.K.

1994-01-01

Mixer-settlers are widely used as contactors in solvent extraction processes. In the nuclear industry, solvent extraction techniques are used for the separation and purification of a range of materials. A major difficulty is faced in the nuclear industry due to the constraints on the design of the equipment and its operation by the presence of radioactive materials in process solutions. The development of CALmsu contactor was necessitated by the requirements of the operating environment in radiochemical plants. This contactor is a mixer-settler designed to use a CALMIX (combined air lifting and mixing device) static mixer. The CALMIX comprises two air lifts which raise the liquid phases to a highly turbulent mixing zone situated above the lifts. Its principle and construction are simple, and it is compact in size. It is a passive device and needs no maintenance. It has proved to be efficient during extensive testing. The simple and efficient CALmsu contactor internals are specially engineered for use of CALMIX mixer. It has been extensively tested in pilot plant for extraction and stripping of uranium, recovery of uranium from thorium by THOREX process and for treatment of degraded solvents. A model for the design of CALmsu contactors has been evolved and based on this model a software for engineering design of CALMIX and CALmsu contactors of throughput between 50 and 3000 lph has been developed. (author)

Sludge behavior in centrifugal contactor operation for nuclear fuel reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakamoto, Atsushi; Sano, Yuichi; Takeuchi, Masayuki; Okamura, Nobuo; Koizumi, Kenji

2015-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been developing the centrifugal contactor for spent fuel reprocessing. In this study, we investigated the sludge behavior in centrifugal contactors at three different scales. The operational conditions (the flow rate and rotor speed) were varied. Most insoluble particles such as sludge remained in the rotor via centrifugal force. The capture ratio of sludge in the contactor was measured as a function of particle size at various flow rates, rotor speeds, and contactor scales. The sludge adhered and accumulated inside the rotor as the operational time increased, and the operational conditions influenced the capture ratio of the sludge; a lower flow rate and higher rotor speed increased the capture ratio. The results confirmed that Stokes' law can be applied to estimate the experimental result on the behavior of the capture ratio for centrifugal contactors with different scales. (author)

Angular momentum transfer in primordial discs and the rotation of the first stars

Science.gov (United States)

Hirano, Shingo; Bromm, Volker

2018-05-01

We investigate the rotation velocity of the first stars by modelling the angular momentum transfer in the primordial accretion disc. Assessing the impact of magnetic braking, we consider the transition in angular momentum transport mode at the Alfvén radius, from the dynamically dominated free-fall accretion to the magnetically dominated solid-body one. The accreting protostar at the centre of the primordial star-forming cloud rotates with close to breakup speed in the case without magnetic fields. Considering a physically motivated model for small-scale turbulent dynamo amplification, we find that stellar rotation speed quickly declines if a large fraction of the initial turbulent energy is converted to magnetic energy (≳ 0.14). Alternatively, if the dynamo process were inefficient, for amplification due to flux freezing, stars would become slow rotators if the pre-galactic magnetic field strength is above a critical value, ≃10-8.2 G, evaluated at a scale of nH = 1 cm-3, which is significantly higher than plausible cosmological seed values (˜10-15 G). Because of the rapid decline of the stellar rotational speed over a narrow range in model parameters, the first stars encounter a bimodal fate: rapid rotation at almost the breakup level, or the near absence of any rotation.

Sulfonamide antibiotic removal and nitrogen recovery from synthetic urine by the combination of rotating advanced oxidation contactor and methylene urea synthesis process.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukahori, S; Fujiwara, T; Ito, R; Funamizu, N

2015-01-01

The combination of nitrogen recovery and pharmaceutical removal processes for livestock urine treatment were investigated to suppress the discharge of pollutants and recover nitrogen as resources. We combined methylene urea synthesis from urea and adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition of sulfonamide antibiotic using rotating advanced oxidation contactor (RAOC) contained for obtaining both safe fertilizer and reclaimed water. The methylene urea synthesis could recover urea in synthetic urine, however, almost all sulfonamide antibiotic was also incorporated, which is unfavorable from a safety aspect if the methylene urea is to be used as fertilizer. Conversely, RAOC could remove sulfonamide antibiotic without consuming urea. It was also confirmed that the methylene urea could be synthesized from synthetic urine treated by RAOC. Thus, we concluded that RAOC should be inserted prior to the nitrogen recovery process for effective treatment of urine and safe use of methylene urea as fertilizer.

CALmsu contactor for solvent extraction with integrated flowrate meters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siddiqui, I A; Shah, B V; Theyyunni, T K [Process Engineering and Systems Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

1994-06-01

Mixer-settlers are widely used as contactors in solvent extraction processes. In the nuclear industry, solvent extraction techniques are used for the separation and purification of a range of materials. A major difficulty is faced in the nuclear industry due to the constraints on the design of the equipment and its operation by the presence of radioactive materials in process solutions. The development of CALmsu contactor was necessitated by the requirements of the operating environment in radiochemical plants. This contactor is a mixer-settler designed to use a CALMIX (combined air lifting and mixing device) static mixer. The CALMIX comprises two air lifts which raise the liquid phases to a highly turbulent mixing zone situated above the lifts. Its principle and construction are simple, and it is compact in size. It is a passive device and needs no maintenance. It has proved to be efficient during extensive testing. The simple and efficient CALmsu contactor internals are specially engineered for use of CALMIX mixer. It has been extensively tested in pilot plant for extraction and stripping of uranium, recovery of uranium from thorium by THOREX process and for treatment of degraded solvents. A model for the design of CALmsu contactors has been evolved and based on this model a software for engineering design of CALMIX and CALmsu contactors of throughput between 50 and 3000 lph has been developed. (author). 8 refs., 1 fig.

Dependence of Shear and Concentration on Fouling in a Membrane Bioreactor with Rotating Membrane Discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mads Koustrup; Pedersen, Malene Thostrup; Christensen, Morten Lykkegaard

2014-01-01

Rotating ceramic membrane discs were fouled with lab-scale membrane bioreactors (MBR) sludge. Sludge filtrations were performed at varying rotation speeds and in different concentric rings of the membranes on different sludge concentrations. Data showed that the back transport expressed by limiting...... flux increased with rotation speed and distance from membrane center as an effect of shear. Further, the limiting flux decreased with increasing sludge concentration. A model was developed to link the sludge concentration and shear stress to the limiting flux. The model was able to simulate the effect...... of shear stress and sludge concentration on the limiting flux. The model was developed by calculating the shear rate at laminar flow regime at different rotation speeds and radii on the membrane. Furthermore, through the shear rate and shear stress, the non-Newtonian behavior of MBR sludge was addressed...

Metal dissolution kinetics in organic solvents using rotating ring-disc voltammetry. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1985-01-01

The effect of a two-phased liquid system - composed of geothermal brine and an organic heat transfer fluid - on the stability of materials used in the energy conversion system was investigated. The principle organic liquids used were isobutane and isopentane. The effects of relative fluid velocity on the corrosion behavior of representative construction materials, austenitic stainless steels, nickel, and copper alloy were determined using an autoclave incorporating a rotating ring-disc electrode. 2 refs., 20 figs. (ACR)

A numerical study for off-centered stagnation flow towards a rotating disc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Heydari

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this investigation, a semi-numerical method based on Bernstein polynomials for solving off-centered stagnation flow towards a rotating disc is introduced. This method expands the desired solutions in terms of a set of Bernstein polynomials over a closed interval and then makes use of the tau method to determine the expansion coefficients to construct approximate solutions. This method can satisfy boundary conditions at infinity. The properties of Bernstein polynomials are presented and are utilized to reduce the solution of governing nonlinear equations and their associated boundary conditions to the solution of algebraic equations. Graphical results are presented to investigate the influence of the rotation ratio α on the radial velocity, azimuthal velocity and the induced velocities. A comparative study with the previous results of viscous fluid flow in the literature is made.

Effect of sludge behavior on performance of centrifugal contactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakamoto, A.; Sano, Y.; Takeuchi, M. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency - JAEA, 4-33 Muramatsu Tokai-mura Naka-gun Ibaraki-pref. 319-1194 (Japan)

2016-07-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been developing an annular centrifugal contactor for solvent extraction in spent fuel reprocessing, which allows the mixing of aqueous and organic phases in the annular area and their separation from the mixed phase in the rotor. The effects of sludge behavior on the performance of a centrifugal contactor were investigated. Sludge accumulation during the operation of the centrifugal contactor was observed only in the rotor. Based on the sludge accumulation behavior, the effects of rotor sludge accumulation on the performance of phase separation and extraction were investigated using several types of rotors, which simulated different sludge accumulation levels in the separation area. It was confirmed that rotor sludge accumulation would affect the phase separation performance but not the extraction performance. This can be explained by the structure of the centrifugal contactor, wherein the extraction reaction and phase separation mainly proceed in the housing and rotor, respectively.

Normal modes of Bardeen discs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verdaguer, E.

1983-01-01

The short wavelength normal modes of self-gravitating rotating polytropic discs in the Bardeen approximation are studied. The discs' oscillations can be seen in terms of two types of modes: the p-modes whose driving forces are pressure forces and the r-modes driven by Coriolis forces. As a consequence of differential rotation coupling between the two takes place and some mixed modes appear, their properties can be studied under the assumption of weak coupling and it is seen that they avoid the crossing of the p- and r-modes. The short wavelength analysis provides a basis for the classification of the modes, which can be made by using the properties of their phase diagrams. The classification is applied to the large wavelength modes of differentially rotating discs with strong coupling and to a uniformly rotating sequence with no coupling, which have been calculated in previous papers. Many of the physical properties and qualitative features of these modes are revealed by the analysis. (author)

Separation of gaseous air pollutants using membrane contactors

Science.gov (United States)

Sverak, T.; Bulejko, P.; Ostrezi, J.; Kristof, O.; Kalivoda, J.; Kejik, P.; Mayerova, K.; Adamcik, M.

2017-10-01

This work deals with the separation of CO2 gaseous pollutant from gas mixtures to a water solution using the laboratory contactor. The laboratory set process parameters showed the rate of carbon dioxide transition through the interface in a so promising level the contactor separators can be considered as a very promising pathway to reduce the content of this greenhouse gas from the air.

Microfluidic Liquid-Liquid Contactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mcculloch, Quinn [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-07-25

This report describes progress made on the microfluidic contactor. A model was developed to predict its failure, a surrogate chemical system was selected to demonstrate mass transfer, and an all-optical system has been invented and implemented to monitor carryover and flowrates.

Copper electrodeposition in a through-silicon via evaluated by rotating disc electrode techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Tzu-Hsuan; Huang, Jui-Hsiung

2010-01-01

Via filling is a critical process for metallization of a through-silicon via (TSV) in a 3D MEMS device. This study uses a rotating disc electrode (RDE) at 1000 rpm, 100 rpm and 10 rpm to simulate the mass-transfer environment of metallization on the wafer surface, at the bottom of shallow vias and the deep vias, respectively. RDE techniques display the difference of suppression action among three rotation speeds clearly. The calculated filling power is higher over a wide surface current density using the plating bath of 50 g L −1 Cu 2+ than that of 25 or 75 g L −1 Cu 2+ . TSV filling in a wafer-segment scale, with 15 µm via diameter and 150 µm via depth, verifies the performance predicted by the RDE techniques

Reactor performance in terms of COD and nitrogen removal and bacterial community structure of a three-stage rotating bioelectrochemical contactor

KAUST Repository

Sayess, Rassil R.; Saikaly, Pascal; El-Fadel, Mutasem E.; Li, Dong; Semerjian, Lucy A.

2013-01-01

contactor (referred to as RBC-MFC unit) integrating MFC with RBC technology was constructed for simultaneous removal of carbonaceous and nitrogenous compounds and electricity generation from a synthetic medium containing acetate and ammonium. The performance

Horizontally rotating disc recirculated photoreactor with TiO2-P25 nanoparticles immobilized onto a HDPE plate for photocatalytic removal of p-nitrophenol.

Science.gov (United States)

Behnajady, Mohammad A; Dadkhah, Hojjat; Eskandarloo, Hamed

2018-04-01

In this study, a horizontally rotating disc recirculated (HRDR) photoreactor equipped with two UV lamps (6 W) was designed and fabricated for photocatalytic removal of p-nitrophenol (PNP). Photocatalyst (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles were immobilized onto a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) disc, and PNP containing solution was allowed to flow (flow rate of 310 mL min -1 ) in radial direction along the surface of the rotating disc illuminated with UV light. The efficiency of direct photolysis and photocatalysis and the effect of rotating speed on the removal of PNP were studied in the HRDR photoreactor. It was found that TiO 2 -P25 nanoparticles are needed for the effective removal of PNP and there was an optimum rotating speed (450 rpm) for the efficient performance of the HRDR photoreactor. Then effects of operational variables on the removal efficiency were optimized using response surface methodology. The results showed that the predicted values of removal efficiency are consistent with experimental results with an R 2 of 0.9656. Optimization results showed that maximum removal percent (82.6%) was achieved in the HRDR photoreactor at the optimum operational conditions. Finally, the reusability of the HRDR photoreactor was evaluated and the results showed high reusability and stability without any significant decrease in the photocatalytic removal efficiency.

Hybrid indirect/direct contactor for thermal management of counter-current processes

Science.gov (United States)

Hornbostel, Marc D.; Krishnan, Gopala N.; Sanjurjo, Angel

2018-03-20

The invention relates to contactors suitable for use, for example, in manufacturing and chemical refinement processes. In an aspect is a hybrid indirect/direct contactor for thermal management of counter-current processes, the contactor comprising a vertical reactor column, an array of interconnected heat transfer tubes within the reactor column, and a plurality of stream path diverters, wherein the tubes and diverters are configured to block all straight-line paths from the top to bottom ends of the reactor column.

Positional and morphologic changes of the temporomandibular joint disc using magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Hyoun Suk; Cho, Su Beom; Koh, Kwang Joon

2001-01-01

To evaluate displacement and morphologic changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc in patient with internal derangement using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). One hundred and forty five MR images of TMJs in 73 patients were evaluated. Positional and morphologic changes of the TMJ disc were assessed. Lateral or medial disc displacement was also evaluated on cornal images. Among 63 discs with anterior disc displacement, 37 discs were assessed as a biconcave disc and 21 as a deformed disc. Rotational disc displacement was observed in 35 disc. Anteromedial disc displacement was observed in 29 discs, and anterolateral direction in 6 discs. Among 35 rotational displacement, 5 biconcave discs and 21 deformed discs were observed. Rotational and sideways displacement of TMJ discs were found to be common and an important aspect of internal derangement. This study also suggests that sagittal and coronal images of the TMJ have complementary abilities for an assessment of joint abnormality

Membrane contactors for CO2 capture processes - critical review

Science.gov (United States)

Nogalska, Adrianna; Trojanowska, Anna; Garcia-Valls, Ricard

2017-07-01

The use of membrane contactor in industrial processes is wide, and lately it started to be used in CO2 capture process mainly for gas purification or to reduce the emission. Use of the membrane contactor provides high contact surface area so the size of the absorber unit significantly decreases, which is an important factor for commercialization. The research has been caried out regarding the use of novel materials for the membrane production and absorbent solution improvements. The present review reveals the progress in membrane contactor systems for CO2 capture processes concerning solution for ceramic membrane wetting, comparison study of different polymers used for fabrication and methods of enzyme immobilization for biocomposite membrane. Also information about variety of absorbent solutions is described.

Desorption of trihalomethanes in gas liquid contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez Quesada, Kenneth

2000-01-01

Updated studies show that gastric cancer is related with the existence of trihalomethanes (THMs) in the drinking water. The trihalomethanes are sub products from the degradation of humic acids and your reaction with chlorine and bromine used like decontaminates. The desorption process is used to eliminate the THMs with air in contact with the water. The experimental design was used in three contactors. The contactors selected were: the bubbling's column, the packed column and the shaken tank without screen. There were selected three variable: initial concentration of THMs, the residence time and the turbulence degree (measured with the Reynolds number). The concentrations were made with a gas chromatograph. The objective of this project is to do a comparison with the gas liquid contactors more used in the industrial level to determinate which ones are the best in the desorption process. The conclusion of the experimental design is that the tank is the equipment with the best capacity to eliminate THMs. Too it includes other techniques to eliminate THMs of the water and your treatment [es

Novel localized heating technique on centrifugal microfluidic disc with wireless temperature monitoring system.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Karunan; Ibrahim, Fatimah; Cho, Jongman

2015-01-01

Recent advances in the field of centrifugal microfluidic disc suggest the need for electrical interface in the disc to perform active biomedical assays. In this paper, we have demonstrated an active application powered by the energy harvested from the rotation of the centrifugal microfluidic disc. A novel integration of power harvester disc onto centrifugal microfluidic disc to perform localized heating technique is the main idea of our paper. The power harvester disc utilizing electromagnetic induction mechanism generates electrical energy from the rotation of the disc. This contributes to the heat generation by the embedded heater on the localized heating disc. The main characteristic observed in our experiment is the heating pattern in relative to the rotation of the disc. The heating pattern is monitored wirelessly with a digital temperature sensing system also embedded on the disc. Maximum temperature achieved is 82 °C at rotational speed of 2000 RPM. The technique proves to be effective for continuous heating without the need to stop the centrifugal motion of the disc.

The removal of dinitrochlorobenzene from industrial residuals by liquid-liquid extraction with chemical reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. C. M. Ferreira

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Nitrochlorobenzenes (NCBs are very important in the chemical industry since they have been used as raw material for the manufacture of crop protection products, as active ingredients in the pharmaceutical industry, as pigments and as antioxidants as well as for other uses. In industrial processes, NCBs are produced by monochlorobenzene (MCB nitration reactions and one of the main residuals formed is dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB, which is mainly composed of the isomer 2,4DNCB. This subproduct, although of commercial interest when in its pure state, is generally incinerated due to the high costs of recovery treatment and purification. The objective of this study is to present an alternative to the treatment of industrial residuals containing DNCB. The technique consists of converting DNCB into sodium dinitrophenolate, which is very soluble in water and is also easy to reuse. For this purpose, liquid-liquid extraction with chemical reaction (alkaline hydrolysis with a rotating disc contactor (RDC is used. Experimental data on MCB nitration reactions as well as alkaline hydrolysis using a rotating disc contactor are presented.

Improved annular centrifugal contactor for solvent extraction reprocessing of nuclear reactor fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernstein, G.J.; Leonard, R.A.; Ziegler, A.A.; Steindler, M.J.

1978-01-01

An improved annular centrifugal contactor has been developed for solvent extraction reprocessing of spent nuclear reactor fuel. The design is an extension of a contactor developed several years ago at Argonne National Laboratory. Its distinguishing features are high throughput, high stage efficiency and the ability to handle a broad range of aqueous-to-organic phase flow ratios and density ratios. Direct coupling of the mixing and separating rotor to a motorized spindle simplifies the design and makes the contactor particularly suitable for remote maintenance. A unit that is critically safe by geometry is under test and a larger unit is being fabricated. Multi-stage miniature contactors operating on the annular mixing principle are being used for laboratory flow sheet studies. 8 figures

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs in Persian Gulf and its Biodegradability Using a Rotating Biological Contactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvin Nahid

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs are the main pollutants in oil pollution. PAHs accumulation in aqueous phase causes some aquatic and human diseases Biodegradation methods of PAHs removal were studied using flasks and a reactor. Standard sampling was performed from polluted areas in Persian Gulf and samples were analyzed. COD, TOC, PAHs and heavy metals were determined. Results Showed that, Emam Hassan (EM, Deilam and Shaghab were most polluted areas (PAHs equals 9.8, 4.2, 2.7ppm respectively and samples from the dept showed more pollution than from the surface. For the biological treatment, most active species of bacteria were isolated from the soil of the polluted stations. Most of them are among Pseudomonas, gram and catalazet+. Rotating biological contactor packed (RBCp by providing high acclimation time for the microbial mass, found very suitable process for removal of PHAs. The pure bacterial culture from EM showed, 80% removal efficiency for naphthalene. As the biodegradation of PAHs take a long time, RBCp reactor was selected and the ability of mixed culture in removal of pollutants was studied. The bioreactor was run in two stages. The acclimatization stage took place in 30 days and evaluation of bioreactor in terms of effluent COD concentration and MLSS with initial COD influent of 600 mg/l was operated. COD and PAHs removal of 73 and 66 percent were found respectively while the influent COD was 1200 mg/l.

The flow and hydrodynamic stability of a liquid film on a rotating disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tae-Sung; Kim, Moon-Uhn

2009-01-01

The flow of a liquid film on a rotating disc is investigated in the case where a liquid is supplied at a constant flow rate. We propose thin film equations by the integral method with a simple approach to satisfy the boundary conditions on a disc and a free surface, and the results are compared with those of the Navier-Stokes equations. The radial film velocity is assumed to be a quartic profile in our analysis, whereas it was assumed to be a quadratic one, neglecting the inertia force so that the boundary conditions were not completely satisfied, in the analysis of Sisoev et al (2003 J. Fluid Mech. 229 531-54). The basic flow and its stability are analyzed using the thin film equations even in the region where the inertia force is not negligible. A local stability analysis of the flow is conducted using the linearized disturbance equations and correctly predicts Needham's simple instability criterion. The present thin film equations give a good approximation of the Navier-Stokes equations.

CFD Numerical Simulation of Biodiesel Synthesis in a Spinning Disc Reactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Zhuqing

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper a two-disc spinning disc reactor for intensified biodiesel synthesis is described and numerically simulated. The reactor consists of two flat discs, located coaxially and parallel to each other with a gap of 0.2 mm between the discs. The upper disc is located on a rotating shaft while the lower disc is stationary. The feed liquids, triglycerides (TG and methanol are introduced coaxially along the centre line of rotating disc and stationary disc. Fluid hydrodynamics in the reactor for synthesis of biodiesel from TG and methanol in the presence of a sodium hydroxide catalyst are simulated, using convection-diffusion-reaction species transport model by the CFD software ANSYS©Fluent v. 13.0. The effect of the upper disc’s spinning speed is evaluated. The results show that the rotational speed increase causes an increase of TG conversion despite the fact that the residence time decreases. Compared to data obtained from adequate experiments, the model shows a satisfactory agreement.

Recent advances in centrifugal contactors design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonard, R.A.

1987-10-01

Advances in thedesign of the Argonne centrifugal contactor for solvent extaction are being realized as these contactors are built, tested, and used to implement the TRUEX process for the cleanup of nuclear waste liquids. These advances include (1) using off-the-shelf, face-mounted motors, (2) modifying the contractor so that relatively volatile solvents can be used, (3) adding a high-level liquid detector that can be used to alert the plant operator of process upsets, (4) providing secondary feed ports, (5) optimizing support frame design, (6) maintaining a linear design with external interstage lines so the stages can be allocated as needed for extraction, scrub, strip, and solvent cleanup operations, and (7) developing features that facilitate contractor operation in remote facilities. 11 refs., 8 figs

Composite hollow fiber gas-liquid membrane contactors for olefin/paraffin separation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijmeijer, Dorothea C.; Visser, Tymen; Assen, R.; Wessling, Matthias

2004-01-01

Gas¿liquid membrane contactors frequently suffer from undesired wetting of the microporous membrane by the absorption liquid. Stabilization layers at the liquid-side of the microporous membrane potentially prevent this wetting. We apply such stabilized membranes in a membrane contactor using AgNO3

Experimental performance of indirect air–liquid membrane contactors for liquid desiccant cooling systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Rajat Subhra; Jain, Sanjeev

2013-01-01

Owing to the stringent indoor air quality (IAQ) requirements and high cost of desiccants, one of the major concerns in liquid desiccant technology has been the carryover, which can be eliminated through indirect contact between desiccant and air. Membrane contactors using microporous semipermeable hydrophobic membranes have a great potential in this regard. This communication investigates the performance of semipermeable membrane based indirect contactors as dehumidifiers in liquid desiccant cooling applications. Experiments on different types of membrane contactors are carried out using lithium chloride (LiCl) solution as desiccant. The membrane contactors consist of alternate channels of air and liquid desiccant flowing in cross-flow direction. Hydrophobic membranes form a liquid tight, vapor permeable porous barrier between hygroscopic solution and moist air, thus eliminating carryover of desiccant droplets. In order to provide maximum contact area for air–desiccant interaction, a wicking material is sandwiched between two membranes in the liquid channel. It is observed that vapor flux upto 1300 g/m 2 h can be achieved in a membrane contactor with polypropylene (PP) membranes, although the dehumidification effectiveness remains low. The effect of key parameters on the transmembrane vapor transport is presented in the paper. - Highlights: • Indirect membrane contactors developed to avoid carryover in liquid desiccant system. • Dehumidification effectiveness and vapor flux reported under varying conditions. • Vapor flux upto 1295 g/m 2 h in polypropylene contactor with high area density. • Dehumidification effectiveness with LiCl solution varies within 23% to 45%

Engineering test of stripping performance by multi-centrifugal contactors system for spent nuclear reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masayuki Takeuchi; Tadahiro Washiya; Hiroki Nakabayashi; Takashi Suganuma; Shinnichi Aose

2005-01-01

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) has been developing centrifugal contactors which are compact and high performance for solvent extraction process in industrial reprocessing plant. The stripping performance including equilibrium time for distribution and hydraulic behavior of the multi-centrifugal contactors were mainly evaluated by using uranium nitrite solution on engineering scale (10 kgHM/hr). In particular, the effects of feed temperature of stripping solution and O/A on the stripping performance were focused in this test. As results, no hydraulic problem such as overflow and entrainment were observed in multi-centrifugal contactors system through all conditions, and the uranium and acid concentrations showed desirable profiles which were nearly consistent with calculated one by MIXSET-X code. As to stripping performance, uranium leak concentration in solvent reached to less than 0.01 g/L, which is target of the stripping performance on this centrifugal contactors system, within nine stages on all conditions. It was also found that the effect of feed temperature of stripping solution (35 degree C → 60 degree C) or O/A (1.0→0.8) on stripping performance corresponds to distribution capacity of two contactors, respectively. The stage efficiency for a contactor was estimated as 97-98% on stripping stage. There were no uranium leaks (less than 40μg/L) in spent solvent discharged from the final stage. The profiles of uranium concentration in multi-contactors become stable within 10 minutes after the stripping test starting. In this way, it was demonstrated that the centrifugal contactors system has good stripping performance on engineering scale. (authors)

Relativistic thick discs in the Kerr-de Sitter backgrounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slany, Petr; StuchlIk, Zdenek

2005-01-01

Perfect fluid tori with a uniform distribution of the specific angular momentum, l(r, θ) = const, orbiting the Kerr-de Sitter black holes or naked singularities are studied. It is well known that the structure of equipotential surfaces of such marginally stable tori reflects the basic properties of any tori with a general distribution of the specific angular momentum. Closed equipotential surfaces corresponding to stationary thick discs are allowed only in the spacetimes admitting stable circular geodesics. The last closed surface crosses itself in the cusp(s) enabling the outflow of matter from the torus due to the violation of hydrostatic equilibrium. The inner cusp enables an accretion onto the central object. The influence of the repulsive cosmological constant, Λ > 0, on the equipotential surfaces lies in the existence of the outer cusp (with a stabilizing effect on the thick discs) and in the strong collimation of open equipotential surfaces along the rotational axis. Both the effects take place near a so-called static radius where the gravitational attraction is just balanced by the cosmic repulsion. The outer cusp enables excretion, i.e., the outflow of matter from the torus into the outer space. The plus-family discs (which are always co-rotating in the black-hole backgrounds but can be counter-rotating, even with negative energy of the fluid elements, in some naked-singularity backgrounds) are thicker and more extended than the minus-family ones (which are always counter-rotating in all backgrounds). For co-rotating discs in the naked-singularity spacetimes, the potential well between the centre of the disc and its edges at the cusps is usually much higher than in the black-hole spacetimes. If the parameters of naked-singularity spacetimes are very close to the parameters of extreme black-hole spacetimes, the family of possible disc-like configurations includes members with two isolated discs where the inner one is always a counter-rotating accretion

Disruption of circumstellar discs by large-scale stellar magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

ud-Doula, Asif; Owocki, Stanley P.; Kee, Nathaniel Dylan

2018-05-01

Spectropolarimetric surveys reveal that 8-10% of OBA stars harbor large-scale magnetic fields, but thus far no such fields have been detected in any classical Be stars. Motivated by this, we present here MHD simulations for how a pre-existing Keplerian disc - like that inferred to form from decretion of material from rapidly rotating Be stars - can be disrupted by a rotation-aligned stellar dipole field. For characteristic stellar and disc parameters of a near-critically rotating B2e star, we find that a polar surface field strength of just 10 G can significantly disrupt the disc, while a field of 100 G, near the observational upper limit inferred for most Be stars, completely destroys the disc over just a few days. Our parameter study shows that the efficacy of this magnetic disruption of a disc scales with the characteristic plasma beta (defined as the ratio between thermal and magnetic pressure) in the disc, but is surprisingly insensitive to other variations, e.g. in stellar rotation speed, or the mass loss rate of the star's radiatively driven wind. The disc disruption seen here for even a modest field strength suggests that the presumed formation of such Be discs by decretion of material from the star would likely be strongly inhibited by such fields; this provides an attractive explanation for why no large-scale fields are detected from such Be stars.

Tests of a Higgins contactor for the engineering-scale resin loading of uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spence, R.D.; Haas, P.A.

1978-01-01

The loading of uranium on weak-acid ion exchange resin is a basic step in the production of fuel particles for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). In the work reported here, an engineering-scale continuous resin loader (2-in.-ID Higgins contactor) was tested with existing engineering-scale process equipment. The Higgins contactor was first successfully used to convert Na + -form resin to the H + -form; then it was evaluated as a uranium loader. Results show that the 2-in.-ID Higgins contactor can easily load 25 kg of uranium per day, indicating that a 4-in.-ID contactor could load 100 kg/day. Process control was achieved by monitoring and controlling the density, pH, and inventory volume of the uranium feed solution. This control scheme is amenable to remote operation

ISS and Space Environment Interactions in Event of Plasma Contactor Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Carruth, M. R., Jr.; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS), illustrated in Figure 1, will be the largest, highest power spacecraft placed in orbit. Because of this the design of the electrical power system diverged markedly from previous systems. The solar arrays will operate at 160 V and the power distribution voltage will be 120 V. The structure is grounded to the negative side of the solar arrays so under the right circumstances it is possible to drive the ISS potential very negative. A plasma contactor has been added to the ISS to provide control of the ISS structure potential relative to the ambient plasma. The ISS requirement is that the ISS structure not be greater than 40 V positive or negative of local plasma. What are the ramifications of operating large structures with such high voltage power systems? The application of a plasma contactor on ISS controls the potential between the structure and the local plasma, preventing degrading effects. It is conceivable that there can be situations where the plasma contactor might be non-functional. This might be due to lack of power, the need to turn it off during some of the build-up sequences, the loss of functionality for both plasma contactors before a replacement can be installed, and similar circumstances. A study was undertaken to understand how important it is to have the contactor functioning and how long it might be off before unacceptable degradation to ISS could occur.

Membrane contactors in the beverage industry for controlling the water gas composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Criscuoli, Alessandra; Drioli, Enrico; Moretti, Ugo

2003-03-01

In the work described here, membrane contactors are used for coupling the removal of species (oxygen and hydrogen sulfide) present in the water with the water carbonation process. We include both experiments and a theoretical study devoted to the analysis of the transport phenomena that occur in the membrane contactor. The main resistance to mass transport was located at the liquid side. Correlations between Sherwood and Reynolds numbers on the shell side that are suitable for the membrane contactor used to carry out our experiments have been determined. In particular, for Re > 1.6, the expression proposed by Yang and Cussler in 1986: Sh = 0.90 Re(0.40) Sc(0.33) describes the behavior of the system; whereas, for Re between 0.03 and 0.3, a new expression is proposed: Sh = 0.435 Re(1.2)Sc(0.33). A comparison with traditional equipment is also furnished. Membrane contactors offer reduced size, CO(2) consumption, and capital costs.

Assessment of bacterial growth and total organic carbon removal on granular activated carbon contactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bancroft, K; Maloney, S W; McElhaney, J; Suffet, I H; Pipes, W O

1983-01-01

The overall growth rate of bacteria on granular activated carbon (GAC) contactors at the Philadelphia Torresdale Water Treatment Pilot Plant facility was found to decrease until steady state was reached. The growth rate was found to fluctuate between 6.94 X 10(-3) and 8.68 X 10(-4) doublings per h. The microbiological removal of total organic carbon (TOC) was calculated by considering the GAC contactors as semiclosed continuous culture systems and using growth yield factors determined in laboratory experiments. After ozonation, the average TOC entering the contactors was 1,488 micrograms/liter, and the average effluent TOC was 497 micrograms/liter. Microbiological TOC removal was found to average 240 micrograms/liter on GAC contactors, which was not significantly different from microbiological TOC (220 micrograms/liter) removal across a parallel sand contactor where no adsorption took place. Thus, GAC did not appear to enhance biological TOC removal. Bacterial growth and maintenance was responsible for approximately 24% of the TOC removal on GAC under the conditions of this study. PMID:6639023

Assessment of bacterial growth and total organic carbon removal on granular activated carbon contactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bancroft, K; Maloney, S W; McElhaney, J; Suffet, I H; Pipes, W O

1983-09-01

The overall growth rate of bacteria on granular activated carbon (GAC) contactors at the Philadelphia Torresdale Water Treatment Pilot Plant facility was found to decrease until steady state was reached. The growth rate was found to fluctuate between 6.94 X 10(-3) and 8.68 X 10(-4) doublings per h. The microbiological removal of total organic carbon (TOC) was calculated by considering the GAC contactors as semiclosed continuous culture systems and using growth yield factors determined in laboratory experiments. After ozonation, the average TOC entering the contactors was 1,488 micrograms/liter, and the average effluent TOC was 497 micrograms/liter. Microbiological TOC removal was found to average 240 micrograms/liter on GAC contactors, which was not significantly different from microbiological TOC (220 micrograms/liter) removal across a parallel sand contactor where no adsorption took place. Thus, GAC did not appear to enhance biological TOC removal. Bacterial growth and maintenance was responsible for approximately 24% of the TOC removal on GAC under the conditions of this study.

Biomechanics of a Fixed–Center of Rotation Cervical Intervertebral Disc Prosthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Neil R.; Baek, Seungwon; Sawa, Anna G.U.; Safavi-Abbasi, Sam; Sonntag, Volker K.H.; Duggal, Neil

2012-01-01

Background Past in vitro experiments studying artificial discs have focused on range of motion. It is also important to understand how artificial discs affect other biomechanical parameters, especially alterations to kinematics. The purpose of this in vitro investigation was to quantify how disc replacement with a ball-and-socket disc arthroplasty device (ProDisc-C; Synthes, West Chester, Pennsylvania) alters biomechanics of the spine relative to the normal condition (positive control) and simulated fusion (negative control). Methods Specimens were tested in multiple planes by use of pure moments under load control and again in displacement control during flexion-extension with a constant 70-N compressive follower load. Optical markers measured 3-dimensional vertebral motion, and a strain gauge array measured C4-5 facet loads. Results Range of motion and lax zone after disc replacement were not significantly different from normal values except during lateral bending, whereas plating significantly reduced motion in all loading modes (P biomechanics were less substantial after artificial disc placement than after anterior plating. PMID:25694869

Chasing discs around O-type (proto)stars: Evidence from ALMA observations

Science.gov (United States)

Cesaroni, R.; Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Beltrán, M. T.; Johnston, K. G.; Maud, L. T.; Moscadelli, L.; Mottram, J. C.; Ahmadi, A.; Allen, V.; Beuther, H.; Csengeri, T.; Etoka, S.; Fuller, G. A.; Galli, D.; Galván-Madrid, R.; Goddi, C.; Henning, T.; Hoare, M. G.; Klaassen, P. D.; Kuiper, R.; Kumar, M. S. N.; Lumsden, S.; Peters, T.; Rivilla, V. M.; Schilke, P.; Testi, L.; van der Tak, F.; Vig, S.; Walmsley, C. M.; Zinnecker, H.

2017-06-01

Context. Circumstellar discs around massive stars could mediate the accretion onto the star from the infalling envelope, and could minimize the effects of radiation pressure. Despite such a crucial role, only a few convincing candidates have been provided for discs around deeply embedded O-type (proto)stars. Aims: In order to establish whether disc-mediated accretion is the formation mechanism for the most massive stars, we have searched for circumstellar, rotating discs around a limited sample of six luminous (>105L⊙) young stellar objects. These objects were selected on the basis of their IR and radio properties in order to maximize the likelihood of association with disc+jet systems. Methods: We used ALMA with 0.̋2 resolution to observe a large number of molecular lines typical of hot molecular cores. In this paper we limit our analysis to two disc tracers (methyl cyanide, CH3CN, and its isotopologue, 13CH3CN), and an outflow tracer (silicon monoxide, SiO). Results: We reveal many cores, although their number depends dramatically on the target. We focus on the cores that present prominent molecular line emission. In six of these a velocity gradient is seen across the core,three of which show evidence of Keplerian-like rotation. The SiO data reveal clear but poorly collimated bipolar outflow signatures towards two objects only. This can be explained if real jets are rare (perhaps short-lived) in very massive objects and/or if stellar multiplicity significantly affects the outflow structure.For all cores with velocity gradients, the velocity field is analysed through position-velocity plots to establish whether the gas is undergoing rotation with νrot ∝ R- α, as expected for Keplerian-like discs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that in three objects we are observing rotation in circumstellar discs, with three more tentative cases, and one core where no evidence for rotation is found. In all cases but one, we find that the gas mass is less than the mass of

Disc valve for sampling erosive process streams

Science.gov (United States)

Mrochek, J.E.; Dinsmore, S.R.; Chandler, E.W.

1986-01-07

A four-port disc valve is described for sampling erosive, high temperature process streams. A rotatable disc defining opposed first and second sampling cavities rotates between fired faceplates defining flow passageways positioned to be alternatively in axial alignment with the first and second cavities. Silicon carbide inserts and liners composed of [alpha] silicon carbide are provided in the faceplates and in the sampling cavities to limit erosion while providing lubricity for a smooth and precise operation when used under harsh process conditions. 1 fig.

Development of a Power Electronics Unit for the Space Station Plasma Contactor

Science.gov (United States)

Hamley, John A.; Hill, Gerald M.; Patterson, Michael J.; Saggio, Joseph, Jr.; Terdan, Fred; Mansell, Justin D.

1994-01-01

A hollow cathode plasma contactor has been baselined as a charge control device for the Space Station (SS) to prevent deleterious interactions of coated structural components with the ambient plasma. NASA LeRC Work Package 4 initiated the development of a plasma contactor system comprised of a Power Electronics Unit (PEU), an Expellant Management Unit (EMU), a command and data interface, and a Plasma Contactor Unit (PCU). A breadboard PEU was designed and fabricated. The breadboard PEU contains a cathode heater and discharge power supply, which were required to operate the PCU, a control and auxiliary power converter, an EMU interface, a command and telemetry interface, and a controller. The cathode heater and discharge supplies utilized a push-pull topology with a switching frequency of 20 kHz and pulse-width-modulated (PWM) control. A pulse ignition circuit derived from that used in arcjet power processors was incorporated in the discharge supply for discharge ignition. An 8088 based microcontroller was utilized in the breadboard model to provide a flexible platform for controller development with a simple command/data interface incorporating a direct connection to SS Mulitplexer/Demultiplexer (MDM) analog and digital I/O cards. Incorporating this in the flight model would eliminate the hardware and software overhead associated with a 1553 serial interface. The PEU autonomously operated the plasma contactor based on command inputs and was successfully integrated with a prototype plasma contactor unit demonstrating reliable ignition of the discharge and steady-state operation.

Frictional Torque on a Rotating Disc

Science.gov (United States)

Mungan, Carl E.

2012-01-01

Resistance to motion often includes a dry frictional term independent of the speed of an object and a fluid drag term varying linearly with speed in the viscous limit. (At higher speeds, quadratic drag can also occur.) Here, measurements are performed for an aluminium disc mounted on bearings that is given an initial twist and allowed to spin…

Dynamic behaviour of solvent contactors in fuel reprocessing plants- an analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raju, R P; Siddiqui, H R [Nuclear Waste Management Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India); Murthy, K K; Kansra, V P [Fuel Reprocessing Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

1994-06-01

Fuel reprocessing plants carry out separation of useful fissile and fertile materials from spent nuclear fuels by isolating highly radioactive fission products using solvent extraction method. In the fuel reprocessing step of nuclear fuel cycle, optimisation of process parameters in the PUREX flowsheet design is of great importance particularly on account of the need to realize high degree of recovery of fissile and fertile materials and to ensure proper control on concentrations of fissile element in process streams for avoidance of criticality. In counter-current solvent contactors of PUREX flowsheet there are a variety of processes conditions which may cause plutonium accumulations that requires attention to ascertain safe Pu concentrations within the contactors. A study was carried out using the PUREX process mathematical model Solvent Extraction Program Having Interacting Solutes (SEPHIS) for pulsed solvent contactors in PREFRE-1, Tarapur and PREFRE-2, Kalpakkam flowsheets for optimising the process parameters in plutonium purification cycles. The study was extended to predict the behaviour of contactors handling plutonium bearing solutions under certain anticipated deviations in the process parameters. Modifications wherever necessary were carried out to the original SEPHIS code. This paper discusses the results obtained during this analysis. (author). 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Production of optically thin free-standing oil films from the edge of a rotating disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cramer, J.G.; Burch, D.F.; Rodenberg, R.; Cramer, P.B.

1980-01-01

A method is described for forming thin free-standing oil films which are spun from the edge of a sharp-edged rotating disc. The films can be made thin enough to show strong optical interference colors when viewed in white light. The thinnest films have areal densities down to about 10 to 20 μgm/cm 2 . A stable roughly triangular film with an area of about 10 cm 2 and fairly uniform thickness can be readily produced. Much larger films having either greater thickness or less stability are also possible. Films have been produced both in air and in vacuum

THE TESTING OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ENGINEERING AND PLANT SCALE ANNULAR CENTRIFUGAL CONTACTORS FOR THE PROCESSING OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jack D. Law; David Meikrantz; Troy Garn; Nick Mann; Scott Herbst

2006-01-01

Annular centrifugal contactors are being evaluated for process scale solvent extraction operations in support of United State Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative goals. These contactors have the potential for high stage efficiency if properly employed and optimized for the application. Commercially available centrifugal contactors are being tested at the Idaho National Laboratory to support this program. Hydraulic performance and mass transfer efficiency have been measured for portions of an advanced nuclear fuel cycle using 5-cm diameter annular centrifugal contactors. Advanced features, including low mix sleeves and clean-in-place rotors, have also been evaluated in 5-cm and 12.5-cm contactors

Applicability of hydroxylamine nitrate reductant in pulse-column contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reif, D.J.

1983-05-01

Uranium and plutonium separations were made from simulated breeder reactor spent fuel dissolver solution with laboratory-sized pulse column contactors. Hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN) was used for reduction of plutonium (1V). An integrated extraction-partition system, simulating a breeder fuel reprocessing flowsheet, carried out a partial partition of uranium and plutonium in the second contactor. Tests have shown that acceptable coprocessing can be ontained using HAN as a plutonium reductant. Pulse column performance was stable even though gaseous HAN oxidation products were present in the column. Gas evolution rates up to 0.27 cfm/ft 2 of column cross section were tested and found acceptable

Wear studies on prosthetic materials using the pin-on-disc machine.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, K W; Dobbs, H S; Scales, J T

1982-01-01

The wear of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene in combination with cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy was investigated by pin-on-disc experiments in which the alloy pin was loaded against the rotating polyethylene disc. In some experiments the pin was stationary, but in others it rotated about its axis. The effect of lubricant type, pin rotation, magnitude of the applied load, magnitude of the relative surface velocity, and disc storage in various environments was investigated. Wear of the polyethylene was assessed at 100 h intervals by both volumetric and gravimetric methods. Each experiment lasted 1000 h. It was concluded that of the lubricants tested bovine serum was the most suitable and that pin rotation produced more suitable polyethylene surfaces than did the stationary pin. The wear rate increased slightly with load (possibly owing to creep), was insensitive to speed, and was not affected by disc storage. The dynamic coefficient of friction increased with running tme. Results obtained by the two wear assessment methods were comparable and the reproducibility of the results was good.

Instability of warped discs

Science.gov (United States)

Doǧan, S.; Nixon, C. J.; King, A. R.; Pringle, J. E.

2018-05-01

Accretion discs are generally warped. If a warp in a disc is too large, the disc can `break' apart into two or more distinct planes, with only tenuous connections between them. Further, if an initially planar disc is subject to a strong differential precession, then it can be torn apart into discrete annuli that precess effectively independently. In previous investigations, torque-balance formulae have been used to predict where and when the disc breaks into distinct parts. In this work, focusing on discs with Keplerian rotation and where the shearing motions driving the radial communication of the warp are damped locally by turbulence (the `diffusive' regime), we investigate the stability of warped discs to determine the precise criterion for an isolated warped disc to break. We find and solve the dispersion relation, which, in general, yields three roots. We provide a comprehensive analysis of this viscous-warp instability and the emergent growth rates and their dependence on disc parameters. The physics of the instability can be understood as a combination of (1) a term that would generally encapsulate the classical Lightman-Eardley instability in planar discs (given by ∂(νΣ)/∂Σ < 0) but is here modified by the warp to include ∂(ν1|ψ|)/∂|ψ| < 0, and (2) a similar condition acting on the diffusion of the warp amplitude given in simplified form by ∂(ν2|ψ|)/∂|ψ| < 0. We discuss our findings in the context of discs with an imposed precession, and comment on the implications for different astrophysical systems.

Adaptive repetitive control of a compact disc mechanism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dötsch, H.G.M.; Smakman, H.T.; Hof, Van den P.M.J.; Steinbuch, M.

1995-01-01

Radial track following of a compact disc player servo mechanism is severely exposed to periodic disturbances, induced by the eccentric rotation of the disc. The period of this disturbance is not available for measurement and varies slowly in time. Periodic disturbances can be adequately attenuated

Performance of Hollow Fiber Membrane Gas-Liquid Contactors to Absorb CO2 Using Diethanolamine (Dea as a Solvent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sutrasno Kartohardjono

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This study uses DEA solution to absorb CO2 from the gas flow through the hollow fiber membrane contactors. This study aims to evaluate the performance of hollow fiber membrane contactors to absorb CO2 gas using DEA solution as solvent through mass transfer and hydrodynamics studies. The use of DEA solution is to reduce the mass transfer resistance in the liquid phase, and on the other side, the large contact area of the membrane surface can cover the disadvantage of membrane contactors; additional mass transfer resistance in the membrane phase. During experiments, CO2 feed flows through the fiber lumens, while the 0.01 M DEA solution flows in the shell side of membrane contactors. Experimental results show that the mass transfer coefficients and fluxes of CO2 increase with an increase in both water and DEA solution flow rates. Increasing the amount of fibers in the contactors will decrease the mass transfer and fluxes at the same DEA solution flow rate. Mass transfer coefficients and CO2 fluxes using DEA solution can achieve 28,000 and 7.6 million times greater than using water as solvent, respectively. Hydrodynamics studies show that the liquid pressure drops in the contactors increase with increasing liquid flow rate and number of fibers in the contactors. The friction between water and the fibers in the contactor was more pronounced at lower velocities, and therefore, the value of the friction factor is also higher at lower velocities.

Human and bovine spinal disc mechanics subsequent to trypsin injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsup, Jeremy; Bishop, Timothy; Eggett, Dennis; Bowden, Anton E

2017-10-01

To investigate the biomechanical effects of injections of a protease on the characteristics of bovine coccygeal and human lumbar disc motion segments. Mechanics of treated tissues were measured immediately after injection and 3 h after injection. Motion segments underwent axial rotation and flexion-extension loading. Stiffness and neutral zone parameters experienced significant changes over time, with bovine tissues more strongly affected than human cadaver tissues. This was true in both axial rotation and flexion-extension. The treatment type significantly affected the neutral zone measurements in axial rotation. Hysteresis parameters were impacted by control injections. The extrapolation of bovine coccygeal motion testing results to human lumbar disc mechanics is not yet practical. The injected treatment may have a smaller impact on disc mechanics than time in testing. Viscoelasticity of human lumbar discs may be impacted by any damage to the annulus fibrosis induced by needlestick. Preclinical testing of novel spinal devices is essential to the design validation and regulatory processes, but current testing techniques rely on cadaveric testing of primarily older spines with essentially random amounts of disc degeneration. The present work investigates the viability of using trypsin injections to create a more uniform preclinical model of disc degeneration from a mechanics perspective, for the purpose of testing spinal devices. Such a model would facilitate translation of new spinal technologies to clinical practice.

Multidirectional testing of one- and two-level ProDisc-L versus simulated fusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Panjabi, Manohar; Henderson, Gweneth; Abjornson, Celeste; Yue, James

2007-05-20

An in vitro human cadaveric biomechanical study. To evaluate intervertebral rotation changes due to lumbar ProDisc-L compared with simulated fusion, using follower load and multidirectional testing. Artificial discs, as opposed to the fusions, are thought to decrease the long-term accelerated degeneration at adjacent levels. A biomechanical assessment can be helpful, as the long-term clinical evaluation is impractical. Six fresh human cadaveric lumbar specimens (T12-S1) underwent multidirectional testing in flexion-extension, bilateral lateral bending, and bilateral torsion using the Hybrid test method. First, intact specimen total range of rotation (T12-S1) was determined. Second, using pure moments again, this range of rotation was achieved in each of the 5 constructs: A) ProDisc-L at L5-S1; B) fusion at L5-S1; C) ProDisc-L at L4-L5 and fusion at L5-S1; D) ProDisc-L at L4-L5 and L5-S1; and E) 2-level fusion at L4-L5 to L5-S1. Significant changes in the intervertebral rotations due to each construct were determined at the operated and nonoperated levels using repeated measures single factor ANOVA and Bonferroni statistical tests (P < 0.05). Adjacent-level effects (ALEs) were defined as the percentage changes in intervertebral rotations at the nonoperated levels due to the constructs. One- and 2-level ProDisc-L constructs showed only small ALE in any of the 3 rotations. In contrast, 1- and 2-level fusions showed increased ALE in all 3 directions (average, 7.8% and 35.3%, respectively, for 1 and 2 levels). In the disc plus fusion combination (construct C), the ALEs were similar to the 1-level fusion alone. In general, ProDisc-L preserved physiologic motions at all spinal levels, while the fusion simulations resulted in significant ALE.

Integration issues of a plasma contactor Power Electronics Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Pinero, Luis R.; York, Kenneth W.; Bowers, Glen E.

1995-01-01

A hollow cathode-based plasma contactor is baselined on International Space Station Alpha (ISSA) for spacecraft charge control. The plasma contactor system consists of a hollow cathode assembly (HCA), a power electronics unit (PEU), and an expellant management unit (EMU). The plasma contactor has recently been required to operate in a cyclic mode to conserve xenon expellant and extend system life. Originally, a DC cathode heater converter was baselined for a continuous operation mode because only a few ignitions of the hollow cathode were expected. However, for cyclic operation, a DC heater supply can potentially result in hollow cathode heater component failure due to the DC electrostatic field. This can prevent the heater from attaining the proper cathode tip temperature for reliable ignition of the hollow cathode. To mitigate this problem, an AC cathode heater supply was therefore designed, fabricated, and installed into a modified PEU. The PEU was tested using resistive loads and then integrated with an engineering model hollow cathode to demonstrate stable steady-state operation. Integration issues such as the effect of line and load impedance on the output of the AC cathode heater supply and the characterization of the temperature profile of the heater under AC excitation were investigated.

Solvent Carryover Characterization and Recovery for a 10-inch Single Stage Centrifugal Contactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lentsch, R.D.; Stephens, A.B.; Leung, D.T.; Baffling, K.E.; Harmon, H.D.; Suggs, P.C.

2006-01-01

A test program has been performed to characterize the organic solvent carryover and recovery from centrifugal contactors in the Caustic-side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) process. CSSX is the baseline design for removing cesium from salt solutions for Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Site's Salt Waste Processing Facility. CSSX uses a custom solvent to extract cesium from the salt solution in a series of single stage centrifugal contactors. Meeting the Waste Acceptance Criteria at the Defense Waste Processing Facility and Saltstone, as well as plant economics, dictate that solvent loss should be kept to a minimum. Solvent droplet size distribution in the aqueous outlet streams of the CSSX contactors is of particular importance to the design of solvent recovery equipment. Because insufficient solvent droplet size data existed to form a basis for the recovery system design, DOE funded the CSSX Solvent Carryover Characterization and Recovery Test (SCCRT). This paper presents the droplet size distribution of solvent and concentration in the contactor aqueous outlet streams as a function of rotor speed, bottom plate type, and flow rate. It also presents the performance data of a prototype coalescer. (authors)

Uranium and zirconium mass transfer testing of 5.5-cm-diam centrifugal contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeMuth, S.F.; Randolph, J.D.

1988-01-01

As part of the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, compact centrifugal contacts were designed and prototypes build for the Breeder Reprocessing Engineering Test (BRET) facility with a throughput capacity of 0.1 t/d of heavy metals. While the construction of BRET has been put on hold indefinitely, development of the 5.5-cm-diam centrifugal contactors has advanced due to the contactor's broad applicability in other areas of fuel reprocessing and other liquid-liquid extraction. Due to the short residence time of the process fluids in a centrifugal contactor, it was necessary to measure the mass transfer efficiency for a typical process flowsheet. This was done with depleted uranium and 91 Zr. The results of mass transfer tests with uranium and zirconium are reported in this paper

Deep-down ionization of protoplanetary discs

Science.gov (United States)

Glassgold, A. E.; Lizano, S.; Galli, D.

2017-12-01

The possible occurrence of dead zones in protoplanetary discs subject to the magneto-rotational instability highlights the importance of disc ionization. We present a closed-form theory for the deep-down ionization by X-rays at depths below the disc surface dominated by far-ultraviolet radiation. Simple analytic solutions are given for the major ion classes, electrons, atomic ions, molecular ions and negatively charged grains. In addition to the formation of molecular ions by X-ray ionization of H2 and their destruction by dissociative recombination, several key processes that operate in this region are included, e.g. charge exchange of molecular ions and neutral atoms and destruction of ions by grains. Over much of the inner disc, the vertical decrease in ionization with depth into the disc is described by simple power laws, which can easily be included in more detailed modelling of magnetized discs. The new ionization theory is used to illustrate the non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic effects of Ohmic, Hall and Ambipolar diffusion for a magnetic model of a T Tauri star disc using the appropriate Elsasser numbers.

The impact of galactic disc environment on star-forming clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Ngan K.; Pettitt, Alex R.; Tasker, Elizabeth J.; Okamoto, Takashi

2018-03-01

We explore the effect of different galactic disc environments on the properties of star-forming clouds through variations in the background potential in a set of isolated galaxy simulations. Rising, falling, and flat rotation curves expected in halo-dominated, disc-dominated, and Milky Way-like galaxies were considered, with and without an additional two-arm spiral potential. The evolution of each disc displayed notable variations that are attributed to different regimes of stability, determined by shear and gravitational collapse. The properties of a typical cloud were largely unaffected by the changes in rotation curve, but the production of small and large cloud associations was strongly dependent on this environment. This suggests that while differing rotation curves can influence where clouds are initially formed, the average bulk properties are effectively independent of the global environment. The addition of a spiral perturbation made the greatest difference to cloud properties, successfully sweeping the gas into larger, seemingly unbound, extended structures and creating large arm-interarm contrasts.

Observability of planet-disc interactions in CO kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Sebastián; Casassus, S.; Benítez-Llambay, P.

2018-06-01

Empirical evidence of planets in gas-rich circumstellar discs is required to constrain giant planet formation theories. Here we study the kinematic patterns which arise from planet-disc interactions and their observability in CO rotational emission lines. We perform three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of single giant planets, and predict the emergent intensity field with radiative transfer. Pressure gradients at planet-carved gaps, spiral wakes and vortices bear strong kinematic counterparts. The iso-velocity contours in the CO(2-1) line centroids vo reveal large-scale perturbations, corresponding to abrupt transitions from below sub-Keplerian to super-Keplerian rotation along with radial and vertical flows. The increase in line optical depth at the edge of the gap also modulates vo, but this is a mild effect compared to the dynamical imprint of the planet-disc interaction. The large-scale deviations from the Keplerian rotation thus allow the planets to be indirectly detected via the first moment maps of molecular gas tracers, at ALMA angular resolutions. The strength of these deviations depends on the mass of the perturber. This initial study paves the way to eventually determine the mass of the planet by comparison with more detailed models.

Artificial neural network for modeling the extraction of aromatic hydrocarbons from lube oil cuts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehrkesh, A.H.; Hajimirzaee, S. [Islamic Azad University, Majlesi Branch, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hatamipour, M.S.; Tavakoli, T. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-03-15

An artificial neural network (ANN) approach was used to obtain a simulation model to predict the rotating disc contactor (RDC) performance during the extraction of aromatic hydrocarbons from lube oil cuts, to produce a lubricating base oil using furfural as solvent. The field data used for training the ANN model was obtained from a lubricating oil production company. The input parameters of the ANN model were the volumetric flow rates of feed and solvent, the temperatures of feed and solvent, and the disc rotation rate. The output parameters were the volumetric flow rate of the raffinate phase and the extraction yield. In this study, a feed-forward multi-layer perceptron neural network was successfully used to demonstrate the complex relationship between the mentioned input and output parameters. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A Centrifugal Contactor Design to Facilitate Remote Replacement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meikrantz, David H.; Law, Jack D.; Garn, Troy G.; Macaluso, Lawrence L.

2011-01-01

Advanced designs of nuclear fuel recycling and radioactive waste treatment plants are expected to include more ambitious goals for solvent extraction based separations including; higher separations efficiency, high-level waste minimization, and a greater focus on continuous processes to minimize cost and footprint. Therefore, Annular Centrifugal Contactors (ACCs) are destined to play a more important role for such future processing schemes. This work continues the development of remote designs for ACCs that can process the large throughputs needed for future nuclear fuel recycling and radioactive waste treatment plants. A three stage, 12.5 cm diameter rotor module has been constructed and is being evaluated for use in highly radioactive environments. This prototype assembly employs three standard CINC V-05 clean-in-place (CIP) units modified for remote service and replacement via new methods of connection for solution inlets, outlets, drain and CIP. Hydraulic testing and functional checks were successfully conducted and then the prototype was evaluated for remote handling and maintenance. Removal and replacement of the center position V-05R contactor in the three stage assembly was demonstrated using an overhead rail mounted PaR manipulator. Initial evaluation indicates a viable new design for interconnecting and cleaning individual stages while retaining the benefits of commercially reliable ACC equipment. Replacement of a single stage via remote manipulators and tools is estimated to take about 30 minutes, perhaps fast enough to support a contactor change without loss of process equilibrium. The design presented in this work is scalable to commercial ACC models from V-05 to V-20 with total throughput rates ranging from 20 to 650 liters per minute.

Bars in dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy discs

Science.gov (United States)

Marasco, A.; Oman, K. A.; Navarro, J. F.; Frenk, C. S.; Oosterloo, T.

2018-05-01

We study the shape and kinematics of simulated dwarf galaxy discs in the APOSTLE suite of Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We find that a large fraction of these gas-rich, star-forming discs show weak bars in their stellar component, despite being dark-matter-dominated systems. The bar pattern shape and orientation reflect the ellipticity of the dark matter potential, and its rotation is locked to the slow figure rotation of the triaxial dark halo. The bar-like nature of the potential induces non-circular motions in the gas component, including strong bisymmetric flows that can be readily seen as m = 3 harmonic perturbations in the H I line-of-sight velocity fields. Similar bisymmetric flows are seen in many galaxies of The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) and Local Irregulars That Trace Luminosity Extremes THINGS (LITTLE THINGS), although on average their amplitudes are a factor of ˜2 weaker than in our simulated discs. Our results indicate that bar-like patterns may arise even when baryons are not dominant, and that they are common enough to warrant careful consideration when analysing the gas kinematics of dwarf galaxy discs.

Simulation of time variation of Uranium, Plutonium and fission product hold up in mixer settler contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dionisi, M.; D'Agostino, F.; Remetti, R.

1990-01-01

A simulation model of PUREX process extraction phase for a contactors (mixer-settlers) battery has been developed. This model has been implemented in a FORTRAN code tailored both for mainframe and PC. The main goal of the code is to determine Uranium and Plutonium hold-ups vs.time within contactors in order to implement a NRTA project for a reprocessing plant. These results are extremely important for a complete analysis of NRTA system perfomance particularly to overcome the difficulty of executing physical inventory within liquid-liquid contactors of extraction lines. The chemical process simulation has been carried out conventional theoretical models with the exeption of hydrodynamic simulation which has been developed utilizing a model based on experimental results

Angular momentum redistribution by spiral waves in computer models of disc galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sellwood, J.A.; James, R.A.

1979-01-01

It is shown that the spiral patterns which develop spontaneously in computer models of galaxies are generated through angular momentum transfer. By adjusting the distribution of mass in the rigid halo components of the models it is possible to alter radically the rotation curve of the disc component. Either trailing or leading spiral arms develop in the models, dependent only on the sense of the differential shear; no spirals are seen in models where the disc rotates uniformly. It is found that the distribution of angular momentum in the disc is altered by the spiral evolution. Although some spiral structure can be seen for a long period, the life of each pattern is very short. It is shown that resonances are of major importance even for these transient patterns. All spiral wave patterns which have been seen possess both an inner Lindblad resonance and a co-rotation resonance. (author)

Triple-bore hollow fiber membrane contactor for liquid desiccant based air dehumidification

KAUST Repository

Bettahalli Narasimha, Murthy Srivatsa

2016-04-26

Dehumidification is responsible for a large part of the energy consumption in cooling systems in high humidity environments worldwide. Improving efficiency is therefore essential. Liquid desiccants offer a promising solution for dehumidification, as desired levels of humidity removal could be easily regulated. The use of membrane contactors in combination with liquid desiccant is attractive for dehumidification because they prevent direct contact between the humid air and the desiccant, removing both the potential for desiccant carryover to the air and the potential for contamination of the liquid desiccant by dust and other airborne materials, as well as minimizing corrosion. However, the expected additional mass transport barrier of the membrane surface can lower the expected desiccation rate per unit of desiccant surface area. In this context, hollow fiber membranes present an attractive option for membrane liquid desiccant contactors because of their high surface area per unit volume. We demonstrate in this work the performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based triple-bore hollow fiber membranes as liquid desiccant contactors, which are permeable to water vapor but impermeable to liquid water, for dehumidification of hot and humid air.

The Gaia-ESO Survey: the Galactic thick to thin disc transition

Science.gov (United States)

Recio-Blanco, A.; de Laverny, P.; Kordopatis, G.; Helmi, A.; Hill, V.; Gilmore, G.; Wyse, R.; Adibekyan, V.; Randich, S.; Asplund, M.; Feltzing, S.; Jeffries, R.; Micela, G.; Vallenari, A.; Alfaro, E.; Allende Prieto, C.; Bensby, T.; Bragaglia, A.; Flaccomio, E.; Koposov, S. E.; Korn, A.; Lanzafame, A.; Pancino, E.; Smiljanic, R.; Jackson, R.; Lewis, J.; Magrini, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Prisinzano, L.; Sacco, G.; Worley, C. C.; Hourihane, A.; Bergemann, M.; Costado, M. T.; Heiter, U.; Joffre, P.; Lardo, C.; Lind, K.; Maiorca, E.

2014-07-01

Aims: The nature of the thick disc and its relation to the thin disc is presently an important subject of debate. In fact, the structural and chemo-dynamical transition between disc populations can be used as a test of the proposed models of Galactic disc formation and evolution. Methods: We used the atmospheric parameters, [α/Fe] abundances, and radial velocities, which were determined from the Gaia-ESO Survey GIRAFFE spectra of FGK-type stars (first nine months of observations) to provide a chemo-kinematical characterisation of the disc stellar populations. We focussed on a subsample of 1016 stars with high-quality parameters, covering the volume | Z | contamination by thin disc stars suggests a gradient up to 64 ± 9 km s-1 dex-1. The distributions of azimuthal velocity, vertical velocity, and orbital parameters are also analysed for the chemically separated samples. Concerning the gradients with galactocentric radius, we find, for the thin disc, a flat behaviour of the azimuthal velocity, a metallicity gradient equal to -0.058 ± 0.008 dex kpc-1 and a very small positive [α/Fe] gradient. For the thick disc, flat gradients in [M/H] and [α/Fe] are derived. Conclusions: Our chemo-kinematical analysis suggests a picture where the thick disc seems to have experienced a settling process, during which its rotation increased progressively and, possibly, the azimuthal velocity dispersion decreased. At [M/H] ≈ -0.25 dex and [α/Fe]≈ 0.1 dex, the mean characteristics of the thick disc in vertical distance to the Galactic plane, rotation, rotational dispersion, and stellar orbits' eccentricity agree with that of the thin disc stars of the same metallicity, suggesting a possible connection between these two populations at a certain epoch of the disc evolution. Finally, the results presented here, based only on the first months of the Gaia ESO Survey observations, confirm how crucial large high-resolution spectroscopic surveys outside the solar neighbourhood are today

Model for the dynamic study of AC contactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corcoles, F.; Pedra, J.; Garrido, J.P.; Baza, R. [Dep. d' Eng. Electrica ETSEIB. UPC, Barcelona (Spain)

2000-08-01

This paper proposes a model for the dynamic analysis of AC contactors. The calculation algorithm and implementation are discussed. The proposed model can be used to study the influence of the design parameters and the supply in their dynamic behaviour. The high calculation speed of the implemented algorithm allows extensive ranges of parameter variations to be analysed. (orig.)

Precise Measurement of Velocity Dependent Friction in Rotational Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Junaid; Hassan, Hafsa; Shamim, Sohaib; Mahmood, Waqas; Anwar, Muhammad Sabieh

2011-01-01

Frictional losses are experimentally determined for a uniform circular disc exhibiting rotational motion. The clockwise and anticlockwise rotations of the disc, that result when a hanger tied to a thread is released from a certain height, give rise to vertical oscillations of the hanger as the thread winds and unwinds over a pulley attached to the…

Effect of high-frequency excitation on natural frequencies of spinning discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Morten Hartvig

2000-01-01

The effect of high-frequency, non-resonant parametric excitation on the low-frequency response of spinning discs is considered. The parametric excitation is obtained through a non-constant rotation speed, where the frequency of the pulsating overlay is much higher than the lowest natural frequenc......The effect of high-frequency, non-resonant parametric excitation on the low-frequency response of spinning discs is considered. The parametric excitation is obtained through a non-constant rotation speed, where the frequency of the pulsating overlay is much higher than the lowest natural...

MOCVD growth of CdTe and HgTe on GaAs in a vertical, high-speed, rotating-disc reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tompa, G.S.; Nelson, C.R.; Reinert, P.D.; Saracino, M.A.; Terrill, L.A.; Colter, P.C.

1989-01-01

The metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth of CdTe and HgTe on GaAs (111) and (100) substrates in a vertical, high-speed, rotating-disc reactor was investigated. A range of total reactor pressure, carrier gas flow rate, chemical concentrations, deposition temperature, and rotation rate have been investigated in an attempt to optimize growth conditions. Diisopropyltelluride (DIPTe) and Dimethylcadmium (DMCd) were used as growth precursors. Thickness uniformity varies less than +/- 1.5% over 50 mm diameter wafers. Films having FWHM X-ray rocking curves less than 90 arcsec were obtained on GaAs (111) substrates. The films have excellent surface morphology, exhibiting less than 5 x 10 4 cm - 2 orange peel dents which are much-lt 1 μm in size. An elemental mercury source was added to the growth system. Initial results for the growth of HgTe and HgCdTe are discussed

Tracing Planets in Circumstellar Discs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uribe Ana L.

2013-04-01

magnetic fields [1]. We also find, that zonal flows resulting from magneto-rotational instability (MRI create gap-like structures in the disc re-emission radiation which are observable with ALMA. Through the unprecedented resolution and sensitivity of ALMA in the (submm wavelength range the expected detailed observations of planet-disc interaction and global disc structures will deepen our understanding of the planet formation and disc evolution process. This article presents a summary of the study published by [2].

Spinning Disc Technology – Residence Time Distribution and Efficiency in Textile Wastewater Treatment Application

Science.gov (United States)

Iacob Tudose, E. T.; Zaharia, C.

2018-06-01

The spinning disc (SD) technology has received increased attention in the last years due to its enhanced fluid flow features resulting in improved property transfers. The actual study focuses on characterization of the flow within a spinning disc system based on experimental data used to establish the residence time distribution (RTD) and its dependence on the feeding liquid flowrate and the disc rotational speed. To obtain these data, an inert tracer (sodium chloride) was injected as a pulse input in the liquid stream entering the disc and the salt concentration of the liquid leaving the disc was continuously recorded. The obtained data indicate that an increase in the liquid flowrate from 10 L/h to 30 L/h determines a narrower RTD function. Also, at rotational speed of 200 rpm, the residence time distribution is broader than that for 500 rpm and 800 rpm. The RTD data suggest that depending on the needed flow characteristics, one can choose a certain flowrate and rotational speed domain for its application. Also, the SD technology was used to process textile wastewater treated with bentonite (as both coagulation and discoloration agent) in order to investigate whether the quality indicators such as the total suspended solid content, turbidity and discoloration, can be improved. The experimental results are promising since the discoloration and the removals of suspended solids attained values of over 40%, and respectively, 50 %, depending on the effluent flowrate (10 l/h and 30 L/h), and the disc rotational speed (200 rpm, 550 rpm and 850 rpm) without any other addition of chemicals, or initiation of other simultaneous treatment processes (e.g., advanced oxidative, or reductive, or biochemical processes). This recommends spinning disc technology as a suitable and promising tool to improve different wastewater characteristics.

Black hole accretion discs and screened scalar hair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, Anne-Christine; Jha, Rahul [Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge, CB3 0WA (United Kingdom); Gregory, Ruth, E-mail: acd@damtp.cam.ac.uk, E-mail: r.a.w.gregory@durham.ac.uk, E-mail: r.jha@damtp.cam.ac.uk [Centre for Particle Theory, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2016-10-01

We present a novel way to investigate scalar field profiles around black holes with an accretion disc for a range of models where the Compton wavelength of the scalar is large compared to other length scales. By analysing the problem in ''Weyl' coordinates, we are able to calculate the scalar profiles for accretion discs in the static Schwarzschild, as well as rotating Kerr, black holes. We comment on observational effects.

Uranium, neptunium and plutonium kinetics of extraction by tributylphosphate and trilaurylamine in a centrifugal contactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergeonneau, P.; Jaouen, C.; Germain, M.; Bathellier, A.

1977-01-01

Uranium, plutonium and neptunium kinetics of transfer between various aqueous nitric solutions and solvents have been measured at the laboratory scale, using a centrifugal contactor especially developed in the laboratory. The transfer kinetics of nitric acid, hexavalent U, tetravalent U, Np and Pu from nitric acid solutions into 30% TBP in r-dodecane and 10% trilaurylamine in r-dodecane have been studied. The effects of rotation speed, temperature, initial nitric acid concentration, metal concentration on extraction and stripping kinetics have been investigated. The results obtained show that TBP extraction and stripping are more rapid than trilaurylamine ones. The low activation energies of transfer reactions with TBP suggest that both in extraction and stripping, the transfer rate is limited by the diffusion of the species in the aqueous and organic phases. For trilaurylamine, the transfer mechanism appears more complex

Void fraction and velocity measurement of simulated bubble in a rotating disc using high frame rate neutron radiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Y; Mishima, K; Matsubayashi, M

2004-10-01

To evaluate measurement error of local void fraction and velocity field in a gas-molten metal two-phase flow by high-frame-rate neutron radiography, experiments using a rotating stainless-steel disc, which has several holes of various diameters and depths simulating gas bubbles, were performed. Measured instantaneous void fraction and velocity field of the simulated bubbles were compared with the calculated values based on the rotating speed, the diameter and the depth of the holes as parameters and the measurement error was evaluated. The rotating speed was varied from 0 to 350 rpm (tangential velocity of the simulated bubbles from 0 to 1.5 m/s). The effect of shutter speed of the imaging system on the measurement error was also investigated. It was revealed from the Lagrangian time-averaged void fraction profile that the measurement error of the instantaneous void fraction depends mainly on the light-decay characteristics of the fluorescent converter. The measurement error of the instantaneous local void fraction of simulated bubbles is estimated to be 20%. In the present imaging system, the light-decay characteristics of the fluorescent converter affect the measurement remarkably, and so should be taken into account in estimating the measurement error of the local void fraction profile.

Void fraction and velocity measurement of simulated bubble in a rotating disc using high frame rate neutron radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Y.; Mishima, K.; Matsubayashi, M.

2004-01-01

To evaluate measurement error of local void fraction and velocity field in a gas-molten metal two-phase flow by high-frame-rate neutron radiography, experiments using a rotating stainless-steel disc, which has several holes of various diameters and depths simulating gas bubbles, were performed. Measured instantaneous void fraction and velocity field of the simulated bubbles were compared with the calculated values based on the rotating speed, the diameter and the depth of the holes as parameters and the measurement error was evaluated. The rotating speed was varied from 0 to 350 rpm (tangential velocity of the simulated bubbles from 0 to 1.5 m/s). The effect of shutter speed of the imaging system on the measurement error was also investigated. It was revealed from the Lagrangian time-averaged void fraction profile that the measurement error of the instantaneous void fraction depends mainly on the light-decay characteristics of the fluorescent converter. The measurement error of the instantaneous local void fraction of simulated bubbles is estimated to be 20%. In the present imaging system, the light-decay characteristics of the fluorescent converter affect the measurement remarkably, and so should be taken into account in estimating the measurement error of the local void fraction profile

Rotating anode X-ray source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittry, D.B.

1979-01-01

A rotating anode x-ray source is described which consists of a rotary anode disc including a target ring and a chamber within the anode disc. Liquid is evaporated into the chamber from the target ring to cool the target and a method is provided of removing the latent heat of the vapor. (U.K.)

Modeling Cryptosporidium spp. Oocyst Inactivation in Bubble-Diffuser Ozone Contactors

Science.gov (United States)

1998-07-01

requirements for Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia) and viruses under the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR). Minimum CT requirements include relatively...parvum and C. muris ) oocysts in ozone bubble-diffuser contactors. The model is calibrated with semi-batch kinetic data, verified with pilot-scale

Velocity distribution of liquid in rotary cylinder when a rotary disc is disposed in contact with a liquid surface; Ekimen ni kaitenenban no arubaai no kaiten entonai ekitai no sokudo bunpu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karino, Fumimaru; Kawai, Kazuho; Domoto, Takuya; Takahashi, Toru [Kyoto University, Tokyoto (Japan)

1999-02-05

As a model of a flow in a crucible of Cz method, which is a crystal growth method, a system was formed by flowing water into a rotary cylindrical container and disposing a rotary disc in contact with a free surface of the liquid, and this system was used to determine the velocity distribution in the cylindrical container by a laser Doppler hydrometer. The effects of cylinder rotation Reynolds number, disc rotation Reynolds number, the distance between the disc and the cylinder bottom, and the radius ratio of the disc to the cylinder on the determined radial distribution of tangential time average velocity were examined. As a result, it was found that, in the cases where only the cylinder is rotated, where only the disc is rotated, and where an absolute value of the rotation angular velocity ratio of the disc to the cylinder is small when the cylinder and the disc are rotated in directions inverse to each other, the radial distribution of the time average tangential velocity shows a distribution substantially the same independent on vertical positions, thus Taylor-Proudman theorem is valid. It was further known that, when the disc and the cylinder are rotated in inverse directions and the absolute value of the angular velocity ratio is great, the effect of the disc rotation is remarkable, and particularly, this effect becomes greater in the lower flow than near the disc. (translated by NEDO)

Rotating flow

CERN Document Server

Childs, Peter R N

2010-01-01

Rotating flow is critically important across a wide range of scientific, engineering and product applications, providing design and modeling capability for diverse products such as jet engines, pumps and vacuum cleaners, as well as geophysical flows. Developed over the course of 20 years' research into rotating fluids and associated heat transfer at the University of Sussex Thermo-Fluid Mechanics Research Centre (TFMRC), Rotating Flow is an indispensable reference and resource for all those working within the gas turbine and rotating machinery industries. Traditional fluid and flow dynamics titles offer the essential background but generally include very sparse coverage of rotating flows-which is where this book comes in. Beginning with an accessible introduction to rotating flow, recognized expert Peter Childs takes you through fundamental equations, vorticity and vortices, rotating disc flow, flow around rotating cylinders and flow in rotating cavities, with an introduction to atmospheric and oceanic circul...

Effectiveness of Forestry Agency Personnel as Fire Prevention Contactors

Science.gov (United States)

M.L. Doolittle

1980-01-01

A major responsibility of county forest rangers in North Carolina is fire prevention. Personal contact with the public is essential to the successful performance of this function. A survey of 50 North Carolina rangers revealed that the degree of success for each ranger was directly related to the specific effort put forth as a contactor.

Precise measurement of velocity dependent friction in rotational motion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alam, Junaid; Hassan, Hafsa; Shamim, Sohaib; Mahmood, Waqas; Anwar, Muhammad Sabieh, E-mail: sabieh@lums.edu.pk [School of Science and Engineering, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Opposite Sector U, D.H.A, Lahore 54792 (Pakistan)

2011-09-15

Frictional losses are experimentally determined for a uniform circular disc exhibiting rotational motion. The clockwise and anticlockwise rotations of the disc, that result when a hanger tied to a thread is released from a certain height, give rise to vertical oscillations of the hanger as the thread winds and unwinds over a pulley attached to the disc. It is thus observed how the maximum height is achieved by the hanger decrements in every bounce. From the decrements, the rotational frictional losses are measured. The precision is enhanced by correlating vertical motion with the angular motion. This method leads to a substantial improvement in precision. Furthermore, the frictional torque is shown to be proportional to the angular speed. The experiment has been successfully employed in the undergraduate lab setting.

Impact of Cosmological Satellites on Stellar Discs: Dissecting One Satellite at a Time

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shaoran; Sijacki, Debora

2018-05-01

Within the standard hierarchical structure formation scenario, Milky Way-mass dark matter haloes have hundreds of dark matter subhaloes with mass ≳ 108 M⊙. Over the lifetime of a galactic disc a fraction of these may pass close to the central region and interact with the disc. We extract the properties of subhaloes, such as their mass and trajectories, from a realistic cosmological simulation to study their potential effect on stellar discs. We find that massive subhalo impacts can generate disc heating, rings, bars, warps, lopsidedness as wells as spiral structures in the disc. Specifically, strong counter-rotating single-armed spiral structures form each time a massive subhalo passes through the disc. Such single-armed spirals wind up relatively quickly (over 1 - 2 Gyrs) and are generally followed by co-rotating two-armed spiral structures that both develop and wind up more slowly. In our simulations self-gravity in the disc is not very strong and these spiral structures are found to be kinematic density waves. We demonstrate that there is a clear link between each spiral mode in the disc and a given subhalo that caused it, and by changing the mass of the subhalo we can modulate the strength of the spirals. Furthermore, we find that the majority of subhaloes interact with the disc impulsively, such that the strength of spirals generated by subhaloes is proportional to the total torque they exert. We conclude that only a handful of encounters with massive subhaloes is sufficient for re-generating and sustaining spiral structures in discs over their entire lifetime.

Black hole spin from wobbling and rotation of the M87 jet and a sign of a magnetically arrested disc

Science.gov (United States)

Sob'yanin, Denis Nikolaevich

2018-06-01

New long-term Very Long Baseline Array observations of the well-known jet in the M87 radio galaxy at 43 GHz show that the jet experiences a sideways shift with an approximately 8-10 yr quasi-periodicity. Such jet wobbling can be indicative of a relativistic Lense-Thirring precession resulting from a tilted accretion disc. The wobbling period together with up-to-date kinematic data on jet rotation opens up the possibility for estimating angular momentum of the central supermassive black hole. In the case of a test-particle precession, the specific angular momentum is J/Mc = (2.7 ± 1.5) × 1014 cm, implying moderate dimensionless spin parameters a = 0.5 ± 0.3 and 0.31 ± 0.17 for controversial gas-dynamic and stellar-dynamic black hole masses. However, in the case of a solid-body-like precession, the spin parameter is much smaller for both masses, 0.15 ± 0.05. Rejecting this value on the basis of other independent spin estimations requires the existence of a magnetically arrested disc in M87.

The diversity of atomic hydrogen in slow rotator early-type galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Lisa M.; Serra, Paolo; Krajnović, Davor; Duc, Pierre-Alain

2018-06-01

We present interferometric observations of H I in nine slow rotator early-type galaxies of the Atlas3D sample. With these data, we now have sensitive H I searches in 34 of the 36 slow rotators. The aggregate detection rate is 32 per cent ± 8 per cent, consistent with the previous work; however, we find two detections with extremely high H I masses, whose gas kinematics are substantially different from what was previously known about H I in slow rotators. These two cases (NGC 1222 and NGC 4191) broaden the known diversity of H I properties in slow rotators. NGC 1222 is a merger remnant with prolate-like rotation and, if it is indeed prolate in shape, an equatorial gas disc; NGC 4191 has two counter-rotating stellar discs and an unusually large H I disc. We comment on the implications of this disc for the formation of 2σ galaxies. In general, the H I detection rate, the incidence of relaxed H I discs, and the H I/stellar mass ratios of slow rotators are indistinguishable from those of fast rotators. These broad similarities suggest that the H I we are detecting now is unrelated to the galaxies' formation processes and was often acquired after their stars were mostly in place. We also discuss the H I non-detections; some of these galaxies that are undetected in H I or CO are detected in other tracers (e.g. FIR fine structure lines and dust). The question of whether there is cold gas in massive galaxies' scoured nuclear cores still needs work. Finally, we discuss an unusual isolated H I cloud with a surprisingly faint (undetected) optical counterpart.

The Diversity of Atomic Hydrogen in Slow Rotator Early-type Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Lisa M.; Serra, Paolo; Krajnović, Davor; Duc, Pierre-Alain

2018-02-01

We present interferometric observations of H I in nine slow rotator early-type galaxies of the ATLAS3D sample. With these data, we now have sensitive H I searches in 34 of the 36 slow rotators. The aggregate detection rate is 32% ± 8%, consistent with previous work; however, we find two detections with extremely high H I masses, whose gas kinematics are substantially different from what was previously known about H I in slow rotators. These two cases (NGC 1222 and NGC 4191) broaden the known diversity of H I properties in slow rotators. NGC 1222 is a merger remnant with prolate-like rotation and, if it is indeed prolate in shape, an equatorial gas disc; NGC 4191 has two counterrotating stellar discs and an unusually large H I disc. We comment on the implications of this disc for the formation of 2σ galaxies. In general, the H I detection rate, the incidence of relaxed H I discs, and the H I/stellar mass ratios of slow rotators are indistinguishable from those of fast rotators. These broad similarities suggest that the H I we are detecting now is unrelated to the galaxies' formation processes and was often acquired after their stars were mostly in place. We also discuss the H I nondetections; some of these galaxies that are undetected in H I or CO are detected in other tracers (e.g. FIR fine structure lines and dust). The question of whether there is cold gas in massive galaxies' scoured nuclear cores still needs work. Finally, we discuss an unusual isolated H I cloud with a surprisingly faint (undetected) optical counterpart.

Modelling of cross-flow membrane contactors : Physical mass transfer processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dindore, V. Y.; Brilman, D. W. F.; Versteeg, G. F.

2005-01-01

Traditionally, hollow fiber membrane contactors used for gas-liquid contacting were designed in a shell and tube configuration with shell-side fluid flowing parallel to the fiber-side fluid, either in co-current or counter-current pattern. The primary limitations of these so-called 'parallel flow'

The link between the baryonic mass distribution and the rotation curve shape

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Swaters, R. A.; Sancisi, R.; van der Hulst, J. M.; van Albada, T. S.

The observed rotation curves of disc galaxies, ranging from late-type dwarf galaxies to early-type spirals, can be fitted remarkably well simply by scaling up the contributions of the stellar and H?i discs. This baryonic scaling model can explain the full breadth of observed rotation curves with

Temperature Profile Measurements in a Newly Constructed 30-Stage 5 cm Centrifugal Contactor Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garn, Troy G.; Meikrantz, Dave H.; Greenhalgh, Mitchell R.; Law, Jack D.

2008-01-01

An annular centrifugal contactor pilot plant incorporating 30 stages of commercial 5 cm CINC V-02 units has been built and operated at INL during the past year. The pilot plant includes an automated process control and data acquisitioning system. The primary purpose of the pilot plant is to evaluate the performance of a large number of inter-connected centrifugal contactors and obtain temperature profile measurements within a 30-stage cascade. Additional solvent extraction flowsheet testing using stable surrogates is also being considered. Preliminary hydraulic testing was conducted with all 30 contactors interconnected for continuous counter-current flow. Hydraulic performance and system operational tests were conducted successfully but with higher single-stage rotor speeds found necessary to maintain steady interstage flow at flowrates of 1 L/min and higher. Initial temperature profile measurements were also completed in this configuration studying the performance during single aqueous and two-phase counter-current flow at ambient and elevated inlet solution temperatures. Temperature profile testing of two discreet sections of the cascade required additional feed and discharge connections. Lamp oil, a commercially available alkane mixture of C14 to C18 chains, and tap water adjusted to pH 2 were the solution feeds for all the testing described in this report. Numerous temperature profiles were completed using a newly constructed 30-stage centrifugal contactor pilot plant. The automated process control and data acquisition system worked very well throughout testing. Temperature data profiles for an array of total flowrates (FT) and contactor rpm values for both single-phase and two-phase systems have been collected with selected profiles and comparisons reported. Total flowrates (FT) ranged from 0.5-1.4 L/min with rotor speeds from 3500-4000 rpm. Solution inlet temperatures ranging from ambient up to 50 C were tested. Ambient temperature testing shows that a small

The relationship between loads and power of a rotor and an actuator disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Kuik, Gijs A M

2014-01-01

Most state of the art rotor design methods are based on the actuator disc theory developed about one century ago. The actuator disc is an axisymmetric permeable surface carrying a load that represents the load on a real rotor with a finite number of blades N. However, the mathematics of the transition from a real rotor load to an axisymmetrically loaded disc is not yet presented in literature. By formulating an actuator disc equation of motion in which the Bernoulli constant H is expressed in kinematical terms, a comparison of the power conversion and load on the disc and rotor is possible. For both the converted power is expressed as a change of angular momentum times rotational speed. The limits for N → ∞ while the chord c → 0, the rotational speed Ω → ∞, the load F becoming uniform by ∂F/∂r → 0 and the thickness ε → 0 confirm that the classical disc represents the rotor with an infinite number of blades. Furthermore, the expressions for the blade load are compared to the expressions in current design and analysis tools. The latter do not include the load on chord-wise vorticity. Including this is expected to give a better modelling of the tip and root flow

The relationship between loads and power of a rotor and an actuator disc

Science.gov (United States)

van Kuik, Gijs A. M.

2014-12-01

Most state of the art rotor design methods are based on the actuator disc theory developed about one century ago. The actuator disc is an axisymmetric permeable surface carrying a load that represents the load on a real rotor with a finite number of blades N. However, the mathematics of the transition from a real rotor load to an axisymmetrically loaded disc is not yet presented in literature. By formulating an actuator disc equation of motion in which the Bernoulli constant H is expressed in kinematical terms, a comparison of the power conversion and load on the disc and rotor is possible. For both the converted power is expressed as a change of angular momentum times rotational speed. The limits for N → ∞ while the chord c → 0, the rotational speed Ω → ∞, the load F becoming uniform by ∂F/∂r → 0 and the thickness epsilon → 0 confirm that the classical disc represents the rotor with an infinite number of blades. Furthermore, the expressions for the blade load are compared to the expressions in current design and analysis tools. The latter do not include the load on chord-wise vorticity. Including this is expected to give a better modelling of the tip and root flow.

Partitioning of Tank Waste Sludge in a 5-cm Centrifugal Contactor Under Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birdwell, Jr. J.F.

2001-01-01

A test program has been performed to evaluate the effect of solids on the hydraulic performance of a 5-cm centrifugal contactor under conditions present in the extraction section of the Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) process. In addition to determining if the ability to separate the aqueous and organic phases is affected by the presence of solids in a feed solution, the extent to which solids are accumulated in the contactor was also assessed. The reported task was motivated by the need to determine if removal of cesium from Savannah River Site tank waste can be performed using a contactor-based CSSX process without first removing sludge that is suspended in the feed solution. The ability to pass solids through the CSSX process could facilitate placement of CSSX upstream of a process in which alpha-decaying actinides and strontium are removed from the waste stream by precipitation with monosodium titanate (MST). This relative placement of the CSSX and MST processes is desirable because removal of cesium would greatly reduce the activity level of the feed stream to the MST process, thereby reducing the level of shielding needed and mitigating remote maintenance design features of MST equipment. Both results would significantly reduce the cost of the Salt Processing Project. Test results indicate conclusively that a large fraction of suspended sludge that enters the centrifugal contactor remains inside. It is expected that extended operation would result in continued accumulation of solids and that hydraulic performance would be adversely affected. Results also indicate that a fraction of the solids partitions to the phase boundary and could affect phase separation as contactor operations progress

Local models of astrophysical discs

Science.gov (United States)

Latter, Henrik N.; Papaloizou, John

2017-12-01

Local models of gaseous accretion discs have been successfully employed for decades to describe an assortment of small-scale phenomena, from instabilities and turbulence, to dust dynamics and planet formation. For the most part, they have been derived in a physically motivated but essentially ad hoc fashion, with some of the mathematical assumptions never made explicit nor checked for consistency. This approach is susceptible to error, and it is easy to derive local models that support spurious instabilities or fail to conserve key quantities. In this paper we present rigorous derivations, based on an asympototic ordering, and formulate a hierarchy of local models (incompressible, Boussinesq and compressible), making clear which is best suited for a particular flow or phenomenon, while spelling out explicitly the assumptions and approximations of each. We also discuss the merits of the anelastic approximation, emphasizing that anelastic systems struggle to conserve energy unless strong restrictions are imposed on the flow. The problems encountered by the anelastic approximation are exacerbated by the disc's differential rotation, but also attend non-rotating systems such as stellar interiors. We conclude with a defence of local models and their continued utility in astrophysical research.

Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulation of CO2 Removal by Using Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Mesbah

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this study, a mathematical model is proposed for CO2 separation from N2/CO2 mixtureusing a hollow fiber membrane contactor by various absorbents. The contactor assumed as non-wetted membrane; radial and axial diffusions were also considered in the model development. The governing equations of the model are solved via the finite element method (FEM. To ensure the accuracy of the developed model, the simulation results were validated using the reported experimental data for potassium glycinate (PG, monoethanol amine (MEA, and methyldiethanol amine (MDEA. The results of the proposed model indicated that PG absorbent has the highest removal efficiency of CO2, followed by potassium threonate (PT, MEA, amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP, diethanol amine (DEA, and MDEA in sequence. In addition, the results revealed that the CO2 removal efficiency was favored by absorbent flow rate and liquid temperature, while the gas flow rate has a reverse effect. The simulation results proved that the hollow fiber membrane contactors have a good potential in the area of CO2 capture.

Evaluation of the Hydraulic Performance and Mass Transfer Efficiency of the CSSX Process with the Optimized Solvent in a Single Stage of 5.5-Cm Diameter Centrifugal Contactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Law, J.D.; Tillotson, R.D.; Todd, T.A.

2002-01-01

The Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) process has been selected for the separation of cesium from Savannah River Site high-level waste. The solvent composition used in the CSSX process was recently optimized so that the solvent is no longer supersaturated with respect to the calixarene crown ether extractant. Hydraulic performance and mass transfer efficiency testing of a single stage of 5.5-cm ORNL-designed centrifugal contactor has been performed for the CSSX process with the optimized solvent. Maximum throughputs of the 5.5-cm centrifugal contactor, as a function of contactor rotor speed, have been measured for the extraction, scrub, strip, and wash sections of the CSSX flowsheet at the baseline organic/aqueous flow ratios (O/A) of the process, as well as at O/A's 20% higher and 20% lower than the baseline. Maximum throughputs are comparable to the design throughput of the contactor, as well as with throughputs obtained previously in a 5-cm centrifugal contactor with the non-optimized CSSX solvent formulation. The 20% variation in O/A had minimal effect on contactor throughput. Additionally, mass transfer efficiencies have been determined for the extraction and strip sections of the flowsheet. Efficiencies were lower than the process goal of greater than or equal to 80%, ranging from 72 to 75% for the extraction section and from 36 to 60% in the strip section. Increasing the mixing intensity and/or the solution level in the mixing zone of the centrifugal contactor (residence time) could potentially increase efficiencies. Several methods are available to accomplish this including (1) increasing the size of the opening in the bottom of the rotor, resulting in a contactor which is partially pumping instead of fully pumping, (2) decreasing the number of vanes in the contactor, (3) increasing the vane height, or (4) adding vanes on the rotor and baffles on the housing of the contactor. The low efficiency results obtained stress the importance of proper design of

Validation of a simple method for predicting the disinfection performance in a flow-through contactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeiffer, Valentin; Barbeau, Benoit

2014-02-01

Despite its shortcomings, the T10 method introduced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1989 is currently the method most frequently used in North America to calculate disinfection performance. Other methods (e.g., the Integrated Disinfection Design Framework, IDDF) have been advanced as replacements, and more recently, the USEPA suggested the Extended T10 and Extended CSTR (Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor) methods to improve the inactivation calculations within ozone contactors. To develop a method that fully considers the hydraulic behavior of the contactor, two models (Plug Flow with Dispersion and N-CSTR) were successfully fitted with five tracer tests results derived from four Water Treatment Plants and a pilot-scale contactor. A new method based on the N-CSTR model was defined as the Partially Segregated (Pseg) method. The predictions from all the methods mentioned were compared under conditions of poor and good hydraulic performance, low and high disinfectant decay, and different levels of inactivation. These methods were also compared with experimental results from a chlorine pilot-scale contactor used for Escherichia coli inactivation. The T10 and Extended T10 methods led to large over- and under-estimations. The Segregated Flow Analysis (used in the IDDF) also considerably overestimated the inactivation under high disinfectant decay. Only the Extended CSTR and Pseg methods produced realistic and conservative predictions in all cases. Finally, a simple implementation procedure of the Pseg method was suggested for calculation of disinfection performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A homopolar disc dynamo experiment with liquid metal contacts

OpenAIRE

Avalos-Zúñiga, R. A.; Priede, J.; Bello-Morales, C. E.

2017-01-01

We present experimental results of a homopolar disc dynamo constructed at CICATA-Quer\\'etaro in Mexico. The device consists of a flat, multi-arm spiral coil which is placed above a fast-spinning metal disc and connected to the latter by sliding liquid-metal electrical contacts. Theoretically, self-excitation of the magnetic field is expected at the critical magnetic Reynolds number Rm~45, which corresponds to a critical rotation rate of about 10 Hz. We measured the magnetic field above the di...

Carbon Dioxide Absorption in a Membrane Contactor with Color Change

Science.gov (United States)

Pantaleao, Ines; Portugal, Ana F.; Mendes, Adelio; Gabriel, Joaquim

2010-01-01

A pedagogical experiment is described to examine the physical absorption of gases, in this case carbon dioxide, in a hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) where the absorption concentration profile can be followed by a color change. The HFMC is used to teach important concepts and can be used in interesting applications for students, such as…

Jamming Transition: Heptagons, Pentagons, and Discs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Yuanyuan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The jamming behavior of a system composed of discs has been well documented. However, it remains unclear how a granular system consisting of non-spherical particles transitions between unjammed and jammed states. Here, we present compression experiments to study the jamming transition of 2D granular materials composed of photoelastic heptagonal particles and compare these results to data for discs and pentagons. We determine the critical packing fraction of heptagons and make a comparison to discs and pentagons. In the experiment, we subject 618 heptagonal particles to cyclic compression. We track the motion (inlcuding rotations of the particles, and we measure forces on particles by photoelasticity. We observe a power law relationship between the average contact number (Z and the pressure (P. Furthermore, we classify the type of contacts by the relative orientation of pairs of contacting particles (creating point-to-face and face-to-face contacts, and we explore the evolution of the contacts during jamming.

Metallicity gradient of the thick disc progenitor at high redshift

Science.gov (United States)

Kawata, Daisuke; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Brook, Chris B.; Casagrande, Luca; Ciucă, Ioana; Gibson, Brad K.; Grand, Robert J. J.; Hayden, Michael R.; Hunt, Jason A. S.

2018-01-01

We have developed a novel Markov Chain Monte Carlo chemical 'painting' technique to explore possible radial and vertical metallicity gradients for the thick disc progenitor. In our analysis, we match an N-body simulation to the data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment survey. We assume that the thick disc has a constant scaleheight and has completed its formation at an early epoch, after which time radial mixing of its stars has taken place. Under these assumptions, we find that the initial radial metallicity gradient of the thick disc progenitor should not be negative, but either flat or even positive, to explain the current negative vertical metallicity gradient of the thick disc. Our study suggests that the thick disc was built-up in an inside-out and upside-down fashion, and older, smaller and thicker populations are more metal poor. In this case, star-forming discs at different epochs of the thick disc formation are allowed to have different radial metallicity gradients, including a negative one, which helps to explain a variety of slopes observed in high-redshift disc galaxies. This scenario helps to explain the positive slope of the metallicity-rotation velocity relation observed for the Galactic thick disc. On the other hand, radial mixing flattens the slope of an existing gradient.

Membrane contactor/separator for an advanced ozone membrane reactor for treatment of recalcitrant organic pollutants in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, Wai Kit; Jouët, Justine; Heng, Samuel; Yeung, King Lun; Schrotter, Jean-Christophe

2012-01-01

An advanced ozone membrane reactor that synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone gas, membrane contactor for pollutant adsorption and reaction, and membrane separator for clean water production is described. The membrane reactor represents an order of magnitude improvement over traditional semibatch reactor design and is capable of complete conversion of recalcitrant endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in water at less than three minutes residence time. Coating the membrane contactor with alumina and hydrotalcite (Mg/Al=3) adsorbs and traps the organics in the reaction zone resulting in 30% increase of total organic carbon (TOC) removal. Large surface area coating that diffuses surface charges from adsorbed polar organic molecules is preferred as it reduces membrane polarization that is detrimental to separation. - Graphical abstract: Advanced ozone membrane reactor synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone, membrane contactor for sorption and reaction and membrane separator for clean water production to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement in treatment performance compared to traditional ozone reactor. Highlights: ► Novel reactor using membranes for ozone distributor, reaction contactor and water separator. ► Designed to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement over traditional reactor. ► Al 2 O 3 and hydrotalcite coatings capture and trap pollutants giving additional 30% TOC removal. ► High surface area coating prevents polarization and improves membrane separation and life.

Effects of solvent-extraction contactor selection on flowsheet and facility design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whatley, M.E.

1982-01-01

The notion is developed that the selection of a solvent extraction contactor is part of a more general development of principles and philosophy guiding the overall plant design. Specifically, the requirements and constraints placed on the plant by the solvent extraction system must be consistent with those imposed by the other operations, which generally are more expensive and more complicated. Were a conservative philosophy employed throughout the plant, the choice of pulsed columns seem correct. Were the plant intended to employ modern techniques and state-of-the-art technology, particularly in remote maintenance and process control, the selection of centrifugal contactors seems appropriate. The process improvements attainable from employing more stages in a more tightly controlled solvent extraction system seem marginal at present when applied to conventional flowsheets, although the cost-benefit may be attractive in a modern plant. The potential for improvement through major flowsheet modification can not presently be assessed quantitatively

Stellar photospheric abundances as a probe of discs and planets

Science.gov (United States)

Jermyn, Adam S.; Kama, Mihkel

2018-06-01

Protoplanetary discs, debris discs, and disrupted or evaporating planets can all feed accretion on to stars. The photospheric abundances of such stars may then reveal the composition of the accreted material. This is especially likely in B to mid-F type stars, which have radiative envelopes and hence less bulk-photosphere mixing. We present a theoretical framework (CAM), considering diffusion, rotation, and other stellar mixing mechanisms to describe how the accreted material interacts with the bulk of the star. This allows the abundance pattern of the circumstellar material to be calculated from measured stellar abundances and parameters (vrot, Teff). We discuss the λ Boötis phenomenon and the application of CAM on stars hosting protoplanetary discs (HD 100546, HD 163296), debris discs (HD 141569, HD 21997), and evaporating planets (HD 195689/KELT-9).

Study on the performance of the hydraulic and mass-transfer with miniature centrifugal contactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jianchen; Tang Wencheng; Fan Shilei; Lian Jun

1997-01-01

The hydraulic performance and the mass-transfer properties of HNO 3 , Fe 3+ , Nd 3+ are studied in H 2 O-30% TRPO-kerosene system at different conditions with single-stage φ = 10 mm miniature centrifugal contactor. The rotor's speed varies from 4000 r/min to 4500 r/min. The total throughput is less than 600 mL/h. the phase ratio(o/a) changes from 1/10 to 10/1. Under the above experimental conditions, the single contactor operates very well and gives good performance. The stage efficiencies of HNO 3 and Nd 3+ are about 90%. The Fe 3+ extraction is very slow kinetically and the stage efficiency of Fe 3+ is low

Development of a new miniature short-residence-time annular centrifugal solvent extraction contactor for tests of process flowsheets in hot cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanoe, J.Y.; Rivalier, P.

2000-01-01

Researches undertaken on new nuclear fuel reprocessing extraction processes need tests of process flowsheets in hot cells. To this goal, a new miniature short residence-time annular centrifugal solvent extraction contactor was conceived and developed at Marcoule. This single stage contactor is composed of an outer stationary cylinder (made of transparent plexiglas on prototype and of stainless steel on models for hot cells) and a suspended inner rotating cylinder of stainless steel; the inside diameter of the rotor is 12 mm. Aqueous and organic phases are fed into the gap between the two cylinders. The mixture flows down the annular space and then up through an orifice at the bottom of the rotor. Into the rotor, the emulsion breaks rapidly under the centrifugal force (up to 600 g with rotor speed of 10,000 rpm). The separated phases flow over their weirs and discharge at the top in their collector rings. The liquid hold-up of this centrifugal contactor is approximately 6 mL. The use in hots cells needed original designs for: - the assembly of a single-stage contactor: every part (motor, rotor, stationary housing) is simply inserted on the other one without screws and nuts; - the assembly of multistage group: every stage is stacking in two rails and an intermediate part (supported on the two rails) links exit ports and their corresponding inlet ports. All the parts are pressed and sealed against a terminal plate with a screw. Separating capacity tests with. a prototype were conducted using water as the aqueous phase and hydrogenated tetra-propylene (TPH) as the organic phase with aqueous to organic (A/O) flow ratio equal to 1. The best performances were obtained with rotor speed ranging from 4000 to 5000 rpm; the total throughput was then up to 2 L.h -1 . For a total throughput of 300 mL.h -1 , the hold-up in the annular mixing zone varied from 0.5 to 1.5 mL according to the A/O ratio and the starting mode. A number of tests were also performed to measure the

Spiral density waves and vertical circulation in protoplanetary discs

Science.gov (United States)

Riols, A.; Latter, H.

2018-06-01

Spiral density waves dominate several facets of accretion disc dynamics - planet-disc interactions and gravitational instability (GI) most prominently. Though they have been examined thoroughly in two-dimensional simulations, their vertical structures in the non-linear regime are somewhat unexplored. This neglect is unwarranted given that any strong vertical motions associated with these waves could profoundly impact dust dynamics, dust sedimentation, planet formation, and the emissivity of the disc surface. In this paper, we combine linear calculations and shearing box simulations in order to investigate the vertical structure of spiral waves for various polytropic stratifications and wave amplitudes. For sub-adiabatic profiles, we find that spiral waves develop a pair of counter-rotating poloidal rolls. Particularly strong in the non-linear regime, these vortical structures issue from the baroclinicity supported by the background vertical entropy gradient. They are also intimately connected to the disc's g modes which appear to interact non-linearly with the density waves. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the poloidal rolls are ubiquitous in gravitoturbulence, emerging in the vicinity of GI spiral wakes, and potentially transporting grains off the disc mid-plane. Other than hindering sedimentation and planet formation, this phenomena may bear on observations of the disc's scattered infrared luminosity. The vortical features could also impact on the turbulent dynamo operating in young protoplanetary discs subject to GI, or possibly even galactic discs.

Dippers and dusty disc edges: new diagnostics and comparison to model predictions

Science.gov (United States)

Bodman, Eva H. L.; Quillen, Alice C.; Ansdell, Megan; Hippke, Michael; Boyajian, Tabetha S.; Mamajek, Eric E.; Blackman, Eric G.; Rizzuto, Aaron; Kastner, Joel H.

2017-09-01

We revisit the nature of large dips in flux from extinction by dusty circumstellar material that is observed by Kepler for many young stars in the Upper Sco and ρ Oph star formation regions. These young, low-mass 'dipper' stars are known to have low accretion rates and primarily host moderately evolved dusty circumstellar discs. Young low-mass stars often exhibit rotating starspots that cause quasi-periodic photometric variations. We found no evidence for periods associated with the dips that are different from the starspot rotation period in spectrograms constructed from the light curves. The material causing the dips in most of these light curves must be approximately corotating with the star. We find that disc temperatures computed at the disc corotation radius are cool enough that dust should not sublime. Crude estimates for stellar magnetic field strengths and accretion rates are consistent with magnetospheric truncation near the corotation radius. Magnetospheric truncation models can explain why the dips are associated with material near corotation and how dusty material is lifted out of the mid-plane to obscure the star that would account for the large fraction of young low-mass stars that are dippers. We propose that variations in disc orientation angle, stellar magnetic field dipole tilt axis and disc accretion rate are underlying parameters accounting for differences in the dipper light curves.

Effect of Feed Gas Flow Rate on CO2 Absorption through Super Hydrophobic Hollow Fiber membrane Contactor

Science.gov (United States)

Kartohardjono, Sutrasno; Alexander, Kevin; Larasati, Annisa; Sihombing, Ivander Christian

2018-03-01

Carbon dioxide is pollutant in natural gas that could reduce the heating value of the natural gas and cause problem in transportation due to corrosive to the pipeline. This study aims to evaluate the effects of feed gas flow rate on CO2 absorption through super hydrophobic hollow fiber contactor. Polyethyleneglycol-300 (PEG-300) solution was used as absorbent in this study, whilst the feed gas used in the experiment was a mixture of 30% CO2 and 70% CH4. There are three super hydrophobic hollow fiber contactors sized 6 cm and 25 cm in diameter and length used in this study, which consists of 1000, 3000 and 5000 fibers, respectively. The super hydrophobic fiber membrane used is polypropylene-based with outer and inner diameter of about 525 and 235 μm, respectively. In the experiments, the feed gas was sent through the shell side of the membrane contactor, whilst the absorbent solution was pumped through the lumen fibers. The experimental results showed that the mass transfer coefficient, flux, absorption efficiency for CO2-N2 system and CO2 loading increased with the feed gas flow rate, but the absorption efficiency for CO2-N2 system decreased. The mass transfer coefficient and the flux, at the same feed gas flow rate, decreased with the number of fibers in the membrane contactor, but the CO2 absorption efficiency and the CO2 loading increased.

Only marginal alignment of disc galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Andrae, René; Jahnke, Knud

2011-12-01

Testing theories of angular-momentum acquisition of rotationally supported disc galaxies is the key to understanding the formation of this type of galaxies. The tidal-torque theory aims to explain this acquisition process in a cosmological framework and predicts positive autocorrelations of angular-momentum orientation and spiral-arm handedness, i.e. alignment of disc galaxies, on short distance scales of 1 Mpc h-1. This disc alignment can also cause systematic effects in weak-lensing measurements. Previous observations claimed discovering these correlations but are overly optimistic in the reported level of statistical significance of the detections. Errors in redshift, ellipticity and morphological classifications were not taken into account, although they have a significant impact. We explain how to rigorously propagate all the important errors through the estimation process. Analysing disc galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data base, we find that positive autocorrelations of spiral-arm handedness and angular-momentum orientations on distance scales of 1 Mpc h-1 are plausible but not statistically significant. Current data appear not good enough to constrain parameters of theory. This result agrees with a simple hypothesis test in the Local Group, where we also find no evidence for disc alignment. Moreover, we demonstrate that ellipticity estimates based on second moments are strongly biased by galactic bulges even for Scd galaxies, thereby corrupting correlation estimates and overestimating the impact of disc alignment on weak-lensing studies. Finally, we discuss the potential of future sky surveys. We argue that photometric redshifts have too large errors, i.e. PanSTARRS and LSST cannot be used. Conversely, the EUCLID project will not cover the relevant redshift regime. We also discuss the potentials and problems of front-edge classifications of galaxy discs in order to improve the autocorrelation estimates of angular-momentum orientation.

The Magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in Astrophysical Discs

Science.gov (United States)

Contopoulos, I.; Kazanas, D.; Papadopoulos, D. B.

2016-01-01

This is our first study of the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the inner edge of an astrophysical disc around a central back hole. We derive the equations governing small-amplitude oscillations in general relativistic ideal magnetodydrodynamics and obtain a criterion for the onset of the instability. We suggest that static disc configurations where magnetic field is held by the disc material are unstable around a Schwarzschild black hole. On the other hand, we find that such configurations are stabilized by the space-time rotation around a Kerr black hole. We obtain a crude estimate of the maximum amount of poloidal magnetic flux that can be accumulated around the centre, and suggest that it is proportional to the black hole spin. Finally, we discuss the astrophysical implications of our result for the theoretical and observational estimations of the black hole jet power.

Disc type thermal actuator with straight beams for angular motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwar, M. Arefin; Packirisamy, Muthukumaran; Ahmed, A.K. Waiz

2013-01-01

Motion of a micro thermal actuator largely depends on its structural topology. This paper presents designs for a novel rotary type micro thermal actuator. This actuator has unique arrangement of hot segments around the cold segment. Upon application of potential difference, hot segments expand against the cold segment of disc and make the cold disc rotate about its center. This rotary motion can be used for various optical applications like, switching, attenuation and diffraction. The actuator has been fabricated using poly MUMPS process technology. An analytical model was used for predicting steady state temperature profile along the actuator length and rotational behavior of the cold disc under different applied voltages. A finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out to predict the behavior of the actuator by defining an air volume around the structure and also between structure and substrate. Finally testing was done for predicting feasibility of the actuator. Comparison of the rotational behavior obtained from both analytical model and FEA with that of obtained from testing shows close agreement. -- Highlights: ► Electro-thermo-mechanical modeling and verification of rotary micro thermal actuator. ► Modeling with conduction, convection and radiation modes for the air gap below 3 micron. ► In micro level, shape factor and material resistivity were estimated and verified through I–V characteristics. ► Two different designs of different shape factors were designed, fabricated and tested. ► The devices were fabricated using surface micromachining technology and tested for verification

The velocity ellipsoid in the Galactic disc using Gaia DR1

Science.gov (United States)

Anguiano, Borja; Majewski, Steven R.; Freeman, Kenneth C.; Mitschang, Arik W.; Smith, Martin C.

2018-02-01

The stellar velocity ellipsoid of the solar neighbour (d Standard of Rest in Galactic rotation to be V⊙ = 13.9 ± 3.4 km s-1. A relation is found between the vertex deviation and the chemical abundances for the thin disc, ranging from -5 to +40° as iron abundance increases. For the thick disc we find a vertex deviation of luv ˜- 15°. The tilt angle (luw) in the U-W plane for the thin disc groups ranges from -10 to +15°, but there is no evident relation between luw and the mean abundances. However, we find a weak relation for luw as a function of iron abundances and α-elements for most of the groups in the thick disc, where the tilt angle decreases from -5 to -20° when [Fe/H] decreases and [α/Fe] increases. The velocity anisotropy parameter is independent of the chemical group abundances and its value is nearly constant for both discs (β ˜ 0.5), suggesting that the combined disc is dynamically relaxed.

Adjacent level effects of bi level disc replacement, bi level fusion and disc replacement plus fusion in cervical spine--a finite element based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Faizan, Ahmad; Goel, Vijay K; Biyani, Ashok; Garfin, Steven R; Bono, Christopher M

2012-03-01

Studies delineating the adjacent level effect of single level disc replacement systems have been reported in literature. The aim of this study was to compare the adjacent level biomechanics of bi-level disc replacement, bi-level fusion and a construct having adjoining level disc replacement and fusion system. In total, biomechanics of four models- intact, bi level disc replacement, bi level fusion and fusion plus disc replacement at adjoining levels- was studied to gain insight into the effects of various instrumentation systems on cranial and caudal adjacent levels using finite element analysis (73.6N+varying moment). The bi-level fusion models are more than twice as stiff as compared to the intact model during flexion-extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. Bi-level disc replacement model required moments lower than intact model (1.5Nm). Fusion plus disc replacement model required moment 10-25% more than intact model, except in extension. Adjacent level motions, facet loads and endplate stresses increased substantially in the bi-level fusion model. On the other hand, adjacent level motions, facet loads and endplate stresses were similar to intact for the bi-level disc replacement model. For the fusion plus disc replacement model, adjacent level motions, facet loads and endplate stresses were closer to intact model rather than the bi-level fusion model, except in extension. Based on our finite element analysis, fusion plus disc replacement procedure has less severe biomechanical effects on adjacent levels when compared to bi-level fusion procedure. Bi-level disc replacement procedure did not have any adverse mechanical effects on adjacent levels. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface modification of poly(vinylidene fluoride) hollow fibre membranes for biogas purification in a gas-liquid membrane contactor system.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Pengrui; Huang, Chuan; Li, Jiaxiang; Shen, Yadong; Wang, Liao

2017-11-01

The wetting of hollow fibre membranes decreases the performance of the liquid-gas membrane contactor for CO 2 capture in biogas upgrading. To solve this problem, in this work, a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fibre membrane for a liquid-gas membrane contactor was coated with a superhydrophobic layer composed of a combination of hydrophobic SiO 2 nanoparticles and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by the method of spray deposition. A rough layer of SiO 2 deposited on the PVDF membrane resulted in an enhanced surface hydrophobicity. The surface structure of the pristine PVDF significantly affected the homogeneity of the generated SiO 2 layer. A uniform surface coating on the PVDF upper layer resulted from the presence of micrometre and nanometre-sized roughness on the surface of the PVDF membrane, which was achieved with a SiO 2 concentration of 4.44 mg ml -1 (0.2 g/45 ml) in the coating solution. As a result, the water contact angle of the modified surface was recorded as 155 ± 3°, which is higher than that of the pristine surface. The high contact angle is advantageous for reducing the wetting of the membrane. Additional mass transfer resistance was introduced by the superhydrophobic layer. In addition, continuous CO 2 absorption tests were carried out in original and modified PVDF hollow fibre membrane contactors, using monoethanolamine (MEA) solution as the absorbent. A long-term stability test revealed that the modified PVDF hollow fibre membrane contactor was able to outperform the original membrane contactor and demonstrated outstanding long-term stability, suggesting that spray deposition is a promising approach to obtain superhydrophobic PVDF membranes for liquid-gas membrane absorption.

Experimental study of a particle velocity immersed in a fluid in rotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cesar, S.B.G.

1981-12-01

An incompressible viscous fluid is confined within a circular cylinder whose wall and top are fixed while the botton rotates with constant angular speed. The velocity components of a particule immersed in the fluid above, was determined. The method utilized employs filming the particle during its motion. Experimental measurements were made at rotational speeds between 50 and 190 rps, at inter-disc spacing between 10 and 40 cm, and the particle is let loose at distances between static disc and 5 cm above the inferior disc. The results show that the method utilized is valid in a radial region within the cylinder between 1.0 [pt

Analyzing in rotating asynchronous machine MG set synchronising fault

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Mingyang; Li Bo; Liu Yu; Fang Yinping

2014-01-01

In the commissioning work for MG set at FQNPC Unit l, MG-set l and MG-set 2 can not be synchronized lead to all two generator circuit breakers tripped. The description of the wave in the commissioning and the principle in phase compound excitation are all mentioned in this paper. After wave analysis and theory comparison, the direct cause of this problem is the reactive current in the two parallel synchronous generators, the real reason is parallel excitation contactor operation failed. Which could occur by these single failures, as follows, The synchronizing relay broken. The parallel excitation contactor occur the functional failure. The synchronizing signal trigger, and the order of execution about the breaker of generator and the parallel excitation contactor error. In order to solve these problem, regulating the voltage of generator is necessary. Redundant excitation contactor and relay is also need. After the maintenance, before the generator synchronized must test and verify the parallel excitation contactor works well. (authors)

Extended residence time centrifugal contactor design modification and centrifugal contactor vane plate valving apparatus for extending mixing zone residence time

Science.gov (United States)

Wardle, Kent E.

2017-06-06

The present invention provides an annular centrifugal contactor, having a housing adapted to receive a plurality of flowing liquids; a rotor on the interior of the housing; an annular mixing zone, wherein the annular mixing zone has a plurality of fluid retention reservoirs with ingress apertures near the bottom of the annular mixing zone and egress apertures located above the ingress apertures of the annular mixing zone; and an adjustable vane plate stem, wherein the stem can be raised to restrict the flow of a liquid into the rotor or lowered to increase the flow of the liquid into the rotor.

The origin of extended disc galaxies at z=2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sales, Laura V.; Navarro, Julio F.; Schaye, Joop; Dalla Vecchia, Claudio; Springel, Volker; Haas, Marcel R.; Helmi, Amina

2009-01-01

Galaxy formation models typically assume that the size and rotation speed of galaxy discs are largely dictated by the mass, concentration and spin of their surrounding dark matter haloes. Equally important, however, is the fraction of baryons in the halo that collect into the central galaxy, as well

Disc defect classification for optical disc drives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helvoirt, van J.; Leenknegt, G.A.L.; Steinbuch, M.; Goossens, H.J.

2005-01-01

Optical disc drives are subject to various disturbances and faults. A special type of fault is the so-called disc defect. In this paper we present an approach for disc defect classification. It is based on hierarchical clustering of measured signals that are affected by disc defects. The

Elastic-plastic stresses in a thin rotating disk with shafthaving density variation parameter under steady-state temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pankaj Thakur

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Steady thermal stresses in a rotating disc with shaft having density variation parameter subjected to thermal load have been derived by using Seth's transition theory. Neither the yields criterion nor the associated flow rule is assumed here. Results are depicted graphically. It has been seen that compressible material required higher percentage increased angular speed to become fully-plastic as compare to rotating disc made of incompressible material. Circumferential stresses are maximal at the outer surface of the rotating disc. With the introduction of thermal effect it decreases the value of radial and circumferential stresses at inner and outer surface for fully-plastic state.

A and F stars as probes of outer Galactic disc kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, A.; Drew, J. E.; Farnhill, H. J.; Monguió, M.; Gebran, M.; Wright, N. J.; Drake, J. J.; Sale, S. E.

2018-04-01

Previous studies of the rotation law in the outer Galactic disc have mainly used gas tracers or clump giants. Here, we explore A and F stars as alternatives: these provide a much denser sampling in the outer disc than gas tracers and have experienced significantly less velocity scattering than older clump giants. This first investigation confirms the suitability of A stars in this role. Our work is based on spectroscopy of ˜1300 photometrically selected stars in the red calcium-triplet region, chosen to mitigate against the effects of interstellar extinction. The stars are located in two low Galactic latitude sightlines, at longitudes ℓ = 118°, sampling strong Galactic rotation shear, and ℓ = 178°, near the anticentre. With the use of Markov Chain Monte Carlo parameter fitting, stellar parameters and radial velocities are measured, and distances computed. The obtained trend of radial velocity with distance is inconsistent with existing flat or slowly rising rotation laws from gas tracers (Brand & Blitz 1993; Reid et al. 2014). Instead, our results fit in with those obtained by Huang et al. (2016) from disc clump giants that favoured rising circular speeds. An alternative interpretation in terms of spiral arm perturbation is not straight forward. We assess the role that undetected binaries in the sample and distance error may have in introducing bias, and show that the former is a minor factor. The random errors in our trend of circular velocity are within ±5 km s-1.

Active galactic nucleus outflows in galaxy discs

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwig, Tilman; Volonteri, Marta; Dashyan, Gohar

2018-05-01

Galactic outflows, driven by active galactic nuclei (AGNs), play a crucial role in galaxy formation and in the self-regulated growth of supermassive black holes (BHs). AGN feedback couples to and affects gas, rather than stars, and in many, if not most, gas-rich galaxies cold gas is rotationally supported and settles in a disc. We present a 2D analytical model for AGN-driven outflows in a gaseous disc and demonstrate the main improvements, compared to existing 1D solutions. We find significant differences for the outflow dynamics and wind efficiency. The outflow is energy-driven due to inefficient cooling up to a certain AGN luminosity (˜1043 erg s-1 in our fiducial model), above which the outflow remains momentum-driven in the disc up to galactic scales. We reproduce results of 3D simulations that gas is preferentially ejected perpendicular to the disc and find that the fraction of ejected interstellar medium is lower than in 1D models. The recovery time of gas in the disc, defined as the free-fall time from the radius to which the AGN pushes the ISM at most, is remarkably short, of the order 1 Myr. This indicates that AGN-driven winds cannot suppress BH growth for long. Without the inclusion of supernova feedback, we find a scaling of the BH mass with the halo velocity dispersion of MBH ∝ σ4.8.

Methodology for Analysing Controllability and Observability of Bladed Disc Coupled Vibrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Rene Hardam; Santos, Ilmar

2004-01-01

to place sensors and actuators so that all vibration levels can be monitored and controlled. Due to the special dynamic characteristics of rotating coupled bladed discs, where disc lateral motion is coupled to blade flexible motion, such analyses become quite complicated. The dynamics is described...... by a time-variant mathematical model, which presents parametric vibration modes and centrifugal stiffening effects resulting in increasing blade natural frequencies. In this framework the objective and contribution of this paper is to present a methodology for analysing the modal controllability...

Effects of cryogenic treatment on the wear properties of brake discs

Science.gov (United States)

Nadig, D. S.; Shivakumar, P.; Anoop, S.; Chinmay, Kulkarni; Divine, P. V.; Harsha, H. P.

2017-02-01

Disc brakes are invariably used in all the automobiles either to reduce the rotational speed of the wheel or to hold the vehicle stationary. During the braking action, the kinetic energy is converted into heat which can result in high temperatures resulting in fading of brake effects. Brake discs produced out of martensite stainless steel (SS410) are expected to exhibit high wear resistance properties with low value of coefficient of friction. These factors increase the useful life of the brake discs with minimal possibilities of brake fade. To study the effects of cryogenic treatment on the wear behaviour, two types of brake discs were cryotreated at 98K for 8 and 24 hours in a specially developed cryotreatment system using liquid nitrogen. Wear properties of the untreated and cryotreated test specimens were experimentally determined using the pin on disc type tribometer (ASTM G99-95). Similarly, the Rockwell hardness (HRC) of the specimens were tested in a hardness tester in accordance with ASTM E18. In this paper, the effects of cryotreatment on the wear and hardness properties of untreated and cryotreated brake discs are presented. Results indicate enhancement of wear properties and hardness after cryogenic treatment compared with the normal brakes discs.

Sharp Interface Tracking in Rotating Microflows of Solvent Extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glimm, James; Almeida, Valmor de; Jiao, Xiangmin; Sims, Brett

2013-01-01

The objective of this project is to develop a specialized sharp interface tracking simulation capability for predicting interaction of micron-sized drops and bubbles in rotating flows relevant to optimized design of contactor devices used in solvent extraction processes of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The primary outcomes of this project include the capability to resolve drops and bubbles micro-hydrodynamics in solvent extraction contactors, determining from first principles continuum fluid mechanics how micro-drops and bubbles interact with each other and the surrounding shearing fluid for realistic flows. In the near term, this effort will play a central role in providing parameters and insight into the flow dynamics of models that average over coarser scales, say at the millimeter unit length. In the longer term, it will prove to be the platform to conduct full-device, detailed simulations as parallel computing power reaches the exaflop level. The team will develop an accurate simulation tool for flows containing interacting droplets and bubbles with sharp interfaces under conditions that mimic those found in realistic contactor operations. The main objective is to create an off-line simulation capability to model drop and bubble interactions in a domain representative of the averaged length scale. The technical approach is to combine robust interface tracking software, subgrid modeling, validation quality experiments, powerful computational hardware, and a team with simulation modeling, physical modeling and technology integration experience. Simulations will then fully resolve the microflow of drops and bubbles at the microsecond time scale. This approach is computationally intensive but very accurate in treating important coupled physical phenomena in the vicinity of interfaces. The method makes it possible to resolve spatial scales smaller than the typical distance between bubbles and to model some non-equilibrium thermodynamic features such as finite

Sharp Interface Tracking in Rotating Microflows of Solvent Extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glimm, James [Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Almeida, Valmor de [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jiao, Xiangmin [Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Sims, Brett [City Univ. (CUNY), NY (United States). Borough of Manhattan Community College; Li, Xaiolin [Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)

2013-01-08

The objective of this project is to develop a specialized sharp interface tracking simulation capability for predicting interaction of micron-sized drops and bubbles in rotating flows relevant to optimized design of contactor devices used in solvent extraction processes of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The primary outcomes of this project include the capability to resolve drops and bubbles micro-hydrodynamics in solvent extraction contactors, determining from first principles continuum fluid mechanics how micro-drops and bubbles interact with each other and the surrounding shearing fluid for realistic flows. In the near term, this effort will play a central role in providing parameters and insight into the flow dynamics of models that average over coarser scales, say at the millimeter unit length. In the longer term, it will prove to be the platform to conduct full-device, detailed simulations as parallel computing power reaches the exaflop level. The team will develop an accurate simulation tool for flows containing interacting droplets and bubbles with sharp interfaces under conditions that mimic those found in realistic contactor operations. The main objective is to create an off-line simulation capability to model drop and bubble interactions in a domain representative of the averaged length scale. The technical approach is to combine robust interface tracking software, subgrid modeling, validation quality experiments, powerful computational hardware, and a team with simulation modeling, physical modeling and technology integration experience. Simulations will then fully resolve the microflow of drops and bubbles at the microsecond time scale. This approach is computationally intensive but very accurate in treating important coupled physical phenomena in the vicinity of interfaces. The method makes it possible to resolve spatial scales smaller than the typical distance between bubbles and to model some non-equilibrium thermodynamic features such as finite

Experimental model of intervertebral disc degeneration by needle puncture in Wistar rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Issy, A.C.; Castania, V.; Castania, M.; Salmon, C.E.G.; Nogueira-Barbosa, M.H.; Bel, E. Del; Defino, H.L.A.

2013-01-01

Animal models of intervertebral disc degeneration play an important role in clarifying the physiopathological mechanisms and testing novel therapeutic strategies. The objective of the present study is to describe a simple animal model of disc degeneration involving Wistar rats to be used for research studies. Disc degeneration was confirmed and classified by radiography, magnetic resonance and histological evaluation. Adult male Wistar rats were anesthetized and submitted to percutaneous disc puncture with a 20-gauge needle on levels 6-7 and 8-9 of the coccygeal vertebrae. The needle was inserted into the discs guided by fluoroscopy and its tip was positioned crossing the nucleus pulposus up to the contralateral annulus fibrosus, rotated 360° twice, and held for 30 s. To grade the severity of intervertebral disc degeneration, we measured the intervertebral disc height from radiographic images 7 and 30 days after the injury, and the signal intensity T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Histological analysis was performed with hematoxylin-eosin and collagen fiber orientation using picrosirius red staining and polarized light microscopy. Imaging and histological score analyses revealed significant disc degeneration both 7 and 30 days after the lesion, without deaths or systemic complications. Interobserver histological evaluation showed significant agreement. There was a significant positive correlation between histological score and intervertebral disc height 7 and 30 days after the lesion. We conclude that the tail disc puncture method using Wistar rats is a simple, cost-effective and reproducible model for inducing disc degeneration

Experimental model of intervertebral disc degeneration by needle puncture in Wistar rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Issy, A.C.; Castania, V.; Castania, M. [Departamento de Morfologia, Fisiologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Salmon, C.E.G. [Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Nogueira-Barbosa, M.H. [Divisão de Radiologia, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Bel, E. Del [Departamento de Morfologia, Fisiologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Defino, H.L.A. [Departamento de Biomecânica, Medicina e Reabilitação do Sistema Locomotor, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil)

2013-03-15

Animal models of intervertebral disc degeneration play an important role in clarifying the physiopathological mechanisms and testing novel therapeutic strategies. The objective of the present study is to describe a simple animal model of disc degeneration involving Wistar rats to be used for research studies. Disc degeneration was confirmed and classified by radiography, magnetic resonance and histological evaluation. Adult male Wistar rats were anesthetized and submitted to percutaneous disc puncture with a 20-gauge needle on levels 6-7 and 8-9 of the coccygeal vertebrae. The needle was inserted into the discs guided by fluoroscopy and its tip was positioned crossing the nucleus pulposus up to the contralateral annulus fibrosus, rotated 360° twice, and held for 30 s. To grade the severity of intervertebral disc degeneration, we measured the intervertebral disc height from radiographic images 7 and 30 days after the injury, and the signal intensity T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Histological analysis was performed with hematoxylin-eosin and collagen fiber orientation using picrosirius red staining and polarized light microscopy. Imaging and histological score analyses revealed significant disc degeneration both 7 and 30 days after the lesion, without deaths or systemic complications. Interobserver histological evaluation showed significant agreement. There was a significant positive correlation between histological score and intervertebral disc height 7 and 30 days after the lesion. We conclude that the tail disc puncture method using Wistar rats is a simple, cost-effective and reproducible model for inducing disc degeneration.

Design and Development of Micro-Power Generating Device for Biomedical Applications of Lab-on-a-Disc.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karunan Joseph

Full Text Available The development of micro-power generators for centrifugal microfluidic discs enhances the platform as a green point-of-care diagnostic system and eliminates the need for attaching external peripherals to the disc. In this work, we present micro-power generators that harvest energy from the disc's rotational movement to power biomedical applications on the disc. To implement these ideas, we developed two types of micro-power generators using piezoelectric films and an electromagnetic induction system. The piezoelectric-based generator takes advantage of the film's vibration during the disc's rotational motion, whereas the electromagnetic induction-based generator operates on the principle of current generation in stacks of coil exposed to varying magnetic flux. We have successfully demonstrated that at the spinning speed of 800 revolutions per minute (RPM the piezoelectric film-based generator is able to produce up to 24 microwatts using 6 sets of films and the magnetic induction-based generator is capable of producing up to 125 milliwatts using 6 stacks of coil. As a proof of concept, a custom made localized heating system was constructed to test the capability of the magnetic induction-based generator. The heating system was able to achieve a temperature of 58.62 °C at 2200 RPM. This development of lab-on-a-disc micro power generators preserves the portability standards and enhances the future biomedical applications of centrifugal microfluidic platforms.

Deviations from mass transfer equilibrium and mathematical modeling of mixer-settler contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyerlein, A.L.; Geldard, J.F.; Chung, H.F.; Bennett, J.E.

1980-01-01

This paper presents the mathematical basis for the computer model PUBG of mixer-settler contactors which accounts for deviations from mass transfer equilibrium. This is accomplished by formulating the mass balance equations for the mixers such that the mass transfer rate of nuclear materials between the aqueous and organic phases is accounted for. 19 refs

Operating experience of centrifugal contactors used in a third plutonium purification cycle at the Marcoule reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coste, J.A.; Breschet, C.A.; Delafontaine, G.L.

1991-01-01

Multistage centrifugal contactors of the type SGN-ROBATEL LX 208 NSC are used in a third plutonium cycle at the Marcoule Reprocessing Plant, they have been smooth-running since the commissioning in 1984. The four centrifugal contactors, totalling 32 stages, are used for Extraction. Scrub and Acidic Strip, and a bank of three flat mixer-settlers is used for plutonium blocking, and soda washing of the solvent. The plutonium product, the residual activity of which is less than one microcurie per gram, is diluent washed in a bank of three flat mixer-settlers, before been concentrated in a zirconium evaporator to 200 g. 1 -1

Biomechanical analysis of the camelid cervical intervertebral disc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dean K. Stolworthy

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Chronic low back pain (LBP is a prevalent global problem, which is often correlated with degenerative disc disease. The development and use of good, relevant animal models of the spine may improve treatment options for this condition. While no animal model is capable of reproducing the exact biology, anatomy, and biomechanics of the human spine, the quality of a particular animal model increases with the number of shared characteristics that are relevant to the human condition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the camelid (specifically, alpaca and llama cervical spine as a model of the human lumbar spine. Cervical spines were obtained from four alpacas and four llamas and individual segments were used for segmental flexibility/biomechanics and/or morphology/anatomy studies. Qualitative and quantitative data were compared for the alpaca and llama cervical spines, and human lumbar specimens in addition to other published large animal data. Results indicate that a camelid cervical intervertebral disc (IVD closely approximates the human lumbar disc with regard to size, spinal posture, and biomechanical flexibility. Specifically, compared with the human lumbar disc, the alpaca and llama cervical disc size are approximately 62%, 83%, and 75% with regard to area, depth, and width, respectively, and the disc flexibility is approximately 133%, 173%, and 254%, with regard to range of motion (ROM in axial-rotation, flexion-extension, and lateral-bending, respectively. These results, combined with the clinical report of disc degeneration in the llama lower cervical spine, suggest that the camelid cervical spine is potentially well suited for use as an animal model in biomechanical studies of the human lumbar spine.

ISS And Space Environment Interactions Without Operating Plasma Contactor

Science.gov (United States)

Carruth, M. R., Jr.; Ferguson, Dale; Suggs,Rob; McCollum, Matt

2001-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) will be the largest, highest power spacecraft placed in orbit. Because of this the design of the electrical power system diverged markedly from previous systems. The solar arrays will operate at 160 V and the power distribution voltage will be 120 V. The structure is grounded to the negative side of the solar arrays so under the right circumstances it is possible to drive the ISS potential very negative. A plasma contactor has been added to the ISS to provide control of the ISS structure potential relative to the ambient plasma. The ISS requirement is that the ISS structure not be greater than 40 V positive or negative of local plasma. What are the ramifications of operating large structures with such high voltage power systems? The application of a plasma contactor on ISS controls the potential between the structure and the local plasma, preventing degrading effects. It is conceivable that there can be situations where the plasma contactor might be non-functional. This might be due to lack of power, the need to turn it off during some of the build-up sequences, the loss of functionality for both plasma contactors before a replacement can be installed, similar circumstances. A study was undertaken to understand how important it is to have the contactor functioning and how long it might be off before unacceptable degradation to ISS could occur. The details of interaction effects on spacecraft have not been addressed until driven by design. This was true for ISS. If the structure is allowed to float highly negative impinging ions can sputter exposed conductors which can degrade the primary surface and also generate contamination due to the sputtered material. Arcing has been known to occur on solar arrays that float negative of the ambient plasma. This can also generate electromagnetic interference and voltage transients. Much of the ISS structure and pressure module surfaces exposed to space is anodized aluminum. The anodization

Liquid flow rate effects during partial evaporation in a falling film micro contactor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moschou, P.; Croon, de M.H.J.M.; Schaaf, van der J.; Schouten, J.C.

2013-01-01

The focus of this study is the investigation of the effect of liquid flow rate on partial evaporation, enhanced by convective nitrogen flow, in a falling film micro contactor. Experiments are performed at different flow rates and for a certain heating liquid temperature. The temperatures of the gas

Stokes drag on a disc with a Navier slip condition near a plane wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherwood, J D

2013-01-01

The Stokes drag and couple acting on a disc moving through incompressible Newtonian fluid are investigated for the case when the fluid obeys a Navier slip condition, with slip length b, on the surface of the disc. The fluid is bounded by an infinite plane wall on which there is no slip. The disc, of zero thickness and radius a, is parallel to the wall and distance h from it. Analyses are presented for the limits h ≫ a and h ≪ a; results for intermediate values of the separation h are obtained numerically by means of Tranter's method. The resistance coefficients for translation normal to the disc surface, and for rotation about a diameter, are unaffected by slip when the disc lies in unbounded fluid, but all resistance coefficients depend upon the slip length b when the disc is close to the wall. Their dependence on h becomes weak when b ≫ a. (paper)

Comparison of Animal Discs Used in Disc Research to Human Lumbar Disc: Torsion Mechanics and Collagen Content

Science.gov (United States)

Showalter, Brent L.; Beckstein, Jesse C.; Martin, John T.; Beattie, Elizabeth E.; Orías, Alejandro A. Espinoza; Schaer, Thomas P.; Vresilovic, Edward J.; Elliott, Dawn M.

2012-01-01

Study Design Experimental measurement and normalization of in vitro disc torsion mechanics and collagen content for several animal species used in intervertebral disc research and comparing these to the human disc. Objective To aid in the selection of appropriate animal models for disc research by measuring torsional mechanical properties and collagen content. Summary of Background Data There is lack of data and variability in testing protocols for comparing animal and human disc torsion mechanics and collagen content. Methods Intervertebral disc torsion mechanics were measured and normalized by disc height and polar moment of inertia for 11 disc types in 8 mammalian species: the calf, pig, baboon, goat, sheep, rabbit, rat, and mouse lumbar, and cow, rat, and mouse caudal. Collagen content was measured and normalized by dry weight for the same discs except the rat and mouse. Collagen fiber stretch in torsion was calculated using an analytical model. Results Measured torsion parameters varied by several orders of magnitude across the different species. After geometric normalization, only the sheep and pig discs were statistically different from human. Fiber stretch was found to be highly dependent on the assumed initial fiber angle. The collagen content of the discs was similar, especially in the outer annulus where only the calf and goat discs were statistically different from human. Disc collagen content did not correlate with torsion mechanics. Conclusion Disc torsion mechanics are comparable to human lumbar discs in 9 of 11 disc types after normalization by geometry. The normalized torsion mechanics and collagen content of the multiple animal discs presented is useful for selecting and interpreting results for animal models of the disc. Structural composition of the disc, such as initial fiber angle, may explain the differences that were noted between species after geometric normalization. PMID:22333953

Examination of electromagnetic powers with the example of a uc(Faraday) disc dynamo

Science.gov (United States)

Reich, Felix A.; Müller, Wolfgang H.

2018-03-01

This paper studies the mathematical form of electromagnetic powers and their influence on the balance of energy by using the example of a uc(Faraday) disc. First, two forms of energy (and balances thereof) are discussed. These employ different forms of powers, which can be distinguished w.r.t. their physical origins and their interpretations in context with the notions of supply and production. The stationary uc(Faraday) disc experiment is modeled following the description by Kovetz (Electromagnetic theory, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000). Concepts for formulating the electromagnetic field equations for the rotating disc are discussed, and the corresponding approximate analytical solutions are presented. Based on the obtained electromagnetic fields, the powers of the disc are analyzed for a stationary process. The conversion of mechanical power to heating and electromagnetic powering of an external resistor is explained. The paper concludes with the computation of the time evolution of the angular velocity for a magnetically induced breaking process of the disc.

Gas dynamics in tidal dwarf galaxies: Disc formation at z = 0

Science.gov (United States)

Lelli, Federico; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Brinks, Elias; Bournaud, Frédéric; McGaugh, Stacy S.; Lisenfeld, Ute; Weilbacher, Peter M.; Boquien, Médéric; Revaz, Yves; Braine, Jonathan; Koribalski, Bärbel S.; Belles, Pierre-Emmanuel

2015-12-01

Tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) are recycled objects that form within the collisional debris of interacting and merging galaxies. They are expected to be devoid of non-baryonic dark matter, since they can only form from dissipative material ejected from the discs of the progenitor galaxies. We investigate the gas dynamics in a sample of six bona fide TDGs around three interacting and post-interacting systems: NGC 4694, NGC 5291, and NGC 7252 ("Atoms for Peace"). For NGC 4694 and NGC 5291, we analyse existing H I data from the Very Large Array (VLA), while for NGC 7252 we present new H I observations from the Jansky VLA, together with long-slit and integral-field optical spectroscopy. For all six TDGs, the H I emission can be described by rotating disc models. These H I discs, however, have undergone less than a full rotation since the time of the interaction/merger event, raising the question of whether they are in dynamical equilibrium. Assuming that these discs are in equilibrium, the inferred dynamical masses are consistent with the observed baryonic masses, implying that TDGs are devoid of dark matter. This puts constraints on putative "dark discs" (either baryonic or non-baryonic) in the progenitor galaxies. Moreover, TDGs seem to systematically deviate from the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. These results provide a challenging test for alternative theories like MOND. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at Paranal Observatory under programmes 65.O-0563, 67.B-0049, and 083.B-0647.Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgThe reduced data cubes are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/584/A113

Resolving the disc-halo degeneracy - I: a look at NGC 628

Science.gov (United States)

Aniyan, S.; Freeman, K. C.; Arnaboldi, M.; Gerhard, O. E.; Coccato, L.; Fabricius, M.; Kuijken, K.; Merrifield, M.; Ponomareva, A. A.

2018-05-01

The decomposition of the rotation curve of galaxies into contribution from the disc and dark halo remains uncertain and depends on the adopted mass-to-light ratio (M/L) of the disc. Given the vertical velocity dispersion of stars and disc scale height, the disc surface mass density and hence the M/L can be estimated. We address a conceptual problem with previous measurements of the scale height and dispersion. When using this method, the dispersion and scale height must refer to the same population of stars. The scale height is obtained from near-infrared (IR) studies of edge-on galaxies and is weighted towards older kinematically hotter stars, whereas the dispersion obtained from integrated light in the optical bands includes stars of all ages. We aim to extract the dispersion for the hotter stars, so that it can then be used with the correct scale height to obtain the disc surface mass density. We use a sample of planetary nebulae (PNe) as dynamical tracers in the face-on galaxy NGC 628. We extract two different dispersions from its velocity histogram - representing the older and younger PNe. We also present complementary stellar absorption spectra in the inner regions of this galaxy and use a direct pixel fitting technique to extract the two components. Our analysis concludes that previous studies, which do not take account of the young disc, underestimate the disc surface mass density by a factor of ˜2. This is sufficient to make a maximal disc for NGC 628 appear like a submaximal disc.

Artificial Disc Replacement

Science.gov (United States)

... Spondylolisthesis BLOG FIND A SPECIALIST Treatments Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) Patient Education Committee Jamie Baisden The disc ... Disc An artificial disc (also called a disc replacement, disc prosthesis or spine arthroplasty device) is a ...

The Location of the Deepest Point of the Eyeball Determines the Optic Disc Configuration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong Chan; Jung, Younhea; Park, Hae-Young Lopilly; Park, Chan Kee

2017-07-19

Tilted and rotated appearances are hallmarks of the myopic optic disc. As the eyeball grows axially, the posterior pole elongates not only globally but in a localized manner as well. In this process, the optic disc is pulled towards the deepest point of the elongated eyeball, which might result in a change in optic disc configuration. Thus, we hypothesized that analyzing the variation of posterior pole contour can play a major role in understanding optic disc configuration in myopic subjects. By analyzing consecutive images of swept source OCT coronal sections at the posterior pole, the deepest interface between Bruch's membrane and the choroid could be identified as the deepest point of the eyeball (DPE). The location and the properties of the DPE differed significantly between the 125 eyes of non-glaucomatous myopic group and the 40 eyes of non-glaucomatous emmetropic group classified based on 24 mm axial length. The results suggested that the larger disc to DPE angle and the larger disc to DPE depth strongly predicts the optic disc torsion degree and the optic disc tilt. Our findings suggest that identifying the posterior pole profile plays a major role in understanding the optic disc alterations found in myopic subjects.

Bladed disc crack diagnostics using blade passage signals

Science.gov (United States)

Hanachi, Houman; Liu, Jie; Banerjee, Avisekh; Koul, Ashok; Liang, Ming; Alavi, Elham

2012-12-01

One of the major potential faults in a turbo fan engine is the crack initiation and propagation in bladed discs under cyclic loads that could result in the breakdown of the engines if not detected at an early stage. Reliable fault detection techniques are therefore in demand to reduce maintenance cost and prevent catastrophic failures. Although a number of approaches have been reported in the literature, it remains very challenging to develop a reliable technique to accurately estimate the health condition of a rotating bladed disc. Correspondingly, this paper presents a novel technique for bladed disc crack detection through two sequential signal processing stages: (1) signal preprocessing that aims to eliminate the noises in the blade passage signals; (2) signal postprocessing that intends to identify the crack location. In the first stage, physics-based modeling and interpretation are established to help characterize the noises. The crack initiation can be determined based on the calculated health monitoring index derived from the sinusoidal effects. In the second stage, the crack is located through advanced detrended fluctuation analysis of the preprocessed data. The proposed technique is validated using a set of spin rig test data (i.e. tip clearance and time of arrival) that was acquired during a test conducted on a bladed military engine fan disc. The test results have demonstrated that the developed technique is an effective approach for identifying and locating the incipient crack that occurs at the root of a bladed disc.

Heat transfer enhancement with condensation by surface rotation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasiliev, L L; Khrolenok, V V [A.V. Luikov Heat and Mass Transfer Inst., Minsk (Belarus)

1993-11-01

Process intensification relies on many unit operations on enhanced heat transfer. One technique for the enhancement of condensation heat transfer is the use of surface rotation. This is particularly effective in reducing the condensate film thickness. The formulae and relationships given in this paper are concerned with rotating discs and tubes, and can be used for developing advanced heat exchanger concepts. (Author)

On gyroscopic effects in vibrating and axially rotating solid and annular discs

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Joubert, SV

2007-05-01

Full Text Available are negligible. Our model is formulated in general terms and then compared to a formulation in terms of Novozhilov-Arnold-Warbur-ton’s theory of thin shells. The system of equations of motion of the disc is separated and transformed into a pair of wave equations...

Statistical properties of Faraday rotation measure in external galaxies - I. Intervening disc galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Aritra; Mao, S. A.; Fletcher, Andrew; Kanekar, Nissim; Shukurov, Anvar; Schnitzeler, Dominic; Vacca, Valentina; Junklewitz, Henrik

2018-06-01

Deriving the Faraday rotation measure (RM) of quasar absorption line systems, which are tracers of high-redshift galaxies intervening background quasars, is a powerful tool for probing magnetic fields in distant galaxies. Statistically comparing the RM distributions of two quasar samples, with and without absorption line systems, allows one to infer magnetic field properties of the intervening galaxy population. Here, we have derived the analytical form of the probability distribution function (PDF) of RM produced by a single galaxy with an axisymmetric large-scale magnetic field. We then further determine the PDF of RM for one random sight line traversing each galaxy in a population with a large-scale magnetic field prescription. We find that the resulting PDF of RM is dominated by a Lorentzian with a width that is directly related to the mean axisymmetric large-scale field strength of the galaxy population if the dispersion of B0 within the population is smaller than . Provided that RMs produced by the intervening galaxies have been successfully isolated from other RM contributions along the line of sight, our simple model suggests that in galaxies probed by quasar absorption line systems can be measured within ≈50 per cent accuracy without additional constraints on the magneto-ionic medium properties of the galaxies. Finally, we discuss quasar sample selection criteria that are crucial to reliably interpret observations, and argue that within the limitations of the current data base of absorption line systems, high-metallicity damped Lyman-α absorbers are best suited to study galactic dynamo action in distant disc galaxies.

Planetary nebula velocities in the disc and bulge of M31

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Halliday, C.; Carter, D.; Bridges, T. J.; Jackson, Z. C.; Wilkinson, M. I.; Quinn, D. P.; Evans, N. W.; Douglas, N. G.; Merrett, H. R.; Merrifield, M. R.; Romanowsky, A. J.; Kuijken, K.; Irwin, M. J.

2006-01-01

We present radial velocities for a sample of 723 planetary nebulae in the disc and bulge of M31, measured using the WYFFOS fibre spectrograph on the William Herschel Telescope. Velocities are determined using the [OIII] lambda 5007 emission line. Rotation and velocity dispersion are measured to a

Differential wedging of vertebral body and intervertebral disc in thoracic and lumbar spine in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis – A cross sectional study in 150 patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Hak-Jun

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hueter-Volkmann's law regarding growth modulation suggests that increased pressure on the end plate of bone retards the growth (Hueter and conversely, reduced pressure accelerates the growth (Volkmann. Literature described the same principle in Rat-tail model. Human spine and its deformity i.e. scoliosis has also same kind of pattern during the growth period which causes wedging in disc or vertebral body. Methods This cross sectional study in 150 patients of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was done to evaluate vertebral body and disc wedging in scoliosis and to compare the extent of differential wedging of body and disc, in thoracic and lumbar area. We measured wedging of vertebral bodies and discs, along with two adjacent vertebrae and disc, above and below the apex and evaluated them according to severity of curve (curve 30° to find the relationship of vertebral body or disc wedging with scoliosis in thoracic and lumbar spine. We also compared the wedging and rotations of vertebrae. Results In both thoracic and lumbar curves, we found that greater the degree of scoliosis, greater the wedging in both disc and body and the degree of wedging was more at apex supporting the theory of growth retardation in stress concentration area. However, the degree of wedging in vertebral body is more than the disc in thoracic spine while the wedging was more in disc than body in lumbar spine. On comparing the wedging with the rotation, we did not find any significant relationship suggesting that it has no relation with rotation. Conclusion From our study, we can conclude that wedging in disc and body are increasing with progression on scoliosis and maximum at apex; however there is differential wedging of body and disc, in thoracic and lumbar area, that is vertebral body wedging is more profound in thoracic area while disc wedging is more profound in lumbar area which possibly form 'vicious cycle' by asymmetric loading to spine for the

Clean-in-Place and Reliability Testing of a Commercial 12.5-cm Annular Centrifugal Contactor at the INL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

N. R. Mann; T. G. Garn; D. H. Meikrantz; J. D. Law; T. A. Todd

2007-01-01

The renewed interest in advancing nuclear energy has spawned the research of advanced technologies for recycling nuclear fuel. A significant portion of the advanced fuel cycle includes the recovery of selected actinides by solvent extraction methods utilizing centrifugal contactors. Although the use of centrifugal contactors for solvent extraction is widely known, their operation is not without challenges. Solutions generated from spent fuel dissolution contain unknown quantities of undissolved solids. A majority of these solids will be removed via various methods of filtration. However, smaller particles are expected to carry through to downstream solvent extraction processes and equipment. In addition, solids/precipitates brought about by mechanical or chemical upsets are another potential area of concern. During processing, particulate captured in the rotor assembly by high centrifugal forces eventually forms a cake-like structure on the inner wall introducing balance problems and negatively affecting phase separations. One of the features recently developed for larger engineering scale Annular Centrifugal Contactors (ACCs) is the Clean-In-Place (CIP) capability. Engineered spray nozzles were installed into the hollow central rotor shaft in all four quadrants of the rotor assembly. This arrangement allows for a very convenient and effective method of solids removal from within the rotor assembly

Clean-in-Place and Reliability Testing of a Commercial 12.5 cm Annular Centrifugal Contactor at the INL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

N. R. Mann; T. G. Garn; D. H. Meikrantz; J. D. Law; T. A. Todd

2007-01-01

The renewed interest in advancing nuclear energy has spawned the research of advanced technologies for recycling nuclear fuel. A significant portion of the advanced fuel cycle includes the recovery of selected actinides by solvent extraction methods utilizing centrifugal contactors. Although the use of centrifugal contactors for solvent extraction is widely known, their operation is not without challenges. Solutions generated from spent fuel dissolution contain unknown quantities of undissolved solids. A majority of these solids will be removed via various methods of filtration. However, smaller particles are expected to carry through to downstream solvent extraction processes and equipment. In addition, solids/precipitates brought about by mechanical or chemical upsets are another potential area of concern. During processing, particulate captured in the rotor assembly by high centrifugal forces eventually forms a cake-like structure on the inner wall introducing balance problems and negatively affecting phase separations. One of the features recently developed for larger engineering scale Annular Centrifugal Contactors (ACCs) is the Clean-In-Place (CIP) capability. Engineered spray nozzles were installed into the hollow central rotor shaft in all four quadrants of the rotor assembly. This arrangement allows for a very convenient and effective method of solids removal from within the rotor assembly

Automated assembly of microfluidic "lab-on-a-disc"

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, M.; Müller, T.; Voebel, T.; Baum, C.; Glennon, T.; Mishra, R.; Kinahan, D.; King, D.; Ducrée, J.; Brecher, C.

2018-02-01

Point-of-care (POC) testing attracts more and more attention in the medical health sector because of their specific property to perform the diagnostic close to the patient. The fast diagnosis right at the hospital or the doctor's office improves the medical reaction time and the chances for a successful healing process. One of this POC test systems is a "Lab-on-a-Disc" (LoaD) which looks like a compact disc crisscrossed with microfluidic tubes and cavities. The fluid to be analysed is placed in the LoaD and an external device then rotates the LoaD. The cavities inside the LoaD and the centrifugal force ensure a clearly defined sequence of the analysis. Furthermore, we aim for an inexpensive manufacture of the medical product without neglecting its quality and functionality. Therefore, the Fraunhofer IPT works on an assembly cell to implement dissoluble films concisely into the disc. This dissoluble film demonstrates its successful usage as a gate for the fluid, which opens after a predefined moment in the cycle. Furthermore, we investigate to integrate a laser welding process into our gantry system and demonstrate its efficiency with the welding of polymer discs. This procedure is clinically safe because no further laser absorption material is needed in the sealing process, which might pollute the LoaD. Moreover, this process allows the alignment of several discs before the welding and therefore leads to precisely manufactured LoaDs in large quantities. All these methods together enable a fast, costefficient and reliable mass production to bring POC testing among the people.

Angular Speed of a Compact Disc

Science.gov (United States)

Sawicki, Mikolaj ``Mik''

2006-09-01

A spinning motion of a compact disc in a CD player offers an interesting and challenging problem in rotational kinematics with a nonconstant angular acceleration that can be incorporated into a typical introductory physics class for engineers and scientists. It can be used either as an example presented during the lecture, emphasizing application of calculus, or as a homework assignment that could be handled easily with the help of a spreadsheet, thus eliminating the calculus aspect altogether. I tried both approaches, and the spreadsheet study was favored by my students.

DETERMINATION OF LIQUID FILM THICKNESS FOLLOWING DRAINING OF CONTACTORS, VESSELS, AND PIPES IN THE MCU PROCESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, M; Fernando Fondeur, F; Samuel Fink, S

2006-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) identified the caustic side solvent extraction (CSSX) process as the preferred technology to remove cesium from radioactive waste solutions at the Savannah River Site (SRS). As a result, Washington Savannah River Company (WSRC) began designing and building a Modular CSSX Unit (MCU) in the SRS tank farm to process liquid waste for an interim period until the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) begins operations. Both the solvent and the strip effluent streams could contain high concentrations of cesium which must be removed from the contactors, process tanks, and piping prior to performing contactor maintenance. When these vessels are drained, thin films or drops will remain on the equipment walls. Following draining, the vessels will be flushed with water and drained to remove the flush water. The draining reduces the cesium concentration in the vessels by reducing the volume of cesium-containing material. The flushing, and subsequent draining, reduces the cesium in the vessels by diluting the cesium that remains in the film or drops on the vessel walls. MCU personnel requested that Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) researchers conduct a literature search to identify models to calculate the thickness of the liquid films remaining in the contactors, process tanks, and piping following draining of salt solution, solvent, and strip solution. The conclusions from this work are: (1) The predicted film thickness of the strip effluent is 0.010 mm on vertical walls, 0.57 mm on horizontal walls and 0.081 mm in horizontal pipes. (2) The predicted film thickness of the salt solution is 0.015 mm on vertical walls, 0.74 mm on horizontal walls, and 0.106 mm in horizontal pipes. (3) The predicted film thickness of the solvent is 0.022 mm on vertical walls, 0.91 mm on horizontal walls, and 0.13 mm in horizontal pipes. (4) The calculated film volume following draining is: (a) Salt solution receipt tank--1.6 gallons; (b) Salt solution feed

A physical process of the radial acceleration of disc galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Wilhelm, Klaus; Dwivedi, Bhola N.

2018-03-01

An impact model of gravity designed to emulate Newton's law of gravitation is applied to the radial acceleration of disc galaxies. Based on this model (Wilhelm et al. 2013), the rotation velocity curves can be understood without the need to postulate any dark matter contribution. The increased acceleration in the plane of the disc is a consequence of multiple interactions of gravitons (called `quadrupoles' in the original paper) and the subsequent propagation in this plane and not in three-dimensional space. The concept provides a physical process that relates the fit parameter of the acceleration scale defined by McGaugh et al. (2016) to the mean free path length of gravitons in the discs of galaxies. It may also explain the gravitational interaction at low acceleration levels in MOdification of the Newtonian Dynamics (MOND, Milgrom 1983, 1994, 2015, 2016). Three examples are discussed in some detail: the spiral galaxies NGC 7814, NGC 6503 and M 33.

CFD simulation of copper(II) extraction with TFA in non-dispersive hollow fiber membrane contactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Muhammad, Amir; Younas, Mohammad; Rezakazemi, Mashallah

2018-04-01

This study presents computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of dispersion-free liquid-liquid extraction of copper(II) with trifluoroacetylacetone (TFA) in hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC). Mass and momentum balance Navier-Stokes equations were coupled to address the transport of copper(II) solute across membrane contactor. Model equations were simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics™. The simulation was run to study the detailed concentration distribution of copper(II) and to investigate the effects of various parameters like membrane characteristics, partition coefficient, and flow configuration on extraction efficiency. Once-through extraction was found to be increased from 10 to 100% when partition coefficient was raised from 1 to 10. Similarly, the extraction efficiency was almost doubled when porosity to tortuosity ratio of membrane was increased from 0.05 to 0.81. Furthermore, the study revealed that CFD can be used as an effective optimization tool for the development of economical membrane-based dispersion-free extraction processes.

Instability of the cored barotropic disc: the linear eigenvalue formulation

Science.gov (United States)

Polyachenko, E. V.

2018-05-01

Gaseous rotating razor-thin discs are a testing ground for theories of spiral structure that try to explain appearance and diversity of disc galaxy patterns. These patterns are believed to arise spontaneously under the action of gravitational instability, but calculations of its characteristics in the gas are mostly obscured. The paper suggests a new method for finding the spiral patterns based on an expansion of small amplitude perturbations over Lagrange polynomials in small radial elements. The final matrix equation is extracted from the original hydrodynamical equations without the use of an approximate theory and has a form of the linear algebraic eigenvalue problem. The method is applied to a galactic model with the cored exponential density profile.

The relationship between the TMJ internal derangement state including rotational displacement and perforation and the clinical characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hwan Seok; You Dong Soo

1998-01-01

This study was designed to reveal the correlationship between the internal derangement state of TMJ and clinical characteristics including pain and mandibular dysfuntion. One hundred and twenty five subjects with TMJ signs and symptoms were chosen for two years. The level of pain and mandibular dysfuntion were evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Craniomandibular Index (CMI). The diagnostic categories of TMJ internal derangement were determined by arthrography and they included normal disc position, anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDR), rotational disc displacement with reduction (RDDR), andterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDNR), and rotational disc displacement without reduction (RDDNR). Also disc perforation was used as a criteria to divide the diagnostic subgroups. The obtained results were as follows ; 1. The patient distribution of each group was 5 in normal disc position (4%), 40 in ADDR (32%), 30 in RDDR (24%), 34 in ADDNR (27%), and 16 in RDDNR (13%). 2. Perforation was observed in 8% of ADDR, 10% of RDDR, 32% of ADDNR, and 19% of RDDNR. 3. CMI of perforation group was higher than that of reduction or normal group(p 0.05).

[Research progress of intervertebral disc endogenous stem cells for intervertebral disc regeneration].

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Hang; Deng, Xiangyu; Shao, Zengwu

2017-10-01

To summarize the research progress of intervertebral disc endogenous stem cells for intervertebral disc regeneration and deduce the therapeutic potential of endogenous repair for intervertebral disc degeneration. The original articles about intervertebral disc endogenous stem cells for intervertebral disc regeneration were extensively reviewed; the reparative potential in vivo and the extraction and identification in vitro of intervertebral disc endogenous stem cells were analyzed; the prospect of endogenous stem cells for intervertebral disc regeneration was predicted. Stem cell niche present in the intervertebral discs, from which stem cells migrate to injured tissues and contribute to tissues regeneration under certain specific microenvironment. Moreover, the migration of stem cells is regulated by chemokines system. Tissue specific progenitor cells have been identified and successfully extracted and isolated. The findings provide the basis for biological therapy of intervertebral disc endogenous stem cells. Intervertebral disc endogenous stem cells play a crucial role in intervertebral disc regeneration. Therapeutic strategy of intervertebral disc endogenous stem cells is proven to be a promising biological approach for intervertebral disc regeneration.

Statistical properties of Faraday rotation measure in external galaxies - I: intervening disc galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Aritra; Mao, S. A.; Fletcher, Andrew; Kanekar, Nissim; Shukurov, Anvar; Schnitzeler, Dominic; Vacca, Valentina; Junklewitz, Henrik

2018-03-01

Deriving the Faraday rotation measure (RM) of quasar absorption line systems, which are tracers of high-redshift galaxies intervening background quasars, is a powerful tool for probing magnetic fields in distant galaxies. Statistically comparing the RM distributions of two quasar samples, with and without absorption line systems, allows one to infer magnetic field properties of the intervening galaxy population. Here, we have derived the analytical form of the probability distribution function (PDF) of RM produced by a single galaxy with an axisymmetric large-scale magnetic field. We then further determine the PDF of RM for one random sight line traversing each galaxy in a population with a large-scale magnetic field prescription. We find that the resulting PDF of RM is dominated by a Lorentzian with a width that is directly related to the mean axisymmetric large-scale field strength ⟨B0⟩ of the galaxy population if the dispersion of B0 within the population is smaller than ⟨B0⟩. Provided that RMs produced by the intervening galaxies have been successfully isolated from other RM contributions along the line of sight, our simple model suggests that ⟨B0⟩ in galaxies probed by quasar absorption line systems can be measured within ≈50 per cent accuracy without additional constraints on the magneto-ionic medium properties of the galaxies. Finally, we discuss quasar sample selection criteria that are crucial to reliably interpret observations, and argue that within the limitations of the current database of absorption line systems, high-metallicity damped Lyman-α absorbers are best suited to study galactic dynamo action in distant disc galaxies.

Tidal Dwarf Galaxies: Disc Formation at \\(z\\simeq0\\

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federico Lelli

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Collisional debris around interacting and post-interacting galaxies often display condensations of gas and young stars that can potentially form gravitationally bound objects: Tidal Dwarf Galaxies (TDGs. We summarise recent results on TDGs, which are originally published in Lelli et al. (2015, A&A.We study a sample of six TDGs around three different interacting systems, using high-resolution HI observations from the Very Large Array. We find that the HI emission associated to TDGs can be described by rotating disc models. These discs, however, would have undergone less than one orbit since the time of the TDG formation, raising the question of whether they are in dynamical equilibrium. Assuming that TDGs are in dynamical equilibrium, we find that the ratio of dynamical mass to baryonic mass is consistent with one, implying that TDGs are devoid of dark matter. This is in line with the results of numerical simulations where tidal forces effectively segregate dark matter in the halo from baryonic matter in the disc, which ends up forming tidal tails and TDGs.

[Influence of disc height on outcome of posterolateral fusion].

Science.gov (United States)

Drain, O; Lenoir, T; Dauzac, C; Rillardon, L; Guigui, P

2008-09-01

Experimentally, posterolateral fusion only provides incomplete control of flexion-extension, rotation and lateral inclination forces. The stability deficit increases with increasing height of the anterior intervertebral space, which for some warrants the adjunction of an intersomatic arthrodesis in addition to the posterolateral graft. Few studies have been devoted to the impact of disc height on the outcome of posterolateral fusion. The purpose of this work was to investigate the spinal segment immobilized by the posterolateral fusion: height of the anterior intervertebral space, the clinical and radiographic impact of changes in disc height, and the short- and long-term impact of disc height measured preoperatively on clinical and radiographic outcome. In order to obtain a homogeneous group of patients, the series was limited to patients undergoing posterolateral arthrodesis for degenerative spondylolisthesis, in combination with radicular release. This was a retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 66 patients with mean 52 months follow-up (range 3-63 months). A dedicated self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on pre- and postoperative function, the SF-36 quality of life score, and patient satisfaction. Pre- and postoperative (early, one year, last follow-up) radiographic data were recorded: olisthesic level, disc height, intervertebral angle, intervertebral mobility (angular, anteroposterior), and global measures of sagittal balance (thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, T9 sagittal tilt, pelvic version, pelvic incidence, sacral slope). SpineView was used for all measures. Univariate analysis searched for correlations between variation in disc height and early postoperative function and quality of fusion at last follow-up. Multivariate analysis was applied to the following preoperative parameters: intervertebral angle, disc height, intervertebral mobility, sagittal balance parameters, use of osteosynthesis or not. At the olisthesic

Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture: A Scale-Up Study from Laboratory to Pilot Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chabanon E.

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Membrane contactors have been proposed for decades as a way to achieve intensified mass transfer processes. Post-combustion CO2 capture by absorption into a chemical solvent is one of the currently most intensively investigated topics in this area. Numerous studies have already been reported, unfortunately almost systematically on small, laboratory scale, modules. Given the level of flue gas flow rates which have to be treated for carbon capture applications, a consistent scale-up methodology is obviously needed for a rigorous engineering design. In this study, the possibilities and limitations of scale-up strategies for membrane contactors have been explored and will be discussed. Experiments (CO2 absorption from a gas mixture in a 30%wt MEA aqueous solution have been performed both on mini-modules and at pilot scale (10 m2 membrane contactor module based on PTFE hollow fibers. The results have been modelled utilizing a resistance in series approach. The only adjustable parameter is in fitting the simulations to experimental data is the membrane mass transfer coefficient (km, which logically plays a key role. The difficulties and uncertainties associated with scaleup computations from lab scale to pilot scale modules, with a particular emphasis on the km value, are presented and critically discussed.

Simplified 3d CFD flow simulation of a turbojet disc cavity with conjugate heat transfer

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Snedden, Glen C

2003-09-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of an actual disc cavity, complete with rotation and conjugate heat transfer, is presented. The model uses a commercially available code with geometrical accuracy including a labyrinth seal...

Estimation of bipolar jets from accretion discs around Kerr black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Rajiv; Chattopadhyay, Indranil

2017-08-01

We analyse flows around a rotating black hole and obtain self-consistent accretion-ejection solutions in full general relativistic prescription. Entire energy-angular momentum parameter space is investigated in the advective regime to obtain shocked and shock-free accretion solutions. Jet equations of motion are solved along the von Zeipel surfaces computed from the post-shock disc, simultaneously with the equations of accretion disc along the equatorial plane. For a given spin parameter, the mass outflow rate increases as the shock moves closer to the black hole, but eventually decreases, maximizing at some intermediate value of shock location. Interestingly, we obtain all types of possible jet solutions, for example, steady shock solution with multiple critical points, bound solution with two critical points and smooth solution with single critical point. Multiple critical points may exist in jet solution for spin parameter as ≥ 0.5. The jet terminal speed generally increases if the accretion shock forms closer to the horizon and is higher for corotating black hole than the counter-rotating and the non-rotating one. Quantitatively speaking, shocks in jet may form for spin parameter as > 0.6 and jet shocks range between 6rg and 130rg above the equatorial plane, while the jet terminal speed vj∞ > 0.35 c if Bernoulli parameter E≥1.01 for as > 0.99.

High-energy radiation from collisions of high-velocity clouds and the Galactic disc

Science.gov (United States)

del Valle, Maria V.; Müller, A. L.; Romero, G. E.

2018-04-01

High-velocity clouds (HVCs) are interstellar clouds of atomic hydrogen that do not follow normal Galactic rotation and have velocities of a several hundred kilometres per second. A considerable number of these clouds are falling down towards the Galactic disc. HVCs form large and massive complexes, so if they collide with the disc a great amount of energy would be released into the interstellar medium. The cloud-disc interaction produces two shocks: one propagates through the cloud and the other through the disc. The properties of these shocks depend mainly on the cloud velocity and the disc-cloud density ratio. In this work, we study the conditions necessary for these shocks to accelerate particles by diffusive shock acceleration and we study the non-thermal radiation that is produced. We analyse particle acceleration in both the cloud and disc shocks. Solving a time-dependent two-dimensional transport equation for both relativistic electrons and protons, we obtain particle distributions and non-thermal spectral energy distributions. In a shocked cloud, significant synchrotron radio emission is produced along with soft gamma rays. In the case of acceleration in the shocked disc, the non-thermal radiation is stronger; the gamma rays, of leptonic origin, might be detectable with current instruments. A large number of protons are injected into the Galactic interstellar medium, and locally exceed the cosmic ray background. We conclude that under adequate conditions the contribution from HVC-disc collisions to the galactic population of relativistic particles and the associated extended non-thermal radiation might be important.

Disc operational system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veretenov, V.Yu.; Volkov, A.I.; Gurevich, M.I.; Kozik, V.S.; Pod'yachev, E.I.; Shapiro, M.L.

1974-01-01

A disc operational system is proposed, which is based on the file structure and designed for use in a BESM-6 computer with the software system comprising a dispatcher DD-73 and a monitor 'Dubna'. The main distinguishing feature of the disc operational system is the decentralization of the file system. Each disc package is an independent file unaffected by the state of the other disc packages. The use of several disc packages is allowed. The above feature of the disc operational system makes it possible to simplify the language of communication with the system, to give the user the opportunity of controlling the file quite independently, and to simplify the maintenance of the discs by the computer personnel. One and the same disc can be simultaneously addressed by all problems in the processor (both mathematical and service). A single file, however, may be used in the recording mode by only one problem. The description presented is the instruction for users. It also describes special possibilities open to the system programmers [ru

The link between the baryonic mass distribution and the rotation curve shape

Science.gov (United States)

Swaters, R. A.; Sancisi, R.; van der Hulst, J. M.; van Albada, T. S.

2012-09-01

The observed rotation curves of disc galaxies, ranging from late-type dwarf galaxies to early-type spirals, can be fitted remarkably well simply by scaling up the contributions of the stellar and H I discs. This 'baryonic scaling model' can explain the full breadth of observed rotation curves with only two free parameters. For a small fraction of galaxies, in particular early-type spiral galaxies, H I scaling appears to fail in the outer parts, possibly due to observational effects or ionization of H I. The overall success of the baryonic scaling model suggests that the well-known global coupling between the baryonic mass of a galaxy and its rotation velocity (known as the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation) applies at a more local level as well, and it seems to imply a link between the baryonic mass distribution and the distribution of total mass (including dark matter).

Contribution to the study of rotating disc induced MHD flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herve, P.

1983-01-01

Influence of a magnetic field on electroconductor viscous fluid flow generated by disks in rotation is studied here. Flow in rectilinear conduct is first studied, together with velocity, force and current line repartition. Then a case more general is dealt with a toroidal conduct with disk drive. The influence of electric conductivity and of the thickness of the mobile disk are detailed. Couple study leads to think to a transmission by fluid variable by magnetic field variations. At last, a radial flow with a source in the middle of it is studied with a disk rotation. Analysis of velocity and pressure evolution shows a pump effect [fr

The spinning disc: studying radial acceleration and its damping process with smartphone acceleration sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Hochberg, K.; Gröber, S.; Kuhn, J.; Müller, A.

2014-03-01

Here, we show the possibility of analysing circular motion and acceleration using the acceleration sensors of smartphones. For instance, the known linear dependence of the radial acceleration on the distance to the centre (a constant angular frequency) can be shown using multiple smartphones attached to a revolving disc. As a second example, the decrease of the radial acceleration and the rotation frequency due to friction can be measured and fitted with a quadratic function, in accordance with theory. Finally, because the disc is not set up exactly horizontal, each smartphone measures a component of the gravitational acceleration that adds to the radial acceleration during one half of the period and subtracts from the radial acceleration during the other half. Hence, every graph shows a small modulation, which can be used to determine the rotation frequency, thus converting a ‘nuisance effect’ into a source of useful information, making additional measurements with stopwatches or the like unnecessary.

Determine variation of poisson ratios and thermal creep stresses and strain rates in an isotropic disc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gupta Nishi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Seth's transition theory is applied to the problem of thermal creep transition stresses and strain rates in a thin rotating disc with shaft having variable density by finite deformation. Neither the yield criterion nor the associated flow rule is assumed here. The results obtained here are applicable to compressible materials. If the additional condition of incompressibility is imposed, then the expression for stresses corresponds to those arising from Tresca yield condition. Thermal effect decreased value of radial stress at the internal surface of the rotating isotropic disc made of compressible material as well as incompressible material and this value of radial stress further much increases with the increase in angular speed. With the introduction of thermal effects, the maximum value of strain rates further increases at the internal surface for compressible materials as compare to incompressible material.

Influence of the fin orientation on the cooling of disc-brakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abanto, J.; Reggio, M.

2003-01-01

Nowadays, computational fluid dynamics is being applied in many fronts to improve the understanding of the flow and heat transfer behaviour in engineering applications. Unfortunately, there are not so many computational investigations regarding the ventilation and temperature distribution in discs-brakes. In this respect, this study presents a (CFD) analysis is carried out to investigate temperature distributions and flow patterns through disc brakes. The final goal is the development of shapes that optimize heat dissipation rates dictating the stopping capability of disc brakes. High performance discs brakes have a variety of cooling channels and the optimization of these passages is a challenging task for the manufacturing industry. High values of heat transfer coefficients of disc-brake configurations, are the most critical quantities during the design phase of new braking systems. In this context, a parametric study of the influence of the fin orientation concerning the cooling process of the rotating disc-brakes is presented. The numerical simulation was performed using four different solid configurations with the same weight, material properties and boundary conditions. In order to keep constant the influence of the numerical diffusion, these forms have been inserted in the fixed far computational domain (more than 90% of the overall domain). This large transient conjugate heat transfer analysis has been performed following the standard Fade and Recovery procedures. These allows to evaluate the heat dissipation and the evolution of heat transfer coefficients in space and time for each idealized brake model. Relevant temperature variations have been observed during the braking process when compared to the baseline disc-brake model. A commercial finite-volume based code was used for this CFD application. Mass, momentum, energy and K - ε RNG turbulence equations have been solved. (author)

The lamppost model: effects of photon trapping, the bottom lamp and disc truncation

Science.gov (United States)

Niedźwiecki, Andrzej; Zdziarski, Andrzej A.

2018-04-01

We study the lamppost model, in which the primary X-ray sources in accreting black-hole systems are located symmetrically on the rotation axis on both sides of the black hole surrounded by an accretion disc. We show the importance of the emission of the source on the opposite side to the observer. Due to gravitational light bending, its emission can increase the direct (i.e., not re-emitted by the disc) flux by as much as an order of magnitude. This happens for near to face-on observers when the disc is even moderately truncated. For truncated discs, we also consider effects of emission of the top source gravitationally bent around the black hole. We also present results for the attenuation of the observed radiation with respect to that emitted by the lamppost as functions of the lamppost height, black-hole spin and the degree of disc truncation. This attenuation, which is due to the time dilation, gravitational redshift and the loss of photons crossing the black-hole horizon, can be as severe as by several orders of magnitude for low lamppost heights. We also consider the contribution to the observed flux due to re-emission by optically-thick matter within the innermost stable circular orbit.

Novel Water Treatment Processes Based on Hybrid Membrane-Ozonation Systems: A Novel Ceramic Membrane Contactor for Bubbleless Ozonation of Emerging Micropollutants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stylianos K. Stylianou

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is the presentation of novel water treatment systems based on ozonation combined with ceramic membranes for the treatment of refractory organic compounds found in natural water sources such as groundwater. This includes, firstly, a short review of possible membrane based hybrid processes for water treatment from various sources. Several practical and theoretical aspects for the application of hybrid membrane-ozonation systems are discussed, along with theoretical background regarding the transformation of target organic pollutants by ozone. Next, a novel ceramic membrane contactor, bringing into contact the gas phase (ozone and water phase without the creation of bubbles (bubbleless ozonation, is presented. Experimental data showing the membrane contactor efficiency for oxidation of atrazine, endosulfan, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE are shown and discussed. Almost complete endosulfan degradation was achieved with the use of the ceramic contactor, whereas atrazine degradation higher than 50% could not be achieved even after 60 min of reaction time. Single ozonation of water containing MTBE could not result in a significant MTBE degradation. MTBE mineralization by O3/H2O2 combination increased at higher pH values and O3/H2O2 molar ratio of 0.2 reaching a maximum of around 65%.

Experimental occlusal interferences. Part V. Mandibular rotations versus hemimandibular translations.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, L V; Rassouli, N M

1995-12-01

Frontal plane mandibular rotations and corresponding hemimandibular translations were studied in vitro by using direct observations of a human cadaver mandible and in vivo by using the indirect observations of rotational electrognathography. A comparison between the two methods showed that rotational electrognathography erred in measuring the clinically relevant hemimandibular translations resulting from mandibular rotations having a unilateral molar point (simulated occlusal interference) as the pivot of frontal plane torque. In vitro frontal plane rotations about a unilateral mandibular molar tooth (simulated occlusal interference) suggested that the resulting hemimandibular upward translations of the lateral portion of the mandibular condyle, contralateral to the molar tooth, would cause considerable compressive loading of the temporomandibular joint disc.

Secular instabilities of Keplerian stellar discs

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Karamveer; Kazandjian, Mher V.; Sridhar, S.; Touma, Jihad R.

2018-05-01

We present idealized models of a razor-thin, axisymmetric, Keplerian stellar disc around a massive black hole, and study non-axisymmetric secular instabilities in the absence of either counter-rotation or loss cones. These discs are prograde mono-energetic waterbags, whose phase-space distribution functions are constant for orbits within a range of eccentricities (e) and zero outside this range. The linear normal modes of waterbags are composed of sinusoidal disturbances of the edges of distribution function in phase space. Waterbags that include circular orbits (polarcaps) have one stable linear normal mode for each azimuthal wavenumber m. The m = 1 mode always has positive pattern speed and, for polarcaps consisting of orbits with e normal modes for each m, which can be stable or unstable. We derive analytical expressions for the instability condition, pattern speeds, growth rates, and normal mode structure. Narrow bands are unstable to modes with a wide range in m. Numerical simulations confirm linear theory and follow the non-linear evolution of instabilities. Long-time integration suggests that instabilities of different m grow, interact non-linearly, and relax collisionlessly to a coarse-grained equilibrium with a wide range of eccentricities.

Star-disc interaction in galactic nuclei: formation of a central stellar disc

Science.gov (United States)

Panamarev, Taras; Shukirgaliyev, Bekdaulet; Meiron, Yohai; Berczik, Peter; Just, Andreas; Spurzem, Rainer; Omarov, Chingis; Vilkoviskij, Emmanuil

2018-05-01

We perform high-resolution direct N-body simulations to study the effect of an accretion disc on stellar dynamics in an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We show that the interaction of the nuclear stellar cluster (NSC) with the gaseous accretion disc (AD) leads to formation of a stellar disc in the central part of the NSC. The accretion of stars from the stellar disc on to the super-massive black hole is balanced by the capture of stars from the NSC into the stellar disc, yielding a stationary density profile. We derive the migration time through the AD to be 3 per cent of the half-mass relaxation time of the NSC. The mass and size of the stellar disc are 0.7 per cent of the mass and 5 per cent of the influence radius of the super-massive black hole. An AD lifetime shorter than the migration time would result in a less massive nuclear stellar disc. The detection of such a stellar disc could point to past activity of the hosting galactic nucleus.

Kepler orbits in the Stokesian sedimentation of discs

Science.gov (United States)

Chajwa, Rahul; Menon, Narayanan; Ramaswamy, Sriram

We study experimentally the settling dynamics of a pair of falling discs in a viscous fluid (Re 10-4), in a quasi-two-dimensional geometry with the vector normal to the discs, and the trajectory of the centres of the discs, lying in a plane. For initial conditions that are symmetric about the settling direction, we find periodic or scattering orbits of the settling pair [S. Jung et al., PRE 74, 035302 (2006)], and account for these in a purely far-field analysis [S. Kim, Int J Multiphase Flow 11, 699 (1985)]. In particular, we show that the problem of a symmetrically settling pair of spheroids can be mapped to the Kepler two-body problem. The solution to this problem gives a sharp transition between bound and scattering trajectories which is consistent with experimental observations. For initial conditions where the motions of the particles are not symmetric about the settling direction, we obtain yet another separatrix between full rotations and periodic oscillations which we study within an effective Hamiltonian description of this inertialess and entirely dissipative dynamical system. Present addresses - RC: ICTS-TIFR, Hessarghatta, Bengaluru 560 089; NM: Physics Department, UMass Amherst MA 01003; SR: Dept of Physics, IISc, Bengaluru 560 012 SR was supported in part by a J C Bose Fellowship of the SERB, India.

MR imaging findings of a sequestered disc in the lumbar spine: a comparison with an extruded disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sim, Su Youn; Park, Ji Seon; Ryu, Kyung Nam; Jin, Wook

2007-01-01

To compare the MR findings of a sequestered disc with an extruded disc. MR images of 28 patients with a sequestered disc and 18 patients with an extruded disc were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with sequestered discs were divided into two groups whether definite separation from the parent disc was or was not seen. In the latter group (definite separation not seen) and the extruded disc group of patients, the signal intensities of the herniated discs were compared with the signal intensities of the parent discs and were evaluated on T1-and T2-weighted images. We also assessed the presence of a notch within the herniated disc. In the sequestered disc group of patients (28 discs), only 5 discs (18%) showed obvious separation from the parent disc. Among the remaining 23 discs with indefinite separation, the notch was visible in 14 discs (61%) and 9 discs (39%) had no notch. In the extruded disc group (18 discs), the notch was visible in 2 (11%) discs and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (ρ 0.0002). The signal intensities of the herniated discs on T1-weighted images were isointense in both the sequestered and extruded discs. The difference of incidence of high signal intensities on T2-weighted images was not statistically significant (ρ = 0.125). It is necessary to consider the possibility of the presence of a sequestered disc when a herniated disc material shows a notch

The Smith Cloud: surviving a high-speed transit of the Galactic disc

Science.gov (United States)

Tepper-García, Thor; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss

2018-02-01

The origin and survival of the Smith high-velocity H I cloud has so far defied explanation. This object has several remarkable properties: (i) its prograde orbit is ≈100 km s-1 faster than the underlying Galactic rotation; (ii) its total gas mass (≳ 4 × 106 M⊙) exceeds the mass of all other high-velocity clouds (HVCs) outside of the Magellanic Stream; (iii) its head-tail morphology extends to the Galactic H I disc, indicating some sort of interaction. The Smith Cloud's kinetic energy rules out models based on ejection from the disc. We construct a dynamically self-consistent, multi-phase model of the Galaxy with a view to exploring whether the Smith Cloud can be understood in terms of an infalling, compact HVC that has transited the Galactic disc. We show that while a dark-matter (DM) free HVC of sufficient mass and density can reach the disc, it does not survive the transit. The most important ingredient to survival during a transit is a confining DM subhalo around the cloud; radiative gas cooling and high spatial resolution (≲ 10pc) are also essential. In our model, the cloud develops a head-tail morphology within ∼10 Myr before and after its first disc crossing; after the event, the tail is left behind and accretes on to the disc within ∼400 Myr. In our interpretation, the Smith Cloud corresponds to a gas 'streamer' that detaches, falls back and fades after the DM subhalo, distorted by the disc passage, has moved on. We conclude that subhaloes with MDM ≲ 109 M⊙ have accreted ∼109 M⊙ of gas into the Galaxy over cosmic time - a small fraction of the total baryon budget.

Accretion-induced luminosity spreads in young clusters: evidence from stellar rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Littlefair, S. P.; Naylor, Tim; Mayne, N. J.; Saunders, Eric; Jeffries, R. D.

2011-05-01

We present an analysis of the rotation of young stars in the associations Cepheus OB3b, NGC 2264, 2362 and the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC). We discover a correlation between rotation rate and position in a colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) such that stars which lie above an empirically determined median pre-main sequence rotate more rapidly than stars which lie below this sequence. The same correlation is seen, with a high degree of statistical significance, in each association studied here. If position within the CMD is interpreted as being due to genuine age spreads within a cluster, then the stars above the median pre-main sequence would be the youngest stars. This would in turn imply that the most rapidly rotating stars in an association are the youngest, and hence those with the largest moments of inertia and highest likelihood of ongoing accretion. Such a result does not fit naturally into the existing picture of angular momentum evolution in young stars, where the stars are braked effectively by their accretion discs until the disc disperses. Instead, we argue that, for a given association of young stars, position within the CMD is not primarily a function of age, but of accretion history. We show that this hypothesis could explain the correlation we observe between rotation rate and position within the CMD.

Biomechanics of increased spin velocity of flying discs during forehand throws by skilled and unskilled throwers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasakawa, Kei; Umegaki, Koji; Sakurai, Shinji

2018-04-01

We aimed to assess the relationship between throwing distance and kinematic release parameters of the flying disc in unskilled throwers, and to assess the relationship between kinetic variables acting on flying discs and the change in spin velocity during long forehand throws by skilled and unskilled throwers. Ten skilled and eleven unskilled throwers performed throws at maximum effort. Reflective marker positions on the disc and body were recorded with a 3D motion capture system during the throws to derive kinematic variables of a disc and kinetic variables acting on the disc. The analysis interval was from maximum external shoulder rotation to disc release. Significant correlations were observed between the throwing distance and spin velocity in skilled (r = 0.722, P < 0.05) and unskilled throwers (r = 0.794, P < 0.01), between the change in spin velocity and the angular impulse of moments of force, in unskilled throwers (r = 0.703, P < 0.05), and between the change in spin velocity and the angular impulse of torque among skilled throwers (r = 0.680, P < 0.01). Therefore, a strategy for increasing spin velocity in unskilled throwers could be used to generate a larger torque, similar to that observed in skilled throwers.

Decoupling of magnetic fields in collapsing protostellar envelopes and disc formation and fragmentation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Bo; Caselli, Paola; Li, Zhi-Yun; Krasnopolsky, Ruben

2018-02-01

Efficient magnetic braking is a formidable obstacle to the formation of rotationally supported discs (RSDs) around protostars in magnetized dense cores. We have previously shown, through 2D (axisymmetric) non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations, that removing very small grains (VSGs: ∼10 Å to few 100 Å) can greatly enhance ambipolar diffusion and enable the formation of RSDs. Here, we extend the simulations of disc formation enabled by VSG removal to 3D. We find that the key to this scenario of disc formation is that the drift velocity of the magnetic field almost cancels out the infall velocity of the neutrals in the 102-103 au scale 'pseudo-disc' where the field lines are most severely pinched and most of protostellar envelope mass infall occurs. As a result, the bulk neutral envelope matter can collapse without dragging much magnetic flux into the disc-forming region, which lowers the magnetic braking efficiency. We find that the initial discs enabled by VSG removal tend to be Toomre-unstable, which leads to the formation of prominent spiral structures that function as centrifugal barriers. The piling-up of infall material near the centrifugal barrier often produces dense fragments of tens of Jupiter masses, especially in cores that are not too strongly magnetized. Some fragments accrete on to the central stellar object, producing bursts in mass accretion rate. Others are longer lived, although whether they can survive for a long term to produce multiple systems remains to be ascertained. Our results highlight the importance of dust grain evolution in determining the formation and properties of protostellar discs and potentially multiple systems.

Evolution of viscous discs. 3. Giant discs in symbiotic stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bath, G T [Oxford Univ. (UK). Dept. of Astrophysics; Pringle, J E [Cambridge Univ. (UK). Inst. of Astronomy

1982-10-01

The structure of time-dependent accretion discs in giant binaries with separation of the order of 10/sup 13/ cm is examined. Radiative ..cap alpha..-viscosity discs with ..cap alpha.. of order unity accreting on to main-sequence stars at accretion rates which generate luminosities greater than a giant companion decay on time-scales of the same order as the binary period, unlike those in dwarf nova binaries which decay on time-scales 100 times longer than the binary period. This results from the lower gravitational potential and consequent larger disc thickness (relative to the radius) of luminous 'giant' discs accreting at high accretion rates. The eruptions of the symbiotic binary C I Cygni are modelled by an ..cap alpha.. = 1 disc with outer radius 8.5 x 10/sup 12/ cm and a sequence of five mass-transfer bursts at rates between 1.5 x 10/sup 21/ and 4 x 10/sup 22/g s/sup -1/.

Quasi-periodic oscillations and the global modes of relativistic, MHD accretion discs

Science.gov (United States)

Dewberry, Janosz W.; Latter, Henrik N.; Ogilvie, Gordon I.

2018-05-01

The high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations that punctuate the light curves of X-ray binary systems present a window on to the intrinsic properties of stellar-mass black holes and hence a testbed for general relativity. One explanation for these features is that relativistic distortion of the accretion disc's differential rotation creates a trapping region in which inertial waves (r-modes) might grow to observable amplitudes. Local analyses, however, predict that large-scale magnetic fields push this trapping region to the inner disc edge, where conditions may be unfavourable for r-mode growth. We revisit this problem from a pseudo-Newtonian but fully global perspective, deriving linearized equations describing a relativistic, magnetized accretion flow, and calculating normal modes with and without vertical density stratification. In an unstratified model we confirm that vertical magnetic fields drive r-modes towards the inner edge, though the effect depends on the choice of vertical wavenumber. In a global model we better quantify this susceptibility, and its dependence on the disc's vertical structure and thickness. Our calculations suggest that in thin discs, r-modes may remain independent of the inner disc edge for vertical magnetic fields with plasma betas as low as β ≈ 100-300. We posit that the appearance of r-modes in observations may be more determined by a competition between excitation and damping mechanisms near the ISCO than by the modification of the trapping region by magnetic fields.

Liquid-phase membrane extraction of targeted pesticides from manufacturing wastewaters in a hollow fibre contactor with feed-stream recycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Đorđević, Jelena; Vladisavljević, Goran T; Trtić-Petrović, Tatjana

2017-01-01

A two-phase membrane extraction in a hollow fibre contactor with feed-stream recycle was applied to remove selected pesticides (tebufenozide, linuron, imidacloprid, acetamiprid and dimethoate) from their mixed aqueous solutions. The contactor consisted of 50 polypropylene hollow fibres impregnated with 5% tri-n-octylphosphine oxide in di-n-hexyl ether. For low-polar pesticides with log P ≥ 2 (tebufenozide and linuron), the maximum removal efficiency increased linearly from 85% to 96% with increasing the feed flow rate. The maximum removal efficiencies of more polar pesticides were significantly higher under feed recirculation (86%) than in a continuous single-pass operation (30%). It was found from the Wilson's plot that the mass transfer resistance of the liquid membrane can be neglected for low-polar pesticides. The pesticide removals from commercial formulations were similar to those from pure pesticide solutions, indicating that built-in adjuvants did not affect the extraction process.

Superluminous accretion discs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikora, M [Cambridge Univ. (UK). Inst. of Astronomy; Polska Akademia Nauk, Warsaw. Centrum Astronomiczne)

1981-07-01

Upper limits are computed for the total luminosities and collimation of radiation from thick, radiation supported accretion discs around black holes. Numerical results are obtained for the 'extreme' discs with rsub(out) = 10/sup 3/ GMsub(BH)/c/sup 2/, the angular momentum of the black hole being Jsub(BH) = 0.998 GMsub(BH)/c. The high luminosity (L approximately 8.5 Lsub(Edd)) and substantial collimation of radiation found for these discs indicate that such discs can explain both the high luminosities of quasars and similar objects and may produce some of the observed beams and jets.

Impact of sodium dodecyl sulphate on the dissolution of poorly soluble drug into biorelevant medium from drug-surfactant discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madelung, Peter; Ostergaard, Jesper; Bertelsen, Poul

2014-01-01

The purpose was to elucidate the mechanism of action of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) on drug dissolution from discs under physiologically relevant conditions. The effect of incorporating SDS (4-30%, w/w) and drug into discs on the dissolution constant and solubility were evaluated for the poorly...... soluble drugs griseofulvin and felodipine in a biorelevant dissolution medium (BDM). Dissolution constants from dissolution profiles of drug discs with and without SDS were measured using miniaturized rotating disc dissolution. Solid state changes were investigated by X-ray diffraction. Solubility...... showed that the addition of SDS made the BS:PC micelles grow up to 2.5 times in volume. As a function of SDS addition, the dissolution constant showed an apparent exponential increase, while drug solubility showed a weak linear dependence. The pronounced effect on dissolution constant with SDS...

The life cycles of Be viscous decretion discs: The case of ω CMa

Science.gov (United States)

Ghoreyshi, M. R.; Carciofi, A. C.; Rímulo, L. R.; Vieira, R. G.; Faes, D. M.; Baade, D.; Bjorkman, J. E.; Otero, S.; Rivinius, Th

2018-06-01

We analyzed V-band photometry of the Be star ω CMa, obtained during the last four decades, during which the star went through four complete cycles of disc formation and dissipation. The data were simulated by hydrodynamic models based on a time-dependent implementation of the viscous decretion disc (VDD) paradigm, in which a disc around a fast-spinning Be star is formed by material ejected by the star and driven to progressively larger orbits by means of viscous torques. Our simulations offer a good description of the photometric variability during phases of disc formation and dissipation, which suggests that the VDD model adequately describes the structural evolution of the disc. Furthermore, our analysis allowed us to determine the viscosity parameter α, as well as the net mass and angular momentum (AM) loss rates. We find that α is variable, ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, not only from cycle to cycle but also within a given cycle. Additionally, build-up phases usually have larger values of α than the dissipation phases. Furthermore, during dissipation the outward AM flux is not necessarily zero, meaning that ω CMa does not experience a true quiescence but, instead, switches between a high to a low AM loss rate during which the disc quickly assumes an overall lower density but never zero. We confront the average AM loss rate with predictions from stellar evolution models for fast-rotating stars, and find that our measurements are smaller by more than one order of magnitude.

Extraction of zirconium from simulated acidic nitrate waste using liquid membrane in hollow fiber contactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, G.; Chinchale, R.; Renjith, A.U.; Dixit, S.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Shenoy, K.T.; Ghosh, S.K.

2015-01-01

The acidic waste raffinate stream of zirconium (Zr) purification plant contains about 2 gpl of Zr in about 2M free nitric acid. TBP, which is the most commonly used solvent in the nuclear industry, is not suitable for the extraction of Zr from this lean solution as its distribution coefficient is less than one. In house synthesized Mixed Alkyl Phosphine Oxide (MAPO) is a potential extractant for Zr from this lean stream. Intensification of this process for recovery of Zr has been attempted through use of efficient contactor, namely, hollow fiber module and efficient process, namely, simultaneous extraction and stripping across liquid membrane containing MAPO. Based on batch equilibrium studies selection of suitable concentration of extractant, composition of diluent, selection and concentration of strippant for the proposed liquid membrane system was made. The selected organic and strippant concentration was used to study suitability of application of Dispersion Liquid Membrane (DLM) in hollow fiber contactor for recovery Zr from solution simulated to Zr plant raffinate. Challenges related to stable operation of the liquid membrane system like stability of the organic phase in the micropores of lumen and stability of the dispersion during the pertraction were addressed through pressure balance across the lumen and choice of adequate dispersion condition respectively. (author)

Suppression of atmospheric recycling of planets embedded in a protoplanetary disc by buoyancy barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Kurokawa, Hiroyuki; Tanigawa, Takayuki

2018-06-01

The ubiquity of super-Earths poses a problem for planet formation theory to explain how they avoided becoming gas giants. Rapid recycling of the envelope gas of planets embedded in a protoplanetary disc has been proposed to delay the cooling and following accretion of disc gas. We compare isothermal and non-isothermal 3D hydrodynamical simulations of the gas flow past a planet to investigate the influence on the feasibility of the recycling mechanism. Radiative cooling is implemented by using the β cooling model. We find that, in either case, gas enters the Bondi sphere at high latitudes and leaves through the midplane regions, or vice versa when disc gas rotates sub-Keplerian. However, in contrast to the isothermal case where the recycling flow reaches the deeper part of the envelope, the inflow is inhibited from reaching the deep envelope in the non-isothermal case. Once the atmosphere starts cooling, buoyant force prevents the high-entropy disc gas from intruding the low-entropy atmosphere. We suggest that the buoyancy barrier isolates the lower envelope from the recycling and allows further cooling, which may lead runaway gas accretion onto the core.

Non-periodic multi-slit masking for a single counter rotating 2-disc chopper and channeling guides for high resolution and high intensity neutron TOF spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartkowiak, M.; Hofmann, T.; Stüßer, N.

2017-02-01

Energy resolution is an important design goal for time-of-flight instruments and neutron spectroscopy. For high-resolution applications, it is required that the burst times of choppers be short, going down to the µs-range. To produce short pulses while maintaining high neutron flux, we propose beam masks with more than two slits on a counter-rotating 2-disc chopper, behind specially adapted focusing multi-channel guides. A novel non-regular arrangement of the slits ensures that the beam opens only once per chopper cycle, when the masks are congruently aligned. Additionally, beam splitting and intensity focusing by guides before and after the chopper position provide high intensities even for small samples. Phase-space analysis and Monte Carlo simulations on examples of four-slit masks with adapted guide geometries show the potential of the proposed setup.

Accretion discs around neutron stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pringle, J.E.

1982-01-01

If the central object in the disc is a neutron star, then we do not need the disc itself to produce the X-rays. In other words, the disc structure itself is not important as long as it plays the role of depositing matter on the neutron star at a sufficient rate to produce the X-ray flux. Similarly, in the outer disc regions, the main disc luminosity comes from absorption and reradiation of X-ray photons and not from the intrinsic, viscously-produced, local energy production rate. These two points indicate why in the compact binary X-ray sources confrontation between disc theory and observations is not generally practicable. For this reason I will divide my talk into two parts: one on observational discs in which I discuss what observational evidence there is for discs in the compact X-ray sources and what the evidence can tell the theorist about disc behaviour, and the other on theoretical discs where I consider in what ways theoretical arguments can put limits or cast doubt on some of the empirical models put forward to explain the observations. (orig.)

Double rupture disc experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

Result of these observations, comparisons and evaluations can be summarized in the following list of concerns regarding the use of double rupture discs coupled to the liquid space of a steam generator that is subjected to a large leak sodium water reaction event. Single rupture disc show delayed collapse characteristics in LLTR Series I and double disc assemblies are presumed to be more complex with additional delay before opening to give pressure relief. Delayed failure increases pressures in the IHTS and must be adequately covered by design requirements. With CRBR design, the first disc may fail only partially reducing the loading on the second disc with the result that relief performance may not meet requirements

[Epidemiology investigation and biomechanics analyses for the correlation between sacroiliac joint disorder and lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration].

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Ning-Ning; Shen, Guo-Quan; He, Shui-Yong; Guo, Ru-Bao

2014-07-01

To study the correlation between lumber disc degeneration and sacroiliac joint disorder, in order to provides a new understanding concepts and therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of chronic intractable low back pain. From August 2009 to October 2010,129 cases with lumbar disc herniation were studied with epidemiological methods. Among them, 61 patients with L4, disc herniation included 37 males and 24 females, ranging in aged from 20 to 75 years old, duration of the disease ranged from 1 to 144 months; The other 68 patients with L5S1 disc herniation included 32 males and 36 females,ranging in aged froml8 to 76 years old,duration of the disease ranged from 0.5 to 240 months. The clinical data, symptoms and signs,X-ray characteristics of lumbar spine and pelvis of the patients were investigated by epidemiological. The risk of lumbar disc herniation was calculated with case-control study; independent variables were screened with single factor analysis; the risk factors for lumbar disc herniation were determined with logistic regression analysis, and biomechanics analyses were taken. Among 129 patients with lumbar disc herniation, 88 cases associated with sacroiliac joint disorders, sacroiliac joint disorder was a risk factor of lumbar disc herniation (OR = 4.61, P = 0.00); 47 cases associated with sacroiliac joint disorders in 61 patients with L4,5 disc herniation, iliac crest uneven caused by iliac rotational displacement was a high risk factor of L4,5 disc herniation (OR = 11.27, P = 0.00); 41 cases associated with sacroiliac joint disorders in 68 patients with L5S1 disc herniation, lumbar sacral angle abnormalities caused by sacral tilt shift was a high risk factor L5S1 disc herniation (OR = 2.31, P = 0.03). Lumbar disc herniation and sacroiliac joint disorder are two of fallot, the two factors affect each other and there is a causal relationship. They are common exists in low back pain.

Radially truncated galactic discs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grijs, R. de; Kregel, M.; Wesson, K H

2000-01-01

Abstract: We present the first results of a systematic analysis of radially truncatedexponential discs for four galaxies of a sample of disc-dominated edge-onspiral galaxies. Edge-on galaxies are very useful for the study of truncatedgalactic discs, since we can follow their light distributions out

Emergency membrane contactor based absorption system for ammonia leaks in water treatment plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Jiahui; Fang, Xuliang; He, Yiliang; Jin, Qiang

2008-01-01

Abstract Because of the suspected health risks of trihalomethanes (THMs), more and more water treatment plants have replaced traditional chlorine disinfection process with chloramines but often without the proper absorption system installed in the case of ammonia leaks in the storage room. A pilot plant membrane absorption system was developed and installed in a water treatment plant for this purpose. Experimentally determined contact angle, surface tension, and corrosion tests indicated that the sulfuric acid was the proper choice as the absorbent for leaking ammonia using polypropylene hollow fiber membrane contactor. Effects of several operating conditions on the mass transfer coefficient, ammonia absorption, and removal efficiency were examined, including the liquid concentration, liquid velocity, and feed gas concentration. Under the operation conditions investigated, the gas absorption efficiency over 99.9% was achieved. This indicated that the designed pilot plant membrane absorption system was effective to absorb the leaking ammonia in the model storage room. The removal rate of the ammonia in the model storage room was also experimentally and theoretically found to be primarily determined by the ammonia suction flow rate from the ammonia storage room to the membrane contactor. The ammonia removal rate of 99.9% was expected to be achieved within 1.3 h at the ammonia gas flow rate of 500 m3/h. The success of the pilot plant membrane absorption system developed in this study illustrated the potential of this technology for ammonia leaks in water treatment plant, also paved the way towards a larger scale application.

Double-disc gate valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheatley, S.J.

1979-01-01

The invention relates to an improvement in a conventional double-disc gate valve having a vertically movable gate assembly including a wedge, spreaders slidably engaged therewith, a valve disc carried by the spreaders. When the gate assembly is lowered to a selected point in the valve casing, the valve discs are moved transversely outward to close inlet and outlet ports in the casing. The valve includes hold-down means for guiding the disc-and-spreader assemblies as they are moved transversely outward and inward. If such valves are operated at relatively high differential pressures, they sometimes jam during opening. Such jamming has been a problem for many years in gate valves used in gaseous diffusion plants for the separation of uranium isotopes. The invention is based on the finding that the above-mentioned jamming results when the outlet disc tilts about its horizontal axis in a certain way during opening of the valve. In accordance with the invention, tilting of the outlet disc is maintained at a tolerable value by providing the disc with a rigid downwardly extending member and by providing the casing with a stop for limiting inward arcuate movement of the member to a preselected value during opening of the valve

Counteracting ammonia inhibition in anaerobic digestion by removal with a hollow fiber membrane contactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauterböck, B; Ortner, M; Haider, R; Fuchs, W

2012-10-01

The aim of the current study was to investigate the feasibility of membrane contactors for continuous ammonia (NH₃-N) removal in an anaerobic digestion process and to counteract ammonia inhibition. Two laboratory anaerobic digesters were fed slaughterhouse wastes with ammonium (NH₄⁺) concentrations ranging from 6 to 7.4 g/L. One reactor was used as reference reactor without any ammonia removal. In the second reactor, a hollow fiber membrane contactor module was used for continuous ammonia removal. The hollow fiber membranes were directly submerged into the digestate of the anaerobic reactor. Sulfuric acid was circulated in the lumen as an adsorbent solution. Using this set up, the NH₄⁺-N concentration in the membrane reactor was significantly reduced. Moreover the extraction of ammonia lowered the pH by 0.2 units. In combination that led to a lowering of the free NH₃-N concentration by about 70%. Ammonia inhibition in the reference reactor was observed when the concentration exceeded 6 g/L NH₄⁺-N or 1-1.2 g/L NH₃-N. In contrast, in the membrane reactor the volatile fatty acid concentration, an indicator for process stability, was much lower and a higher gas yield and better degradation was observed. The chosen approach offers an appealing technology to remove ammonia directly from media having high concentrations of solids and it can help to improve process efficiency in anaerobic digestion of ammonia rich substrates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the Dynamic Behavior of a Rotating Composite Hollow Shaft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldemir Ap Cavalini Jr

Full Text Available Abstract In the present paper, a simplified homogenized beam theory is used in the context of a numerical investigation regarding the dynamic behavior of a rotating composite hollow shaft. For this aim, a horizontal flexible composite shaft and a rigid disc form the considered simple supported rotating system. The mathematical model of the rotor is derived from the Lagrange’s equation and the Rayleigh-Ritz method, which is obtained from the strain and kinetic energies of the disc and shaft, and the mass unbalance. In this case, a convergence procedure is carried out in terms of the vibration modes to obtain a representative model for the rotor system. Therefore, the proposed analysis is performed in both frequency and time domains, in which the frequency response functions, the unbalance responses, the Campbell diagram, and the orbits are numerically determined. Additionally, the instability threshold of the rotor system is obtained. This study illustrates the convenience of the composite hollow shafts for rotor dynamics applications.

Optic disc oedema

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Marianne Kromann; Hamann, Steffen

2014-01-01

Optic disc oedema describes the nonspecific, localized swelling of the optic nerve head regardless of aetiology. Therefore, differentiating among the various aetiologies depends on a thorough history and knowledge of the clinical characteristics of the underlying conditions. Papilloedema strictly...... refers to optic disc oedema as a consequence of elevated intracranial pressure. It is usually a bilateral condition and visual function is preserved until late. Optic disc oedema caused by an anterior optic neuropathy is usually unilateral and accompanied by the loss of visual function....

Criteria for retrograde rotation of accreting black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Mikhailov, A. G.; Piotrovich, M. Yu; Gnedin, Yu N.; Natsvlishvili, T. M.; Buliga, S. D.

2018-06-01

Rotating supermassive black holes produce jets and their origin is connected to the magnetic field that is generated by accreting matter flow. There is a point of view that electromagnetic fields around rotating black holes are brought to the hole by accretion. In this situation the prograde accreting discs produce weaker large-scale black hole threading magnetic fields, implying weaker jets than in retrograde regimes. The basic goal of this paper is to find the best candidates for retrograde accreting systems in observed active galactic nuclei. We show that active galactic nuclei with low Eddington ratio are really the best candidates for retrograde systems. This conclusion is obtained for kinetically dominated Fanaroff-Riley class II radio galaxies, flat-spectrum radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert I galaxies and a number of nearby galaxies. Our conclusion is that the best candidates for retrograde systems are the noticeable population of active galactic nuclei in the Universe. This result corresponds to the conclusion that in the merging process the interaction of merging black holes with a retrograde circumbinary disc is considerably more effective for shrinking the binary system.

Studying Of Preparation Silver Nano-Particles Using Spinning Disc Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang Van Duc; Nguyen Thanh Chung; Tran Ngoc Ha; Ho Minh Quang; Nguyen Thi Thuc Phuong

2014-01-01

Preparation of silver nano-particles using spinning disc reactor has been investigated. The effects of technological factors and experimental conditions such as: concentrations of AgNO 3 , glucose, PVP, spinning speed, ect. on quality of nano-silver particles have been studied. With experimental conditions: rotation speed of 2000 rpm, weight rate of m PVP :m AgNO 3 = 1, AgNO 3 concentration of 0.01 M, glucose concentration of 0.02 M, silver particles of about 12 nm were obtained and the nano-silver solution were stable for more than 40 days. (author)

Visualization of the flow in a cylindrical container with a rotating disk

Science.gov (United States)

Imahoko, Ryoki; Kurakata, Hiroki; Sakakibara, Jun

2017-11-01

We studied a behavior of the flow in a cylindrical container with a rotating disk. The apparatus consists of a fixed cylindrical container of the inner diameter of 140 mm and height H, and a coaxial rotating disc with a diameter of 140 mm connected with a cylindrical shaft driven by an electrical motor. The radial gap between rotating disk and side wall is very slight distance. The height H is variable up to 100 mm. The velocity distribution in the container was measured by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV). The results of this experiments will be discussed at the conference.

Process intensification of catalytic liquid-liquid solid processes : Continuous biodiesel production using an immobilized lipase in a centrifugal contactor separator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ilmi, M.; Kloekhorst, A.; Winkelman, J. G. M.; Euverink, G. J. W.; Hidayat, C.; Heeres, H. J.

Biodiesel or fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) synthesis from sunflower oil and methanol using an immobilized lipase, an example of a liquid-liquid solid reaction, was studied in batch and various continuous reactor set-ups including the use of a centrifugal contactor separator (CCCS). The latter is an

Proto-planetary disc evolution and dispersal

Science.gov (United States)

Rosotti, Giovanni Pietro

2015-05-01

Planets form from gas and dust discs in orbit around young stars. The timescale for planet formation is constrained by the lifetime of these discs. The properties of the formed planetary systems depend thus on the evolution and final dispersal of the discs, which is the main topic of this thesis. Observations reveal the existence of a class of discs called "transitional", which lack dust in their inner regions. They are thought to be the last stage before the complete disc dispersal, and hence they may provide the key to understanding the mechanisms behind disc evolution. X-ray photoevaporation and planet formation have been studied as possible physical mechanisms responsible for the final dispersal of discs. However up to now, these two phenomena have been studied separately, neglecting any possible feedback or interaction. In this thesis we have investigated what is the interplay between these two processes. We show that the presence of a giant planet in a photo-evaporating disc can significantly shorten its lifetime, by cutting the inner regions from the mass reservoir in the exterior of the disc. This mechanism produces transition discs that for a given mass accretion rate have larger holes than in models considering only X-ray photo-evaporation, constituting a possible route to the formation of accreting transition discs with large holes. These discs are found in observations and still constitute a puzzle for the theory. Inclusion of the phenomenon called "thermal sweeping", a violent instability that can destroy a whole disc in as little as 10 4 years, shows that the outer disc left can be very short-lived (depending on the X-ray luminosity of the star), possibly explaining why very few non accreting transition discs are observed. However the mechanism does not seem to be efficient enough to reconcile with observations. In this thesis we also show that X-ray photo-evaporation naturally explains the observed correlation between stellar masses and accretion

Parameters and mechanisms in the mechanical upgrading of Athabasca oil sands by a cold water process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grant, G B

1977-01-01

The efficiency of sand rejection in the cold water mechanical upgrading of Athabasca oil sands has been studied in the operation of rotary contactors of 8.9 cm and 19.0 cm internal diameter, fitted with lifters. Duration of operation, rate of rotation, linear velocity of lifters, temperature, water to oil sands ratio, depth of charge to lifter height ratio, and internal diameter of the contactor have been identified as important parameters. Surfactant addition and presoaking of the feed had negligible effects on the process. A model has been proposed that accounts for the variation of extraction efficiency as a function of duration of operation, the data showing that both the equilibrium extraction efficiency and the rate constant were greater in the large contactor than the small contactor for equal rates of rotation, except when centrifuging occurred in the large contactor. Sand rejection was promoted by lifter-sand and contactor wall-sand impacts and by the action of shear fields within vortices created by the lifter. The impacts occurred for all loading conditions but the latter mechanism only contributed to the sand rejection process for depth-of-charge to lifter height ratios of one or greater. In addition, the contribution of shear fields was only significant for large water to oil sands ratios. Finally, the sand rejection process was affected significantly by variations in temperature. 37 refs., 34 figs., 11 tabs., 4 illus.

CT discography for cervical soft disc hernia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwasa, Kenichi; Mizutani, Shigeru; Morimoto, Hiroyuki; Yamada, Hidehito; Iwasa, Satoru

1985-03-01

In this study the effectiveness of computed tomographic discography (CTD) in diagnosing cervical soft disc hernia was evaluated. Twenty-five intervertebral discs of 15 cases with cervical soft disc hernia were examined with a discography and then a CT scan. Results of the CT scan were as follows: three discs were protruded, 12 discs were prolapsed, 6 discs were extruded, and 4 discs were sequestrated. The findings were helpful in determining the location of soft disc hernias between the median and posterolateral discs. They were also valuable in classifying types of hernias and surgical approaches.

CT discography for cervical soft disc hernia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwasa, Kenichi; Mizutani, Shigeru; Morimoto, Hiroyuki; Yamada, Hidehito; Iwasa, Satoru

1985-01-01

In this study the effectiveness of computed tomographic discography (CTD) in diagnosing cervical soft disc hernia was evaluated. Twenty-five interververtebral discs of 15 cases with cervical soft disc hernia were examined with a discography and then a CT scan. Results of the CT scan were as follows: three discs were protruded, 12 discs were prolapsed, 6 discs were extruded, and 4 discs were sequestrated. The findings were helpful in determining the location of soft disc hernians between the median and posterolateral discs. They were also valuable in classifying types of hernians and surgical aproaches. (author)

Gravitating discs around black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karas, V; Hure, J-M; Semerak, O

2004-01-01

Fluid discs and tori around black holes are discussed within different approaches and with the emphasis on the role of disc gravity. First reviewed are the prospects of investigating the gravitational field of a black hole-disc system using analytical solutions of stationary, axially symmetric Einstein equations. Then, more detailed considerations are focused to the middle and outer parts of extended disc-like configurations where relativistic effects are small and the Newtonian description is adequate. Within general relativity, only a static case has been analysed in detail. Results are often very inspiring. However, simplifying assumptions must be imposed: ad hoc profiles of the disc density are commonly assumed and the effects of frame-dragging are completely lacking. Astrophysical discs (e.g. accretion discs in active galactic nuclei) typically extend far beyond the relativistic domain and are fairly diluted. However, self-gravity is still essential for their structure and evolution, as well as for their radiation emission and the impact on the surrounding environment. For example, a nuclear star cluster in a galactic centre may bear various imprints of mutual star-disc interactions, which can be recognized in observational properties, such as the relation between the central mass and stellar velocity dispersion. (topical review)

Fas ligand exists on intervertebral disc cells: a potential molecular mechanism for immune privilege of the disc.

Science.gov (United States)

Takada, Toru; Nishida, Kotaro; Doita, Minoru; Kurosaka, Masahiro

2002-07-15

Rat and human intervertebral disc specimens were examined immunohistochemically. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was also performed on rat disc tissue to demonstrate the existence of Fas ligand. To clarify the existence of Fas ligand on intact intervertebral disc cells. The nucleus pulposus has been reported to be an immune-privileged site. The immune-privileged characteristic in other tissues such as the retina and testis has been attributed to the local expression of Fas ligand, which acts by inducing apoptosis of invading Fas-positive T-cells. The existence of Fas ligand in normal disc cells has not yet been addressed. Skeletally mature SD male rats were killed, and the coccygeal discs were harvested. Human disc specimens were obtained from idiopathic scoliosis patients during surgical procedures. Immunohistochemical staining for Fas ligand was performed for cross-sections of the discs by standard procedures. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis was also carried out to demonstrate Fas ligand mRNA expression on rat intervertebral discs. Testes of the rats were used for positive controls, and muscles were used for negative controls. The sections were observed by light microscopy. The nucleus pulposus cells exhibited intense positive immune staining for Fas ligand. The outer anulus fibrosus cells and notochordal cells exhibited little immunopositivity. The positive controls exhibited positive immune staining, and the negative control showed no immunopositivity. The result of RT-PCR confirmed the existence of Fas ligand in disc cells. The human nucleus pulposus cells showed a similar predilection to rat disc cells. We demonstrated the existence of Fas ligand on disc cells, which should play a key role in the potential molecular mechanism to maintain immune privilege of the disc. Immune privilege and Fas ligand expression of the intervertebral disc may provide a new insight for basic science research as well as

Moving mode shape function approach for spinning disk and asymmetric disc brake squeal

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jaeyoung

2018-06-01

The solution approach of an asymmetric spinning disk under stationary friction loads requires the mode shape function fixed in the disk in the assumed mode method when the equations of motion is described in the space-fixed frame. This model description will be termed the 'moving mode shape function approach' and it allows us to formulate the stationary contact load problem in both the axisymmetric and asymmetric disk cases. Numerical results show that the eigenvalues of the time-periodic axisymmetric disk system are time-invariant. When the axisymmetry of the disk is broken, the positive real parts of the eigenvalues highly vary with the rotation of the disk in the slow speeds in such application as disc brake squeal. By using the Floquet stability analysis, it is also shown that breaking the axisymmetry of the disc alters the stability boundaries of the system.

Optic disc and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer characteristics associated with glaucomatous optic disc in young myopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong Eun; Sung, Kyung Rim; Park, Ji Min; Yoon, Joo Young; Kang, Sung Yong; Park, Sung Bae; Koo, Hyung Jin

2017-03-01

To explore optic disc and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) features associated with glaucomatous optic disc (GOD) in young myopia. Presence of GOD, optic disc tilt, and disc torsion were determined using fundus photographs. If the measured disc tilt ratio was >1.3, the optic disc was classified as tilted. Optic disc torsion was defined as a >15° deviation in the long axis of the optic disc from the vertical meridian. The average and four quadrants RNFL thicknesses were assessed using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the presence of GOD. Nine hundred and sixty myopic subjects were recruited from four refractive surgery clinic databases. The mean age was 26.6 ± 5.7 years and spherical equivalent (SE) was -5.5 ± 2.5 diopters. Among 960 eyes, 26 (2.7%) received GOD group classification. Among 934 normal eyes, 290 (31.0%) had titled optic discs. Eighteen eyes (69.2%) in the GOD group had tilted optic discs. When compared to normal eyes, the GOD group had significantly higher tilt ratios (1.4 ± 0.2 vs. 1.2 ± 0.1, p Optic disc tilt was found in approximately one-third of young myopic eyes and was independently associated with the presence of GOD.

Retina image–based optic disc segmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Lin Wang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The change of optic disc can be used to diagnose many eye diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Moreover, retinal blood vessel pattern is unique for human beings even for identical twins. It is a highly stable pattern in biometric identification. Since optic disc is the beginning of the optic nerve and main blood vessels in retina, it can be used as a reference point of identification. Therefore, optic disc segmentation is an important technique for developing a human identity recognition system and eye disease diagnostic system. This article hence presents an optic disc segmentation method to extract the optic disc from a retina image. The experimental results show that the optic disc segmentation method can give impressive results in segmenting the optic disc from a retina image.

Prognosis of intervertebral disc loss from diagnosis of degenerative disc disease

Science.gov (United States)

Li, S.; Lin, A.; Tay, K.; Romano, W.; Osman, Said

2015-03-01

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is one of the most common causes of low back pain, and is a major factor in limiting the quality of life of an individual usually as they enter older stages of life, the disc degeneration reduces the shock absorption available which in turn causes pain. Disc loss is one of the central processes in the pathogenesis of DDD. In this study, we investigated whether the image texture features quantified from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be appropriate markers for diagnosis of DDD and prognosis of inter-vertebral disc loss. The main objective is to use simple image based biomarkers to perform prognosis of spinal diseases using non-invasive procedures. Our results from 65 subjects proved the higher success rates of the combination marker compared to the individual markers and in the future, we will extend the study to other spine regions to allow prognosis and diagnosis of DDD for a wider region.

Physiological pattern of lumbar disc height

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biggemann, M.; Frobin, W.; Brinckmann, P.

1997-01-01

Purpose of this study is to present a new method of quantifying objectively the height of all discs in lateral radiographs of the lumbar spine and of analysing the normal craniocaudal sequence pattern of lumbar disc heights. Methods: The new parameter is the ventrally measured disc height corrected for the dependence on the angle of lordosis by normalisation to mean angles observed in the erect posture of healthy persons. To eliminate radiographic magnification, the corrected ventral height is related to the mean depth of the cranially adjoining vertebra. In this manner lumbar disc heights were objectively measured in young, mature and healthy persons (146 males and 65 females). The craniocaudal sequence pattern was analysed by mean values from all persons and by height differences of adjoining discs in each individual lumbar spine. Results: Mean normative values demonstrated an increase in disc height between L1/L2 and L4/L5 and a constant or decreasing disc height between L4/L5 and L5/S1. However, this 'physiological sequence of disc height in the statistical mean' was observed in only 36% of normal males and 55% of normal females. Conclusion: The radiological pattern of the 'physiological sequence of lumbar disc height' leads to a relevant portion of false positive pathological results especially at L4/L5. An increase of disc height from L4/L5 to L5/S1 may be normal. The recognition of decreased disc height should be based on an abrupt change in the heights of adjoining discs and not on a deviation from a craniocaudal sequence pattern. (orig.) [de

CT morphometry of adult thoracic intervertebral discs.

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Justin G R; Stringer, Mark D; Briggs, Christopher A; Davies, Tilman M; Woodley, Stephanie J

2015-10-01

Despite being commonly affected by degenerative disorders, there are few data on normal thoracic intervertebral disc dimensions. A morphometric analysis of adult thoracic intervertebral discs was, therefore, undertaken. Archival computed tomography scans of 128 recently deceased individuals (70 males, 58 females, 20-79 years) with no known spinal pathology were analysed to determine thoracic disc morphometry and variations with disc level, sex and age. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Anterior and posterior intervertebral disc heights and axial dimensions were significantly greater in men (anterior disc height 4.0±1.4 vs 3.6±1.3 mm; posterior disc height 3.6±0.90 vs 3.4±0.93 mm; p<0.01). Disc heights and axial dimensions at T4-5 were similar or smaller than at T2-3, but thereafter increased caudally (mean anterior disc height T4-5 and T10-11, 2.7±0.7 and 5.4±1.2 mm, respectively, in men; 2.6±0.8 and 5.1±1.3 mm, respectively, in women; p<0.05). Except at T2-3, anterior disc height decreased with advancing age and anteroposterior and transverse disc dimensions increased; posterior and middle disc heights and indices of disc shape showed no consistent statistically significant changes. Most parameters showed substantial to almost perfect agreement for intra- and inter-rater reliability. Thoracic disc morphometry varies significantly and consistently with disc level, sex and age. This study provides unique reference data on adult thoracic intervertebral disc morphometry, which may be useful when interpreting pathological changes and for future biomechanical and functional studies.

Examination of Organic Carryover from 2-cm Contactors to Support the Modular CSSX Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nash, Charles A.; Norato, Michael A.; Walker; D. Douglas; Pierce, Robert A.; Eubanks, Ronnye A.; Clark, James D.; Smith, Wilson M. Jr.; Crump, Stephen L.; Nelson, D. Zane; Fink, Samuel D.; Peters, Thomas B.; May, Cecil G.; Herman, David T.; Bolton, Henry L.

2005-01-01

A bank of four 2-cm centrifugal contactors was operated in countercurrent fashion to help address questions about organic carryover for the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) Unit (MCU). The contactors, having weirs sized for strip operation, were used to examine carryover for both strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS). Since only one bank of contactors was available in the short time frame of this work, the organic phase and only one aqueous phase were present in the flow loops at a time. Personnel maintained flowsheet-typical organic phase to aqueous phase (O:A) flow ratios when varying flow rates. Solvent from two different batches were tested with strip solution. In addition, potential mitigations of pH adjustment and coalescing media were examined. The experiment found that organic carryover after decanting averaged 220 ppm by mass with a range of 74 to 417 ppm of Isopar(reg s ign) L for strip effluent (SE)/organic solvent contacts. These values are based on measured modifier. Values were bounded by a value of 95 ppm based upon Isopar(reg s ign) L values as reported. The higher modifier-based numbers are considered more reliable at this time. Carryover of Isopar(reg s ign) L in DSS simulant averaged 77 ppm by mass with a range of 70 to 88 ppm of Isopar(reg s ign) L based on modifier content. The carryover was bounded by a value of 19 ppm based upon Isopar(reg s ign) L values as reported. More work is needed to resolve the discrepancy between modifier and Isopar(reg s ign) L values. The work did not detect organic droplets greater than 18 microns in SE. Strip output contained droplets down to 0.5 micron in size. Droplets in DSS were almost monodisperse by comparison, having a size range 4.7 +/- 1.6 micron in one test and 5.2 +/- 0.8 micron in the second demonstration. Optical microscopy provided qualitative results confirming the integrity of droplet size measurements in this work. Acidic or basic adjustments of aqueous strip

Examination of Organic Carryover from 2-cm Contactors to Support the Modular CSSX Unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nash, Charles A.; Norato, Michael A.; Walker; D. Douglas; Pierce, Robert A.; Eubanks, Ronnye A.; Clark, James D.; Smith, Wilson M. Jr.; Crump, Stephen L.; Nelson, D. Zane; Fink, Samuel D.; Peters, Thomas B.; May, Cecil G.; Herman, David T.; Bolton, Henry L.

2005-04-29

A bank of four 2-cm centrifugal contactors was operated in countercurrent fashion to help address questions about organic carryover for the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) Unit (MCU). The contactors, having weirs sized for strip operation, were used to examine carryover for both strip effluent (SE) and decontaminated salt solution (DSS). Since only one bank of contactors was available in the short time frame of this work, the organic phase and only one aqueous phase were present in the flow loops at a time. Personnel maintained flowsheet-typical organic phase to aqueous phase (O:A) flow ratios when varying flow rates. Solvent from two different batches were tested with strip solution. In addition, potential mitigations of pH adjustment and coalescing media were examined. The experiment found that organic carryover after decanting averaged 220 ppm by mass with a range of 74 to 417 ppm of Isopar{reg_sign} L for strip effluent (SE)/organic solvent contacts. These values are based on measured modifier. Values were bounded by a value of 95 ppm based upon Isopar{reg_sign} L values as reported. The higher modifier-based numbers are considered more reliable at this time. Carryover of Isopar{reg_sign} L in DSS simulant averaged 77 ppm by mass with a range of 70 to 88 ppm of Isopar{reg_sign} L based on modifier content. The carryover was bounded by a value of 19 ppm based upon Isopar{reg_sign} L values as reported. More work is needed to resolve the discrepancy between modifier and Isopar{reg_sign} L values. The work did not detect organic droplets greater than 18 microns in SE. Strip output contained droplets down to 0.5 micron in size. Droplets in DSS were almost monodisperse by comparison, having a size range 4.7 +/- 1.6 micron in one test and 5.2 +/- 0.8 micron in the second demonstration. Optical microscopy provided qualitative results confirming the integrity of droplet size measurements in this work. Acidic or basic adjustments of aqueous strip solution

Are Collapsed Cervical Discs Amenable to Total Disc Arthroplasty?: Analysis of Prospective Clinical Data With 2-Year Follow Up.

Science.gov (United States)

Patwardhan, Avinash G; Carandang, Gerard; Voronov, Leonard I; Havey, Robert M; Paul, Gary A; Lauryssen, Carl; Coric, Domagoj; Dimmig, Thomas; Musante, David

2016-12-15

Analysis of prospectively collected radiographic data. To investigate the influence of preoperative index-level range of motion (ROM) and disc height on postoperative ROM after cervical total disc arthroplasty (TDA) using compressible disc prostheses. Clinical studies demonstrate benefits of motion preservation over fusion; however, questions remain unanswered as to which preoperative factors have the ability to identify patients who are most likely to have good postoperative motion, which is the primary rationale for TDA. We analyzed prospectively collected data from a single-arm, multicenter study with 2-year follow up of 30 patients with 48 implanted levels. All received compressible cervical disc prostheses of 6 mm-height (M6C, Spinal Kinetics, Sunnyvale, CA). The influence of index-level preoperative disc height and ROM (each with two levels: below-median and above-median) on postoperative ROM was analyzed using 2 x 2 ANOVA. We further analyzed the radiographic outcomes of a subset of discs with preoperative height less than 3 mm, the so-called "collapsed" discs. Shorter (3.0 ± 0.4 mm) discs were significantly less mobile preoperatively than taller (4.4 ± 0.5 mm) discs (6.7° vs. 10.5°, P = 0.01). The postoperative ROM did not differ between the shorter and taller discs (5.6° vs. 5.0°, P = 0.63). Tall discs that were less mobile preoperatively had significantly smaller postoperative ROM than short discs with above-median preoperative mobility (P < 0.05). The "collapsed discs" (n = 8) were less mobile preoperatively compared with all discs combined (5.1° vs. 8.6°, P < 0.01). These discs were distracted to more than two times the preoperative height, from 2.6 to 5.7 mm, and had significantly greater postoperative ROM than all discs combined (7.6° vs. 5.3°, P < 0.05). We observed a significant interaction between preoperative index-level disc height and ROM in influencing postoperative ROM. Although limited by small sample

Disc-halo interactions in ΛCDM

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Jacob S.; Widrow, Lawrence M.; Erkal, Denis

2018-05-01

We present a new method for embedding a stellar disc in a cosmological dark matter halo and provide a worked example from a Λ cold dark matter zoom-in simulation. The disc is inserted into the halo at a redshift z = 3 as a zero-mass rigid body. Its mass and size are then increased adiabatically while its position, velocity, and orientation are determined from rigid-body dynamics. At z = 1, the rigid disc (RD) is replaced by an N-body disc whose particles sample a three-integral distribution function (DF). The simulation then proceeds to z = 0 with live disc (LD) and halo particles. By comparison, other methods assume one or more of the following: the centre of the RD during the growth phase is pinned to the minimum of the halo potential, the orientation of the RD is fixed, or the live N-body disc is constructed from a two rather than three-integral DF. In general, the presence of a disc makes the halo rounder, more centrally concentrated, and smoother, especially in the innermost regions. We find that methods in which the disc is pinned to the minimum of the halo potential tend to overestimate the amount of adiabatic contraction. Additionally, the effect of the disc on the subhalo distribution appears to be rather insensitive to the disc insertion method. The LD in our simulation develops a bar that is consistent with the bars seen in late-type spiral galaxies. In addition, particles from the disc are launched or `kicked up' to high galactic latitudes.

The comparative analysis of rocks' resistance to forward-slanting disc cutters and traditionally installed disc cutters

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhao-Huang; Fei, Sun; Liang, Meng

2016-08-01

At present, disc cutters of a full face rock tunnel boring machine are mostly mounted in the traditional way. Practical use in engineering projects reveals that this installation method not only heavily affects the operation life of disc cutters, but also increases the energy consumption of a full face rock tunnel boring machine. To straighten out this issue, therefore, a rock-breaking model is developed for disc cutters' movement after the research on the rock breaking of forward-slanting disc cutters. Equations of its displacement are established based on the analysis of velocity vector of a disc cutter's rock-breaking point. The functional relations then are brought forward between the displacement parameters of a rock-breaking point and its coordinate through the analysis of micro displacement of a rock-breaking point. Thus, the geometric equations of rock deformation are derived for the forward-slanting installation of disc cutters. With a linear relationship remaining between the acting force and its deformation either before or after the leap breaking, the constitutive relation of rock deformation can be expressed in the form of generalized Hooke law, hence the comparative analysis of the variation in the resistance of rock to the disc cutters mounted in the forward-slanting way with that in the traditional way. It is discovered that with the same penetration, strain of the rock in contact with forward-slanting disc cutters is apparently on the decline, in other words, the resistance of rock to disc cutters is reduced. Thus wear of disc cutters resulted from friction is lowered and energy consumption is correspondingly decreased. It will be useful for the development of installation and design theory of disc cutters, and significant for the breakthrough in the design of full face rock tunnel boring machine.

A Simulation Model of Focus and Radial Servos in Compact Disc Players with Disc Surface Defects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Peter Fogh; Stoustrup, Jakob; Andersen, Palle

2004-01-01

Compact Disc players have been on the market in more than two decades.As a consequence most of the control servo problems have been solved. A large remaining problem to solve is the handling of Compact Discs with severe surface defects like scratches and fingerprints. This paper introduces a method...... for making the design of controllers handling surface defects easier. A simulation model of Compact Disc players playing discs with surface defects is presented. The main novel element in the model is a model of the surface defects. That model is based on data from discs with surface defects. This model...

Intratracheal Seal Disc

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Karen J; Moeslund, Niels; Lauridsen, Henrik

2017-01-01

. The device consisted of an intratracheal silicone seal disc fixated by a cord through the stoma to an external part. At day 14, computed tomography (CT) was performed before the device was extracted. With the pulling of a cord, the disc unraveled into a thin thread and was extracted through the stoma. At day...

Experimental and modelling studies on continuous synthesis and refining of biodiesel in a dedicated bench scale unit using centrifugal contactor separator technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abduh, Muhammad Yusuf; Martinez, Alberto Fernandez; Kloekhorst, Arjan; Manurung, Robert; Heeres, Hero J.

Continuous synthesis and refining of biodiesel (FAME) using a laboratory scale bench scale unit was explored. The unit consists of three major parts: (i) a continuous centrifugal contactor separator (CCCS) to perform the reaction between sunflower oil and methanol; (ii) a washing unit for the crude

Dynamical effects of the spiral arms on the velocity distribution of disc stars

Science.gov (United States)

Hattori, Kohei; Gouda, Naoteru; Yano, Taihei; Sakai, Nobuyuki; Tagawa, Hiromichi

2018-04-01

Nearby disc stars in Gaia DR1 (TGAS) and RAVE DR5 show a bimodal velocity distribution in the metal-rich region (characterized by the Hercules stream) and mono-modal velocity distribution in the metal-poor region. We investigate the origin of this [Fe/H] dependence of the local velocity distribution by using 2D test particle simulations. We found that this [Fe/H] dependence can be well reproduced if we assume fast rotating bar models with Ωbar ~= 52 km s-1 kpc-1. A possible explanation for this result is that the metal-rich, relatively young stars are more likely to be affected by bar's outer Lindblad resonance due to their relatively cold kinematics. We also found that slowly rotating bar models with Ωbar ~= 39 km s-1 kpc-1 can not reproduce the observed data. Interestingly, when we additionally consider spiral arms, some models can reproduce the observed velocity distribution even when the bar is slowly rotating.

MR image assessment of disc configuration and degree of anterior disc displacement in internal derangement related to age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igarashi, Chinami; Kobayashi, Kaoru; Imanaka, Masahiro; Yuasa, Masao; Yamamoto, Akira

1999-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate the configuration of the articular disc and degree of anterior disc displacement on magnetic resonance (MR) imagings in temporomandibular joints (TMJs) with internal derangement. A total of 363 joints diagnosed as having anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADD w R) and 523 joints diagnosed as having anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADD wo R) by MR imaging were examined. These joints did not show severe osseous changes on the condylar head or glenoid fossa. We assessed the configuration of the articular disc and degree of anterior disc displacement. In the ADD w R group, 82.6% of the articular discs showed biconcave configuration; enlargement of the posterior band in 4.6%, biconvex configuration in 0.5%, and others in 10.7%. Moreover 62.5% of the discs showed a slight degree of anterior disc displacement; were 27.2% moderately displaced and were 10.2% severe displaced. The prevalence of slightly displaced discs was higher in the TMJs of cases over 50 years of age than in cases under 30 years in the ADD w R group. On the other hand, in the ADD wo R group 35.9% of the articular discs showed biconcave configuration; enlargement of the posterior band in 12.6%, biconvex configuration in 25.4%, and others in 22.3%. Furthermore, 4.4% of the discs were slightly displaced; 43.9% moderately displaced and 51.6% were severely displaced. The prevalence of severely displaced and deformed discs in joints of cases over 40 years of age was high in the ADD wo R group. The prevalence of slightly displaced biconcave discs was higher in the ADD w R group. The other hand, the prevalence of severely displaced deformed discs was higher in the ADD wo R group. MR findings of internal derangement of the TMJ were found to be significantly correlated with age. (author)

Investigation of H2S and CO2 Removal from Gas Streams Using Hollow Fiber Membrane Gas–liquid Contactors

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S. M. Mirfendereski

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Chemical absorption of H2S and CO2 from CH4 was carried out in a polypropylene porous asymmetric hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC. A 0.5 mol L–1 aqueous solution of methyldiethanolamine (MDEA was used as chemical absorbent solution. Effects of gas flow rate, liquid flow rate, H2S concentration and CO2 concentration on the H2S outlet concentrations and CO2 removal percentage were investigated. The results showed that the removal of H2S with aqueous solution of MDEA was very high and indicated almost total removal of H2S. Experimental results also indicated that the membrane contactor was very efficient in the removal of trace H2S at high gas/ liquid flow ratio. The removal of H2S was almost complete with a recovery of more than 96 %. Using feed gas mixtures containing 5000 ppm H2S with CO2 concentrations in the range of 4–12 vol.%, the outlet H2S concentration of less than 1.0 ppm was attained with less than 4.0 vol.% of CO2 permeated and absorbed.

Lumbar disc excision through fenestration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangwan S

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Background : Lumbar disc herniation often causes sciatica. Many different techniques have been advocated with the aim of least possible damage to other structures while dealing with prolapsed disc surgically in the properly selected and indicated cases. Methods : Twenty six patients with clinical symptoms and signs of prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc having radiological correlation by MRI study were subjected to disc excision by interlaminar fenestration method. Results : The assessment at follow-up showed excellent results in 17 patients, good in 6 patients, fair in 2 patients and poor in 1 patient. The mean preoperative and postoperative Visual Analogue Scores were 9.34 ±0.84 and 2.19 ±0.84 on scale of 0-10 respectively. These were statistically significant (p value< 0.001, paired t test. No significant complications were recorded. Conclusion : Procedures of interlaminar fenestration and open disc excision under direct vision offers sufficient adequate exposure for lumbar disc excision with a smaller incision, lesser morbidity, shorter convalescence, early return to work and comparable overall results in the centers where recent laser and endoscopy facilities are not available.

Metrical analysis of disc-condyle relation with different splint treatment positions in patients with TMJ disc displacement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mu-Qing Liu

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effect of bite positions characterizing different splint treatments (anterior repositioning and stabilization splints on the disc-condyle relation in patients with TMJ disc displacement with reduction (DDwR, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. Material and Methods: 37 patients, with a mean age of 18.8±4.3 years (7 male and 30 females and diagnosed with DDwR based on the RDC/TMD, were recruited. MRI metrical analysis of the spatial changes of the disc/condyle, as well as their relationships, was done in three positions: maximum intercuspation (Position 1, anterior repositioning splint position (Position 2, and stabilization splint position (Position 3. Disc/condyle coordinate measurements and disc condyle angles were determined and compared. Results: In Position 1, the average disc-condyle angle was 53.4° in the 60 joints with DDwR, while it was −13.3° with Position 2 and 30.1° with Position 3. The frequency of successful "disc recapture" with Position 2 was significantly higher (58/60, 96.7% than Position 3 (20/60, 33.3%. In Positions 2 and 3, the condyle moved forward and downward while the disc moved backward. The movements were, however, more remarkable with Position 2. Conclusions: Anterior repositioning of the mandible improves the spatial relationship between the disc and condyle in patients with DDwR. In addition to anterior and inferior movement of the condyle, transitory posterior movement of the disc also occurred.

Disc Golf: Teaching a Lifetime Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Eastham, Susan L.

2015-01-01

Disc golf is a lifetime activity that can be enjoyed by students of varying skill levels and abilities. Disc golf follows the principles of ball golf but is generally easier for students to play and enjoy success. The object of disc golf is similar to ball golf and involves throwing a disc from the teeing area to the target in as few throws as…

Dynamic performance analysis of permanent magnet contactor with a flux-weakening control strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xianbing; Lin, Heyun; Fang, Shuhua; Jin, Ping; Wang, Junhua; Ho, S. L.

2011-04-01

A new flux-weakening control strategy for permanent magnet contactors is proposed. By matching the dynamic attraction force and the antiforce, the terminal velocity and collision energy of the movable iron in the closing process are significantly reduced. The movable iron displacement is estimated by detecting the closing voltage and current with the proposed control. A dynamic mathematical model is also established under four kinds of excitation scenarios. The attraction force and flux linkage are predicted by finite element method and the dynamics of the closing process is simulated using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta algorithm. Experiments are carried out on a 250A prototype with an intelligent control unit to verify the proposed control strategy.

Application of dual membrane contactor for simultaneous CO2 removal using continues diethanolamine (DEA)

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmawati, Yeni; Nurkhamidah, Siti; Susianto, Listiyana, Nidia Intan; Putricahyani, Widyawati

2017-05-01

Technology of membrane contactor is an improvemet of acid gas (CO2) removal technology that combining gas absorption process with solvent and membrane technology. The objective of the experiment are study the effect of feed gas flow rate and solvent to flux CO2 and efficiency of CO2 removal, and also study the performance of membrane contactor. The experiment is conducted by circulating DEA in certain flow rate and arranging hollow fiber membrane in double-crossed section with the amount of desorption membrane three times more than absorption membrane. Feed gas streamed in the tube of membrane absorption and solvent on the shell. At the same time and condition, the process of desorption is done by streamed N2 gas as the stripping gas in desorption membrane. Performance test is conducted by running optimum variable for 8 hours. The result showed that flux of absorption gain the highest at 24,747 × 10-4 mol/m2.s, while flux of desorption gain the highest at 1,761 × 10-4 mol/m2.s. Increasing of absorption flux correspond to increasing of flow rate of feed gas and CO2 gas concentration but decreasing in flow rate of solvent. Increasing of desorption flux correspond to increasing of flow rate of feed gas and solvent but concentration of CO2 does not have impact. Efficiency increase while flow rate of mix gas and solvent decreasing, but CO2 concentration increase. The highest efficiency is 61,64%. Efficiency performance for CO2 removal of module membrane has the highest value at first 2 hours and stay constant at next running for 8 hours.

Mismatch and misalignment: dark haloes and satellites of disc galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Deason, A. J.; McCarthy, I. G.; Font, A. S.; Evans, N. W.; Frenk, C. S.; Belokurov, V.; Libeskind, N. I.; Crain, R. A.; Theuns, T.

2011-08-01

We study the phase-space distribution of satellite galaxies associated with late-type galaxies in the GIMIC suite of simulations. GIMIC consists of resimulations of five cosmologically representative regions from the Millennium Simulation, which have higher resolution and incorporate baryonic physics. Whilst the disc of the galaxy is well aligned with the inner regions (r˜ 0.1r200) of the dark matter halo, both in shape and angular momentum, there can be substantial misalignments at larger radii (r˜r200). Misalignments of >45° are seen in ˜30 per cent of our sample. We find that the satellite population aligns with the shape (and angular momentum) of the outer dark matter halo. However, the alignment with the galaxy is weak owing to the mismatch between the disc and dark matter halo. Roughly 20 per cent of the satellite systems with 10 bright galaxies within r200 exhibit a polar spatial alignment with respect to the galaxy - an orientation reminiscent of the classical satellites of the Milky Way. We find that a small fraction (˜10 per cent) of satellite systems show evidence for rotational support which we attribute to group infall. There is a bias towards satellites on prograde orbits relative to the spin of the dark matter halo (and to a lesser extent with the angular momentum of the disc). This preference towards co-rotation is stronger in the inner regions of the halo where the most massive satellites accreted at relatively early times are located. We attribute the anisotropic spatial distribution and angular momentum bias of the satellites at z= 0 to their directional accretion along the major axes of the dark matter halo. The satellite galaxies have been accreted relatively recently compared to the dark matter mass and have experienced less phase-mixing and relaxation - the memory of their accretion history can remain intact to z= 0. Understanding the phase-space distribution of the z= 0 satellite population is key for studies that estimate the host halo

[Partial nucleotomy of the ovine disc as an in vivo model for disc degeneration].

Science.gov (United States)

Guder, E; Hill, S; Kandziora, F; Schnake, K J

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a suitable animal model for the clinical situation of progressive disc degeneration after microsurgical nucleotomy. Twenty sheep underwent standardised partial anterolateral nucleotomy at lumbar segment 3/4. After randomisation, 10 animals were sacrificed after 12 weeks (group 1). The remainder was sacrificed after 48 weeks (group 2). For radiological examination X-rays, MRI and post-mortem CT scans were performed. Lumbar discs L 3/4 with adjacent subchondral trabecular bone were harvested and analysed macroscopically and histologically. An image-analysing computer program was used to measure histomorphometric indices of bone structure. 17 segments could be evaluated. After 12 weeks (group 1) histological and radiological degenerative disc changes were noted. After 48 weeks (group 2), radiological signs in MRI reached statistical significance. Furthermore, group 2 showed significantly more osteophyte formations in CT scans. Histomorphometric changes of the disc and the adjacent vertebral bone structure suggest a significant progressive degenerative remodelling. The facet joints did not show any osteoarthrosis after 48 weeks. Partial nucleotomy of the ovine lumbar disc leads to radiological and histological signs of disc degeneration similar to those seen in humans after microsurgical nucleotomy. The presented in vivo model may be useful to evaluate new orthopaedic treatment strategies.

Lab-on-a-disc platform for screening of genetically modified E. coli cells via cell-free electrochemical detection of p-Coumaric acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanger, Kuldeep; Zor, Kinga; Jendresen, Christian Bille

2017-01-01

filtration and electrochemical detection units, the sample filtration was performed by rotating the disc using a programmable closed-loop stepper motor. The electrodes, patterned on plastic substrate, were connected through a printed circuit board to the slip ring using a robust magnetic clamping system...

Radiological assessment of loss of disc height during acute and chronic degenerative lumbar disc alterations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoellner, J.; Sancaktaroglu, T.; Nafe, B.; Eysel, P.; Loew, R.

2001-01-01

Aim of the study: A loss of disc height with increasing segmental mobility is an important reason for low back pain. The measurement of hyaluronic acid content of the nucleus pulposus prolaps shows a difference between acute (group 1) and chronic (group 2) disc degeneration. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the decreasing of disc height between these two groups and the no-symptomatic segments of these patients. Methods: 20 human lateral preoperative X-ray measurements according to Frobin et al. were taken; group 1 with 7 patients (mean age 41 years) and group 2 with 13 patients (mean age 44 years). Results: There was a significant tendency (p=0.091) to a reduction of disc height in group 2 between symptomatic and asymptomatic discs. Conclusion: The used method is not suitable to answer the present question conclusively. (orig.) [de

Exchange between the stagnant and flowing zone in gas-flowing solids-fixed bed contactors

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ALEKSANDAR P. DUDUKOVIC

2005-02-01

Full Text Available In countercurrent gas – flowing solids – fixed bed contactors, a fraction of the flowing solids is in motion (dynamic holdup, while the other fraction is resting on the fixed bed elements. In this study it was experimentally proved that the stagnant zone should not be considered as a dead part of the column, but that there is a dynamic exchange between these two portions of flowing solids particles. Combining a mathematical model with tracer experiments, the rate of exchange was determined and it was shown that only a small part (ca. 20 % of the stagnant region should be considered as a dead one.

Actuator disc edge singularity. The key to a revised actuator disc concept and momentum theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuik, G.A.M. van (The Wind Energy Group of the Technical University Eindhoven (NL))

1989-01-01

Since the beginning of rotor aerodynamics the actuator disc momentum theory occupies a prominant place in almost any textbook on this subject. Specially in axial flow the theory provides an easy and rather accurate performance prediction. The results first obtained by Lanchester for the induced power of a hovering rotor and the maximum power of a wind turbine are still used as guidelines for complicated calculations. On the other hand, experimental results for propellers are known to deviate systematically (some 10%) from the momentum theory results. This is commonly attributed to the differences between a real rotor and an actuator disc. However, some actuator disc- and actuator strip (the 2-dimensional version) experiments are described in literature, showing the same deviations from momentum theory results. Therefore, apart from the question how representative an actuator disc is for a real rotor, the actuator disc concept itself may be inadequate. This problem is the subject of the work describe here. It will be shown that the classical actuator disc concept ignores discrete forces resulting from a flow singularity at the edge of the disc. The (extended) momentum theory, applied to this actuator strip model, shows a shift of the results towards the experimental data, and for the static case (hover) even a quantitative agreement is obtained. (author) 12 refs.

Vascular complications of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs.

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, Kevin J; Ross, E Raymond S; Norris, Heather; McCollum, Charles N

2006-10-01

Five consecutive cases of prosthetic inter-vertebral disc displacement with severe vascular complications on revisional surgery are described. The objective of this case report is to warn spinal surgeons that major vascular complications are likely with anterior displacement of inter-vertebral discs. We have not been able to find a previous report on vascular complications associated with anterior displacement of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs. In all five patients the prosthetic disc had eroded into the bifurcation of the inferior vena cava and the left common iliac vein. In three cases the aortic bifurcation was also involved. The fibrosis was so severe that dissecting out the arteries and veins to provide access to the relevant disc proved impossible. Formal division of the left common iliac vein and artery with subsequent repair was our solution. Anterior inter-vertebral disc displacement was associated with severe vascular injury. Preventing anterior disc displacement is essential in disc design. In the event of anterior displacement, disc removal should be planned with a Vascular Surgeon.

Comparison of Heidelberg Retina Tomograph with disc-macula distance to disc diameter ratio in diagnosing optic nerve hypoplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Yi; Frantz, Kelly A

2016-05-01

To evaluate whether Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph (HRT) is a valid test for diagnosing congenital optic nerve hypoplasia (CONH) compared to the ratio of the distance between the centre of the optic disc and the centre of the macula and the mean optic disc diameter (DM:DD ratio). Furthermore, to determine the optimal cut-off value of HRT disc area to differentiate a hypoplastic disc from a normal optic disc. A total of 33 subjects with CONH (4-67 years old) and 160 normal subjects (5-65 years old) were recruited and underwent comprehensive eye examinations, fundus photography and HRT. Receiver operating characteristic curves for DM:DD ratio and HRT disc area were constructed based on data from the 46 CONH eyes and 160 control eyes. Mean (±S.D.) HRT disc area was 1.94 (±0.54) mm(2) for the control eyes and 0.84 (±0.35) mm(2) for the CONH eyes (p < 0.0001). The area under the curve (AUC) for DM:DD ratio was 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-0.90). The AUC for HRT disc area was 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.94-0.99). A statistically significant difference was found between AUC for HRT disc area and that for DM:DD ratio (p = 0.0004). The optimal cut-off value for HRT disc area was 1.42 mm(2) with 95% sensitivity and 85% specificity. The optimal cut-off value for DM:DD ratio was 3.20 with 78% sensitivity and 78% specificity. Both HRT and the DM:DD ratio are valid tests to aid diagnosis of CONH. HRT is superior to DM:DD ratio in diagnosing CONH with higher sensitivity and specificity. We suggest the optimal cut-off value for HRT disc area as 1.42 mm(2) in order to discriminate a hypoplastic disc from a normal optic disc. © 2016 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2016 The College of Optometrists.

CT findings of lumbar intervertebral disc: II. Disc herniation (HNP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W. J.; Lee, J. M.; Bahk, Y. W.

1984-01-01

In lumbar region the epidural fat pad is relatively abundant so that CT can provides sufficient information in diagnosis of lumbar HNP. Many authors have reported on the CT findings of HNP such as focal nodular protrusion of the posterior disc margin, obliteration of epidural fat pad, impingement of dural sac and nerve root, swelling of nerve root, soft tissue density in the spinal canal and calcification of disc. However there was so previous report describing incidence and reliability of the findings. It is the purpose of the present study to survey the frequency, reliability, and limitation of these CT findings. The clinical material was consisted of 30 operatively proven cases of HNP of the lumbar spine. Each lumbar CT scan was reviewed retrospectively and the findings were analysed by two radiologists independently. There were 20 males and 10 females and the mean age was 36.7 years. Involvement of L4-S5 level was 2.3 times more frequent than that of L5-S1 level. Of 30 cases, 22 were unilateral posterolateral types and 8 cases central or unilateral far lateral types. CT findings observed were nodular protrusion of the posterior margin of the disc, obliteration of epidural fat pad, impingement of dural sac or nerve root, soft tissue density in the spinal canal and calcification in the posterior portion of the protruded disc, in order of decreasing frequency. The conclusions are follows: 1. Nodular protrusion of the posterior disc margin accompanied by obliteration of epidural fat pad was observed in every case. The former findings was designated as direct sign and the latter indirect. 2. Obliteration of the epidural fat appears to be significant in lateral recesses especially when it occurs unilaterally. This was not true, however, in the centrally located fat pad. 3. Impingement of the dural sac and nerve root were observed in 90% and 67%, respectively, and were very helpful in establishing HNP diagnosis when the direct and indirect signs were equivocal

The Galactic stellar disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feltzing, S; Bensby, T

2008-01-01

The study of the Milky Way stellar discs in the context of galaxy formation is discussed. In particular, we explore the properties of the Milky Way disc using a new sample of about 550 dwarf stars for which we have recently obtained elemental abundances and ages based on high-resolution spectroscopy. For all the stars we also have full kinematic information as well as information about their stellar orbits. We confirm results from previous studies that the thin and the thick discs have distinct abundance patterns. But we also explore a larger range of orbital parameters than what has been possible in our previous studies. Several new results are presented. We find that stars that reach high above the Galactic plane and have eccentric orbits show remarkably tight abundance trends. This implies that these stars formed out of well-mixed gas that had been homogenized over large volumes. We find some evidence that suggest that the event that most likely caused the heating of this stellar population happened a few billion years ago. Through a simple, kinematic exploration of stars with super-solar [Fe/H], we show that the solar neighbourhood contains metal-rich, high velocity stars that are very likely associated with the thick disc. Additionally, the HR1614 moving group and the Hercules and Arcturus stellar streams are discussed and it is concluded that, probably, a large fraction of the groups and streams so far identified in the disc are the result of evolution and interactions within the stellar disc rather than being dissolved stellar clusters or engulfed dwarf galaxies.

Björk-Shiley strut fracture and disc escape: literature review and a method of disc retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendel, P N

1989-03-01

Embolization of a prosthetic valve poppet is a rare but life-threatening event. It was reported sporadically before the introduction of the Björk-Shiley 70-degree convexoconcave prosthesis in 1980. Since that time, there have been a large number of reported mechanical failures with disc escape. The rate for the 29-mm to 33-mm mitral valves is estimated as 5.2%. In 29 of 35 patients (including the 2 presented here) in whom the site of disc lodgment could be determined, the disc was in the descending or abdominal aorta. Fifteen of these patients died. Six survivors had the disc removed at the same operation and 6 at a later operation. In 2 patients, the disc was not removed. In 2 patients in whom the disc was not removed initially, it was thought to contribute to postoperative complications. Two more cases of structural failure of the Björk-Shiley convexoconcave prosthesis are presented. A transpericardial approach to the descending aorta on bypass is described. It allows easy removal of the disc and eliminates the need for a second operation.

Debris disc constraints on planetesimal formation

Science.gov (United States)

Krivov, Alexander V.; Ide, Aljoscha; Löhne, Torsten; Johansen, Anders; Blum, Jürgen

2018-02-01

Two basic routes for planetesimal formation have been proposed over the last decades. One is a classical `slow-growth' scenario. Another one is particle concentration models, in which small pebbles are concentrated locally and then collapse gravitationally to form planetesimals. Both types of models make certain predictions for the size spectrum and internal structure of newly born planetesimals. We use these predictions as input to simulate collisional evolution of debris discs left after the gas dispersal. The debris disc emission as a function of a system's age computed in these simulations is compared with several Spitzer and Herschel debris disc surveys around A-type stars. We confirm that the observed brightness evolution for the majority of discs can be reproduced by classical models. Further, we find that it is equally consistent with the size distribution of planetesimals predicted by particle concentration models - provided the objects are loosely bound `pebble piles' as these models also predict. Regardless of the assumed planetesimal formation mechanism, explaining the brightest debris discs in the samples uncovers a `disc mass problem'. To reproduce such discs by collisional simulations, a total mass of planetesimals of up to ˜1000 Earth masses is required, which exceeds the total mass of solids available in the protoplanetary progenitors of debris discs. This may indicate that stirring was delayed in some of the bright discs, that giant impacts occurred recently in some of them, that some systems may be younger than previously thought or that non-collisional processes contribute significantly to the dust production.

T1 hyperintense disc in alkaptonuria.

Science.gov (United States)

Sag, Alan A; Silbergleit, Richard; Olson, Rick E; Wilson, Jon; Krishnan, Anant

2012-10-01

Case report. To report a rare case of alkaptonuria presenting as a T1-hyperintense disc herniation. A 46-year-old man without previous diagnosis of alkaptonuria underwent evaluation for progressive back pain revealing a T1-hyperintense disc herniation at the L3-L4 level. Discectomy recovered a blackened disc that was pathologically confirmed to be nucleus pulposus with alkaptonuric involvement. The differential diagnosis of a T1-hyperintense, T2-hypointense disc on magnetic resonance imaging is discussed, with emphasis on the pathophysiology of alkaptonuria. A single patient is reported. Pathologically proven patient presentation with radiological and pathological images. We report a rare case of alkaptonuria presenting as a T1-hyperintense disc herniation.

Differential rotation of stars with multiple transiting planets

Science.gov (United States)

Netto, Yuri; Valio, Adriana

2017-10-01

If a star hosts a planet in an orbit such that it eclipses the star periodically, can be estimated the rotation profile of this star. If planets in multiplanetary system occult different stellar areas, spots in more than one latitude of the stellar disc can be detected. The monitored study of theses starspots in different latitudes allow us to infer the rotation profile of the star. We use the model described in Silva (2003) to characterize the starspots of Kepler-210, an active star with two planets. Kepler-210 is a late K star with an estimated age of 350 +/- 50 Myrs, average rotation period of 12.33 days, mass of 0.63 M⊙ and radius of 0.69 R⊙. The planets that eclipses this star have radii of 0.0498 R s and 0.0635 R s with orbital periods of 2.4532 +/- 0.0007 days and 7.9725 +/- 0.0014 days, respectively, where R s is the star radius.

Non-axisymmetric line-driven disc winds - I. Disc perturbations

Science.gov (United States)

Dyda, Sergei; Proga, Daniel

2018-04-01

We study mass outflows driven from accretion discs by radiation pressure due to spectral lines. To investigate non-axisymmetric effects, we use the ATHENA++ code and develop a new module to account for radiation pressure driving. In 2D, our new simulations are consistent with previous 2D axisymmetric solutions by Proga et al., who used the ZEUS 2D code. Specifically, we find that the disc winds are time dependent, characterized by a dense stream confined to ˜45° relative to the disc mid-plane and bounded on the polar side by a less dense, fast stream. In 3D, we introduce a vertical, ϕ-dependent, subsonic velocity perturbation in the disc mid-plane. The perturbation does not change the overall character of the solution but global outflow properties such as the mass, momentum, and kinetic energy fluxes are altered by up to 100 per cent. Non-axisymmetric density structures develop and persist mainly at the base of the wind. They are relatively small, and their densities can be a few times higher than the azimuthal average. The structure of the non-axisymmetric and axisymmetric solutions differ also in other ways. Perhaps most importantly from the observational point of view are the differences in the so-called clumping factors, that serve as a proxy for emissivity due to two body processes. In particular, the spatially averaged clumping factor over the entire fast stream, while it is of a comparable value in both solutions, it varies about 10 times faster in the non-axisymmetric case.

The presence and absence of lymphatic vessels in the adult human intervertebral disc: relation to disc pathology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kliskey, Karolina; Williams, Kelly; Yu, J.; Urban, Jill; Athanasou, Nick; Jackson, David

2009-01-01

Although the normal adult human intervertebral disc is considered to be avascular, vascularised cellular fibrous tissue can be found in pathological conditions involving the disc such as disc herniation. Whether lymphatics vessels form a component of this reparative tissue is not known as the presence or absence of lymphatics in herniated and normal disc tissue is not known. We examined spinal tissues and discectomy specimens for the presence of lymphatics. The examination used immunohistochemistry to identify the specific lymphatic endothelial cell markers, podoplanin and LYVE1. Lymphatic vessels were not found in the nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosus of intact, non-herniated lumbar and thoracic discs but were present in the surrounding ligaments. Ingrowth of fibrous tissue was seen in 73% of herniated disc specimens of which 36% contained LYVE1+/podoplanin + lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels were not seen in the sacrum and coccyx or biopsies of four sacrococcygeal chordomas, but they were noted in surrounding extra-osseous fat and fibrous tissue at the edge of the infiltrating tumour. Our findings indicate that lymphatic vessels are not present in the normal adult intervertebral disc but that, when there is extrusion of disc material into surrounding soft tissue, there is ingrowth of reparative fibrous tissue containing lymphatic vessels. Our findings also indicate that chordoma, a tumour of notochordal origin, spreads to regional lymph nodes via lymphatics in para-spinal soft tissues. (orig.)

The plasma properties and electron emission characteristics of near-zero differential resistance of hollow cathode-based plasma contactors with a discharge chamber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Kan, E-mail: xiekan@bit.edu.cn [School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Farnell, Casey C.; Williams, John D. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 (United States)

2014-08-15

The formation of electron emission-bias voltage (I-V) characteristics of near-zero differential resistance in the cathodic plasma contactor for bare electrodynamic tether applications, based on a hollow cathode embedded in a ring-cusp ionization stage, is studied. The existence of such an I-V regime is important to achieve low impedance performance without being affected by the space plasma properties for a cathodic plasma contactor. Experimental data on the plasma structure and properties downstream from the ionization stage are presented as functions of the xenon flow rate and the electron emission current. The electrons were emitted from the cathode to the cylindrical vacuum chamber wall (r = 0.9 m) under ≈10{sup −5 }Torr of vacuum pressure. The ring-cusp configuration selected for the plasma contactor created a 125-Gauss axial field near the cathode orifice, along with a large-volume 50-Gauss magnitude pocket in the stage. A baseline ion energy cost of ≈300 eV/ion was measured in the ionization stage when no electrons were emitted to the vacuum chamber wall. In addition, the anode fall growth limited the maximum propellant unitization to below ≈75% in the discharge loss curves for this ion stage. Detailed measurements on the plasma properties were carried out for the no-electron emission and 3 A emission conditions. The experimental data are compared with 1-D models, and the effectiveness of the model is discussed. The four key issues that played important roles in the process of building the near-zero different resistance I-V regime are: a significant amount of ionization by the emission electrons, a decrease in the number of reflected electrons in the plume, the electron-temperature increment, and low initial ion energy at the source outlet.

Archival-grade optical disc design and international standards

Science.gov (United States)

Fujii, Toru; Kojyo, Shinichi; Endo, Akihisa; Kodaira, Takuo; Mori, Fumi; Shimizu, Atsuo

2015-09-01

Optical discs currently on the market exhibit large variations in life span among discs, making them unsuitable for certain business applications. To assess and potentially mitigate this problem, we performed accelerated degradation testing under standard ISO conditions, determined the probable disc failure mechanisms, and identified the essential criteria necessary for a stable disc composition. With these criteria as necessary conditions, we analyzed the physical and chemical changes that occur in the disc components, on the basis of which we determined technological measures to reduce these degradation processes. By applying these measures to disc fabrication, we were able to develop highly stable optical discs.

Thermochemical modelling of brown dwarf discs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Greenwood, A. J.; Kamp, I.; Waters, L. B. F. M.; Woitke, P.; Thi, W.-F.; Rab, Ch.; Aresu, G.; Spaans, M.

The physical properties of brown dwarf discs, in terms of their shapes and sizes, are still largely unexplored by observations. ALMA has by far the best capabilities to observe these discs in sub-mm CO lines and dust continuum, while also spatially resolving some discs. To what extent brown dwarf

Incidence of Debris Discs Around FGK Stars in the Solar Neighbourhood

Science.gov (United States)

Montesinos, B.; Eiroa, C.; Krivov, A. V.; Marshall, J. P.; Pilbratt, G. L.; Liseau, R.; Mora, A.; Maldonado, J.; Wolf, S.; Ertel, S.;

The Karush–Kuhn–Tucker optimality conditions in minimum weight design of elastic rotating disks with variable thickness and density

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanaz Jafari

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Rotating discs work mostly at high angular velocity. High speed results in large centrifugal forces in discs and induces large stresses and deformations. Minimizing weight of such disks yields various benefits such as low dead weights and lower costs. In order to attain a certain and reliable analysis, disk with variable thickness and density is considered. Semi-analytical solutions for the elastic stress distribution in rotating annular disks with uniform and variable thicknesses and densities are obtained under plane stress assumption by authors in previous works. The optimum disk profile for minimum weight design is achieved by the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT optimality conditions. Inequality constrain equation is used in optimization to make sure that maximum von Mises stress is always less than yielding strength of the material of the disk.

Total disc replacement using tissue-engineered intervertebral discs in the canine cervical spine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Moriguchi

Full Text Available The most common reason that adults in the United States see their physician is lower back or neck pain secondary to degenerative disc disease. To date, approaches to treat degenerative disc disease are confined to purely mechanical devices designed to either eliminate or enable flexibility of the diseased motion segment. Tissue engineered intervertebral discs (TE-IVDs have been proposed as an alternative approach and have shown promise in replacing native IVD in the rodent tail spine. Here we demonstrate the efficacy of our TE-IVDs in the canine cervical spine. TE-IVD components were constructed using adult canine annulus fibrosis and nucleus pulposus cells seeded into collagen and alginate hydrogels, respectively. Seeded gels were formed into a single disc unit using molds designed from the geometry of the canine spine. Skeletally mature beagles underwent discectomy with whole IVD resection at levels between C3/4 and C6/7, and were then divided into two groups that received only discectomy or discectomy followed by implantation of TE-IVD. Stably implanted TE-IVDs demonstrated significant retention of disc height and physiological hydration compared to discectomy control. Both 4-week and 16-week histological assessments demonstrated chondrocytic cells surrounded by proteoglycan-rich matrices in the NP and by fibrocartilaginous matrices in the AF portions of implanted TE-IVDs. Integration into host tissue was confirmed over 16 weeks without any signs of immune reaction. Despite the significant biomechanical demands of the beagle cervical spine, our stably implanted TE-IVDs maintained their position, structure and hydration as well as disc height over 16 weeks in vivo.

Notochord Cells in Intervertebral Disc Development and Degeneration

Science.gov (United States)

McCann, Matthew R.; Séguin, Cheryle A.

2016-01-01

The intervertebral disc is a complex structure responsible for flexibility, multi-axial motion, and load transmission throughout the spine. Importantly, degeneration of the intervertebral disc is thought to be an initiating factor for back pain. Due to a lack of understanding of the pathways that govern disc degeneration, there are currently no disease-modifying treatments to delay or prevent degenerative disc disease. This review presents an overview of our current understanding of the developmental processes that regulate intervertebral disc formation, with particular emphasis on the role of the notochord and notochord-derived cells in disc homeostasis and how their loss can result in degeneration. We then describe the role of small animal models in understanding the development of the disc and their use to interrogate disc degeneration and associated pathologies. Finally, we highlight essential development pathways that are associated with disc degeneration and/or implicated in the reparative response of the tissue that might serve as targets for future therapeutic approaches. PMID:27252900

Notochord Cells in Intervertebral Disc Development and Degeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew R. McCann

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The intervertebral disc is a complex structure responsible for flexibility, multi-axial motion, and load transmission throughout the spine. Importantly, degeneration of the intervertebral disc is thought to be an initiating factor for back pain. Due to a lack of understanding of the pathways that govern disc degeneration, there are currently no disease-modifying treatments to delay or prevent degenerative disc disease. This review presents an overview of our current understanding of the developmental processes that regulate intervertebral disc formation, with particular emphasis on the role of the notochord and notochord-derived cells in disc homeostasis and how their loss can result in degeneration. We then describe the role of small animal models in understanding the development of the disc and their use to interrogate disc degeneration and associated pathologies. Finally, we highlight essential development pathways that are associated with disc degeneration and/or implicated in the reparative response of the tissue that might serve as targets for future therapeutic approaches.

The life cycles of Be viscous decretion discs: fundamental disc parameters of 54 SMC Be stars

Science.gov (United States)

Rímulo, L. R.; Carciofi, A. C.; Vieira, R. G.; Rivinius, Th; Faes, D. M.; Figueiredo, A. L.; Bjorkman, J. E.; Georgy, C.; Ghoreyshi, M. R.; Soszyński, I.

2018-05-01

Be stars are main-sequence massive stars with emission features in their spectrum, which originates in circumstellar gaseous discs. Even though the viscous decretion disc model can satisfactorily explain most observations, two important physical ingredients, namely the magnitude of the viscosity (α) and the disc mass injection rate, remain poorly constrained. The light curves of Be stars that undergo events of disc formation and dissipation offer an opportunity to constrain these quantities. A pipeline was developed to model these events that use a grid of synthetic light curves, computed from coupled hydrodynamic and radiative transfer calculations. A sample of 54 Be stars from the OGLE survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) was selected for this study. Because of the way our sample was selected (bright stars with clear disc events), it likely represents the densest discs in the SMC. Like their siblings in the Galaxy, the mass of the disc in the SMC increases with the stellar mass. The typical mass and angular momentum loss rates associated with the disc events are of the order of ˜10-10 M⊙ yr-1 and ˜5 × 1036 g cm2 s-2, respectively. The values of α found in this work are typically of a few tenths, consistent with recent results in the literature and with the ones found in dwarf novae, but larger than current theory predicts. Considering the sample as a whole, the viscosity parameter is roughly two times larger at build-up ( = 0.63) than at dissipation ( = 0.26). Further work is necessary to verify whether this trend is real or a result of some of the model assumptions.

On the illumination of neutron star accretion discs

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, D. R.

2018-03-01

The illumination of the accretion disc in a neutron star X-ray binary by X-rays emitted from (or close to) the neutron star surface is explored through general relativistic ray tracing simulations. The applicability of the canonical suite of relativistically broadened emission line models (developed for black holes) to discs around neutron stars is evaluated. These models were found to describe well emission lines from neutron star accretion discs unless the neutron star radius is larger than the innermost stable orbit of the accretion disc at 6 rg or the disc is viewed at high inclination, above 60° where shadowing of the back side of the disc becomes important. Theoretical emissivity profiles were computed for accretion discs illuminated by hotspots on the neutron star surfaces, bands of emission and emission by the entirety of the hot, spherical star surface and in all cases, the emissivity profile of the accretion disc was found to be well represented by a single power law falling off slightly steeper than r-3. Steepening of the emissivity index was found where the emission is close to the disc plane and the disc can appear truncated when illuminated by a hotspot at high latitude. The emissivity profile of the accretion disc in Serpens X-1 was measured and found to be consistent with a single unbroken power law with index q=3.5_{-0.4}^{+0.3}, suggestive of illumination by the boundary layer between the disc and neutron star surface.

Spectroscopic Parameters of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Material

Science.gov (United States)

Terbetas, G.; Kozlovskaja, A.; Varanius, D.; Graziene, V.; Vaitkus, J.; Vaitkuviene, A.

2009-06-01

There are numerous methods of investigating intervertebral disc. Visualization methods are widely used in clinical practice. Histological, imunohistochemical and biochemical methods are more used in scientific research. We propose that a new spectroscopic investigation would be useful in determining intervertebral disc material, especially when no histological specimens are available. Purpose: to determine spectroscopic parameters of intervertebral disc material; to determine emission spectra common for all intervertebral discs; to create a background for further spectroscopic investigation where no histological specimen will be available. Material and Methods: 20 patients, 68 frozen sections of 20 μm thickness from operatively removed intervertebral disc hernia were excited by Nd:YAG microlaser STA-01-TH third harmonic 355 nm light throw 0, 1 mm fiber. Spectrophotometer OceanOptics USB2000 was used for spectra collection. Mathematical analysis of spectra was performed by ORIGIN multiple Gaussian peaks analysis. Results: In each specimen of disc hernia were found distinct maximal spectral peaks of 4 types supporting the histological evaluation of mixture content of the hernia. Fluorescence in the spectral regions 370-700 nm was detected in the disc hernias. The main spectral component was at 494 nm and the contribution of the components with the peak wavelength values at 388 nm, 412 nm and 435±5 nm were varying in the different groups of samples. In comparison to average spectrum of all cases, there are 4 groups of different spectral signatures in the region 400-500 nm in the patient groups, supporting a clinical data on different clinical features of the patients. Discussion and Conclusion: besides the classical open discectomy, new minimally invasive techniques of treating intervertebral disc emerge (PLDD). Intervertebral disc in these techniques is assessed by needle, no histological specimen is taken. Spectroscopic investigation via fiber optics through the

Mass Transfer And Hydraulic Testing Of The V-05 And V-10 Contactors With The Next Generation Solvent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herman, D. T.; Duignan, M. R.; Williams, M. R.; Peters, T. B.; Poirier, M. R.; Fondeur, F. F.

2013-07-31

The Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) Unit (MCU) facility is actively pursuing the transition from the current BOBCalixC6 based solvent to the Next Generation Solvent (NGS)-MCU solvent. To support this integration of NGS into the MCU facilities, Savannah River Remediation (SRR) requested that Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) perform testing of a blend of the NGS (MaxCalix based solvent) with the current solvent (BOBCalixC6 based solvent) for the removal of cesium (Cs) from the liquid salt waste stream. This testing differs from prior testing by utilizing a blend of BOBCalixC6 based solvent and the NGS with the full (0.05 M) concentration of the MaxCalix as well as a new suppressor, tris(3,7dimethyloctyl) guanidine. Single stage tests were conducted using the full size V-05 and V-10 centrifugal contactors installed at SRNL. These tests were designed to determine the mass transfer and hydraulic characteristics with the NGS solvent blended with the projected heel of the BOBCalixC6 based solvent that will exist in MCU at time of transition. The test program evaluated the amount of organic carryover and the droplet size of the organic carryover phases using several analytical methods. Stage efficiency and mass distribution ratios were determined by measuring Cs concentration in the aqueous and organic phases during single contactor testing. The nominal cesium distribution ratio, D(Cs) measured for extraction ranged from 37-60. The data showed greater than 96% stage efficiency for extraction. No significant differences were noted for operations at 4, 8 or 12 gpm aqueous salt simulant feed flow rates. The first scrub test (contact with weak caustic solution) yielded average scrub D(Cs) values of 3.3 to 5.2 and the second scrub test produced an average value of 1.8 to 2.3. For stripping behavior, the “first stage” D Cs) values ranged from 0.04 to 0.08. The efficiency of the low flow (0.27 gpm aqueous) was calculated to be 82.7%. The Spreadsheet

Biomaterials for intervertebral disc regeneration and repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowles, Robert D; Setton, Lori A

2017-06-01

The intervertebral disc contributes to motion, weight bearing, and flexibility of the spine, but is susceptible to damage and morphological changes that contribute to pathology with age and injury. Engineering strategies that rely upon synthetic materials or composite implants that do not interface with the biological components of the disc have not met with widespread use or desirable outcomes in the treatment of intervertebral disc pathology. Here we review bioengineering advances to treat disc disorders, using cell-supplemented materials, or acellular, biologically based materials, that provide opportunity for cell-material interactions and remodeling in the treatment of intervertebral disc disorders. While a field still in early development, bioengineering-based strategies employing novel biomaterials are emerging as promising alternatives for clinical treatment of intervertebral disc disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of rupture discs for the FBTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chetal, S.C.; Raju, C.; Anandkumar, V.; Seetharaman, V.; Rajan, K.K.

1984-01-01

Rupture discs are required as a safety device for protecting the secondary sodium circuit and its components against high pressure surges due to accidental water steam leaks in sodium heated steam generator and the consequent sodium water reaction. For identical reasons, rupture discs are also required on the vessels used for decontamination of sodium components. Reverse buckling knife blade concept with austenitic stainless steel disc has been developed for the rupture disc assemblies required for Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR). Hydroforming process without any die has been used for disc fabrication. One rupture disc assembly required for steam generator is undergoing sodium endurance test and has accumulated 4,500 hours. The present status of development work as demonstrated by room temperature experimental results as well as the scope for future work are discussed. (author)

Similarity flows between a rotating and a stationary disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchmann, J.H.; Qassim, R.Y.

1981-07-01

The radial distribution of fluid pressure on a stationary disk coaxial with a rotating disk is determined experimentally for various inter-disc spacings. The results show that similarity flows are only possible for both small and large values of this distance. In the former case, the flow faraway from the stationary disk appears to be that suggested by Batchelor, while in the latter case, the flow turns out to be in accordance with the assumption of Stewartson. (Author) [pt

On the diversity and statistical properties of protostellar discs

Science.gov (United States)

Bate, Matthew R.

2018-04-01

We present results from the first population synthesis study of protostellar discs. We analyse the evolution and properties of a large sample of protostellar discs formed in a radiation hydrodynamical simulation of star cluster formation. Due to the chaotic nature of the star formation process, we find an enormous diversity of young protostellar discs, including misaligned discs, and discs whose orientations vary with time. Star-disc interactions truncate discs and produce multiple systems. Discs may be destroyed in dynamical encounters and/or through ram-pressure stripping, but reform by later gas accretion. We quantify the distributions of disc mass and radii for protostellar ages up to ≈105 yr. For low-mass protostars, disc masses tend to increase with both age and protostellar mass. Disc radii range from of order 10 to a few hundred au, grow in size on time-scales ≲ 104 yr, and are smaller around lower mass protostars. The radial surface density profiles of isolated protostellar discs are flatter than the minimum mass solar nebula model, typically scaling as Σ ∝ r-1. Disc to protostar mass ratios rarely exceed two, with a typical range of Md/M* = 0.1-1 to ages ≲ 104 yr and decreasing thereafter. We quantify the relative orientation angles of circumstellar discs and the orbit of bound pairs of protostars, finding a preference for alignment that strengths with decreasing separation. We also investigate how the orientations of the outer parts of discs differ from the protostellar and inner disc spins for isolated protostars and pairs.

Rotational and X-ray luminosity evolution of high-B radio pulsars

Science.gov (United States)

Benli, Onur; Ertan, Ünal

2018-05-01

In continuation of our earlier work on the long-term evolution of the so-called high-B radio pulsars (HBRPs) with measured braking indices, we have investigated the long-term evolution of the remaining five HBRPs for which braking indices have not been measured yet. This completes our source-by-source analyses of HBRPs in the fallback disc model that was also applied earlier to anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs), soft gamma repeaters (SGRs), and dim isolated neutron stars (XDINs). Our results show that the X-ray luminosities and the rotational properties of these rather different neutron star populations can be acquired by neutron stars with fallback discs as a result of differences in their initial conditions, namely the initial disc mass, initial period and the dipole field strength. For the five HBRPs, unlike for AXPs, SGRs and XDINs, our results do not constrain the dipole field strengths of the sources. We obtain evolutionary paths leading to the properties of HBRPs in the propeller phase with dipole fields sufficiently strong to produce pulsed radio emission.

Performance of polydimethylsiloxane membrane contactor process for selective hydrogen sulfide removal from biogas.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilahun, Ebrahim; Bayrakdar, Alper; Sahinkaya, Erkan; Çalli, Bariş

2017-03-01

H 2 S in biogas affects the co-generation performance adversely by corroding some critical components within the engine and it has to be removed in order to improve the biogas quality. This work presents the use of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane contactor for selective removal of H 2 S from the biogas. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of different pH of absorption liquid, biogas flowrate and temperature on the absorption performances. The results revealed that at the lowest loading rate (91mg H 2 S/m 2 ·h) more than 98% H 2 S and 59% CO 2 absorption efficiencies were achieved. The CH 4 content in the treated gas increased from 60 to 80% with nearly 5% CH 4 loss. Increasing the pH (7-10) and loading rate (91-355mg H 2 S/m 2 ·h) enhanced the H 2 S absorption capacity, and the maximum H 2 S/CO 2 and H 2 S/CH 4 selectivity factors were 2.5 and 58, respectively. Temperature played a key role in the process and lower temperature was beneficial for intensifying H 2 S absorption performance. The highest H 2 S fluxes at pH 10 and 7 were 3.4g/m 2 ·d and 1.8g/m 2 ·d with overall mass transfer coefficients of 6.91×10 -6 and 4.99×10 -6 m/s, respectively. The results showed that moderately high H 2 S fluxes with low CH 4 loss may be achieved by using a robust and cost-effective membrane based absorption process for desulfurization of biogas. A tubular PDMS membrane contactor was tested for the first time to remove H 2 S from biogas under slightly alkaline conditions and the suggested process could be a promising for real scale applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Queixas auditivas de disc jockeys da cidade de Recife Auditory complaints in disc jockeys in Recife

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Eliza Maia de Britto Macedo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: investigar a ocorrência de queixas auditivas em disc jockeys da cidade de Recife/PE. MÉTODOS: foi realizada uma entrevista com 30 disc jockeys, com idade entre 19 e 28 anos, abordando informações ocupacionais, conhecimentos gerais sobre o ruído e queixas auditivas (diminuição da acuidade auditiva, desconforto a sons intensos, zumbido, sensação de ouvido abafado e otalgia. A análise foi realizada por meio de abordagem quantitativa, utilizando o teste estatístico t-student. RESULTADOS: dentre os dados mais relevantes, destacam-se: 46,7% dos disc jockeys apresentaram, espontaneamente, queixas auditivas, em especial, a diminuição da acuidade auditiva (relatada por todos os sujeitos; 14 disc jockeys (46,67% referiram desconforto a sons intensos e 13 (43,33% mencionaram zumbido. Todos afirmaram ter conhecimento sobre os riscos do ruído para a saúde auditiva, mas 76,7% não realizam qualquer medida preventiva de suas consequências. A perda auditiva foi referida pelos sujeitos como o principal risco da exposição a níveis intensos de pressão sonora. CONCLUSÃO: todos os disc jockeys apresentaram queixa de perda auditiva e, entre as demais queixas auditivas, destacaram-se o desconforto a sons intensos e o zumbido. Tendo em vista a irreversibilidade da perda auditiva induzida por elevados níveis de pressão sonora, os disc jockeys devem ser periodicamente avaliados a fim de que se confirme ou não a perda auditiva de que se queixaram e, caso ela exista, deve ser monitorada para que seja passível de intervenção pelo fonoaudiólogo. Desta forma, percebe-se a necessidade de atuação da Fonoaudiologia junto aos disc jockeys, uma vez que poder-se-á propiciar a otimização do exercício profissional com o mínimo de risco possível.PURPOSE: to investigate the occurrence of auditory complaints in disc jockeys from the city of Recife/PE. METHODS: an interview was carried through with 30 disc jockeys aged between 19 and 48 years

The reports of thick discs' deaths are greatly exaggerated. Thick discs are NOT artefacts caused by diffuse scattered light

Science.gov (United States)

Comerón, S.; Salo, H.; Knapen, J. H.

2018-02-01

Recent studies have made the community aware of the importance of accounting for scattered light when examining low-surface-brightness galaxy features such as thick discs. In our past studies of the thick discs of edge-on galaxies in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies - the S4G - we modelled the point spread function as a Gaussian. In this paper we re-examine our results using a revised point spread function model that accounts for extended wings out to more than 2\\farcm5. We study the 3.6 μm images of 141 edge-on galaxies from the S4G and its early-type galaxy extension. Thus, we more than double the samples examined in our past studies. We decompose the surface-brightness profiles of the galaxies perpendicular to their mid-planes assuming that discs are made of two stellar discs in hydrostatic equilibrium. We decompose the axial surface-brightness profiles of galaxies to model the central mass concentration - described by a Sérsic function - and the disc - described by a broken exponential disc seen edge-on. Our improved treatment fully confirms the ubiquitous occurrence of thick discs. The main difference between our current fits and those presented in our previous papers is that now the scattered light from the thin disc dominates the surface brightness at levels below μ 26 mag arcsec-2. We stress that those extended thin disc tails are not physical, but pure scattered light. This change, however, does not drastically affect any of our previously presented results: 1) Thick discs are nearly ubiquitous. They are not an artefact caused by scattered light as has been suggested elsewhere. 2) Thick discs have masses comparable to those of thin discs in low-mass galaxies - with circular velocities vc< 120 km s-1 - whereas they are typically less massive than the thin discs in high-mass galaxies. 3) Thick discs and central mass concentrations seem to have formed at the same epoch from a common material reservoir. 4) Approximately 50% of the up

The Correlation between Insertion Depth of Prodisc-C Artificial Disc and Postoperative Kyphotic Deformity: Clinical Importance of Insertion Depth of Artificial Disc.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Do-Youl; Kim, Se-Hoon; Suh, Jung-Keun; Cho, Tai-Hyoung; Chung, Yong-Gu

2012-09-01

This study was designed to investigate the correlation between insertion depth of artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity after Prodisc-C total disc replacement surgery, and the range of artificial disc insertion depth which is effective in preventing postoperative whole cervical or segmental kyphotic deformity. A retrospective radiological analysis was performed in 50 patients who had undergone single level total disc replacement surgery. Records were reviewed to obtain demographic data. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were assessed to determine C2-7 Cobb's angle and segmental angle and to investigate postoperative kyphotic deformity. A formula was introduced to calculate insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc. Statistical analysis was performed to search the correlation between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity, and to estimate insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc to prevent postoperative kyphotic deformity. In this study no significant statistical correlation was observed between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity regarding C2-7 Cobb's angle. Statistical correlation between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity was observed regarding segmental angle (p<0.05). It failed to estimate proper insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc effective in preventing postoperative kyphotic deformity. Postoperative segmental kyphotic deformity is associated with insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc. Anterior located artificial disc leads to lordotic segmental angle and posterior located artificial disc leads to kyphotic segmental angle postoperatively. But C2-7 Cobb's angle is not affected by artificial disc location after the surgery.

Towards Gravitating Discs around Stationary Black Holes

Science.gov (United States)

Semerák, Oldřich

This article outlines the search for an exact general relativistic description of the exterior(vacuum) gravitational field of a rotating spheroidal black hole surrounded by a realistic axially symmetric disc of matter. The problem of multi-body stationary spacetimes is first exposed from the perspective of the relativity theory (section 1) and astrophysics (section 2), listing the basic methods employed and results obtained. Then (in section 3) basic formulas for stationary axisymmetric solutions are summarized. Sections 4 and 5 review what we have learnt with Miroslav Žáček and Tomáš Zellerin about certain static and stationary situations recently. Concluding remarks are given in section 6. Although the survey part is quite general, the list of references cannot be complete.Our main desideratum was the informative value rather than originality — novelties have been preferred, mainly reviews and those with detailed introductions.

Mechanoreceptors in Diseased Cervical Intervertebral Disc and Vertigo.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liang; Yang, Cheng; Pang, Xiaodong; Li, Duanming; Yang, Hong; Zhang, Xinwu; Yang, Yi; Peng, Baogan

2017-04-15

We collected the samples of cervical intervertebral discs from patients with vertigo to examine the distribution and types of mechanoreceptors in diseased cervical disc. The aim of this study was to determine whether mechanoreceptors are distributed more abundantly in cervical discs from patients with cervical spondylosis, and whether they are related to vertigo. Previous limited studies have found that normal cervical intervertebral discs are supplied with mechanoreceptors that have been considered responsible for proprioceptive functions. Several clinical studies have indicated that the patients with cervical spondylosis manifested significantly impaired postural control and subjective balance disturbance. We collected 77 samples of cervical discs from 62 cervical spondylosis patients without vertigo, 61 samples from 54 patients with vertigo, and 40 control samples from 8 cadaveric donors to investigate distribution of mechanoreceptors containing neurofilament (NF200) and S-100 protein immunoreactive nerve endings. The immunohistochemical investigation revealed that the most frequently encountered mechanoreceptors were the Ruffini corpuscles in all groups of cervical disc samples. They were obviously increased in the number and deeply ingrown into inner annulus fibrosus and even into nucleus pulposus in the diseased cervical discs from patients with vertigo in comparison with the discs from patients without vertigo and control discs. Only three Golgi endings were seen in the three samples from patients with vertigo. No Pacinian corpuscles were found in any samples of cervical discs. The diseased cervical discs from patients with vertigo had more abundant distribution of Ruffini corpuscles than other discs. A positive association between the increased number and ingrowth of Ruffini corpuscles in the diseased cervical disc and the incidence of vertigo in the patients with cervical spondylosis was found, which may indicate a key role of Ruffini corpuscles in the

Are galaxy discs optically thick?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Disney, Michael; Davies, Jonathan; Phillipps, Steven

1989-01-01

We re-examine the classical optical evidence for the low optical depths traditionally assigned to spiral discs and argue that it is highly model-dependent and unconvincing. In particular, layered models with a physically thin but optically thick dust layer behave like optically thin discs. The opposite hypotheses, that such discs are optically thick is then examined in the light of modern evidence. We find it to be consistent with the near-infrared and IRAS observations, with the surface brightnesses, with the HI and CO column densities and with the Hα measurements. (author)

Vascular complications of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs

OpenAIRE

Daly, Kevin J.; Ross, E. Raymond S.; Norris, Heather; McCollum, Charles N.

2006-01-01

Five consecutive cases of prosthetic inter-vertebral disc displacement with severe vascular complications on revisional surgery are described. The objective of this case report is to warn spinal surgeons that major vascular complications are likely with anterior displacement of inter-vertebral discs. We have not been able to find a previous report on vascular complications associated with anterior displacement of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs. In all five patients the prosthetic disc had e...

Modelling of a tubular membrane contactor for pre-combustion CO2 capture using ionic liquids: Influence of the membrane configuration, absorbent properties and operation parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongde Dai

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A membrane contactor using ionic liquids (ILs as solvent for pre-combustion capture CO2 at elevated temperature (303–393 K and pressure (20 bar has been studied using mathematic model in the present work. A comprehensive two-dimensional (2D mass-transfer model was developed based on finite element method. The effects of liquid properties, membrane configurations, as well as operation parameters on the CO2 removal efficiency were systematically studied. The simulation results show that CO2 can be effectively removed in this process. In addition, it is found that the liquid phase mass transfer dominated the overall mass transfer. Membranes with high porosity and small thickness could apparently reduce the membrane resistance and thus increase the separation efficiency. On the other hand, the membrane diameter and membrane length have a relatively small influence on separation performance within the operation range. Keywords: CO2 capture, Pre-combustion, Membrane contactor, Ionic liquids, Modelling

Examination of turbine discs from nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czajkowski, C.J.; Weeks, J.R.

1982-01-01

Investigations were performed on a cracked turbine disc from the Cooper Nuclear Power Station, and on two failed turbine discs (governor and generator ends) from the Yankee-Rowe Nuclear Power Station. Cooper is a boiling water reactor (BWR) which went into commercial operation in July 1974, and Yankee-Rowe is a pressurized water reactor (PWR) which went into commercial operation in June 1961. Cracks were identified in the bore of the Cooper disc after 41,913 hours of operation, and the disc removed for repair. At Yankee-Rowe two discs failed after 100,000 hours of operation. Samples of the Cooper disc and both Yankee-Rowe disc (one from the governor and one from the generator end of the LP turbine) were sent to Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) for failure analysis

Identical location transmission electron microscopy in combination with rotating disc electrode measurements. The activity of fuel cell catalysts and their degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schloegl, Katrin G.

2011-07-13

As an alternative to conventional combustion engines, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) using hydrogen as a fuel is a promising concept owing to its potential independence from fossil fuels, high efficiency and zero emissions. Concerning its commercial viability, the fundamental problem of high system cost per power output and lifetime is closely related to finding more active and stable catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. In the presented work, several methods are combined to examine the parameters and processes responsible for both activity and degradation of platinum-based catalysts. Degradation mechanisms are scrutinized by means of electrochemical measurements with the rotating disc electrode in combination with a recently developed TEM technique, which allows for the comparison of identical locations before and after accelerated stress tests. (orig.) [German] Die mit Wasserstoff betriebene Proton Exchange Membrane Brennstoffzelle (PEMFC) stellt aufgrund ihrer potentiellen Unabhaengigkeit von fossilen Energietraegern, ihrem hohen Wirkungsgrad und fehlendem Schadstoffausstoss eine vielversprechende Alternative zum konventionellen Verbrennungsmotor dar. Das grundlegende Problem der zu hohen Systemkosten und zu geringen Lebensdauer fuer kommerzielle Anwendungen ist eng mit der Entwicklung aktiverer und stabiler Elektrokatalysatoren fuer die Sauerstoffreduktion verknuepft. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden verschiedene Methoden kombiniert, um die Parameter und Prozesse zu untersuchen, welche fuer die Aktivitaet und Degradation platinbasierter Katalysatoren verantwortlich sind. Zur Aufklaerung vorliegender Degradationsmechanismen werden elektrochemische Messungen mit der rotierenden Scheibenelektrode in Kombination mit einer neu entwickelten TEM Methode eingesetzt, welche es ermoeglicht, identische Stellen vor und nach beschleunigten Degradationstests zu untersuchen.

Electrochemical reductive dehalogenation of iodine-containing contrast agent pharmaceuticals: Examination of reactions of diatrizoate and iopamidol using the method of rotating ring-disc electrode (RRDE).

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Mingquan; Chen, Zhanghao; Li, Na; Zhou, Yuxuan; Zhang, Chenyang; Korshin, Gregory

2018-06-01

This study examined the electrochemical (EC) reduction of iodinated contrast media (ICM) exemplified by iopamidol and diatrizoate. The method of rotating ring-disc electrode (RRDE) was used to elucidate rates and mechanisms of the EC reactions of the selected ICMs. Experiments were carried at varying hydrodynamic conditions, concentrations of iopamidol, diatrizoate, natural organic matter (NOM) and model compounds (resorcinol, catechol, guaiacol) which were used to examine interactions between products of the EC reduction of ICMs and halogenation-active species. The data showed that iopamidol and diatrizoate were EC-reduced at potentials < -0.45 V vs. s.c.e. In the range of potentials -0.65 to -0.85 V their reduction was mass transfer-controlled. The presence of NOM and model compounds did not affect the EC reduction of iopamidol and diatrizoate but active iodine species formed as a result of the EC-induced transformations of these ICMs reacted readily with NOM and model compounds. These data provide more insight into the nature of generation of iodine-containing by-products in the case of reductive degradation of ICMs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fluid dynamics of the magnetic field dependent thermosolutal convection and viscosity between coaxial contracting discs

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Aamir; Shah, Rehan Ali; Shuaib, Muhammad; Ali, Amjad

2018-06-01

The effects of magnetic field dependent (MFD) thermosolutal convection and MFD viscosity of the fluid dynamics are investigated between squeezing discs rotating with different velocities. The unsteady constitutive expressions of mass conservation, modified Navier-Stokes, Maxwell and MFD thermosolutal convection are coupled as a system of ordinary differential equations. The corresponding solutions for the transformed radial and azimuthal momentum as well as solutions for the azimuthal and axial induced magnetic field equations are determined, also the MHD pressure and torque which the fluid exerts on the upper disc is derived and discussed in details. In the case of smooth discs the self-similar equations are solved using Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM) with appropriate initial guesses and auxiliary parameters to produce an algorithm with an accelerated and assured convergence. The validity and accuracy of HAM results is proved by comparison of the HAM solutions with numerical solver package BVP4c. It has been shown that magnetic Reynolds number causes to decrease magnetic field distributions, fluid temperature, axial and tangential velocity. Also azimuthal and axial components of magnetic field have opposite behavior with increase in MFD viscosity. Applications of the study include automotive magneto-rheological shock absorbers, novel aircraft landing gear systems, heating up or cooling processes, biological sensor systems and biological prosthetic etc.

Analysis of rabbit intervertebral disc physiology based on water metabolism. II. Changes in normal intervertebral discs under axial vibratory load

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirano, N.; Tsuji, H.; Ohshima, H.; Kitano, S.; Itoh, T.; Sano, A.

1988-01-01

Metabolic changes induced by axial vibratory load to the spine were investigated based on water metabolism in normal intervertebral discs of rabbits with or without pentobarbital anesthesia. Tritiated water concentration in the intervertebral discs of unanesthetized rabbits was reduced remarkably by axial vibration for 30 minutes using the vibration machine developed for this study. Repeated vibratory load for 18 and 42 hours duration showed the recovery of 3 H 2 O concentration of the intervertebral disc without anesthesia. Computer simulation suggested a reduction of blood flow surrounding the intervertebral disc following the vibration stress. However, no reduction of the 3 H 2 O concentration in the intervertebral disc was noted under anesthesia. Emotional stress cannot be excluded as a factor in water metabolism in the intervertebral disc

Translational and rotational dynamic analysis of a superconducting levitation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cansiz, A; Hull, J R; Gundogdu, Oe

2005-01-01

The rotational dynamics of a disc-shaped permanent magnet rotor levitated over a high temperature superconductor was studied experimentally and theoretically. The interaction between the rotor magnet and the superconductor was modelled by assuming the magnet to be a magnetic dipole and the superconductor a diamagnet. In the magnetomechanical analysis of the superconductor part, the frozen image concept was combined with the diamagnetic image, and the damping in the system was neglected. The interaction potential of the system is the combination of magnetic and gravitational potentials. From the dynamical analysis the equations of motion of the permanent magnet were stated as a function of lateral, vertical, tilt, precision and rotating angles. The vibration behaviour and correlation of the vibration of one direction with that of another were determined with a numerical calculation based on the Runge-Kutta method. The various vibrational frequencies identified were vertical, radial, tilt, precession and rotation. The tests performed for experimental verifications were translational and rotational. The permanent magnet was 'spun up' under vacuum conditions to analyse the dynamics of the free 'spin down' behaviour of the permanent magnet

INJURIES IN DISC GOLF - A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahbek, Martin Amadeus; Nielsen, Rasmus Oestergaard

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Disc golf is rapidly increasing in popularity and more than two million people are estimated to regularly participate in disc golf activities. Despite this popularity, the epidemiology of injuries in disc golf remains under reported. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study...... was to investigate the prevalence and anatomic distribution of injuries acquired through disc-golf participation in Danish disc golf players. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted on Danish disc-golf players. In May 2015, invitations to complete a web-based questionnaire were spread online via...... social media, and around disc-golf courses in Denmark. The questionnaire included questions regarding disc-golf participation and the characteristics of injuries acquired through disc golf participation. The data was analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: An injury prevalence of 13.3% (95% CI: 6.7% to 19...

Reduction stripping of plutonium (IV) with hydroxylamine nitrate in the centrifugal contactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zefu; Ding Dachun; Fei Hongcheng

1989-01-01

Reduction stripping of Pu(IV) with hydroxylamine nitrate under conditions of Purex 3B contactor is carried out with 16-stage mixer-centrifugal settler in laboratory scale. Results show that the apparent recovery of Pu is more than 99.9%. But there is a great difference in the concentration of plutonium of every stage in extraction equipment at different temperature. For example, plutonium concentrations in organic phase of several stages near the organic effluent at 45-50 deg C are lower than that at 20-24 deg C. Thus, recovery efficiency of plutonium can be assured only for the former. However, plutonium will probably be lost, if operating conditions are fluctuated. In addition, plutonium accumulated in the extraction equipment increased appreciably for the case of 20-24 deg C. Therefore, in order to ensure recovery efficiency of Pu, reduction stripping of Pu should be made at higher temperature

Radiation-pressure-driven sub-Keplerian rotation of the disc around the AGB star L2 Pup

Science.gov (United States)

Haworth, Thomas J.; Booth, Richard A.; Homan, Ward; Decin, Leen; Clarke, Cathie J.; Mohanty, Subhanjoy

2018-01-01

We study the sub-Keplerian rotation and dust content of the circumstellar material around the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star L2 Puppis. We find that the thermal pressure gradient alone cannot explain the observed rotation profile. We find that there is a family of possible dust populations for which radiation pressure can drive the observed sub-Keplerian rotation. This set of solutions is further constrained by the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the system, and we find that a dust-to-gas mass ratio of ∼10-3 and a maximum grain size that decreases radially outwards can satisfy both the rotation curve and SED. These dust populations are dynamically tightly coupled to the gas azimuthally. However, grains larger than ∼ 0.5 μm are driven outwards radially by radiation pressure at velocities ∼5 km s-1, which implies a dust replenishment rate of ∼3 × 10-9 M⊙ yr-1. This replenishment rate is consistent with observational estimates to within uncertainties. Coupling between the radial motion of the dust and gas is weak and hence the gas does not share in this rapid outward motion. Overall, we conclude that radiation pressure is a capable and necessary mechanism to explain the observed rotation profile of L2 Pup, and offers other additional constraints on the dust properties.

Hydrodynamic forces on two moving discs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burton D.A.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available We give a detailed presentation of a flexible method for constructing explicit expressions of irrotational and incompressible fluid flows around two rigid circular moving discs. We also discuss how such expressions can be used to compute the fluid-induced forces and torques on the discs in terms of Killing drives. Conformal mapping techniques are used to identify a meromorphic function on an annular region in C with a flow around two circular discs by a Mobius transformation. First order poles in the annular region correspond to vortices outside of the two discs. Inflows are incorporated by putting a second order pole at the point in the annulus that corresponds to infinity.

Effect of Interbody Fusion on the Remaining Discs of the Lumbar Spine in Subjects with Disc Degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Robert; Techy, Fernando; Varadarajan, Ravikumar; Amirouche, Farid

2016-02-01

To study effects (stress loads) of lumbar fusion on the remaining segments (adjacent or not) of the lumbar spine in the setting of degenerated adjacent discs. A lumbar spine finite element model was built and validated. The full model of the lumbar spine was a parametric finite element model of segments L 1-5 . Numerous hypothetical combinations of one-level lumbar spine fusion and one-level disc degeneration were created. These models were subjected to 10 Nm flexion and extension moments and the stresses on the endplates and consequently on the intervertebral lumbar discs measured. These values were compared to the stresses on healthy lumbar spine discs under the same load and fusion scenarios. Increased stress at endplates was observed only in the settings of L4-5 fusion and L3-4 disc degeneration (8% stress elevation at L2,3 in flexion or extension, and 25% elevation at L3,4 in flexion only). All other combinations showed less endplate stress than did the control model. For fusion at L3-4 and degeneration at L4-5 , the stresses in the endplates at the adjacent level inferior to the fused disc decreased for both loading disc height reductions. Stresses in flexion decreased after fusion by 29.5% and 25.8% for degeneration I and II, respectively. Results for extension were similar. For fusion at L2-3 and degeneration at L4-5 , stresses in the endplates decreased more markedly at the degenerated (30%), than at the fused level (14%) in the presence of 25% disc height reduction and 10 Nm flexion, whereas in extension stresses decreased more at the fused (24.3%) than the degenerated level (5.86%). For fusion at L3-4 and degeneration at L2-3 , there were no increases in endplate stress in any scenario. For fusion at L4-5 and degeneration at L3-4 , progression of degeneration from I to II had a significant effect only in flexion. A dramatic increase in stress was noted in the endplates of the degenerated disc (L3-4 ) in flexion for degeneration II. Stresses are greater

Nuclear material inventory estimation in solvent extraction contactors III. Final report for the period 1 January 1988 - 28 February 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyerlein, A.L.; Geldard, J.F.

1989-03-01

Simple mathematical models have been developed for estimating the nuclear material inventory in the solvent extraction contactors of nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities from measured nuclear material concentrations in the tanks feeding the purification cycles. The report describes the models and their application to the Eurochemic Reprocessing Plant in Belgium, and the development of a computer simulation program, PUPART, for investigating the effects of process variation as well as measurement error on near-real-time accounting methods. Figs and tabs

Mechanical design criteria for intervertebral disc tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Nerurkar, Nandan L; Elliott, Dawn M; Mauck, Robert L

2010-04-19

Due to the inability of current clinical practices to restore function to degenerated intervertebral discs, the arena of disc tissue engineering has received substantial attention in recent years. Despite tremendous growth and progress in this field, translation to clinical implementation has been hindered by a lack of well-defined functional benchmarks. Because successful replacement of the disc is contingent upon replication of some or all of its complex mechanical behaviors, it is critically important that disc mechanics be well characterized in order to establish discrete functional goals for tissue engineering. In this review, the key functional signatures of the intervertebral disc are discussed and used to propose a series of native tissue benchmarks to guide the development of engineered replacement tissues. These benchmarks include measures of mechanical function under tensile, compressive, and shear deformations for the disc and its substructures. In some cases, important functional measures are identified that have yet to be measured in the native tissue. Ultimately, native tissue benchmark values are compared to measurements that have been made on engineered disc tissues, identifying where functional equivalence was achieved, and where there remain opportunities for advancement. Several excellent reviews exist regarding disc composition and structure, as well as recent tissue engineering strategies; therefore this review will remain focused on the functional aspects of disc tissue engineering. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mass Transfer And Hydraulic Testing Of The V-05 And V-10 Contactors With The Next Generation Solvent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herman, D. T.; Duignan, M. R.; Williams, M. R.; Peters, T. B.; Poirier, M. R.; Fondeur, F. F.

2013-01-01

The Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) Unit (MCU) facility is actively pursuing the transition from the current BOBCalixC6 based solvent to the Next Generation Solvent (NGS)-MCU solvent. To support this integration of NGS into the MCU facilities, Savannah River Remediation (SRR) requested that Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) perform testing of a blend of the NGS (MaxCalix based solvent) with the current solvent (BOBCalixC6 based solvent) for the removal of cesium (Cs) from the liquid salt waste stream. This testing differs from prior testing by utilizing a blend of BOBCalixC6 based solvent and the NGS with the full (0.05 M) concentration of the MaxCalix as well as a new suppressor, tris(3,7 dimethyloctyl) guanidine. Single stage tests were conducted using the full size V-05 and V-10 centrifugal contactors installed at SRNL. These tests were designed to determine the mass transfer and hydraulic characteristics with the NGS solvent blended with the projected heel of the BOBCalixC6 based solvent that will exist in MCU at time of transition. The test program evaluated the amount of organic carryover and the droplet size of the organic carryover phases using several analytical methods. Stage efficiency and mass distribution ratios were determined by measuring Cs concentration in the aqueous and organic phases during single contactor testing. The nominal cesium distribution ratio, D(Cs) measured for extraction ranged from 37-60. The data showed greater than 96% stage efficiency for extraction. No significant differences were noted for operations at 4, 8 or 12 gpm aqueous salt simulant feed flow rates. The first scrub test (contact with weak caustic solution) yielded average scrub D(Cs) values of 3.3 to 5.2 and the second scrub test produced an average value of 1.8 to 2.3. For stripping behavior, the ''first stage'' D Cs) values ranged from 0.04 to 0.08. The efficiency of the low flow (0.27 gpm aqueous) was calculated to be 82.7%. The Spreadsheet

Locally prepared antibiotic sensitivity discs: a substitute for imported ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Zones of inhibition were compared with those obtained from commercial antibiotic discs. Results obtained showed that discs prepared locally from antibiotic tablets, performed comparably with commercially obtained discs. There was no significant statistical difference between the two tested discs. We therefore recommend ...

Imaging characteristics of noncontained migrating disc fragment and cyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eerens, I.; Demaerel, P.; Haven, F.; Wilms, G.; Loon, J. van; Calenbergh, F. van

2001-01-01

The purpose of this article is to review less common presentations of degenerative disc disease on MR imaging. The images of eight patients were retrospectively analyzed. Six of them had transligamentous (or noncontained) disc herniations, the fragments of which were located in the posterior epidural space in three of them. One patient had a transdural disc fragment and one patient had a disc cyst. The cyst was located in the ventrolateral epidural space. On T2-weighted images, the migrated disc fragment returned a higher signal than the disc of origin in 6 of 7 patients. The disc cyst returned a signal similar to that of cerebrospinal fluid. The MR appearances of disc fragments can be puzzling, particularly if they are located in the posterior epidural space. It is important to recognize the abnormalities in order to differentiate them from less common lesions such as hematoma, abscess and neurinoma. (orig.)

Imaging characteristics of noncontained migrating disc fragment and cyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eerens, I.; Demaerel, P.; Haven, F.; Wilms, G. [Dept. of Radiology, University Hospitals, Leuven (Belgium); Loon, J. van; Calenbergh, F. van [Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Hospitals, Leuven (Belgium)

2001-05-01

The purpose of this article is to review less common presentations of degenerative disc disease on MR imaging. The images of eight patients were retrospectively analyzed. Six of them had transligamentous (or noncontained) disc herniations, the fragments of which were located in the posterior epidural space in three of them. One patient had a transdural disc fragment and one patient had a disc cyst. The cyst was located in the ventrolateral epidural space. On T2-weighted images, the migrated disc fragment returned a higher signal than the disc of origin in 6 of 7 patients. The disc cyst returned a signal similar to that of cerebrospinal fluid. The MR appearances of disc fragments can be puzzling, particularly if they are located in the posterior epidural space. It is important to recognize the abnormalities in order to differentiate them from less common lesions such as hematoma, abscess and neurinoma. (orig.)

Relationship of condylar position to disc position and morphology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Incesu, L.; Taskaya-Yilmaz, N. E-mail: nergizy@omu.edu.tr; Oeguetcen-Toller, M.; Uzun, E

2004-09-01

Introduction/objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether condylar position, as depicted by magnetic resonance imaging, was an indicator of disc morphology and position. Methods and material: One hundred and twenty two TMJs of 61 patients with temporomandibular joint disorder were examined. Condylar position, disc deformity and degree of anterior disc displacement were evaluated by using magnetic resonance imaging. Results and discussion: Posterior condyle position was found to be the main feature of temporomandibular joints with slight and moderate anterior disc displacement. No statistical significance was found between the condylar position, and reducing and nonreducing disc positions. On the other hand, superior disc position was found to be statistically significant for centric condylar position. Conclusion: It was concluded that posterior condyle position could indicate anterior disc displacement whereas there was no relation between the position of condyle and the disc deformity.

Thoracic spine disc-related abnormalities: longitudinal MR imaging assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Girard, Charles J.; Schweitzer, Mark E.; Morrison, William B.; Parellada, Joan A. [TJUH Radiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Carrino, J.A. [Department of Radiology ASB-1, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, L1, Room 002B, 75 Francis Street, MA 02115, Boston (United States)

2004-04-01

To describe and characterize the temporal changes in disc-related disorders of the thoracic spine using MR imaging. A retrospective longitudinal cohort study was carried out of 40 patients with two sequential thoracic spine MR images at variable intervals. The images were assessed for baseline presence of, new incidence of and changes in disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, endplate marrow signal alteration and Schmorl nodes. The range of follow-up was 4-149 weeks. Baseline presence was: disc herniation, 10% (49/480); degenerative disc disease, 14% (66/480); endplate marrow signal alteration, 2.3% (11/480); Schmorl nodes 9.6% (46/480). Most pre-existing lesions tended to remain unchanged. Herniations showed the most change, tending to improve in 27%. New incidence was: disc herniation, 1.5% (7/480), degenerative disc disease, 2% (10/480); endplate marrow signal alteration, 1.6% (8/480); Schmorl nodes, 2.1% (10/480). Disc degeneration was first visible at an 11-week interval and once established almost never changed over many weeks to months. Endplate signal alterations (Modic changes) were uncommon. Schmorl nodes show no change from baseline for up to 2 1/2 years. All findings predominated in the lower intervertebral levels from T6 to T10. The most prevalent thoracic spine disc-related findings are degeneration and herniation. Disc herniations predominate in the lower segments and are a dynamic phenomenon. Disc degeneration can be rapidly evolving but tends to remain unchanged after occurrence. Endplate marrow signal changes were an uncommon manifestation of thoracic disc disease. Schmorl nodes showed the least change over time. (orig.)

Use NASA GES DISC Data in ArcGIS

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wenli; Pham, Long B.; Kempler, Steve

2015-01-01

This presentation describes GIS relevant data at NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), GES DISC Services and Support for GIS Users, and use cases of GES DISC data in ArcGIS.

Studiu teoretic al organelor de lucru de tip cuţit-disc ale maşinilor agricole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iurie MELNIC

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Such conservation technologies as No-till, Mini-till, Strip-till etc., suppose the use of agricultural machines with rotary cutting units for such cultural practices as preparing the soil for planting, shredding and incorporation of crop residues into the soil and weed control. The paper presents a theoretical study of the operating process of the disc cultivator used for weed control (elaborated by the author with rotary cutting units (dynamic interaction of the rotary blade with the soil, the effect of friction force between the soil and the disc, the coordinates of soil particle relative to mobile coordinate system when rotation is done by an angle a and calculation elements of disc parameters. The main parameter of the developed device is disc diameter (it is chosen depending on the maximum working depth. As a result of the conducted study, we can affirm that the calculated disc diameter (for the working depth of h=0,16 m should be Dcalc=0,55 m. The studied block of rotary blades can be also used in the case of seedling planting machines, seed sowing machines and fertilizer spreading machines. Rezumat. Tehnologiile conservative No-Til, Mini-Till,Strip-Till etc. presupun folosirea maşinilor agricole cu organe de lucru de tip disc rotativ la efectuarea lucrărilor precum pregătirea solului pentru semănat, mărunţirea şi încorporarea în sol a resturilor vegetale şi combaterea buruienilor. În articol este prezentat un studiu teoretic al procesului de lucru al cultivatorului prăşitor (elaborat de autor cu organe de lucru de tip cuţit-disc circular (interacţiunea dinamică a cuţitului disc cu solul, acţiunea forţelor de frecare dintre sol şi disc, coordonatele particulei de sol în raport cu sistemul mobil de coordonate la rotirea sub un unghi a şi elemente de calcul ale parametrilor discului. În construcţia elaborată parametrul principal este diametrul discului (ales în funcţie de adâncimea maximă de lucru. În urma

Swings between rotation and accretion power in a binary millisecond pulsar.

Science.gov (United States)

Papitto, A; Ferrigno, C; Bozzo, E; Rea, N; Pavan, L; Burderi, L; Burgay, M; Campana, S; Di Salvo, T; Falanga, M; Filipović, M D; Freire, P C C; Hessels, J W T; Possenti, A; Ransom, S M; Riggio, A; Romano, P; Sarkissian, J M; Stairs, I H; Stella, L; Torres, D F; Wieringa, M H; Wong, G F

2013-09-26

It is thought that neutron stars in low-mass binary systems can accrete matter and angular momentum from the companion star and be spun-up to millisecond rotational periods. During the accretion stage, the system is called a low-mass X-ray binary, and bright X-ray emission is observed. When the rate of mass transfer decreases in the later evolutionary stages, these binaries host a radio millisecond pulsar whose emission is powered by the neutron star's rotating magnetic field. This evolutionary model is supported by the detection of millisecond X-ray pulsations from several accreting neutron stars and also by the evidence for a past accretion disc in a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar. It has been proposed that a rotation-powered pulsar may temporarily switch on during periods of low mass inflow in some such systems. Only indirect evidence for this transition has hitherto been observed. Here we report observations of accretion-powered, millisecond X-ray pulsations from a neutron star previously seen as a rotation-powered radio pulsar. Within a few days after a month-long X-ray outburst, radio pulses were again detected. This not only shows the evolutionary link between accretion and rotation-powered millisecond pulsars, but also that some systems can swing between the two states on very short timescales.

The formation of planets by disc fragmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stamatellos Dimitris

2013-04-01

Full Text Available I discuss the role that disc fragmentation plays in the formation of gas giant and terrestrial planets, and how this relates to the formation of brown dwarfs and low-mass stars, and ultimately to the process of star formation. Protostellar discs may fragment, if they are massive enough and can cool fast enough, but most of the objects that form by fragmentation are brown dwarfs. It may be possible that planets also form, if the mass growth of a proto-fragment is stopped (e.g. if this fragment is ejected from the disc, or suppressed and even reversed (e.g by tidal stripping. I will discuss if it is possible to distinguish whether a planet has formed by disc fragmentation or core accretion, and mention of a few examples of observed exoplanets that are suggestive of formation by disc fragmentation.

Open absorption system for cooling and air conditioning using membrane contactors. 2006 annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conde-Petit, M. [M. Conde Engineering, Zuerich (Switzerland); Weber, R. [Materials Science and Technology (EMPA), Abteilung Bautechnologien, Duebendorf (Switzerland)

2006-11-15

This illustrated annual report for 2006 for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) reports on work being done on the development of an open absorption system for cooling and air-conditioning. The report reviews the construction of a first prototype and the manufacture of its components. The conceptual design of this new type of air handling unit (AHU), operating with a liquid desiccant, is discussed. The AHU is to be autonomous and the system will not require additional mechanical refrigeration. It is to be thermally driven at temperatures below 80 {sup o}C. Waste heat sources, solar collectors, district heating plants and co-generation systems are targeted as providers of thermal energy at this temperature level. Work carried out is reported on, including that on two-stream membrane contactors.

Senescent intervertebral disc cells exhibit perturbed matrix homeostasis phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngo, Kevin; Patil, Prashanti; McGowan, Sara J; Niedernhofer, Laura J; Robbins, Paul D; Kang, James; Sowa, Gwendolyn; Vo, Nam

2017-09-01

Aging greatly increases the risk for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) as a result of proteoglycan loss due to reduced synthesis and enhanced degradation of the disc matrix proteoglycan (PG). How disc matrix PG homeostasis becomes perturbed with age is not known. The goal of this study is to determine whether cellular senescence is a source of this perturbation. We demonstrated that disc cellular senescence is dramatically increased in the DNA repair-deficient Ercc1 -/Δ mouse model of human progeria. In these accelerated aging mice, increased disc cellular senescence is closely associated with the rapid loss of disc PG. We also directly examine PG homeostasis in oxidative damage-induced senescent human cells using an in vitro cell culture model system. Senescence of human disc cells treated with hydrogen peroxide was confirmed by growth arrest, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, γH2AX foci, and acquisition of senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Senescent human disc cells also exhibited perturbed matrix PG homeostasis as evidenced by their decreased capacity to synthesize new matrix PG and enhanced degradation of aggrecan, a major matrix PG. of the disc. Our in vivo and in vitro findings altogether suggest that disc cellular senescence is an important driver of PG matrix homeostatic perturbation and PG loss. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Intervertebral Disc Characteristic on Progressive Neurological Deficit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farid Yudoyono

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To examine the intervertebral disc characteristic on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI in lumbar herniated disc (LHD patients with progressive neurological deficit. Methods: Patients were collected retrospectively from Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Database from 2011–2013 with LHD, had neurological deficit such as radiculopathy and cauda equine syndrome for less than four weeks with a positive sign confirmed by neurological examination and confirmatory with MRI examination. Results: A total of 14 patients with lumbar herniated disc disease (10 males, 4 females suffered from progressive neurological deficit with an average age of (52.07±10.9 years old. Early disc height was 9.38±0.5 mm and progressive neurological deficit state disc height was 4.03±0.53 mm, which were significantly different statisticaly (p<0.01. Symptoms of radiculopathy were seen in 11 patients and cauda equine syndrome in three patients. Modic changes grade 1 was found in five patients, grade 2 in eight patients,grade 3 in one patient, Pfirmman grade 2 in eleven patients and grade 3 in three patients. Thecal sac compression 1/3 compression was seen in four patients and 2/3 compression in ten patients. Conclusions: Neurosurgeon should raise concerns on the characteristic changes of intervertebral disc in magnetic resonance imaging examination to avoid further neural injury in lumbar herniated disc patients.

Optimal design of disc-type magneto-rheological brake for mid-sized motorcycle: experimental evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Sohn, Jung Woo; Jeon, Juncheol; Nguyen, Quoc Hung; Choi, Seung-Bok

2015-08-01

In this paper, a disc-type magneto-rheological (MR) brake is designed for a mid-sized motorcycle and its performance is experimentally evaluated. The proposed MR brake consists of an outer housing, a rotating disc immersed in MR fluid, and a copper wire coiled around a bobbin to generate a magnetic field. The structural configuration of the MR brake is first presented with consideration of the installation space for the conventional hydraulic brake of a mid-sized motorcycle. The design parameters of the proposed MR brake are optimized to satisfy design requirements such as the braking torque, total mass of the MR brake, and cruising temperature caused by the magnetic-field friction of the MR fluid. In the optimization procedure, the braking torque is calculated based on the Herschel-Bulkley rheological model, which predicts MR fluid behavior well at high shear rate. An optimization tool based on finite element analysis is used to obtain the optimized dimensions of the MR brake. After manufacturing the MR brake, mechanical performances regarding the response time, braking torque and cruising temperature are experimentally evaluated.

The assessment of the coke wastewater treatment efficacy in rotating biological contractor.

Science.gov (United States)

Cema, G; Żabczyński, S; Ziembińska-Buczyńska, A

2016-01-01

Coke wastewater is known to be relatively difficult for biological treatment. Nonetheless, biofilm-based systems seem to be promising tool for such treatment. That is why a rotating biological contactor (RBC) system focused on the Anammox process was used in this study. The experiment was divided into two parts with synthetic and then real wastewater. It was proven that it is possible to treat coke wastewater with RBC but such a procedure requires a very long start-up period for the nitritation (190 days), as well as for the Anammox process, where stable nitrogen removal over 70% was achieved after 400 days of experiment. Interestingly, it was possible at a relatively low (20.2 ± 2.2 °C) temperature. The polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) based monitoring of the bacterial community showed that its biodiversity decreased when the real wastewater was treated and it was composed mainly of GC-rich genotypes, probably because of the modeling influence of this wastewater and the genotypes specialization.

Evaluation of a New Remote Handling Design for High Throughput Annular Centrifugal Contactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meikrantz, David H.; Garn, Troy G.; Law, Jack D.; Macaluso, Lawrence L.

2009-01-01

Advanced designs of nuclear fuel recycling plants are expected to include more ambitious goals for aqueous based separations including; higher separations efficiency, high-level waste minimization, and a greater focus on continuous processes to minimize cost and footprint. Therefore, Annular Centrifugal Contactors (ACCs) are destined to play a more important role for such future processing schemes. Previous efforts defined and characterized the performance of commercial 5 cm and 12.5 cm single-stage ACCs in a 'cold' environment. The next logical step, the design and evaluation of remote capable pilot scale ACCs in a 'hot' or radioactive environment was reported earlier. This report includes the development of remote designs for ACCs that can process the large throughput rates needed in future nuclear fuel recycling plants. Novel designs were developed for the remote interconnection of contactor units, clean-in-place and drain connections, and a new solids removal collection chamber. A three stage, 12.5 cm diameter rotor module has been constructed and evaluated for operational function and remote handling in highly radioactive environments. This design is scalable to commercial CINC ACC models from V-05 to V-20 with total throughput rates ranging from 20 to 650 liters per minute. The V-05R three stage prototype was manufactured by the commercial vendor for ACCs in the U.S., CINC mfg. It employs three standard V-05 clean-in-place (CIP) units modified for remote service and replacement via new methods of connection for solution inlets, outlets, drain and CIP. Hydraulic testing and functional checks were successfully conducted and then the prototype was evaluated for remote handling and maintenance suitability. Removal and replacement of the center position V-05R ACC unit in the three stage prototype was demonstrated using an overhead rail mounted PaR manipulator. This evaluation confirmed the efficacy of this innovative design for interconnecting and cleaning

Nondestructive diagnosis of rotation components of a railway vehicle using infrared thermography and pattern recognitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Seok Jin; Kim, Min Su; Seo, Jung Won; Kang, Bu Beong

2016-01-01

The faults in railway vehicle components may result in either the stoppage of the service and the derailment of the vehicle. Therefore, it is important to diagnose and monitor the main components of a railway vehicle. The use of temperature is one of the basic methods for the diagnosis of abnormal conditions in the rotational components of a railway vehicle, such as bearings, reduction gears, brake discs, wheels and traction motors. In the present study, the diagnose of the rotational components using infrared thermography and a pattern recognition technique was carried out and a field test was performed. The results show that this method of diagnosis using infrared thermography can be used to identify abnormal conditions in rotational components of a railway vehicle

Nondestructive diagnosis of rotation components of a railway vehicle using infrared thermography and pattern recognitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Seok Jin; Kim, Min Su; Seo, Jung Won [New Transportation Research Center, Korea Railroad Research Institute, Uiwang (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Bu Beong [Dept. of of Railway Vehicle System Engineering, Woosong University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-15

The faults in railway vehicle components may result in either the stoppage of the service and the derailment of the vehicle. Therefore, it is important to diagnose and monitor the main components of a railway vehicle. The use of temperature is one of the basic methods for the diagnosis of abnormal conditions in the rotational components of a railway vehicle, such as bearings, reduction gears, brake discs, wheels and traction motors. In the present study, the diagnose of the rotational components using infrared thermography and a pattern recognition technique was carried out and a field test was performed. The results show that this method of diagnosis using infrared thermography can be used to identify abnormal conditions in rotational components of a railway vehicle.

Evaluation of bone and disc configuration in TMJ internal derangement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Cheol Woo; Hwang, Eui Hwan; Lee, Sang Rae

2001-01-01

To investigate bone and disc configuration on MR images in internal derangement related to age. MR images of 150 TMJs in 107 patients were analyzed to determine the morphologic changes. Two groups were distinguished to be correlated with age. Group 1 consisted of TMJs that were diagnosed as having anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDwR), and Group 2 consisted of TMJs that were diagnosed as having anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDwR). We assessed the configuration of the articular disc, degree of anterior disc displacement, and osseous changes of TMJs. The third decade (83 of 150 joints) was most frequent in this study. In the ADDwR group biconcave disc was most frequent at all ages except fifth decade, but in the ADDwoR group deformed discs was most frequent at third and forth decades. In the ADDwR group slightly displaced discs was most frequent at all ages, but in the ADDwoR group severely displaced discs was most frequent at second decade, and the degree of disc displacement was increased with aging over 30 years of age. TM joints showed osseous changes in 17% of the ADDwR group, and in 30% of the ADDwoR group. MR findings of osseous changes of the TMJ were not found to be significantly correlated with age. The prevalence of deformation of disc, displacement of disc, and osseous changes of TMJ was higher in the ADDwoR group than in the ADDwR group. MR findings of disc configuration and degree of disc displacement were found to be correlated with age

A computational study of intervertebral disc degeneration in relation to changes in regional tissue composition and disc nutrition

OpenAIRE

Ruiz Wills, Carlos

2015-01-01

Up to 85% of the world population suffers from low back pain, a clinical condition often related to the intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (DD). Altered disc cell nutrition affects cell viability and can generate catabolic cascades that degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM). Also, a major degenerative biochemical change in the disc is the proteoglycan (PG) loss, which affects the osmotic pressure and hydration that is critical for cell nutrition. However, the relationship between biochem...

Schrödinger evolution of self-gravitating discs

Science.gov (United States)

Batygin, Konstantin

2018-04-01

An understanding of the long-term evolution of self-gravitating discs ranks among the classic outstanding problems of astrophysics. In this work, we show that the secular inclination dynamics of a geometrically thin quasi-Keplerian disc, with a surface density profile that scales as the inverse square-root of the orbital radius, are described by the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Within the context of this formalism, nodal bending waves correspond to the eigenmodes of a quasi-particle's wavefunction, confined in an infinite square well with boundaries given by the radial extent of the disc. We further show that external secular perturbations upon self-gravitating discs exhibit a mathematical similarity to quantum scattering theory. Employing this framework, we derive an analytic criterion for the gravitational rigidity of a nearly-Keplerian disc under external perturbations. Applications of the theory to circumstellar discs and Galactic nuclei are discussed.

Evidence for accreted component in the Galactic discs

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Q. F.; Zhao, G.

2018-06-01

We analyse the distribution of [Mg/Fe] abundance in the Galactic discs with F- and G-type dwarf stars selected from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) archive. The sample stars are assigned into different stellar populations by using kinematic criteria. Our analysis reveals the chemical inhomogeneities in the Galactic thick disc. A few of metal-poor stars in the thick disc exhibit relatively low [Mg/Fe] abundance in respect to the standard thick-disc sample. The orbital eccentricities and maximum Galactocentric radii of low-α metal-poor stars are apparently greater than that of high-α thick-disc stars. The orbital parameters and chemical components of low-α stars in the thick disc suggest that they may have been formed in regions with low star formation rate that were located at large distances from the Galactic centre, such as infalling dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

Gas Modelling in the Disc of HD 163296

Science.gov (United States)

Tilling, I.; Woitke, P.; Meeus, G.; Mora, A.; Montesinos, B.; Riviere-Marichalar, P.; Eiroa, C.; Thi, W. -F.; Isella, A.; Roberge, A.;

DZ Chamaeleontis: a bona fide photoevaporating disc

Science.gov (United States)

Canovas, H.; Montesinos, B.; Schreiber, M. R.; Cieza, L. A.; Eiroa, C.; Meeus, G.; de Boer, J.; Ménard, F.; Wahhaj, Z.; Riviere-Marichalar, P.; Olofsson, J.; Garufi, A.; Rebollido, I.; van Holstein, R. G.; Caceres, C.; Hardy, A.; Villaver, E.

2018-02-01

Context. DZ Cha is a weak-lined T Tauri star (WTTS) surrounded by a bright protoplanetary disc with evidence of inner disc clearing. Its narrow Hα line and infrared spectral energy distribution suggest that DZ Cha may be a photoevaporating disc. Aims: We aim to analyse the DZ Cha star + disc system to identify the mechanism driving the evolution of this object. Methods: We have analysed three epochs of high resolution optical spectroscopy, photometry from the UV up to the sub-mm regime, infrared spectroscopy, and J-band imaging polarimetry observations of DZ Cha. Results: Combining our analysis with previous studies we find no signatures of accretion in the Hα line profile in nine epochs covering a time baseline of 20 yr. The optical spectra are dominated by chromospheric emission lines, but they also show emission from the forbidden lines [SII] 4068 and [OI] 6300Å that indicate a disc outflow. The polarized images reveal a dust depleted cavity of 7 au in radius and two spiral-like features, and we derive a disc dust mass limit of Mdust 80 MJup) companions are detected down to 0.̋07 ( 8 au, projected). Conclusions: The negligible accretion rate, small cavity, and forbidden line emission strongly suggests that DZ Cha is currently at the initial stages of disc clearing by photoevaporation. At this point the inner disc has drained and the inner wall of the truncated outer disc is directly exposed to the stellar radiation. We argue that other mechanisms like planet formation or binarity cannot explain the observed properties of DZ Cha. The scarcity of objects like this one is in line with the dispersal timescale (≲105 yr) predicted by this theory. DZ Cha is therefore an ideal target to study the initial stages of photoevaporation. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programme 097.C-0536. Based on data obtained from the ESO Science Archive Facility under request number 250112.

Translational and rotational dynamic analysis of a superconducting levitation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cansiz, A [Electric-Electronic Engineering Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey); Hull, J R [Energy Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (United States); Gundogdu, Oe [Mechanical Engineering Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey)

2005-07-01

The rotational dynamics of a disc-shaped permanent magnet rotor levitated over a high temperature superconductor was studied experimentally and theoretically. The interaction between the rotor magnet and the superconductor was modelled by assuming the magnet to be a magnetic dipole and the superconductor a diamagnet. In the magnetomechanical analysis of the superconductor part, the frozen image concept was combined with the diamagnetic image, and the damping in the system was neglected. The interaction potential of the system is the combination of magnetic and gravitational potentials. From the dynamical analysis the equations of motion of the permanent magnet were stated as a function of lateral, vertical, tilt, precision and rotating angles. The vibration behaviour and correlation of the vibration of one direction with that of another were determined with a numerical calculation based on the Runge-Kutta method. The various vibrational frequencies identified were vertical, radial, tilt, precession and rotation. The tests performed for experimental verifications were translational and rotational. The permanent magnet was 'spun up' under vacuum conditions to analyse the dynamics of the free 'spin down' behaviour of the permanent magnet.

Accomplishing equilibrium in ALSEP: demonstrations of modified process chemistry on 3-D printed enhanced annular centrifugal contactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.A.; Wardle, K.E.; Gelis, A.V. [Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439 (United States); Lumetta, G. [Paccific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA (United States)

2016-07-01

The ALSEP (Actinide Lanthanide Separation Process) was developed to treat a PUREX raffinate stream by liquid-liquid extraction with the intent of separating trivalent minor actinides (Am/Cm; An) from trivalent fission-product lanthanides (Ln) and selected transition metals. The major components of the modified ALSEP process have been demonstrated on a modified 2-cm annular centrifugal contactor with an enhanced mixing zone using stable fission products and radiotracers. The results show that by decreasing the pH of the minor actinide stripping solution, using HEDTA instead of DTPA, and increasing contact time, the process is very effective in separating americium from the lanthanides and the fission products.

Star formation in the outskirts of DDO 154: A top-light IMF in a nearly dormant disc

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, Adam B.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Lagos, Claudia D. P.; Bruzzese, Sarah M.; Kroupa, Pavel; Jerabkova, Tereza

2018-04-01

We present optical photometry of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS/WFC data of the resolved stellar populations in the outer disc of the dwarf irregular galaxy DDO 154. The photometry reveals that young main sequence stars are almost absent from the outermost HI disc. Instead, most are clustered near the main stellar component of the galaxy. We constrain the stellar initial mass function (IMF) by comparing the luminosity function of the main sequence stars to simulated stellar populations assuming a constant star formation rate over the dynamical timescale. The best-fitting IMF is deficient in high mass stars compared to a canonical Kroupa IMF, with a best-fit slope α = -2.45 and upper mass limit MU = 16 M⊙. This top-light IMF is consistent with predictions of the Integrated Galaxy-wide IMF theory. Combining the HST images with HI data from The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (THINGS) we determine the star formation law (SFL) in the outer disc. The fit has a power law exponent N = 2.92 ± 0.22 and zero point A = 4.47 ± 0.65 × 10-7 M⊙ yr-1 kpc-2. This is depressed compared to the Kennicutt-Schmidt Star Formation Law, but consistent with weak star formation observed in diffuse HI environments. Extrapolating the SFL over the outer disc implies that there could be significant star formation occurring that is not detectable in Hα. Last, we determine the Toomre stability parameter Q of the outer disc of DDO 154 using the THINGS HI rotation curve and velocity dispersion map. 72% of the HI in our field has Q ≤ 4 and this incorporates 96% of the observed MS stars. Hence 28% of the HI in the field is largely dormant.

Magnetic resonance imaging of intervertebral disc degeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Hiroshi; Noguchi, Masao; Kira, Hideaki; Fujiki, Hiroshi; Shimokawa, Isao; Hinoue, Kaichi.

1993-01-01

The aim of this study was to correlate the degree of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration with findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Seventeen autopsied (from 7 patients) and 21 surgical (from 20 patients) intervertebral discs were used as specimens for histopathological examination. In addition, 21 intervertebral discs were examined on T2-weighted images. Histopathological findings from both autopsied and surgical specimens were well correlated with MRI findings. In particular, T2-weighted images reflected increased collagen fibers and rupture within the fibrous ring accurately. However, when severely degenerated intervertebral discs and hernia protruding the posterior longitudinal ligament existed, histological findings were not concordant well with T2-weighted images. Morphological appearances of autopsy specimens, divided into four on T2-weighted images, were well consistent with histological degeneration. This morphological classification, as shown on T2-weighted images, could also be used in the evaluation of intervertebral disc degeneration. (N.K.)

Magnetic resonance imaging of intervertebral disc degeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maeda, Hiroshi; Noguchi, Masao (Kitakyushu City Yahata Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan)); Kira, Hideaki; Fujiki, Hiroshi; Shimokawa, Isao; Hinoue, Kaichi

1993-02-01

The aim of this study was to correlate the degree of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration with findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Seventeen autopsied (from 7 patients) and 21 surgical (from 20 patients) intervertebral discs were used as specimens for histopathological examination. In addition, 21 intervertebral discs were examined on T2-weighted images. Histopathological findings from both autopsied and surgical specimens were well correlated with MRI findings. In particular, T2-weighted images reflected increased collagen fibers and rupture within the fibrous ring accurately. However, when severely degenerated intervertebral discs and hernia protruding the posterior longitudinal ligament existed, histological findings were not concordant well with T2-weighted images. Morphological appearances of autopsy specimens, divided into four on T2-weighted images, were well consistent with histological degeneration. This morphological classification, as shown on T2-weighted images, could also be used in the evaluation of intervertebral disc degeneration. (N.K.).

{100} or 45.degree.-rotated {100}, semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN

2012-05-15

Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, {100} or 45.degree.-rotated {100} oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

The comparative study of lumbar disc disruption with MRI and CT discography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Xingcan; Liu Naifang; Li Xiaohong; Xu Wengen; Zou Qing; Yang Yonghong

2005-01-01

Objective: To compare MRI with CT discography (CTD) for diagnostic assessment of lumbar disc disruption. Methods: Paired comparative examination in 16 patients with chronic lower back pain without radicular pain and no disc herniation was conducted using CT or MRI. The standard of CTD classification and positive disc was formulated and the correlation between the induced lower back pain and dosage used in CTD was observed. Results: For a total of 21 discs in the 16 patients, CTD showed the disc as type 2 in 12 discs and type 5 in 1 disc with 13 positive discs, while MRI only showed the high-intensity zone of posterior annulus in 6 discs as the indirect sign of disc disruption and disc degeneration in 7 discs. Conclusion: CTD was the only method for showing the direct sign of disc disruption. The induced lower back pain was related with the type of disc disruption. MRI can show some of the indirect signs of disc disruption and CTD can show the direct sign of disc disruption. (authors)

Exoplanet recycling in massive white-dwarf debris discs

Science.gov (United States)

van Lieshout, R.; Kral, Q.; Charnoz, S.; Wyatt, M. C.; Shannon, A.

2018-05-01

Several tens of white dwarfs are known to host circumstellar discs of dusty debris, thought to arise from the tidal disruption of rocky bodies originating in the star's remnant planetary system. This paper investigates the evolution of such discs if they are very massive, as may be the case if their progenitor was a terrestrial planet, moon, or dwarf planet. Assuming the discs are physically thin and flat, like Saturn's rings, their evolution is governed by Poynting-Robertson drag or viscous spreading, where the disc's effective viscosity is due to self-gravity wakes. For discs with masses ≳ 1026 g, located in the outer parts of the tidal disruption zone, viscous spreading dominates the evolution, and mass is transported both in- and outwards. When outwards-spreading material flows beyond the Roche limit, it coagulates into new (minor) planets in a process analogous to the ongoing formation of moonlets at the outer edge of Saturn's rings. The newly formed bodies migrate outwards by exchanging angular momentum with the disc and coalesce into larger objects through mutual collisions. Eventually, the disc's Roche-limit overflow recycles tens of percent of the original disc mass; most ends up in a single large body near 2:1 mean-motion resonance with the disc's outer edge. Hence, the recycling of a tidally disrupted super-Earth, for example, could yield an Earth-mass planet on a ˜10-h orbit, located in the habitable zone for 2-to-10-Gyr-old white dwarfs. The recycling process also creates a population of smaller bodies just outside the Roche limit, which may explain the minor planets recently postulated to orbit WD 1145+017.

Disc degeneration: current surgical options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C Schizas

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Chronic low back pain attributed to lumbar disc degeneration poses a serious challenge to physicians. Surgery may be indicated in selected cases following failure of appropriate conservative treatment. For decades, the only surgical option has been spinal fusion, but its results have been inconsistent. Some prospective trials show superiority over usual conservative measures while others fail to demonstrate its advantages. In an effort to improve results of fusion and to decrease the incidence of adjacent segment degeneration, total disc replacement techniques have been introduced and studied extensively. Short-term results have shown superiority over some fusion techniques. Mid-term results however tend to show that this approach yields results equivalent to those of spinal fusion. Nucleus replacement has gained some popularity initially, but evidence on its efficacy is scarce. Dynamic stabilisation, a technique involving less rigid implants than in spinal fusion and performed without the need for bone grafting, represents another surgical option. Evidence again is lacking on its superiority over other surgical strategies and conservative measures. Insertion of interspinous devices posteriorly, aiming at redistributing loads and relieving pain, has been used as an adjunct to disc removal surgery for disc herniation. To date however, there is no clear evidence on their efficacy. Minimally invasive intradiscal thermocoagulation techniques have also been tried, but evidence of their effectiveness is questioned. Surgery using novel biological solutions may be the future of discogenic pain treatment. Collaboration between clinicians and basic scientists in this multidisciplinary field will undoubtedly shape the future of treating symptomatic disc degeneration.

SIMULTANEOUS DISC HERNIATION IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalina V. Drenska

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS is a chronic autoimmune, inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Commonly, MS patients present with accompanying degenerative vertebral disc diseases. Simultaneous disc herniations situated in the cervical or lumbosacral spine can mimic the clinical symptoms of MS and worsen patients’ quality of life.Objective: to investigate the incidence rate and clinical impact of accompanying disc herniations in patients with MS.Material and methods: Our study covered 330 patients (220 females and 110 males, mean age 40.5±12.4 years with clinically definite MS, according to McDonald’s criteria. Comprehensive neurological examinations, EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale assessments, and MRI neuroimaging were carried out. Statistical data processing was performed by using the method of variation analysis.Results: Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS was diagnosed in 280 patients while 50 patients presented with secondary progressive MS (SPMS. Disc herniation was found in 64 (19.4% of our patients. Cervical disc pathology was detected in 38 patients (11.5% of the cases and lumbosacral - in 26 (7.9% of the cases. EDSS scores ranged from 2.5 to 5.5. EDSS evaluation showed statistically significantly worse scores in MS patients with disc herniation comorbidity (p<0, 05.Conclusion: Our own data confirm the assumption that MS patients often present with accompanying degenerative disc pathology. We suggest that comorbidity of disc herniation and MS exert an additional unfavorable effect on patient’s disability and individual quality of life.

CT in diagnosis of recurrent vertebral disc hernias after preceding lumbar disc prolapse surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burval, S.; Nekula, J.; Vaverka, M.; Veliskova, J.

1992-01-01

20 patients with recurrent symptoms following operations for disc prolapse and resistant to treatment were studied by CT, using plain and enhanced images. The results have been analysed. In 10 patients a recurrence of disc prolapse was diagnosed, and this was confirmed surgically in 8 cases. In 2 patients there was epidural scarring. The findings indicate that differential diagnosis between scarring and recurring prolapse can by accurately made by this technique. (orig.) [de

LUMBOSACRAL TRANSITIONAL ANATOMY TYPES AND DISC DEGENERATIVE CHANGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chabukovska Radulovska Jasminka

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background and purpose: The relationship between presence of lumbo sacral transitional vertebra (LSTV and disc degenerative changes is unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the relation between different types of LSTV and disc degenerative changes at the transitional and the adjacent cephalad segment. Material and methods: Sixty-three patients (mean age 51.48 ± 13.51 out of 200 adults with low back pain who performed MRI examination of the lumbo sacral spine, classified as positive for LSTV, were included in the study. Annular tears, disc degeneration according to Phirmann classification and disc herniations were evaluated and graded at transitional and adjacent cephalad level. Results: The severity of disc degeneration at the transitional level and the adjacent level correlated with the types of LSTV. Severe disc degenerative changes were most frequent in articulated connection LSTV types and incombined LSTV type at the transitional level and in osseus connection LSTV types at the adjacent cephalad level. These changes were more frequent in unilateral articulated connection LSTV subtype (64% vs 54%; and in unilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (25% vs no patients at transitional level, and in bilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (100% vs 50% at the level above. High prevalence of disc herniations was observed in articulated connection LSTV types as well as in unilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype at transitional and the adjacent cephalad level. At the transitional level higher prevalence of disc herniations was characteristic for unilateral articulated connection LSTV sub type (46%vs 41% and for unilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (50% vs no patients. At the adjacent level higher prevalence of disc herniations was observed in bilateral articulated connection LSTV subtype (38% vs 27% and in bilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (50% vs 25%. Conclusions: The compact osseus connection (osseus bridging vs articular

Lumbosacral transitional anatomy types and disc degenerative changes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chabukovska-Radulovska Jasminka

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background and purpose: The relationship between presence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV and disc degenerative changes is unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the relation between different types of LSTV and disc degenerative changes at the transitional and the adjacent cephalad segment. Material and methods: Sixty-three patients (mean age 51.48 ± 13.51 out of200 adults with low back pain who performed MRI examination of the lumbosacral spine, classified as positive for LSTV, were included in the study. Annular tears, disc degeneration according to Phirmann classification and disc herniations were evaluated and graded at transitional and adjacent cephalad level. Results: The severity of disc degeneration at the transitional level and the adjacent level correlated with the types of LSTV. Severe disc degenerative changes were most frequent in articulated connection LSTV types and in combined LSTV type at the transitional level and in osseus connection LSTV types at the adjacent cephalad level. These changes were more frequent in unilateral articulated connection LSTV subtype (64% vs 54%; and in unilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (25% vs no patients at transitional level, and in bilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (100% vs 50% at the level above. High prevalence of disc herniations was observed in articulated connection LSTV types as well as in unilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype at transitional and the adjacent cephalad level. At the transitional level higher prevalence of disc herniations was characteristic for unilateral articulated connection LSTV subtype (46%vs 41% and for unilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (50% vs no patients. At the adjacent level higher prevalence of disc herniations was observed in bilateral articulated connection LSTV subtype (38% vs 27% and in bilateral osseus connection LSTV subtype (50% vs 25%. Conclusions: The compact osseus connection (osseus bridging vs articular

The evolution of stellar exponential discs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ferguson, AMN; Clarke, CJ

2001-01-01

Models of disc galaxies which invoke viscosity-driven radial flows have long been known to provide a natural explanation for the origin of stellar exponential discs, under the assumption that the star formation and viscous time-scales are comparable. We present models which invoke simultaneous star

Grain size segregation in debris discs

Science.gov (United States)

Thebault, P.; Kral, Q.; Augereau, J.-C.

2014-01-01

Context. In most debris discs, dust grain dynamics is strongly affected by stellar radiation pressure. Because this mechanism is size-dependent, we expect dust grains to be spatially segregated according to their sizes. However, because of the complex interplay between radiation pressure, grain processing by collisions, and dynamical perturbations, this spatial segregation of the particle size distribution (PSD) has proven difficult to investigate and quantify with numerical models. Aims: We propose to thoroughly investigate this problem by using a new-generation code that can handle some of the complex coupling between dynamical and collisional effects. We intend to explore how PSDs behave in both unperturbed discs at rest and in discs pertubed by planetary objects. Methods: We used the DyCoSS code to investigate the coupled effect of collisions, radiation pressure, and dynamical perturbations in systems that have reached a steady-state. We considered two setups: a narrow ring perturbed by an exterior planet, and an extended disc into which a planet is embedded. For both setups we considered an additional unperturbed case without a planet. We also investigated the effect of possible spatial size segregation on disc images at different wavelengths. Results: We find that PSDs are always spatially segregated. The only case for which the PSD follows a standard dn ∝ s-3.5ds law is for an unperturbed narrow ring, but only within the parent-body ring itself. For all other configurations, the size distributions can strongly depart from such power laws and have steep spatial gradients. As an example, the geometrical cross-section of the disc is very rarely dominated by the smallest grains on bound orbits, as it is expected to be in standard PSDs in sq with q ≤ -3. Although the exact profiles and spatial variations of PSDs are a complex function of the set-up that is considered, we are still able to derive some reliable results that will be useful for image or SED

Time Localisation of Surface Defects on Optical Discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Peter Fogh; Wickerhauser, M.V.

Many have experienced problems with their Compact Disc player when a disc with a scratch or a finger print is tried played. One way to improve the playability of discs with such a defect, is to locate the defect in time and then handle it in a special way. As a consequence this time localisation...

Time Localisation of Surface Defects on Optical Discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Peter Fogh; Wickerhauser, M.V.

2004-01-01

Many have experienced problems with their Compact Disc Player when a disc with a scratch or a fingerprint is tried played. One way to improve the playability of discs with such a defect, is to locate the defect in time and then handle it in a special way. As a consequence this time localization...

Intradiscal injection of simvastatin results in radiologic, histologic, and genetic evidence of disc regeneration in a rat model of degenerative disc disease

Science.gov (United States)

Than, Khoi D.; Rahman, Shayan U.; Wang, Lin; Khan, Adam; Kyere, Kwaku A.; Than, Tracey T.; Miyata, Yoshinari; Park, Yoon-Shin; La Marca, Frank; Kim, Hyungjin M.; Zhang, Huina; Park, Paul; Lin, Chia-Ying

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND CONTEXT A large percentage of back pain can be attributed to degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD). Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is known to play an important role in chondrogenesis of the IVD. Simvastatin is known to up-regulate expression of BMP-2. Thus, we hypothesized that intradiscal injection of simvastatin in a rat model of degenerative disc disease (DDD) would result in retardation of DDD. PURPOSE To develop a novel conservative treatment for DDD and related discogenic back pain. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Laboratory investigation. METHODS Disc injury was induced in 272 rats via 21-gauge needle puncture. After 6 weeks, injured discs were treated with simvastatin in a saline or hydrogel carrier. Rats were sacrificed at predetermined time points. Outcome measures assessed were radiologic, histologic, and genetic. Radiologically, the MRI index (number of pixels multiplied by corresponding image densities) was determined. Histologically, disc spaces were read by 3 blinded scorers employing a previously described histological grading scale. Genetically, nuclei pulposi were harvested and polymerase chain reaction was run to determine relative levels of aggrecan, collagen type II, and BMP-2 gene expression. This project was supported by Grant No. R01 AR056649 from NIAMS/NIH. There are no other financial conflicts of interest to report. RESULTS Radiologically, discs treated with 5 mg/mL simvastatin in hydrogel or saline demonstrated MRI indices that were normal through 8 weeks post-treatment, although this was more sustained when delivered in hydrogel. Histologically, discs treated with 5 mg/mL simvastatin in hydrogel demonstrated improved grades in comparison to discs treated at higher doses. Genetically, discs treated with 5 mg/mL of simvastatin in hydrogel demonstrated higher gene expression of aggrecan and collagen type II than control. CONCLUSIONS Degenerate discs treated with 5 mg/mL simvastatin in a hydrogel carrier demonstrated

New Brown Dwarf Discs in Upper Scorpius Observed with WISE

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, P.; Scholz, A.; Ray, T. P.; Natta, A.; Marsh, K. A.; Padgett, D.; Ressler, M. E.

2013-01-01

We present a census of the disc population for UKIDSS selected brown dwarfs in the 5-10 Myr old Upper Scorpius OB association. For 116 objects originally identified in UKIDSS, the majority of them not studied in previous publications, we obtain photometry from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer data base. The resulting colour magnitude and colour colour plots clearly show two separate populations of objects, interpreted as brown dwarfs with discs (class II) and without discs (class III). We identify 27 class II brown dwarfs, 14 of them not previously known. This disc fraction (27 out of 116, or 23%) among brown dwarfs was found to be similar to results for K/M stars in Upper Scorpius, suggesting that the lifetimes of discs are independent of the mass of the central object for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. 5 out of 27 discs (19 per cent) lack excess at 3.4 and 4.6 microns and are potential transition discs (i.e. are in transition from class II to class III). The transition disc fraction is comparable to low-mass stars.We estimate that the time-scale for a typical transition from class II to class III is less than 0.4 Myr for brown dwarfs. These results suggest that the evolution of brown dwarf discs mirrors the behaviour of discs around low-mass stars, with disc lifetimes of the order of 5 10 Myr and a disc clearing time-scale significantly shorter than 1 Myr.

MRI findings of traumatic cervical disc herniation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Hisato; Kasahara, Takaki; Akiyama, Nanae

2011-01-01

In general practice, disc hernia is increasingly being questioned about its relation with traffic injuries. In this study, we examined the image findings of cervical disc herniation for findings indicative of traumatic hernia. In 2008, we examined 35 cases of cervical disc herniation at our hospital by MRI. The patients were divided into two groups; patients with trauma history (19 cases) and those without (16 cases), and their images were compared. Disc herniation in the trauma group showed high intensity at T2, with some of the patients in this group also indicating continuous high intensity of the internal and herniated discs. Traumatic force was found to cause swelling under the laryngeal soft tissue. Cases with further flexion injury showed interspinous ligament hemorrhage. These findings strongly suggest the involvement of injury. But given that some younger patients in the non-trauma group also show high intensity at T2*, attention must be paid not to confuse swelling below the larynx with inflammation of the longus colli muscle. (author)

Physical Limitations to Tissue Engineering of Intervertabral Disc Cells

OpenAIRE

Kobayashi, Shigeru; Baba, Hisatoshi; Takeno, Kenichi; Miyazaki, Tsuyoshi; Meir, Adam; Urban, Jill

2010-01-01

There is increasing interest in the using biological methods to repair degenerate discs. Biological repair depends on the disc maintaining a population of viable and active cells. Adequate nutrition of the disc influences the outcome of such therapies and, hence, must be considered to be a crucial parameter. Therefore, it is very important to maintain an appropriate physicochemical environment to achieve successful disc repair by biological methods and tissue engineering procedures.

Nonlinear dynamics of the human lumbar intervertebral disc.

Science.gov (United States)

Marini, Giacomo; Huber, Gerd; Püschel, Klaus; Ferguson, Stephen J

2015-02-05

Systems with a quasi-static response similar to the axial response of the intervertebral disc (i.e. progressive stiffening) often present complex dynamics, characterized by peculiar nonlinearities in the frequency response. However, such characteristics have not been reported for the dynamic response of the disc. The accurate understanding of disc dynamics is essential to investigate the unclear correlation between whole body vibration and low back pain. The present study investigated the dynamic response of the disc, including its potential nonlinear response, over a range of loading conditions. Human lumbar discs were tested by applying a static preload to the top and a sinusoidal displacement at the bottom of the disc. The frequency of the stimuli was set to increase linearly from a low frequency to a high frequency limit and back down. In general, the response showed nonlinear and asymmetric characteristics. For each test, the disc had different response in the frequency-increasing compared to the frequency-decreasing sweep. In particular, the system presented abrupt changes of the oscillation amplitude at specific frequencies, which differed between the two sweeps. This behaviour indicates that the system oscillation has a different equilibrium condition depending on the path followed by the stimuli. Preload and amplitude of the oscillation directly influenced the disc response by changing the nonlinear dynamics and frequency of the jump-phenomenon. These results show that the characterization of the dynamic response of physiological systems should be readdressed to determine potential nonlinearities. Their direct effect on the system function should be further investigated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of disc cupping in non-glaucomatous eyes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Pablo Chiappe

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This study assessed optic disc size and cupping, using a commercially available ophthalmoscope, in order to show norms of these values for clinical practice. Subjects were office-workers referred from their respective workplaces for a routine medical examination, which included eye examination. The optic disc size was classified as small, medium or large, for having a diameter 1.5 times (respectively the diameter of the ophthalmoscope's selected light spot on the posterior pole. The cupping was classified as the ratio of the vertical cupping diameter and the vertical disc diameter on a relative decimal scale from 0.0 to 1.0.This study included 184 subjects with a mean age of 40.5 ± 9.5 years; 149 (81% were males. Their mean ocular pressure was 12.4 ± 1.5 mmHg (range 10-17 mmHg. There was a high correlation between optic disc sizes and cupping in the right and left eyes (Pearson Correlation r = 0.866, p < 0.001; therefore, for simplicity only the data for right eyes are presented. According to our definition, the optic discs in these eyes comprised 27 (14.7% small, 141 (76.6% medium and 16 (8.7% large. The small optic discs were rarely cupped, and the large optic discs were always cupped. Optic disc cupping greater than 0.7 was rarely found and should be suspect of glaucoma. Clinical doctors should be aware of this and refer those subjects with abnormal cupping to the specialist.

Efficacy and safety of Mobi-C cervical artificial disc versus anterior discectomy and fusion in patients with symptomatic degenerative disc disease: A meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hui; Peng, Lihua

2017-12-01

Total disc replacement (TDR) using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc might be promising to treat symptomatic degenerative disc disease. However, the results remained controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of Mobi-C cervical artificial disc and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in patients with symptomatic degenerative disc disease. PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of Mobi-C versus ACDF on the treatment of symptomatic degenerative disc disease were included. Two investigators independently searched articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. The primary outcomes were neck disability index (NDI) score, patient satisfaction, and subsequent surgical intervention. Meta-analysis was performed using the random-effect model. Four RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with ACDF surgery for symptomatic degenerative disc disease, TDR using Mobi-C was associated with a significantly increased NDI score (Std. mean difference = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.10-0.53; P = .004), patient satisfaction (odds risk [OR] = 2.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.43-5.27; P = .002), and reduced subsequent surgical intervention (OR = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.11-0.37; P degenerative disc disease, TDR using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc resulted in a significantly improved NDI score, patient satisfaction, and reduced subsequent surgical intervention. There was no significant difference of neurological deterioration, radiographic success, and overall success between TDR using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc versus ACDF surgery. TDR using Mobi-C cervical artificial disc should be recommended for the treatment of symptomatic degenerative disc disease.

Optic Disc Change during Childhood Myopic Shift: Comparison between Eyes with an Enlarged Cup-To-Disc Ratio and Childhood Glaucoma Compared to Normal Myopic Eyes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hae-Young Lopilly Park

Full Text Available Progressive disc tilting and the development or enlargement of peripapillary atrophy (PPA are observed during a myopic shift in children. This could be related to the changes around the optic nerve head during eyeball elongation. If the biomechanical properties at or around the optic nerve head are changed after exposure to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP in glaucoma eyes, different response of the disc tilting and PPA changes could take place during eyeball elongation by myopic shift. On the basis of this background, the aim of this study was to compare the morphological changes in the optic disc induced by a myopic shift during childhood between normal control eyes, eyes from disc suspects with an enlarged cup-to-disc ratio (CDR, and eyes with childhood glaucoma.Total of 82 eyes from 82 subjects younger than 14 years of age were included in the study. Serial disc photographs were classified into one of two groups: eyes with an optic nerve head (ONH or peripapillary atrophy (PPA change or without an ONH/PPA change. Using ImageJ software, the outlines of the optic disc and PPA were plotted, and the vertical disc diameter (VDD, horizontal disc diameter (HDD, and maximum PPA width (PPW were measured. The changes in the ratios of these parameters and the relationships between the degree of myopic shift or the ONH/PPA change were analyzed.Twenty-five eyes with normal optic disc appearance, 36 eyes with enlarged cup-to-disc ratio, and 21 eyes of glaucoma patients were analyzed. The initial intraocular pressure (IOP at diagnosis was significantly different among the groups (P<0.001. The degree of myopic shift during follow-up period was not significantly different among the groups (P=0.612. However, the changes in the HDD/VDD and PPW/VDD ratios were significantly greater in the disc suspect group and significantly smaller in the glaucoma group. Among the 42 eyes with an ONH/PPA change, 16 (38.1% were from the normal control group, 24 (57.1% were

Mathematical modeling of liquid/liquid hollow fiber membrane contactor accounting for interfacial transport phenomena: Extraction of lanthanides as a surrogate for actinides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, J.D.

1994-01-01

This report is divided into two parts. The second part is divided into the following sections: experimental protocol; modeling the hollow fiber extractor using film theory; Graetz model of the hollow fiber membrane process; fundamental diffusive-kinetic model; and diffusive liquid membrane device-a rigorous model. The first part is divided into: membrane and membrane process-a concept; metal extraction; kinetics of metal extraction; modeling the membrane contactor; and interfacial phenomenon-boundary conditions-applied to membrane transport

Differential rotation and giant cell circulation of the solar Ca+-network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeter, E.H.; Woehl, H.

1976-01-01

High precision computer controlled tracings of bright Ca + -mottles were performed during 1974 and 1975 at the Locarno Observatory of Gottingen to study solar differential rotation and to search for giant cell circulation pattern. The method consists of measuring the position of 5-15 bright Ca + - mottles with respect to the center of the solar disc every 10 to 15 min during 4h every day. From a linear least square fit of the observed positions the solar-latitude and longitude were computed for the beginning and the end of the daily 4h observation period. From this the components in latitude and longitude of the proper motions were derived which result from the differential rotation, possible giant cell circulation and the small scale random walk of these features. (Auth.)

Apparent quasar disc sizes in the "bird's nest" paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Abolmasov, P.

2017-04-01

Context. Quasar microlensing effects make it possible to measure the accretion disc sizes around distant supermassive black holes that are still well beyond the spatial resolution of contemporary instrumentation. The sizes measured with this technique appear inconsistent with the standard accretion disc model. Not only are the measured accretion disc sizes larger, but their dependence on wavelength is in most cases completely different from the predictions of the standard model. Aims: We suggest that these discrepancies may arise not from non-standard accretion disc structure or systematic errors, as it was proposed before, but rather from scattering and reprocession of the radiation of the disc. In particular, the matter falling from the gaseous torus and presumably feeding the accretion disc may at certain distances become ionized and produce an extended halo that is free from colour gradients. Methods: A simple analytical model is proposed assuming that a geometrically thick translucent inflow acts as a scattering mirror changing the apparent spatial properties of the disc. This inflow may be also identified with the broad line region or its inner parts. Results: Such a model is able to explain the basic properties of the apparent disc sizes, primarily their large values and their shallow dependence on wavelength. The only condition required is to scatter a significant portion of the luminosity of the disc. This can easily be fulfilled if the scattering inflow has a large geometrical thickness and clumpy structure.

The diagnosis of internal disc disruption with CT discography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Miao; Chen Xingcan; Li Xiaohong; Pan Yongqin

2008-01-01

Objective: To study the value of diagnosis for internal disc disruption (IDD)with CT discography(CTD). Methods: 42 discs of 32 patients showing no disc herniation on CT or MRI, but suffering from chronic low back pain, were undertaken CTD to work out the types of CTD with correlation between contrast medium dosages and the induction of pain. Results: CTD demonstrated 4 types of IDD which was individually correlated with the contrast dosages and induced pain; furthermore the dosages for positive and negative disc cases showed significant differece (P<0.01). Conclusions: CTD can show the direct sign of internal disc disruption, providing more information than conventional discography. (authors)

Development of Faraday rotators for high power glass laser systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Kunio; Kato, Yoshiaki; Yamanaka, Chiyoe.

1980-01-01

As a new approach to nuclear fusion, laser-induced fusion has been recently highlighted. It is no exaggeration to say that the future success of this technique depends on the development of high power laser as the energy driver. Faraday rotators are used as photo-diodes to prevent amplifiers and oscillator assemblies from the possibility to be broken by reversely transmitting light. The authors were able to increase the isolation ratio by about 10 times as compared with conventional one by employing the large performance index, disc type Faraday glass, FR-5. In this paper, first, Faraday glasses which are the composing element of Faraday rotators and the optical characteristics of dielectric thin-film polarizers are described, and next, the design of a magnetic coil and its resulting coil characteristics are reported. Then the dominant causes limiting the isolation ratio of Faraday rotators are investigated, and it is clarified that the residual strain in Faraday glasses and the non-uniformity of magnetic field affect predominantly. The measured results are as follows: The magnetic flux densities required to rotate by 45 deg the polarizing plane of the light transmitted through the Faraday rotators A and B are both 27 kG; and the isolation ratios over the whole effective plane are 36 and 32 dB, respectively. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Shadow of a Large Disc Casts New Light on the Formation of High Mass Stars

Science.gov (United States)

2004-05-01

Massive Star Observed that Forms through a Rotating Accretion Disc Summary Based on a large observational effort with different telescopes and instruments, mostly from the European Southern Observatory (ESO), a team of European astronomers [1] has shown that in the M 17 nebula a high mass star [2] forms via accretion through a circumstellar disc, i.e. through the same channel as low-mass stars. To reach this conclusion, the astronomers used very sensitive infrared instruments to penetrate the south-western molecular cloud of M 17 so that faint emission from gas heated up by a cluster of massive stars, partly located behind the molecular cloud, could be detected through the dust. Against the background of this hot region a large opaque silhouette, which resembles a flared disc seen nearly edge-on, is found to be associated with an hour-glass shaped reflection nebula. This system complies perfectly with a newly forming high-mass star surrounded by a huge accretion disc and accompanied by an energetic bipolar mass outflow. The new observations corroborate recent theoretical calculations which claim that stars up to 40 times more massive than the Sun can be formed by the same processes that are active during the formation of stars of smaller masses. PR Photo 15a/04: Stellar cluster and star-forming region M 17 (also available without text inside photo) PR Photo 15b/04: Silhouette disc seen in M 17 PR Photo 15c/04: Rotation of the disc in M 17. PR Photo 15d/04: Bipolar reflection nebula and silhouette disc of a young, massive star in M 17 PR Photo 15e/04: Optical spectrum of the bipolar nebula. PR Video 03/04: Zooming in onto the disc. The M 17 region ESO PR Photo 15a/04 ESO PR Photo 15a/04 [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 497 pix - 271k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 958 pix - 604k] ESO PR Photo 15a1/04 ESO PR Photo 15a/04 (without text within photo) [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 480 pix - 275k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 959 pix - 634k] [High-Res - JPEG: 3000 x 3597 pix - 3.8M] [Full-Res - JPEG

Percutaneous treatment of cervical and lumbar herniated disc

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelekis, A., E-mail: akelekis@med.uoa.gr; Filippiadis, D.K., E-mail: dfilippiadis@yahoo.gr

2015-05-15

Therapeutic armamentarium for symptomatic intervertebral disc herniation includes conservative therapy, epidural infiltrations (interlaminar or trans-foraminal), percutaneous therapeutic techniques and surgical options. Percutaneous, therapeutic techniques are imaging-guided, minimally invasive treatments for intervertebral disc herniation which can be performed as outpatient procedures. They can be classified in 4 main categories: mechanical, thermal, chemical decompression and biomaterials implantation. Strict sterility measures are a prerequisite and should include extensive local sterility and antibiotic prophylaxis. Indications include the presence of a symptomatic, small to medium sized contained intervertebral disc herniation non-responding to a 4–6 weeks course of conservative therapy. Contraindications include sequestration, infection, segmental instability (spondylolisthesis), uncorrected coagulopathy or a patient unwilling to provide informed consent. Decompression techniques are feasible and reproducible, efficient (75–94% success rate) and safe (>0.5% mean complications rate) therapies for the treatment of symptomatic intervertebral disc herniation. Percutaneous, imaging guided, intervertebral disc therapeutic techniques can be proposed either as an initial treatment or as an attractive alternative prior to surgery for the therapy of symptomatic herniation in both cervical and lumbar spine. This article will describe the mechanism of action for different therapeutic techniques applied to intervertebral discs of cervical and lumbar spine, summarize the data concerning safety and effectiveness of these treatments, and provide a rational approach for the therapy of symptomatic intervertebral disc herniation in cervical and lumbar spine.

Percutaneous treatment of cervical and lumbar herniated disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelekis, A.; Filippiadis, D.K.

2015-01-01

Therapeutic armamentarium for symptomatic intervertebral disc herniation includes conservative therapy, epidural infiltrations (interlaminar or trans-foraminal), percutaneous therapeutic techniques and surgical options. Percutaneous, therapeutic techniques are imaging-guided, minimally invasive treatments for intervertebral disc herniation which can be performed as outpatient procedures. They can be classified in 4 main categories: mechanical, thermal, chemical decompression and biomaterials implantation. Strict sterility measures are a prerequisite and should include extensive local sterility and antibiotic prophylaxis. Indications include the presence of a symptomatic, small to medium sized contained intervertebral disc herniation non-responding to a 4–6 weeks course of conservative therapy. Contraindications include sequestration, infection, segmental instability (spondylolisthesis), uncorrected coagulopathy or a patient unwilling to provide informed consent. Decompression techniques are feasible and reproducible, efficient (75–94% success rate) and safe (>0.5% mean complications rate) therapies for the treatment of symptomatic intervertebral disc herniation. Percutaneous, imaging guided, intervertebral disc therapeutic techniques can be proposed either as an initial treatment or as an attractive alternative prior to surgery for the therapy of symptomatic herniation in both cervical and lumbar spine. This article will describe the mechanism of action for different therapeutic techniques applied to intervertebral discs of cervical and lumbar spine, summarize the data concerning safety and effectiveness of these treatments, and provide a rational approach for the therapy of symptomatic intervertebral disc herniation in cervical and lumbar spine

Thermal analysis on motorcycle disc brake geometry

Science.gov (United States)

W. M. Zurin W., S.; Talib, R. J.; Ismail, N. I.

2017-08-01

Braking is a phase of slowing and stop the movement of motorcycle. During braking, the frictional heat was generated and the energy was ideally should be faster dissipated to surrounding to prevent the built up of the excessive temperature which may lead to brake fluid vaporization, thermoelastic deformation at the contact surface, material degradation and failure. In this paper, solid and ventilated type of motorcycle disc brake are being analyse using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software. The main focus of the analysis is the thermal behaviour during braking for solid and ventilated disc brake. A comparison between both geometries is being discussed to determine the better braking performance in term of temperature distribution. It is found that ventilated disc brake is having better braking performance in terms of heat transfer compare to solid disc.

Isolated Optic Disc Tuberculosis

Science.gov (United States)

Mansour, Ahmad M.; Tabbara, Khalid F.; Tabbarah, Zuhair

2015-01-01

We present a healthy male subject who developed progressive visual loss in the left eye initially diagnosed as optic neuritis. Upon suspicion of infectious etiology, testing was positive for tuberculosis. There were no signs or symptoms of active systemic tuberculosis infection. The patient responded swiftly to antimycobacterial therapy with return of vision and resolution of disc swelling. Positive purified protein derivative skin test, negative chest radiograph, negative systemic workup, negative workup for other causes of unilateral optic neuritis and quick response to mycobacterial therapy reaffirm the entity of isolated optic disc tuberculosis similar to isolated choroidal tuberculosis without systemic manifestation. PMID:26483675

Isolated Optic Disc Tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad M. Mansour

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We present a healthy male subject who developed progressive visual loss in the left eye initially diagnosed as optic neuritis. Upon suspicion of infectious etiology, testing was positive for tuberculosis. There were no signs or symptoms of active systemic tuberculosis infection. The patient responded swiftly to antimycobacterial therapy with return of vision and resolution of disc swelling. Positive purified protein derivative skin test, negative chest radiograph, negative systemic workup, negative workup for other causes of unilateral optic neuritis and quick response to mycobacterial therapy reaffirm the entity of isolated optic disc tuberculosis similar to isolated choroidal tuberculosis without systemic manifestation.

Auto fluorescence of intervertebral disc tissue: a new diagnostic tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoell, T; Huschak, G; Beier, A; Hüttmann, G; Minkus, Y; Holzhausen, H J; Meisel, H J

2006-08-01

The paper reports on auto fluorescence phenomena of inter-vertebral human discs. It systematically investigates the auto fluorescence effects of ex vivo disc specimen and reports on surgical cases to demonstrate the potential value of the new method. The paper offers biologic explanations of the phenomenon and discusses the potential value of the UV auto fluorescence technique as a diagnostic tool. Intra- and postoperative observations are made by a surgical microscope with an integrated UV light source. Quantitative measurements were carried out using a photon counter and a spectrometer ex vivo. The auto fluorescence phenomenon allows the differentiation of traumatized and degenerated disc tissue intraoperatively in some cases, it allows the differentiation of bony and collagen endplate in cervical disc surgery. The source of the auto fluorescent light emission are amino acids of the collagen molecules. The proteoglycan components and the liquid components of the disc do not show relevant auto fluorescence. Emission wavelength of disc material is equivalent to color perception. It differs due to different collagen composition of the intervertebral disc components from yellow-green to blue-green and can be visualized in situ by naked eye.UV-auto fluorescence of inter-vertebral discs is a new clinical tool that has the potential to differentiate disc material from the anatomical surrounding, to distinguish between different fractions of the disc and to give information on the quality and status of the disc material. Since the technology has just emerged, it needs further investigations to quantify the clinical observations reported in this paper.

Angiogenesis in the degeneration of the lumbar intervertebral disc

OpenAIRE

David, Gh; Ciurea, AV; Iencean, SM; Mohan, A

2010-01-01

The goal of the study is to show the histological and biochemical changes that indicate the angiogenesis of the intervertebral disc in lumbar intervertebral disc hernia and the existence of epidemiological correlations between these changes and the risk factors of lumbar intervertebral disc hernia, as well as the patient's quality of life (QOL). We have studied 50 patients aged between 18 and 73 years old, who have undergone lumbar intervertebral disc hernia surgery, making fibroblast growth ...

Lumbar disc herniation in patients with chronic backache.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Asghar; Khan, Shahbaz Ali; Aurangzeb, Ahsan; Ahmed, Ehtisham; Ali, Gohar; Muhammad, Gul; Mehmood, Shakir

2013-01-01

Low back pain with or without lower extremity pain is the most common problem among chronic pain disorders with significant economic, social, and health impact. This study was conducted to determine the frequency of lumbar disc herniation and its different levels, among patients with chronic backache. This cross sectional study was conducted in the department of Neurosurgery, Ayub Medical College Abbottabad from January 2011 to January 2013. All the patients presenting with chronic low backache of either gender above the age 14 years were included in the study. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done in all the patients included in the study to look for lumbar disc herniation. A total of 477 patients with chronic low backache were included in the study out of which 274 (57.4%) were males. Age of the patients ranged from 19 to 75 (39.92 +/- 12.31) years. Out of 477 patients 38 (7.9%) had significant radiological evidence of disc prolapse at lumbar vertebral levels, with 26 (9.5%) males and 12 (5.9%) females. Among these 38 patients with inter-vertebral disc, 20 (52.6%) of patients had disc herniation at L5-S1, 15 (39.5%) at L4-L5, 2 (5.26%) cases at L3-L4 level and only one case (2.6%) had the involvement of L2-L3 level. No cases of L1-L2 disc prolapse were found. Patients with chronic backache can have inter-vertebral lumbar disc prolapsed disease. Middle age group are more affected by lumbar disc disease especially at the lower lumbar regions.

Radiographic identification of ingested disc batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maves, M.D.

1986-01-01

Recently, the hazards by posed the accidental ingestion and impaction of small disc batteries have been widely publicized in the medical and lay press. These foreign bodies, when lodged in the esophagus, leak a caustic solution of 26 to 45% sodium or potassium hydroxide which can cause a burn injury to the esophagus in a very short period of time. Because of the considerable clinical morbidity and mortality from this foreign body, it becomes imperative for the radiologist to quickly and accurately identify disc batteries on plain radiographs. This communication offers a series of radiologic signs important in the identification of disc batteries demonstrate a double density shadow due to the bilaminar structure of the battery. On lateral view, the edges of most disc batteries are round and again present a step-off at the junction of the cathode and anode. These findings are differentiated from the more common esophageal foreign body of a coin which does not have a double density on frontal projection, has a much sharper edge and no visible stepoff. (orig.)

Fundamental study on articular disc with magnetic resonance imagings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiba, Toyokazu

1993-01-01

In order to establish criteria of reading MRI of the temporomandibular joint, a morphological comparison between MRI and the section, and an observation of the articular disc associated with the opening were made. Five temporomandibular joints isolated from 3 human cadavers were subjected to MRI, and sections were prepared to examine criteria of reading MRI. In 20 male adults, 40 temporomandibular joints underwent MRI in three conditions of the intercuspal position, 10 and 20 mm opening positions, and the kinetics of the articular disc were examined. External feature of the head of mandible and that of the articular fossa, the articular tubercule and the postglenoid process were outlined in a row of blacks. The articular disc was outlined in a row of dark ashen areas of the anterior band, the intermediate region, and the posterior band. In the intercuspal position, the head of mandible was rarely covered with the articular disc, and being situated postero-inferiorly, at the most rear point of the posterior band of the articular disc. In the 10 mm-opening position, the head of mandible was practically covered with the articular disc. In the 20 mm-opening position, the intermediate region of the articular disc, and the head of mandible were situated in an approximate position. Quantitative movement of the articular disc was slower than that of the head of mandible. Comparison of various points of the articular disc revealed that movements of the anterior and posterior band varied almost proportionally to the opening distance, but with lesser movement of the intermediate region. (author)

CT reconstruction technique in lumbar intraneuroforaminal disc herniation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volle, E.; Claussen, C.; Kern, A.; Stoltenburg, G.

1988-01-01

The CT appearance of the lumbar neural foramina and contents is described in detail and compared to histopathological specimens. Direct axial scans with secondary sagittal, coronal and paraxial reconstruction series of slices of the neuralforamen were derived from lumbar spine examination of fifty normal adults. These normal parameters were then used to evaluate and subdivide 20 patients with disc herniation involving the neuralforamen. The new paraxial reformation was able to show an intraneuroforaminal disc involvement. CT-reformation technique and operative results in intraneuroforaminal disc herniation correspond in 80%. This improvement in preoperative diagnosis demonstrates to the neurosurgeon the full extent of disc herniation and results in an optimized operative approach. (orig.)

CT reconstruction technique in lumbar intraneuroforaminal disc herniation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volle, E.; Claussen, C.; Kern, A.; Stoltenburg, G.

1988-04-01

The CT appearance of the lumbar neural foramina and contents is described in detail and compared to histopathological specimens. Direct axial scans with secondary sagittal, coronal and paraxial reconstruction series of slices of the neuralforamen were derived from lumbar spine examination of fifty normal adults. These normal parameters were then used to evaluate and subdivide 20 patients with disc herniation involving the neuralforamen. The new paraxial reformation was able to show an intraneuroforaminal disc involvement. CT-reformation technique and operative results in intraneuroforaminal disc herniation correspond in 80%. This improvement in preoperative diagnosis demonstrates to the neurosurgeon the full extent of disc herniation and results in an optimized operative approach.

Cervical disc hernia operations through posterior laminoforaminotomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yolas, Coskun; Ozdemir, Nuriye Guzin; Okay, Hilmi Onder; Kanat, Ayhan; Senol, Mehmet; Atci, Ibrahim Burak; Yilmaz, Hakan; Coban, Mustafa Kemal; Yuksel, Mehmet Onur; Kahraman, Umit

2016-01-01

The most common used technique for posterolateral cervical disc herniations is anterior approach. However, posterior cervical laminotoforaminomy can provide excellent results in appropriately selected patients with foraminal stenosis in either soft disc prolapse or cervical spondylosis. The purpose of this study was to present the clinical outcomes following posterior laminoforaminotomy in patients with radiculopathy. We retrospectively evaluated 35 patients diagnosed with posterolateral cervical disc herniation and cervical spondylosis with foraminal stenosis causing radiculopathy operated by the posterior cervical keyhole laminoforaminotomy between the years 2010 and 2015. The file records and the radiographic images of the 35 patients were assessed retrospectively. The mean age was 46.4 years (range: 34-66 years). Of the patients, 19 were males and 16 were females. In all of the patients, the neurologic deficit observed was radiculopathy. The posterolaterally localized disc herniations and the osteophytic structures were on the left side in 18 cases and on the right in 17 cases. In 10 of the patients, the disc level was at C5-6, in 18 at C6-7, in 2 at C3-4, in 2 at C4-5, in 1 at C7-T1, in 1 patient at both C5-6 and C6-7, and in 1 at both C4-5 and C5-6. In 14 of these 35 patients, both osteophytic structures and protruded disc herniation were present. Intervertebral foramen stenosis was present in all of the patients with osteophytes. Postoperatively, in 31 patients the complaints were relieved completely and four patients had complaints of neck pain and paresthesia radiating to the arm (the success of operation was 88.5%). On control examinations, there was no finding of instability or cervical kyphosis. Posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy is an alternative appropriate choice in both cervical soft disc herniations and cervical stenosis.

Collimation of particle beams from thick accretion discs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikora, M [N. Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warszawa (Poland); Wilson, D B [Cambridge Univ. (UK). Inst. of Astronomy

1981-11-01

The acceleration and collimation of particle beams in the funnel of thick accretion discs is studied in the approximation that the flow is optically thin. Such flows can be collimated to within approximately 0.1 radians by sufficiently thick discs. The flow cannot convert more than a small fraction of the disc's (super-Eddington) luminosity into the energy flow of a narrow beam without being optically thick.

Upper thoracic-spine disc degeneration in patients with cervical pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Arana, Estanislao; Martí-Bonmatí, Luis; Mollá, Enrique; Costa, Salvador

2004-01-01

To study the relationship of upper thoracic spine degenerative disc contour changes on MR imaging in patients with neck pain. The relation between upper thoracic and cervical spine degenerative disc disease is not well established. One hundred and fifty-six patients referred with cervical pain were studied. There were 73 women and 77 men with a mean age of 48.6 +/- 14.6 years (range, 19 to 83 years). All MR studies were performed with a large 23-cm FOV covering at least from the body of T4 to the clivus. Discs were coded as normal, protrusion/bulge or extrusion. Degenerative thoracic disc contour changes were observed in 13.4% of patients with cervical pain. T2-3 was the most commonly affected level of the upper thoracic spine, with 15 bulge/protrusions and one extrusion. Upper degenerative thoracic disc contour changes presented in older patients than the cervical levels (Student-Newman-Keuls test, P < 0.001). Degenerative disc contour changes at the C7-T1, T1-2, T2-3 and T3-4 levels were significantly correlated ( P = 0.001), but unrelated to any other disc disease, patient's gender or age. Degenerative cervical disc disease was closely related together ( P < 0.001), but not with any thoracic disc. A statistically significant relation was found within the upper thoracic discs, reflecting common pathoanatomical changes. The absence of relation to cervical segments is probably due to differences in their pathomechanisms.

Upper thoracic-spine disc degeneration in patients with cervical pain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arana, Estanislao; Marti-Bonmati, Luis; Costa, Salvador [Department of Radiology, Clinica Quiron, Avda Blasco Ibanez 14, 46010, Valencia (Spain); Molla, Enrique [Department of Radiology, Clinica Quiron, Avda Blasco Ibanez 14, 46010, Valencia (Spain); Department of Morphological Sciences, University of Valencia, Valencia (Spain)

2004-01-01

To study the relationship of upper thoracic spine degenerative disc contour changes on MR imaging in patients with neck pain. The relation between upper thoracic and cervical spine degenerative disc disease is not well established. One hundred and fifty-six patients referred with cervical pain were studied. There were 73 women and 77 men with a mean age of 48.6{+-}14.6 years (range, 19 to 83 years). All MR studies were performed with a large 23-cm FOV covering at least from the body of T4 to the clivus. Discs were coded as normal, protrusion/bulge or extrusion. Degenerative thoracic disc contour changes were observed in 13.4% of patients with cervical pain. T2-3 was the most commonly affected level of the upper thoracic spine, with 15 bulge/protrusions and one extrusion. Upper degenerative thoracic disc contour changes presented in older patients than the cervical levels (Student-Newman-Keuls test, P<0.001). Degenerative disc contour changes at the C7-T1, T1-2, T2-3 and T3-4 levels were significantly correlated (P=0.001), but unrelated to any other disc disease, patient's gender or age. Degenerative cervical disc disease was closely related together (P<0.001), but not with any thoracic disc. A statistically significant relation was found within the upper thoracic discs, reflecting common pathoanatomical changes. The absence of relation to cervical segments is probably due to differences in their pathomechanisms. (orig.)

Human disc degeneration is associated with increased MMP 7 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Maitre, C L; Freemont, A J; Hoyland, J A

2006-01-01

During intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, normal matrix synthesis decreases and degradation of disc matrix increases. A number of proteases that are increased during disc degeneration are thought to be involved in its pathogenesis. Matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP 7) (Matrilysin, PUMP-1) is known to cleave the major matrix molecules found within the IVD, i.e., the proteoglycan aggrecan and collagen type II. To date, however, it is not known how its expression changes with degeneration or its exact location. We investigated the localization of MMP 7 in human, histologically graded, nondegenerate, degenerated and prolapsed discs to ascertain whether MMP 7 is up-regulated during disc degeneration. Samples of human IVD tissue were fixed in neutral buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin to score the degree of morphological degeneration. Immunohistochemistry was performed to localize MMP 7 in 41 human IVDs with varying degrees of degeneration. We found that the chondrocyte-like cells of the nucleus pulposus and inner annulus fibrosus were MMP 7 immunopositive; little immunopositivity was observed in the outer annulus. Nondegenerate discs showed few immunopositive cells. A significant increase in the proportion of MMP 7 immunopositive cells was seen in the nucleus pulposus of discs classified as showing intermediate levels of degeneration and a further increase was seen in discs with severe degeneration. Prolapsed discs showed more MMP 7 immunopositive cells compared to nondegenerated discs, but fewer than those seen in cases of severe degeneration.

Upper thoracic-spine disc degeneration in patients with cervical pain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arana, Estanislao; Marti-Bonmati, Luis; Costa, Salvador; Molla, Enrique

2004-01-01

To study the relationship of upper thoracic spine degenerative disc contour changes on MR imaging in patients with neck pain. The relation between upper thoracic and cervical spine degenerative disc disease is not well established. One hundred and fifty-six patients referred with cervical pain were studied. There were 73 women and 77 men with a mean age of 48.6±14.6 years (range, 19 to 83 years). All MR studies were performed with a large 23-cm FOV covering at least from the body of T4 to the clivus. Discs were coded as normal, protrusion/bulge or extrusion. Degenerative thoracic disc contour changes were observed in 13.4% of patients with cervical pain. T2-3 was the most commonly affected level of the upper thoracic spine, with 15 bulge/protrusions and one extrusion. Upper degenerative thoracic disc contour changes presented in older patients than the cervical levels (Student-Newman-Keuls test, P<0.001). Degenerative disc contour changes at the C7-T1, T1-2, T2-3 and T3-4 levels were significantly correlated (P=0.001), but unrelated to any other disc disease, patient's gender or age. Degenerative cervical disc disease was closely related together (P<0.001), but not with any thoracic disc. A statistically significant relation was found within the upper thoracic discs, reflecting common pathoanatomical changes. The absence of relation to cervical segments is probably due to differences in their pathomechanisms. (orig.)

Observing the On-going Formation of Planets and its Effects on Their Parent Discs

Science.gov (United States)

Willson, Matthew Alexander

2017-06-01

immediately outside of a ring of dusty material largely responsible for the NIR comment of the disc SED, similar to TW Hya b located in a shallow gap in the dust disc outside another ring of over-dense dusty material which bounds a deep but narrow gap. Both of these companion candidates maybe migrating cores which are feeding from the enriched ring of material. I conducted a more extensive study of the pre-transitional disc, V1247 Ori, covering three epochs and the H-, K- and L-wavebands. Complementary observations with VLT/SPHERE in Hα and continuum plus SMA observations in CO (2-1) and continuum were performed. The orientation and geometry of the outer disc was recovered with the SMA data and determine the direction of rotation. We image the inner rim of the outer disc in L-band SAM data, recovering the rim in all three epochs. Combining all three data sets together we form a detailed image of the rim. In H- and K-band SAM data we observe the motion of a close-in companion candidate. This motion was found to be too large to be adequately explained through a near-circular Keplerian orbit within the plane of the disc around the central star. Hence an alternate hypothesis had to be developed. I postulated that the fitted position of the companion maybe influenced by the emission from the disc rim seen in the L-band SAM data. I constructed a suite of model SAM data sets of a companion and a disc rim and found that under the right conditions the fitted separation of a companion will be larger than the true separation. Under these conditions we find the motion of the companion candidate to be consistent with a near-circular Keplerian orbit within the plane of the disc at a semi-major axis of ˜6 au. The Hα data lack the necessary resolution to confirm the companion as an accreting body, but through the high contrast sensitivities enabled by the state of the art SPHERE instrument I was able to rule out any other accreting body within the gap, unless deeply embedded by the sparse

Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Protrusion Associated with Tilted Optic Discs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Jaclyn; Yapp, Michael; Ly, Angelica; Hennessy, Michael P; Kalloniatis, Michael; Zangerl, Barbara

2018-03-01

This study resulted in the identification of an optic nerve head (ONH) feature associated with tilted optic discs, which might potentially contribute to ONH pathologies. Knowledge of such findings will enhance clinical insights and drive future opportunities to understand disease processes related to tilted optic discs. The aim of this study was to identify novel retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) anomalies by evaluating tilted optic discs using optical coherence tomography. An observed retinal nerve fiber protrusion was further investigated for association with other morphological or functional parameters. A retrospective review of 400 randomly selected adult patients with ONH examinations was conducted in a referral-only, diagnostic imaging center. After excluding other ONH pathologies, 215 patients were enrolled and evaluated for optic disc tilt and/or torsion. Gross anatomical ONH features, including size and rim or parapapillary region elevation, were assessed with stereoscopic fundus photography. Optical coherence tomography provided detailed morphological information of individual retinal layers. Statistical analysis was applied to identify significant changes between individual patient cohorts. A dome-shaped hyperreflective RNFL bulge, protruding into the neurosensory retina at the optic disc margins, was identified in 17 eyes with tilted optic discs. Available follow-up data were inconclusive regarding natural changes with this ONH feature. This RNFL herniation was significantly correlated with smaller than average optic disc size (P = .005), congenital disc tilt (P optic discs, which has not previously been assessed as an independent ONH structure. The feature is predominantly related to congenital crowded, small optic discs and variable between patients. This study is an important first step to elucidate diagnostic capabilities of tilted disc morphological changes and understanding associated functional deficits.

PATHOGENESIS OF OPTIC DISC EDEMA IN RAISED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE

Science.gov (United States)

Hayreh, Sohan Singh

2015-01-01

Optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure was first described in 1853. Ever since, there has been a plethora of controversial hypotheses to explain its pathogenesis. I have explored the subject comprehensively by doing basic, experimental and clinical studies. My objective was to investigate the fundamentals of the subject, to test the validity of the previous theories, and finally, based on all these studies, to find a logical explanation for the pathogenesis. My studies included the following issues pertinent to the pathogenesis of optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure: the anatomy and blood supply of the optic nerve, the roles of the sheath of the optic nerve, of the centripetal flow of fluids along the optic nerve, of compression of the central retinal vein, and of acute intracranial hypertension and its associated effects. I found that, contrary to some previous claims, an acute rise of intracranial pressure was not quickly followed by production of optic disc edema. Then, in rhesus monkeys, I produced experimentally chronic intracranial hypertension by slowly increasing in size space-occupying lesions, in different parts of the brain. Those produced raised cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) and optic disc edema, identical to those seen in patients with elevated CSFP. Having achieved that, I investigated various aspects of optic disc edema by ophthalmoscopy, stereoscopic color fundus photography and fluorescein fundus angiography, and light microscopic, electron microscopic, horseradish peroxidase and axoplasmic transport studies, and evaluated the effect of opening the sheath of the optic nerve on the optic disc edema. This latter study showed that opening the sheath resulted in resolution of optic disc edema on the side of the sheath fenestration, in spite of high intracranial CSFP, proving that a rise of CSFP in the sheath was the essential pre-requisite for the development of optic disc edema. I also investigated optic disc edema with

Herniated Cervical Disc

Science.gov (United States)

... are sometimes prescribed for more severe arm and neck pain because of their very powerful anti-inflammatory effect. ... caused by a herniated cervical disc. However, some neck pain may persist. Most patients respond well to discectomy; ...

Hybrid testing of lumbar CHARITE discs versus fusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Panjabi, Manohar; Malcolmson, George; Teng, Edward; Tominaga, Yasuhiro; Henderson, Gweneth; Serhan, Hassan

2007-04-20

An in vitro human cadaveric biomechanical study. To quantify effects on operated and other levels, including adjacent levels, due to CHARITE disc implantations versus simulated fusions, using follower load and the new hybrid test method in flexion-extension and bilateral torsion. Spinal fusion has been associated with long-term accelerated degeneration at adjacent levels. As opposed to the fusion, artificial discs are designed to preserve motion and diminish the adjacent-level effects. Five fresh human cadaveric lumbar specimens (T12-S1) underwent multidirectional testing in flexion-extension and bilateral torsion with 400 N follower load. Intact specimen total ranges of motion were determined with +/-10 Nm unconstrained pure moments. The intact range of motion was used as input for the hybrid tests of 5 constructs: 1) CHARITE disc at L5-S1; 2) fusion at L5-S1; 3) CHARITE discs at L4-L5 and L5-S1; 4) CHARITE disc at L4-L5 and fusion at L5-S1; and 5) 2-level fusion at L4-L5-S1. Using repeated-measures single factor analysis of variance and Bonferroni statistical tests (P < 0.05), intervertebral motion redistribution of each construct was compared with the intact. In flexion-extension, 1-level CHARITE disc preserved motion at the operated and other levels, while 2-level CHARITE showed some amount of other-level effects. In contrast, 1- and 2-level fusions increased other-level motions (average, 21.0% and 61.9%, respectively). In torsion, both 1- and 2-level discs preserved motions at all levels. The 2-level simulated fusion increased motions at proximal levels (22.9%), while the 1-level fusion produced no significant changes. In general, CHARITE discs preserved operated- and other-level motions. Fusion simulations affected motion redistribution at other levels, including adjacent levels.

High performance brake discs made of fiber reinforced ceramics; Hochleistungsbremsscheiben aus Faserverbundkeramik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenloecher, J.; Deinzer, G.; Waninger, R.; Muenchhoff, J. [AUDI AG, 85045 Ingolstadt (Germany)

2007-11-15

The Audi AG is one of the worldwide leading car manufacturers of the premium class. One of the main aims of the technical development department at Audi is the use of novel and innovative materials. The Audi AG has intensively worked on the development and introduction of ceramic brake discs for several car types. These brake discs are made of a short carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide ceramic, a so called CMC-material (ceramic matrix composite). This material is produced in a very complex process by silicon melt infiltration of carbon preforms. The advantages of these innovative and powerful brake discs out of C/SiC-ceramic are the low weight and thus the reduction of the unsprung rotating masses, the low wear rate during completed service life, the temperature and fading stability and the corrosion resistance. The complete braking system and its periphery had to be reengineered and adjusted because of the specific material properties. (Abstract Copyright [2007], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.) [German] Die Audi AG ist einer der weltweit fuehrenden Automobilhersteller der Premiumklasse. Eines der Hauptziele der Technischen Entwicklung bei Audi ist der Einsatz neuartiger und innovativer Werkstoffe. Daher bietet die Audi AG nach intensiver Entwicklung und Erprobung fuer mehrere Fahrzeugmodelle Keramikbremsscheiben an. Diese Bremsscheiben bestehen aus einer kohlenstoffkurzfaserverstaerkten Siliziumkarbidkeramik, einem sog. CMC-Werkstoff. Dieser Werkstoff wird in einem aufwendigen Verfahren ueber die Schmelzinfiltration von Kohlenstoff-Preformen mit Silizium hergestellt. Die Vorteile dieser innovativen und leistungsfaehigen Bremsscheiben aus C/SiC-Keramik sind das geringe Gewicht und dadurch die Reduzierung der ungefederten rotierenden Massen, der geringe Verschleiss ueber Betriebsdauer, die Temperatur- und Fadingstabilitaet und die Korrosionsbestaendigkeit. Aufgrund der materialspezifischen Eigenschaften wurde das gesamte Bremssystem ueberarbeitet und die

Americium-curium separation by means of selective extraction of hexavalent americium using a centrifugal contactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musikas, C.; Germain, M.; Bathellier, A.

1979-01-01

This paper deals with Am (VI) - Cm (III) separation in nitrate media. The kinetics of oxidation of Am (III) by sodium persulfate in the presence of Ag + ions were reinvestigated by studying the effect of additions of small amounts of reagents which do not drastically change the distribution coefficients of Am (VI) or Cm (III) ions. Organo phosphorus solvents were selected because they are radiation resistant, possess weak reductant properties and that their affinity for hexavalent ion is high. The operating procedure was selected by consideration of the results of the two previous investigations. This can be done by using a centrifugal contactor enabling in to set organic-aqueous phase contact time in accordance with the kinetics of extraction of Am (VI), oxidation of Am (III) in aqueous phase, and reduction of Am (VI) in organic phase

Magnetic fields in giant planet formation and protoplanetary discs

Science.gov (United States)

Keith, Sarah Louise

2015-12-01

Protoplanetary discs channel accretion onto their host star. How this is achieved is critical to the growth of giant planets which capture their massive gaseous atmosphere from the surrounding flow. Theoretical studies find that an embedded magnetic field could power accretion by hydromagnetic turbulence or torques from a large-scale field. This thesis presents a study of the inuence of magnetic fields in three key aspects of this process: circumplanetary disc accretion, gas flow across gaps in protoplanetary discs, and magnetic-braking in accretion discs. The first study examines the conditions needed for self-consistent accretion driven by magnetic fields or gravitational instability. Models of these discs typically rely on hydromagnetic turbulence as the source of effective viscosity. However, magnetically coupled,accreting regions may be so limited that the disc may not support sufficient inflow. An improved Shakura-Sunyaev ? disc is used to calculate the ionisation fraction and strength of non-ideal effects. Steady magnetically-driven accretion is limited to the thermally ionised, inner disc so that accretion in the remainder of the disc is time-dependent. The second study addresses magnetic flux transport in an accretion gap evacuated by a giant planet. Assuming the field is passively drawn along with the gas, the hydrodynamical simulation of Tanigawa, Ohtsuki & Machida (2012) is used for an a posteriori analysis of the gap field structure. This is used to post-calculate magnetohydrodynamical quantities. This assumption is self-consistent as magnetic forces are found to be weak, and good magnetic coupling ensures the field is frozen into the gas. Hall drift dominates across much of the gap, with the potential to facilitate turbulence and modify the toroidal field according to the global field orientation. The third study considers the structure and stability of magnetically-braked accretion discs. Strong evidence for MRI dead-zones has renewed interest in

Analysis of an Assemblage of Discs Employing Interactive Graphics.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-12-01

facilitate the program’s efficiency. Indeed, the ulsabilitv of tie distinct element method is pred icated on ef f ic ielt Irogramming techniques...paragraphs. Any subsequent user of DISC should not necessarily feel bound to this scheme. 33. At the outset of writing DISC, it was decided that a disc

Utility of Digital Stereo Images for Optic Disc Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Gui-shuang; Pearson, Denise J.; Bansal, Mayank; Puri, Manika; Miller, Eydie; Alexander, Judith; Piltz-Seymour, Jody; Nyberg, William; Maguire, Maureen G.; Eledath, Jayan; Sawhney, Harpreet

2010-01-01

Purpose. To assess the suitability of digital stereo images for optic disc evaluations in glaucoma. Methods. Stereo color optic disc images in both digital and 35-mm slide film formats were acquired contemporaneously from 29 subjects with various cup-to-disc ratios (range, 0.26–0.76; median, 0.475). Using a grading scale designed to assess image quality, the ease of visualizing optic disc features important for glaucoma diagnosis, and the comparative diameters of the optic disc cup, experienced observers separately compared the primary digital stereo images to each subject's 35-mm slides, to scanned images of the same 35-mm slides, and to grayscale conversions of the digital images. Statistical analysis accounted for multiple gradings and comparisons and also assessed image formats under monoscopic viewing. Results. Overall, the quality of primary digital color images was judged superior to that of 35-mm slides (P digital color images were mostly equivalent to the scanned digitized images of the same slides. Color seemingly added little to grayscale optic disc images, except that peripapillary atrophy was best seen in color (P digital over film images was maintained under monoscopic viewing conditions. Conclusions. Digital stereo optic disc images are useful for evaluating the optic disc in glaucoma and allow the application of advanced image processing applications. Grayscale images, by providing luminance distinct from color, may be informative for assessing certain features. PMID:20505199

On the formation of exponential discs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshii, Yuzuru; Sommer-Larsen, Jesper

1989-01-01

Spiral galaxy discs are characterized by approximately exponential surface luminosity profiles. In this paper the evolutionary equations for a star-forming, viscous disc are solved analytically or semi-analytically. It is shown that approximately exponential stellar surface density profiles result if the viscous time-scale t ν is comparable to the star-formation time scale t * everywhere in the disc. The analytical solutions are used to illuminate further on the issue of why the above mechanism leads to resulting exponential stellar profiles under certain conditions. The sensitivity of the solution to variations of various parameters are investigated and show that the initial gas surface density distribution has to be fairly regular in order that final exponential stellar surface density profiles result. (author)

M6-C artificial disc placement.

Science.gov (United States)

Coric, Domagoj; Parish, John; Boltes, Margaret O

2017-01-01

There has been a steady evolution of cervical total disc replacement (TDR) devices over the last decade resulting in surgical technique that closely mimics anterior cervical discectomy and fusion as well as disc design that emphasizes quality of motion. The M6-C TDR device is a modern-generation artificial disc composed of titanium endplates with tri-keel fixation as well as a polyethylene weave with a polyurethane core. Although not yet approved by the FDA, M6-C has finished a pilot and pivotal US Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study. The authors present the surgical technique for implantation of a 2-level M6-C cervical TDR device. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/rFEAqINLRCo .

Developments in intervertebral disc disease research: pathophysiology, mechanobiology, and therapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Kathryn T; Jacobsen, Timothy D; Maidhof, Robert; Virojanapa, Justin; Overby, Chris; Bloom, Ona; Quraishi, Shaheda; Levine, Mitchell; Chahine, Nadeen O

2015-03-01

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide and the second most common cause of physician visits. There are many causes of back pain, and among them, disc herniation and intervertebral disc degeneration are the most common diagnoses and targets for intervention. Currently, clinical treatment outcomes are not strongly correlated with diagnoses, emphasizing the importance for characterizing more completely the mechanisms of degeneration and their relationships with symptoms. This review covers recent studies elucidating cellular and molecular changes associated with disc mechanobiology, as it relates to degeneration and regeneration. Specifically, we review findings on the biochemical changes in disc diseases, including cytokines, chemokines, and proteases; advancements in disc disease diagnostics using imaging modalities; updates on studies examining the response of the intervertebral disc to injury; and recent developments in repair strategies, including cell-based repair, biomaterials, and tissue engineering. Findings on the effects of the omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, on nucleus pulposus tissue engineering are presented. Studies described in this review provide greater insights into the pathogenesis of disc degeneration and may define new paradigms for early or differential diagnostics of degeneration using new techniques such as systemic biomarkers. In addition, research on the mechanobiology of disease enriches the development of therapeutics for disc repair, with potential to diminish pain and disability associated with disc degeneration.

Various Characteristics of Electromagnetic Contactor when Arc Discharge are Generated only Make Arc(Researches and Overseas Activities)--(Reports of Overseas Activities)

OpenAIRE

Kiyoshi, Yoshida

2017-01-01

Experiments are carried out to clarify the influence on the current and voltage for various characteristics.A small electromagnetic contactor that has two contacts is used.The arc discharge with only a make arc is generated and various characteristics are measured.Source voltage is set to 100V DC, closed contacts currents are changed from 10A 20A and 30A.From the waveforms, the arc duration time and the bounce time are read out.Arc energy is calculated from the arc voltage and arc current.The...

Appearance of Keplerian discs orbiting Kerr superspinars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stuchlik, Zdenek; Schee, Jan, E-mail: zdenek.stuchlik@fpf.slu.c, E-mail: jan.schee@fpf.slu.c [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava, Bezrucovo nam. 13, Opava (Czech Republic)

2010-11-07

We study optical phenomena related to the appearance of Keplerian accretion discs orbiting Kerr superspinars predicted by string theory. The superspinar exterior is described by standard Kerr naked singularity geometry breaking the black hole limit on the internal angular momentum (spin). We construct local photon escape cones for a variety of orbiting sources that enable us to determine the superspinars silhouette in the case of distant observers. We show that the superspinar silhouette depends strongly on the assumed edge where the external Kerr spacetime is joined to the internal spacetime governed by string theory and significantly differs from the black hole silhouette. The appearance of the accretion disc is strongly dependent on the value of the superspinar spin in both their shape and frequency shift profile. Apparent extension of the disc grows significantly with the growing spin, while the frequency shift grows with the descending spin. This behaviour differs substantially from the appearance of discs orbiting black holes enabling thus, at least in principle, to distinguish clearly the Kerr superspinars and black holes. In vicinity of a Kerr superspinar the non-escaped photons have to be separated to those captured by the superspinar and those being trapped in its strong gravitational field leading to self-illumination of the disc that could even influence its structure and cause self-reflection effect of radiation of the disc. The amount of trapped photons grows with descending superspinar spin. We thus can expect significant self-illumination effects in the field of Kerr superspinars with near-extreme spin a {approx} 1.

Power diagrams and interaction processes for unions of discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Jesper; Helisova, Katarina

We study a flexible class of finite disc process models with interaction between the discs. We let U denote the random set given by the union of discs, and use for the disc process an exponential family density with the canonical sufficient statistic only depending on geometric properties of U......, becomes useful for handling the problem of edge effects when only U is observed within a bounded observation window. The power tessellation and its dual graph become major tools when establishing inclusion-exclusion formulae, formulae for computing geometric characteristics of U, and stability properties...

Power diagrams and interaction processes for unions of discs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Jesper; Helisova, Katerina

2008-01-01

 We study a flexible class of finite-disc process models with interaction between the discs. We let U denote the random set given by the union of discs, and use for the disc process an exponential family density with the canonical sufficient statistic depending only on geometric properties of U......, becomes useful for handling the problem of edge effects when only U is observed within a bounded observation window. The power tessellation and its dual graph become major tools when establishing inclusion-exclusion formulae, formulae for computing geometric characteristics of U, and stability properties...

[Surgical treatment of thoracic disc herniation].

Science.gov (United States)

Hrabálek, L; Kalita, O; Langová, K

2010-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of different surgical approaches to thoracic disc herniation, and to show the role of segmental fusion and selection of an appropriate microsurgical decompression technique for the successful outcome of surgery. A group of 27 patients, 10 men and 17 women, between 31 and 70 years (average age, 49.33 years) were included in this prospective study. They underwent surgery for thoracic degeneration disc disease in the period from June 1994 to August 2008. In all patients, the severity of myelopathy was assessed using the grading Frankel system and JOA score, axial and radicular pain intensity was evaluated with VAS and ODI rating systems. The diagnosis was established on the basis of thoracic spine radiography, thoracic spine MRI and a CT scan of the segment. A total of 30 thoracic segments, in the range of Th4/Th5 to Th12/L1, were indicated for surgery. Localisation of the hernia was medial at 19 segments, mediolateral at three and lateral at eight segments. Soft disc herniation was found in 17 cases and hard disc protrusion at the remaining 13 segments. Surgery for significant myelopathy was carried out in 23 patients and for pain in four patients. According to the surgical procedure used, the patients were allocated to two groups: group A comprised 10 patients treated without disc replacement through a laminectomy or a costotransversectomy exposure, and group B consisted of 17 patients undergo- ing intersomatic fusion via a thoracotomy. Clinical and radiographic examinations were made at regular intervals for at least 1 year of follow-up. The results of clinical assessment, including JOA scores, JOA Recovery Rate, VAS scores at rest and after exercise and ODI, were statistically analysed for each group and compared. There was a statistically significant difference in JOA evaluation of myelopathy between the groups in group A, the mean JOA score declined from 7.9 to 7.0, i.e., -0.9 point, while in group B it

Clinical evaluation of disc battery ingestion in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirshemirani, AliReza; Khaleghnejad-Tabari, Ahmad; Kouranloo, Jaefar; Sadeghian, Naser; Rouzrokh, Mohsen; Roshanzamir, Fatolah; Razavi, Sajad; Sayary, Ali Akbar; Imanzadeh, Farid

2012-04-01

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics, management, and outcomes of disc battery ingestion in children. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of children admitted to Mofid Children's Hospital due to disc battery ingestion from January 2006 to January 2010. Clear history, clinical symptoms and results of imaging studies revealed diagnosis of disc battery ingestion in suspected patients. The clinical data reviewed included age, gender, clinical manifestation, radiologic findings, location of disc battery, duration of ingestion, endoscopic results and surgical treatment. RESULTS We found 22 cases (11 males and 11 females) of disc battery ingestion with a mean age of 4.3 years (range: 9 months to 12 years). Common symptoms were vomiting, cough, dysphagia, and dyspnea. The mean duration of ingestion was 2.7 days (4 hours to 1.5 months). A total of 19 patients had histories of disc battery ingestion, but three cases referred with the above symptoms, and the batteries were accidentally found by x-ray. Only three cases had batteries impacted in the esophagus. Twelve batteries were removed endoscopically, 6 batteries spontaneously passed through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract within 5 to 7 days, and 4 patients underwent surgery due to complications: 3 due to tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF) and 1 due to intestinal perforation. There was no mortality in our study. CONCLUSION Most cases of disc battery ingestion run uneventful courses, but some may be complicated. If the battery lodges in the esophagus, emergency endoscopic management is necessary. However, once in the stomach, it will usually pass through the GI tract.

Indigenous development of rupture discs for FBTR (Paper No. 028)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chetal, S.C.; Raju, Chander; Anandkumar, V.; Seetharaman, V.

1987-02-01

Rupture discs are required as a safety device for protecting the secondary sodium circuit and its components against high pressure surges due to accidental water-steam leaks in sodium heated steam generator and the consequent sodium water reaction. For identical reasons, rupture discs are also required on the vessels used for decontamination of sodium components. As an import substitution of the costly items for the FBTR Project, development of the rupture disc assemblies has been in progress at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam. Reverse buckling knife blade concept with stainless steel disc has been taken up for development. Hydroforming process without any die has been selected for disc fabrication. One rupture disc assembly required for steam generator has been tested in sodium satisfactorily. (author). 4 tables, 5 figs

Computing Decoupled Residuals for Compact Disc Players

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Peter Fogh; Stoustrup, Jakob; Andersen, Palle

2006-01-01

a pair of residuals generated by Compact Disc Player. However, these residuals depend on the performance of position servos in the Compact Disc Player. In other publications of the same authors a pair of decoupled residuals is derived. However, the computation of these alternative residuals has been...

A comparison of cup-to-disc ratio estimates by fundus biomicroscopy and stereoscopic optic disc photography in the Tema Eye Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mwanza, J C; Grover, D S; Budenz, D L; Herndon, L W; Nolan, W; Whiteside-de Vos, J; Hay-Smith, G; Bandi, J R; Bhansali, K A; Forbes, L A; Feuer, W J; Barton, K

2017-08-01

PurposeTo determine if there are systematic differences in cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) grading using fundus biomicroscopy compared to stereoscopic disc photograph reading.MethodsThe vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR) and horizontal cup-to-disc ratio (HCDR) of 2200 eyes (testing set) were graded by glaucoma subspecialists through fundus biomicroscopy and by a reading center using stereoscopic disc photos. For validation, the glaucoma experts also estimated VCDR and HCDR using stereoscopic disc photos in a subset of 505 eyes that they had assessed biomicroscopically. Agreement between grading methods was assessed with Bland-Altman plots.ResultsIn both sets, photo reading tended to yield small CDRs marginally larger, but read large CDRs marginally smaller than fundus biomicroscopy. The mean differences in VCDR and HCDR were 0.006±0.18 and 0.05±0.18 (testing set), and -0.053±0.23 and -0.028±0.21 (validation set), respectively. The limits of agreement were ~0.4, which is twice as large as the cutoff of clinically significant CDR difference between methods. CDR estimates differed by 0.2 or more in 33.8-48.7% between methods.ConclusionsThe differences in CDR estimates between fundus biomicroscopy and stereoscopic optic disc photo reading showed a wide variation, and reached clinically significance threshold in a large proportion of patients, suggesting a poor agreement. Thus, glaucoma should be monitored by comparing baseline and subsequent CDR estimates using the same method rather than comparing photographs to fundus biomicroscopy.

Passivation of iron in solutions containing borate using rotating ring-disc measurements

OpenAIRE

Martini, Emilse M.A.; Muller, Iduvirges L.

1999-01-01

Investigou-se o comportamento eletroquímico do ferro em soluções neutras de perclorato de sódio contendo pequenas concentrações de borato de sódio, através da técnica de voltametria cíclica e empregando-se eletrodo rotatório de disco e anel. Nas soluções de perclorato, a passivação do ferro ocorreu após o pico anódico correspondente à zona ativa, no qual foi observada a dissolução de espécies Fe2+ e Fe3+. Quando é adicionado borato à solução, tanto a densidade de corrente do pico anódico quan...

Cervical artificial disc extrusion after a paragliding accident

OpenAIRE

Niu, Tianyi; Hoffman, Haydn; Lu, Daniel C.

2017-01-01

Background: Cervical total disc replacement (TDR) is an established alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with excellent long-term outcomes and low failure rates. Cases of implant failure and migration are scarce and primarily limited to several years postoperatively. The authors report a case of anterior extrusion of a C4-C5 ProDisc-C (DePuy Synthes, West Chester, PA, USA) cervical artificial disc (CAD) 14 months after placement due to minor trauma. Case Description: ...

Cervical disc hernia operations through posterior laminoforaminotomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Coskun Yolas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The most common used technique for posterolateral cervical disc herniations is anterior approach. However, posterior cervical laminotoforaminomy can provide excellent results in appropriately selected patients with foraminal stenosis in either soft disc prolapse or cervical spondylosis. The purpose of this study was to present the clinical outcomes following posterior laminoforaminotomy in patients with radiculopathy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 35 patients diagnosed with posterolateral cervical disc herniation and cervical spondylosis with foraminal stenosis causing radiculopathy operated by the posterior cervical keyhole laminoforaminotomy between the years 2010 and 2015. Results: The file records and the radiographic images of the 35 patients were assessed retrospectively. The mean age was 46.4 years (range: 34-66 years. Of the patients, 19 were males and 16 were females. In all of the patients, the neurologic deficit observed was radiculopathy. The posterolaterally localized disc herniations and the osteophytic structures were on the left side in 18 cases and on the right in 17 cases. In 10 of the patients, the disc level was at C5-6, in 18 at C6-7, in 2 at C3-4, in 2 at C4-5, in 1 at C7-T1, in 1 patient at both C5-6 and C6-7, and in 1 at both C4-5 and C5-6. In 14 of these 35 patients, both osteophytic structures and protruded disc herniation were present. Intervertebral foramen stenosis was present in all of the patients with osteophytes. Postoperatively, in 31 patients the complaints were relieved completely and four patients had complaints of neck pain and paresthesia radiating to the arm (the success of operation was 88.5%. On control examinations, there was no finding of instability or cervical kyphosis. Conclusion: Posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy is an alternative appropriate choice in both cervical soft disc herniations and cervical stenosis.

Bulge Growth Through Disc Instabilities in High-Redshift Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Bournaud, Frédéric

The role of disc instabilities, such as bars and spiral arms, and the associated resonances, in growing bulges in the inner regions of disc galaxies have long been studied in the low-redshift nearby Universe. There it has long been probed observationally, in particular through peanut-shaped bulges (Chap. 14 10.1007/978-3-319-19378-6_14"). This secular growth of bulges in modern disc galaxies is driven by weak, non-axisymmetric instabilities: it mostly produces pseudobulges at slow rates and with long star-formation timescales. Disc instabilities at high redshift (z > 1) in moderate-mass to massive galaxies (1010 to a few 1011 M⊙ of stars) are very different from those found in modern spiral galaxies. High-redshift discs are globally unstable and fragment into giant clumps containing 108-9 M⊙ of gas and stars each, which results in highly irregular galaxy morphologies. The clumps and other features associated to the violent instability drive disc evolution and bulge growth through various mechanisms on short timescales. The giant clumps can migrate inward and coalesce into the bulge in a few 108 years. The instability in the very turbulent media drives intense gas inflows toward the bulge and nuclear region. Thick discs and supermassive black holes can grow concurrently as a result of the violent instability. This chapter reviews the properties of high-redshift disc instabilities, the evolution of giant clumps and other features associated to the instability, and the resulting growth of bulges and associated sub-galactic components.

On the evolution of vortices in massive protoplanetary discs

Science.gov (United States)

Pierens, Arnaud; Lin, Min-Kai

2018-05-01

It is expected that a pressure bump can be formed at the inner edge of a dead-zone, and where vortices can develop through the Rossby Wave Instability (RWI). It has been suggested that self-gravity can significantly affect the evolution of such vortices. We present the results of 2D hydrodynamical simulations of the evolution of vortices forming at a pressure bump in self-gravitating discs with Toomre parameter in the range 4 - 30. We consider isothermal plus non-isothermal disc models that employ either the classical β prescription or a more realistic treatment for cooling. The main aim is to investigate whether the condensating effect of self-gravity can stabilize vortices in sufficiently massive discs. We confirm that in isothermal disc models with Q ≳ 15, vortex decay occurs due to the vortex self-gravitational torque. For discs with 3≲ Q ≲ 7, the vortex develops gravitational instabilities within its core and undergoes gravitational collapse, whereas more massive discs give rise to the formation of global eccentric modes. In non-isothermal discs with β cooling, the vortex maintains a turbulent core prior to undergoing gravitational collapse for β ≲ 0.1, whereas it decays if β ≥ 1. In models that incorpore both self-gravity and a better treatment for cooling, however, a stable vortex is formed with aspect ratio χ ˜ 3 - 4. Our results indicate that self-gravity significantly impacts the evolution of vortices forming in protoplanetary discs, although the thermodynamical structure of the vortex is equally important for determining its long-term dynamics.

The use of genetic algorithms to model protoplanetary discs

Science.gov (United States)

Hetem, Annibal; Gregorio-Hetem, Jane

2007-12-01

The protoplanetary discs of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars have previously been studied using geometric disc models to fit their spectral energy distribution (SED). The simulations provide a means to reproduce the signatures of various circumstellar structures, which are related to different levels of infrared excess. With the aim of improving our previous model, which assumed a simple flat-disc configuration, we adopt here a reprocessing flared-disc model that assumes hydrostatic, radiative equilibrium. We have developed a method to optimize the parameter estimation based on genetic algorithms (GAs). This paper describes the implementation of the new code, which has been applied to Herbig stars from the Pico dos Dias Survey catalogue, in order to illustrate the quality of the fitting for a variety of SED shapes. The star AB Aur was used as a test of the GA parameter estimation, and demonstrates that the new code reproduces successfully a canonical example of the flared-disc model. The GA method gives a good quality of fit, but the range of input parameters must be chosen with caution, as unrealistic disc parameters can be derived. It is confirmed that the flared-disc model fits the flattened SEDs typical of Herbig stars; however, embedded objects (increasing SED slope) and debris discs (steeply decreasing SED slope) are not well fitted with this configuration. Even considering the limitation of the derived parameters, the automatic process of SED fitting provides an interesting tool for the statistical analysis of the circumstellar luminosity of large samples of young stars.

The effect of parental factors in children with large cup-to-disc ratios.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hae-Young Lopilly Park

Full Text Available To investigate large cup-to-disc ratios (CDR in children and to determine the relationship between parental CDR and clinical characteristics associated with glaucoma.Two hundred thirty six children aged 6 to 12 years with CDR ≥ 0.6 were enrolled in this study. Subjects were classified into two groups based on parental CDR: disc suspect children with disc suspect (CDR ≥0.6 parents and disc suspect children without disc suspect parents. Ocular variables were compared between the two groups.Of the 236 disc suspect children, 100 (42.4% had at least one disc suspect parent. Intraocular pressure (IOP was higher in disc suspect children with disc suspect parents (16.52±2.66 mmHg than in disc suspect children without disc suspect parents (14.38±2.30 mmHg, p = 0.023. In the group with disc suspect parents, vertical CDR significantly correlated with IOP (R = -0.325, p = 0.001, average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL thickness (R = -0.319, p = 0.001, rim area (R = -0.740, p = 0.001, and cup volume (R = 0.499, p = 0.001. However, spherical equivalent (R = 0.333, p = 0.001, AL (R = -0.223, p = 0.009, and disc area (R = 0.325, p = 0.001 significantly correlated with vertical CDR in disc suspect children without disc suspect parents, in contrast to those with disc suspect parents. Larger vertical CDR was associated with the presence of disc suspect parents (p = 0.001, larger disc area (p = 0.001, thinner rim area (p = 0.001, larger average CDR (p = 0.001, and larger cup volume (p = 0.021.Family history of large CDR was a significant factor associated with large vertical CDR in children. In children with disc suspect parents, there were significant correlations between IOP and average RNFL thickness and vertical CDR.

The effect of parental factors in children with large cup-to-disc ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hae-Young Lopilly; Ha, Min Ji; Shin, Sun Young

2017-01-01

To investigate large cup-to-disc ratios (CDR) in children and to determine the relationship between parental CDR and clinical characteristics associated with glaucoma. Two hundred thirty six children aged 6 to 12 years with CDR ≥ 0.6 were enrolled in this study. Subjects were classified into two groups based on parental CDR: disc suspect children with disc suspect (CDR ≥0.6) parents and disc suspect children without disc suspect parents. Ocular variables were compared between the two groups. Of the 236 disc suspect children, 100 (42.4%) had at least one disc suspect parent. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was higher in disc suspect children with disc suspect parents (16.52±2.66 mmHg) than in disc suspect children without disc suspect parents (14.38±2.30 mmHg, p = 0.023). In the group with disc suspect parents, vertical CDR significantly correlated with IOP (R = -0.325, p = 0.001), average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (R = -0.319, p = 0.001), rim area (R = -0.740, p = 0.001), and cup volume (R = 0.499, p = 0.001). However, spherical equivalent (R = 0.333, p = 0.001), AL (R = -0.223, p = 0.009), and disc area (R = 0.325, p = 0.001) significantly correlated with vertical CDR in disc suspect children without disc suspect parents, in contrast to those with disc suspect parents. Larger vertical CDR was associated with the presence of disc suspect parents (p = 0.001), larger disc area (p = 0.001), thinner rim area (p = 0.001), larger average CDR (p = 0.001), and larger cup volume (p = 0.021). Family history of large CDR was a significant factor associated with large vertical CDR in children. In children with disc suspect parents, there were significant correlations between IOP and average RNFL thickness and vertical CDR.

Immobilization of Irpex lacteus to liquid-core alginate beads and their application to degradation of pollutants

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šíma, J.; Milne, R.; Novotný, Čeněk; Hasal, P.

2017-01-01

Roč. 62, č. 4 (2017), s. 335-342 ISSN 0015-5632 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : WHITE-ROT FUNGI * ROTATING BIOLOGICAL CONTACTOR * PHANEROCHAETE-CHRYSOSPORIUM Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology Impact factor: 1.521, year: 2016

The Gaia-ESO Survey: the Galactic thick to thin disc transition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Recio-Blanco, A.; de Laverny, P.; Kordopatis, G.; Helmi, A.; Hill, V.; Gilmore, G.; Wyse, R.; Adibekyan, V.; Randich, S.; Asplund, M.; Feltzing, S.; Jeffries, R.; Micela, G.; Vallenari, A.; Alfaro, E.; Allende Prieto, C.; Bensby, T.; Bragaglia, A.; Flaccomio, E.; Koposov, S. E.; Korn, A.; Lanzafame, A.; Pancino, E.; Smiljanic, R.; Jackson, R.; Lewis, J.; Magrini, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Prisinzano, L.; Sacco, G.; Worley, C. C.; Hourihane, A.; Bergemann, M.; Costado, M. T.; Heiter, U.; Joffre, P.; Lardo, C.; Lind, K.; Maiorca, E.

Aims: The nature of the thick disc and its relation to the thin disc is presently an important subject of debate. In fact, the structural and chemo-dynamical transition between disc populations can be used as a test of the proposed models of Galactic disc formation and evolution. Methods: We used

Can magnetic resonance imaging accurately predict concordant pain provocation during provocative disc injection?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Chang Ho; Kim, Yun Hwan; Kim, Jung Hyuk; Chung, Kyoo Byung; Sung, Deuk Jae; Lee, Sang-Heon; Derby, Richard

2009-01-01

To correlate magnetic resonance (MR) image findings with pain response by provocation discography in patients with discogenic low back pain, with an emphasis on the combination analysis of a high intensity zone (HIZ) and disc contour abnormalities. Sixty-two patients (aged 17-68 years) with axial low back pain that was likely to be disc related underwent lumbar discography (178 discs tested). The MR images were evaluated for disc degeneration, disc contour abnormalities, HIZ, and endplate abnormalities. Based on the combination of an HIZ and disc contour abnormalities, four classes were determined: (1) normal or bulging disc without HIZ; (2) normal or bulging disc with HIZ; (3) disc protrusion without HIZ; (4) disc protrusion with HIZ. These MR image findings and a new combined MR classification were analyzed in the base of concordant pain determined by discography. Disc protrusion with HIZ [sensitivity 45.5%; specificity 97.8%; positive predictive value (PPV), 87.0%] correlated significantly with concordant pain provocation (P < 0.01). A normal or bulging disc with HIZ was not associated with reproduction of pain. Disc degeneration (sensitivity 95.4%; specificity 38.8%; PPV 33.9%), disc protrusion (sensitivity 68.2%; specificity 80.6%; PPV 53.6%), and HIZ (sensitivity 56.8%; specificity 83.6%; PPV 53.2%) were not helpful in the identification of a disc with concordant pain. The proposed MR classification is useful to predict a disc with concordant pain. Disc protrusion with HIZ on MR imaging predicted positive discography in patients with discogenic low back pain. (orig.)

Intervertebral disc herniation: prevalence and association with ...